The pheromones, like a rose garden, almost instantly filled the entire lounge.
Jiang Sen, who had originally intended to enter, froze in his movements.
The pheromones released by an omega during their heat period are an irresistible temptation for an alpha, even capable of directly triggering an alpha's rut. However, in areas like aircraft and public transportation, once the pheromones of an omega in heat are detected, the facilities will sound alarms and initiate isolation procedures.
Just like now, I saw the warning signs appear on the walls of the aircraft, and the red lights began to flash.
"Isolation facility activating, level one protection."
The blue text flashed by, and I heard the sound of the equipment starting up.
Next, we would need to wait for them to prepare a new batch of suppressants. The suppressants needed during the heat period are time-sensitive and must be prepared on the spot, though it usually doesn’t take too long.
Yalian wrapped his arms around my neck, rubbing his face against mine like a cat.
Meanwhile, Jiang Sen was already pounding on the door in frustration, "Damn it, where’s the original medication?"
"It’s spilled! Go find a new batch of suppressants!"
I shouted at the door.
The new protective isolation door was about to descend.
"How the hell am I supposed to go now? You’re an alpha, and you’re in the same room as an omega in heat!" Jiang Sen’s anger echoed from outside the door, followed by a hard kick against it, though he didn’t dare to barge in. "Chen Zhiwei! Get out here!"
He clearly knew his anger was futile, and in the end, he just slammed the door again, saying, "Hold on, don’t mark him, whatever you do. If you mark him, his family will never let you go, do you hear me? I’ve already sent someone to prepare the suppressants!"
Yalian obviously heard Jiang Sen’s words. He lifted his muddled head, his face flushed red, and stared at me with a dazed smile, his eyes glistening with tears.
He was beautiful, captivating.
I couldn’t help but feel my throat go dry, my mind completely fogged up by the pheromones.
As the protective isolation door began to descend, I steadied myself and shouted at the door, "Trust me, whether it’s for you or for Yalian—"
"Bang—"
The door, shimmering with blue light, completely closed, cutting off my words.
I looked down at Yalian in my arms. He was already burning up from the heat, his lips trembling as he tried to get closer to me. The rich, intoxicating scent was like a soft veil covering my face, or like burning smoke, carrying heat that scorched my throat.
Yalian’s eyes were half-closed, his lashes already wet with tears. "Mark me… mark me… I’m so uncomfortable…" His words were slurred, almost completely devoid of thought, his body pressing tightly against mine. His scorching body temperature seeped through my clothes, and it felt like I was being set on fire too.
Inside the aircraft lounge, the holographic warning line flashed red, and the physical cooling system sprayed a fine mist of cold water.
Yalian clung to me, his pupils narrowing into thin lines, writhing in discomfort against me. His hands fumbled to undo the buttons, tearing at his clothes, helplessly pressing his face and lips against me like a blind bird flailing in the dark. His pheromones continued to strip away my rationality, trying to drag me into this abyss of desire.
The scent gland hidden in the back of my neck began to heat up and ache, urging me to release my own pheromones, to conquer him, to leave my mark on him. It felt like a hot iron the size of a coin was being pressed against me, the pain making me hold Yalian tighter.
Yalian clung to me, rubbing against me, and for a moment, we were like animals seeking warmth from each other. But he wasn’t satisfied with just that. His hands hooked around my neck, demanding a kiss. "Why… why won’t you mark me… I’m in so much pain, so much pain, save me…"
He was almost crying, like a golden canary trapped in a cage, helplessly banging against the bars.
I wanted to cry too. I really wanted to give in, but I couldn’t. I could only keep pushing him away, dodging his kisses.
It would be the end of me, truly.
Yalian writhed in pain against me, almost unable to make a sound. I held him close, my hand gently caressing his cheek. "I can’t mark you."
