MTY chapter 4

At 7:30, the alarm clock rang on time.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and in the dim room, Lu Ziqing took a moment before opening his eyes. He sluggishly got out of bed and dressed.

He was used to starting work at nine, so waking up earlier than usual felt odd.

As he stepped out of bed, a faint scent drifted in from outside his room. He took a deep breath, but he couldn’t quite identify it. It smelled a bit like wood—cool and heavy.

Maybe it was from the trees in the residential complex, he thought. The trees always thrived in summer, their leaves soaked in sunlight, exuding a crisp, fresh scent.

He got dressed with his eyes half-closed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and meticulously shaved the stubble on his chin.

Everything went smoothly.

Even the annoyance from last night’s disturbance had faded a little.

After getting ready, he stepped out, intending to wake Lin Yu. But to his surprise, the door across from his room was already open. The bed was neatly made, the blanket and pajamas folded with precision.

…Well, that made sense. Someone as disciplined as Lin Yu would definitely wake up earlier than him.

When he walked into the living room, he was even more surprised to find a perfectly arranged breakfast on the table—bacon sandwiches, fried eggs, a vegetable salad, and a cup of warm milk.

The plating was impressively elegant.

Lu Ziqing raised an eyebrow.

A little kitchen fairy?

He called out, “Lin Yu.”

Silence.

Already left for work?

But when he glanced down at the entrance, Lin Yu’s shoes were still there.

Frowning, he called again, louder this time: “Lin Yu?”

His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

Lin Yu had sent him a message: [Sorry, I’m in the bathroom. My stomach isn’t feeling great. Breakfast is ready—eat first and head to the office. I’ll be there soon.]

There were two bathrooms in the apartment—one in the master bedroom, and another near the study.

Lu Ziqing immediately called him. “Are you feeling sick?”

Lin Yu hummed faintly over the phone. “Probably just a stomachache from the cold.”

Lu Ziqing: “Why didn’t you answer when I called you earlier?”

Lin Yu spoke slowly, his voice soft as a whisper: “…Your doors are of good quality. I didn’t hear you.”

Lu Ziqing: “…”

If the soundproofing was so good that not a single noise could get through, that didn’t seem like just a matter of good door quality.

“I’ll take you to the hospital,” Lu Ziqing said.

“No need,” Lin Yu quickly replied, sounding a little more energetic than before. “I’ll be fine after resting for a bit.”

Then he added, “You don’t have to worry about me. Just head to the office first—I’ll be there soon.”

Inside the bathroom, Lin Yu leaned against the sink with one hand while pressing a cold towel against the gland on his neck with the other. He forced himself to speak calmly into the speakerphone.

His neck and cheeks were flushed pink, his body curled slightly forward as if he could barely stand.

At his feet, shattered glass fragments covered the floor.

Earlier, after making breakfast, he had gone to the bathroom to take his suppressant. But his fingers had slipped, and the glass vial tumbled from his grasp, shattering on the tiles. The translucent liquid spilled everywhere.

He had planned to grab a new vial from his room, but just as he was about to leave, Lu Ziqing had woken up.

Afraid of being discovered, he had no choice but to lock himself inside and claim he wasn’t feeling well. Meanwhile, he pressed the cold towel harder against his burning gland, desperately trying to suppress his pheromones.

…He should have injected the suppressant first thing in the morning.

But since he was a guest in Lu Ziqing’s home, he had thought it would be nice to show some gratitude by preparing breakfast. That had been his only focus.

Now, it was backfiring.

All that effort, and for what?

Lin Yu was deeply frustrated. But he forced his voice to remain steady as he said, “You should head to the office first. I’m really fine.”

He heard footsteps outside, drawing closer. His grip on the towel tightened, pressing it harder against his gland.

Luckily, the footsteps paused for a moment before retreating.

“Alright then,” Lu Ziqing finally said. “I’ll head out first. I’m taking the milk and sandwiches. See you at work.”

