Chapter 16
Compared to the chaotic night they had the last time, when both were almost lost in passion, this time, Ning Jiao made sure her mind was clear.
Although the pomegranate scent of Omega's pheromones almost made her lose control, she still had the suppressor ring firmly on her hand—
In fact, after that unexpected incident, just to be safe, she carried two spares with her whenever she went out.
Now, her hand was unconsciously resting on Zhao Hezhi's neck. Under her fingertips, she felt his pulse, faster and clearer than an average person's, almost making her feel intoxicated.
And then, the next moment, Ning Jiao found that her unconscious action was absolutely right.
The moment she bit down, she didn't taste the rusty taste of blood but a sweet, soft pomegranate flavor. However, Ning Jiao didn't get to enjoy it even for a second as Zhao Hezhi struggled violently.
Half of his body leaned against Ning Jiao, but he was like a fish laid on a cutting board, bouncing back unconsciously. Ning Jiao quickly pressed him down, but his struggles were still painful and desperate.
Ning Jiao was sweating profusely in a hurry, unable to speed up the temporary marking process, and could only do her best to hold him down to prevent him from hurting himself.
Temporary marking only took about two minutes, but these two minutes felt longer than an hour.
Ning Jiao almost used her body to tightly suppress Zhao Hezhi and marked her pheromones in his blood like a plunderer.
After the temporary marking was completed, Ning Jiao's vision darkened, and despite being the one who marked, she had expended some energy. At this moment, she could only barely catch Zhao Hezhi as he went limp.
The confused pomegranate scent in the air finally calmed down, followed by an inexplicable sense of peace that washed over Ning Jiao.
Despite Omega being a size larger than Ning Jiao, she struggled to hold him in her arms when she felt somewhat weak. However, she was extremely careful in maintaining this moment of tranquility.
But soon, she decided to let Omega lie back on the bed.
Reluctantly, Ning Jiao stood up while carefully supporting Zhao Hezhi's head and gently laid him back down.
Unlike her own calmness, Omega's side was filled with unease and nervousness. Although he hadn't regained consciousness yet, his dependence on an Alpha was evident at this moment.
Ning Jiao looked at Zhao Hezhi, who seemed a bit uneasy due to her absence, and couldn't help reaching out to lightly touch his cheek.
And the next moment, Zhao Hezhi unconsciously nuzzled against the back of Ning Jiao's hand.
Ning Jiao: ...
In her childhood, Ning Jiao had once encountered an unforgettable cat.
It was a stray cat, completely white, and every time it ate the food Ning Jiao gave, it did so gracefully and with restraint. Young Ning Jiao gave it the nickname 'Your Majesty.'
'Your Majesty,' despite being an incredibly polite stray cat, maintained a reasonable social distance, even from Ning Jiao, who fed it every day. If Ning Jiao attempted to get closer, 'Your Majesty' would warn with a low growl.
Ning Jiao felt admiration and respect for this cat with character. She obeyed its wishes and stopped trying to get closer.
Then, one day, 'Your Majesty' approached Ning Jiao of its own accord after finishing all the food she provided. It nuzzled her trouser leg a couple of times before leaving.
Ning Jiao didn't understand at the time, but years later, she realized those affectionate and gentle nuzzles were 'Your Majesty's' way of saying goodbye and thank you.
Now, the lingering warmth on Ning Jiao's hand brought back memories of 'Your Majesty.'
While her imagination ran wild, Ning Jiao stared blankly at Zhao Hezhi's face, and when she snapped back to reality, she found herself locking eyes with him.
Ning Jiao almost lightning-fast withdrew her hand and asked earnestly and eagerly, "How do you feel?"
Zhao Hezhi on the other side appeared fatigued, and the unfamiliarity and unease brought by the temporary marking had reached its peak at the moment he squeezed Ning Jiao's hand. However, looking at the girl who nervously watched him, he slowly shook his head, saying, "I'm okay, just a bit tired."
Ning Jiao let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Zhao Hezhi about to lift himself from the bed, she quickly supported him, even thoughtfully finding two cushions at the foot of the bed to place behind his back.
Zhao Hezhi looked at her actions and whispered his thanks.
After doing everything, Ning Jiao sat back in her chair, feeling refreshed. She hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "What's going on here? Where exactly is this place? Who sent those two attendants, and why did they want me to hear?"
