Protective

Special Sensitivity Period...? Shang Sui?

Shi Qi's mind turned a beat slow, trying to link the two keywords together.

The sharp voice at her ear was still saying something, carrying a mocking smile. Yu Zhiling seemed to have suddenly seized hold of a handle on her and Shang Sui—his previously ashen face now showing smug colors:

"Such a huge secret, and you had no idea at all."

"No, no... of course he wouldn't tell you!"

Yu Zhiling's gaze turned to Shang Sui. The Alpha, who had been in a rage moments ago, stood motionless, as if forcibly nailed to the spot, radiating a suppressive and terrifying presence.

He had no doubt that if Shi Qi hadn't been present, the moment he spoke Shang Sui's secret, his throat would have been crushed—he might have died right there.

But Yu Zhiling could see that Shang Sui was at a loss. He had no attention to spare for Yu Zhiling's words; he was waiting for Shi Qi's reaction, like a condemned criminal bowing his head to await sentencing.

How interesting.

Didn't they claim to love each other, to be faithful unto death?

Realizing such a vast gulf existed between them, Yu Zhiling grew extraordinarily excited. The urge to sow discord could not be contained; he even forgot his earlier brush with death:

"Little Qi, you really have nerve, daring to get involved with a monster like this."

"Did you know? The ratio of psychopaths among Alphas in Special Sensitivity Period is three to seven—that means, out of every ten in Special Sensitivity Period, three could become killers. Even without criminal acts, the degree of psychological distortion is beyond what a normal person can imagine."

"Psychopaths always toy with and torture their partners. This is solid statistical data, not a single exception."

"Driving someone mad is the easiest thing in the world for them. You think he likes you? In reality, you're nothing but a toy within easy reach, a test subject... maybe even a target for crime."

"You want to gamble on a seven-in-ten chance? Sounds like good odds, but the stake is your life—any sane person would want to stay far away." Yu Zhiling grew more and more agitated, his cheeks flushed red. "Even if you beat the seven-in-ten odds, during his Sensitivity Period he's far more dangerous than an ordinary Alpha—far more than you can imagine."

"...Shut up." Shi Qi finally spoke.

Yu Zhiling stood up, stumbling forward, paying no heed to Shi Qi's warning:

"One day you might wake up locked somewhere no one could ever find."

"Imprisonment is the least of it—have you seen the reports? A foolish Omega fell in love with an Alpha in Special Sensitivity Period, had her limbs hacked off and was used to satisfy his lust, unable to live and unable to die! Your boyfriend can't even admit to Special Sensitivity Period in front of you—he might be worse than them! Hahahahahaha!"

"Why glare at me? If not for me, you'd only learn this when you're dying... you should be thanking me!"

Shi Qi raised her voice: "I said, shut your mouth—!"

The murderous timbre made Yu Zhiling instinctively halt. Shi Qi lifted her head; her deep gray eyes burned with cold, violent fury.

Before Yu Zhiling could react, Shi Qi seized his shoulder and slammed him hard to the side!

Yu Zhiling's head slammed heavily against the wall. Fortunately, the Safe House interior had been fitted with impact-resistant material; the soft wall kept him from cracking his skull.

But the violent impact still left Yu Zhiling's mind blank for a second, nearly knocking him out.

Shi Qi kicked him in the knee. Bone met bone with a crisp sound. Yu Zhiling screamed in pain and was forced to his knees before Shi Qi.

Shi Qi only grew angrier. At the thought of those words, her heart felt as though a burr-edged blade were slicing through it, churning wantonly inside the soft tissue.

"Pretty pleased with yourself? Happy to say all that?"

"Little Qi...!"

Shang Sui saw Shi Qi's emotions slipping out of control and instinctively stepped forward. Shi Qi was faster—grabbing Yu Zhiling by the hair and dragging him into the bathroom.

The Safe House bathroom was extremely cramped. Shi Qi dragged Yu Zhiling to the sink and pressed down the drain plug. Yu Zhiling was dizzy and disoriented, with no idea what Shi Qi intended.

Shi Qi turned on the faucet and shoved Yu Zhiling's head straight in!

"Washing that filthy mouth for you. No need to thank me."

