Chapter 58: Unmasking + Official mark

Translator: Abo Dammen

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Case Three: Nucheng’s Past Events

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The spacious hospital room fell quiet, only the steady beeping of the monitor breaking the silence.

Xu Pei lay weakly on the hospital bed, a quiet understanding in his brow. He Yixun was by his side, his gaze sharp and penetrating. Together, they looked at Zhan Gao; secrets could not hide under this sunlight.

Zhan Gao seemed to sense something. He slowly retreated from the foot of the bed to the center of the room. Chou Wei, who had been sitting on the sofa, put down his tablet and began observing the situation impassively. An invisible line divided the four into two camps. 

The hospital room door suddenly opened. The nurse’s appearance broke the silent standoff.

After confirming Xu Pei was physically fine, the nurse said, “The attending physician will come see you later. He’ll update you on your condition.”

Xu Pei nodded, and the nurse left again.

The brief confrontation seemed to have served as a buffer. Chou Wei went outside the room to make a call, presumably arranging something. Zhan Gao, with his hands in his pockets, paced back and forth calmly, as if questioning Xu Pei, yet also like he was talking to himself, “Who is Mo Xin?” 

“An omega associate professor in my lab,” Xu Pei responded.

“Why would she want to kill you?”

“I’m curious about that too.”

When Xu Pei saw Mo Xin appear before him in that attire, he had already sensed something was wrong. Hearing Mo Xin say she came to congratulate him on his marriage, all the details instantly connected in his mind. But before he could speak, he lost consciousness. 

“She and I are just colleagues, not really friends, but we have no enmity either. For her to develop murderous intent because I’m getting married means there’s an emotional entanglement between us.”

“Pretty hard to believe, right? We’re both omegas. After working together for so many years, I never noticed any inclination in her for the same sex. So, ruling me out, the person she likes becomes obvious. It can only be the other main character of the wedding—that is, you.

“Her murderous intent towards me isn’t about me personally, but about my identity, because I’m your fiance. If it were someone else, she would have done the same.”

“Hmm—” Zhan Gao waited for Xu Pei to finish, stopped pacing, and wore a thoughtful expression. “But I don’t know her. Pei Pei, are you sure you didn’t mistake her for someone else?” 

“Indeed, the Speaker is busy with work and has no connection with the research institute. It’s normal not to know Mo Xin. Previously, when Mo Xin mentioned my engagement with Speaker Zhan, she also spoke of it as if it were a stranger’s matter. So I believe you when you say Speaker Zhan doesn’t know Mo Xin.”

Mo Xin mentioned the engagement on the morning after the explosion, when Xu Pei went to the institute for a meeting.

At that time, Xiang Dong was gossiping with Xu Pei, asking if his fiance was Zhan Gao. Mo Xin chimed in, saying that was indeed the case.

Looking back now, if she felt bothered by this matter, she probably wouldn’t have spoken up. 

“Pei Pei, why do you keep saying ‘Speaker Zhan’? So formal?” Zhan Gao came to the foot of the bed, placing his hands on the rail. “Am I not standing right in front of you?”

“Stop pretending. You are not the Speaker,” Xu Pei spoke with effort, his lips moving slightly, but his enunciation was clear. “You are the S-grade experimental subject I created.”

The room fell quiet again. Zhan Gao didn’t seem embarrassed, he still wore that supremely competent demeanor. Perhaps the moment Xu Pei named the perpetrator, he had already anticipated being exposed.

At that moment, Chou Wei pushed the door open and nodded to Zhan Gao. The two seemed to exchange some kind of information. Then, Zhan Gao withdrew his hands from the foot of the bed, crossed them in front of his chest, dropped the act, and a hint of amusement appeared at the corner of his mouth. “How did you figure it out?” 