Without waiting for Zhao Hezhi's response, she immediately followed up with, "Is this really a secret base from your childhood?"
Zhao Hezhi replied, "Yes, this is a secret base from my childhood."
Ning Jiao: "Oh, a secret base... Wait, what?"
She looked around the room, suddenly doubting the authenticity of the situation.
Although this place was indeed filled with toys, its location in the underground beneath the glass garden didn't seem like a typical secret hideout for children.
Seeming to understand Ning Jiao's questioning gaze, Zhao Hezhi's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as he whispered, "It's not that I liked it. My younger brother, Zhao Xianzhi, loved the greenhouse from a young age. Despite his fragile health, he took it upon himself to care for the plants. Even now, there are many plants in the greenhouse that he personally cultivated. I helped too. Because the Emperor saw that both of us loved plants, he built this secret hideout under the greenhouse for us—look, here."
Ning Jiao instinctively followed his words and looked up, where Zhao Hezhi turned his hand over to show her a scar on his wrist.
Ning Jiao remembered this scar; she had previously speculated it to be an old wartime injury of his. She licked her lips dryly and said, "Impressive, impressive."
She truly couldn't imagine the young Zhao Hezhi of his childhood. She simply couldn't reconcile that image with the composed and collected man in his late twenties she knew now. She couldn't imagine him having childhood scars from roughhousing with his brother.
Zhao Xianzhi had piqued her curiosity multiple times, but she still hadn't seen his true face. She refrained from asking Zhao Hezhi about it, believing that Zhao Hezhi wouldn't deliberately keep his brother from her. It was more likely that his brother's health condition prevented them from meeting.
Ning Jiao sighed involuntarily and was about to ask a couple more questions but noticed the fatigue in Zhao Hezhi's eyes. She swallowed her questions and sat quietly by his side.
The other person half-closed their eyes and remained silent for a while. Ning Jiao became a bit anxious and discreetly checked the time—although Zhao Hezhi had assured her of the safety of this "secret hideout," she still wanted to leave as soon as possible.
When she finally couldn't help but remind Zhao Hezhi, he suddenly spoke, "I'll tell you once I've figured it out."
Ning Jiao hesitated for a moment and then nodded, saying, "Alright."
Shortly after, Zhao Hezhi slowly propped himself up and asked, "Ready to go?"
Ning Jiao immediately stood up, positioning herself by his side, ready to support him in case he stumbled. Although Zhao Hezhi was obviously more familiar with the structure of the "secret hideout," Ning Jiao still walked ahead of him and found the mechanism she had discovered during her earlier exploration of the area.
She activated the mechanism, and an elevator appeared before them. Ning Jiao, who had been worried about having to climb up, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing it.
She entered the elevator first, and Zhao Hezhi stood beside her. As the elevator's doors closed, Ning Jiao seemed to remember something and asked softly, "If you feel unwell, please tell me immediately, okay?"
Seeing Zhao Hezhi nod slowly, Ning Jiao relaxed.
She stood slightly ahead of Zhao Hezhi as they began to ascend. Unconsciously, she turned to look back at him..
The other person's half-body leaned against the glass wall of the elevator. Despite standing, he still appeared somewhat strained. He had always been a quiet person, and at this moment, with his thick, curly eyelashes lowered, his expression seemed almost indifferent.
For some reason, Ning Jiao suddenly spoke up, "Can we hold hands?"
This abrupt question made Zhao Hezhi's eyelids twitch, and then he slightly raised his head to look in Ning Jiao's direction.
Ning Jiao felt a bit regretful after asking this question, as she couldn't find a valid reason for it in the few seconds that followed. Finally, she honestly added, "I just wanted to, no other meaning."
After giving this response, she felt somewhat dejected.
Ning Jiao: This would have been a good time to say something sweet, like "just because I wanted to hold hands." What was I thinking!
She waited with disappointment for Zhao Hezhi's inevitable refusal, but in her peripheral vision, she noticed his hand move slightly.
Then, she heard Zhao Hezhi say, "Sure."
Ning Jiao suddenly raised her head, looking at Zhao Hezhi's calm expression. She even doubted if she had imagined his response.
However, she knew the importance of seizing the moment, and swiftly reached out her hand.
Zhao Hezhi's hand was long and gracefully slender, and at this moment, it felt almost ice-cold.
Ning Jiao carefully held his hand.
