Qiu Sui froze solid for half a second. His brain screamed in alarm as he widened his eyes and jerked his head away from that hot breath. In a flash, he drove his elbow into the Alpha’s chest. With no time to hesitate, he summoned every ounce of strength and shoved the man in front of him.
Caught off guard, the other man toppled backward, still clutching Qiu Sui’s hand tightly. Shock flashed in his eyes as his massive weight collided with the bed in a heavy thud.
Qiu Sui gave him no chance to recover. He yanked the blanket up to cover Shen Zhixiao’s naked body, planting one knee on the Alpha’s chest and abdomen through the fabric, the other knee pinning down the arm trapped beneath it. He threw his full weight onto the man—who was a full size larger than him—to hold him down first.
The flurry of movements left Qiu Sui exhausted and panting, but the memories of last night kept him from relaxing. His mind in chaos, he stared down at the delirious Alpha, ready for any sudden moves.
Shen Zhixiao’s head had slammed into the bedframe at first, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. But as clarity slowly returned, he looked at Qiu Sui pinning him down and assumed his partner was just playing around. His body burned with heat as he stared ahead, patiently waiting for Qiu Sui’s next move.
Seeing the other man settle down without resistance, Qiu Sui finally let out a shaky breath. He could afford a moment to think.
Piecing together last night’s memories, he guessed that Shen Zhixiao’s bizarre behavior stemmed from his Susceptible Period kicking in.
No wonder he’d acted so strangely waiting for the elevator yesterday afternoon. It had probably started then.
Sweat beaded on Qiu Sui’s forehead. He had no time to puzzle over why the Alpha was having Susceptible Periods twice a month. The fragments of memory from last night with Xiao Mu—preparing to call a cab—started falling into place.
Xiao Mu’s confession, his attempt to kiss him, Shen Zhixiao’s sudden appearance and words… it all hit Qiu Sui like a truck. And then the utter chaos that followed.
Even forcing himself to calm down, he couldn’t stop the breakdown—a howl escaped him. Before he could steady his breathing or his racing heart, the impatient Alpha beneath him started struggling again. Delirious, he tugged at Qiu Sui’s hand, gazing at him in agony, baring sharp fangs as he pleaded, “Baby… baby… Mark… I want…”
The dense, throbbing ache at the back of his neck silently reminded Qiu Sui that those hazy fragments from last night weren’t a dream.
The thought of the original plot sent his blood running cold. Staring at the delirious Alpha ahead, he snatched up a piece of clothing, trying to bind the man’s hands first.
But clearly, Shen Zhixiao had been playing along earlier. Realizing this wasn’t a game, his strength surged. He grabbed Qiu Sui and yanked him into his arms.
“I’m not… your baby.” Qiu Sui bristled, flailing to shove away the approaching head, trying to snap the Alpha out of it. But he didn’t finish before he was swiftly cut off.
“Mm… You are… you are.” The Alpha pressed relentlessly toward him, every breath scorching hot. His lips murmured word by word, over and over: “Baby, Qiu Sui… mm… Little Sui baby…”
Hearing his own name spill from the man’s mouth so naturally made Qiu Sui’s pupils contract sharply. He froze in stunned disbelief.
What does this mean?! Shen Zhixiao likes me?
He could barely process Xiao Mu’s confession last night, but Shen Zhixiao liking him? The original plot clearly…
Shen Zhixiao’s forehead pressed into Qiu Sui’s palm. In his daze, he broke free of the block, his lips successfully brushing Qiu Sui’s cheek.
In that instant, all thoughts of plotlines and whether Shen Zhixiao truly liked him exploded from Qiu Sui’s mind.
He felt the wet heat of that touch vividly. The skin there flushed scorching hot a beat later. He shoved the face away with his hand, choking out in disbelief, “You…”
Shen Zhixiao’s lips pressed between Qiu Sui’s fingers, savoring the slightly cooler temperature. He kissed them comfortably.
The damp sensation startled Qiu Sui. He flung his hand away on instinct, accidentally smacking the Alpha’s chin.
His breath hitched—he almost apologized—but the next second, as Shen Zhixiao leaned in again, he raised his hand and retreated, warning instead, “Wait, you—you stay back…”
The Alpha’s expression turned fierce, teeth gritted, breaths ragged. His muscular upper body loomed on the bed, but he actually halted, eyes glistening wet as he stared.
Qiu Sui’s clenched fist hesitated. His emotions were indescribable, but he forced his mindset steady and confirmed again, “You still recognize me, right?”
The Alpha’s response was a hoarse “Baby.”
Qiu Sui had just calmed down, but hearing that call again summoned last night’s images unbidden. Heat surged to his neck. Unable to bear the embarrassment and shame, he roared, “I mean my name.”
Shen Zhixiao didn’t understand the issue. Pheromones rampaged through him, his mind screaming to Mark the Beta in front of him. He ached to close the distance but swallowed hard, his voice raspy as he obediently called out, “Qiu Sui.”
The way Shen Zhixiao said his name now—rough and raw—felt worlds apart from his usual smooth warmth.
Qiu Sui’s throat bobbed faintly. He didn’t know what crossed his mind, but his gaze shifted slightly from the lips. After brewing for two seconds, he voiced the hard-to-ask guess: “You… um, do you… like me?”
The words left him wanting to die, even if the Alpha opposite was delirious from Susceptible Period, cognition shot.
