Chapter 87: Please Find Me!

Chapter 88

.

.

Pain.

That was the first thing Jiang Li became aware of.

Not the room around him, not the voices drifting somewhere beyond his consciousness, and not even the fear that would soon flood his chest. It was pain that reached him first, deep and overwhelming, spreading through his body until he could no longer tell where one ache ended and another began.

A high, unpleasant ringing filled his ears. It was so loud that his eardrums seemed to throb with every pulse of his heart. He tried to move his head away from the sound, but even that small movement felt impossible. His limbs were heavy, almost disconnected from him, as though his body belonged to someone else.

He tried to open his eyes.

Nothing happened.

His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and when he attempted to lift his arms, they barely responded. His body was too weak, too numb, and whatever had been given to him still seemed to be working through his system.

Then he remembered.

He was pregnant.

The thought struck him with sudden terror.

His stomach tightened instinctively, and he tried to move his hands toward his abdomen. He needed to know if Beanie was safe. He needed to feel that small curve beneath his palms, that precious reminder that his child was still there.

But his body refused to cooperate.

Panic began to creep through the haze in his mind.

He was trapped somewhere between consciousness and sleep, unable to wake properly and unable to escape the nightmare surrounding him. Every attempt to move only made him more aware of how helpless he was.

Then he heard voices.

"Ah... but I don’t want to go to America."

The voice was unfamiliar.

Jiang Li couldn’t tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman. Everything sounded distorted, as though he were listening from underwater.

"Then don’t go."

The second voice was deeper.

Something about it made Jiang Li’s stomach tighten, although he couldn’t understand why.

"Ahh... you know I agreed to this because I wanted revenge. I want to see him cry. I want to see him in pain. How am I supposed to do that if I leave?"

"Then stop complaining. It’s annoying."

The conversation continued above him, seemingly without any concern for whether he could hear them.

Jiang Li tried to make sense of their words, but his thoughts remained sluggish.

America.

Revenge.

Cry.

Pain.

None of it made sense.

Then, without warning, something inside his body shifted.

The drug seemed to wear off all at once.

The change was anything but gentle.

A violent wave of pain surged through him, making every muscle in his body tense. His back arched instinctively as a cry tore from his throat before he could stop it.

"Ahhn!"

His eyes squeezed shut as his fingers finally managed to curl into the sheets beneath him.

For several seconds, he could do nothing but breathe through the pain.

Then his vision began to clear.

The ceiling above him appeared first, blurry and indistinct beneath the harsh lighting. He blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar room.

Someone was standing nearby.

"Ah, there he is."

Jiang Li’s gaze slowly shifted.

A man stood beside the bed.

His black hair was swept neatly away from his forehead, and a faint grin curved across his lips. His deep brown eyes were fixed directly on Jiang Li, filled with a familiarity that made Jiang Li’s blood run cold.

Those eyes.

He knew them.

He could never forget them.

Even after all these years, his body remembered before his mind could fully process the sight. His heart seemed to seize inside his chest, and his breath became shallow as fear spread through him.

Jiang Ze.

The name surfaced in his mind like a nightmare he had spent years trying to bury.

Jiang Li’s honey-brown eyes widened. His hands began shaking beneath the sheets, but he forced his fingers to curl tightly around the fabric.

He would not give Jiang Ze the satisfaction of seeing him afraid.

Not again.

"Jiang Ze... step back."

The deeper voice came from behind him.

Jiang Ze rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by the order, but he eventually stepped away from the bed.

Only then did Jiang Li see the second man clearly.

His expression changed immediately.

The determination in his eyes disappeared, replaced by something he could not conceal.

Panic.

"You... you... what are you—"

His voice broke before he could finish.

He couldn’t breathe.

The two people standing before him were not strangers. They were faces connected to memories he had spent years trying to escape, people whose names alone could send his body into a state of terror.

Seeing them together made the past feel suddenly close again.

His cheeks drained of color, and his breathing became rapid and shallow. His chest tightened so painfully that he instinctively tried to pull himself backward, but there was nowhere for him to go.

"Jiang Li."

The second man moved toward him.

Jiang Li flinched violently.

"Don’t touch me."

His voice barely came out.

The man ignored the fear in his expression and reached for something on the nearby table. He picked up a small breathing spray and brought it toward Jiang Li.

"No," Jiang Li whispered, turning his face away.

But he was too weak to resist.

The spray was pressed against his lips, and after a moment of hesitation, Jiang Li inhaled. The medicine eased the tightness in his chest enough for him to take a proper breath, although the fear remained.

His vision blurred again.

Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and slowly rolled down his temples as he stared at the ceiling.

He tried to calm himself.

He couldn’t.

"Why are you doing this?"

His voice cracked.

Neither man answered immediately.

Jiang Li swallowed, his throat painfully dry.

"What do you want from me?"

The second man remained silent for several seconds before turning his attention toward Jiang Ze.

Jiang Ze was sitting on a white sofa positioned against the wall, watching Jiang Li with an expression that made the omega’s skin crawl.

Finally, he spoke.

"Pretty simple, if you ask me, Xiao Li."

The familiar nickname made Jiang Li’s stomach twist.

"Remember what you did before you ran away?"

Jiang Ze leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting against his knees.

"Remember what state you left me in?"

