SMS CHAPTER 21

Yan Chengfeng had always known that Zhen Ning was an intelligent person.

In esports, most players rely on talent and intuition. What’s crucial are those few seconds in a match when a player makes a game-changing move or decision.

But Zhen Ning was never the type to play solely on instinct. A long time ago, Yan Chengfeng had realized that his playstyle was… very calculated.

In the middle of a match, Zhen Ning could instantly analyze the consequences, weighing the pros and cons of every decision, and choose the option with the lowest risk of failure and the least loss.

He could see far ahead.

Just like the earlier situation with the Star Lion’s ultimate—the two of them had made very different choices.

Relying on his intuition, Yan Chengfeng had used Flash to block the ultimate for Zhen Ning. In the end, it worked out better than if Zhen Ning had sacrificed himself to buy time for the jungler to arrive.

But in competitive play, intuition was a double-edged sword. Many mistakes that led to defeats stemmed from relying too heavily on instinct.

What Yan Chengfeng had done earlier had seemed impressive and visually striking, but honestly, it was reckless. If Zhen Ning’s damage output hadn’t followed up in time, given their gold and gear at that moment, they could have easily been counter-killed.

If that had happened, the outcome would have been unimaginable. That was why Zhen Ning’s cautiousness and composure were rare qualities among players their age.

It was also why their playstyles had complemented each other so well when they were younger—boldness and calmness, aggression and precision. In some ways, their contrasting personalities balanced each other, preventing opponents from exploiting one extreme or the other.

Playing with someone like Zhen Ning was incredibly comfortable, but sometimes, Yan Chengfeng wondered… Wasn’t it exhausting to live so smartly, so calmly, so flawlessly?

Zhen Ning’s intelligence also showed in his insight.

Despite being quiet and reserved, his eyes always seemed to see through others’ thoughts with ease. And Yan Chengfeng, on the other hand, was not someone who could easily hide his own thoughts.

Normally, he might have tried to conceal his feelings, but right now, this wasn’t some simple in-game decision—whether to engage or retreat, to block or not.

So, Yan Chengfeng decided to stop beating around the bush. He took a deep breath, looked straight into Zhen Ning’s eyes, and said, “Yes, I heard it.”

Zhen Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

After a moment, Yan Chengfeng saw him nod and ask, “So what?”

“So what?”

Yan Chengfeng repeated the question in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Zhen Ning’s expression remained completely unreadable. “Dr. Zheng explicitly said that the daily-use suppressants you’re taking will cause dependency and resistance. They’re seriously harmful to your body. This is a big deal. Why didn’t you tell Li Feng or someone else?”

His tone was urgent.

He stared at Zhen Ning’s profile, but after a moment, he saw Zhen Ning smile.

In fact, Yan Chengfeng rarely saw Zhen Ning smile. It was a very faint, very beautiful smile—one that seemed helpless yet also carried a sense of pity for the simplicity of Yan Chengfeng’s words.

Yan Chengfeng gritted his teeth and asked, “What are you smiling at?”

“Li Feng is a beta.” Zhen Ning looked directly into Yan Chengfeng’s eyes and asked, “Even if I told him, what would it change?”

Yan Chengfeng froze for a moment.

“Moreover.” After a pause, Zhen Ning’s smile gradually faded. He shifted his gaze away, and his tone and expression returned to their usual indifference. “Even Dr. Zheng has no solution to this. What could telling anyone else do? Could they change anything or give me any real help?”

Yan Chengfeng’s breath caught for a second. He inhaled deeply.

“So, you plan to just keep going like this, huh?” Yan Chengfeng asked. “But you haven’t even asked. How do you know there isn’t a solution? It’s your own body, you—”

“That’s right.” Zhen Ning interrupted him directly, repeating Yan Chengfeng’s words. “It’s my body, not yours.”

Yan Chengfeng suddenly found himself speechless.

He rarely heard Zhen Ning speak so sharply.

However, at the same time, Yan Chengfeng didn’t see any anger or annoyance on Zhen Ning’s face. Zhen Ning simply stood there quietly, his expression one of calmness that seemed to come from being accustomed to it for a long time.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way I use suppressants. It’s a small price to pay to avoid a lot of trouble and make my life much easier.”

After a moment, Yan Chengfeng heard Zhen Ning speak softly. “And right now, the one troubled by the approaching heat is me. Why are you angry, Yan Chengfeng?”

Yan Chengfeng paused. “I… I’m not angry.”

After a while, he couldn’t help but speak again. “But the price you’re paying—is it really just a little? Do you even know what you’re—”

He heard Zhen Ning sigh.

At first, Yan Chengfeng didn’t realize what the sigh meant.

However, before he could finish his sentence, he sensed a subtle change in the air. Realizing what had happened, Yan Chengfeng’s eyes suddenly widened.

The scent.

