Chapter 9: Then I’ll Marry You.

Ping Mo waited for a few moments until a young man in a duck-billed hat came out from behind an arched wall. He went to Ping Mo, and bowed his head slightly. “Captain.”

Ping Mo asked, “Your mission is to watch me twenty-four hours a day?”

“Protection!” Cheng Cheng explained in a panic. “I’m not spying. It’s safe in the school, but outside of the school I’m afraid you–”

Ping Mo interrupted him, “Afraid that an omega might be in danger?”

Cheng Cheng shut up.

Ping Mo laughed lightly. “You need to be cured of this straight A cancer. No wonder you don’t have a date even at your age.”

When Captain Ping was in the Raptors, he was afraid that his Therian identity would be exposed, so he intentionally kept his distance from his men and seldom laughed.

This was the first time Cheng Cheng had seen Ping Mo smile at him like that. The corners of his lips turned up, his gray-blue eyes filled with a fine light, the sunset shadowed the bridge of his narrow nose, and he was haloed a bright color that appeared to soften his whole person. Cheng Cheng froze as he looked at him. His face was suddenly a little hot. “I, I…”

Ping Mo did not wait for him to “I” again. “Cheng Cheng, trust me. You’re just worried that they will trouble me, right?”

Cheng Cheng immediately said, “Of course not! Everyone on the team from top to bottom trusts you! Even Colonel Lu believes–”

“That’s fine. I didn’t just become an omega today, Cheng Cheng. I’ve always been one.” Ping Mo patted the youth’s shoulder. “After all, I brought the entire Ping team back every time from so many dangerous missions. You should know my abilities, so go back.”

“Ping Mo, where are you going? Can I accompany you? Not to protect, just…accompany you.” Cheng Cheng said.

Ping Mo rejected it without a thought. “The place isn’t suitable for you.”

In terms of looks, Cheng Cheng was tall, with a high nose and single eyelids. Even in civilian clothes, he was a tall, well-defined young man who also had a well-trained aura of righteousness.

Where he was going today was a shady place, and Cheng Cheng’s temperament would be too out of place.

But…

Ping Mo took off Cheng Cheng’s duck-billed hat, and nonchalantly put it on his head. Then he held his palms facing inward, and waved his hands casually outward. “All right, go back.”

“…Yes, Captain.”

Although Cheng Cheng faithfully promised, Ping Mo was sure that the man wasn’t going to be so easily obedient. However, since he taught him tracking and counter-tracking, it was easy to get rid of him.

Ping Mo went around two streets, managed to lose the ‘tail’ that had continued to trail quietly behind him, then followed the location map on his phone and went straight to his appointment.

It was a music cafe decorated inside and out with gold and glitter. Except for the waiter and the boss’s wife, there were no customers. But that was normal. At this time, the whole of Taiping Street had little business. This was actually a bar street, so it was quiet and peaceful during the day. At night, the whole street would send a magic sound into the ears. Pheromones and alcohol mixed together, and almost every day it bred a thousand strange and dirty things.

How dare they name it Taiping Street? 1

Ping Mo had just thought that, when he heard a sweet, imperial voice shout enthusiastically, “Ping! I’m over here!”

Leng Li waved excitedly, then jumped into Ping Mo’s arms like a swallow dives into a forest. Leng Li hugged him tightly and pouted. “I’m so excited to see you!” 

All female alphas had big boobs, and Leng Li, as a female alpha in her prime, had a plump and exquisite figure. Since Ping Mo was hugged very tightly, this pair of puffy breasts were pressed hard against him, which made Instructor Ping Mo gasp.

Ping Mo tore the person out of his arms so he could exhale. “Li Li, do you know what it means to be a man and a woman?”

“Don’t be afraid, we’re both alphas.” Leng Li wasn’t discouraged after being pushed away, and took Ping Mo’s arm. 

A waiter opened the door for them, and said respectfully, “Madam boss, dinner is ready.”

Leng Li changed from her warm and naive appearance before Ping Mo, and waved her hand like a big sister. “All of you go down. Don’t disturb me and my brother as we catch up.”

Now she was sitting down with her hand on her cheek. Her newly done burgundy nails were as soft as cream, her make-up was exquisite, her eyelashes were well brushed, and she blinked them like a fan, as she tried to send a secret glance. “It’s just that I haven’t seen you for so long.”

