Lu Heng could barely make out Jiang Yunxing’s silhouette. His sense of touch and smell became more acute.
The tobacco scent kept stimulating him, coming in waves, making him feel unbearably uncomfortable.
“…Release more,” Lu Heng could barely hear his own voice as he pressed his forehead against Jiang Yunxing’s shoulder. “Your pheromones… release more.”
Jiang Yunxing was frozen in place until Lu Heng’s words brought him back. He obediently released more pheromones.
The tobacco scent grew stronger. Lu Heng closed his eyes, taking it in almost obsessively.
“Does this help?” Jiang Yunxing asked.
“Mm.” Lu Heng inhaled for a while, his mind clearing slightly.
But soon, another sensation took over his body.
While he still had his consciousness, Lu Heng pushed Jiang Yunxing away and turned around unsteadily. He took a step forward.
He needed to get back quickly for his suppressants.
But Jiang Yunxing grabbed him.
“Ge! You can’t wander around right now.” Jiang Yunxing gripped Lu Heng’s wrist and pulled him back. “You’re in heat. The pheromones you’re releasing w-w-will send those signals.”
“…” Lu Heng stopped and turned to look at Jiang Yunxing.
He didn’t know what signals he was sending, but looking at Jiang Yunxing now was like looking at an aphrodisiac in human form.
His previous heats had never been this intense.
His nape burned, his abdomen too, even stronger than aphrodisiacs.
Lu Heng leaned against the refrigerated shelf, the cold air helping him stay somewhat clearheaded.
“I need to get suppressants,” he said.
“I’ll get them. You stay here… no, that won’t work.” Jiang Yunxing was frustrated, contradicting himself. “Xu He is still here. He can’t see you like this.”
Jiang Yunxing was panicking, looking more anxious than Lu Heng.
Lu Heng watched him quietly. His figure became blurry again. Only his scent continued spreading.
Lu Heng raised his hand, trying to grab the person in front of him, when the supermarket door opened.
Two girls walked in and paused.
They looked at each other, and one of them asked, “Can you smell that?”
“Yeah… an Omega?”
“Such a strong scent…”
Lu Heng’s hand froze, and in the next second, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.
Jiang Yunxing dragged Lu Heng into the nearby storage room and closed the door behind them.
The room was dark, with only weak light filtering through a small window.
Jiang Yunxing pressed against the door, listening to the movements outside. Lu Heng leaned weakly against the shelves, his eyes fixed on Jiang Yunxing’s back.
“Those two outside seem to be Omegas,” Jiang Yunxing said, one hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it. “They might have suppressants. Ge, wait here, I’ll ask…”
Before he could finish, Lu Heng had somehow rushed over and hugged him from behind.
Jiang Yunxing’s body stiffened as Lu Heng’s lips pressed against his nape.
The rich tobacco scent enveloped Lu Heng. He closed his eyes in satisfaction, his teeth grazing the skin before lightly piercing it as his tongue slowly traced over the spot.
“…Ge!” Jiang Yunxing jolted, letting go of the doorknob to push against Lu Heng’s shoulders. “You- biting me won’t help!”
Lu Heng desperately clung to his remaining sanity.
He remembered Jiang Yunxing telling him that when Omegas were in heat, besides using suppressants, there were other ways to deal with it.
One was the most primitive method of self-relief, and the other was marking.
Even a temporary mark could greatly alleviate heat symptoms, after which suppressants would work fine.
And a temporary mark, from what he’d heard, was just a bite on the neck.
Lu Heng released Jiang Yunxing and steadied himself against the shelf behind him, his breathing becoming rapid.
“Mark me,” Lu Heng said.
Jiang Yunxing froze, turning to look at Lu Heng, whose face was flushed and breathing erratic, but his eyes remained emotionless.
He couldn’t tell if Lu Heng was still lucid.
Seeing Jiang Yunxing’s hesitation, Lu Heng coldly urged, “Hurry up.”
Jiang Yunxing finally moved, pressing his lips together uncertainly. “Ge, marking isn’t something to be done carelessly.”
Despite his words, having lived as a regular human for eighteen years, he only knew the concept without truly understanding it.
He knew that in the ABO world, marking meant claiming someone as your own, but he couldn’t truly empathize with the feeling.
Lu Heng understood even less, only knowing that he felt unbearably uncomfortable.
He turned around, slightly bowing his head to fully expose his nape to Jiang Yunxing. “Be obedient.”
Jiang Yunxing instantly understood an Alpha’s instincts.
The warehouse was packed with goods, making the space cramped. It only took moments for Lu Heng’s scent to fill the area.
In a space saturated with a heat-affected Omega’s pheromones, just maintaining control was difficult enough, and the culprit was being so forward.
Jiang Yunxing clenched his fists, pushing all thoughts aside as he walked toward Lu Heng.
He thought he wouldn’t know what to do, but when he actually touched Lu Heng, everything flowed as naturally as if it were programmed.
