The Stunning General Finds Himself in a Shura Field on a Dating Show ABO - Chapter 31

Just then, Xie Shi straightened up, and Qin Siran realized with a start that Xie Shi was actually quite tall—at least 183 centimeters. His youthful, baby-faced appearance had instinctively made people overlook his height.

Qin Siran himself stood at 180 centimeters, considered tall for an Omega. This was the first time he had ever met an Omega taller than himself.

The man’s physique, rather than resembling that of an Omega, seemed more akin to an Alpha.

Qin Siran subtly moved closer to Xie Shi. The closer he got, the more pronounced the pheromone scent became.

A sweet, chocolate-like aroma filled his nostrils—undeniably the pheromones of an Omega.

Moreover, the pheromones were of a high grade, belonging to an A-grade Omega.

Qin Siran dismissed his suspicions as overthinking and didn’t dwell on it further.

Everyone was exhausted that night. After washing up, they quickly turned off the lights.

A crescent moon hung high in the sky, its cold, white light bathing the sea in the darkness. The rolling waves shimmered with an ethereal glow as the sea breeze carried the moonlight indoors, gently draping it across the three beds.

Qin Siran tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep. For some reason, the lake he had seen at the Sea God Temple earlier that day kept replaying in his mind.

After flipping over several times, he finally felt drowsiness creeping in and gradually drifted off to sleep under the moonlight.

A sudden commotion jolted him awake. Qin Siran opened his eyes to find himself in a garden, the noise coming from beyond the walls.

He instinctively tried to stand, but his foot caught on the floor-length hem of his robe. Looking down, he realized he was wearing a set of ancient cyan robes.

As he stood there in stunned silence, a head suddenly popped over the high wall in front of him.

It was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, his features already strikingly handsome despite his youth. When he looked up, his eyes sparkled with a bright smile.

Someone’s there! Perfect! Please catch me, miss!

This child… he looks just like Ye Zhi.

Before Qin Siran could react, his body seemed to move of its own accord, reaching out to catch the boy.

The force of the impact knocked him to the ground, but he felt no pain.

Just as Qin Siran was wondering what was happening, the young man in his arms scrambled to his feet, helping him up and offering his thanks

Thank you, Sister! I owe you everything today!

With the young man’s assistance, Qin Siran stood up. He wanted to ask about his connection to Ye Zhi, but found he had no control over his body. Instead, the words that came out were

I’m no sister. Who are you? And what brings you to this place?

The archaic language surprised Qin Siran, but even more unsettling was the eerie feeling of being unable to control his own body.

This sensation gave Qin Siran the illusion of being a parasite inhabiting someone else’s body.

Yet this was undeniably his own body, even his voice sounded exactly the same.

Could this… be a dream?

Realizing this, Qin Siran stopped trying to regain control. Just then, the young man across from him replied

My sincerest apologies, Brother. You’re so beautiful I mistook you for a woman. My name is Ye Zhi. I forgot my silver today and ate rose pastries without paying. The madam of the establishment thought I was a con artist, and I ended up fleeing here by mistake. I’ve troubled you greatly, Brother.

Ye Zhi!

Could it really be Ye Zhi?

But why was he wearing ancient robes?

Where exactly was this place?

Qin Siran heard himself ask again

Are you the Young Marquis of Marquis Jing’an’s Estate?

At this, the young boy’s eyes lit up.

You recognize me?

Qin Siran chuckled softly, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Young Marquis, you’re quite the celebrity in Shengjing.

How famous am I? Tell me!

Ye Zhi’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, his expression brimming with excitement, as if he were particularly delighted by his own notoriety.

Qin Siran turned and began walking away, speaking as he went.

You’re known for your mischievous nature, fondness for beautiful women, lack of academic progress, and frequenting of brothels. You’re the second-greatest wastrel in the Capital.

Little Ye Zhi chased after Qin Siran, pressing him further.

Then who’s the greatest wastrel?

Naturally, the young master of the General’s Estate.

As he spoke, Qin Siran glanced back.

Do you have any objections to the earlier assessment?

Instead of answering directly, Ye Zhi circled around to stand in front of Qin Siran and countered with a question of his own.

What do you think, Brother? Do you think they’re right?

Qin Siran stopped in his tracks, staring at the young man before him with a scrutinizing gaze, as if lost in thought.

Finally, he neither agreed nor disagreed, simply returning to the pavilion to sit down and dismissing Ye Zhi with a wave of his hand.

I don’t deserve to be called ‘Brother’ by you. You should leave now. As the Young Marquis, you shouldn’t linger here.

Ye Zhi, however, had no intention of leaving. Instead, he followed Qin Siran into the pavilion and sat beside him.

Brother, you deserve it! I want to call you that, so just accept it. As for leaving, not yet. There are still sounds outside the wall—probably the people chasing me haven’t given up. I can’t let them catch me; Father would beat me to death!

As he spoke, Ye Zhi tugged at Qin Siran’s sleeve, softening his tone.

Brother, you wouldn’t want me to get beaten, would you? Please let me stay a little longer.

The young man’s soft voice, paired with his captivating peach blossom eyes, made it almost impossible to refuse.

Qin Siran sighed softly and finally relented.

Relieved that Qin Siran had agreed to let him stay, Ye Zhi finally took the time to observe his surroundings. It was only then that he realized something was odd.

The rear courtyard of Qinghuan Tower is supposed to be for women only. What are you doing here, Brother?

