After coming back from Xiaozhong Mountain, Shi Qi felt completely drained, his limbs soft and weak.
“This is actually normal,” Lin Yan said. “You used to take suppressants during your heat and still bounce around like nothing happened. That just meant your pheromone levels were too low. Now, maybe they’ve gone up a bit.”
Maybe his condition had slightly improved?
Afraid it might upset Shi Qi to bring up his illness, Lin Yan didn’t press the topic.
“Sounds like I’m going through second puberty,” Shi Qi muttered, though his attention was already drifting. “Think I could grow a bit taller too?”
“Keep dreaming.” Lin Yan, who was three centimeters taller, looked at him lovingly. “Your name and your height are perfectly matched.”
“…”
It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it were just fatigue.
But ever since parting ways with Shang Sui, Shi Qi hadn’t slept well. For two nights in a row, he didn’t fall asleep until after five in the morning. From his dorm room, he could hear the sound of snow being swept outside at dawn.
Omegas were especially sensitive during heat. He’d had insomnia in the past too, but never this bad. It was like he’d slept too well that stormy night with Shang Sui, and now he was going through withdrawal.
Heat usually lasted about a week. Shi Qi glanced at his course schedule. He had early classes for the next two days.
If this kept up, he’d either have to skip major courses or drift into class like a ghost.
After thinking it over, Shi Qi sent a message to Shang Sui.
17: [Are you coming to school today?]
He’d invite him to a meal first, then casually bring up the idea of sleeping together again.
If Shang Sui agreed, they could just book a hotel.
Ss: [I have class in the afternoon.]
Perfect!
Shi Qi’s lips curled slightly, and his sleep-deprived eyes lit up. He could already picture himself blissfully dozing off in a hotel bed.
17: [Then let’s grab a meal?]
17: [We didn’t manage to last time because of that sudden dance rehearsal.]
Shang Sui replied with a sticker of a nodding kitten.
Why was it always a cat?
Shi Qi grumbled silently but still tapped “Save” without hesitation.
Shi Qi and Lin Yan were both majoring in Chemical Engineering. For the past few weeks, their lab project had focused on creating a pheromone perfume. This week happened to be the final stage: optimization and refinement. After an entire afternoon in the lab, the two of them finally produced a small bottle of finished product.
Compared to regular perfume, this type more closely resembled actual AO pheromones. It was often used to soothe Omegas during heat or Alphas in rut, or to mask and fake pheromone scents.
Although it couldn’t fully replace real pheromones, it had become a popular new product in recent years.
“You two did very well. It’s already very close to a commercial-grade product,” the teacher said, stopping by their table with a look of approval. “It’s just like real Alpha pheromones.”
The liquid in the glass bottle gave off a cool scent of wormwood, with a trace of aggression.
Originally, Lin Yan had wanted to make an Omega-type pheromone perfume. But during the process, he accidentally added a bit too much of certain ingredients, and it ended up like this.
After the teacher left, Lin Yan said, “I heard there’s a field activity next week. Our major and the bioengineering department are going to Qijiang together.”
Qijiang was warm year-round and home to the largest flower cultivation center in the country. Many raw materials used in pheromone perfumes, suppressants, and blocker sprays were sourced from there.
In their second year, students in the chemistry and biology majors at A University would travel to Qijiang for hands-on fieldwork. Since it was far away, the school allotted plenty of time for the trip. If you ignored the report-writing part, it basically felt like a school-organized vacation. It was widely considered the biggest perk of those majors.
“What a coincidence.” Lin Yan suddenly remembered. “Qin Shuhe and his group are also going to Qijiang for a sketching trip. They were supposed to go to Xuancheng, but the destination got changed last minute. I think the two departments are splitting transportation costs by renting a bus together.”
Getting off campus for a change of scenery was naturally more exciting than sitting through lectures.
Intrigued, Shi Qi asked a few more questions, while Lin Yan was already fast-forwarding to planning what to do for fun. He’d heard there were tons of bars there and that they might even catch a local festival…
Just then, a message came from Shang Sui.
Ss: [I’m here, at the north gate.]
17: [On my way.]
There were still a few minutes left in class. Shi Qi said goodbye to Lin Yan, took off his white lab coat, threw on his black puffer jacket, and ran downstairs.
From a distance, he immediately spotted Shang Sui.
He was wearing a short silver puffer jacket and wide-leg pants, standing out starkly among the crowd of heavily bundled-up pedestrians.
He really wasn’t afraid of the cold.
Shi Qi couldn’t help but laugh.
“In a good mood?”
