However.

A miss is as good as a mile.

The processes of [Deep Marking] and [Lifetime Marking] appear similar, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

Between Lin Zhu and Yan Ruoyun—

It was far from being as simple as just a layer of rubber film separating them.

The so-called [Deep Marking] is when A and O engage in the most intimate interaction, accompanied by the Alpha biting the Omega’s gland and injecting pheromones.

Lin Zhu had already done all of this to Yan Ruoyun.

It wasn’t just biting the gland; his actions went much deeper… yet not that deep.

Because unlike the real world, the ABO world also possesses a form of intimate behavior in a higher sense. It symbolizes the Omega’s complete belonging to the Alpha, capable of only accepting their pheromones alone for the rest of their life.

Its name is: Lifetime Marking.

The conditions for achieving a [Lifetime Marking] are much stricter and more thorough. It not only requires the Alpha to inject pheromones into the gland at the back of the Omega’s neck, but it also necessitates completing the final step of [Knotting].

This term was brimming with savage biological coloring.

Lin Zhu had seen related pop science in a biology book once. This was a special anatomical structure exclusive to Alphas, an evolutionary choice engraved in Alpha genes over thousands of years.

Lin Zhu was puzzled, Lin Zhu was shocked, Lin Zhu fell into silence.

He didn’t dare to imagine that his seemingly normal organ would actually transform into a deformed, terrifying shape at a certain moment.

Fortunately, he hadn’t undergone this transformation just now.

Those three times before.

Each time was either long or short, but the overall process lasted a very long time, so long that the long night was about to break, and the morning light was about to emerge.

Lin Zhu hovered outside the cavity the entire time, like a lost fawn in a claustrophobic cave, bounding and jumping without knowing its own strength. When he occasionally touched the entrance at the very end of the cave, it always provoked a violent tremor.

In an instant.

The mountain rocks abruptly shrank, and the seawater poured backward.

He was bound, squeezed, and shut out.

There were several times when Lin Zhu couldn’t hold back his strength and almost recklessly broke down the door. It couldn’t be helped; a certain curse the man yelled out was truly fitting—he really didn’t know how Lin Zhu grew up, exuding a sort of animalistic nature that made people afraid just looking at it.

Lin Zhu was also afraid.

The sound of Yan Ruoyun’s devastating crying from just a moment ago seemed to still linger in his ears. Amidst that ceaseless tremor, the image that caught his eyes was even more incredibly tragic…

The sunless, shrinking hot spring eye was chiseled open by a tool, forcibly expanded into a circle of considerable diameter. However, the chiseling was too deep, causing the surrounding area to become thin, presenting a pitiful pinkish-white color.

…As if it were about to break.

Lin Zhu’s lingering fear skyrocketed to its peak after hearing the man complain of pain. He first rubbed Yan Ruoyun’s stomach to show his concern, and then said softly,

“Ge, let me see.”

Yan Ruoyun was leaning against him, his long neck tilted back, the back of his head resting squarely against Lin Zhu’s steep, straight shoulder.

Hearing this, the man slightly turned his head. Gazing at Lin Zhu’s sharp jawline, he replied lazily: “That place is hidden in my stomach, how am I supposed to show you?”

Lin Zhu choked on his words, then said:

“I’m not talking about the reproductive cavity.”

Yan Ruoyun closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against Lin Zhu’s neck.

Having not slept all night, the man’s consciousness was clearly somewhat muddled. After a few seconds, he merely hummed a soft, inquiring nasal sound. His cold, aloof voice had become hoarse, yet not unpleasant to hear.

“…Hm?”

Lin Zhu smoothed his bangs, paused for a moment, and still chose to speak straightforwardly while Yan Ruoyun was still conscious: “Let me check… if there are any lacerations.”

The man didn’t move. He stayed silent for a few seconds before slowly saying in a hoarse voice: “There aren’t any, it’s just a bit sore and swollen.”

Lin Zhu placed a light kiss on the tip of his wet nose, his tone somewhat anxious: “Just let me confirm it.”

During that last time, Lin Zhu had taken an exceptionally long time.

The two were embracing face-to-face. Lin Zhu could only see the man’s sweat-drenched black hair constantly swaying, with water droplets flinging from the tips of his hair. All other areas were in his blind spot, out of sight.

Yan Ruoyun had the tip of his nose pecked. He didn’t speak for a long while, then suddenly squeezed more than half of his face into his little boyfriend’s neck, “No, I’m so tired. I don’t want to move…”

After undergoing a Deep Marking, an Omega would unconsciously want to rely on their Alpha.

This trait, when placed on Yan Ruoyun, had an extreme sense of contrast, making him look inexplicably… cute.

Right. Cute.

Lin Zhu found it hard to imagine that he would actually have such a feeling toward a man, especially when the other was a mature man many years his senior…

Yet, as their romantic relationship progressed, he found Yan Ruoyun cute more and more frequently, even wanting to hold him in his arms and coax him.

Lin Zhu tucked his chin, sandwiching the man’s cheek between his neck and jaw. He squeezed lightly a couple of times, feeling the soft, bouncy curve created as his smooth profile was compressed. He couldn’t help but open his mouth, trying several times before successfully saying:

“Wife, be good.”

This was the second time he had called out this term of address.

And it wasn’t in text form, but face-to-face, with his own mouth!

Lin Zhu: “…”

Simply too promising.

With his face being squeezed by Lin Zhu, the man still looked entirely lazy, as if the full tub of hot water had made his head spin.

It was only after quite a while that he slowly lifted his eyelids, revealing a watery grey-green gaze, and fell silent.

“Little dog Lin.”

Lin Zhu’s expression was calm, and his tone was calm, yet he inexplicably stammered:

“…W-wife, am I not allowed to call you that?”