Shi Qi was at the peak of fury, and her voice turned ice-cold: "Oh, let's wash the brain too while we're at it."

As she spoke, Shi Qi increased the force, pressing down with both hands. Yu Zhiling's entire face was battered by the violent stream of water.

To help users save time, the Safe House had strong water pressure; the sink filled rapidly, soon submerging his mouth and nose.

Survival instinct drove Yu Zhiling to thrash wildly, but the hands on his head didn't budge.

Shang Sui stood outside, his expression blank, watching Shi Qi's back in a daze.

Psychopath, lunatic, potential murderer... words like these had appeared countless times throughout his growing up. The gazes directed at him held only simple curiosity, or were filled with scrutiny, or even harbored malice.

At first he certainly cared, and suffered immensely for it. But others' suspicious gazes could not be changed; he gradually began to ignore everything.

He knew what kind of person he was. There was no need to exhaust himself proving it to anyone.

Three-tenths of Alphas in Special Sensitivity Period were psychopaths; the remaining seven-tenths, without exception, chose to hide their identities, doing their utmost to avoid revealing themselves in public. After all, no one wished to be seen as an anomaly.

But in the end, they were always stronger than ordinary people—even as anomalies, they were powerful ones.

But watching Shi Qi's reaction, it was as if he were the one more easily hurt.

"Sobered up yet?"

Just as Yu Zhiling thought he was going to drown in the sink, Shi Qi yanked his hair and hauled him up in one motion.

Yu Zhiling's ears were full of water; the sounds he heard were unreal, but he could still make out that heavy, simmering anger: "Didn't I tell you to shut up? What, you don't understand human speech?"

Yu Zhiling didn't know where Shi Qi got this wild streak. Though he was taller than Shi Qi by a head, at this moment he had no ability to resist at all.

The instant he touched air, Yu Zhiling gasped for breath in great gulps; his nostrils flared from lack of oxygen, and his throat choked.

"What kind of thing are you? Who gave you permission to talk about him like that?"

"I... cough... you...!"

Before Yu Zhiling could finish, Shi Qi abruptly let go.

Yu Zhiling had been held up by Shi Qi, his body supported by that grip. The instant Shi Qi released him, he lurched violently to one side, his legs seeming to lose all strength, and he collapsed downward uncontrollably.

Yu Zhiling knelt on the ground, clutching his throat and dry-heaving.

As if she had touched something filthy, Shi Qi washed each finger meticulously with hand soap and disinfectant, not even glancing at him.

"—What are you doing?!"

A shocked, angry voice suddenly came from outside the door.

The alarm in the Safe House had never stopped. Patrolling staff nearby hurried over and were shocked at the scene: "What happened?! What's going on?!"

The forcibly broken-into Safe House, the screaming alarm, and the Omega kneeling in the bathroom with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth...

He instinctively looked at the only Alpha present: "Did you do this?"

Shi Qi stepped forward, about to explain.

"...Cough, he... cough, he didn't lay a hand on me."

Yu Zhiling's hoarse voice came from behind, his waterlogged throat making the words especially effortful.

A simple test of biological tissue and Pheromone would show that Shang Sui had never touched him.

No need to lie about this—better to do Shi Qi a favor.

The relentless torment had sobered him from his earlier frenzy. He hadn't expected Shi Qi to defend Shang Sui so fiercely—so utterly, recklessly.

Even though Shang Sui had hidden the secret of Special Sensitivity Period from Shi Qi, Shi Qi didn't care at all.

They were both insane...!

Both of them were lunatics.

He had previously thought Shi Qi had a bit of a temper. But perhaps because Shi Qi was tolerant of friends she had chosen, or perhaps because Shi Qi's looks were too pure and pretty, those small tempers gave more the impression of being cute. He hadn't expected that once Shi Qi exploded, this was what it looked like.

Yu Zhiling felt a chill of lingering fear; he never wanted to poke that hornet's nest again.

He had harassed Shi Qi, spoken out of turn, and Shi Qi had hit him. This matter should be over.

In Yu Zhiling's memory, to protect user privacy, there were no cameras inside or around the Safe House. Cameras a bit further away might have captured him dragging Shi Qi inside.

But Shi Qi had hit him. If pressed, at most it counted as a brawl—only mediation and mutual compensation.

