Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Even unconscious, his features remained sharp and cold, his lips tightly pressed, his brows furrowed in displeasure.

Li Yang’s urge to vomit vanished instantly. He crouched down, pressed Ying Xi’s philtrum, and softly called his name: “Ying Xi, Ying Xi, wake up.”

Beside them, Jiang Yunzhe was utterly stunned.

“What’s going on? His physical condition isn’t that bad. Could it be his rut?”

By the end of his sentence, Jiang Yunzhe’s voice carried an uncontrollable, smug chuckle.

“Betas are useless during a rut. You should just leave now.”

Li Yang shot him a cold glare. “Can you shut up?”

His calm gaze, devoid of any extra emotion, was enough to silence anyone.

Jiang Yunzhe was speechless for a moment, fuming. His eyes darted, and he immediately went downstairs to fetch Li Xu.

“What?” Hearing that Ying Xi had fainted, Li Xu shot up. “What did you do? How could Ying Xi faint? Is Yangyang okay?”

“Probably his rut,” Jiang Yunzhe said, with a knowing wink. “Auntie, that Beta is completely useless. You should just send him away.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Li Xu hurried upstairs while making a call for help. She shot Jiang Yunzhe an annoyed look. “You should go back. This has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m an Omega, I can help—” Before Jiang Yunzhe could finish, Li Xu grabbed his arm and politely but firmly guided him out.

“Release me! This is exactly when I’m needed!” Jiang Yunzhe shook her off and rushed back upstairs.

Li Yang had already called for an ambulance.

Ying Xi’s body temperature was dropping rapidly, his cheeks cold to the touch, his lips turning pale and bloodless.

With trembling hands, Li Yang checked his breathing and only relaxed after confirming Ying Xi was still breathing. He helped Ying Xi up, ready to take him to the hospital immediately.

They couldn’t wait any longer.

“Are you okay?” Li Xu rushed in, first checking on Li Yang. Seeing his pale face, his lips trembling with fear and worry, she quickly patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s nothing. This has happened before—it’s usually due to his pheromone instability causing fainting.”

Hearing that it had happened before, Li Yang paused, then glanced at Jiang Yunzhe, who had followed them in.

“He released his pheromones, and Ying Xi collapsed like this. Has that ever happened before?”

“No, before it was always his own pheromones acting up suddenly,” Li Xu said, supporting Ying Xi. “Let’s get him to bed. The doctor will be here soon—he’s Ying Xi’s usual doctor.”

Just then, the doctor who lived nearby arrived in a hurry and began examining Ying Xi.

“Same as before—fainting caused by extreme pheromone fluctuations,” the doctor said, administering an IV. He glanced at the others. “Any known trigger this time? Did it come on suddenly? This fluctuation is more severe than ever.”

Li Yang looked at Jiang Yunzhe, his gaze like a cold blade: “He released his pheromones, and Ying Xi fainted shortly after… Could that have affected him?”

“He’s never had this reaction to someone else’s pheromones before. Pheromone-related fainting only happens before his rut, but his last rut just ended not long ago.” Li Xu was baffled.

“Then this is probably not rut-related,” the doctor concluded. “Ask him if he feels any discomfort when he wakes up, and take him to the hospital for a full examination. By the way, I heard he’s found a partner?”

Li Xu nodded and introduced the doctor to Li Yang.

The entire time, Jiang Yunzhe was ignored. Annoyed, he glanced at Ying Xi lying on the bed, worried he might be responsible, but he didn’t dare speak up yet.

“If possible, help relieve it for him as soon as you can,” the doctor said to Li Yang. “Inhibitors don’t work well for him.”

Li Yang had heard this from Dr. Xu before. In the past, he would’ve lowered his head in embarrassment, but now, his eyes only showed clear anxiety.

Jiang Yunzhe, however, immediately spoke up upon hearing this. “What can a Beta even do to relieve it?”

In his agitation, his pheromones spilled out uncontrollably.

Li Xu frowned. “Jiang Yunzhe, as an adult, you should maintain control over your pheromones.”

