Chapter 3

Chapter 3

003

An Eternal Mark.

Chu Li grabbed the collar of his shirt tightly and quickly said, "I don't want it anymore, goodbye."

With that, he walked towards the exit of the supermarket.

The owner wouldn't let him leave so easily. He came around the cashier counter and tried to grab Chu Li.

Feeling disgusted, Chu Li turned around and kicked him.

The owner never expected an Omega to react like this and failed to dodge in time, ending up on the ground.

However, soon, a more concentrated sweet pheromone entered his nose, luring him to get back on his feet.

Chu Li stumbled out of the supermarket.

Yet this was also the beginning of his nightmare.

A sweet pheromone silently permeated the entire street, tantalizing every Alpha's heart under the ambiguous lamplight. This was the scent of a top-tier Omega! Someone was going into heat in public!

In an instant, all unmarked Alphas were stirred with desire!

Chu Li could never have dreamed of such an exhilarating scene. He ran ahead, pursued by a group of unknown individuals. Even after he had run far away, he could still hear the supermarket owner's persistent cries, "Sir, adorable little Omega, darling baby... Please don't run... You can't escape."

From the way the supermarket owner addressed him, Chu Li could tell that the man was gradually losing his mind.

Well, he was wrong, dreadfully so. This world was dangerous, and it was not safe to venture out at night for soy sauce!

Chu Li himself was not in a good state either. The more he ran, the dizzier his head became. He wanted to go home, but he had taken a wrong turn and found himself in a dark and deep alley where he couldn't see anything.

After an unknown period of running, the noise behind him finally ceased, and Chu Li was utterly drained.

He realized that something was amiss with his body. The symptoms were peculiar and didn't seem like an illness... Rather, they felt like the effects of some kind of drug.

He recalled the illness mentioned in the original owner's suicide note.

Is this what they call "Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome"?

Unable to grasp the concept of 'pheromones,' Chu Li instinctively associated it with an 'endocrine disorder.' In his understanding, no illness could strip humans of their sanity, driving them to desperately desire...

It was too late now.

Struggling to maintain consciousness, Chu Li attempted to break free from this predicament, but waves of heat continued to overwhelm his body, leaving him powerless to resist. His longing for coolness intensified, from leaning against the wall to sliding down it slowly.

Suddenly, the cold ground exerted an irresistible pull. The slender Omega's senses began to blur as he curled up like a shrimp. His sleeves and pant legs tightened, exposing his delicate wrists and ankles. Veins beneath his fair skin pulsated rhythmically with each wave of heat that surged through him.

Sweat poured down his forehead and drenched his hair and clothes.

"Ahh... Mmm..."

Chu Li lost control, and from the first moan, everything spiraled out of order.

Unconsciously, he rubbed against the ground. After an indeterminate time, a hand suddenly seized his wrist, forcefully dragging him into a side entrance of an alleyway.

The door shut, and pheromones erupted. Inside, Chu Li's sweet scent mingled with another, more intense and domineering aura that engulfed him completely, holding him tight.

The other party's consciousness seemed equally unsteady, their breaths rapid as their lips brushed recklessly against Chu Li's forehead.

Outside the alley, the Alpha predators who had been chasing the out-of-control Omega finally arrived, only to find an empty, dark alleyway and a lingering trace of sweetness in the air.

In this day and age, Omegas valued their privacy greatly; no one wished to openly go into heat and be marked by just anyone. Encountering an Omega with uncontrolled pheromones was a rare occurrence.

Regretting their missed opportunity, the Alphas pounded their chests in frustration. Some, still hopeful, ventured deeper into the alley. However, with just that one step, a fierce Alpha pheromone burst forth from the darkness like a raging storm, pinning everyone to the ground!

This... This was the pheromone of a top-tier Alpha! No wonder they couldn't find the Omega in distress – someone else had beaten them to it!

That person was clearly far superior to them. Among Alphas, there was an inherent rivalry and suppression. A top-tier Alpha was not someone they could contend with.

