Chapter 18: The Susceptible Period Comes Early
That voice was chasing after him closely.
Fu Rangyi frowned. Without even looking, he walked directly in the opposite direction of the sound.
Whether that person had accidentally leaked pheromones because he had been affected, or whether he had noticed Fu Rangyi’s pheromones and deliberately released so much Omega pheromone to attract his attention, there was no way to know anymore.
If it was the latter, Fu Rangyi felt he was simply insane. In such a dangerous situation, did he not even care about his own safety?
But it had indeed worked.
His susceptible period had erupted early.
“Fu…”
In the next second, his hand was suddenly held.
Fu Rangyi’s temple throbbed violently. His expression paused, and he yanked his hand away at once, rejecting it entirely out of conditioned reflex.
After that brief withdrawal, his hand was grabbed again, even tighter than before.
A very warm hand.
“Fu Rangyi!”
When he raised his eyes, his gaze met a pair of bright, clear eyes.
“What’s wrong with you? It’s me!” Zhu Zhixi was panting, his cheeks flushed, both hands gripping Fu Rangyi tightly, just like last night.
“I finally found you. I’m exhausted. Your bracelet almost fell into the drain just now. Luckily, I was quick-eyed and quick-handed and caught it at the very last second…”
At this exact moment—
Ding-a-ling-ling—
A bell rang, music began to play, and the golden gift boxes piled beneath the giant Christmas tree lit up all at once, dazzling to the eye. On the tree, silver-white lights twinkled like stars, rising in circles from bottom to top along with the music. Snowflakes sprayed into the night sky, and rows of tassel lights brightened one after another, fine and shimmering, splendidly radiant.
Everything was reflected in Zhu Zhixi’s pupils, beautiful as if it were magic.
“Why do you look so pale?”
Zhu Zhixi helped him put the bracelet back on, then furrowed his brows, sensing something was wrong. Fu Rangyi’s hands had always been cold. Why were they hot now?
He reached out and touched Fu Rangyi’s forehead. “You’re not sick, are you?” His hand slid down, and his neck was even more ridiculously hot.
“Are you having a fever? Why did you suddenly get so hot? Are you cold?” Zhu Zhixi fussed anxiously, taking off his own scarf and wrapping it around Fu Rangyi’s neck.
But very soon, he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to Fu Rangyi from not far away.
“Professor Fu.”
Fu Rangyi did not turn around. Zhu Zhixi found it strange and looked over, seeing an unfamiliar face.
The person looked rather young, with the gentle, obedient air of a student. At one glance, he was clearly an Omega. His features were delicate and pretty, but his expression was a little strange, as if he were very upset, his eyes rimmed red.
Even though there were so many people that it was difficult to move, he was still trying hard to squeeze toward them. He was still persistently calling Fu Rangyi’s name, as if he would not give up until he achieved his goal.
For some reason, Zhu Zhixi suddenly thought of the Omega Fu Liaoxing had mentioned during lunch.
His intuition had always been accurate.
Because he was too busy thinking about this, Zhu Zhixi forgot that he was still clutching the scarf in his hand.
Was it this person?
Once he thought that, he accidentally used too much force. He tugged on the scarf, and the scarf tugged at Fu Rangyi’s neck. As a result, Fu Rangyi was pulled over completely, their chests bumping together, the tips of their noses almost colliding.
If Zhu Zhixi stood on tiptoe just a little more, their lips would touch.
In this extremely chaotic situation, Fu Rangyi’s usually clear mind also began to fall into disorder.
He was clearly being stimulated by intense Omega pheromones, yet his thoughts wavered, as if he had sensed the faint, almost nonexistent pheromones of the Beta in front of him.
He even experienced a physiological shudder because of it, though only for a split second.
It was obviously impossible. He had already put on the bracelet.
Mark him.
That thought pierced straight into his mind like a dagger, making his ears ring.
Mark him.
Now.
But soon, Zhu Zhixi leaned close to his ear, his tone sounding as if he were testing something. “Fu Rangyi, is this person… your white moonlight?”
