SDT 5

Chapter 5 Let Me Try Your Pheromones

As expected, the blackmailer drawled: “I’ve got another order for you today.”

No surprise there.

Lu Kongyun wanted to knock it out quick and head home to scrub off the alcohol reek. But before he could lean in for the kiss, the guy continued.

“Simple one, Dr. Lu. Piece of cake for you.”

The blackmailer rubbed his knuckle under his nose.

“Let me smell your pheromones. See what a top-grade Alpha’s scent is like.”

…Pheromones. For Lu Kongyun, that truly was no big deal.

But.

“No.”

The blackmailer arched a brow: “You’re telling me no?”

Lu Kongyun rubbed his achy, stinging eyes: “I have my principles.”

The blackmailer perked up a bit: “What principles?”

Lu Kongyun paused, then replied: “Releasing pheromones makes me feel like an animal. I don’t want to.”

The car fell quiet for a beat.

The blackmailer snorted a laugh: “So your precious principles outrank the Lu Kongyun family scandal?”

Lu Kongyun’s gaze darkened, he stared at the blackmailer’s smug mug, parading like a stray dog turned lord off one video.

In the end, he caved. “You have suppressants?”

S-class Alphas had superior genes and physiques across the board, so their pheromones packed more punch too, a straightforward law of nature, unswayed by personal tastes. Even a tiny release from him would have an effect, and he didn’t want this Omega going into heat on him.

“Mm.” The blackmailer turned his head, showing Lu Kongyun his nape, still that deep red, max-strength patch. “How’re you this drunk and still so paranoid? Relax, I just want a sniff of the scent. I won’t assault you or anything.”

Lu Kongyun eyed the patch: “Max-strength ones can dull your scent acuity.”

The blackmailer grinned sleazily: “Then lean in closer for me.”

The car went quiet again.

Lu Kongyun leaned forward, closing the distance between them. He studied the guy’s damp hair and profile. Then, slowly, he released a hint of pheromones.

In the dimness, the blackmailer pawed at his own nape, ducked his head toward Lu Kongyun’s jawline gland, and sniffed.

He inhaled for a bit, but… no reaction.

Lu Kongyun felt waves of warm, humid breath crawling over his gland like a swarm of tiny ants.

“Are you done?” He asked.

The blackmailer shifted, then actually reached up, brushing Lu Kongyun’s neck gland, even pressing it.

Lu Kongyun snatched his hand, shoved it away.

“…No touching.” He sounded disgusted.

The blackmailer scooted back a tad, meeting his eyes level.

“Top-grade Alpha pheromones? Meh.” Maybe it was a trick of the low light, but the blackmailer’s eyes seemed moist. “No scent at all.”

“…That’s your shitty wine. The car’s full of cheap red, I can’t smell anything else.” Lu Kongyun said.

The blackmailer just smiled.

Lu Kongyun hated that smile now. He never drank, so he had no experience gauging or correcting drunk antics. It was pure instinct: he pressed the blackmailer’s back, pulled him close again, upped the dose, he overdid it with a competitive edge.

“Now? Block out that godawful wine, focus.”

Under the fabric, the blackmailer’s back went rigid, he was thin, even bony. The air shifted too, but Lu Kongyun’s head was foggy; alcohol blurred the lines.

After a moment, the blackmailer pushed him slowly, and sat up: “Head home, Dr. Lu. Wait for my next order.”

His breaths was ragged, but a laugh smothered it: “Scentless top-grade A… hah.”

Lu Kongyun was speechless.

Pheromones weren’t perfume, judging a “top-grade Alpha’s meh” by intensity was bullshit. Only because this guy had that max patch, warding off effects and numbing his nose, could he spout nonsense so casually.

Lu Kongyun saw no point explaining. He reached for the door handle. Out of the car, he braced the roof, watched the blackmailer exit the other side, back turned. Lu Kongyun’s gland itched awkwardly; he rolled his neck. It didn’t help.

“You know the way out?”

The blackmailer ignored him, slid the keys across the roof to Lu Kongyun, and walked off.

“……”

Lu Kongyun directly went home. He guzzled half a carton of milk to sober up, then hit the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He brushed his teeth while lost in thought. He lifted his head to the mirror, and spotted a dark red smudge on his neck.

Wine stain on his shirt?

He leaned closer and tugged the collar wide.

A small, dark red suppressor patch was stuck to his skin.