Lin Yu exhaled a slow breath of relief.

He listened as the footsteps grew fainter, then the front door clicked shut.

At last, he threw the towel aside, gasping for air as he slumped over the sink.

In that instant, a thick, cool fragrance of fir trees burst from his gland, filling the entire bathroom.

The scent was deep and crisp, like walking through a misty forest at dawn—damp with morning dew, shrouded in a chilling haze.

Every heat period was a grueling ordeal for Lin Yu.

The contrast between the cool scent of his pheromones and the burning heat of his gland left him weak and paralyzed, unable to move.

He crouched down, waiting for the discomfort to pass, but no matter how long he waited, he couldn’t stand up.

Gritting his teeth, he leaned his neck under the faucet, letting the cold water pour over his scorching gland.

His body shuddered violently from the chill.

Once the swelling of his glands subsided slightly and some strength returned to his limbs, he immediately turned and pulled open the door, dashing out.

As long as he could get back to his room and grab the suppressant, then—

He forgot about the step between the bathroom and the floor outside.

The moment he rushed through the door, he tripped, falling forward.

A steady pair of hands caught his arms from behind.

Lu Ziqing turned him around. “You—”

Lin Yu’s face was flushed like he was drunk. He could barely stand and slumped forward.

Lu Ziqing didn’t know whether to hold him up or push him away. He pinched Lin Yu’s shoulders with two fingers. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t frame me for anything.”

Lin Yu’s neck and face were burning. His long eyelashes cast faint gray shadows on his eyelids.

This was the first time Lu Ziqing had been this close to him.

His breath was rapid and hot, his entire body weak like a piece of ice cream melting under the summer sun.

Lu Ziqing’s expression was complicated. “No wonder I thought I smelled wood this morning. Dude, are you messing with me? You’re in heat and didn’t say anything?”

It wasn’t hard to figure out—Lin Yu was probably afraid of being kicked out and not having an explanation for his boss.

Lu Ziqing sighed. “Early in the morning, no suppressant, and when I asked, you didn’t say anything. I know I’m younger than you, but could you at least treat me like an alpha?”

Lin Yu barely managed to open his eyes. “The suppressant… broke…”

Lu Ziqing glanced at the bathroom. “Ah, I see. I thought you were trying to seduce me.”

Lin Yu couldn’t even keep his eyes open, but he still shot him a weak glare.

Lu Ziqing raised a brow. “Why are you glaring? You’re an omega in heat, no suppressant—highly suspicious behavior. It’s normal for me to have doubts, okay?”

Lin Yu gritted out through his teeth, “What… motive… would I have?”

“Oh, you know—‘forced into marriage, then love blossoms, overbearing husband falls for me,’ that sort of thing—” Lu Ziqing coughed. “That’s how it always goes in novels.”

Blame Mi Lan for always playing those ridiculous romance novels in the office—his brain had been poisoned by them.

“I have… no such interest in you,” Lin Yu murmured, eyes shut. “I said I’d keep my distance, and I will. That’s my promise to President Lu.”

His glands were unbearable, and standing before him was a living, breathing young alpha. To suppress his body’s instinctive response, he could only close his eyes, reducing the sensory overload.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Lu Ziqing let out a soft hum.

“Good,” he said. “Where’s your suppressant? I’ll get it for you.”

Lin Yu: “First drawer on the left side of the desk. Black box.”

Without warning, Lu Ziqing scooped him up, his hold steady and strong like a towering camphor tree.

Lin Yu’s body was suddenly lifted off the ground, shocking him into opening his eyes.

“Why are you so light?” Lu Ziqing mused. “Like a little girl.”

Lin Yu wanted to refute, but he was too weak. He could only protest in silence.

“What, don’t like that? You’re pouting so much you could hang an oil can from your lips,” Lu Ziqing teased, setting him down on the sofa. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Lin Yu lay dazed on the couch, feeling like he was floating in boiling water.

