Chapter 27: Have you seen enough? It's time to return it to its rightful owner. The light on him...

Pei Jiqing's pupils trembled slightly in the dimness, from initial shock to foggy confusion, finally solidifying into a shattered wasteland.

Chen Huixing's eyes were now heavy, as if he had completely sobered up. Those eyes, tempered by the cold star, were as sharp as a knife, slicing away the tenderness and tenderness of the past.

Pei Jiqing couldn't understand why Chen Huixing had so easily concluded that he was unfaithful. Conviction required irrefutable evidence, so Pei Jiqing couldn't understand why such a meticulous man as Chen Huixing would be so determined to convict him.

He thought, so this is how Chen Huixing saw him—a despicable disciple whose very attempt to prove his innocence seemed ridiculous.

Those nights of passionate love, those warm whispers of closeness, all became a laughable memory under his stern scrutiny.

Pei Jiqing suddenly felt absurd, so absurd that even his fingertips began to tingle.

Pei Jiqing's voice was hoarse, as if rubbed with sandpaper. "Do you think I have no redeeming qualities, so you can pin this accusation on me?"

Every word seemed forced from his chest.

Chen Huixing sneered, "Do you?"

His eyes were like ice, piercing and chilling. "If you weren't stupid and brainless, you wouldn't have continued to associate with Wei Ji despite my repeated warnings! You enjoy being admired by that kind of person, don't you?"

Every word was like a knife, cutting into flesh, reeking of blood.

"Do you feel proud of what he said to you on your show?" Chen Huixing was merciless, his eyes surging with dark thoughts. "When you were flirting with him, did you remember you were married?" His

voice was as dangerous as the suppressed thunder before a storm.

Pei Jiqing's fingertips trembled slightly, like a trapped animal on the brink of collapse. "He invested in my show. We're just working."

Chen Huixing's gaze deepened. He wasn't blind, nor was he foolish—he could sense the subtle familiarity between Pei Jiqing and Wei Ji, a sickening ambiguity, even if Pei Jiqing tried to conceal it. The air was stagnant, and he suddenly chuckled, his voice laced with sharp sarcasm. "Pei Jiqing, don't treat others as fools."

"You won't let me touch you now, is it because of him?"

Pei Jiqing choked. Chen Huixing had seen that episode.

What welled up in Chen Huixing's eyes wasn't jealousy, nor a tinge of sour possessiveness, but pure disgust—for him, for Wei Ji, for all the uncontrolled impurities in this shaky relationship, the violated territoriality, like a beast biting an intruder coveting its prey.

Chen Huixing hated him showing up in public, hated him being stared at and teased in front of the camera, as if "Honey Talk Star Chef" was not the starting point of his dream, but some kind of shameful stain.

If Chen Huixing knew Pei Jiqing's life experience, then in his eyes, it would be nothing more than a series of bad deeds that needed to be settled.

If it weren't for that ridiculous, cold compatibility - a number that was high enough to blind reason, how could Chen Huixing marry him?

How could he tolerate an Omega that was not perfect and not docile enough to occupy his life?

Pei Jiqing looked at him, and suddenly felt tired like a tide, drowning all the energy to argue.

Chen Huixing doubted his loyalty and his words. This marriage had long been rotten in suspicion and turned into a cage that trapped each other.

Pei Jiqing suddenly felt that everything was dull, like burnt ashes, even the last bit of heat had dissipated.

He raised his hand to unbutton his robe. As the fabric slipped away, his pale skin shone in the light, the sheen of cold porcelain, like a meticulously crafted figurine lost in spirit. He tilted his head, legs slightly apart, a self-deprecating smile curling the corners of his lips. He said, resigned, "Do it if you want." Chen

Huixing's face suddenly darkened, a dark storm swirling in his eyes.

Pei Jiqing's expression was numb, almost hollow, as if this body had long been detached from its soul, unaffected by anyone's manipulation.

He leaned in, his breath hot against his ear, each word sharp as a knife: "Pei Jiqing, don't try to trick me."

Chen Huixing spoke with a dangerous chill: "I'm not interested in marital rape—be a good executive wife, and if you behave, you'll be the commander's wife, too."

They were so close they could almost hear each other's heartbeats, yet the sound of their heartbeats seemed to be separated by a vast abyss.

After uttering these harsh words, Chen Huixing stood up, slammed the door, and walked away without looking back. The deafening sound echoed in the silent room for a long time.

He had great ambitions, and Pei Jiqing had always known it.

But the price was Pei Jiqing's dream.

