CR CH91

Chapter 91: Desire

The warm breath still seemed to linger by his ear.

Even after several days, whenever Jiang Tianji recalled the whisper Ling Kongmiao had murmured close to him during a quiet moment, a subtle stir would ripple through his heart.

Being escorted from the Academy to Z01 had been far too rushed, so the coat Ling Kongmiao had tossed his way as an act of charity had never found an opportunity to be returned, remaining hung in his wardrobe.

Originally, it hadn’t felt like much, but the way Ling Kongmiao put it made everything feel strangely loaded. His tone had been flat, yet he had leaned right against Jiang Tianji’s ear, his breath brushing against the auricle.

As if Jiang Tianji had done something indecent with that coat.

How one interpreted it depended entirely on the person. Someone straightforward might think the other was just in a good mood and cracking a joke, completely normal. But for someone like Jiang Tianji, harboring ulterior motives and improper designs, it was indistinguishable from an explicit hint.

No matter how restrained a healthy Alpha of this age tried to be, certain desires were inherently fervent.

Right now, training and missions had just wrapped up.

Leaning against the railing outside the training room, Jiang Tianji zoned out, unconsciously touching the back of his neck.

He took regular suppressant injections; to prevent any mishaps, he had even injected a potent, specialized suppressant prior to the mission. But by all appearances, it didn’t seem to be a matter of a rut…

Recalling the underwear hanging out to dry on his balcony, Jiang Tianji sighed softly and looked toward the top floor of a building not far away.

The sunlight was blinding. He squinted slightly, his dark green eyes turning bright and pale in the glare, revealing a fleeting glimpse of emotion that was anything but subtle.

Jiang Tianji had always been indifferent toward that sort of thing. He never had excessive needs, taking care of it on his own at regular intervals. Later, as life grew busier, the relentless training regimen and collective living pushed it completely out of his mind.

The Special Support unit consumed massive amounts of energy, but it offered personal quarters. As an S-rank combat specialist, Jiang Tianji’s physical constitution was inherently superior to ordinary people, leaving him with plenty of stamina to spare.

Being strung along like this by a certain someone had an effect comparable to a catalyst.

Both were sharp and perceptive; whether Ling Kongmiao wasn’t giving him an inch or was deliberately letting his guard down, Jiang Tianji knew full well.

Yet each time, he only yielded the tiniest bit. Even if Jiang Tianji possessed the patience, he lacked the endurance.

Ling Kongmiao had been very busy over the past few days, only crossing paths during missions. Usually, right after an operation concluded, he would depart ahead in a small aircraft. According to Sister Eileen, he had been spending most of his time at the Federal Center lately.

Yet even in a rush, he remained impeccably composed. The buttons of his uniform were always fastened meticulously. When having to handle official business continuously or feeling slightly fatigued, Ling Kongmiao would tie his hair up.

Every time he watched him pull the hair tie off his wrist and hold it between his teeth, Jiang Tianji felt as if a feather were brushing against his heart.

Clearly such an aloof and distant person, yet those subtle daily habits were unbearably charming.

Perhaps because of this, in certain dreams Jiang Tianji would always untie that hair tie, letting the silver-white tresses cascade across the bed; under the soft moonlight, buttons would scatter across the floor, accompanied by Ling Kongmiao’s ragged breath and unraveled composure…

“Tian… Xiao Tian?”

“Huh?”

You Li’s voice pulled him back to reality. Jiang Tianji smiled at him.

“Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”

“It’s fine. Make sure to get some rest.”

Seeing that his complexion looked normal enough, You Li gave a brief reminder before handing him a stack of documents.

“Deliver these to the Captain. I have other matters to attend to here.”

“Sure.” Jiang Tianji suddenly caught on. “He’s back?”

“Yeah. Looks like things have wrapped up for now.”

You Li replied casually. Seeing how busy he was, Jiang Tianji didn’t press further, turning around and heading toward the Special Support building.

Reaching the office door, Jiang Tianji noticed it was ajar. He knocked twice before pushing it open.

“Captain, I’m here to deliver some documents.”

The voices inside abruptly stopped, and the atmosphere stiffened.

Sensing something amiss, Jiang Tianji’s gaze locked squarely onto the other occupant.

Opposite Ling Kongmiao sat an elderly man radiating the demeanor of a scholar. His gaze rested upon Jiang Tianji, turbid eyes flickering with complex emotions.

His stare was so direct, yet it felt as if it were looking right through him.

“Elder Sun,” Ling Kongmiao spoke up suddenly.

“Ah.” Realizing his lapse, Elder Sun immediately withdrew his gaze. “Then I won’t disturb you any longer. In any case, you’ve worked hard during this period.”

“You flatter me, sir.” Ling Kongmiao shook his head, rising while signaling Jiang Tianji with his eyes. “Come see Elder Sun off.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jiang Tianji stepped to Elder Sun’s side, quietly observing the old man.

Just then, Ling Kongmiao’s comms vibrated. He paused, making no move to answer it. Elder Sun, however, waved his hand dismissively.

“Someone’s seeing me out, go ahead and attend to your business.”