The sour-sweet fragrance, like the juiciest apricot of summer, slowly and gently yet irresistibly filled Yan Chengfeng’s nostrils. Interwoven within it was the unmistakable sweetness of omega pheromones, causing Yan Chengfeng’s breath to involuntarily quicken.

As he breathed, Yan Chengfeng felt as if he were caught under some kind of spell, his body stiffening as his hands and feet refused to move.

Although Yan Chengfeng had experienced Zhen Ning’s pheromones once before, that had been when he accidentally smelled them after walking in on Zhen Ning injecting a suppressant. At that time, the pheromones had been faint, merely reminding Yan Chengfeng that Zhen Ning was an omega.

But now, Zhen Ning was actively releasing his pheromones toward him.

It was omega pheromones.

An omega actively releasing pheromones, even just a tiny bit, had an allure that could be described as fatal to any young and vigorous alpha who had not yet marked an omega.

His throat went dry uncontrollably. Yan Chengfeng stared at Zhen Ning’s profile in shock, unable to believe what was happening. “…Do you know what you’re doing?”

Yan Chengfeng had once deliberately released his pheromones in the training room. But that time, it had been out of anger, a reckless act driven by a moment of emotional confusion.

But now, Zhen Ning stood right in front of him, his expression so calm it could even be described as gentle. He was releasing his pheromones toward Yan Chengfeng with complete awareness and intention.

A strange, overwhelming restlessness surged through Yan Chengfeng’s blood. His muscles tensed instantly, and his breathing grew hot and rapid against his will.

He didn’t understand what was happening to him. His gaze instinctively followed the source of the pheromones, settling on Zhen Ning’s face before drifting downward, finally stopping at the soft glands on the back of Zhen Ning’s neck, where the scent was coming from…

A moment later, realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. The absurdity of his own actions jolted him awake. He quickly turned his face away, forcing himself to look elsewhere.

But there was no denying it—this was the first time in his life that Yan Chengfeng had ever felt completely powerless against something.

“Do you feel it?” Zhen Ning’s voice was soft. “This is physiological instinct. Just a little bit of pheromones, just a touch, and it creates this feeling.”

“Agony, thirst… very unfamiliar, isn’t it?”

Zhen Ning looked directly at Yan Chengfeng, enunciating each word clearly. “If I don’t use suppressants, as my heat approaches, my pheromones will start leaking uncontrollably—just like what you’re feeling now. They tell you there’s an omega near you, and that omega desperately needs to be marked by an alpha.”

Zhen Ning averted his gaze.

At the same time, he stopped releasing his pheromones.

The windows in the corridor were wide open, allowing a cold breeze to sweep in. The sour apricot scent dispersed, gradually fading into the air.

Yet, Yan Chengfeng remained frozen in place, his breathing heavy, his entire body stiff. He stared at Zhen Ning’s profile, still dazed.

“For every alpha in the training room, just one day of training with me puts them at risk of being affected by pheromones carrying such messages,” Zhen Ning said. “Of course, if this happens during training, it’s not the worst situation.”

“But what about during a match?” He continued. “If I sat next to you, and you had to compete in the state you’re in now, would you be able to do it?”

“And heat isn’t predictable. If it happens just before a match, what then?”

Zhen Ning asked, “How am I supposed to control this physiological instinct, overcome the desire to be marked by an alpha, and still play well in the upcoming match?”

The sour-sweet fruit scent dissipated quickly into the air, leaving behind only a faint trace of barely noticeable bitterness. Yan Chengfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

“You see,” he heard Zhen Ning say, “I don’t have a choice.”

“…So your solution is to recklessly use daily suppressants at a high frequency?”

Yan Chengfeng finally forced himself to speak, struggling to suppress the tremor in his voice and pretending to be calm as he countered, “Do you really need to inject them this often? Do you honestly think drowning yourself in suppressants will solve everything? Even if it ruins your body, you don’t care?”

Zhen Ning’s expression remained calm. After a while, Yan Chengfeng saw him blink slightly.

“Yes, this is the method I chose,” Zhen Ning said. “Or maybe you can tell me what I should do instead?”

Yan Chengfeng knew that Zhen Ning was someone who rarely got angry. His emotions always seemed controlled and steady.

But right now, Yan Chengfeng could tell that his questioning had hit a sore spot. He watched as Zhen Ning’s chest rose and fell slightly before he turned his head to look at him.

“Since you think my decision to use suppressants is reckless,” Zhen Ning said, walking toward Yan Chengfeng with a cold expression, “then please give me a solution that isn’t reckless. After all, I only have two choices: suppressants or being marked, don’t I?”

Yan Chengfeng’s body stiffened.

“Or are you implying that your so-called ‘non-reckless method’ is for an alpha to mark me?” Zhen Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. After a moment, he tilted his head back, met Yan Chengfeng’s gaze, and asked, “So, are you planning to find me an alpha?”

He paused, then continued softly, “Or are you planning to do it yourself?”