Chapter 24
Lin Xiaoran’s endurance was simply extraordinary. If you didn’t carefully look at his face or have physical contact with him, it would be nearly impossible to tell if he was truly enduring the torment of his heat.
But now, Gu Yang finally saw how uncomfortable he was. At least he was barely holding himself up.
As soon as they entered the room, Lin Xiaoran collapsed weakly onto the bed, bowing his head and tightly clutching the bedsheets. His hands were practically white, the knuckles even whiter from being clenched so tightly.
Gu Yang stood by the door, watching him. The scent of cedar slowly flowed from his Alpha glands.
He realized that his composure always seemed to falter whenever he encountered Lin Xiaoran.
Would staying here lead to a situation like last time?
Gu Yang felt a headache coming on.
“I…”
“You should go. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Lin Xiaoran still kept his head down, his voice much softer than usual, as if he had used all his strength to say those words.
Amber eyes lingered on him, but Gu Yang eventually gently closed the door and left.
He stood at the door for a while, not hearing any sound from inside, making sure Lin Xiaoran was truly fine alone before quickly going downstairs.
The scent of sweet pear gradually dissipated in the air as he stood at the entrance of the internet café, feeling the night breeze for a while until his own pheromones gradually calmed down.
Inside the internet café, someone was clamoring to buy cigarettes, loudly searching for someone. He turned and walked in, threw a pack of cigarettes on the counter, and the person scanned the code to pay before returning to their seat to continue gaming.
He also weakly sat down on a chair.
There were several messages from buyers on QQ asking about his boosting services. He opened the chat window and replied, but he could still faintly smell the scent of sweet pear.
He rubbed his nose, knowing it was just his mind playing tricks. Pheromones could indeed travel far in open spaces, but their penetrative ability wasn’t strong. Otherwise, couples having sex at home would affect everyone around them with their pheromones.
Lin Xiaoran was in a closed room; there was no way his pheromones could reach here.
But it was useless; he could still smell it, and his mind was filled with the image of Lin Xiaoran enduring his heat, his pale yet flushed face.
He helplessly dropped the mouse and keyboard, leaning back in his chair.
He didn’t know why he cared so much.
For Lin Xiaoran, this torment had been inevitable since they marked each other. No one else could bear it for him except himself.
But he found that reasoning couldn’t convince himself. Lin Xiaoran’s face kept appearing in his mind, refusing to leave.
With a sudden movement, he stood up.
A customer who was getting up to go to the restroom was startled by him and asked what was wrong, but he didn’t hear and walked out from behind the counter, quickly running out.
It was late at night, and most of the few shops in the alley that stayed open late had already closed. It was dark outside.
Having stayed here for a few days, he was quite familiar with the surroundings. He didn’t need streetlights to know where to go. He followed the stairs all the way up to the third floor and stopped outside his room, gently knocking on the door.
No response.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally opened the door himself. Instantly, a tidal wave of Omega pheromones assaulted him, almost causing him to lose control. But then, his whole body stiffened.
Lin Xiaoran was curled up in bed, soaked in sweat from head to toe. Large beads of sweat dripped down his prominent nose, while he, in order to control himself, was biting down hard on his own pale wrist.
At that moment, Gu Yang didn’t know what he was thinking. He just kept looking at Lin Xiaoran, the scent of cedar pheromones flooding out instantly, entangling with the scent of sweet pear in the room.
Omega in heat was particularly dependent on Alpha pheromones, especially when it was an Alpha they marked themselves.
The Omega in bed finally reacted. Slowly lifting his head, his normally sharp and icy eyes were now watery, but when they fell on the Alpha opposite him, the innate physiological need was too obvious.
Gu Yang saw his fingers unconsciously lift, reaching towards where he was. It seemed like he wanted to get closer.
But the next moment, his pale fingers curled up again, and he lowered his head, still biting down on his wrist and not looking at him.
Gu Yang sighed softly, walked over, and sat on the edge of the bed, gently grabbing his wrist. “Let go.”