Unfortunately, Instructor Ping was oblivious as he shook his head and sighed. “Always so big-hearted. How will you find a partner in the future?”

Leng Li, “Then I’ll marry you!”

Ping Mo didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. “Don’t be silly. How can two alphas be together?”

Leng Li bristled, “I don’t mind.”

“I’m looking for you.” Ping Mo couldn’t grind his teeth any further, so he went straight to the point. “Help me buy something.”

By this time, the waiter had already served dinner. In addition to the foie gras and wine, he also brought an additional candlestick.

The store usually sold afternoon tea, so this food was for Ping Mo, specially bought from a Western restaurant chef. Leng Li knew her Brother Ping was picky. She waved away the waiter, then asked expectantly and eagerly, “How is the taste?”

When she saw Ping Mo slowly swallow a bite and nod, Leng Li said happily, “Ping, what do you want to buy? I’m familiar with the black market in Star City.”

“Not something easy. It’s a controlled substance. M-type inhibitors.”

Leng Li didn’t react for a moment. “Oh. The Therian inhibitors. What do you need that for?”

Ping Mo only lifted his eyelashes, and looked at her quietly with no intention of answering. Leng Li was busy thinking aloud, “Another confidential mission! I know. Don’t ask, don’t ask…It’s just that this kind of medicine is really not very easy to buy…”

M-type inhibitors, also known as Therian special inhibitors. As the name suggested, they were originally developed to help Therians smoothly through their bonding heat. However, people soon discovered that this drug, if used on betas or alphas, could instead ‘induce heat’ and it had a certain addictive nature.

The number of Therians was already very small, and the normal demand wasn’t large, so M-type inhibitors were finally added to the list of Alliance Controlled Drugs. Real Therians could submit their applications from their domicile. After tedious and lengthy layers of review, they would then have to go to their local Omega Rights Association regularly.

Although the drug could induce heat, it wasn’t without alternatives, and because it also was expensive, there weren’t many black market buyers, which meant there was little market for it.

“Give me two weeks,” Leng Li said. “That should be enough to get the goods from outside the country.”

Ping Mo had no objections. “Also, order a few more sets of clothes made of biodegradable materials in the same size as before.”

Leng Li’s mouth was still chewing steak. “Mn…”

“And…” Ping Mo hesitated for a moment. He wanted to say, ‘Is there any way to make quick money?’ but it rolled around in his throat, and finally came out as, “One more thing.”

Leng Li saw him hesitate for a long time, and thought he was worried that it would be difficult to accomplish, so she patted her chest and promised, “Since you first placed me in Star City, I haven’t been idle for a moment. Tell me, Ping, what is it?”

“Gilt roses,” Ping Mo said. “Has anyone bought these flowers from the black market?”

Leng Li’s eyes widened. “You mean?!”

“I suspect that ‘Ghost Ear’ himself has come to the main planet.”

 

Ping Mo was going to go back after he had finished his business, but Leng Li claimed that Ping Mo had lost weight and his old size must be wrong, so she had to take him back for new measurements.

Tomorrow was the weekend, there was no hurry to go back to school, so Ping Mo covered his face with the duck-billed cap, and leaned back in the chair to wait.

Now it was almost nine o’clock, and completely dark. Taiping Street was brightly lit, bars and nightclubs were starting to open one after another. Leng Li’s music cafe was nominally a pretty mecca for drinking tea and listening to songs, but with just a few young people clocking in during the day, even the rent couldn’t be earned back.

It was also an underground casino.

Leng Li carried a small rabbit fur clutch bag, stepped on seven centimeters of nude high heels as she stopped to explain business matters, and was ready to take her Brother Ping out to skip work.

She quietly glanced at Ping Mo, and saw that he had pulled down the brim of his hat to cover most of his face. He was extremely relaxed as he leaned on the back of the chair, and his eyes were closed to recuperate. She decided to use the front desk mirror to quickly fix her makeup.

When Pei Yutu got out of his cab, he happened to see the back of a woman doing her makeup through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. He read the words on his cell phone and matched it to the ones on the building. “I’m here. There’s a music cafe here. Quite literary. It’s called Ink…”

Translator Notes:

太平 – peace and security