Pain Fetish

Fu Ge never thought that a person’s life could change to death in the blink of an eye like that.

From the time Qi Han was shot to the time he fell to the ground, it was only three seconds.

Qi Han changed from a living person to a mass of blood-stained flesh right before his eyes. Obviously, the man was still holding him to kiss one second, and the next second his heartbeat and breathing were cut off abruptly.

The little Beta wailed and fell to his knees, crawling to Qi Han, crying and hugging him. His trembling hands tried to cover the bloody wound as he shook his head frantically like a fool: “No! No, Ah Han… don’t die… I beg you not to die… I beg you…”

Qi Han’s pupils were dilated, and blood was flowing from his chest, rushing out of the purple-black hole and trickling down the little Beta’s fingers.

He couldn’t speak anymore, couldn’t take a breath, couldn’t move. His throat was choked with blood, and he could only cough and spit it out.

His wounded body jerked convulsively twice, and his eyes were filled with tears of frustration. Qi Han used his last strength to raise his hand and cup Fu Ge’s face.

But instead of caressing him, he pushed him away.

“Go…”

Pushing the little Beta away, Qi Han was also moved by inertia and flopped down on his face.

He faced the floor, and tears, snot and black-red blood all dripped onto the floor, painting it with embarrassing lines.

Qi Han turned his head with difficulty and looked at Fu Ge one more time. His crimson eyes were full of despair and unwillingness, and his broken voice was drowning in blood: “Gege… why…”

Why is it so hard for me to live a good life for a few days?…

Didn’t extreme sorrow turn to joy… Didn’t everything get better… Wasn’t my lover and my home given to me… Wasn’t even the lifetime mark we have lost possible for us again?…

Why does fate want to take these things away again when I’m happiest?…

Why does God just refuse to be on my side?…

Why?…

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I’m sorry…”

Fu Ge shook his head desperately and flung himself on Qi Han to hold him in his arms again. His heart was torn apart, and a deadly layer of coarse salt was rubbed into the bloody wounds.

He was choked by the guilt that was cutting his heart and bones, and the pain made his whole body shatter, rot, and turn into a puddle of decaying flesh.

“Don’t cry… baby, I don’t blame you…”

Even at this point, Qi Han couldn’t bear seeing Fu Ge like this. The Alpha, who was lying in a pool of blood, trembling, shook his head and wanted to wipe Fu Ge’s tears but couldn’t lift his hand. He could only say softly: “Don’t cry, be good…”

The sound of rapid footsteps behind them was like a signal; a dozen or so heavily armed police barged in and were closing in on them with guns raised.

Qi Han knew that nothing could be changed. He could only stare at Fu Ge’s face until death, tracing his eyebrows, the tip of his nose, his lips over and over again.

He wanted to carve the appearance of his lover into his mind with a knife, so that even if he turned into a lonely ghost, he would not forget it.

It was a pity that the catastrophe came too fast, and he hadn’t had time to give Fu Ge the hard-won lifetime mark, nor had he spent the estrus period with his lover in that small isolation room.

After seven years of undying love and five years of heartbreaking hatred, two major disasters and countless minor difficulties, they had not even had a proper wedding and only a few days of true happiness together.

At the moment when both of them thought that their future was peaceful and the road ahead was clear, the scales of fate tilted again.

“Gege…” Qi Han moved his lips, “I really don’t want to die…”

“I thought God would be on my side this time…”

His voice was broken and hoarse, choked with blood and trembling uncontrollably, and every word he uttered seemed to cost him a bit more of his remaining life: “I thought… I could live in peace for a few years… stay with you more, stay with Ah Jue, not too long… just a few years… I also wanted to live a normal life…”

“But why… God just won’t let me live…”

“Have I really done too much evil…”

His life was too short, but he carried countless sufferings.