“Because the perpetrator is Mo Xin,” Seeing that Xu Pei had already exposed him, He Yixun also broke his silence. “As you said, Zhan Gao didn’t know Mo Xin, and Mo Xin didn’t care about Zhan Gao’s engagement. But for her to develop murderous intent because of your marriage to Xu Pei proves you are not Zhan Gao, but Zhan Yuan from the lab.”

Working backwards from the perpetrator’s motive, Mo Xin wouldn’t kill for a Zhan Gao she didn’t know, indirectly confirming that the person before them was Zhan Yuan.

“And precisely because of this, you must shield the perpetrator and deny knowing her. Because the only place you and the perpetrator could have interacted is the National Research Institute lab. Once it’s proven you know each other, your identity becomes questionable.”

“But,” Zhan Gao said unhurriedly, “didn’t you see the helicopter explode with your own eyes? How did I escape?” 

“When you and your accomplice were loading money in the vault, I found it strange. Why take only paper bills when there were more valuable gold bars? At the time, I thought it was because the gold bars were too heavy, hard to move. But later, when I saw you scattering money from the rooftop, I understood—you were using it to block people’s view.”

“The helicopter disappeared from view for a period. You probably set it on autopilot and bailed out during that time. They say your physical fitness is exceptional, so I imagine bailing out wasn’t very dangerous for you. The body the police found at the scene was actually Speaker Zhan Gao. That’s when you completed the identity swap with your brother.”

“Wait.” Zhan Yuan raised a finger, making a ‘stop’ gesture. “I have to remind you, when the helicopter exploded, Speaker Zhan was in the command vehicle.”

“No, he never showed up that day, from start to finish. Only his voice was present at the scene. By recording his voice in advance and having Chou Wei play it at the right moment, you could create the illusion that he was in the command vehicle.” At this point, He Yixun glanced at Chou Wei. “It’s impossible for his secretary to be unaware of you two brothers swapping identities. So, Zhan Gao’s body on the helicopter was probably also prepared by him in advance.” 

Chou Wei, sitting on the sofa scrolling through his tablet, merely raised an eyebrow indifferently at He Yixun’s accusation, offering no comment.

“Not bad.” Zhan Gao clapped slowly. “It seems this little trick didn’t fool you.”

“However, it’s a pity. Your score is failing. Let me say it again, I am not Zhan Yuan.”

Just as He Yixun was about to tell Zhan Yuan to stop pretending, Xu Pei pressed his hand and said, “He is Zhan Gao.” 

“What?” It was rare for He Yixun to not follow Xu Pei’s train of thought.

Having rested for a while, Xu Pei had regained some strength. He pressed the switch to raise the head of the bed, propped a pillow behind his lower back, and spoke slowly, “Let me reconstruct the sequence of events. Starting from when the S-grade experimental subject was created.”

Zhan Gao waited with interest for Xu Pei to continue.

“The S-grade Alpha is a new species. While we published the paper, we also made many conjectures. These conjectures weren’t publicly released, but rumors spread like wildfire. I always thought it was just some people making baseless guesses, until recently, when I discovered the media knew about the DNA re-test results of Zhan Yuan’s body before I did. That’s when I realized someone in my lab was selling information.” 

That was the day after the bank robbery. The police had already tested the body’s DNA and confirmed it was Zhan Yuan. Xu Pei used the institute’s equipment to run another test. Before he even arrived at the institute, while still on the bus, the news was already broadcasting the latest update—the National Research Institute had re-tested the charred body, confirming it was the S-grade experimental subject, Zhan Yuan.

Combined with Xiang Dong suddenly wearing limited edition sneakers, Xu Pei was fairly certain he was the leak.

Thus, those previously circulated conjectures, if investigated by someone with intent, could actually be traced back to Xu Pei’s lab. In other words, what seemed like baseless guesses actually had the backing of an authoritative expert.

“Among these conjectures, there was one piece of information that Speaker Zhan, who was actually not the Zhan Gao we thought, but the younger brother Zhan Yuan—the two brothers had already swapped identities once before—would have been very interested in. That is: an S-grade alpha can mark a regular alpha. 

