The lingering heat of midsummer refused to dissipate, with weather forecasts issuing consecutive high-temperature warnings for days. The leaves on the trees lining the campus roads curled slightly under the scorching sun.
In the pond, lotus flowers bloomed in delicate shades of pink and white. An occasional breeze would ripple across the water, making the blossoms sway gently—a breathtaking sight.
Shen Yan, who had just returned from having dinner with Wen Xiuran, was so overheated he could barely catch his breath. Weakly pushing open the dormitory door, he tossed his backpack onto the bed and immediately headed for the shower. Lately, he felt the need to wash up every time he came back from outside, the sticky discomfort clinging to his skin unbearable.
Fresh out of the shower, Shen Yan wore an oversized white T-shirt and equally baggy black shorts. He curled up on his chair, legs crossed as if meditating.
Xu Chu barged in, radiating heat from outside. He took a deep breath and swiftly shut the dorm door behind him. “This damn weather. It’s literally killing me.”
“You still went to the North District cafeteria to eat?” Xu Chu eyed Shen Yan skeptically.
The air conditioner had just been turned on, and the room hadn’t cooled down yet. Shen Yan tugged at his collar, fanning himself vigorously, and answered half-heartedly, “Yeah, yeah.”
“You’re something else.” Xu Chu clicked his tongue in amazement, giving Shen Yan a thumbs-up. “Walking two extra kilometers under this blazing sun every day just to have meals with someone. If you two don’t end up together, who will?”
Aside from meals, Shen Yan had also picked up the package from the delivery station. The drugs he’d ordered. He carefully read the instructions for the inducer, which clearly stated in bold black and white: in addition to oral administration, the inducer could also be applied externally. If he drugged Wen Xiuran, he’d need to spray some on himself beforehand to create a mutual reaction.
The other drug resembled a portable oxygen inhaler. The seller claimed it could induce total physical exhaustion, though it might affect an alpha’s glands. After some deliberation, Shen Yan decided against it.
He just wanted to sleep with Wen Xiuran—that was all. If Wen Xiuran’s glands were damaged because of him, his own life wouldn’t be enough to repay the consequences.
“Xu Chu, have you ever used an inducer before?”
As a beta, Shen Yan had no real understanding of the potency of inducers. He’d seen plenty of videos about them and assumed they were just a playful tool between partners, seemingly harmless.
“An inducer?” Xu Chu thought for a moment before pursing his lips. “A few times. My rut cycles are often irregular, and I sometimes suffer from hormonal imbalances. I’ve used inducers to regulate my pheromones.”
Inducers could treat hormonal imbalances? Was it by venting pent-up heat?
Shen Yan chuckled at his own bizarre thought. “I’ve never seen you during your rut. Are all alphas’ ruts that terrifying?”
For once, Xu Chu didn’t answer immediately. After a long silence, he finally replied, “Every alpha’s rut is different. Some experience total exhaustion, others fall into depression, but some become extremely aggressive. And…”
He trailed off, hesitating before changing the subject. “I’ll let you know in advance when my rut’s coming. You should try to move out temporarily.”
Shen Yan curled the corner of his lips, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, exuding an air of nonchalance as he said carelessly, “Got it.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen an alpha in their rut before—just that their emotions tended to be more volatile than usual. Though, he had never encountered an S-class alpha in heat.
[Storyteller]: Free tomorrow morning?
[……]: No.
[Storyteller]: My injuries feel almost healed now. Thanks for taking care of me this whole time. Let me treat you to a meal?
[……]: No need.
[Storyteller]: crying emoji
[Storyteller]: I’m heading out for fieldwork soon and won’t be back for a month. Can’t you just have this one meal with me before I go? One meal in exchange for a whole month of peace.
[……]: ……
[……]: …Fine.
[Storyteller]: happy spinning emoji
[Storyteller]: location link—Yazhuo Hotel Let’s meet here tomorrow. Their morning tea is amazing.
Shen Yan silently added in his mind: And the suites are right upstairs.
After sending the message, he tossed his phone onto the table, not bothering to wait for Wen Xiuran’s reply. He unscrewed the small bottle of oral inducer, took out the pill, and placed it in his glass to observe. The small white tablet dissolved instantly in the water, leaving no trace or scent behind.
A satisfied smile spread across his face as he swirled the glass lightly.
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Shen Yan got up early to shower and groom himself. He changed into a formal suit he used to favor and spritzed a bit of cologne on his wrists.
“Who are you trying to impress with all this preening?” Xu Chu lifted his face from the pillow, groaning. “That cologne is strong enough to knock me out.”
“Shut it,” Shen Yan retorted with a laugh. “I might be back late tonight. Leave the door unlocked for me.”
Xu Chu drawled, “Or better yet, don’t come back at all~ Don’t forget your ID.”
Yazhuo Hotel wasn’t far from S University. Shen Yan timed it perfectly, arriving early to book a king-sized suite at the front desk.
The staff member inputting the information asked, “Just one person?”
Shen Yan replied without batting an eye, “Yes.”
With all the preparations done in advance, Shen Yan headed to the reserved private dining room. From their last meal together, he had noticed Wen Xiuran disliked noisy, crowded places.
The table in the room was draped with a silk tablecloth, the lighting dim. An elegant candelabra stood in the center, its flickering candles casting a soft glow. The tableware was arranged meticulously, and fresh, vibrant roses adorned every corner of the room.
As soft music began to play, Shen Yan uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured a glass. The pill slipped from his pinky finger into the wine.
