Judging by the report alone, Yu Zhiling hadn’t done anything wrong.
Sudden onset of heat, no suppressants available—he could only ask someone he knew to accompany him to the safehouse.
It was true that for some Omegas, their pheromones would leak for a long time before the body showed any signs of heat.
But it just so happened that this occurred when there was no one else around Shi Qi, and Yu Zhiling just so happened not to show any typical symptoms of heat, like weak limbs or fatigue.
A series of coincidences piled up in such a way that it felt like things had been deliberately calculated in order for everything to go smoothly.
If this had been premeditated…
He vaguely remembered that a long time ago, Shen Qianyu had mentioned a similar situation.
After messaging Shen Qianyu to ask about it, Shang Sui received an unexpected answer.
Back at the hotel, he confirmed once more, “Are you sure?”
Shen Qianyu’s voice came from the other end of the phone. “There’s only one drug that can freely regulate heat cycles. It’s addictive and causes pheromone disruption and mental instability. It was banned three years ago.”
“During that time, our hospital received a lot of patients. Once they got addicted, not just Omegas but even Alphas were taking it. That’s why I’m sure.”
Before Shang Sui could speak, as if already knowing what he was about to ask, Shen Qianyu continued, “Using the drug on its own won’t get you in too much trouble, at most a fine or some community service. But if someone’s involved in selling it, that’s at least two years in prison, more if the quantity is large.”
“I see…” Shang Sui appeared to be thinking.
“Is someone you know using it? Or is it something else?”
Shang Sui replied with something unrelated, “If someone’s going to do bad things, I wish they’d go all the way, so it’d make things simpler.”
Even if Yu Zhiling wasn’t involved in selling the drug, there were other ways.
It would just be more troublesome and take more effort to deal with.
Looked like someone had offended him. Shen Qianyu silently offered three seconds of mourning for the poor guy, then suggested, “That drug was originally developed to replace Huanyun’s suppressants. If you ask your family to look into it, it’ll go a lot faster.”
Ever since that nightmare, Shang Sui’s luck had miraculously turned around. Though maybe not the best metaphor—it was as if he’d used up all his misfortune. Things often unfolded according to his will, so uncanny it was like something out of a movie script.
Jiang Yan had witnessed several such events and once suspected that Shang Sui had some kind of cheat code.
Once, Jiang Yan had probably read some novel and naively said to Shen Qianyu, “Don’t you think Shang Sui is like the protagonist favored by fate, and we’re just NPCs standing on the sidelines clapping for him?”
Before Shen Qianyu could reply, Jiang Yan turned to Shang Sui and said, “Xiao Sui-gege, can you rewrite my fate so I can ride your wave too?”
“I’m not asking for much, just let me get rich and stop my family from nagging me to find a partner.”
Shang Sui looked at him like he was an idiot. Probably thinking that if a fool delivered himself to the door, it would be a waste not to mess with him, so he told Jiang Yan to go home and wait.
Jiang Yan waited hopefully for three days and finally realized Shang Sui had just been messing with him.
Even so, Jiang Yan remained fully convinced of his luck and insisted on pulling Shang Sui into investing in Huijian.
Thinking of this, Shen Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh a little.
He brought the conversation back. “I heard it’s been really difficult to trace the source of that drug. If you really manage to dig it up, that would be a huge accomplishment.”
–
On the final day of the school’s social practice activity, the Chemical Engineering Department organized a visit to the flower fields.
The flower fields in Qijiang were renowned nationwide and served as a vital source of raw materials for various suppressants, blockers, and pheromone perfumes. Compared to visiting factories and laboratories, the endless sea of flowers instantly captured the students’ attention. After the visit, they started taking photos on their own without needing any reminder from the teacher.
Shi Qi walked alongside Lin Yan, and beside them was Qin Shuhe, who had come to do some sketching.
Shi Qi omitted the part about the special rut but told them about the incident with Yu Zhiling. Both of them were shocked after hearing it.
“Fuck, he really is a beast in human skin.” Qin Shuhe was thoroughly disgusted. “Just because he’s an Omega, he thinks he can sexually harass people without consequence, and even inserts himself into someone else’s relationship with that kind of audacity… Yu Zhiling really opened my eyes. I’ve never seen this kind of idiot before.”
Lin Yan was so angry his voice trembled. “Are you going to tell your family?”
Just thinking about how, for all those years, no one knew what kind of twisted thoughts Yu Zhiling had while interacting with Shi Qi made Lin Yan feel nauseated.
“I’ll talk to my sister when I get back and tell her not to work with him anymore.”
Because Shi Qi and Yu Zhiling were friends, Jiang Youning had made an effort to look out for him. She had helped him land endorsements and introduced him to quite a few contacts. Cutting ties with Jiang Youning would cause significant trouble for Yu Zhiling’s career.
“If only we had some kind of connection with Huanyun.” Qin Shuhe looked at the vast fields of flowers in the distance and was suddenly inspired.
