Chapter 6: Blush

Chapter 6 Blush

Cai Gu dragged his suitcase and got out of the taxi under the driver's suspicious gaze. Mainly because his pheromone scent was too strong, and his pale face made him look like he had just crawled out of an Alpha's bed.

Fortunately, the captain had given him a key card so he could come and go as he pleased. Cai Gu returned to the security booth he had only tidied up during the day. After making the bed, he let his strength drain away and collapsed onto it, exhausted.

Cai Gu didn’t sleep well the entire night. The barren gland on the back of his neck had never been touched by anyone before. This time, after being forcibly bitten by the thug, it stopped bleeding but almost immediately became red and swollen.

Even after waking up, the swelling hadn’t gone down. Cai Gu forced himself to sit up, placed his hand on the back of his neck, and tentatively pressed it, unable to help but hiss in pain.

Cai Gu sat on the edge of the bed, panicked and bewildered. He didn’t know what he had done that could have been misunderstood, causing the thug to come to his door during the thug's rut period.

After agonizing over it by the bedside for a long time, Cai Gu still couldn’t figure out the reason. He sighed, and his phone suddenly vibrated. He opened the chat interface.

[Shan Yu]: Hey? Why aren’t you here yet?

[Shan Yu]: Where’s my food?

[Shan Yu]: Puppy eating.jpg.

Cai Gu's round eyes widened in shock. He had completely forgotten about this.

The work at the East Gate was indeed easy. He slept straight until noon, and the captain hadn’t assigned him any tasks.

Cai Gu glanced at the clock on the wall. At this hour, preparing a meal would definitely be too late. Besides…

He looked around the security booth. He had come in such a hurry last night, only bringing clothes and toiletries, so there was no way to cook.

Cai Gu scratched his head in frustration. He bit his lower lip, his finger hovering above the phone, but eventually tapped it anyway.

"Your takeout has been delivered. Please give a good review."

Cai Gu sneakily grabbed the takeout and poured it into a lunchbox. Once it looked no different from homemade food, he nervously took the lunchbox to find Jiang Yu.

[Cai Gu]: I’ll be right there, don’t worry.

Jiang Yu replied quickly.

[Shan Yu]: Worry? Why would I worry? It's not like I really wanted to eat the food you made yourself!

The academy was very large, so Cai Gu asked the captain for a map. Following the route on the map—forward, then left…

Looking up at the three golden characters on the building—Zhiyuan Building—Cai Gu quickened his pace. He stepped into the elevator, watching the numbers rise, and soon it stopped at the third floor.

This floor was dead silent. The carpet completely absorbed the sound of footsteps. To the right was a glass wall that reflected figures.

The chandelier overhead glittered with dazzling light. It didn’t resemble a teaching building.

And Cai Gu, who had stumbled in, was equally out of place. His wheat-colored skin had darkened under the sun's rays, and the collar of his shirt had a ring of dampness.

Cai Gu couldn't help but shrink back, hunching his shoulders inward, trying to cover the damp ring around his collar.

Voices came from the end of the corridor.

"This time, at the Quietude Festival, we will welcome your arrival. We will provide free prayer services for your broken leg."

"Get lost."

Cai Gu recognized Jiang Yu's voice saying "Get lost". A golden figure came out of the door and walked away.

Carrying his lunchbox, Cai Gu curiously walked over. By the time he reached the end, the golden-haired youth had almost disappeared around the corner. His curly golden hair hung down to his calves, and his fluffy long locks were dotted with little white flowers.

"Lower your head."

Cai Gu snapped back to reality and instinctively followed the command. As he lowered his head, he happened to make eye contact with Jiang Yu, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

The young man followed his previous gaze and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Who were you looking at?"

Cai Gu stammered, shaking his head: "No… no one…"

Jiang Yu barely believed him. He saw the lunchbox in Cai Gu’s hand and lifted his chin with a reserved pride: "Is this what you prepared for me? You’re too late."

Cai Gu felt even more guilty. He looked away, afraid Jiang Yu would see through him, but thinking about how he had deliberately ordered from the highest-rated restaurant, it should be… okay… right…

He calmed down a little and nodded: "Mm, specially prepared for you. It’s different from what my husband got."

Jiang Yu let out a satisfied snort. As he turned his wheelchair, he didn’t forget to remind Cai Gu: "Don’t cook for your husband anymore. Doesn’t he have hands himself?"

Jiang Yu spitefully belittled Cai Gu’s "husband."

Cai Gu followed Jiang Yu into the office. The room was spacious, with only a long black table set up, topped with bright flowers whose petals were dotted with water droplets.

Cai Gu sighed inwardly. He placed the lunchbox on the table and said gently: "I made you some soup. Drink it while it’s hot."

Jiang Yu took the spoon expectantly. The moment the lunchbox opened, his expression changed dramatically. His eyes widened in disbelief: "What is this?"

Cai Gu replied patiently: "It’s pig trotter soup. I heard that eating what's injured helps it heal."

Jiang Yu glanced at Cai Gu suspiciously. The other’s expression was sincere, not like he was deliberately mocking him…

He looked down again at the soup in the lunchbox. A layer of oil floated on top, and the pig trotter was poking out.

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, and the greasy smell hit him. He quickly closed the lunchbox, barely holding back his nausea.

Seeing that he hadn’t tasted it, Cai Gu clenched his fists nervously, afraid he'd been caught. He asked tentatively: "What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?"

