SDT 46

Chapter 46 New Identity

Yu Xiaowen moved into the employee dormitory of the estate.

In the middle of the night, Yu Xiaowen opened his eyes. He breathed softly for a while, then groggily reached around his body, patting here and there. Suddenly, his body jolted awake, and he sat up, groping through the darkness. He searched the entire bed, nearly getting ready to step down to turn on the light. Fortunately, he soon felt the wristband beside his pillow, and he stopped moving.

He lay back down again.

“Brother, can’t sleep in a new bed?” his roommate mumbled sleepily.

It was a two-person dorm. The person in the other bed was an eighteen-year-old country boy, an Alpha, named Da Guang.

This dormitory building separated residents only by gender, not by ABO. First, because most of the service staff were Betas; second, because it was cheaper, simpler, and easier to manage. They even had a logical explanation: between ABO of the same gender, as long as no one looked at “internal structure,” the outside looked the same, so what was there to avoid seeing?

If anyone argued it was unsafe or inconvenient, they would say: those with bad intentions are the same whether it’s same-sex or not. AA, BB, OO, homosexuals aren’t rare these days. If you want safety, control yourself, work hard, and earn enough money to rent your own room. OK?

Da Guang was at the most energetic stage of his life and hadn’t yet learned self-control. But for comfort, he hadn’t used any suppressant products before sleeping. While he slept, he unconsciously released a trace of pheromones, which triggered a reaction in Yu Xiaowen. That was probably why Yu Xiaowen had dreamed of that person again.

Yu Xiaowen touched the wristband. It was still powered off. He thought for a while, got out of bed, went to the drawer, took out a standard white inhibitor patch, and stuck it on the back of his neck.

“A bit. Did I wake you?” Yu Xiaowen asked as he was putting it on.

“I just came here last month. Took me a few days to get used to the bed too,” Da Guang said sleepily. He didn’t realize his pheromones had leaked and caused trouble for the Omega. Still half-asleep, he even tried to comfort him. “It’s fine, brother. Once you start working, you’ll be too tired to care about beds or anything.”

Soon after, his snores filled the room again.

Yu Xiaowen lay back down, staring into the darkness.

In the morning, Da Guang sat up and saw Yu Xiaowen, who had already showered and was standing with his back turned, changing clothes.

“Mm?” Yu Xiaowen looked over. “What is it?”

“Brother… this,” Da Guang said after a pause, pointing at the patch on Yu Xiaowen’s neck. “Do you have to keep that on all the time?”

“There’s Alpha pheromone in the room, so yes. My level’s low, and it affects me easily,” Yu Xiaowen answered simply.

“Oh…! Sorry.” Da Guang blushed and sniffed awkwardly as he finally understood. “There aren’t any Omegas in my family, so I didn’t really… Sorry, brother, I’ll be careful next time!”

As he spoke, he quickly opened the window and then put an inhibitor patch on his own gland.

“It’s fine. As long as one of us wears one, it’s enough,” Yu Xiaowen said.

Da Guang secretly looked over at this Omega again. It was said that he too had come to the city to work, but he really didn’t look like it. Da Guang wanted to ask this new roommate some questions, maybe talk a little more.

But Yu Xiaowen fastened his belt and left the room.

The security job at the estate wasn’t particularly difficult. Compared to his days as a criminal detective, the workload was light. He only had to patrol every day and show up at the site if any dispute or situation happened.

Over time, though, Yu Xiaowen gradually realized that this was, after all, the private property of a powerful figure in M Country. He was no longer maintaining justice, and sometimes he even risked becoming an accomplice to that power. In those moments, he needed to think carefully and use discretion and small tricks, to resolve crises while also trying to protect the weaker side and their rights.

After working for some time, Yu Xiaowen felt that the job didn’t physically tire him out, given his background as a police officer, but it was unexpectedly mentally exhausting. But his health was improving. The pain and symptoms that once dominated his body had lessened to a memory. His work kept his attention occupied, naturally pulling his thoughts toward the practical problems in front of him.

