Chapter 18: Early Susceptibility

That voice was hot on his heels.

Fu Rangyi frowned and, without even looking, walked in the opposite direction of the sound’s source.

Whether that person had accidentally let their scent slip due to the influence, or had sensed his pheromones and intentionally released so much Omega scent to get his attention, was already unknown.

If it was the latter, Fu Rangyi thought he was simply insane. In such a dangerous place, he didn’t even care about his own safety?

But it had indeed worked. His susceptibility had directly erupted ahead of schedule.

“Fu…”

The next second, a hand suddenly grabbed his. Fu Rangyi’s temples throbbed, his expression froze, and he violently pulled away, a purely reflexive rejection.

After a brief separation, his hand was seized again, even more tightly this time.

A very warm hand.

“Fu Rangyi!”

He looked up and met a pair of clear, bright eyes.

“What’s wrong? It’s me!” he panted, cheeks flushed, holding him tightly with both hands, just like last night.

“I finally found you. I’m so tired. Your bracelet almost fell into the drain just now. Luckily, I was quick and grabbed it at the last second…”

At that very second.

Jingle jingle—the bells rang, music swelled, and the golden gift boxes piled under the giant Christmas tree lit up simultaneously, dazzling the eyes. On the tree, silver-white lights twinkled like stars, following the music, lighting up circle by circle from bottom to top. Snowflakes sprayed from the night sky, and rows of tassel light curtains lit up, strand by strand, brilliantly dazzling.

Everything was reflected in Zhu Zhixi’s pupils, so beautiful it seemed like magic.

“Why do you look so pale?”

Zhu Zhixi helped him put on the bracelet, frowning, feeling that something was wrong. Fu Rangyi’s hands were always cold, so why were they hot now?

He reached out and touched Fu Rangyi’s forehead, “You’re not sick, are you?” His hand slid down; his neck was ridiculously hot.

“Are you running a fever?! Why are you suddenly so hot? Are you cold?” Zhu Zhixi bustled about, taking off his own scarf and wrapping it around Fu Rangyi’s neck.

However, soon, he heard a strange voice call out to Fu Rangyi from not far away.

“Professor Fu.”

Fu Rangyi didn’t turn back. Zhu Zhixi felt strange and looked over to see an unfamiliar face.

The person didn’t look very old, with the gentle and obedient appearance of a student. He was clearly an O, with delicate and beautiful features. It was just that his expression was a little strange, as if he was very sad, with red-rimmed eyes.

Although it was difficult to move in the crowd, he was still trying to squeeze towards them, still persistently calling Fu Rangyi’s name, as if he wouldn’t stop until he reached his goal.

For some reason, Zhu Zhixi suddenly thought of the Omega that Fu Liaoxing had mentioned at lunch.

His intuition had always been very accurate.

So engrossed in pondering this matter, Zhu Zhixi even forgot that he was still holding the scarf.

Is it this person?

Thinking this, he accidentally used too much force. He tugged on the scarf, and the scarf, in turn, pulled at Fu Rangyi’s neck. So, his whole person was pulled over. Their chests collided, and their noses almost bumped.

A little more on his tiptoes, and their lips would touch.

In the extremely chaotic situation, Fu Rangyi’s usually clear mind also began to get confused.

He was clearly stimulated by the strong Omega scent, yet his mind wavered, as if he could feel the faint pheromones of this Beta in front of him.

He even had a physiological tremor because of it, though only for a moment.

It was clearly impossible. He was already wearing the bracelet.

[Mark him]

This thought stabbed into his brain like a dagger, making his ears ring.

[Mark him]

[Now]

But soon, Zhu Zhixi leaned close to his ear, his tone as if testing something, “Fu Rangyi, this person… is he your white moonlight?”

The physiological impulse also disappeared in an instant. Cold water was poured over him, not completely extinguishing it, but it calmed him down a lot.

Today was supposed to be a very, very good day.

“White what?” Fu Rangyi had a headache and wanted to vomit. “What kind of daydream are you having?”

Zhu Zhixi’s tone also changed, “What daydream? The O your brother mentioned who is highly compatible with you? Is it him? Why didn’t you tell me about such an important matter…”

He couldn’t finish.

A scalding hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pressing down hard. Zhu Zhixi trembled all over and instinctively fell silent.

Fu Rangyi’s voice, wrapped in a stream of air, lingered by his ear, “Zhu Zhixi.”

So itchy. Zhu Zhixi wanted to hide, but he couldn’t. His whole body felt like it had been electrocuted. It was very uncomfortable. The people around him were squeezing and pushing, the space constantly shrinking. Everyone was pushing him towards Fu Rangyi’s chest, squeezing, pressing close, the gap narrowing.

“What’s wrong?”

So close. He suddenly didn’t dare to look into Fu Rangyi’s eyes and could only lower his gaze.

