PHWM Chapter 89

The bedroom was dark, chillingly cold.

 

Liang Xiao turned on a soft wall lamp and looked at President Huo reclining on the sofa with closed eyes. A sharp pain that couldn’t be suppressed shot through his chest.

 

This wasn’t… how he had imagined it.

 

He had thought of many approaches, gradually infiltrating bit by bit, carefully hinting several times, finishing all the busy work they needed to do, and then holding him properly in bed to slowly explain.

 

It shouldn’t be like this.

 

Liang Xiao closed his eyes for a moment, steadied himself against the wall, walked to the side of the sofa, and half-crouched down.

 

President Huo’s consciousness was blurred by his pheromones, his muscles tense to the point of sharpness under his clothes, his deep brows and lashes covered in cold sweat.

 

Liang Xiao raised his hand and placed it on the back of President Huo’s hand.

 

As if even this temperature was too scorching, President Huo trembled, instinctively wanting to avoid it. His body shuddered slightly, but he still couldn’t wake up.

 

“It’s me,” Liang Xiao held his hand. “Huo Lan, I’m not feeling well; help me.”

 

President Huo took a sharp breath, his shoulders suddenly tensing.

 

“No rush, I won’t leave.”

 

Liang Xiao touched his cheek, unbuttoned his shirt, and used his body heat to warm him: “Wake up first, then come get me.”

 

Liang Xiao raised his hand and massaged President Huo’s temples, gradually applying pressure to help the almost spasming muscles relax under his fingertips.

 

Liang Xiao took out a tie and bound their clasped hands together, tying a tight knot.

 

President Huo had probably been traumatized by being tied up once before. Sensing the restraint around his wrist, he instinctively tried to break free, but Liang Xiao lowered his head and gently kissed the back of his hand.

 

The soft, warm touch landed on the back of his hand. President Huo shrank slightly but couldn’t escape.

 

“Being tied is good; this time neither of us can run away.”

 

Liang Xiao closed his eyes, rested against the back of his hand for a while, and embraced President Huo completely: “Are you cold?”

 

President Huo was terribly cold. Liang Xiao unbuttoned his own clothes as well, pressing chest to chest to warm him, gradually massaging his shoulders, back, and arms, which were as hard as iron.

 

President Huo’s eyelashes trembled as he struggled to wake up, only to be pulled back into deeper darkness.

 

He had only wanted to finish the problems, to look at the answers Liang Xiao had left for him, but his pheromones made it impossible for him to calm down. He had used several suppressants, yet his mind remained in chaos.

 

He couldn’t control the irritability triggered by his alpha instincts and was afraid of damaging what Liang Xiao had left for him.

 

The sketchbook was sturdy, but it could still easily be wrinkled if not careful. President Huo had already been as cautious as possible, but his cold sweat still dripped onto the writing on the paper.

 

The data in the problems became blurred, making them impossible to solve.

 

President Huo wasn’t clear how he had fallen into the nightmare, only that he still firmly remembered not to damage that book. He had tried his best to support himself and walk to the farthest corner of the room before finally giving in.

 

He was sinking in darkness so thick it couldn’t dissolve, vast snowy plains and boundless wilderness, with bone-chilling winds swirling around him, countless voices echoing repeatedly in his ears.

 

Liang Xiao had told him that when trapped in a nightmare, it’s not easy to wake up; one must find an exit. He remembered Liang Xiao’s words and tried to follow the visible light of fireworks forward, but each time he watched those lights shatter at his touch, swallowed again by darkness.

 

Brilliant and dazzling, reduced to powder and dust.

 

His voice was sealed tight, unable to even apologize or confess his guilt. The deep darkness condensed into ice, restraining his limbs, almost completely sealing him inside.

 

President Huo’s shoulders tensed as he tried to break free, when suddenly he was enveloped by a warm temperature.

 

The other end of the restraint also became a steady heartbeat with breath and warmth, a temperature completely different from the frost, thoroughly protecting him. A familiar-to-the-bone scent wrapped around him entirely, guiding him toward the edge of darkness.

 

The warmth gently touched his ear: “Huo Lan.”

 

President Huo’s chest trembled slightly as he opened his eyes.

 

“It’s really not easy to wake you up…” Liang Xiao relaxed, leaning back against his chest weakly, looking up with a smile. “Long time no see.”

 

President Huo stared at him, his breathing unsteady.

 

He couldn’t figure out how Liang Xiao had appeared here, almost suspecting he had fallen from one dream into another.

 

But this dream… was undoubtedly much better than the previous one.

 

President Huo looked at the beads of sweat on Liang Xiao’s forehead and instinctively raised his hand to wipe them away, but as soon as he lifted his hand, he hurriedly closed his eyes.

