Can Alpha Also Be A Wife? - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 – He’s Different…
When Lin Fansheng returned to the hospital, he didn’t expect Lu Shihuai to be out of bed. The curtains were half drawn, and sunlight streamed through the large window.
A sense of unease rose in Lin Fansheng. Just as he was about to call out, someone suddenly embraced him from behind.
A familiar scent of cold wind and snow brushed past his nose—Lu Shihuai’s pheromones.
As a fellow Alpha, Lin Fansheng instinctively responded, releasing his own scent.
It was sweet and intoxicating—gardenia in full bloom, with a seductive undertone that hinted at danger.
Feeling the weight of breath near his neck, Lin Fansheng frowned and quickly retracted his pheromones. His voice turned cold.
“Lu Shihuai?”
The arms around his waist instantly withdrew. Lu Shihuai stepped back, revealing a face flushed and damp.
Clearly, he had just washed up—droplets still clung to his hair and trailed down his skin, sliding from his temples and along the curve of his cheek.
Lin Fansheng was momentarily distracted by how striking the man looked.
He quickly shook off the thought and asked with some irritation, “Why are you up and about after surgery?”
Hadn’t the doctor said he needed rest? What if his stitches tore or he opened the wound again?
“I was feeling hot, so I washed my face,” Lu Shihuai replied, voice soft. His cheeks were tinged pink, and his lips a shade redder than usual.
He glanced at Lin Fansheng’s neck and, in a voice low and unreadable, murmured, “Your pheromones… are really sweet.”
In the Empire, complimenting someone’s pheromones was practically a confession.
But Lin Fansheng, not fully versed in social norms, didn’t catch the implication. He simply nodded, a bit absentmindedly.
“Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve smelled it myself. It doesn’t match the stereotypical Alpha scent—doesn’t feel dominant or aggressive.”
He pulled something from his pocket. “Here’s your communicator—it’s fixed.”
The bracelet had been resized slightly smaller. When Lu Shihuai fastened it onto his wrist, the snug fit left a faint imprint.
“It’s tighter now,” Lu Shihuai noted quietly.
“I can get you a new one,” Lin Fansheng offered.
It was a practical suggestion—the identity chip could easily be transferred.
“No need,” Lu Shihuai refused. “This one was a gift from a friend. I’d rather not replace it.”
With that, he unlatched the communicator and activated the device.
“Identity verification initiated…”
“Please enter your password.”
Lin Fansheng watched Lu Shihuai try several times—five in total—before finally gaining access.
“…”
At that moment, Lin Fansheng had a sneaking suspicion that his own communicator might be just as heavily secured.
Most people only needed two attempts. What kind of background did Lu Shihuai have?
“Major General Lu, it’s been a while,” greeted the soft voice of a holographic assistant. The AI avatar smiled warmly on-screen. “You’ve been missing for 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds. You have 37 unread messages and 12 missed calls…”
Lu Shihuai dismissed the summary and tapped into the message center.
The most recent contact showed an offline status—a gray indicator beside the name.
Lin Fansheng didn’t mean to look, but the translucent interface made it hard not to glimpse the contents.
【Ling: I’m returning. Coordinates: Alinas Galaxy, Hilier Star.】
【Lu Shihuai: Got it.】
…
【Ling: Coordinates (xxx.xxx.xxx). Proceed as planned.】
【Lu Shihuai: Understood.】
The conversation was brief and to the point.
“Is that the friend you mentioned?” Lin Fansheng asked curiously.
“Yeah,” Lu Shihuai confirmed, quickly typing a reply.
Their message exchange was cold and efficient—like soldiers reporting in, not two people with a deep bond.
Lin Fansheng couldn’t help but comment, “Your messages… feel more like orders between a superior and subordinate than between close friends.”
“I suppose so,” Lu Shihuai said with a light smile. “He is my superior. He’s not good at expressing himself.”
“But I know he cares.”
Lin Fansheng glanced at the messages again, still skeptical.
From what little he saw, the tone was icy.
He asked abruptly, “Do you have many friends, Lu Shihuai?”
He almost said any friends, but held back at the last second.
To his surprise, Lu Shihuai replied seriously, “I do.”
He met Lin Fansheng’s gaze and added, “But he’s… different.”
That silenced Lin Fansheng.
Maybe it was like drinking water—only the one drinking knew if it was warm or cold.
He sat beside Lu Shihuai without saying more, watching as he went through his messages. The atmosphere between them was natural, unforced. Occasionally, they’d chat softly.
