Chapter 19
Yi Ze had never imagined that the fragile woman he had thought Ella was would turn out to be the one to ultimately save him.
Yi Ze gazed at the top of Ella's head in silence for a long time.
It was only when Ella suddenly woke up, her head shooting up, that she fully regained her senses. She exclaimed, "Ah, Yi Ze!" and saw him, locking eyes with her.
"Yi Ze, you're awake!" Ella joyfully jumped up from the bedside, leaning over to touch Yi Ze's forehead. "You have a slight fever. The medicine was too potent for you, causing an adverse reaction."
She examined Yi Ze and continued, "Try to speak. Your vocal cords were damaged but repaired. It will take some time to fully recover."
Yi Ze made an effort and managed to produce a hoarse "Ahh," but it was still painful and raspy.
"Good, it seems you can speak. Try not to talk too much. You need some rest," Ella breathed a sigh of relief. "Your injuries aren't severe anymore; they've been treated. However, you need some time to recover from the major injuries."
Yi Ze observed Ella silently. It was the first time this girl had spoken so much in his presence, maintaining direct eye contact without any evasion. Her eyes met his, and he looked at her with a deeper gaze.
A band-aid was affixed to Ella's left ear, where her earring had torn it. A matching earring, the same design, was now on her other ear. Yi Ze's gaze lingered on that earring for a moment.
After Ella finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, and then both of them spoke at the same time.
"Thank you," Yi Ze managed to say with a strained voice.
"I'm sorry," Ella said.
Yi Ze looked at Ella with confusion.
Ella carefully reached out and took Yi Ze's hand, which was resting outside the blanket. Seeing that Yi Ze didn't react negatively, she cherished the touch and held his hand.
"It's my fault for arriving late. I'm sorry. If I had found you sooner, you wouldn't have had to endure so much pain," Ella's head drooped as she spoke.
Yi Ze proactively squeezed Ella's hand as a gesture of comfort.
Ella's eyes welled up slightly. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
With that, Ella got up and hurriedly left the room.
Yi Ze's gaze followed Ella's figure as she left the room. With Ella's departure, the scent of her pheromones, which belonged in this room, gradually faded, leaving Yi Ze with a sense of longing.
He was now yearning for Ella's pheromones, even bordering on dependency.
Ella stood in the corridor, opened a window, and lit a cigarette.
Nokes approached from the side and observed Ella's expression. "Are you that concerned?"
Ella exhaled a puff of smoke. "Once you have your own Omega, you'll know what it feels like."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"It's like wishing all the pain and suffering could transfer to yourself, even double it," Ella took a deep drag and sighed. "But unfortunately, it can't."
Nokes shrugged. "I probably won't find an Omega in this lifetime. Spare me the bragging."
Ella, after expelling the last puff of smoke, said, "Enough chit-chat. Get me an air purifier; I smell like smoke."
Nokes dragged Ella into another room and positioned a powerful air cooler to blow directly at her, making her feel like her face was about to be blown off.
"I was hoping to observe a real Omega, such a pity," Nokes sighed while blowing Ella.
"Wait until he recovers, then you can see," Ella spoke with wind filling her mouth.
Yi Ze's pheromones had undergone a severe adverse reaction due to the use of cleansing medication, making him extremely averse to the pheromones of other Alphas. Only Ella's pheromones could provide some relief, which needed to be administered daily to ease his condition gradually.
"Alright, I'm heading back," Ella checked her scent and found it free of smoke.
When Ella returned to the room, she discovered Yi Ze curled up under the blanket, his brows furrowed, and his face turning pale.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Ella rushed to the bed and asked.
"It hurts," Yi Ze muttered softly.
Without hesitation, Ella took off her coat, climbed onto the bed, and lay down next to Yi Ze. She pulled him into her embrace and simultaneously released a significant amount of her pheromones.
Ella's hand gently caressed Yi Ze's back as she felt his tense body gradually relaxing with the diffusion of her pheromones.
"When you're better, I won't do this anymore," Ella explained cautiously. She thought that Yi Ze might not appreciate her embracing him without permission.
However, Yi Ze nuzzled into Ella's arms, taking the initiative.
Ella suddenly felt her heart rate quicken.
It was also incredible for Yi Ze. He had never expected to utter the word "pain" directly to another person. How long had it been? Probably since he was six years old, the year his mother passed away.
He had never felt this dependent on someone, wanting to be close, to hug, to kiss, and even to do more intimate things with her.
