Chapter 4: Heat Period
“What symptoms does the Omega differentiation period have?”
When the teacher asked this question, many students below were still chatting and hadn’t taken the class seriously.
In fact, kids nowadays are exposed to the internet very early and mature early as well, so they already know quite a lot about sex-related knowledge.
“In the early stage of Omega differentiation, the symptoms are often overlooked by many students. It’s different from Alpha differentiation. The former may come with a sensation similar to a low-grade fever, which is easily mistaken for an actual fever. As a result, many students take fever-reducing medicine during the early stage of Omega differentiation, which interferes with correctly judging the differentiation.”
“So how do we distinguish between these two similar situations to tell whether we’re about to differentiate into an Omega? Actually, the method is very simple.”
“A fever may be accompanied by body heat, muscle soreness, and chills. During differentiation, there will also be an increase in body temperature, usually about 0.3 to 0.4 degrees Celsius higher than normal, not reaching the level of a high fever. The body may also feel weak and uncomfortable. This is very similar to having a fever. However, the most important point of Omega differentiation is that our glands are developing and maturing. They will complete a self-evolution within one week.”
“It’s like a seed sprouting and growing. As the glands develop, there will be a sensation of soreness and swelling at the gland position on the back of the neck—right here.”
The teacher showed the students a flowchart and structural diagram of gland development.
“Differentiation is equivalent to the glands reaching maturity, allowing them to withstand the injection of Alpha pheromones—that is, a temporary mark—which can suppress the spread of Omega pheromones.”
At this point, some students laughed shyly, while others laughed in a teasing, rowdy way.
“Don’t rush to laugh,” the teacher said. “Next, I’ll explain how an Alpha gives an Omega a temporary mark. I believe you’ll be very interested in this.”
…
For Jiang Rong, recalling all this was half comforting and half worrying—half useful, half useless.
Jiang Rong knew his body temperature was rising, and the sensations at the back of his neck were becoming more pronounced.
In his original world, technology for information checks was well developed. Public places were equipped with multiple pheromone detectors. As long as abnormal hormone levels were detected, it could be determined whether a citizen had entered their heat period. The detectors would automatically contact nearby temporary heat-control centers to administer suppressants, ensuring the safety of citizens in heat as much as possible.
If he really had suddenly differentiated into an Omega, it would be a catastrophic blow for him!
This was not his original world. There were no pheromone detectors here. There were no suppressants here!
His world was collapsing.
What was he supposed to do if he really became an Omega?
“Jiang Rong?”
He Siming’s voice pulled Jiang Rong back from his thoughts.
He Siming usually didn’t like getting too close to people and wanted Jiang Rong to stand properly.
“Are you okay?”
Jiang Rong had been tense and anxious these days and had lost a lot of weight. After drinking even a small glass of alcohol, his already sensitive body was further stimulated. His legs went weak, and he could only lean against He Siming for support.
When he was still a Beta, Jiang Rong couldn’t smell Alpha pheromones. The lime scent on He Siming smelled quite nice. Was this pheromone scent?
If it were just ordinary body fragrance or perfume, his pheromones wouldn’t react to it.
The Alpha pheromones cleared his mind a little, but the heat in his body continued to rise. The pheromones were like sweet rain falling on long-parched land—they excited him.
“He Siming, could you take me to a hotel? I’m not feeling well, and I can’t go back to the dorm.”
He needed to confirm whether this was a delayed Omega differentiation period. If it really was a heat period, he could only endure it alone in a hotel. The weekend was only two days long, and heat periods varied from person to person—some Omegas were done in half a day, while others could last more than three days. He couldn’t go back.
He wasn’t sure how long his heat period would last. Most people could get through it with suppressants, but he didn’t have any. Right now, he felt as if he’d regressed to a primitive society.
He Siming asked, “Did you start feeling unwell after drinking?”
Jiang Rong softly hummed in agreement. “Yeah, it got worse after drinking.”
He Siming’s face darkened. Had Ding Yan slipped something into his drink?
