HIS PHEROMONE SMELLS LIKE CATNIP chapter 48

Chapter 48

The therapy session went on until late into the night. Bai He was taken out by the doctor twice during the process. By the third time he entered the isolation room, he had changed into a new pheromone-blocking mask. The doctor brought in a reclining chair and placed it near the entrance. Bai He, feeling a bit tired, didn’t refuse. He lay down on the chair to rest.

He didn’t sleep, merely closed his eyes and continued to release his pheromones.

This process required a lot of energy, and since it was getting late, Bai He’s biological clock naturally signaled it was time to rest. He was feeling weary.

At the same time, he could sense Qin Yao, who was sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, staring at him without blinking.

In the early morning, Bai He, half-asleep, was woken by Chen Wensheng. He opened his eyes, slightly dazed. “Sorry, how long was I asleep?”

“About ten minutes.” Chen Wensheng glanced at his watch. “You’ve worked hard. Qin Yao’s pheromones have been calmed to the threshold. We’ll take over from here. I’ll have someone take you to rest.”

Bai He nodded, got up from the recliner, and as the door to the isolation room opened, the doctor entered with a medical cart, making little noise.

He followed the doctors with his gaze and saw that Qin Yao was still sitting on the bed. The doctors cautiously approached as Qin Yao slowly lifted his head.

There was a dark, brooding look in his eyes.

Bai He froze for a moment.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, not paying further attention, and followed the nurse out of the isolation room.

What happened to Qin Yao afterward, Bai He didn’t know. It was late, and he went to another floor to rest in a hospital room.

The next morning, the nurse took him to Chen Wensheng’s office, where Bai He received his stamped volunteer therapy form.

These eight credits came faster than he had expected.

Bai He stowed away the form, thanked Chen Wensheng, and turned to leave, but was stopped by Chen.

“Well… Qin Yao is fine now. Don’t hold a grudge against him.” Chen Wensheng looked tired, the stubble on his chin unshaven.

Bai He didn’t react much to the words, only responding with a simple “Mm.”

“Alright then,” Chen Wensheng shrugged, a bit helpless. “I have to admit, as a friend, I’m speaking on his behalf. But if he’s done something truly unforgivable, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

He waved Bai He off. “You’ve worked hard. Go get some proper rest.”

Bai He nodded. He didn’t know what to say, and there wasn’t much to say anyway.

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On the way back to school, Bai He realized it was Saturday.

There were no classes at university on weekends, and Bai He would sometimes visit the library, but not this weekend.

Tomorrow, he had to return to the Bai family.

As for today, he raised a hand and rubbed his temples. The events of last night had drained him, and he had only gone to bed late. He was still very tired.

He decided to get some rest first.

—

Saturday afternoon, 2:00 PM.

Qin Yao emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He ran his hands through his wet hair, left it to air dry, and stood at the bar in his room, drinking water.

The cold water, with ice cubes, slid down his throat, and the frustration he had been feeling dissipated somewhat with the coolness.

After setting down the glass, he stared at a point in the air for a long time. Suddenly, he covered his face with his hands and started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder, uncontrollable, his shoulders shaking almost violently.

It took a while before he stopped.

Qin Yao took a few long strides and lazily collapsed onto the sofa. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, but the image of Bai He from the previous night kept flashing through his mind.

So cute.

Even when angry, he was still so cute.

“What should I do?” Qin Yao squinted, raising his hand and making a grasping motion in the air, curling his fingers into a fist as if trying to capture something. “I really like you, Bai He.”

—

At that moment, Bai He had just woken up. He hadn’t heard the alarm and had slept until now, oddly enough. He had slept deeply.

After shaking off his grogginess from the deep sleep, he spent the rest of the afternoon working on his draft for Tiandi. He remembered Qin Yao mentioning earlier that he could get access to internal accounts for Xingchen and the second test accounts for Tiandi.

But it wasn’t necessary. Xingchen was about to enter public testing, and when Tiandi had its second test, the club would certainly be able to get accounts. Bai He didn’t need to worry about these things.

He spent the remaining time compressing the revised draft into a file and sent it to the club section leader.

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Exiting the chat window, he saw a message from Bai Qiu.

The gist of it was that the time had been changed to tomorrow night.

Bai He originally planned to head back at noon, but he didn’t understand why Bai Qiu had changed the time and didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t until the next afternoon when he arrived at the Bai family home that the butler handed him a formal suit to change into. Only then did Bai He notice something was off. As he passed through the villa’s main hall, he saw the setup for a banquet and finally realized what was going on.

He had been tricked by Bai Qiu.

Bai He returned to his room, not turning on the lights. After closing the door, he stood still and scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. He had only stayed in this place once before and had no intention of staying any longer.

