Du Ting held a cigarette between his fingers and flicked away the ash.
Inside the dark, abandoned factory, glowing embers fell from the cigarette tip onto the dust-covered floor.
Two burly bodyguards stood behind him, each holding an electric baton.
“Who would’ve thought we’d end up catching up in a place like this? You don’t seem surprised to see me at all.”
Du Ting approached with a smile and reached out to pinch Gu Yan’s cheek, but Gu Yan turned his head away.
Gu Yan stared at him coldly.
“We have nothing to catch up on. We’ve never even had a conversation.”
Du Ting withdrew his hand, apparently amused by the look in Gu Yan’s eyes.
“Hahaha! You’re right. My memory must be failing me.”
One moment, he was laughing.
The next, his expression abruptly turned vicious.
“But what does that matter? Before long, there won’t be anyone named Gu Yan left in this world.”
His sinister smile resembled that of a demon crawling out of hell, and his voice sounded like the whisper of the devil himself.
Behind his back, Gu Yan’s handcuffed hands trembled slightly, his palms drenched in sweat.
Yet he forced himself to maintain an expression of cold composure.
He needed Du Ting to believe he still had another card up his sleeve, something that would make the man hesitate before acting recklessly.
“Did you really think I didn’t know about all the filthy little investigations you’ve been conducting behind my back? Hmm?”
At some point, a large pair of pliers had appeared in Du Ting’s hand.
He crouched in front of Gu Yan, casually tossing the tool up and catching it again.
One careless movement, and it could come crashing down onto Gu Yan’s foot.
Gu Yan felt the blood in his veins slowly turn to ice, but his mind was racing.
I need to buy time.
Before coming here, he had programmed his phone to automatically send an emergency alert to the police.
Approximately three hours had passed since he’d been abducted.
By now, the police should have received the signal.
Desperate, Gu Yan decided to take a gamble.
“So, how does it feel dating my younger brother? If Gu Xingxing found out what kind of person you really are, do you think he’d despise you from then on?”
The vicious smile on Du Ting’s face instantly froze.
He sprang to his feet, seized Gu Yan by the hair, and demanded furiously,
“What did you just say? How the hell do you know about that?!”
“I’ve known for a long time. And I’ve been keeping an eye on the two of you for quite a while.”
On the day Gu Yan’s grandmother had fallen, while he was standing in the hospital corridor, one of his subordinates had sent him a message.
They had discovered that the desserts Du Ting regularly sent were intended for Gu Xingxing.
Later, it was also Gu Xingxing whom Du Ting had been meeting at the quiet bar.
The two were extremely close, always laughing and talking together, seemingly inseparable.
However, after his initial shock faded, Du Ting suddenly let out a derisive chuckle.
“You’re more capable than I gave you credit for. I’ll admit that Xingxing and I understand each other very well. We’re good friends.”
He smiled.
“But you don’t need to worry about what Xingxing might think of me.”
“Because no one will ever know what happened here.”
Sure enough, the moment Gu Xingxing was mentioned, Du Ting became noticeably more talkative.
He released Gu Yan’s hair and began pacing back and forth.
His expression shifted from delight to gloom, finally settling into a strange, unsettling smile.
Gu Yan’s words had struck a nerve.
Du Ting truly liked Gu Xingxing.
Ever since their accidental collision at a banquet, he had been drawn to that somewhat clumsy Omega.
Gu Xingxing was thoughtful and understanding.
He understood the resentment Du Ting harbored from being constantly belittled by his mother.
He understood the insecurity Du Ting felt from always being compared to Yi Heng.
And Du Ting, in turn, understood the struggles Gu Xingxing faced as an illegitimate son.
Whenever they were together, they seemed to understand each other without needing to explain.
But Du Ting wasn’t Gu Xingxing’s boyfriend.
Gu Xingxing’s ambitions were enormous, far beyond anything Du Ting was capable of fulfilling.
For a time, Du Ting had been deeply troubled by his inability to do anything meaningful for him.
Until one day, Gu Xingxing revealed that he hated Gu Yan.
Finding a true confidant was difficult enough.
Finding someone who could make your heart race was even rarer.
Originally, Du Ting had paid little attention to Gu Yan.
It was only because of something Gu Xingxing had said that he began taking Gu Yan seriously.
For Gu Xingxing, he was willing to lose his mind.
He was willing to do whatever it took to remove every obstacle standing in Gu Xingxing’s way.
Unexpectedly, after conducting several investigations, he stumbled upon the discovery that Gu Yan had exposed his previous attempt to have Yi Heng followed.
Du Ting began applauding.
“Young Master Gu, I have to admit, you’ve got some impressive tricks up your sleeve.”
He paused.
“Too bad your luck is terrible.”
Without the slightest warning, his expression darkened.
He swiftly clamped the pliers onto the flesh on top of Gu Yan’s foot and squeezed with brutal force.
