Chapter 46: Real Name

Ji Cheying moved quickly.

The same afternoon, he was able to complete the formalities for his entry into the capital, and brought the entry documents to Xie Quan. Ji Cheying confirmed again, “Are you sure you want to go?”

Xie Quan was silent for a second, he looked at Ji Cheying with some depression. “What do you really want?”

Ji Cheying’s lips moved slightly, and finally just told Xie Quan the time of departure, so that he could prepare in advance. “Especially those things in your warehouse, if you need any help, you can tell me.”

Xie Quan took a half step back. “I can do it myself.”

Is this person still trying to hit his warehouse?

“…” Ji Cheying looked at Xie Quan’s thief-proof look and raised his eyebrows in displeasure, handing the entry document to Xie Quan, but when Xie Quan reached out to take it, he withdrew his hand and took the entry document back.

Ji Cheying hooked the corner of his mouth when he met Xie Quan’s not-so-pleasant gaze. He found out that this man was actually quite temperamental. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be holding a grudge because of the particle machine gun.

But…

Ji Cheying asked, “When are you going to stop using the name Xie Quan?”

Xie Quan showed a puzzled look.

“You’re not Xie Quan,” Ji Cheying asked lightly, “and you’re going to play dumb with me? If you don’t want to use the name Yan Bai, that’s fine, it’s too flashy after all, but even if Xie Quan is dead, there’s still a risk that you’ll be exposed using someone else’s identity, and I can help you get a new one.”

Understanding Ji Cheying’s meaning, Xie Quan pondered for half a second, then said in a calm tone, “I am Xie Quan.”

Ji Cheying frowned, because he felt that Xie Quan was still trying to fool himself.

But then Xie Quan said, “Xie Quan is my real name, Yan Bai is the fake name.”

Slightly surprised, Ji Cheying raised the end of his eyebrows and asked, “You don’t continue to deny Yan Bai’s identity?”

Xie Quan smiled coldly. “I’m not as boring as someone.”

“Say one thing, you’re the one who’s trying to understand first.” He was just following the example.

The corners of Xie Quan’s mouth twitched.

He wasn’t shameless enough to keep saying Yan Bai was his other personality.

“So the reason they chose this ‘Xie Quan’ is because he has the same name as you,” Ji Cheying understood, “but why did you come to Noel City to impersonate this Xie Quan?”

“…” Xie Quan stared at Ji Cheying, and his calm eyes took on a bit of resentment.

Ji Cheying hugged his shoulders. “You’re looking at me like this, as if I’m the one who caused this.”

“It’s you.” Xie Quan narrowed his eyes, his voice tinged with displeasure. “If it weren’t for your imperial army suddenly starting to surround me, I wouldn’t be hiding everywhere.” Eventually panicked, stepping on other people’s sets and using this Xie Quan’s identity to come to Noel City.

Ji Cheying froze, and only then did he remember that he had ordered the imperial army to go after Yan Bai.

In that case, it was suspicious. The rumor that Yan Bai was the suspect in the case was also very strange. He realized that they were being used from the very beginning, and that he had forced Xie Quan into a trap.

Ji Cheying’s face sank like black ink and he said apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

Xie Quan looked at Ji Cheying’s genuinely guilty expression, and the displeasure in his heart subsided considerably. In fact, both himself and the other party were just pawns on the chessboard.

People who were in the same boat.

So he said softly, “Forget it, I don’t blame you.”

The injustice had a head, and he was looking for the mysterious group of people.

However, the other did not show a relieved expression after hearing these words, but instead stared at him more seriously. The sight was very aggressive, as if he wanted to eat him alive.

The next thing Xie Quan heard was Ji Cheying sighing audibly, seemingly helplessly, with an expression not like Major General Ji, but more like the Ji Ming he knew.

In fact, where he was standing now was exactly where he was standing when they first met. At that time, the other was carrying two bags of garbage, wearing a pair of dirty slippers, and then showing a hole in the socks. Thinking of this, Xie Quan subconsciously looked down—well, today he was wearing a pair of black hard leather military boots.

