The little tangerine was sweet. Licked by the tongues of fire, it was like a fruit roasted in autumn and winter, exuding a warm fragrance. Their pheromones intertwined, emitting an ambiguous aura.

When Fang Chen woke up the next day, he was still dizzy. The aftermath of being drunk caused a brief memory lapse. He groggily looked around, trying to figure out where he was. A sound suddenly came from the door. Seth walked in with a glass of water, and seeing the dazed young man, he curled his lips into a smile. “Baby’s awake.”

The moment he saw Seth, the chaotic memories of last night came flooding back—how he had proactively leaned in to kiss him, how he had asked Seth to bite him with a choked sob. He was too embarrassed to face anyone! In the blink of an eye, the young man burrowed back under the covers, leaving only the top of his fluffy black hair visible.

Seth found it amusing. He walked over, put down the water glass, and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to stroke Fang Chen’s hair. “Where’s my wife? Where’s my big, beautiful wife?”

Fang Chen pulled the covers down a little, glaring at him. “Don’t call me that!” Unfortunately, his eyes were still a bit red and swollen from crying so much last night, holding no deterrent force at all. Glaring with such round eyes, he instead looked incredibly cute. Seth was tempted to grab his chin and kiss him again. But he had already gone too far last night. Later, when he was holding him and applying medicine, Seth had seen it was already a little swollen.

The man coaxed him, “Don’t suffocate yourself, baby. Come out and drink some water. What do you want for breakfast? I’ll go make it.”

Fang Chen thought sullenly, how could this person switch between terms of endearment so smoothly? But after such a chaotic night, an Omega’s physiological instincts would naturally draw him closer to his Alpha, craving his pheromones. His whole body felt soft, as if there was only one thought left in his mind: to crawl into the man’s arms and be held by him.

Like a little cat, Fang Chen first poked his head out, then tentatively nuzzled against Seth. The man smiled imperceptibly. Finally, with a stretch of his large hand, he scooped Fang Chen out directly, letting him sit securely in his lap. “If you want a hug, just hug me. Why be sneaky?”

Fang Chen hung his head, the tips of his exposed ears turning fiery red. He hummed, his voice like a mosquito’s buzz, “I wasn’t being sneaky.”

Seth lowered his head and kissed his ear. “It was me being sneaky. I stole you over here.”

Speaking of which, Fang Chen suddenly turned his head to ask him, “How much money did you give the Fang family?”

Seth named a number.

Fang Chen’s vision went black. My God! He was actually worth that much money! He gripped Seth’s collar, so angry he almost couldn’t breathe. “You! You…”

Seth quickly said, “Don’t be angry, baby. Our family isn’t short on that little bit of money.”

Fang Chen gritted his teeth. “That’s not okay either!”

Seth chuckled. “Don’t worry. Think of that money as a little taste for them. I know the Fang family treated you badly. How could I let go of the people who bullied you? Just wait, the Fang family is about to have some bad luck.”

Fang Chen was stunned. “You… you’re serious?”

Seth held him, bouncing him on his lap like a child. “What’s wrong? Feeling soft-hearted again?”

Fang Chen shook his head. “Of course not, but… why? Is it just because of me?”

“What do you mean, ‘just because of you’?” Seth frowned, lowering his head to give Fang Chen’s lips a light bite as a punishment. “Have you forgotten what I said?”

Fang Chen’s eyes widened slightly. His somewhat sluggish brain finally began to react a little. In all things, I will put you first. It turned out Seth wasn’t just saying that to trick him into marriage. His lips moved, but he didn’t know what to say.

Fortunately, Seth didn’t seem to want to press the issue. He held Fang Chen’s face and gave him a heavy kiss. “I really have to go make breakfast now, baby. You can’t skip meals.”

Fang Chen didn’t speak, but he remained in his arms, staring at him with wide, round eyes. He himself didn’t know what was wrong with him. It was normal for an Omega to feel dependent on their Alpha, but wasn’t this a bit too severe?

