Chapter 20
The moment the flower bloomed, Lu Wanqing’s breath hitched.
Memories from his childhood surfaced in his mind.
It was late spring, March. He was huddled, bruised and battered, against a tree, napping.
He had no illustrious background and couldn’t go to school. The man who could barely be called his mentor lifted him up with one hand, saying he would teach him the proper use of pheromones.
He rubbed his eyes and stood, watching his teacher stand under the tree with his hands behind his back, dumbfoundedly witnessing a whole tree of peach blossoms shaken down by the pheromone’s oppressive force, falling like a red rain to cover the ground.
“Listen, pheromones are a type of energy that can directly enter and exit the human body. Although invisible to the naked eye, they have a scent and energy fluctuations. To control them, you must learn to mobilize all your senses, develop spatial imagination, then target and adjust the trajectory.”
“The weak can only release oppressive force crudely and without method their whole lives. To become strong, you must first reach the peak of multitasking.”
As the words fell, a petal that was just about to fall stopped mid-air.
That was the first time Lu Wanqing experienced the ultimate control of pheromones.
His teacher’s pheromones were only a millimeter away from the petal, which was enveloped by a continuous wave of energy, suspended in the air, motionless.
The energy wave carried the petal, flying straight into Lu Wanqing’s palm.
“What does the advertisement say? Pheromone compatibility creates intimate partners?”
The teacher chuckled.
The next second, the petal shattered in Lu Wanqing’s palm.
“The romantic pheromones they see… can kill.”
That day, Lu Wanqing didn’t know how many petals he destroyed before he mastered the release and condensation of pheromones.
Now, Shu Ci’s energy waves were close at hand, and the flower trembled, seemingly unable to maintain its shape for much longer.
Lu Wanqing moved his mind, and slender tendrils extended from the small barrier of condensed pheromones in front of him, like a bee’s proboscis, towards the petal.
He moved his fingers, his palm open and upward, as if to catch the flower.
The next second, the fragrance of honeysuckle hit him.
The last wisp of rope-like energy Shu Ci had condensed dissipated like smoke.
A fleeting bloom, that’s what it must be like.
A wisp of honeysuckle fragrance brushed past his nose. Lu Wanqing, who had a conditioned reflex to rejection reactions, immediately turned his head away.
Fortunately, Shu Ci retracted quickly. Once the pheromones in the air were completely withdrawn, Lu Wanqing removed the barrier he had erected over the courtyard.
Based on his experience, Shu Ci had reached his limit after doing all that.
“Very impressive,” he didn’t hesitate to give his praise.
Shu Ci’s learning speed was almost the same as his back then.
Using the entry-level training for newcomers in the Far East District 8 as a benchmark, he could already beat some self-proclaimed excellent Alphas.
Lu Wanqing paused, then said, “It just lacks aggressiveness.”
A fleeting flower, he could manage that. But what about when facing danger? Would he bloom a flower for his enemy?
“…” Shu Ci twitched the corner of his mouth. “Can you see what it mimicked? I completely gave up towards the end; I have no idea what I made.”
Shu Ci truly understood why Lu Wanqing said that Omega’s physique is inherently unsuitable for pheromone attacks.
Just releasing them and controlling them around himself almost exhausted all his energy, let alone making them mimic the image in his mind.
He felt completely drained, his head a jumbled mess, like it was filled with mush. He wobbled with every step.
The Omega’s physique was incredibly weak after his exertion, unable to support him to feel and control. He couldn’t even stand up; even maintaining a seated position on the small stool felt tiring. His head weakly rested against the wall.
Lu Wanqing moved his lips, lowered his eyes: “I can’t recognize it either.”
For some reason, he didn’t want Shu Ci to know that his first mimicry was a flower.
Shu Ci’s face slowly fell.
“Then how am I supposed to practice on my own later?”
Lu Wanqing was stunned: “Are you sure you want to learn?”
Shu Ci nodded: “Sure.”
“Even if it tires you like this? Think it over. If your physical fitness can’t keep up, your learning progress won’t advance.”
