Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Lu Heng’s pheromones slowly leaked out.

The scent of alcohol mingled with lime surrounded Jiang Yunxing, like invisible hands gently touching his heart.

Jiang Yunxing pressed his lips together. “Ge… are you drunk?”

Lu Heng’s expression remained unchanged, but the haziness in his eyes gradually cleared, his gaze becoming clearer.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, resting it against Jiang Yunxing’s shoulder. “I’ve been attending business dinners since I was sixteen. I’ve been to over two thousand banquets. I’ve drunk more alcohol than all the cola you’ve ever had.”

Meaning he wasn’t drunk.

Except for that moment when his mind suddenly went fuzzy, wanting to be closer to Jiang Yunxing, even having the urge to devour him completely.

But that moment had passed, and Lu Heng was clear-headed now.

However, Zhang Pu had come prepared this time. The liquor he brought had an extremely high alcohol content. No matter how good Lu Heng’s tolerance was, his stomach couldn’t handle it.

His stomach burned uncomfortably. Lu Heng reached for the table, fumbling around. Jiang Yunxing quickly understood and pressed a water glass into his hand.

Lu Heng took a few sips. The warm water eased the discomfort from the baijiu, but only for a brief moment.

He put the glass back, wrapped both arms around Jiang Yunxing’s waist, and leaned most of his weight on him.

Jiang Yunxing quietly let him hold on, using both hands to support him and keep him from falling. Neither of them spoke.

Lu Heng seemed to have fallen asleep, staying completely still with shallow breaths.

“I feel awful,” Lu Heng suddenly mumbled. “Next time we go out, I need to take hangover medicine first.”

He seemed to be talking to himself, but Jiang Yunxing still responded, “Mm, I’ll remember that.”

After some time, there was a knock on the private room door, and a server walked in.

Seeing Jiang Yunxing and Lu Heng, she didn’t look surprised but smiled kindly instead. “Hello, your room time is almost up. Would you like to extend it?”

Jiang Yunxing felt a bit lost. He just learned that the private rooms had time limits.

“No need.” Lu Heng replied curtly. Using Jiang Yunxing for support, he stood up, drank some more water, and said, “Let’s go back.”

He was still feeling uncomfortable. After calling a taxi, he sat in the lobby to rest. In the car, he didn’t say a word. He just leaned against the window with his eyes closed. Jiang Yunxing stayed quietly by his side, not disturbing him.

Getting out of the car, entering the hotel, taking the elevator back to their room – Lu Heng remained composed throughout.

Jiang Yunxing almost thought he had recovered, but as soon as they entered the room, Lu Heng’s steps became hurried. He rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Then came the sound of Lu Heng’s gut-wrenching retching.

Jiang Yunxing stood frozen at the doorway, his heart clenching as he hurried to the bathroom and went inside.

Lu Heng sat next to the toilet, his face deathly pale and brows slightly furrowed.

He had been drinking throughout dinner without eating much, so there wasn’t much to throw up.

But after holding it in for so long during the journey, the sudden bout of vomiting left his stomach churning and feeling worse than before.

With no strength left in his body, Lu Heng could only lean against the wall, the cold hard tiles feeling uncomfortable against his back.

Jiang Yunxing strode over, got some warm water, and crouched in front of Lu Heng. “Ge, rinse your mouth first.”

Lu Heng looked up. His gaze lingered on Jiang Yunxing for a long while before slowly accepting the water.

After Lu Heng finished rinsing, Jiang Yunxing took back the cup and stood up, about to leave after setting it down.

Lu Heng grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to ask the front desk if they have honey water,” Jiang Yunxing replied.

“No need,” Lu Heng said.

After throwing up, the alcohol hit him harder. His mind was fuzzy, except for one clear thought.

He tugged on Jiang Yunxing’s wrist, pulling him closer. Jiang Yunxing obediently crouched down again.

Lu Heng wrapped his arms around Jiang Yunxing’s neck, leaned in, and kissed him on the lips.

Third time’s the charm. Jiang Yunxing was finally getting used to it. Although he still kept his lips pressed together uncertainly, at least he was able to respond to Lu Heng.

Understanding Lu Heng’s intention, he parted his lips slightly, finally allowing Lu Heng to taste what he wanted.

The lime-scented pheromones were released once more. Lu Heng ended the kiss and held Jiang Yunxing tighter, turning his head to press his nose against his neck. “I want to smell your pheromones.”

