I feel guilty about this delay.

The door closed silently behind him, and Yu Zou stood in front of the living room, holding a bunch of hyacinths, looking at the mess in the room in disbelief.

Apart from the load-bearing columns, nothing was intact. The glass screen that divided the space looked like it had been shot, and the bullet was a golf club, which was still stuck in it.

"Impressive, right? It was all smashed by Omegas."

With repeated exclamations of praise, Zhao Junjie laboriously navigated around the rubble and collapsed onto the sofa, the torn cushions once again spewing out velvet.

Yu Zou followed in his footsteps, handing the hyacinth to the man on the other sofa: "Wishing you a speedy recovery, Chi Hengxun."

Chi Hengxun didn't take it, only nodding slightly in response. The information bracelet he was violently tearing was constantly emitting red alarms, and several bloody marks on his neck and chest were faintly visible with his excessive movements, but the bracelet was tightening more and more, only causing his bandaged arm to bleed again.

Beneath the empty space of the sofa, a broken vase soaked the carpet. Yu Zou withdrew his hand and placed the hyacinth on the coffee table in front of him. The soft, warm light shone on the flower, casting a net-like pattern of light and shadow. The natural texture of the blue-gold sand, now granular, resembled quicksand that might collapse at any moment.

"You should see a doctor." Zhao Junjie took out a flower, held it to his nose, and took a deep, blissful breath. He then complained with a displeased expression, "Because of you, I can't smell the fragrance of flowers anymore."

"If you can't smell it, just put it in your mouth and chew it."

"Don't you know this is poisonous?" Zhao Junjie glanced at the person on the other side of the sofa, who was still working without changing his expression, his knuckles tapping on the projected keyboard on the cracked coffee table.

"You're out of your mind, luring people here. One isn't enough, bring another one." Li Kuo raised his forehead, his brows furrowed in a menacing manner, his cold voice tinged with impatience.

"How can you not care about your friends at all! Chi Hengxun is in a relationship, and it's such a hot one! But it seems there are some problems right now. As a friend, shouldn't you help solve them?"

Today, Zhao Junjie made a phone call by chance and found that Chi Hengxun's tone on the other end was suppressed and very strange. Before he could hang up, he had already turned the key, stepped on the gas, and sped out of the company gate.

Before entering, Zhao Junjie had made ample preparations, but they were clearly insufficient. As soon as the door opened, scalding resin mixed with acrid sawdust rained down on him. The usually dignified Chi Hengxun was sitting miserably on the steps, clutching his bleeding nape, having been subdued.

Zhao Junjie recalled with amusement, saying, "Did you actually date an Alpha, which is why you kept it a secret from me? You underestimate me. I would gladly accept anyone, not just Alphas or Ophas."

Seeing that Chi Hengxun's expression was indeed like he had eaten shit, Zhao Junjie grinned from ear to ear, held up the flower and gestured to Li Kuo, aiming the flower at his ear from a distance and throwing it like a dart.

A flower landed on the back of Li Kuo's neck, startling him. The projected keyboard disappeared with a snap, and he picked up the flower, which had been played with until it was somewhat wilted, and threw it into Zhao Junjie's wine glass.

"Li Kuo, how am I supposed to drink like this?"

"You only deserve to drink like this."

The flower stem swirls in the wine, and the bubbles that rise to the surface dissipate before reaching the surface. Zhao Junjie swirls his wine glass, looking rather disappointed, and says, "Sigh, I thought you wouldn't care about me, but you would care about the two of them and let us meet them."

The blood-stained bandage was ripped off, and blood immediately flowed into the arm. The wound, which had been treated with medicine, had not healed for a long time, a testament to the perpetrator's rage. Chi Hengxun said without changing his expression, "He's asleep."

Li Kuo lowered his bracelet and sensed that there was still very little of Chi Hengxun's pheromones in the air. He got up, picked up the medicine bottle and bandages, and quickly wrapped the wound for Chi Hengxun. He asked, rather puzzled, "And then? What are you planning to do?"

Such a strong omega, Chi Hengxun absolutely cannot mark him if the person does not agree, and he only has one year left before returning to the army.