His mother died early, he lost his father at a young age, he was imprisoned, used for testing drugs, severely beaten, mentally and physically broken. His prayers finally were answered and he got such a good lover, but he ruined everything by his own hands.

But he should have been just a good, reckless teenager…

His father was a scientist and his mother was a dancer. Qi Han was born with the 3S level Alpha gene. He climbed to his current position at the age of twenty-three. Since taking office, he had never been inferior to anyone. He had led the capital’s business circle to complete earth-shaking major changes with his own strength. He devoted his life to reducing the price of medicines such as inhibitors, engaged in Omega’s gland protection movement for several years, donated tens of millions, and even differentiated into the top Enigma.

He was the true proud son of heaven. The young man who made the little Beta fall in love with him at first sight on the basketball court should have had the most blooming, shining future.

But his life was marred by two stains that would never be erased—

When he was eighteen years old, he hurt his lover because he lost control.

At twenty-three, when he had achieved fame and fortune, he was willing to get involved in illicit dealings to atone for his sins.

It will always be bright after it gets dark, but Qi Han’s sins seemed to be impossible to be redeemed.

Fu Ge had already forgiven him, but God did not let him go, sending him to hell with punishment, regret and infamy.

But even if he had really “done too much evil”, why did he do it?…

“No, no… you are fine, you have done no evil… My Ah Han is very good… he is the most powerful person, we have to live a good life…”

Fu Ge had already burst into tears, hoarse and sobbing.

When he made this plan three years ago, he was completely crazy and only felt happy with it. Now that his “dream had come true”, he regretted it to the point of his heart breaking.

“Ah Han, hold on a little longer, hold on… I have a way, I have a way to save you, I won’t let anything happen to you…”

Tears flowed into Qi Han’s mouth drop by drop. His breathing was slowly weakening. Fu Ge could feel the flesh and blood of the wound under his palm, but there was less and less blood gushing out.

The Alpha’s eyelids seemed to become too heavy and closed.

The police had already approached, grabbing Fu Ge’s shoulders and Qi Han’s feet to separate them.

Qi Han was about to be violently dragged away, and the young Beta struggled and wailed like a madman, trying his best to break free, throwing himself on his lover, “Don’t touch him! Don’t touch him!”

A police baton fell straight from the top and was about to hit Fu Ge’s shoulder in the next second, but Qi Han, with his last breath, held Fu Ge in his arms.

With a muffled bang, the two entangled people were knocked to the ground. Qi Han choked and spat out a mouthful of blood, splashing it on the floor in front of Fu Ge.

He raised his swollen face and begged the captain: “It’s me who committed the crime, don’t hit my lover…”

With his tears rushing out and dripping into the pool of blood, Fu Ge closed his eyes and wept heartbreakingly.

The small isolation room was quiet, and the warm and lovely tree trunk hollow was strangely separated from the bloody scene in front of it. All that remained in front of the little bird’s nest that stored their sweet moments were Fu Ge’s choked sobs as he hugged Qi Han tightly and smiled, wiping the blood from his face.

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid… I’m here… I will protect you…”

The police officers who rounded them up were stunned for a few seconds, looked at each other, and stopped.

The leading captain sighed, turned his head, touched his headset and said softly: “The alarm is off, the suspect has been killed, and his accomplice has also been caught.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud bang exploded in his ears.

Somewhere Fu Ge grabbed the vase and slammed it to the ground. The shards scattered to the feet of the police officers. Fu Ge picked up one shard and pressed it to his neck, his fair skin immediately oozing a trickle of blood.

“Don’t come near!”

At those words a dozen guns were raised and the leader of the group ordered him to drop his weapon: “Calm down! You’re resisting now!”

Fu Ge shook his head and backed away with difficulty, holding the unconscious Qi Han in his arms.

The two of them were covered in blood, and a wide trail of blood was left on the floor after them.

The little Beta’s pale face was wet with blood and tears, but his eyes were full of determination; like a little beast in extreme grief, he desperately guarded his fallen mate and refused to retreat.