“A Beta?” The doctor sounded surprised and was about to say more when Li Xu led him out to explain.

Jiang Yunzhe pouted. His attention had been on their conversation, but when he suddenly noticed Ying Xi opening his eyes, he excitedly rushed over.

“Ying Xi, you’re awake? Why did you faint? Are you feeling unwell?”

Ying Xi’s vision was blurry. His head throbbed as if being drilled into, his ears ringing incessantly.

That revolting scent invaded his nostrils, tormenting his nerves without pause. His stomach churned, his throat tightened, and his skin burned as if being sliced by razor blades. His expression darkened further.

A shadow loomed—someone was approaching. Acting on instinct, he reached out and gripped the source of that foul stench, veins bulging at his temples as he flung the person away with a dark glare.

“Get out.”

A surge of overpowering pheromones instantly filled the room. Jiang Yunzhe, thrown to the ground, stared in shock at the dazed man on the bed, frozen, paralyzed by the pressure.

“What’s happening?” Li Xu hurried in but stopped short, fighting the overwhelming pheromones.

Li Yang could barely detect a faint hint of mint, unaffected otherwise. He looked down at Ying Xi’s labored breathing and gripped his arm.

“Ying Xi, where does it hurt?”

That soft, familiar voice brushed over his heart like a feather, soothing all unrest.

His vision gradually cleared. Ying Xi caught a whiff of something fresh—a faint lemon scent that inexplicably calmed the storm inside him.

He withdrew his pheromones, seized Li Yang’s arm, and pulled him into an embrace, greedily breathing in his scent.

“Yangyang.”

“Auntie, he’s not himself—get him to the hospital!” Jiang Yunzhe finally recovered enough to shout. “He just grabbed my throat and told me to get out! He’s never like this normally!”

“Why are you still here?” Seeing that Ying Xi had called out Li Yang’s name and seemed somewhat aware, Li Xu urged Jiang Yunzhe again. “This isn’t your business.”

Li Yang held Ying Xi, gently running fingers through his hair. “Are you feeling better?”

No answer came. The man in his arms only burrowed into his neck, his lips occasionally brushing his collarbone, making him shiver.

Li Yang’s fingers trembled uncontrollably. He wanted to push Ying Xi away but could feel his distress, so he slowly stilled.

“Yangyang.” Ying Xi lifted his head. His usually cold, sharp eyes were now soft and pleading. “Can you kiss me?”

Everyone in the room froze.

Li Yang could tell Ying Xi still wasn’t fully aware. He cupped his face, leaned down, and placed a kiss on his forehead. “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Ying Xi’s eyes darkened. Either he didn’t feel the comforting kiss or it wasn’t enough—he pulled Li Yang roughly closer, insatiable.

Scorching hot breath brushed against Li Yang's cheeks as he gazed into Ying Xi's pitch-black eyes.

"Ying Xi, can you hear me?"

No response.

Li Yang turned to the distracted Li Xu. "Let's go to the hospital. He's still not coherent."

"Let's go." Li Xu hurried over to help.

She was an Omega, and the doctor was a Beta. When the two of them tried to assist, Ying Xi became violently agitated and uncontrollable.

He forcefully shook off Li Xu's hand and refused to let the doctor touch him, though he didn't put up much resistance.

Li Xu was bewildered. "Has he suddenly developed an aversion to Omegas now?"

"Get to the hospital quickly," the doctor urged, seeing Ying Xi growing increasingly unstable, on the verge of losing consciousness. He turned to Li Yang. "Talk to him—distract him."

Staring at Ying Xi, who seemed desperate to attach himself to him, Li Yang felt at a loss. He wanted to say something but held back.

This wasn’t about talking at all—Ying Xi seemed intent on pinning him down and kissing him relentlessly.

Li Yang closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, cupping Ying Xi’s face gently. "Ying Xi, you can hear me, right? Calm down first. Let’s go to the hospital."

He paused, then slowly leaned in to whisper in Ying Xi’s ear, "If you stay quiet and go to the hospital, I’ll kiss you when everything’s okay. Deal?"

