Chapter 55
The next day, when Bai Yan woke up, he clearly felt that something was wrong with his body. There was a pulling sensation in his lower abdomen, a little hot and a little full. His heart was beating fast, and his body temperature was also higher than usual.
All signs indicated that his heat was coming.
It was a week earlier than expected, just in time for the start of the competition.
Fortunately, it was still the pre-heat period. He didn’t crave Alpha pheromones, nor would he suddenly lose his reason.
A fever was a normal phenomenon in the pre-heat period. The Omega’s physiological functions would automatically adjust to better accept the Alpha’s mark.
His fever wasn’t very serious. As long as he took special pills to relieve the fever symptoms, he could still hold on for a few days.
Bai Yan hastily swallowed two pills and dragged his tired body downstairs to the dining room.
Pei Tingyu glanced at the young man’s face and immediately understood. He poured a glass of honey water and brought it to the young man.
The man released his gentle pheromones, his warm palm soothing the young man’s thin back.
“Yanyan, drink some honey water. Your body will feel much better.”
The slightly sweet honey water washed away the bitter taste in his mouth and flowed down his throat, soothing the anxious and restless jasmine pheromones.
Bai Yan held the glass and drank it all in one go. The worries in his heart were finally relieved.
The gentle scent of orange blossom surrounded him. The Omega slowly let out a breath, and his ragged breathing returned to calm.
Pei Tingyu noticed that his tense, stiff back was gradually relaxing and sighed softly. “If you’re really uncomfortable, take a day off tomorrow and rest at home. We’ll participate in the competition when you’re better.”
Bai Yan thought for a moment, shook his head, and gave the worried Alpha a smile.
He had promised to be someone who could stand side by side with his husband. How could he be so easily defeated by a small difficulty?
The young man’s eyes curved into a smile, his soft, clear voice tinged with a hint of determination. “Xian sheng, it’s okay. I’ve taken my medicine. I’m much better.”
“Although the competition lasts for several days, the later it gets, the more dangerous it will be. It’s better to get it over with sooner.”
“The competition is just a presentation of my research topic. It won’t take too long. I’ll come back as soon as the presentation is over, and I’ll take a few days off after that…”
What had started as a proper explanation, Bai Yan grew shyer and shyer as he spoke, his last sentence as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
The young man blinked in a fluster, his eyes darting around. They unconsciously shifted to the lily flowers behind the man, and the blush that had just faded began to rise again.
A low chuckle sounded in his ear. “Alright, since Yanyan has a plan, I’ll listen to you.”
He knew this competition was very important to his precious. In order to wait for the experimental data, his precious had even pulled several all-nighters.
Pei Tingyu understood his precious’s thoughts. He had just been worried.
The man didn’t insist. He leaned over and kissed the young man’s forehead, reminding him in a warm voice.
“Remember to check your gland. If there’s anything unusual with your body, remember to contact me in time, okay?”
“I’m not a child anymore, xian sheng. You don’t need to worry about me, really.” Bai Yan said, both amused and exasperated. He turned and cupped the man’s face, explaining seriously.
“This is just the pre-heat period. There are at least five or six days until my heat. Contact with social-level Alpha pheromones won’t be a problem.”
“Alright.” The Alpha held the young man’s slender wrist, his fingertips rubbing the bodhi seed bracelet.
After a moment, he lifted the young man’s hand and kissed the inside of his wrist.
When he looked up, a dark green light flashed in the man’s black eyes, like a deep, unfathomable ocean.
A few stray strands of hair fell on Pei Tingyu’s forehead, softening the sharpness of his features. Or perhaps, that sharpness had been Bai Yan’s illusion all along.
The man held the young man’s hand, his fingertips slowly sliding along his palm lines until they slipped between his fingers, and they clasped hands.
A gentle smile appeared in his eyes. “I have something urgent at the company. I have to go on a business trip for two days. I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
The low, magnetic, and sexy voice teased the young man’s eardrums. “Will Yanyan wait for me at home, okay?”
