Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Yan Jiu had originally intended to just show his face at the graduation ceremony and leave. His current condition wasn't suitable for staying long in crowded places, especially one filled with young men and women where sweet pheromones and a chaotic mix of hormones intertwined, giving him a headache.

He had just taken a special-effect inhibitor, and his raging, torrential rut was being forcibly suppressed. His entire being felt like volcanic ice wrapped in molten lava, leaving his expression exceptionally gloomy and irritable. Even 'Imperial Concubine Tang,' usually the most perceptive of his moods, kept her distance, advising the school administrators not to let anything go wrong.

Yan Jiu had indeed arrived in a foul mood, but the moment he entered the venue, amid the jumble of pheromones, he detected a cool scent—icy and faint, yet it managed to soothe his boiling pheromones right through the inhibitor. It was a scent he had only smelled during those seven days.

It was highly likely to be Shen Hui’s pheromone, especially since he knew Shen Hui might have differentiated into an omega.

That idea, dormant for three years and nearly abandoned, now blazed fiercely within him once more.

He sent people to investigate, but no one else could detect the scent. Left with no choice, Yan Jiu patiently tried to identify it himself.

Soon, he pinpointed the source—this year’s outstanding graduate representative, a clueless young man named Yang Bai.

Innocent, foolish, and a foul-smelling alpha to boot.

The raging fire inside him was instantly extinguished, replaced by a crushing disappointment that left his limbs stiff. But Yan Jiu was never one to give up. He brought Yang Bai into the lab and even conducted the interview himself, hoping to draw out any trace of Shen Hui.

However, he had severely underestimated the effect of that damp, cool pheromone on him. The moment Yang Bai stepped into the conference room, the inhibitor’s effects shattered. Overwhelming fiery pheromones twisted the very air, and Yan Jiu, his eyes bloodshot, could only think of finding the source of the scent and marking them completely.

A last shred of rationality made him shove the obstructing Yang Bai aside and rush into the restroom.

There, he saw the face that had haunted him day and night, driving him to madness.

Without hesitation, he lunged forward and bit down fiercely, all reason gone.

The moment Shen Hui saw him, his mind went blank. His hands and feet turned cold, and cold sweat trickled down his temples.

How should he face him? How could he explain? How could he escape? Countless thoughts tangled chaotically in his mind, beneath which simmered the ache of a bittersweet reunion after a long separation.

Reason told Shen Hui he should leave immediately, but the tall and imposing Yan Jiu was blocking the only exit. Instinctively, he took a step back.

That slight sign of defense instantly enraged Yan Jiu. Staggering forward, he pulled Shen Hui into a death grip of an embrace.

“I’ve caught you.”

Shen Hui stiffened like a log but sensed something was wrong with Yan Jiu—he seemed barely conscious.

Even through the crisp suit, Shen Hui could feel Yan Jiu’s burning, tense muscles. His searing breath against the back of Shen Hui’s neck stung painfully.

The next moment, Yan Jiu’s hands began groping restlessly at the fabric of his lower back. He clung like a cat addicted to catnip, unwilling to let go.

Shen Hui clearly heard his murmur: “You’re so cool, so comfortable.” Then Yan Jiu buried his nose in Shen Hui’s neck, inhaling deeply. “So sweet.”

Those last two words shattered Shen Hui’s reality.

An alpha losing all self-control over a scent could mean only one thing—he had been dragged into a rut by a highly compatible omega, with a match rate of at least 95%.

Had Yan Jiu been pulled into a rut because of him?

How was that possible?

He was a beta, and his gland had long been damaged. What kind of madness was this?

“Get off me!” Shen Hui tried to push Yan Jiu away, but his wrist was forcefully grabbed and pinned behind his back.

“Don’t move.” Yan Jiu bit Shen Hui’s neck as punishment, making him shudder.

Shen Hui felt he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, but the situation left no room for thought. Yan Jiu’s wandering hands moved toward the metal zipper, his burning lips trailing from the Adam’s apple toward the vulnerable gland at the nape of the neck.

“Yan Jiu!” Shen Hui shouted sharply, gripping Yan Jiu’s wrist tightly to stop him. “Wake up!”

Yan Jiu was snapped out of it by his voice. Raising his head slightly, their eyes met—his own burning with desire, wholly consumed, staring fixedly at his prey without even recognizing who stood before him.

Such a severe state of rut suggested a compatibility rate nearing 100%.

Shen Hui cursed inwardly. Just as he was about to speak, his lips were covered.

