In that moment, all Xia Wennan registered was a pain so intense that he let out a blood-curdling scream and even squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes. After the excruciating pain subsided, he felt the flesh on his nape begin to swell. He wasn’t sure why, but he was palpably aware of Ming Luchuan injecting his pheromones into his body. Despite lacking glands, the alpha pheromones seeped into his muscles and blood vessels, and he could feel his heart racing faster and faster, his head swelling within seconds.
This sensation terrified Xia Wennan. Although he knew that betas would not react to alpha pheromones, he hadn’t had any prior experience with them either. Under the powerful oppressive feeling, he couldn’t keep his panic at bay. Lying face down on the carpet, he tried to crawl forwards, fearing Ming Luchuan’s next move.
But he didn’t expect that, after Ming Luchuan bit him, there was no next move.
Ming Luchuan had fallen asleep.
Xia Wennan shoved Ming Luchuan off of him, rolled over, and sat on the floor, his pulse racing as he gasped for air. He lifted a hand to feel his nape, and when he spread his palm in front of him, he was greeted by a handful of blood. He wiped his blood-stained palm on the carpet in reflex.
Ming Luchuan lay on the floor, stock-still save for the slight rise and fall of his body that showed that he was asleep.
The fright from the pheromone injection faded and was replaced by anger as Xia Wennan calmed down. He kicked Ming Luchuan’s waist with his foot, yet Ming Luchuan didn’t move a single inch.
Xia Wennan got to his feet, shoved his arms under Ming Luchuan’s arms, and struggled to haul him off the ground and onto the sofa. He collected his phone and called Ming Luchuan’s driver as he bent down to lift Ming Luchuan’s legs onto the sofa.
A while later, the driver came in and asked Xia Wennan to help him lift Ming Luchuan onto his back, then made his way out of the establishment.
Xia Wennan didn’t encounter He Yufeng nor Duan Ning a second time. Two attendants respectfully followed behind him, escorting them all the way outside and lending an arm to help Ming Luchuan into the car.
For a brief moment, Xia Wennan stood by Ming Luchuan’s bedside, then resignedly stripped the man of his coat, shoes, and socks before covering him with a blanket.
When Xia Wennan returned to his room, he carefully wiped his nape with a wet towel. The bleeding had stopped, and all he had to wipe away were dried-up bloodstains, but the place where he’d been bitten was still aching. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see it, he knew it was deep.
When he lay on his bed, Xia Wennan was already dead tired. He sank into the mattress, unable to turn over as if all the strength had left his body. However, despite his obvious exhaustion, he couldn’t fall asleep for a short time, his thoughts running wild through his fatigue, the events of the evening replaying in his mind.
That wasn’t all. There was one more thing that bothered him: all he could smell were Ming Luchuan’s pheromones. The scent was weak, but he couldn’t shake it for even a second.
Above all, when he wrapped the blanket around his entire body, he felt like bok choy marinating in Ming Luchuan’s pheromones; the scent had already seeped into his flesh and blood. It didn’t smell unpleasant, really, but with Xia Wennan’s sensitive sense of smell, it didn’t take long for him to feel light-headed.
Xia Wennan didn’t know how much time had passed as he lay in bed, but his exhaustion eventually won out and he fell asleep. His slumber, however, lasted only until dawn. Turning over groggily, he smelled that faint fragrance again and was jolted awake.
He ripped away the blanket and sat up, holding his head in pain.
Ming Luchuan awoke an hour later than Xia Wennan. He appeared to be in pain, possibly from the effects of a hangover. When he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before turning to lie on his side, where his gaze met a hardened glare.
The one who was glaring at him was none other than Xia Wennan. He had a head of messy hair, and his eyes were blue around the edges, his expression oozing resentment.
Ming Luchuan’s pupils shrunk the instant he saw Xia Wennan. His head jerked back, and he pressed a hand to his brow, his voice hoarse, as he asked, “Have you lost your mind?”
Xia Wennan was kneeling on the floor, his upper body resting on the bed. “Chuanchuan,” he said.
Ming Luchuan visibly froze as he stared at Xia Wennan. “What is it?”
“Do you remember what happened last night?” said Xia Wennan.
Ming Luchuan propped himself up on his arms, lightly pressed a hand to his aching brow again, and asked, “What happened last night?”
Xia Wennan climbed onto Ming Luchuan’s bed and sat cross-legged in front of him. “Do you remember going to dinner? Do you remember that Duan Ning was there? Do you remember fending off drinks for him?”
Ming Luchuan didn’t respond. He was hunched over, his head slightly bowed, but his eyes were trained straight ahead.
“It seems like you do,” said Xia Wennan. “I’ll keep going then. Do you remember calling me and asking me to pick you up? Do you remember calling me Nannan?” He’d initially meant to ask if Ming Luchuan remembered kissing him, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly felt too embarrassed to ask.