…
“What are you looking for?” Xu He asked the two girls in front of the refrigerated shelves.
The girls blushed upon seeing Xu He and waved their hands. “Nothing, just… we just smelled an Omega’s scent here…”
Xu He frowned slightly. “Something happened here earlier, but it’s been resolved. That Omega should be gone now.”
“Oh, is that so…”
The girls said nothing more and walked to another shelf to browse products.
Xu He remained standing there, lost in thought.
The lime scent hadn’t completely dissipated, occasionally wafting to his nose.
He had never met an Omega like Lu Heng before, who could not only resist Alphas but whose scent could linger for so long.
The suppression of pheromones was absolute. Despite Xu He’s displeasure after being rejected twice by Lu Heng, he wasn’t masochistic enough to keep pursuing.
After the two girls picked their items, Xu He turned toward the checkout counter. Before stepping away, he glanced back one more time.
He stared at the closed warehouse door with confusion.
Did he close the door when he came out earlier?
…
After the marking was complete, Lu Heng’s mind finally cleared, but his limbs were completely drained of energy. He had to rely on Jiang Yunxing’s arm for support.
It was just a bite on the neck, yet he felt as exhausted as if he’d done something tiring.
His nape still stung a bit, but at least his pheromones were under control now. Lu Heng steadied himself against the shelf and turned to face Jiang Yunxing.
As soon as their eyes met, Jiang Yunxing lowered his head.
“Let’s go,” Lu Heng said.
He wasn’t sure how long this marking would last; he needed to get his suppressants quickly.
As Lu Heng walked past Jiang Yunxing toward the door, Jiang Yunxing called out to him.
“Ge, wait a moment.”
Lu Heng stopped, and Jiang Yunxing draped his school uniform coat over Lu Heng’s shoulders.
Jiang Yunxing tied the sleeves in front to cover Lu Heng’s neck. Noticing Lu Heng’s gaze, he awkwardly averted his eyes. “Sorry, I accidentally left a mark.”
So that’s why it hurt, Lu Heng thought.
He said nothing and walked out of the warehouse.
Jiang Yunxing’s scent was all over his coat. Perhaps because of the recent marking, but smelling this scent gave Lu Heng an inexplicable sense of comfort.
At the supermarket entrance, Lu Heng stopped again. Jiang Yunxing also stopped behind him and asked puzzledly, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Heng looked to his right, where there was a small vending machine. The top rows were stocked with condoms, while suppressants lined the bottom row.
“Let’s buy it here,” Lu Heng said while scanning the QR code with his phone. “Then we’ll get a room nearby. Did you bring your ID?”
Jiang Yunxing: “…”
Get… get a room?!
Jiang Yunxing’s thoughts were written all over his face. Lu Heng sighed and lightly smacked his head. “I’ll pass out after taking the suppressant. You want me to faint at school?”
Jiang Yunxing: “…” Oh, right.
Jiang Yunxing cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He lowered his head and reached into the coat to take out his wallet.
His ID was in the wallet.
After buying the suppressant, Lu Heng opened an app to look for rooms.
Fortunately, there were guest houses near the school. Lu Heng chose one that looked decent and booked an hourly room.
With practiced ease, Lu Heng completed the check-in process and led Jiang Yunxing upstairs.
Lu Heng had booked a double room. It was quite spacious. After entering, Jiang Yunxing looked around curiously before grabbing the kettle to boil some water.
Lu Heng ignored him and sat down on the bed, finding the remote to turn on the air conditioner.
The weather was still a bit hot, and wearing the coat made him feel stuffy, but Lu Heng didn’t want to take it off.
He lifted his arm and injected the suppressant into his skin, pushing the liquid in without hesitation.
When Jiang Yunxing returned from boiling water, Lu Heng had already finished injecting the suppressant.
He lowered his arm and hung his head, staring at his legs as he waited.
Jiang Yunxing also unconsciously held his breath.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Time seemed to pass slowly, but Lu Heng’s consciousness remained clear.
…What’s going on?
Jiang Yunxing walked over to Lu Heng’s side and bent down to observe his face. “Ge, do you feel anything?”
“No.” Lu Heng tossed the empty syringe into the trash can and muttered to himself, “I didn’t pass out. Is it because of the mark…”
The only difference this time was the marking.
After being marked, would the suppressant no longer cause unconsciousness?
“Isn’t that good?” Jiang Yunxing sat down next to Lu Heng. “Next time you go into heat, I can mark you first, then you can take the suppressant…”
As Jiang Yunxing spoke, he realized how strange it sounded and explained, “Well… anyway, your setting is that you’re difficult to mark, and I can’t smell my scent on you…”
Lu Heng turned to look at him. “You mean the marking wasn’t successful?”
“Not exactly? It was just a temporary mark to begin with.” Jiang Yunxing scratched his head. “Actually, I’m not too sure. ABO settings vary a lot. They’re different in every novel.”
