Chapter 7

Chapter 7

007

What malice could a little kitten have?

Chu Li sighed, feeling that since his transmigration, he was sighing much more frequently: "Little kitten, in comparison, that Alpha who marked me doesn't seem so detestable after all. At least he didn't lock the door or confine me. Tsk tsk... I thought getting bitten by a dog at the beginning was terrible. But as they say, one needs contrast. Compared to now, those previous troubles don't seem so bad."

The kitten blinked innocently in his arms, sensing that the two-legged creature's words were not pleasant. It rubbed its body against Chu Li's fingers even more affectionately—what evil intentions could a little kitten have? A kitten would never lock doors; it would let the two-legged creature go wherever it pleased. After all, it was fast and could catch up easily.

Unable to resist, Chu Li petted the cat again and said, "It's still summer vacation, so we can only wait until it ends before going to school. If I can attend school, I'll probably be able to board there and temporarily escape from this family. For now, just stay quiet. I'm afraid they might have a cruel hobby towards cats, and it would be terrible if we're discovered."

The kitten responded sensibly with a soft "meow." Afterward, it licked Chu Li's finger.

Its rough, barbed tongue tickled Chu Li, making him want to laugh but refraining from doing so for fear of being heard outside. He gently pushed the kitten's head with his palm, but the kitten stubbornly distorted its forehead as it insisted on licking his finger.

Chu Li had no choice but to carry it back to the bed—the aftermath of his rut was still ongoing, causing him to feel slightly feverish with his gland at the nape of his neck burning hot.

He didn't know how to deal with an Omega's rut and didn't wish to be controlled by strange desires. Thus, he decided to sleep it off.

Little did he expect that as soon as he lay down on the bed, the kitten would leap out of his embrace and bound to his back.

Chu Li reached out to scoop the cat back into his arms, tapping its forehead in a warning tone. "Don't move around, do you understand?"

"Meow?" The kitten pretended not to comprehend, wriggling in Chu Li's embrace.

However, Chu Li was too firm. With too much struggle, it risked harming him. The kitten quickly gave up, settling obediently in Chu Li's arms, and licked his fingers with its soft pink tongue.

Already exhausted, Chu Li gradually lost consciousness after playing with the kitten, drifting into a deep sleep.

An Omega's gland recovered at an astonishing pace. By the next morning, there were no visible signs of injury.

Nonetheless, the bite mark had not entirely vanished. A faint white trace remained on the gland, silently declaring that this Omega's body had been thoroughly marked by another Alpha.

His pheromones had mingled with those of another, creating a new scent. From now on, his rutting periods would no longer provoke any other Alphas except for the one who had marked him. Only that Alpha's pheromones could incite him into a state of uncontrollable desire.

And he would carry only that one person's child.

—

Chu Li slept soundly, unknowingly benefiting from the subtle supplementation of an anonymous Omega's pheromones. Nourished by his own Alpha's scent, his bodily discomfort vanished, and he felt significantly more relaxed, eventually slipping into a dreamless sleep.

However, things weren't as peaceful for Chu Heyang's family.

This was because Chu Heyang received a call from Shu Chenghang early the next morning.

"I've sent Little Li many messages, but he hasn't replied. Could something have happened to him?" Shu Chenghang's voice brimmed with concern over the phone. "Is he still staying at your place? Heyang, can I go visit him?"

The thought that his soon-to-be fiancé was worried about his timid and reclusive elder brother infuriated Chu Heyang. However, he couldn't afford to be harsh, considering their high compatibility in pheromones, which had garnered Shu Chenghang some affection for him. Once their compatibility results were out, there was a high chance Shu Chenghang would agree to the engagement.

Now was not the time to squander this fragile affection.

Chu Heyang, with his patience strained, replied, "He spends all day locked up in his room. Who knows what he's up to? Is that the only reason you came to my house, to see him?"

Shu Chenghang had been rejected by Chu Li multiple times and was well aware that Chu Li did not favor him. He had long given up hope on their relationship.

When his parents mentioned the possibility of an engagement with Chu Heyang, Shu Chenghang agreed, even considering it a decent arrangement. Chu Li's younger brother was quite handsome, with a delicate appearance, albeit his fashion style was a bit hard to accept. But those were minor issues that could be rectified over time after the engagement.

Once they were married, he would still be related to Chu Li and have the opportunity to see him frequently, which he thought was rather pleasant.

Shu Chenghang detected the hint of reproach in Chu Heyang's tone and hastily replied, "Of course I want to see you. I've prepared gifts for you and your parents. When would be convenient for you? I'll come over and give them to you."

Upon hearing that there were presents, Chu Heyang immediately agreed, "Anytime is fine!"

"Alright then, it's settled. I'll come to your place at eight tonight."

After hanging up, Chu Heyang noticed his mother's mournful gaze. He was puzzled. "Shu Chenghang is coming over tomorrow. What's wrong? Don't you want to see him?"