“If I’m not mistaken, after he confirmed this information was reliable, he conceived the idea of swapping glands with his twin brother. Because he wanted to mark his alpha lover, Chou Wei.

“Taking a step back, even without the need to mark, any alpha would covet an S-grade gland. Not to mention Zhan Yuan, as the Council Speaker, not only had wealth and power but also shared the same DNA as Zhan Gao, so he didn’t have to worry about bodily rejection. This was practically a perfect opportunity created for him by heaven.

“But the National Research Institute is heavily guarded. Breaking a prisoner out isn’t simple. However, coincidentally, some issues also arose on the lab’s side.”

After speaking so much in one breath, Xu Pei paused to rest, then looked at Zhan Gao and said, “Remember in the bank, you said you could hear my voice while in the life pod. That’s not normal. Because once the system detects the subject is awake, we put them back to sleep. 

“Unless… someone tampered with the equipment, and no one else realized you had been conscious the whole time.

“Since Mo Xin was willing to kill for you, I assume that person was her.

“She is one of the members of my lab and also participated in your modification. I guess one time you woke up unexpectedly, and she happened to see you. Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps bewitched by you, you started talking. Gradually, she developed special feelings for you.

“Putting myself in her shoes, if I were her, I wouldn’t have the heart to let you stay locked in a life pod, being used for experiments. But wanting to save you was impossible for her alone. Naturally, she had to turn to your powerful and influential relative— 

“She went to find Chou Wei, right?”

Chou Wei finally looked up from his tablet, glanced at Zhan Gao, and seeing his indifferent expression, pushed his frameless glasses and said, “Yes.”

Xu Pei continued, “The goal on both your sides was to get Zhan Gao out of the institute, but your interests were actually conflicting. After the gland swap, Zhan Yuan would definitely silence Zhan Gao, otherwise the secret would be exposed. Judging by the outcome, the one who was silenced was Zhan Yuan. I suspect Chou Wei switched sides.”

Zhan Gao let out a scornful laugh. “No matter how pretty Chou Wei is, he’s still an alpha. What alpha would want to be marked?” 

“Indeed,” Chou Wei said flatly. “Let me reiterate, I am not Zhan Yuan’s lover either. He forced me.”

“So, on the night of the lab explosion,” Xu Pei said to Zhan Gao, “the first thing you said to me was ‘I’m in a hurry.’ Were you hurrying to kill your brother Zhan Yuan?”

“Mhm. Who told him to set his sights on my gland?” Zhan Gao said. “My gland is a gift from Pei Pei.”

“That means, from the time I came back…” Unconsciously referencing the time travel, Xu Pei corrected himself, “…from the night of the lab explosion, every ‘Zhan Gao’ I’ve met has been you. You killed Zhan Yuan that very night and took over his identity as Speaker to meet me. Including the next morning at the institute, when you said I looked good—that was all you. No wonder Chou Wei kept giving you looks whenever you got close to me. He was reminding you not to slip up. 

“And orchestrating the bank robbery, you wanted everyone to witness Zhan Yuan’s death, solidifying your identity as Zhan Gao. It was after this event that you stopped being so cautious, because Zhan Yuan’s death perfectly fit his ‘persona’—a sociopathic criminal. No one would suspect the older brother was impersonating the younger brother. Even if someone was suspicious, like me, you didn’t need to worry, because you are Zhan Gao, and in the public’s eyes, Zhan Gao is the Speaker.”

“Correct. I am Zhan Gao. Everything Zhan Yuan had should have been mine all along,” Zhan Gao said. “I let him die spectacularly, which fulfilled his youthful wish. He’s now the number one criminal in Nucheng’s history.”

Xu Pei frowned. “You burned him to death, right?”

Zhan Gao: “Stuffed him in a gasoline drum.” 

……That explained why Zhan Yuan’s body was curled up in a fetal position.