The Omega seemed to be muddled by the torment of his heat, lifting his head to look at him. His thick lashes trembled, but his mouth still didn’t release its hold. It seemed he knew that letting go might make him lose control, so he stubbornly held onto this bottom line.
But his body’s response was honest.
He needed an Alpha, and his body particularly favored the pheromones of the Alpha in front of him. So, his other hand unconsciously grabbed Gu Yang’s clothes, using just one finger to lightly curl around the hem.
Gu Yang’s breathing became heavier and heavier, unsure if it was because of the Omega’s pheromones or because of Lin Xiaoran’s actions.
His dry throat moved slightly, and he licked his lips gently, his voice hoarse and barely recognizable. “Can we… talk about something?”
Lin Xiaoran just looked at him.
“In a bit, no hitting.” Gu Yang said, looking at him.
The torment of being unsatisfied during heat made Lin Xiaoran’s reactions very dull. He seemed to hardly understand what Gu Yang was saying, blinking his watery eyes with confusion, showing no response.
However, Gu Yang’s pheromones became even more uncontrollable as a result. Alphas naturally had a conqueror’s instinct when facing Omegas.
He grabbed Lin Xiaoran’s hand and pulled him closer, letting him lean on his shoulder, bowing his head to reveal the nape of his neck, where a faint pink maple leaf was tantalizingly close.
Lin Xiaoran made no resistance at all. The torment of heat had almost driven his sanity to the brink of collapse.
At this moment, he only felt comfortable being close to Gu Yang. The feeling of being enveloped by a refreshing cedar scent made him feel intoxicated.
This compliant side of him was very different from his usual self. Gu Yang couldn’t help but take a few more glances, then lowered his head to gently bite on the pale pink maple leaf.
“Ah…”
After enduring the torment for too long without satisfaction, the Omega’s reaction was too strong. Even though Lin Xiaoran was still biting his wrist, the uncontrollable sound escaped from his throat, and his body tensed up.
But gradually, he began to relax.
The burning sensation in his body gradually subsided as Alpha pheromones soothed him, making his body feel lighter.
Finally, he gradually released his clenched teeth and let go of his wrist.
Gu Yang had been watching him all along. Now, he reached out and grabbed the wrist that had been deeply bitten, almost showing traces of blood, gently sliding his fingertips over the bite marks, repeatedly.
The Omega leaned on his shoulder, gradually calming down, and the scent of sweet pear in the air faded away.
Both of them, tormented by their biological urges, also breathed more steadily.
The small room finally returned to peace, quiet, and soundless.
After a while, Lin Xiaoran gently moved and slowly raised his head.
Only then did the Alpha, who had been bitten on his gland, come to his senses. He quickly released Lin Xiaoran’s gland, along with his wrist, and jumped away from the bed, nervously looking at Lin Xiaoran.
Confused, Lin Xiaoran looked at him. The mist in his bright black eyes had not completely dissipated. “What’s wrong?” His voice had returned to its usual crispness.
Gu Yang looked at him and, seeing that he didn’t seem to intend to attack, shuffled back to sit on the bed again. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll attack again? Last time, I got punched for no reason.”
Thinking of the last time he punched Gu Yang after the temporary marking ended, Lin Xiaoran felt a bit guilty and whispered, “Sorry about last time.”
At that time, it was just his instinctive reaction.
Even if he was usually easygoing, he knew that an Omega’s gland shouldn’t be bitten by an Alpha.
But afterwards, he found that after Gu Yang bit him, all the pain from his heat disappeared. He immediately threw away the notion that Omega glands shouldn’t be bitten.
Only a fool would endure such inhuman torment for the sake of some rule.
Gu Yang looked at him with some surprise, then felt that he was making a fuss. After all, Lin Xiaoran just didn’t like to talk much, but he wasn’t unreasonable.
Instead of Lin Xiaoran suddenly apologizing to him, what he cared more about was the wound on Lin Xiaoran’s wrist.
