After Being Forcibly Marked By My Fiancé’S Best Friend Chapter 5

Lian Xu shrugged and tactfully left.

It wasn’t that he was truly afraid He Yu would pin him to the ground, but his head was throbbing, and he felt dizzy in the rain. The fight earlier had been too strenuous, and the effects of his heat cycle had dulled the pain, so only now did he feel the waves of sharp pain radiating from his lower abdomen.

The strong blocker patch wasn’t waterproof. He had lingered in the rain for too long, and he could distinctly feel the thin patch on the back of his neck sliding down.

He gritted his teeth and held on.

The cadets showed no sense of urgency; being hungry seemed like an irrelevant matter to them.

But Lian Xu might not be able to hold out.

Half an hour later, the slowest cadet finally completed a hundred push-ups. By this time, everyone was exhausted and sprawled on the ground, unable to even crawl.

He Yu stood tall and straight in the storm, his shoulders back, and blew his whistle.

“Everyone, get down the mountain as fast as possible!”

The cadets were incredulous.

“Huh? Are you kidding me?”

“Damn it, I’m practically paralyzed! Where am I supposed to find the strength to move?”

Complaints echoed to the sky, drowning out the sporadic thunder.

Another whistle blast sounded. He Yu looked at the cadets, his tone carrying an unyielding authority: “Gather at the mess hall entrance in ten minutes. If even one person is late, you’ll all be penalized with ten extra laps this afternoon!”

Originally, dragging their feet would only mean going hungry, something they had experienced often in previous training. But when they heard that they would not only go hungry but also face extra punishment for being late, everyone took a deep breath and scrambled down the mountain, terrified of being the one sinner who caused everyone else to be penalized.

As for the Alpha Lian Xu had kicked senseless, it would likely be difficult for him to stand upright for ten days to half a month without rest. He Yu called two other Alphas who were still relatively fit to help the injured cadet down the mountain and allowed them to be late.

Watching the cadets run down the mountain in groups of two and three, Lian Xu could no longer hold on. He clutched his lower abdomen and crouched down. Stars swam before his eyes, and sounds became muffled. The Omega’s body had reached its limit. Falling to his knees, weak-legged, was already humiliating, but unexpectedly, he passed out on the mountaintop due to the fever.

The moment he lost consciousness, Lian Xu felt a gentle warmth around his lower back, as if someone had picked him up.

When he opened his eyes again, the familiar room startled him.

How did he end up back here?!

“You’re awake?” Yin Zhuo walked over to the sofa with a bowl of hot soup. His tall figure loomed over the weak Omega lying on the couch.

Lian Xu closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later.

It was still Yin Zhuo.

He wasn’t dreaming.

“What, you don’t want to see me?”

“No, no.” Lian Xu’s face was pale, and he barely had the strength to speak.

That warm embrace—he had thought it was…

But on second thought, the probability was low. If it really had been He Yu, he wouldn’t have sent him to Yin Zhuo’s residence. Yet, he couldn’t figure out why Yin Zhuo would be on the mountaintop.

Surely he hadn’t gone specifically to watch the cadets train; that was simply ridiculous.

Yin Zhuo looked at the weak Omega, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. Fragile, pitiful, a waste dominated by pheromones. Someone who only cried to gain an Alpha’s sympathy.

How could such a person be his fiancée, or be worthy of entering the Command Center?

That Commander was also an Alpha. Perhaps Lian Xu had used the same trick as he did years ago, deceiving the Commander into trust and sympathy, which was why he was allowed into the Command Center. If so, then the Commander was also a pathetic degenerate, ruled by lust and unable to control his desires.

Thinking this, Yin Zhuo relaxed considerably, his mood subtly shifting.

He half-crouched, pinching Lian Xu’s chin, offering no comfort or concern, and directly poured the hot soup into the Omega’s mouth. Brown liquid spilled from the corner of his lips, dripping onto the floor with a splat.

Yin Zhuo frowned: “Remember to wipe that clean.”

With that, he tossed the bowl onto the floor, as if afraid of dirtying his hands.

“If you’re not dead, don’t just lie there. Clean up the room once you feel a little better,” Yin Zhuo said expressionlessly. “Stay close to me during this time. You are not allowed to go to the training grounds. Save yourself from picking up the scent of other Alphas and bringing trouble back.”

Lian Xu bit his lip, his eyes red at the corners, and mumbled a quiet “Okay.”

It was a good opportunity for him to rest anyway.

Perhaps it was because Lian Xu was so compliant while sick that Yin Zhuo didn’t hear his usual low complaints, causing him to pause. Judging by his appearance, it didn’t look like a simple fever; his temperature was abnormally high.

“Did your heat cycle start early?”

Lian Xu looked up, his wet, pitiful eyes staring at the Alpha with a look of grievance.