“Arghhh—mmph!”
Gu Yan struggled frantically.
The two bodyguards immediately stepped forward to hold the chair steady.
One of them casually shoved a filthy rag into Gu Yan’s mouth.
The veins in Gu Yan’s neck bulged violently.
Fresh blood trickled down the pliers, dripping onto the floor.
His hands gripped the cold metal handcuffs so tightly that the skin beneath his fingernails felt close to splitting apart.
“Mmph! Mmm—mmph!”
Du Ting watched the dark crimson blood spill onto the ground.
Satisfied, he loosened the pliers and tossed them aside.
He gazed at Gu Yan’s injured foot as though admiring a beautiful work of art, then spoke in a soft, almost soothing voice.
“Shh… This is just a little punishment. Don’t be afraid. I could never bear to hurt you, especially that pretty face of yours.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“After all, President Qian is still waiting to inspect the merchandise.”
One of the bodyguards pulled the filthy rag from Gu Yan’s mouth.
“What… what do you mean…?”
Gu Yan gasped desperately for air.
Cold sweat mingled with the water soaking his clothes, leaving the fabric clinging unpleasantly to his skin.
The flesh on top of his foot had probably been crushed and torn.
The pain made his voice tremble uncontrollably, and he felt as though the darkness surrounding him was about to swallow him whole.
Du Ting leisurely wiped his glasses before looking down at him.
“Don’t be so impatient. I’ve already arranged a wonderful place for you.”
He continued with a chilling smile.
“Once you get there, all you have to do is keep President Qian satisfied. I guarantee you’ll never have to worry about food or money for the rest of your life.”
Those words!
A deafening roar filled Gu Yan’s ears.
Passages from the original novel flashed through his mind like scenes from a film racing past his eyes.
It felt as though a thunderbolt had struck him directly from above.
His face instantly drained of all color.
At last, he understood why Du Ting’s name had always sounded so familiar.
In the original novel, the original Gu Yan had met his end through the revenge of a fanatical admirer who was hopelessly devoted to the story’s main shou.
That man had erased the original Gu Yan’s identity and handed him over to an older man.
In the end, he had been abused to death in that man’s bed.
And the person responsible, a venomous snake of a character whom the author had barely mentioned in passing…
Was standing right in front of him.
Gu Xingxing and Du Ting were so close. I should have realized it sooner!
Gu Yan could no longer remain calm.
The cruel blade of fate had struck him once again, swift and merciless, cutting straight into his life.
“Let me go, you bastard! You’re a fucking lunatic! Get away from me!”
Gu Yan shouted at the top of his lungs.
The handcuffs scraped against the chair, producing a metallic clatter like rattling chains.
The chair shook violently beneath him, only to be pinned firmly in place once again by the bodyguard standing behind him.
At Kyoto First Public Security Bureau, the Criminal Investigation Division received two emergency reports within the span of an hour.
The first was an automated distress alert.
The second came from someone at the Yi Group.
According to the report, Gu Yan had disappeared at approximately eleven o’clock that morning in the Huanxi Street area.
The police quickly traced the IP address of the phone that had sent the automated emergency alert.
After verification, they confirmed that it belonged to the missing person, Gu Yan.
It appeared the victim had anticipated the danger beforehand.
This was a premeditated kidnapping.
The Public Security Bureau immediately launched an operation, retrieving surveillance footage from the surrounding area and examining suspicious vehicles one by one.
While the police searched the dilapidated apartment, Yi Heng remained outside the police cordon, gripping the USB flash drive that Gu Yan’s subordinate had delivered to him.
He had opened it after the police were notified.
Inside, every clue and piece of evidence Gu Yan had uncovered was organized with meticulous clarity.
Even the uncertain details had been carefully marked, as though Gu Yan had been afraid Yi Heng might not understand them.
But to Yi Heng, those words looked like an omen of death.
Like a final farewell.
The person who had left behind that USB drive seemed to have gone into the situation fully prepared to die, ready to leave this world at any moment.
Gu Yan… How dare you?
Darkness gathered in Yi Heng’s eyes as he struggled to suppress the pheromones surging violently within him.
Huanxi Street was located in the city’s old district.
With the Yi Group providing its full cooperation and resources, the police encountered little difficulty entering residential compounds or obtaining footage from privately owned surveillance cameras.
Before long, they identified the target vehicle.
The van had left the city and headed toward an industrial district.
There were no surveillance cameras in that area, so the police could only trace its route as far as a cluster of abandoned factories.
More than a dozen vehicles surrounded the factory complex, sealing off every possible exit.
Satellite maps revealed that the interior of the complex was extremely complicated.
The factories had been abandoned for so long that weeds and overgrown vegetation covered much of the grounds.
Finding Gu Yan quickly would be nearly impossible.
