Chasing Husband
The sound of rain drummed an irregular rhythm on the tin roof. Shao Wei's throat tightened as he watched Shao Lin emerge from the shadows. This man, who bore the same features as him, wore a well-tailored black suit, his blond hair meticulously combed back, and a cold smile played on his lips.
"Brother." Shao Lin said it again, as if savoring the word, "Or should I call you No. 8?"
Shao Wei's solar plexus throbbed, a strange resonance vibrating through his chest. He subconsciously pressed his left chest, where he felt a heartbeat that didn't belong to him—faster, more chaotic, and filled with morbid excitement.
"You felt it, didn't you?" Shao Lin stepped forward, the light illuminating his pale face. "Our connection."
Li Wei quickly stood in front of the unconscious Si Qi, holding the syringe in his hand: "Don't come over, Shao Lin. I have already injected him with a blocking agent."
Shao Lin chuckled, then suddenly pressed down on his right arm, his expression twisted for a moment: "The dosage is not enough. I can feel the chip is still working." His blue eyes turned to Shao Wei, "You can do it too, right?"
Shao Wei certainly felt it—a subtle, electric sting spreading from the back of his neck, subtly synchronizing with Shao Lin's every movement. Even more terrifying, when Shao Lin's gaze fell on Si Qi, a hatred that didn't belong to him burned in Shao Wei's chest.
"What did you do to him?" Shao Wei asked through gritted teeth.
"It just activated the hidden protocol in his chip." Shao Lin casually adjusted his cuffs. "Every experimental subject has one. It's Dr. Chen's safety measure." He revealed the tattoo on the inside of his wrist—similar to Li Wei's, but with a snake wrapped around the number 8 instead of 9. "For example, mine is 'Protect Shao Wei.' How ironic."
Li Wei's hands trembled slightly: "You tampered with the program."
"Of course." Shao Lin's eyes never left Shao Wei. "I spent ten years hacking into the system and rewriting the code. Now..." He suddenly frowned and pressed his solar plexus. At the same moment, Shao Wei felt a sharp headache. "...Now our connection is deeper than we planned."
Shao Wei suddenly understood the source of those strange memories. The fragments of the lab, the cries of being separated, even the inexplicable familiarity with Si Qi—all came from Shao Lin, transmitted to him through this strange link.
"Why do you want to kill Siqi?" Shao Wei looked directly into the eyes that were the same as his own but filled with hatred. "If you hate me, just come at me."
Shao Lin's expression changed, a childish grievance flashing across his face. "Do you think this is revenge?" He suddenly opened his collar, revealing a hideous scar just below his collarbone—almost in the same spot as the one Shao Wei had left when he blocked Si Qi's knife. "I was saving you!"
"What?"
"They designed us to fall in love with specific people!" Shao Lin's voice suddenly rose, trembling with hysteria. "Your feelings are a programmed response to Si Qi, and my feelings are for you! It's all pre-programmed!" He pointed at the unconscious Si Qi. "Only when he dies can you be free!"
Shao Wei looked at his blood brother in shock, and suddenly realized that the hatred in Shao Lin's eyes was not pure hatred, but a twisted, desperate love. The experiment not only separated their bodies, but also distorted the normal brotherly relationship.
Li Wei took the opportunity to inject Si Qi with another dose of medicine. The brain waves on the monitoring screen stabilized a little: "He is resisting the chip's instructions. This is dangerous, but it is also an opportunity."
Shao Lin seemed to be irritated by this action. He strode forward and said, "Bitch! You are one of them!" He reached out to grab Li Wei, but suddenly froze halfway - Shao Wei had stood in the middle at some point, and the two were so close that they could feel each other's breath.
"Don't touch her." Shao Wei whispered, "She is helping Si Qi."
"Help?" Shao Lin sneered, "Does she know the full details of the experiment? Do you know why we twins were chosen?" His eyes grew darker. "Because our mother is one of the rare Alpha identical twins. This experiment has been going on for three generations, brother."
This information exploded in Shao Wei's mind like a bomb. He recalled the blurry photos of his mother, the woman who always stood in the shadows... Did she also have a twin sister who had never been mentioned?