“Nannan?” Ming Luchuan glanced at him with a vacant look in his eyes.
The following question held the culmination of Xia Wennan’s anger. He lowered his head, exposing his nape to Ming Luchuan. “Do you remember biting me?”
Ming Luchuan provided no response. A moment later, a warm palm stroked Xia Wennan’s nape. Ming Luchuan’s throat bobbed, and he said, “Is that true?”
Hearing the man’s slightly grim tone startled Xia Wennan, causing him to raise his head and avoid Ming Luchuan’s touch.
Ming Luchuan’s gaze was fixed on Xia Wennan. “I bit you?”
Xia Wennan broke out in cold sweat. “Otherwise?”
Ming Luchuan leaned over to smell the scent on Xia Wennan’s body and chuckled softly.
His chuckle gave Xia Wennan goosebumps. He paused for a beat before saying, “Aren’t you going to apologise to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Ming Luchuan said immediately, without a trace of emotion.
Xia Wennan looked at him, saw his calm, and couldn’t help but ask again, “You really don’t remember a thing?”
After a brief silence, Ming Luchuan said, “I don’t remember biting you.”
What about that kiss then? Xia Wennan didn’t ask. Ming Luchuan didn’t say anything either.
Before heading over to the company, Xia Wennan applied gauze to the wound on his nape. He knew that the placement of the gauze was extremely conspicuous, that it would let people’s imaginations roam wild, but the wound itself was too obvious—he’d rather people kept to their guesses than be able to see that he’d been bitten at a glance. If anyone inquired, he could simply say that he’d accidentally injured himself.
Despite this, he managed to overlook the one thing he should’ve considered—the remaining traces of Ming Luchuan’s pheromones were discernible not only to him, but also to the alphas and omegas in the company.
At noon, during lunch, practically every eye in the cafeteria was on Xia Wennan.
Xia Wennan was sitting at his laboratory co-workers’ table. He registered those sights that were far and near and was suddenly overcome with a bleak feeling. He was certain that the entire company had assumptions of what he and Ming Luchuan had gotten up to the night before—and how intense it had been.
Sure enough, in the next second, Chen Wenchu set down his lunch tray next to him. As he sat down, he clapped Xia Wennan’s shoulder and said, “It’s been a while since President Ming was so fierce!”
Xia Wennan instantly choked on the rice in his mouth. Unable to swallow or spit it out, he could only cough in agony.
In that moment, all Xia Wennan registered was a pain so intense that he let out a blood-curdling scream and even squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes. After the excruciating pain subsided, he felt the flesh on his nape begin to swell. He wasn’t sure why, but he was palpably aware of Ming Luchuan injecting his pheromones into his body. Despite lacking glands, the alpha pheromones seeped into his muscles and blood vessels, and he could feel his heart racing faster and faster, his head swelling within seconds.
This sensation terrified Xia Wennan. Although he knew that betas would not react to alpha pheromones, he hadn’t had any prior experience with them either. Under the powerful oppressive feeling, he couldn’t keep his panic at bay. Lying face down on the carpet, he tried to crawl forwards, fearing Ming Luchuan’s next move.
But he didn’t expect that, after Ming Luchuan bit him, there was no next move.
Ming Luchuan had fallen asleep.
Xia Wennan shoved Ming Luchuan off of him, rolled over, and sat on the floor, his pulse racing as he gasped for air. He lifted a hand to feel his nape, and when he spread his palm in front of him, he was greeted by a handful of blood. He wiped his blood-stained palm on the carpet in reflex.
Ming Luchuan lay on the floor, stock-still save for the slight rise and fall of his body that showed that he was asleep.
The fright from the pheromone injection faded and was replaced by anger as Xia Wennan calmed down. He kicked Ming Luchuan’s waist with his foot, yet Ming Luchuan didn’t move a single inch.
Xia Wennan got to his feet, shoved his arms under Ming Luchuan’s arms, and struggled to haul him off the ground and onto the sofa. He collected his phone and called Ming Luchuan’s driver as he bent down to lift Ming Luchuan’s legs onto the sofa.
A while later, the driver came in and asked Xia Wennan to help him lift Ming Luchuan onto his back, then made his way out of the establishment.
Xia Wennan didn’t encounter He Yufeng nor Duan Ning a second time. Two attendants respectfully followed behind him, escorting them all the way outside and lending an arm to help Ming Luchuan into the car.
For a brief moment, Xia Wennan stood by Ming Luchuan’s bedside, then resignedly stripped the man of his coat, shoes, and socks before covering him with a blanket.
When Xia Wennan returned to his room, he carefully wiped his nape with a wet towel. The bleeding had stopped, and all he had to wipe away were dried-up bloodstains, but the place where he’d been bitten was still aching. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see it, he knew it was deep.