“Didn’t Yu Zhiling land an endorsement for Elowen’s pheromone perfume? Elowen is a brand under one of Huanyun’s subsidiaries. From the way he talked the other day, that deal must be really important to him. I really want this idiot to completely lose his job.”
The flower field they were visiting belonged to Huanyun, as did the factories and labs they’d toured recently.
However, Huanyun’s headquarters focused on biopharmaceuticals and tech innovation and had no overlap with their families.
Shi Qi, on the other hand, took it lightly. “Forget it. I already gave him a good beating.”
As he spoke, he looked into the distance.
The nearby fields were planted with vibrant Endless Summer hydrangeas, clusters of bluish-purple and pink-white blooms stretching like clouds across the horizon, merging seamlessly into the creamy blue sky far away.
The art students had set up their easels and were painting this dreamlike scenery. Qin Shuhe had finished his drawing rather quickly, which was why he had time to come over and chat.
Because the “first meeting” story Shang Sui made up had featured this flower, Shi Qi had a good impression of Endless Summer hydrangeas. Thinking of that, he asked, “Where’s Shang Sui?”
“Ge’s been pretty busy lately; he didn’t come to class yesterday either.” Qin Shuhe caught on. “Wait, did you guys have a fight? How come you don’t know his schedule?”
Shi Qi didn’t like the sound of that and instinctively refuted, “We’re doing just fine.”
Lin Yan couldn’t help but laugh and then, pretending to be stern, said to Qin Shuhe, “You can mess around with food, but not with words. Our baby and his husband are doing just fine.”
“…”
Shi Qi started to feel drowsy. Nearby, there was a bread loaf-shaped ice cream van. He let the other two know, then found a spot under a parasol, ordered a juice, and sat down.
Qin Shuhe and Lin Yan’s voices gradually faded into the distance. Shi Qi’s eyelids began to droop, his head nodding. Finally, he gave up resisting and fell asleep, slumped over the small wooden table.
The brilliant sea of Endless Summer hydrangeas entered his dream. Shi Qi dreamed that he climbed onto the balcony of a villa, where an Alpha was standing, a white oak easel taller than Shi Qi set up in front of him.
He couldn’t see the Alpha’s face clearly, but his figure, somewhere between youth and adulthood, was extremely attractive.
“You’re painting again,” Shi Qi heard himself say. “Don’t you get bored spending every day alone?”
The person looked at him calmly without replying.
As if used to his indifference, Shi Qi kept talking to himself, “The guards downstairs still haven’t noticed me. I’m pretty awesome, right?”
“……”
“I memorized their patrol routes, so I can sneak you out.” Shi Qi opened his hand, counting on his fingers as he explained, “The chubby one hides in the corner to smoke, the tall skinny one takes naps in the afternoon; the average-sized one is the most responsible, but he doesn’t look up carefully. If you just leave your easel on the balcony, he’ll think you’re still here and won’t notice anything.”
The other still said nothing.
Seriously?
The “him” in the dream didn’t object, but in his groggy state, Shi Qi felt both like he was observing from above and personally experiencing everything. He couldn’t help but feel displeased by the Alpha’s coldness.
Are you Shang Sui?
If he won’t even talk to me, why should I even try?
But in the dream, he seemed especially fond of that Alpha, sticking close to him and chatting on and on, yet never getting much of a response.
It had been like this for several days, and even the Shi Qi in the dream was starting to get discouraged.
Since childhood, he had always been pampered by those around him. Shi An and Jiang Li catered to his every whim; Jiang Youning would tease him sometimes, but most of the time called him “baby.” Even at school, everyone liked playing with him.
He was usually the quieter one in a group, but since the Alpha was so silent, he had to keep finding topics to talk about.
At first, it felt novel, but as time passed, Shi Qi no longer wanted to keep making a fool of himself.
Even though the Alpha was very beautiful, like the protagonist of a fairy tale living in a high tower.
“Hey.” Shi Qi sat on the windowsill, swinging his slender legs in the molten gold glow of the setting sun. “If I’m bothering you, I won’t come tomorrow.”
The Alpha looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked, “What’s on your back?”
Shi Qi hesitantly reached out to feel his back. After a long moment of groping around and finding nothing, his body lost balance and tilted to the side—
He had been sitting right on the balcony, and in a panic, he tipped backward. Shi Qi’s eyes flew open.
This is bad, I’m falling!
Luckily, the other reacted quickly and caught him in time.
Still rattled, Shi Qi crashed into his arms. His nose was sore from the impact, and just as he was about to question what was supposedly on his back, his nose caught the rich and sweet scent coming from the Alpha.
Huh?
Shi Qi’s attention was instantly diverted.
It smelled so nice.
As if unable to stand his dazed expression, the other person reached out and tore something off.
It was a sticky note shaped like cat ears, taped down with a strip of colorful decorative tape to keep it from falling off.