 

His pheromones hadn’t been calmed, and with his consciousness returning to clarity, the alpha’s formidable instincts raised an irresistible tidal wave.

 

“Suppressant-”

 

President Huo closed his eyes tightly, his body tensing severely, his jaw clenched almost to the point of bleeding, as he forced out a few words: “Quick, leave…”

 

Liang Xiao shook his head: “Can’t leave now.”

 

President Huo was taken aback, frowned as he tried to speak, and suddenly noticed the tight knot binding their wrists together.

 

President Huo instinctively suspected another trap, his heart completely cold, his breath suddenly sinking.

 

Even if this was just another dream, President Huo was still afraid of hurting the Liang Xiao here. He tried his best to press his arm behind his back, dispelling all thoughts, and asked hoarsely: “What’s… going on?”

 

Liang Xiao had originally intended to tell the truth, but when asked like this, he suddenly couldn’t resist a mischievous thought: “…I don’t know.”

 

President Huo frowned deeply.

 

“Maybe… it’s a trial of fate.” Liang Xiao coughed, his ears reddening slightly as he told a blatant lie. “We’ve been locked together, can’t be cut or broken, only a permanent mark can unlock it…”

 

President Huo, with his head splitting from waves of pheromones growing stronger one after another, his chest heaving, tried to understand Liang Xiao’s meaning and moved to break his bound left hand.

 

Liang Xiao was startled and quickly grabbed his arm, holding it tightly: “What are you doing?!”

 

“I’ll break it… you leave first.”

 

President Huo said softly: “Go as far as you can, to a safe place.”

 

“An alpha’s strength is greater than you think.” President Huo, afraid he wouldn’t be reassured, tried to smile at him, raising his hand to gently stroke Liang Xiao’s head. “I can break it with my bare hands. Let go, close your eyes…”

 

Liang Xiao was so angry his vision darkened: “…”

 

He had indeed underestimated their President Huo.

 

Even in this situation, President Huo could still brilliantly find a third solution.

 

Liang Xiao was both angry and amused, sitting up: “You’ll break your hand, and then let me run?”

 

President Huo was stunned by his surging anger, looked up at him in a daze, and said nothing.

 

Liang Xiao was so angry he almost wanted to bite him, but after searching everywhere, he couldn’t bear to bite anywhere, so he could only hold his arm tightly without letting go: “I won’t let go.”

 

President Huo, with his chest and shoulders fully embraced, shuddered, a stifled groan escaping his throat.

 

President Huo hated himself like this, took a breath, and tried to close his eyes: “You should leave quickly, I’ll come find you…”

 

“And then meet again as strangers,” Liang Xiao asked. “Searching for each other for another ten years?”

 

President Huo was slightly taken aback and opened his eyes.

 

Liang Xiao’s reaction was too real; he almost began to doubt this wasn’t a dream, with unease growing in his heart: “I-”

 

“You what?” Liang Xiao had wanted to scold him for a long time but hadn’t had the heart to. Now, provoked by this unexpected option C, he was both angry and heartbroken, biting his shoulder. “Did you ask for my opinion?”

 

Liang Xiao bit President Huo hard, scolding him indistinctly: “I’ve already tried once and failed, we’ve both paid enough of a price, and you want to do it again? You should be deducted eighty points…”

 

President Huo listened in a daze, his chest heaving, his mind completely clearing.

 

Liang Xiao was furious: “I can’t bite through!”

 

President Huo opened his mouth but made no sound, forcing himself to gradually relax his shoulders, allowing Liang Xiao to bite him firmly.

 

The sharp pain pierced through the haze. President Huo let out a muffled groan and closed his eyes.

 

Liang Xiao’s anger dissipated after one bite. Looking up to see moisture in his lashes, all his anger instantly vanished, and he regretfully hugged him tightly: “Alright, alright, no more biting…”

 

Liang Xiao couldn’t suppress his concern, pressed against his sweat-soaked neck, and said softly: “No more biting, don’t be upset anymore.”

 

President Huo was almost trembling. He raised his hand to embrace him but didn’t dare, slowly withdrawing his hand.

 

Liang Xiao grabbed his hand and placed it on his waist.

 

President Huo struggled slightly: “No-”

 

“Say ‘no’ again,” Liang Xiao ground his teeth, “and I’ll jump out the window, crying and shouting that Xingguan’s President Huo is a heartless scoundrel who seduced and abandoned me.”

 

President Huo didn’t dare speak, his chest heaving as he quietly looked at him.

 

Liang Xiao had scared him with his nonsense and, looking up, ultimately couldn’t bear it. He squeezed President Huo’s hand: “I won’t shout.”

 

President Huo closed his eyes: “You should scold me.”

 

He ultimately couldn’t forgive himself so easily. This feeling, at its root, had no connection to whether Liang Xiao blamed him or was willing to forgive him.