A moment later.

The man let out a very soft chuckle. At the same time, he bent his two long legs, shifting his sitting posture. Perhaps because he had been kneeling for too long earlier, his knees were a light pink color, forming a sharp contrast against the porcelain white of the bathtub walls.

Then, his whole body suddenly slid down, submerging himself into the hot water.

With this action, Yan Ruoyun communicated one word to Lin Zhu.

Come.

He also said,

“—You’re the husband, you call the shots.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

Lin Zhu was visibly stunned for a moment.

It was his first time being addressed this way by someone.

Not only was there not a hint of discomfort, but Lin Zhu even felt a wave of warmth in his chest, and he couldn’t help but slow his breathing.

He didn’t know what to say, so he could only support Yan Ruoyun’s back with one hand, sinking his other hand into the warm water to check the man’s injuries.

The water in the tub was very clear. Lin Zhu saw himself drawing closer, and under the man’s extremely relaxed posture, he quickly began the injury inspection process.

It seemed a bit swollen.

Lin Zhu gently checked the man’s extent of damage with the pads of his fingers. With every press, he asked: “Does it hurt? If it hurts when I press, tell me.”

The man answered every time.

“Doesn’t hurt.”

“Swollen.”

When Lin Zhu went deeper for a meticulous check, he suddenly curled up and hastily stopped Lin Zhu’s movements, his tone finally revealing a sense of discomfort.

“…Little dog Lin, the hot water got in!”

Lin Zhu awkwardly pulled his hand back and explained:

“I just wanted to check if there are any injuries inside.”

Immediately after, he heard Yan Ruoyun say bluntly: “Of course there aren’t. Being worried about this, don’t tell me… you grew barbs?”

Lin Zhu felt embarrassed internally, his face displaying an expression completely messed up by the wind, and he answered in shock: “…………How is that possible?!”

The next second.

Yan Ruoyun clicked his tongue with a hoarse voice and complained discontentedly: “You didn’t even fill it.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhu opened his mouth, and it took a good while before he squeezed out a sentence: “…If we do it like that, you’ll get pregnant, right?”

Yan Ruoyun was an Omega and understood reproduction much better. He retorted: “Actually… as long as it doesn’t enter the reproductive cavity, it’s fine. The probability of implantation outside the cavity is very low.”

Once this sentence was spoken, it inexplicably carried a hint of suggestion, causing one’s imagination to run wild involuntarily.

Lin Zhu had only just reached adulthood. After secondary differentiation, every aspect was in an active phase, and this was exactly when he was bursting with energy. Coincidentally, he had also just been led through the doors of a new world by Yan Ruoyun…

Only a single thought flashed through his mind.

And he uncontrollably displayed the vitality of youth.

Yan Ruoyun was extremely close to him and discovered it instantly. He immediately let out a low chuckle, tilted his head back to meet the blond youth’s eyes, and teased:

“Want it again? You’re really something…”

Lin Zhu pursed his lips, averting his gaze as he said:

“Just ignore it, it’ll go away in a bit.”

A long time passed.

Facts proved that it wouldn’t go away.

Lin Zhu was no longer the boy who could clear his mind of desires just by reciting textbook passages in his head. He had already been turned into a man by Yan Ruoyun. As soon as he closed his eyes, the various expressions of his older lover surfaced in his mind.

He couldn’t forget, nor did he want to forget.

At this moment, Yan Ruoyun suddenly asked: “Little dog Lin, do you want to try it?”

Lin Zhu’s throat was dry: “Try what?”

Yan Ruoyun said gracefully: “Asking when you already know makes it boring.”

“…” Lin Zhu swallowed and said numbly, “We can’t… we ran out of those, what if, what if you really get pregnant?”

People shouldn’t fail to consider things for the sake of momentary pleasure, thereby causing inappropriate consequences.

Even ‘what if’ wasn’t okay.

After contemplating for a moment.

Lin Zhu’s tone was earnest: “Ge, be good.”

Hearing these words, Yan Ruoyun slowly sat up.

The man turned back to look at him, using a gaze Lin Zhu couldn’t decipher to intently trace the youth’s facial features.

Every inch, every millimeter.

The youth’s wet blond hair was extremely messy, mostly pushed back over his head, with a few rare strands hanging by the sharp tails of his eyebrows. His features were world-weary and listless, making him look cold and eccentric…

Like a bad kid.

Yan Ruoyun smiled, raised his long neck, and leaned in to give Lin Zhu a pure kiss.

Their lips touched, devoid of any trace of lust.

He gazed at Lin Zhu, his expression full of attachment, “In that case, shouldn’t a good boy be given a reward even more?”

Lin Zhu didn’t understand the meaning behind this, then heard the man urge: “Lin Zhu, stand up. Hurry.”

His tone was a bit rushed, making Lin Zhu involuntarily obey. He stood up carrying a massive amount of water droplets, followed by a clattering sound.

Countless drops of water smashed against the floor.

The water level in the bathtub instantly dropped by a large margin. Lin Zhu stood helplessly in the bathtub, looking down in near panic as the man drew close and made a move that defied his mysophobia.

“…Ge?!”

Yan Ruoyun didn’t speak, nor could he speak anymore.

The corners of his eyes turned crimson from the intense feeling of suffocation, and veins bulged on his slender neck, making one involuntarily worry just looking at him…

Afraid he would choke himself to death just like this.

A long time later.

Lin Zhu couldn’t hold back a muffled groan. His vision blurred from the fatal sensation, but he quickly snapped back to his senses amidst the man’s coughing.

He saw Yan Ruoyun holding back his coughs, his throat bobbing up and down rapidly. Then, the man opened his mouth toward him, revealing a clean oral cavity, and smiled as he said:

“Look.”

“You won’t get pregnant this way.”