A smile reached Shang Sui’s eyes when he saw him, but the next second, his expression shifted slightly. “Xiao Qi, has anyone hugged you?”
“Huh?” Shi Qi blinked in confusion.
“You smell like pheromones.” Shang Sui sounded displeased. “Really strong.”
“Oh, it’s the pheromone perfume. I was in the lab all afternoon.” When Shang Sui didn’t respond, Shi Qi added, “You don’t like the smell of wormwood?”
“No, I don’t.”
To be precise, he didn’t like any other scent on Shi Qi. But saying that outright would sound too possessive, and being jealous of a perfume was ridiculous, so all he could do was repeat, “Really don’t like it.”
Shi Qi knew Alphas naturally repelled one another’s pheromones, but this was the first time he’d seen one react even to a synthetic version.
Then again, considering Shang Sui’s own scent was sweet, the bitterness of wormwood probably felt like his natural enemy.
“What now? I didn’t bring a blocker.”
“Me neither.”
“Then let’s do this.” Shi Qi reached out and pulled him into a hug. “Better to get it over with quickly. Come rub it off.”
Before Shang Sui could react, Shi Qi had already slipped into his arms, using his pheromones to suppress the wormwood scent.
So comfortable—
Shi Qi thought.
Maybe it was because they were both wearing puffer jackets, but the hug felt like being wrapped in a soft, fluffy blanket.
The tension that had built up over the past few days finally began to ease. Shi Qi felt content and couldn’t help imagining how cozy it would be to fall asleep that night, surrounded by the sweet scent of pheromones.
Shang Sui paused for a moment, and before he even realized it, his hand had come up to return the hug. “What’s with you…” Why are you being so affectionate today?
Shi Qi yawned lazily, unconsciously relaxing in his arms, nearly drifting off.
Just then, a car horn honked. Shi Qi reluctantly lifted his eyelids and saw a Bentley parked not far away.
The person in the driver’s seat wore thin-rimmed glasses and was impeccably dressed. He asked with a knowing smile, “I’m not interrupting, am I?”
Shi Qi, remembering the last time an Alpha in a sports car caused a scene at school, quickly turned to Shang Sui. “Who is it this time? Someone you know?”
Shang Sui was trying to figure out whether Shen Qianyu had come specifically to catch him or had just happened to be nearby.
Either way, it wasn’t great. After a short pause, Shang Sui decided to lie. “Driver.”
Shi Qi: “?” Your driver looks like that?
Shang Sui kept up the act, “You don’t have to pick me up today. You can go back.”
Shen Qianyu ignored him and got out of the car. “Jiang Yan said he ran into you here last time. I happened to be nearby and thought I’d check. Didn’t expect to actually run into you.”
He hadn’t gotten a clear look from inside the car earlier, but now that he saw Shang Sui indeed hugging an Omega, Shen Qianyu raised an eyebrow.
“It’s already December. You need to come with me to the hospital.”
Seeing someone approaching, Shi Qi stepped aside, letting go.
They had been in a perfectly warm embrace until the interruption. Shang Sui’s tone turned sharp.
“What, Jiang Yan’s actually willing to see you?”
Shen Qianyu smiled but didn’t answer.
He gestured slightly. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Shang Sui glanced at the confused Shi Qi, and a sudden idea struck him.
He pulled Shi Qi back into his arms, like he couldn’t bear to let him go, and said with the air of someone showing off, “This is my boyfriend.”
Then he added to Shi Qi, “Shen Qianyu. A friend of mine.”
Shi Qi was caught off guard by the sudden hug from behind and froze.
They had to pretend to be a couple even in front of Shang Sui’s friends?
Did it really need to be this convincing? Wasn’t Shang Sui sacrificing a little too much for this?
Then a low voice spoke by his ear, “I was just about to tell you—my family’s been pressuring me to get married lately. I might need your help dealing with it.”
Shang Yao and Yu Wan had never meddled in his personal life before. Jiang Yan used to envy how Shang Sui’s family never forced him into blind dates or marriage talks.
But from today on, Shang Sui didn’t mind being “pressured” a little.
He made a mental note to give them a call when he got back.
Ah, so that’s what this was—helping each other out. Shi Qi gave him an all good look, and slipped right into character. “Hi, I’m Shi Qi.”
Shen Qianyu’s gaze landed on him involuntarily.
With a small face, upturned eyes, and snow-white skin, Shi Qi looked like a doll trapped in Shang Sui’s embrace.
Judging by Shang Sui’s personality, if this were a legitimate partner, he would’ve already made sure everyone knew about it.