Xu Pei pursed his lips, his expression complex. “You’re nothing like the Zhan Gao I knew.”

Hearing this, He Yixun had basically sorted out the sequence of events. If the Zhan Gao before them was the modified S-grade alpha, and everyone believed him to be Zhan Yuan, it meant the two brothers had a history of swapping identities once before.

“How do you know he is Zhan Gao?” He Yixun asked Xu Pei in a low voice. 

“Because he knows my pheromone scent, and he knows the nickname Zhan Gao gave me. I remember Zhan Gao once said his brother was always fooling around outside, rarely came home, and their relationship wasn’t close. I don’t think Zhan Gao would even tell Zhan Yuan about such things.”

“Moreover,” Xu Pei looked at Zhan Gao, “you guessed I planned to question your identity at the press conference, didn’t you? Deliberately using my nickname was a hint, warning me not to do something foolish.”

Zhan Gao smiled. “Pei Pei is so clever.”

“But when did you swap before? And how did your gland become disabled?” 

When Zhan Gao had been delivered to the institute as a death row prisoner, his gland had been in a disabled state.

“That’s a long story.” Zhan Gao walked over to the single-seater sofa. No longer hiding his S-grade alpha strength, he lightly kicked the heavy sofa with his foot, turning it to face the hospital bed.

He sat down imposingly. “Zhan Yuan was never in a car accident. That was just an excuse my family made up to explain why my gland was disabled.

“Actually, the one who had the accident was me. I went skiing and crashed into a rock. My gland was severely damaged and could no longer secrete pheromones. We had just gotten engaged then. You don’t know how devastating that was for me, because I genuinely wanted to marry you, and even now, my feelings for you have never changed. 

“I felt I wasn’t good enough for you, which caused me immense pain, and I developed severe depression. I attempted suicide several times, but my family stopped me in time. However, I could also feel their patience with me gradually wearing thin.

“Coincidentally, around that time, my brother got into trouble—inciting a riot at Central Station, getting many police officers killed. My family discussed it and figured, since I didn’t want to live anyway, I might as well die with some value. So, after Zhan Yuan was sentenced, they swapped me in and got him out.

“You ask me when I found out I’d been swapped? Not long ago. I woke up in the lab, asked Mo Xin what happened, and only then learned my family had pulled this stunt.

“But isn’t it laughable? Not only was my gland repaired, it evolved into an S-grade alpha. And the person who modified me is the one I love. Isn’t this fate? 

“Ah, but I need to correct one point.” Zhan Gao looked at He Yixun. “Mo Xin is not my lover, and I didn’t know she adored me. It was you who reminded me there might be another perpetrator, which made me think it was probably her.”

Hearing this, Xu Pei somewhat understood why Mo Xin would fall in love with Zhan Gao.

Because she knew from the start that Zhan Gao wasn’t a criminal but a scapegoat for his brother. And love often begins with pity.

Not to mention she invested effort into modifying Zhan Gao, risked rescuing him, and even wore lipstick she normally wouldn’t to celebrate Zhan Gao reclaiming his identity. So when Zhan Gao immediately sought out Xu Pei to fulfill the marriage upon his release, it was inevitable she would be provoked. 

“So, for these ten years, it wasn’t that I didn’t contact you, Pei Pei,” Zhan Gao continued. “You said I’m not like my old self, and that can’t be helped. You should understand better than anyone that the S-grade gland affects me. Sometimes I can’t control my temper.

“But don’t worry, my feelings for you have never changed. I’m still the me who fell in love with you at first sight.”

Xu Pei finally understood why “Zhan Gao” had ignored him for ten years. Firstly, Zhan Yuan preferred alphas and had no interest in him personally. Secondly, the two brothers had different pheromone scents, so if the marriage were consummated, Zhan Yuan would have exposed himself.

