Chapter 83

Click.

The lights flickered on, illuminating the room. The living room was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight. The cushions on the sofa were arranged in an extremely orderly fashion, and the space was entirely empty.

He placed his bag beside the coffee table and entered the room, where the bed was neatly made, with two pillows stacked on top. The charger was rolled up carefully next to the socket, and the bedside table held Yan Mu’s pajamas from the previous day, neatly folded.

Jiang Zhihuo took a deep breath.

He had never felt the room empty before. But today, when he returned and saw the darkness in the living room, an unexpected feeling of melancholy washed over him.

—Perhaps people in love become sentimental.

Jiang Zhihuo found an excuse for himself, took his clothes, and went for a shower. After coming out, he stood by the bed, unsure of what to do next.

Tomorrow was the final exam; reviewing papers at this hour would be pointless, but he couldn’t fall asleep. Yan Mu had only gone to sleep after preparing to leave early for the exam, and they had said goodnight to each other.

Jiang Zhihuo, feeling extremely bored, was drying his hair, planning to read a book to help himself sleep. However, as he turned off the hairdryer, a faint, delicate fragrance suddenly reached his nose.

—The fresh scent that follows a heavy rain.

It was Yan Mu’s pheromone!

Jiang Zhihuo was momentarily stunned, tossing the hairdryer onto the bed as he searched for the source of the scent.

He had no idea what he was doing. His body acted purely on instinct as he walked over to the bedside table and picked up the pajamas Yan Mu had worn the previous day.

—After all, the clothes are worn close to the body, and even with masking spray, pheromones are bound to linger on them.

Jiang Zhihuo, as if possessed, raised his hand and gently sniffed the pajamas in front of his nose.

The next moment, his heart abruptly raced, as if it were sending some signal. A long-forgotten warmth spread across his body; the back of his neck burned intensely, his chest felt crushed under a heavy weight, making it hard to breathe, and it felt as if his mouth and nose were blocked by a plastic bag, suffocating and unbearably hot.

The symptoms appeared too abruptly. Jiang Zhihuo instinctively let go of the clothes, and they fell to the floor. He tried to calm his breathing, hurriedly finding the special inhibitor and injecting it into his gland.

It wasn’t until the inhibitor began to take effect that Jiang Zhihuo gradually regained his senses. He slumped against the side of the bed, his chest heaving and his arms feeling weak.

He had just injected the inhibitor in the morning, and it was still in effect. Why was he suddenly in heat?

Jiang Zhihuo sent the symptoms he had experienced to the doctor, but hadn’t received a reply yet. He got up to pour himself a glass of water, and by then, his phone vibrated.

Thinking it was the doctor, Jiang Zhihuo opened WeChat, only to find a message from Li Hao.

Li Hao: Let’s have a meal after the exam.

Jiang Zhihuo thought for a moment and replied: Okay.

The final exam lasted for two days, and every time he passed the first desk in the first exam room, it was always empty.

After finishing the math exam in the afternoon, Jiang Zhihuo could head straight home. He snapped a photo of the empty desk and chairs and sent it to Yan Mu.

Jiang Zhihuo: It feels so lonely without you, Yan-ge. I’m almost floating in second place.

Yan Mu’s exam on the first day hadn’t finished yet. When he finally got through to Jiang Zhihuo after leaving the exam room, Jiang Zhihuo had just arrived at the hospital entrance.

The symptoms had appeared out of the blue yesterday, so after contacting the doctor, Jiang Zhihuo changed his appointment time. After all, having an estrus at home was one thing, but experiencing it at school could truly be life-threatening.

The hospital was crowded, and the background noise was loud. Yan Mu recognized it and asked Jiang Zhihuo, “What are you doing, Xiao Zhou?”

Jiang Zhihuo was waiting for the elevator. He pulled his mask up a little and replied, “I’m at the hospital.”

Yan Mu’s voice became tense. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine, Yan-ge, don’t worry,” Jiang Zhihuo answered, feeling a bit sweet inside. “School ended earlier today, so I changed my appointment time. I’ll go up and ask, and I’ll let you know when I have news.”

The elevator signal was poor, and it wasn’t appropriate to make a call with so many people crowded together, so they hung up.

Before entering the consultation room, Jiang Zhihuo took a deep breath to adjust his emotions.

Every time he came to the hospital, there was never anything good.

The first time, he unexpectedly became an omega and was deeply marked, forcing him to rely on alpha pheromones to suppress the estrus.

The second time, he was told the mark had disappeared, and he could use the special inhibitor, which led him to move out of Yan Mu’s house.

The third time, he learned about the reproductive cavity; the fourth and fifth times, during routine check-ups, the doctor reminded him that he might experience an estrus period; and the sixth time, he got stabbed…

Jiang Zhihuo pushed open the door and walked into the consultation room.

The doctor issued a check-up order. Since it was nearing the end of the workday, there weren’t many people, and the examination report came out quickly. After looking at Jiang Zhihuo’s report, the doctor smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The smile contained three parts comfort, two parts significance, and five parts indescribability.

Jiang Zhihuo abruptly felt a bit nervous.