Each day passed with routine: going to work, leaving work, eating, sleeping, and attending scheduled follow-up treatments.

He seemed to be settling into this life.

That afternoon during lunch break, the cafeteria television was showing the midday news. The employees were chatting noisily as they ate.

A young newcomer asked, “What does it take to become a team leader?”

The waiter beside him said, “Oh wow, you just got here and you’re already thinking about promotions?”

A security guard said, “Don’t even dream about it. The positions are all prearranged. You’d have to be really incredible to beat those with connections, or those who hang around like keychains on the bosses’ hips.”

The waiter frowned. “What keychain?”

The guard replied, “The kind that follows the boss around, clinging to him every step.”

People around them laughed and chatted, while Yu Xiaowen quietly ate his meal.

When the domestic news finished, the international segment started. On the screen appeared Lu Qingchuan. The subtitle said that his previous term had ended and that he had been re-elected.

Foreign news usually passed quickly, but since S Country was a neighboring nation and a major one, and since the footage included clips from the re-election ceremony, the segment lasted a bit longer than usual. Yu Xiaowen slowed his eating and focused on the screen, straining to catch the voice from the broadcast. The female anchor was briefly introducing the military and political commissioner’s background and family.

Yu Xiaowen stared at the top Alpha in his uniform, smiling gracefully under the bright lights.

The last time he had seen that face was in a dimly lit video, under the hazy light of an hourly hotel. His expression then had been full of aggression, his movements rough and controlling as he pressed against a bearded man who looked half-dead.

The contrast between the two was staggering.

At this moment, under the camera’s lens, Lu Qingchuan’s demeanor even faintly resembled that of the person he had once secretly admired.

As Yu Xiaowen watched the foreign news on the screen, memories of Manjing’s endless rain came back to him, of the car with its air conditioning turned low, of conversations and embraces that weren’t exactly intimate. But the atmosphere of now and the past didn’t fit together anymore.

Yu Xiaowen suddenly felt as if he were separated from that time by an entire lifetime. That feeling, numbed for so long, now filled him with piercing clarity.

…There was no going back.

His fingertips moved unconsciously.

The news shifted to another story, about S Country uncovering a transnational drug case that exposed a military scandal. The segment lasted only a few seconds.

But it still sparked a brief discussion.

“I think the criminals in that case came here to steal restricted drugs,” said one security guard. “I’ve got a friend who sells that stuff. His boss sent him to S Country to investigate, but that idiot got caught by the police the moment he arrived. Now that the case’s closed, they sent him back. His boss was so pissed he shipped him off to the countryside.”

“I know about that,” said a waiter. “Cases like that happen here in M Country all the time. Why’d one in S Country make international news?”

The guard said, “You really don’t get it, huh? It’s because it involves a military scandal. The army’s embarrassed. That’s the real story. There are crimes every day, but they only report this one.”

The waiter said, “That’s true. Crimes happen every day. Even if it’s a scandal, people forget as soon as the noise dies down. Those big shots still act like nothing happened.”

While they were talking, the TV switched through several more stories and then went to commercials.

The employees who had finished eating carried their trays away. Many of them had gone from strangers to familiar faces for Yu Xiaowen.

Even though this quiet new security guard seemed to prefer keeping his distance, after spending time together, it was impossible not to acknowledge one another. So when a male Beta walking past smiled at him, Yu Xiaowen subconsciously returned a small smile.

The man blinked in surprise, then smiled even wider and said, “You came to lunch early today!”

Yu Xiaowen froze for a second, wondering if he actually had come earlier than usual.

“Brother!” his roommate Da Guang called out as the others left, bringing along a young man and a woman with him.

He pointed at the girl. “This girl said she wants to meet you!”

The girl slapped his hand away, then smiled brightly at Yu Xiaowen. “Hi! Do you remember me? Last time, that guest made me kneel on pebbles and scrub the bathtub for two hours, and you helped me out. You were so clever!”

Yu Xiaowen looked at the girl. The last time he’d seen her, her face had been swollen from crying. Now she looked bright.

