Chapter 27
The night sea breeze was extremely cold.
Lu Wanqing held Shu Ci and walked towards the mooring point, his feet light as if they didn’t touch the ground.
Halfway there, he lowered his head and saw the sweat on Shu Ci’s forehead. He stopped, lifted the person in his arms slightly, shifted his hand to a more comfortable position, shielding him from the wind as they walked.
Heat cycle. This wasn’t an unfamiliar term for him, with seven years of medical experience.
He remembered every word in the textbook clearly.
It’s a symbol of an Omega’s adulthood, lasting three days at the shortest and up to a week.
Omegasexuals in heat naturally have an instinct to seek conception. During this period, their glands are highly sensitive, secreting special substances that make their pheromones more stimulating than usual, affecting all nearby Alphas and Betas, making them controlled by desire and savagery, losing their rationality.
Omegasexuals in heat have a decreased ability to control their own behavior.
Affected by willpower and the strength of their subjective desire for conception, the vast majority of Omegasexuals almost completely lose control, completely relying on their marked partner for comfort; while Omegasexuals without partners usually rely on inhibitors or isolating themselves in an absolutely safe room to get through this period.
—This is why Lu Wanqing asked Yu Xingxing to drive his ship.
The indoor buildings on Dragonthorn Island are currently inaccessible, and the outdoor camp is a large group of Alphas. Shu Ci in heat is like a custom-made bomb; he could only take him to the ship’s cabin to isolate him first.
“Reporting, B1 position docking complete,” Yu Xingxing reported through the communication channel. “Major Cui just arrived; should I invite him up?”
“No need,” Lu Wanqing said. “Let him wait on the shore. You go back to the camp.”
He held the person in his arms tighter, rounded a natural boulder, and saw Cui You’s bored figure in the distance.
He quickened his pace, quickly walked over, and before Cui You could speak to him, he stepped into the ship and slammed the cabin door shut with lightning speed. After settling Shu Ci in the rest room and covering him with a blanket, he went ashore.
From the moment Lu Wanqing appeared to the moment he disappeared from view, Cui You’s eyes were momentarily lost in thought.
Only when he felt the sharp, tasteless pheromones subtly pressing against his throat did he realize what had happened and quickly snapped back to attention.
“No way? In this place?” Cui You looked at him sympathetically. “For the next three to seven days, you’re probably not going to be able to leave his side.”
For normal married Alphas, caring for their partner during their heat cycle is their responsibility.
Lu Wanqing’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at these words.
For him and Shu Ci, there’s no question of being inseparable. When he had just let go, he saw a moment of relief on Shu Ci’s face, and now standing outside the cabin, breathing the fresh sea air, he didn’t feel as much pain.
“I’m telling you about the arrangements for the next few days. From the moment I went in, you’ll take over all the work.”
Ignoring Cui You’s instantly drooping eyebrows, Lu Wanqing began to hand over tasks without stopping.
Cui You memorized them while observing him.
As expected of their General. Even at this moment, he remained as still as a mountain.
After finishing the work handover, Lu Wanqing changed the subject, continuing, “Also, get me a week’s worth of ready-to-eat meals and water, a change of clothes, cooling packs, and check if the medical team has any spare inhibitors.”
“Okay, okay,” Cui You responded perfunctorily, then suddenly paused, “Inhibitors? You need inhibitors for—”
His eyes widened, and he lowered his voice, surprised, “You haven’t marked each other yet?!”
Lu Wanqing didn’t comment.
Since he knew Shu Ci wanted a divorce, how could he take advantage of the situation and mark him casually? Not to mention their low compatibility was an obstacle, if Shu Ci had to painfully cleanse the mark for a new life after the divorce, it would be Lu Wanqing’s dereliction of duty.
“Forget it, go and get ready,” Lu Wanqing lowered his head, “When you’re done, tell me on this ship’s channel. Don’t let anyone else bring it; come yourself.”
Among the members of this mission, Cui You had the highest tolerance for Omega pheromones.
Even he lost consciousness for a second or two under the influence of Shu Ci’s pheromones that had just passed him by.
This couldn’t be blamed on Cui You’s weakness.
It seemed…Shu Ci’s pheromones were too strong and overbearing.
Lu Wanqing returned to the cabin, first entering the control room, confirming the seal and closing all exits, adjusting the cabin’s temperature and humidity, activating the automatic defense system, before returning to the rest room.
The scent of honeysuckle filled the room.
The fair-skinned, soft-bodied Omega was sitting on the bed, having somehow rumpled his clothes; a red mark was visible in the hollow of his collarbone.
Lu Wanqing didn’t know what to do for a moment.
He leaned against the door, standing straight, meeting Shu Ci’s gaze.
He could see Shu Ci trying his best to keep his eyes open. Unlike what was taught in class, Shu Ci’s gray eyes hadn’t completely succumbed to innate desire, retaining a trace of hard-won clarity, staring straight at him.
His red lips moved, his voice tinged with grievance, “Lu Wanqing, I feel uncomfortable.”
