Zhou Jiao was speechless.
If she knew the answer to that, the first thing she'd do would be to release her scent like crazy, intoxicate him until he was utterly bewitched, then sneak a bridle and bit onto him and command him to take down the megacorporations ruling the world—instead of wasting her time cautiously sowing discord here.
She wisely held her tongue.
Jiang Lian narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a long, long time. Then suddenly said:
"Maybe I should kill you."
...Huh?
Wasn't he supposed to be more attracted to her now?
Zhou Jiao's mouth twitched. She was just about to respond when he calmly continued,
"You're too weak, and too fragrant. Any low-level creature could covet you. Rather than let you live, only to be sniffed out by filthy things, I might as well kill you right now."
A monster is a monster.
One second he's saying she's become more alluring, the next he's clutching her neck like a steel trap.
Almost instantly, her cervical vertebrae gave a brittle crack.
Zhou Jiao had no doubt: if she said one wrong word next, he'd snap her neck without hesitation.
What should she do?
Should she submit? Flatter him?
Or take a gamble… and release all her malice to lure him in?
Meanwhile, a dangerous grinding came from her throat—her spine on the verge of collapse.
If not for her genetically modified body, she'd already be dead.
In a flash of decision, Zhou Jiao made her move.
She decided to bet it all.
"…I knew it. You're just afraid to face me," she choked out, prying at Jiang Lian's fingers, struggling to breathe. But each word was cold, clear, and deliberate. "Half a year ago, you replaced the original Jiang Lian, didn't you? You're this powerful, yet still haven't left the Special Bureau… is it because you can't leave, or because you don't want to?"
Her lashes, dark and dense, were soaked in cold sweat, giving her a strange, vivid glow. "You're not afraid of biotech, so why fear the Bureau? You don't want to leave, right?"
She paused, then smiled—wickedly.
"…You can't bear to part with my scent."
Jiang Lian's grip suddenly tightened, veins bulging from the back of his hand. If you looked closely, you'd see they were a dark purplish-black.
Her spine groaned even louder, her neck bent at an unnatural angle.
But Zhou Jiao was now fifty percent sure she'd win.
And fifty percent… was enough.
"These past six months must have been hell for you," she said haltingly. "On the surface, it looks like you replaced 'Jiang Lian'… but in truth, it's you who's trapped. Someone forced you into Jiang Lian's body."
She was guessing.
But Jiang Lian's gaze went ice-cold in an instant—and she knew she was right.
"Jiang Lian isn't normal. His genes are twisted—cold-blooded, manic, violent by nature… All his paternal relatives were murderers. His father and grandfather even had cannibalistic tendencies… You try to resist me, but still crave my scent. I'm guessing—" she laughed, "—that's his influence, isn't it?"
For a moment, Jiang Lian's stare was so chilling it physically hurt.
But… he didn't tighten his grip any further.
Instead, he lowered his head and—unable to help himself—pressed his nose to her lips, deeply inhaling her breath.
"You scorn humanity, yet because of human DNA, you've developed an inexplicable craving for another human… You're far stronger than humans, yet imprisoned in a human body… unable to return to where you belong."
She panted, then whispered softly:
"—I pity you."
The moment the words fell, her cervical spine cracked ominously. Her neck throbbed with pain, on the verge of snapping.
He did want to kill her.
She was dangling over death again.
Her whole body trembled in pure terror. Every cell screamed with survival instinct; her eyes reddened as she fought the urge to plead for mercy.
But she still had one last card to play.
"...Work with me," she gasped, stretching out a hand and clutching Jiang Lian's shoulder, her knuckles pale from the force. "Help me escape Biotech's assassins, and I'll help you escape this human shell… I'll send you back to your true home…"
Jiang Lian stared coldly at her.
He said nothing.
He didn't seem interested in the offer at all.
But Zhou Jiao didn't need a reply. She leaned in and kissed him.
Hard.
Lips and teeth tangled.
Breath mingled.
The monster's dry, cold tongue was slowly soaked with human saliva.
Rain filled the air.
Drizzling sounds masked the wet noise between them.
At some point, the death grip on her throat eased.
Air rushed into her lungs. Zhou Jiao fought down a cough, afraid of hacking into his mouth and seeing what kind of expression that would get her.
She'd survived.
But one thing made her uneasy—Jiang Lian still hadn't kissed her back.
What was he thinking?
Had her gamble worked?
Then, at last, she heard a heavy gulp in her ear.
Her body relaxed instantly.
…She'd won.
·
When the kiss ended, Zhou Jiao's knees buckled.
She staggered back, slumping against a streetlamp. Sweat drenched her hair and body, dripping like insects crawling down her skin. She shivered from head to toe.
Jiang Lian said nothing.
He stood there quietly, still and composed, more like a human than she was.
But his gaze—cold and bottomless—was more inhuman than ever.
It was clear as day what those eyes said: I want more.
…Pure beast logic.
Because he didn't want to be bound by her scent, didn't want others to covet her, he wanted to kill her.
But when she kissed him—offered him something intoxicating—he immediately gave up on the kill.
She couldn't help but think: he's a biting dog, sure… but give him a little treat, and he'll wear a muzzle.
Then a shadow loomed.
The "biting dog" walked toward her.
Zhou Jiao snapped out of her thoughts in an instant.
If she could sense what he was, he could surely sense something in her too. She'd rather not die just for calling a monster a dog.
But Jiang Lian only sniffed the air and said,
"You're getting more fragrant. How strange."
Zhou Jiao froze. Then her eye twitched.
…So calling you a dog actually made you happier, huh?
Staying on this topic was risky.
She quickly shifted the conversation:
"Dr. Jiang, I'm sincere about working with you—since you like my scent, and I need your help, why can't we cooperate?"
