Chapter 76
Late at night, Lin Xiaoran, wearing a white coat, sat quietly in front of the computer in the duty room, reviewing the conditions of patients in various beds. His gold-rimmed glasses rested on his high nose bridge, and occasionally, he would lift them slightly with his fingertips.
It was such a casual gesture, so effortless that he wasn’t even aware of it. However, whenever the young nurses passed by and saw it, they would get all excited, rushing to the nurses’ station to share the sight with their colleagues.
This had become a daily occurrence at West City Hospital ever since Lin Xiaoran started working there.
It wasn’t just the nurses who were fond of his night shifts. Even the patients looked forward to them, as it meant that the handsome Doctor Lin would do his rounds, and they would find opportunities to chat with him—even if it was just a few words or a brief moment of eye contact, it made them happy.
As for Lin Xiaoran, he was completely unaware of this. He was the type of person who became entirely focused on whatever task he was doing, to the point that nothing else could distract him.
At that moment, the young nurses passed by his office once again, peeking in to steal a glance at him, and whispering excitedly among themselves. Lin Xiaoran didn’t notice, staying absorbed in his work, even forgetting to go to the cafeteria for a meal.
Seizing the opportunity, the nurses approached him to speak. Two or three lively girls squeezed into the doorway, grinning as they called out to him, “Dr. Lin, it’s time to eat! The food in the cafeteria is limited at night, if you go late, it’ll be all gone.”
Only then did Lin Xiaoran lift his head, glancing at the time in the corner of his computer screen—it was almost one o’clock.
He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he needed to take his medication.
As a doctor, he knew it was bad to take medicine on an empty stomach. He smiled lightly and asked the nurses, “Can you bring me something? Anything’s fine.”
“Sure!” The nurses were more than happy to help. Not only would this give them another chance to talk to Dr. Lin, but they were also quick to rush to the cafeteria to make sure his meal was warm.
Sitting at his desk for a while, Lin Xiaoran took off his glasses, revealing his handsome features.
He didn’t like wearing glasses—he found the frames uncomfortable on his nose, so whenever he wasn’t working or reading, he would take them off.
Fortunately, his myopia hadn’t worsened over the years, and he still only had mild nearsightedness. It wasn’t a problem for him not to wear glasses.
After taking off his glasses, he stood up, poured himself a cup of hot water, and stretched a bit. When he returned and sat down, his phone on the desk rang. It was a video call from Gu Yang.
He picked up the phone, and Gu Yang’s face appeared on the screen. “Dr. Lin, have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet.” Lin Xiaoran’s voice was a little hoarse, as he was slightly under the weather.
“Ah, you’re still not feeling better? If you’re sick, you shouldn’t be on the night shift. You should take the day off,” Gu Yang said. He knew Lin Xiaoran’s colds usually lasted a few days, and though it wasn’t a serious illness, seeing him still working late at the office made Gu Yang feel a bit concerned.
“I’ll eat soon, then take some medicine, and I’ll be fine,” Lin Xiaoran reassured him, not thinking much of it. Seeing that Gu Yang was still out, he changed the subject and asked, “Did you just finish work?”
“Yeah.” Gu Yang didn’t like driving, so he often walked to and from work. Now, late at night, he was strolling along the quiet street covered in fallen leaves on his way home. Thinking that Lin Xiaoran would be able to rest for two days after his night shift, Gu Yang couldn’t help but feel a little excited. “Should I come pick you up?”
There was no way around it—ever since Lin Xiaoran came back last time, the two hadn’t seen each other for half a month.
“Are you crazy?” Lin Xiaoran laughed. “I can get back myself. Go get some rest.”
By this time, if Gu Yang were to come and pick him up, he wouldn’t get much sleep before having to head to the hospital again early in the morning. Plus, they would both have to drive back. Lin Xiaoran felt it wasn’t necessary; he could drive back on his own just as easily.
Gu Yang understood that Lin Xiaoran was trying to be considerate, and he smiled happily. “You’re such a thoughtful boyfriend!”
Still, he planned to go pick him up anyway.