“I remember you,” he said.

“She’s been talking about you for days,” the strong young man said, glancing between the girl and Yu Xiaowen. “She kept seeing you going back to the dorm with Da Guang and kept asking about you, but Da Guang wouldn’t say anything. So here she is herself.”

Da Guang, flustered, protested, “No, it’s not like that! He doesn’t like people prying into his private life, and he doesn’t talk about himself either. So how could I say anything? But now he’s right here, so if you want to know something, ask him yourself.”

The girl suddenly became shy and didn’t speak.

“So what’s your name, anyway?” the strong guy said, his face showing a look that clearly said, “You’d better answer.”

Yu Xiaowen: “…”

“Why are you scaring my lifesaver?” the girl scolded, pinching the man’s arm. “You’re full and bored? Then get lost already!”

“…Who said I’m full?” The burly man picked up a steamed bun, bit into it, and kept staring at Yu Xiaowen across the table.

Yu Xiaowen laughed softly.

Da Guang propped his chin on his hand and looked at Yu Xiaowen. “You never smile in the dorm. Turns out you only smile at girls! Why are Omegas like this too?”

After a moment, Yu Xiaowen explained, “I’m new here, so I don’t talk much. That’s all.”

The three of them stared at him, as if examining some kind of new species. “Oh?”

The burly man said, “So you’re the quiet type.”

The girl said, “I didn’t mean to get all friendly, I just wanted to thank you. If you don’t like talking, then forget it. Haha…”

Saying she wanted to thank him opened the floodgates. “Really, thank you so much, security officer! That day I thought for sure I’d be fired. But I can’t lose this job, my sister’s sick, and my mom collects recyclables near the dorm… Oh! When I mentioned you, she said she knows you! She said you’re good-looking and kind. You’re welcome to come by our place anytime, maybe bring some friends! My mom’s soup is everyone’s favorite, even Da Guang loves it. If you don’t mind, that is. Haha…”

The midday news had ended, and the TV switched from commercials to a rerun of a popular idol drama starring one of M Country’s young stars. The chatter in the cafeteria quieted noticeably; everyone was more interested in the drama than the news.

The girl had talked for quite a while, but no one responded. Embarrassed, she stopped and looked at the burly man beside her, her face turning red, silently signaling that maybe it was time to go.

“…I’m a security guard with the Third Team,” Yu Xiaowen said after a pause. He took out his work badge, which he usually kept turned inward against his chest, and placed it on the table. His name and photo were printed on it.

“My name is…” He hesitated briefly, then said, “My name is Hao Dali.”

“Oh, that’s a nice name. Can I come to you if I need help later?” the girl asked, taking his badge and looking at it.

The burly man took a huge bite of his bun and eyed him with resentment. “Yeah, it does sound pretty impressive.”

Hao Dali smiled, showing his teeth. “If you ever run into trouble, you can come to me.”

News fades in seconds, turning into old stories.

Some things are gradually forgotten.

Would the world be any different… without Yu Xiaowen?

That night before bed, he placed the wristband deep inside his drawer.

He got into bed silently, opened his phone, and searched for crystal swans. After browsing for a while, he turned off the phone and tucked in the blanket.

There was no going back. That was reality. Yu Xiaowen had vanished beneath that cliff, maybe as a hero or a traitor. It was no longer possible for him to rightfully be the man he used to be. It was the result of a choice he had already made.

But Lu Kongyun was the opposite, he had become the Lu Kongyun of the past again.

Sweetheart, get back on track, live the way you planned to.

The thought suddenly eased something inside him. For the first time since coming here, he fell asleep quickly.

If he couldn’t be a good police officer anymore, then he would try to be a good person instead.

…

C Country C, Jiang City.

Gao Yuting sat on a chair, eyes alert, his body tense like a rabbit ready to run at any moment.

Lu Qifeng sat calmly on the sofa drinking tea. He raised his eyes to look at the man in front of him, his younger brother’s pheromone therapy doctor.