She didn't even dare to interlace their fingers; her hand merely lightly rested in his.
Zhao Hezhi blinked and looked at their entwined hands, his expression inscrutable.
After the temporary bonding, the emotions of Omega and Alpha are interconnected, and at this moment, Alpha can sense the intense emotions of Omega unilaterally. In this situation, Ning Jiao tried her best to perceive what Zhao Hezhi was feeling.
However, despite her efforts, she only sensed that he was remarkably calm, accepting everything without any disturbance.
The elevator continued to ascend slowly. Whether it was because the secret base was too deep or due to the outdated design of the elevator, Ning Jiao felt that the journey back to the surface was taking an eternity.
She concentrated all her energy on keeping her hand from trembling embarrassingly.
Suddenly, Zhao Hezhi spoke up, "How do you feel after hearing those words?"
...What words?
Ning Jiao was confused. She felt that Zhao Hezhi's thoughts were somewhat erratic, but in the next moment, she sensed his uncertainty and even fear.
Then, she realized what he meant.
But soon, she furrowed her brows in distress. "Are those words true?"
...
Zhao Hezhi looked at the girl before him.
She was a beautiful Alpha, delicate to the point that it was almost unbelievable she was an Alpha. Perhaps even she hadn't noticed it, but when she was worried or confused, she would unconsciously furrow her brows, and her lovely face would resemble a slightly unattractive bitter melon.
However, Zhao Hezhi had never thought that this version of Ning Jiao was unattractive. On the contrary, several times because of her furrowed brows, he found her vivid and interesting, almost irresistible to approach.
And now, facing such a clear expression, Zhao Hezhi felt his heart slowly sinking, like a lonely boat adrift in the ocean, finally losing its last trace of hope.
He took a while before he heard himself say, "Yes, it's true."
He continued, slowly unraveling something that Ning Jiao might not have realized:
"So, the marriage contract that the Empire has bestowed upon you isn't a good thing. In fact, due to my chaotic information essence and the inability of my genes to optimally store, after we officially tie the knot, you need to get me pregnant as soon as possible to leave descendants for the Empire."
...
"I'm telling you everything now because I'm grateful for your temporary bonding. Right now, this is your chance."
"The best thing you can do right now is to give up this engagement, leave me as quickly as possible, and stay far away from the royal family."
Ning Jiao: ...What on earth?
She was still holding Zhao Hezhi's hand. She could feel that his grip had unconsciously tightened as he spoke. However, his voice remained steady and calm, as if he were an outsider.
Ning Jiao had to interrupt him, "No, no, I'm not asking about that..."
She looked at Zhao Hezhi who had stopped talking, his gaze colder than ever, as if he were scrutinizing something.
But he still asked, "Then what do you want to ask?"
Ning Jiao took a deep breath and stared at Zhao Hezhi's eyes.
"What they said about your lunar essence and information essence having corresponding defects, will it affect your health?"
She had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
However, the unexpected heat cycle and her care for Zhao Hezhi had diverted her attention from this question. Now, after asking it, she suddenly felt a dry throat.
To control her emotions, she blinked forcefully but waited for Zhao Hezhi's answer with determination.
He didn't evade her gaze; he looked at her. After several seconds, he finally said, "Yes, it will."
Ning Jiao parted her lips, but before she could respond, Zhao Hezhi's voice rang out decisively:
"The disruption of information essence is the first step of my body's problems, and after that, there will be more uncertainties. I need long-term treatment and recovery."
Ning Jiao instinctively furrowed her brow.
She didn't like how cold and distant he sounded when he mentioned "recovery," as if he were talking about something unrelated to her. She had been patient, trying to listen to Zhao Hezhi's explanation.
But as she listened, Ning Jiao realized that Zhao Hezhi had been avoiding the real issues all along.
She couldn't help but furrow her brow and interrupted him urgently:
"So, how is your health right now? With all these uncertainties, who's making you have a child? The Empress? The Emperor? If they want children, why don't they have them themselves?"
As the last sentence left her lips, the elevator fell into silence. Only then did Ning Jiao belatedly realize what she had said. She slowly covered her mouth and looked at the silent Zhao Hezhi.
The black-haired Alpha gathered his courage, "Let's make a deal, pretend you didn't hear that last sentence, okay?"
Zhao Hezhi remained silent.
