Chapter 15 Eradicated From the Heart

Chapter 15: Moving Out from the Heart

With the soothing effect of the Omega's pheromones, Mu Zhang's rut this time lasted only six days.

In the past, he would have had to rely on rut suppressants to endure for over ten days before it ended, causing significant delays in his affairs.

Ending the rut early gave Mu Zhang a sense of having narrowly escaped disaster, as if he had finally found a way out of a dead end—a path clearly brought to him by Lin Juangui.

The basement was still pitch-dark, and the scent of Omega pheromones remained the White Fir that Mu Zhang had always liked. However, now, the smell of White Fir only left bitterness in his heart.

He knew he still loved Mu Yuanqing, a feeling he found impossible to let go of no matter what.

After fully regaining his senses, Mu Zhang got up and pressed a button by the bed, summoning Butler Yang to open the door.

As he was leaving, Mu Zhang noticed Lin Juangui curled up on the bed and frowned, asking, "How is he?"

"Mr. Lin has entered his heat period, but he uses inhibitors on his own. He continued providing you with pheromones during this time, so we did not disturb him."

Initially, Mu Zhang intended to have someone send Lin Juangui back. But seeing how pitiful Lin Juangui looked, even frowning in his sleep, he fell into a somber silence, lost in thought. In the end, he wrapped Lin Juangui in a blanket and carried him back to the master bedroom in the main residence.

Lin Juangui slept restlessly. He knew he was being carried, but having released too many pheromones, his gland was exhausted. His body, having just gone through a heat period, was at its weakest, and he couldn’t even open his eyes.

Even though Lin Juangui was skilled at finding joy in hardship, the feeling of being physically and mentally drained was unbearable.

When Lin Juangui woke up, he could no longer smell the nauseating tar-like scent.

He sat up and checked his arms, relieved to confirm he wasn’t having an allergic reaction.

To be fair, the asphalt-like pheromones were different from actual asphalt. Although Mu Zhang’s pheromones made it hard for him to breathe and his throat itch, the absence of other symptoms was a relief.

After confirming his physical condition, Lin Juangui prepared to get out of bed. But when he looked up, he realized this wasn’t the small villa he had been staying in recently.

Lin Juangui assumed it was just another room in Luochen Manor. After neatly folding the bedding, he prepared to leave, wanting to return to the small villa for a proper bath.

During his time in the basement prepared by Mu Zhang, Lin Juangui had been too weak to clean himself. Now, he felt dirty all over and extremely uncomfortable.

But as soon as he opened the door, he unexpectedly saw Butler Yang.

Butler Yang bowed politely and said to Lin Juangui, "Mr. Lin, the master has instructed that you will now reside in the main residence. Your belongings from the small villa have been moved here. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know, and I will arrange it for you."

"..."

Lin Juangui didn’t know what had prompted Mu Zhang’s decision, but being able to live in the main residence was undoubtedly a good thing for him, as it would make it easier to interact with Mu Zhang.

So, after calming himself slightly, Lin Juangui nodded with a faint smile. "Alright. I’d like to take a bath now."

"Right away, Sir."

The moment his body touched the hot water, Lin Juangui let out a long sigh of relief.

The bathtub in the main residence was far larger than the one in his small villa—so large that Lin Juangui could even swim back and forth in it.

Since childhood, the only thing that had ever relaxed Lin Juangui was soaking in a bath.

He had grown up in a noisy, crowded neighborhood filled with all kinds of poor people. He and Fan Meiyi were among them.

When he was seven or eight years old, he could still fit himself into a bucket of water. But as he grew older, he could only swim in the nearby river as a way to relieve stress.

During Fan Meiyi’s illness, Lin Juangui’s desire for money reached its peak. But Fan Meiyi refused to burden him, only telling him to live well on his own.

After his mother’s death, Lin Juangui didn’t know how to vent his grief.

He took a train for over twenty hours back to his hometown and walked to the river where he used to swim as a child—now a filthy ditch—and let himself fall in.

But Lin Juangui didn’t die.

He was rescued by patrolling police officers.

In the years that followed, Lin Juangui saw a psychologist regularly. Fan Meiyi’s passing was a sorrow that nothing could cover for him.

With the psychologist’s help, Lin Juangui gradually focused only on the last words Fan Meiyi had said to him:

"Live well."

Now, recalling it again, it was merely the stimulation of the asphalt scent a few days ago that had dredged up what had been buried deep in his heart for many years.

Lin Juangui hadn’t felt such hatred in a long time. The feeling of powerlessness and being manipulated was something he detested.

But there was little he could do now. He closed his eyes and submerged himself underwater, using the flow of water to silence the noise in his head.