What’s more, this Omega reeked of wormwood-scented pheromones. No matter how you looked at it, something felt off.
Shen Qianyu thought for a moment, then said seriously, “If he forced you, I can help you report it to the police.”
Shi Qi: “…?” Was this a joke?
Shen Qianyu: “Don’t be afraid. I have a lot of dirt on him.”
“What are you rambling about, Xiao Shen?” Shang Sui had a smile on his face, but his tone was icy. “We’re clearly a match made in heaven. Don’t try to break us up.”
As he spoke, the Alpha’s long, strong arms tightened around Shi Qi, pulling him even closer.
Rather than a “match made in heaven,” it looked more like a ghost clinging to claim a life.
Shi Qi didn’t sense anything wrong. He went along with it and said, “Mm, we’ve been dating for a month.”
“…Alright. I get it.”
The idea that someone could actually tolerate Shang Sui’s temper and chronic procrastination made Shen Qianyu say, quite genuinely, “You’ve worked hard.”
Shi Qi hadn’t expected that after talking about calling the police, Shen Qianyu would now be looking at him with such sincere admiration. He couldn’t help but feel confused.
Didn’t Shang Sui have a pretty good personality? Why did Shen Qianyu make it sound like stepping into a wolf’s den?
But more than that, Shi Qi was curious about something else. “Why did you tell him to go to the hospital?”
“He needs to get checked regularly, but he keeps putting it off.”
Special ruts were considered personal privacy, and that kind of data was encrypted in the system. Without the individual’s consent, no one had the right to disclose it.
Noticing Shang Sui shoot him a look, Shen Qianyu smoothly changed the subject. “The deadline’s at the end of the month. How long do you plan to stall?”
From the looks of it, this kid Shang Sui found didn’t know anything.
Now that was interesting.
Shi Qi also had to go for regular check-ups himself, so he didn’t find it strange. “Since your friend came all this way, let’s go to the hospital today.”
He knew some people were afraid of hospitals. Lin Yan always put off check-ups, afraid they’d find something wrong with him.
Shi Qi assumed Shang Sui was the same kind of person and tried to comfort him. “You look really healthy. Probably nothing to worry about.”
Shang Sui didn’t seem to know how to respond. He let out an “Ah,” his expression a little strange.
After a long pause with no reply, Shi Qi grew impatient and patted his arm. “Hurry up, I’ll go with you.”
Based on Shen Qianyu’s past experience, it usually took until the final week for Shang Sui to drag himself in for a psychological evaluation.
No one could persuade him—not even Yu Wan.
But unexpectedly, after that little pat, Shang Sui obediently agreed. “Alright then.”
After the initial surprise, Shen Qianyu turned to Shi Qi and said, “Thank you.”
The matter that had dragged on for nearly half a year had finally made progress, and Shen Qianyu was all smiles, looking at Shi Qi as if he were a living Bodhisattva. “Can we exchange contact info?”
When he ran into a similar situation again, he could ask Shi Qi for help.
Shang Sui frowned and asked warily, “What do you mean?”
“…”
Shen Qianyu hadn’t expected him to get jealous over something like this and looked at him as if he’d gone mad.
After a moment, he turned to Shi Qi and said seriously, “Our young master has always had a few screws loose. He’s been throwing tantrums since he was little. Please be patient with him.”
–
Shi Qi hadn’t expected Shen Qianyu to actually be the deputy director of Ningshan Hospital.
Ningshan Hospital specialized in treating ABO-related conditions. Shi An had once suggested bringing Shi Qi there to examine his glandular deterioration, but after confirming that current medical techniques had no effect on such a rare condition, they gave up on the idea.
While Shang Sui and Shen Qianyu went off to register at the front desk, Shi Qi was left alone. Bored and a little hungry, he figured he’d grab a drink to tide himself over.
He found a café on the first floor and ordered a hot chocolate. Just as he was about to leave with his order, someone beside him said, “Hey, wait a second!”
“Haven’t we met before?”
Shi Qi turned his head and saw a clean-cut face.
“Oh, it’s you.” Shi Qi recognized Jiang Yan right away and blurted out, “The Alpha whose words are really cheesy.”
“…”
Jiang Yan was caught off guard. He thought, “He looks so well-behaved, so why is he so sharp-tongued?”
“Are you ill?”
Shi Qi shook his head. “I’m here with Shang Sui for his check-up.”
After running into Shang Sui and Shi Qi at A University’s gate last time, Jiang Yan had mulled it over for a long time. Aside from reaching the absurd conclusion that “Shen Qianyu might have a crush on Shang Sui,” he had also realized that he’d probably said the wrong thing.
