After Transmigrating as the Omega Fiance of the Cannon Fodder Top - Chapter 8

Regardless of the circumstances, Shu Baiyu ultimately got his wish and stayed at Lu Xingzhou’s house.

If the original plot had proceeded as written, the host and the Protagonist Bottom were supposed to officially meet at school. The Protagonist Top and Bottom were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Before their secondary genders manifested, they were extremely close; Shu Baiyu even knew that the Protagonist Top had treated the Bottom as his “future wife” since they were kids.

The two were separated when the Bottom’s family moved abroad for business. It wasn’t until the Bottom returned to the country and transferred to the Top’s university that they reconnected. Reunited, they maintained their initial friendship, neither of them yet aware of the true nature of their feelings for each other.

One day, while the main couple was walking down a path at school, the original host was supposed to run into them. Having already heard rumors about a transfer student being unusually close to the Protagonist Top, the host harbored immediate hostility toward the Bottom. Upon meeting, he branded the Bottom a love rival, thus beginning his daily routine of “seeking death” as a cannon fodder side character.

It was through the “assistance” provided by the host and a fleet of other cannon fodder rivals that the main couple would eventually realize their feelings and end up together.

Today was meant to be the first day of the Bottom’s return, but Shu Baiyu had altered the plot by meeting Tao Xi ahead of schedule. Since external factors were what eventually forced the protagonists to recognize their hearts, it didn’t matter if it happened a bit earlier or later, or by what method.

However, there was one thing Shu Baiyu couldn’t figure out: Why did the Bottom’s family come to the Lu residence immediately upon returning to the country? Did they have some childhood connection as well? The original book hadn’t detailed the relationship between Tao Xi and Lu Xingzhou, so he wasn’t sure. Regardless, none of that mattered. The priority was keeping Lu Xingzhou and Tao Xi apart.

—The Bottom’s parents had left, but they had left the Bottom behind.

Standing upstairs, Shu Baiyu heard clearly as Lu’s parents specifically told Lu Xingzhou to take good care of Tao Xi. He glanced at Lu Xingzhou and Tao Xi sitting on the sofa. Before he could plan his next move, Lu’s mother spotted him.

“Xiaoyu!” Luo Yao, Lu’s mother, waved at him with a beaming smile. “Come here!”

“How come you’re willing to come play at Auntie’s today? You never come when I invite you.” As soon as Shu Baiyu reached her, she grabbed his hand, her eyes darting back and forth between him and Lu Xingzhou. “I didn’t even know. When did you two become so close? Why didn’t you tell us?”

The original host was engaged to Lu Xingzhou, so Shu Baiyu naturally understood what Luo Yao was thinking. Since the Protagonist Bottom, Tao Xi, was watching, he didn’t say much, only nodding in response. He felt Lu Xingzhou’s gaze on his back. He stood still, waiting for Lu Xingzhou to object so he could figure out how to smooth things over. To his surprise, even as Luo Yao pulled him down to sit beside her, Lu Xingzhou remained silent.

Shu Baiyu didn’t say a word after sitting down. Luo Yao did all the talking, the smile never leaving her face. Eventually, Lu Xingzhou interrupted her stream of questions: “Mom.”

“How rude,” Luo Yao said, looking at him with dissatisfaction. “Can’t you see I’m talking to Xiaoyu? Why interrupt us?”

Lu Xingzhou simply said what he wanted to say: “He’s staying at our house tonight.”

Upon hearing this, she was visibly delighted. She couldn’t help but pat Shu Baiyu’s hand again. “Oh, that’s wonderful! You two really should spend more time together.” She immediately stood up and called for the maid. “I’ll go get the rooms ready!”

Shu Baiyu watched Luo Yao’s joyful retreat and fell silent. In the original book, Luo Yao had a deep friendship with Jian Weizhang’s first wife—Shu Baiyu’s biological mother—which was why the engagement had been set so early. Now that the first wife had divorced and moved abroad, Luo Yao could only project her affection onto Shu Baiyu.

While he was lost in thought, something suddenly touched his fingertip. He was sensitive to physical contact and reflexively pulled his hand away, turning to look beside him.

Tao Xi scratched his cheek awkwardly and whispered, “Sister-in-law…”

Shu Baiyu frowned, his expression practically a giant question mark.

Seeing his reaction, Tao Xi froze. “Did I… call you that too early?”

Shu Baiyu finally realized what he meant. He glanced quickly at Lu Xingzhou on the opposite sofa—who appeared not to hear their conversation—before nodding to Tao Xi.

“Oh, right. You aren’t married yet.” In Tao Xi’s mind, since they were engaged, they were already a couple. He lowered his head and whispered, “Then what should I call you?”

Shu Baiyu thought for a moment. “Shu Baiyu.”

“That’s not very appropriate, is it?” Given the relationship between their families, he couldn’t just call Lu Xingzhou’s partner by his full name.

Shu Baiyu didn’t care about the formalities. Seeing the Protagonist Bottom approaching him of his own accord, he noted that the plot had indeed changed. He asked, “Do you remember Qi Yan?” While his relationship with the Bottom hadn’t soured yet, he figured he’d try to matchmake the two protagonists.

Tao Xi’s eyes lit up at the name. “Qi Yan! Of course I remember. I’m planning to see him now that I’m back. How do you know him?”

Shu Baiyu paused. He could hardly introduce himself as Qi Yan’s ex-boyfriend. “…” He thought for a moment. “I…”

Before he could speak, Lu Xingzhou spoke from the opposite sofa: “Shu Baiyu.”

Shu Baiyu turned. Lu Xingzhou stood up, and it wasn’t just his imagination—his voice seemed even colder than usual. “Go upstairs.”

Shu Baiyu: “?”

