Dimly hearing rustling sounds in his sleep, Chi Yao thought it was low-level beasts active nearby. He subconsciously reached out to hug Jing Xi, not paying much attention.

The destructive power of these low-level beasts was very low, and Xiao Hei could handle them independently.

But the outstretched hand grasped empty air, and Chi Yao instantly jolted awake.

The spot beside him was cold; Jing Xi had been gone for who knew how long.

“Xixi?”

Chi Yao opened the tent.

Outside, the sky was just getting light. Jing Xi was sitting alone against the corridor, the water bottle by his hand already empty.

Seeing him unharmed, Chi Yao smoothed back his messy hair and breathed a sigh of relief.

He yawned and walked over: “It’s not your waking time yet, why did you—”

As he approached, the sweet scent of alcohol hit his nose.

The unusually active pheromones carried the unquestionable oppression and aggression of an Alpha. Chi Yao’s hands hanging at his sides clenched, instantly triggering a resistance instinct. But when his body recognized who the owner of these pheromones was, his heartbeat went completely out of control.

“Your susceptible period arrived?” Chi Yao walked over in a few steps.

Jing Xi turned his head, his face covered in sweat: “Did I wake you?”

Chi Yao climbed over the railing, sat beside him, raised a hand to wipe his sweat, and frowned: “Why didn’t you call me?”

Jing Xi lowered his head slightly: “I did, couldn’t wake you.”

Chi Yao: “…Impossible. If you released pheromones, I would definitely have woken up immediately.”

Jing Xi met his gaze: “You didn’t wake up, turned over, and even snored.”

Chi Yao: “…………”

Chi Yao: “I snored?”

Is that the point?

“Very lightly, could only hear it if listening carefully.” Jing Xi rubbed against his palm. “Do I have no charm in your eyes at all?”

Chi Yao felt somewhat guilty. He pulled him onto his shoulder, patted his head, and comforted: “Should be due to the repair agent, temporarily dulling my sensitivity to pheromones.”

The repair agent altered his entire body system, including pheromone perception.

Anyway, it definitely wasn’t because he loved sleeping.

Jing Xi leaned into his neck and sniffed: “I can’t smell your pheromones.”

His cool voice held a hint of grievance.

Chi Yao’s fingertips twitched, and he slowly released his pheromones, his heart feeling scratched by a furry cat paw.

Has it started? Is the crybaby, coquettish, clingy ice beauty coming out?

There was no one on the mountain, so no need to worry about pheromones affecting others.

Two Alpha pheromones collided, neither submitting to the other.

According to the plan, they were supposed to hike in this forest for about a week. Now it seemed they had to return early.

“Tomorrow we’ll go down the mountain and find accommodation with a better environment,” Chi Yao said in a low voice.

Jing Xi lay on his shoulder and nodded.

Seeing him inhaling so much he had no time to talk, Chi Yao chuckled: “Don’t you want to hit me?”

Alpha pheromones were naturally repulsive to each other. No matter how much they liked each other, there would still be physiological rejection.

Jing Xi answered honestly: “Want to.”

This feeling of loving yet hating, addictive and intoxicating—Chi Yao understood it deeply.

“Notify me before you strike. I can’t take a beating right now.”

Jing Xi’s slender fingers quietly pulled open Chi Yao’s collar, looking at the gland right in front of him, his eyes darkening.

“I want to mark you.”

Chi Yao was smiling and thinking of ways to make him happy, but hearing this, his scalp went numb.

No matter how cute and obedient the wife was, he was still an aggressive Alpha. He might bite back at any moment.

Feeling teeth lightly grazing his gland, he immediately held Jing Xi’s shoulders and pushed him away.

“Be good, calm down first.”

Jing Xi half-lowered his eyes, looking dejected, the corners of his eyes moist.

Seeing him about to cry from grievance, this weak appearance made Chi Yao both excited and guilty.

“You can’t mark me.”

Jing Xi blinked, and a tear fell from his long lashes.

“Can’t even satisfy the craving with my mouth?”

Chi Yao’s gaze unconsciously followed that tear downwards. As it slid past the corner of his mouth, he couldn’t help but kiss it.

“Unless necessary, try not to come into contact with my blood.”

But these words clearly offered zero comfort. Jing Xi’s tear ducts opened the floodgates, unstoppable.

Jing Xi: “You think my wanting to mark you isn’t necessary?”

Chi Yao: “I’m not—”

Jing Xi: “If you aren’t willing, I won’t force you.”

Chi Yao: “I didn’t—”

Jing Xi looked at him with moist, beautiful eyes: “Then you agree?”

Chi Yao: “…”

This kid definitely has a dual personality! How can he switch so smoothly?!

A beauty’s request, even a god couldn’t refuse.

Chi Yao slapped his forehead, giving up: “I have just one request—be gentle with me.”

“Okay.”

Seeing him lie on his shoulder, Chi Yao suddenly felt like he was going to the execution ground.

Was this how Jing Xi felt when bitten by him before?

Feeling the wet, slippery touch on his gland, Chi Yao unconsciously clenched his fists.

Jing Xi’s aggrieved voice sounded in his ear: “Relax, your muscles are too tight, they hurt my teeth.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Sensing Chi Yao relax, from an angle he couldn’t see, the corners of Jing Xi’s lips curled up, his eyes full of mischievous success.

He opened his mouth, carefully pressed against the gland, and sank his canine teeth in.

“Hiss—”

Chi Yao sucked in a breath.

Even though he was incredibly familiar with Jing Xi’s pheromones, when two streams of pheromones clashed, it still hurt like hell.

