Lop-Eared Guard

A Panamera slowed down and drove onto the ramp exit. A few odd cars were seen travelling along the expressway by the light of the moon and stars at three in the morning. 

Xia Jingtian yawned as he drove. He handed a bottle of water to the thin omega sitting in the passenger seat. 

In a state of high tension, the omega was crouched in the passenger seat as he gripped the seat belt tightly. A short and small hamster’s tail squeezed out from under his hospital gown.  

The hamster omega trembled as he took the bottle of water from Xia Jingtian. He tried hard to use his strength to twist it open for a long time but couldn’t open it, so he held the bottle of water weakly and looked down at the tip of his toes. 

“You have such little strength.” Xia Jingtian laughed. He took the bottle of water back and clamped it with his forearm before screwing the cap open with one hand, then gave it to the hamster omega. 

The omega gratefully received it with both hands and explained quietly, “I had an operation before and got an injection for glandular dormancy. I-I don’t have much strength.” 

Xia Jingtian had a disdainful look in his eyes, “Why did Lu Shangjin arrange for you to get a gland replacement?”

“Maybe because…our compatibility fit is high…and he wants to have a higher compatibility fit with his lover…” The little hamster hugged his thin and weak legs. He was barefoot, his toes fair and round like a row of white sticky cakes.

Xia Jingtian scoffed. 

“He gave me money.” The little hamster explained quietly as he held the bottle of water, “My dad ran away from debt, and my mom and I can’t bear the threat of debt collection, so I came out to work. Lu xiansheng agreed that as long as I pick my glands for him, he will help me pay off all the debts and even give me an extra million.”

“In the end…he said not to do it anymore, his lover didn’t want to do it.” The hamster omega hung his head in disappointment, “He asked me to wait for president Xia to pick me up.”

“Oh.” XIa Jingtian glanced at him from the side; he was curled up a little, afraid that he might dirty one of the expensive cushions. 

There was a light creamy scent on his body.

It was similar to the smell of that little rabbit’s pheromones, no wonder their gland types could be matched successfully.

He acted as if he cared, but he just wanted Yan Yi to sacrifice for him and change for him. Lu Shangjin was just a scumbag.

The hamster omega clamped his short and soft little tail. Feeling nervous, he remained quiet for a few seconds, then summoned up the courage and asked tentatively, “President Xia…will you…t-t-take care1 of me…”

Out of the freeway ramp, the traffic light turned red at the intersection. Xia Jingtian hit the brake a little too fast. The little hamster could only hold tightly onto the seat belt of the passenger seat to avoid being shaken out. 

“President Xia is my brother. There’s never a shortage of people by his side.” Xia Jingtian looked down as he scrolled through his phone. He had changed his number countless times to call Yan Yi, but there was no response, the text messages he sent were also like dropping a pebble into the sea. 

That little rabbit never gave him any hope from the very beginning; even if they had a high compatibility fit, and even if Lu Shangjin treated him warmly and coldly at the same time, mistreating him. 

Thinking that he had been politely declined for mustering up the courage to say such shameful words of asking someone to take care of him, the hamster felt his cheeks instantly heat up with smoke, turning red like fried shrimp balls. 

“I’m sorry…it’s also my first time…I haven’t gotten any clients…” the hamster scrambled to explain. Xia Jingtian sighed and released soothing pheromones. Feeling the sense of security from the surroundings wrapping around him, the little hamster quietened down and looked at Xia Jingtian with shiny black eyes. 

Xia Jingtian lifted the hamster’s chin to the side and studied him carefully.

He had finely-sculpted thin and soft eyelids and a pair of shining pitch-black eyes that seemed to often carry a handful of water.

He looked different from Yan Yi, but had a very similar scent. 

Halfway, Xia Jingtian picked up a phone call. His brother said that he was at An Fei Ya hospital and something had come up, so he wanted Xia Jingtian to pick him up on the way.

After hurrying to the hospital, he saw Xia Pingtian sitting in the waiting room as he listened to several doctors take turns to report the situation. 

