Gu Xingfeng's attention was caught and he turned to the Chel Military Academy students. "Are they new participants?" he asked them as he glanced at Shou Ji, then at Yi Bing, Huo Ling and Shi Jiu who stood beside Shou Ji.
The student in the lead nodded. "Yes, lieutenant colonel." He answered and bowed.
Shou Ji maintained his smile while Yi Bing's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Shi Jiu scratched his head while Huo Ling remained silent, watching the show on the side even though he is one of the 'protagonists'.
Gu Xingfeng heard the student's answered and turned to look at the group of four, but the four 'people' didn't speak, clearly indicating that they didn't want him to intervene with their matters despite they helped him and that they heard his rank in the military.
Gu Xingfeng secretly smiled, appreciating these four 'people's attitude. "Then, I'll be taking my leave." He spoke and slightly nodded at them before he carried Hao Baiyun away, whose pheromones have now dissipated with the wind.
The crowd, as well as the students of the Chel Military Academy and the participants of the Annual Challenge were surprised when they saw Gu Xingfeng leave. They thought that Gu Xingfeng would help the four 'people' after the four 'people' helped Hao Baiyun, who is his legal husband. But, their thoughts then changed.
"Wow… they didn't take this opportunity to hug lieutenant colonel Gu's thigh despite they found out that it was lieutenant colonel Gu's family that they helped." Someone in the crowd spoke. "Truly admirable!" they said.
The other people heard it and they nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the student from the Chel Military Academy wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then approached Shou Ji, Yi Bing, Shi Jiu and Huo Ling. "Thank you for helping the Madam." He said.
'Madam'? Yi Bing, Huo Ling and Shi Jiu thought and wanted to ask, but then thinking they would display their ignorance of this world in the public, they chose to shut their mouths and patiently wait for Shou Ji to explain everything to them later.
Shou Ji smiled. "It's nothing. It is everyone's duty to help those in need." He said.
The crowd nodded in agreement and then clapped as they watched the four 'people' left. Meanwhile, the four 'people' went to a secluded place to discuss.
"That was lieutenant colonel Gu Xingfeng, an alpha and the male omega is his legal husband Hao Baiyun." Shou Ji immediately spoke. "Gu Xingfeng's family is a military family and Hao Baiyun's family is a politicans' family. Obviously, they had a political marriage." He explained.
"Wow… what a dramatic plot!" Shi Jiu can't help but exclaim.
"… what's wrong?" Shou Ji asked when he noticed Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's strange expressions.
"They have their reincarnations in the Stable World." Huo Ling answered. "I once met them." He told them.
"… I met their other reincarnations in the other worlds." Yi Bing spoke, hiding the fact that they have seen the two in the worlds Huo Ling reincarnated to.
Shou Ji wasn't that surprised. "The reincarnated worlds aren't fixed." He spoke.
Yi Bing nodded. "Where do we go next?" he asked, changing the topic.
"Should we buy a weapon for tomorrow's event?" Shi Jiu asked.
"We can, but it isn't necessary." Shou Ji answered.
"Why?" Shi Jiu looked at him.
"For the fairness of the competition, and to avoid accidents, the Chel Military Academy will provide the weapons permitted to use, as well as the protective suit for the participants to use." Shou Ji spoke. "This is also to prevent the participants for their dirty tricks, hiding lethal weapons." He said.
"I see…" Huo Ling muttered.
"Also, the protective suit can detect the vital signs of the participants so that the medical personnel can immediately respond in case of a sudden attack, seizure, or an emergency." Shou Ji continued.
They fell silent. You never know what surprises that life will give you, and sometimes, they are bad surprises like fatal accidents that will highly lead to death.
"Let's not buy weapons. Our briefcase can imitate them." Yi Bing suggested.
"Oh, right…" Shi Jiu muttered.
The four of them then left and decided to wander around and explore more of this world's transportation and technology.