He wanted him to be an exquisite bird in a cage, a dodder clinging to his chest - quiet, gentle, and never resisting.

Pei Jiqing slowly pulled up his nightgown, tears silently rolling down his face, soaking into his temples and leaving dark marks on the pillow. His clothes were disheveled, and the corners of his eyes were stained with a sickly red. The burning pain spread from his eye sockets to his temples, as if there were tiny thorns growing under his skin.

He raised his arms to block his eyes, his wrists glistening in the light. His body curled up unconsciously, as if returning to the fetal position in the mother's womb, but he couldn't stop the slight trembling.

Even though he had long been accustomed to Chen Huixing's cold eyes, even though his reason warned him not to be hurt by such treatment again - his heart was not made of stone after all.

Morning light filtered in through the gauze curtains, gilding the edges of the plates with a faint golden hue. Pei Jiqing mechanically swallowed the last bite of his breakfast, the porcelain spoon making a crisp sound against the bowl's rim.

He called Xu Ze, his voice as calm as a frozen lake: "I want to go back."

A brief silence echoed from the other end of the line. Xu Ze hesitated, then said, "Madam, I'm afraid... this won't work."

Pei Jiqing asked, "Why?"

His fingertips unconsciously caressed his knife and fork: "He's in heat this time... and doesn't need me anymore."

Wasn't that the reason he was called here?

Pregnant omegas enjoy a ten-month period of peace, no longer consumed by passion, no longer dominated by such intense desire. But the growing life within her belly ultimately needed the nourishment of pheromones from another.

Xu Ze was just contemplating his words when, the next second, Chen Huixing snatched the phone away and said to the other end, "You're not allowed to go anywhere. I told you, you won't have freedom from now on."

Pei Jiqing's knuckles suddenly tightened. Why? A cry of defense surged in his throat: "I didn't do anything wrong..."

Before he could finish his words, the communication was cut off crisply.

Pei Jiqing was furious.

When he pushed open the door, two silent figures stood on both sides of the corridor. They were the bodyguards who had always been beside Shen Huixing.

The glances they cast at him were like invisible chains, indicating some kind of suffocating confinement.

Pei Jiqing deliberately walked out with loud steps, and the bodyguards immediately followed him closely: "Madam, where do you want to go?"

One of them asked in a formal manner.

Pei Jiqing forced a fake smile and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Let's go out for a walk."

So they had a clear division of labor, and after reporting to Shen Huixing - one went to prepare the car, and the other stayed where he was.

The lights from the mall windows dazzled him, and Pei Jiqing retaliated by swiping through a row of luxury goods counters. As he dumped dozens of shopping bags onto the entryway, the boxes clattered and soon filled the entire entrance.

He reclined on the sofa, his fingertips tapping the armrest intermittently until he heard familiar footsteps outside the door—Chen Huixing had finally returned.

Pei Jiqing hurried forward upon seeing him enter, his eyes filled with anxiety. "Why are you keeping me here?"

Chen Huixing remained silent.

Pei Jiqing's voice was strained to the limit, revealing a sense of despair. "Wei Ji wanted to give the flowers, and he insisted on giving the money—I said no, but he forced it on me. What else could I do?" Chen

Huixing casually loosened his tie, his brow furrowed as if listening to an insignificant excuse. "Do I have anything to do with you?"

The Alpha's gaze swept over the mountain of shopping bags piled in the hallway. A hint of sarcasm played at the corner of Chen Huixing's lips. "Didn't you just go shopping?"

The luxury goods packaging in the room shimmered coldly under the light, certainly not like what a prison should look like.

"I don't need bodyguards watching me," Pei Jiqing gritted his teeth.

Chen Huixing tossed his tie on the sofa. "What else? Let you go out alone and attract attention?"

Pei Jiqing looked at his invulnerable expression, his chest heaving violently. Finally, he turned and slammed the bedroom door,

as if no one was immune to it. The muffled sound of the

solid

wood door echoing in the empty living room, like a weak counterattack.

Silver cutlery clattered against the porcelain plate. Pei Jiqing mechanically fiddled with the food on the plate, taking only a few bites before putting down his chopsticks.

This week-long captivity had become too much for him. He was being watched wherever he went, and the life in his belly was silently absorbing his nutrients, growing up under Shen Huixing's close watch. He couldn't do anything.

An Omega's pheromones would quietly change during pregnancy, and this subtle change was also the reason why he resisted the Alpha's approach.

Shen Huixing sat across from him, his snow-white shirt sleeves casually rolled up, revealing his well-defined arms.

