In his vulnerability, Noah does not reply.
It takes half a minute of shuddering breaths to regain the slightest bit of clarity.
Theyโre inside a vehicle โ not one of those military trucks heโs been acclimated with, but a larger van. The backseats are removed and the flooring cleared. The engine is on and humming, though the noise is nothing more than static to his ears.
All rationale is thrown away shortly after โ Noah is quite simply too panicked to think.
His fingers curl onto Shi Luoโs shirt more harshly, his pulse pounding in tandem.
Shi Luo looks at him for a long while before letting out a soft sigh. His next words are said mostly to himself, though Noah catches them anyway. โI can understand why he is so hesitant,โ the doctor murmurs, deep in thought. โThe signals are veryโฆ complicated.โ
Shi Luo raises a gloved hand and strokes slowly at his own chin, his amber eyes perusing every centimeter of Noahโs body. Itโs that gesture he does when examining laboratory specimens, when measuring a patientโs reaction. Noah must look so utterly disordered for Shi Luo to assume such poise.
โIโve given it thought,โ the doctor says in a calculative tone. Not showing much emotion but rather, critical analysis. โHe had called me several times, as you may be aware, so I am mostly informed of your situation. And your situation isโฆโ
When he speaks, he counts off his fingers, as if ticking off a mental list. โโฆSigns of instability, dependency, impulsivity. Heavy reliance on touch, yet a tendency to run away when cornered. I wonder, Xie Xing, are these reactions induced by unsettled heatโฆ or perhaps there is something more?โ
Noah is in no state to hold such a conversation, but the doctor is still studying him with the intensity of a hawk.
โYang Rong is perceptive,โ Shi Luo says. โBut not emotionally so. He was uncertain of your state. Or, if I were to put it bluntly, he was uncertain whether or not you twoโs relationship, proceeded out of desperation, had any inkling of feeling.โ
The doctor leans forward and in a purposeful dereliction of personal space, brushes a hand against the nape of Noahโs neck. The young man shivers in place but does not retract.
โCurrently, Xie Xingโฆโ Shi Luo says with the same discerning tone. โYour vulnerability is very easy to exploit.โ
The doctor hums โ a low, knowing hum that sends specks of alarm down his spine. Shi Luoโs gloved hand rubs against his nape, right on his unmarked scent gland. Noah jolts in reflex, heterochromatic eyes widening in both surprise and fear.
โWhether it is desperation, physiology orโฆ something akin to love, I am interested in knowing as well,โ the man says as he leans closer, his warm breaths skating across Noahโs lips. โThen should we confirm?โ
And Shi Luo kisses him โ forcefully cups the side of his face, slides a hand behind his waist, and locks him in place.
Noahโs body is pressed against a hard surface, his spine straining against a metal frame. Miscellaneous contents topple onto the floormat, plastic kits and unknown devices clattering alongside each other. In such a dark, enclosed vicinity, Noah cannot see past a few inches in front. Just when he can see past the kerosene lamps and the soft, battery-powered candles, his vision is covered by a mop of dark hair.
Shi Luoโs lips are insistent on top of his. The doctor is a practiced kisser, sucking on the sensitive jut of his skin, gliding through the part of his mouth. And Shi Luo doesnโt hesitate in the slightest to deepen it with tongue. He brings pleasure methodically โ the doctor is a manipulative kisser, knowing exactly where to move to elicit a tingling gasp.
Noah, pinned under his hold, is completely, utterly shaken.
Everything is so foreign.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
โYangโโ he tries to voice out before his mouth is blocked. All his words are muffled soft gasps when he feels a tongue scraping across the bottom of his teeth, into incoherent whines when he feels a hand dipping lower on his hip, pushing up the fabric of his shirt.
โPa lr Vtl Oeb,โ atf vbmabg lcobgwr tlw.
Vtl Oeb rilvfr j ijafz uibnf jmgbrr tlr yjgf rxlc jcv Rbjt jgmtfr lcnbiecajglis, megnlcu tlwrfio jujlcra atf wjc.