In the bathroom, he changed into formal attire—an elegant white suit. Standing in front of the mirror, an unexplainable irritation welled up inside him.

There was a knock at the door. He took a few steps over and opened it, immediately met with a familiar presence.

Bai He’s breath hitched. He looked up to see Qin Yao, dressed formally, with a smile on his face. Qin bent down in a gentlemanly manner and extended his hand. “The banquet’s about to start. Shall we go down together, darling~?”

The last three words were deliberately drawn out.

Bai He lowered his eyelids, the irritation in his heart lessened a bit, but a strange sense of competitiveness arose.

He sidestepped Qin Yao’s hand. “No.”

Qin Yao wasn’t upset. The smile on his face deepened, and he followed closely behind Bai He, his gaze fixed intently on Bai He’s back.

Bai He walked with perfect posture, his figure straight. Even just standing, his bearing was impeccable. The tailored white suit accentuated his waistline, and Qin Yao narrowed his eyes, feeling a tickle in his heart.

The banquet hadn’t officially begun, but many guests had already arrived. When Bai He descended the stairs, he attracted numerous gazes. He frowned, scanning the crowd until he found Yao Lin.

“Uncle Yao, where is he?”

Bai He was slightly irritated by the attention from all directions. He had only come today to discuss something with Bai Qiu.

“He’ll be back soon,” Yao Lin replied after a moment of thought, glancing Bai He up and down before smiling warmly. “Your father personally picked out that suit. It really suits you.”

Bai He turned his head away. “If he didn’t have some ulterior motive, would he personally pick out a suit for me?”

His voice wasn’t quiet, and the guests nearby wore complex expressions after hearing it.

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Yao Lin, clearly taken aback by Bai He’s words, chuckled softly and tried to smooth things over. “Your father means well.”

“I don’t need it.” Bai He’s voice was cold, and the lively atmosphere around them seemed to drop several degrees. Yao Lin’s face, usually calm, showed a rare hint of discomfort. He smiled awkwardly, about to say more, when he noticed a group of people approaching. The tension on his face immediately relaxed. “Your father is back. Go greet him.”

Bai He turned around. Not far away, an alpha man in a suit, surrounded by guests, carried a glass of wine, chatting with others. When he noticed Bai He, the man’s fake smile grew even wider.

“This is my eldest son,” Bai Qiu’s voice rose, drawing attention to Bai He. But he wasn’t finished. Bai Qiu took a few steps forward to stand next to Bai He, raising his glass. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve gathered everyone here today to announce something. My eldest son, Bai He, recently differentiated into an omega, albeit a bit late. Tonight’s banquet is to celebrate this wonderful occasion, everyone—”

“What’s there to celebrate?” Bai He interrupted Bai Qiu, his voice loud enough to freeze the entire room.

The guests exchanged glances, unsure of how to react. Bai Qiu’s face flashed with anger but was quickly masked. “My eldest has a stronger personality than my second son, which I find admirable. He must feel that this banquet is unnecessary. But as his father, I can’t neglect him.”

He smiled warmly at Bai He, but his eyes held a clear warning. “Alright now, let’s all enjoy the evening. No need for any childish tantrums.”

Bai He stared at Bai Qiu for a moment, then turned and grabbed a glass of wine. In front of everyone, he downed it in one go.

“You call yourself a father, so let me be straightforward.”

Bai He wiped the corner of his mouth and met Bai Qiu’s increasingly strained expression.

“I came here tonight to talk to you, not for you to throw me a banquet. Inviting all these people doesn’t stop me from speaking my mind.”

“President Bai, you’ve never cared for me all these years. You don’t deserve the title of father. My only true parent was the one who passed away over a decade ago—my little dad.”

Bai He enunciated each word. “I calculated the amount you’ve spent on me over the years. Last night, I transferred eight hundred thousand to you. I’ll pay back the rest in time. You didn’t care for me before, and you won’t get to care for me now. If you think you can use my omega status to arrange a marriage to save your failing company, let me tell you right now—it’s not happening. Stop dreaming.”

“President Bai, where’s that entrepreneurial spirit you had when you started from nothing?” Bai He ruthlessly jabbed at him. “How did it come to this, relying on selling off your omega son to survive?”

“One more thing.” Bai He pulled out a ring box from his pocket. “I’m taking this with me today, on behalf of my little dad.”

He said coldly, “Meeting you in this lifetime was his misfortune. Don’t show up in his next one.”

Bai Qiu’s face turned red with anger. “Bai He! Is that how you speak to your father?!”

Bai He didn’t listen and turned to leave.

Qin Yao, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, straightened up. Before Bai Qiu could push past the people trying to hold him back and go after Bai He, Qin stepped forward and patted Bai Qiu’s shoulder.

“Uncle Bai, don’t be angry.”