As the aggressive and furious pheromones subsided, the others didn't dare linger, swiftly making their exit.

---

In the dimly lit, narrow room, Chu Li lay asleep on the bed.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes, glowing with an eerie green light, opened. They were vertical slits, reminiscent of a feline's, dilated to their maximum due to the dimness of the room.

The concealed moon finally emerged, casting its light into the room.

The space was tiny, containing only a bed, a table, and a wardrobe, virtually occupying every inch of the area.

Its occupant seemed to have resided here for a considerable duration. The tabletop was cluttered with disarrayed utensils, and beneath that, the trash bin was overflowing with crumpled bloodstained bandages stuffed inside haphazardly.

Scattered across the floor were mangled clothes, most of which had been torn to shreds. Among them were larger-sized garments, tattered and stained with darkened blood.

In the midst of the chaos, a Li Hua Cat crouched, its ears more pointed and substantial than an ordinary feline's. A tuft of black fur adorned the tips. It licked its paws and wiped its face with a contented expression.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice a deep scar across the cat's abdomen. The wound appeared freshly healed, as the fur around it had yet to regrow.

Unperturbed by its injury, the cat elegantly leaped onto the bedside after cleaning the peculiar marks on its claws.

On the bed, a young Omega slept deeply. His fair skin was marred with red marks, particularly on the nape of his neck, which was reddened and swollen from repeated licking and biting.

A bloodied tooth mark remained on his slightly protruding gland.

The Li Hua Cat seemed content with its mark, gently landing beside the young man's ear and leaning in to lick the trace it left behind.

The overused gland was incredibly sensitive. With its barbed tongue, the cat's gentle touch made the person on the bed tremble. He curled deeper into the blankets, moaning softly in a hoarse, teary voice.

Startled, the Li Hua Cat froze for a moment. Then, it stood up, grabbed a corner of the quilt, and pulled it up forcefully.

The quilt barely covered the young man's shoulders, and he appeared more at ease as he burrowed further under the covers.

Satisfied, the Li Hua Cat narrowed its eyes slightly, spun around twice, and curled up into a circle, snuggling closely against the young man's shoulder to sleep.

The Li Hua Cat's body temperature was higher than that of an ordinary human, and its softness made it a pleasant weight on the quilt.

Unconsciously, Chu Li drifted closer to this warm presence in his sleep, eventually drawing it into his embrace.

However, his dreams were not as peaceful. In his dream, someone was choking him, their grip so tight that pale skin turned faintly blue beneath their fingers.

How terrifying.

In this world, even a simple task like buying soy sauce could lead to such horrifying consequences!

In the depths of the night, Chu Li fell ill with a fever.

Technically, his heat hadn't fully passed yet. For an Omega to genuinely complete their heat, they needed to be with their Alpha for seven days.

However, Chu Li's heat wasn't a typical one. He suffered from an odor disorder and had to inject himself with heat suppressants every day.

His current state was a pseudo-heat caused by hormonal chaos; he could open his reproductive cavity, but he wouldn't become pregnant.

On top of that, he had just received a permanent mark.

After a permanent marking, the scents of the Alpha and Omega would blend together. When the Omega went through another heat, it wouldn't trigger other Alphas' agitation; instead, it would only attract the Alpha who marked them.

The abnormal body temperature caught the attention of the Li Hua Cat. It rose to lick the young man's fingers, attempting to rouse him. However, he remained unresponsive, merely retracting his fingers back into the warmth of the covers when they tickled.

The cat meowed in distress, pacing up and down the bed, but its efforts were in vain as the human showed no reaction. The feline had never seen such a worrysome biped before. After much fuss, since the Omega didn't stir, it leaped off the bed, squeezed through the door crack, and set out to "find medicine" for the Omega.

Not long after Li Hua Cat left, Chu Li awoke.

He hadn't really fallen asleep; instead, he had been having a jumbled series of dreams, drifting between consciousness and slumber.

Naturally, he remembered everything that had happened previously with perfect clarity.