Then, suddenly, a video call request popped up on the screen.
The moment broke.
“Sorry, I’ll give you some privacy,” Lin Fansheng said, getting up and stepping out.
Outside, he leaned against the door and frowned.
Strange… he felt oddly familiar with this kind of quiet companionship.
Had he done this before—with someone?
Inside the room, Lu Shihuai accepted the call once Lin Fansheng was gone.
“Lu Shihuai! Finally!” A handsome face filled the screen, blonde hair making his presence even more flamboyant.
“My dear Major General, do you know how long we’ve been waiting for you?”
“Lin Ling’s disappeared—and you vanished with him? Is that it?”
Lu Shihuai frowned. “Wei Nian. Watch your words.”
Wei Nian, his adjutant, immediately backed off. “Okay, okay. Your precious Marshal ran off, and his loyal right-hand man followed suit.”
“But seriously, is he with you?”
“He is,” Lu Shihuai admitted. “But something happened—he’s not ready to appear publicly just yet.”
Wei Nian’s tone shifted. “Did Lin Ling get hurt?”
He knew their relationship, but Lin Ling only trusted Lu Shihuai. When the emergency signal came, Lu Shihuai was already missing.
He suddenly noticed the room behind Lu Shihuai and tensed. “Wait—you’re in a hospital?”
“I’m fine,” Lu Shihuai said calmly. “You’ll understand when you see him.”
Switching topics, he asked, “How’s the situation on your end?”
“You know how it is—the election for new council members is heating up. A lot of underhanded moves going on.”
“But I did figure out who was after you.” Wei Nian tapped a few buttons. “I’ve sent the list—look when you can.”
“Thanks.”
Wei Nian grinned. “Don’t mention it. Just remember to clear your mountain of backlogged files when you return.”
Lu Shihuai ended the call.
Silence returned to the ward.
He called up his access permissions and typed a name into the database:
“Lin Fansheng.”
After a few moments, a sparse profile loaded on-screen.
The Lin family…
So it really was him.
When Lin Fansheng came back, Lu Shihuai was being prepped for an IV drip.
“Mr. Lu, even Alphas shouldn’t push their limits like this,” the doctor scolded gently as he stood by the bed.
He’d seen difficult patients, but none quite like this one.
The moment someone tried to change his dressing, Lu Shihuai refused to be touched—claiming he didn’t want strangers near him.
So they offered to let a friend help instead.
When it came time for the injection, Lu Shihuai flat-out refused until “his friend” returned.
His frosty glare nearly froze the entire ward.
Then, just as suddenly, he collapsed weakly onto the bed, pale and breathless.
The nurses reacted fast—one pinned him gently while the other cleaned the injection site and slipped in the needle.
That was what Lin Fansheng walked in on.
He blinked. “…Do hospital injections usually require this much effort?”
The nurses: “…”
The doctor: “…”
Clearing his throat, the doctor turned with an awkward laugh. “You must be Mr. Lin? I was just saying that Mr. Lu—”
“Lin Fansheng,” Lu Shihuai suddenly interjected.
Lin Fansheng turned immediately, concern in his voice. “What is it? Are you hurting somewhere?”
“I’m thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some water.”
After handing him the cup, Lin Fansheng looked back at the doctor. “So… what were you saying?”
The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Actually, I was just trying to say—”
“I’m not feeling well,” Lu Shihuai interrupted again.
“Where does it hurt? Is your wound opening? Should I call the doctor again?”
“My body just feels off. Can you adjust the bed for me?”
“Sure.” As Lin Fansheng leaned in to raise the head of the bed, Lu Shihuai shot the doctor a warning look.
The doctor: “…”
Got it. You two lovebirds don’t need an audience.
With a helpless sigh, he signaled the nurses and quietly left, throwing Lu Shihuai a friendly hand sign on his way out.
I’m not getting caught in your drama anymore.
“Huh? Where’d the doctor go?” Lin Fansheng looked up, confused.
“I think he had other patients,” Lu Shihuai replied innocently. “But before he left, he wanted to ask if you could help me with my medication.”
He pointed at the pills and bandages on the side cabinet.
Lowering his eyes a little, Lu Shihuai added with mock guilt, “It’s my fault. I kept interrupting him.”
“How can it be your fault?” Lin Fansheng said immediately. “You’re the patient. Of course you need someone to look after you.”
Looking over the medical report, Lin Fansheng became even more attentive.
Somehow, he thought Lu Shihuai was worth looking after.
Maybe even worth… trusting as a friend.