Chapter 73 Chapter 73 "Is this considered... a suicide for love? ...
Lu Hean suspected that he was dreaming, a beautiful dream.
What did he hear?
Did Pei Shuyu ask him for the mark?
Happiness came too quickly and he didn't react.
Pei Shuyu was a little impatient. "Are you coming or not?" Normally, he should be the one to mark it. But he was afraid of killing Lu Hean, literally. What if it triggered his information disorder...
Seeing Lu Hean's dazed look, he probably didn't hear what he said. Pei Shuyu slapped his forehead and turned away, desperate to find a solution. "Just pretend you didn't hear me, just treat it as a casual remark..."
“Hmm!”
Before he could finish his words, a brute force suddenly came up from behind him.
The instinct of the susceptible Alpha was completely ignited by the invitation, and at this moment it had already overwhelmed all rationality.
Lu Hean's scorching body pressed tightly against his back like a branding iron. One arm tightly held his waist, and the other hand clamped under his jaw, forcing him to raise his head slightly.
Pei Shuyu's entire body tensed instantly, the delicate gland at the back of his neck exposed to the other's scorching breath. A strong sense of danger surged over him. Almost as an Alpha, he thrust his elbow back, trying to break free from the dangerous restraint.
"Don't move..." Lu Hean's voice was hoarse and suppressed, ringing against his ear. "It was you... who asked me to mark you..."
Yes, he chose it himself.
To help Lu Hean wake up, to extricate himself from the current predicament, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing every cell in his body that clamored for a fightback. He slowly loosened his clenched fists, forcing himself to relax his tense body bit by bit, and even lowered his head slightly, to better present his glands to the other party.
Finish it quickly and leave!
The next second, a sharp pain suddenly spread from the back of the neck.
Pei Shuyu groaned, closed his eyes, and clearly felt the touch of teeth piercing his skin, as well as the pheromones belonging to the Alpha that followed, the spicy pheromones that rushed in strongly.
The feeling was familiar yet strange, wrapped in Lu Hean's unique aura, and it broke into his perception violently, causing him to feel physiologically nauseous and dizzy.
I had finally gotten used to it before, but I haven’t done it in a few years… and now all my plans are disrupted.
He bit his lower lip hard, enduring the discomfort, trying his best to restrain his urge to hit someone, and let Lu Hean complete this temporary mark.
When Lu Hean finally let him go, both of them were breathing heavily.
Pei Shuyu's legs went weak and he staggered forward half a step, then was supported by Lu Hean from behind.
In the quiet moment after the marking, the confusion in Lu Hean's eyes seemed to have faded a little. Although his breathing was still rapid, he no longer had the frenzy that threatened to lose control. He lowered his head and looked at the fresh mark on the back of Pei Shuyu's neck, which belonged to him. His eyes were filled with an inexplicable meaning.
"Did you want to beat me just now?" Lu Hean asked.
"No." Pei Shuyu broke free from his support, turned his back to him, and straightened his collar, trying to hide the marks on his neck and the turmoil in his heart. He didn't turn around, and there was a subtle tremor in his voice, but he tried to remain calm: "Now, are you calm enough? Can we go now?"
"I'm afraid not."
In the air, Lu Hean's pheromones wrapped around Pei Shuyu like a python.
Labeling an alpha is far less effective than labeling an omega. But now is an emergency, where else can he go to catch Qiao Zhishi?
"Being able to answer questions clearly proves you can do it." Pei Shuyu opened the door a little, looked around, and made sure no one was around before fully opening it. "Alright, let's go. We'll be stuck soon."
Lu Hean rested his head against Pei Shuyu's head, "Where are we going now?"
Pei Shuyu pushed him away irritably and said impatiently, "Go find out if there's a lifeboat. I've already contacted Xiao Qingyang. Now we just have to buy time until rescue. After we get out, we have to leave quickly. There are surveillance cameras everywhere here, and we'll be caught up soon."
After hearing this, Lu Hean stuck to her like a mollusk and said, "I still don't have the strength."
That’s enough…
Pei Shuyu glared at him and dragged him out.
How long the pheromones left behind by the alpha can remain in place depends on its level.