Author's Note:

In response to some comments, I have made modifications. Let's not dwell on this matter any further! It would be unappealing for the comment section to turn into an argument. For the sake of other readers' enjoyment, please refrain from overly criticizing this point.

I would like to express my gratitude to a reader who commented, expressing her frustration at seeing a cancer survivor reincarnate yet not cherish his body. Previously, there were discussions about this plot point, and I acknowledged its issues. However, due to the storyline being established and the chapter already written (not easily editable without raising flags), I didn't want to alter it.

My understanding was that he had no prior knowledge of anything related to the AB/O universe. In his mindset, no illness could cause such irrational behavior. Ordinary medication wouldn't result in such a transformation; it was exaggerated in the novel, unless it involved... d—rugs. But as an ordinary person confined to a hospital room, he would have no exposure to such substances.

Thus, while he found the descriptions peculiar, he didn't have time to investigate thoroughly, nor did he consider that possibility. I still believe his reaction was justified, as people's ingrained beliefs are hard to change. Without any prior indication, it would be challenging for him to comprehend even if someone explained it earnestly, let alone from just a fleeting glimpse of words.

With this reasoning, I believed the plot was acceptable and didn't see the need for revision.

It wasn't until I read the comment from the aforementioned reader yesterday (9.21) that I had an epiphany and realized where the problem with my story truly lay.

It didn't lie in the inherent cognitive issues I had been dwelling on, that the protagonist, not having experienced these circumstances, wouldn't associate terms like 'Omega' with gender or 'Scent Disorder' with loss of control; that's entirely reasonable.

But he was once a severe patient. I believed his mistake to be merely "a small oversight," whereas for someone with such a history, it bordered on trivialization. "A small oversight" is insignificant to me, but he is a person who has tasted death once. Death should have left its mark on his life.

In the end, it stems from my lack of firsthand experience and the fact that I am not a medical student. My understanding of death was too superficial. I underestimated the emotional weight, which led to inconsistencies in character development and plot, causing discomfort in readers.

This is my fault, and I apologize to everyone. I'm also grateful to the readers who kindly offered their feedback persistently. Without your unwavering comments, I might still be oblivious to my mistake.

However, this plot has already been established, and no matter how much I revise it, I'm just patching it up. Following my original plan, I revealed the parts about "injecting the serum within 24 hours," "the original owner injecting it just before leaving," "the protagonist arriving shortly after the original owner's departure," "crossing over during the day and going out to buy soy sauce and become amorous at night," "being unable to investigate materials in time due to physical weakness caused by the crossing," and "the crossing causing abnormal physical conditions and premature amorousness."

These elements were originally part of my outline, but due to numerous revisions, they've been locked... I've lost the motivation to touch this chapter. To the moderator reviewing this, please have mercy on me; I haven't added any inappropriate content. This chapter has already been locked and scrutinized seven or eight times... All forbidden content has been thoroughly removed. Please don't lock it again!

Previously, I didn't want to change it because I felt that I had already portrayed him like this... Altering it midway always gives me the sense that I'm somehow whitewashing his character.

In any case, gratitude goes to those who offered their suggestions previously.

A gentle request: Given that you're all familiar with the context and consequences of this scene, let's refrain from delving into discussions about it further. I've taken note of your opinions. Too much talk might negatively impact the reading experience in the comments section, so I kindly ask for your understanding and restraint. (I'm aware that once the comments section 'engages in discussion,' even the slightest word choice can spark lengthy debates.) I acknowledge that everyone has their own perspectives, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. However, for the sake of maintaining a harmonious environment, please exercise a bit of patience!

If you come across comments from those who simply couldn't resist, please refrain from extensive replies! Many thanks to everyone! You must exercise restraint!

If you still find issues with my writing, it's best to stop reading early on. Judging from my number of followers, you can tell my skills aren't exceptional, and I may continue to make mistakes. There are plenty of other wonderful stories on Jinjiang, so don't torment yourself.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable reading experience.

— Left on September 22nd.