There was no sexual harassment law between Omegas, which was why he had dared to take the risk in the first place.

No—at the start he had only wanted to half-heartedly seduce Shi Qi. He had never imagined things would escalate this far.

"Nothing major..." Yu Zhiling said hoarsely. "Just friends horsing around."

"Not friends." Shi Qi's face was expressionless.

The staff member looked from one to the other, having never seen such a strange situation: "Then what is your relationship...?"

"Don't know each other."

Despite having anticipated it, hearing it said aloud still made Yu Zhiling's breath catch for a moment.

Shi Qi added the second half without a ripple: "Maybe some stray dog that wandered in."

The staff member was silent for a moment, wanting to point out how harsh the words were, but seeing Shi Qi's unusually dark expression, ultimately said nothing.

Having no idea how to handle it, the staff member took them to the nearby Police Station.

Before leaving the Safe House, Shi Qi grabbed Shang Sui's hand: "Let's go."

Only then did Shang Sui notice that her arm was trembling.

Just now, soaked in cold water, it hadn't been easy on Yu Zhiling—but Shi Qi, who had used every ounce of strength to pin him down, now had arms that were flushed an angry red against their usual pallor.

When he had learned Shi Qi might be in trouble and rushed over to kick the door down, his reaction had been much the same.

Afraid that Shi Qi would be hurt, would suffer any misfortune.

The mere thought of such a possibility sent fear flooding through his whole body.

Shang Sui stroked her trembling hand in a comforting way and said softly: "It's okay. Don't pay attention to those words."

"I know." Shi Qi answered.

But I don't feel that it's okay.

As Yu Zhiling had anticipated, after registering at the Police Station and getting a general sense of what had happened, because they were both Omegas—even though surveillance had captured him forcibly dragging Shi Qi into the Safe House—the sexual harassment portion was hard to prove, so in the end only a simple mediation was done. Shi Qi, on her side, had to additionally compensate for damage to the Safe House.

Along the way, an officer looked curiously at Shang Sui: "From the surveillance footage, you kicked the door open with your body—how is that possible?! The Safe House's metal door can't be broken by lions or tigers. How did you do it?"

"That one just happened to have a problem." Shi Qi answered first. "The lock wasn't secure."

The officer was half-convinced, half-doubtful, and finally just said: "I see."

Yu Zhiling didn't say another word from start to finish. After leaving the Police Station, he exhaled.

Continuous pain radiated through his whole body; his face seemed swollen, and a faint taste of blood lingered in his mouth.

His body in Heat Phase was already sensitive. On the way to the Police Station he had injected an Inhibitor. The instant the needle went in, the Inhibitor clashed with the drugs already in his body, and a burning agony drained the color from his face.

"It's all over now, right?" Yu Zhiling looked at the other two. "Then I'll go."

His feelings were complicated—pain and loss mingled with a trace of unwillingness. He looked at Shang Sui and said: "You're lucky. Someone willing to defend you like that."

And it's Shi Qi.

The person he had seen as pure and flawless actually liked an Alpha in Special Sensitivity Period.

Shang Sui met his gaze without expression. After a moment, he gave a cold laugh: "Your luck won't be that good."

Yu Zhiling met that dark, heavy gaze, uncertain and afraid.

What did Shang Sui mean?

Hadn't it ended? Did he still want to do something?

He consoled himself that they had already given statements at the Police Station; Shang Sui was probably just trying to scare him.

Besides, Shang Sui had been perfectly calm throughout. If the man were a psychopath, given how many offensive things he had said in his earlier agitation, he couldn't possibly be standing here whole and intact.

Then Shang Sui was just an ordinary Alpha in Special Sensitivity Period.

People like that actually lived especially carefully; nothing would happen.

Even so, Yu Zhiling couldn't suppress the panic in his heart. Whether to convince himself or to make his position clear, hoping it would all end here:

"I won't appear in front of you again." He glanced at Shi Qi one last time, then turned around. "Goodbye."

"—Stop."

A voice, cold and imperious, almost a command, came from behind.

After leaving the Safe House, Shi Qi had not spoken to him again. Yu Zhiling stopped walking, and for a brief instant couldn't help but harbor a sliver of hope.

What would Shi Qi say to him?