When he lay on his bed, Xia Wennan was already dead tired. He sank into the mattress, unable to turn over as if all the strength had left his body. However, despite his obvious exhaustion, he couldn’t fall asleep for a short time, his thoughts running wild through his fatigue, the events of the evening replaying in his mind.
That wasn’t all. There was one more thing that bothered him: all he could smell were Ming Luchuan’s pheromones. The scent was weak, but he couldn’t shake it for even a second.
Above all, when he wrapped the blanket around his entire body, he felt like bok choy marinating in Ming Luchuan’s pheromones; the scent had already seeped into his flesh and blood. It didn’t smell unpleasant, really, but with Xia Wennan’s sensitive sense of smell, it didn’t take long for him to feel light-headed.
Xia Wennan didn’t know how much time had passed as he lay in bed, but his exhaustion eventually won out and he fell asleep. His slumber, however, lasted only until dawn. Turning over groggily, he smelled that faint fragrance again and was jolted awake.
He ripped away the blanket and sat up, holding his head in pain.
Ming Luchuan awoke an hour later than Xia Wennan. He appeared to be in pain, possibly from the effects of a hangover. When he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before turning to lie on his side, where his gaze met a hardened glare.
The one who was glaring at him was none other than Xia Wennan. He had a head of messy hair, and his eyes were blue around the edges, his expression oozing resentment.
Ming Luchuan’s pupils shrunk the instant he saw Xia Wennan. His head jerked back, and he pressed a hand to his brow, his voice hoarse, as he asked, “Have you lost your mind?”
Xia Wennan was kneeling on the floor, his upper body resting on the bed. “Chuanchuan,” he said.
Ming Luchuan visibly froze as he stared at Xia Wennan. “What is it?”
“Do you remember what happened last night?” said Xia Wennan.
Ming Luchuan propped himself up on his arms, lightly pressed a hand to his aching brow again, and asked, “What happened last night?”
Xia Wennan climbed onto Ming Luchuan’s bed and sat cross-legged in front of him. “Do you remember going to dinner? Do you remember that Duan Ning was there? Do you remember fending off drinks for him?”
Ming Luchuan didn’t respond. He was hunched over, his head slightly bowed, but his eyes were trained straight ahead.
“It seems like you do,” said Xia Wennan. “I’ll keep going then. Do you remember calling me and asking me to pick you up? Do you remember calling me Nannan?” He’d initially meant to ask if Ming Luchuan remembered kissing him, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly felt too embarrassed to ask.
“Nannan?” Ming Luchuan glanced at him with a vacant look in his eyes.
The following question held the culmination of Xia Wennan’s anger. He lowered his head, exposing his nape to Ming Luchuan. “Do you remember biting me?”
Ming Luchuan provided no response. A moment later, a warm palm stroked Xia Wennan’s nape. Ming Luchuan’s throat bobbed, and he said, “Is that true?”
Hearing the man’s slightly grim tone startled Xia Wennan, causing him to raise his head and avoid Ming Luchuan’s touch.
Ming Luchuan’s gaze was fixed on Xia Wennan. “I bit you?”
Xia Wennan broke out in cold sweat. “Otherwise?”
Ming Luchuan leaned over to smell the scent on Xia Wennan’s body and chuckled softly.
His chuckle gave Xia Wennan goosebumps. He paused for a beat before saying, “Aren’t you going to apologise to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Ming Luchuan said immediately, without a trace of emotion.
Xia Wennan looked at him, saw his calm, and couldn’t help but ask again, “You really don’t remember a thing?”
After a brief silence, Ming Luchuan said, “I don’t remember biting you.”
What about that kiss then? Xia Wennan didn’t ask. Ming Luchuan didn’t say anything either.
Before heading over to the company, Xia Wennan applied gauze to the wound on his nape. He knew that the placement of the gauze was extremely conspicuous, that it would let people’s imaginations roam wild, but the wound itself was too obvious—he’d rather people kept to their guesses than be able to see that he’d been bitten at a glance. If anyone inquired, he could simply say that he’d accidentally injured himself.
Despite this, he managed to overlook the one thing he should’ve considered—the remaining traces of Ming Luchuan’s pheromones were discernible not only to him, but also to the alphas and omegas in the company.
At noon, during lunch, practically every eye in the cafeteria was on Xia Wennan.
Xia Wennan was sitting at his laboratory co-workers’ table. He registered those sights that were far and near and was suddenly overcome with a bleak feeling. He was certain that the entire company had assumptions of what he and Ming Luchuan had gotten up to the night before—and how intense it had been.
Sure enough, in the next second, Chen Wenchu set down his lunch tray next to him. As he sat down, he clapped Xia Wennan’s shoulder and said, “It’s been a while since President Ming was so fierce!”
Xia Wennan instantly choked on the rice in his mouth. Unable to swallow or spit it out, he could only cough in agony.
