Chapter 60: Separation is a good thing

Danshi, the hospital.

Outside the isolation ward’s glass window, Zong Xi stood quietly in the hallway, expressionless, watching the room inside.

The ward was filled with medical equipment. Ji Jinxuan was strapped to the bed, restraints on his wrists and ankles, the muzzle guard still on his face. He had just been given a sedative and was fast asleep.

From a distance, if not for the slight rise and fall of his chest and the pulsing veins on his arms, Ji Jinxuan looked like a dead man.

The elevator doors opened at the end of the hallway. An Alpha walked over to Zong Xi and said in a low voice, “We haven’t found Mr. Xu Lin.”

Zong Xi was about to respond when the doctor who had been examining Ji Jinxuan walked out of the ward. The conversation was put on hold.

Zong Xi asked, “How is he?”

The doctor took off his mask and shook his head. “Not good.”

“His gland has been injected with large amounts of incompatible pheromones in a short period of time. Combined with excessive drug stimulation, there’s been a rejection reaction, causing neurological dysfunction. His heat episodes are frequent. For now, we can only treat him conservatively with medication.” The doctor said, “But Mr. Ji has been abusing suppressants since childhood—”

There was no need to finish. Zong Xi knew. Ji Jinxuan had long abused suppressants, making him unusually resistant to drugs. Now, with his reckless disregard for his gland, what suppressant could still work on him?

“However, there is a way.”

The elderly doctor said, “If there were an Omega with high compatibility with Mr. Ji, willing to use their pheromones to soothe him, he might recover.”

Zong Xi looked silently at Ji Jinxuan in the room.

He said coldly, “Where would such an Omega be?”

After the doctor left, Zong Xi asked the Alpha behind him, “Have you searched District Thirteen?”

The Alpha paused. “Not yet.”

Zong Xi said, “He won’t die so easily. If he’s alive, he’ll be there.”

“Then, if we find him,” the Alpha asked, “should we bring him back?”

“…” Zong Xi was silent for a moment, then said, “No. Let him be.”

“Wait—” The Alpha turned to leave. Zong Xi called him back. After a few seconds of hesitation, he said, “Go to the Chen family.”

It was late by the time Zong Xi returned home. He rubbed his tired eyes, listened to the nanny’s report, and went to Zong Ningshuang’s room.

He knocked. No sound from inside.

He pushed the door open. The room was lit only by a small nightlight. A lump was under the covers—Zong Ningshuang’s hair poked out.

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “The nanny said you didn’t eat all day.”

“What’s wrong?”

He tried to pull the blanket off her head. She held on tight.

“Shuangshuang.”

“Why did you help that bastard?” Her voice was muffled, filled with grievance and anger. “He treated Xu Lin so badly, and you helped him!”

“I didn’t.”

She sat up, her face flushed with anger. “How can you say that? If you hadn’t tipped him off, if you hadn’t helped him, he wouldn’t have found my things so fast! I had it all planned. If you hadn’t interfered, I could have bought Xu Lin more time! Now Xu Lin is missing, and you’re just standing here! Get out! I don’t want to see you!”

Zong Xi said, “Xu Lin is most likely alive. I think he’s gone back to District Thirteen.”

Zong Ningshuang was skeptical. “Really? How can you be so sure?”

He asked in return, “Do you want him alive or dead?”

She snorted and ignored him.

Zong Xi sighed and explained, “If I had really wanted to help Ji Jinxuan, you would never have had the chance to give those things to Xu Lin.”

Zong Ningshuang froze.

“Did you think I didn’t know you sneaked out with those things?”

She had thought she was being so careful. She never expected her brother had known all along. She was shocked. “You knew, and you still let me do it?”

“Xu Lin is your friend. Helping him is understandable.”

“Then why did you…”

“I turned a blind eye because Ji Jinxuan is also my friend.” Zong Xi said. “I wanted to help him too.”

“If he kept this up with Xu Lin, sooner or later, he would destroy himself.”

He had allowed Zong Ningshuang to secretly help Xu Lin escape the capital because he did not want to watch his friend walk further down the wrong path.

After Xu Lin left the villa, Ji Jinxuan had guessed it was Zong Ningshuang’s doing and came to Zong Xi. Zong Xi had gone through the motions, stopping her from going to the bar to meet Xu Lin, letting Ji Jinxuan chase after him himself.

When Ji Jinxuan failed to catch him and was furious, demanding to see Zong Ningshuang, his pheromones were already highly unstable and on the verge of destruction. Zong Xi had calmed him down while deliberately stalling, making sure Xu Lin had gotten far enough away before telling Ji Jinxuan where he had gone.

He had taken a gamble. Fortunately, Xu Lin had succeeded in escaping.

Zong Xi said, “If I hadn’t told him anything, after failing to find you, he would have taken it all out on you.”

Seeing her disdainful expression, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he asked, “What, you think I could protect you?”

“Can’t you?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Zong Xi smiled. “But I don’t want you to face him when he’s completely out of control. I don’t want that either. He becomes unpredictable, and I’m more afraid of accidents.”

He poked her forehead. “For now, this is over. From now on, don’t get involved in his affairs.”

Her expression softened a little.

He said, “Feel better now? Get up and eat something.”

“How is Ji Jinxuan doing now? I heard he’s in the hospital. What’s wrong with him?” She was not concerned about his health—she was worried about something else. “Is he okay? How sick is he? Will he come after Xu Lin again when he gets better?”

Zong Xi said, “Probably.” Given Ji Jinxuan’s nature, he would not let Xu Lin go so easily.