Qin Siran poured Ye Zhi a cup of tea and explained

Young Marquis, have you forgotten? Qinghuan Tower and Nanfeng Pavilion share a wall, their back courtyards nearly touching. Since you’ve seen I’m a man, you should have guessed this is Nanfeng Pavilion.

Ye Zhi’s eyes widened in realization. Ah, that’s right! I completely forgot.

Noticing the spacious courtyard and the stage in the distance, Ye Zhi recalled recent rumors and asked hesitantly

I’ve heard Ying Lian of Nanfeng Pavilion sings opera with extraordinary skill. The Eldest Princess has taken him as her male consort and housed him in this secluded courtyard. Brother, are you…?

Yes, I am Ying Lian, Qin Siran replied frankly, as if being a male consort carried no shame.

But you look only a little older than me, not even of age yet… Ye Zhi suddenly lost his appetite for tea, his expression softening with pity as he gazed at the man across from him.

Qin Siran scoffed. So what? As long as the Princess is pleased.

Though his words were outwardly respectful, Qin Siran’s tone dripped with mockery.

Little Ye Zhi remained silent for a long moment before quietly walking to the corner of the wall. Noticing the silence outside, he lightly leaped onto the high wall.

Qin Siran assumed the boy was about to leave and didn’t even stir. To his surprise, the youth perched on the wall called out

Brother Yinglian, it must be so boring being cooped up in this courtyard all day. Let me take you out to play!

Qin Siran was momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he shook his head. I can’t leave. Even if I got out of the courtyard, I’d never escape Nanfeng Pavilion.

Ye Zhi scoffed with a dismissive laugh. Are you looking down on me? Come here, I’ll get you out!

The young boy across the wall was clearly only fifteen, yet his words carried an inexplicable air of conviction.

Qin Siran was just a year older than Ye Zhi. Though he appeared mature, his heart remained that of a child, and he was deeply curious about the world beyond the walls. Setting down his teacup, he rose and walked to the wall.

He looked up at the red-robed youth perched above him. Sunlight streamed from behind the boy, silhouetting his high ponytail as he reached down with slender, pale hands.

These were the hands of the Young Marquis, a noble he dared not touch.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Siran finally reached out.

As sunlight filtered through the gaps between their fingers, it felt as if he were grasping a sliver of light.

Ye Zhi seized Qin Siran’s outstretched hand, pulling him effortlessly over the wall. He then wrapped his arms around Qin Siran’s waist and nimbly leaped down from the courtyard wall.

Just as Ye Zhi had promised, he successfully led Qin Siran away from Nanfeng Pavilion.

That day, the Young Marquis took the Eldest Princess’s future male consort on a tour of Shengjing.

That day, Ying Lian briefly shed his identity as an entertainer and experienced a completely new side of Shengjing.

He was no longer a lowly entertainer, no longer a tool to satisfy the whims of nobles. He even won the affection of children and received a silk handkerchief from a young lady.

But what he cherished most was the candied hawthorn skewers the Young Marquis bought for him.

That vibrant red, coated in glistening sugar, would forever remain etched in his heart, bringing a warm sweetness to his desolate inner world.

In the days that followed, the young boy frequently visited the small courtyard. He loved sitting atop the wall, listening to Qin Siran perform on the stage.

Seven days later, the Eldest Princess abruptly informed Nanfeng Pavilion that Ying Lian was to be sent to Marquis Jing’an’s Estate.

It was obvious that the Young Marquis had intervened.

When the steward led Little Ye Zhi into the courtyard, Ying Lian noticed the bruises on the boy’s face and asked anxiously, Did the Marquis do this? Does it hurt?

The young boy waved dismissively, his smile carefree.

Just a little scratch, nothing to worry about. My dad said if I beat him, I could bring you to the Marquis Manor.

As he spoke, pride filled the boy’s handsome face.

And of course, I won in the end! Brother Yinglian, you don’t have to go to the Princess Manor anymore!

The boy’s clear voice faded into the distance as the surrounding scenery gradually lost its color and dissolved away. The dream ended.

When Qin Siran opened his eyes, he stared at the ceiling for a long time, trying to shake off the lingering sense of reality from the dream. It felt as if life itself were a fleeting dream, and he woke up disoriented, unsure of the time or place. His mind drifted between images of Mirror’s Edge Lake at the Sea God Temple and Granny A’Luo’s words to Ye Zhi.

After a while, Qin Siran finally regained his sense of grounding in reality. He glanced out the window and saw that the sky was already fully bright.

Xie Shi’s bed was long empty, likely having already gotten up and left. Ye Zhi was still asleep in his bed.

He had drunk too much wine the previous night, so it was understandable that he would sleep in a bit this morning.

Qin Siran knelt beside Ye Zhi’s bed, tracing the other man’s features with his eyes, his expression complex.

After a long moment, he whispered, Young Marquis, is that you?

The same name, the same face.

The only difference seemed to be the youthful recklessness of the boy in his dream.

He recalled the photos he’d seen trending online that day, and suddenly realized there had been clues all along.

That fleeting sense of familiarity had been due to a bond that transcended time and space.

How did you become the person you are now? Qin Siran murmured, as if talking to himself, his voice tinged with unconscious tenderness.

The boy in his dream had been unrestrained and wild, his laughter bright and vivid. But the Ye Zhi he’d met these past few days was gentle, considerate, and harmlessly obedient.

It was as if a treasured sword had been dulled, all its sharpness buried deep within.

The dream had ended abruptly just as Qin Siran was about to enter the Marquis Manor. He desperately wanted to know what had happened afterward—what had transformed that fearless boy into the sensible man before him.