Although Jiang Yunxing’s body stiffened, he obediently released his pheromones. The unique tobacco scent, unlike any cigarette, filled Lu Heng’s nose intoxicatingly.

He unconsciously nuzzled Jiang Yunxing’s neck, his hair tips brushing against Jiang Yunxing’s cheek, making his heart flutter with tingles.

Jiang Yunxing felt his heart would burst out of his chest as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around Lu Heng. “Should I… carry you to bed?”

Lu Heng closed his eyes. “Mm.”

Jiang Yunxing scooped up Lu Heng’s knees and lifted him. Being an Omega, Lu Heng was soft and light, making it easy to carry him.

He carried Lu Heng out of the bathroom and laid him on the bed, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze.

At this point, it would be strange not to do anything more, but Jiang Yunxing did nothing. After maintaining eye contact for a moment, he stood up.

His eyes darted around, unable to settle, and finally fixed his gaze on the distant window. “You should rest well… or you’ll have a headache in the morning.”

“…” Lu Heng’s desire was doused like cold water had been thrown on him, and his gaze turned icy.

He stared at Jiang Yunxing for a long time before pushing himself up from the bed. As soon as he took a step, he swayed unsteadily to one side.

Jiang Yunxing quickly steadied him. “Ge? Do you need something?”

“Shower,” Lu Heng said.

“You can barely stand. You’ll fall if you shower now,” Jiang Yunxing said. “Skip it today. You can shower after some sleep.”

Lu Heng looked at Jiang Yunxing. Although he needed support to stand, his eyes were clear. “I can’t sleep without showering first.”

“Ge, ge, let’s make an exception today. It’s not even your bed, just for one night.” Seeing Lu Heng’s insistence, Jiang Yunxing quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and coaxed, “Go lie down and rest. If you’re uncomfortable, I can wipe you down with a towel.”

Lu Heng stood still, as if weighing the pros and cons, before finally compromising and sitting back on the bed.

Jiang Yunxing sighed in relief and went to the bathroom to wet a towel with hot water.

Without a basin, he had to keep running back and forth. Worried the towel would cool down, he quickly wrung it out and rushed back.

He was greeted by the sight of Lu Heng undressing.

Lu Heng was still sitting in the same spot, but he was down to his underwear. Just when Jiang Yunxing thought he would get under the covers, his hands moved to his waistband.

“Ge, ge!” Jiang Yunxing rushed over to stop him. “No need to take them off!”

Lu Heng paused and looked at him seriously. “I don’t like sleeping with clothes on.”

Jiang Yunxing wanted to cry. He’d thought Lu Heng would be fine drunk, but apparently he went crazy after throwing up. He half-pushed, half-urged Lu Heng under the covers.

Fortunately, Lu Heng was weak after vomiting. Jiang Yunxing easily pulled the blanket over him and said, “If you want to undress, do it under the covers.”

“…”

Lu Heng seemed to give up. He closed his eyes, turned to his side, and stretched out an arm. “Go ahead.”

Jiang Yunxing blinked. “Oh, okay.”

He folded the towel twice and carefully wiped Lu Heng’s arm. In the air-conditioned room, the towel cooled quickly after finishing one arm.

When Jiang Yunxing returned from rewetting the towel, Lu Heng had rolled onto his back, his other arm extended and waiting.

After several trips back and forth, by the time he reached Lu Heng’s chest, Lu Heng had stopped moving. His eyes were peacefully closed, his breathing deep. He seemed to have fallen asleep.

Lu Heng’s skin was fair, with only a thin layer of muscle. It was usually hidden under clothes. Now, seeing this body paired with his sleeping face, even Jiang Yunxing felt moved.

Jiang Yunxing swallowed and gave up on wiping any lower. He tucked Lu Heng in properly before heading to the bathroom.

He set aside the towel, splashed some cold water on his face, and ended up taking a shower.

After a long shower, when he came out, Lu Heng had already wrapped himself in the blanket like a rolled egg, with only half of his face visible.

Jiang Yunxing stared at him from afar, and before he knew it, he had walked to Lu Heng’s bedside.

He crouched down beside Lu Heng’s bed, resting his head on the edge while watching Lu Heng’s face.

Lu Heng’s brows were slightly furrowed, his cheeks flushed from being buried in the blanket. Jiang Yunxing raised his hand and gently touched Lu Heng’s brow with his fingertip.

