40: Mr. Sheng… it really hurts
—Tss.
The snow-white, delicate back of Hua Yong’s hand was cut open by the sharp antler, and bright red blood dripped to the floor, splattering little by little.
He lifted his palm to his lips and licked it; the metallic taste of blood steadied his nerves a little.
Sheng Shaoyou had his eyes shut, completely sinking into unconsciousness, but his tightly furrowed brows never relaxed. The skin on his shoulders was scraped raw by the cabinet, bruised and swollen, and it was unclear if his bones were hurt.
Hua Yong’s expression was dark as he slid one arm under his Alpha’s legs and carried him out in a bridal hold. The young man, usually so frail and delicate, straightened his back easily, holding the man he loved as his steps remained light and steady as he walked toward the door.
The tremors were beginning to subside a little. On the slightly quivering floor, every step he took was sure and firm. When he reached the study’s door, he realized he didn’t have a free hand to open it.
Bang—!
His patience spent, the beautiful young man simply raised his foot and kicked the supposedly world-class security door clear off its frame.
He’d never been a particularly patient person to begin with—and seeing the gash on Sheng Shaoyou’s forehead still bleeding only darkened his expression further.
In P country, just this cold, intimidating look could scare a dozen elite Alphas half to death.
The situation outside the study was even worse than he expected. The crystal chandelier in the living room had fallen and shattered, glass scattered everywhere, and worse still, the main doorframe had been crushed and warped by the collapsed wall. Because of its special anti-destruction design, the reinforced door couldn’t be opened from the inside at all.
Boom—bang—bang, bang—!
Hua Yong kicked at it several more times, but the door stood dutifully in place. Its thick panel was battered and dented like it had endured a barrage of shells, but it didn’t budge.
He pressed his lips together, bent down, and set Sheng Shaoyou down in the corner between the door and the wall—the so-called “golden triangle,” the safest place during aftershocks.
Then he reached up and twisted the warped handle. The solid metal gave way like soft putty, snapping off in his grip.
The door’s design was inspired by ancient mortise and tenon structures, integrated into the building’s load-bearing frame and nearly indestructible—unless you knew the mechanism.
Hua Yong tossed the handle aside, ran his fingers along the familiar structure of the doorframe, and soon figured it out. With a flick of his fingers, he pulled out one iron rod after another that normally required specialized tools to remove. Once the rods were dealt with, he pressed into the slot where the handle had been, and the lock was completely destroyed—probably the most violent lock-picking ever seen. He’d taken apart a lock said to stump even the greatest thieves… with his bare hands.
Expressionless, he pressed two fingers to the door and gently pushed outward.
Boom—
The heavy iron door toppled like a falling giant, kicking up dust and debris.
He turned back to pick up his unconscious Alpha, but just then, the beam above the door, along with the shattered ceiling, suddenly came crashing down toward Sheng Shaoyou.
Hua Yong’s pupils contracted violently, and he threw himself forward.
Crash, bang—
A deafening roar followed as countless pieces of rubble pelted his body like rain.
Thankfully—
The broken beam hadn’t struck Sheng Shaoyou.
Hua Yong allowed himself a faint smirk, finally letting out a breath. But his expression remained grim—the entire impact had landed squarely on him instead.
He hunched his back to keep at least two fists of space between the debris and Sheng Shaoyou below him, protecting the unconscious Alpha at all costs.
The aftershocks continued. Hua Yong shielded Sheng Shaoyou as best he could, but his own body began to buckle.
The collapsed rubble trembled violently above him, jagged rebar stabbing down like knives.
Clutching the sleeping Sheng Shaoyou, Hua Yong couldn’t dodge in time and felt the bare steel pierce straight into his pale, delicate flesh with a sickening shlck.
Blood splattered, spraying in a rhythm like sobs.
He swallowed the cry of pain out of habit, his lips trembling like leaves in the wind.
The rebar had gone clear through his shoulder. Bright blood splashed across the light-colored wall by the door, shocking to behold. Bracing himself against the wall, his thin back and outstretched arms formed a makeshift shelter, keeping the oblivious Alpha beneath him safe.
His lips were bloodless, and he panted heavily, forehead beaded with sweat from the pain and blood loss.
Sheng Shaoyou still lay there, unmoving. Hua Yong didn’t dare shift, afraid the rebar would drive deeper and hurt the man under him.
Gritting his teeth, he freed one hand and gripped the steel, snapping it off with sheer force. The solid rebar crumbled into dust in his palm, spilling like sand.
Only once he was sure nothing protruded to injure Sheng Shaoyou did he shake his shoulder, letting the heavy bricks and rubble tumble away.
Clatter, clatter.
Bricks slid off his back as he shielded Sheng’s head with his bloody hand, straightened up, and shoved the half-collapsed ceiling slab away.
The aftershocks had left most of the house in ruins. The exit he’d opened earlier was completely blocked with debris, leaving only the small triangle of space he had created, a faint shaft of sunlight streaming in to bring a sliver of light to this narrow sanctuary.
