Chapter 53: I’m starving

Translator: Abo Dammen

☆

Case Three: Nucheng’s Past Events

Xu Pei hadn’t driven his car in the morning, so now he could only take a taxi back.

The originally smooth roads became congested after entering the city center. Traffic lights changed futilely, more exhausted than the people who had just gotten off work, utterly failing to alleviate the congestion.

Before officially entering his heat, Xu Pei could still control himself quite well. He leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed, resting, showing no outward signs of abnormality. 

But the omega pheromones permeating in the taxi betrayed his condition.

The driver was a low-grade alpha, checking out Xu Pei through the rearview mirror from time to time. At another congested intersection, he slowly pressed the brake, turned down his scent blocker’s level, sniffing the sweet, cloying scent in the car, and said to He Yixun, “Your wife is so fragrant, and you’re still so calm, huh.”

Judging by scent alone, it was as if He Yixun didn’t exist in the car.

Xu Pei knew it was precisely because the driver didn’t sense a high-grade alpha’s presence that he dared to be so presumptuous. 

He kept his eyes closed and said coldly, “Just drive your car properly.”

But given his condition, his voice lacked strength and authority; even cold words carried no authority.

“I’ve never seen a fast omega running around outside,” the intoxicating scent in the car was agitating. The driver looked at He Yixun through the rearview mirror, his thoughts running wild as he asked, “Is this your wife, or did you pick her up?”

Even though Xu Pei was the one conversing with him, he only cared about He Yixun’s attitude. 

As if, as long as he could prove Xu Pei was a wild omega and He Yixun didn’t care about him, he could take advantage.

“Is your code of conduct just for show?” He Yixun swept over the notice pasted on the back of the passenger seat, which explicitly prohibited drivers from harassing passengers. “If you say one more word, I’ll report you immediately.”

The driver made a “Tch” sound and didn’t speak again.

Back at the bachelor apartment, the first thing Xu Pei did was rummage through the medical kit and inject himself with an inhibitor. 

Because the heat had come on suddenly, many preparations hadn’t been made in time. While waiting for the medication to take effect, Xu Pei summoned his iron will, opening his laptop to fill out a leave request while directing He Yixun, “Can you get me the disposable waterproof bedding? It’s in the second drawer of the wardrobe on the left.”

Thinking He Yixun’s hand might be inconvenient, Xu Pei added, “I’ll change it myself later.”

He Yixun still had many questions for Xu Pei, like what he discussed with Zhan Gao, why he still went into heat even with his serum, but seeing Commander Xu seriously assigning him tasks, he temporarily set aside the important matters and walked towards the bedroom. “Waterproof bedding?”

Xu Pei clacked away on the keyboard. “For the next week, I’ll be in a state of low fever. Although I’m using an inhibitor and won’t have that ‘flowing river’ situation like last time at your place, my glands and reproductive chamber will still secrete a small amount of fluid, so I need waterproof bedding. 

“This kind of bedding set is quite expensive. It can absorb the fluid into the inner layer while the surface remains dry…”

“So you’re going to secrete honey water again,” He Yixun concluded.

Xu Pei rolled his eyes. “That’s not honey water!”

The injury on He Yixun’s arm didn’t reach the bone. As long as he didn’t exert it excessively, the wound wasn’t too painful. Seeing Xu Pei busy, he took the initiative to change the sheets and duvet cover. “Don’t alphas have a rut cycle?” 

“They can go into rut anytime, or not at all all year. The autonomy is in their hands.” Xu Pei hit the enter key, closed the laptop, and looked at He Yixun. “Is your hand okay?”

“It’s fine.” The arm in the sling was just inconvenient, but he could manage tasks perfectly well.

He Yixun shook out the duvet, pulling the four corners smooth, but then heard Xu Pei say, “Don’t rush to make the bed yet. Get another duvet out for me first.”

“Why?” He Yixun asked. 

“Omegas have nesting behavior during their heat cycle. I need to pile my bed up like a castle to feel secure.”

A castle?

He Yixun took out another duvet and stood by the bed, seriously thinking about how to stack the duvets into a castle.

He tried using the soft duvet to build a roof, and unsurprisingly failed. 

A castle was hard to imagine, but a doghouse was doable.

Using two duvets to form a circular doghouse and placing the pillows inside, He Yixun looked at his masterpiece with great satisfaction.

The moment Xu Pei entered the bedroom, he kicked off his slippers, got on the bed, and rolled around, feeling immensely secure. “You’re quite talented.”

“Mm,” He Yixun also agreed that he had excellent aptitude in raising small dogs. 

“Can you get me a few bottles of electrolyte water from the fridge? I need to hydrate whenever needed.” Xu Pei turned on the projector and pulled up the movie list he’d saved for his heat cycle. “That’s about it otherwise. You can go cook now. I’m hungry.”