He lowered his head to peel the shrimp, his slender fingers moving skillfully and exuding an unquestionable sense of control. He placed the shrimp in front of Pei Jiqing. His well-dressed appearance was deceptive. The fabric wrapped around his sturdy body made him look gentle, but it couldn't hide his inherent aggression.

Pei Jiqing didn't like peeling shrimp.

So, Shen Huixing always did it.

In the past, Pei Jiqing might have leaned forward, sitting in his arms with a sweet smile, pinching food with his fingertips and feeding it to Chen Huixing's lips. Then, through the intertwined breaths, a glance could ignite a prairie fire, turning the dining table into another charming battlefield.

Now, all that was left was the silent flash of swords and the gradually cooling food on the plates.

After all, when they came before, it was during the two of them's estrus and sensitive period.

To be honest, they had never experienced such a cold and distant estrus.

In the past, even someone as cold as Chen Huixing would have been inseparable from Pei Jiqing during this special time.

Chen Huixing's arms were tightly wrapped around his waist, and he lay on the edge of the bed with his eyes half-closed, contented. Whenever Pei Jiqing wanted to go out for a walk, he would stand and trace his brow bone with his soft lips, gently kissing his eyelashes, then down his high nose. Finally, he would cup his face, repeatedly pecking his thin, always pursed lips, and softly say, "Honey, can we go out?" Chen

Huixing would gaze at him with those deep, dark eyes, as if testing the limits of his pleasing. Only after Pei Jiqing slid under the covers, then emerged wetly, eyes reddened and lips tinged with a hint of sensual liquid, would he casually say "hmm," as a gesture of agreement.

And now—

because of the little thing in her belly, Pei Jiqing was completely paralyzed.

His fingers unconsciously caressed the still-flat belly, where a fragile new life was nurturing.

The image from the last checkup was still vivid in his mind: such a tiny mass, as if Chen Huixing could shatter it with a single cruel thought.

Now Pei Jiqing was too reluctant to even force a perfunctory smile, and all Chen Huixing gave him in return was the same cold profile.

Pei Jiqing was very afraid of making contact with him, and there was almost no eye contact or physical contact. Occasionally, at the dinner table, their fingertips would simultaneously reach for the same dish, and the moment their skin touched, Pei Jiqing would quickly retract his hand as if burned - he was terrified of that sudden touch, afraid that Chen Huixing would pinch his wrist in the next second, and in a fit of animal instinct, press him hard into the mattress.

After all, such things had happened before.

But in the past, Pei Jiqing was always half-hearted, and now it seemed like a lifetime ago. He wanted to fly back to Ling City immediately.

Chen Huixing's reputation was like a prairie fire, burning more and more in the military.

Since that shocking corruption case, apart from Cen Yuean, who had a strong background, there was almost no one who could compete with him for the position of commander.

Cen Yuean, a princeling born into a wealthy family, his father a former high-ranking military official, now retired, is young and energetic, a candidate for the next commander-in-chief, a stark contrast to the practical warriors who emerged from the bloodbath. The vast network and resources left by his father, like an invisible crown, have long crowned him.

Young and energetic, wielding power, he and Shen Huixing competed in a virtual chess match, both being the most sought-after candidates for the next commander-in-chief.

That morning, Pei Jiqing caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar silver light on Shen Huixing's wrist; he was, for the first time, wearing a pheromone bracelet.

Nowadays, there are numerous devices for suppressing pheromone release, from patches to neck rings to wristbands.

But Chen Huixing has always used the most basic suppression patch, as restrained and simple as he is.

The metal bracelet glowed coldly against his wrist bone, shifting slightly as he adjusted it.

Pei Jiqing couldn't help but glance twice, only to meet Chen Huixing's sudden gaze. Those cold eyes swirl with naked lust and desire, tinging the air with a shuddering, fishy sweetness.

Pei Jiqing's heart skipped a beat, like a startled deer stumbling upon a dormant beast. He instinctively took a half step back, his heels digging into the cold floor, a whisper of inquiry escaping his throat: "...Are you okay?"

Chen Huixing didn't answer, but instead pinned him to the spot with those unfathomable eyes, their gaze sliding like a substance from his neck to his waist before silently turning and walking away.

Pei Jiqing froze in place, feeling as if boiling magma were coursing through his veins. The faint pheromones, like the venom of a venomous snake, silently seeped into his every limb.

Pei Jiqing could barely move, feeling a rapid, tingling heat coursing through his body. Chen Huixing had, in fact, been seducing him with pheromones.

