Chapter 26: Scent
An endless, heart-stopping white.
The backlash of the Dual-Way Induction Agent had actually temporarily deprived him of his sight. The unprecedented feeling of losing control was like ice water being poured over his head, mixing with the burning heat inside his body, nearly driving Jiang Zhaosheng insane.
All his perception retracted inward, magnifying the shameful gnawing inside him tenfold.
Jiang Zhaosheng opened his eyes in vain, but could see nothing. The world was reduced to sounds, smells, and touch.
Discarding, practicing, adoring.
If the occasion hadn’t been wrong, Jiang Zhaosheng would have thought he was back in that place where he couldn’t see the light…
Back then, what he saw was also a vast expanse of white. He was soaked in unsatisfied lust for a long time, his limbs so soft that he didn’t need handcuffs or ropes; fragile lace was enough to bind him.
Cold sweat had soaked his back at some point.
“You used a suppressant? What a waste of such a good thing… clearly longing to be marked, yet youâre still hurting yourself.”
“Did you think that because Samuel is here, I wouldn’t dare show up? Or… did you come here on purpose, hoping to be found by me like this?”
A familiar voice, a familiar scentâso familiar that Jiang Zhaosheng suspected the use of suppressants was just a way of speaking to save face.
Just having him blow air into his ear would make him shake like a sieve. He couldn’t help but secretly change his posture and stand up straight.
……Like a perverted sex maniac.
The gloved fingertip roughly pried open his lips, reaching into the moist, hot oral cavity, pressing down on the soft surface of his tongue as if playing with it.
But the tip of his tongue didn’t burst with the taste of leather; instead, he tasted a sweetness like powdered sugar. His salivary glands were stimulated and secreted uncontrollably. Jiang Zhaosheng had only one thought in his headâ
……Was he going to turn into that again? A pile of mud, with soft limbs, unable to even injure a back.
Completely held in his arms and unable to see, he was still blinking his eyelashes at a high frequency in small movements. He was exhausted to the extreme, only able to do half of the closing and opening movements, making his light-colored eyes even more blurred under the light.
In his ears was the sound of his own heartbeat. It was too loud, even drowning out the manâs address.
“…What?”
He asked back almost instinctively. To resist the urge to immediately plunge into the manâs embrace, Jiang Zhaosheng had resorted to any means.
Don’t do that.
The fingertip withdrew, bringing out a thread of silver.
“Tell me, my good studentâwhy would you rather destroy yourself with low-quality drugs than return to the person who can truly satisfy you?”
That “good student” awakened the most unbearable memories in the depths of Jiang Zhaoshengâs mind, along with his sealed past.
……The white room, the endless emptiness and longing, the powerlessness of being bound by lace, and this person… his “mentor.”
During those days, he had almost nothing else to do. The only thing he could do was wait, and hope while waiting. He was surrounded by the manâs clothesâshirts, tiesâbuilding a nest for himself. Beside the bed was a screenâplaying the manâs interview videos or video calls.
On the front camera, Jiang Zhaosheng could see his own reflection, the brilliance in his eyes he couldn’t hide… his pitiful, love-seeking self. It made him unable to tell if this was the result of his “teacherâs” discipline or his own true inner feelings.
The memory made a wave of shame drown him.
Those deliberately forgotten detailsâthe feel of the manâs coat, the scent of the perfume on him, the loving words spoken with a smile, and his own current instinct to get close that he couldn’t suppressâwere terrifyingly clear.
What made Jiang Zhaosheng more desperate than the physiological heat was the fear of being controlled, even molded.
Jiang Zhaosheng couldn’t even maintain his footing, falling backward softly and returning completely to the familiar embrace.
Jiang Wan, Iâm so pathetic, Jiang Zhaosheng thought desperately.
From the manâs perspective, he must be very satisfied with this appearanceâit was practically like being a xx who couldn’t wait and was playing hard to get before the main event.
He wasn’t a pet… why be dominated? Humans can also be tamed. You must be very satisfied with this result, Teacher.
Cool things slid down his cheeks.
The expected treatment did not descend.
