Xia Weizhen lay in the isolation room that blocked scents for two days, then spent three more days in a regular ward before being discharged.
He still hadn’t fully recovered when he left the hospital—he could walk and move around, and speaking or eating wasn’t an issue, but any big movements caused pain.
After class, Mu Chenxing and the other two went to help him back to the dorm.
Xia Weizhen sipped slowly on the fruit juice his three dormmates had brought as a get-well gift, letting out deep sighs of relief. “Finally made it through alive.”
Tong Xiao comforted him. “Good thing you pulled through.”
Tao Xirui said, “You scared us half to death.”
Xia Weizhen replied, “Me too. I didn’t expect it to hit so suddenly.”
He shot a sideways glance at Mu Chenxing, who kept staring at him. “What’re you doing? Spit it out if you have something to say.”
Mu Chenxing answered honestly, “I’m studying what’s different about you.”
Xia Weizhen said, “…It’s a Gland issue, not plastic surgery. What could be different?”
Mu Chenxing was very curious. “Doesn’t anything else feel different?”
“Yeah.”
Mu Chenxing asked, “Where?”
Xia Weizhen clicked his tongue. “My stomach hurts—like I need to shit, 24 hours a day.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Tong Xiao and Tao Xirui burst out laughing, pounding the table.
Xia Weizhen laughed too, clutching his stomach with a twisted expression. “Stop laughing—my stomach hurts.”
Tong Xiao and the other wiped tears from their eyes and finally calmed down.
Mu Chenxing wasn’t giving up. “Really nothing different? The physiology textbook says you get more sensitive to Pheromones, right?”
Xia Weizhen clutched his stomach for a bit to recover, then said, “Besides you guys, I’ve only been around a few Beta teachers. Betas have faint Pheromones anyway, and none of you three have matured yet. Even if I’m more sensitive, I wouldn’t notice, right?”
Mu Chenxing said, “…So the changes aren’t that big, huh.”
Tong Xiao replied, “His Gland just entered maturity. It’s not fully mature yet—it takes time. You can’t rush a meal; one bite at a time. Just wait.”
Tao Xirui teased Xia Weizhen. “Xia Xia, next time you go to the Association, those Alphas dropping by are gonna overwhelm you with their scents.”
Xia Weizhen laughed. “Haha, before, Chu Yuan and them complained about so-and-so’s smell, but we couldn’t detect it. Next time, I’ll see if I can.”
Tong Xiao and the other chimed in, discussing all their acquaintances.
“Chu Yuan’s Heat Period was last semester, and only this semester did his senses sharpen like a hunting dog. Xia Xia probably won’t get there that fast.”
“Last time, he secretly said Gao Yuan’s Pheromones smelled even better than his—like a total Omega. Cracked me up.”
“Yeah, yeah, and Xu Zhicheng—who’d have thought he was…”
But Mu Chenxing zoned out a bit.
He thought of Pei Yao’s Pheromones. Cool and silky, like a winter night breeze, but the scent… he still couldn’t place what it was…
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Pei Yao in nearly a year…
They barely kept in touch.
The last message was twelve days ago—no voice or video calls.
He’d been a soldier himself, so he got the demands of the job, but his mood…
“Xingxing?”
Mu Chenxing snapped back.
“I’m gonna grab some food for Rui Rui. Want me to bring you anything?”
Mu Chenxing said, “Nah, I gotta head to training.”
He usually would’ve left earlier, but today he’d stuck around to pick up Xia Weizhen.
He ruffled Xia Weizhen’s hair. “Rest up. Big bro’ll bring you something tasty when I get back.”
Xia Weizhen glared at him. “I’m older than you.”
Mu Chenxing nodded perfunctorily. “Yeah, yeah, Xia-ge, rest up.”
Tong Xiao grabbed him. “Xia Xia just went through his Heat Period. He’s got it under control now, but when you helped carry him back earlier, you probably got his scent all over you… You’re still going to training?”
