MVCFO CH72

Tang Zhe was the doctor who had stayed by Lu Cong’s side the longest.

In truth, looking across the entire Alliance military, Tang Zhe’s medical skills were not considered top-notch. Perhaps calling them “average” was already a compliment.

Lu Cong kept him for so long for reasons Tang Zhe himself understood clearly—

Honest, loyal, scrupulously obedient, and dedicated.

Well, simply put, he was a very sincere person, and tight-lipped.

Tang Zhe’s medical skills were sufficient, but not the type to make significant breakthroughs. Before he met Lu Cong, he always thought his career ceiling would be being picked over and discarded by the military, eventually retiring to a small hospital or even a small clinic.

Unexpectedly, he ended up becoming the personal military doctor to an Alliance hero and Major General, a position he held for several years.

Tang Zhe was a very serious and dutiful person.

He was exceptionally cowardly when he needed to be, but also incredibly loyal, and wouldn’t be cowardly towards anyone other than Lu Cong.

This very sincerity ensured his lifelong prosperity.

But his career seemed to be coming to an end today.

Because he actually refused Lu Cong’s command to get medicine and even lectured Lu Cong for five minutes:

“I told you before, your situation is very special. Although various symptoms seem severe, you are completely capable of controlling your mind from being affected. Think about it, the military’s reviews were so strict these past two years, and you passed them all. That wasn’t a coincidence; it’s because you can choose not to see hallucinations when you don’t want to, and not to have an episode when you don’t want to. What does that mean?”

“That means—”

Tang Zhe’s voice rose as he spoke, “The reason you haven’t recovered is because you don’t want to recover at all. Every time you see a hallucination, it’s because you! Want! To! See! It!”

Lu Cong was stunned by his shouting: “?”

He frowned, staring at Tang Zhe: “Speak louder, let the whole building hear you.”

“Apologies, apologies, I got too excited.”

Tang Zhe, feeling guilty, quickly covered his mouth and lowered his voice in a belated attempt to mend things.

He continued, “But this is what I’ve always struggled to understand, Major General. Your various examination data during this period show that you are very healthy. Even your glandular hormones have balanced out significantly. Except for the occasional brief pheromone disorder, at other times, your body has been in its ideal best state for years. I thought you had resolved to heal yourself mentally, so why this sudden large dose of medication today?”

“I am a doctor; I need to prescribe medicine based on the symptoms. I need to know what the trigger or special circumstances caused your mental instability. If you cannot explain it clearly, then I cannot give you this medicine.”

For the first time, Tang Zhe was so unyielding, his back ramrod straight, his 1.76-meter height radiating the presence of two meters.

Lu Cong said expressionlessly, “Then get out.”

Tang Zhe: “Huh?”

Lu Cong’s tone was slow and cold: “Within today, pack your things, and get out.”

Tang Zhe paid a heavy price for his first act of bravery in his life.

He would be fired.

No, he had already been fired.

For someone like Lu Cong, a single sentence could determine Tang Zhe’s fate.

He was told to get out, but not where to go.

Would he go to another part of the military, or to the underworld? Tang Zhe didn’t know.

He trembled, forcing a cowardly smile, looking utterly miserable: “Major General, I…”

Just then, a lively set of footsteps sounded outside the door, bouncing closer.

The person knocked twice, and then Tang Zhe heard a clear, pleasant voice:

“Hello, hello, is Lu Cong inside?”

An hour ago, Lin Xiangqi was still sleeping in. He felt the person beside him had already gotten up.

In a haze, Lin Xiangqi asked Lu Cong where he was going, and Lu Cong said he was going to the medical center to get medicine.

“Sleeping pills?” Lin Xiangqi asked.

Lu Cong said, “Inhibitors.”

Lin Xiangqi mumbled, “Other alphas use omega pheromones to alleviate their susceptible periods.”

Lu Cong touched his cheek and said, “Then you need to work harder and differentiate sooner.”

“That’s not something you can just work hard to achieve,” Lin Xiangqi yawned. 

