CR CH82

Chapter 82: Hot Spring

A few hours prior.

The newly joined team members were assigned to Dormitory Area D. Although the single-occupancy rooms were not large, they were fully equipped with all the essentials. The officers’ apartments, on the other hand, were located in the central zone.

Jiang Tianji had just finished unpacking his belongings when a knock sounded at his door—it was Zhao Hengyi coming over to find him.

Zhao Hengyi was warm, generous, and completely guileless. With a few seemingly offhand inquiries, Jiang Tianji successfully extracted the direction of Ling Kongmiao’s quarters from him.

“Captain’s apartment is right over there—we’re all on the same floor.”

Zhao Hengyi walked over to the window, intending to point out a general direction. As he looked out, a pleasant surprise struck him. “What a coincidence! From right here, you can see the window of Boss’s bedroom.”

Jiang Tianji stepped to his side and looked out. Zhao Hengyi pointed in a specific direction.

“There, the one on the balcony with the glowing little flowers.”

It was indeed a huge coincidence. It sat on an upper level directly in front of him—an angle that required him to tilt his head up slightly to see.

Though separated by a considerable distance, Jiang Tianji used his special Hunter abilities to view the interior furnishings with absolute clarity.

Noticing his gaze, Zhao Hengyi couldn’t help but tease, “You really like the Captain, don’t you, kid?”

Jiang Tianji merely smiled, leaving the comment unanswered.

Zhao Hengyi slung an arm around his shoulders as they walked out, chatting about various matters regarding the team along the way.

Jiang Tianji’s energy values were approaching stability. As a safety precaution, he still wore a suppressor collar, though he could freely switch between forms as long as no external forces triggered him.

In truth, Jiang Tianji had mastered form-shifting on the third day of his awakening.

However, keeping his tail served as a convenient excuse for friendly, unforced physical interactions.

Since most people couldn’t retract their beast features anyway, he low-key maintained his appearance.

The hot spring resort booked by You Li offered excellent privacy; it was one of the properties under his name, featuring an exclusive area closed to the public where he occasionally came to relax during breaks.

Moist steam swirled above the spring water. As night fell, soft lamps lit up the hot spring pools and surrounding pathways, with stone carvings simulating the flickering glow of candlelight.

The resort’s theme leaned toward an ancient aesthetic, accompanied by a faint incense that seemed to possess fatigue-relieving and relaxing properties.

A medium-sized aircraft parked on the floating platform. Wearing casual clothes, the group walked toward the changing rooms, laughter echoing along the path.

Jiang Tianji was sandwiched firmly between Zhao Hengyi and Jiang Ziming. Struggling to even turn his head, he could only maintain a polite smile.

From behind, Ling Kongmiao’s voice drifted over vaguely—he seemed to have taken a call, his voice growing fainter as he walked off toward a secluded spot.

Jiang Tianji turned his head, catching a glimpse of his receding figure through a nearby glass window.

This was his first time seeing Ling Kongmiao in casual attire. The grey-toned windbreaker suited his cool, detached demeanor exceptionally well. When he turned, his smooth, elegant lines were faintly visible—narrow waist, broad shoulders—and his silver-white hair was loosely tied, falling over his left shoulder.

Earlier, when he first stepped into the aircraft and sat down, Jiang Tianji had felt a sudden spark in his eyes. Surrounded by people, however, he couldn’t stare directly at Ling Kongmiao and could only clear his throat to avert his gaze.

Immediately afterward, Jiang Ziming and Zhao Hengyi had crowded over. The two tall Alphas blocked Ling Kongmiao completely from view. After enduring until the aircraft landed, the two marched on either side of him, overly enthusiastic as they escorted him forward.

The spring water trickled softly as the group chatted lazily in the hot spring area.

Up until this point, Jiang Tianji had failed to find a suitable moment to slip away.

“Little Tian, your abs feel amazing.”

Jiang Ziming sat right next to Jiang Tianji, alternately pinching his arm and feeling his abs. “Great physique! Almost rivals mine.”

“Can you stop blowing your own horn?” Zhao Hengyi struck a pose in the water, showing off his bulging, rounded muscles. “See this? This is what you call a physique.”

“Our lean muscle is just right! My wife says this is the kind people actually like,” Jiang Ziming dragged Jiang Tianji into a comparison. “I’m just a little shorter than you two. Well, a person can’t be perfect in every way, can they?”

“Sister-in-law was just coaxing you to make you happy, and you actually took it seriously?”

“Come, come, Old Wei, say something fair…”

Wei Jiangming, wrapped in a bathrobe and sitting on a nearby chair, chose to keep his eyes closed and rest his mind.

Some of the group soaked in the water while others reclined on lounge chairs, lazily relaxing during a rare break—except for the two with particularly overflowing energy.

