Chapter 51 Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Wen Qi headed straight to the terminal without a word.

Ji Yaoming was sick? But there were no signs of anything unusual before he left…

Suddenly, the memory of that drunken night flashed in his mind… Could it be?

He rushed to the parking lot and was about to start the car when someone knocked on the window—it was Fry Abbott.

Wen Qi rolled down the window, waiting for him to speak.

"Bro, are you leaving?" Fry opened the passenger door without waiting for an invitation. "Let me give you a ride."

Wen Qi glanced at him silently before focusing on the road and speeding off.

The two remained silent throughout the ride. Wen Qi’s mind was preoccupied with Ji Yaoming’s condition. Earlier, he had asked Rong Qiu about it, who said Ji Yaoming was in the midst of an intense rut and had been confined.

Those in rut were usually kept under Dr. Xu’s care.

"Bro, you…" the person in the passenger seat suddenly spoke, "why are you going to the terminal… Will you be back?"

Wen Qi snapped back to the present.

Fry said, "…Our engagement banquet is in a week. Will you come back?"

"Fry." Wen Qi sighed. "I won't be attending."

Fry Abbott’s grip on the seatbelt tightened unconsciously as the terminal drew nearer. "Was I too impatient? If you don’t like it…" He turned abruptly, his eyes suddenly brightening. "I can wait! I can wait as long as it takes…"

Wen Qi sharply turned the steering wheel and braked, parking the car neatly into a spot.

"Fry, I’m sorry. If it had been anyone else, I would have done the same." Wen Qi unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at him seriously. "It was my duty, so don’t elevate me so highly and confuse it with feelings."

"I told you, I’m not confused… But there’s no 'if'—it was me, not anyone else."

Wen Qi’s boarding notification vibrated. He opened the car door with one hand, ready to leave. "Fry, I’m sorry. I can’t give you the answer you want. Take care."

With that, he hurried toward the entrance.

"Wen Qi!"

"…Can I have a hug? As a farewell." Turning back, he saw Fry standing by the car, his smile strained and his expression full of bitterness. Wen Qi was about to turn away when Fry pleaded, "Bro, please, don’t refuse me."

In the end, Wen Qi’s heart softened. He pulled Fry into a brief embrace, patting his back firmly as a gesture of comfort.

Fry waved at him with a smile. "Have a safe trip."

Upon arriving at Ferk Bai Star, Wen Qi put all this out of his mind, focused solely on rushing to the training facility to check on Ji Yaoming.

From what he’d heard, it had been over two weeks and Ji Yaoming still hadn’t recovered. Wen Qi wasn't very familiar with ruts, but in his understanding, they typically lasted only about a week.

Huh, wasn’t it rumored that he didn’t even have ruts?

He tried calling Dr. Xu, but no one answered before the call disconnected. So, he headed to the training facility first. The entire building was unusually quiet. He was about to step inside when he looked down at what he was wearing—he’d left in such a hurry, he was still in the same clothes from that day…

Better go back first to change, take a shower, and maybe make a few dishes to bring along.

Wen Qi returned to his dorm, his anxiety so overwhelming that he didn’t notice the unusual quietness in the hallway. He entered the passcode, opened the door without even changing his shoes, and hurried straight to the kitchen to see if there were any ingredients to prepare some food.

The refrigerator was completely empty; it looked like it hadn't been restocked for days. Wen Qi was at a loss.

Should he go out and buy groceries now? Would he make it in time?

Suddenly, a metallic clatter sounded as something hit the floor. Wen Qi immediately assumed a defensive stance and turned around, only to feel a scorching heat press against his back the next second.

"Welcome back."

The hoarse voice made Wen Qi freeze. His intuition told him that the person behind him was not fully conscious, and…

He seemed to be naked!

"Why are you here?" Wen Qi asked in surprise. "Shouldn't you be with Dr. Xu…?"

Heavy breathing sounded in his ear as the person buried his face into Wen Qi’s shoulder and neck from behind. "There’s no scent of you there."

"You…" Wen Qi instinctively scanned his home. The living room looked no different from before he left, with no sign of breaking in or mess.

Then, dragging the person clinging stubbornly behind him, Wen Qi pushed open the bedroom door. The moment it swung open, he took a step back in shock:

His clothes were scattered all over the floor and the bed, including several pieces of underwear lying crumpled and clearly they'd been used.