"Then… then why did you kiss me?! Why did you… why did you come… ah! It hurts so much, why are you making me suffer like this!" Yalian cried out, but he could only cling to me tightly, gripping my hand to seek comfort. "I hate you, you’re useless, a waste! I hate you! But I… I like you… please, mark me… I’m in so much pain…"
His words were jumbled, his lips trembling and red, his breathing heavy.
I endured the pain in my neck and dragged him to lean against the wall.
It was almost time, the peak was approaching.
I leaned close to his ear, leaving a trail of soft kisses, and whispered, "Didn’t you check your terminal? I thought they would have told you—I’m here to say goodbye."
"Wh-what terminal? Goodbye? What are you talking about—save me—" Yalian’s consciousness was becoming more and more blurred, but his hand still clung tightly to my collar. "I’m in so much pain, look at me, I’m in so much pain…"
Good, there was still a chance to fix this.
Good!
"I’m looking at you. You’re in pain, and so am I." I looked at him, loosening my hold on him. "After this, we won’t see each other again. I wanted to take you completely this time, to make you hate me. But I can’t do it. Hold on a little longer, they’re preparing the suppressants."
"What are you… ah… talking about? No—that’s not right, why are you here—"
Yalian’s mind was completely muddled, unable to think.
I tried my best to comfort him.
Yalian must really love roses. This time, there was a bouquet of roses placed by the bed in the lounge.
The artificial rain fell on the rose petals, drop by drop, the petals almost unable to bear the weight.
Yalian gripped my hand, tilting his head back, his vision blurring in waves.
"I’ll help you ease the pain."
He vaguely heard these words.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the roses by the windowsill, faintly recalling that he had once learned how to care for this type of rose.
"The conditions for cultivating this type of rose are quite demanding. First, the soil needs to be specially treated with extracted elements. Then, the water also needs to be mixed with these elements. Please remember that. And unlike traditional flowers, you can’t just water them. You need to use a spray bottle, making sure the water is light and evenly distributed on the petals."
After the teacher demonstrated, he had to learn it again.
What were the steps… what were the steps again?
Yalian was completely lost, the memory suddenly fading, everything snapping back to reality. Under the flashing red lights, he saw the woman holding him, patiently and gently demonstrating the steps of caring for the roses.
The cooling mist in the lounge drifted down, and the roses by the window trembled.
Yalian stared at the flowers by the window in confusion, his vision blurring again and again, words stuck in his throat, emotions threatening to overwhelm him but always stopping abruptly.
Even though he hadn’t been marked, the pheromones and the waves of heat forced him to rely entirely on the woman holding him. A faint scent of ash reached his nose, but it felt like every cell in his body was opening up, wanting to absorb more of that scent.
"Yalian, did you ever like me, even a little?"
He heard her ask.
He opened his mouth to answer, but the continuous caresses made his throat only produce incoherent sounds.
A little, more than a little, like, love, everything.
Maybe only for this moment, but this moment already hinted at the future.
But Yalian couldn’t say anything, he could only bite her clothes, using all his strength to absorb the scent of her pheromones.
"No answer? I knew it, I’m nothing to you."
No, no, no!
Yalian grew anxious, tears streaming down his face again, but when he opened his mouth, only incoherent sounds came out.
"We might never see each other again after this, but I still want to say something to you, though I can’t find the words." Her voice was full of bitterness, yet calm in a way that was utterly despairing. "I wish I could write you a letter, but there’s no paper or pen. Can you tell me your terminal password? I want to leave something for you."
This time, she stopped everything, not saying a word, and just gently kissed his head.
All the thoughts in Yalian's mind exploded at once. Whether it was instinct or reason, the rising tide of anticipation was about to recede, the scorching warmth of the embrace was about to leave, and her selfless yet silent love was about to dissipate… All these unbearable factors turned his brain into a muddled mess again. So, he struggled, drew closer to her, and with tears streaming down his face, he spoke incoherently, "My ID is ya—"
"Ding—Inhibitor is being delivered. The security line will be lifted shortly."