….

Yu Xiaowen made it out of the garage but barely a few steps before he couldn’t anymore. Damn it all.

Cursing himself, he stumbled into a nearby pavilion gazebo. Rain poured harder; Orange Garden stood empty this hour, no one around, just the distant gate sentry shrouded in misty downpour.

The rain helped rinse and mask his pheromones. He slumped against a pillar, fished out his syringe from his pocket, empty shells, all.

“Fuck!” He cursed. Who’d think a dinner out needed backup suppressants?

Another wait.

He rubbed his head against the pillar, then wiped his face. It was all water: cool from the rain, hot from the tears. His eyes blurred as fresh streams kept welling up. He sniffled, his breaths hitching like ugly sobs.

Pathetic, he knew, but couldn’t stop.

Damn it all. This the fate of a defective Omega? Guy just wafts a bit, and he acts like they’ve already fucked.

He tilted his head back, a sound slipped out of his mouth, worse than a sob. Small, but it fueled his rage and shame. He ducked his chin; fresh tears splattered his arm. And he went wiped his eyes again.

He pawed his bare nape.

He just wanted…

Just a more vivid memory.

…But who the fuck knew that ice-cold prick would pin him and flood pheromones?!

So damn competitive with a defective O!

Was it really that important? Was it really that important? Was it really that important?!

He really overestimated him.

Yu Xiaowen fumbled his phone, vision swimming, dialed Xu Jie.

“Hey? Where you at? …Oh, come pick me up then. I’m at… Funu Street, the traffic light intersection. Meet there… I’m fine, yeah for now, you dawdle, and it’ll be trouble! Hurry!”

He hung up, slapped his face, physics for clarity.

….

In the rain veil, Lu Kongyun walked umbrella-up to the gate. Passing the pavilion, he caught rotten-fruit pheromones, and “pop” sounds. He turned, and the blackmailer was still there, his state all wrong.

So he detoured in.

The popping sound immediately stopped.

“Is that why you made me drink red wine?” Lu Kongyun folded his umbrella and looked him down. “The taste is indeed similar.”

But the similarity between the blackmailer’s pheromones and the low-quality red wine was only superficial; Lu Kongyun could clearly distinguish the two. But he didn’t elaborate further.

“And sticking the patch on me. Afraid I’ll find out you’re in heat?”

Yu Xiaowen saw Lu Kongyun in the dim light of the ground lamp and the reflection of the rain. He was wearing black rain boots, a black leather raincoat, and even a black umbrella. The wide brim of his hat was dripping with water, casting a shadow on his calm eyes.

He was as calm as the god of death.

He was like this, and the instigator was like that. A stark contrast. It was really hard to bear.

Yu Xiaowen put away the surprised face when he first saw the other party, curled up his legs slightly, and looked up at him.

“Why did you come out?” He also tried to match his voice and emotions with the other party.

“Orange Garden is a military area, heavily guarded. If you go out like this and the guards interrogate you and find out that you came in with my car, what should I say?” Lu Kongyun stretched out his hand to him: “Come home with me.”

Of course, Yu Xiaowen did not take his hand.

“Go to your house.” Yu Xiaowen gasped, unable to contain his breath, then immediately laughed. “What for? You helping me?”

Lu Kongyun stepped forward, leaned over, and grasped his wrist. He lowered his voice over the sound of the rain, “Let’s talk when we get back. The whole road is filled with your scent.”

“Sobered up so quickly? Next time, I’ll make you drink more,” Yu Xiaowen said.

Lu Kongyun pulled him up with all his might.

“If you want to continue blackmailing me, at least be careful not to reveal our relationship. Otherwise, I’ll be in trouble, and you’ll lose your leverage.” 

“What’s our relationship?” Yu Xiaowen asked, looking up.

“…..”

The blackmailer had hit Omega heat’s second surge. His voice trembled, his breathing ragged, and his scent steadily intensified. Even then, he maintained a domineering, teasing expression. 

Provoking an Alpha during heat. How had this O managed to survive so long?

Lu Kongyun wordlessly handed him the umbrella, then turned and walked into the rain.

“Move it.”

There was a loud noise of footsteps behind him, and Lu Kongyun suddenly felt something hit his back, and then slid down. He had to turn around and support the blackmailer.

He saw that the other party’s face was really not good, with water in the corners of his slightly closed eyes, sliding down with the rain, and his eyes were unfocused.