โโ!โ Noah exclaims when he feels a firm pinch โ not enough to injure, but the action carries purpose. โYang Rongโโ
โVtl Oeb,โ atf vbmabg mbggfmar jujlc. โTbeโnf sfa ab ecvfgrajcv sbeg qgfvlmjwfca, Wlf Wlcu?โ
Pa lr cbk atja Rbjt gfujlcr j rwjii rfwyijcmf bo gfjrbc. Pc yfakffc gbeut rwjmxr bo atflg wbeatr, Rbjt tjr atf yjgfra gfmbuclalbc bo atf wjc ibmxlcu tlw lc qijmf.
โMnโShi Luoโ”
โIf it is physiology that controls you,โ the man murmurs against his lips, โthen I am an alpha as well. How do you feel?โ
Noah, befuddled, only chokes out in between more forceful kisses, โShi Luo, I donโtโโ
โThen if it is desperation you feel,โ Shi Luo doesnโt wait for him to respond, โI am right here in front you. Wonโt I do?โ
Belatedly, Noah thinks he hasnโt ever seen Shi Luo look so domineering โ not to him, anyway, when all heโd associated with the man were prim smiles and friendly gestures.
As if purposefully inducing some sort of reaction, Shi Luo lifts his loose shirt all the way up the torso, revealing white bandages and peeks of porcelain skin. One hand remains on his hip while another circles around his chest.
His actions are too odd, too deliberate. Noah hasnโt time to ponder before Shi Luo presses a section of bruised skin, right underneath his rose-colored bud. Noah jolts reflexively, yelps in pain and takes every ounce of energy to yank the man aside.
โโWhatโโ he chokes out, โare you doingโฆShi Luoโฆ?โ
The doctor only looks at him inquisitively. The gaze hints all kinds of signals โ and none that Noah can catch.
โNo need to look at me like that, Xie Xing,โ the doctor replies. โIโve always held foul intentions, but youโve triggered a very unpleasant part of me. Perhaps you may consider it compensation for three nights prior.โ
โโฆThree nightsโฆโ Noahโs eyes are scrunched in contemplation, pain and confusion all in one. โIโฆI donโt know, Shi Luo. Iโm sorry, my head hurts and Iโmโฆ I need to know ifโwhereโwhere is Yang Rong?โ
Rare for him to fumble this much in his speech โ really, Noah is overwhelmed by the sudden escalation. And Shi Luo, a trusted friend for a decade and half, holds intentions unknown.
โYou have the tendency to mix fear with desperation,โ the doctor comments โ heโs back to analysis, the same tone he uses when scribing research articles. โAnd your emotional attachments are quite interesting. All sorts of mixed signals, all sorts of stimulus reactions. Xie Xing, if I kiss you again, will the reaction be more violent, or will you accept me more easily โ just like you have with Yang Rong?โ
Shi Luo leans forward again, but Noah flinches backward, backing against the wall, leaving as much space between them as he can.
โโฆIt isnโt the same.โ
The doctor raises a neat brow. โIs that so?โ
โShi Luo, Iโฆโ Noahโs gaze is downcast. โYang Rong is different.โ
โI see.โ Shi Luo retracts back, takes his glasses out of his pocket and puts it back on his face. Acting as though nothing had transpired, the doctor takes off his gloves and neatly discards it on a nearby rack. He speaks while cleaning up the contents that had fallen onto the floor. โAt the very least, he should be appeased by the confirmation.โ
Noah raises his hand to scrape at his lips. Saliva remains on the corners, and Noah is wholeheartedly, utterly confused.
There comes silence with neither of the men speaking.
Shi Luo is still cleaning the fallen contents. He takes a glance at Noah and speaks up again. โI should inform you that Yang Rong is fine โ heโs in recovery.โ
Noah flicks his gaze over his surroundings, finally getting a clearer glimpse of the vehicle heโs in. Heโs situated in the back of a van โ an ambulance of sorts, though the interior is equipped with not just medical equipment but heavy-duty firearms and weapon kits as well. Shi Luo places several scalpels, tweezers and fallen bottles inside a cabinet up top. Noah only watches his movements pensively. Uncertainty.
The doctor notices.
Shi Luo turns to him and gives a soft smile โ it hints apology, but also resignation.