She tilted her head slightly, exposing her bruised, vulnerable throat fully to him.
"I'm weak. I pose no threat to you… If not for your tendrils, I wouldn't even be standing right now. You already control whether I live or die. Cooperating with me comes at no risk. I'll do everything I can to help free you from this fragile human body. In return, you just need to protect me from Biotech's assassins."
She looked docile, submissive, like she had truly yielded to his power.
Jiang Lian was silent for a moment. Then said:
"Go on."
Relieved he was willing to listen, Zhou Jiao continued,
"If I'm right, someone invited you into Jiang Lian's body—somehow."
"That person is likely a devotee of yours. He hates Biotech with a passion, and wanted to destroy it… so he summoned you for help."
She was guessing again, but it felt right.
What tied it all together was a single online account: WhenWillBiotechCollapse.
Its final post read:
[I've found a way to make Biotech collapse. Once the god descends, it all ends.]
At first glance, nothing remarkable—social media was flooded with similar rants.
What caught her attention was the post's image—the only one ever censored.
Why?
The platform was run by a North American megacorp infamous for never censoring anything. On the contrary, it often amplified inflammatory content just to keep users arguing longer.
Even government leaks and political scandals were left untouched.
But this one image got blacked out.
Why?
Zhou Jiao could only think of one possibility:
The cost of revealing it was too high.
But what could be so costly for a megacorp?
Corporate secrets? Political dirt?
No—those were encouraged.
Then what?
Something beyond human comprehension.
That would explain everything. Only something nonhuman would scare the company that much.
Zhou Jiao guessed the image had something to do with Jiang Lian's true origin.
That account likely came into contact with some forbidden knowledge, found a ritual, and forced a god into Jiang Lian's body.
She believed this not just because of the image—
But because of Jiang Lian himself.
Why him?
Why not Xie Yueze?
Why not her?
Because of Jiang Lian's abnormal genes.
He was classified as a high-risk individual under the surveillance of the Special Bureau—a born psychopath, a criminal in the making. Incapable of emotion. Incapable of empathy.
And the Special Bureau, in turn, was controlled by a global organization known as BioTech.
If the monster hadn't developed such an obsessive fascination with her scent, the story would've gone like this:
The monster would have descended upon Jiang Lian and, influenced by his genes, become cold-blooded, manic, and filled with hunger and hatred toward humanity.
Sooner or later, the Special Bureau would detect abnormalities in Jiang Lian, discovering an unprecedented mutated entity inside him.
Loyal as ever to BioTech, the higher-ups would report this to them without hesitation.
And BioTech only had two protocols when it came to unknown mutations: eliminate or experiment. Either outcome would lead to the same result—
They'd enrage Jiang Lian.
And if Jiang Lian truly possessed the power of a god, then angering him would leave BioTech with only one fate: total annihilation.
Just as the saying went—
"When a god descends, all things come to an end."
Zhou Jiao couldn't help but shudder.
The plan seemed airtight—flawless even. It looked like it really could bring down BioTech's dominion.
But there was one glaring problem.
The monster inside Jiang Lian... was uncontrollable.
He might destroy BioTech, yes—but he might also casually wipe out all of human civilization while he's at it.
Did the person behind the account "WhenWillBioTechGoBankrupt" simply overlook this?
Or... did they fully understand the risk of Jiang Lian destroying the world—and still chose to let him descend anyway?
Zhou Jiao didn't dare think further.
She was afraid Jiang Lian might catch wind of her thoughts—might realize that aside from sniffing her, he could also just destroy the world for fun.
She kept the final part to herself but shared her suspicions with Jiang Lian.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to him, trying to recall malicious thoughts in her mind, hoping they'd emit that alluring scent.
She had no idea if it would work—but it was worth trying.
"Let's work together," she said, grabbing his hand and pressing it to her cheek, looking up at him from below. "You help me shake off BioTech's pursuit, and I'll help you get rid of Jiang Lian's body."
After speaking, she tilted her head slightly and rubbed her cheek against his cold palm, though her body tensed.
Because what she said wasn't quite the truth.
The thing she really wanted to escape…
Was the monster standing in front of her.
Jiang Lian looked down at her, his gaze aloof and domineering.
That suffocating, almost tangible stare was back.
Zhou Jiao's heart skipped a beat.
He extended one finger and traced along the contours of her face.
Maybe it was the dampness in the air.
Or maybe… that wasn't a human finger at all.
The texture was icy, slick—like frozen fish flesh—and radiated a chill that made her scalp tingle and her spine crawl.
His finger stopped at her lips.
And maybe it was just her imagination…
But she felt something emerge from the pad of his finger, gently nibbling at the corner of her mouth.
Zhou Jiao's submissive expression nearly cracked.
Jiang Lian's Adam's apple bobbed as if in thought.
"You smell delicious," he murmured. "Even when you're thinking."
Zhou Jiao: "..."
So… I poured out all that analysis and scheming… and you didn't hear a single word?
You were just over there calculating when I smell the tastiest??
Calling you a dog would be an insult to dogs, you know that?
Maybe her expression really did slip—
Because a faint glint of amusement flashed through his eyes.
It was the first time he'd shown such a human expression, and Zhou Jiao froze for a moment.
The next second, he gently pressed his finger into the space between her lips.
The moment he touched her damp tongue—his "finger" transformed.
It morphed into a long, slick tendril that coiled around her tongue, chasing and twining with it.
Zhou Jiao blinked rapidly, visibly flustered.
Half a minute later, Jiang Lian withdrew his hand.
His Adam's apple rolled again, this time slower—more satisfied.
His eyes gleamed with a kind of predatory delight.
"Pleasure doing business."
He agreed.