“He didn’t buy or sell glands. I can testify for him. You can’t just take him away like this. He needs to be rescued now…”

“It’s not up to you whether he committed a crime or not! The evidence of his buying the glands is conclusive, and you’re harbouring a fugitive and are caught with stolen goods!”

A short police officer with a gun suddenly ran into the room and reported: “Captain Xu, all the suspects downstairs have been subdued, and there are no casualties.”

“Xu…”

Fu Ge raised his wet crimson eyes and looked at the sign on the man’s shoulder. His pupils shrank in an instant, “You are Xu Zhou!”

Surprise flashed in the captain’s eyes, “Do you know me?”

In a desperate situation, Fu Ge seemed to finally see a glimmer of hope. He took two breaths and stuttered: “Wanxing… Wanxing mentioned to me that Captain Xu of the Beijing Police Department enforces the law like a mountain and is upright. He will not let go of any bad person, nor will he wrong any good person. The evidence is insufficient. I believe you will not just take Ah Han away like this, he will die…”

Zhu Wanxing had told him back then in Litang that if he really reached the point where mountains and rivers were exhausted and there was a confrontation with the law, he could go to Captain Xu of the Beijing Police Department. He would help Fu Ge convict Qi Han, and vice versa.

In order to avoid causing problems for the other party and discrediting Xu Zhou’s career, Fu Ge didn’t speak directly about his relationship with Zhu Wanxing, but only said “mentioned”, which could not only suggest that Xu Zhou himself knew Wanxing, but also improve the credibility of what he said.

Sure enough, the young captain in front of him hesitated for a few seconds after hearing what he said. Fu Ge seized the opportunity to continue: “I know that buying and selling glands is a capital crime. Once caught, he can only be severely punished, but he has completed the second differentiation this morning and has become one of less than ten Enigma in the country.”

The words said were like a lightning bolt. Xu Zhou raised his eyes abruptly, “He has differentiated into an Enigma?!”

The other police officers were also shocked at these words, partly because Enigmas were too rare and partly because they enjoyed preferential treatment to some extent.

“Yes, the law stipulates that Enigma has the maximum right to bail.” Fu Ge managed these words with his trembling lips, looking at Xu Zhou like a death row prisoner desperately waiting for clemency.

He held Qi Han’s hand with all his strength, feeling his weak heartbeat, and when Xu Zhou hesitated, he added another dose of medicine: “Gland hunters… Yes, gland hunters! I know you are doing your best to arrest the gland hunters. I have information on their seven strongholds. If you need it, I can take you there at any time!”

“Your terms?”

“I want to defend him.”

“But he is already dead, do you want to defend a corpse?”

Two trickles of tears rolled out of the young Beta’s eyes at once, and his voice choked: “No, he won’t die…”

Xu Zhou looked at Qi Han’s blood-stained chest and said helplessly: “My sniper hit his heart.”

Fu Ge lowered his head, squeezed out an ugly smile, touched the right side of Qi Han’s chest and said, “He is a mirror person, and his heart is on the right side.” (That’s it, remember Qi Han sticking the knife in the right side of his chest when trying to commit suicide?)

Xu Zhou finally relented and agreed to send Qi Han to resuscitation, and demanded Fu Ge to come along.

The Alpha’s vital signs were at their lowest, his heartbeat and breathing were very weak, and only his half-opened eyes smeared with blood looked quietly at the little Beta.

“Do you believe me?”

Qi Han blinked, “Do we have a future?…”

Fu Ge choked and lowered his head, kissing his blood-smeared lips. Their tears and blood blended with each other and their souls trembled together.

“Ah Han, hold on for a little longer… there is hope if you live, and there will be nothing if you die. As long as you survive, I will give you whatever you want…”

“Five days later will be my estrus period. Didn’t we agree to spend it together?…”

Outside the operating room of the hospital, four or five police officers with guns were waiting in line, firmly guarding the entrance of the operating room and the entrance and exit of the corridor.