Ning Jiao thought she had really crossed the line and infuriated him with her disrespect, and now he—
Suddenly, without warning, Zhao Hezhi burst into laughter.
He started with a soft chuckle but gradually, as if unable to contain himself, his laughter grew louder.
In the end, he laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, bending over with laughter...
But even so, he didn't let go of Ning Jiao's hand.
On the other side, Ning Jiao watched Zhao Hezhi, her eyes wide, and began to wonder if she had occasionally driven him mad with her questions.
But soon, she seemed to realize that something was off and reached out, lifting Zhao Hezhi's face. He was laughing so hard that he had started to wheeze, and his eyes were teary, making him appear somewhat dazed.
Ning Jiao quietly offered her support and pulled him up from the corner of the elevator. She moved closer to him, mumbling softly, "You can't tell me?"
Zhao Hezhi looked at her, his reddened eyes giving an unusual charm to his entire appearance, and Ning Jiao felt like she was being drawn into those eyes.
However, he gently shook his head, "It's not that I can't, but I genuinely don't know."
He considered for a moment, "If you want, I can show you my medical checkup reports later."
He said it so seriously that Ning Jiao felt the urge to smile inappropriately, but she quickly suppressed it.
Before she could say anything else, the elevator suddenly stopped.
As the bright light flooded in, Ning Jiao instinctively squinted, but she saw that Zhao Hezhi had already raised a hand to shield her from the light.
Ning Jiao was taken aback for a moment, and Zhao Hezhi had naturally pulled his hand back.
He was the first to step out of the elevator.
Ning Jiao was still holding his hand, but now she followed him closely.
As Zhao Hezhi had mentioned, the elevator's opening was indeed at the back entrance. Now, their hovercar was waiting there.
Zhao Hezhi finally let go of Ning Jiao's hand.
She ducked into the hovercar, and Zhao Hezhi sat beside her.
Ning Jiao looked at her reflection in the window with a gloomy expression, repeatedly contemplating the words Zhao Hezhi had just spoken. She racked her brains, trying to figure out what she could do next—after all, she didn't want to follow Zhao Hezhi's suggestion to divorce and leave him.
Ning Jiao was not one to impulsively pursue someone. When she said she wanted to pursue, it was genuinely because she liked him.
"Is your previous question still valid?"
Ning Jiao: Here we go again, another one of his thought leaps... Huh?
She swallowed hard and clearly sensed an uncertain and slightly nervous emotion from him.
Suddenly, without any warning, Zhao Hezhi on the other side of the conversation gave a small smirk.
Ning Jiao felt a bit nervous, but in that moment, it was as if a soft and warm breeze had gently swept through her heart, causing a subtle shiver in an unknown corner.
Almost instinctively, she couldn't help but smile as well. Her eyes lit up, and she regained her voice, softly asking, "So, are you ready to answer me now?"
Zhao Hezhi paused for a few seconds on his end. Ning Jiao clearly felt his hesitation through his emotions. She anxiously clenched her hands together, unable to urge him verbally, only watching him with hopeful eyes.
Zhao Hezhi looked at the Alpha in front of him. He could naturally feel her eagerness and nervousness in the moment. However, his own emotions seemed even more complex.
For a brief moment, he even felt somewhat selfish. After all, as the doctors had speculated, his physical condition, due to being an experimental subject, was undoubtedly worse than that of an ordinary person, even showing signs of deterioration.
On the other hand, Ning Jiao, his fiancée, was at the beginning of her life, and it was clear that her future would be long and bright.
If he were to follow his heart and take a step forward, would that be selfish?
Zhao Hezhi blinked slowly, feeling as though a heavy burden was pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe. But soon, a hand suddenly clasped onto his own.
Almost miraculously, for a second or two, Ning Jiao and Zhao Hezhi seemed to connect on a deeper level. Ning Jiao watched as Zhao Hezhi was slightly surprised by her words and then continued, lips pressed together:
"I don't want you to hesitate because of anything else. I know some things about you now, and none of them make me question the validity of my questions."
Ning Jiao's voice was not loud, but it was resolute. Zhao Hezhi was affected by her assurance and found himself momentarily stunned, gazing into her eyes for a few moments before awkwardly shifting his gaze away.
He thought that perhaps it was time for him not to be led by others.
