Chapter 13

After several seconds, Shen Chuyi heard Zhang Dian’s voice come through.

“Good night, darling.” His tone was as calm and composed as ever.

But Shen Chuyi knew that the fact Zhang Dian had fallen silent for over ten seconds meant he was reluctant and had spoken only after deep contemplation.

The more unwilling he was, the happier she felt. “Professor Zhang sounds so awkward; he must have never been in love—still a virgin?”

Zhang Dian remained silent for another two or three seconds, as if he hadn’t been so bluntly “offended” before.

He didn’t answer but instead asked, “Ms. Goat, you’re so adept—have you dated many men?”

Shen Chuyi chuckled and replied, “Can’t go a meal without it.”

Zhang Dian smiled quietly in the silence.

If she weren’t so eager to go out and see what was making the noise outside, she would have liked to chat with him longer.

“No more talking. The police are coming after me. Professor Zhang, wait for my next ransom demand,” she said nonsense as she climbed out of the bathtub and added, “Good night, Zhang Dian.”

Without waiting for his reply, she hung up the wristband.

She quickly hid the diamond watch and her wristband, wrapped herself in a bathrobe, and wondered what the noise outside was just now—a sound like something hitting the ground and breaking.

Could it be Bai Shizhou came back?

Shen Chuyi stepped out of the bedroom and opened the door, only to find Sikan lying collapsed at the entrance of the adjacent bedroom. He was soaked as if drenched by rain, with shattered glass and a large bag of ice scattered beside him.

The entire living room was filled with the scent of his butter bread pheromone.

What was he doing?

“Sikan?” Shen Chuyi approached and saw his face was flushed as if overripe, and his hand was bleeding from a cut by the glass shards. “Are you still conscious?”

She reached out to help him up, but the moment her fingers touched his arm, his body convulsed uncontrollably.

“Don’t touch me…” he trembled in resistance, but his rabbit ears and tail uncontrollably emerged.

Even Shen Chuyi could tell he was in heat. She saw the bruised needle marks on his arm, likely from injection of suppressants, which clearly had lost their effect.

He curled up in pain, trying to grasp an ice pack to press against his burning neck, but there were too many glass shards on the floor. His hand bled heavily.

“Don’t move,” Shen Chuyi said firmly, grabbing his injured hand and startled by its heat. “So hot.”

“Don’t touch me! Let go…” Sikan struggled, trembling.

“You’re burning up like this—what if you roast yourself outside my door?” Shen Chuyi forcefully pulled him up, holding the nearly cooked Sikan in her arms gently with one hand, as he couldn’t use the injured one. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

But Sikan resisted even harder, refusing to go, insisting he needed the suppressant.

She had no choice but to help him to his bedroom and lay him on the bed, then covered her own aching wound and went to find his suppressant.

Entering his flooded bathroom, she found the suppressant. He had already injected three doses consecutively, which was clearly an overdose. Excessive use of suppressants can cause liver damage and sudden death.

“You really don’t fear death,” Shen Chuyi muttered, not giving him more suppressant but wrapping some ice in a towel to press against his burning neck.

“Ah…” Sikan let out an indescribable moan, melting into the sheets and trembling.

The cloying scent of butter cake almost overwhelmed Shen Chuyi’s nostrils. The bedroom felt like an oven, and she was growing hotter too. “No, you have to go to the hospital.”

She tried to open the wristband to call an ambulance, but her hand holding the ice pack was grabbed by Sikan’s burning embrace.

His cheek pressed against her hand, hot and wet, whether from sweat or tears she didn’t know. “Kill me…”

“Why would I kill you?” Shen Chuyi was speechless. “Kill you and lose my bright future? Dream on.”

He was too feverish to open his eyes, his whole being dazed, clutching her hand and unconsciously rubbing his rabbit ears against it, lips tightly pursed making unbearable “mmm…” sounds.

Too hot.

Her fingers ran through his sweaty black hair and touched his rabbit ears, which were scorching. “You—” Before she could finish, he instinctively pressed his burning body against the edge of her robe.

His rabbit tail twitched under the damp clothes, different from when he was nervous or trying to intimidate her, more like his body was inviting her.

“Help me…” His sweat-soaked face streamed tears, and the rabbit ears rubbed desperately against her palm.

The warm, fluffy ears made her hot too. She couldn’t help but hold them and ask, “Help you with what?”

But he only begged in pain, pressing his rabbit tail against her leg. “Help me, please… I beg you…”

Who could resist that?

Shen Chuyi lowered her eyes to him. His hand was still bleeding, mixing with sweat staining his clothes and sheets. Even his lips were red as they touched her arm. “Please help me…” His heat-stricken form was even more pitiful and tempting than the rabbits in the game.

