Chapter 23.1

A rich, sweet pheromone scent abruptly spread throughout the apartment.

Lu Xingzhou froze when he saw the flushed Omega by the door, his knees trembling uncontrollably.

Shu Baiyu did not notice anything unusual about him. At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind—to find an inhibitor.

His eyes cleared slightly when he saw Lu Xingzhou. He stumbled several steps closer, braced both hands against him, and raised his head to speak haltingly.

“Inhibitor… I need an inhibitor…”

He had never expected the violent desire that would surge through his body the moment he truly leaned against Lu Xingzhou.

He instinctively wanted more of the Alpha’s pheromones. He wanted the other man to soothe him.

The lychee-scented pheromones leaking uncontrollably from his body became even stronger. Even the hands braced against Lu Xingzhou began moving without his control, wanting to touch more of the Alpha before him.

The almost dominating desire made Shu Baiyu shrink back, and he instinctively prepared to retreat.

However, the instant he withdrew his arms, Lu Xingzhou abruptly caught them again.

Unlike usual, those faintly callused palms were no longer cool. Instead, a trace of heat had entered them.

Startled, Shu Baiyu raised his eyes just as he prepared to speak—and met Lu Xingzhou’s gaze.

Warmth had suddenly appeared within those normally indifferent eyes. The sharpness of his stare made Shu Baiyu’s heart skip, and his instincts immediately warned him of danger.

In the next instant, the world spun.

By the time Shu Baiyu reacted, he had been pressed against the wall.

The cold surface made him shudder involuntarily, while the weight pinning him there gradually grew hotter.

His vision was still blurred as though covered by mist. However, when a knee abruptly pressed between his legs, he sucked in a sharp breath.

He no longer had the strength to push away the head that had suddenly buried itself against his neck. He could only force himself to remain conscious enough to protest.

“Lu—Lu Xingzhou!”

A sudden pain at his collarbone answered him.

Then a damp heat spread across the spot.

His entire body trembled. He slid downward like soft mud, only for Lu Xingzhou’s thigh to forcefully support him again.

Lu Xingzhou resembled a wild animal that had scented its prey. The tip of his nose followed the enticing fragrance emanating from the Omega.

His long, narrow eyes were no longer clear. Only the young man before him was reflected in his pale pupils.

The Omega’s consciousness seemed scattered. The fresh sweetness pouring from his body made Lu Xingzhou’s heartbeat accelerate, his ears roaring.

He would not have minded if the Omega released even more pheromones.

This was nowhere near enough.

The person beneath him suddenly inhaled through clenched teeth.

Before Lu Xingzhou could understand what it meant, he heard Shu Baiyu curse.

“Fuck…”

Then Shu Baiyu reached up and tightly grabbed his hair.

“Lu Xingzhou… Your pheromones!”

Shu Baiyu did not know what Lu Xingzhou had just done, but the snowmelt scent surrounding him abruptly became much stronger, making him tremble uncontrollably.

His body was burning.

He could feel that even the breath leaving his lips was hot.

There were stranger changes occurring elsewhere in his body as well.

After pulling Lu Xingzhou’s head up, Shu Baiyu had not yet managed to examine the marks on his neck and shoulder when he suddenly trembled again.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

He slowly raised his hand before Lu Xingzhou, his expression horrified. Even his previously flushed face became slightly pale.

“Lu Xingzhou…”

Hearing his name spoken in that state, Lu Xingzhou finally released a slow breath.

He buried his head deeply for two seconds before raising it again. Faint red veins had appeared in his eyes.

Because of Shu Baiyu’s unusual reaction, he did not immediately release him.

When he spoke, his voice was completely hoarse.

“…What is it?”

Shu Baiyu still wore that expression, his confusion carrying a trace of fear toward the unknown.

He blankly extended his hand for Lu Xingzhou to see.

“This thing… Why did it come out from behind me…?”

A strand of transparent, viscous fluid hung between two of his fingers, shining beneath the lights.

Lu Xingzhou’s breathing abruptly stopped.

Then he forcibly restrained himself, compelling his weakened instincts to pull away from Shu Baiyu.

He retreated several steps.

Without Lu Xingzhou’s thigh supporting him, Shu Baiyu tilted sideways and slid down the wall onto the floor.

He still seemed trapped in his discovery of this strange change in his body, staring blankly into empty space.