Ye Li, quiet and fond of solitude, stayed tens of thousands of miles away, soaking quietly in a far corner.

“Sigh, how pitiful to be stuck with two people who have zero spatial awareness.”

Aileen walked over from not far away. Hearing this, she blew a whistle and winked at Jiang Tianji. “Why hasn’t the Captain arrived yet? Could he be lost?”

Catching her drift instantly, Jiang Tianji stood up smoothly. “I’ll go check on him. You guys keep chatting.”

“Yeah, where’s that guy hiding now?” Wei Jiangming waved a hand. “Go on, go on. If you can’t find him, don’t bother.”

Droplets of water glided down his skin as Jiang Tianji nimbly hauled himself ashore, casually grabbing a bathrobe to throw on with an indefinable charm in his movements.

“Not bad,” Aileen muttered, watching his back for a moment before clicking her tongue twice.

Tang Min, who had been soaking alone in a small spring and felt a bit dizzy, walked over in her bathrobe to chat with the main group. Hearing Aileen’s exclamation, she asked gossipingly, “What’s not bad?”

Aileen handed her a cup of hot cocoa and sighed, “The weather’s not bad.”

Shallow mist drifted across the stone steps. As Jiang Tianji walked along the winding path toward the changing room, he could vaguely see a shadow cast against the wall through the carved patterns. Originally planning to knock, he noticed the door was unlocked and pushed it open instead.

Under the dim, warm light, his eyes immediately locked onto the person sitting before the mirror.

Ling Kongmiao had already changed into a bathrobe, his grey windbreaker hanging on a rack nearby.

He sat sideways in front of the mirror with a slight frown. Perhaps due to the moisture, his silver hair was tangled together in a messy state.

“Captain, you haven’t come out for a while,” Jiang Tianji explained as he saw him look over. “Sister Aileen asked me to check on you and lead the way.”

As he spoke, he walked over to Ling Kongmiao’s side. “Let me do it.”

Ling Kongmiao did not decline. Jiang Tianji bent down to examine the hair closely, painstakingly untangling the hair tie fused with the silver strands. Under the warm light, everything felt hazy and ambiguous.

Unnoticed, his gaze began to drift, falling subtly onto the skin Ling Kongmiao left exposed.

Damp black hair dripped with water, a droplet landing right among Ling Kongmiao’s silver strands. To Jiang Tianji’s eyes, this minute movement acted like a spark, igniting a wild fire deep within his heart.

The surroundings were far too quiet. The secretive night served as fertile soil for dark, obsessive desires. When he sensed Ling Kongmiao’s gaze landing deep inside his loose bathrobe, the clarity in Jiang Tianji’s eyes was swallowed by dark gloom, his rationality scattering like mist.

As if possessed, he held Ling Kongmiao’s hair, instinctively leaning closer as a gaze full of possessiveness landed on the other’s pale, thin lips.

Just as his straightforward movements fully exposed his current thoughts, Ling Kongmiao suddenly spoke up.

“Why are your underwear pulled up so high?”

“…”

Like a bolt of lightning striking through the dark night, Jiang Tianji’s mind snapped back to clarity. “What?”

While he bewilderedly lowered his head to pull open his bathrobe, Ling Kongmiao took the opportunity to stand up, leisurely smoothing his hair as he walked outside.

Jiang Tianji didn’t follow immediately. Turning around, he unfastened his bathrobe and checked repeatedly, confirming that his underwear height was perfectly normal.

Realizing he had been played, Jiang Tianji let out a huff through his nose and slowly trailed after Ling Kongmiao’s steps.

Instead of joining the main group, they walked to a quiet, secluded hot spring pool.

Compared to the large pool where the others were, this one was much smaller. Ling Kongmiao made no effort to drive him away, casually shedding his bathrobe and tossing it onto a lounge chair.

Splash.

The warm spring water was on the hotter side, wrapping tightly around the body. Ling Kongmiao relaxed his posture, leaning against the pool wall with his eyes closed to rest.

Hearing the sound of someone entering the water beside him, he opened his eyes.

Jiang Tianji leaned directly opposite him, his fingers pushing a floating container holding fruits and honey water across the surface.

“Captain, do you need a massage service?”

Steam swirled around them. The size of the pool created an intimate setting; sitting face to face, leaning in felt too crowded, while leaning back was just right.

However, his shoulders and back were indeed somewhat stiff. Ling Kongmiao nodded, turning his body slightly.

Jiang Tianji let out a silent smile, pushing the fruit and honey water toward him.

Soon, however, he couldn’t bring himself to smile anymore.

Though it was merely a difference of one piece of clothing, everything felt completely altered.

The touch beneath his hands was smooth and delicate, yet the muscles were remarkably firm.