The water finished boiling, and Jiang Yunxing went to get the instant noodles provided by the homestay.
They hadn’t bought food at the supermarket, but they couldn’t skip lunch. Fortunately, there were instant noodles in the homestay. After preparing his own, Jiang Yunxing looked back at Lu Heng, who was still in the same position, appearing deep in thought. After considering for a moment, he made a bowl for Lu Heng, too.
He carried both bowls back to Lu Heng’s side and held one out to him. “Ge, have this.”
Lost in thought, Lu Heng barely noticed what Jiang Yunxing was offering. He took it and said, “Come to the hospital with me this weekend.”
Although Jiang Yunxing had read the novel, his knowledge was limited. Their current situation had already deviated from the original plot, so it would be better to hear a doctor’s explanation.
Jiang Yunxing didn’t question it and replied, “Mm, okay.”
He sat beside Lu Heng and started eating with his fork.
Hearing Jiang Yunxing eating, Lu Heng finally came back to his senses and looked at what he was holding. He frowned in disgust. “…What is this?”
“Instant noodles.” Jiang Yunxing turned his head and saw Lu Heng’s expression, stunned. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had them?”
Lu Heng’s face was cold. “What’s so good about this junk food?”
Jiang Yunxing looked at his own bowl and took another big bite.
“It’s really good, try a bite?” Jiang Yunxing said. “It’s better than going hungry.”
Lu Heng didn’t respond. The bowl of noodles felt heavy in his hands, with steam continuously rising through the gaps in the lid.
He stared at the noodles for a while. The enticing aroma wafted into his nose, and Jiang Yunxing was eating with such relish beside him. As if possessed, Lu Heng picked up his fork and cautiously took a bite.
……
Lu Heng’s face remained expressionless as he took another bite. Soon enough, the bowl of noodles was empty.
He finished the soup, elegantly tossed the container into the trash bin, and wiped his mouth with a tissue.
“Not bad,” Lu Heng gave his honest opinion, then asked, “Is there more?”
After eating two bowls of instant noodles and resting in the room for a while, they left together.
Before leaving, Jiang Yunxing kept looking back several times, reluctant to go.
The room was quite spacious and must’ve been expensive. They only stayed for less than half an hour, what a waste…
His mind flashed back to the scene in the warehouse: Lu Heng, weakened, hunched against his chest, his burning hot skin and lime-scented pheromones pressed against him.
Before, he could only imagine these scenes when reading novels, but now he had experienced it firsthand.
The moment his teeth touched Lu Heng’s skin, it felt as if the air had solidified, injecting from his fangs straight into Lu Heng’s bloodstream.
It was just a bite mark, but deep down, it felt like Lu Heng had truly become his.
Did Lu Heng feel the same way?
Jiang Yunxing snuck a glance at Lu Heng, but his face showed no particular expression, just like usual.
Of course, Lu Heng wasn’t some newly presented Alpha. His life was completely different from Jiang Yunxing’s. How could something so minor affect him?
Jiang Yunxing looked away, running his tongue over his canines, feeling a bit disappointed.
When they returned to school, the lunch break bell had just rung, and most students were already back in their classrooms.
Lu Heng returned the clothes to Jiang Yunxing. Although the mark on his neck wasn’t too obvious, he still waited until everyone was inside before entering through the back door.
As soon-to-be seniors, the students were quite disciplined during lunch break. After taking attendance, the homeroom teacher left the classroom.
Most students were napping, while some took the chance to do homework.
Lu Heng glanced at Lin Yao doing his homework, then noticed Zhou Qi staring at him. He wanted to turn and leave.
He walked straight to his seat without looking around. Zhou Qi immediately leaned over.
“Where did you and Jiang Yunxing go for lunch? You were gone for so long,” Zhou Qi whispered to avoid disturbing others, half sprawled across Lu Heng’s desk.
Lu Heng looked at Zhou Qi’s arm with disgust and poked him with a pen. “None of your business. Get off my desk.”
Zhou Qi withdrew his arm and sat up, bristling slightly. “What’s wrong with touching it? You think I want to?”
Lu Heng ignored him, lying down on his desk and covering his nape with his hand.
After being marked, he felt somewhat different, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.
It was as if his subconscious had become a book, and after the marking, a new sentence appeared, binding him to Jiang Yunxing.
Lu Heng felt inexplicably drowsy, unsure if it was due to the marking or the suppressants.
Whatever the reason, he just wanted to sleep.
But Zhou Qi was completely oblivious. He first sneaked a look at Lin Yao doing homework, then leaned down to whisper in Lu Heng’s ear.
“I’m warning you, stay away from Jiang Yunxing,” Zhou Qi threatened quietly. “He and Lin Yao are meant for each other. Don’t you fucking dare…”
Zhou Qi’s words suddenly trailed off.
“Fuck…” Zhou Qi whispered, unable to hide the shock in his voice. “Why do you smell like an Alpha?”
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