Lu Xingzhou looked at him, mouthing the words clearly but silently: Pheromone. Treatment.

Understanding, Shu Baiyu stood up to follow.

Tao Xi was observant; his face reddened slightly as he stammered, “It’s so early… you—you’re going up already?”

Shu Baiyu didn’t catch the double meaning. “Mm.” Since he had already succeeded in separating the cannon fodder top from the protagonist bottom for the moment, he could now proceed with his first plan: getting closer to Lu Xingzhou.

They were back in Lu Xingzhou’s room. Unlike before, the moment Shu Baiyu stepped inside, he smelled a familiar, cool scent. He instinctively sniffed the air and looked at Lu Xingzhou. According to ABO lore, this scent only appeared around Lu Xingzhou—it must be his pheromones.

However, remembering how Lu Xingzhou had tested him earlier, he realized the man was very concerned about whether he could smell them. Based on Lu Xingzhou’s reaction, it was better to keep pretending he knew nothing. He walked over to Lu Xingzhou as if he noticed nothing at all.

Lu Xingzhou set an alarm and turned to him. “First pheromone bath. Five minutes.”

While Lu Xingzhou released non-threatening, non-seductive pheromones, the scent would envelop every part of Shu Baiyu, and Shu Baiyu would unconsciously begin to emit his own pheromones in response. Considering it was the first time, Lu Xingzhou released very little.

A faint, crisp, and slightly sweet scent began to permeate the air, latching onto the other layer of refreshing, cool fragrance. Lu Xingzhou noticed and swept his gaze over the standing Shu Baiyu. The boy had no reaction.

Lu Xingzhou paused for a second, then raised a hand. “Come here.”

Puzzled but figuring this was a good way to get closer, Shu Baiyu complied. However, Lu Xingzhou only looked down at him. “Take it off.”

“?”

Lu Xingzhou seemed slightly irritable for some reason. Glancing at the boy’s neck, he said, “The suppressant patch. Take it off.”

Shu Baiyu was emitting far too few pheromones under his guidance. Even for a first attempt, it shouldn’t be this little.

Shu Baiyu only hesitated for a second before reaching back and ripping it off. The patch was pink—the one Lu Xingzhou had picked that morning. Instead of throwing it away, Shu Baiyu looked down at it in his hand. He had been wanting to ask: do Omegas in this world get sticky residue on their necks from wearing these all day? He touched the skin, but it felt normal.

Lu Xingzhou saw him touching his own gland—the one still bearing his teeth marks—and his body stiffened. “…What are you doing?”

Having found his answer, Shu Baiyu shook his head and said it was nothing. Even if Lu Xingzhou didn’t understand the boy’s motive, he knew what that gesture implied in common social contexts. He couldn’t help but frown. “That gesture is forbidden from now on.”

Shu Baiyu was slightly annoyed by the commanding tone but gave a perfunctory “Oh.”

Lu Xingzhou saw right through his dismissive attitude. His narrow eyes flickered; it seemed the boy wouldn’t understand the gravity of things unless he were taught a lesson. That selfie he’d sent earlier was the same. Thinking this, Lu Xingzhou’s voice grew slightly raspy, and his gaze deepened.

Shu Baiyu didn’t notice the change, leaving his gland exposed to the Alpha without any defenses. Before he knew it, Lu Xingzhou was standing very close. If Shu Baiyu looked up, his nose would practically hit the other man’s.

Lu Xingzhou looked down at the crown of the boy’s head, his Adam’s apple bobbing. When he spoke, his words were completely out of sync with the atmosphere: “…What were you talking to him about downstairs?”

Shu Baiyu grew alert the moment his “main mission” was involved, so he failed to notice the hand reaching for his neck. “Just a normal chat.”

Lu Xingzhou’s eyelids were lowered; his mind clearly wasn’t on the question. His fingertips finally landed unobtrusively on the slightly protruding gland. As he brushed over the teeth marks, he suddenly gave a light squeeze.

In an instant, a jolt of electricity shot through Shu Baiyu’s body. The sudden, heart-trembling surge of pleasure made him lose the chance to shove Lu Xingzhou away; the lingering tremors left his tailbone tingling and hot.

Lu Xingzhou seemed surprised by the intensity of the reaction. A slight smile played on his lips as he looked at Shu Baiyu. “What’s wrong?”

Shu Baiyu’s fingertips were still trembling. For a moment, he had felt as if his entire body was melting. He was still shaken. The hand on his neck had already been withdrawn, brushing past as if by accident.

He didn’t know much about this world, but he knew enough to realize that sensation came from Lu Xingzhou pressing his gland. He touched the back of his neck again, his dark eyes deepening in color. “What was that just now?”

“A problem with your body,” Lu Xingzhou said, his expression unchanged. “I was trying to see if I could make you secrete more pheromones, but your body’s reaction was strange.”

Shu Baiyu’s brow knitted. He didn’t understand why the original host’s body had so many issues.

Lu Xingzhou continued, “It’s likely because of the pheromone disorder. It’ll get better with treatment.”

Shu Baiyu nodded without looking further into it, but his lowered gaze missed the deep, fleeting look Lu Xingzhou sent his way.

The five minutes passed quickly. Luo Yao’s voice came from outside the door: “Xiaoyu, are you in there? Auntie has your room ready. Why don’t you come down for some fruit?”

He instinctively touched the back of his neck again and looked up. “Do you have any suppressant patches?”

Lu Xingzhou glanced at the teeth marks on the gland, which were turning red again. “No.”

“Oh.” He didn’t think much of it, zipped up his hoodie, and headed downstairs.

Lu Xingzhou lingered behind in the room alone. A trace of sweetness seemed to hang in the air, and the sensation on his teeth from that night seemed to return.

He took a light sniff.

…Lychee flavor.