Fu Ge already couldn’t say how many times he had waited for Qi Han outside the operating room. He was stiff, his whole body was cold, and he was shivering from head to toe.

With tears running out of his eyes and blood drying on his body, the young Beta stared unblinkingly at his feet with his hazy eyes wide open.

Like a statue nailed to the floor, with every ounce of flesh and blood hidden beneath an impenetrable façade, tied to the lover whose life or death was unknown.

When Zhu Wanxing arrived, the operation had been going on for half an hour. Lu Tinghe took him to register at the entrance of the corridor, and he walked over quickly when he was done.

“Xiao Ge, how are you?” Zhu Wanxing squatted in front of Fu Ge, looking at him anxiously.

Lu Tinghe turned around and glanced at the operating room, then nodded at Xu Zhou, “Is he hurt?”

The captain raised his chin casually: “Don’t worry.”

Fu Ge seemed to have not recovered from the shock. His eyes were blank, and he looked thunderstruck, his head lowered.

Zhu Wanxing and Lu Tinghe glanced at each other. Zhu Wanxing raised his hand and shook it in front of Fu Ge, his voice soft and gentle: “Xiao Ge, are you okay? President Qi… how long has he been in there?”

Hearing Qi Han mentioned in front of him, Fu Ge slowly raised his head, looking like he was waking up from a dream.

Fu Ge’s eyes were bloodshot; fear and despair filled his every breath, as if a pair of invisible hands were breaking open his chest cavity and ripping out his heart bit by bit.

“Please, please help me save him…”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he flung himself down on his knees.

“Xiao Ge! What are you doing!”

Zhu Wanxing leaned over to pull him up, and his pink and white cheeks flushed with anxiety, “Say what you have to say, since we are here, we will not let him die without trying to help.”

Fu Ge refused to get up, pushing Zhu Wanxing’s hand away.

The man who had been on edge for hours was now like a helpless little child, desperate, panicked, scared and confused…

He even suspected that he was dreaming. Obviously they had just learned of Qi Han’s differentiation a few hours ago and now the Alpha was dying on the operating table.

And all of this was because of him. The trap he had set with his own hands ruined his love.

“Everyone, I know the stakes of the gland trade, and I also know that this matter involves a lot of people. Some people in the Chamber of Commerce want to take control, and some people in the black market want to take the opportunity to make trouble. Countless people want to bring Qi Han down while they have the chance…”

Fu Ge said that with his eyelashes trembling, looking straight ahead: “We are now standing on the steel cable, and what is waiting for us is a disaster of nine deaths and one life.”

Zhu Wanxing’s eyes suddenly became wet, as if he remembered his former self. Lu Tinghe silently grabbed his hand, rubbed it soothingly, and looked down at Fu Ge, “You’ve made a very harsh move.”

“You know… my plan?”

“I don’t know the whole picture, just found a little clue. I warned President Qi three months ago, but I don’t know why things still developed to this point.”

Fu Ge’s fingers trembled, a knife twisting in his heart, and he muttered: “Three months ago… he knew this would happen…”

“I understand President Qi’s personality. Although he is arbitrary and tyrannical, he has his own principles. His father devoted his life to the research on inhibitors for AO genders. He also spent years on the protection of Omega’s glands. I don’t believe President Qi would do something like buying and selling glands unless—”

After a pause, Lu Tinghe looked at the neck ring on Fu Ge’s neck and said calmly: “He had no choice.”

A big hole suddenly opened in his heart; Fu Ge closed his eyes as if his heart was dying, and trickles of tears ran from his eyes.

“It is all my fault it has come to this point.”

“Xiao Ge, don’t say that…” Zhu Wanxing squatted down and patted him on the shoulder, “Let’s find a way out together.”