The Alpha’s words stopped abruptly, but Bai Yan immediately understood his unspoken meaning. His heart skipped a beat, and he was completely flustered.
The skin the man had touched felt as if an electric current had passed through it, a tingling sensation. He subconsciously wanted to pull his hand away, but the man’s fingers held it firmly.
A dense current seemed to flow into his chest. Bai Yan’s mouth was dry. After a long moment, the young man slowly blinked and said “okay” slowly.
The next morning, Bai Yan woke up very early. The heat in his body had been greatly relieved by yesterday’s pills. He was still worried and took another one before going out.
When he arrived at the integrated laboratory building, in front of the lecture hall that was serving as the competition venue, there were already two long lines waiting to draw numbers for the presentation.
LIO was a famous competition in the biological world, known as the stepping stone for biologists to go to the world, and it held great weight.
In addition to the individual competitions held by universities in various countries, a team competition open to the whole world was also held every year.
Participants of all ages, genders, and nationalities could participate, but the threshold for international competitions was very high. Only those who had made outstanding contributions to biological research could win awards.
Haicheng University had always attached great importance to this individual competition. Even the opening of the competition would hold a several-day screening of participants. Only research topics that were approved by the selection professors were eligible for the official competition.
After finally drawing a number, the young man followed the surging crowd into the lecture hall.
The small lecture hall was packed with student participants. They sat in small groups, their desks covered in computers and files, with few empty seats.
Bai Yan looked around but couldn’t find a place to sit. It was Yan Xiaorui who had sharp eyes and saw him first, waving at him from afar. The young man finally found an empty seat beside her.
At nine o’clock in the morning, the competition officially began.
The number Bai Yan had drawn was number fifteen in the morning session, so it was still early for his turn.
Yan Xiaorui’s luck was even worse. She had drawn the second to last number in the morning session, right at lunchtime. When she and the other two looked at each other, she knew her chances were slim this time.
Oh well, she drooped her shoulders and comforted herself, I’ll just treat it as gaining experience.
But when the participants went on stage one by one, full of confidence, only to be ruthlessly criticized by the mentors and come down with their heads bowed, even the most optimistic and relaxed mentality was gone.
“Bai Yan, do you think it’s too late for me to run now?” Yan Xiaorui glanced at her report, feeling the two legs under her desk trembling. She wanted to just get up and run.
“How could that be? Your topic is very innovative.” The young man, who had been listening attentively, turned his head at the sound. His fair cheeks were flushed, and his two eyes were filled with moisture.
Only then did Yan Xiaorui notice the Omega’s abnormality. The apprehension in her eyes slowly turned to worry. She leaned closer to the young man’s ear and asked in a low voice, “Bai Yan, are you sick?”
Bai Yan shook his head gently and also lowered his voice. “It’s nothing. I took my medicine. I’ve already asked for leave from Director Lin. I’ll go back as soon as the competition is over.”
There was not a trace of jasmine pheromones in the air, and the young man’s words were vague. The meticulous female Alpha immediately realized something. She stammered, wanting to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat.
After a long time, she managed to say, “Then you should go back and rest well.”
Halfway through the competition, all the judges were on high alert. Even the most well-prepared topics could be found to have flaws, and the atmosphere in the lecture hall was one of dejection.
The more Bai Yan listened, the more he felt that his topic was full of errors. After his presentation, he would probably be kicked out of the lecture hall by the angry professors as a garbage manufacturer.
When he went out, he would have to immediately sign a transfer application and never be able to set foot in the botany department again.
Bai Yan and Yan Xiaorui were in the same boat, sighing secretly, one after the other.
After the fifteenth contestant, who had been ruthlessly torn apart, walked off the stage, swaying and dazed, it was finally Bai Yan’s turn.
The Omega took a deep breath. Under Yan Xiaorui’s “look at the warrior” gaze, he walked slowly to the podium, as if going to his execution, adjusted the equipment, and opened his PowerPoint.