Lu Wanqing nodded, “It’s your heat cycle.”
Shu Ci showed an understanding expression, clutching the blanket to wrap himself up. No wonder he felt like he’d gone crazy just now, randomly grabbing and pulling, wanting to take off all his clothes here.
Fortunately, he still had a sliver of sanity, pulling him back from the brink of madness.
He poked his head out from under the covers, “The inhibitor Dr. Yi gave me was taken by you. Do you have any here?”
Lu Wanqing’s eyes twitched at the name, “No.”
A clear trace of disappointment appeared in Shu Ci’s eyes.
Lu Wanqing quickly added, “I’ve asked Cui You to ask the military doctor. If they have it, he’ll bring it over.”
This didn’t ease Shu Ci’s mind. He had observed the island just now; apart from Alphas, there were only Betas, and the Betas were only from the logistics team. How could they possibly have Omega-specific inhibitors?
Soon, another wave of panic rose in his heart.
No way, he wouldn’t really have to rely on sex to solve this, would he?
To be honest, in the original book’s five thousand chapters, two-thirds of the explicit scenes were on Shu Ci’s trigger points, especially the repetitive descriptions of Gu Lan Zhu’s forceful and obsessive possessiveness, which had become a deep shadow in his heart.
The “wife-chasing crematorium” storyline lightly punished Gu Lan Zhu, but the original protagonist suffered wave after wave of intense abuse.
He had never seen the original protagonist have a heat cycle without suffering.
Even with 100% compatibility, where “the body doesn’t lie,” and both reached the physiological high points, it couldn’t erase Gu Lan Zhu’s shameless actions, nor could it cover up the psychological trauma he left on the original protagonist.
Shu Ci read carefully, so he automatically equated being marked by an Alpha with this twisted relationship, to the extent that he completely forgot that the current candidate for sex was Lu Wanqing, the man with the face of his dreams.
Shu Ci supported his sweaty forehead, his eyes slightly reddened by physiological tears.
He took a deep breath, “You haven’t answered my previous question.”
Under the starry sky, he had asked Lu Wanqing—
You know I’m not him, right?
If he was inevitably going to be marked by Lu Wanqing, he would rather tell him that he wasn’t the real Shu Ci.
He didn’t want Lu Wanqing to sleep with him and treat him as someone else.
Lu Wanqing was still standing at the door, his eyes full of turmoil.
He remained silent for a long time, before slowly speaking, “I know.”
Shu Ci breathed a sigh of relief; “When did you know?”
“That night, in the central square,” Lu Wanqing’s voice was low, “His eyes were different from yours; he wouldn’t look at me like that.”
So Lu Wanqing had known all along that his claim of amnesia was a lie.
Shu Ci scoffed, sarcastically, “Oh yeah, all this time, you didn’t say a word, treating me like a monkey in a circus.”
“I didn’t treat you like a monkey.”
As soon as Lu Wanqing finished speaking, the communicator rang.
Cui You said the supplies were ready, and the ship’s robots could pick them up anytime, but the military doctor didn’t have any Omega-specific inhibitors. The communication was on speakerphone in the cabin, and Shu Ci also listened breathlessly, finally giving up and burrowing into the blanket.
After the communication cut off, Lu Wanqing continued, “You have to protect yourself. You have your own vigilance, and there’s not much I can do. If I exposed you directly, you would feel even less secure.”
Shu Ci’s muffled voice came from the blanket, “Thank you. I already feel very insecure.”
Lu Wanqing casually pulled up the control panel, instructing the robot to fetch the supplies. After finishing the operation, he turned his gaze back to Shu Ci, who was wrapped up like a dumpling.
After so many rounds of back-and-forth conversation, Shu Ci still maintained a clear state of mind and logic.
He didn’t have a subjective desire for conception, something Lu Wanqing could understand, but to resist physiological instincts, willpower was equally important.
And Shu Ci, after escaping from Jiao Yuan Island, being chased by unknown creatures, and undergoing multiple pheromone mimicry, was still able to maintain such strong willpower without succumbing to instinct, which was truly unexpected.
“I can give you a promise,” Lu Wanqing looked at the section of wrist exposed outside the blanket, speaking, “I won’t mark you.”
Shu Ci snorted coldly, “Get lost. I’m a man, too. Can half a word a man says be trusted? ‘Just rubbing, not going in’ is something men always say.”
Lu Wanqing: “…”
“In your current state of highly resisting your instincts, after reaching your limit, you’ll become dehydrated and exhausted, and your glands will also be in danger,” Lu Wanqing analyzed the current situation with him, “During your heat cycle, you can’t control the convergence of your pheromones, and my pheromones can’t completely soothe you. Here, apart from not affecting others outside, we can only stay here and wait it out.”
Shu Ci narrowed his eyes.
Lu Wanqing’s eyes were calm and collected; his low compatibility didn’t affect him at all. He stood in a perfect position, his uniform wrapping his toned body, giving off an indifferent and emotionless appearance.
