Clack—the water pen slipped from Chi Zhan’s hand and hit the floor.
It was as if every ounce of strength had drained from his body in an instant. His legs gave out, and he collapsed—falling straight into someone’s arms.
“I told you, you can’t go out,” Cen Chi said, smiling that infuriating smile of his. “Not until your pheromones stabilize. You’re not leaving this room.”
He lowered his head and checked Chi Zhan’s temperature again—it had officially spiked into a high-grade fever. The citrusy scent now carried a faint hint of sweetness, but before he could fully register it, it had already vanished.
“I only released a little bit of pheromone… and this is the reaction I get?”
Cen Chi held a suppressant tablet to Chi Zhan’s lips, but Chi Zhan turned his head away, his refusal clear.
Even now, he was still resisting him.
Any ordinary Omega would’ve been overwhelmed by the unbearable agony of heat by now. But Chi Zhan, somehow, still clung to his rationality. Maybe that was what made him different.
Chi Zhan’s lips moved as if to speak, but his voice was too soft. Cen Chi couldn’t catch it, so he leaned in to listen. But the next moment, a sharp pain seared across his neck.
Chi Zhan had bitten him.
Cen Chi recoiled in shock and immediately clamped a hand around Chi Zhan’s jaw, forcing him to open his mouth.
He reached up and touched the spot—sure enough, it was bleeding.
“Whatever you’ve gotten in your mouth, spit it out. Right now—” Cen Chi snapped.
But the moment he said it, he realized he shouldn’t have.
People were inherently rebellious. Especially when they loathed the person in front of them—anything said would only provoke the opposite reaction.
Chi Zhan’s throat moved slightly.
He had swallowed it.
“……”
Chi Zhan stared at him with undisguised defiance.
“…Clearly, you’ve never taken a physiology class in your life,” Cen Chi sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation. “Do you even know where pheromones usually reside…? Never mind.”
At this point, things couldn’t get any worse.
He reached over and pressed the air exchanger’s button. The pheromone-laden air was sucked out yet again, replaced with a wave of cold, sterile ventilation.
Luckily, they lived in the Beta dorms. The entire building was occupied by Betas, who were completely insensitive to pheromones. Even if a bit had leaked, it wouldn’t raise alarms.
Chi Zhan could barely register what Cen Chi was saying anymore. Everything sounded muffled, like there was a layer of cotton in his ears. He tried to shove Cen Chi away by gripping his collar—but it was futile.
Cen Chi took advantage of the moment. With two fingers, he slipped the thin, round suppressant tablet into Chi Zhan’s mouth. Then, he took a sip of water himself—leaned in—and kissed him.
Omega heat was typically triggered by Alpha pheromones. The higher the match rate, the more likely it was to set off.
But Cen Chi had already tested it—Chi Zhan’s heat hadn’t been induced by his pheromones. He hadn’t even been present for the first episode. And today, again, he wasn’t there.
Chi Zhan must’ve gone somewhere and gotten exposed to a mess of pheromones. Cen Chi hadn’t had time to identify them all.
For an Omega who’d never been marked, heat was usually manageable. Either find an Alpha to mark them or take a suppressant. The typical symptoms were fever, weakness, fatigue. Only after a temporary mark did the body begin to crave Alpha presence.
But Cen Chi didn’t have access to Omega-specific suppressants. They had to be applied for personally by Omegas and came with a ton of red tape. Chi Zhan didn’t have time to wait.
So Cen Chi had opted for the milder option: a standard suppressant tablet.
Not even five minutes after taking the pill, Chi Zhan was already drifting off. His lashes cast a faint shadow under his eyes. The tension that had bristled from him while awake was gone—replaced with docile stillness.
Cen Chi held him in his arms, debating whether to draw blood for testing. But blood draws hurt. Chi Zhan was afraid of needles. If he woke up, there’d be no getting him back to sleep.
After some hesitation, Cen Chi popped another tablet into his own mouth.
He was taking suppressants, too.
Being this close to Chi Zhan, surrounded by his pheromones, Cen Chi was struggling to control the overwhelming urge to mark him.
It was something he’d never experienced before.
The clock ticked silently.
The hand landed squarely on seven.
Beep—beep—
Chi Zhan’s wrist communicator lit up.
It was dinnertime. Probably just Tao Ran checking if Chi Zhan wanted to eat. Cen Chi glanced at the sleeping boy in his arms and reached for the device, planning to make up an excuse—maybe even convince Tao Ran to stay out for the night.
But it wasn’t Tao Ran.
S: I’m here. Where are you?
Cen Chi’s brow furrowed.
He knew who this was.
S was a mysterious figure with a reputation for unrivaled investigative skills—highly sought after in covert circles. But he only did business in Darkport.
Why would Chi Zhan be in contact with S? Was he trying to find someone?
These were questions Cen Chi knew Chi Zhan wouldn’t answer.
He was still debating whether to probe for more when Chi Zhan stirred in his arms, clearly uncomfortable. He buried his face deeper into Cen Chi’s shirt, his breath hot and labored.
Only then did Cen Chi realize—the pheromone concentration in the air had risen again.
The suppressant was also affecting his reaction to pheromones.
“This doesn’t make sense…” Cen Chi muttered. Suppressants, while not as potent as injectables, were usually enough for first-time heat. Especially for someone like Chi Zhan.
His tolerance level should be low. The pills should’ve worked perfectly.
Unless… it was because he was a Beta.
Was that the problem? Had the suppressant been the wrong kind for his physiology?
But Chi Zhan couldn’t go to the medical ward. No one could know he was experiencing heat. If this got out, it would spiral out of control.
“…So hot…” Chi Zhan’s voice was barely audible, pained.
Cen Chi gently patted his back.
“You’ll feel better soon.”