Yet taking too long to search could alert the kidnappers and put Gu Yan’s life in even greater danger.
Just as everyone was struggling to find a solution, Gu Yan’s maternal grandparents stepped out of a vehicle, looking utterly distraught.
“Yanyan! Where’s my Yanyan?”
His grandmother burst into tears and tried to rush inside, forcing the nearby police officers to stop her.
The elderly couple had just finished eating in the suburbs and were preparing to take a walk by the lake when the police called.
They hadn’t even had time to pack away their belongings before hurrying straight to the scene.
“Officer, please… You have to find our Yanyan.”
The elderly woman clutched an officer’s hand, her voice breaking with sobs.
“We’ve already lost our daughter. We can’t lose our grandson too…”
Looking at the two white-haired elders, everyone felt their eyes grow moist.
“Woof!”
At that moment, the neighbor who had arrived with them lost control of their dog once again.
The large Golden Retriever pushed off powerfully with its hind legs, leaped away from its owner, and charged into the crowd.
“Mengmeng!”
The neighbor hurried after it.
When they caught up, they saw Mengmeng circling Yi Heng repeatedly, nudging his hand with its nose.
Yi Heng opened his palm.
Inside lay Gu Yan’s USB flash drive.
“Woof! Woof, woof!”
The Golden Retriever wagged its tail furiously.
Then, without warning, it took off running toward a section of the factory buildings.
The neighbor immediately understood and shouted,
“Quick! Follow Mengmeng! It recognizes Gu Yan’s scent!”
“Follow the Golden Retriever!”
“Move! Stay close!”
The police reacted immediately.
Seven or eight officers raised their firearms and hurried after the dog.
Inside the dark factory, Gu Yan was pinned to a chair by a burly bodyguard, unable to move.
His eyes burned with hatred and defiance as he glared at Du Ting.
The coarse rope around his ankles had rubbed his skin raw, leaving an angry red ring.
If the bodyguard hadn’t been restraining him, he might have managed to wrench his legs free and kick the vicious bastard standing before him to the ground.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Du Ting slipped both hands into his pockets, bent down, and leaned closer to examine Gu Yan’s face.
“Such a fierce look. Oh, I’m absolutely terrified…”
But there wasn’t the slightest trace of fear in his voice.
On the contrary, he seemed to be savoring the thrill of tormenting someone who couldn’t fight back.
“You… bastard.”
Gu Yan raised his head and spat directly into Du Ting’s face.
Seeing this, one of the bodyguards immediately raised his fist, ready to teach Gu Yan who was in charge.
But Du Ting lifted a hand to stop him.
“No need.”
He drew a deep breath, inhaling the air around him.
His snake-like eyes narrowed, settling on Gu Yan, whose entire body was trembling uncontrollably.
Every bodyguard present, including Du Ting himself, was an Alpha.
Yet a faint, sweet trace of Omega pheromones was drifting through the air.
One of the bodyguards covered his nose.
“Boss, I don’t think he’s a Beta.”
Du Ting bent down and carefully inhaled the scent again.
The rich fragrance of roses kept pouring from Gu Yan’s body, so overwhelming that it nearly robbed him of his reason.
He stumbled back three steps, gritting his teeth.
“What an unexpected discovery. No wonder Yi Heng treasures you so much. You’re actually an Omega.”
The extreme emotional turmoil had triggered another episode of Gu Yan’s pheromone disorder.
He lowered his head, the piercing pain cutting so deeply through him that he couldn’t even speak.
He had no idea how much longer it would take for the police to arrive.
And suddenly, something inside him snapped.
The desperate will to survive that had been holding him together seemed to break apart.
He was like a stubborn blade of grass struggling to survive between the cracks of a rock.
Even without sunlight or nourishing rain, it continued to push upward, refusing to surrender no matter how harsh the conditions became.
Yet the moment its fragile tip finally emerged from the stone, a passing stranger crushed it beneath their foot.
The Omega’s scent was unbearably enticing.
Even the professionally trained bodyguards were beginning to struggle against its effects, repeatedly licking their lips.
The fragrance left Du Ting increasingly restless and irritable.
In a fit of agitation, he retrieved a dagger from the vehicle and threw it to one of the bodyguards.
“Cut out his gland. Make him a Beta permanently.”
The bodyguard’s hand trembled slightly around the dagger.
Removing a living person’s gland would cause severe bleeding and could easily lead to a fatal outcome.
Although they worked as Du Ting’s hired enforcers, none of them had ever actually taken a life.
“Hurry up! Do I have to repeat myself?”
Du Ting roared furiously.
“If you won’t do it, I’ll do it myself!”
The razor-sharp tip of the dagger pressed against the most vulnerable and sensitive part of Gu Yan’s body.
Gu Yan jerked his head, desperately trying to struggle free, but the bodyguard seized him by the hair.