Zhu Wei replied, "Chu Li has just been imprinted on, and his pheromone smell can't be concealed. Aren't you messing things up by asking him to come over now?"

Moreover, with Chu Li meeting Shu Chenghang, there was no guarantee that Chu Li wouldn't say something he shouldn't. If their secret was exposed, what if the Shu family thought they had a problematic family image and canceled Chu Heyang's engagement to Shu Chenghang?

Reminded by Zhu Wei, Chu Heyang realized his mistake. He bit his lower lip and said, "But I've already agreed. What should we do now?"

No matter what, Zhu Wei couldn't bear to blame her son. After some thought, she suggested, "Let's talk to him."

During Shu Chenghang's visit, Chu Li could meet him briefly and say hello before leaving. As long as Shu Chenghang confirmed that Chu Li was alright, he probably wouldn't pursue the matter. As long as they kept the imprinting incident under wraps until the pheromone matching results were out – everything would fall into place.

After reaching an agreement, the mother and son knocked on Chu Li's door.

In the room, Chu Li had been asleep all night and had just woken up from hunger, lying in bed in a daze when he heard knocking at the door.

The family had just told him to stay indoors and now they were actively seeking him out.

He wondered what new scheme they were cooking up.

Putting on a casual shirt, he opened the door.

Since he had been sleeping, Chu Li hadn't turned on the lights. Now, he wore a loose white short-sleeved shirt with an open collar that slipped off one shoulder, revealing his clean collarbone and half of his shoulder.

Chu Li's skin was very fair, and there were still many fading red marks on his body, yet they still exuded a sense of intimacy.

The bright light outside stung his eyes, causing a few tears to well up at the corners of his eyes. The shimmering droplets added a touch of allure to his originally cool features.

It had to be said that Chu Li was much more attractive than Chu Heyang. He had a good bone structure, a slender and lean build – not too weak nor overly plump – the epitome of a youthful appearance. Combined with his indifferent expression, simply standing there without speaking was enough to draw attention.

Chu Heyang had never thought Chu Li was particularly good-looking before. Although he was significantly taller, Chu Li always looked down while walking, making it difficult to see his facial features clearly. He appeared meek and timid, a country bumpkin.

But when did the timid and awkward Chu Li become like this?

Previously, Shu Chenghang had already been fond of him; wouldn't he like him even more now after seeing this?

The thought of having to introduce Chu Li to Shu Chenghang the next day made Chu Heyang even more uneasy.

Silent, Zhu Wei nudged him from the side, urging, "Hurry up and talk business with your brother."

Chu Li dared not let Chu Heyang call him 'brother,' especially since he wasn't the original owner of this body.

He immediately took a step back, displaying his rejection, and said, "Speak if you have something to say."

Only then did Chu Heyang say, "Shu Chenghang is coming to our house tonight. Don't say anything you shouldn't, do you understand? When it's time for dinner, we'll call you out, so don't cause us any trouble."

Chu Li raised an eyebrow. "He's here to see you; why should I cooperate with you two?"

"Y-You..." Chu Heyang's face flushed red as he stammered, unable to speak.

What could he threaten Chu Li with? He'd already undergone rutting and been marked by someone else; what else did he have left to care about?

Chu Li didn't intend to strain his relationship with the family at this moment. Surely, this was the most important matter to them right now? He said, "I can cooperate with you and help you put on a show, but I also refuse Shu Chenghang once again. However, I have some conditions."

Chu Heyang's eyes widened. "What conditions?"

"The first one is that during the summer break, you have to bring me three meals a day. It doesn't need to be extravagant, but I must be satisfied.

"The second condition is that after a week, when school resumes, you can't stop me from attending. Within a week, your alpha's pheromone matching results won't come out, right? If you try to stop me, I can immediately tell Shu Chengxing about being marked. I could even say that it was your pushing me out that led to my rut in public."

Threatened, Chu Heyang's eyes widened even more as he stammered, "How can you say that? You're lying... You were the one who forgot to inject your suppressants."

Chu Li's expression remained cold. "You know very well what the truth is. My demands are not unreasonable, so there's no need for us to both suffer."

Before Chu Heyang could reply, Zhu Wei tugged on his arm and asked, "Do you have any other requests?"

"The third condition is that you give me some money once school starts. It doesn't need to be much, just enough for my living expenses for one semester." After Chu Li finished speaking, he looked away with a calm gaze and asked, "Is that doable?"

Indeed, these were not excessive demands.

Although they had been excluding and oppressing Chu Li, it was all under the premise of 'being a family.' Even pushing him out to experience a rut in public was only possible because Chu Li himself had forgotten his suppressant injections. They dared not really do anything to Chu Li.

Yet, the sensation of being coerced by Chu Li to list out conditions was still peculiar. Zhu Wei fell silent for a moment before gritting her teeth and saying, "Alright, we agree to your terms."

Only then did Chu Li lift his head. "Very well, I hope our collaboration will be pleasant."