The hand pinching his chin suddenly released its strength, turning instead into… a kind of tenderness. Using his thumb, he rubbed along his tear stains, wiping away the tears bit by bit.
Jiang Zhaosheng instinctively turned his head slightly toward that direction. Water light swayed in his unfocused emerald eyes, filled with wariness and… a trace of moth-to-a-flame longing that he hadn’t even noticed himself.
Then, a breeze brushed past his cheek, and a familiar fresh scent of the sea enveloped him.
The manâs coat covered his eyes, which were open in bewilderment from blindness and shock, and also blocked out that heart-palpitating white.
The fabric of the coat was very thin. Jiang Zhaosheng could feel the manâs breath approaching, warm and familiar, right near his forehead.
“Don’t cry.”
Thenâ
A gentle kiss, devoid of lust and almost reverent, fell on his forehead.
“Scared?” The raspy voice rang out above his head. “Or… did you miss me?”
The manâs lips didn’t leave immediately, but stayed against his forehead in a near-ghostly way, kissing him once more.
“Don’t be afraid…… Zhaozhao.”
His other hand circled Jiang Zhaoshengâs weak waist, pressing him tighter into his embrace, feeling the slight, uncontrollable tremors of the body in his arms.
“Samuel is right outside, Zhaozhao. Your knight is burning with anxiety right now……”
“If he sees you like this, do you think heâll pounce and eat you until not even the bones are left?”
Jiang Zhaosheng was entirely wrapped under the coat, the familiar scent as fresh as a sea breeze. He could no longer help himself, his nose secretly leaning closer, breathing lightly, calming the restlessness in his heart.
[I love this look of you, being unable to leave me, the most.]
The possessiveness in the words almost solidified into a net, wrapping Jiang Zhaosheng tightly.
He opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound, as if he had turned back into that helpless “student” in the room who was deprived even of the right to cry.
“Bite down.”
The gloved hand carrying a cloying scent was brought to his lips. The undulation on the coat moved, and Jiang Zhaosheng heard a light chuckle again.
“So good……”
The top of his head was stroked through the coat. It was clearly just an action to comfort a junior, but Jiang Zhaoshengâs heat was greatly relieved. He bit the leather in his mouth hard, his canines nearly piercing the glove, like a young beast that had finally found its nest, his body instinctively leaning toward the source of heat and touch, seeking more comfort.
Today, Jiang Zhaosheng hadn’t worn a belt to get out the door quickly, which happened to make it easier for the man to cause trouble.
“……”
“Don’t hold your breath,” a low-voiced instruction came from above the coat. “Close your eyes and ignore my existence.”
Jiang Zhaosheng did as he was told, trying to focus all his attention on the sensory stimulation provided by the other party.
The loss of vision indeed made his other senses exceptionally sharp. He could clearly feel the calluses on the other personâs hand, the pressure from the other personâs chin through the fabric, hear the other personâs slow and heavy breathing, and smell that sea breeze scent that put him at ease……
He guided Jiang Zhaoshengâs trembling body, helping him recover from a certain state of dissociation.
The loss of vision made Jiang Zhaoshengâs perception of space and position blurred. This would normally have brought fear, but under the other partyâs absolutely firm guidance, it turned into a strange peace of mindâhe didn’t need to think, only to obey.
Because the other party gave but did not take, controlled but cherished him immensely.
His fingers slid down the spine, and the man crouched down, slipping under the coat. Jiang Zhaosheng gave a faint whimper that even he had never heard before. Multicolored noise exploded before his eyes, and the effect of the drug was relieved. At this moment, control of his body finally returned mostly to him. Jiang Zhaosheng only felt he was as exhausted as a fish that had washed ashore and was dehydrated.
He had been abstinent for the past few years, yet today he had been “served” twice while being semi-coerced. What on earth was going on?
……If Samuel also suddenly crouched down and pulled off his pants after he went out, Jiang Zhaosheng thought, he probably wouldn’t feel surprised either.
The man carefully tidied his clothes, his movements still meticulous and gentle.
The coat was draped over his shoulders, and Jiang Zhaosheng felt the other personâs presence seem to be retreating slightly.
“……Teacher.”
He reached out, his fingertips fumbling in the air for a few moments before finally catching itâa cool, high-quality hem.