Shen Zhixiao parsed the words through his agony, fangs twitching restlessly behind his lips as he rasped, “Like… like… baby… Qiu Sui… Mark…”
Qiu Sui’s heart fell into utter turmoil, even though he’d suspected as much.
Shen Zhixiao liked him. So the original plot? Collapsed?
Or… was that dream fake?
Qiu Shun differentiating into an S-Rank Omega was coincidence. Meeting Shen Zhixiao in college too?
How could it be that coincidental?
If the dream was fake, then his heart racing uncontrollably around Shen Zhixiao before… if not the plot, then what…
Qiu Sui’s mind spun wildly toward Shen Zhixiao. The Alpha stared fixatedly, desire raw as he bared fangs, every breath thundering in the quiet room.
The moment snapped his thoughts. Staring at his left hand gripped tight, he tried to get him to let go first.
Shen Zhixiao in Susceptible Period was the polar opposite of his usual gentle warmth, but compared to other Alphas who lost all reason like rabid dogs, he could still grasp simple words.
Seeing Shen Zhixiao slowly release his fingers, Qiu Sui exhaled in relief, reaching to pull his hand back. But the instant he moved, the broad palm snapped shut again, swift as a trap.
Qiu Sui’s heart leaped. His back arched instinctively as he whipped his gaze to Shen Zhixiao. The Alpha breathed raggedly in the vortex of agonizing desire, swallowing repeatedly, voice parched as he stressed, “Mark… baby… Mark first…”
The words “baby” and “Mark” made Qiu Sui yelp in knee-jerk alarm, breath catching in his lungs.
The sensation of his Gland being pierced lingered vividly. He regretted his drunken haze last night endlessly, but the current scene left no room to analyze. He blurted, “No.”
Shen Zhixiao stirred violently at the refusal, inching forward bit by bit, muttering to himself that it was fine.
Fine to Mark.
The scent’s fading… gotta Mark…
Susceptible Period Alphas were all the same. Qiu Sui instantly retracted his earlier thought that this one was different.
He wrenched his hand free and retreated, scanning for any handy weapon amid the crisis. Facing the S-Rank Alpha who was unrecognizable from usual, he skipped reason: “You—you come closer, and I’ll hit you.”
The other sensed no threat, fangs bared eagerly.
Qiu Sui’s fist hovered over that face before redirecting to hammer the Alpha’s shoulder. His strength wasn’t at peak, but it packed impact.
The blow jolted Shen Zhixiao’s whole body. He froze on the spot, bloodshot eyes staring dazedly at the fist. His feral aura wilted instantly.
Seeing mist gather in those eyes, Qiu Sui blinked in shock at the effect. He flexed his fingers sheepishly. “I said if you came closer, I’d hit you…”
The Alpha’s bare torso flushed red from surging Pheromones, rooted in place as he panted, tears streaming. He could only beg repeatedly, “Mark… Mark me… baby.”
Qiu Sui couldn’t sense Pheromones, so he couldn’t grasp Shen Zhixiao’s state fully, but he’d injected Suppressant into Qiu Shun during Heat Period. He knew roughly why the Alpha kept demanding a Mark.
Gazing at the tear-streaked face, he tried reasoning with the delirious man, reluctant: “I’m a Beta. I can’t be Marked. Biting me won’t work—we tried last night, remember? I’ll get you Suppressant. That’ll make it stop hurting, okay?”
Veins throbbed wildly at Shen Zhixiao’s temples and arms. His red eyes fixed on the Beta’s nape, choking out after Qiu Sui finished, “Want to Mark you.”
Qiu Sui held his breath, itching to punch him again.
No reasoning through. To escape, he had to handle this first. At a loss, he coaxed, “Then let go of my hand first.”
The Alpha understood now, lifting their interlocked hands, sniffling thickly: “Let go… then Mark.”
Qiu Sui agreed verbally while plotting his fastest escape to the study for Suppressant.
Shen Zhixiao seemed swayed, staring at the hand cradled in his broad palm. Reluctant, he loosened gradually.
Sensing release, Qiu Sui yanked free. Before he could rise, the Alpha pounced, slamming him onto the bed.
A Susceptible Period Alpha might lack full wits and agility, but they were still sly and swift—especially an S-Rank with superior physique.
Qiu Sui had misjudged. Regret hit for his carelessness.
Pinned immobile, Shen Zhixiao’s naked body pressed flush against him. But Qiu Sui had no attention for that, hands clamped over his neck. As the head loomed, he interrupted desperately, “Wait…”
Shen Zhixiao teetered at Pheromone eruption’s edge. Fangs grazed repeatedly over the hand guarding the Gland, sensing the partner’s proximity. Growls rumbled from his chest—he couldn’t wait another second.
Like a massive hound nuzzling his neck, Shen Zhixiao began licking frantically at Qiu Sui’s hand. Scorching heat seeped through his thin shirt like boiling water, setting Qiu Sui ablaze too.
Qiao Keren always wailed about Heat Period agonies post-facto. Helping Qiu Shun with Suppressant, Qiu Sui had seen him curled red-faced in agony. Shen Zhixiao was no better now.
Without Suppressant for so long, Pheromones must have overshot the threshold. Qiu Sui couldn’t fathom the torment.
His other hand gripped the Alpha’s hair, nudging the hazy face to meet his. Helpless, he called the name, reminding again: “Even if you bite, it won’t work. You still need Suppressant.”