Lu Cong said, “You sleep a bit more, I’ll be back once I get the medicine.”

“Okay.”

Lin Xiangqi didn’t think much of it and continued to sleep, hugging his blanket.

But Lu Cong was taking an unusually long time to get the medicine this time. Lin Xiangqi tossed and turned in the empty bed, unable to sleep without Lu Cong, so he simply sat up.

The room’s sanitation was done by the smart devices daily. If Lin Xiangqi had slept until nine o’clock as usual, he wouldn’t have discovered the medicine bottle in the trash can.

But as luck would have it, he woke up early today.

When the robot came in to prepare to fold his blanket and clean the trash, Lin Xiangqi had already thrown the medicine bottle back. He acted as if he had never rummaged through the trash can, washing up with a normal expression.

Lu Cong had secrets, and he wouldn’t question them.

But if Lu Cong was in danger, he couldn’t just stand by.

“Hello, hello,”

Hearing the voice outside the door, Tang Zhe froze for a moment.

He didn’t initially realize who dared to address the Major General so directly, until he noticed that the Major General’s fierce aura instantly retracted, and he went to open the door for the person. Only then did he remember that there was such an Omega, a very special existence to the Major General.

The moment the door opened, Lin Xiangqi’s eyes smiled at Lu Cong.

His eyes were crescent-shaped, his delicate features paired with a sunny expression, making anyone who saw him immediately feel cheerful.

Lu Cong unconsciously softened the sharpness in his eyes, his whole demeanor becoming gentle.

Lin Xiangqi immediately jumped into Lu Cong’s arms, hugging his neck: “Didn’t you say you’d be back after getting some medicine? It’s been so long, haven’t you finished yet?”

The medicine Lu Cong told Lin Xiangqi he was getting was the susceptible period inhibitor.

But Lin Xiangqi didn’t seem to care much at the time.

“Something came up, delayed me,” Lu Cong said, holding his legs. “Why did you come here by yourself?”

Lin Xiangqi had been living with Lu Cong for about a month now, but he rarely encountered the staff here. When he accidentally did, he would try to minimize his presence and deliberately maintain a distance from Lu Cong.

After all, to the world ten years later, Lin Xiangqi’s origins were unclear, and he was afraid of causing trouble for Lu Cong.

The medical center was a place he visited more often, but unless necessary, he wouldn’t come here on his own initiative. Usually, Lu Cong would bring him for treatment, and they would come and go together.

He would remain silent in front of the doctors, letting Lu Cong speak for him, as if that way his identity wouldn’t be questioned.

Actually, Lin Xiangqi didn’t know that anyone who could enter this building was considered Lu Cong’s confidant, or at least someone who wouldn’t dare to defy Lu Cong.

Even if Lin Xiangqi swaggered around inside, no one would question it.

Lu Cong had told Lin Xiangqi many times before that he could move freely here, but Lin Xiangqi remained cautious.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xiangqi suddenly became more spontaneous today and actually took the initiative to come to the medical center to find Lu Cong.

“I was so bored staying alone,” Lin Xiangqi said, then suddenly kissed Lu Cong in front of Tang Zhe, with a loud smack, so ostentatiously that it made people blush. He pouted and complained, “I want you to accompany me.”

Tang Zhe stood nearby, his internal monologue so rich that he almost forgot to breathe.

This Omega! Kissed! The Major General!

And the Major General not only didn’t resist or get angry! He seemed rather pleased!

Good heavens, what a big news for the Alliance!

Just then, Lu Cong glanced at him meaningfully.

“!!!” Tang Zhe broke out in a cold sweat. Driven by a strong will to survive, he bowed deeply and said, “I’ll go prepare your medicine now!”

He hurried out.

Lin Xiangqi’s gaze drifted after Tang Zhe for a moment, then finally settled back on Lu Cong.

“Why are you so clingy today?” Lu Cong kicked the door shut, held Lin Xiangqi, and pressed him against the back of the door, asking, “How do you want me to accompany you?”

Lin Xiangqi’s eyes darted mischievously. He said, “Aren’t you going to some military base today for a war simulation? I want to go too. I want to fight alongside you.”