Why should he alone be so hot, and have to restrain himself from giving into his instincts and pouncing on Lu Wanqing, miserably curled up on the bed?
Shu Ci’s self-esteem inexplicably flared up.
He threw off the blanket and walked to Lu Wanqing’s opposite side, “Since pheromones can’t be contained, then teach me mimicry attack practice, how about that?”
Originally, he had to control the amount of pheromones released. Now it was great; the whole room was filled with his pheromones, readily available.
Lu Wanqing’s eyebrows jumped.
The title of “madman” given to him by the Far Reach Training Camp, he decided to give it to Shu Ci. There was actually someone who would take the initiative to engage in attack training at his most vulnerable, most defenseless moment.
“It’s not impossible,” Lu Wanqing pondered for a moment, nodding.
He had read relevant papers researching asexual Omegasexuals. Their heat cycles were often short, and their desires were transformed into other modes. Some showed increased appetite, some slept less, and there were strange test subjects who, during their heat cycle, preferred to spend a day in a ball pit rather than be with a partner.
Rather than suppressing the physiological wildness of his heat cycle, helping Shu Ci transform it into a destructive desire would also be a good thing.
He had never seen an Omega’s killing intent before; perhaps Shu Ci could.
At least the opponent was him, and he could guarantee that Shu Ci wouldn’t do anything outrageous to him.
Remembering the image of his teacher wielding a peach branch and rapping his knuckles, he seriously began to teach, “When attacking, there are two points to pay attention to. One is the lethality of the mimicry form, and the other is the speed of attack.”
“Lethality depends on each person’s control over energy. Some, when mimicking a blade, can concentrate the energy of their pheromones on the tip of the blade, while others can only distribute the energy evenly. The former is more suitable for dagger mimicry, the latter for clubs.”
“Attack speed is not always the faster the better. In close combat, it is about achieving surprise and attacking before the opponent is prepared. At long range—like your arrows—you must control your energy and anticipate the opponent’s movements. You can’t wait for the opponent to spot the arrow in its trajectory, as that gives them time to dodge and adjust their trajectory.”
Shu Ci rubbed his red eyes; the pheromones in the room were restless.
Lu Wanqing sensed his restlessness and released pheromones, “You can try, attack me in any way you want.”
Shu Ci concentrated, feeling the energy of Lu Wanqing’s pheromones in the air.
Lu Wanqing’s tasteless pheromones were like a thin layer of armor, covering his body. Shu Ci used his pheromones to probe, and the armor immediately created spikes to block his pheromones.
Amazingly, the originally mutually repulsive pheromones, upon sensing the hostility in each other’s attacks, clung together without hindrance.
Lu Wanqing’s pheromones entangled Shu Ci’s arrows, preventing him from getting closer.
Shu Ci’s pheromones wandered around, probing for weaknesses in Lu Wanqing’s defense.
Suddenly, he found a flaw.
It was on Lu Wanqing’s lower back.
Lu Wanqing caught sight of Shu Ci’s stunned expression, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes.
His reconnaissance awareness was better than he had imagined.
The honeysuckle pheromones in the air gathered together, their energy vibrating at different frequencies, and the moment Shu Ci finished his probing, they reformed!
The next second, it was Lu Wanqing who was stunned.
It wasn’t a cold weapon as he had imagined.
Shu Ci’s pheromones pierced through his weak point, instantly solidifying into vines, climbing up Lu Wanqing’s back in the blink of an eye, wrapping tightly around his neck, revealing sharp thorns at his long neck.
Lu Wanqing chuckled.
Shu Ci’s imagination was beyond his comprehension; he always managed to surprise him.
“Did…did I succeed?” Shu Ci didn’t dare to slack off. He tightened his pheromones, using the vines to bind Lu Wanqing from head to toe.
“Mm,” Lu Wanqing nodded, “You pass.”
“But I can’t retract them,” Shu Ci had a bead of sweat on his forehead.
Lu Wanqing smiled slightly, using his own pheromones to hook the tip of Shu Ci’s pheromone vine, locking it tightly, “Try escaping then.”
Shu Ci realized that Lu Wanqing had unconsciously taken the initiative.
If he hadn’t attacked quickly and fatally in a real battle, he would have fallen into Lu Wanqing’s trap by now.
He frowned and tried to break free.
But Lu Wanqing held onto that end tightly, seemingly light, but in reality, it felt like tug-of-war with an elephant.
Each struggle brought friction with Lu Wanqing’s pheromones.
His whole body trembled as if electrocuted, and his heart throbbed along with it.
“Can…can I rest?” His wet eyes looked at Lu Wanqing.
Lu Wanqing was caught off guard by the sight of two greenish-blue gems.
His throat moved, but he didn’t let go.
He merely coaxed in a slightly hoarse voice, “Bloom a flower, and I’ll let go.”
Author’s Note:
In Cui You’s eyes: Seven days and nights of passionate lovemaking
In reality: A top Alpha’s special training camp