Xia Jingtian took the car keys and went to the side to listen.

“The state of the peregrine falcon alpha baby that was sent here a few days ago is temporarily stable. But because of the complexity of the mother’s condition, it may have some influence on the fetus, so we need to observe it for a period of time.”

Xia Pingtian instructed seriously, “I don’t care if it’s complex or not, the one who entrusted this child is not to be provoked. This child must live well, not a single mistake can be made. Block all the passage of information and treat this child as though it doesn’t exist. Otherwise, I won’t be able to protect you all.”

An Fei Ya hospital was a glandular medical hospital single-handedly controlled by Xia Pingtian, and only a few patients of certain statuses were admitted. Most of the doctors were old professors who used to do research with father Xia. 

Just after Xia Pingtian ordered, the siren of the ambulance sounded outside.

“Make way! Make way!”

“Emergency rescue!”

A few nurses hurriedly pushed a stretcher bed. An alpha was lying on it. He was covered with dagger wounds and a tactical dagger was inserted a centimetre deep beside the glands. It seemed that the person who hurt him didn’t intend to kill him. Otherwise, just one centimetre more would be enough to kill him on the spot. 

An M2 alpha with the gland type of a giant-horned rhinoceros was unexpectedly chopped until a half-dead sight. His head was branded with the PBB serial number. Who knows which fellow had such valiant skills and strong background to brazenly provoke the Pacific Biodifferentiation Base.  

Xia Pingtian froze for a moment, then he avoided the others before heading to the stairwell to return Lu Shangjin’s call. After several rings, no one answered. He impatiently lit up a cigarette in his mouth. 

Xia Jingtian came over and saw his brother was on the phone, who then stuck a finger to his lips to make Xia Jingtian be quiet.

“Pingtian.” The line connected. Lu Shangjin’s voice sounded a little hoarse. It seemed like he had just gotten into a fight and had used up a large amount of his pheromones.

“A rhinoceros alpha was just pushed into the hospital, were you the one who cut him?” Xia Pingtian lowered his volume, “You have something to do with the PBB people too, you really aren’t afraid of finding trouble, are you.”  

“And also, your son is living quite well. I let them take care of him.”

Lu Shangjin sighed, “That’s not my son. I can’t explain it clearly to you now. I’ll invite you for a meal when I get back.”

An indistinct soft murmur carried through the phone. Lu Shangjin coaxed a little before turning back and continued to talk. 

It was just the last sound of a syllable, but Xia Jingtian could still tell that it was Yan Yi’s voice. 

Feeling a sudden burst of anger in his heart that he had nowhere to vent, Xia Jingtian snatched Xia Pingtian’s phone and growled at the mic, “Surnamed Lu, what have you done to him again?!”

If Lu Shangjin found out that Yan Yi was having a fake pregnancy which even had something to do with another alpha, with such a character as he does, what would he do? 

Lu Shangjin was taken aback, then he went to coax the little rabbit who was disturbed in bed. 

Xia Pingtian snatched the phone back, pressed Xia Jingtian into the corner and with one hand, he held against the glands at the back of his neck so he couldn’t struggle free. On the other line, he heard Lu Shangjin say wearily, “Keep an eye on your little brother.”

“Forget it, I’m hanging up, I’m hanging up,” Xia Pingtian hung up in a hurry, then glared at Xia Jingtian ruthlessly. He raised his hand to slap him, but he hesitated for a long time and his hand didn’t fall down. 

“I like him, can’t I not?” Xia Jingtian didn’t even hide, he just stood there and stared at him, “You want to hit me for a scumbag?” 

“You…I can’t control you. I’ll let dad break your legs when we go home this weekend.” Xia Pingtian let out his breath. He casted Xia Jingtian aside and walked out.

Outside the hospital, Xia Pingtian sat in the backseat and waited for Xia Jingtian to start the car. 

Xia Jingtian didn’t even walk towards the car and walked off alone. 

The little hamster who was sitting in the passenger seat only saw XIa Jingtian walk out after waiting for so long. He seemed to be in a bad mood as he turned around and left. 