Late at night, dreams of red waves tossed and turned, Pei Jiqing awoke to a dank, sweltering blanket. He was scorching, sweat dripping down his flushed skin, soaking his pajamas. Saliva oozing from the corners of his lips left a dark stain on the pillow. In his hazy vision, the ceiling twisted and swayed in the mist.

His mind still clung to the absurd dream.

He had no idea what he had muttered in his sleep.

This happened several times, and Pei Jiqing finally felt certain that Chen Huixing had done it on purpose.

The last time was when they were alone.

Pei Jiqing lazily sprawled on his bed in his room, absentmindedly watching the massage chairs being marketed on the shopping channel.

Just as he was about to doze off, a strong pheromone suddenly overwhelmed him, enveloping him tightly like an invisible net. The scent was hot and powerful, as if it wanted to burn through every inch of his skin.

Alphas naturally have an overwhelming advantage over Omegas, not only in physical strength, but also in their pheromones, which are highly aggressive.

The scents of both parties will seduce each other, and the pheromones released by the Alpha can even drag the Omega into the abyss of passion.

Pei Jiqing shivered with a hot and cold feeling, unable to believe that Chen Huixing was actually using pheromones to seduce him. He struggled to stand up and pushed the door open a crack—Chen Huixing stood in the living room with his back to him, his back straight and cold.

"...You...you're leaking pheromones." Pei Jiqing's voice trembled, with a wet nasal sound.

Chen Huixing turned his back to him, without even turning his head, and said in a flat tone: "I don't feel anything."

Pei Jiqing almost collapsed, closed the door, and slid down to sit on the ground. He bit his fingers. Chen Huixing was clearly doing it on purpose. He controlled the pheromones precisely, only in this space, only for Pei Jiqing. He just wanted to force him to come to him actively, open his legs and beg him.

Pei Jiqing bit his fingers to clear his mind.

In fact, it was not so bad, still within the tolerable range.

Pei Jiqing locked the door, smelled Chen Huixing's pheromones, and DIYed it himself three times, and took three hot showers in one night. The water washed over his hot skin, but it could not wash away the Alpha scent lingering on his nose.

He was not worried that Chen Huixing would continue to waste time with him - the man was busy with all kinds of things, how could he have the leisure to play this kind of emotional tug-of-war game with him.

Chen Huixing just wanted him to give in.

In reality, even if Pei Jiqing wasn't pregnant, he would have already gone over to her, rolling around with her. He had no integrity in front of Shen Huixing, even though he wanted her too. After all, she

was an S-class Alpha, more than an Omega of his rank could resist, not to mention how close they had once been.

What integrity, what dignity, completely crumbled before the overwhelming pheromones of an S-class Alpha.

He knew all too well how much he longed for the touch of those hands—Shen Huixing's warmth, her scent, even the stinging pain of her calloused fingertips brushing against his glands. These memories seeped into his bones like poison, making him weak just thinking about it.

But now, he could only bite the back of his hand to stifle his breath, letting the waves of emotion surge through his veins.

But he couldn't do that now.

In Shen Huixing's eyes, Pei Jiqing was determined to die, willing to be humiliated rather than let Shen Huixing touch him.

Chen Huixing stood in the shadows of the hallway, his gaze piercing the closed door like a blade. Dark emotions swirled in his eyes, like a dormant beast surveying its prey.

The faint sound of running water drifted in the bathroom, and he imagined Pei Jiqing shivering repeatedly under the icy water, biting his lips to stifle his passion, rather than yield to him.

In Shen Huixing's mind, Pei Jiqing was like a desperate young animal, soaking wet, his teeth chattering, yet still raising his last few hairs in a show of bravado, even as lust tormented him, his eyes reddening and his legs weakening.

A week later, Pei Jiqing finally got the chance to return to Ling City.

Finally free from those disturbing, hot dreams, he could barely contain his excitement.

Chen Huixing's moods had been unpredictable lately, a stark contrast to the aloof yet restrained Alpha of the past. Pei Jiqing wondered if even an unsatisfied Alpha would become so moody.

He packed everything.

When Xu Ze was carrying his luggage for him, Chen Huixing suddenly spoke in a low and cold voice: "Are you so impatient?"

Pei Jiqing pursed his lips, and finally forced a well-behaved smile, pretending to be well-behaved, with a soft voice: "Hubby, then I'll go home first." Chen

Huixing said lightly, "Hmm," and said, "Be good when you go back."

When Pei Jiqing left, he couldn't help but look back at him: "Hubby, let's calm down first. No matter what, I haven't done anything to let you down."

