Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Within the span of two sentences, Shen Hui's knees had gone weak. His jet-black hair, damp with sweat, clung to his pale, almost translucent cheeks, making him a truly pitiful sight.

He gripped Yan Gui's wrist fiercely, the desperate ferocity of a cornered animal flashing in his eyes.

That look alone made the alpha hard. Blazing pheromones uncontrollably wrapped around Shen Hui's neck, seeping beneath his collar.

Yan Gui gently wiped the sweat from his cheeks, his rough fingertips making the delicate skin red. He said hoarsely, "Don't be afraid, it's something to make you happy."

His words were more potent than the drug itself; Shen Hui's breathing grew heavy, his vision gradually blurring.

Meeting the alpha's blatantly predatory gaze, Shen Hui felt rage surge within him, but everything spun dizzily.

Yan Gui seemed to see through his thoughts and gave a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, you won't pass out."

He wanted Shen Hui to see clearly who was in control.

Yan Gui gripped Shen Hui's wrist, and with a slight exertion, pulled the sweat-soaked man into his arms.

He was too light.

He strode toward the bedroom on the second floor. Amidst anything-but-innocent impulses, he made a mental note that he must take good care of him later.

*

The second floor of the villa maintained the luxurious, classical design of a Central European castle, with a fireplace flickering, its faint crackle audible.

Shen Hui was thrown onto the bed. Dizziness made him want to curl up, but he was forcefully pinned down.

The alpha was patient with the prey he'd captured, claiming the lips he'd longed for in the dim, flickering light.

Soft, moist, cool yet so stimulating it set his blood on fire and sent tremors through his soul. Even his fingers shook. Yan Gui could no longer control the innate aggression of an alpha; his pheromones ran wild as he fiercely bit the lips and tongue, brutally stealing his breath.

Riiip!

The alpha savagely tore the soaked white shirt, yet the hand caressing the cheek was as gentle as if handling a treasure. His scorching palm felt the throb of the other's Adam's apple forced to swallow, trailing down his sweaty skin.

"Shen Hui, look at me. Who am I?"

Shen Hui sank into the soft bedding, eyes unfocused, unable to even lift a finger. He was entirely enveloped by the alpha's gaze, unaware of how tempting he looked now.

Hair disheveled, breathing raggedly, ears ringing—though he was a beta who couldn't sense pheromones, he felt as if consumed by flames, melting away.

The person before him was like erupting magma, searing heat enveloping him from all sides, leaving no escape.

He instinctively shook his head in refusal but was forced to look by a tight grip on his chin.

"Shen Hui, look at me. Who am I?" The alpha's breathing was heavy, clearly pushed to his limit, yet he demanded an answer, his tone domineering.

Struggling painfully but unable to break free, Shen Hui finally managed to focus his eyes and instinctively answered the alpha's question: "Yan... Yan Gui."

The moment he spoke, ecstasy shattered the alpha's reason. All-consuming flames engulfed Shen Hui.

The alpha had fully entered his rut.

Shen Hui was completely scorched, fire racing through his veins, even his tears licked away. Just as he neared collapse, the alpha pinned him down hard and moved to the back of his neck.

An instinctive alertness briefly cleared Shen Hui's mind, but as a beta, he was helpless against an alpha in rut. He whispered in terror, "No, you can't bite, I'm a beta..."

Yan Gui had already taken the slightly swollen soft flesh at the nape into his mouth. A beta's gland wasn't prominent, but his tongue keenly detected a slight roughness—scars from Shen Hui's previous two gland modification surgeries.

"I know," the alpha, completely consumed by possessiveness, said cruelly. "A few more marks will do the trick."

"No, Yan... Yan Gui!"

"I'm here."

Flames pierced the skin, boiling the blood. Shen Hui stared vacantly, unable even to cry out.

At least for now, Shen Hui belonged wholly to him, and him alone.

Seven days later.

"Ding—" The microwave beeped, signaling the end.

Yan Gui, wearing only a pair of loose shorts and a pink Peppa Pig apron, hummed a tune as he took the roasted squab from the microwave. The succulent, savory aroma instantly filled the kitchen. Yan Gui nodded in satisfaction at the pigeon, glossy red and crisp on the outside, juicy inside.

The ginseng seller said a small slice was enough for a normal person, but Shen Hui was too weak, often passing out halfway through.

Yan Gui frowned at the half-root of old ginseng in his hand, his thoughts inevitably drifting to Shen Hui.

An alpha's strength far exceeded a beta's capacity to endure. During their first encounter, Shen Hui struggled violently, forcing Yan Gui to bite his neck harshly—the tooth marks were still visible now.

...

He couldn't dwell on it. Yan Gui coughed guiltily, added another small half-root of ginseng, then contentedly covered the pot. He brought the roasted squab and lychee pork ribs to the table. Fearing Shen Hui might find it too rich, he also prepared blanched Chinese broccoli, a few cold side dishes, and finished by turning off the heat and serving the soup.

All were Shen Hui's usual favorites.

Only then did Yan Gui take off the apron and go upstairs to wake Shen Hui for dinner.

The master bedroom's curtains had been closed for seven days; the room was dim and warm. Yan Gui drew back the heavy bed curtains to find Shen Hui curled on his side, sound asleep in the middle, completely unaware of someone sitting beside him.

Seeing him so vulnerable, Yan Gui couldn't bear to disturb him, his heart swelling with almost overflowing satisfaction.

