After attending the cocktail party, Bo Chengjing returned home at nearly midnight.
Seeing the pair of shoes Shen Zhinian wore when going out in the foyer, he knew the younger man was back and headed straight to his room.
Entering the room, he turned on the light, went to the walk-in closet to grab some clothes, and was just about to head to the bathroom when he suddenly heard movement from inside the room.
Bo Chengjing’s relaxed expression tightened, his mind cycling through everyone capable of sneaking into this villa unnoticed.
He walked slowly back into the bedroom, reaching to feel for the butterfly knife in his side pocket. But the moment his fingertips brushed the blade, he spotted Shen Zhinian lying flat on his back in the single-person sofa.
Stepping closer to the bed, he caught the scent of alcohol. After a quick scan around to confirm there were no signs of a break-in, he walked over to the sofa and looked down at Shen Zhinian.
Shen Zhinian’s eyes were closed as he leaned back against the sofa.
His face was flushed, and his neck was flushed too.
Every inch of skin visible to Bo Chengjing was flushed red.
The smell of alcohol was very faint, meaning he probably hadn’t drunk much.
There was plenty of liquor at home.
Bo Chengjing didn’t like drinking, and neither did Shen Zhinian, as he couldn’t even stand the sight of it.
Yet Bo Chengjing hadn’t expected his alcohol tolerance to be this abyssal.
“Zhinian.” Bo Chengjing tapped his face twice very lightly with the back of his hand, so gently it felt like a soft stroke.
His face was burning hot.
Shen Zhinian frowned and shifted.
Bo Chengjing patted his shoulder twice more. “Zhinian.”
Shen Zhinian opened his eyes, a thin layer of moisture seeming to glaze his gaze. He stared blankly at Bo Chengjing for a moment. “Brother.”
“Did you drink?” Bo Chengjing’s voice subconsciously softened by a few degrees.
“Yeah.” Shen Zhinian blinked slowly, a trace of grievance coloring his tone. “They were so noisy, I was bored so I took a couple of sips, but it tasted terrible.”
Bo Chengjing chuckled. “Go back to your room to sleep.”
Shen Zhinian looked at him without moving.
Thinking his brain had crashed from the alcohol and he didn’t understand, Bo Chengjing added, “This is my room.”
“I want to sleep here,” Shen Zhinian said.
Bo Chengjing ruthlessly refused. “No.”
“I’m sleeping right here,” Shen Zhinian said, sounding somewhat petulant. “Who told you to forget about holding me to sleep when we were kids? I’m sleeping here. Since you forgot, you’ll just have to make a new memory.”
“Zhinian, don’t you think two adult Alphas squeezing together is a bit sick?” Bo Chengjing said.
“Am I supposed to go squeeze with an adult Omega instead?” Shen Zhinian asked sincerely. “Play the ruffian?”
Bo Chengjing frowned.
What kind of crooked logic was this?
“I’m sleeping right here,” Shen Zhinian insisted.
“Not a chance.” Bo Chengjing pulled him straight up.
Suddenly yanked to his feet, Shen Zhinian lost his footing and stumbled forward.
Bo Chengjing steadied him, and Shen Zhinian naturally wrapped his arms around him, pressing his head against Bo Chengjing’s shoulder. “Brother, you’re not treating me well anymore.”
“How old are you?” Bo Chengjing said. “Get up, acting spoiled doesn’t work anymore.”
Shen Zhinian didn’t budge.
Bo Chengjing pushed him until he stood straight, then grabbed his arm and guided him outward.
Surprisingly, Shen Zhinian didn’t resist, obediently following him out, returning to his room, and sitting down on the bed.
Yet the moment Bo Chengjing turned around to fetch him a glass of water, Shen Zhinian suddenly lunged from behind and hugged him.
Before Bo Chengjing could react, a sharp pain stung the back of his neck right through his shirt.
Bo Chengjing’s eyes widened abruptly, his legs turning uncontrollably weak as he nearly dropped to his knees.
Fortunately, Shen Zhinian caught him, preventing a humiliating collapse.
“Zhinian…” Bo Chengjing barely managed to call out before catching the scent of Shen Zhinian’s pheromones.
Cool and crisp, sweeter than mint, carrying aggression and dominance.
Bo Chengjing struggled to withstand the immense oppressive force and invasive pressure.
He gripped Shen Zhinian’s arm and called out, “Zhinian.”
Holding him tightly, Shen Zhinian murmured, “Brother, I can’t smell your pheromones.”
“Shen Zhinian, you…”
Before Bo Chengjing could finish, Shen Zhinian suddenly yanked down the collar of his shirt.
The next second, a sharp pain made him frown hard.
A wave of unfamiliarity swept over his entire body.
Releasing him, Shen Zhinian muttered, “Brother, if only you were an Omega.”
After a two-second pause, he added, “Or if I were an Omega instead.”
Having dropped those two sentences, Shen Zhinian collapsed onto the bed and fell completely still.
Yet the heavy scent still lingered all around. It took Bo Chengjing a long while to recover enough strength to stagger out of the room.
Whether it was his imagination or not, he faintly caught the scent of his own pheromones, which tasted sweetish.
Reaching his own room, he hurried to the walk-in closet to find the safe. With shaking hands and blurred vision, it took him a while to punch in the correct password, pull out a vial of medicine, and tear open the packaging.
Without even pausing to disinfect with alcohol, Bo Chengjing drove the needle tip straight into his skin.
Rapidly injecting the medicine, a lump bulged on his arm.
Ignoring it, he immediately rushed to administer a second dose.
Once the injection was finished, Bo Chengjing sat on the floor of the walk-in closet, his back resting against the cabinet, remaining motionless for a long time.
A few buttons of his shirt had popped open, his hair was messy, and sweat clung to his face and neck.
His eyes were red, still brimming with tears.
Right beside him stood a full-length mirror, but Bo Chengjing refused to turn his head because he didn’t want to look at himself like this.
Closing his eyes, he leaned against the cabinet until the edge of the sky grew pale and the sheer curtains outside turned a dreary gray. Only then did he stir, closing the safe and tossing the empty medicine packaging into the trash can.
There were no names on the medicine packaging, only a manufacturing date.
After cleaning up, Bo Chengjing got up and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
As the water washed over him, Bo Chengjing felt a stinging pain at the back of his neck. Reaching up to touch it, he figured the skin had likely broken.
He didn’t dwell on it, however. After showering, he changed into fresh clothes, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, remaining the cold, composed President Bo as if nothing at all had happened last night.