 

“Go out first… untie this, go out and wait for me.”

 

President Huo tried to clear his mind, realizing that what bound them was just a tie, not some trial of fate. He stroked Liang Xiao’s back: “Let me use a suppressant first, wait until I recover… then we’ll talk properly.”

 

President Huo closed his eyes briefly, forcing all his consciousness to firmly suppress the undeniable instinct: “Your body isn’t fully recovered yet, be good…”

 

Liang Xiao quickly pulled out a medical examination report from his pocket, turned to the page showing that his gland had recovered over ninety percent of its function, and put it in his hand.

 

President Huo: “…”

 

President Huo clenched his fist and said softly: “An alpha’s instincts are far more terrifying than you imagine. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself…”

 

Liang Xiao took out a “Contemporary Medical Knowledge Encyclopedia” and placed it to the side.

 

President Huo: “…”

 

President Huo’s lips moved, but before he could speak again, he was firmly bitten by Liang Xiao.

 

“There are people standing guard outside; if anything goes wrong, I’ll shout.”

 

Liang Xiao pressed his forehead against his, his ears burning hot, and muttered softly: “I already talked tough to them before coming in… if you don’t bite me back, I won’t have the face to go out.”

 

Liang Xiao could actually guess what President Huo would do: “You want me to go out while you find a place to calm down. After a month or two, when you’ve adjusted yourself and won’t affect me with your emotions anymore, you’ll come find me, right?”

 

President Huo avoided his gaze and nodded slightly.

 

“But I can’t bear to part with you,” Liang Xiao said. “How many two-month periods have we missed? An inch of time is an inch of gold; how can we be so extravagant?”

 

President Huo said softly: “It’s not that you can’t bear to part.”

 

Liang Xiao was about to calculate a gold exchange rate for him but was taken aback: “Huh?”

 

President Huo closed his eyes: “You don’t want to leave me alone to suffer.”

 

“You know how painful it is to be alone, and you know how much it hurts to forcibly resist pheromones.”

 

President Huo’s voice grew hoarse, almost unable to control his desire to hold him tight, yet forcing himself to gradually control his strength: “So you don’t want… me to be like that too.”

 

Liang Xiao, having his true feelings so directly exposed, was embarrassed and angry, and bit him again in the same spot as before.

 

President Huo’s entire body was aching and heavy; he could no longer feel the pain in his shoulder but still tried to relax to accommodate his bite, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

 

President Huo stroked his head and said softly: “For the first time… I don’t want to give it to you so hastily.”

 

Liang Xiao: “…”

 

The words weren’t wrong, but in context, he felt more like the one forcibly taking and coercing.

 

Liang Xiao glanced at the pile of things he had brought, feeling strangely guilty, and hid them behind his back: “Then… should I also use a suppressant?”

 

President Huo frowned slightly, his mind clearing considerably: “What did you use?”

 

Liang Xiao’s ears were burning hot as he held the empty inducer packaging and showed it to him.

 

President Huo’s mind buzzed as he sat up, suddenly understanding what had happened.

 

No wonder… when he was at the extreme of haziness, almost losing sensation of everything around him, he could still sense that particularly familiar scent guiding him out.

 

No wonder Liang Xiao could wake him up.

 

“It’s a mild type, with a very small dose,” Liang Xiao had finally managed to pull him to the entrance of the alley and, fearing he would go back, quickly explained. “If you don’t want to bite me, go use a suppressant.”

 

Liang Xiao assured him: “I’m not uncomfortable at all right now, I’m full of energy, and one suppressant is enough.”

 

Liang Xiao supported himself on his legs, wanting to demonstrate his energy, but as soon as he sat up, President Huo held him tightly.

 

Hot moisture seeped into his neck.

 

Liang Xiao was taken aback, touched President Huo’s head resting on his shoulder, and asked softly: “Did you not listen to the voice recorder?”

 

President Huo’s breathing was heavy, his body slightly trembling from the suppressed tears, and he shook his head.

 

Liang Xiao rummaged through the pile of clothes he had taken off, found the voice recorder, opened it, and pressed play.

 

President Huo listened, looking up in a daze.

 

Liang Xiao hadn’t comforted him, hadn’t said whose fault it was, hadn’t mentioned the past or the future.

 

“New debts and old debts, settled at once.”

 

Liang Xiao’s voice, overlapping with the pre-recorded one, fell on his entire consciousness: “Huo Lan, give yourself to me as compensation.”

 

…

 

The scent of nourishing rain spread uncontrollably.

 

“Huo Lan.” Liang Xiao turned off the voice recorder, his sweat-damp brows and closed eyelashes unable to suppress their trembling, along with his voice. “If you don’t hurry, it will be too late.”

 

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