Mu Chenxing said, “Didn’t they give him Suppressant? The Medical Office teacher didn’t warn me either, so it should be fine.”
Tong Xiao thought about it and agreed, letting go. “Alright, go on then. Bring me some egg rolls from the Cafeteria over there when you come back.”
Mu Chenxing gave an OK sign, then ruffled Xia Weizhen’s hair one more time. “I’m off.”
He headed out to training.
It was nearing April, and the weather had warmed up. The sky at four or five was bright and dazzling.
Mu Chenxing met up with the first-year Omega underclassmen at the dorm main road entrance, and they jogged together to the Gymnasium at the Land Warfare Academy.
These first-year Omegas were no longer the total newbies they’d been when they started university. Their stamina and speed were solid now—jogging across academies was just their warm-up.
They arrived right at six o’clock. Everyone took a quick breather, chatting and laughing as they entered the Gymnasium at the Land Warfare Academy.
Mu Chenxing didn’t join the chatter. He pulled up the Holo-Screen and reviewed their training data from the past week, planning adjustments for today.
As they rounded a corner in the arena, noise erupted ahead.
“Haha, you too chicken to try?”
“Are you kidding? Heat Period’s way worse than steroids. Why don’t you give it a shot!”
“Fine, I’ll do it!”
“Whoa, that strength.”
“Just wear him out.”
Mu Chenxing paused, eyed the open doors of the arena ahead, shut off his Holo-Screen, and veered right with the Omegas.
They looked at him puzzled.
Mu Chenxing barked low, “Run—quick march through!”
The Omegas didn’t question it. They clenched fists and picked up speed from their casual pace.
Mu Chenxing stayed close beside them. At the doors, he stopped and jogged in place, watching the group dash past—
“Damn! Omegas!”
“It’s Mu Chenxing’s group—”
“Shit, shit—block him!”
Wind rushed from behind; the last two Omegas were still ahead.
Mu Chenxing spun smoothly, landing a side kick—
Bang! The hulking Alpha who lunged at him hit the ground hard on his ass.
“Mu Chenxing!”
“Run, quick!”
“Stop him!”
The fallen Alpha gasped, scrambling up and charging again.
Mu Chenxing caught the Omegas halting ahead, wary and waiting. He frowned. “You guys head to the Training Hall—” He dodged a tackle, then kicked out again.
The Alpha staggered back a few steps from the hit, then lunged once more—not fighting smart, hands hooked like claws. Getting grabbed would be trouble.
Mu Chenxing just kept retreating, swapping feet—left kick to right, right to left—a flurry of kicks that sent the Alpha tumbling into the arena, where he lay wheezing on the ground.
A bunch of Alphas rushed over and pinned him down.
“Enough—call Medical.”
“Hold him. Don’t let him up.”
Mu Chenxing stopped, glanced at the Omegas peeking from the entrance, then turned back. “Senior Gu, what’s going on here?”
The named Alpha shrugged. “Heat Period, duh.”
He glanced at the guy pinned by four or five Alphas. “Damn, those legs—how’d you train ’em? Kicking a Heat Period Alpha like that? Not very Omega of you.”
Mu Chenxing ignored the banter, frowning. “Why didn’t you call Medical right away?”
The Alpha looked awkward. “Us Alphas usually just brawl through our Heat Periods… Forgot you guys were coming.”
He paused, sniffed the air, and looked surprised. “You in Heat?”
Mu Chenxing said, “No—”
“Xia-xuezhang isn’t in Heat?” One Omega poked his head over. “You must’ve picked up his scent.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Forgot about that.
The Alpha nodded knowingly. “No wonder he went nuts. Don’t come around with someone in Heat, man. You’ll set off every near-Heat Alpha. You can handle one or two, but a whole pack?”
Mu Chenxing said calmly, “Then we throw down. If I lose, you’ve got my back, right?”