A moment later, he vaguely heard Lu Ziqing’s footsteps returning.

“I got the suppressant… Can you inject yourself?”

Lin Yu heard his voice but had no strength left to move.

Lu Ziqing sighed lightly and began tearing open the packaging. “Alright, try to turn over a little. Otherwise, I won’t be able to give you the shot.”

Lin Yu wanted to turn, but he couldn’t even move a finger.

“Damn… Why is this scent so strong?”

The thick aroma of fir wood filled the room, almost bursting through the ceiling.

Lu Ziqing wrinkled his nose. He vaguely felt his own gland stirring and, with no time to hesitate, grabbed Lin Yu’s shoulder and flipped him over, positioning him face-down to expose his neck.

His fingertips brushed against smooth, burning skin.

“I’m going to inject you now,” Lu Ziqing said. “It might hurt. I’ve never done this before, so bear with it. If it’s too painful, bite a pillow. Not the couch, though—it’s genuine leather. If you ruin it, my dad’s deducting the cost from your salary.”

Lin Yu: “…”

Before he could react, the needle pierced his gland.

His spine tensed for a moment before his body went limp, sinking into the sofa.

…

A few seconds later, the injection was complete. Lu Ziqing tossed the empty vial into the trash. “All done.”

Lin Yu felt his body gradually stabilizing. “…Thanks.”

His voice came out hoarse and unrecognizable, even to himself.

“No need,” Lu Ziqing muttered, sounding a little unnatural. “If something like this happens again, just tell me. I’m not unreasonable. Since I agreed to let you stay, I’ll help when I can.”

He watched as Lin Yu struggled to sit up. “What are you doing?”

“Going to work.” Lin Yu’s flush hadn’t fully faded, but his tone had turned cold. “I don’t have much time left. If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.”

“Are you insane?” Lu Ziqing asked. “You just took a suppressant. You can’t even stand properly—how are you going to work?”

Lin Yu swayed slightly, gripping the sofa armrest like an unsteady little gummy figure, but still managed to stand up. “I can.”

Lu Ziqing: “…”

Lu Ziqing: “Come on, tell me—you’re barely able to stand. How are you going to drive?”

Lin Yu responded sluggishly, “I’ll take a taxi.”

Lu Ziqing: “Fine, let’s say you manage to get to the office. Then what? You’re just going to walk in like this?”

Lin Yu looked at him in confusion. “Why not?”

Lu Ziqing: “…Go check yourself in the bathroom mirror.”

Having just taken the suppressant, Lin Yu’s mind was still sluggish.

He didn’t quite understand what Lu Ziqing meant. After a moment of blankness, he lowered his head and shakily reached for his briefcase.

Work…

He had to work.

“So you think I’m messing with you?” Lu Ziqing chuckled in exasperation and dragged him straight to the bathroom mirror. “Take a good look at yourself. Right now, aside from your hair, your entire body is flushed pink. You’re just going to walk out like this and let everyone at the office see? What do you want them to think? That you just finished a three-hundred-round battle with a hundred and eight warriors before leaving the house?”

Lin Yu’s short-circuited brain only caught a few key words.

One hundred and eight…

Three hundred…

Lin Yu had been raised with high expectations and underwent rigorous academic training from a young age. Back in kindergarten, he had already been trained to have a sharp sense of numbers, reacting quickly to arithmetic problems. The moment he heard numbers, he instinctively calculated.

Lin Yu murmured without thinking, “Two remainder eighty-four.”

Lu Ziqing thought he misheard. “What?”

“Three hundred divided by one hundred and eight equals two remainder eighty-four,” Lin Yu said slowly. “On average, each warrior gets two turns… with eighty-four turns left over.”

Lu Ziqing: “…”

 

[mfn]

[Author’s Note]

Xiao Lin: Work is life! Work is love! Work is the path to greatness!

[/mfn]