Without thinking, the little hamster ran out of the car and chased after him in his hospital gown. 

Xia Pingtian was left gloomily smoking in the backseat of the car. 

Xia Jingtian walked alone in the night, his mind full of the whine that carried through the phone.

“X-Xia xiansheng…”

Someone called him from behind. Xia Jingtian turned around and saw that the little hamster had been chasing him for a long time while barefooted. The loose ill-fitting hospital gown made him look especially thin, like a rag doll in adult clothes, his arms not long enough to stretch out through the sleeves. 

Seeing Xia Jingtian stop to wait for him, the little hamster hurried over barefoot. With his round and black eyes wide open, he asked, “Did you have a fight with president Xia?”

His fair and delicate toes were red from the friction of the gravel on the ground. He rubbed the back of his feet pitifully, the short and soft hamster tail trembled as it clamped down. 

“Fuck, I’m really impressed by you. I’m already annoyed enough.” Driven mad, Xia Jingtian scratched his hair and picked up the little hamster who was a head shorter than him, then rubbed the small gravel stones off the soles of his feet for him.

    ——

Lu Shangjin settled Yan Yi in the bedroom on the second floor of the collapsed bar. He first took a quick shower to wash away the bloodstains and other alphas’ pheromones; he didn’t like being contaminated by the chaotic and disordered scents. 

It’s difficult to pretend not to love dearly. When he was willing to show no interest nor care about his lover, be intimate with someone else in front of him and treat him like air, it already couldn’t be undone. 

He put on a bathrobe and wormed under the quilt, hugged Yan Yi from behind, and released the little soothing pheromones he had left. 

Glands were just like energy storage machines. It would dry up if energy was consumed too fast and needed time to recover. If the glands were always in a dried condition, it would cause damage to the body. 

However, Lu Shangjin was still endlessly releasing it as he embraced the uneasy little rabbit in his arms, letting him feel as safe as possible with his own scent. Perhaps, there was a little bit of guilt. 

At first, Yan Yi was resistant to it, but gradually softened from the soothing pheromones that permeated the whole room. His slightly opened collar revealed the old-fashioned cyan-blue brand on his chest.

The three letters ‘PBB’, plus a row of the serial number 000002.

Lu Shangjin held him, letting him nestle in his arms and lean against his shoulder. He separated his hands to release the bandages wrapped around Yan Yi’s arms and palms. 

The bandages unravelled one round after another, exposing numerous swollen blue and purple needle holes on the forearm. They were all traces left by heat inhibitors.

“I’m sorry…” Lu Shangjin was momentarily blank before he gently caressed Yan Yi’s swollen forearm, then kissed his ear. 

    ——

Yan Yi slept the whole night. His body felt excessive fatigue, but it was difficult to sleep soundly. He dreamt that he was accompanied by the alpha he liked. 

The small window was covered with a sheer curtain, and the warm sunshine toasted his body. Yan Yi got up, scratched the root of his tail and slowly opened his eyes.

Lu Shangjin came out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe, the neckline was opened. Water trickled down into the bathrobe along the contour of his chest muscles. 

Yan Yi froze and stared at him. 

“You’re awake?” Lu Shangjin raised his hand to touch Yan Yi’s face.

Frightened, Yan Yi avoided it. He retreated back to the corner of the bed and protected his abdomen, watching Lu Shangjin in alert and confusion. 

Lu Shangjin walked over. Yan Yi wanted to move back further, but Lu Shangjin held onto his wrist and forcefully pulled him into his arms and held him tightly. 

“Don’t…” the tip of Yan Yi’s nose turned red and trembled rapidly. He gasped for breath, like a hare being caught by a hunter, shivering in despair. 

Lu Shangjin lightly rubbed the tip of his nose against his neck while releasing soothing pheromones. He gently touched Yan Yi’s little rabbit ears to let him calm down. 

“Don’t be afraid of me, Yan Yan. I didn’t do anything.”

Footnotes

包养: take care of someone in monetary ways; basically a sugar baby