[If you find my cat, please contact guardian Jiang Youning.
Phone number: XXXXXXXX
P.S.: This cat has a bad temper. Please be patient. A generous reward will be given.]
“Do you get lost often?”
After reading the note, Shi Qi looked up and saw the Alpha smile for the first time.
He had always looked distant and unapproachable, but now it was as if the ice had melted. His eyes shimmered with a captivating spring warmth, completely different from his usual cold demeanor.
Shi Qi stared blankly for a moment, then realized he was being laughed at for being dumb.
“…I do not! My sister wrote that as a joke!”
He protested unhappily, then blinked his deep gray eyes, as if he had discovered something interesting. “You spoke?”
So he did want to see him again.
Why not just say so?
Forget it. Shi Qi would be the generous one and not argue with a poor guy who’d been locked out on the balcony.
“I’m Shi Qi.” He looked up at him, subtly twitching his nose, trying to memorize the scent. “What’s your name?”
“Xiao Qi?” A familiar voice slipped into his ears, like a butterfly’s wings fluttering beside him, pulling him out of his beautiful dream.
“Hm…?”
Shi Qi blinked his eyes open in a daze.
It had been a long time since he’d dreamed, but recently, he’d had two in a row.
So… what exactly did that tall, cold, seemingly completely closed-off Alpha in his dream smell like?
All he could remember was how good it smelled.
“Why are you here alone?”
Still half-asleep, Shi Qi’s thoughts were sluggish. He mumbled, “I was a bit tired, so I told Lin Yan and the others to go ahead.”
He looked up and saw Shang Sui standing against the light. His light brown eyes were especially bright.
Strangely, parts of his dream matched the story Shang Sui had told.
Or maybe it was the other way around?
Maybe it was because he’d seen Endless Summer hydrangeas and thought of Shang Sui’s story that he had such a weird dream.
Although the sun was shining brightly in Qijiang, the wind was strong. Countless small flowers swayed and rustled in the breeze.
Worried he’d catch a cold, Shang Sui asked, “Weren’t you cold while you were sleeping?”
Shi Qi thought to himself silently.
This version was better.
Let that antisocial guy in the dream stay where he was.
Shi Qi shook his head, stood up, and asked, “What’ve you been busy with lately? Qin Shuhe said you didn’t come to class yesterday.”
“I was looking into something.” Shang Sui had been about to tell him that Yu Zhiling would likely be sentenced for using banned substances but thought better of it. If he wanted to take credit, he should wait until everything was settled and then come over looking all impressive to claim it.
“I’ll tell you when it’s done.”
The only recent situation that had anything to do with him…
Shi Qi thought for a moment. “Yu Zhiling?”
“Are you still angry? If I’d known, I would’ve hit him a few more times that day.”
Shang Sui said half-jokingly, “Xiao Qi, if you look at me, I won’t be angry.”
Shi Qi couldn’t help but retort, “Are you a cat or a dog? You need a master to keep an eye on you?”
He hadn’t meant anything deeper when he said it. But unexpectedly, it was as if something had flipped a switch in Shang Sui. He burst out laughing, his whole body swaying. Even the Endless Summer flowers behind him couldn’t compare to how dazzling he looked.
“What are you laughing at?” Shi Qi was baffled, and his laughter made his ears flush a little.
“I prefer being the master.” After finally calming down, Shang Sui showed a slightly troubled expression, then reached out and gently tapped the tip of Shi Qi’s small nose.
“Good baby.”
“?”
“You got pollen on you while you were asleep.”
Shi Qi’s cheeks turned red. The skin that had been briefly touched still held the lingering warmth of the other’s hand. Before he could react, Shang Sui slipped a bracelet woven from lily of the valley flowers onto Shi Qi’s slender wrist.
Each pure white flower still seemed to hold dewdrops, as if it had been woven together moments ago.
“To replace your bracelet.”
Shi Qi hadn’t expected him to remember. His eyes lit up. “Thank you.”
Seeing his cute reaction, Shang Sui couldn’t resist the urge to ruffle his hair again.
He hoped that someday, he could personally put other accessories on Shi Qi.
A sparkling ring? Or a jeweled choker?
He had many beautiful chokers. Paired with Shi Qi’s snow-white, delicate neck, every one of them would look perfect.
As Shang Sui rubbed his head, Shi Qi started feeling like something was off.
Why did it really feel like Shang Sui was treating him like a cat or a dog…
Before he could conclude he was being played with, Shang Sui added, “But if Xiao Qi likes it, I can be the dog too.”
He beamed and said, “I’ll be very obedient, Master.”
Author’s note:
A little fun fact: Those who can smile and say they’re willing to be a dog are often actually… ^^
While innocent Xiao Qi remained completely oblivious, someone had already started playing their own game.
Don’t be fooled by how 2s is laughing so happily now; he started off with a cold and aloof persona.