After the first wave of conflict, Chi Yao could clearly feel Jing Xi’s residual pheromones scattering in his body, while his own pheromones surrounded and hunted them down.

His body seemed suddenly activated, five senses becoming unusually sharp.

Xiao Hei: 【Kid, your pheromone fluctuations are abnormal, a precursor to susceptible period. Control emotional fluctuations.】

Chi Yao: “…”

Did Jing Xi’s bite draw out his susceptible period too?

He gasped for breath, but his chest still felt tight and breathless.

“Xixi?”

Hearing Chi Yao’s voice, Jing Xi snapped back to reality.

He immediately let go; two rows of deep tooth marks appeared on the gland.

“Sorry.”

The gland burned, but meeting Jing Xi’s bewildered face, Chi Yao felt it didn’t hurt as much anymore.

No wonder Jing Xi said being bitten was painful yet pleasurable.

Chi Yao’s thumb wiped the sweat from the side of his face, smiling: “One ‘sorry’ and it’s over?”

Jing Xi’s eyes flashed, and he turned his head to kiss him.

Chi Yao leaned back against the pillar, enjoying the benefit of his beautiful wife throwing himself into his arms for a kiss.

Suddenly, Xiao Hei’s punchable voice rang in his mind.

【Ten minutes and twenty seconds have passed. Kiss any longer and you might both faint from lack of oxygen. Suggest a one-minute halftime break—】

Chi Yao: “…”

With a thought, he muted this mood-killing AI.

Suddenly feeling a restless paw probing his waist, Chi Yao grabbed it.

“Don’t touch randomly.”

Jing Xi’s finger hooked the button of his waistband, showing no embarrassment of being caught red-handed.

“Just lie there, I’ll do the rest.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Chi Yao: “Stop it, my physical condition isn’t stable yet.”

Jing Xi kissed from his jawline all the way to his collarbone, the hand gripping the waistband refusing to let go.

“But I want—”

The low voice, husky with grit, constantly stimulated his eardrums.

Chi Yao could hear his own fast and heavy heartbeat, feeling his reason repeatedly jumping on the edge of collapse.

Suddenly, Xiao Hong’s voice sounded in his mind.

Xiao Hong: 【Brother Xiao Hei asked me to tell you, your pheromone levels skyrocketed more than ten times. If you don’t use suppressants, you’ll enter susceptible period.】

Jing Xi: “Yao Yao—”

Chi Yao went numb, and the string in his brain snapped with a pop.

Gritting his back teeth, he dragged the person quickly toward the tent.

“You asked for it.”

---

The next day, light filtered through the not-fully-closed tent flap. Jing Xi’s consciousness gradually returned.

He stared blankly at the overly intense light, judging the time to definitely be past 7 AM.

After a while, Jing Xi belatedly realized he was alone in the tent.

His body felt sticky and uncomfortable.

He sat up but pulled something somewhere, freezing mid-motion.

What’s going on?

Jing Xi frowned, looked down, and saw red marks all over his body.

He touched the tooth marks on his gland dazedly, fragmented images flashing before his eyes.

When last night’s memories fully returned, Jing Xi couldn’t help covering his face.

He really did it.

Teased Chi Yao and tossed about all night.

A sweet scent drifted in from outside. Jing Xi casually brushed back the long hair falling on his face and pulled on a shirt.

Outside the tent, Chi Yao was squatting in front of a simple stove with a small pot on it.

Xiao Hei: 【Daring to use me as a pot, heh, bold.】

Xiao Lan: 【At least you aren’t being pressed underneath!】

Xiao Hei: 【Stove, shut up.】

Chi Yao: “Xiao Hong, go check if your master is awake.”

Before Xiao Hong could respond, Jing Xi’s voice sounded from behind.

“Awake.”

Chi Yao turned around, seeing the hickeys exposed above his collar, very satisfied.

“How’s your body?”

Jing Xi sat on the ground beside him, only his bending motion slightly stiff.

“Much better, I can control it.”

Chi Yao grinned wickedly: “I wasn’t talking about the susceptible period.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Chi Yao: “I checked before sleeping, you shouldn’t be injured.”

Jing Xi’s expression froze: “How did you check?”

Chi Yao made an opening gesture: “Just like this.”

Jing Xi’s face changed; he buried his face in his arms, autistic.

Chi Yao couldn’t help laughing out loud, ruffling his hair: “Now you know how to be shy? Who was the one clinging to me last night?”

Jing Xi: “Your pheromones were too seductive.”

Chi Yao: “Still dare to shift the blame?”

Seeing the pot boiling, Chi Yao had Xiao Hei open the lid and stirred slowly with a small spoon.

Jing Xi glanced into the pot. It was porridge, but with some other ingredients added, smelling sweet and sour.

His stomach growled uncooperatively: “What is this?”

Chi Yao: “Wild fruit porridge. A mercenary taught me this recipe back at the base.”

He had Xiao Lan turn off the fire, took a freshly made bamboo bowl from hand, served some, and handed it to Jing Xi.

Jing Xi looked at the bowl and the exquisite small spoon.

“You didn’t sleep?”

Chi Yao watched him eat.

“How could I sleep? Close my eyes and I see images of me killing you. Tremblingly guarded till dawn.”

Jing Xi took a bite; soft, glutinous, and sweet, very relieving for fatigue.

He scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and offered it to Chi Yao’s lips: “Am I that fragile?”

Chi Yao opened his mouth and ate: “Not weak, but can’t withstand your teasing.”

Jing Xi: “…”