He remembered Ding Yan not being that kind of person, but Jiang Rong didn’t seem to be lying. There was an abnormal flush on his fair face.
He would settle things with Ding Yan after getting Jiang Rong settled. His friends usually played around a lot, but using drugs crossed his bottom line. Ding Yan shouldn’t have done this to his roommate.
“Then I’ll take you to a hotel,” He Siming said. It was better to get him settled first and discuss everything else later. Ding Yan wasn’t going anywhere anyway.
He Siming took Jiang Rong to a nearby five-star hotel by taxi.
In the car, Jiang Rong forced himself not to lean toward He Siming, pressing himself against the car door instead.
A heat period was an extremely difficult process. He covered his mouth and tried to keep himself from making strange sounds, but it was really hard.
At that moment, he thought in misery—why was fate so unfair to him?
He was just about to integrate into this society, and yet he was put in such an embarrassing situation. What grave sin had he committed to deserve this?
They arrived at the hotel.
He Siming helped Jiang Rong out of the car and lowered his head, only to see that Jiang Rong’s eyes were misty with tears, his eye rims red.
Why was he crying now? What a hassle.
Ding Yan really was committing sins.
“Very uncomfortable?” He Siming asked.
“Mm.”
Jiang Rong felt like he wasn’t himself anymore; even his voice had changed. That soft sound made He Siming’s heart itch. Looking at Jiang Rong’s shimmering eyes, rippling with moisture, his calm heart stirred and grew restless.
He Siming booked a deluxe king room, suppressed the bit of irritation in his heart, took the room card, and helped Jiang Rong upstairs.
Jiang Rong inhaled the lime scent on He Siming, burying his head against He Siming’s chest. It helped reduce the burning heat in his body a little.
He Siming, whose chest was being buried into: “…”
He was wearing a jacket, but it wasn’t buttoned. Jiang Rong’s face pressed against his chest, the warm breath he exhaled seeming to steam his skin. His nose was filled with the scent of ripe peaches from Jiang Rong.
Wait—why was the peach scent on him getting stronger? Even perfume should fade over time, shouldn’t it?
The day it rained, when they returned to the dorm and he bumped into Jiang Rong, that same scent was there too. In his impression, Jiang Rong wouldn’t use perfume. Could it be body wash? Did any body wash really have such a long-lasting fragrance?
Jiang Rong wasn’t very heavy, nor was he completely drunk, and he was fairly cooperative. He Siming brought him to the room. Of course, there was no way he’d let Jiang Rong pay for the room—he’d make Ding Yan pay later and let him lose some money.
He Siming had booked a luxury king room.
Jiang Rong was still conscious, but his body felt as if it were being slowly swallowed by waves of heat.
He Siming had done his duty by bringing him here. Helping to this extent was already more than generous.
In his impression, Jiang Rong had harbored strong hostility toward him. When He Siming still lived in the dorm, he’d seen Jiang Rong standing in corners several times, staring at him gloomily, like he was looking at an enemy. Later, Ding Yan mentioned that someone had posted very nasty comments about him on the forum. After checking the IP address, it turned out to be from their dorm. Yao Shule was always absorbed in dating, Li Yizhou was carefree and straightforward. That left only Jiang Rong as the likely poster. From then on, He Siming stopped paying attention to Jiang Rong.
But the last time it rained, Jiang Rong had actually initiated a conversation with him. He found it hard to reconcile the Jiang Rong from before with the Jiang Rong in front of him now.
The original Jiang Rong was gloomy, sensitive, and withdrawn. This one, on the other hand, was foolish—someone who wouldn’t even realize he’d been sold.
“You can stay here for the night. You don’t need to pay for the room,” He Siming said.
Jiang Rong barely held himself together. Room fee or not—he couldn’t take any of it in. Seeing He Siming move away, the fire inside his body flared up again. His mouth was so dry he kept licking his lips.
He raised his hand and grabbed the corner of He Siming’s clothes, looking at him with overwhelming grievance. “Can you not leave?”
He Siming looked at Jiang Rong’s fair, slender fingers clutching his clothes. His fingertips were a faint pink, like ripe peaches.