Cai Gu lowered his eyes, pressing his hands together in front of his chest, putting on a pitifully adorable look.

Jiang Yu scratched under his eyes and changed the subject: "No, it’s just… my leg hurts a lot. Maybe it hasn’t healed yet…"

Jiang Yu’s voice suddenly stopped. Cai Gu knelt on one knee on the soft carpet and pressed his hand against the part of the leg not covered by the cast. His palm was warm and soft, separated by a layer of fabric, as if it could sear through a person's body.

Today, Cai Gu was wearing an ordinary white shirt, relatively short and very fitted, making his waist look especially slender. From above, one could see the bulge of his large chest muscles, creating folds in the fabric.

His lower abdomen was also quite flat, with eight-pack abs vaguely visible. His butt, hugged by his jeans, was round.

A lewd word surfaced in Jiang Yu's mind. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he felt the temperature in the entire office rising.

The pungent smell of blood began to spread. Jiang Yu's red eyes blazed. His sharp canines cut into his lips, staining them with fresh blood.

Jiang Yu’s gaze grew more intense. He felt extremely hot now, but he didn’t understand why.

His eyes fell on Cai Gu’s body, greedily drinking in every inch, until they stopped at the back of his neck.

Fine black hair partially covered the back of his neck, but the red swelling was still plainly visible. The withered gland had swollen badly from the bite. Although the wound had scabbed, it would split open at the slightest touch.

It was obvious that he had been bitten recently. And the only one who would bite him was… the security captain, his husband.

When Jiang Yu’s hand touched it, Cai Gu hissed in pain and instinctively stepped back a few paces. “Don’t touch it, it hurts a lot.”

He cowered, clutching his nape, and sank to his knees on the carpet.

“Hurts?” Jiang Yu laughed in anger. He pressed his tongue against his cheek. “If it hurts, why did you still let him bite you? You're both Betas—why were you biting glands in bed? Does he even have pheromones?”

Cai Gu blinked in confusion. The boy in the wheelchair had fiery red hair that almost bristled with anger, clearly upset.

But he couldn’t explain. In the other’s eyes, he was already a wife, and the fact that he had been bitten by a teenage Alpha was something he could never reveal.

Cai Gu silently apologized to the security captain in his heart, once again making the security captain take the blame. “It’s okay to bite. We’re married.”

He tilted his head up, the side braid falling along his body, his face—lined faintly at the corners of the eyes—fully exposed in front of Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu sneered. “If he fucked you to death, you’d still say yes?”

Between Betas, there was no need to bite the gland. They didn’t have the fangs to pierce it, and doing so would only hurt the receiving partner’s fragile gland.

Jiang Yu silently added another mark against the security captain, and in his heart, he began to toy with the idea of kicking the captain out of the Noble Academy.

But…

Looking at Cai Gu’s docile expression, if he did kick him out and the captain lost his income, would their marriage still be okay?

Cai Gu murmured, “Don't curse. You’re still a child.”

Jiang Yu couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He pulled open a drawer and took out a barrier patch. “Come here.”

Cai Gu didn’t stand up. Instead, he pushed himself across the carpet with his hands, slowly crawled to the side of Jiang Yu’s wheelchair. He looked up, letting out a puzzled sound.

Jiang Yu pinched Cai Gu’s chin, forcing his head down. Then he tore open the barrier patch. As the patch—blood-scented—covered the wound, Jiang Yu felt a hint of satisfaction.

Barrier patches were meant for Alphas and Omegas to cover up their pheromones.

But they also contained anti-inflammatory medication, which could help soothe an overworked gland.

The scent of blood instantly rushed into Cai Gu’s gland, forcefully clearing away the inferior pheromones left behind by the previous bite.

Seeing his own barrier patch on the back of Cai Gu’s neck, Jiang Yu lifted his chin smugly, ready to claim credit. But then he saw that Cai Gu, pressed down by him, was almost burying his face in his lap.

His high-bridged nose brushed against the fabric. Even though he was being treated so roughly, Cai Gu made no move to resist. It was as if anything could be done to him without complaint.

Jiang Yu’s breath caught. His hand gradually tightened, tightening his grip little by little. Just as he was about to touch, he finally let go, pretending nothing had happened. “All done.”

“Is this… a barrier patch? It really doesn’t hurt anymore.” Cai Gu sat up straight, lifted his head, and touched the patch. “Thank you. You're a really good kid.”

The dark thoughts still lingering in Jiang Yu’s mind hadn’t faded. Hearing Cai Gu praise him like that, he let out a cold laugh. “Alright. Next time he asks you to do that in bed, remember to refuse.”

“You can go now. I’ll finish the soup later and have someone bring the lunchbox back to you.”

Cai Gu glanced at the clock on the wall. He had already stayed too long. It was time to leave. “Alright. You should rest well. If anything feels wrong, come find me.”

When Cai Gu left, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

The office fell silent once more. Jiang Yu collapsed onto the desk in defeat, burying his whole face in his arms. Only his ears were visible, flushed bright red—so red they almost blended with his hair.

Damn it. I’m getting hard.

Author’s note:

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I feel like the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hallway would be really good. Pressing against them, propping yourself up with your hands. Between classes, there would be many students walking on the path, so to avoid being caught, you’d have to bite your lower lip hard, while also worrying about someone coming from either end of the hallway.