“Of course.”
Lu Wanqing didn’t need to say more about how difficult it was to learn to control pheromones; Shu Ci had already experienced it firsthand, but he had no intention of giving up after just one try.
“If becoming strong is the only way to survive in this world, I’m willing to pay any price.”
Lu Wanqing glanced at him, turned and went back inside: “Wait for me.”
Soon, Lu Wanqing returned to the courtyard and handed him a key.
“This key opens the door to the storage room on the stairs. The space inside might be a little cramped, but it’s probably the only place nearby that can ensure you can practice freely and prevent pheromone leakage.”
“Here?” Shu Ci’s eyes lit up. He felt a sudden surge of strength in his weakened limbs. “Let me see it.”
He took the key from Lu Wanqing, wanting Lu Wanqing to help him up. Remembering their rejection reaction, he subconsciously withdrew his hand, supporting himself against the wall, his legs trembling as he struggled to stand.
His palm suddenly felt warm, Lu Wanqing grasped his hand.
Shu Ci froze slightly, taking advantage of the support to stand up.
A stinging pain instantly filled his palm. Lu Wanqing didn’t blink, supporting him forcefully. Once he was steady, he silently released his hand.
The triangular space under the stairs was the storage room. Some odds and ends were piled in front of the door. Lu Wanqing bent down to move them aside, and Shu Ci opened the dusty lock.
As he pushed open the door, the musty smell of dampness filled the air.
Lu Wanqing reached out, pulled a rope, and a small bulb inside suddenly lit up. A small, dusty space was reflected in Shu Ci’s gray eyes.
It was like a miniature study, filled with stacks of yellowed books and papers. In the innermost part, there was a desk and chair, visibly covered in cobwebs.
“The walls and floor inside are special materials, similar to the kind in hospitals that can isolate pheromones,” Lu Wanqing explained. “If you’re going to practice here, prepare some food beforehand. The practice is very energy-consuming. Be careful not to—”
Not starve to death inside.
That was an unlucky thing to say, so Lu Wanqing swallowed the rest: “Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Shu Ci nodded in agreement. He walked closer, drawn to the stacks of magazines on the desk.
Popular Medicine: Pheromone Supplement, ABO Family Medication, Market Research and Financial Trends, Global Military… and Modern Horticulture, Agricultural Development…
Wow, my cheap husband is a well-read man.
Shu Ci picked up an old medical science magazine, shaking off the dust: “Can I clean this up when I have time?”
Many of the books he ordered were from bestseller lists. To truly understand this world, it’s best to read the books Lu Wanqing used to read.
“Of course, this is your home now too,” Lu Wanqing said seriously.
They hadn’t divorced yet. He could clean it however he wanted.
Shu Ci found something strange in Lu Wanqing’s tone but couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
He turned around to observe his expression.
Upon meeting those deep blue eyes, Shu Ci instantly forgot what he was supposed to be doing. He couldn’t help but look at the man leaning against the storage room doorframe for a few more seconds.
“This is for you,” Lu Wanqing felt his scalp tingling from being stared at, pulling a necklace from his pocket.
Shu Ci froze. It was the camellia necklace he had taken off.
Wasn’t this with Gu Lanzhu? Did he get it back from the hospital today?
“I can’t always be by your side during training or missions. I don’t know if situations like today will happen again. This can help suppress your disorder’s onset. Wear it.”
Shu Ci frowned, silent for a moment, then said, “Gu Lanzhu touched it; I don’t want it.”
It would remind him of the painful experience of being dominated by Gu Lanzhu’s pheromones at the Shu residence.
“I’ve checked it; it hasn’t been altered, and I’ve removed the lingering scent.”
The camellia made of an unknown material rested quietly in Lu Wanqing’s palm, as if it had been repolished, with a faint purple glow.
Shu Ci focused and indeed sensed no sandalwood scent.
Besides, since it was a legacy from his original father, it might be very valuable, so he shouldn’t refuse something useful because of Gu Lanzhu’s disgusting actions.