The previously restless man immediately stilled, curling up obediently in Li Yang’s arms.

"What did you say to him?" the doctor asked in surprise, not waiting for an answer before helping Li Yang support Ying Xi into the car and heading to the hospital from last time.

Fortunately, Ying Xi came to his senses shortly after arriving. While Dr. Xu spoke with him inside, Li Yang and Li Xu waited outside the ward.

Jiang Yunzhe had followed them the whole way, glaring daggers at the people inside the room.

"Why are you still here?" Li Xu scowled at the sight of him.

"I have questions for him," Jiang Yunzhe muttered. "Aunt Li, Ying Xi should be with an Omega. That’s the right choice."

Li Xu had only tolerated him out of respect for his parents. Now, losing patience, she stood up, ready to physically remove him.

The doctor opened the door.

"His pheromones are stable now. He said this episode was due to an inability to tolerate others’ pheromones—his body triggers a rejection response," Dr. Xu explained, pushing up his glasses. "The Omega who released those pheromones was you, wasn’t it?"

"What kind of joke is this?" Jiang Yunzhe gaped, thinking he must be hearing things. "An Alpha can’t tolerate an Omega’s pheromones? Then whose can he accept?"

"His partner’s, of course," Dr. Xu replied, giving Jiang Yunzhe a look like he was stupid, visibly displeased. "His partner’s pheromones are compatible with his. Though this shift in his condition is unusual—I suspect he can’t tolerate any Omega’s pheromones now."

Li Xu listened silently before stepping inside. Less than half a minute later, she emerged, her expression grave.

Dr. Xu asked, "Did he reject yours too?"

"Yes," Li Xu said, frowning. "He shouldn’t be able to tolerate any Omega’s pheromones. Why is this happening?"

"It might be due to a hyper-compatibility with his partner’s pheromones, causing an allergic response to others’. Over time, as he stabilizes, the reaction should lessen," Dr. Xu explained.

Jiang Yunzhe was stunned into silence, taking a long moment to recover before bursting out angrily, "What are you all talking about? His partner? You mean this Beta? Betas don’t even have pheromones! And ‘pheromone compatibility’? I think this Beta is the one who’s thrown him off balance!"

Ying Xi had always had unstable pheromones—an anomaly. Li Yang’s arrival had practically saved him.

Hearing this, Li Xu’s face darkened. She first called the Jiang family, insisting someone come get him immediately, then dialed Assistant Min to ask where he was.

Ten minutes later, Assistant Min arrived and physically restrained Jiang Yunzhe.

Glancing at the couple sitting together in the ward, he said to Jiang Yunzhe, "What’s your problem? They’re a couple. Why are you causing trouble?"

"What couple? They’re not suited for each other," Jiang Yunzhe retorted, his thoughts too jumbled to think clearly.

What did it mean that Ying Xi could only accept Li Yang’s pheromones?

A Beta—compatible with an Alpha’s pheromones?

Jiang Yunzhe, the pampered Omega who had always been the center of attention, now felt utterly insignificant for the first time. His eyes reddened as he shot a venomous glare at Li Yang’s back.

"You’re the one who’s not suited. I think you couldn’t find anyone abroad who compared to Young Master Ying, so you set your sights on him. Weren’t you the one who once said you’d rather be with a dog than with him?"

Assistant Min massaged his temple.

Cornered, Jiang Yunzhe’s face contorted with rage as he was dragged away, unwilling to leave.

When it came to strength, a Beta still outmatched an Omega.

"Are you feeling any other discomfort?" Inside the ward, Li Yang scrutinized Ying Xi anxiously.

Ying Xi patted the edge of the bed. "Yanyang, sit here."

His color had returned to normal, though his voice was raspy and faint.

The moment Li Yang sat down, Ying Xi wrapped him in a crushing embrace from behind.

"Do you remember what you said before we came to the hospital?" Ying Xi nuzzled his chin on Li Yang’s shoulder, a playful smirk on his lips. "Isn’t it time to make good on it?"