Seth was ready to surrender just from being looked at like this. He simply couldn’t bear to refuse any of Fang Chen’s requests. And so, the tall Alpha carried his treasure in his arms all the way to the dining room. The Omega’s figure was slender, and hanging on the man’s body, he looked like a slightly oversized doll. He hugged Seth’s neck tightly, rested his head on Seth’s shoulder, and began to yawn.

The man coaxed him, “Go to sleep, baby.”

Fang Chen had been thoroughly tormented last night and was genuinely sleepy now. In the moment before drifting off into dreamland, he was still pondering. Did I really have a whirlwind marriage with Seth? Why does it feel…

---

After staying on the island for a few days, Fang Chen and Seth returned to New City. He had packed some luggage, but Seth glanced at it dismissively.

It was normal to live together after marriage, but Fang Chen was a little nervous. What if their living habits were different? Would they fight? What if Seth yelled at him or hit him? With his physique, he definitely couldn’t beat Seth. As his mind wandered, Fang Chen’s brain glitched, and he subconsciously blurted out, “Don’t hit me.”

Seth froze. He looked at him with an incredulous expression. His voice was heavy. “Have I ever hit you?”

Fang Chen gave an awkward smile. “No…”

Seth’s tone grew even colder. “Then did the Fang family hit you?” Looking at him, it seemed if Fang Chen nodded, Seth would immediately go throw a few bombs to blow up the Fang residence.

Fang Chen sighed. “No, I was just overthinking things.”

Dissatisfied, the man ruffled Fang Chen’s hair into a mess. “What are you thinking about? Me, hitting you? If I touch a single finger on you, you can take a knife and stab me with it.”

Fang Chen was startled. Who talks like that? He subconsciously reached out to cover Seth’s mouth, but as soon as his hand was extended, the man pulled it to his lips and pecked it a few times. The man’s hot breath fell on his hand. Fang Chen felt his face burning, as if the gland on the back of his neck was burning along with it.

In fact, Fang Chen’s worries were completely unnecessary. Their cohabitation was exceptionally harmonious. To be more precise, Seth would never have even the slightest conflict with Fang Chen.

Most mornings, Fang Chen would be woken up by the man’s kisses on his face. The moment Fang Chen woke up, the man would intensify his efforts, directly blocking his lips and kissing him more fiercely. Then he would help him get dressed and carry him to wash up. He had never been so spoiled, not even when he was the young master of the Fang family. Now, he was completely pampered by the man to the point of being dressed and fed.

During breakfast, Seth said casually, “Take a leave of absence today, baby.”

Fang Chen looked up dazedly. “Huh?”

Seth’s tone was as casual as if he were commenting on the fine weather. “My susceptibility period is coming.”

Clatter. The spoon Fang Chen was using for his soup fell. He was already so terrifying normally; what would he be like during his susceptibility period? Fang Chen mourned for himself in his heart for a few seconds, then asked seriously, “Which day exactly? I need to write it on the leave request.”

Seth frowned and asked very seriously, “Can’t you take a month off?”

Fang Chen’s eyes widened. “Your susceptibility period is a month long?” He knew Alphas’ susceptibility periods varied, but he had never heard of one lasting a month. That was too terrifying.

“Oh, not really,” Seth explained with a smile. “I just want you to spend more time with me before and after my susceptibility period.”

Fang Chen was speechless. “Then why don’t you just tell me to quit my job? Then I can be with you whenever you want.”

He didn’t expect such a good offer. Seth asked expectantly, “When are you resigning?”

Fang Chen looked at him expressionlessly. “In my next life.”

“…”

In the end, he didn’t take leave in advance. After all, he was in the spotlight recently, with several new programs, and it was a critical time for his career. Seth was very displeased about this. His methods of retaliation, besides cold-facedly washing underwear, included tormenting him in bed. It even felt like a competition. Every time he saw Fang Chen go to work with trembling legs, the man’s face would darken, as if it was all the result of him not working hard enough the previous night. So, the next day, he would be even more relentless.

Under this escalating pressure, Fang Chen finally exploded and locked Seth out of the room one night. “I think you need to calm down,” Fang Chen said seriously, his back against the door. “You can’t eat the whole meal in one bite. We need sustainable development.”