“Lu Kongyun… give back my patch.”

“……”

Lu Kongyun had to support him with one hand and hold an umbrella for him with the other hand. Soon, Lu Kongyun stopped in front of a small two-story house, opened the door with his fingerprint, and walked in. He took off his raincoat and hung it on the porch, moved the blackmailer to a chair, and then took out two straps to tie his wrists to the handrail.

“…What are you doing.” The blackmailer looked at him with rapid breathing, but he had no strength to resist.

Lu Kongyun Kobgyun didn’t answer.

“Where’s my inhibitor patch? Give it to me. I opened one today.” The blackmailer squirmed and struggled in his seat, his voice already starting to grow hoarse as he spoke softly, “Lü Kongyun, don’t forget that your Lu Kongyun family’s secrets are still in my hands. You…”

“You can’t rely on suppressants like this.” Lu Kongyun cut the threat, set a small case on the side table, sat across.

“You can’t be so dependent on suppressants.” Lu Kongyun interrupted his threat, took a small box, placed it on the table next to his seat, and sat down across from the blackmailer. Defective omegas are several times more susceptible to alpha pheromones than ordinary omegas, and have almost no ability to resist.

In other words, they’re easy to manipulate.

It seems that this blackmailer’s constitution has led to long-term abuse of inhibitor drugs, resulting in a deep dependence on them, and he has developed symptoms of drug dependence. Specific external manifestations include physiological tear incontinence and extreme sensitivity to physical contact.

“You’re already showing symptoms of dependence. Don’t you know?” Lu Kongyun put on latex gloves, opened a liquid and powder bottle, inserted a needle, and shook them together.

“I know.” The blackmailer looked at the needle in his hand and calmed down. “So you wanted to fake a drug overdose to help me die, dumping my body in the southern suburbs. No one would think it was the Lu Kongyun family. After all, I have nothing to do with you. It doesn’t matter to me, but you can’t delete that video.”

Lu Kongyun: “…Thanks for the idea.”

Lu Kongyun raised the needle and brought it close to his arm. The blackmailer looked down at the needle. 

Lu Kongyun: “This is a sedative, very mild. You’ll feel much better after a while.”

Lu Kongyun lied. This was military-grade truth serum. Of course, he couldn’t tell the blackmailer the truth. Lu Kongyun disinfected the man’s arm and injected the solution, then leaned back across from the blackmailer, staring at him. The blackmailer lowered his head, his eyes becoming increasingly unfocused.

“Doctor Lu Kongyun is truly… a doctor, a kindhearted person… and even so… caring towards blackmailers. Why do you still want me… to live a hundred years so I can blackmail you forever…?”

Lu Kongyun glanced at his watch; the drug must have taken effect. So he took out another auxiliary pill from the medicine box and put it to the blackmailer’s mouth. 

“Open your mouth.” 

The blackmailer didn’t respond. He reached out and lifted the other’s chin. 

The blackmailer’s eyes drifted to Lu Kongyun’s face, looking at him blankly. At the same time, tears overflowed from his eyes and slid out. It fell on the latex gloves. Lu Kongyun couldn’t feel the wetness, but he could feel the warmth.

Tear incontinence is a decent way of saying it. But according to Lu Kongyun’s academic understanding, some places will flow more water.

He used his thumb to pry open the other’s mouth and used a cotton ball to wipe away the saliva that was flooding so that he could press the auxiliary pill under his tongue smoothly. The other party immediately wrapped his lips tightly around his rubber-wrapped thumb, deep and shallow. 

“.….” Lu Kongyun pulled his finger out.

Even now. Why?

Is doing this action a conditioned reflex of Omega?

For the first time, Lu Kongyun’s house was filled with the smell of Omega pheromones. Due to the heat, it continued to overflow into every corner. It was a smell that Lu Kongyun disliked; too much would make him a little restless and dizzy. He subconsciously licked his canine teeth.

“I’m asking you a question. You have to answer me.” 

After a few seconds, the blackmailer said, “Yes.

“Who am I?”

“Lu Kongyun.”

“What’s your name?”

“Yu Xiaowen.”

“Now I’m asking you seriously, and you have to answer me seriously.” Lu Kongyun took out a disinfectant tissue and wiped the saliva off his fingers.

He word by word, slowly instilled the content of the question into the other person’s mind: “Yu Xiaowen, why did you come to me?”