Yan Chengfeng’s romantic experiences up until now were probably cleaner than the bowls Tao Luo washed after every meal.
But no matter what, in his worldview, kissing was an intimate act meant only for people in love.
Perhaps until today, Yan Chengfeng could still fool himself into believing that temporarily marking Zhen Ning was purely for mutual support—for their future competitions and shared goals.
But kissing… that was an entirely different matter.
For someone like Yan Chengfeng, whose mind was always preoccupied with gaming, who was impulsive, stubborn, and proud yet completely inexperienced in love, the impact of this kiss… was overwhelming.
And most importantly, the person kissing him was Zhen Ning.
They had once been best friends, even soulmates. But at this very moment, they were doing something only the closest lovers would do.
Their lips tangled in an intimacy that felt both delicate and forbidden, as though an invisible boundary had been crossed. Rationally, Yan Chengfeng knew this was wrong. And yet, his body and the depths of his heart responded with unflinching honesty.
At that instant, Yan Chengfeng felt as though his hands and feet had gone numb. He couldn’t move.
Then, another realization hit him: he seemed to be enjoying the kiss.
Subconsciously, he didn’t want it to stop—maybe that was why he couldn’t move.
Zhen Ning’s lips were cool and soft, his kiss gentle and cautious.
Even the way Zhen Ning kissed was just like him—soft, restrained, yet drawing Yan Chengfeng in, deeper and deeper, before he even realized it.
He gently and calmly pried open Yan Chengfeng’s teeth. In the quiet alley, the sounds of panting and the exchange of saliva were clear and ambiguous all at once. Yan Chengfeng’s eyes suddenly widened.
A moment later, Zhen Ning finally pulled back slightly.
Their noses were so close they nearly touched. Their breathing was rapid, and for a while, neither of them could manage to form a complete sentence.
Yan Chengfeng finally reacted.
His entire being felt like it was about to explode as he stammered, “Y-you-you-you, I-I-I-I, you and I…”
Zhen Ning didn’t speak for a long time.
“…Given the current situation, only saliva exchange could efficiently achieve pheromone transfer,” Zhen Ning said after a pause. “You’re the one who asked me to help you.”
Indeed, saliva exchange was far more effective than directly releasing pheromones. For an alpha in a rut, it could also provide temporary relief.
But somehow, that didn’t seem to be the main point of what had just happened.
Yan Chengfeng was completely dumbfounded, or maybe his brain had already shut down entirely. He stared at Zhen Ning in a daze. “But you—”
Zhen Ning looked at Yan Chengfeng’s face.
A moment later, he turned away, lowered his gaze to glance at his phone, and said, “The car is about to arrive. Try to suppress your pheromones for now. Whatever you want to say, save it for later.”
Yan Chengfeng was utterly stunned.
There was no doubt that the kiss had been highly effective. The heat in his body was barely suppressed, and the concentration of his pheromones could now be controlled to some extent. However, his breathing remained heavy, and most importantly, his entire brain had already shut down.
In this utterly dazed state, Yan Chengfeng got into the car with Zhen Ning.
However, an alpha in a rut was essentially a walking high-concentration diffuser of pheromones. A brief kiss couldn’t suppress it completely. Fortunately, the driver who came to pick them up was a beta, someone naturally not sensitive to pheromones. In the end, the two of them managed to return to the base without trouble.
Zhen Ning settled Yan Chengfeng into his dorm room, then prepared to head to the base’s kitchen to find some ice to help lower his body temperature.
Yan Chengfeng had been stewing over what had happened the entire ride back and had finally pieced it together.
Seeing Zhen Ning about to leave, he instinctively grabbed his arm and said in disbelief, “Y-you kissed me just now.”
Zhen Ning: “Because you asked me to help you.”
Yan Chengfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “But you… you even used your tongue!”
“…” Zhen Ning took a deep breath. “If I didn’t use my tongue, there wouldn’t have been any saliva exchange. Without that, the pheromone transfer wouldn’t have worked.”