The man hesitated, clearly reluctant to go through with it.
But he had no choice.
“You’d better cooperate. Otherwise, if this blade happens to slice through your throat, don’t blame me. Being crippled is still better than being dead.”
A thin line of blood began to seep from the spot where the knife tip pressed against his skin.
Gu Yan’s eyes flew wide open.
BANG!
“DON’T MOVE!”
“WOOF! WOOF, WOOF!”
The factory’s main doors were suddenly kicked open.
Everything piled against the doors came crashing to the ground.
A large Golden Retriever leaped over the scattered debris.
Its four legs stretched outward, its body extending to its full length as it flew through the air.
In just two seconds, it charged straight toward Du Ting and knocked him violently to the ground.
Bright light flooded into the dark factory.
The people inside, unable to adjust to the sudden brightness, instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.
Gu Yan slowly raised his head.
Through his narrowing vision, he saw uniformed police officers streaming into the factory one after another.
His eyelashes trembled violently as he squinted against the sudden brightness.
And with just one glance, he found him.
Standing beyond the doorway, bathed in sunlight, was the tall figure he had missed so desperately.
The person who had occupied his every thought, whose absence had left an ache in his heart that never truly faded.
The heart that had gradually fallen silent inside him suddenly began beating with life again.
Surrounded by police officers, the bodyguard panicked.
He immediately pressed his dagger against Gu Yan’s throat, intending to use him as a hostage.
Yi Heng kicked aside a crate blocking the entrance.
The pheromones he had suppressed for so long erupted all at once, crashing down upon the bodyguard with overwhelming force.
It was absolute, one-sided domination.
The man’s face turned a deep, purplish red, and he could no longer breathe.
His wrist twisted uncontrollably, causing the dagger to slip from his grasp and fall to the ground.
He floundered like a fish stranded on dry land, desperately struggling for his last breath.
“Sir, he’s suffocating! Please stop attacking him with your pheromones!”
Seeing foam begin to gather around the bodyguard’s mouth, the police hurried forward to intervene.
Gu Yan toppled sideways, the chair falling with him.
As the world tilted around him, he couldn’t even see how quickly Yi Heng rushed to his side.
By the time he came back to his senses, the ropes binding his ankles had already been cut.
His strengthless body was enveloped by a familiar scent, gathered securely into a warm embrace.
He could hear Yi Heng calling his name over and over again.
Cool fingertips brushed gently against his cheek.
“Look at me. Don’t close your eyes. Be good, and listen to me.”
Yi Heng held Gu Yan tightly in his arms.
Then his fingers brushed against the blood at the back of Gu Yan’s neck.
In that instant, his heart felt as though it had plunged from the top of a skyscraper, shattering into countless pieces upon impact.
And as if that weren’t enough, those broken fragments were mercilessly crushed beneath passing wheels, over and over again, until nothing remained but a mangled mess.
Gu Yan frowned slightly.
It was the first time he had ever heard Yi Heng’s voice tremble like this.
The first time that steady, confident voice had sounded so uncertain.
So utterly helpless.
He wanted to casually brush the dust from his trousers, stand up, and tell Yi Heng that he was perfectly fine.
He didn’t want Yi Heng to see him looking so miserable and vulnerable.
But before he could do any of that, there was something far more important he needed to say.
Gu Yan reached up to his earlobe, removed the black stud earring, and pressed it into Yi Heng’s palm.
“I’m fine… This earring was custom-made for me. Inside… inside it, there’s a tiny nano camera…”
Yi Heng’s breathing faltered.
He tightened his grip around Gu Yan’s hand.
“Stop talking. Please… I’m begging you, don’t say anything more.”
He continuously released his pheromones, trying to soothe Gu Yan and suppress the symptoms of his pheromone disorder.
But Gu Yan had spent far too long in the cold wearing nothing but a thin shirt.
His body temperature refused to rise.
His gland had also been injured, and his pheromones continued spilling uncontrollably into the air.
“There’s… something else… Ah…”
Gu Yan drew in a sharp breath.
The dull, persistent pain and dizziness made it difficult for him to finish even a single sentence.
“And… there’s something else…”
The surrounding commotion drowned out his faint voice.
Yi Heng could only see his lips moving.
Emergency medical personnel came rushing toward them, pushing a stretcher.
Gu Yan was carefully lifted onto it and covered with a warm blanket.
Yet even then, his hand remained tightly clasped around Yi Heng’s, refusing to let go.
Yi Heng slipped his fingers between Gu Yan’s, intertwining them firmly.
Then he bent down, bringing his ear close to Gu Yan’s lips.
At last, he could hear what Gu Yan was trying to say.
Gu Yan looked up at him with an expression caught somewhere between laughter and tears.
And whispered—
“See…? My condition still hasn’t healed.”
“So… could you draw up another agreement for me?”
“One that… lasts forever.”
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