His shoulder was numb from pain. He slowly lowered himself closer to Sheng Shaoyou, letting the jagged metal slide inch by inch out of his body.
“Mr. Sheng… it really hurts,” he murmured hoarsely, whining to his Alpha as his trembling lips brushed over Sheng’s, like sucking on the most natural, most addictive painkiller.
He’d never really known what it meant to be weak—but with Sheng Shaoyou, even an iron heart softened, let alone this body of flesh and bone.
Before, he’d never cried out because no one cared. Weakness was a sin; showing it only invited worse cruelty.
But now, someone cared for him—so why should he hold it in?
At last, the steel slid free. Hua Yong pressed his long fingers to the wound to staunch the bleeding, which soon slowed. Since his secondary gender had manifested, his healing was extraordinary—Shen Wenlang once joked he was a monster who could grow back half a heart.
But Sheng Shaoyou’s condition was not good.
That night, his Alpha’s gland—never meant to bear such a bite—had been torn open by sharp canines. The forceful temporary marking had left the natural predator fragile and weakened.
He’d used up too much strength holding up that damned cabinet. His already-vulnerable gland was exhausted. Even now, his pulse was faint.
The gash on his forehead was deep; the bleeding had slowed but still looked severe.
Hua Yong released a heavy, calming pheromone as he fished out his phone.
Weak signal. Calls wouldn’t go through. He tried a few times before finally sending a distress text.
Soon, two replies came.
Shen Wenlang: 111
Chang Yu: Rescue underway.
Hua Yong pocketed his phone, kissed his Alpha’s forehead, and sat back against the wall, clutching his pierced shoulder patiently.
If it were just him, he’d have smashed through the bricks and gotten out already. But with Sheng Shaoyou here, he had to be careful.
He raised his bloodied fingers to touch Sheng’s face but paused, wiping them clean on his shirt before stroking the clean, sharp line of his jaw.
Mr. Sheng is so handsome—can’t let my blood dirty him. Not even mine.
…
Meanwhile, Shen Wenlang was on his way to deliver medicine when the quake hit. Buildings on both sides of the road shook violently. He steered into an open area and watched the panicked crowd as his own heart began to pound.
The moment he stopped, his first instinct was to call Gao Tu.
But that wretched Beta didn’t answer, which only made his heart beat faster, an unfamiliar dread settling over him.
This city, nestled on one of the richest alluvial plains in the world, had always been spared from natural disasters. Even summer typhoons avoided it.
Shanghai was known as a miraculous, enchanted city, seemingly protected by some invisible barrier.
No one expected an earthquake here—just as Shen Wenlang never expected that one day, his palms would sweat from worrying over an underling.
He called his secretary’s supervisor. “Give me Gao Tu’s address.”
“Uh?” The secretary, clearly also rattled by the quake, stammered through a bad signal: “Mr. Shen, there… there was just an earthquake. Are you safe?”
A few minutes later, Shen got the address. It was in one of Shanghai’s oldest slums, full of decrepit buildings that should have been torn down decades ago.
Grinding his teeth, he was about to turn back toward the city when his phone rang—it was Gao Tu.
“Mr. Shen, sorry—I’d fallen asleep. Did you need something?” His voice was low and weak.
Shen’s anger froze and turned into a cold laugh. “You seem awfully carefree.”
On the other end, Gao Tu coughed, struggling for breath.
Shen’s heart clenched. “Hey—what’s wrong? Why haven’t you come to work?”
Gao Tu stifled his cough and hesitated before answering simply: “I’m sick. At the hospital.”
That eased Shen’s mind a bit—at least hospitals were safer than his shabby apartment.
“Serious?”
“No. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Shen. Do you need anything else?”
Shen wanted to ask what kind of illness but held back. “No. Just get better and come back soon. The company doesn’t pay freeloaders.”
Gao Tu was silent for a moment before quietly saying, “Okay.”
After hanging up, Shen’s irritation still hadn’t lifted.
He held his phone, sweaty palms hesitant to dial again to ask which hospital the Beta was at—he was so stingy he’d probably gone to some dodgy clinic. If he died there, Shen would have to collect his corpse himself.
His finger hovered over the dial when a message from Hua Yong popped up—short, matter-of-fact, but faintly impatient:
“[Location] come save him. He’s hurt. Bring a medical team. Hurry.”
Shen stared at it. Then his phone rang—it was Chang Yu.
“Wenlang, did you get the text?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve already arranged rescue and medical teams. I’m heading over now. You coming?”
Shen cursed under his breath, furious: “I must’ve owed him a fortune in my past life!”
“Quit swearing. I checked—the location’s near the epicenter. Probably bad. I tried calling back several times—out of service.”
Shen gritted his teeth, glancing at the fleeing crowd outside his window, and said seriously: “I’m out here already. Roads are blocked. Get a helicopter, take the team and medics over first—I’ll follow right behind!”