Yin Zhuo sucked in a cold breath. No wonder he was so compliant; his heat cycle had started early.

In the past, during Lian Xu’s heat, Yin Zhuo would lock him in a room far away to avoid being affected, delivering one meal a day to prevent him from starving. If anyone asked about his whereabouts, he would use the excuse of overwork and poor health.

Few people knew about Yin Zhuo’s “fiancée.” Hearing this, they would nod knowingly, even teasing him for being too rough and not caring for his Omega’s feelings, warning him he’d regret it if his wife ran off with someone else one day.

Yin Zhuo would just smile, saying his Omega was very clingy and that wouldn’t happen.

He also believed Lian Xu wouldn’t easily leave him. He had begged so humbly to marry him back then, and now that he had achieved his wish and climbed to the rank of Lieutenant General using his status, how could he possibly give it up?

But that was only before.

The establishment of the Command Center was like a malignant tumor embedded in the heart of the Inner Cabinet, causing pain and yet inspiring caution. Not to mention Lian Xu was appointed the head of the Command Center’s Military Group; in a few years, he might even surpass him.

Yin Zhuo, accustomed to being revered, couldn’t accept this change immediately.

“I… I’m a little cold.” Lian Xu cautiously clutched the corner of Yin Zhuo’s clothes, tears welling up in his eyes, holding back any sobs.

He knew Yin Zhuo hated seeing an Omega cry, especially him.

It drove him crazy.

Yin Zhuo’s pupils suddenly contracted. Seeing that Lian Xu was still the weak waste he was familiar with, he involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief.

He violently shook off Lian Xu’s hand, his face dark: “How many times have I told you not to touch me without permission!”

“I… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Lian Xu quickly apologized.

Unusually, Yin Zhuo calmed down after Lian Xu’s first apology. He casually grabbed a blanket and threw it over him.

Lian Xu’s clothes were soaked and clung tightly to his body. A thin blanket was insufficient to ward off the penetrating cold.

Yin Zhuo made no further moves, believing he had shown enough charity.

“Warm up and then hurry up and clean.”

The residence was a mess, and the sight of it irritated him. All of this was thanks to his fiancée.

“Why the big temper tantrum?” He Yu leaned against the door, asking with a smile.

He and Yin Zhuo had known each other since childhood. Their parents were comrades who had faced life and death together, and the two of them were sworn brothers. Therefore, Yin Zhuo treated He Yu like a younger brother, supporting him unconditionally in whatever he did.

Yin Zhuo disliked being disturbed. None of the subordinates who were forced to seek him out at his residence dared to walk out with their chests puffed out. Everyone respected and feared him. Only He Yu came and went freely in his residence, even developing the habit of barging in without knocking.

Because of this, whenever Yin Zhuo’s temper was interrupted and he still managed to speak kindly, Lian Xu knew without looking who the visitor was.

Just like now, the moment he heard a slight sound, he recognized the annoying tone of voice.

Yin Zhuo sighed, walked to the sofa, picked up the Omega, and placed him on his lap, tightening the blanket around him. His palm cupped the slender waist, adopting an intimate posture.

“Be good, don’t be willful. You won’t get better without taking the medicine.”

He looked exactly like a devoted, caring husband tending to his sick wife at home. In contrast, Lian Xu looked like a spoiled, difficult wife who threw bowls in a tantrum.

He Yu walked in, swung his arm, and leaned against the sofa, saying sourly, “Your relationship with your wife is truly good. It makes one envious.”

Yin Zhuo smiled: “Find one yourself, and you won’t be envious anymore.”

He Yu raised an eyebrow: “Forget it. I’m afraid someone might not be able to handle it and chop me up to feed the dogs if I upset them.”

“You’re an Alpha. Are you afraid you can’t tame an Omega?” Yin Zhuo didn’t catch the hidden meaning in his words, instead teasing him with a smile.

He Yu didn’t mind, his gaze fixed on the hand wrapped around the Omega’s waist.

“I won’t disturb you lovebirds anymore. I’m leaving.”

Yin Zhuo didn’t get up, instead looking at Lian Xu’s miserable face: “I won’t see you out. He’s not feeling well, so I’ll stay with him.”

He Yu gave a lazy hum, grinding his back teeth in annoyance.

He hadn’t rushed over to someone else’s dorm in the middle of the day just to watch a couple be intimate.

The moment He Yu walked out, Yin Zhuo quickly let go, allowing Lian Xu to fall from his lap without a care. His forehead hit the corner of the table, swelling slightly.

He was always like this, skilled at playing the perfect husband.

Lian Xu also played the role of the perfect fiancée in front of outsiders, but only they knew it was all an act. Yin Zhuo loathed Lian Xu.

It could be said he hated him thoroughly; the sight of him made him sick.

Yin Zhuo couldn’t keep up the pretense anymore. He grabbed Lian Xu’s face and demanded, “What is your relationship with that Commander?”