He went to a private kitchen restaurant but didn’t get to eat a single bite.

He Yixun placed the water and a straw on the bedside table and asked, “Why didn’t your previous heats at my place last a week?”

“Because those weren’t official heat cycles.” Xu Pei nestled in the duvet, only his head peeking out. “An official heat is divided into early, middle, and late stages. After using an inhibitor, the early and late stages involve a low fever. The middle stage is a bit more uncomfortable, but it’s not a big deal.” 

“How are you feeling now?” He Yixun asked.

Because He Yixun had been taking such good care of him, Xu Pei had almost ignored the discomfort in his gland. Or perhaps it was because the inhibitor itself needed time to take effect, so he subconsciously assumed the persistent glandular discomfort was normal. But prompted by He Yixun’s question, Xu Pei suddenly felt that something was wrong. He sat up in bed, moved aside, and looked down—

A damp peach shape had appeared on the waterproof bedsheet. The sheet’s excellent absorbency made the peach vanish instantly, but Xu Pei’s body froze in place, unable to pretend he hadn’t seen it.

I’m done for. 

The. Inhibitor. Didn’t. Work.

“You’re very wet,” He Yixun pointed out, looking at Xu Pei’s trousers. “Is this normal?”

“Don’t panic!” Xu Pei waved a hand with feigned calmness, grabbed his phone, and opened a delivery app. “It must be because I just had your serum injection. My body’s drug resistance has increased, so the regular inhibitor is useless.

“But it’s fine. I’ll order a high-potency inhibitor now.” 

“The high-potency one is three times more effective than the regular one. It will definitely work.

Watching Xu Pei muttering to himself, He Yixun was silent for a moment before saying, “I can help you.”

Although he claimed not to be panicking, Xu Pei was actually extremely flustered. Once he consciously focused on the discomfort in his gland, all his bodily reactions felt infinitely magnified, especially the craving for caresses, which continuously eroded his reason.

He dug his nails hard into his palm, trying desperately to stay clear-headed. “You can’t. A full-blown heat isn’t like before, where reaching climax could provide relief. It requires the reproductive cavity to continuously absorb an alpha’s semen. 

“Your blood is already different from ours, so your semen must be different too. It probably can’t have a soothing effect.”

He Yixun asked unhurriedly, “How do you know without trying?”

A good question. For a research scientist, it could even serve as a motto.

But how could they try something like this? 

Putting everything else aside, just from a scientific perspective, merely injecting He Yixun’s serum had already caused Xu Pei’s body to develop resistance to inhibitors, and the full extent and duration of this effect were still unknown. If Xu Pei’s reproductive tract were to actually absorb He Yixun’s semen, the potential impact on his body was unpredictable.

“No,” Xu Pei shook his head, a flicker of determination in his increasingly hazy eyes. “I can only consider letting you… in… after running tests to ensure it’s safe.”

He Yixun: “…..A physical exam?”

“No!” Xu Pei’s emotions were unstable, and he suddenly grew very angry. “It’s all your fault! Why wouldn’t you just give me your sample properly? If the tests showed no problems…” 

No problems, and then what?

Xu Pei felt momentarily confused.

“I’ll give it to you now. Is that okay?”

“I don’t want it now!” The memory of He Yixun deliberately missing his aim made Xu Pei furious. He yanked the quilt over his head. “I’ve already ordered the high-potency inhibitor! Just go cook your food!” 

He Yixun stood by the bed for a while. Seeing that Xu Pei remained buried under the covers, clearly not wanting to engage with him, he finally said, “I’m going to cook. Call me if you need anything.”

However, he had barely reached the door when a soft, pleading voice came from behind him: “He Yixun…”

Turning back, he saw Xu Puppy peeking out with just his eyes visible, his voice muffled by the quilt. “Maybe… could you just bite my gland for a while? The inhibitor won’t be here for some time…”

He Yixun replied succinctly with one word, “Okay.” 

The omega’s nest was crowded by another person. The private space became both full and safe. Xu Pei’s heart felt filled to the brim, as if something were about to overflow.

He yearned for touch, yet was exceedingly cautious. Shedding his clothes, he lay prone within the small fortress-like space, exposing his most vulnerable spot. The fluttering butterfly was exquisitely vibrant, bathed by the gurgling spring.

He Yixun leaned down, pressing close, and took that red butterfly into his mouth. His mouth was instantly filled with the sweet fragrance of honey.

So, he could still taste Xu Pei’s sweetness. 

But why couldn’t he smell it like other alphas could?

The force of his biting increased steadily, carrying a wave of inexplicable fury.