"Your clothes were all washed… there’s too little scent… rubbing against them didn’t help at all." The voice was in a near-whisper, tinged with grievance. Wen Qi froze.

"…What are you talking about?"

The face resting against his neck was burning hot. Wen Qi instinctively pulled away slightly, and Ji Yaoming suddenly stiffened before pressing down harder, forcing them tightly together.

"Don’t leave."

"I—"

Before Wen Qi could finish speaking, the world spun when he was thrown onto the bed. The next second, the burning-hot body pressed against him, pinning his hands over his head with an iron grip.

"Don’t go."

Wen Qi struggled a couple of times, but the other man's grip was terrifying—he couldn’t break free.

Meeting those hazy eyes, Wen Qi clearly understood what he needed now.

But he could only say helplessly, "It’s no use. I’m a beta. No matter what, I can’t soothe you. Let me call Dr. Xu for you—he’ll know what to do."

Staring into those eyes, reddened from the rut, Wen Qi softened his voice as much as possible.

"Okay? Once he comes, you won’t feel so uncomfortable anymore."

Ji Yaoming didn’t respond, just kept looking down at him.

How could someone be like this?

He was burning up, yet this person remained so calm and even offered solutions?

Lowering his eyelashes, Ji Yaoming let go. Wen Qi let out a sigh of relief, half-sitting up to rub his sore wrists.

"I’ll make the call now. Just hang in there a little longer."

As Wen Qi went to get his phone, a shadow suddenly fell across his face. Before he could react, he was pinned down on the bed again. A head buried into the curve of his neck, and as Ji Yaoming inhaled, Wen Qi felt a slight chill.

"You can… only you can…" The whisper came with the soft sensation of skin against skin. "So don’t go, okay? Wen Qi… I've missed you so much…"

Bzzzz————

Wen Qi’s brain went blank.

But before he could process it, a searing pain pierced his neck. Wen Qi pushed at the person on top of him, but he didn’t budge an inch.

"You… let go!"

Ji Yaoming paid no attention, his mouth filled with the metallic sweetness of blood mixed with a foul, rotten odor.

"Ji Yaoming!" Tears welled in Wen Qi’s eyes. "Let me go!"

The person on top of him froze.

"You’re scared of me too…" Ji Yaoming lifted his head from Wen Qi’s shoulder, revealing a stark bite mark beside his collarbone.

Then, in a hollow, low voice, he asked, "But whose reeking scent is all over you? I’ve smelled it since I came in."

Wen Qi was stunned.

He suddenly remembered Fry Abbott had insisted on a farewell hug just before he left…

Wen Qi: "…"

*Was it from that moment?*

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" Ji Yaoming’s voice turned colder. He leaned in again, forcing Wen Qi to tilt backward. "You actually let someone else leave their scent on you!"

Wen Qi was shocked. "Wh-what…?"

*So Fry had released his scent during the hug? That bastard!*

Ji Yaoming’s eyes reddened even more, but he showed no intention of backing off. Wen Qi was already trapped in his embrace, the fair, delicate back of his neck exposed.

Wen Qi swallowed hard, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He couldn’t lie to Ji Yaoming, so he stayed silent.

Calloused but slender fingers gently traced the fair skin at the back of his neck. Ji Yaoming’s breathing grew heavier.

So did Wen Qi’s.

The delicate touch and burning body heat made Wen Qi glance down at his own arousal, then shut his eyes in resignation.

The next moment, he mustered his strength, pushed Ji Yaoming down, and straddled him, one hand braced against his chest, his face flushed.

*It’s fine, he’s in his rut right now. It might be shameless, but…*

*"Do you have any better prospects besides the Abbott family?" "You’re lucky they want you—why aren’t you over the moon instead of putting on airs?" "Wen Qi! Don’t disappoint me!" "…Are you just going to abandon your sister?!"*

Wen Qi’s hands trembled slightly. Ji Yaoming’s gaze cleared a little as he reached out and grasped Wen Qi’s arm. "I’m sorry… I’m losing control of myself more and more… I scared you, didn’t I?"

Wen Qi shook his head tearfully.

Seeing the large teardrops falling, Ji Yaoming panicked. Regardless of his own visibly aroused state, he just wanted to pull Wen Qi down and push him away.

