Yu Jingyue continued, her voice warm and teasing, “Have you run out of your pheromone spray? I can send you more later.”
Shi You nodded. “Yeah, I ran out of it.”
“How could it be so fast? Didn’t you just get a new one?” Yu Jingyue asked, frowning slightly.
“You know, the effect of pheromone sprays is different from the natural pheromones on an AO’s body. The biggest nuisance is that they don’t have a fixed scent. That means they often lose effectiveness, and one formula only lasts about a semester.”
She rubbed her temple lightly, sounding slightly exasperated. “The next cycle of warmth regulation is about to start, and since you’re not here, it’s hard for us to prepare it for you.”
Shi You thought for a moment, then said carefully, “Jingyue Jie, I think I’ve found my fixed warmth host.”
Yu Jingyue immediately perked up, interest piqued, “A host? Our little You’Er has someone he’s interested in?”
Shi You rarely spoke of his “host” to anyone. It was a term that came naturally to him after his mushroom like transformation.
As a mushroom type being, he had always been slow to understand emotions. He had never truly grasped human romantic feelings. Whenever someone confessed to him in the past, he had rejected them all.
When asked why, he only furrowed his brow and whispered, “Am I supposed to say yes?”
But this time, he answered honestly. “Yeah… I’ve found someone whose pheromones are amazing. I really like them. And it’s different from before, it’s a warmth that can last a long time, not just a fleeting thing.”
Yu Jingyue, being an Omega herself, immediately reacted to key words: “like,” “good smelling pheromones,” “different feeling.” Her voice practically bubbled with excitement. “Come on, tell your sister! What’s he like?”
Shi You recalled the details carefully. “He’s an Alpha, very tall. His pheromones… He smell like autumn. Oh, and he studies plants. His home is filled with flowers and greenery, the humidity is perfect! I really love it.”
Yu Jingyue’s eyes widened in surprise. He had already been inside someone else’s home? And here she thought her little brother was slow to act!
Shi You, however, allowed a small slump of disappointment in his posture, “But… nothing has really progressed between us. I don’t know how to start talking to him.”
It made sense, he didn’t know if Lu Yicheng would even accept a mushroom as a host. Pheromones were a personal matter, and asking directly might seem impolite.
Yu Jingyue, completely misunderstanding the situation, imagined her little brother caught in the throes of first love, struggling over how to confess.
She laughed gently, reassuring him. “It’s fine, it’s fine. You can start as friends. Spend time together and get used to each other… you can also maintain the warmth a little while you’re at it.”
Shi You blinked in surprise. Maintain warmth? Isn’t that exactly what he wanted anyway? But he didn’t correct her, because she was actually right. “Okay, Jingyue Jie! I’ll do my best.”
Yu Jingyue cheered him on again before finally hanging up.
Meanwhile, Lu Yicheng swiped his work card and entered the lab.
Outside, wisps of clouds floated across the clear blue sky. Sunlight filtered softly through the leaves, scattering golden specks onto the windowsill.
Inside, the laboratory was immaculate. Test tubes and reagent bottles were neatly arranged on shelves, the workspace pristine.
Lu Yicheng’s research group was well funded. Centrifuge tubes of every size, drawers full of pipette tips, and cabinets stocked with reagents, there was no need to compete with anyone else for materials.
By the time he arrived, Zhang Beihan was already there, seated at a table and carefully examining each of the cultured fungi in front of him.
Lu Yicheng donned a mask and took out his glasses from his bag. Hearing a faint sigh nearby, he asked, “What are you doing?”
“Correcting undergraduate assignments,” Zhang Beihan replied.
“I’m the teaching assistant this semester, so I’m reviewing their fungal cultivation reports.”
Lu Yicheng didn’t respond. He inspected the Arabidopsis seeds they were working on and then sat at the clean bench, beginning to sow seeds and transfer seedlings.
His method was precise and efficient. After disinfecting the seeds, he resuspended them in low-concentration sterilized agar, and with a 1ml pipette tip, he dispensed them evenly, minimal error, maximum uniformity.
Zhang Beihan couldn’t help but comment, still muttering while reviewing a student report, “Man, look at this. Did they grow a mushroom?”
The word “mushroom” made Lu Yicheng pause mid motion, almost misplacing a seed.
“That’s a fungal contamination,” Zhang Beihan muttered, shaking his head. “I don’t even know how they managed it. If the boss saw this, we’d be in serious trouble.”
Lu Yicheng finished the final seed transfer and sterilization check, then glanced at the mushroom forming in the medium. Suddenly, he remembered his conversation with Shi You that day.
The boy’s eyes and cheeks had been flushed pink, his expression soft and delicate, so openly affectionate it was almost comical.
When Shi You had spoken so directly, Lu Yicheng had felt a strange blankness, a faint flutter in his chest, his ears warming slightly, completely out of step with his usual composed exterior. Yet looking back now, it made him smile quietly.
