Chapter 28: A Stolen Moment

“Ah——!”

The heavy doors of the performance hall were pushed open by two NPCs, their wooden panels thudding against the walls.

Inside, there were no candles or lights, only pitch-black darkness so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

The NPCs hesitated at the entrance for a moment, then, being twenty-first-century ghosts, pulled out their phones and switched on the flashlights.

The hall was enormous; the surrounding corridor had been built in a square shape to accommodate it. At the front stood a massive stage, usually used for school singing contests or dance competitions.

The NPCs wove through the audience seats, searching row by row.

“Where did they hide?”

“No idea—how did they disappear the moment we came in?”

“This place is way too big.”

On the stage, behind the thick velvet curtains, Lu Shi pressed his back against the wall.

Good thing Shen Zheming had quick wits; in a moment of desperation, he had dragged Lu Shi into this hall. Otherwise, they would probably have been caught by now.

Even though everyone knew the “monsters” at the party were just people in costumes, the chase was still thrilling and nerve-wracking. Instinctively, they didn’t want to be caught.

The space behind the curtain was narrow. Neither of them spoke. Shen Zheming had Lu Shi lean against the wall while he shielded him from the outside.

In the darkness, Lu Shi tried to calm his racing heart from the sprint earlier. He had been tilting his head to listen for sounds outside, but his neck grew sore, so he straightened his head.

A strand of hair brushed his forehead. His forehead accidentally touched a patch of soft, cool skin.

It felt like… Shen Zheming’s lips.

Lu Shi’s breath hitched. He instinctively leaned back and reached out to push away.

But before he could move,

Shen Zheming turned his head slightly, placing a hand on Lu Shi’s neck to stop his small movements.

“Don’t move.”

Suddenly, the footsteps of the NPCs drew closer. It sounded like someone was coming up the steps.

Lu Shi held his breath. Shen Zheming’s lips were still pressed against his forehead, but Lu Shi stood frozen like a wooden post.

The NPCs’ footsteps lingered nearby, and occasionally light seeped through the gaps in the curtain.

In that faint light, Lu Shi’s jawline was tense, his face pale. His rapid breathing was forced to slow, causing his exhales to tremble involuntarily.

Shen Zheming lowered his gaze, watching him for a few seconds.

‘And he says he’s not scared.’

How must it feel for someone who even gets a little frightened by NPCs in a childish game like this, when facing Lu Jinguo, who was scarier than any ghost?

Shen Zheming frowned slightly.

Fortunately, the curtain was thick and long enough to cover them from head to toe. The NPCs searched around but found no one.

“Forget it. They probably slipped out in the dark while we were looking. Let’s go scare someone else.”

“Yeah, we should have had one guard the door and one search.”

Plus, the place was so large that their voices echoed. Eventually, the NPCs themselves got a bit scared, quickly raised their flashlights, and retreated, howling as they went after other unlucky victims.

“Shen Ge, they’re gone.”

Lu Shi let out a sigh of relief and leaned back slightly.

A faint scent of Alpha pheromones brushed past his nose. Lu Shi noticed that Shen Zheming’s eyes seemed a bit off.

“Are you… about to enter your rut?”

Lu Shi’s lips were pale. Usually, a lazy smile hung at the corners of his mouth, and he often chatted with people nearby. When embarrassed or anxious, he would unconsciously lick his lips.

His suit made his skin look especially pale. The slightly open collar revealed a hint of his collarbone.

This face was exactly the same as the stubborn, fierce one he had first seen in the news, yet everything about him seemed to have changed.

Shen Zheming had never imagined that one day he would be this close to the person from that news report.

But strangely, he didn’t feel repulsed.

Instead, it was the other person who seemed resistant.

Shen Zheming controlled his pheromones, preventing them from leaking further. He looked away, released his hand, and stepped back.

“Yeah, a few more days.”

Alphas experience their rut two or three times a year, each time requiring isolation for a few days.

It was normal for someone nearing their rut to have trouble controlling their pheromones, but if people who knew Shen Zheming well found out, they would be shocked and incredulous.

Because Shen Zheming was an S-level Alpha with extreme self-control, capable of suppressing his pheromones completely even a second before his rut erupted—unless something affected him, causing distraction or triggering his primal instinct to mark territory and assert dominance.

The two left the performance hall. As soon as they were out, Lu Shi pulled out his phone to contact Ding Wei.

Ding Wei had already been scared out earlier and was now eating supper at a stall outside.

He had bought some sweet drinks—freshly brewed bubble tea—and asked Lu Shi if he wanted some.

Lu Shi didn’t like sweet drinks, so he casually made up an excuse: “No, it’s almost ten at night. I’ll get fat if I drink this.”

As soon as he said that, the gazes of the two people beside him fell on him.

Ding Wei: “Not to be rude, Lu Ge, but next time you make an excuse, could you put more thought into it and pick something more convincing? If you’re afraid of getting fat from a drink, then if I down one, I’d probably explode! With your build right now, I’m afraid a gust of wind would blow you away.”

Lu Shi chuckled: “It’s not that exaggerated.”

But when he turned, Shen Zheming had already bought a cup and handed it to him.

“What’s up, Shen Ge? Are you worried I’ll be blown away by the wind, so you’re trying to fatten me up?” Lu Shi joked casually.

Shen Zheming held the cup in midair: “No, it’s hot. You can warm your hands with it.”

It was cold outside. The weather forecast said there would be sleet tomorrow.

No matter how good the quality or craftsmanship of his suit, it couldn’t compare to a padded jacket for warmth. Lu Shi’s fingers had turned red from the cold soon after coming out, and even with his hands in his pockets, they were like ice cubes.

Alphas, on the other hand, naturally had high body heat and didn’t need such things.

Lu Shi was momentarily speechless.

‘No wonder he’s a top student—so attentive.’

“Oh.” Lu Shi touched his nose and reached out to take the cup. “Thanks.”

A sudden gust of wind blew, making the Halloween flags flap loudly. Many stall owners started packing up, and the hanging fairy lights jingled and swayed.

Ding Wei happened to be downwind of Lu Shi.

He sniffed and moved closer to Lu Shi: “Hey? Lu Ge, you have a distinct smell on you—like flowers? Where did you and Shen Ge run off to? There’s no flower room in the auditorium, right?”

Lu Shi turned his head and sniffed himself.

‘Damn. He was pressed against Shen Zheming for so long that Shen Zheming’s leaked pheromones got on him.’

But even S-level pheromones couldn’t withstand the wind outside, which dispersed the scent. That’s why Ding Wei didn’t recognize it as pheromones.

“Uh, cologne,” Lu Shi said.

Flowers were a scent, and cologne was also a scent.

“What brand? Recommend it to me. It’s so long-lasting.”

“I can recommend it, but I doubt you’d dare to buy it.”

“Why?”

‘How is this getting more and more ridiculous?’

While spinning this whole web of lies, Lu Shi kept his back to Shen Zheming, too embarrassed to face his expression.

Lu Shi’s words faltered: “Because it’s really expensive—probably a few hundred billion or so.”

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