“Recently, you’ve reacted as soon as you smell pheromones, and you even went into heat on the spot yesterday?”

These symptoms had been described before; the doctor was merely confirming again.

Jiang Zhihuo replied, “Yes.”

The doctor nodded, inserting the medical card into the reader to bring up the medical record interface. While typing in the previous results, he said, “Nothing serious; it’s just that your estrus period is coming.”

Estrus period?!

Jiang Zhihuo: “!!!”

The doctor pointed out several values from the report. “Under normal circumstances, the pheromone reaction value is around 25, and it will rise to 50 around the estrus period. Moreover, your reproductive cavity has differentiated well, and you’re initially fit for the estrus period.”

Jiang Zhihuo’s ears turned red. “……”

The doctor dealt with ABO-related conditions every day, so saying ‘estrus period’ didn’t faze him at all. He continued typing the medical record and said, “Not being able to control yourself upon smelling pheromones is just an initial reaction; heating is a common symptom in cases of A turning into O, so there’s no need to worry. Besides, you need to constantly monitor your condition.”

“Before the first estrus, it’s likely to experience symptoms such as night sweats, in heat, and dizziness. However, the situation of A turning into O is special, and I’ve previously reminded you that the inhibitors may not be very useful.”

“I’ll still prescribe a few inhibitor and suppressive drugs for you to keep on hand. Depending on the situation, if things get too difficult, you can either choose an alpha or opt for hospitalization and isolation.”

The doctor said a lot and then asked, “Where is the alpha who came with you last time? Why isn’t he here today?”

Jiang Zhihuo was still numbly processing the immense amount of information and replied absentmindedly, “He’s not here; he has something to do.”

“Alright, make sure to tell him about the situation when you go back. After all, having a reliable alpha next to an omega is a good thing. It can help alleviate some of the pain while you adjust to your omega body in the beginning.”

“Okay…” Jiang Zhihuo swallowed hard. “Doctor, I want to ask, what should I do to rely on an alpha?”

The doctor stopped typing and turned to Jiang Zhihuo. “I mentioned this last time, and I remember you both understood? It’s about xx.”

The doctor calmly stated without changing his expression.

Jiang Zhihuo’s earlobes instantly turned bright red.

For an omega with an alpha during the estrus period, xx is an extremely normal occurrence. Sometimes, doctors need to give advice and treatment based on the omega’s estrus condition.

The doctor was used to this, so he remained calm and composed.

But Jiang Zhihuo was embarrassed!!

The little virgin Jiang, in his first-ever relationship and already encountered the estrus period, unsure of what to do, stammered, “Um, yes, xx, I know… that, but surely I can’t just… jump straight to that, right?”

The doctor smiled mysteriously, understanding that the newly adult boy was lacking in experience. He patiently replied, “You certainly can’t go directly to it. For the sake of your body, it’s best if you prepare some things yourself.”

“……”

Jiang Zhihuo stood at the street corner, the sky darkening, with only a flickering streetlight in the corner.

In front of him was an unassuming, unmanned retail shop, a small space of about three or four square meters, with long curtains covering the displays inside.

Jiang Zhihuo spent twenty minutes mentally preparing himself, pulling up his mask and putting on his hood. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk into the shop.

The goods were displayed in the showcase, all essential items for adults in certain aspects—normal, very normal…

But for Jiang Zhihuo, who was seeing them for the first time, the images on the packaging were indeed… too explicit and impactful…

In the consultation room, the doctor told him, “You need to understand, these are very normal physiological reactions. Don’t think of them as something hard to talk about. When you’re sick, you need to take medicine; when you’re in estrus, you need an alpha; it’s just a treatment method.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

“Of course, young people, the willpower under pheromones is still weak. The alpha won’t be in much danger, but the omega has to take care to avoid getting hurt. Also, contraception is very important…”

Jiang Zhihuo quickly bought the items the doctor mentioned, scanned to pay, stuffed them into his bag, and hurried back to his place. He first hid them in a drawer but felt it wasn’t secure enough, so he buried them at the bottom of his wardrobe under layers of clothes, letting out a sigh of relief that felt like he was a thief.

His ears were still burning.

It really wasn’t hard to talk about.

But… this was too sudden!!!

Hand-holding, hugging, and kissing—these happen naturally, and no one feels embarrassed. When it reaches that point, they just go ahead.

However, to sit down seriously, face-to-face, and say, “My estrus period is coming; I’m ready, let’s go ahead and do xx…”

This… he truly felt embarrassed to say it!!

Jiang Zhihuo scrubbed his face hard, and at that moment, his phone rang. Yan Mu, noticing that Jiang Zhihuo had been silent, called to check on him.

Yan Mu’s deep voice came through the phone, and Jiang Zhihuo’s face instantly turned hot as the doctor’s words lingered in his mind.

Estrus period…

xx, xx, xx…

Don’t let yourself get hurt…

Jiang Zhihuo: “No, no, no, Yan-ge, I’m fine!! It’s… normal!”

“Mhm?”

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t know how to put it into words. They were together, but when it came to talking about this kind of thing, it was still a hurdle to cross. Boys care about their dignity and feel embarrassed.