Seth knocked on the door. “Be good, open the door. I won’t do anything tonight.”

Fang Chen sneered. “Do you believe that yourself?”

“…”

Having successfully shut the man out, the poor tangerine’s hole finally got a brief rest. But Fang Chen had no idea that this one night would actually cause Seth’s susceptibility period to arrive early.

In the morning, everything seemed normal. The man cooked for him and sent him to work as usual, though he was very quiet. It just so happened that his department had a dinner gathering that day, so Fang Chen came back a little late. A Beta colleague who lived in the same direction walked back with him. This section was a villa area, and cars couldn’t enter, so they had to park outside. The two of them walked down the path together.

After chatting about some gossip, Fang Chen was laughing when his gaze suddenly froze. Under a streetlight not far away, a man in a black shirt stood quietly. It was unclear if he had been waiting there on purpose, his dark gaze fixed on them.

Fang Chen smiled. “My husband came to pick me up.”

The Beta colleague exclaimed, “Oh my god, that’s Seth Bolton! No wonder you could get an interview with him. It turns out your new husband is him.”

The man didn’t say a word. When Fang Chen walked over, before he could make an introduction, Seth immediately grabbed his hand and started walking back. Fang Chen struggled slightly. “What are you doing? I haven’t even said hello. This is very rude.”

The man’s thin lips were pressed into a line. His face was grim. After a few steps, he simply picked Fang Chen up.

Fang Chen was startled and subconsciously pushed him, but when his hand touched the man’s chest, he could feel the scorching heat of the muscles even through the fabric. Fang Chen was shocked and asked frantically, “What’s wrong with you? Do you have a fever?”

Seth looked down at him, his eyes dark, with an expression that said, what kind of stupid question are you asking?

Fang Chen paused, then suddenly remembered. His scalp tingled. “You don’t mean…”

Before he could finish, they had already reached the villa’s entrance. Fingerprint lock, open door, close door, all in one smooth motion. The moment the door closed, Seth pushed Fang Chen against the door panel by his bottom. Unsuppressed pheromones swept over him. Fang Chen was kissed brutally; he felt as if he was about to be burned by the tongues of fire, his body trembling uncontrollably.

But this was just the beginning. For an Alpha in his susceptibility period to see his wife walking with someone else was undoubtedly a provocation to a bared-fang lone wolf.

Fang Chen felt like he was suffocating. He pushed Seth with all his might. When the man finally let him go, tears flowed uncontrollably. He was such a mess, reduced to this state just from a kiss. The man raised a hand and wiped away his tears. He looked very pitying, but the words that came out of his mouth were the complete opposite. “Crying like this now, what will you do later?”

Fang Chen’s eyes widened, and he was about to cry again. It was only then that he realized how restrained the man had been before. An Alpha in his susceptibility period was even more vicious. Though he cherished his Omega the most, he couldn’t help but want to make him cry, to make him even more miserable.

Fang Chen was in a daze the whole time, forgetting how many times he had cried while clutching his slightly bulging lower abdomen, stumbling towards the bathroom only to be intercepted and carried back by the man. The Alpha’s possessiveness was so strong that even the most basic physiological needs had to be performed under his watch.

Fang Chen couldn’t even shed tears anymore, as if the water in his body was rationed; if more was used in other places, there would be less for tears. They had tried it everywhere: on the dining table, on the sofa, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, even on the stairs. In the end, Fang Chen’s body was so soft he had no strength left, and he could only be held limply in the man’s arms, letting him do as he pleased.

At first, Fang Chen would bite the man’s arm as if to vent, but Seth probably found it very satisfying and comfortable, and instead tormented him even more, asking Fang Chen to bite him a couple more times. But in the end, Fang Chen didn’t even have the strength to bite, and could only smear the man’s arm with saliva. So pitiful.

He was fed some nutrient solution by Seth midway, but he soon fell unconscious again. When he finally woke up, the room was lit with a dim yellow light. He groggily opened his eyes and turned his head, only to see the man staring at him with bright eyes, looking very expectant.

The meal was being served again.

Fang Chen’s vision went black, and he was about to faint again.