Shen Hui was deeply unconscious, half his face buried in the soft pillow. His long eyelashes were damp and clumped, his slightly parted lips swollen, and the bite marks on the nape of his neck were layered and inflamed, too tender to touch. He looked utterly pitiful.

Betas inherently couldn't handle an alpha's rut; unable to provide pheromonal comfort, the alpha would compensate relentlessly in the reproductive cavity.

He'd lost count of how many times Shen Hui had pleaded unconsciously, but Yan Gui in rut had been heedless, only wanting this person to be stained with his scent from the inside out, allowing no one to covet or gaze upon him.

Just looking at him now, satisfaction and desire intertwined and surged within, wanting to etch this person permanently into his very bones.

"Shen Hui, wake up." Yan Gui gently patted his cheek, intending to rouse him tenderly, but the moment his palm touched the skin, he sensed something wrong.

Too hot.

"Shen Hui!" Yan Gui's dreamy intoxication vanished instantly, replaced by alarm. He immediately pulled Shen Hui into his arms, realizing he was burning like a furnace. "Wake up!"

Shen Hui, eyes closed and unaware, slumped against him.

Even if marked, a beta would only run a low fever—not burn up like this. This was definitely not normal.

Yan Gui cared about nothing else now; he scooped Shen Hui up and rushed to the hospital.

The operating room doors slammed shut, the glaring red "In Surgery" light lit up.

*

Only then did Yan Gui stagger back two steps against the wall, drained. He looked down at his trembling hands, his mind filled entirely with the image of Shen Hui's fragile, near-death state.

For the first time in his life, he tasted the flavor of fear and bone-chilling terror, not even daring to look at those medical reports.

But years of crisis management experience allowed him to instantly suppress all violent emotions. Quickly running through every possible loophole in his mind, he reached a conclusion: Shen Hui had deceived him.

He had undergone gland replacement surgery.

He had lied—he still… chose Chen Shenzhi…

Overwhelming resentment and fury instantly shattered his rationality, a buzzing filling his ears so loudly that he failed to notice Gu Yu storming angrily down the hallway, clutching medical reports.

"How dare you mark him at a time like this!"

Glancing at the erratic data on the reports, Gu Yu’s medical ethics and morals hit their limit. With all his strength, he swung a punch at Yan Gui’s handsome face.

Thump!

Without even looking up, Yan Gui caught Gu Yu’s fist. His body moved faster than his mind, twisting Gu Yu’s arm back and pinning him against the wall.

Gu Yu felt as if his punch had hit an iron wall, followed by a blur of movement and excruciating pain in his wrist.

"Hiss! You rapist, let go!"

Yan Gui had some recollection of Gu Yu and loosened his grip, stating bluntly, "He underwent gland modification surgery."

From that single statement, Gu Yu pieced together the entire story. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to rush into the operating room to save the one causing trouble or call the police to arrest the man before him.

In the end, all he could do was rub his wrist and roll his eyes.

"What did you expect?" Gu Yu snapped in irritation. "You’d better pray he survives the surgery."

He then turned to the intern who had just caught up and asked, "Who’s the lead surgeon?"

The panting doctor froze for a moment before hurriedly checking his phone, but after scrolling for a while, he went silent.

Gu Yu snatched the phone and saw the lead surgeon listed in the system: Specially Invited Expert Chen Shenzhi.

Reading the crisis in Gu Yu’s expression, Yan Gui asked, "What’s wrong?"

Gu Yu replied, "You've been betrayed."

*

The harsh surgical lights made Shen Hui frown as he struggled to open his eyes. His mind was hazy, and he turned his head sideways, mistakenly thinking Yan Gui was bothering him again. He mumbled, "Yan Gui, stop it…"

The operating room fell into complete silence. All the doctors glanced at the lead surgeon, their hearts sinking.

The lead surgeon was fully covered in sterile surgical gear, yet his tall stature, long legs, broad shoulders, and narrow waist suggested a handsome young man. His eyes were tender and gentle, but his scrutinizing gaze sent chills down their spines.

"Postpone the anesthesia. Administer the awakening agent first to awaken the patient."

The assistant doctor hesitated. "That’s against procedure."

Chen Shenzhi looked at her kindly. "This surgery concerns the patient’s life. The patient must be aware of the risks."

Unnerved by his gaze, the assistant quickly complied.

Five minutes later, Shen Hui slowly opened his eyes. Avoiding the glaring surgical lights, his gaze immediately fell on Chen Shenzhi, who was wearing a mask.

"How did you manage to get yourself into such a state after just a few days apart?"

Chen Shenzhi looked at Shen Hui with gentle compassion, as if dealing with a mischievous and disobedient child.

But Shen Hui knew it was merely a facade—beneath that smile lay a heart as cold as iron.

Chen Shenzhi said, "Come back once you’ve had your fun. Stop throwing a tantrum."

Were it not for the operating room rules, he would have gently caressed Shen Hui’s cheek, as intimate as lovers.

Shen Hui, still weak from fever, had eyes that shone with unusual brightness. He gave Chen Shenzhi a faint smile.

"I knew you’d come, and you’d bring that thing with you."

Chen Shenzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, instinctively glancing at the refrigeration unit on the other side.

Shen Hui’s smile widened. "So I prepared a gift for you too."

Chen Shenzhi’s alertness surged instantly, but it was already too late.