Chapter 42: Invitation

Chapter 42: The Invitation

"What's this?"

Yuan Shiyuan thought to himself, since his pants were already off and his gland exposed, he might as well come clean.

But seeing Yuan Shize’s uncontrolled pheromones, his agitated and somewhat bewildered expression, he abruptly changed his mind.

His younger brother had always been quite sensitive.

If Yuan Shize were to find out now that his perfectly strong, Alpha-status brother had turned into an Omega, he would definitely overthink things.

Forget it, he’d explain some other time when the opportunity arose.

"It’s just a leg garter," Yuan Shiyuan casually made up an excuse. "When I was doing a magazine shoot earlier, the *UN* brand sent me a lot of accessories. I was just bored, so I decided to wear one."

"You’ve heard of this brand, right?"

Yuan Shiyuan spread his knees openly, forgetting for a moment that he was now an Omega, with no thought of restraint. He leaned down in front of Yuan Shize to check if his gland was injured.

His demeanor was unusually candid; the stark contrast between his fair thighs and the red marks from the leg garter was vivid.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t realize how rough his actions were, treating it like a routine inspection, forgetting that an Omega’s gland is extremely fragile and couldn't withstand such rough handling.

He hissed softly, noticing the pinkish skin quivering under his touch, and only then did he realize he’d been too rough. He lightened his touch, carefully examining the state of the gland.

Nothing unusual.

Probably due to his lack of experience, he had strapped the leg garter on too tightly earlier, which was why even a slight touch elicited such a strong reaction.

"..."

Yuan Shize certainly knew about *UN*.

That afternoon, training was halted at the entire esports base. He initially thought the boss was giving them a break from their intense training schedule. Only later did he find out that everyone, from the base owner to the security guards, was scrambling to buy his brother’s magazine.

Yuan Shize had set three alarms and used his gamer's reflexes to try and snag a copy within the first 10,000 orders, but he still failed.

His teammates who managed to get the limited-edition merch from the first 10,000 orders taunted him with it. One even said, "Why don’t you just ask your brother for it?"

But Yuan Shize felt that failing to even make it into the first 10,000 was like a failure and a letdown to his brother. How could he have the nerve to ask for a private favor?

Due to the magazine’s incredible sales, the limited-edition gifts were scarce, with few resellers, and prices skyrocketed.

Yuan Shize had to wait a long time before finally getting one from a reseller at a high price.

"I know," Yuan Shize said gloomily. "You even wore a skirt later when you recorded that variety show."

He hadn’t seen any of it.

Neither the accessories nor the skirt from the variety show. Even worse, everyone else had seen it, re-watching it countless times, while he only belatedly went online to find out he was way behind.

Hearing mention of the skirt, Yuan Shiyuan coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. "Why bring that up? It was all for the sake of the show."

"Move, I need to put my pants on."

Yuan Shiyuan kicked the leg garter away, and as it rolled near Yuan Shize’s legs, a faint, elusive fragrance drifted through the air.

Distracted for a moment, Yuan Shize didn’t have time to process it before he pinned Yuan Shiyuan down on the single bed.

The bedframe creaked under the strain.

Yuan Shiyuan looked up, confused, only to see his brother frowning intensely, sniffing him with an unusually serious and puzzled expression.

"Brother..."

"You smell like an Omega."

Yuan Shize’s sniffing trailed from Yuan Shiyuan’s face down to his neck, then over his collarbone, chest, waist, and gradually lower… His gaze finally settled and locked onto the red marks left by the leg garter.

"Especially here," he bent down, burying his face between Yuan Shiyuan’s knees, fixated on the source of the scent. "The smell is unique. Strong."

"Not just an Omega’s scent, but also another Alpha’s pheromones."

Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t had time to apply a scent blocker, so it was natural for him to be detected. But he had previously used pheromone extract.

Pheromone extract comes in two forms: injectable and oral. Both cause the body to emit pheromones for a short period. Synthetic extracts can be odorless, but high-concentration extracts taken from an S-class Alpha inevitably carry the original scent.

However, with proper ventilation, the scent would dissipate over time. It had been a while since Yuan Shiyuan injected the extract, so the reason Yuan Shize could still smell it was because he was sniffing the gland area.

The gland has the highest concentration of pheromones.

Yuan Shiyuan brushed it off casually. "Probably residual pheromones from someone else. We were really close earlier, so it’s normal if it didn’t completely fade."

"You know I had an allergic reaction here before, so my skin is quite sensitive."

It was normal for Yuan Shiyuan to have residual pheromones after being influenced by an Omega’s scent.

But how close were they, and what did they do, for his brother to carry an Omega’s scent even here?

Just the thought made Yuan Shize’s eyes darken.

He didn’t like others leaving their scent on his brother.

"Has the allergy not healed yet?"

