Little Pink Starfish

“Mr. Si… you… you weren’t like this before!”

Su Liang stammered, his accusation soft and hoarse.

And Lu Taipan knew better than anyone why the young man’s once-sweet voice now sounded this way.

The man looked at Su Liang, his gaze growing a shade deeper.

Meeting that gaze, Su Liang instinctively leaned back—and instantly felt the skin at the back of his neck tighten. The bite mark the Alpha had left there earlier began to burn faintly.

Su Liang flinched almost instinctively, like a small animal cornered by a predator, his every nerve screaming for him to run. He knew he should be putting distance between himself and the man in front of him.

But the suppressive force of a double S-rank Alpha was everywhere in the treatment room, and Su Liang’s body had long since been exhausted by the earlier “therapy.” His knees were weak.

Even if he wanted to run—there was nowhere to go.

And at that moment, the dark fire in Lu Taipan’s eyes only burned hotter.

Su Liang’s breathing turned erratic. For a moment, he felt like he was back to just a little while ago—his body burning, trembling… and scared. After all, not just anyone could endure that kind of soul-devouring intensity.

Just as panic gripped him, Lu Taipan suddenly closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then lowered his head and gently brushed a kiss at the corner of Su Liang’s lips.

A kiss.

But not a forceful or aggressive one—rather, it was a soft, comforting gesture.

“It’s alright now. Sleep,” the man said, his hoarse voice a low sigh. “My pheromones need to linger on you for a while. Once you wake up, you can take a bath.”

Though a faint fire still smoldered in his eyes, Lu Taipan’s voice was unexpectedly gentle and calm.

Ironically, that gentleness made Su Liang’s heart beat even faster than before.

The monster who had torn off its disguise suddenly returned to its polite, composed self. Su Liang couldn’t help but look at him, eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.

And the next moment, Su Liang’s vision went dark—Lu Taipan had placed a hand over his eyes.

“Close your eyes, and get some rest. Be good. Don’t look at me.”

That brief window of calmness now showed signs of cracking again.

Su Liang lay buried in the bedding, his heart thudding wildly.

He wanted to protest. Easy for someone to say, “just sleep.” But with his vision cut off, the residual cold fragrance lingering on the bedding only intensified. Every breath brought a vivid reminder of the pheromones—and everything they had just done here.

Su Liang instinctively wanted to run away—part shame, part Omega instinct urging him to distance himself from a dominant Alpha like this when not yet fully differentiated.

But something told him that any movement now might lead to worse consequences. With no other choice, he obediently shut his eyes tight, lying still, pretending to sleep amid the potent, ambiguous scent.

In truth, Su Liang thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.

But before long, his consciousness blurred.

He fell asleep.

—When compatibility is high, an Omega’s scent can calm a frenzied Alpha. Likewise, in certain circumstances, an Alpha’s pheromones can serve as a powerful mental stabilizer for an Omega.

Especially for one who had just endured intense emotional stress.

Feeling Su Liang’s breathing grow steady, Lu Taipan finally removed his hand from his eyes.

The youth’s complexion regained some color, and he looked even more delicate and fragile in sleep, like someone who could be cradled entirely in the palm of one’s hand.

Lu Taipan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He gazed at the sleeping Su Liang, then sighed, somewhat helplessly.

He knew a certain part of his body remained tense, and a dark, twisted part of his soul still howled with dissatisfaction.

But in the end, all he did was lower himself, wrapping his arms tightly around the sleeping youth.

The black dragon flicked its tail, then curled it inward, tucking its treasure safely beneath.

Even through the wrinkled sleepwear, he could feel the warmth of Su Liang’s body.

And with that, even the previously raging dark side began to quiet.

What satisfied Lu Taipan most was the dense, icy fragrance on Su Liang’s body—his Alpha’s mark.

Just a little more.

Lu Taipan placed his thumb and forefinger on the back of Su Liang’s neck, feeling the bone beneath the skin.

Between the bone and skin was the Omega’s gland. Under his fingers were faint indentations—his own bite marks. Throughout the treatment, Lu Taipan had tried hard to remain gentle and composed.

But there were moments he hadn’t held back—brutal and rough.

The pale skin bore traces of it. Lu Taipan knew full well that even if time turned back, he would’ve done the same.

He gently rubbed the mark. In his sleep, Su Liang trembled slightly and unconsciously leaned closer to Lu Taipan’s chest like a small animal seeking comfort.

Lu Taipan lowered his eyes, then lay down beside him.

Now, it was not only Su Liang who needed soothing—it was himself as well.

The master of the Snake Pit inhaled deeply, breathing in the sweetness that belonged solely to Su Liang.