He had no scent gland. He couldn’t mark Xu Pei, nor could he use pheromones to suppress others when Xu Pei was harassed by alphas. He couldn’t effectively soothe Xu Pei’s heat, and even less could he make Xu Pei carry his child…

“Mmph.” Xu Pei let out a pained groan. “It hurts.” 

The sweet fragrance erupted in his mouth, mixed with a trace of blood. He Yixun snapped back to reality and realized he had actually bitten through Xu Pei’s gland.

But strangely, the wound didn’t gush with blood. The red color spread beneath the pale skin, and in the blink of an eye, the butterfly enlarged several times over, occupying Xu Pei’s entire nape.

He Yixun was slightly stunned. “Your gland…”

“High-grade omegas are like this. Their bodies are very sensitive, as if born for mating,” Xu Pei said, face buried in the pillow, somewhat embarrassed. “I’ve recovered a bit now, you can stop… licking.” 

He Yixun fell silent for a moment, feeling the soft peach desperately trying to press against his own lower body, and asked, “Have you really recovered? Your body seems to have a different opinion.”

“Never mind that.” Xu Pei shook his phone. “The inhibitors should be here soon.”

If they didn’t arrive soon, Xu Pei didn’t think he could hold on any longer.

The gland expansion wasn’t a sign of recovery at all. On the contrary, his craving for caresses had penetrated to the marrow, every pore on his body greedily clinging to He Yixun’s body heat. Reason and instinct were tearing him apart. Heaven knew how much effort it took to maintain a facade of calm composure. 

Because if his reason gave way, Xu Pei knew very well that the primal wildness unleashed by his heat would definitely startle He Yixun. Then the inherently cold Officer He would surely say, “I knew you people were savages.”

Ding-dong! The doorbell finally rang.

Xu Pei secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at He Yixun. “Alright. You can go cook without worries now.”

He Yixun moved away from Xu Pei’s back, glanced at the long-unseen succubus tattoo, steadied his breathing, and went to the entryway to retrieve the potent suppressant. The delivery person probably didn’t expect the recipient to be an alpha, judging from appearances at least, and peered curiously into the room, even twitching his nostrils. 

He Yixun hated others smelling Xu Pei’s scent. He slammed the door shut with a bang.

After delivering the inhibitor to the bedroom, Xu Pei burrowed back under the covers, wrapping himself up tightly.

An omega in heat seems particularly attached to their nest, Observer He mentally noted this point.

Before leaving the bedroom, He Yixun asked one more time. “You’re sure you don’t need me anymore?” 

“I’m sure,” Xu Pei said, his expression normal. “Hurry up and cook, I’m starving.”

The ingredients had been ordered online while He Yixun was accompanying Xu Pei at work. If Zhan Gao hadn’t unexpectedly asked Xu Pei out, he would have already made dinner.

Taking several identically sized plates from the cabinet, He Yixun washed and cut the ingredients, sorting them into categories. Following his own habit, he prepared all the ingredients first before putting on an apron and turning on the stove.

During the interval waiting for the oil to heat up, he left the kitchen to check on the bedroom. Seeing Xu Pei still wrapped in the comforter, he asked, “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Xu Pei nodded, his back to He Yixun.

He Yixun returned to the kitchen. The oil fumes rose, the oil temperature was just right. He picked up the beef short ribs with tongs and placed them in the skillet. The aroma was instantly released. At the same time, the sound of flip-flops echoed from the living room.

It seemed Xu Pei was completely fine now, leaving his “nest.”

The beef cooked quickly. He Yixun turned each fragrant rib over one by one. The sound grew closer, and Xu Pei entered the kitchen. He Yixun, thinking he was just there to supervise, didn’t pay it much mind. Who knew, the next second, Xu Pei suddenly wrapped his arms around He Yixun’s waist from behind, and his hands abruptly grabbed He Yixun’s crotch. 

“I’m so hungry,” Xu Pei said, his mind clearly foggy. “I want to eat this.”

He Yixun nearly dropped the barbecue tongs in his hand. He pried off the offending “groping hands” and turned to look at Xu Pei. “Didn’t it subside?”

“Your serum… damn it,” Xu Pei pressed against He Yixun’s back, his chin straining to hook over He Yixun’s shoulder, his claws still reaching for that area. “The… the inhibitor… it’s not working on me.”

“So you’re still in heat,” He Yixun concluded, gripping both “groping hands” with one of his own, using his injured left hand to sear the edges of the beef ribs. 

“Mhm,” Xu Pei grunted, unable to reach what he wanted, said angrily, “What’s the big deal if you let me touch it?”

“Aren’t we going to eat?” He Yixun turned off the stove, took off his apron, and turned around to face Xu Pei. Only then did he notice Xu Pei’s cheeks were flushed crimson, his eyes even more dazed than before.

“I never said I wouldn’t eat,” Xu Pei stubbornly threw himself into He Yixun’s arms. “You feed me.”