Ling Kongmiao looked slender in clothes, his narrow waist in uniform making people involuntarily glance extra times. In reality, though, this body possessed an intense sense of power, causing Jiang Tianji’s breath to become heavy and humid.

Ling Kongmiao’s skin was very fair, and red marks began to surface where Jiang Tianji pressed down. Zoning out briefly, Jiang Tianji’s fingers naturally slid down to the mark of his own scale, rubbing it with a touch of hidden personal desire.

The black scale mark flickered with a dark green glow. Sensing certain emotions, tiny specks of luminous green energy floated up.

“During your probation period, you need to obey directives at all times. If a mission’s difficulty exceeds your current baseline values, you’ll be assigned to other teams,” Ling Kongmiao said in a languid tone.

Jiang Tianji’s gaze refocused. Processing what was being said, he responded half a beat late, “Understood.”

“In a good mood?”

“Hmm?”

Startled by the sudden question, Jiang Tianji’s expression froze.

Fortunately, Ling Kongmiao didn’t turn around. Jiang Tianji feigned composure and smiled faintly. “It’s alright. First time in a hot spring—it feels quite novel.”

Ling Kongmiao gave a soft laugh. “Build a good relationship with You Li. He’ll give you plenty of perk cards.”

“He seems really busy usually.”

“Yeah, there are internal family matters he needs to handle as well.”

The two chatted casually back and forth, the atmosphere far more relaxed than imagined.

Jiang Tianji’s head began to feel dizzy. Ling Kongmiao’s languid voice seemed to possess a strange magic, coaxing the stray thoughts in his heart to sprout.

For some reason, Jiang Tianji suddenly recalled the scene from this morning where Jiang Ziming rested his head on Ling Kongmiao’s shoulder, and the strength in his hands unconsciously tightened.

Even though Ling Kongmiao’s expression was always full of disdain, he had never refused the other man’s approach, treating it as a form of indulgence.

Jiang Tianji didn’t care about a specific individual—he cared about Ling Kongmiao’s attitude.

The very first time he noticed an unhealthy emotion within himself was when Ling Kongmiao walked past him toward Liang Chong, casting a glance as if at a complete stranger, before stopping in front of Liang Chong to offer instructions.

At the time, he had attributed that split-second emotion to Liang Chong. Now, even with a different person involved, Jiang Tianji realized it remained exactly the same.

Though he found it baffling himself and knew he shouldn’t be like this, he simply couldn’t bring himself not to care.

Back at the Federal Center, Jiang Yan’s words had served as a warning. She had likely noticed the signs of something wrong and placed the cruel reality before him in advance. Jiang Tianji knew there was worry and testing in the look she gave him, and he knew full well how he ought to act.

When he heard his mother draw an analogy using stuffed animals and stray pets, Jiang Tianji had quietly refuted it in his heart.

If it were Ling Kongmiao, he wouldn’t become a stuffed toy locked in a box; he would at least place him by his bedside.

And if he were a stray animal, Jiang Tianji would demonstrate what it meant to snatch something before anyone else had the chance.

Yet it seemed to stop right there—Jiang Yan hadn’t wrongly accused him after all.

At his core, Jiang Tianji was cold and detached. Compared to affection, he was far more loyal to desire.

“Perishing together? Sounds like a decent ending.”

That day, Jiang Tianji had heard his own calm voice, far more composed than imagined.

When night fell, however, he suffered a rare bout of insomnia.

His thoughts scattered uncontrollably. He remembered Ling Kongmiao’s cold, sharp face, his mocking tone, and his merciless evaluations.

Images and sounds flashed continuously through his mind, finally settling on the evening party before the ranking division, where the man’s demeanor softened in an instant.

Upon hearing himself say, “You didn’t smell wrong. My mom says my nose is sharper than a dog’s,” he had seen Ling Kongmiao’s expression turn immensely complex, the coldness in his eyes melting away like water.

“What are you doing here?”

That sentence had been far too gentle. No matter how many times he replayed it, he couldn’t stay calm; it always stirred a trace of unwillingness in his heart.

Jiang Tianji had suddenly flipped out of bed and walked silently into the washroom.

He didn’t turn on the lights, simply leaning against the vanity counter and zoning out.

He had been drinking that day. Jiang Tianji suddenly wasn’t sure if he had been drunk at the time.

Had that Ling Kongmiao truly existed? The moment the thought arose, rationality attempted to offer an affirmative answer, only for emotion to suppress its voice.

—Are you really sure?

In that lingering pause, Jiang Tianji realized he had no way of proving the truth of that moment to anyone.

“Holy shit, bro, what are you doing?”

It wasn’t until Feng Huo woke up to use the bathroom and turned on the lights, startling himself into a curse upon finding someone inside.

Yeah, what am I doing? Jiang Tianji froze for a moment.