No…

How could this…?

“Can you hold on?”

A hoarse voice pulled his thoughts back.

Shu Baiyu turned blankly toward Lu Xingzhou, who had created some distance between them.

His lips parted.

“Inhibitor…”

Lu Xingzhou no longer looked as strange as before, but he still appeared to be enduring something. His lips were pressed tightly into a rigid line.

He restrained himself from sensing the pheromones Shu Baiyu was releasing.

Seeing the Omega’s entire body flushed with heat, a thin layer of sweat gradually appeared on his own face.

He had no choice but to take another step back.

At the same time, a cool scent slowly spread from his body and faintly curled around Shu Baiyu.

“Can you wait?”

His pheromones could temporarily soothe an Omega who had just entered heat, but the closest hospital was still more than ten minutes away by car.

He was worried that Shu Baiyu would be unable to endure alone in the apartment while he traveled there and back.

Shu Baiyu wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head as he [read the original at bailiantales.com]pressed himself into the corner.

His breathing grew increasingly rapid. The hot breath he exhaled created the illusion that his mind was about to melt.

“There is another method besides inhibitors.”

The cool, dry voice sounded beside his ear again.

Shu Baiyu’s lowered head moved slightly, as though he had remembered something.

Lu Xingzhou also moved a little closer.

“A temporary mark… Do you remember?”

Shu Baiyu raised his head completely.

As Lu Xingzhou’s voice stopped, the buzzing in his ears also faded.

Under the other man’s gaze, he remembered how one bite had solved the problem before.

He answered through a heavy nasal voice:

“Mm.”

Lu Xingzhou had already crouched in front of him.

Both hands returned to his shoulders.

“Close your eyes,” he ordered hoarsely.

Shu Baiyu slowly closed them.

In the next instant, the sudden sensation of being lifted startled him. His legs immediately kicked outward, only for someone to anticipate the movement and firmly support the bends of his knees.

Lu Xingzhou carried him deeper into the room.

With a soft thud, Shu Baiyu’s vision blurred briefly.

By the time he reacted, he had been placed on a soft bed.

The moment he tried to sit up, a pair of hands wrapped around his waist, [read the original at bailiantales.com]flipped him over, and pinned him beneath Lu Xingzhou.

Lu Xingzhou blocked his struggles and restrained both of his arms.

Leaning down, he soothed him.

“Don’t move. I’ll give you a temporary mark.”

The breath against the back of Shu Baiyu’s neck made his scalp go numb.

He instantly collapsed again, lying weakly on the bed.

Lu Xingzhou lowered his eyes and observed his reaction.

He bent down, and his cool lips once again lightly touched the burning gland.

The contact lasted only an instant.

However, the faint itch stimulated Shu Baiyu’s nerves even more. He struggled weakly like a fish stranded on dry land before going limp again.

While Lu Xingzhou stared deeply at the bailiantales.com slightly raised gland, the person beneath him suddenly moved.

Shu Baiyu lifted his damp, heated eyelids, his gaze shrouded in mist.

As though finally confirming that the other man meant him no harm, he stopped struggling and abruptly spoke.

Lu Xingzhou paused and frowned slightly before leaning closer to his face.

“What?”

“…Snowmelt.”

Shu Baiyu’s voice floated softly, but he repeated himself.

“Your pheromones… smell like melting snow.”

He could not see Lu Xingzhou’s reaction, but he felt the other man’s body abruptly stiffen.

Then the shadow over him deepened and expanded once more, until slightly hurried breaths fell beside his ear.

Sensing something, Shu Baiyu prepared to lift his head and look at Lu Xingzhou.

In the next instant, a piercing pain in his neck stole his voice.

The cool scent of melting snow continuously poured into his gland, seeming to seep into his limbs and bones and flow through every inch of his flesh.

His scalp nearly went numb, and an electric tingling sensation raced down his spine.

Shu Baiyu whimpered.

The lines of his body instantly tightened as he buried his face in the bedding.

Lu Xingzhou did not allow him to hide.

He reached out, gripped Shu Baiyu’s chin, and half-forced his head upward, exposing his flushed face to the air.

Shu Baiyu’s body had gone completely limp.

His eyes were unfocused, and the lips pressed against Lu Xingzhou’s knuckle parted slightly, releasing one or two indistinct sounds.

A temporary mark during an Omega’s heat lasted longer than usual.