Jiang Li’s fingers tightened around the sheets.

"You broke my gland, Jiang Li."

Jiang Ze’s voice grew harsher.

"You made me a recessive Alpha because of your disgusting pheromones."

Jiang Li flinched.

The accusation struck him like a physical blow, even though he had heard versions of it before.

"And you had the nerve to disappear and start playing house with another Alpha," Jiang Ze continued. "You even managed to get yourself pregnant."

Jiang Li froze.

His eyes widened. ℯℯ𝑙.

"How..."

His hand immediately moved toward his abdomen.

Beanie.

His fingers found the small curve beneath his clothes, and relief and terror collided inside his chest.

How did they know?

Had someone told them?

Had they been watching him?

Had they—

No.

His hand pressed more firmly against his stomach.

Please.

Please let Beanie be safe.

Jiang Ze noticed the movement and smiled.

"There’s no need to worry about that little inconvenience."

The second man finally stood.

His footsteps were slow as he approached the bed.

Jiang Li watched him with wide, frightened eyes.

The man reached toward Jiang Li’s abdomen.

Jiang Li recoiled immediately.

"Don’t touch me!"

His voice rose with panic.

The man’s expression remained cold.

"I’ll personally take care of it," he said. "I can’t stand the thought of my omega carrying another Alpha’s child."

The words made Jiang Li’s entire body go cold.

His hand covered his stomach protectively.

"No."

His voice trembled.

He looked down at the small bump beneath his clothes as though he could somehow shield the baby simply by holding it tightly enough.

"No, you can’t."

His thoughts immediately flew to Shen Yu.

What would Shen Yu do if he knew?

What would happen if they took Beanie away from him?

What if—

No.

He couldn’t think about it.

He couldn’t lose his baby.

Not Beanie.

Not their child.

Jiang Ze stood and approached the bed again. Before Jiang Li could move away, he grabbed his shoulders and forced him back against the mattress.

The sudden movement made Jiang Li gasp.

"Let me go!"

Jiang Ze’s expression twisted with satisfaction.

"You know what I’ve imagined all these years?"

Jiang Li shook his head, tears already falling.

"I imagined seeing you suffer the same way I did."

His grip tightened.

"I wanted to see you finally understand what it feels like to have everything taken away from you."

Jiang Li struggled against him, but his body was still weak from the drug. His arms trembled as he tried to push Jiang Ze away.

Jiang Ze continued speaking.

"And now you have something you actually care about."

His eyes dropped toward Jiang Li’s abdomen.

"That makes this much more satisfying."

Jiang Li’s heart seemed to stop.

"You wouldn’t..."

His voice was barely audible.

Jiang Ze smiled.

"I know how much you love that Alpha."

Jiang Li’s eyes widened.

"You even bought baby clothes."

The tears that had been falling silently suddenly became sobs.

How did he know?

How long had they been watching him?

The thought terrified him more than anything else.

"I want you to lose everything," Jiang Ze said quietly. "Your baby and the Alpha you love."

"No!"

Jiang Li struggled harder, desperation giving him a brief burst of strength.

"How could you even do that to a three-month pregnant omega?" he cried. "Stop dreaming!"

Jiang Ze laughed.

The sound was cold and humorless.

"You’re a male omega. That’s already dangerous enough."

The second man stepped closer to the bed and reached into his pocket.

Jiang Li watched with growing horror as he pulled out a small container filled with a clear liquid.

His breathing stopped.

"What is that?"

The man didn’t answer immediately.

He simply held the container up between his fingers.

"Something that will solve the problem."

Jiang Li shook his head violently.

"No."

His entire body began trembling.

He tried to move away, but Jiang Ze’s grip kept him pinned against the bed.

"No, please."

The plea slipped from his mouth before he could stop it.

For years, Jiang Li had hated begging. He had hated showing weakness. He had learned that pleading rarely made cruel people kinder.

But this was different.

This wasn’t about him.

It was about Beanie.

His baby.

Their baby.

"Please don’t touch my child."

His voice broke completely.

Tears streamed down his face as he desperately tried to protect his stomach with his hands.

The man holding the container stared down at him.

"Just like you took something important from me," he said, "it seems only fair that I take something important from you."

Jiang Li’s chest heaved as sobs escaped him.

He fought harder.

He kicked, twisted, and tried to wrench himself out of Jiang Ze’s grasp, but his body was still too weak. Every movement only made the pain in his muscles worse.

"Someone help me!"

His voice echoed through the room.

"Please!"

No one came.

His tears continued falling as he curled himself around his stomach as much as he could.

He thought of Shen Yu.

His dark eyes.

His warm hands.

The way he had held Jiang Li close and told him he wanted to walk beside someone.

The way he had touched Beanie for the first time.

The way his voice had softened when he said he couldn’t wait to hold their child.

Jiang Li couldn’t let those memories become the last things he had.

He couldn’t let them take Beanie.

He couldn’t let them take the future he had only just begun to believe in.

"Shen Yu..."

His voice came out as a broken whisper.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears slipping beneath his lashes.

"Please..."

His fingers curled protectively over his stomach.

"Please find me."

And with Jiang Ze holding him down and the other man standing beside the bed, Jiang Li continued to struggle with everything he had left, refusing to surrender the one thing he had begun to love more than anything else