The physiological impulse vanished in an instant. Cold water poured down over him. It did not extinguish everything completely, but it made him much calmer.
Today had originally been such a very, very good day.
“What moonlight?” Fu Rangyi had a headache and wanted to vomit. “What kind of daydream are you having?”
Zhu Zhixi’s tone changed too. “What daydream? The O your younger brother mentioned, the one with an especially high match rate with you. Is it him? How could you not tell me something this important—”
He could not finish.
A burning hot hand reached around his back and pressed firmly against the back of his neck.
Zhu Zhixi trembled all over and instinctively fell silent.
Fu Rangyi’s voice, wrapped in warm breath, lingered beside his ear.
“Zhu Zhixi.”
So itchy.
Zhu Zhixi wanted to hide, but he could not. It was as though a current had passed through his entire body, deeply uncomfortable. People around them were squeezing back and forth, the space continuously shrinking. Everyone was pushing him toward Fu Rangyi’s chest, compressing him closer, pressing them together, the gap between them growing smaller and smaller.
“What is it?”
Too close.
He suddenly did not dare look into Fu Rangyi’s eyes and could only lower his gaze.
So he saw Fu Rangyi’s rolling Adam’s apple and heard his long, heavy inhale.
“…Would you mind if I hugged you?”
What?
“Don’t you hate it the most when—”
The unfinished words were interrupted by an embrace, and he crashed into Fu Rangyi’s arms.
The voice that had been persistently calling “Professor Fu” suddenly disappeared, as if by magic.
The bell rang again. On the splendid Christmas tree, the five-pointed star at the very top suddenly lit up.
In the surging crowd, people raised their phones one after another, recording the moment the bell chimed and the star shone. Only Zhu Zhixi could see nothing and hear nothing. All his senses were pressed into an unexpected embrace. He could only see Fu Rangyi’s side neck, smell the faint sandalwood fragrance on him, and hear his breathing.
His voice carried gasps that he was trying his utmost to suppress, even trembling slightly.
“There are too many people. The candied apple… next time.”
The embrace was very tight, but those hands were just like his voice—restrained, without the slightest overstepping movement.
Zhu Zhixi’s mind went blank. He froze for a second, then nodded. “Oh. Okay…”
After realizing Fu Rangyi might be sick, he lost his appetite too.
“Then let’s go back. There really are too many people here.”
After hearing this, Fu Rangyi did not speak. A while later, he suddenly asked, “Can you go back to your own place for the next few days?”
“Huh? Why?” Zhu Zhixi raised his face.
But Fu Rangyi avoided his gaze and stared straight ahead instead. This made Zhu Zhixi even more confused.
After steadying his breathing, Fu Rangyi replied, “Nothing. Recently… I have a very important paper to write. I need to stay by myself for a while. Three or four days will do.”
After saying that, he released his arms.
The “hug” ended, and the distance between them widened. Fu Rangyi frowned, tugged at his collar, and let out a long breath.
“I’ll send you home now.”
On the way back, the car was, for once, not so quiet. Fu Rangyi turned on some music. Before this, whenever he drove, the sound system had been like mere decoration.
Perhaps the air-conditioning temperature was too high, but Zhu Zhixi felt his mouth and throat becoming dry. The cold air was locked inside the car and gradually grew damp, hot, and sticky. Even the fragrance diffuser seemed to carry a trace of sweetness.
In the dark car cabin, he felt as if something was glowing. The flickering frequency was not high, and the light was very faint, quickly covered by the flashing neon outside the window.
He faintly distinguished the sound of breathing from the music, much heavier than usual.
“Are you still feeling unwell?” He turned his head and looked at Fu Rangyi.
Fu Rangyi silently shook his head. He still looked like a sculpture carved out of ice, utterly calm.
But upon closer observation, there was a subtle difference. The colorful neon lights on both sides of the street swept past and reflected on his face, flickering faintly. He was sweating a lot.
Zhu Zhixi did not know if it was an illusion, but he felt that there was a little flush beneath his skin. It was not like usual, when he was only coldly pale.
A transparent bead of sweat gathered at his temple and slid downward.
It looked a little like…
Ice melting.