Shao Lin seemed to get the answer from his expression: "It seems that uncle didn't tell you everything." He took a few steps back and suddenly took out a small device from his pocket. "It doesn't matter. The game is over."
Li Wei's face changed drastically: "Remote control terminal! Don't--"
It was too late. Shao Lin pressed the button, and Si Qi, strapped to the chair, suddenly opened his eyes and let out a roar that was not human. His muscles were tensed to the limit, and the restraints made a tearing sound under the unbearable pressure.
"Kill him." Shao Lin ordered softly, "Then we'll go home, brother."
Si Qi's pupils were completely dilated, a frightening black. He broke free from the last belt and pounced on Shao Wei like a wild animal.
Li Wei tried to stop him, but Si Qi flung him away with a palm, knocking him against the wall and unconscious. Shao Wei instinctively took a defensive stance, but relaxed his arms at the last moment—he couldn't hurt Si Qi, even in this chip-controlled version.
Si Qi's hand gripped Shao Wei's throat, the force so strong that it immediately cut off the blood flow. Shao Wei did not resist, but simply stared into those unfamiliar eyes, trying to find a trace of familiarity.
"Si...qi..." He squeezed out the name with difficulty.
There was no response. Si Qi's expression remained mechanical and cold, his fingers tightening. Shao Wei's vision began to darken, and Shao Lin's satisfied chuckle echoed in his ears.
At that moment, a drop of liquid landed on the back of Si Qi's hand—Shao Wei's tear. This tiny droplet of water seemed corrosive, causing Si Qi's fingers to tremble slightly. His brow furrowed, as if resisting something.
"Remember..." Shao Wei said with his last breath, "Kyoto... snow..."
Si Qi's pupils contracted for a moment. The next second, he let out a painful howl, let go of Shao Wei, and grabbed his head instead, as if trying to dig something out.
"No!" Shao Lin rushed forward, "Follow the order! Kill him!"
But Si Qi had already fallen to his knees, his whole body convulsing. He raised his bloodshot eyes and met Shao Wei's gaze, his lips trembling as he said, "Run... run faster..."
Then he did something that shocked everyone—he grabbed a shard of broken glass from the ground and stabbed it into the gland at the back of his neck. Blood gushed out immediately, splashing onto Shao Wei's pale face.
"No!!" Shao Wei rushed forward, pressing down on the horrific wound, but blood still gushed out from between his fingers. Si Qi's body convulsed violently, and his eyes began to roll upwards.
Shao Lin was also stunned, and the controller in his hand fell to the ground: "He... shouldn't be able to resist..."
"Call an ambulance!" Shao Wei roared, his voice piercing. "Now!"
Shao Lin woke up as if from a dream, but did not reach for his phone. Instead, he knelt in front of Shao Wei and put his hand on Si Qi's forehead: "Chip... He is using pain to cover the chip signal..." His expression became strange, "Oh my God, he would rather destroy himself to protect you..."
"Ambulance!" Shao Wei yelled again, his vision blurred by tears.
Shao Lin finally pulled out his phone and called the emergency number, then quietly watched Shao Wei rest his forehead on Si Qi's blood-stained chest, crying silently. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes—jealousy, confusion, and a subtle hint of envy.
"You really love him, don't you?" Shao Lin asked softly, "Not just the program?"
Shao Wei didn't answer, but simply hugged Si Qi tighter, as if he could share his life with him. Strangely, he felt Shao Lin trembling as well, as if he shared this pain.
The sirens of an ambulance approached. Shao Lin stood up, picked up the controller, and his expression returned to a cold expression. "They'll take him to Shaw Private Hospital. I have arrangements there." He paused. "If he survives... tell him not to resist the next command. The chip will explode directly."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the shadows deep in the warehouse. Shao Wei wanted to call him back and ask more questions, but Si Qi in his arms suddenly started coughing violently, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"Hold on..." Shao Wei choked and stroked Si Qi's cold face with his fingers, "Please..."
Si Qi's eyes were half-open, his gaze unfocused, but his lips moved faintly, as if calling Shao Wei's name. Then his eyelids slid shut heavily, and his heartbeat grew weaker and weaker under Shao Wei's palm.