Finally, he closed his eyes, content.

The monster in the dark had found its treasure.

And finally, it stopped struggling and howling.

---

Su Liang had a dream.

A very strange dream.

He dreamed of Lu Taipan.

Given everything that had happened, dreaming of the man wasn’t surprising—but this time, it felt different.

In the dream, the once-powerful man looked withered, like a dying tree stripped of roots—just skin and bones wrapped in pale flesh.

His dark pupils had long lost their brightness, sunken into hollow sockets.

Even the hair that once made Su Liang’s heart flutter had turned ghostly white.

He wasn’t old, but the scent of death clung thickly to him. Anyone could tell—this once terrifying monster had reached the end of his life.

Su Liang’s breath hitched.

It felt like his heart had been crushed deep into his chest—he couldn’t breathe.

Unconsciously, he stepped forward, trying to reach Lu Taipan.

“Mr. Si? What happened to you?”

He asked in a panic.

But standing before him, Su Liang’s fingers passed through air—he couldn’t touch the man at all.

There was no reflection of Su Liang in Lu Taipan’s eyes.

Then he heard someone crying—sounded a bit like Xue Yinheng. But in the dream, even that crying was muffled, distant.

No—it was only Su Liang who couldn’t hear clearly.

Lu Taipan, on the other hand, clearly heard everything.

“Final stage of pheromone imbalance. Complete mental sea collapse… You all knew about my condition long ago. I’ve already lasted longer than expected. Also—Yinheng, you’re too noisy.”

His tone was indifferent, like he didn’t care about his impending death.

“After I die, the Snake Pit will continue as per my plans. The Lu family, the Ning family—no need for them to stay in the Alliance. The rest will be dealt with in order.”

“I leave the rest to you.”

He gave instructions calmly.

“As for the grave… I don’t really care. But I don’t want to be buried in the Lu family cemetery.”

“If I must have a burial site…”

He seemed to pause in thought, then tapped something on his personal terminal.

A field of blooming Laia flowers appeared on the holographic screen.

“This is where that child is buried, isn’t it?”

He murmured.

“His name was… Su Liang?”

He stared at the screen, eyes distant. Then, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Bury me here.”

“At least the flowers are beautiful.”

…

Su Liang opened his eyes.

The dream had been so vivid that for a moment, when he looked into the man’s eyes beside him, he was still lost.

“Mr. Si!”

He blurted out, immediately reaching out to grab him.

Under his touch, the man’s muscles were firm and warm—far from the withered form in the dream.

Lu Taipan had already sat up. Before Su Liang awoke, he had been handling tasks on his terminal.

Noticing Su Liang’s distress, Lu Taipan frowned.

“What’s wrong?!”

Seeing the alarm in Su Liang’s eyes, a trace of heartache flashed in his own.

“…Looks like I really should’ve killed Lu Zhi Zhao,” he thought coldly.

As the thought passed, Su Liang gradually returned to himself.

He quickly withdrew his hand.

“It’s nothing… I just had a bad dream.”

Su Liang murmured.

How ridiculous.

He felt embarrassed by his own panic. How could he dream up such an absurd scene? A man like Mr. Si, so strong—there was no way he’d ever end up like that.

With the Snake Pit’s medical tech, even without him, Lu Taipan would’ve survived.

Thinking that, Su Liang let out a long breath and forced the dream from his mind.

He sat up and noticed his body felt clean, even his sleepwear had been changed.

His breath caught.

Sensing his thoughts, Lu Taipan calmly explained, “It was me.”

“I changed your clothes and cleaned your body. You were too tired to wake.”

Knowing it had been Lu Taipan and not some medical staff, Su Liang let out a breath of relief—but a second later, his face turned bright red.

What he didn’t know was that Lu Taipan had done far more than he admitted. For example, that crumpled hospital gown and the pheromone-soaked bedsheets hadn’t been sent for cleaning.

By the time Su Liang found out where they’d been stored… it would be a long time later.

---

A few days later – Snake Pit Spaceship, Medical Wing

“Master Su Liang, your allergic reactions are now very mild. I think just one or two more pheromone treatments should be enough for a full recovery.”

The young Beta medical officer gently removed the cool probe from the back of Su Liang’s neck and spoke kindly.

“Huh?”

Hearing that another one or two sessions were still needed, Su Liang’s hand froze while adjusting his collar.

“Still… still more sessions? Actually, I don’t feel anything now. Since it’s already so mild, maybe we can just skip it?”

Taking advantage of Lu Taipan’s absence, Su Liang quietly tested the waters.

The medical officer didn’t pick up on Su Liang’s awkwardness. He operated the instruments calmly and replied warmly but firmly.