Lu Cong looked at him, feeling a slight confusion, thinking Lin Xiangqi seemed exceptionally… proactive today.

Before, Lin Xiangqi was always worried about causing trouble for Lu Cong, so he never asked about his official business and never disturbed him when Lu Cong was busy.

Now, Lin Xiangqi actually said he wanted to accompany him on a business trip.

Lu Cong suppressed his confusion and said, “That won’t do. The simulation battlefield is very dangerous.”

“Ah,” Lin Xiangqi wasn’t insistent, just showed a regretful expression and said, “When are you leaving?”

Lu Cong checked the time and said, “Departing in an hour.”

Lin Xiangqi asked again, “Then I can’t call you today, right?”

Lu Cong said, “Yes, your terminal will be connected to the simulation battlefield, so you might not receive calls. But after it’s over, I’ll tell you immediately.”

“Okay,” Lin Xiangqi didn’t know what he was thinking, his eyelashes fluttering.

Lu Cong: “If you want me to accompany you 24 hours a day, I’ll resign from my position as Major General.”

Lin Xiangqi glared at him: “Don’t joke like that. You just keep being a good general. I’ll find things to do if I’m bored.”

Lu Cong chuckled softly: “Then what are you planning to do today?”

“I found a movie to watch that premiered the summer I graduated,” Lin Xiangqi said, seductively biting Lu Cong’s lip, his meaning unclear, “It’s an old movie to you, but a new one to me.”

Lu Cong was caught off guard by his unskilled kiss and forgot to question Lin Xiangqi’s slight abnormality, instinctively saying, “I can go back and watch it with you for a while.”

“Now?” Lin Xiangqi said, “Not now.”

Lu Cong said, “Then what do you want to play with now?”

Lin Xiangqi provocatively licked his chin with the tip of his tongue: “Now, I’ll play with you.”

Tang Zhe, exhibiting his characteristic blend of cowardice and loyalty, obediently prepared the Major General’s medicine to avoid being fired.

However, when he returned with the medicine, the Major General and the Omega were nowhere to be seen in the consultation room.

He didn’t dare to ask much, guarding the medicine bottle in his office, while worriedly thinking, “Will I be summarily executed and left exposed in the wilderness tonight for angering the Major General?” At the same time, he couldn’t help but gossip, wondering, “That Omega is truly deceptive in appearance; he looks innocent and naive, yet he managed to make a cold-hearted person fall in love. His methods are top-notch.”

All sorts of chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind.

Until there was a knock on the office door.

He looked up and saw the Major General’s Omega, so he quickly stood up in a panic.

“You…”

Tang Zhe just opened his mouth, then realized his mistake.

The Major General had given the other party such great authority, and showed no concern about publicly displaying their intimate relationship. It was highly likely that their marriage was imminent.

Despite this Omega’s youth, his future was limitless. Tang Zhe needed to be careful with his wording.

Tang Zhe smiled slightly and said, “You are.”

“You too.”

Lin Xiangqi’s steps were a little unsteady as he slowly walked in, holding onto the wall. A strong scent of Alpha pheromones still emanated from his body.

Tang Zhe was startled: The Major General didn’t perform a lifetime mark so quickly, did he?!

Although Lin Xiangqi’s current gland development was indeed much better than he had anticipated, and advancing the lifetime mark was completely fine, Lu Cong had some unknown concerns and had not agreed to the suggestion of an early mark.

Could it be that Lu Cong couldn’t restrain himself today…?

But if it was a lifetime mark, this amount of time was a bit too short.

Generally, high-level Alphas take a very long time for a permanent mark. Especially at the Major General’s level.

Tang Zhe believed that the Major General was mighty and domineering, and his pheromones were strong enough that he shouldn’t have completed a lifetime mark in less than half a day.

So he asked, “I smell pheromones. May I ask, did the Major General perform a temporary mark on you just now?”

Lin Xiangqi finally reached a chair and sat down exhaustedly: “Yes.”

Indeed, it was a temporary mark.