Jiang Zhaoshengâs unfocused eyes “looked” toward the source of the presence in a panic, and he asked in a stubborn voice that others had never heard:
“Next time…… when will you see me?”
Was it longing? Was it unwillingness? Or was his usual pride crushed by the chaotic heat and fragility?
The man whose hem he was holding seemed to pause.
A very light, pleasant chuckle rang out above his head. A hand wearing a leather glove covered his tightly clenched hand, giving it an encouraging light pat.
Warm breath approached again, and Jiang Zhaosheng tilted his head slightly, hearing a precise address.
Then, his face was cupped, and the man lightly dropped a kiss on his eyelid.
…
The heavy door of the secret room suddenly opened. Samuel Esposito, like a provoked lion, rushed in first, even holding a gun.
“Stellina! Are you okay?!”
Samuelâs roar came to an abrupt halt when he saw the situation in the room, his pupils snapping shut.
His subordinates behind him also froze in place.
Jiang Zhaosheng stood in the center of the room, with the cloaked body of the Omega not far from his feet.
The long-haired Beta was loosely draped in a well-tailored black menâs coat that clearly didn’t belong to him, which made his face look transparently pale. His slightly long black hair was dampened by sweat, clinging to his temples and cheeks. Those most eye-catching emerald eyes had lost their focus at this moment, covered by a layer of helpless water light.
The coat was too oversized, nearly wrapping most of his body. The collar of his own shirt was slightly open, and the skin beneath could be faintly seen with an unnatural flush and a light sweat.
Samuelâs face turned iron-green instantly. He looked around abruptly, but besides Jiang Zhaosheng and the corpse, there was no third person in the secret room.
In the end, his gaze was still fixed on Jiang Zhaosheng, looking at his unfocused eyes, pale face, the strange coat he was wearing, and that eye-catching piece of fabric in his hand. Anger, jealousy, worry, and fear for the aftermath swirled madly in his eyes.
Samuel cursed under his breath, strode forward, and threw off the coat on him as if it were something filthy.
“Wait a moment, Samuel, I can’t see right now…”
Samuel neatly took off his own Italian haute couture suit jacket and, with a somewhat rough motion, draped the jacket, still carrying his own body temperature and perfume, tightly over Jiang Zhaosheng.
Then, he suddenly leaned over, one hand scooping under Jiang Zhaoshengâs knees and the other around his back, picking him up horizontally without a word.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness made Jiang Zhaosheng instinctively wrap his arms around the Alphaâs neck to maintain his balance. This reliant action seemed to slightly please the furious Italian man, but it didn’t calm his anger.
“You, and you,” Samuel said while holding Jiang Zhaosheng, his blue eyes full of killing intent, “check that corpse thoroughly for me. I want to know who he was, how he died, and his relationship with everyone around him.”
“Yes, sir!” Two subordinates immediately took the order, beginning to survey the scene in a well-trained manner, their gazes cautiously avoiding the person held tightly in the bossâs arms.
Samuel no longer lingered, striding out with Jiang Zhaosheng in his arms.
“Mmph…” Jiang Zhaosheng moved uncomfortably, completely enveloped in the darkness filled with Samuelâs scent. The air under the jacket was hot, making him feel a bit suffocated.
“Be quiet, Stellina,” Samuelâs arms tightened, weighing the person in his arms; he was lighter than expected. “Until the doctor comes, don’t think about going anywhere or doing anything.”
Samuel walked quickly through the corridor, ignoring the startled looks of his subordinates and heading straight for his private area. Jiang Zhaosheng, wrapped in the jacket, could only feel his chest rising and falling violently from anger, and a scorching body temperature that was nearly enough to burn someone came through the thin fabric.
“âI will never forgive.”
Samuel said through clenched teeth.
……Forgive who? Me?
If it hadn’t been for today, Jiang Zhaosheng would have thought Samuel would never get angry.
This “dear friend” was like a volcano on the verge of erupting right now. Jiang Zhaoshengâs hand, which was trying to lift the jacket, paused. Thinking of the “appointment” to meet that man in the middle of the night, he finally draped his arms back over his neck in silence.
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