"Apologize to Shang Sui." Shi Qi said, enunciating each word.

"..." Yu Zhiling clenched his teeth hard.

A powerful unwillingness surged up, but he knew that if he didn't comply, Shi Qi would be capable of laying hands on him right there at the Police Station entrance.

"I'm sorry." Yu Zhiling barely held his expression together, took a deep breath, and turned around.

"I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have said those things." He tried to muster sincerity, using the most regretful tone he could. "I was too agitated at the time, my mental state was unstable, I said a lot of harsh and hurtful things..."

"I'm truly very sorry. Please don't take it to heart."

He had expected to receive an insincere but closing "it's okay," or at the very least some acknowledgment.

But Shang Sui's attention wasn't on him at all. Shi Qi was listening, and after hearing him out, said crisply:

"Then go die."

After saying this, Shi Qi ignored Yu Zhiling's drastically changed expression and pulled Shang Sui away.

The night was deep and quiet; only flickering lights lined both sides of the road.

No one spoke the whole way. After they had walked some distance, Shi Qi's emotions could no longer be held back. Shang Sui sensed something was wrong and, looking down, found her silently biting her lip, her eyes red-rimmed.

Shang Sui stopped walking and looked at her with heartache.

As if afraid of startling something, he made his voice as gentle as possible: "What's wrong?"

Better not to have asked. The moment he did, the tears that had been spinning in Shi Qi's eyes fell at once.

Thinking that Shi Qi and Yu Zhiling had known each other for many years after all, Shang Sui asked hesitantly: "Is it because you lost a friend...?"

"No," Shi Qi rubbed her sore eyes and said bitterly, "He's nothing."

"Then it's..."

"Because of you."

Shi Qi turned her head and looked straight at the stunned Shang Sui. Cat-like eyes, startlingly bright, full of life, revealing an anger that could not be hidden.

Not angry at Shang Sui, but furious at the misfortunes he had endured.

"Why do you look so used to it?"

"You're clearly not the kind of person he described. You did nothing wrong—you just happen to have Special Sensitivity Period. Why should you be lumped in with those criminals and scolded alongside them?"

Just how many harsher things have you heard, to remain unmoved in the face of such sharp accusations?

You can even find the time to comfort me.

Shang Sui was quiet for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Do you trust me that much?"

"What if I really were the kind of person he described?"

Seeing Shi Qi unable to speak, Shang Sui pressed: "I didn't even tell you about Special Sensitivity Period. What if I've been hiding things all along and am actually more dangerous than anyone? Didn't you suspect me for even a moment?"

He stood over Shi Qi, pressing her with questions in an unreasonable way.

A voice inside kept telling him to stop, that he shouldn't be like this, shouldn't speak in such an irrational state.

But he couldn't restrain himself.

Everything that had happened tonight was too incredible for him. Even in his most private dreams, he had never dared imagine that Shi Qi would not mind his Special Sensitivity Period at all, standing before him in a posture of absolute trust.

As if... Shi Qi was willing to accept everything about him.

Whether good or bad.

Having received no answer for some time, Shang Sui began to regret it. He moved his lips, wanting to steer the topic away.

But Shi Qi spoke at that moment.

"I never considered that option."

She seemed utterly bewildered by the question, trying to gather her thoughts and find the most fitting expression: "They are them. You are you."

"Isn't trusting you the most natural thing in the world?"

"..."

As the words fell, Shi Qi met Shang Sui's eyes and for an instant felt almost a chill of dread.

The gaze pressing down on her seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, pinning the one being watched to the spot, unable to move.

As if she had personally flipped the switch on a cage, removed the shackles, and released something terrifying.

The next second, Shi Qi felt a sense of release.

Whatever.

Even if Shang Sui really had problems, this was still the choice she had made by following her heart.

Seeing her meet his gaze without flinching, the Alpha who had been pressing her moments ago was like a beast soothed—folding back his fangs, becoming unusually gentle.

"I'm sorry, Little Qi." After calming down, Shang Sui said softly, "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

An excess of redemption-like joy flooded every sense, making him want to tear apart and devour the source of all these feelings. Never to be separated again.

He could only lower his eyes, to prevent the other from seeing the desire he could barely contain.