He had never seen Shang Sui coax anyone before—Shi Qi was the first.
No wonder Shang Sui had been so annoyed at the time. Clearly, he’d thought Jiang Yan was getting in the way.
…
And Shi Qi even knew about Shang Sui’s regular psychological assessments. Things had progressed quickly.
Jiang Yan looked at him again, eyes filled with nosy curiosity. “What’s your relationship with our Xiao Sui-gege…?”
After enough practice, Shi Qi could now talk about their fake relationship without batting an eye. “We’re dating.”
Remembering that Shang Sui said his family was pressuring him to marry, Shi Qi added deliberately, “If it’s convenient, you could mention it to his family.”
“Huh? Oh… sure.” Jiang Yan looked at him curiously and smiled. “I didn’t get a chance to ask last time, what’s your name? I’m Jiang Yan.”
“Shi Qi.”
Shi Qi’s name was quite unique. Jiang Yan paused, then asked for the specific characters. When he got the answer, realization dawned. “Wait, aren’t you the guest Shang Sui accompanied before?”
Jiang Yan muttered to himself, “So that means you two met at my place… No wonder. I was wondering why he suddenly agreed to sign the Huijian contract.”
Shi Qi caught the keyword. “Huijian contract?”
Since they were dating, they should naturally have known each other’s true identities. Jiang Yan smiled and said, “Did you forget? When you first met, you thought he was a waiter at Huijian. But actually, he was just there that day to help oversee the courtyard setup.”
“After the accident, you asked him to accompany you again as compensation. At the time, I thought he wouldn’t agree, but he actually showed up. Thinking about it now, the way you two met was kind of romantic.”
Jiang Yan added, “Oh, I forgot to mention—I’m the owner of Huijian.”
Only then did he notice that the expression on the person across from him didn’t look quite right.
Shi Qi gradually realized the truth was completely different from what he had believed.
He ran Jiang Yan’s words back through his mind, and his voice took on a chill. “You mean Shang Sui was never a waiter at Huijian?”
Then why had he agreed to accompany him in the first place? Was it all just to mess with him?
Jiang Yan was caught off guard by the question. “You didn’t know?”
Shi Qi said expressionlessly, “I do now.”
Jiang Yan: “……” Oh no. This is bad.
“Xiao Qi?”
Shang Sui’s voice cut in at that moment. Seeing Shi Qi standing there motionless, he walked over in a few quick steps and said, “I’ve been looking for you. Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Normally, Shi Qi didn’t seem very sociable, but he would always respond when called.
Unlike usual, Shi Qi didn’t say a word. Something felt off.
Noticing Jiang Yan nearby, Shang Sui’s gaze paused slightly. “Why are you two together?”
Even though he was fuming inside, Shi Qi wasn’t about to start an argument in front of Shang Sui’s friend.
He held back his temper and said to Jiang Yan, “We’ll get going now. See you next time.”
Jiang Yan awkwardly said, “Um…”
Shi Qi turned and walked off. Shang Sui didn’t spare Jiang Yan another glance and quickly followed, saying, “We’ll talk later.”
Watching them walk away one after the other, Jiang Yan stayed rooted in place, running a hand anxiously through his hair before finally clapping a hand over his mouth. “I told myself to shut up, shut up—!”
When was he going to break this habit of rambling whenever he met someone he liked?
It’s over.
If they broke up because of this, wouldn’t Shang Sui kill him?
Panicking, Jiang Yan sent Shen Qianyu a message: [Help. I really messed up!]
–
In the hospital’s central garden, there was a temperature-controlled glass greenhouse. Compared to the bustling main hall, it was much quieter here.
After entering and confirming they were alone, Shi Qi got straight to the point. “Just now, Jiang Yan told me you’re not a waiter at Huijian.”
After a moment, Shang Sui answered softly, “Mm, I’m not.”
Shi Qi frowned, his expression turning cold.
So Jiang Yan hadn’t been speaking nonsense.
Shi Qi had shown resistance to others before, but never once had he looked at Shang Sui like this.
It was the first time Shang Sui had seen that expression on him, and it made him uneasy. Instinctively, he reached out. “I’m sorry, back then I—”
Shi Qi stepped back, avoiding his hand.
Then Shang Sui heard his muffled voice.
“I’m a little unhappy right now.”
The Alpha, just a few steps away, stopped dead in his tracks, like a beast suddenly leashed by that single sentence.
Author’s note: The problem is not big, please rest assured.