Yan Chengfeng swallowed with difficulty. “That’s logical, but you… why didn’t you warn me before kissing me? How could you just do that? That was my…”
That was my first kiss.
Zhen Ning didn’t say anything for a long time.
A moment later, he repeated, “You’re the one who asked me to help you.”
“I should have asked for your permission beforehand, but the situation was urgent.” Zhen Ning paused, shifting his gaze away. “If you mind, or if you hated the method I used just now, all I can say is that I truly had no other choice at the time.”
Yan Chengfeng froze. “No, that’s not…”
He was completely dumbfounded.
He was all too aware of how he had felt just now—there was shock, there was bewilderment, but there wasn’t a single trace of dislike.
He had just instinctively wanted to ask Zhen Ning why he had chosen to kiss him, but… why did Zhen Ning seem to have interpreted it so differently?
Out of nowhere, a strange sense of panic crept up on Yan Chengfeng. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. After all, he couldn’t exactly blurt out something like, “I didn’t hate you kissing me,” right?
“You were supposed to help me,” Yan Chengfeng said dryly, still panting. “Last time, during your heat, I stayed with you for so long. So now you…”
He declared righteously, “Now you have to stay with me.”
Zhen Ning didn’t respond for a long while.
After a moment, Yan Chengfeng finally heard him softly reply, “I understand.”
He watched as Zhen Ning walked back and stood in front of him again. Slowly, Zhen Ning raised his hand, as if he wanted to touch Yan Chengfeng’s cheek once more.
Yan Chengfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
Seeing Zhen Ning’s hand about to land on his face, Yan Chengfeng couldn’t help but feel a faint anticipation for the touch and whatever might follow. Without realizing it, he even leaned in slightly.
But in the next second, he saw Zhen Ning abruptly pull his hand back.
Yan Chengfeng was stunned. “You—”
“I won’t leave. I’ll stay with you,” Zhen Ning said. “But, Yan Chengfeng, I’ve decided to give you full control this time.”
“Because, just like earlier, some forms of comfort… might not be acceptable to you personally. I can’t judge where the boundary should be.”
“So this time, you need to tell me what you want.”
Zhen Ning’s voice was quiet. “A kiss, a hug, a touch, or something else—just say it. Once we reach an agreement, I’ll help you.”
Yan Chengfeng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
What did he mean?
Was he seriously suggesting that he had to personally say something, “Hug me,” or “Kiss me”? Was Zhen Ning crazy? There was no way he could say something like that out loud!
But… but he really wanted it.
The touches and kiss in the alley earlier had given Yan Chengfeng a sensory experience unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was comforting, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
He couldn’t stop replaying those moments over and over in his mind. He couldn’t suppress how much he longed for that kind of intimacy and soothing touch. Yan Chengfeng knew he wanted more.
He wanted Zhen Ning to keep touching him the way he had before. He wanted to be close—so close that his nose was filled with Zhen Ning’s scent. Every inch of his body was screaming for it, and he even wanted—
Yan Chengfeng’s gaze landed on Zhen Ning’s lips. Almost instantly, he panicked and looked away, his throat growing drier by the second. He forced himself to think, This is the rut. This is normal.
But…
Zhen Ning quietly watched Yan Chengfeng’s face.
He could clearly see the confusion and hesitation in the alpha’s eyes, the internal struggle written all over his face. But this time, he had no intention of giving Yan Chengfeng any more time to think.
Zhen Ning’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he asked, “You’re not speaking. Does that mean you don’t need anything?”
Yan Chengfeng jolted. “No—”
Zhen Ning nodded and turned away. “I understand.”
The moment he turned, Zhen Ning began silently counting down in his head:
Five, four, three, two—
“…You get back here!”
Yan Chengfeng grabbed Zhen Ning’s wrist in one swift motion.
His grip was so strong that when he yanked Zhen Ning back, it sent him stumbling.
Coupled with the fact that Yan Chengfeng was sitting on the edge of the bed, Zhen Ning lost his balance entirely and was pulled straight onto the bed, ending up pinned beneath Yan Chengfeng.