"You're not a saint. Why can't you have moments of agitation?"

Seeing him keep his eyes lowered, looking a bit deflated, Shi Qi couldn't help but smile: "If you hadn't shown any emotion at all tonight, then I'd think there was something wrong with you."

She added: "And I don't mind."

Shang Sui's eyes flickered.

After a moment, he raised his eyes again and answered the original question:

"You asked earlier why I seem so used to it. Actually, I wasn't always."

"But if you keep listening to outside views, always doubting yourself, life becomes very hard. Compared to these unimportant voices, there are more things worth caring about."

Shang Sui paused here: "And..."

To some extent, you changed me. You made me learn to accept myself.

You don't remember, but I never will.

"Earlier, not telling you about Special Sensitivity Period, I..."

"You never had any obligation to tell me." Shi Qi interrupted him. "This is your privacy. No one has the right to demand you tell me."

Setting aside that she and Shang Sui weren't actually a couple. Special Sensitivity Period had explicit legal provisions: apart from guarantors and doctors, the individual had the right not to inform anyone.

"You don't need to explain to me. You didn't do anything wrong."

As she spoke, Shi Qi felt sad again.

Why?

I had thought you might have secrets, but I didn't know they were this heavy.

Thinking of how Shang Sui had gradually adapted to knife-like words and finally grown used to them, Shi Qi seemed to see a heart slowly becoming cold and hard. Crystal-clear tears fell without her noticing.

When she cried, her eye sockets and the tip of her nose both flushed red; she looked hurt and aggrieved.

While his heart ached, a sudden thought flashed through Shang Sui's mind:

I really want to kiss her.

Being cared for by someone precious, having wounds exposed without fear—turns out this is what such a beautiful, light feeling is like.

Not knowing how to express it, emotions nearly overflowing, the first instinct was to get closer, to seek intimacy.

A kiss wasn't possible for now. Shang Sui opened his arms toward her: "Stop crying. Come here for a hug."

Shi Qi let out a sob; the emotions she could no longer contain finally found an outlet, and she threw herself into his arms.

The familiar embrace was warm and reassuring; she could let all her bad feelings pour out without restraint.

Shi Qi sniffed, then remembered something: "How's your sketching class going?"

"I can only trouble another teacher to keep an eye on it. I covered for her before, so she shouldn't mind."

"My Bracelet is gone. I only noticed when we were giving statements." Shi Qi buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in the faint, sweet scent on him, and said in broken phrases, "It might have been left in the Safe House."

"I only just got it not long ago..."

"It's okay. I'll get you another one."

Shi Qi gave a small sound of acknowledgment, completely relaxing in Shang Sui's arms. Saying whatever came to mind: "He's so disgusting."

"Mm." Shang Sui understood what she meant and agreed: "Even among the many disgusting people I've seen, Yu Zhiling ranks at the top."

Shi Qi couldn't help but laugh, but as she laughed she felt sad, and her eyes began to sting again:

"...How can you be so unlucky?"

"A little, but sometimes I'm very lucky." Shang Sui said lightly. "Didn't I meet you?"

Shi Qi was touched by his casual words and suddenly raised her head, looking at him without blinking.

So meeting me is a lucky thing?

"The way Little Qi defended me just now was very cool." Seeing Shi Qi's eyes widen gradually and the roots of her ears flush slightly pink, Shang Sui smiled and rubbed her head. "I'll remember it forever."

Shi Qi belatedly realized that crying like this in front of him was a little embarrassing.

Probably not cool enough, not worth remembering.

Seeing her embarrassment, Shang Sui thought of what Shi Qi had said and done back in the Safe House.

At that moment, he had felt there was nothing left in the world to fear.

Just like then, he also took Shi Qi's hand:

"So forget these unhappy things. Let's go."

Shi Qi silently repeated the last four words.

She had never felt those words held anything special before, but coming from Shang Sui's mouth, they were like magic.

Not only meaning 'we,' but also 'forward, together.'

Yes, that's it.

Shi Qi wiped away her last tear with the back of her hand and said in her heart:

Let's go!

She held Shang Sui's hand and walked beneath the silver moonlight flowing like water and the lights suspended like colored mist.

As if the moment their fingers interlaced, they could live freely forever, going anywhere.