Shu Baiyu’s unfocused black eyes slowly moved, gradually regaining a little clarity.

He could feel the continuous heat inside him fading slightly as the pheromones entered his body.

He moved his lips but discovered that no sound would come out.

Therefore, he parted his teeth and bit down hard on the finger resting between them.

He heard the person behind him hiss softly, yet Lu Xingzhou still did not pull his hand away.

Instead, something damp and hot suddenly slid over Shu Baiyu’s already sensitive gland.

His whole body trembled, and he clenched his teeth more tightly without releasing the finger between them.

He did not know whether several minutes or more than ten had passed before the teeth embedded in his gland finally loosened.

Before withdrawing, however, the sharp tips of Lu Xingzhou’s teeth rubbed lightly across his skin and finally paused.

Lu Xingzhou removed the finger Shu Baiyu had been biting.

He glanced at the dark-red ring of teeth marks already imprinted around the knuckle.

Although he said nothing, a fleeting trace of amusement passed through his lowered, pale eyes.

His voice had recovered some of its usual cool clarity.

“How do you feel?”

Shu Baiyu felt unable to lift even half a finger.

He lay facedown on the bed and breathed slowly.

The mingled fragrances of snowmelt and lychee still filled the room. The lingering warmth had left a thin layer of sweat across his skin.

After hearing Lu Xingzhou’s question, he carefully assessed himself.

The violent heat from before seemed to have receded, and nothing felt wrong for the moment.

With his face still buried, he answered in a muffled voice:

“I’m fine.”

Lu Xingzhou, however, seemed to notice something.

He paused beside the bed before reaching down and turning Shu Baiyu over, exposing his face as he lay on his back.

A faint flush still remained on both cheeks of his otherwise pale, tense face.

His bangs, which usually covered half of it, had become completely disheveled, revealing a pair of pure black eyes that remained indifferent and largely emotionless.

However, the moment he saw Lu Xingzhou, his brows drew together.

Lu Xingzhou acted as though he did not notice the reaction.

He pressed the back of his hand against Shu Baiyu’s face.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Shu Baiyu’s gaze paused.

Then he turned his head aside and slowly steadied his breathing.

After a long while, Lu Xingzhou heard him say:

“Thank you.”

Lu Xingzhou froze.

Then the tension between his brows relaxed.

“There’s no need. You don’t need to thank me for something like this.”

He had clearly been the one who benefited, yet Shu Baiyu was still thanking him.

Shu Baiyu remained silent and waited for whatever Lu Xingzhou would say next.

Unexpectedly, after confirming that he was fine, Lu Xingzhou simply left the bed.

Before departing, he only instructed:

“Take a shower.”

The bedroom door closed again, leaving only Shu Baiyu’s breathing inside.

After he finished briefly washing up and came out, Lu Xingzhou had disappeared from the entire apartment.

The hand drying Shu Baiyu’s hair paused.

He tentatively called out:

“…Lu Xingzhou?”

There was no answer.

He walked into the living room.

“Brother Lu?”

Just as he stood there somewhat dazed, the front door suddenly made the sound of a Read on BaiLianTalesfingerprint lock being released.

A familiar face appeared from behind it.

Lu Xingzhou changed his shoes in the entryway and walked inside carrying two bags.

Seeing Shu Baiyu standing in the middle of the living room, he put the bags down and casually removed the coat he had hastily thrown on before leaving.

He approached him.

“Finished showering?”

He examined Shu Baiyu’s condition and nodded.

“You really do look better.”

Shu Baiyu stared at him and temporarily forgot to speak.

“All right. Wait a little longer. We’ll be able to eat soon.”

Lu Xingzhou picked up the groceries he had purchased and entered the kitchen.

He lowered his head and began preparing them while telling Shu Baiyu:

“Go change your clothes first.”

Shu Baiyu watched him for a long while.

He pressed a hand against the inexplicable fullness in his chest, then lowered his head and answered:

“Mm.”

When he returned after changing, one dish had already been placed on the dining table.

He walked over and sat down.

The kitchen was directly opposite him.

Watching Lu Xingzhou cook methodically, Shu Baiyu still found the scene strange. Seeing him in the kitchen felt unreal.

He involuntarily began recalling the novel’s descriptions of Lu Xingzhou.

Even after reviewing several plotlines, he could not remember much more information about him.

That made sense.