A pang of pain is suddenly felt in Noahโs head, reminding him just how disarranged he is. The stringent ringing by his eardrum does not fade. He closes his eyes, takes several more low breaths and brings his knees together. The action makes his ribs protest.
There isnโt much heating in the vehicle.
He hadnโt known how much he was shivering until Shi Luo passes him a black jacket โ one that scents of vetiver and sandalwood, reminds of a much more familiar person. There is a silver eagle insignia pinned on the shoulder pad, resting gallantly among small cuts and open patches of fabric. Noah wraps the jacket around his frame and snuggles into it.
โXie Xing.โ
He turns at the sound of his name. Shi Luo is looking at him with softened eyes, the amber hue of it lightened by candles and kerosene lamps. His lips curve in the corners โ back to the faรงade of the calm, collected doctor heโs known for sixteen years.
โSorry, Xie Xing.โ
Shi Luo looks quite tired too โ his eye bags are telling and there is also some reddened bruise on his otherwise unmarred cheeks. Noah cannot recall a single instance in which the man looks as drained as he does now. His pristine trench coat has seen days of heavy wear, pilling at the sleeves, abrased on the hems. His dress shirt is entirely crumpled from waist up, and his tie is long discarded. His alpha musk is mixed with heavy antiseptic.
Noah asks softly, โWhat did I do to you three days ago?โ
Shi Luo pauses briefly before taking out an unknown syringe from the cabinet. He crouches down by Noah and says, โXie Xing, lift your shirt. Iโve noticed nerve damage above your ribs. Intercostal neuralgia โ the inflammation will distract if left untreated.โ Upon sensing the hesitance, Shi Luo pulls up the needle and explains, โAn anesthetic. The injection will only be a light pinch.โ
โโฆOh,โ he responds with a light nod. He does as requested, lifting his shirt up and looking away before the needle punctures through skin. The doctor holds true to his word, and the pain is fleeting. When the adhesive is placed, Noah suddenly taps at his wrist, prompting him to pause.
To Shi Luoโs confused expression, Noah raises his knuckles and brushes tellingly against the manโs lips. โThe infectionโฆ will you be alright, Shi Luo?โ
โโฆโ Shi Luo sighs and gently pulls his hand away. โIn fact, weโve already reenacted the events of three nights ago. Only, Iโve escalated it a tad more today. Xie Xing, you have the tendency to latch onto anyone nearโฆ And to mistake me for your lover, you are truly, very naรฏve.โ
Noah nods again. โโฆOh.โ
โNo immediate symptoms of infection,โ Shi Luo says, ruffling Noahโs hair, taking care to avoid the injured section. The doctor chuckles softly. โBut to be so trusting toward me, I may be able to exploit you more heavily, Xie Xing. Youโve been on my operating table for sixteen years. Iโve studied every anatomical and visceral part of you. My intentions are nowhere as pure as the foolish Yang Rongโs.โ
Shi Luo maintains a proper distance now. His touches are less intimate and more comforting, carrying no hidden agenda.
โI am surprised, Xie Xing,โ the doctor says, still patting him on the head. โYouโve found an alpha lover, and an ex-colonel at that. Yang Rong is all sorts of idiotic, to put it bluntlyโฆ But on some off chance that his brain is traveled by the right meridians, he can be rather easy on the eyes.โ
โโฆMn.โ
โHeโd take a clip of bullets for you, run through ten more grenades for you. The buffoon would not be killed by a nuclear explosive. Rather, even if he were deemed dead, heโd crawl out of his grave, compose back to life, rip his heart out of his sleeves and hand it to you.โ Shi Luo gives him a light flick on the forehead. โAnd he went against the military, shred himself of his status, tossed away everything โ protocol and all. Is such a person trustworthy to you, Xie Xing?โ
Shi Luo stands up and makes his way past the midsection of the vehicle. There is a black curtain draping down from the roof, a small divider that separates the trunk from mid. When the curtain is slid apart, a familiar raven-haired man comes into view. Heโs unconscious on an inclined bed, hooked with IV drips, bandaged head to toe in white.