When those people finally realized what was happening and rushed to the monitoring room, they immediately covered their mouths and noses. What were the pheromones?! What was going on?! What were those two people doing in the monitoring room?!
Qiao Songyan didn't know what these people saw, but they all stopped where they were and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?! Go check the surveillance and bring these two people back to me!"
Several bodyguards immediately came to their senses and, ignoring the impact of the pheromones, rushed to the screen.
In the surveillance footage, Pei Shuyu half-carrying Lu Hean's figure flashed by at the end of a corridor.
"Over here! They're heading towards the port deck!" the person staring at the screen shouted immediately, "Leave one person here to keep watching! Everyone else, follow me!"
Although Lu Hean had recovered some strength due to the temporary mark and no longer needed Pei Shuyu to drag him, the number of people sent by Qiao Songyan was too large.
In the narrow passage, Alph Xisu's confrontation was fierce but short-lived. Pei Shuyu and the unstable Lu Hean were clearly at a disadvantage.
No matter how high your level is, you can't stand the constant round-robin battles. Defeat one round after another.
To make matters worse, nearly all the passengers were drawn to the main deck area by the grand ball, which was eerily deserted, and their escape went unnoticed and unhindered.
The retreat route was completely blocked, and the two were forced step by step to the open deck at the stern.
The night wind was cold, and the sea breeze blew away the Alph scent lingering on Pei Shuyu, but it also brought a lot of pursuers.
Pei Shuyu embraced Lu Hean and backed away, step by step, until his back rested against the cold railing. He glanced down, his heart twitching. The ship was so high, it felt as if he couldn't see the bottom. The dark sea surface shone with a cold, broken light under the distant lights of the cruise ship. The sound of waves crashing against the hull was dull and distant.
If one jumps from this height, the huge impact is enough to make a person unconscious. Even if one is lucky enough to wake up, it is impossible to escape in this vast ocean with an Alpha in the susceptible period.
"Where else can you run to?"
Qiao Songyan walked out slowly behind his men, with a calm expression that showed he was in control of everything.
"Don't run, Pei Shuyu." His voice was particularly clear and cold in the sea breeze. "Jumping from this high, even if you don't die, there's no land within a hundred miles. You're carrying a susceptible Alpha, so the survival rate is zero. Why bother?"
Pei Shuyu gritted his teeth, he knew that what Qiao Songyan said was true.
Lu Hean leaned against him, chuckled softly, and whispered in Pei Shuyu's ear: "Is this considered... a suicide for love?"
He had just used pheromones and was now a little exhausted. In addition, it was a temporary mark, which did not alleviate his susceptible period at all. Now he was showing signs of a counterattack.
"Shut up now." Pei Shuyu scolded in a low voice, staring at Qiao Songyan.
Qiao Songyan waved his hand: "Capture them alive."
A bodyguard received the order and cautiously stepped forward, attempting to reach out and pull Lu Hean. Pei Shuyu's eyes sharpened, and with lightning speed, he parried the bodyguard's hand with one hand and snatched the pistol from his waist with the other. At the same time, he grabbed the bodyguard with his arm, restraining him, and placed the muzzle of the gun directly on his forehead!
"Don't come over here! Or I'll shoot!" Pei Shuyu's voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
The deck was instantly tense.
However, in this moment of dead silence——
"Bang!"
A gunshot pierced the night sky!
The bullet did not come from Pei Shuyu, but from the direction of Qiao Songyan!
Qiao Songyan had snatched the gun from another bodyguard beside him at some point, and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bullet accurately hit the forehead of the bodyguard held hostage by Pei Shuyu.
The bodyguard didn't even make a sound as he was killed instantly and his body went limp.
Pei Shuyu's arms sank and he subconsciously loosened his grip. The still warm body fell heavily on the deck, blood gushing out and soon flowed towards Qiao Songyan along the inclined angle.
Qiao Songyan calmly handed the gun back to the stunned bodyguard beside him, then wiped his hands with a handkerchief, as if he had just casually swatted a mosquito. He looked up at Pei Shuyu, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "You're using him to threaten me? Don't waste your energy."
