In the tight, dark space, Eugene’s scent was more overwhelming than ever. The sharp, invasive aroma of gin flooded Luo Hai’s senses, making his body tremble involuntarily.
“Turn around,” Luo Hai ordered coldly. But Eugene knew him too well—he caught the slight rasp in his voice.
Eugene raised his hands in surrender, lips curling into a smirk as he slowly turned his back. “Though I’ve already seen everything… fine, your call.”
There was no response behind him. The prosecutor was dead set on staying silent.
But in such a confined space, every sound was amplified.
Even with his back turned, Eugene could hear the rustling of fabric as Luo Hai removed his shirt, the light clinking of buttons against his fingernails, and then the crisp click as the belt buckle was undone.
“You know, I meant to tell you this last time,” Eugene mused, staring at a hook on the wall. “You always fasten your belt too tight. Same with your tie. It takes me ages to undo them.”
Luo Hai remained silent.
“It’s actually bad for your health, keeping everything so tense.” Eugene continued, his voice casual. “And sometimes, when you… get aroused, your shirt and trousers cling to your skin. From the outside, it’s very obvious—”
“Shut up,” Luo Hai’s voice came, tinged with anger and a trace of breathlessness.
Eugene obediently fell silent, and the room lapsed into stillness again.
But as time passed, the intensity of scent in the air only thickened. The clash of gin and mint—one real Alpha, one fake—turned the space into the most concentrated battlefield.
Luo Hai’s fingers trembled even more, making the task of changing clothes increasingly difficult. Two conflicting needs tore violently within his body—his artificially instilled Alpha side fiercely resisted and rejected Eugene, while his true Omega instincts screamed in yearning, urging him to draw closer, to accept, to submit.
Eugene Oddis was the finest wine.
Eugene Oddis was the deadliest poison.
“There’s one more question I’ve always wanted to ask you, but never found the chance,” Eugene’s low voice sounded again, unnervingly clear in the confined space.
“What?” Luo Hai was quickly losing patience, irritation crashing around in his chest.
“At what point, when my pheromones mix with yours, do you start to feel pain?” Eugene asked softly.
Luo Hai froze for a moment, unprepared for the question.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.” He pushed down the frustration in his chest. “It’s a meaningless question.”
“It’s not.” Eugene’s deep voice came from behind him. “I need to know how close I can get before it starts to hurt you.”
Without turning around, Luo Hai knew that Eugene had faced him.
His clothes were only half changed—the zipper of his new trousers was barely pulled halfway up, and his shirt buttons remained undone.
But Luo Hai’s hands were frozen in midair, unable to flee, unable to resist. He could feel Eugene closing in behind him, the scent of strong liquor even more overpowering than before.
“Does this hurt?” He heard Eugene’s voice, startlingly close.
Luo Hai’s mouth went dry, and his throat tightened. Every ounce of logic told him that he should turn around, put an end to this, finish dressing, and get as far away as possible from this pheromone-dense environment.
But instead, his voice came out hoarse as he answered, “…No.”
Eugene stepped even closer. Luo Hai could feel the heat from behind him, creeping near. This time, Eugene’s voice was right by his ear.
“And now?”
Luo Hai’s body began to tremble. His fingers nearly slipped off the shirt buttons, and his breathing grew inevitably unsteady.
“No.”
Eugene nodded slightly, then wrapped his arms firmly around Luo Hai.
Through the embrace, the Alpha’s body heat seeped into him—his breath, his strength, his scent.
Eugene’s arms encircled Luo Hai’s waist tightly. His chest pressed flush against Luo Hai’s back, chin resting beside his neck. Warm breath swept over his temple and ear, enveloping him completely in the thick scent of pheromones.
The Alpha’s lips hovered against the back of Luo Hai’s neck, as if he only had to open his mouth for his fangs to sink in, piercing his gland, claiming him forever.
The pain started at the back of his neck, spreading like wildfire along his spine, radiating through every nerve.
“And now?” Eugene’s voice was low and husky, each syllable striking Luo Hai’s eardrums directly.
Luo Hai’s Adam’s apple bobbed before settling back down.
“…It hurts.”
“I see.” Eugene’s response was quiet. He hesitated for only a brief moment before pulling away.
Luo Hai blinked, slightly dazed, unsure of what had just happened.