Zhang Beihan, meanwhile, shivered involuntarily as Lu Yicheng’s cold, potent pheromones filled the space. His hair stood on end, goosebumps prickling across his skin.
He turned in surprise, only to see Lu Yicheng standing behind him, hands in his pockets, looking down with those gold-rimmed glasses catching the light, expression unreadable.
“Hey.” Lu Yicheng patted Zhang Beihan’s shoulder. “I need to ask you something.”
Zhang Beihan’s mind raced, searching for any recent mistakes he might have made. But he couldn’t think of anything, and he knew there was nothing he could fix if Lu Yicheng had a problem.
Lu Yicheng lowered his gaze. “Tell me… if someone, I mean hypothetically, told you they were a mushroom, would you believe it?”
Zhang Beihan blinked, baffled, “Uh… is this a riddle?”
Lu Yicheng furrowed his brow. Not a riddle. Could this be… a psychotic delusion?
“I mean… they really think they’re a mushroom, Crazy” Zhang Beihan clarified.
“You’re the one who’s crazy,” Lu Yicheng said flatly.
Zhang Beihan was speechless. He didn’t understand, and even Lu Yicheng had to admit, the question was a little ridiculous. He was about to let it go when his phone vibrated.
He picked it up, expression hardening slightly. Zhang Beihan tried to offer another guess but was cut off, “I need to step outside.”
At this time, undergraduates were leaving their classrooms, and the hallway was bustling with people.
Once the crowd passed, Lu Yicheng moved to the stairwell and connected the call.
The thick glass blocked the noise from outside, leaving only faint echoes in the narrow corridor.
The voice on the other end was sharp and commanding. “Why didn’t you go see Miss Zheng?”
It was his father, Lu Zhenheng.
“I didn’t feel like it,” Lu Yicheng replied casually, leaning against the wall.
Lu Zhenheng’s tone tightened with displeasure. “You’re of marriageable age now. It’s natural to consider marriage. Many family Omegas want to meet you.”
“I’m not getting married. Don’t set up these pointless blind dates for me anymore.”
Silence stretched across the line, like decades passing, before Lu Zhenheng finally spoke again, “You’re just like your mother.”
Lu Yicheng’s throat moved slightly. His fingers clenched subtly, eyes darkening but he said nothing.
“Instead of inheriting the massive family company, you go off to study plants. I truly don’t understand what you’re thinking.”
The autumn wind picked up, rattling against the closed windows, branches swaying wildly. Pedestrians wrapped themselves in heavy coats.
Lu Yicheng’s face hardened, his voice calm yet firm, neither hot nor cold. “You still have a son. Focus on raising him, let him inherit the company.”
His father hesitated, then sighed heavily, resigned. “Fine. Aunt Xu and I will return in a few days. You should come home for dinner.”
He paused, then added, “Xiao Ci has started elementary school. He misses you. As his older brother, you should visit.”
Lu Yicheng’s gaze narrowed, dark and unreadable. “I’ve been busy lately. Maybe later.”
Judging by the silence on the other end, Lu Zhenheng decided not to press further. They hung up with an unspoken mutual understanding.
Lu Yicheng returned his phone to his pocket and stared at the stark white ceiling. This was already the fourth Omega his father had tried to arrange for him this month. Apparently, someone in the family insisted he must marry.
His parents had long been divorced. His father remarried and had another son. Contacts on his mother’s side were few and far between. Since he could remember, Lu Yicheng had always been alone.
He ran a hand through his hair, a flicker of irritation crossing his mind. But he pushed the thought aside. Finishing his lab report was more important.
He pushed open the stairwell door and met someone coming from the opposite side. Orange brown hair emerged first, catching the light of the narrow stairwell.
Their eyes met. Shi You’s presence was soft, moist, slightly sweet, lingering in the air around him. Both froze briefly.
Lu Yicheng’s gaze lingered for a moment. The top light reflected off his glasses, casting a cool light across the boy’s face. Then Shi You’s warm smile broke the momentary tension.
“Yicheng,” he said softly.
For some reason, Lu Yicheng felt a subtle ease, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.” Shi You’s smile was gentle, comforting even in the chill of autumn.
Lu Yicheng didn’t respond, though the faint flutter in his expression betrayed him for an instant before he regained his usual composure. He pushed the door open, and Shi You followed immediately, holding a large bag.
“I brought back your clothes,” he said cheerfully, pulling out a package of biscuits. “Oh, I baked some new ones too. You said you don’t like things too sweet, so I adjusted the recipe. Want to try?”
Lu Yicheng looked at the neatly packaged biscuits. Through the transparent bag, the delicate shapes could be seen, cute and careful.
He couldn’t believe Shi You remembered. The effort, the time, the careful attention to flavor, it spoke volumes.
