Chapter 12: Temporary Mark Part 1

Damn it, what an embarrassment!

First it was Differentiation, now it was Heat. How did he always manage to get caught in these humiliating moments by him?

He Siheng seriously suspected that he and Tan Jing had clashing zodiac signs.

He thought for a moment, then pinched his throat to alter his voice in response: “Who’s He Siheng?”

Tan Jing laughed from outside the door. “Stop pretending. Your Pheromones are leaking out.”

…Shit, he had actually forgotten about that.

He Siheng’s face heated up. He reverted to his normal voice and snapped irritably, “You know it’s me and you still ask? Got nothing better to do?”

Tan Jing replied smoothly, “Checking if you’re dizzy or not.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than He Siheng felt as if they had manifested reality. A wave of dizziness surged to his head, and his unsteady body swayed, his shoulder bumping against the stall’s partition wall.

Hearing the noise inside, Tan Jing dropped the joking tone. “You okay?”

He Siheng braced himself against the wall as an intense sense of emptiness coursed through his limbs, making his breathing rapid. A deep flush rose on his pale cheeks.

He fought through the dizziness and discomfort, replying unsteadily, “I’m fine… just… a bit hot…”

As he spoke, his Pheromones spilled out uncontrollably. The rich floral scent mixed with citrus notes aggressively spread in all directions, like orange blossoms bursting into full bloom all at once across the branches.

Every inch of the air carried the scent of an Omega in Heat.

Tan Jing’s gaze darkened inch by inch, his Alpha instincts for possession stirred, his blood boiling.

He closed his eyes briefly to steady himself, then said lowly to the person inside the stall, “Open the door.”

“Open… my ass,” He Siheng shot back from the other side. His back pressed against the wall for support as he panted raggedly. “Wait until I… inject this Suppressant first…”

Tan Jing’s brows furrowed slightly. “The doctor said Suppressants don’t work on you.”

“How do I know without trying? I’d rather… die than let you bite me…”

He Siheng shakily raised his hand, trembling above his arm for a long time. Just as he was about to inject, his fingers went weak, and the opened Suppressant dropped to the floor.

He cursed under his breath and pulled out a new one. But after struggling for ages—even using his teeth—he still couldn’t get the cap off.

His strength was draining away too fast.

Tan Jing listened to the sounds inside and hesitated before asking, “Can you inject it yourself?”

There was no answer from inside. As Tan Jing pondered whether kicking the door would hurt him, a click sounded—the stall door was unlocked from within.

He Siheng leaned back against the wall and turned his head to look at him, his eyes reddened. “Just this one mark.”

“Okay.”

Without hesitation, Tan Jing stepped into the stall with long strides and locked the door.

In the cramped space, two tall figures stood together, making it feel crowded.

Omega Pheromones filled the entire area, wrapping around Tan Jing’s skin like flowering vines.

Tan Jing’s jaw tightened, his voice huskier than before. “Put your hands on my shoulders. Hold onto me.”

“Wouldn’t that mean hugging you?”

He Siheng was reluctant.

Truth be told, the moment Tan Jing entered, he had sensed the intense Alpha presence on him. Deep down, it screamed for an embrace, crazily craving his mark.

But his aversion to the situation forced him to suppress that desire.

He’d rather be tormented to death by the physiological reactions of his Heat than do something so humiliating with Tan Jing.

He Siheng arduously turned around, placed both hands on the wall, and lowered his head to expose his nape. “Just do it like this.”

This was the first time Tan Jing had seen his nape so closely since Differentiation.

The slender neckline extended smoothly to his collar, the bony cervical vertebrae slightly protruding. The originally pale skin had taken on a peach-blossom pink hue.

The unmarked Omega’s Gland hid beneath that thin layer of skin.

Tan Jing’s eyelashes trembled faintly as his tongue pressed against his canine.

His gums itched.

“It might feel a bit uncomfortable the first time,” he warned lowly before acting.

He Siheng grew impatient. “If you’re biting, then bite already. Don’t… Ah mmph—!”

Before he finished, his nape was seized by the boy behind him—not the stinging pain of a needle, but definitely not gentle.

He Siheng’s eyes widened, his amber pupils quivering.

The moment he cried out, a long, strong hand clamped tightly over his mouth, his cheek’s soft flesh tensing between the fingers.

He Siheng instinctively struggled, but his shoulders were pinned firmly by Tan Jing’s other hand.

Damn it, damn it, damn it—how was this bastard so strong!

He felt the boy’s sharp canines against his nape skin. Alpha Pheromones slowly injected into his Gland, sending electric shocks from the nerve endings there throughout his body.

Woody and floral scents intertwined ambiguously strand by strand. He Siheng’s fingers on the wall turned white at the knuckles, his arms trembling slightly, physiological tears welling at the corners of his eyes.

The Alpha Pheromones eased the heat within him but also caused his consciousness to blur uncontrollably. He didn’t even notice when Tan Jing released his mouth.

It wasn’t until he heard Tan Jing’s hoarse voice: “It’s done.”

Only then did He Siheng snap back to awareness. He lowered his hands from the wall but his legs buckled, nearly collapsing.

Tan Jing caught his arm in time, steadying him.

The tall boy looked down at him for a few seconds, then gently scraped away the wetness at his eye corner with a bent finger, a faint, barely perceptible smile in his eyes.

“Why are you crying?”