Lin Xiaoran had no idea about Lu Ting’s intentions. After hanging up the phone, he continued working, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
He looked up and saw Lu Ting standing at the doorway, politely tapping the doorframe with a tray of food from the cafeteria. Smiling, he spoke, “I ran into Xiao Zhang and the others in the cafeteria. They said they wouldn’t be back for a while and were worried you might get hungry, so they asked me to bring you this.”
With that, he walked in and placed the food on the desk.
Lin Xiaoran, a man of few words, had even less to say to him, so he simply nodded. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” A flash of surprise crossed Lu Ting’s eyes, as if a simple “thank you” from Lin Xiaoran was something incredibly rare and meaningful. That single word of gratitude gave him a burst of motivation. He looked at Lin Xiaoran, reluctant to leave, and asked with a hint of concern, “You’re still not feeling better from your cold?”
Lin Xiaoran opened the food and glanced at him, not responding, but the message was clear—if there’s nothing else, just leave.
Ignoring him, he started eating.
Lu Ting’s initial joy slowly faded, his gaze lingering on Lin Xiaoran. Gradually, the expression turned into an unmistakable pain, then morphed into a subtle greed, before finally becoming a forced smile as he said warmly, “I won’t disturb you then. You carry on with your work.”
Lin Xiaoran didn’t look up, so he didn’t see Lu Ting glance back at him one last time before he reached the door.
Lin Xiaoran, however, remained focused on his meal, though he wasn’t particularly hungry. After just a few bites, he put it down, took the medicine with hot water, tidied up his desk, and resumed his work.
Anyone who’s worked a night shift knows that the hardest part is between two and three in the morning—everything feels uncomfortable, whether sitting or standing. But Lin Xiaoran was fine; as long as he had rested during the day, night shifts didn’t make him overly tired.
Tonight, though, he didn’t know if it was the cold medicine or a lack of rest earlier in the day, but he suddenly felt incredibly weak.
Fortunately, there were no emergency situations, and he stayed in the office.
However, hospital regulations required him to check on patients before finishing his shift, so he washed his face with cold water to try to wake himself up, then forced himself to finish the rounds. By the end, he was exhausted, feeling like he could fall asleep standing up.
In this state, he didn’t dare drive back. After completing the shift handover, he took out his phone to call Gu Yang, telling him he’d come back in the afternoon. But just as he stepped outside, Lu Ting followed him, wearing a concerned expression.
“Dr. Lin, you don’t look well. Has your cold worsened?” Lu Ting asked.
Lin Xiaoran shook his head, remaining silent, and quickened his pace toward the dormitory.
Lu Ting followed at a distance, but Lin Xiaoran didn’t pay much attention, since Lu Ting also lived in the dorms.
However, the moment Lin Xiaoran opened his door, Lu Ting suddenly rushed forward, shoving him into the room, following him inside, and shutting the door behind them.
Caught completely off guard, Lin Xiaoran didn’t have time to react. His body was drained, his limbs weak, and with the push from Lu Ting, he almost lost his balance.
Then, he heard the door slam shut, and his brow furrowed. Turning around, he saw the abnormal look on Lu Ting’s face.
“You…”
He was about to tell Lu Ting to leave, but suddenly his legs gave out, and he almost collapsed.
The reason became clear.
Lu Ting’s scent, his pheromones, suddenly overwhelmed Lin Xiaoran, attacking him all at once.
It had been years since he’d been affected by another Alpha’s pheromones. Even when Gu Yang wasn’t around, he used Gu Yang’s pheromone extracts, so he hadn’t been vulnerable to other Alpha’s scents.
But this time, he’d run out of Gu Yang’s pheromone extract and hadn’t paid attention to it. He was supposed to go home today, so he didn’t think it would matter.
Now, suddenly overwhelmed by such a potent scent, he felt his strength drain. His legs were shaking, and he was struggling to stay on his feet.
“Why are you doing this?” Lin Xiaoran looked at Lu Ting, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he fought to steady his voice.
His hand, hidden behind him, clutched his phone. He couldn’t see it, but he was pressing random buttons, hoping to make a call to someone.
Meanwhile, Gu Yang had just parked at the hospital entrance. As he reached for his phone to call Lin Xiaoran, his phone rang.
Gu Yang saw that it was a call from Lin Xiaoran. He smiled, thinking they had a special connection, and eagerly pressed the answer button. But before he could speak, a strange voice came through the phone.