So he saw Fu Rangyi’s bobbing Adam’s apple and heard his long, heavy intake of breath.

“…Do you mind if I hug you?”

What?

“Don’t you hate…”

The unfinished words were interrupted by an embrace, and he crashed into his arms.

The persistent voice calling “Professor Fu” suddenly disappeared, as if by magic.

The bells rang again. At the very top of the sparkling Christmas tree, the five-pointed star suddenly lit up.

In the surging crowd, people raised their phones one after another to record the moment the bell chimed and the star lit up. Only Zhu Zhixi could see and hear nothing. All his senses were pressed into an unexpected embrace. He could only see the side of Fu Rangyi’s neck, smell the faint scent of sandalwood on him, and hear his breathing.

His voice carried a heavily suppressed gasp, even trembling slightly.

“There are too many people. The apple candy, next time.”

The hug was tight, but those hands, like his voice, were restrained, with no overstepping movements.

Zhu Zhixi’s mind went blank. He was stunned for a second, then nodded, “Oh, okay…”

After realizing that Fu Rangyi might be sick, he had lost his appetite too.

“Then let’s go back. There are indeed too many people here.”

Fu Rangyi listened and said nothing. After a while, he suddenly asked, “For the next few days, can you go back to your own home to live?”

“Huh? Why?” Zhu Zhixi lifted his face.

However, Fu Rangyi avoided his gaze and looked straight ahead. This made him even more bewildered.

Steading his breath, Fu Rangyi replied, “It’s nothing. Recently… I have a very important paper to write and need to be alone for a while. Three or four days will be fine.”

After speaking, he released his arms. The “hug” ended, and the distance opened up. Fu Rangyi frowned, tugged at his collar, and let out a long sigh.

“I’ll take you back to your place now.”

On the way back, the car was unusually not so quiet. Fu Rangyi had put on some music. Previously, whenever he drove, the stereo was like a decoration.

It wasn’t clear if the air conditioning was too high, but Zhu Zhixi felt his mouth was dry. The cold air was locked in the car, gradually becoming hot, humid, and sticky. Even the car fragrance had a hint of sweetness.

In the dark car, he felt something glowing. The frequency of the flashing was not high and was very weak. It was quickly covered by the flashing neon lights outside the window.

He could faintly distinguish a breathing sound from the music, much heavier than usual.

“Are you still feeling unwell?” he turned his head and looked at Fu Rangyi.

Fu Rangyi silently shook his head. He still looked like a statue carved from ice, extremely calm.

But upon careful observation, there were some subtle differences. The colorful neon lights on both sides of the street swept across his face, glinting with a faint light. He was sweating a lot.

It wasn’t clear if it was an illusion, but Zhu Zhixi felt that his skin had a hint of blood color, not the cold white it usually was.

A drop of transparent sweat collected on his temple and slid down.

It was like… the feeling of ice melting.

So, Zhu Zhixi’s gaze also followed that drop of sweat, little by little, down his brow, cheekbone, taut lips, jaw, behind his ear…

An Alpha’s glands, besides the back of the neck, were also distributed on the skin behind the ears.

Zhu Zhixi narrowed his eyes. The lights on the street changed color, but the color behind his ear never changed. It was very red.

That drop of sweat rolled down from his flushed neck, slid down, and was finally swallowed by the cotton fibers of his shirt collar.

Is it because he’s uncomfortable, or because of that Omega just now?

Could he be in his susceptible period?

But… isn’t he very stable? He can still teach, work, and even attend academic conferences during his susceptible period. This doesn’t look like it.

He had many questions he wanted to ask, but he also knew that Fu Rangyi’s physical condition was not good, and his mood also seemed to be very bad. This was not a good time.

Before he could think it through, the car had already stopped. They were home.

Fu Rangyi turned off the engine, his right hand on his left wrist, subconsciously gripping the bracelet.

“For the next few days… don’t disturb my work. If there’s anything, let me know in advance,” his voice was low and hoarse, as if he would cough the next second, trying his best to suppress it.

“Try not to call. Just send a message.”

These past two days had been up and down. Zhu Zhixi was a little dazed. Hearing these instructions, he even felt a little unhappy.

Just now, to avoid someone, you used me like a toy, hugging me whenever you wanted. Now you find me annoying?

You bad thing.

“I know, great professor,” Zhu Zhixi deliberately emphasized the last three words.

He unbuckled his seatbelt but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he turned his face and looked straight over. After a moment of silence, he suddenly leaned closer.

This move was clearly unexpected for Fu Rangyi. He panicked, dodged a little, and also turned to face Zhu Zhixi, grabbing his wrist.

At this moment, Zhu Zhixi finally discovered that the flashing light was from the bracelet hidden in his sleeve.

