Chapter 16: Thump, Thump, A Racing Heart
That’s right, he indeed had been taught.
Otherwise, why would he still instinctively make movements of compliance when his physical strength was exhausted and his consciousness was blurred?
Shang Yan still remembered the sound of blood rushing near his temples when that supple strength came from his palm.
It could never be Wen Zheng. That kind of reaction, which had almost become an instinct, combined with Jiang Zhaosheng’s Beta and desire-faint constitution—unless it was polished over a long time and through nearly “rigorous” means, it would be impossible to train him into such…
A pool of melted spring water.
Zhaozhao, do you know that when your consciousness is scattered, you are simply… as delicate as a rose and as passionate as fire.
Shang Yan was about to press further about that past, but the hand he was gripping tightly was suddenly yanked back.
Hatred was tempered in Jiang Zhaosheng’s green eyes.
“Stop being crazy,” his voice was terribly raspy from over-use. “How do you do it? Every word you say makes me sick.”
The smile on Shang Yan’s face faded. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed, his brow furrowing tightly—the dried bloodstain on his temple also began to throb. He reached up to press the back of his neck as his out-of-control pheromones leaked wildly, even more chaotic and violent than before.
“Ugh…”
A suppressed groan of pain rolled from the Alpha’s throat. His tall body swayed, and he actually fell forward, his heavy weight pressing entirely onto Jiang Zhaosheng.
Jiang Zhaosheng’s vision blurred from the impact. Shang Yan’s scorching forehead slammed heavily against his collarbone, his breathing hot, the man completely unconscious.
…It would be best if he died.
If he didn’t… he wouldn’t mind adding a final blow.
This thought brought an immense temptation as soon as it appeared. He could even imagine how sweet the first breath of air would be after breaking free from his shackles.
But in the next second, the plan was scrapped—the agreement signed during the rut, and the “dark history” held firmly in another’s palm that he couldn’t let go of.
Shang Yan said that Jiang Zhaosheng’s information and photos were bought from a “mysterious person.”
Getting rid of him wouldn’t be the end. Before investigating that “seller,” Jiang Zhaosheng wouldn’t let Shang Yan die just yet.
“…Damn it.”
Jiang Zhaosheng turned his head in disgust, using all his strength to push the heavy man away, finally freeing himself from the suffocating heat at his neck. Fumbling, he grabbed the phone with the cracked screen on the nightstand and dialed a number.
The other party answered almost instantly.
“Bring a doctor. Shang Yan’s pheromones are in disorder, he’s fainted.”
The doctor arrived very quickly, checking, injecting, and leaving medication in a well-trained manner. Throughout the process, they kept their head down, not daring to look or ask more.
It wasn’t until he confirmed that Shang Yan’s condition was temporarily stable and he had fallen into a deep restorative coma that Jiang Zhaosheng grabbed a clean coat and slammed the door, leaving that cage that gave him such a “memorable” time without looking back.
Stepping onto the campus, the cool air, smelling of soil and plants, rushed into his lungs, barely dispersing the lingering, domineering scent of brandy at the tip of his nose.
The heavy rain had just stopped. The wisteria trellis looked a bit desolate, the ground covered in a layer of dark purple petals that had been trampled. Jiang Zhaosheng’s footsteps paused slightly, stopping not far away.
Under his office window, several cats with glossy fur were pacing lazily. Among them, a black one with four white paws pricked its ears upon hearing the movement. Its glass-like yellow eyes looked over, and then it gave a soft, delicate “meow.”
He Qianyu was crouching nearby in a light gray sweater, carefully pouring milk into a food bowl. Hearing the sound, he looked up. He was clearly startled when he saw Jiang Zhaosheng, but then he broke into a bright smile.
Jiang Zhaosheng recognized these little things—the “lawless” kittens from Shang Yan’s villa.
“Teacher Jiang? You’re back.” He Qianyu stood up and greeted him warmly.
“…What is going on with these?”
Seeing these cats gave Jiang Zhaosheng a headache as certain “unspeakable” memories flooded back.
His hands were in his coat pockets and didn’t come out. As he stood there, some cats seemed to “recognize” him, approaching with tails held high and stretching out pink paws to poke at his pant legs.
“Mr. Shang sent them over, saying they’ll be raised here at Chengxin Zhai from now on… He said you were away on business for a few days and asked me to look after them for the time being.” He Qianyu’s gaze never left him while he spoke.