It just so happened that Xu Pei gradually shifted his focus to his career. Since Zhan Yuan didn’t bring it up, neither did he ask, so the engagement was dragged out until now. 

“Alright, everything’s cleared up. I’ve been very faithful to you. Considering you mistakenly thought I had many lovers outside, I won’t blame you for having someone by your side.” At this point, Zhan Gao glanced at He Yixun, then said to Xu Pei, “But now, you need to sort things out properly. I don’t want to see this persistent nuisance anymore.”

As soon as Zhan Gao finished speaking, someone pushed the door open and entered the room—it was the attending physician the nurse had mentioned.

Dr. Jin was with him. Completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the room, he said to Xu Pei as soon as he saw him, “Professor Xu, your husband hadn’t marked you before? Oh, right, your husband doesn’t have a gland, so he couldn’t mark you anyway.”

Xu Pei had previously fabricated a story at the hospital, saying He Yixun was his husband. 

Clearly, Zhan Gao deduced from the “no gland” information that Dr. Jin was referring to He Yixun.

“But it’s amazing. The test results are out. Your body has completed the marking process.”

As soon as Dr. Jin finished speaking, the air froze. Xu Pei, He Yixun, and Zhan Gao spoke in unison, “What?”

“The alpha pheromones injected into your gland were pure, without a personal marker. Then your husband gave you a blood transfusion. We’re not entirely sure of the exact mechanism, but it appears you have been marked by your husband.” 

Xu Pei was dumbfounded. He pulled open the back of his collar and asked He Yixun beside him, “Has my gland changed color?”

He Yixun observed it closely. “It’s bright red.”

Much more vivid than the previous pink.

Xu Pei saw black spots before his eyes and just wanted to pinch his philtrum. 

An unmarked gland is pink. Red means he has truly been marked, and it’s a formal mark!!!

Marking is an immensely important life event for every omega. Normally, it should happen in a nest built by the omega with love! Okay, He Yixun couldn’t complete it through the normal procedure anyway, but how could it happen when Xu Pei was being murdered and nearly kicked the bucket?

The key point is, he and He Yixun haven’t even officially defined their relationship!

What kind of joke is heaven playing on him? 

Xu Pei was so angry he felt dizzy, his vision blurred, and his heart rate became irregular. He Yixun, however, was still thinking seriously, “So, you can have puppies now.”

“Is that the point!!!”

Zhan Gao, his face dark, rushed to the bedside, grabbed the back of Xu Pei’s neck to look, but was shoved away by He Yixun.

He Yixun said coldly, “What are you doing? He is my omega.” 

Xu Pei no longer had the strength to speak. ‘You bastard, you’re adapting way too fast…’

“It’s fine.” Zhan Gao took a deep breath, suppressing the ferocity in his eyes, and said lightly, “Once you’ve recovered, I’ll take you to have the mark removed.”

Having said that, he turned to Chou Wei. “Where are the police you called?”

Chou Wei stood up from the sofa, but before he could speak, the confused Dr. Jin chimed in, “The police are right outside the room.” 

“Have them come in,” Zhan Gao said expressionlessly. “The perpetrator who attacked my fiance is right here.”

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Author’s Feed:

The character Mo Xin was originally set as a male omega, but due to certain reasons, had to be set as female. This will be explained in the fifth case.

(I’m afraid someone might say I could have set her as male but deliberately set her as female. That’s not the case. The villains in this story include both men and women.)

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Translator’s Feed:
It’s been an issue how women are usually portrayed as evil/villainous in other BL novels with no redeeming qualities so the author’s just trying to clarify that.

Alsoooo, OKAY THIS MIGHT BE CONFUSING FOR SOME SO LET ME TLDR: the original Speaker is Zhan Yuan (who is pretending to be Zhan Gao), and Zhan Gao is the real S-grade alpha being experimented on. So in public, everyone still believes the Speaker is Zhan Gao but in actuality, it was Zhan Yuan just posing as Zhan Gao.