Eugene smiled and turned him around, reaching out to zip up his pants, fasten his shirt buttons, and finally drape the suit jacket over his shoulders.
Luo Hai silently lifted his arms to slip them into the sleeves, watching as Eugene smoothed out the creases in his shirt.
The warmth of the embrace still lingered on his skin, but now, it was fading, disappearing along with its source.
The scent of pheromones gradually dissipated, returning to normal levels.
“Not bad.” Eugene took a step back, admiring how the new suit fit Luo Hai’s tall, slender frame. Satisfied, he grinned. “I knew my taste wouldn’t be wrong.”
Luo Hai looked at him, frowning slightly.
“…That’s it?”
“What, did you actually hope I’d throw you down and screw you right here in the dressing room?” Eugene raised an eyebrow.
Luo Hai nearly choked on his own saliva at the crude phrasing. “No!”
“Then there you have it.” Eugene chuckled, reaching out to adjust Luo Hai’s collar carefully. “You’re not in heat, so I won’t do anything. I just wanted to know how close I could get before it hurt you, so I can avoid it in the future.”
Where Eugene’s fingers touched, warmth seemed to linger, traveling through Luo Hai’s veins, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.
Luo Hai parted his lips, but no words came out. The cold, cutting remarks he usually wielded so effortlessly got caught in his throat and somehow dissolved deep in his chest.
“Let’s go see how it looks,” Eugene said, patting Luo Hai’s shoulder, lowering his voice. “You’re going to blow your coworkers away.”
Luo Hai pushed his hand away and stepped out of the dressing room.
Nearby, a few young people whispered among themselves, glancing over. The moment they saw Luo Hai emerge, they quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened as they hurried off.
Luo Hai’s gaze swept the area indifferently. As expected, the Omega named Alin was gone, along with the man she had been speaking to—who was clearly not a store employee.
A quick glance around the entire mall confirmed it. Alin had vanished.
Luo Hai had lost the trail. And at the same time, Eugene had no chance to make contact with his associates.
It seemed today’s operation was going to end without results.
Luo Hai turned his eyes to the large floor-length mirror outside the dressing room.
The reflection showed a man in a brand-new, tailored suit, standing tall and straight. His sharp features were as expressionless as a freshly manufactured android—until his lips pressed together slightly.
Eugene’s taste was, without a doubt, impeccable. This suit was more refined and better tailored than any he had ever worn. It was sleek but not rigid, moving fluidly with him as he walked or raised his arms.
It was expensive, but well within his budget.
In fact, for the same price, he never would have picked something this perfect on his own.
“I worked at a tailor shop before. Learned about suit-making and custom fittings.”
Eugene appeared behind him, smoothing out the fabric on his shoulders, eyes meeting Luo Hai’s in the mirror. A small smirk played on his lips.
“And I know every measurement of your body.” His tone deepened. “I even know which pants will be too tight for your crotch.”
“Good for you,” Luo Hai said coldly. “I hope your taste is as wide as my crotch.”
Eugene paused, then burst into laughter, loud and unrestrained, taking ages to stop.
…..
Luo Hai went to pay for the suit. While the cashier wrapped up his old clothes, Eugene came over and caught his wrist.
“Wait.”
“What now?” Luo Hai glanced down.
Eugene lifted his wrist, carefully rolling up his shirt cuff, then slipped a deep blue cufflink through the buttonhole, fastening it securely.
“This kind of shirt is meant to be worn like this.”
Luo Hai watched his hands. “…Where did you get this?”
“Bought it from the counter over there.” Eugene took his other hand and fastened the second cufflink. “Don’t you think it matches your eyes?”
“Where did you get the money?” Luo Hai frowned.
“Asking too many questions ruins the fun,” Eugene smirked. “What man doesn’t have a little stash of secret savings?”
Luo Hai looked at the cufflinks in silence. Their deep blue sheen reflected the mall’s lights. Even without knowing much about them, he could tell they weren’t cheap.
As a prosecutor, he should return them and make Eugene get a refund.
But as Luo Hai, in this fleeting moment, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to keep something of Eugene’s.
Something, anything, that could remind him of Eugene Oddis in the years to come.
In the end, Luo Hai said nothing. He simply lowered his hand, took the receipt and his old clothes, and walked straight toward the exit.