"Then, brother, let me cover it up for you. To prevent others’ pheromones from worsening the allergy."

Yuan Shize held onto Yuan Shiyuan’s knees, his voice pleading, putting on an obedient and caring front. "You’ll like my pheromones, right?"

When Yuan Shiyuan looked down, all he could see was Yuan Shize’s hair. By the time he tried to stop him, it was too late.

An unfamiliar pheromone suddenly intensified. The minty Alpha pheromones hit his gland, and he felt as if struck by an electric current, collapsing weakly back onto the bed.

Yuan Shize worried it wouldn’t be enough to fully cover the scent, so he nuzzled his face against the allergic skin, trying to make sure his brother was thoroughly marked with his scent.

As his cheek rubbed against the sensitive area, his tall nose created subtle impressions, repeatedly casting small shadows.

Yuan Shiyuan usually only dared to touch his gland lightly. Now, feeling danger approaching, he instinctively clamped his knees together.

But the allure of S-class pheromones was too strong. He tilted his head back, sniffing, then suddenly bit down on his slender finger, trembling slightly, and subtly squeezed his thighs together.

This took Yuan Shize by surprise.

He wanted to look up and see Yuan Shiyuan’s expression, but his head was restricted, unable to move much. He held onto Yuan Shiyuan’s knees, his cheek pressed against the warm, smooth skin.

Like a dog, he clung to Yuan Shiyuan, nuzzling him obsessively.

It was as if he had become the long body pillow his brother hugged while sleeping.

"But is it because ge had an allergy here before?" Yuan Shize vaguely noticed that this patch of skin was incredibly smooth and delicate, seemingly thinner than the surrounding area.

"Mmm..."

The flood of pheromones made Yuan Shiyuan extremely comfortable; the sensation of being enveloped in an S-class Alpha's pheromones was too wonderful. He couldn't help but squeeze his thighs together, his toes scrunching against his little brother's school uniform, urging, "Release a bit more pheromones..."

"Hurry up..."

Yuan Shize noticed that his ge liked his pheromones and happily ramped up the intensity.

He also quietly and slowly tilted his head, rubbing his face against Yuan Shiyuan.

He remembered that his ge had an allergic reaction here before, so it might be a bit itchy now. Like a massage, his straight nose continuously rubbed against the soft skin, helping his ge relieve the itch.

The unfamiliar S-class Alpha pheromones wafted through the air, enveloping all of Yuan Shiyuan's senses. Smelling his little brother's minty pheromones, he felt somewhat lightheaded, his stomach clenched suddenly and gave a slight twitch.

Yuan Shize also noticed this tremble. He paused, "Ge..."

"You're so sensitive."

Yuan Shize drank in the sight of Yuan Shiyuan's dazed expression.

At this moment, Yuan Shiyuan's clothes were in disarray, pink hair stuck to his flushed cheeks, and the corners of his parted lips glistened with moisture. It was his first time smelling his little brother's pheromones, and it felt fresh and exciting, so he urged again.

"More... a little more."

Indeed, new sensations hit the hardest. Yuan Shiyuan turned his head, allowing the minty pheromones to saturate every pore.

He tousled his little brother's hair, craving greedily for more pheromones, "Xiao Ze, I want more..."

Yuan Shize's breath hitched.

As the rich pheromones spread, Yuan Shiyuan felt as if he were being filled by them, like a satisfied cat sunbathing, lazily stretching his body, even his toes curling in pleasure.

But he also vaguely sensed that this wasn't right—they were now of different secondary genders.

But it felt too good.

Ah, whatever.

Letting his little brother cuddle and nuzzle against him was fine; it was quite comfortable anyway. Although he was now an Omega, his little brother still thought he was an Alpha, so there was no harassment or crossing boundaries.

It would be too cruel to Yuan Shize if he didn't allow closeness just because he had an extra scent gland and a changed gender.

The main reason was that it really felt too good.

No wonder the doctor suggested he interact more with S-class Alphas. Just cheek-to-cheek contact and applying S-class Alpha pheromones to his scent gland made him so comfortable that his feet kicked restlessly, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Yuan Shiyuan was someone who knew how to enjoy himself. Once he accepted it, he wouldn't hold back. He drew up his knees, rubbing his knees against his little brother's hair ends.

"Release a bit more pheromones..." His voice trembling at the edges, and he let out a soft moan, "I like smelling it."

Yuan Shize's ears burned crimson. He felt a bit embarrassed but still obediently increased the pheromone concentration.

Ge liked his pheromones! He felt overjoyed and softly pleaded, "I want to smell ge's pheromones too..."

"My pheromones have no scent," Yuan Shiyuan casually brushed him off.

"Okay," Yuan Shize said dejectedly.

But Yuan Shiyuan was secretly scheming.