“We can’t skip it. Master Su Liang, your condition is very special.”

He walked over, speaking seriously. “Also, the self-guided pheromone therapy isn’t just to treat your allergy. We’ve already done compatibility testing—your match rate with the Snake Master is beyond measurable limits. That means your compatibility is well over 95%. Such a highly compatible Alpha’s pheromones can greatly aid your differentiation and physical development.”

The moment he heard “development,” Su Liang’s hand paused mid-motion.

For a moment, he wanted to run straight out of the medical bay. But the officer handed him two body scan charts.

“Look. This one is from your earlier checkup—your reproductive pouch was only stage two.”

“This one from today shows it’s already at stage three, almost stage four.” The medical officer looked very concerned. “You see, an Omega’s differentiation typically progresses alongside pouch development. Once it matures, your differentiation will be complete. This is a very good sign for you.”

“Master Su Liang, I understand—it’s hard to adjust from thinking you’re a Beta to suddenly being a very rare type of Omega. But for your own health, you must acknowledge these changes and cooperate with treatment…”

…

Su Liang left the medical bay with dazed eyes.

Even after stepping through the metal doors, he could still hear the doctor’s earnest voice echoing in his ears—and he was holding the charts the doctor had insisted he take with him.

They were just ordinary medical scans, but they burned in his hands like hot iron.

His face was still flushed when a sharp gaze fell on him.

Su Liang looked up—and froze when he saw a tall man in a dark uniform, standing right at the door, clearly waiting for him.

“Mr. Si?! Why are you here!”

Su Liang had specifically tried to avoid him when scheduling his checkup.

After all, while they warned him he might become dependent on pheromone therapy… it felt more like Lu Taipan was the one who had become dependent.

He wasn’t clingy to the point of needing constant contact—but he was definitely sticking too close for Su Liang’s comfort.

“I was just getting my own checkup. That child we found in Zone 48 was linked to Farm N. We’ve discovered a few leads, so I’ll be leading a scouting mission in a few days. Just wanted to confirm my mental value before then.”

Lu Taipan said innocently, as if he had no idea Su Liang had tried to dodge him.

“How did your exam go?”

As the master of the Snake Pit, he could’ve easily pulled the medical report—but instead, he asked Su Liang directly.

“All… good,” Su Liang muttered.

Almost too good—he hadn’t even prepared for the changes in his body.

Even now, it felt surreal.

He was a high-ranking Omega?

And not just that—he was a rare Sigma type, known for high fertility…

Just thinking of the doctor’s explanation about the importance of his reproductive pouch made Su Liang’s face burn.

He unconsciously tucked the scan charts behind his back—but that tiny movement didn’t escape Lu Taipan’s eyes.

“Is that the result? Can I see?”

Lu Taipan asked.

“No!” Su Liang stiffened. “Just some boring medical data. It’s all on the personal terminal anyway—I don’t even know why the doctor insisted I take a hard copy…”

“You must face the changes in your body.”

The medical officer’s voice echoed again like a ghost.

Su Liang’s eyes darted nervously.

Seeing how flustered he was, Lu Taipan finally let him go.

“I’m glad everything looks good,” he said, like a calm and caring elder.

“Go get some rest. I heard the Laia flowers in the greenhouse are bearing fruit for the first time—you’ll probably be busy.”

“Yeah, the medical team said it might be due to my spiritual power. Once my body stabilizes, they’ll have me help with some tests… but it shouldn’t be too bad. Everyone’s been looking after me.”

Finally able to change the topic, Su Liang said everything in one breath—then quickly used the moment to escape.

But—

Not long after, his personal terminal pinged.

Sender: Si She

[Tonight… can we do another self-guided pheromone therapy session?]

Su Liang froze, cheeks instantly turning red.

They had just “treated” not long ago!

Almost as if sensing his resistance, another message popped up quickly.

Sender: Si She

[The medical officer might’ve told you, but with our level of compatibility, this treatment works both ways. My rut is approaching, and I hope to stay stable through therapy. But don’t feel pressured—if you don’t want to, that’s okay. The Laia flowers help too.]

Then another.

Sender: Si She

[Even if we don’t do any treatment… it’s fine.]

[I just want to be with you.]

…

“Master Si, your physical condition—”

Lu Taipan closed the terminal and looked up at the medical officer examining him.

The doctor’s face was… complicated.

“Is something wrong?”

“I believe I mentioned the possibility of pheromone dependency.”

Lu Taipan nodded. “Yes. You warned me. But Little Liang’s fine—he doesn’t seem to have any side effects—”

The doctor’s expression turned even more complex. A cold sweat began to bead at his temples.

“There’s actually a very unusual situation, Master Si…”