Pei Shuyu placed Lu Hean on the ground, leaning against the wall. Lu Hean closed his eyes tightly, looking very painful. He turned his head and looked at the bodyguard who died instantly on the ground, his eyes also cold.
Qiao Songyan's cold-bloodedness far exceeded his imagination.
He stood up and gripped the gun tightly in his hand. The muzzle slowly moved down and finally, aimed at the back of his neck, also at the location of the gland.
"What about my glands?" Pei Shuyu's voice was unusually calm.
The composure on Qiao Songyan's face vanished instantly, his expression darkening at a visible speed, his eyes piercing through Pei Shuyu. He wanted to capture Pei Shuyu alive, and the most important thing was that he possessed the glands of an S-level Alpha!
"You want to capture me alive," Pei Shuyu continued, staring closely at the changes in Qiao Songyan's expression. "You want my glands, right? If you want them, just stand still. Answer me some questions, and after you get the answers, I'll consider going with you."
Qiao Songyan narrowed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons for a moment, and finally the desire for the gland prevailed: "...Tell me about it."
Pei Shuyu took a deep breath and asked his first question: "Has the artificial gland experiment you mentioned failed?"
Qiao Songyan's expression became even uglier, but he did not deny it: "Yes."
The horrifying scene in the laboratory flashed through his mind: the employee who had the artificial gland implanted seemed normal at first, but just five minutes later he suddenly had a severe rejection and scratched his neck in pain until it was bloody.
We have conducted hundreds of experiments and the data is very close, but unfortunately it still failed!
The artificial gland approach seems to be a dead end at the moment.
His original ideal target was Lu Hean's gland, but in order to appease Qiao Zhishi, he held back for the time being.
When he learned that Pei Shuyu was also on the ship, this better target, who was less likely to provoke the Lu family's crazy revenge, naturally became his new choice.
"You want to replace your glands, right?" Pei Shuyu continued to ask.
"Yes." Qiao Songyan answered simply.
As long as he becomes an alpha, he won't be judged by others anymore. He can enjoy the rights of an alpha and no longer have to listen to nonsense like "you omegas only have the option of marriage and having children"!
"Did you target Guan Zicen, who disappeared earlier, because you took these photos?"
"Yes." Qiao Songyan said without hesitation.
"One last question," Pei Shuyu stared into his eyes, "What is your relationship with Huo Si?"
A trace of genuine confusion appeared on Qiao Songyan's face: "Hoss? Who is this?"
Pei Shuyu's heart sank: "You don't know him?"
"I don't know him."
The clues stopped here. Qiao Songyan's answer didn't seem fake. Pei Shuyu wanted to ask more...
"Enough!" Qiao Songyan suddenly lost his patience, a sinister look flashing across his face. "Pei Shuyu, I've suddenly changed my mind. Capturing Lu Hean alive will be enough." He waved his hand fiercely and ordered the bodyguards: "Go, bring Lu Hean to me! As for Pei Shuyu, kill him and throw him into the sea. He knows too much."
The bodyguards received the order and walked towards Pei Shuyu step by step, but they were afraid of the gun in Pei Shuyu's hand, so they moved slowly.
The two sides remained in a silent stalemate, testing each other's options.
Just as the bodyguards were slowly approaching, the air tense like a drawn bowstring, a nearby bodyguard suddenly stepped forward and respectfully handed a vibrating terminal to Qiao Songyan. His voice was filled with a subtle nervousness, "Mr. Qiao, this is... an urgent communication from that gentleman."
Qiao Songyan frowned, a hint of displeasure at being interrupted flashing across his face: "Now?"
"Yes, it's urgent."
Qiao Songyan took a deep breath, seeming quite apprehensive about the person on the other end of the line. He raised his hand to signal the approaching bodyguards to pause, then took the terminal. A video request popped up on the screen, and he clicked to connect.
The terminal screen did not show the other person's full appearance. Only the outline of a man sitting in the shadows could be seen, with the light deliberately avoiding his face.
A processed, slightly electronic voice came out, its tone steady but unquestionable: "Mr. Qiao, Pei Shuyu can't be killed yet. I have something to discuss with him."