If this fool hadn’t failed to notice the spy tampering during treatment, that bastard spy wouldn’t have played him for a fool and escaped cleanly. And if this same fool hadn’t shamelessly run off afterward, maybe Lu Kongyun’s pheromone crisis wouldn’t have exploded so suddenly.

He didn’t care if it was intentional or not, the mix of new and old grudges made Lu Qifeng’s face, set in polite composure, carry a sinister air.

“…I really had nothing to do with that spy’s escape!” Gao Yuting said miserably, his voice trembling with false sincerity. “I swear! Sir, I really didn’t know anything! I just…”

“Stop. Shut up.”

Lu Qifeng glanced at the teacup in his hand. The porcelain was thin and finely glazed, clearly expensive. This doctor’s new life after running away looked pretty comfortable.

“Everything you needed to say, you should’ve said before you ran. Now, every word out of your mouth just makes me feel like wasting time on you is even more insulting.”

Gao Yuting wiped his face, his voice turning nasal and pathetic. “I’m sorry, sir, I’m really sorry! I was just terrified at the time, I didn’t know anything, and I panicked… I made a mistake I regret so much! Since I came here, I’ve regretted it every day! Please, tell me what to do, I’ll cooperate, I’ll make it up to you!”

He exaggerated his performance while secretly studying Lu Qifeng’s expression. From experience, this intelligence officer never showed mercy, not for begging, not for loyalty.

When Gao Yuting had treated that spy, he’d learned from the guards that the man wasn’t even a major culprit, just someone caught in the same dragnet. The only reason he’d been tortured into that state was that he refused to talk.

So why hunt him down so desperately after he escaped?

Simply because escaping from Lu Qifeng’s grasp was an unpardonable sin.

And the same went for him. Gao Yuting knew it. So even as he pleaded, he knew he was already doomed.

Lu Qifeng laughed. “I believe you had nothing to do with that spy.”

“Sir, you’re wise!” Gao Yuting quickly bent over, refilled Lu Qifeng’s cup, and respectfully offered it to him.

Lu Qifeng lowered his eyes, looking at the steaming cup. Instead of taking the rim Gao Yuting left open, he pressed down on Gao Yuting’s fingers against the fragile porcelain.

Within moments, Gao Yuting was trembling from the heat, eyes watering, but he didn’t dare make a sound.

…Lu Kongyun, that job you recommended really screwed me over! Gao Yuting cursed in his heart.

“Sir… brother! How’s Kongyun lately?” he asked through clenched teeth, forcing his tone to sound calm and friendly.

Lu Qifeng was silent for a while, then released his hand and picked up the teacup.

Gao Yuting immediately rubbed his earlobe with his fingertips. Lu Qifeng glanced at him once, and he froze, putting his hand down.

Lu Qifeng said, “You’re his pheromone doctor, and you’re asking me that question? Doesn’t that make you derelict in your duty?”

“…Huh?”

Dr. Gao thought, I abandoned my clinic and patients and ran off, that’s not honorable, but you’re the one who scared me into it!

He stayed silent.

Lu Qifeng looked at his blank face, then kicked him in the chest, spilling hot tea across his face.

The poor doctor crumpled to the floor. Gao Yuting wasn’t helpless in a fight, but against this deranged intelligence officer, he didn’t dare resist. He could only crouch, shielding his head, hoping to lessen the blows.

Lu Qifeng stood up and pressed the thick sole of his military boot against the doctor’s cheek, grinding it down through spilled tea, leaving a muddy footprint. “Got nothing to say now? Hm?”

The man on the ground howled for mercy.

With a furious expression, Lu Qifeng kept his boot on the trembling man while answering the phone vibrating in his pocket.

“Hello.”

The caller spoke a few brief words.

“He ran off again? What Haoran Cemetery? A gun? He’s armed now?” Lu Qifeng shifted his weight onto his other foot. “Haoran Cemetery’s full of corpses, who’s he planning to shoot?”

He hung up, exhaled, lifted his boot from the doctor’s face, and walked to the door to put on his coat.

“Pack your things in ten minutes and come with me. Your patient’s gone insane.”