Chi Hengxun's silence revealed his helplessness. Just as the two years that were supposed to be just going through the motions had turned into a love at first sight on the very first day of registration, something he had never believed in for the past twenty years. The unexpected encounter was just a chance choice. In order to complete the task assigned by his superiors and earn enough credits as soon as possible, Chi Hengxun chose to take his course.

The professor, with his strict professional ethics, remained unmoved by Chi Hengxun's various attempts to curry favor. Having exhausted all other options, Chi Hengxun impulsively took Chi Hengxun to his home during the summer break at the end of the academic year. Even so, the professor dismissed his egregious behavior as youthful impetuosity, giving it the cold shoulder, ignoring him completely, and never speaking a word. If he did speak, it was always to advise him not to continue down the wrong path and ruin his future.

Today was just like every day before. Chi Hengxun tried to talk to him, but he was given the cold shoulder. Chi Hengxun couldn't stand it and forced him to open his mouth. In his extreme anger, he saw the man turn to leave but couldn't bear to move him. He didn't want the man to leave either. He noticed the man's necklace and tugged at it, but he didn't expect that this would immediately bring disaster. Everything in the room was caused by the man's actions.

Zhao Junjie snapped his fingers, drawing everyone's attention to himself, and said, "Hey! Is there even a need to think about this? The next step, of course, is to find the cause, devise a solution, and put it into practice. So, what was the trigger for this war?"

“I pulled his necklace,” Chi Hengxun replied, pausing for a second before asking in confusion, “Is that necklace that important?”

"Maybe it was given to him by someone important. You touched something you shouldn't have." Zhao Junjie swallowed a mouthful of champagne with the scent of hyacinths, deliberately teasing him and saying he wanted to break the vinegar seal, eager to smell what the flowers of this iron tree smelled like.

Chi Hengxun's face immediately turned green, and he gritted his teeth as he squeezed out the words: "What does he have that I shouldn't touch? He shouldn't have any of that at all!"

Li Kuo sneered: "If being tough could solve the problem, you wouldn't need to sit here with us."

"I think you should go to the hospital for a thorough check-up. This level of suppression might actually cause you to lose your marking ability." Zhao Junjie threw the glass at the glass screen; the glass shattered upon impact, and the hyacinth fell onto the golf club.

“No need, I won’t go,” Chi Hengxun immediately denied.

Zhao Junjie clicked his tongue, exasperated: "Is this the time to be stubborn? What, do you want to drag this out until he sees you tomorrow and feels regret and guilt, and then willingly serve you?"

"I wasn't thinking about that."

"So what are you thinking?"

“He’s completely different from before. I don’t know what to do.” Chi Hengxun’s eyes were unfocused as he looked at the hyacinths on the coffee table. The edges of the flowers blurred in his eyes, and even the memories of the past seemed somewhat unreal. No matter how he acted, the other man was always calm and composed, maintaining his composure. Even if he took him to the car and locked him in the house, he would at most sulk and ignore him. He had never lost control like this before.

How can there be an exception to someone who is indifferent to all people and things?

The overhead light concealed Yu Zou's eyes in the shadows beneath his brow bone. He remained silent throughout, but inwardly he thought: "You're only finding out now? That makes sense. You only dared to provoke him if you didn't know who he was."

At age 8, he gouged out one of his music teacher's eyes; at age 10, he pushed a student three grades above him off the second floor; at age 13, he smashed up a classroom at school; at age 14, he got into a group fight and ended up in the police station, where he was later diagnosed with mental illness and admitted to a mental hospital.

As for me, knowing all this and still provoke them, that would make me a true warrior.

The click of a phone shutter brought Yu Zou back to reality. He didn't know where the conversation was at. He looked up and saw Li Kuo's finger swiping on the screen. Zhao Junjie leaned over with a grin and poked Chi Hengxun in the back: "You got caught doing something wrong again, didn't you?"

"Yu Zou, come and see too." Seeing that Yu Zou remained silent, Li Kuo assumed he was uncomfortable and intentionally tried to pull him back from his reverie.