Qiao Songyan's expression instantly turned ugly. He suppressed his anger, but obviously didn't dare to directly disobey. He could only squeeze out a sentence through his teeth: "...I hope you understand what you are doing." He gestured to his men with great reluctance, "Give him the terminal."
A bodyguard walked forward cautiously and handed the terminal that was still on the call to Pei Shuyu.
Pei Shuyu, still gripping the gun tightly in one hand, glanced warily at Qiao Songyan and the guards surrounding him, then took the terminal with his other hand. The screen turned towards him, and he looked at the silhouette hidden in the shadows, his heart filled with vigilance and doubt.
"Hello, Pei Shuyu." The processed voice sounded again, with an uncomfortable familiarity, as if old friends were reuniting. "Hello again, little friend."
Pei Shuyu frowned and responded coldly: "Again? I've never seen you before."
"Ah~" The other party sighed meaningfully, his tone strangely brisk. "You don't remember? It's okay, it's okay. I have a video. You can watch it and it will help you recall."
Pei Shuyu was full of doubts, but at the moment being able to delay time was a good thing, so he was patient and did not interrupt.
Soon, a video began playing. The footage was initially shaky and dim, with only the faint sound of the person recording the equipment adjusting and a man's voice, which sounded younger and uncensored: "President Lu, please watch carefully. We have truly 'invited' your precious son."
The camera stabilized and began to move, revealing the cabin of an old ship. Two young boys, bound back to back with rough ropes, huddled in a corner.
The camera first moved close to the face of one of the boys - although he was young, one could vaguely see the shadow of Lu Hean's childhood between his eyebrows, and the boy's face was full of fear and stubbornness.
The voice of the recorder continued to sound, jokingly: "President Lu, why don't you come and identify which one is your biological son?" As he spoke, the camera slowly turned to the other boy who was tied together.
When the boy's face appeared clearly on the screen, Pei Shuyu's pupils suddenly contracted and his breathing stagnated!
That face, though covered in dust and blood, was extremely familiar. It was his own!
The picture freezes here and the video ends.
Pei Shuyu's mind went blank and his heart was beating wildly.
This was an experience he had no recollection of! He and Lu Hean had been kidnapped together as children? Why did he have no memory of it? Was this video photoshopped? A composite?
On the other end of the terminal, the mysterious voice sounded again, with a hint of amusement: "Well, have you remembered anything? It seems that the fate between us is much deeper than you thought, Pei Shuyu."
Pei Shuyu stared at the blurry silhouette on the terminal screen and said in a cold voice, "Is this video of yours a composite? I don't have any memory of this at all."
"It's okay to forget," the processed voice said with a creepy tolerance, "I just want you to know that we met a long time ago. I have always admired you. So you see, as long as you join us, I guarantee that you can return to Saifan in one piece. Even Qiao Songyan can't do anything to you."
When Qiao Songyan heard this, his face instantly became extremely ugly and his lips were pursed into a pale line.
"Join you?" Pei Shuyu sneered, "Who are you?"
"Haven't you been looking for me?" the voice asked jokingly, "How could you not know who I am?"
Pei Shuyu's pupils shrank slightly: "Are you from the 'rebel party'?"
The other party neither admitted nor denied it, but simply threw out the bait: "As long as you nod, I can agree to one condition for you...a condition that you absolutely cannot refuse."
Pei Shuyu raised his eyebrows slightly, his face still expressionless, but a very subtle fluctuation flashed across the depths of his eyes: "Oh? Why not tell me about it?"
The person on the other end of the terminal seemed to whisper something, the voice was so soft that Qiao Songyan couldn't hear it clearly, but he could see that Pei Shuyu's fingers holding the terminal tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
Although Pei Shuyu's face was still cold, an indescribable wavering was quietly spreading.
He was silent for a few seconds, and finally said nothing, then threw the terminal back to Qiao Songyan's men.
"Are you done talking?" Qiao Songyan asked sinisterly, snatching the terminal and terminating the call. "Then it's time to get down to business." A murderous look flashed across his face, and he sternly shouted at the bodyguard, "Kill Pei Shuyu, immediately."
The bodyguard hesitated: "But Mr. Qiao, the person above just said..."