Lin Xiaoran had been quite ruthless to himself. His teeth had deeply imprinted on the flesh, and red blood strands were emerging.
Gu Yang’s gaze involuntarily stuck to the wound. The sequelae of the temporary marking came again. He couldn’t bear to see any flaw in the Omega he marked, and the sight of the wound felt glaringly unpleasant.
“I’ll go downstairs to get the first aid kit. Your wrist needs to be treated.”
“No need.” Before the words reached Lin Xiaoran’s lips, Gu Yang had already gotten up and gone out.
Lin Xiaoran could only swallow back his words, lowering his head to look at his wrist. Indeed, the bite was quite severe, but he had done the same thing during his heat before, and it would heal in a few days by itself.
There was always a first aid kit behind the counter downstairs in the internet café. After all, occasional minor injuries would occur in the café’s occasional scuffles.
Gu Yang fetched the first aid kit, then thought for a moment and grabbed a towel and toothbrush from the shelf behind. Occasionally, customers stayed in the internet café, so these daily necessities were also sold here.
As he went upstairs, he heard Lin Xiaoran making a phone call, probably to Gu’s house.
After all, at this hour, he wouldn’t go back yet, and Gu Xiuyuan must be worried.
Gu Yang could tell that the person on the other end of the phone call was Gu Xiuyuan, but he didn’t react much. He just threw the towel and toothbrush to the side, then bent down to handle Lin Xiaoran’s wrist.
The wound was indeed quite serious, and blood was slowly flowing out by now.
Suddenly, Gu Yang remembered the night when Lin Xiaoran had pinched his palm until it bled during his heat.
“That night, I met an Omega in heat at the KTV.” He lowered his head, gently cleaning the bloodstains, his voice soft.
Lin Xiaoran had just hung up the phone and turned his head to look at him, saying nothing.
He had heard about this from Chen Hongqiang, but he didn’t expect Gu Yang to bring it up now.
“Like going crazy, really,” Gu Yang continued.
Before that night, Gu Yang had only seen Lin Xiaoran in heat, looking uncomfortable but seemingly tolerable, because Lin Xiaoran seemed to maintain his sanity until the end.
He thought all Omegas were like this.
But that night, the reaction of that Omega really scared him.
At that time, only he and that Omega were left in the private room. The other party’s pheromones were intense and direct, and their behavior was even more direct. They desperately pressed against Gu Yang’s body, actively trying to remove their own clothes, completely forgetting that they were an Omega, a girl, and that such behavior was shameful and lacking in self-respect.
At that moment, Gu Yang felt like he was not facing a person but a beast submissive to **.
That night, he finally realized how terrifying an Omega’s heat could be.
Lin Xiaoran had to go through this every month. How did he endure it?
“Hmm?” Lin Xiaoran was somewhat surprised that he would ask about this. After thinking for a moment, he couldn’t come up with anything and said, “Who knows? Maybe I’m just used to it.”
It was hard to imagine, given his light tone, that just moments ago, he had been torturing himself in every possible way to maintain his sanity.
But because of the aftereffects of the marking, Gu Yang felt uncomfortable. It was a regret that he couldn’t protect his Omega properly.
It was inexplicable, but that was indeed the feeling.
Without speaking, he bowed his head and wrapped the wound with gauze.
Lin Xiaoran felt it was a bit exaggerated, but in the end, he didn’t retract his hand, letting Gu Yang wrap several layers of gauze around his wrist.
“What about that night? Aren’t you planning to explain things to Uncle Gu clearly?”
Lin Xiaoran hadn’t planned to ask about this before because he knew that with Gu Yang and Gu Xiuyuan falling out like this, what happened that night was a taboo subject. Moreover, it was a matter between the father and son, and he, as an outsider, shouldn’t interfere. Besides, he didn’t like meddling in other people’s affairs.
But now he suddenly brought it up.
It seemed that he was indeed influenced by the aftereffects of the marking, making him involuntarily concerned about his Alpha who marked him.
Gu Yang looked up at him. “Do you think I did something to that Omega?”