So Zhu Zhixi’s gaze followed that drop of sweat, inch by inch downward: the end of his brow, his cheekbone, the taut corner of his mouth, his jaw, behind his ear…
Alpha glands, apart from the back of the neck, were also distributed in some areas of skin behind the ears.
Zhu Zhixi narrowed his eyes. The lights by the roadside changed colors, but the color behind Fu Rangyi’s ear did not change at all.
It was very red.
That drop of sweat rolled down from his flushed neck, slid lower, and was finally swallowed by the cotton fibers of his shirt collar.
Was he uncomfortable, or was it because of that Omega just now?
Could his susceptible period have arrived?
But… wasn’t he very stable? He could still attend classes, go to work, and even participate in academic conferences during his susceptible period. Looking at him now, it did not seem quite like that.
Zhu Zhixi had many questions he wanted to ask, but he was also very clear that Fu Rangyi was not in good physical condition, and his mood seemed terrible too. This was not a good time.
Before he could think it through, the car had already stopped.
They were home.
Fu Rangyi turned off the engine. His right hand rested over his left wrist, unconsciously gripping the bracelet.
“These next few days… don’t disturb me while I’m working. If there’s anything, tell me in advance.” His voice was low and hoarse, as if he might cough in the next second, and he was doing his best to suppress it.
“As much as possible, don’t call. Just send messages.”
The past two days had been full of ups and downs. Zhu Zhixi was still a little dazed, and hearing these instructions even made him feel somewhat displeased.
Just now, in order to avoid someone, you hugged me like I was a toy whenever you wanted. Now you think I’m annoying again?
Bad thing.
“Got it, great professor.” Zhu Zhixi deliberately emphasized the last three words.
He unbuckled his seat belt, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he turned his face and looked straight over. After a moment of silence, he suddenly leaned closer.
This action was clearly beyond Fu Rangyi’s expectations. He panicked, dodged a little, and turned toward Zhu Zhixi, gripping his wrist.
Only then did Zhu Zhixi finally realize that the thing flashing was the bracelet hidden under Fu Rangyi’s sleeve.
But he did not point it out. It was not important. He stared into Fu Rangyi’s eyes behind the lenses.
“Your eyes are so red. Did something get in them?”
“No.” Fu Rangyi released his hand and answered quickly, only his voice was extremely hoarse.
Perhaps the mischievous factor that loved “offending” Fu Rangyi was acting up again. Zhu Zhixi pressed one hand against the center console, leaned even closer, and said anxiously, “Let me see.”
He almost reached out to take off Fu Rangyi’s glasses.
“I caught a chill. A bit of a cold.” Fu Rangyi turned away to face the windshield, his tone somewhat cold and hard. “Go back. I’m in a hurry, so I won’t get out to see you off.”
Zhu Zhixi was quiet for a moment, then gave an “oh” and reached for the inner door handle.
Was this illness contagious or something?
He now felt a little short of breath too.
Fu Rangyi seemed to want to emphasize again, “These next few days…”
Before he could finish, Zhu Zhixi immediately turned his head and said with a smile, “Got it, fake husband. I’ll completely disappear from your life for the next few days.”
After saying that, he hopped out of the car cheerfully and even waved.
Fu Rangyi said nothing. He merely looked at him like that, but his breathing was very heavy, as if it were being squeezed out of his throat. His eyes were red, his fingers dug hard into the steering wheel, and the rise and fall of his chest was very obvious.
Did I say something wrong?
Wasn’t that what you asked for?
“Then be careful on the road. Bye-bye.”
He turned around and left, only to be called back again.
“Wait.”
Zhu Zhixi turned back and walked toward the driver’s-side window. “What now?”
Fu Rangyi’s entire body was stretched extremely tight. Only his Adam’s apple moved up and down. He avoided Zhu Zhixi’s gaze, stayed quiet for a moment, then turned and picked up a paper bag from the back seat.
“The materials Director Zhou gave you.” He handed it over. “Don’t leave them in my car.”