Tang Zhe couldn’t help but be shocked again: “A temporary mark can still leave such strong pheromones?”

How deep was that bite?!

The scent of fire and smoke, as Lin Xiangqi approached, almost permeated the entire medical center.

Lin Xiangqi’s face turned red with a strange expression: “Cough, um… Is there a problem?”

“No problem, of course not.”

Tang Zhe naturally said what was good to hear, “Although temporary marks have limited pheromone storage, frequent pheromone blending activities with the Major General will also help your gland develop.”

Lin Xiangqi didn’t know what he was thinking of, but now not only his face, but even his neck visibly turned red.

Tang Zhe easily noticed his shyness and thought, He’s still just a child.

He kindly changed the subject for Lin Xiangqi, asking, “It’s rare for you to come to the medical center yourself. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Dr. Tang, you don’t need to use ‘you’ when talking to me, just call me Xiao Lin,” Lin Xiangqi said, covering his cheeks to cool himself down, then very naturally added, “I came to get medicine for Lu Cong.”

Tang Zhe was stunned: “The Major General sent you?”

Lin Xiangqi said calmly, “Yes, he’s too busy and didn’t have time to come. He’s going out today and won’t be back until who knows when. I’m afraid if he doesn’t take his medicine, tonight he might…”

At this point, he trailed off, hinting with a nod of his chin towards Tang Zhe, “You know him too.”

Tang Zhe was somewhat skeptical.

Lu Cong’s medicine had never been entrusted to anyone else, nor had he ever mentioned his mental issues to anyone else.

The reason Tang Zhe had gained trust in this area was because he had too many weaknesses and vulnerabilities that could easily be exploited by Lu Cong, so Lu Cong wasn’t afraid of him betraying him.

But this Omega…

Tang Zhe actually didn’t know the extent of Lu Cong’s trust in him.

The only thing he could refer to was the intimate behavior Lin Xiangqi and Lu Cong displayed in front of him today.

Tang Zhe believed that Lin Xiangqi must be a very special existence, but when it came to the Major General’s medication, it was a tricky matter—even if there was a one in a million chance that this Omega was a spy, he could kill the Major General with a single pill!

Tang Zhe was just cowardly, not stupid, so he wasn’t entirely at ease.

Lin Xiangqi then said, “I’ll call him and let him tell you.”

Tang Zhe, seeing him so open, felt a little guilty. He said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Unfortunately, the call went unanswered.

Lin Xiangqi feigned a sudden realization, saying, “Oh, I forgot, he’s in the simulation battlefield now and can’t check his terminal.”

Tang Zhe looked at him awkwardly.

However, Lin Xiangqi didn’t press, merely saying, “He’ll probably have a hard time answering calls today. I understand if you’re not comfortable. It’s okay, I’ll just wait for him to come back and get it himself.”

Tang Zhe breathed a sigh of relief and quickly smiled, “Thank you for your understanding.”

“However, Dr. Tang, could you give me some advice?” Lin Xiangqi propped his chin, asking him very innocently.

Tang Zhe had already refused him once, so his current attitude was naturally very good, and he kindly asked, “Advice on what?”

“When Lu Cong has an episode, I feel very helpless,” Lin Xiangqi began to fabricate. “You also know his condition. I can only stand by and worry.”

Tang Zhe’s expression immediately became serious: “He’s already had an episode in front of you?”

Lin Xiangqi nodded.

Tang Zhe said, “That is indeed a bit troublesome. The Major General has rarely had episodes in front of others these past two years. Could you tell me roughly what the situation is? Is it mainly visual or auditory hallucinations? Does he have self-awareness in his actions?”

Lin Xiangqi didn’t speak.

Tang Zhe thought he hadn’t asked clearly enough, so he patiently rephrased his question, saying, “Did he react to anyone other than the hallucination? For example, when you called him, could he hear and respond? If he’s completely immersed in the hallucination, that’s very dangerous; his pheromones might go out of control.”

It took Lin Xiangqi a very long time to find his voice, and he spoke stiffly: “He can hear, he can respond.”