His voice came out hoarse and raspy. "…You came back for your clothes, right? But I’ve used them all… Just go. You know my account—buy new ones. Stay away for a while—"

"Let me help you," Wen Qi interrupted, his hand moving toward the heated swell between them. "I don’t know if it’ll work, but—"

Ji Yaoming’s eyes reddened. "Do you know what you’re saying?"

Looking down from above, Wen Qi nodded.

Then he added, "I want to help you."

With that, he began to move his hand, but before he could demonstrate his awkward attempts, he was pinned down again. His nape was bitten hard!

The unfamiliar stimulation made his consciousness waver, a moan escaping his lips. The person behind him grew more and more out of control. Before he knew it, the beta’s atrophied scent gland trembled, then fear transformed into an electric current surging through his veins. In an instant, he went limp. Something inside him was pried open. Amid the fierce, relentless impact, all Wen Qi could hear were possessive murmurs and the sounds that never ceased.

"Where have you been these past few days?"

"The Wen… Wen household… visiting a sick relative…" His nails dug desperately into Ji Yaoming’s neck like a lifeline. Where their bodies met, it was impossible to tell whose sweat or what else it was.

In any case, Wen Qi felt like he was dying.

Ji Yaoming paused, aching and tense with need as he kissed the flushed beta deeply, his gaze dangerous. "One more chance. You know I hate lies."

The brief respite brought Wen Qi back to his senses. Ji Yaoming’s grip on his waist showed no sign of loosening. Dazed, Wen Qi pushed weakly at the person above him. He’d already seen stars twice—even with his stamina, he couldn’t take much more.

"Hm?" The man above him thrust teasingly. "Don’t want to talk?"

"Stop… I went to the Wen family…" Wen Qi closed his eyes, the ugly faces of the Wen family flashing through his mind. The engagement that had been decided without his consent felt especially glaring. Ji Yaoming’s intense, unwavering stare was an expression he’d never seen before. A wave of shame suddenly surged within him.

*How could he selfishly take advantage of Ji Yaoming’s rut-driven haze like this?*

"Back to the Wen family to discuss an arranged marriage."

He turned his head away, unable to meet those dark eyes above. He didn’t know how to face him in this situation—someone who couldn’t even control his own engagement, yet was caught up in this intimacy. Even if the engagement wasn’t his intention, what difference did it really make?

*All he could do was run away.*

The room fell into sudden silence, leaving only the sound of their ragged breathing. The alpha in heat had stopped moving. Wen Qi thought it made sense—after all, how could someone as upright as Ji Yaoming tolerate such improper behavior? Taking advantage of the alpha’s brief respite, Wen Qi tried to slip away to take a shower.

"An ar-... ranged en-... gagement?"

The hoarse, low words exploded in his ear. The alpha had no room for anything else—no matter how much Wen Qi said, he only heard those two words. An arm hooked around his waist and dragged him back. Wen Qi jolted in surprise and turned quickly, but before he could see clearly, a sharp pain struck him, as if he’d been punched hard.

A beta’s gland was less receptive than an omega’s. The blinding pain shattered his coherence in an instant.

"Stop…"

There was no sign of stopping—the storm only grew fiercer. Overwhelming, molten heat seeped into his bones. Ji Yaoming, with a desperate, obsessive madness, seemed determined to crush him, to fuse him into his very body.

"You take time off just to find someone else? Wen Qi, you really haven’t changed at all."

"I…"

Ji Yaoming released him. His pleading had worked. Wen Qi, eyes swimming with tears, gasped for breath, but before he could relax, he was forcefully flipped onto his stomach. Then, from behind, Ji Yaoming covered him, his fangs sinking into the neglected gland, flooding it with pheromones without restraint. Wen Qi arched his back, nearly suffocated by the wet, messy kisses.

"No more… Ji Yaoming, I’m just a… beta."

Ji Yaoming released the gland, satisfied and malicious, turning Wen Qi’s face to his for a long, fierce kiss. A strand of saliva connected them before breaking. "What’s wrong with being a beta? Keep going."

The alpha in heat was like a beast consumed by conquest, lost in a haze of desire. By the time Wen Qi managed to escape from the S-Class Alpha who had dominated him for three years, a week had passed. Throughout that week, Ji Yaoming had consumed him day and night, sometimes waking him only to resume his claiming behavior. Countless times. The room was saturated with their entwined scents.

Finally—

On the morning Ji Yaoming’s rut subsided, Wen Qi rose from the circle of his powerful arms still wrapped around him, covered in layers of fresh and fading marks, and staggered out of the room…