Watching the tablet dissolve instantly, he swirled the glass thoughtfully. During Xu Shiyan’s rut, he had become irritable and capricious—completely unlike his usual timid and meek self. Wen Xiuran was normally composed and dignified. If the opposite held true, would he lose all rationality?
The thought brought a smug smile to Shen Yan’s lips. No matter how untouchable you seem, you’ll still fall into the hands of a mere Beta like me, won’t you?
Wen Xiuran arrived punctually, frowning slightly at the spread of morning tea on the table. “I don’t usually eat this much in the morning.”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I ordered everything,” Shen Yan said smoothly. “Just pick what you want, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Shen Yan rested his chin on his hands, looking utterly harmless. “Just try a bite,” he urged.
Wen Xiuran nodded and picked up a shrimp dumpling, placing it in his bowl.
Shen Yan simply watched him eat, saying nothing more. Wen Xiuran had a habit. He disliked conversation during meals, nor did he like answering questions. Only after finishing would his responses become slightly more frequent and verbose. This wasn’t something Wen Xiuran had told him; Shen Yan had noticed it himself.
About ten minutes later, Wen Xiuran set his chopsticks aside. Shen Yan couldn’t wait any longer and spoke up, “I might be going on a research trip next week.”
Wen Xiuran reluctantly responded, “Where to?”
“Xinjiang,” Shen Yan said with a hint of regret. “The round-trip train ride alone will take four days. I might be gone for a whole week.”
“Has your injury healed?”
Shen Yan smiled brightly. “You do care about me after all. Don’t worry, I’ve pretty much recovered already.”
“Here, let’s toast. Wish me a smooth journey,” Shen Yan said, raising his glass.
Wen Xiuran also raised his glass with formal solemnity, his tone serious. “Wishing you a smooth journey.” He paused, then added, “And may you soon meet someone you like, so you’ll stop bothering me.”
Shen Yan scoffed inwardly.
Half an hour later, Shen Yan looked down at Wen Xiuran, who had collapsed onto the table, his eyes filled with arrogance.
He called a waiter over, claiming his friend was drunk, and together they helped carry Wen Xiuran to the suite.
“Why are alphas always so heavy?” Shen Yan panted, reaching out to pinch Wen Xiuran’s cheek. There was no reaction.
Whatever. Shen Yan pursed his lips. Even if Wen Xiuran woke up midway, he hadn’t done anything yet. There’d be no evidence to find.
Wen Xiuran lay quietly on the bed, his bare chest rising and falling slightly with each breath, his dark lashes fluttering faintly like raven feathers. Shen Yan continued his work, carefully undoing every button on Wen Xiuran’s clothes, keeping a vigilant eye on every subtle movement.
Shen Yan’s features were naturally striking—red lips, white teeth, long hair cascading down his back. A few strands of black hair fell onto Wen Xiuran’s cool, pale skin, moving slowly like tentacles with Shen Yan’s motions, creating an indescribably bewitching scene.
He reached out cautiously, fingers hovering near Wen Xiuran’s nose.
Normal breathing. He must have just fallen asleep. Could it be that Wen Xiuran’s rut symptoms were simply unconsciousness?
Shen Yan glanced at the drugged drinks on the nearby table. He had already sprayed the external medication on himself earlier, and Wen Xiuran had shown no reaction—probably the dosage wasn’t strong enough.
But it didn’t matter. Shen Yan sat on the edge of the bed, his fingertips tracing a path from Wen Xiuran’s chin down to his waist. He chuckled softly, then deftly undid the other’s belt with one hand.
Just in case, he had brought along the drug that induced exhaustion, but it seemed entirely unnecessary.
Society and schools everywhere preached the hierarchy of alphas, but it seemed even an S-rank alpha was nothing special.
Shen Yan decided to finish this quickly, his hands moving to strip Wen Xiuran of all his clothes.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
A voice laced with warning cut through the air.
Shen Yan’s breath hitched, nearly letting out a scream. His body stiffened as he forced himself to slowly look up.
Alpha was half-sitting, his upper body bare, his striking features softened slightly under the warm yellow light. His deep blue eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Shen Yan.
Shen Yan found himself lost in those eyes, his expression momentarily dazed. He completely forgot that he was supposed to be in a dominant position, pinning the alpha down. A posture that was inherently dangerous when dealing with an alpha.
Wen Xiuran remained expressionless, swiftly seizing Shen Yan’s arm and gripping both of his wrists with one hand. In a dizzying reversal, Shen Yan found himself completely overpowered by Wen Xiuran. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t budge the other man an inch.
Face to face, Shen Yan could almost count every one of Wen Xiuran’s eyelashes. The alpha’s deep blue eyes gradually shifted to gold under Shen Yan’s disbelieving gaze, a murderous intent burning in them as they stared straight at him. A chill ran down Shen Yan’s spine, his body trembling involuntarily. Their current position felt precarious.
The alpha’s breath brushed against Shen Yan’s face, yet Wen Xiuran’s expression remained as cold and controlled as ever. Sensing the danger, Shen Yan paled, a flood of pleas rising to his lips. But for some reason, looking into those disdainful eyes, he felt nothing but disgust.
Did he really think he was untouchable?
The debilitating spray was still in Shen Yan’s backpack. If he could just get Wen Xiuran to fall for it, his plan would still succeed.
He’d already gone this far—the worst outcome was something he’d long prepared for. A little recklessness wouldn’t hurt.
With a smirk, Shen Yan met Wen Xiuran’s surprised gaze, then abruptly lifted his head and bit down hard on the alpha’s lips.