“Lin Xiaoran, don’t blame me. I’ve liked you for years. I’ve tried every way to get close to you, to please you, but you’ve never even spared me a glance. I have no choice! I know you must look down on me even more now, but if I could let go of you, I wouldn’t be doing all these things that would make you despise me. Today, I’ve made up my mind. Even if you hate me for the rest of your life, I’ll mark you completely today and make sure you belong to me forever!”
In an instant, Gu Yang’s mind exploded with worry, anger, and urgency, pushing him to abandon everything else. He got out of the car and rushed into the hospital dormitory building.
Normally, entry required registration, but Gu Yang didn’t care. He grabbed the building manager by the arm and shouted, “Get the spare key for room 602, now!”
This moment, Gu Yang was far from the calm, easygoing young man people usually saw. His innate Alpha leadership and overwhelming presence took full force, instantly making the manager comply without hesitation. The manager handed him the spare key.
Gu Yang grabbed the key and rushed down the hallway.
The old building, with its poor insulation, allowed Gu Yang to clearly scent Lin Xiaoran’s pheromones. The concentration was already high, but there was another Alpha’s scent as well—much stronger than the sweet pear-like fragrance of Lin Xiaoran’s usual scent.
The thought of someone trying to possess his Omega made Gu Yang lose all composure. His cedarwood-scented pheromones burst out, overpowering the unfamiliar Alpha’s pheromones.
Inside the room, both Lin Xiaoran and Lu Ting felt the onslaught of the pheromones. Lu Ting, overwhelmed, was frozen in place, while Lin Xiaoran stood protectively shielded by Gu Yang’s scent.
Gu Yang? The name flickered through Lin Xiaoran’s mind as the door was violently shoved open. In an instant, Gu Yang’s pheromones flooded the room, and Lu Ting’s scent retreated. Lin Xiaoran barely saw the flash of motion before Lu Ting was thrown to the ground, and Gu Yang’s face appeared before him.
At that moment, Lin Xiaoran’s tense body finally relaxed.
“Gu Yang…” He called weakly, his body slumping as he lost his strength.
Gu Yang froze.
The moment he saw Lin Xiaoran, his mind went blank.
His Omega was injured—blood was soaking through his pants, almost staining them red—and he was helplessly collapsing.
Gu Yang sprinted over, sweeping Lin Xiaoran into his arms. His heart ached so much that his voice trembled. “Ranran, you…”
“Gu Yang!” Lin Xiaoran urgently interrupted him, his pale face flushed, and sweat pouring from his forehead as his body writhed with discomfort. He clung desperately to Gu Yang’s clothes. “Bite me… quickly…”
Before Lin Xiaoran finished speaking, Gu Yang sank his teeth into his gland.
Cedarwood pheromones flowed into Lin Xiaoran’s body, soothing his restlessness.
As the chaotic attack of foreign pheromones gradually calmed, Lin Xiaoran still remained weak—his cold, lack of rest, the drug, the pheromone attack, and the wound on his leg were all wearing him down.
Before Gu Yang arrived, he had been holding on, but now, with Gu Yang by his side, his willpower was too thin to maintain.
This had always been the case—whenever Gu Yang was around, his strength seemed to fade.
But it was okay. Lin Xiaoran knew he could leave everything to Gu Yang. He could trust Gu Yang.
With that comforting thought, Lin Xiaoran finally lost consciousness, collapsing in Gu Yang’s arms, his leg still bleeding.
At that moment, Gu Yang was consumed with rage, wanting nothing more than to kill Lu Ting. But first, he had to get Lin Xiaoran to the hospital to treat his wound. He cast one last cold glance at Lu Ting, who was subdued by his pheromones, before scooping Lin Xiaoran up and carrying him out.
Bang!
Something fell from Lin Xiaoran’s hand, and Gu Yang looked down. It was a blood-stained fruit knife.
His amber eyes flashed with a myriad of emotions: heartbreak, regret, anger…
Why had he allowed his Omega to be hurt like this?
What kind of desperate situation had Lin Xiaoran been in to resort to stabbing himself with a fruit knife, using the pain to fight off the attack of another Alpha’s pheromones?
At that moment, Gu Yang couldn’t forgive himself.