It wasn’t long before he heard someone calling his name. Then, a pair of large hands gripped his shoulders tightly, lifting him out of the water.

"What were you doing?" Mu Zhang’s face was dark with cold fury. Lin Juangui squinted, unable to see clearly.

He brushed his hair back and instinctively flinched back upon realizing who it was.

Lin Juangui had forgotten that Mu Zhang was still holding his shoulders. How could Mu Zhang not notice such a slight movement?

Mu Zhang released him. Lin Juangui blinked, as if puzzled by Mu Zhang’s sudden appearance: "What’s wrong? Do you need pheromones?"

Glistening water droplets clung to the Omega’s flawless skin, gathering and sliding down like dazzling pearls, almost too bright to look at.

Lin Juangui sank back into the water, resting his arms on the edge of the bathtub. He tilted his head to look at Mu Zhang, his dark eyes shimmering with a misty glow, his expression one of confusion.

Mu Zhang’s black trousers and shirt were mostly soaked from the effort to pull him out. Standing in the bathtub, his powerful, well-defined physique and defined muscles exuded strength.

He asked Lin Juangui, "What were you doing just now? Burying yourself underwater—were you trying to die?"

Earlier, Mu Zhang had heard from Butler Yang about how much Lin Juangui had suffered during his heat period.

He hadn’t paid it much mind initially, but recalling the torment of his own rut periods over the years, his conscience stirred. He decided to ask Lin Juangui if he needed his temporary mark.

After experiencing a heat period, Omegas often require an Alpha’s temporary mark and pheromones to maintain normal daily functioning.

According to their contract, Mu Zhang had no obligation to provide Lin Juangui with a temporary mark. In other words, Lin Juangui would have to endure these three years on his own.

Lin Juangui had psychological struggles. If he couldn’t make it through these three years, Mu Zhang would have to arrange his funeral—a hassle he’d rather avoid.

So, on impulse, Mu Zhang went to the bathroom to discuss the matter with Lin Juangui. But all he saw were a few strings of bubbles rising from the bathtub.

Driven by instinct to save him, Mu Zhang pulled Lin Juangui out.

The sight of the Omega emerging from the water left Mu Zhang momentarily stunned.

Mu Zhang didn’t know how to describe the feeling. Perhaps the intensity of the pheromones he had sensed over the past few days made him think Lin Juangui was someone willing to put in effort during Mu Zhang's rut, which slightly improved his impression of him.

But after hearing Mu Zhang’s words, Lin Juangui merely scooped some water casually, looking nonchalant. "I was just testing how long I could hold my breath."

"Don't pull stunts like this in the future."

Mu Zhang stepped out of the bathtub, soaked and uncomfortable, putting him in a foul mood. "We got delayed a few days ago. Tomorrow, you’ll come with me to visit Grandmother."

"Alright, understood."

After Mu Zhang left, Lin Juangui stared at the tub full of water, feeling completely exasperated.

Soaking in the bath was supposed to be enjoyable, but Mu Zhang went and ruined the whole thing. Lin Juangui was seething with anger but had nowhere to direct it.

Has Mu Zhang lost his damn mind? Doesn’t he know that jumping in with his shoes on would dirty the water?!

After cleaning up from his shower, Lin Juangui prepared to return to his room to rest, but Butler Yang came to invite him to the dining room for a meal. Lin Juangui shook his head and said, "I have no appetite. Just bring me a nutrition shake, thank you."

A few days earlier, while helping Mu Zhang through his rut in the basement, Lin Juangui had relied on nutrition shakes to replace his three daily meals.

An Omega in heat gets dehydrated easily; their reproductive system goes into full gear during this time, so they cannot consume any food other than nutrient supplements.

Lin Juangui was still exhausted and needed a good sleep.

Mu Zhang, now changed into fresh clothes, was seated in the dining room. Coming off his rut, his appetite was particularly strong.

Hearing from Butler Yang that Lin Juangui was still tired and had gone back to his room to sleep, Mu Zhang just gave a noncommittal "hmm" without further comment. After eating his fill, he called up his secretary.

"Slow down the delivery of military supplies to the Fourth Military Region. There’s no need for special treatment as before—treat them equally. We ship when they pay. If anyone asks, just say the market has been unfavorable recently, and I need funds to flow back quickly."

Mu Zhang no longer wanted to compete with Mu Yuanqing, but he wasn’t the type to grovel and beg for Mu Yuanqing’s affection again.

If they were to remain just friends, so be it. Even brothers settle accounts clearly. Since Mu Yuanqing preferred to keep his distance, Mu Zhang would follow the rules.

From now on, he would try to get Mu Yuanqing out of his system.