Just that light touch made Lu Heng stir as if waking up, burying his head deeper into the pillow.

Jiang Yunxing froze and did not dare to move, but Lu Heng didn’t do anything else. Instead, his brows relaxed, and he seemed to fall into an even deeper sleep.

His heart started racing again. Jiang Yunxing nervously withdrew his hand, feeling the blood rush to his head. Finally unable to resist, he leaned towards Lu Heng’s face.

He touched Lu Heng’s nose with his own, then quickly pulled back, his face turning bright red as he fell back onto the floor.

His heart beat faster and faster as he tried to rationalize with himself.

Lu Heng had kissed him on the lips, and he had only touched noses, while Lu Heng was asleep…

The memory of their earlier kiss came flooding back, and Jiang Yunxing belatedly realized what he and Lu Heng had done. His entire head turned as red as a ripe persimmon.

He stared at Lu Heng’s face for a long, long time, until his heartbeat finally returned to normal.

“…” Jiang Yunxing leaned on Lu Heng’s bed, his gaze never leaving him.

He really, really liked Lu Heng.

–

When Lu Heng woke up, the room light was still on.

He squinted to adjust to the light and looked toward the window. It was still dark outside.

That’s when he noticed Jiang Yunxing slumped beside him.

Lu Heng pushed off his blanket and sat up, staring at Jiang Yunxing’s head for a moment before reaching out to pinch his nose.

Shortly after, Jiang Yunxing jolted awake.

His eyes were still bleary as he looked at Lu Heng and called out, “…Ge?”

Lu Heng leaned against the headboard. “Are you stupid? Why aren’t you sleeping in bed?”

Jiang Yunxing rubbed his eyes, ignoring Lu Heng’s question. “Ge, is your stomach still hurting?”

“Much better now,” Lu Heng replied.

“That’s good…”

Jiang Yunxing was still sleepy, sitting on the floor in a daze. Lu Heng watched him for a moment before grabbing the blanket to get up.

Before he could pull back the covers, Jiang Yunxing seemed to suddenly wake up and pressed down on his hand. “Ge, are you… are you getting up?”

“Yeah, I can’t sleep anymore,” Lu Heng said.

If he hadn’t been drunk, he wouldn’t have planned to sleep at all tonight. He only had a week for Zhang Pu’s deadline, and there was still so much to do.

“Oh…” Jiang Yunxing slowly released his hand, then awkwardly added, “Then maybe… you should put some pants on first.”

“…” Lu Heng gave him an exasperated look. “Haven’t you ever showered with other guys before?”

“I’m… I’m from the South¹In Northern China, most dorms usually have communal bathhouses where students shower together without partitions, while in Southern China, shared bathrooms usually have individual shower stalls.!” Jiang Yunxing said anxiously.

“What about swimming?”

“Never…”

“…”

Lu Heng sighed and glanced at the pants draped over the foot of the bed. “Go get those for me.”

After putting on pants, Lu Heng went to the desk and took out his laptop to work.

It was just past 3 AM. Still sleepy, Jiang Yunxing climbed into his own bed and watched Lu Heng while hugging his blanket.

“Ge, you’re still working at this hour?”

“Mm.” Lu Heng didn’t turn around. “There’s still a lot to handle. Zhang Pu’s investment is just one of many things.”

Jiang Yunxing did not understand these matters, so he could only stare blankly at Lu Heng. “Don’t work too hard.”

Lu Heng’s typing fingers paused. “I know.”

In his memory, he’d only heard those words once before – the day before he died.

He had worked for three days straight because of a difficult project, and he had already shown signs of illness.

When Lu Tian came to the company and saw him, he’d said painfully, “Ge, you don’t need to work this hard.”

But there was no ABO setting then. Lu Heng wasn’t an Omega, and Lu Shenghua had placed all his expectations on Lu Heng.

Lu Heng had to be absolutely exceptional, inherit the entire Lu Corporation, do even better than Lu Shenghua…

Lu Heng sighed inwardly as he opened a file.

If his current position wasn’t so precarious, he would have liked to be like the real Lu Tian, a carefree rich second generation.

After hearing no movement from behind for a while, Lu Heng finished reading the file and looked back to find Jiang Yunxing already asleep on his side.

TL Notes

• 1
  In Northern China, most dorms usually have communal bathhouses where students shower together without partitions, while in Southern China, shared bathrooms usually have individual shower stalls.