Yi Ze knew it was because of the pheromones. It was a natural instinct for an Omega, especially with a compatibility of 98% between him and Ella.
Even though he could logically understand the reasons, Yi Ze still couldn't control these intense desires.
He even thought it wasn't just because of pheromones; Ella herself had a significant appeal to him. Beneath her surface, she concealed many secrets he didn't know about, igniting his desire to explore. She held an aura of danger, yet made him feel safe and trusting.
Zero money given
Yi Ze had a robust physical constitution, and as a military man, his body had strong regenerative abilities. After three days, the adverse reactions to the purification drug had mostly subsided.
In other words, he no longer needed an Alpha's pheromones every day, and General Yi Ze returned to his usual cold and distant demeanor.
Ella carried a tray with a meal and carefully opened the door. She had been personally taking care of Yi Ze's daily life these days. Although Yi Ze seemed strong on the surface, when it came to gland-related issues, an Omega still needed to be well cared for.
As an Alpha, Ella was aware of this and took her responsibilities seriously.
Ella quietly entered the room, thinking she would get to see Yi Ze's peaceful sleeping face again. He looked particularly gentle when he was asleep, with the usual sharp and cold aura on his body suppressed. His fair skin, soft black hair, and pale pink lips...
As Ella thought about it, her pheromones began to spread uncontrollably...
But what she saw was an empty bed with the sheets neatly laid out, no wrinkles in sight.
She shifted her gaze and found herself locking eyes with a pair of sharp and composed eyes.
Yi Ze was standing by the window, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. He appeared to be gazing at the scenery outside until he heard the door open. That's when he turned around to meet Ella's eyes.
Ah, he's too good looking!!!
Ella's internal screaming monster was roaring again.
Ella quickly averted her gaze and lowered her eyes to the fluffy carpet, asking softly, "Are you... feeling uncomfortable?"
Yi Ze didn't respond but kept his gaze fixed on Ella. In her eyes, he seemed to have returned to the initially weak and timid appearance she first saw, like a helpless and fragile creature, harmless.
"No," he finally replied.
When Ella thought Yi Ze might not answer her, she heard his voice. His original tone was clear, but at this moment, it carried a certain emotion and sounded slightly lower.
"Well then, let's eat dinner. It's getting cold," Ella said hesitantly, setting the tray on the table, serving the food neatly. Everything was tailored to match Yi Ze's taste and dining habits from his family's estate in the capital city.
"Thank you," Yi Ze said solemnly, looking at Ella.
Ella didn't know where to put her hands and feet, so she just nodded, her gaze still directed at the floor.
Once she finished speaking, the room fell into silence.
Suddenly, Ella's communicator rang, and she felt like she had been granted a reprieve. She sighed in relief and answered the call. "I... I need to step out for a moment," she said and hurried out of the room without looking back.
Outside the room, Ella finally relaxed and answered the communicator. "Hello, what's going on?"
Nox's image appeared on the communicator and he cursed angrily, "Those bastards, they're trying to rip me off!"
ship, and the sounds coming from various compartments were far from suitable for children.
Ella knew that Nox was talking about those who had attacked Yi Ze – the group of interstellar pirates. There were a total of five factions that had been bribed and strategically placed to intercept Yi Ze's ship on its unavoidable route.
Because Yi Ze was only on an investigation mission in the W35 galaxy, he had chosen a ship with a lower defensive capability. However, he had been ambushed by the pirates.
"How much do they want?" Ella asked in a hushed voice.
"They're asking for a billion starcoins!" Nox replied, seething with anger and frustration.
"The same person hired all of them?" Ella inquired.
"Yes, they say they won't negotiate without the money," Nox added, pausing for a moment. "But, the Yi Ze family's wealth can handle that amount, right?"
Ella fell silent for a moment.
"I'll talk to them," Yi Ze suddenly interjected.
Ella was startled by his presence – when did he arrive?
Yi Ze calmly stood not far from Ella, looking at her communicator.
Nox also glanced at Yi Ze and instructed Ella, "Bring General Yi Ze here." He then ended the call.
Ella blinked, and she quickly looked at Yi Ze.
"Please lead the way," Yi Ze nodded toward her.
Ella had no choice but to accept and walked ahead, with Yi Ze following closely behind.
It was a narrow corridor, and inappropriate sounds occasionally escaped from different compartments. This was Nox's ship.