Shu Ci moved his fingertips, wanting to take it, but found his weakness had spread to his arms. They were too sore to lift.
“Hiss—” He really needed to exercise.
With such a weak body, it was no wonder he couldn’t escape Gu Lanzhu’s grasp; he softened at the slightest touch.
Shu Ci rolled his eyes, his gaze falling on Lu Wanqing’s long fingers, his eyes flickering slightly, and he tilted his head up.
“Help me put it on.”
Lu Wanqing’s eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness: “Touching you will hurt me.”
“It’s fine.” Shu Ci casually turned around, slightly lowered his head, revealing his long, slender, white neck.
Compared to the low-compatibility rejection reaction, Gu Lanzhu’s dominance that made him lose consciousness was even more disgusting.
He would rather replace one painful memory with another.
Lu Wanqing couldn’t refuse him, so he pinched the ends of the necklace and put it around Shu Ci’s chest. He held his breath, his movements careful, trying not to let his fingertips touch Shu Ci’s neck.
But the soft, alluring flesh was always in his line of sight.
Inadvertently, his fingers still touched, and both of them felt an electric shock-like pain.
“Did you use this small room before?” Shu Ci gritted his teeth, shifting his attention.
“Yes,” Lu Wanqing held the clasp of the necklace. “This is a house left to me by a teacher. I used to live here.”
Shu Ci’s gaze fell on the pile of magazines. A hard corner was revealed, and he reached for it, pulling out a dark brown wooden picture frame.
The photo showed a young boy sitting under a peach blossom tree. A woman in black dress and hat stood beside him. Her wide-brimmed jazz hat was low, obscuring her eyebrows and eyes. The woman’s one hand rested on her waist; the other hand held a cigarette.
“Your mother?”
“My teacher.”
Shu Ci was stunned. “She’s a female Alpha?”
“Yeah, it’s said that she was someone who returned from the battlefield in the Far East. She suddenly appeared in town one day and then left.”
The area where Juqing Road is located was later incorporated into the A City urban area.
Originally, it was a poor, remote village.
As Lu Wanqing was explaining, the moment he fastened the necklace, he felt a tingling sensation in his throat. The feeling was as if someone’s fingertip lightly brushed his neck, with an unconscious flirtatious touch.
Just like he had felt twice before.
He tensed his body, subconsciously letting go, the necklace securely hanging around Shu Ci’s neck.
“What’s wrong?” Shu Ci noticed the necklace falling unnaturally and looked back.
He didn’t see anything unusual.
He pointed to the younger Lu Wanqing in the photo and smiled: “Honestly, you look a little annoyed by her in this picture.”
Lu Wanqing saw Shu Ci’s trembling fingers, sometimes stopping, sometimes hovering, and felt tapping sensations on his cheeks.
His pupils constricted, and a premonition instantly arose in his heart.
This can’t be happening, right?
Before he could deny his guess, he saw Shu Ci’s finger landing on Lu Wanqing’s head.
Lu Wanqing instantly fell silent.
The feeling was so real, he felt his hair really being touched.
“It’s not annoyance,” Lu Wanqing’s voice was hoarse. “I had a pollen allergy then, and I was in a bad mood.”
To be precise, it wasn’t a pathological allergy. He just felt that seeing flowers would bring back memories of those scattered petals and that tedious, repetitive time that made him want to vomit.
“Ah, no wonder our compatibility is low. Look at my pheromones, camellia, jasmine, honeysuckle, constantly changing flowers. You must dislike them.”
Shu Ci said, his fingertip brushing past Lu Wanqing’s lips in the photo.
Lu Wanqing’s body trembled.
He felt like he… he actually kissed his finger.
In a daze, a burning flame seemed to ignite on his lips, and his throat felt dry. Lu Wanqing squeezed out a sentence from his throat.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Author’s Note:
Who says he doesn’t like them.
——
Almost didn’t finish the 10,000-word chapter. The next update will still be at noon.