The Alpha: “…”
Mu Chenxing glanced once more at the pinned Alpha, still staring at him with wild eyes, then turned and left.
No more incidents that day.
After training, Mu Chenxing returned to the dorm and caught a faint floral scent.
He’d only smelled it while helping Xia Weizhen earlier. Three hours away, and the dorm reeked of it now… No wonder he’d triggered someone at the Gymnasium.
Xia Weizhen, fresh out of his Heat Period, had washed up and was already asleep. Mu Chenxing tiptoed over to Tong Xiao and the other, quietly reading, and asked softly.
Tong Xiao whispered, “We’re around him every day—can’t avoid it. Back when you were like that, we couldn’t do shit either.”
Mu Chenxing rubbed his nose. “Mine was unavoidable too… How long does Xia Xia’s last like this?”
Tao Xirui said, “Medical teacher said, based on his Pheromone Level, about three to five days.”
Not too bad. Pei Yao’s had lingered a month and a half back then, until meds sped up the dissipation.
Mu Chenxing thought it over and nodded. “Got it.”
…
The next morning, Mu Chenxing headed straight to the Medical Office.
Zhang Yunli, who’d been buried in projects lately, looked surprised. “This early? Something wrong with Xia Xia?”
“Nope.” Mu Chenxing scanned the room.
Zhang Yunli got it instantly. “No one’s here. Others don’t show till after nine.”
Mu Chenxing relaxed a bit and asked quietly, “Xia Xia’s Heat Period got his Pheromones on me, messing with training. Didn’t you have that spray here before that clears Pheromones? Can I get some?”
Zhang Yunli: “…No.”
Mu Chenxing blinked. “Why not?”
Zhang Yunli huffed. “Too harsh a drug. You train every day—that’s spraying daily. You’re not in Heat yet; it’ll mess you up… Xia Xia’s scent’ll fade in three to five days max. Suck it up. Skip training if you have to.”
“Medical already said three to five days~~Teacher Zhang, help a guy out~~~”
“No!”
No matter how much Mu Chenxing threw a full tantrum, Zhang Yunli wouldn’t budge. He even tried talking him into resting a few days instead of training.
Mu Chenxing left empty-handed, clutching the candy packs Zhang Yunli shoved at him, and headed back to the dorm.
Fine. He’d just be careful these days. Not like someone was always popping Heat in the Gymnasium every day.
…It wasn’t just three to five days.
Five days passed, and Xia Weizhen’s Pheromones showed no sign of fading.
Day six: still there.
Day seven… Tong Xiao dragged Mu Chenxing and the other two to the Medical Building for a checkup on Xia Weizhen.
The Medical Department teacher was baffled too. “By Pheromone Level, it should be max five days.”
Zhang Yunli, whom Mu Chenxing had called over, checked the data.
The Medical teacher puzzled, “Did we measure the Level wrong?”
“No mistake.” Zhang Yunli’s eyes stayed on the Holo-Screen. “Level’s the same, but the values peaked.”
The Medical teacher didn’t get it. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Zhang Yunli looked at Xia Weizhen, “his Pheromone quality is top-notch. The Suppressant dose wasn’t enough proportionally—he needs a booster shot.”
The Medical teacher: “…”
He pulled up the data for a close check. “You’re right. All within standards, but peak values. Looks like we shorted the Suppressant.”
To Xia Weizhen and the others: “Hang tight. I’ll grab a low-dose Suppressant.”
Once he left, Zhang Yunli eyed Mu Chenxing. “Chu Yuan and Shen Mingshu’s Heat Periods dragged on too, right? Tally up the Association Omegas’ Heat Periods—see how long each took to clear.”
Mu Chenxing: “…You think it’s all under-dosed?”
“Yeah.” Zhang Yunli glanced back at the Holo-Screen, murmuring, “I’ve studied Pheromones for decades. These numbers… something’s off.”