Only then did Xie Quan realize that he seemed to have never asked the other about it, so he thought for a moment and asked, “Why are you disguised as a normal person?”

A major general in the military, but pretending to be a down-and-out worker.

Xie Quan’s question was so brainless that Ji Cheying was slightly stunned, but he was already somewhat accustomed to Xie Quan’s divergent thinking, so he naturally went along with Xie Quan’s topic. “Are you just now thinking of asking this matter?”

“Hmm.” Xie Quan nodded his head.

Ji Cheying explained simply and straightforwardly, “Pretending to be a beta who has accomplished nothing will lower the killer’s guard and may be able to lure people in.”

He was so tall, how could the killer pick him? Even if he pretended to be, it was still impossible. Xie Quan’s eyes gradually moved down to the Adam’s apple—to be precise, the neck.

Xie Quan’s eyes lit up and his mind flashed.

Suddenly he realized…

“You’re not a beta?”

Ji Cheying was stunned as he remembered that he seemed to have been using the invisible gland patch, and subconsciously reached out to touch the back of his neck as he admitted in a loose tone, “Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you.” After all, it’s not that important.

“…”

Xie Quan subconsciously nose twitched, but did not smell the pheromone scent of the other’s body. It was also, after all, covered by glandular body patches. However, since he was an alpha then—

Xie Quan pondered and asked, “So Lieutenant Colonel Henry is not your alpha?”

Ji Cheying was used to Xie Quan’s divergent thinking, but he remained silent for a moment at such an unfolding. Then he asked, word for word, “Why is he my alpha?”

After taking a deep breath, without waiting for Xie Quan’s answer, Ji Cheying asked again, with a bit of incredulity and struggle, “First, what is ‘my alpha’?”

Was that what he understood? With Xie Quan’s brain circuit, it might mean something else.

Xie Quan looked at Ji Cheying’s reaction and knew he had guessed wrong. He waved his hand and said lightly, “Forget it if it’s not, don’t worry about it.”

With that, he pushed open the door to his room and prepared to go back to his apartment, he still had to pack his bags. However, Ji Cheying grabbed Xie Quan’s shoulder, and then his low voice came from behind Xie Quan’s back.

“No, I think we need to talk about this. Where did you get the impression that he would be… my alpha?” Those last few words almost popped out from between Ji Cheying’s teeth.

He really wanted to pry Xie Quan’s head open to see what was inside, to think that he and Henry were a couple? That’s crazy!

Xie Quan had no choice but to turn around under Ji Cheying’s force, while his mind raced.

When Ji Cheying asked this question, Xie Quan couldn’t quite remember why he thought they were a couple in the first place.

I should have known better than to ask that question.

Looking at Ji Cheying’s murderous face, Xie Quan gave up remembering and answered, “Because I felt you two were close.”

“…”

Ji Cheying was about to ask a follow-up question, but Xie Quan didn’t want to discuss the topic any further, so he took the initiative and asked, “So your name isn’t Ji Ming either?”

As the saying goes, it’s not a good idea to mention the pot.

Xie Quan asked another question that he regretted.

Because as soon as he finished asking, Ji Cheying smiled angrily, the corners of his mouth turned up in a dangerous curve, and with his hand still gripping Xie Quan’s shoulder, he asked in a gentle tone, “You’re just now thinking of asking my name?”

Oh, no.

Xie Quan was slow, but his sense of crisis made him take a step back, only to have his back immediately hit the closed door, and he realized he had no way to escape.

There is no way out, so we can only face it.

He didn’t blink and looked straight back at the aggressive sight.

Ji Cheying’s features were deep, extremely aggressive-looking, sword-browed, starry-eyed heroic, and shedding the disguise of a down-and-out worker. The imperial general’s unruffled aura was like a sharp sword sheathed in a stern and open manner.