Jiang Rong knew his request was unreasonable, but he was too unfamiliar with this world. Differentiating into an Omega in a world without Alphas filled him with fear. He didn’t want to be alone.
He Siming said vaguely, “There’s not much I can help you with.” Jiang Rong asking him to stay could only mean asking for help—and in this state, Jiang Rong was basically drugged.
“Could you help me find a thermometer?” Jiang Rong asked.
Meeting those eyes full of longing, with tears glimmering at the corners, He Siming’s heart softened. “I can.”
Jiang Rong tightly gripped his clothes. “Thank you.”
Only when He Siming called the front desk did Jiang Rong finally let go.
Before long, a staff member delivered an infrared thermometer.
He Siming pressed it to Jiang Rong’s forehead. “Thirty-seven point three. A mild fever.” He guessed Jiang Rong might not know there was something wrong with the alcohol he drank.
The last bit of hope in Jiang Rong’s heart died.
It wasn’t a low-grade fever. Based on how his body felt, if it were a fever, it should have been above thirty-eight degrees.
He had really differentiated into an Omega!
Seeing him licking his lips, He Siming asked calmly, “Do you want some water?”
Jiang Rong was panicking inside, his mouth bitter. With difficulty, he said, “Thank you.”
He kept asking himself over and over: What should I do… what should I do?
He Siming fetched a bottle of water, thoughtfully unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him.
Jiang Rong’s hands trembled slightly. He couldn’t hold onto the bottle at all, and his hand ended up grabbing He Siming’s.
Something felt off to He Siming. “Why are your hands so hot? Is the thermometer inaccurate?”
Jiang Rong didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. He shook his head. “It’s accurate. I’m not having a fever.”
What he needed right now were suppressants and an Alpha’s temporary mark—but this was a world without suppressants and Alphas.
He Siming assumed he was just drunk and talking nonsense. He called the front desk again and asked them to send another thermometer.
This was Jiang Rong’s first heat period. His glands should have already matured, just without being obvious.
The heat came fiercely. He was about to lose his grip on himself.
Jiang Rong curled up on the bed, hugging himself tightly, pale fingers clutching the white bedsheets.
A low moan slipped from his lips. “Mm~”
He Siming: “…” He subconsciously swallowed. His ears were going numb.
Keeping his composure, he took the thermometer the staff brought and pressed his lips together before stepping forward to measure Jiang Rong’s temperature again—still thirty-seven point three, and even trending downward.
His body felt this hot, yet the temperature wasn’t rising—why was it dropping?
He used three different thermometers, all with the same result. That meant Jiang Rong truly didn’t have a fever; it was the drugs taking effect.
He Siming didn’t know that Jiang Rong’s reason was nearly being eroded by the heat period. Seeing how miserable he looked, He Siming was torn—he couldn’t leave, but he couldn’t stay either.
If he left and something happened to Jiang Rong, what then? There were surveillance cameras everywhere. If something went wrong, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself even if he had a mouth.
Tomorrow, he absolutely had to beat Ding Yan up. Extorting some money from him would be letting him off lightly!
He Siming patiently approached. “Jiang Rong, have another sip of water?”
What he didn’t know was that the lime scent on him actually had some effect on Jiang Rong. As soon as he got close, Jiang Rong’s arms wrapped around his neck. Using the backward momentum of his own body without He Siming noticing, he pressed him down onto the bed.
Jiang Rong buried his head in the crook of his neck. “He Siming, can you… help me?”
He Siming wanted to push him away immediately, but he was enveloped by the increasingly strong peach scent. His entire body felt frozen in place, sweet to the point that his heart tingled. Once again, he cursed Ding Yan in his mind.
From this angle, he could clearly see that even Jiang Rong’s earlobes were tinted pink—just like the ripest, sweetest peach of summer, ready to be picked.
The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
“How am I supposed to help you?”
Jiang Rong lifted his head and barely supported himself. His trembling fingertips landed on the buttons of He Siming’s shirt collar.
He Siming: “…”