“Oh.” Zhu Zhixi took it and deliberately touched his fingers. Unexpectedly, with a crackle, static electricity sparked again. Tiny sparks seemed to burn all the way along both their arms, stinging up to his cheeks.
He saw Fu Rangyi’s eyes widen slightly before he drew his hand away.
Zhu Zhixi was a little stunned too. A layer of sweat rose over his whole body. “The air-conditioning… was turned up too high. It’s very dry.”
What was there to explain?
Did he need to explain the formation of static electricity to a university professor?
As expected, Fu Rangyi said nothing. He closed the window, locked the door, turned the steering wheel, and drove away.
Holding the paper bag, Zhu Zhixi stood in the cold wind for a while, watching the black SUV drive out of the internal road, growing farther and farther away until it finally disappeared from sight.
Lowering his head, he spread out his hand in confusion. But he was not looking at his palm. He was looking at the back of his hand, at the position of his ring finger.
He shivered. The wind woke him up, and he wrapped his coat tightly around himself before quickly going home.
He had just scanned his face and entered the front door when the butler came out to greet him. “Young Master, Mr. Zhu is not at home. He has gone abroad to discuss business.”
“No one’s home?” Zhu Zhixi rubbed his hands together. “What about my brother? I just sent him a message saying I was coming back.”
“Young Master has returned to his own place,” the butler said while walking toward the kitchen, intending to instruct the chef to serve the meal. “He said he has something important to handle and asked you to eat first, without waiting for him.”
By the time the butler came out of the kitchen, the person had already disappeared.
Within ten minutes, Zhu Zhixi appeared at Zhu Zeran’s house, at the easternmost side of the same villa district. He had the password to the front door, but he simply wanted to press the doorbell. He simply wanted to find someone to vent at.
After he frantically pressed the doorbell for three minutes, Zhu Zeran’s voice appeared through the video intercom at the entrance.
It was hoarser than usual.
What?
Do you Alphas all get pharyngitis at the same time on Christmas Eve?
What kind of urban legend is this?
“Zhu Zhixi, what are you trying to do…”
“Merry Christmas Eve!” Zhu Zhixi deliberately bounced a few times in front of the camera. “On such a big holiday, of course I have to eat dinner with my dearest brother.”
The other end was silent for a while.
“Hurry up, Big Zhu. I’m wearing very little. I’m about to freeze to death.”
“I really owe you.”
With a beep, the courtyard gate opened.
Zhu Zhixi smugly jogged into the yard and came to the door. He was just about to enter the password when the door opened.
That fast?
The door only opened by a neither-large-nor-small crack, blocked completely by Zhu Zeran’s tall figure. He stood against the light, his expression unfriendly. Unlike Fu Rangyi’s cold type, Zhu Zeran was an extremely typical SA. One look and you could tell he was no good.
What kind of good brother sees his younger brother and immediately twists his brows into a pretzel, as if he has seen a ghost?
Zhu Zhixi folded his arms and scanned his biological brother from head to toe.
His shirt buttons were done wrong. His coat had clearly just been thrown on, with the collar not even turned out. His hair was messy. His eyes were pretending to be calm. His expression was even more suspicious.
And the most obvious and funniest thing was…
“What are you looking at, little ancestor?” Zhu Zeran glared at him and did not spare him with his mouth either. “On a big holiday like this, instead of accompanying your darling husband, why are you running here to collect debts from me?”
Zhu Zhixi tilted his head, stretched out a hand, and counted something across the air on his face. After softly counting “one, two, three, four, five,” he answered with a smile.
“This ancestor is looking at the slap marks on your face.”
Zhu Zeran’s face immediately darkened, and he directly tried to close the door.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Zhu Zhixi forcefully squeezed inside. “Why are you feeling guilty? Afraid I’ll tell Dad you’re secretly being an M outside?”
Zhu Zeran clenched the canines that had been provoked out not long ago.
“Zhu Zhixi… how exactly did you manage to marry out?”
“Of course, with my beauty.” Zhu Zhixi shrugged. “What else? By relying on some strange kinks? Right, my dear brother?”
As he spoke, he looked around, trying to find the owner of the slap marks. But the living room was empty. Apart from the two of them, there was no one else.