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Bai He was already far away. Even if Bai Qiu wanted to chase after him now, he probably wouldn’t catch up. Hearing Qin Yao’s voice, Bai Qiu looked up at the young alpha in front of him and immediately recognized him as the son of the Qin family.

Bai Qiu quickly composed himself. “Sorry for letting you witness such a family embarrassment. Bai He is just like that.”

The surrounding guests, understanding the situation, smiled politely without saying much, even as Bai Qiu tried to downplay the scene.

Bai Qiu smiled at Qin Yao. “You’re Qin Yao, right? I remember, I remember. How’s your father been lately?”

Qin Yao smiled back. “He’s doing well.”

Not intending to stay any longer, Qin Yao exchanged a few pleasantries and then excused himself. “Uncle Bai, you all enjoy yourselves. I’m going to find Bai He.”

“…You know each other?” Bai Qiu narrowed his eyes. “Friends?”

Qin Yao chuckled. “I’m pursuing him.”

Their conversation wasn’t loud, but those paying attention to Qin Yao’s movements heard it, and a wave of surprise spread through the crowd, including Bai Qiu. After the shock, Bai Qiu’s expression turned to barely concealed joy. “That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful. Our Bai He—”

“Uncle Bai,” Qin interrupted, his smile ambiguous, his eyes unreadable. “I’m pursuing Bai He, not your family’s Bai He.”

Bai Qiu froze.

“Enjoy the rest of the evening.” Qin Yao raised his glass, downed it in one go, and gracefully walked away.

—

After leaving the Bai family estate, Qin Yao didn’t drive. He stood at the corner for a while before heading right.

It didn’t take long for him to spot Bai He walking not far ahead.

He didn’t approach immediately, just followed at a slow pace. Bai He was walking slowly, so Qin Yao adjusted his speed as well.

The night deepened, stars scattered across the sky. There weren’t many cars on this road. Bai He stopped under a streetlamp.

Qin Yao raised an eyebrow and walked over at a casual pace, hands in his pockets, head slightly lowered as he observed Bai He’s face.

“Drunk?”

Bai He lifted his head at the sound of Qin Yao’s voice, then turned away. “Not that fast.”

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“Hmm~” Qin Yao squinted, standing back up straight. “Then why aren’t you heading home? Walking around at night while drunk is dangerous.”

Bai He didn’t respond. He glanced at Qin Yao, then lowered his head and opened the ride-hailing app. His finger was about to confirm a ride when Qin Yao gently stopped him.

“I’ll take you home,” Qin Yao said softly. “A ride might not be safe.”

“…” Bai He put away his phone, expressionless. “I don’t forget things when I drink.”

Qin Yao paused, then laughed. “I understand. I promise to behave.”

The drive back wasn’t long, and the two didn’t speak during the ride. When they arrived at the university, Qin Yao parked the car but didn’t get out right away.

In the small, quiet space, Qin Yao leaned back against his seat and tilted his head. He noticed that Bai He had closed his eyes and fallen asleep at some point.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, Qin Yao leaned over and gently unbuckled Bai He’s seatbelt, his movements as light as possible. Still, Bai He woke up.

His dazed eyes focused on Qin Yao, though they seemed out of focus.

Bai He was drunk.

Qin Yao had seen Bai He drunk before. When he had watched Bai He’s boldness at the banquet earlier, he almost thought Bai He’s tolerance had gotten better.

Apparently, it hadn’t.

Qin Yao chuckled softly, got out of the car, and circled around to the passenger side. He opened the door and leaned down, extending his hand. “Darling, time to get out.”

Bai He placed his hand in Qin Yao’s and slowly got out of the car, surprisingly obedient.

Qin Yao smirked, locked the car, and led Bai He by the hand as they walked to the dormitory.

They reached the dorm, and Qin Yao watched Bai He take out his key and unlock the door. As Bai He stepped inside, Qin Yao leaned lazily against the doorframe, not moving. Soon enough, Bai He turned around, his gaze fixed on Qin Yao, just like the last time.

Qin Yao chuckled softly, almost inaudibly.

He stepped forward, lowering his head. “You’re the one who said I couldn’t misbehave.”

“Bai He, I’m behaving. How about you?” Qin Yao’s eyes narrowed as he teasingly watched Bai He grab onto his shirt.

What a test.

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Qin Yao thought, feeling both helpless and excited. He knew he couldn’t do anything, or else tomorrow he’d have a lot of sweet-talking to do.

Qin Yao gently patted Bai He’s hand that was clutching his shirt, soothing him. “Be good. I don’t have any official title yet, so it’s not appropriate.”

He carefully pried Bai He’s hand away, stepped back, and quickly closed Bai He’s door, shutting out those intoxicating eyes.

Leaning against the door, Qin Yao exhaled a long breath, then started laughing, though he wasn’t sure why.

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