Dejected, Hua Ren removed the veil covering half his face and laid on the narrow bed, hoping to get some rest and maybe dream of the Emperor but the first image that flashed in his mind when he closed his eyes was that of his Alpha.
Hua Ren's brows furrowed as he saw those captivating eyes, like liquid gold, so striking and intense, housing a certain kindness, yet, a fierce resolve burned beneath the surface.
As he laid there, Sheng Fei’s pheromones which were stuck to his clothes, slowly wafted into his nose. The rich, earthy aroma of sage, surrounded him, surprisingly giving him some form of comfort in the lone cold cell.
Realising whom his thoughts were about, he quickly sat up, wondering how he could be thinking of a Rebel at such a time. He was imprisoned and awaiting judgement but the first person he thought of was Sheng Fei. How was that even possible? Sheng Fei was no one to him. Just another pesky Rebel.
It was because of Sheng Fei that the Emperor thought him a traitor. If Sheng Fei hadn't embraced him like that when the spies were around, things wouldn't have escalated to such a degree. Hua Ren clenched his fists, berating himself for letting his thoughts stray to his enemy.
His mind was too occupied with thoughts of the Emperor earlier so he didn't notice that Sheng Fei's scent was all over him. He then realised that if he could smell Sheng Fei’s pheromones on his clothes, it meant the spies in the cell had smelled it too. Which also meant the Emperor must have smelt it on him too.
No wonder the spies refused to believe that he wasn't a traitor. He realised that Sheng Fei’s pheromones must have also been the reason the Emperor did not want to believe his words.
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration. Sheng Fei was causing him so much trouble!
But then, he recalled the way Sheng Fei kept asserting that they were mates. That he was his Alpha. That he should let himself feel the bond between them. It was clear that Sheng Fei had already regarded him his Omega and was ready to claim him as such but Hua Ren didn't want to be claimed. Not by him.
Hua Ren had never understood why Alphas and Omegas gave high importance to pheromones but he understood it's significance when he smelt Sheng Fei’s. They were potent enough to scramble his mind, strip him of all his strength and also elicit some foreign feeling from him, a sense of familiarity, as if he already knew Sheng Fei.
In that moment, when he was in Sheng Fei’s arms, he wanted to bask in Sheng Fei’s scent, he wanted to be hugged tighter by his Alpha. He wanted to be close enough to take in his scent with every breath. It was a sort of maddening urge he could not control. He remembered that he had even released his own pheromones which had never happened before. He clearly felt their bond at that time. The bond between mates and it scared the hell out of him. It scared him so much that he wanted to run away from it all.
He groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration. He didn't like the way he felt. He didn't like Sheng Fei.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder if they had evacuated the village. The Emperor would surely send his forces to eliminate them all. He didn't want Huifang, Qi Zhen and the innocent villagers to die.
He suddenly didn't feel like sleeping anymore so he crossed his legs and started to meditate. After what felt like hours, he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching so he wore his veil and waited.
The leader of the Alpha guards returned and opened the cell. He was a tall well-built man with brown shaggy hair and kind blue eyes. He moved with purpose, his expression a mix of determination and respect as he entered the cell and unchained Hua Ren.
"Am I being released?" Hua Ren asked, his eyes full of hope.
The Alpha guard shook his head. "The Emperor is yet to conclude the investigation. I only came back to remove the chains and deliver a message."
Hua Ren nodded as he rubbed his sore wrists. He figured it was too soon to finish an investigation anyway. "Who are you and who sent you?"
"My name is Li Wen, General. I am helping you because you’re my role model." the guard confessed, his voice low and earnest. "I’ve always looked up to you and I don’t believe for a second that you’re a traitor. I will join the investigation unit and do everything I can to prove your innocence."
He handed Hua Ren a bundle of clean clothes and a small box of food—far better than the slop served to the other prisoners.
"These were sent by your parents," he explained, his tone softening. "I’ll make sure you get to see them when things calm down."
Hua Ren felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. He had forgotten about his family but they didn't forget about him. He sighed. What a son he was. Also, it felt good to know that he had someone didn't think he was a traitor.
"Thank you, Li Wen, for your help and for believing in me."
"There's no need to thank me, General." Li Wen replied. "You may have forgotten but you saved me a long time ago when my village was attacked by bandits. You brought me to the Celestial Kingdom Capital and found me a home to stay. I later enrolled in the army and landed a job as a palace guard. Someone like you can never be a traitor. You gave me a new life, General, and for that, I will eternally be grateful."
Hua Ren was surprised. He never expected the guard to be someone he had saved before. Hua Ren knew that he had saved a lot of people but it wasn't like he could remember them all. "Then, can you help me deliver a message to my parents?"
"Of course." Li Wen nodded immediately.
"Tell them I am fine and they shouldn't worry about me." Hua Ren said. "They shouldn't send food to me either because I am serving my punishment. I am the murderer of General Hei Long and many other soldiers so I deserve whatever treatment is given to me within this cell. They should know that the Emperor has already shown me mercy by giving me a solitary cell instead of throwing me into the cramped ones with the criminals I captured myself." He then held up the box. "I will accept this food since it's the first one but it should be the last. Also, they do not need to come and see me. I am fine."
Knowing how stubborn Hua Ren could be, Li Wen did not try to change his mind. Besides, Hua Ren’s father had already told him that Hua Ren would react this way and not to mind him so he only nodded. "I will deliver your message."
With that, he locked the cell and left, leaving Hua Ren alone with his thoughts.