โHeโs sleeping now,โ Shi Luo says with a sigh, going over to reread his vitals. โBut when he woke up an hour priorโฆ instead of engaging me with a kiss like you had, he threw a punch to my face, shouted some nonsensical things about impermissively climbing into his bed โ the usual drunk drabble you may be familiar with. I had wrestled with him for a minute too long and had to take moreโฆ suppressive measures.โ
Shi Luo slides open a cabinet drawer, takes out a liquid bottle and another syringe needle โ this one, twice as large with a twice as deadly tip. The doctor calmly fills the syringe.
Noah stares with both confusion and concern.
Shi Luo explains. โStimulant injection. I need to wake him up, and his genetic makeup is quite a hassle to deal with. The syringe needs to be deep enough to penetrate through the carapace. Xie Xing, come take a look.โ
โโฆ?โ
Noah braces himself against the wall as he staggers forward. Still mildly impaired from injury and from anesthesia, he hadnโt gotten a chance to take a closer look before Shi Luo injects the syringe. Rather, the doctor stabs the syringe into the manโs forearm, insistently drilling it into his vein. Noah flinches, the pain registering to him secondhand.
Shi Luo says, โCurrently, this patient Yang Rong is seeing abnormally inconsistent radioactive readings. There are some interesting processes going on โ his wounds are closing at a much too rapid speed, his regeneration spiked beyond natural, his body working overtime to accommodate for the high fever.โ
The doctor gestures for him to come closer. โThe chance of a full mutation is rare, but Iโd rather not witness a full-grown girdled lizard lying on my operating table. The very thought is unpleasant, to say the least. Iโve taken liberties with his medicinal dosage, though there are some much undesired side effects. He will likely wake up inโฆ five seconds, Xie Xing, so Iโd rather you be by his side. I wouldnโt want the back of my vehicle wrecked, nor would I want my face to be punched a second time โ especially if he finds out what Iโd done to you.โ
OMG i cracked at the interaction theater ๐๐ my choice is C
๐ญ i am glad the theater is entertaining~
From C to E…. ๐๐
yang rong: (hands clenched into fists, tears rolling down) when can i unsheathe
C,D,E.
ยกThank you!
โค
thank uuu ๐
d
thanks for the chapter <3
yang rong will really be puckering his lips before he dies just to have one last taste
Usually I will scram… Ganbare!! 2nd ML, but i this case somehow my reaction was just: Fueeee?!!
For the interaction theater, my answer is all of them except A
oh.. a typo
*scream, I mean
shi luo s u s ๐๐๐thank you for readingg
It is clearly option F: all of the above.
Well personally I think Shi Luo should be punched again, but Iโll let it slide since that will delay the reunion between Noah and Yang Rong.
Thanks for the chapter!!
ya it’s definitely F ๐คก
I dunno what to choose ๐ฅฒ Prolly from C to E. Anyway, I’d like to read the chapter where Yang Rong found out that Shi Luo and Noah kissed ๐๐คญ
shi luo: .
noah: …
yang rong: ????????
Thanks for the chapter!
๐thank you for reading~~!
Thanks for the new chapter!!!! I vote D!!
quickly, noah, perform CPR!!
Obviously E.. ๐
E for sure….!!
Thank you for the chapter!
Shi Luo, curious as I am to your character, I may have to beat you up first. Though you have complimented and praised Yang Rong is a roundabout way, but it’s praise regardless, so I give you some points too. And you did save them.
Interaction theater! I am confident this time! It must be all of the above!!
c that is definitely yang lol๐ ๐
Me calming myself down from SL kiss by saying “YR has done it with others too” over and over again
lmaoo he’ll probably say C E D B A in that order
Girdled lizard?! Armadillo Girdled Lizards are entirely too interesting. Ouroboros!
C, definitely ๐
And Shi Luo, WHATTT ARE YOU DOING THAT’S NOT A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH …not to mention how guilty Noah is going to feel, never mind that he wasn’t fully conscious at the time and thus wasn’t in fact consenting… ๐ Is Yoo Seok the only non-sus alpha in this story ๐
adter carful concideration i have decided to add f all of the above
I second this!๐