Lin Xiaoran was stunned for a moment, then understood his meaning. He was angry that Uncle Gu didn’t trust him.
“But…”
“Can we not talk about this issue?” Gu Yang interrupted him. “I don’t want to, but you know, I probably can’t refuse you now. Since you asked, I have to say it.”
Lin Xiaoran swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue and nodded gently. “Okay. Then I’ll leave first.”
Saying that, he picked up his backpack and put it on his shoulder, ready to leave.
But Gu Yang stopped him with a pull. “Is anyone coming to pick you up?” he asked.
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
He looked at Gu Yang in confusion, not understanding what he meant for a moment.
Gu Yang smiled helplessly. “Are you even an Omega? You have no sense of awareness. It’s late at night, and you expect me to let an Omega go back alone? Forget it, stay here tonight. I’m on the night shift anyway. I’ll give you the bed.”
He pointed to the towel and toothbrush. “These are new. There are no spare clothes, so make do with them.”
Lin Xiaoran was momentarily dumbfounded before he realized what Gu Yang meant. Gu Yang was worried that he might encounter danger on the way back alone.
How… was that possible?
Did Gu Yang look down on his fighting skills?
Perhaps it was because he had been very good at fighting since he was a child and had never encountered any danger due to his gender, so he really had no self-awareness about his gender.
Suddenly, Gu Yang’s concern for him on his way back alone in the middle of the night made him inexplicably moved.
He knew this was the aftereffect of the marking, and resisting it was pointless.
Well, it was getting late, and he was indeed a little tired.
“Okay,” he agreed, pulling out his phone from his backpack and calling Gu Xiuyuan again, saying he was staying overnight at a friend’s house.
On the other side, Gu Yang looked at the time and realized he had spent too much time upstairs. He gave some instructions and then left with the things.
Lin Xiaoran went to the bathroom to wash up, then came back to lie on the bed.
Perhaps it was because he had just been marked, but his heartbeat was still irregular. He closed his eyes but couldn’t fall asleep smoothly for a while.
In the darkness, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around.
The small room was filled with moonlight slanting in from the window, allowing him to vaguely see the outlines of things. Besides the bed, there was almost nothing else.
Under the desolate moonlight, it seemed a bit bleak.
Had Gu Yang been staying here these past few days?
In Lin Xiaoran’s mind, the image of Gu Yang returning to this place after a night shift, dragging his tired body onto the bed in the early morning, floated up.
What a… fool.
Finally, the drowsiness gradually overwhelmed him, and he fell asleep on the fool’s bed.
Sleeping too late, coupled with the aftereffects of the temporary marking, made him unusually comfortable, causing him to sleep deeply until Gu Yang finished his night shift, bought breakfast, and returned to open the door. It wasn’t until then that he woke up groggily.
The blanket was wrapped around him, covering half of his face, with only a pair of watery eyes visible, seemingly still not fully awake. His thick eyelashes fluttered as he looked at Gu Yang without saying a word.
That appearance was unexpectedly cute.
This thought flashed through Gu Yang’s mind, and he was shocked for a moment. He quickly shook his head to wake himself up, not wanting to be trapped in the aftereffects of the marking.
Lin Xiaoran cute?
Was there anyone in the world who wasn’t cute?
That guy was just good-looking, nothing more!
After forcefully brainwashing himself, he brought the things over and spread them out on the table. “Get up and have breakfast.”
Lin Xiaoran finally woke up completely, crawled out from under the blanket, and opened the dumplings Gu Yang handed him. His eyebrows furrowed instantly. “Cilantro?”
“Hmm? I said not to put it in yours.” Gu Yang put down his own portion, took Lin Xiaoran’s, and sure enough, there were a few pieces of cilantro on top.
Lin Xiaoran pursed his lips, his disgust evident, and picked up the chopsticks to grab a steamed dumpling, clearly not wanting to eat the dumplings anymore.
Gu Yang chuckled. “Can’t I pick them out for you?” With that, he lowered his head and picked them out with his chopsticks.
