Luo Ran felt as though his sense of shame alone could make him spontaneously explode on the spot.
The fabric wrapped around him carried Lucas’s bitter, smoky scent. Rich and full-bodied, it gradually calmed Luo Ran’s mental power.
At the same time, his entire body felt soft and weak, and he desperately wished he could have more.
Every single cell in his body longed to be embraced by these pheromones.
An Omega’s instincts made Luo Ran’s breathing grow involuntarily heavier as he craved more of the Alpha’s scent.
…No. This wouldn’t do.
Luo Ran barely managed to come back to his senses. Forcing himself to regain his composure, he braced himself against the bed and sat kneeling beside the headboard, concentrating on regulating his breathing.
Xia Zhi had been right. Luo Ran’s self-control was freakishly strong.
Even at a time like this, he could still suppress his instincts with an iron grip.
His ten slender fingers clenched the bedsheets tightly. Luo Ran administered another dose of suppressant, and finally managed to break free of his dependence on the pheromones and the instinctive thoughts running through his head.
A thin sheen of sweat covered Luo Ran’s forehead. He glanced at the dark green military coat, his expression complicated.
An ordinary coat had somehow become the very embodiment of Pandora’s box.
Luo Ran pushed the coat aside and collapsed back into the covers.
In the end, however, he still held the coat in his arms. He simply refused to let himself become dependent on it or lose himself in its comfort. Once he had recovered and regained his composure, he would still use it.
A heat cycle generally lasted three to five days. Luo Ran hoped these next few days would pass smoothly, without any complications arising from his temporary mark.
His bed stood against the wall, with a window set into it. The moon was bright and clear that night, and moonlight streamed through the glass, spilling across his blanket.
The person curled up beneath it gradually drifted into sleep.
…
The next day, Luo Ran applied an extra layer of pheromone-blocking spray and made sure to carry suppressants in his pocket.
After all, he wasn’t going to Xia Zhi’s place for the time being. Too many documents had piled up at the company, and he needed to deal with them.
“Good morning.” Rong Duo smiled brightly beside him. “Xiaoyun has taken leave, so I’ll be accompanying you again this week.”
“Good.” Luo Ran nodded.
Rong Duo was very capable at her job. Perhaps because she was still a newcomer, she was also brimming with enthusiasm. Luo Ran thought he could invest more effort in training her and encourage her to stay a little longer.
Luo Ran sat down and opened the company email. Inside, he found a mountain of invitations from Princess Liliya of Luobing.
After learning that Lucas had dined with Andika and that Luobing was delighted by the development, Liliya had felt thoroughly slighted. She was even extremely jealous. Why should that illegitimate son be allowed to get ahead of her?
Furious, Liliya had stopped caring about how terrifying Lucas could be. She insisted that he dine with her as well. Rumor had it that she had even caused a scene at the embassy.
“Oh dear, that troublesome princess from Luobing…” Rong Duo said helplessly. “She throws a tantrum every other day.”
Luo Ran shook his head too. The princess’s behavior really did undermine the dignity and grace expected of Luobing’s royal family.
Nevertheless, Lucas would have to dine with Liliya at least once. Even if she hadn’t requested it, it was still the Empire’s responsibility to entertain her. At the very least, they had to meet her once.
Besides, if Lucas refused, wouldn’t that only lend credence to the rumors that he was interested in Andika?
“Um…” Rong Duo glanced at Luo Ran, who was busy reviewing official documents. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, “Secretary Luo…”
“Hmm?”
Rong Duo cautiously asked, “What’s the relationship between the General and the royal family like?”
“Pretty good,” Luo Ran replied while writing on a document. “The old king trusts him more than he trusts his own sons. The Second and Third Princes are both good friends of his. As for the First Prince, they’re more like casual acquaintances.”
Rong Duo asked, “So the General doesn’t dislike the First Prince?”
“Of course not.” Luo Ran laughed helplessly. “The First Prince and the General could even be considered friends.”
“Oh…”
Rong Duo thought to herself, So he’s just jealous.
Ahhh, what a beautiful love story!
Compared with the story she had read last night, this was simply too sweet! Reality was a hundred times sweeter than fiction!
Luo Ran got up to print out the invitation, then entered Lucas’s office to see him.
The moment he stepped inside, however, he nearly turned around and fled.
…
He could no longer look Lucas in the eye…!!
Luo Ran genuinely hadn’t expected that fanfiction to have such a powerful effect on him.
Although he had skipped over the more explicit parts of the story, he had still inevitably caught sight of a few key words.
Now, every time he looked at Lucas, his mind filled with terrible lines like “Heh, you damned man,” “Is it big? Does it feel good?” and “little vixen.”
And then there was 38 cm.
…He would pay a fortune for a pair of eyes that had never seen any of it.
“What are you standing over there for?” Lucas asked, frowning slightly.
“Nothing…” Luo Ran smiled and walked over to hand him the invitation.
Gulp.
Up close, Lucas’s features looked even more rugged and handsome.
Luo Ran took a deep breath, reminding himself that he couldn’t allow some ridiculous piece of fiction to give him strange ideas about his superior.
This was terrible.
He took another deep breath and forcibly banished all those chaotic thoughts from his mind.
“I’m not going.” Lucas glanced at the invitation and tossed it aside.
“General…” Luo Ran knew that bringing up imperial etiquette and official obligations wouldn’t work on Lucas. So instead, he asked, “Have you really fallen for Prince Andika?”
“…?” Lucas roared furiously, “Have you lost your mind?!”
Luo Ran smiled sweetly. “You went on a private date with Prince Andika while leaving the princess completely out in the cold. Doesn’t that mean you’ve already made up your mind about whom you want?”
Lucas’s gaze darkened. “Who told you that?”
Without the slightest change in expression, Luo Ran answered with complete seriousness, “That’s what the entire Empire thinks.”
He wasn’t lying. The forum had been full of people wailing about it just last night.
“Isn’t it just a meal with the princess?” Lucas said. “Fine. As it happens… there’s something I need to discuss with her.”