To satisfy guests’ “special” needs, the hotel room was outfitted with all kinds of lighting. As Chu Yanyi and Zhou Yi stumbled inside, an accidental nudge from someone’s elbow hit the switch, turning on the brightest light in the room.
The room was instantly illuminated as bright as daylight.
Zhou Yi came to a halt, freezing blankly on the spot, allowing Chu Yanyi to finally see him with total clarity.
According to the age recorded in Zhou Yi’s file, he was actually slightly older than Chu Yanyi.
Perhaps because the man’s sharp, arrogant edge during their first encounter had overshadowed all other impressions, or perhaps due to his subsequent “naive” behavior before Chu Yanyi, Chu Yanyi often forgot his true age when interacting with him.
Looking at him now, the Alpha possessed handsome, striking features. Whether owing to harboring those intimate desires, a touch of allure lingered between his brows and at the corners of his eyes, while a trace of dried white fluid remained at the edge of his lips—looking thoroughly enchanting indeed.
And exceptionally suitable for being bullied.
Carrying a touch of drunkenness, Chu Yanyi leaned down, slowly kissing the man’s earlobe: “Zhou Yi, tell me—what kind of reward do you want this time? I didn’t bring any candies in my pockets today.”
Zhou Yi froze on the spot, his face turning bright red, even forgetting to breathe out of tension. It took a long moment for him to snap back to his senses from oxygen deprivation. Raising his head and gasping heavily, his hands trembled as he wrapped them around Chu Yanyi’s shoulders, parting his lips.
Chu Yanyi saw the drunkard reflected in those green eyes let out a smile. Wrapping an arm around Zhou Yi’s waist and releasing his cane, he spoke softly: “Of course you can.”
Already lacking balance, the moment he set down his cane, he fell straight onto the bed alongside the Alpha.
The soft mattress bore the weight of two full-grown men, instantly sinking into a deep depression.
“And then? Zhou Yi, what do you want to do?” Chu Yanyi casually pulled off the shirt he was wearing, tossed it onto the floor, and looked at Zhou Yi lying beside him.
Zhou Yi blinked blankly, then gritted his teeth. Flipping over decisively, he straddled Chu Yanyi’s body, yet found himself at a complete loss for what to do next. Closing his eyes, he kissed Chu Yanyi’s chin in a chaotic flurry, without regard for where his lips landed.
The key hanging around his neck bounced along with his movements, colliding against Chu Yanyi’s chest over and over.
A soft chuckle came from above as he heard Chu Yanyi’s helpless voice.
“When Ying Yu was with you, don’t tell me he was the one on the bottom instead?”
Zhou Yi shivered, sitting rigidly astride Chu Yanyi, dropping his eyes.
Seeing his aggrieved, pitiful, completely helpless posture awaiting slaughter, Chu Yanyi burst into laughter. He rarely exhibited such uninhibited behavior before Zhou Yi; staring at him blankly, Zhou Yi felt as though his heart were melting completely.
Reaching up, Chu Yanyi felt around the compartment built into the headboard, indeed retrieving certain supplies thoughtfully provided by the hotel for guests.
“Do you know how to use this?” He handed the tube of lubricant to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi reached out subconsciously to take it, but upon reading the text on the packaging clearly, his face flushed bright red in an instant.
“An Alpha’s physiological structure in this regard is different from an Omega’s—it’s not even as suitable as a Beta’s.” Chu Yanyi gestured for Zhou Yi to unscrew the cap. “Make do with it. I don’t want the two of us visiting the hospital together tomorrow; if some busybody spots us, who knows what kind of rumors will spread.”
Zhou Yi raised his eyes in confusion, capable only of following his best guesses—it felt far too strange. He wondered what he looked like in Mr. Chu’s eyes right now.
A kiss landed between his brows, pulling Zhou Yi abruptly back to reality. He caught the rich scent of irises—an Alpha’s pheromones. He felt a physiological surge of nausea, yet psychologically craved more with addictive longing.
“Losing focus again.” Chu Yanyi pressed down on Zhou Yi’s gland, scratching it gently with his fingernail in a wicked gesture. Zhou Yi instantly bit his lip, letting out a muffled groan.
A surge of intense, dry heat flooded his entire body. He couldn’t resist leaning into Chu Yanyi’s neck, seeming to want to bite, yet also seeming merely to seek comfort from the Alpha. Chu Yanyi then intruded his fingers into his mouth, pressing down on his tongue.
“Acting as if you’ve never tried this before…” Chu Yanyi’s sticky fingers brushed past his cheek, his warm breath laced with pheromones striking the side of his ear. “Is that true, Zhou Yi?”
*
The next second, Zhou Yi trembled violently from intense pain, veins bulging along his neck as tears surged out uncontrollably. Unable to care for anything else, he bit straight down on Chu Yanyi’s shoulder, a metallic taste of blood spreading throughout his mouth.
It hurt far too much.
He couldn’t describe what kind of pain this was; he had never experienced such agony in his life.