So, Zhao Hezhi spoke, his voice low, as if in reluctant surrender, yet also tinged with a sense of relief:
"As long as you want to leave, you can at any time."
—He had given the initiative to Ning Jiao.
Ning Jiao's eyelids twitched, and her brain was running a bit slowly at the moment. She was unable to immediately grasp Zhao Hezhi's meaning, but once she did, her eyes widened, and she repeated to make sure:
"So, you're agreeing?"
Zhao Hezhi chuckled softly this time, a clear sign of indulgence. He looked into Ning Jiao's eyes and nodded gently, saying, "That's my answer."
Ning Jiao's hand almost instantly grasped his, her eyes shining with happiness. She smiled, her eyes curving, as she tried to interlock their fingers. Then, she asked, as if remembering something, "So, today is our first day together?"
Zhao Hezhi clearly didn't understand her reference, but seeing the eager look on the young girl's face, he instinctively nodded.
His golden hair framed his face, making him look almost docile at that moment. Ning Jiao received his focused gaze, her ears turning warm as she couldn't help but want to laugh.
Before she could explain herself properly, the hovercar suddenly came to a halt.
Ning Jiao, as if suddenly awakened, looked out the window and saw that they had reached their destination. However, she also noticed a large group of journalists.
Ning Jiao was taken aback. "What kind of day is it today? Why are there reporters at the palace and here?"
Zhao Hezhi furrowed his brows slightly and then released her hand. His voice remained calm as he explained, "This address is my publicly known residence as the 'Marshal.'"
He looked at Ning Jiao with a hint of confusion. "Didn't you search for this address on the StarNet?"
Ning Jiao's expression went blank for a moment. "Huh? Why would I search for an address? Wait, why would you make your address public? That's too dangerous..."
Zhao Hezhi listened to her alarmed words without any hint of urgency. He waited until Ning Jiao had finished speaking before softly saying, "It's okay. We can move from here later. If you don't want to be exposed to the public right now, I can set the hovercar to go to the back entrance, and you can exit there."
Ning Jiao quickly seized upon the important question, asking, "What about you?"
Zhao Hezhi blinked and replied, "Today is a good opportunity for me. I need to link my identity as 'Yabai' to 'Zhao Hezhi' in the public eye."
In fact, this was an idea he had considered when he had no choice but to announce Ning Jiao's and his marriage to the public. The timing, orchestrated during his heat when he had almost no control over himself, was clearly someone's deliberate action. He knew there were enemies lurking in the shadows, so he had to take proactive steps.
Revealing his true identity to the public was the first step in these actions. He looked down at Ning Jiao's dark, curly hair, realizing that exposure was necessary for his own and her safety.
At that moment, he turned his gaze to the silent Ning Jiao. While he felt it was only natural for her to react this way, there was a brief sense of disappointment. However, in the next instant, he raised his head and quickly said, "I'll get off first..."
"Wait!"
Ning Jiao made a decisive move, activating the onboard mirror in the car. She almost instinctively squeezed Zhao Hezhi's hand before letting go and quickly started fixing her somewhat disheveled hair.
However, despite having perfectly styled her hair with large waves this morning, the rapid descent, various unforeseen events in the palace, and the complications on the bed had left her hair in a mess.
She let out a sigh and then turned to Zhao Hezhi with caution.
"Not today, my hairstyle is really not cooperating. Are you sure you want to choose today?" Ning Jiao pleaded, silently wishing for another chance to spend 123 hours perfecting her hairstyle.
Zhao Hezhi was puzzled by her request, but he hesitated for a few seconds, then replied, "Today is a good opportunity."
Ning Jiao sat back in her seat somewhat dejectedly, running her fingers through her hair with a touch of frustration.
Finally, Zhao Hezhi seemed to catch on to her intentions. He extended his hand with a gentle touch and grazed her hair as he said, "It's okay..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, her hair slipped through his fingertips, and Ning Jiao resolutely opened the car door, saying, "Luckily, I'm naturally beautiful!"
In the next moment, the reporters, like a pack of wolves, noticed Ning Jiao and Zhao Hezhi. As Zhao Hezhi exited the car, Ning Jiao held his hand. In that split second, facing the flashing cameras, Zhao Hezhi distinctly heard Ning Jiao's laughter.
She said, "So, is this our first photo together?"
xxxx
omy the author was like Ning Jiao to Ning Ji to Ning Xiulan 😭😭