The scorching, forceful breath stole all his voice and air. Yan Jiu’s powerful body pressed down inch by inch. Shen Hui’s slender waist was pinned against the edge of the sink, his upper body bent back to the limit. Just as he couldn't bear the load any longer, Yan Jiu supported him with one hand, continuing the deep, ravishing kiss.

All he could hear were the sounds of smacking lips and the drumming of his own heart. Shen Hui’s vision began to blur, and just as he felt he might faint, he suddenly erupted with strength and shoved Yan Jiu away.

Caught off guard in his rut-induced recklessness, Yan Jiu staggered back. His first instinct was to clutch his omega’s wrist tightly.

Shen Hui was yanked to his knees. The moment he steadied himself, he pulled a miniature stun gun from his pocket and, without hesitation, pressed it against Yan Jiu’s neck.

Zap—a faint electric current pierced the skin. Yan Jiu’s limbs twitched, and he collapsed motionless to the floor.

Only then did Shen Hui relax and scramble to his feet, disheveled. For the first time, he felt grateful for Gu Yu’s foresight. Gu Yu had insisted he carry the stun gun, claiming it was for an omega—no, for a patient—to use for self-defense.

Wiping his swollen lips with the back of his hand, he felt a slight sting—Yan Jiu had bitten the corner of his mouth.

“You wolf cub!” Shen Hui couldn't resist giving him a kick, but even unconscious, Yan Jiu instinctively reached for his omega. Shen Hui quickly pulled his foot back, leaving Yan Jiu grasping at air.

Yan Jiu scowled in discontent, but the stun gun was designed specifically for alphas. Even in a rut, one shock would knock him out for half an hour.

Shen Hui looked down at Yan Jiu, battling a storm of emotions, and turned to leave. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to abandon the man on the cold floor. After a few steps, he came back, grinding his teeth, and dragged him to a chair outside. As Yan Jiu’s head threatened to hit the wall, Shen Hui cushioned it with the back of his hand. Only after ensuring he was okay did he hurry away.

He had many questions now, but the most urgent was to see Gu Yu.

It wasn't until Shen Hui reached the school gate that he realized he'd forgotten something—he had left Yang Bai behind in the teaching building.

He quickly reached for his phone and saw several missed calls. Just as he was about to call back, Yang Bai rang again. He answered.

“Bro, did you forget you have a little brother? Are you abandoning me?!” Even through the phone, Shen Hui could picture Yang Bai’s whiny expression.

“I’m waiting at the school gate. Hurry up.”

Yang Bai immediately sensed something was wrong. “Bro, what’s wrong?”

Only then did Shen Hui realize his agitation. He took a deep breath to calm himself. “I have a bit of a fever. I need to go to the hospital.”

“What?! I’ll be right there!”

Yang Bai sprinted like he was running the 1000-meter to the school gate. Gasping for breath, he touched Shen Hui’s forehead and found him burning up. Without even waiting for a Didi, he flagged down a taxi straight to the hospital.

“Which hospital are we going to?”

“The Endocrine Gland Department at Qinghai Hospital.”

Yang Bai was stunned. “Bro, aren’t you a beta?”

Only after asking did he notice his brother’s pale face, flushed cheeks, and slightly swollen lips. He blurted out, “Bro, are you running a fever?”

Shen Hui’s mind was a mess. He dodged the question with a few vague replies.

He had a terrible feeling. Unknowingly, things had spiraled beyond his control, as if invisible spider silk was trying to drag him back into that darkness.

*

Shen Hui had just gotten out of the car at the hospital entrance when he ran into Gu Yu, who had just finished his shift. Gu Yu had a Li Zi Yuan bread roll in his mouth and was twirling his car keys around his index finger, about to head home to catch up on sleep.

He looked up and found a nightmare come to life.

"Shen Hui?!"

Shen Hui’s face was pale, but his expression was calm. "I have a fever."

"Shit!"

An hour later, Yang Bai sat with Shen Hui in the examination room. Gu Yu, who had put his white coat back on, was frowning deeply enough to kill every mosquito in Qinghai.

He read the test results over and over, his serious expression making Yang Bai nervous.

"Doctor, is my brother okay?"

After exchanging a glance with Shen Hui, Gu Yu shooed the kid out. "He needs to be hospitalized to bring the fever down first. Go handle the bill."

Yang Bai hurriedly headed for the door but was called back by Shen Hui. "Let me send you the money first."

Yang Bai waved his phone and went out. "Dad sent me some money. He said to ask for more if it's not enough."