“It means you don’t need to worry!!” Jiang Zhihuo wanted to change the topic, awkwardly shifting the conversation. “How did you do on your exam today, Yan-ge?”

“Not bad,” Yan Mu said. “I practiced regularly, so I performed normally… Xiao Zhou, are you really okay?”

It was merely a phone call, yet Jiang Zhihuo felt pricked like a thorn and straightened his back abruptly. “I’m fine! I’m fine! Yan-ge, I’m really tired; I’m so sleepy. You have to get up early tomorrow too, so let’s go to bed early, okay?”

Jiang Zhihuo quickly ended the call, rushed to take a shower, and buried himself in bed to sleep.

Perhaps it was too much information for Jiang Zhihuo to digest, or maybe the images from the shop had stimulated the little virgin Jiang. That night, Jiang Zhihuo had a vividly colored dream.

The next day, he woke up to find his pants were wet, both front and back.

Jiang Zhihuo: “………………”

After finishing the exam, Jiang Zhihuo returned and buried himself in sleep. After the final exams, he still needed a day to go back to school for a review of the papers before the winter break.

The winter break for seniors was very short—only two weeks.

He had to complete a mountain of homework.

The review class didn’t count as formal class time; arriving at school by eight was sufficient. Jiang Zhihuo slept until he was almost late and then jumped out of bed.

Yan Mu was already awake and texted Jiang Zhihuo: Good morning.

Jiang Zhihuo replied: Morning.

After digesting the matter of the estrus period for a day and night, Jiang Zhihuo could now face the words directly, along with the items hidden at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Huo-ge had a strong adaptability; he accepted kissing his love rival back then, and now with his boyfriend, xx… no problem at all, very feasible!!

After the final exams, the tension in his mind temporarily eased. Even the top students couldn’t maintain their usual scrupulous study attitude; they were distracted during the review class. At lunch, they didn’t want to rest at school, so instead, they sought out a nearby milk tea shop to unwind.

“Huo-ge, want to join us?” Sun Liyu called out to Jiang Zhihuo.

“No, I’m not going.” Jiang Zhihuo stuffed the exam papers into his desk. “I have plans for lunch.”

—The lunch appointment with Li Hao was today.

The weather in Lincheng is always unpredictable.

Yesterday was sunny, but today it turned cloudy, with thick clouds swirling overhead, darkening the view.

Jiang Zhihuo and Li Hao didn’t communicate much.

一Come out and meet me.

一Alright.

Li Hao sent the location address.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t reply again.

On the way, Jiang Zhihuo chatted with Yan Mu.

Jiang Zhihuo: Yan-ge, what did you have for lunch?

Yan Mu: [image]

Yan Mu: Pasta.

Jiang Zhihuo: How can that fill you up?

Yan Mu: Mhm, it wasn’t very tasty.

They chatted about other topics in between without putting much thought into what to say, simply talking whenever they felt like it.

During this time, Yan Mu didn’t reply for a full minute. When he finally sent another message, it was just one sentence: Xiao Zhou, I will be back a day later.

Seeing that line, Jiang Zhihuo pulled down the notification bar.

The top left corner showed the date: February 3rd.

One day left.

Jiang Zhihuo: I’ll wait for you to come back, Yan-ge.

After sending the message, Jiang Zhihuo arrived at the restaurant where he had made plans with Li Hao.

It was a Chinese restaurant, with seats separated by screens, offering a relatively private dining environment.

Li Hao had already ordered the dishes, and after Jiang Zhihuo took his seat, the waiter served them one by one.

They didn’t communicate much.

There wasn’t much to say; it was simply a parting meal between two not-so-pleasant partners.

Li Hao wouldn’t go back on his word, and Jiang Zhihuo didn’t want to continue.

After the meal, they would go their separate ways, not interfering with each other.

“You’re going to take your college entrance exam soon,” Li Hao said.

“Yeah.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Maybe the capital,” Jiang Zhihuo said. “We’ll see then; anything works.”

“I heard you have a boyfriend? Is he an alpha?”

Jiang Zhihuo paused his chopsticks, his expression sharpening.

He didn’t want to hear Li Hao mention Yan Mu.

Based on his understanding of Li Hao, the man never said anything unnecessary or wasted words on trivial matters.

Jiang Zhihuo looked at him warily. “What do you want to do?”

“There’s no need to be nervous.” Li Hao took out a document from his bag and placed it on the table, handing it to Jiang Zhihuo.

The document was wrapped in a kraft paper bag, concealing its contents.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t take it and furrowed his brow, asking, “What is this?”

“See for yourself.” He poured himself a cup of tea, finished it, then stood up to leave. “I have other things to attend to; I’m leaving first.”

Outside the window, the rain began to fall lightly. Pedestrians without umbrellas began to run, and the raindrops fell intermittently.

It wasn’t until Li Hao’s figure left the restaurant that Jiang Zhihuo hesitantly opened the document. After seeing its contents, his expression suddenly changed.

The author has something to say: 

I won’t elaborate too much on Yan-ge‘s family matters, at most two chapters; I feel like one chapter could suffice, haha.