But he didn’t point it out. It wasn’t important. He stared at the eyes behind Fu Rangyi’s glasses.

“Your eyes are so red. Did something get in them?”

“No,” Fu Rangyi released his hand and answered quickly, but his voice was extremely hoarse.

Perhaps it was the mischievous factor of “offending” Fu Rangyi acting up again. Zhu Zhixi pressed his hand on the center console and moved closer, saying anxiously, “Let me see.”

He almost reached out to take off Fu Rangyi’s glasses.

“I caught a cold, a little bit,” Fu Rangyi turned his body to face the windshield, his tone a little cold and hard. “Go back. I’m in a hurry, so I won’t see you off.”

Zhu Zhixi was quiet for a moment, said “oh,” and reached for the inner door handle. Is this illness contagious? He was also having a little trouble breathing now.

Fu Rangyi seemed to want to emphasize, “For the next few days…”

Before he could finish, Zhu Zhixi immediately turned his head and said with a grin, “I know, fake husband. I will completely disappear from your life for the next few days.”

After speaking, he jumped out of the car with a beaming smile and even waved.

But Fu Rangyi said nothing, just watched him like that. But his breathing was heavy, as if it was being squeezed out of his throat. His eyes were red, his fingers were tightly gripping the steering wheel, and his chest was heaving noticeably.

Did I say something wrong? Didn’t you ask for this?

“Then be careful on the road. Bye-bye,” he turned and walked away, but who knew he was called back again.

“Wait a minute.”

Zhu Zhixi turned back and walked towards the driver’s side window, “What now?”

Fu Rangyi’s whole body was extremely tense. Only his Adam’s apple rolled up and down. He avoided his gaze, was quiet for a moment, and then turned back to grab the paper bag from the back seat.

“The information Director Zhou gave you,” he handed it over. “Don’t leave it in my car.”

“Oh,” Zhu Zhixi took it, deliberately touching his fingers. Who knew there was a crackle of static electricity again? A tiny spark traveled up both their arms and stung their cheeks.

He saw Fu Rangyi’s eyes widen slightly as he pulled his hand away.

Zhu Zhixi was also a little dazed. He broke out in a sweat, “The air conditioning… is on too high. It’s very dry.”

What’s there to explain about this? Do I need to explain the formation of static electricity to a university professor?

Fu Rangyi indeed said nothing, closed the window, locked the door, and turned the steering wheel to leave.

Carrying the paper bag, Zhu Zhixi stood in the cold wind for a while, watching the black SUV drive away from the internal road, getting farther and farther away, and finally disappearing from sight.

He looked down, opened his hand in confusion, but he wasn’t looking at his palm, but the back of his hand, at the position of his ring finger.

He shivered. The wind woke him up. He wrapped his coat tightly and quickly walked home.

Just as he scanned his face to enter the main gate, the butler came out to greet him, “Young Master, Mr. Zhu is not at home. He has gone abroad on business.”

“No one’s home?” Zhu Zhixi rubbed his hands. “Where’s my brother? I just sent him a message saying I was coming back.”

“The young master has gone back to his own place,” the butler said, walking towards the kitchen, intending to instruct the chef to prepare a meal. “He said he has important matters to attend to and asked you to eat first and not wait for him.”

By the time the butler came out of the kitchen, the person was already gone.

In ten minutes, Zhu Zhixi had already appeared at Zhu Zeran’s house, at the easternmost end of the same villa district. He had the password to the main gate, but he just wanted to ring the doorbell, just wanted to find someone to vent his anger on.

After frantically ringing the doorbell for three minutes, Zhu Zeran’s voice appeared on the video monitor at the door.

A little hoarser than usual.

What? Do you Alphas all get pharyngitis on Christmas Eve? What kind of urban legend is this?

“Zhu Zhixi, what are you doing…”

“Merry Christmas!” Zhu Zhixi deliberately jumped a few times in front of the monitor. “On a big holiday, of course I have to eat with my dearest brother.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

“Hurry up, Da Zhu. I’m wearing very little. I’m freezing to death.”

“I really owe you.”

With a beep, the courtyard gate opened.

Zhu Zhixi jogged into the courtyard smugly and came to the front door. Just as he was about to enter the password, the door opened.

So fast?

The door only opened a small crack, completely blocked by Zhu Zeran’s tall figure. He stood against the light, his expression unfriendly. Unlike Fu Rangyi’s coldness, he was a super typical SA. At first glance, he didn’t look like a good person.

What kind of good brother would frown into a twist at the sight of his younger brother, as if he had seen a ghost?

Zhu Zhixi crossed his arms and scanned his brother from top to bottom.

The shirt buttons were buttoned wrong. The coat was obviously just put on, the collar wasn’t even turned out. His hair was messy. His eyes were trying to pretend to be calm. His expression was even more suspicious.