The two bodyguards naturally followed Pei Jiqing back.

The moment Pei Jiqing turned around, he couldn't help but look back. The morning light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a light shadow on Shen Huixing's well-defined profile.

"Hubby, let's... calm down first." Pei Jiqing said, "I didn't do what you said."

Although I lied to you, I didn't cheat.

With two silent bodyguards following him like a shadow, how could Pei Jiqing sit back and wait for death when he returned home?

Is it necessary to wait until the belly bulges and the secret can no longer be hidden?

So the carefully planned escape began. Under the pretext of a beauty massage, he signaled to the staff in the private room, and then slipped away quietly through a special passage.

The car in the garage was parked there quietly. He only needed a short time - enough time to go to the hospital for a check-up and then come back unnoticed.

Pei Jiqing planned it very well.

When he started the engine, he didn't see a strange car suddenly flash in the rearview mirror. The car followed slowly, like a hunter that had been dormant for a long time, finally waiting for the prey to fall into the trap.

Chen Huixing returned home that day, and as soon as he stepped into the house, he received the news that Pei Jiqing had an accident.

He rushed back exhausted and didn't even have time to take off his coat. There was an indelible coldness between his brows.

Pei Jiqing shook off the bodyguards and drove away alone, but was chased halfway. Chen Huixing had too many enemies, and those people couldn't touch him, so they turned their spearheads on his Omega.

When Pei Jiqing realized he was being followed, he kept changing his route while speeding, trying to shake off the car that was following him closely.

The sharp sound of tires rubbing against the ground pierced the night air, and the roar of the engine, wrapped in his heartbeat, almost shattered his eardrums. But those people were relentless in pursuit, like hyenas that had smelled blood, biting him tightly and not letting go.

Just then, Wei Ji called him, and Pei Jiqing, as if grasping the last straw, asked Chen Xinze to save him.

The harsh sound of brakes and the loud crash exploded at the same time -

and the first one to rush to Pei Jiqing's side was Wei Ji.

The dusk was as dark as blood, and a black SUV was slammed into an abandoned building by a speeding sports car. The twisted metal frame was embedded in the mottled brick wall.

When Chen Huixing arrived at the scene, the dazzling ambulance lights were still flashing. Pei Jiqing sat on the curb in a daze, wrapped in an unfamiliar dark coat, which made his face look as pale as paper.

The wound on the Omega's forehead had obviously oozed a thin line of blood before, and it had been treated, and now it had solidified into a dark red mark. Wei Ji was standing next to him, his black short-sleeved shirt was mottled with dust, and the scratches on his arms were still bleeding, but he still maintained a protective posture.

The night wind blew with the smell of gasoline and blood, stretching the shadows of the three people very long.

Chen Huixing walked through the noisy crowd, his black windbreaker drawing a sharp arc.

The moment he brushed past Wei Ji, he caught a glimpse of the exposed abdomen, where there was a dark tattoo pattern, a very familiar pattern.

He leaned over and picked up Pei Jiqing horizontally. The man in his arms stiffened for a moment, but when he saw it was him, he immediately wrapped his cold fingers around his neck.

Pei Jiqing buried his face deeply in the crook of Chen Huixing's neck, his warm breath mixed with a slight tremor: "Husband, someone wants to kill me."

"It's okay." Chen Huixing whispered, his voice low but like a steady promise. He tightened his arms and pulled the man closer to him, as if this could isolate all the panic and anxiety.

When they arrived at the hospital, Pei Jiqing checked the external injuries. It was not serious. He fell asleep exhausted because of the shock.

When Chen Huixing walked out of the ward, he was holding the dark coat in his hands. As he stroked the fabric, a wallet slipped out.

He bent down to pick it up. Out of some intuition, the moment he opened the wallet, a photo with traces of time suddenly caught his sight.

Pei Jiqing in the photo still has his youthful spirit. He is wearing a school uniform and smiling with his scissors hands. Wei Ji's arm is affectionately wrapped around his shoulders. The blurred blocks of color behind the two of them may be the clear spring sky. Only those two pairs of eyes filled with smiles are still dazzlingly bright after so many years.

Chen Huixing's fingertips unconsciously stroked the edge of the photo. When he looked up, he met Wei Ji's gaze at the end of the corridor. The man was leaning against the wall, with a poisonous smile on his lips: "Executive..."

His deliberately prolonged tone was like a blunt knife scraping across glass: "Have you seen enough? It's time to return the item to its original owner."

The light cast a sinister shadow in his eyes, which made the provocation vivid.