“…”

With the burning breath approaching, his heartbeat was suddenly briefly out of order. Xie Quan frowned and then still quickly averted his eyes.

“I was wrong,” he said briskly.

A true man can bow and rise at will.1 As long as he lied and lost fast enough, no one could really beat him.

The hot, humid breath finally stopped next to his ear, and after a moment of silence, Ji Cheying’s voice was inexplicably low and muffled. “Scaredy cat.” The voice also carried a bit of pity and regret. Releasing his grip on Xie Quan’s shoulder, Ji Cheying stood up straight and pulled away.

Xie Quan turned his head to look right then, only to see Ji Cheying eyes dark, like the dark night, but also like a fire. However, without waiting for Xie Quan to take a closer look, Ji Cheying took a step back, and he suddenly began to introduce himself, “Ji Cheying, Empire’s five-star major general, twenty-four years old, male alpha, not married…” The tone was very proper and serious, as if in an interview.

Xie Quan listened, felt that something was wrong and couldn’t help but interrupt, “I’m just asking your name, not checking your account.”

Ji Cheying stopped talking, as if he had reacted to what he had done subconsciously. He reached out and rubbed his brow, lowered his voice and said, “Right, it’s too early to say this, you can learn more about it later.”

Xie Quan was silent for a moment. He didn’t really want to know, could he refuse? However, when he met Ji Cheying’s gaze, Xie Quan decided to agree for the time being. “Okay.”

That’s it, he had to go back and pack his bags.

====

Two days later, Ji Cheying and his group boarded the special airship to the imperial capital. There was no one else in the airship but Ji Cheying’s team of 20 people he brought to Noel City with him, and a surprise guest.

The flight time between Noel City and the capital was 24 hours by airship, but it could be shortened to three hours by plane. But the airship ride was more comfortable, and there were rooms to rest. Generally, rich people who were not in a hurry to travel would give priority to the more comfortable airship.

As a soldier, Ji Cheying seldom took the dirigible, but this time, considering that Xie Quan was an ordinary person, taking a high-speed aircraft was more burdensome to the body, and his injury had just recovered, which was why he perversely chose the airship.

After boarding the airship, Henry took Xie Quan to his room, then instructed, “Mr. Xie rest well, I will come to inform you of dinner later.” After a pause, he added, “Major General will have a meeting with the military, so he may not be able to accompany you for a while, but he is in the next room.”

Xie Quan was a bit speechless. “…Oh.”

He was not a child, so why did he need company?

After the instructions, Henry was ready to close the door and leave, but just when he turned around and was about to close the door, he decided to ask after repeatedly struggling, “Um, Mr. Xie, do you know what happened to the major general recently?”

Xie Quan looked at Henry with a puzzled face.

Henry gripped the door handle and said, “Recently the major general seems to be very distant from me, did I do something wrong? Did he ever mention it to you?”

For the first two days, he didn’t know where to go back. He greeted Major General but was ignored by Major General. And as soon as he came slightly closer, Major General immediately took a few steps back.

It’s like, it’s like he’s a virus!

With a blink of an eye, Xie Quan’s mind was instantly clear. It was probably because of what he said before.

His lips moved slightly, then he said, “Maybe… He wants to be quiet lately.”

Henry scratched his hair. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good, I was afraid that I had accidentally done something wrong and made Major General angry.” Henry gratefully smiled at Xie Quan. “Thank you, then I’ll go out first. If there is anything you need, you can find me.”

Xie Quan heard this and his heart was slightly moved.

“Lieutenant Colonel Henry,” he called out to Henry, then he cared to ask, “What is the smell of your pheromones?”

“…”

 

The author has something to say: 

Henry: is having the biggest crisis of his career! What do I do when my boss’s sweetheart asks me about my pheromone?

Translator Notes:

大丈夫能屈能伸: An idiom from Book of Changes. There are plenty of ways to translate it, but it overall means to be able to adapt to circumstances.