The young man bowed to the judges in front of the stage and began slowly, “Good morning, professors. I am contestant number sixteen, Bai Yan, from the 20XX botany department. My research topic is the study of albino plant gene sequences. The following is my report…”
After the longest few minutes of his life, Bai Yan’s hands trembled as he exited the PowerPoint and accepted the judgment of the professors.
The professors exchanged a few words. Although the questions they asked were still sharp, they were within the scope of Bai Yan’s preparation, and he could still answer one or two.
Even though he hadn’t encountered any setbacks, the young man’s heart was still in his throat. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be that simple.
It was finally the last professor’s turn. She slowly raised the microphone, her gaze behind her glasses fixed on the young man’s face.
This old professor was known in the biology department for her rigorous scholarship and excellent memory.
She never took attendance in her professional courses, but no one would choose to be absent.
Because even in a large class of over 100 people, she could accurately remember everyone’s name and face after the first class’s roll call, and in the second class after you were absent, she would immediately find you in the crowd.
She was attending this competition as a special guest and rarely asked questions, but every time she did, she would get straight to the heart of the matter.
The last time she had asked a question was to number seven, and she had made a confident graduate student’s eyes turn red.
Seeing her holding the microphone, the back of Bai Yan’s back instantly tensed.
Lin Xueyin’s sharp gaze swept over the young man’s face. She said coolly, “Bai Yan, right? I remember you. You got one of the few A+ scores in the molecular engineering course last semester.”
The muscles on Bai Yan’s face twitched stiffly. He forced a smile. “Yes, Professor Lin.”
She pushed up her glasses and sat up a little straighter. “I want to ask you, did you think this topic through carefully, or did you just decide on it on a whim?”
“From the study of albino plants to human genes, a multidisciplinary integration—this is a very bold attempt. But forgive me for being blunt, a bold attempt often means a greater failure.”
The Omega professor’s tone was flat, but her words were not so flat. “Can you tell me where its research value lies? Why not try starting with albino animals? Is it just because you’re a botany student?”
“My question does not contain any personal feelings. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize in advance.”
For a moment, all eyes in the room were focused on Bai Yan. Some were sympathetic, some were questioning and enjoying the show, and more were sweating for him.
Bai Yan took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and met the old professor’s sharp gaze, slowly beginning, “A few hundred years ago, humans awakened to the second gender of ABO. At first, people just treated it as a rare genetic disease in a few people.”
“An Alpha’s rut was called mania, and an Omega’s heat was considered depression. All drug interventions ended in failure.”
“It wasn’t until more and more people awakened and then passed away without treatment that people had to find a new research plan.”
“The research stagnated for more than ten years. It wasn’t until a biologist accidentally discovered that there was a certain unactivated substance in the cells of the back of the neck of AOs, the same as the source of scent in plant cells, that the hidden pheromones in the human body were discovered.”
The young man’s gaze slowly swept over everyone present, unhurried. “Everyone is familiar with this history. This is the common pride of us biologists.”
“Albinism is a rare condition that exists in both plants and animals. Unlike the genetic factors in animals, the causes of albinism in plants are more complex, and it also provides more possibilities for cracking the genetic inheritance of albinism.”
His gaze was firm, his tone sincere. “As an albino patient, my perception of this world may be different from everyone else’s, but my pursuit of biological research to benefit humanity is no different from everyone else’s.”
“I know my topic is still naive and doesn’t amount to much. Maybe I won’t be able to get an official entry qualification. In the vast sea of research results, it won’t be able to leave any trace.”
“But, but if in the future, someone can be inspired by my topic and truly research something meaningful, I think that is the research value of this topic.”
“Isn’t this the meaning of our research as biologists?”
The young man’s not-so-loud voice echoed in the lecture hall. For a moment, the lecture hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. There wasn’t even a single whisper.
Then, from somewhere, like a wave, the lecture hall was gradually drowned in thunderous applause. Some moved students wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes with the backs of their hands, stood up to applaud, and cheered loudly.
A shy smile appeared on Bai Yan’s face. He blushed and bowed deeply to the audience again.
“Thank you, thank you.”