Tang Zhe: “That’s good. The Major General should still be like before, experiencing brief visual hallucinations within a controllable range. You don’t need to worry too much. As long as he can respond to you, it means he can control himself. You won’t be in danger.”

Lu Cong would see hallucinations.

So when they reunited, Lu Cong wasn’t as surprised as expected, not because of his composed personality, but because he thought Lin Xiangqi was his hallucination at the time.

Also because of the hallucinations, Lu Cong would occasionally appear distracted. The happier the moment, the more he feared immersing himself in it.

He would, at times when he should be happy, suffer from insomnia, sit by the bed, and take almost an entire bottle of medicine to ensure that all of this was truly happening.

Lin Xiangqi pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself not to show any surprise.

He continued to ask Tang Zhe, “Can he only… keep taking medicine?”

Tang Zhe sighed.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t dare to discuss this topic.

But the Alpha pheromones on Lin Xiangqi’s body conveyed Lu Cong’s possessiveness towards him so strongly, as if telling everyone who approached Lin Xiangqi about his inseparable relationship with Lu Cong.

Tang Zhe couldn’t help but say more: “The Major General’s situation is such that medicine is actually the least effective. It only works for a while. To truly cure him, he needs something else.”

Lin Xiangqi’s eyebrow twitched: “Can it be cured? How?”

“A powerful gland not only gave the Major General indestructible pheromones but also endowed him with a more unwavering will and mental strength than ordinary people. As long as he wants to be well, he can self-heal.”

“Self-heal?”

Tang Zhe nodded; “The Major General was in excellent condition recently. If he hadn’t come to me for medicine today, I would have even thought he had fully recovered. I don’t know why he had an episode this time. Usually, seeing hallucinations again is most likely due to some special stimulation, or, an escape from the current reality.”

…An escape from the current reality.

So, when Lu Cong had an episode last night, was it to escape from the current me?

Lin Xiangqi thought, a little lost in contemplation.

Tang Zhe only shared information that wasn’t classified, including how Lu Cong had been investigated by the military due to mental issues but ultimately passed the review. 

But after all, it was the first time someone had discussed the Major General behind his back, and this person was particularly important to Lu Cong, so even if they were discovered, there wouldn’t be much risk to their life.

So, as Tang Zhe spoke, he couldn’t stop himself and accidentally blurted out: 

“It’s a pity that when the Major General was imprisoned, and he first experienced hallucinations, the Alliance didn’t send anyone to intervene, missing the best treatment period—” 

Lin Xiangqi’s hand trembled. Tang Zhe also realized if he had said something wrong: 

“That, that… The Major General’s past, although it’s not strictly classified, but, uh, it’s actually forbidden to mention it now, I—” 

Lin Xiangqi naturally took over his words, saying, “Lu Cong already told me about these old stories; even if you didn’t mention them, I’d know. 

However, he never told me what he saw in his hallucinations. Do you know?” 

Tang Zhe, seeing him so calm, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Cong’s imprisonment had indeed caused a stir in the military back then, so strictly speaking, it wasn’t a secret. 

However, after he became Major General, all the less-than-perfect “errors” in his file were revised. 

Everyone also tacitly agreed not to bring it up again. 

Tang Zhe assumed Lin Xiangqi knew those things, so he answered his question: 

“It’s not just you; no one has ever known what the Major General’s hallucinations are. This is also one of the reasons why so many doctors in the past couldn’t cure him. He sealed off his mental world too tightly.” 

“However, every time the Major General mentions the hallucinations, he uses terms like ‘he,’ proving that the hallucination isn’t a chaotic jumble of things, but a specific person. Probably… a deceased person.” 

Considering Lin Xiangqi’s relationship with Lu Cong, Tang Zhe thoughtfully avoided using terms like “lover.” He said: 

“The Major General’s core issue is that he knows the person can’t possibly appear, but he still fabricated a non-existent illusion. Even though he himself knows it’s fake, he needs that hallucination to be there.” 

Lin Xiangqi tasted a metallic sweetness, having bitten his own lip.