The most obvious and funniest thing was…

“What are you looking at, ancestor?” Zhu Zeran shot him a glance, his mouth not letting up either. “On a big holiday, instead of accompanying your dear husband, you come here to collect a debt?”

Zhu Zhixi tilted his head, reached out his hand, and counted something on his face from a distance. After whispering “one, two, three, four, five,” he replied with a grin.

“The ancestor is looking at the slap mark on your face.”

Zhu Zeran’s face immediately darkened, and he directly closed the door.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Zhu Zhixi forced his way in. “What are you so guilty about? Are you afraid I’ll tell Dad you’re secretly being a M outside?”

Zhu Zeran gritted the canine teeth that had been stimulated out not long ago.

“Zhu Zhixi… how did you get married?”

“Of course, it was by virtue of my beauty,” Zhu Zhixi shrugged. “Could it be through some strange quirks, right, dear brother?”

As he spoke, he looked around, trying to find the owner of the slap mark, but the living room was empty. There was no one else besides the two of them.

Just as he was about to go upstairs, Zhu Zeran spoke leisurely from behind him, “So your husband’s pheromones smell like this?”

Zhu Zhixi’s footsteps stopped. He stood on the stairs and turned back. The smug expression suddenly disappeared and became very dazed.

He raised his hand, his nose twitched.

Nothing.

“You smelled it?”

Zhu Zeran walked over, took off the coat he had just put on, threw it on the sofa, and sat down himself, incidentally hiding the Omega inhibitor packaging next to the cushion.

“More than just smelling it. You’re covered in it. Don’t tell me you just had a quickie and ran over. No wonder you’re so energetic, all fired up to torment others.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Zhu Zhixi became anxious, running down the stairs, wanting to roll up his sleeves and hit someone.

But that would make it seem like he really had something.

He calmed down and explained a few sentences, “We just went shopping at the mall. After that, he drove me back. We didn’t do anything. Do you think everyone is as promiscuous as you?”

After hearing this, Zhu Zeran snorted coldly, a playful smile on his face.

“He’s already like that, and he can still drive? And he drove you all the way back. I think he wanted to get rid of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… trying to change the subject?” Zhu Zhixi turned back to the stairs again. “I can’t talk to you Alphas. I’m going to talk to my sister-in-law. Sister-in-law—”

“You should talk to your husband first. You have no common sense at all,” Zhu Zeran stood up. “Your own backyard is on fire, and you still have time to meddle in my business?”

Zhu Zhixi stood frozen, blinking his eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of something crashing to the ground came from upstairs. The noise was not small.

He glanced at the ceiling, “The fire alarm in my backyard is temporarily quiet, but brother, your house is about to collapse.”

Zhu Zeran: “…”

Zhu Zhixi: “Sister-in-law has good physical fitness and is quite strong. I couldn’t have hit that red.”

After his sarcastic remark, he was grabbed by the shoulder by Zhu Zeran in a half-kidnapped manner and directly thrown out.

With a bang, Zhu Zeran closed the door, still muttering to himself.

Fu Rangyi’s pheromones actually smell like flowers? It’s making my stupid little brother look like a flower butterfly that just flew out of a big garden.

Their relationship was not that of a normal couple. Zhu Zeran had seen this early on, so he wasn’t surprised.

What he was really strange about was that Fu Rangyi didn’t seem like the type to release his pheromones randomly. An SA’s control over their own pheromones wouldn’t be this bad, not even during a susceptible period.

A top A’s pheromones were very complex. The smell and state of the pheromones would also change depending on the physical condition. This person’s pheromones were so sticky, it was just short of having the words “want to do it” carved on his forehead. It was clearly a major outbreak of the susceptible period. At this time, he could still endure it and send someone back? And he could still drive?

Could Fu Rangyi have some hidden illness?

Although Zhu Zhixi was an annoying person…

As he unbuttoned his shirt and went upstairs, he dialed a number, “Xiao Chen, help me check someone in the reproductive department’s system at S Hospital. See if he’s there. Yeah, I’ll send you his information.”

“An enemy? No.” Zhu Zeran pushed open the door, looked at the “real enemy” who was gagged and tied to the bed, and smiled.

“I’m just afraid my brother will be deceived.”

__

Author’s Note:

Beta Xiao Zhu walks through a pile of overflowing, sticky A pheromones, completely oblivious.
Tomorrow he’s on duty to take care of his husband. Go, Xiao Zhu.
from1 thinks: I’m so afraid I’ll do something to hurt you. Don’t come.
from1 says: Don’t bother me. Go back to your own home.
juicy thinks: What was the deal with that O just now? You seem to be very uncomfortable too. Are you sick? I’m a little worried.
juicy says: I will completely disappear from your life for the next few days (with a grin).
You two are truly a match made in heaven.