Just as Shi You prepared to offer them, Lu Yicheng reached out and took the bag. His voice was low. “Thank you.”
Shi You blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Lu Yicheng to accept them. Seeing the clothes still in the bag behind him, he asked, “Then what about your clothes?”
“I’ve delivered them to you.”
Lu Yicheng’s tone was casual, yet his deep eyes held a trace of weariness.
His phone vibrated, group messages.
《Deadline Madness (5)》
[Zhang Beihan: Everyone, group meeting at B305, the boss wants us to go first]
[Hu Min: Ah no, I forgot about the meeting]
[Ke Zida: I can’t, another meeting? Twice a week is killing me]
[Fu Jiahui: We’re shortening our lives here [crying.jpg]]
Shi You glanced at Lu Yicheng, noticing he still had work to do, “Yicheng, I’ll leave if you’re busy.”
“Hmm… If it’s okay, can I come watch you play sometime?” Shi You asked softly.
Lu Yicheng looked at him for a moment before replying, “Sure.”
“Really?!” Shi You beamed. “Then see you next time!”
He waved and left.
Lu Yicheng examined the biscuit bag. Upon closer look, the shapes weren’t perfectly uniform, some even resembled little mushrooms. The sweetness, the soft texture, it reminded him of the boy himself.
Lu Yicheng was silent for a moment, gripping the bag, then turned toward the classroom.
B305 classroom.
The professor hadn’t arrived yet, and the atmosphere was relatively relaxed. Today’s group meeting was mainly for everyone to report on their research progress, to tell the professor what they had been working on recently and give a brief data analysis presentation.
Lu Yicheng was the last to arrive. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the long table, placing his laptop on the desk.
Hu Min and Ke Zida greeted him cheerfully. “Lu Ge, you’re here!”
Lu Yicheng nodded in acknowledgment.
It was clear that Zhang Beihan was confident about his presentation today. After double checking his presentation one last time, he noticed the biscuit bag in Lu Yicheng’s hands. “Whoa! You actually accepted the little beauty’s biscuits?”
Lu Yicheng replied simply, “Mm.”
“Looks like You’Er found you after all. That’s good, I was worried he might not,” Zhang Beihan said with a grin.
At those words, Lu Yicheng’s hands paused on his keyboard. He frowned slightly and looked at Zhang Beihan. “What did you call him?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Emergency! Someone feed the translator. 🚨☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · MushroomChapter 2 · Blocking The RoadChapter 3 · Pectoral MuscleChapter 4 · Delivering MealChapter 5 · CoatChapter 6 · NeighbourChapter 7 · CookiesChapter 8 · BalconyChapter 9 · MyceliumChapter 10 · Don’t PinchChapter 11 · Warmth and NourishmentChapter 12 · Speak without RestraintChapter 13 · On the bedChapter 14 · InterviewChapter 15 · InjuredChapter 16 · So WetChapter 17 · Drink WineChapter 18 · Play AgainChapter 19 · HostChapter 20 · RomanceChapter 21 · KissChapter 22 · What should Daddy do?Chapter 23 · Washing FeetsChapter 24 · MoodChapter 25 · No kissing allowedChapter 26 · Broken BridgeChapter 27 · Blind DateChapter 28 · Dinner PartyChapter 29 · FamilyChapter 30 · Heat Sensitivity PeriodChapter 31 · LickChapter 32 · AgainChapter 33 · BabyChapter 34 · SeminarChapter 35 · Matcha TroubleChapter 36 · SpankingChapter 37 · EroticChapter 38 · JealousyChapter 39 · Little Male ServantChapter 40 · I want…Chapter 41 · Deep ConnectionChapter 42 · ToothpasteChapter 43 · DifferentiationChapter 44 · A KissChapter 45 · The Taoist TempleChapter 46 · Chasing SomeoneChapter 47 · Feeding the MedicineChapter 48 · The MessageChapter 49 · Get DownChapter 50 · Soft WaistChapter 51 · HeatChapter 52 · Deep Within the ForestChapter 53 · SensitivityChapter 54 · The Little Perverted MushroomChapter 55 · Turn AroundChapter 56 · DisappearanceChapter 57 · Don’t NurtureChapter 58 · MadnessChapter 59 · The ReasonChapter 60 · Declaring OwnershipChapter 61 · I Love YouChapter 62 · KitchenChapter 63 · Sneaking into BedChapter 64 · AdulteryChapter 65 · The Muscle Show!Chapter 66 · Was It Fun?Chapter 67 · In Front of the MirrorChapter 68 · The LondonChapter 69 · Don’t Be SadChapter 70 · End of Main StoryChapter 71 · Extra 1Chapter 72 · Extra 2Chapter 73 · Extra 3Chapter 74 · Extra 4Chapter 75 · Extra 5