In a state of muddled confusion, he raised his arm through choked sobs, unsure of what he was trying to grasp, only for his left wrist to be held forcefully in Chu Yanyi’s grip.
Zhou Yi subconsciously tried to break free, yet Chu Yanyi tightened his hold even further.
“Moving?”
Chu Yanyi let out a light laugh.
Zhou Yi ceased moving altogether, merely continuing to shiver uncontrollably. A mass of fire was burning him alive, he thought in a daze.
Something was cuffed around his wrist as Chu Yanyi pulled his deformed right hand.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. You’re doing very well, except you still haven’t broken the habit of biting people…”
The sensation of his scars being licked tormented him to the point of insanity. The tail of Chu Yanyi’s words still carried a smile; as to whether it held mockery or pity, Zhou Yi had no capacity left to discern. Cold sweat trickled down his hairline, metal clinking against the headboard repeatedly, while his left wrist turned bruised and raw with bloody marks.
The cold, dazzling moon hung suspended in the sky as gray clouds slowly and forcefully swallowed its light. Outside the window on the far side lay the end of the First District—a deep, seemingly endless ocean. Waves struck one after another, throwing up layers of white foam.
Chu Yanyi held zero concept of doing such things between two Alphas, acting strictly on the instincts of his susceptible period.
Thus, driven by an Alpha’s primal instinct, Chu Yanyi parted his lips and bit down on the gland on the back of Zhou Yi’s neck. A strange sour bitterness—the scent of another Alpha’s pheromones—erupted. The mutual repulsion engraved into an Alpha’s genes surged up instantly, causing Chu Yanyi’s movements to pause. Yet in the end, after the knotting concluded, he endured the discomfort to kiss that wound lightly.
Amidst indescribable agony, Zhou Yi released his bite with a whimper. As another Alpha’s pheromones collided wildly within his blood vessels, he closed his eyes in peaceful reassurance regardless.
The moment he sank into darkness, Chu Yanyi’s sigh landed beside his ear: “I almost thought I could genuinely mark you.”
*
Chu Yanyi woke up punctually the next morning as usual. The irritability from his susceptible period had vanished completely, replaced by the throbbing headache of a hangover. Taking a deep breath, the roomful of iris pheromones was now mixed with a subtle, hard-to-distinguish scent of another Alpha’s pheromones.
It resembled the bitter aroma of vegetation right after a rain shower.
This scent came as quite a surprise to Chu Yanyi.
Staring at the location of the gland on the back of the Alpha’s neck, a distinct bite mark remained like a brand, the blood already congealed, yet clear evidence of the force used at the time.
His brows furrowed slightly, the coldness in his eyes vanishing in a flash.
Initially, Chu Yanyi hadn’t taken the anomaly during his secondary differentiation seriously. After all, he was occupied with contending against Ying Yu, possessing neither the time nor the inclination to come into contact with other Omegas.
It was only when he gained a moment to breathe that he discovered he couldn’t perceive an Omega’s pheromones like a normal Alpha could; even the scent of a rare S-grade Omega smelled like nothing more than a ordinary, sharp breeze to him.
Every susceptible period could only be endured relying on artificial soothing agents.
Yet why was this Alpha an exception?
In the end, the rumor about cuckolding Ying Yu actually came true after all, Chu Yanyi thought casually. Reaching out his hand, before he could touch the Alpha’s wound, the Alpha snapped his eyes open and flipped over abruptly.
It was a look filled with sheer panic and despair.
Chu Yanyi suddenly forgot what he was going to say.
“Had a nightmare?” He wiped the sweat from Zhou Yi’s forehead, his tone gentle.
Zhou Yi’s focus slowly returned. The moment his eyes landed on Chu Yanyi, he transformed right back into the Zhou Yi who stood before Chu Yanyi.
Clueless, timid, devoid of sharp edges.
Chu Yanyi pressed down on Zhou Yi, who was trying to sit up: “Don’t move around recklessly. Does it hurt? I’m going to handle a few matters outside and bring back painkillers for you. Rest a bit longer.”
As if realizing what had happened late, the tips of Zhou Yi’s ears turned bright red instantly. Watching Chu Yanyi’s retreating back as he put on a robe and leaned on his cane, he endured the soreness across his body, buried his face into the pillow, and curled his lips into a smile.
The terror brought by that nightmare evaporated completely, to the point where he couldn’t even recall its contents.
Even though no one was present right now, Chu Yanyi meticulously put on his freshly ironed shirt and complete outfit after washing up.
Birds chirped outside the window as sunlight drifted across the floor through a thin curtain. Massaging his temples, Chu Yanyi first found the throat medication Doctor Chen had brought back from the black market among Zhou Yi’s sparse belongings, before locating that candy box inside the jacket Zhou Yi had worn last night. Opening it, it proved to be painkillers indeed.
Just as recorded in Jin Du’s investigation, the Alpha truly consumed painkillers like candies.
After a moment’s thought, he picked up a box of anti-inflammatory medication as well, before pouring two glasses of scalding water and placing them on the table.