As if possessed, he had run into the washroom in the middle of the night without sleeping, just to ponder whether a gentle phrase spoken by a male Alpha officer had truly ever existed.

Thinking up to this point, Jiang Tianji suddenly laughed.

He genuinely found it hilarious, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Feng Huo stared at him in complete bewilderment, just about to ask, “Did you have a nightmare?” when Jiang Tianji wiped his face, hastily left an apology, and brushed past him out of the washroom.

During his awakening:

He had been gambling when he reached into the air following the scent, because he couldn’t see a single thing.

When he truly grasped that distinct, bony hand, Jiang Tianji found it hard to describe his feelings at the time—it felt like anticipation, like pain, like all emotions finding a place to land and being caught by someone.

He sometimes wondered: if his hand had caught nothing but air that day, what would the outcome have been?

The invisible line that had been pulling him would have snapped, and charging forward with so much force, he would have suffered a devastating fall.

So he had grasped a piece of “evidence”—at the party before the ranking division, that gentle sentence had not been his hallucination.

Ling Kongmiao was Xiao Bai; he remembered everything he had said.

Upon waking up, Ling Kongmiao’s attitude remained as usual, showing not a single trace of special treatment. Yet right after he left, Jiang Tianji received photos of his own dark history—a pathetic-looking youth inside a pit.

He had so many questions he wanted to ask, such as: Why did you take this photo? Why were you by my side?

In the end, he asked none of it. With a slight turn of his thoughts, he managed to draw even more anticipation from it.

And suspicion.

Both made Jiang Tianji feel faintly excited. By the time he snapped back to reality, he was already walking toward that tail extending through the gap.

The world outside might be full of dangers or packed with surprises. Either way, he found it intriguing.

Provided that this tail was visible to him alone.

Splash.

The sound of water pulled Jiang Tianji back from his wandering thoughts, only to realize he had left numerous red marks on Ling Kongmiao’s back and shoulders.

Strands of silver hair floated on the water’s surface, a few sticking to his arm.

Their distance had closed unawares; Jiang Tianji could smell the faint scent on him.

At an age of abundant energy and peak physical condition, the night, the steam, the ambiance—everything was just right. Combined with his straying thoughts, Jiang Tianji found it difficult to suppress the surging heat within his blood.

The movement of his hands paused slightly. Sensing his stiffness, Ling Kongmiao asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Tianji made up an offhand excuse. “The pool floor is slippery. Watch your step.”

“Mind your own business.”

Ling Kongmiao said slowly, “Just don’t go plunging in yourself without being able to get back up. I won’t be fishing you out.”

There was a subtle, strange nuance in his tone; Jiang Tianji felt as though there were hidden meanings behind his words.

At this point, however, he couldn’t afford to care about anything else. While keeping an eye on Ling Kongmiao’s movements, Jiang Tianji quickly lowered his head to check his situation.

Though the mist made things hazy, both people in the pool possessed exceptional night vision. Jiang Tianji took a soft breath and unobservedly shifted his body backward.

Suddenly, Ling Kongmiao turned around.

Caught completely off guard, Jiang Tianji’s heart pounded wildly. With lightning speed, he vaulted onto the shore and grabbed the nearby bathrobe to throw over himself.

Perhaps because the scene was far too intense, Jiang Tianji felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Sensing a surge of warmth in his nose, he immediately raised his hand to cover it.

The sound of water behind him ceased. Ling Kongmiao asked in a bland tone, “Acting so jumpy—did your crazy streak flare up again?”

With his back facing him, Jiang Tianji feigned composure. “I soaked too long and got a bit dizzy. I’m going outside to get some fresh air.”

Without waiting for Ling Kongmiao’s response, he hurried along the winding path.

Once out of Ling Kongmiao’s line of sight, Jiang Tianji didn’t even have time to smooth his messy bathrobe. Spotting the blood on his palm, he was just about to head toward the changing room when he ran straight into the four-person strolling group head-on:

Jiang Ziming, Zhao Hengyi, Aileen, and Tang Min.

“Oh my! Why are you having a nosebleed?”

Zhao Hengyi’s booming voice was extraordinarily penetrating, feeling as though everyone within a few miles could hear the shout—and Ling Kongmiao was right in the small building behind him.

Jiang Ziming took a couple of quick steps forward, taking out a tissue from his pocket to hand over. “What happened? Quick, wipe it off.”

Aileen: “Young people sure have vigorous health.”

Meeting Aileen’s gaze, which was filled with interest as if she had guessed the truth, Jiang Tianji took the tissue from Jiang Ziming and stubborn added a line:

“…Accidentally soaked for too long.”

Jiang Ziming unintentionally twisted the knife: “You haven’t even been in for that long. Are you physically weak or something?”

Jiang Tianji: “…”