Was the door… not locked?
But the small movement made Cen Chi misinterpret his intent. He turned Chi Zhan’s face and whispered against his ear: “Don’t speak.”
Chi Zhan closed his eyes. The air felt like a desert scorched under the summer sun, and everything around him began to twist and blur. Cen Chi’s pheromones, faint as they were, felt like an oasis—or a shimmering lake—luring a parched traveler in the middle of a wasteland.
But Chi Zhan didn’t want to give in so easily.
Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he knew this wasn’t the right choice. His reason and instincts were locked in a brutal tug-of-war. His breathing turned ragged, blood rushing wildly through his veins, his skin pulsing with heat. The faint taste of blood in his mouth was infused with an explosive concentration of pheromones, rampaging through his body, accelerating everything.
So this is what Omega heat feels like…?
Chi Zhan’s mind was scattered. He panted violently but still managed to push Cen Chi away, gasping, “…No. I don’t want this.”
Even with his lack of experience, he knew a mark wasn’t something that could be done lightly. It wasn’t just a tool to suppress heat—it carried emotional weight, a bond that couldn’t be easily undone.
He didn’t know exactly what that bond entailed, but he wasn’t ready to entrust himself to Cen Chi.
Yet Cen Chi didn’t get angry. Instead, he gently combed Chi Zhan’s hair away from his eyes, caressing his damp cheek with steady fingers.
Then, he released his pheromones.
Like a sweet and tender trap, it wrapped around Chi Zhan without malice or danger, coaxing him, drawing his consciousness into a daze.
The hand gripping his shirt gradually loosened and slipped down, only to be caught and held again.
Cen Chi had taken two Class A suppressants. The pheromones he emitted were far weaker than usual. Thankfully, too—without the medication, there was no way he could remain composed in a room overflowing with Omega pheromones.
But it wouldn’t last.
If they delayed any further, even the suppressants would fail.
“A temporary mark won’t hurt you. I promise,” Cen Chi murmured. “It’s just to help you. Don’t be afraid.”
Chi Zhan could barely make out the words. The next second, he felt a sharp pain at the nape of his neck. A rich scent of forest greenery enveloped him—one so familiar, yet overwhelming.
His most vulnerable spot had been bitten. All strength drained from his limbs, and he collapsed into Cen Chi’s arms.
And in that moment, his mind was suddenly bombarded by a torrent of images, like flashes from an old film reel. Scenes played rapidly before his eyes, flipping past like turning pages.
Voices, colors, sensations—surging into him before flowing away like water.
What… was all that?
Before he could make sense of it, a furious shout exploded beside his ear.
“What the hell are you doing to my gege?!”
Chu Xingxiao had leapt from the building across the courtyard. Even though a single misstep could’ve sent him crashing to the ground, he had no time to care about danger.
He’d caught a strong whiff of pheromones earlier. Some despicable Omega must’ve been trying to seduce his gege while he was weak. Chu Xingxiao would never allow that.
He completely forgot that pheromones had no effect on Betas. That even if someone were trying to seduce him, it wouldn’t have worked this way.
Struggling with the window, he finally pushed it open—only to be greeted by a scene that made his eyes blaze with fury.
Cen Chi was biting his gege.
How fucking dare he!
Chi Zhan’s pale face, the flush near his eyes, the suggestive sounds he’d heard moments earlier—it all made Chu Xingxiao’s jaw clench so hard his teeth creaked. His rage shot to the surface like a wildfire.
Cen Chi knew it was bad the moment he saw him.
He quickly laid Chi Zhan down on the bed, turned around and narrowly dodged a fist powerful enough to shatter a wall.
Chu Xingxiao was beyond reasoning now. Cen Chi didn’t bother arguing. He strode back to his desk, grabbed the nearest bottle without looking, and sprayed it straight into Chu Xingxiao’s face.
Caught off guard, Chu Xingxiao inhaled a full blast and immediately started coughing.
“What the hell? You’re playing dirty now?”
“I should be the one saying that,” Cen Chi said coolly, setting the bottle down. “Now—get out. Immediately.”
Eyes bloodshot, Chu Xingxiao’s pheromones began leaking unconsciously. “Over my dead body. As long as I’m here, you won’t lay another finger on my gege!”
He was losing control. The pheromones pouring off him were aggressively hostile. Any further provocation could push him over the edge.
Cen Chi snapped, “Shut your pheromones down. You want to trigger a secondary heat in Chi Zhan?!”
That name froze Chu Xingxiao in place. But his anger only grew.
“What the hell were you doing just now? You’d better explain. Right now.”
“…So noisy…” Chi Zhan’s voice drifted faintly from the bed. Chu Xingxiao immediately turned toward him.
Chi Zhan had half his face buried in the pillow, a deep frown creasing his brows. The back of his neck still throbbed with pain. Chu Xingxiao rushed over, the murderous aura around him dissipating instantly.
“I’d keep your distance if I were you,” Cen Chi said, massaging his temples. “He was just marked. Your pheromones will only make him feel worse.”
He had to calm the raging dog, make sure he didn’t spiral further, all while worrying about Chi Zhan’s precarious condition. It was hard to stay composed under the circumstances.
“Inject a suppressant. Now. And stop leaking pheromones.”
Chu Xingxiao cautiously approached the bed to check on Chi Zhan. But the closer he got, the more Chi Zhan flinched away. Even though the movement was unconscious, it stabbed at Chu Xingxiao’s chest like a thousand tiny needles.
As his fury ebbed, he finally noticed the faint citrus scent lingering in the air—nearly gone now, yet it tugged at something deep inside him.
He’d never smelled anything so intoxicating.
Was that… pheromone?
He took a few deep breaths. Cen Chi tossed something at him—a suppressant injector.
“I don’t need this shit,” Chu Xingxiao said coldly. “What the hell did you do to my gege? If you lie to me about even one thing, I won’t hesitate to put you in the hospital.”