A notification popped up on the wristband—[He has entered his first heat period. Use dream card to court?]

First time.

What dream card was needed now?

Shen Chuyi gently tugged his rabbit ears, making him lift his head slightly, then leaned down and said, “You’re the one asking for my help, so don’t blame me later.”

He seemed too feverish to hear clearly, just smelling her breath as he pressed his face closer, instinctively trying to kiss her.

Shen Chuyi covered his mouth and pushed him back onto the bed, straddling him and whispering, “No kissing. We’re not that close yet. Sex and love still need to be distinguished…”

His burning tongue wrapped around her finger, unconsciously swallowing it.

Shen Chuyi grabbed his rabbit tail, turned his cheek, and bit into his neck. He gasped sharply, moaned lowly, and tears fell in despair.

Her special ability couldn’t mark anyone. Goat-type abilities were peculiar—no pheromones, no marking ability.

But she knew that rabbits in heat required certain marking behaviors.

So she bit down hard on his neck. He lost control and hugged her tightly, nearly breathless.

No one noticed that the wristband he had thrown in the bathroom lit up and went dark—it was a missed call from Zhang Dian.

※

No answer?

It was the first time Zhang Dian failed to reach Sikan’s phone. He had wanted to check with him whether there was noise outside Shen Yulan’s room, hoping to rule out Shen Yulan being Ms. Goat.

Sikan didn’t answer. What was he doing?

※※

The city of A finally cleared.

When Sikan woke again, it was past four in the afternoon. He was roused by the incessantly buzzing wristband.

The room was a mess, and his body and neck ached terribly.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he saw his bitten neck swollen and red, with many bruised bite marks. His body chilled instantly.

Last night’s events… weren’t a dream…

He and Shen Yulan… Shen Yulan actually marked him?! How could she do that!

Where was she?

Sikan didn’t pick up the vibrating wristband. He wrapped himself in a bathrobe and hurried out of the room, heading to Shen Yulan’s bedroom door. Just as he was about to knock, the front door to the living room opened.

An Jia Shu came in, holding a room card, and paused upon seeing him. “Sikan, you’re awake? Why didn’t you answer my calls? I thought you’d passed out.”

He hung up the phone he was dialing, holding some porridge and bread. “Detective Shen said you were sick and got you a day off. I came this afternoon to bring you some food. Are you feeling better?”

Sikan instinctively grabbed the collar of his bathrobe, afraid An Jia Shu would see the bite marks, and frowned. “Where is Shen Yulan? She’s not in her room?”

An Jia Shu’s eyes lit up. “Guess where Detective Shen is?”

Crazy man, who wants to guess?

Sikan ignored him, but An Jia Shu mysteriously turned on the virtual screen TV in the living room. Shen Yulan’s voice came through:

“Capturing criminals and murderers is my duty. Although I’m an intern detective, my childhood dream has always been to punish evil and uphold justice as a professional officer.”

What?

Sikan stared at the screen in shock. It was a live news broadcast on A City’s prime news, featuring Shen Yulan’s face. She stood with Director Bai in front of the Special Crime Unit building, accepting an official interview.

“Surprised?” An Jia Shu smiled while watching TV and poured porridge from a thermos. “The director said it’s the higher-ups’ idea. Since the live video of Detective Shen capturing the criminal has gone viral, why not have her appear in the official news to respond to this case and calm the public?”

He didn’t notice Sikan’s pale face and happily said, “I heard Bao Xiao analyze that the higher-ups want to make Detective Shen the next crime nemesis, a positive and inspiring figure. You know how many fake news reports about rising crime rates appeared after Professor Zhang left the Special Crime Unit…”

How laughable. Just a few days ago, he had tried to humiliate Shen Yulan with “Professor Zhang’s meal replacement.”

Sikan stared at Shen Yulan on the screen, but his mind was filled with the memory of her last night—covering his mouth to forbid kissing or calling out—the despicable Shen Yulan.

On screen, Shen Yulan wore the Special Crime Unit uniform, impeccably dressed and smiling with dignity. She humbly answered the interview: “It’s nothing, just a minor injury. I’m honored to participate in the capture as an intern detective and hope to become a formal member of the Special Crime Unit soon.”

The anchor naturally asked Director Bai, “Director Bai, do you think Detective Shen will break the record for the shortest internship as a Special Crime Unit detective?”

Shen Yulan smiled at Director Bai.

He smiled wryly and was about to answer when a sudden chorus of screams and shouts erupted off-camera—

“Look! What’s that? On the big screen! Isn’t that the movie queen who’s been missing for days?”