While waiting for the water to cool, he lit a cigarette and read through a file Chen Ke had left last night regarding the details of the turmoil in the Second District, sitting alone on the sofa for a while. The cigarette butt burned down to his fingers, yet he seemed completely oblivious, repeatedly editing a message to Chen Ke.
It was not until the sunlight slanting in through the window enveloped him entirely that he picked up the water glasses and medication to return to the bedroom.
What’s done is done; better to think about the things that can be changed.
Zhou Yi had already sat up on his own, pulling back the quilt to inspect the marks across his body. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he snapped his head up, his green eyes gleaming brightly.
Looking at him like this, the man was still far too thin. Chu Yanyi stared at Zhou Yi’s exposed chest and lower abdomen; aside from his own finger marks, the outline of every rib was clearly visible.
He knew Zhou Yi hadn’t lived well for a long period of time. Even after staying in the manor for so long, the weight he had gained didn’t necessarily compare to when he was with Ying Yu before.
After all, everyone said Ying Yu treated his “white moonlight” exceptionally well, granting whatever he asked for.
Spoiled beyond measure.
“How are you feeling right now? Hungry? In pain?” Chu Yanyi sat down beside Zhou Yi, brushing his sweat-dampened hair behind his head. “Tired of waiting? It took me a while to find medication that can be taken on an empty stomach.”
Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment, nodded, then shook his head.
“Hungry? But not in pain?” Chu Yanyi raised an eyebrow. “Really? Take your medication first.”
Zhou Yi nodded very quickly this time. Swallowing the medicine, he continued staring quietly at Chu Yanyi, a bright glint lingering in his eyes.
Indeed remarkably obedient, impossible to pick a flaw.
Taking a sip of water to moisten his throat, Chu Yanyi set down his glass, his tone turning somewhat somber: “Zhou Yi, the matter between you and Ying Yu is in the past. Since this happened between us while I was drunk, I will certainly take responsibility. However, I don’t know if your current self can accept this arrangement between two Alphas in bed—you must have been uncomfortable last night, right?”
“I will compensate you as much as possible—whatever you want, as long as I have it. If you wish, once you recover, go find an Omega or Beta you like. As long as you remain in the Third District, with me around, those people won’t be able to touch you.”
Zhou Yi listened, his spine straightening up. By the end, he shook his head rapidly, parting his lips to nervously indicate he hadn’t disliked it. He wanted to make more sign language gestures, but his right hand was caught by Chu Yanyi.
“Zhou Yi, I’ve told you that we share only a working relationship, so I won’t interfere in any of your personal affairs. However, if—I mean if—you and I enter a more intimate private relationship, I won’t be able to resist wanting to interfere with everything about you.”
Chu Yanyi’s gaze turned deep as he let out a soft sigh: “I have many rules for those around me; I might interfere with your every word and action, yet I dislike being interfered with by anyone. This isn’t fair to you, right? Zhou Yi, I’m actually not a good person. I’m very selfish; even though there are many things I cannot tell you, I expect you to trust me 100%. So I think you’d better consider…”
His words cut off mid-sentence as Zhou Yi embraced him forcefully once again.
Zhou Yi presented his terminal’s virtual screen before Chu Yanyi, displaying text written in letter format. Chu Yanyi didn’t know whether he had drafted it beforehand or typed it out just now.
It opened with the traditional three characters: “Hope this letter finds you well.”[1]HAHAHAHAHSHA it clicked a nerve in Chu Yanyi hahaha jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3669883_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3669883_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
A nerve in Chu Yanyi’s forehead throbbed—the last person to write him a letter had been Ying Yu. He suddenly felt a surge of curiosity: Had Zhou Yi genuinely intended to send such a letter to him?
In the letter, this low-browed, submissive man discussed many concepts he had researched using his terminal, involving psychology, sociology, biology, and even metaphysics… with the subject of study being humanity’s eternal unsolved mystery: What does it mean to like someone?
Zhou Yi wrote: “When I didn’t know I liked Mr. Chu, I only cared about whether I was allowed to like Mr. Chu.”
Zhou Yi wrote: “Mr. Chu, you are a very, very good person.”
Zhou Yi wrote: “Mr. Chu, I think I want very much to like you, and I like you very much too. I want to look at you always, and stay by your side always.”
Chu Yanyi spent roughly three minutes reading through the letter. Letting out a soft breath, he looked at Zhou Yi with a smile, nodding: “I see…”
Drawing out his final words long, he leaned down, pinching Zhou Yi’s chin into a suffocating kiss.
His tongue slowly licked over Zhou Yi’s teeth, his fingers moving slightly downward to press against the pulsing blood vessel and brand on the side of Zhou Yi’s neck.
He couldn’t spend his entire life relying on medication to get through his susceptible periods. If Zhou Yi were truly as obedient as he presented himself to be, then keeping him for a lifetime—just as Ying Yu had done… didn’t seem entirely out of the question, did it?
A moment before Chen Ke knocked on the door intending to enter, he murmured unclearly: “As you wish.”
References[+]