With a pointed chuckle, the elder added:

“A master never means harm to his disciple. Listen to advice once in a while.”

“I’ve also been a master; the favorite child is never the obedient one.”

Ling Kongmiao’s gaze swept past Jiang Tianji standing nearby, quickly pulling away as he raised an eyebrow.

“…You have a point.”

The two walked out of the office.

Turning back to close the door, Jiang Tianji caught sight of Ling Kongmiao gripping the communicator with furrowed brows, ultimately leaving it unanswered.

Before that sharp gaze could sweep over, Jiang Tianji cleanly pulled the door shut and followed the device’s navigation to escort Elder Sun to the hover platform.

The sunlight outside was somewhat gentler than earlier. Elder Sun kept his attention on the young man beside him.

“Jiang Tianji, that’s your name, isn’t it?”

Jiang Tianji smiled. “Yes, Elder Sun.”

Relaxing his expression, Elder Sun murmured under his breath, “Jiang Yan certainly knows how to choose a name.”

The old man’s voice was too indistinct for Jiang Tianji to catch clearly. “Pardon? What did you say, sir?”

The hover platform was right ahead. Beside an aircraft bearing the Research Institute insignia stood several guards, who bowed respectfully to the elderly man.

“Nothing.”

“Young people should hold onto their ambitions. If you find time one day, go take a look at the Federal Star Overseer Academy.”

Elder Sun studied him for quite a while before slowly speaking.

“Few people visit the third floor of the library, but there is a book I’d like to recommend to you.”

“Alright.” Jiang Tianji accepted naturally, courteous yet composed. “May I ask which book?”

“‘The Flowerless Land.’” Elder Sun stepped onto the hover platform, his back turned to Jiang Tianji. “The author is Zheng Qing, a student of mine.”

Jiang Tianji remained where he stood, watching Elder Sun depart.

The aircraft swiftly cruised away from the hover platform, yet he did not leave immediately.

It was only when his device vibrated repeatedly that he snapped out of his daze. Seeing the caller display, Jiang Tianji answered at once.

“Captain.”

“Come over in twenty minutes.”

The device buzzed softly; Jiang Tianji glanced down—Ling Kongmiao had shared his location coordinates.

This was the scheduled time for mental training, but previously it had always taken place in the training room. Just as he was about to ask, background noise filtered through the line, among which Eileen’s voice faintly carried over:

“Did you forget I can fly?”

A loud crash of shattering glass echoed, and Eileen’s voice rang clear:

“How many times do I have to tell you—in your condition, you can’t allow energy to build up! Did you think hiding in your dorm would stop me?”

“Are you out of your mind?” Ling Kongmiao’s voice was low, but Jiang Tianji detected a perilous hint of lethal intent.

Another burst of static followed, and with a soft chime, the call cut off completely.

“…”

Jiang Tianji spun around, following the navigation route as he sprinted toward Ling Kongmiao’s quarters.

Yet, when he reached the front of Ling Kongmiao’s dorm, the violent scene he had envisioned was nowhere to be found.

It was eerily quiet.

When sharing his location, Ling Kongmiao had also granted him access permissions. Before Jiang Tianji could even transmit a visit request, the door slid open automatically.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside, and the mechanical door sealed behind him.

At that very moment, the bathroom door was pushed open, billowing with steam.

Ling Kongmiao wore only a towel wrapped around his waist. His long silver-white hair, slightly wavy and damp, draped lazily over one shoulder, while beast ears tipped with tiny blue flames twitched gently twice.

“Didn’t I tell you to come in twenty minutes?”

“…”

He dried his hair as he walked toward the bedroom, receiving no response from Jiang Tianji after quite some time.

Catching the sudden approach of a crisp lemon scent, Ling Kongmiao halted and looked back.

Jiang Tianji had come up behind him at some point, closing the distance between them in an instant.

Ling Kongmiao stood before the wardrobe. Suddenly, Jiang Tianji pressed a hand against the wardrobe door he was about to open, the motion carrying a distinct firmness.

Trapping Ling Kongmiao between his arms, Jiang Tianji tilted his head up slightly, his eyes gleaming with the predatory aggression innate to an Alpha combat specialist.

“Captain, sometimes I really want to ask if you’re doing this on purpose.”

His field of view was entirely conquered by the body before him. Pale skin kissed by vapor, setting aside his flawless physique—

Jiang Tianji’s gaze drifted downward, settling on the fluffy, oversized tail swaying behind the loosely draped bath towel. The faint blue flames made him appear almost otherworldly, bewitching.

The opening where the tail pushed past the towel left an empty gap, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his waistline.

“Planning a mutiny?”

Ling Kongmiao looked down at him, his voice laced with post-shower languor. Jiang Tianji felt a distinct, tingling shudder run through his ear.

The blue flames felt like water to the touch, faintly cool.

Ling Kongmiao brushed his tail across Jiang Tianji’s wrist, then flicked his cheek in a warning tap.

Jiang Tianji yielded to the force and turned his head slightly.

He could almost hear the sound of a certain string snapping completely inside his mind.