The doctor had said that high-compatibility Omegas and Alphas releasing pheromones was like a spiritual connection. But there was one precondition: both had to release pheromones.

If he only smelled without releasing any, wouldn't that mean it didn't count?

He was a genius.

Although Yuan Shiyuan didn't release any pheromones, Yuan Shize still thought his ge smelled intoxicating.

His nose buried deep, yet it still felt insufficient. He greedily wanted to get closer, refusing to pull away even if he couldn't breathe, inhaling the scent on his ge obsessively.

Not enough...

Far from enough.

Until Yuan Shiyuan arched his back as if trying to break free. Perhaps it was too sudden or the movement too forceful, he trembled uncontrollably, like he'd been electrocuted, the skin marked by the leg ring trembling violently.

Yuan Shize, worried that Yuan Shiyuan was uncomfortable, immediately got up and gathered him into his arms.

"What's wrong?"

When his gaze fell on Yuan Shiyuan's face, Yuan Shize froze completely.

Yuan Shize thought he had been too rough and done something wrong.

Only then did he realize the scene looked downright indecent.

The loose pants were tossed aside, and the black leather leg ring lay discarded nearby. Yuan Shiyuan was wearing a short sleeve, his long legs pulled into an embrace, his fingers still twitching uncontrollably.

The corners of his eyes were wet and red, his teeth lightly worrying a finger, saliva flowing from his parted lips, trickling down the finger and dampening the point of his chin.

His face glistening with moisture.

When had Yuan Shize ever seen Yuan Shiyuan like this?

Even in his wildest dreams, he had never seen such an expression on Yuan Shiyuan's face.

It looked like an invitation.

Yuan Shize stared transfixed.

He felt inexplicably excited and lowered his head to nuzzle against Yuan Shiyuan's cheek.

"Ge, are you okay?"

At this, Yuan Shiyuan finally came to his senses a little, removing the finger from his mouth and lightly tapping his little brother's shoulder.

"Oh... it's nothing." He couldn't very well say he had gotten off on smelling pheromones and felt like he was floating on cloud nine. He played it cool, and began rambling again, "It's just so-so, pretty average."

Yuan Shiyuan had no idea that his current dazed state made him look exactly like a cat that got into the catnip, completely spaced out.

"...What?" Yuan Shize asked uncertainly.

Yuan Shiyuan looked up dazedly at his little brother. After a few seconds, he finally fully regained his senses.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Nothing, I'm just a bit hungry. Let's go eat."

But shame washed over him.

He was totally baffled, what nonsense was he spouting...

However, his earlier actions did bring some good news for Yuan Shiyuan.

The doctor had been worried that he would be heavily influenced by the S-class Alpha, easily forced into heat. But he found that it was actually quite manageable.

It wasn’t possible to be completely unaffected, but the effect was more like smelling a delicious dish that stirred his appetite. The S-class Alpha’s pheromones did make him feel really good; smelling it felt amazing.

Apart from the pleasure, he didn’t feel any signs of being forced into heat.

Could this mean that, for him, the S-class Alpha was more like an energy boost, and its influence wasn’t actually that significant?

Yuan Shiyuan lazily leaned back in the single-seater sofa, his long legs propped up on a small stool. He crossed his feet, toes slightly curled, like a contented male Persian cat that had eaten its fill.

Fortunately, it was a small single bed, so tidying up wasn’t difficult. Yuan Shize changed into a new set of bedding, glanced back at Yuan Shiyuan, and seeing that Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t noticed, his heart raced as he furtively slipped the black leather thigh ring from the foot of the bed into his pocket.

Then, he picked up his school uniform jacket.

Yuan Shize had taken off his school uniform jacket and left it on the small bed when he first entered the ward, so Yuan Shiyuan had been lying on his jacket this whole time.

This realization made his heart beat faster, and his grip on the jacket tightened.

Yuan Shize quietly slipped away to the bathroom, buried his face in the school uniform, and inhaled the scent that belonged to his older brother.

But suddenly, the tip of his nose touched a damp patch.

Yuan Shize froze for a moment, then unfolded the jacket.

On the light blue autumn jacket, there was a large, spread-out wet stain gleaming under the light.

It looked as if something had sprayed unintentionally, leaving behind a large, irregular dark mark.

What was this?

His brother’s sweat?

But was there really this much sweat?

Yuan Shize didn’t dwell on it; the realization made him strangely aroused. As if compelled, he buried his face in it and took a deep breath.

A rich, intense scent rushed over him, coursing straight through his nasal passages into his brain, like an airtight net engulfing all his senses.

Unconsciously, he stuck out his tongue and licked the moist area.

After a while, Yuan Shize lifted his bewildered face.

In the mirror, his entire face was wet, with some questionable wetness still lingering at the edges of his lips.

But why…

Why did it carry such a strong scent of Omega pheromones?