He Juan raised a brow, amused and at the same time, flattered that the doctor thought so highly of him. "Wow, I am not a self-centered bastard?"

"Fuck," Jia Molei cursed out amidst laughter. "I praised you once and here you are, getting ahead of yourself!" He let the cigarette dangle between his fingers and sighed, "On a more serious note, I can see that you’re different, XIU. People like you, A-Mu and Chen Youzhi... you guys are living in this shit hole because the situation forces you to. I’m certain that if we’re living in a more peaceful time, you three will definitely live an honest life."

"Ah honest life, huh..." He Juan showed a rueful smile. "What does it even mean? You do what you need in order to survive, Doctor Jia. I think that’s already honest enough. More importantly, will there ever be peace for people like us?" He shook his head with a helpless look.

Jia Molei parted his lips as though to say something only to decide against it in the end. He dragged the previous topic back, "Well, long story short, I realized that nothing good will ever come out of being a saint. My grandpa died because he’s too kind to see people suffer and as a result, he ended up leaving his own family to suffer after his death. This world favors the cunning and opportunistic, XIU, not the kind and gentle. That’s the main reason why I built this illegal clinic, and also why I refuse to treat any secondary gender’s troubles. Do you think I’m childish for doing that?"

He Juan pondered for a bit, then shook his head.

He felt like he could finally understand why Jia Molei chose to join the underworld rather than having a reputable position in major hospitals. Once, he had wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps but now, he only wanted to prove that he could live a better life while doing the exact opposite. Though the way he did it seemed a little too extreme...

"Your choice," he said in the end. "You’re the one who has gone through all of that, so no one is entitled to dictate what you should do."

Hearing that, Jia Molei scrutinized him with narrowed eyes. "How old are you again? Has anyone ever told you that you talk like an old man sometimes?"

"Old—" He Juan sputtered, torn between laughter and tears. "I’ve just relayed my honest opinion and that’s what you think of me? Goodness!"

Jia Molei laughed out loud. "That’s a fucking compliment, okay?!"

He Juan shook his head at that, amused yet helpless in equal measure. "So," he tilted his head toward the mansion behind him. "What are you going to do about her?"

"Well, for now, I will close the clinic for the time being and let her take shelter here until her heat breaks. After that..." he rubbed the back of his neck, slightly vexed. "I don’t know. I haven’t even fucking talked to her yet. She is too terrified to let me close. I will just play everything by ear and..." he trailed off with a thoughtful look. "Do you think she will return there?"

How much courage was needed for someone to return to a place that almost ruined them for life?

He Juan had no idea. Not to mention, he had no real interest in politics so far and thus did not know what kind of person Liang Yuanjun was, but...

Ideas started to form in his mind. He Juan contemplated briefly and said, "I think... yes. She will most likely return."

"XIU?" Jia Molei frowned at him with a suspicious look, perhaps sensing that he was up to no good again.

But He Juan stayed silent and merely let out a chuckle. "Do me a favor," he told the doctor. "After she has recovered, tell her that I’d like to request a meeting. She can set the time, place and location and I will comply with her accordingly. She can even bring bodyguards with her if she doesn’t trust me. But remind her not to take too long. At least, if she is interested, she should contact me before this year ends."

Jia Molei was getting increasingly bewildered. "What are you trying to do?"

"Make a proposal." He Juan gave a mysterious smile. "Please ask her – ’what do you think about having XIU as an ally?’"

***

He Juan was having a problem. Quite a troublesome one, to be honest.

He had left Jia Molei’s clinic as soon as he did everything that needed to be done, but his Alpha could not easily forget the irresistible scent of an omega in heat it had smelled earlier. His rut period was already near – less than two months away – so it was reasonable that his Alpha started to get restless. Usually, he would vent these pent-up emotions by fighting and killing but recently, everything had been so peaceful that He Juan did not have the chance to fight even if he wanted to. And it was not like he could march into another organization’s lair and start a killing spree either. It went against the basic principles he had set for himself.

And thus, he found himself in his current predicament.

He was so unbearably horny that he felt like he would explode at the slightest nudge, and burying himself in work proved to yield opposite results to what he wanted.

In the end, he resorted to visiting a bar under Xuanlong’s name. He could count the number of times he had visited this place with one hand, but it was not difficult to find a random omega for a hook-up, not with his looks and the aura he carried.

He approached a petite female omega who had been giving him sultry and flirtatious eyes since he entered the bar. The omega was slender and soft with teasing laughter spilling out of her beautifully rouged lips. She fit just nicely into his arms, but when he buried his nose into her neck and breathed in her scent...

It just felt... wrong.

Too sweet, too cloying. This was not what he was seeking for. His Alpha seconded that by thrashing around wildly in mad protest. He wanted something milder, something more refreshing and more... more what? He Juan had no idea.

He politely rejected the omega’s offer to open a room and continued to search. Alas, no matter how many omegas he took into his arms, no matter how sweet and enticing the scents he breathed in, they never felt right as if... as if something extremely important was missing.

With the dire state he was in now, He Juan did not expect himself to be so picky. He had foreseen himself finding a random person – an omega, preferably – to lose some steam and get it over with in a single night. As long as he did that, he needed not to be worried about dealing with a hypersensitive Alpha tomorrow.

Yet He Juan just... couldn’t.

He could not bring himself to accept the people who had thrown themselves into his arms. Just the mere thought of exchanging body fluids with them was enough to make him nauseous.

The longer this went on, the more irritable and finicky his Alpha became. It resulted in him ditching the omegas even before their lips could touch, much to his own frustration.

Until the end, He Juan got so fed-up with himself that he decided to leave the club.

This was not the first time he had to deal with his desire alone. The reason why the restlessness beneath his skin was more intense than usual must be because of the influence of the omega in heat this morning, and the fact that his rut was approaching.

Perhaps he should just endure it until his rut period passed. That’s right... for now, he should go home, take a cold shower and crash himself to bed for a good night’s sleep. Surely, he would feel better tomorrow, right?

Carrying with him the vortex of frustration and irritation, He Juan drove back to the apartment and almost slammed open the door when he entered, only to find Mu Yuze huddling on the couch and scrabbling on a book.

He quickly raised his head when he heard the sound of the door opening and when he caught sight of He Juan in the doorway, he closed his notebook and rose to his feet. "You’re back..." there was something akin to relief in his tone, and it took He Juan a few seconds to realize that it was way past the time when he would usually come home. No wonder Mu Yuze was worried about him.

Something inside his heart thawed at the sight of the boy, yet the agitation was ever present like a sinister touch slithering across his skin, making his teeth itch and his blood boil with the urge to fight or fuck.

He gave a tight-lipped smile to Mu Yuze while walking to his bedroom. "Sorry for being late, Xiao Ze." He could not stay around the boy, not in his current state. He had no idea how violent his Alpha would be in such a situation and he could not, for the love of God, forgive himself if he did so much as snap at the boy. For that, He Juan had to distance himself. "Sorry, I will be heading to—"

He had not even finished his sentence when Mu Yuze caught the hem of his sleeve, dark soulful eyes peering up at him as though searching for something. "...Did something happen?"

Of course, Mu Yuze would notice his unusual state. He Juan expected no less from him, given his superb observational ability. But right now, he could not even praise the boy for it.

"You..." Mu Yuze raked his gaze all over his face and wrinkled his nose. "You reek of alcohol and..." he trailed off, a furrow forming between his brows. He snuck another glance at He Juan and asked carefully, "Are you... drunk?"