"Who do you belong to?!" Qiao Songyan interrupted him harshly with a fierce look in his eyes.
The bodyguard immediately fell silent and dared not say anything more.
Qiao Songyan was furious. He snatched the bodyguard's gun and pointed it at Pei Shuyu: "What a bunch of losers! Looks like I have to do it myself."
Before he could fire, a figure suddenly rushed out from the direction of the cabin. It was the imprisoned Qiao Zhishi.
He didn't know how he broke free from the guards. At this moment, like a hen protecting her chicks, she staggered in front of Pei Shuyu with her arms outstretched. Her face was pale but her tone was firm: "Brother! Brother! No! Don't shoot!"
The veins on Qiao Songyan's forehead bulged: "Get out of my way!"
"Brother! Stop it! So many people have already died!" Qiao Zhishi cried, "It's not too late for you to turn back and surrender to the Alliance!"
"I'll say this one last time," Qiao Songyan's hand holding the gun trembled slightly with anger, "Get out of the way!"
"No!" Qiao Zhi closed his eyes in despair, "Unless you shoot me to death!"
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out! The bullet hit the deck at Qiao Zhishi's feet, splashing a few sparks! If Pei Shuyu hadn't reacted quickly and pulled him back, the shot would definitely have hit his leg!
Qiao Songyan's eyes were filled with madness: "Do you think I don't dare?!"
Qiao Zhishi was so frightened that her legs went limp. She cried and whispered to Pei Shuyu behind her, "It's over... He, he really dared..."
Pei Shuyu pulled him back speechlessly: "So why did you run out here?"
"I'm afraid he will really kill you!" Qiao Zhishi cried.
Pei Shuyu: ...
Okay, your heart is good.
Pei Shuyu pulled him completely behind him and whispered, "Keep an eye on Lu He'an." Then he raised his head and faced the muzzle of Qiao Songyan's gun, trying to make a final attempt at negotiation: "Qiao Songyan, if you kill me, aren't you afraid that the man just now will come after you?"
Please, just hold on a little longer, just until help arrives! Xiao Qingyang! Why haven't you come yet?
"This isn't something you should worry about!" Qiao Songyan's face was filled with murderous intent. "It's your fault for knowing too much!"
His finger on the trigger—
Right at this moment!
"Bang!"
Another gunshot was heard, and a bullet came from nowhere and accurately hit Qiao Songyan's wrist holding the gun!
"Ah!" Qiao Songyan screamed, and the pistol flew out of his hand! He covered his bloody wrist and bent over in pain.
"Protect Mr. Qiao!" The bodyguards around him reacted instantly, gathered around in panic, and formed a human wall.
Pei Shuyu was also stunned and didn't understand what was happening.
Right after!
"Bang!"
The second gunshot rang out! A bodyguard who was about to pick up the pistol that Qiao Songyan had dropped fell to the ground with a bloody hole in his forehead.
"There's a sniper!" one of the bodyguards shouted in horror.
At the same time, a huge roar came from above!
Several helicopters printed with the Alliance emblem approached from the night sky like divine troops descending from the sky, and the strong searchlight beams illuminated the entire aft deck as bright as day.
The helicopter door opened wide, and rappelling ropes were dropped. Fully armed special agents wearing alliance combat uniforms rappelled down quickly and took control of the situation in an instant.
On a leading helicopter, Ke Bai stood at the hatch, megaphone in hand. His calm and commanding voice echoed across the deck: "We are the Alliance Central Investigation Team! Everyone lay down your weapons and give up resistance! I repeat, give up resistance! Otherwise, you will be considered resisting arrest and will be executed on the spot!"
Pei Shuyu looked at this sudden change, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.
The hand holding the gun slowly dropped and he leaned against the side of the boat as if exhausted.
Unexpectedly, the person who came was Ke Bai...
Fortunately he came, otherwise he would really have died here.
He looked at the still unconscious Lu Hean and the nervous Qiao Zhishi beside him and said, "They're saved."
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The author has something to say: Pei: Xiao Qingyang!
Xiao: Don’t worry [heart] Xiaobai, who wishes you a happy breakup, is already on the way...
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