When the paramedics rushed in, Shao Wei was still kneeling there, holding his Alpha, like a frozen statue. Someone tried to separate them, but he resisted with amazing strength until the doctor promised that they could both get into the ambulance.
Under the flickering blue light, Shao Wei held Si Qi's hand tightly as they watched the medical staff urgently treat the horrific wound. The glass fragments were still lodged in the gland, and no one dared to remove them easily—it could cause the pheromone system to completely collapse.
"He'll be fine." A young nurse comforted him. "Alphas have strong recovery abilities."
Shao Wei didn't respond. His attention was focused on Si Qi's pale face and the ripped hole in his chest. Only then did he truly understand what Si Qi meant to him—not a partner programmed by a program, not a pairing chosen by genes, but the only light he had chosen in his dark life.
As the ambulance made a sharp turn, Li Wei's voice suddenly came from behind: "He didn't tell you everything."
Only then did Shao Wei notice that Li Wei was also in the car, with gauze on her forehead. She was weak but conscious, and her amber eyes flashed a strange light under the emergency light.
"What?" Shao Wei asked in a hoarse voice.
"Shao Lin." Li Wei leaned in, making sure only Shao Wei could hear. "He's not only your twin brother... he's also the murderer of Si Qi's mother."
Shao Wei's blood froze instantly: "What?"
"Fifteen years ago, Siqi's mother discovered the truth about the experiment and was ready to make it public." Li Wei's voice was as low as a whisper. "Shao Lin was only thirteen at the time, but he was already under control of the program. He used a snake-shaped steel needle to pierce the back of her neck to simulate the symptoms of glandular failure." She showed her tattoo, "That's why I got this tattoo - to remind myself to always remember."
Shao Wei thought of the reports of Si Qi's mother's "accidental death," and the snake wrapped around Shao Lin's wrist, forming the number 8. A chill ran down his spine.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked warily.
Li Wei's expression became complicated. "Because if Si Qi survives... he will need the power of knowing the truth to fight against the chip." She paused, "And you need to decide which side to stand on - your blood, or your heart."
The ambulance drove into the hospital's emergency room, the glaring overhead lights stained everything blood red. Medical staff quickly wheeled Si Qi to the operating room. Shao Wei followed closely behind, but was stopped at the door.
"Family members, please wait outside." The doctor said seriously.
Shao Wei could only watch as the door closed, engulfing Si Qi in a blinding white light. He slid down to the ground, leaning against the wall, his hands stained with Si Qi's blood. For the first time, he allowed himself to completely collapse.
At the end of the corridor, a shadowy figure quietly watched all this—Shao Lin leaned in the shadows, his eyes flashing with sparks of pain and jealousy. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the tattoo on his wrist, as if it were a wound that could not be healed.
The operating light remained on. Time ticked by, painfully and slowly, like a blunt knife cutting flesh. Shao Wei didn't know how long he sat on the cold floor until a familiar voice brought him back to reality.
"Mr. Shao?"
He looked up and saw Dr. Li standing in front of him, his surgical gown stained with blood and his expression difficult to read.
"He...?" Shao Wei's voice was hoarse.
Dr. Li took off her mask and smiled a tired but relieved smile. "He survived. His glands were severely damaged, but his life is safe." She paused. "One thing is strange... During the operation, we discovered abnormal tissue growth around his glands, almost enveloping the chip. This may be the reason he was able to resist control for a short period of time."
Shao Wei closed his eyes, relieved, and tears welled up again. When he opened them again, he saw Dr. Li's expression, as if he was about to speak but couldn't.
"what else?"
Doctor Li hesitated. "Dr. Chen is waiting for you. He said... he has a way to permanently eliminate the chip threat."
"What method?"
"He didn't say." Doctor Li frowned, "But he asked to see you alone. I don't trust him, Mr. Shao. There's no warmth in that man's eyes."
Shao Wei looked toward the operating room, then toward the end of the corridor. A decision took shape in his mind, solid as a diamond.
Take me to him, he thought. It's time to end this.
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