Zhao Junjie and Li Kuo are true childhood friends. They have hardly been apart for more than a month since they were born. Yu Zou was also one of them when they were young. However, during the summer vacation of the second year of junior high school, Yu Zou suddenly went abroad to study and disappeared without a trace.

They left without any warning, and returned without any indication.

Three months ago, he was parachuted into Long and took over this critically ill beast. Surprisingly, he was able to turn the tide and allow it to survive until now, transforming it from a pile of mud into a golden Pixiu. The three met again at a business banquet, and after a few words, they revealed their true colors. They found they were birds of a feather and quickly became familiar with each other as if the gap of more than ten years in between had never existed.

Chi Hengxun is a friend they've known since high school. Although they introduced each other early on, they're not only unfamiliar with each other, but their personalities also clash. Zhao Junjie enjoys watching the drama unfold, while only Li Kuo can and is willing to help ease the tension between them that sometimes arises inexplicably.

Yu Zou waved his hand to indicate that it was alright, but Zhao Junjie wouldn't let him off the hook: "Yu Zou, don't stay silent, give me some advice. Back in the day, you could rival me in the limelight at school. Li Kuo, with that icy face, is simply not likable."

Li Kuo elbowed Zhao Junjie, pushing him away, and angrily said, "You're not going to make me suffer, are you?"

"Talk? You're good at theoretical discussions, but not at practical matters."

"Uh! Inviting you here today was just theoretical. If you ask me, it's all about giving gifts. If it's something that's appropriate, then it's expensive, good, and difficult enough!" Zhao Junjie pretended to have a stomachache, rolled away, and looked up to touch his chin. His mind went blank as he tried to recall what the professor looked like. "Uh, that's strange... I don't remember what the professor looked like."

"Gentle and polite, and exceptionally talented," Li Kuo said.

"Hengxun, he's imitating you so well!" Zhao Junjie pointed at Li Kuo and burst into laughter, only to be beaten up again as expected.

"I love music. He plays the violin exceptionally well," Chi Hengxun added, his expression softening slightly. The scene of their first encounter flashed through his mind; the moment Chi Hengxun appeared, he captivated all his senses, plunging him into a wondrous state, the violin performance sounding like heavenly music.

Yu Zou helplessly spread his hands: "Then there's nothing I can do."

Thanks to the high compatibility of his parents, Yu Zou was exceptionally beautiful and intelligent from a young age. He could learn anything quickly, except for one thing: music. He was tone-deaf to the point of being eligible for a disability certificate.

Zhao Junjie slammed his hand on the sofa and said excitedly, "You have to have it! We're counting on you to come up with a plan."

Yu Zou pondered, looking to his left. There was a huge, semi-circular floor-to-ceiling window, with sheer curtains hanging down to block out the darkness of the night. A tall green plant was cut in half, and soil was splattered on the pale white curtains, creating a scene straight out of a crime scene.

Yu Zou blinked sharply, looked away, and tapped his bracelet. A light screen unfolded in front of him, and his fingers moved across it. Three minutes later, the 3D projection started as he spoke.

"If it's expensive, high-quality, and you love music, then go for a piano. It's a replica of an 18th-century court style, gilded and carved, inlaid with gemstones, paired with a beige sofa, a pale gold chandelier, and cascading red roses."

The image in front of the floor-to-ceiling window was projected just as he had said. Amidst Zhao Junjie's sparse applause, Li Kuo said, "This kind of piano needs to be custom-made. There's not enough time, is there?"

Yu Zou nodded. He had also considered the timing; the sooner an apology was made, the better, as it would help the person calm down more quickly. "We could also focus on the ceremony. Practice an apology piece. You play the piano here, and he comes down the stairs, gradually revealing your true self. Use a melancholic melody to highlight your sadness. Seeing your distress, he might forgive you. After all, someone who can cause such a disaster only suffered minor injuries; he must care about you."

Chi Hengxun's eyes lit up as he looked at Yu Zou, and he repeated, "Does he have feelings for me?"

"I think so."

Yu Zou looked at the glass screen; after all, he could have hit you on the head with a golf club, but he only managed to shatter the glass.

They had the power to escape, but instead they just hid in their room.