An alpha in their rut was both weak and sensitive. Yan Chengfeng’s eyes were slightly red at the corners, his sharp and handsome features now tinged with disbelief as he stared into Zhen Ning’s eyes.
Although it was normal for an alpha in this state to have a fever, Yan Chengfeng’s face was flushed to an absurd degree. The damp strands of hair on his forehead, wet with sweat, made him look like a large dog caught in the rain.
Yan Chengfeng stared at Zhen Ning, his expression equal parts anger and hurt.
Furious and panicked, he said, “At what point did I ever say I didn’t need you? I’ve helped you so many times before, and now I haven’t even said anything yet! Why would you think I don’t need you? You’re just—”
Yan Chengfeng’s body… was simply too hot.
On top of that, he was far too close right now, maintaining this possessive posture, his rich scent of white tea enveloping Zhen Ning entirely.
Zhen Ning’s breath hitched. He tried to adjust his expression, and after a moment, he asked softly, “Then tell me—what do you need right now?”
Yan Chengfeng was instantly tongue-tied, his overbearing energy dissipating in an instant.
Just moments ago, he had been glaring down at Zhen Ning with imposing intensity, yet Zhen Ning’s simple question left him flustered and at a loss. His expression turned dazed as he fell into an intense internal struggle.
After a moment, Yan Chengfeng averted his gaze and muttered in a muffled voice, “Then you… you can touch me like you did in the alley earlier. Touch my hair… and my face.”
Zhen Ning paused.
After a brief silence, he raised his hand, letting his fingers settle at the ends of Yan Chengfeng’s hair, gently smoothing them.
Yan Chengfeng was overwhelmed with comfort.
The moment Zhen Ning’s cool fingertips slid down to the side of his face, Yan Chengfeng nearly couldn’t stop himself from letting out a contented sigh. His eyes narrowed in satisfaction, so soothed by the coolness that he unconsciously pressed his face into Zhen Ning’s palm, lightly nuzzling against it.
But the next second, he suddenly became aware that Zhen Ning was watching him. His entire body stiffened, and his expression instantly tensed.
“Now… hold me for a bit. Put your arms around my waist.” He stammered, issuing a second command, “And don’t look at my face.”
Zhen Ning remained silent for a moment before wrapping his arms around Yan Chengfeng’s waist.
Yan Chengfeng’s body trembled slightly. No alpha in their rut could resist this kind of embrace, the closeness of an omega’s voluntary touch.
He closed his eyes, breathing heavily, burying his face in the crook of Zhen Ning’s neck. His overheated body pressed against Zhen Ning, and they stayed in this embrace for who knew how long.
Zhen Ning’s breathing also fell out of rhythm. The alpha’s scorching breath brushed against his ear, and for a moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
They were so close.
After a while, Zhen Ning noticed that Yan Chengfeng had lifted his head again, staring fixedly at his face.
Yan Chengfeng seemed to be gritting his teeth. He held back for ages, clearly wanting to say something, but his face only grew redder—whether from the heat or frustration, it was hard to tell. His lips parted slightly, and he said, “Can you—”
It was obvious he wanted to say something, but perhaps due to pride or some other reason, the words swirled around in his mouth over and over, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
Yan Chengfeng’s eyes looked damp.
His expression was a mixture of embarrassment and anger, but there was also an inexplicable trace of grievance. For a moment, Zhen Ning couldn’t figure out exactly what he was upset about.
After a long silence, Zhen Ning faintly heard him mutter under his breath, “Forget it, I’ll do it myself, alright…?”
Before Zhen Ning could process what he meant, he suddenly noticed the light above his head being replaced by shadow.
In the next second, Yan Chengfeng lowered his head, clumsily and recklessly pressing his lips onto Zhen Ning’s.
Author’s note:
Yan Kitchen: Wuwuwu, I’m so angy! Fine, I won’t say it—I’ll do it myself!
And then he went right back to kissing fiercely with his tongue!