“Then what?”

“But he won’t recover anytime soon.” He thought of Ji Jinxuan lying in that hospital bed. “Xu Lin is safe for now.”

Zong Ning-shuang was still worried. “Only for now.”

She muttered, “Xu Lin is so unlucky to be caught up with him.”

“Yes.” Zong Xi rarely agreed with her. She still did not know that Xu Lin had been forced into becoming an Omega. If she knew, she would be even more furious. To avoid more trouble, Zong Xi did not tell her.

An Alpha and an Omega with incompatible pheromones, forcing themselves to be together—the result was only mutual destruction.

So—

Zong Xi said, “Separation is good for them.”

Ji Jinxuan had been awake for twenty minutes.

He could not move, tightly bound to the bed. The ward was filled with the steady beeping of machines. He stared at the large glass window in the room, and for a moment, time seemed to rewind.

Outside the glass, countless figures in white coats surrounded him like vengeful spirits, ready to take his life.

In a daze, the spectral shadows dispersed like mist. When it cleared, he saw a figure among them.

It was Zong Xi.

Zong Xi stood outside the glass, watching him.

Seeing he was awake, Zong Xi entered the ward and stopped by his bed.

Before he could speak, Ji Jinxuan asked, “Where is he?”

His lips were cracked, his voice hoarse, as if his throat were lined with sandpaper, scraping his mouth and throat raw with the taste of blood.

Zong Xi shook his head.

“Untie me.”

Zong Xi did not move.

“Zong Xi.” Ji Jinxuan’s tone grew firmer.

Zong Xi remained unmoved. “Don’t even think about going out.”

“In this condition, what can you do? You can barely step out of this hospital. Stay here and get treatment. Don’t go anywhere.”

Ji Jinxuan jerked against his restraints. The straps on his wrists stretched with a tearing sound. Zong Xi did not even flinch.

He watched Ji Jinxuan’s futile struggles for a moment, then heard the door open behind him. He turned.

Ji Jinxuan followed his gaze.

Another person walked into the ward.

It was Zhuang Xun.

Zhuang Xun’s face was grim, clearly here to confront him.

He was Ji Hongyun’s younger brother, and he had always trusted Ji Jinxuan. Not long ago, he had given him the key to the equipment vault without hesitation. Now, without permission, Ji Jinxuan had used the firearms and speedboats from the vault, leaving such a mess.

Zhuang Xun’s expression was thunderous. He said to Ji Jinxuan, “I never knew you had such audacity. Reckless beyond measure. Did you think about the consequences when you used the equipment without authorization? If not for your contributions to the suppressant research, such a serious breach of discipline would have gotten you severely punished. Ji Jinxuan, I will personally oversee your confinement for six months. You will stay here and reflect.”

Ji Jinxuan immediately began struggling. “Wait! Six months is too long!”

Zhuang Xun ignored him and walked out.

Zong Xi glanced at Ji Jinxuan. “Hear that?”

Ji Jinxuan was agitated. “No!”

Zong Xi took a vial of clear liquid from his pocket. “This is a reagent made from Chen Yu’s pheromones. Your pheromones are unstable now. You need Omega pheromones with high compatibility. Chen Yu has 92% compatibility with you—she’s the ideal choice. I spoke to her about your condition, and she agreed to help. This will make you feel better.”

Ji Jinxuan refused. At these words, he went mad. He rejected the suggestion, his screams echoing through the ward.

His limbs thrashed. The IV in his arm shifted and became congested.

Doctors rushed in, sedatives ready.

After the sedative, they took the reagent from Zong Xi, filled a syringe, and prepared to inject it into Ji Jinxuan’s gland.

Ji Jinxuan’s eyes were wide with fury. If not for the restraints, it looked like he would tear the doctor apart.

“Don’t you dare!”

The doctor froze, intimidated.

Sweating, he looked at Zong Xi for guidance.

Zong Xi said coldly, “Do it.”

Trembling, the doctor slowly injected the pheromone reagent into Ji Jinxuan’s gland.

They had expected him to stabilize. But within thirty seconds, Ji Jinxuan’s body went rigid. From his gland, blood vessels burst, one after another, turning from blue to red, spreading like a spiderweb across his neck. Soon, the red lines climbed up his face. The color drained from his face, leaving a sickly, bluish white.

The heart monitor let out a shrill alarm.

The echoing alarm hung over Ji Jinxuan like a guillotine at his throat.

The doctor was horrified.

Zong Xi was too.

“What’s happening?!”

He rushed to the bedside. Ji Jinxuan’s eyes had lost focus. “Ji Jinxuan!” he shouted. No response.

He pressed his cheek to Ji Jinxuan’s chest, listening frantically.

Faint.

Thump, thump.

One beat, then another.

Then nothing.

Silence.

The heart had stopped.

Zong Xi’s mind went blank.

He heard the doctor shout, “Cardiac arrest! Hurry! Adrenaline!”

A crowd rushed in. Zong Xi was pulled back and pushed to the edge.

He watched dazedly as doctors and nurses crowded around Ji Jinxuan’s bed, where he lay motionless.

A dull pain spread through his chest. He realized he had been holding his breath.

On the floor lay the shattered glass tube from the reagent, crushed in the rush. It had contained Chen Yu’s pheromones.

They had high compatibility. Her pheromones should have caused no problems.

So why had this happened?

If not that, then…

Was it Ji Jinxuan’s own problem?

Suddenly, a horrifying thought surfaced in his mind.