In a hospital.
"How is Yun-er?" Hao Baiyun's mother asked as they stood outside the room where the doctor and nurses are checking Hao Baiyun's condition. They spare some time to check Hao Baiyun's condition.
"Four participants for the Annual Challenge are fortunately nearby and responded so he wasn't harmed and no accidents happened afterwards." Gu Xingfeng answered as they watched Hao Baiyun through the glass window.
Hao Baiyun's family sighed in relief. Hao Baiyun is the only omega in their family so they had him marry Gu Xingfeng. Neither Hao Baiyun nor Gu Xingfeng spoke anything but they know that the two are dissatisfied with this marriage. But, in order to save their family's face, they acted as a loving pair of husbands in the public.
"Why is Yun-er there? Where are his bodyguards and assistant?" Hao Baiyun's father asked and frowned.
Gu Xingfeng fell silent for a moment. Then, he spoke. "There must be many people around him that time and they accidentally lost him." He just said. But, he can guess that Hao Baiyun ran away from his bodyguards.
This is the nth time.
Hao Baiyun's father was displeased. "Change the people around him." He ordered his wife. "Place a tracking device in his watch – " he spoke.
"Dear!" his wife cut him off.
"Uncle." Gu Xingfeng called. They looked at him. "Xiao Yun doesn't like to be monitored, that's why I haven't placed a tracking device on him until now." He told him.
"What if something happens to him again?!" Hao Baiyun's father roared. "Today, he suddenly went in heat in the public. Fortunately, there were kind people who responded appropriately so nothing happened to him. What if there is next time?" he asked as he glared at him.
"I'll find some people on my end to watch him." Gu Xingfeng spoke as he looked at Hao Baiyun inside the room. It's not like he hasn't thought of this plan. But, before, he and Hao Baiyun argued because Hao Baiyun found out that he placed his own people acting as his bodyguards.
Hao Baiyun got mad and accused him that he wanted to control his life when they only married out of business. That he has no right to control him since he is only his husband in name. That he doesn't have to act like he cared about him since everything is just because of a piece of flimsy paper.
Gu Xingfeng clenched his fists when he recalled that memory. He immediately retracted his spiritual and mental strength that was about to leak and would break the glass around him. This time, he had to make Hao Baiyun mad again. It's not that he was afraid of the other. But, it's because he respects him so he gave him his privacy.
Yet, today, something irreparable almost happened. Thanks to those four 'people' that responded in time, nothing bad happened to Hao Baiyun. It was also fortunate that it was near the Chel Military Academy, and that the crowd has a conscience to not approach the male omega who is in heat and also to not touch him.
Now, he doesn't care whether Hao Baiyun will get mad later. It is Hao Baiyun's fault that he wasn't careful, and that he is irresponsible. So, he will place his own people again. Even if he gets mad later, he now has no right to blame him.
…
"Oh… so they aren't really that loving pair?" Shi Jiu asked as he scrolled the social media platform where Gu Xingfeng's and Hao Baiyun's pictures as a loving pair of husbands were posted. "So, these are all just fake acts." He said.
Shou Ji nodded. "At the least, they are polite to each other in private." He spoke.
Yi Bing and Huo Ling didn't speak and just listened silently. They don't doubt Shou Ji's words since not only was he a local of this world, but he is also a member of the upper-class society as a high-ranking military official and, of course, someone from the royal family. Thus, he is very clear of the gossips in the social circle.
"It seems that Gu Xingfeng has noticed that we don't want to cling to his thigh." Huo Ling spoke.
Shou Ji chuckled. "That is one of the basic etiquette in the military. To climb higher using your own strength." He spoke. "It is also a sign of respect to those who are beneath you." He added.
They all smiled. They remembered that Shou Ji was also the general but he definitely has earned his merits using his own strength and that he didn't got his position just because he is someone from the royal family.
"Hm?" Shou Ji muttered when he noticed something.