Just as he was about to go upstairs, Zhu Zeran spoke leisurely behind him. “After all that, so your husband’s pheromones smell like this?”
Zhu Zhixi’s footsteps paused. Standing on the stairs, he looked back. The smug expression on his face suddenly disappeared, becoming very bewildered.
He raised his hand, and the tip of his nose moved.
Nothing.
“You smelled it?”
Zhu Zeran walked over and took off the coat he had just thrown on, tossing it onto the sofa before sitting down himself. Along the way, he hid the Omega inhibitor packaging beside the cushion.
“More than smelled it. You’re covered in it. Don’t tell me you just finished doing it and ran over here. No wonder you’re so energetic, all fired up to torment other people.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Zhu Zhixi panicked and stomped down the stairs, rolling up his sleeves as if he wanted to hit someone.
But that made it look as if there really was something going on.
He calmed down and explained a few words. “We just went shopping at the mall. After shopping, he drove me back. We didn’t do anything. Do you think everyone is as lewd as you?”
After Zhu Zeran heard this, he gave a cold snort, an amused smile appearing on his face.
“He was already like that, yet he could still drive? And he even sent you all the way back? Seems to me he was trying to send you away.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… Trying to change the subject?” Zhu Zhixi turned back toward the stairs again. “I can’t communicate with you Alphas. I’m going to chat with my sister-in-law. Sister-in-law—”
“You should go talk to your husband first. You don’t have even a bit of common sense.” Zhu Zeran stood up. “Your own backyard is already on fire, and you still have time to meddle in my business?”
Zhu Zhixi froze in place and blinked.
Suddenly, from upstairs came the sound of something smashing to the floor. It was not a small commotion.
He glanced at the ceiling. “The fire alarm in my backyard hasn’t gone off for now, but Brother, your house is about to collapse.”
Zhu Zeran: “…”
Zhu Zhixi: “Sister-in-law has pretty good physical fitness. Quite strong too. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to hit someone that red.”
After he finished mocking him, Zhu Zeran grabbed him by the shoulders in a half-kidnapping manner and directly drove him out.
With a bang, Zhu Zeran shut the door, still muttering inwardly.
Fu Rangyi’s pheromones were actually floral?
It made his stupid little brother look like a flower butterfly that had just flitted out of a big garden.
Their relationship was not that of a normal couple. Zhu Zeran had seen that long ago, so he did not find it strange.
What he truly found strange was that Fu Rangyi did not seem like someone who would randomly release pheromones, and an SA’s control over his own pheromones would not be that poor. Even during a susceptible period, it should not be to this extent.
The pheromones of a top Alpha were very complex. When the body was in different states, the scent and condition of the pheromones would also shift accordingly. This man’s pheromones were already so sticky that they were practically one step away from carving the words “I want to do it” on his forehead. It was obviously a major outbreak of his susceptible period. Yet at a time like this, he could actually hold himself back and send the person home?
He could still drive?
Fu Rangyi could not have some hidden illness, could he?
Although Zhu Zhixi was an infuriating little menace…
As Zhu Zeran unbuttoned his shirt and went upstairs, he dialed a phone call. “Xiao Chen, help me check someone in S Hospital’s reproductive department system. See if he’s there. Mm, I’ll send you his information.”
“Enemy? No.”
Zhu Zeran pushed open the door and looked at the “real enemy” bound to the bed with his mouth covered, then smiled.
“I’m just afraid my little brother will get deceived.”
Author’s Note:
Beta Little Zhu passed through a pile of overflowing, sticky AO pheromones without knowing anything at all.
Tomorrow, he will officially start work taking care of his husband. Good luck, Lord Little Zhu.
From 1 thinks: I’m very afraid I’ll do something that hurts you. Don’t come.
From 1 says: Don’t disturb me. Go back to your own home.
Juicy thinks: What exactly was going on with that O just now? You seemed very uncomfortable too. Are you sick? I’m a little worried.
Juicy says: I’ll completely disappear from your life for the next few days. Smiling cheekily.
You two really are a match made in heaven.