Jiang Zhaosheng’s gaze swept over the cats and rested on He Qianyu’s face for a second, giving a slight nod as a greeting.
Today, he had randomly grabbed a coat from Shang Yan’s cloakroom, and it turned out to be unexpectedly fitting—there wasn’t the slightest similarity between his and Shang Yan’s physique. Ruling out the possibility of accidentally taking Shang Yan’s old clothes, there was only one answer left: this had been prepared for him long ago.
A black double-breasted coat with a sailor collar, worn over a shirt layered with a beige sweater. It made Jiang Zhaosheng look exceptionally clean and elegant, like a warm-tempered senior student.
He Qianyu looked at him and thought: Where have you been these past few days? Why was Shang Yan gone too? Were you coerced by him? Was it to do that kind of thing?
Some Alphas or Omegas from powerful families didn’t like having emotional entanglements due to pheromones and biological instincts, so they would specifically keep or trade for beautiful Betas to use during special periods.
But Betas didn’t produce pheromones to soothe them or fall into heat themselves, so it would be very exhausting, similar to being a sex slave…
Was Jiang Zhaosheng one of Shang Yan’s people, used for that kind of purpose too?
“Your neck…” The shirt collar blocked the back of his neck. He Qianyu remembered the few days Shang Yan and Jiang Zhaosheng had disappeared at the same time. His words were faster than his brain, slipping out.
As soon as he asked, he regretted it. This tone… was exactly like a suspicious husband checking for marks on his wife’s body after she’d been out. He was so embarrassed by his own association that his ears turned hot, but when he looked up, he met Jiang Zhaosheng’s ice-cold face.
Jiang Zhaosheng didn’t even bother to be perfunctory. Today, his long hair was tied low behind his head, covering that snow-white back of the neck completely. Even though he wasn’t an Omega, the man’s beautiful neck made people want to pry.
He walked straight past the person and the cats, using his key to open the door to Chengxin Zhai.
The interior was the same as when he left, except for a square delivery box that looked out of place on the desk.
The sender column had only one sharp letter: S. The note read: Reference material.
…Could it be his old things? Jiang Zhaosheng’s heart tightened as he pulled an exacto knife from the pen holder and neatly sliced the tape.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the box was opened, it fell apart, and colorful things came clattering out, hitting the floor.
They were several brand-new hardcover books; he could even smell the ink.
The covers of these books were designed with gaudy, clashing colors, featuring silhouettes in embrace and exaggerated dialogue bubble fonts—
《?! After-School Infirmary: The Mysterious “Guidance”: Turn Dear X-kun into a !~》, 《Forbidden Love: The Thump!! of a Racing Heart~ Control and Submission》, 《Sinking? Being Owned by a Top Alpha Family’s Shared Beta》…
When it rains, it pours. The dull thud of the books hitting the ground also alerted He Qianyu at the door. He suddenly pushed the door open and rushed in: “What happened?!—”
His gaze collided unexpectedly with the mess of erotic covers on the floor. Even though He Qianyu wasn’t thin-skinned, his face instantly flushed bright red. He stammered, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.
He secretly stole a look at Jiang Zhaosheng’s expression, stepping into the room bit by bit, his mind in a total upheaval:
Could he have misunderstood Shang Yan? Did Teacher Jiang actually… like this kind of thing in private? Was his fetish different from his cold exterior? Did he like this kind of stimulation?
In a daze, last night’s absurd dream came back again: black hair scattered over a smooth back, winding like a black stream. The beautiful Beta turned his head, his profile showing eyelashes curled like butterfly wings, full lips slightly parted, and blue-green eyes wet like the sky after rain.
“Zhaozhao… I can…” he couldn’t help but murmur.
Jiang Zhaosheng’s face, which had already been as bad as it could get, instantly froze into ice. He turned his head with a freezing glare.
He Qianyu suddenly felt a gust of wind brush past his cheek, even moving the ends of his short hair.
Thump!
A heavy hardcover book slammed hard into the white wall, leaving a shallow dent. The hard spine of the book twisted and deformed on the spot. One could see how terrifying the force was—
…What if that had hit his head? He Qianyu’s Adam’s apple rolled with difficulty.
“Now, immediately,” Jiang Zhaosheng held a shining exacto knife, pointing at the door, “Get lost.”
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