Lu Tinghe also bowed his head towards Fu Ge, “Sorry, I don’t understand your past, let alone criticise you, but since you begged Xu Zhou to let President Qi seek medical treatment, it wasn’t just a backdoor move, right?”

Fu Ge nodded, his voice resolute, revealing a fearless determination: “I will not let you be implicated in this matter. I just need a chance to defend him.”

“Whether it is successful or not, the Qi family (Qi for Qi Han), the Fu family, and the Qi family (Qi for Qi Chuan) will remember your great kindness. We will certainly be obliged to do our part if we need to be of use in the future.”

Xu Zhou frowned: “But you must also be clear that if the defence fails, you will be the main culprit who harboured the criminal, and there is a high probability that you will be found guilty of the same crime as him.”

Fu Ge smiled indifferently, “Then I hope we can be executed together, and I won’t let him go on the road alone.”

His future affairs had been arranged a long time ago. The company was handed over to Qi Chuan, and Ah Jue was entrusted to his grandfather. When he decided to return to the resort with Qi Han, Fu Ge said that if they couldn’t be together alive, then they would go to hell together.

They had only one ending in this life, to live and die together.

No one could remain unmoved in the face of such love, and the corridor suddenly became quiet, only the sound of the passing wind sweeping through everyone’s eardrums.

Xu Zhou pondered for a long time and spoke, “I can fight for a chance for you to defend yourself, but only if you are sure that President Qi is not guilty.”

A bright light flashed in Fu Ge’s eyes, and he quickly got up and said, “I use my life to vouch for him!”

“Vouching is useless, we need the most direct and favourable evidence.”

“I have a way.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Xu Zhou persuaded him: “If the solution you’re talking about is something like forging an alibi, I can tell you straight away that it will only make him more guilty.”

“No!” Fu Ge shook his head eagerly, “I have a way to prove that he has never been involved in the gland trade.”

“Not involved?” Xu Zhou snorted. “Where’s the evidence?”

The little Beta was silent for two seconds, lowered his head stiffly, untied the white lace neck ring wrapped around his neck, and purple and swollen newly transplanted glands were exposed, the skin around the glands inflamed and festering.

“I am the evidence.”

The three of them were startled for a moment, “This is…”

“Artificial glands.”

“Made of puffer fish tissues wrapped in artificial skin. He spent seventeen million on the black market that night to buy this thing. It was not the glands of the Omega who died in a car accident. It was just a shoddy prop made by me.”

The air stagnated, and all three of the people were stunned.

Buying and selling artificial glands doesn’t get you a prison sentence, but implanting the props into flesh can quickly cause infection and inflammation.

Ulceration and suppuration were the lightest problems.

“You implanted artificial glands into your neck and kept them for two months without removing them? The flesh is rotting… Don’t you feel pain?”

Zhu Wanxing opened his eyes wide in disbelief, and his voice was hoarse: “Xiao Ge, you… never thought about really ruining his reputation and killing him… right?”

Fu Ge moved his lips and said in a choked voice: “I thought about it.”

He envisioned a hundred endings for Qi Han; ninety-nine of them were death, and only one was life.

Fu Ge was willing to carry an artificial prop implanted into his own flesh for more than two months, suffering inflammation and ulceration, not for the sake of conclusive evidence to convict Qi Han, but for that one percent chance of helping him get out.

The rotting flesh caused him unending pain. Qi Chuan asked him countless times to remove it, but Fu Ge refused.

Not because he was obsessed with the pain, but the glands were only useful if they remained implanted in his neck. He was using the safest way to preserve evidence for Qi Han.

In this step-by-step game aimed at hunting Qi Han, replacing the contents of the box with the artificial glands was the first time Fu Ge had softened.

Since then, every step he took was like stepping on the knife blades with his bare feet, and even breathing hurts.

Man proposes and God disposes, and God likes to make fun of people.

His life was drifting like scattered leaves, but he had always been faithful to his love.