Lian Xu looked confused. Him and the Commander?

They were completely unrelated. What relationship could they possibly have?

As Yin Zhuo’s expression grew increasingly furious, more and more pheromones that stimulated his gland painfully leaked out. Lian Xu belatedly realized Yin Zhuo was having another episode.

Except for himself, every Alpha who came into contact with Lian Xu was subject to his suspicion.

Of course, one person was an exception: he had never doubted He Yu.

Seeing the Omega remain silent, looking aggrieved, Yin Zhuo thought he had guessed correctly: “When did you two meet? On the battlefield?”

“I only let you out for one year, and you’re already fooling around with another Alpha behind my back! How does it feel to have a new backer, huh?”

“But have you considered that you are my fiancée! Your backing can only be the Inner Cabinet!”

Lian Xu didn’t speak, only enduring and crying. When his tears uncontrollably flowed onto the Alpha’s palm, Yin Zhuo immediately let go and abruptly stood up as if stung by a poison dart.

This beautiful face, especially when crying, was particularly seductive, yet it also made him feel disgusted.

Yin Zhuo narrowed his eyes. Lian Xu had used this harmless face to deceive him and to deceive more high-ranking Alphas into serving his purpose.

But Lian Xu was his fiancée, even if he didn’t acknowledge it in his heart. As long as this Omega maintained the identity of the Prime Minister’s fiancée for one day, no one else was allowed to covet him even slightly.

“You had better face reality. The Command Center is currently riding high, but if the Lakalā Operation fails in three months, he will be brought before the military court and become a criminal to the entire Empire. At that time, only the Inner Cabinet, only I, can protect you from any repercussions.”

Lian Xu was running a fever and had been thoroughly exhausted by Yin Zhuo. His head was spinning. He vaguely heard the words “Lakalā Operation.” He struggled to get up, grabbed Yin Zhuo’s calf, and looked up at the tall Alpha: “But His Highness personally established the Command Center.”

His expression of humble submission and disbelief only reinforced the suspicion that he was a brainless waste who only wanted to cling to power for success. Yin Zhuo smiled meaningfully: “His Highness? You are as naive as he is. The Inner Cabinet is the backbone of the entire Empire. The Inner Cabinet has survived until now not simply by relying on the Empire.”

“It is the Inner Cabinet that supports the Empire, do you understand?” Yin Zhuo seemed certain that Lian Xu wouldn’t think beyond the surface and didn’t mind showing off the Inner Cabinet’s immense power to him.

With just this one sentence, Lian Xu guessed that the Inner Cabinet was secretly gathering external forces behind His Highness’s back.

Could it be Lakalā? he wondered.

Seeing Lian Xu suddenly fall silent, an unpleasant thought quietly sparked. But in less than half a minute, this incredible notion was completely washed away by Lian Xu’s tears.

“I… I won’t betray you.”

“That’s a good girl.” Yin Zhuo rubbed his face, his thumb wiping away the tears at the corner of his lips. “Just stay by my side and rest well. When your heat cycle is over and you return to the Command Center, you know what to do, right?”

He meant…

Lian Xu nodded, his eyes teary. He couldn’t sit steadily, but his hands desperately clung to Yin Zhuo.

“Alright, be good. Go to sleep.” Yin Zhuo glanced at the messy floor nearby. “Remember to clean this place up when you wake up.”

“Mhm, okay.”

Lian Xu obediently wrapped himself in the blanket. Unable to stand, he used his hands and feet to crawl into his familiar room. The bowl on the floor, however, was gone. He didn’t hesitate to crawl inside. Previously, there was only a blanket, but now there was a thick quilt.

Perhaps the weather was colder earlier this year than usual, and Yin Zhuo was afraid he would freeze to death inside, so he had put the quilt in early.

Yin Zhuo saw him enter without any fuss and thought that weak people were indeed easier to control. He took the chain and wrapped it twice around the door outside the room.

The pitch-black room was like an ice cellar, letting in no sunlight or warmth. Lian Xu’s forehead was burning like a fireball, but his body wouldn’t stop shaking. Even wrapped in the thick quilt, it was no use.

He raised his hand and felt his damp, cold clothes. He decided to take them all off, wrapping himself naked in the blanket before shrinking into the quilt. He finally felt a little more comfortable.

Yin Zhuo’s words flashed quickly through his mind.

Lian Xu wrapped the thick quilt tightly around himself and lay on his side on the floor, his fingers gripping the ground. Excruciating pain spread throughout his body, yet he smiled freely. The Alpha thought he had him under control, never realizing that all of this was the result of his own careful planning.

The blood feud was irreconcilable.

Lian Xu closed his eyes. A voice suddenly echoed in his mind, a young, magnetic voice asking him: “If you find the person, what do you plan to do?”

He thought for a moment and replied, “Kill him…”