Shen Hui stared at him with a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Once he'd calmed down, Gu Yu also thought it was impossible, but years of medical experience told him the test data couldn’t lie. It made his head hurt, his eyes hurt—everything hurt.

In contrast, the patient was much calmer. "What’s going on?"

Gu Yu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "There’s good news and bad news."

"Bad news first."

"According to all your data, you’re now an omega."

As if he'd expected it, Shen Hui only frowned slightly. "Why?"

Gu Yu was equally puzzled. "That’s why I need to keep you here. Two years ago, I carefully examined your gland—it was almost completely necrotic. Only the root connected to the main nerves retained some activity. Otherwise, you would have died from glandular failure long ago."

Shen Hui had heard this result two years ago and was waiting for the "but."

"But based on all the test results just now, your omega pheromone concentration is as high as 520%. Do you know what the normal pheromone concentration is for an omega in heat?"

"140–180. If it exceeds 200%, they need to get an inhibitor shot immediately or find a bonding partner." Shen Hui had researched these numbers thoroughly years ago.

"So, look me in the eyes and tell me! Who is that wild man?" Gu Yu looked like a mother hen whose chick had been stolen, baring his teeth as if he wanted to bite someone's head off.

Shen Hui met his fierce gaze and asked calmly, "What’s the bad news?"

Gu Yu leaned over the desk, staring at him like someone dying of curiosity. But in staring contests, he never won. Eventually, he gave up and rubbed his forehead.

"The good news is, aside from that specific wild man, no one else can smell your pheromones. Otherwise, you would have already caused a commotion and been isolated," Gu Yu said irritably.

Shen Hui’s heart sank upon hearing this.

From his expression, Gu Yu could tell Shen Hui had already figured most of it out. He snorted coldly. "Don’t fry your brain over it here. Let's get you settled in a room first."

After Shen Hui was settled in a hospital bed with an IV for his fever, Yang Bai returned from completing the paperwork.

Gu Yu glanced at the clueless alpha and silently pressed the "delete" button in his mind.

"I need to think more about how to handle your situation." Gu Yu let out a big yawn. "I’ll probably have to consult my teacher. But now, this doctor needs to go home and catch up on sleep. I’ve been on shift for 36 hours straight."

Shen Hui was surprised. "There should be plenty of doctors in the gland department. Why the back-to-back shifts?"

"Last month, several were suddenly sent abroad for training." Gu Yu seemed to be deliberately saying it for Shen Hui’s benefit. "Who knows? Maybe some big shot needed something."

Yang Bai obediently walked Gu Yu out, leaving just the two of them in the room.

Shen Hui looked at Yang Bai, who still seemed shaken, and patted the chair beside him. "Thanks for running around. You must be tired. Take a rest."

Like an obedient robot, Yang Bai woodenly sat next to Shen Hui and instinctively grabbed his hand.

Shen Hui paused but didn’t pull his hand back.

The cool yet vibrant warmth from Shen Hui’s palm finally brought Yang Bai back to his senses. In an instant, his eyes reddened, and tears rolled down his cheeks, making Shen Hui flustered.

"What’s wrong? Why are you crying?" Shen Hui quickly handed Yang Bai a tissue.

Yang Bai blew his nose with the tissue, sobbing with genuine emotion. "I thought… I thought I was too late."

Shen Hui was confused. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Brother, what do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it for you." Yang Bai stammered and changed the subject.

Shen Hui shook his head. "I’m fine. How did your interview go?"

"Even though the big boss freaked out on the spot, it’s probably a lost cause." Yang Bai casually peeled an apple for Shen Hui. Being selected was unexpected to begin with—getting in would be a miracle, not getting in was expected. He had a very calm attitude.

"Freaked out?" Shen Hui frowned.

"It was Senior Yan Gui." Recalling the situation, Yang Bai could still feel his legs going weak under the pressure of a high-level alpha. "During the interview, he seemed to suddenly go into heat. The interviewers looked just as confused."

But Shen Hui frowned slightly, sensing something was wrong.

Normally, an alpha in heat can get through it with inhibitors, but Yan Gui’s condition didn’t seem like that. His symptoms were more like the mania of a bonded alpha who had long been without a partner’s comfort.

Such alphas, if they refuse treatment, are forcibly isolated and managed—shackled on all limbs, wearing shock collars 24/7 that release an electric current as soon as their pheromones spike.

At this thought, Shen Hui’s heart clenched.

Yan Gui... where is he now?

Author’s Note:

Please bookmark and comment! Diao Diao loves you! [Heart][Heart][Heart]

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