A mechanical electronic voice echoed in the room.
Damn it, why now of all times?
I looked down at Yalian, who was now completely a mess, his cheeks flushed, tears streaming, and his eyes unfocused and hazy. I asked him for the password again, and he repeated it, only to immediately grab my hand, begging for affection.
Tsk.
I pulled him into my arms with a firm grip, one hand wrapping around his waist.
He instantly wrapped his legs around my waist, almost sitting on me, and nuzzled his head against me.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
The security line was lifted, and Jiang Sen knocked on the door from outside.
Inside the room, Yalian nestled in my arms, rubbing against me.
With the hand that was wrapped around his waist, I unlocked the terminal, one hand operating it while the other hand was also busy.
"The medical vehicle is about to be transported in! How are you two doing?"
Jiang Sen shouted from outside the door.
The terminal unlocked successfully, revealing a series of rose icons.
He really is a rose enthusiast.
I opened the status bar and immediately saw the messages in the inbox.
[Unread Messages: 2]
[@Disen: You might like this.]
[@Disen: Audio File]
[System Prompt: Do you wish to receive it?]
Yalian, like a kitten, nestled against my shoulder, whimpering softly.
"Boom—" The transport pipe in the restroom opened, and a medical vehicle slowly descended beside my hand. I used my ring finger and pinky to grasp the inhibitor.
Holding the terminal and the inhibitor at the same time was truly a test of hand dexterity.
Luckily, I’m not only dexterous, but I can also use both hands.
I held the tip of the inhibitor above Yalian's gland while using my remaining fingers to operate the terminal, quickly marking the messages as read, deleting the information, rejecting the file, removing the system prompt, and erasing the access log.
[Deleting this record will make your information unrecoverable. Are you sure?]
[Information successfully cleared.]
Jiang Sen was still shouting outside the door, "Respond! Chen Zhiwei!"
Inside the room, Yalian's body stiffened in my arms, his head softly falling onto my shoulder, and the inhibitor hovering above finally pierced into his gland.
At that very moment, the security line was completely lifted, and Jiang Sen finally twisted the doorknob and rushed in.
Under the cover of Yalian's body, I pulled out my hand, looking pained, and said, "It's fine now."
Jiang Sen furrowed his brows, and as he rushed in, he was almost overwhelmed by the heavy pheromones, his pupils contracting sharply. But after a few seconds of a grimacing expression, he finally managed to suppress his instinctual reaction.
Behind him, a group of guards quickly rushed in, holding pheromone-neutralizing sprays to clean up the area.
Several medical staff also rushed in with medical kits and took over the unconscious Yalian.
Once again, I leaned against the wall like a complete wreck, looking at him with a defeated expression, "I'm sorry, it was too painful just now, I couldn’t speak."
Jiang Sen bent down and brushed aside my damp hair.
His hand gently touched my gland, and I instantly gasped, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Jiang Sen quickly retracted his hand, "I’m sorry, I just wanted to check the situation."
Alphas who receive omega pheromones without marking will experience redness, stiffness, bruising, or even burns on their skin. But honestly, I don’t quite believe he was concerned about my injury; it felt more like he was checking my status.
He helped me up and added, "Your shoulder, is it okay?"
"What?" I turned my head and only then realized that a piece of glass had pierced my back when I fell off the bed earlier, and the wound from Yalian's bite was also gruesome. "It’s fine, I managed to control it, yeah," I said with a bitter smile.
Jiang Sen led me to the medical room in the cabin and said, "They’re all taking care of Yalian now. Let me tend to your wounds first."
He looked at me with a complex expression, his eyes deep, "It’s impressive that you managed to hold back."
There was a time when I couldn’t hold back, and I was thrown out of the central inner city.
Since then, I’ve learned to control my lower half—lessons paid for with blood and tears.
The door to the medical room opened, and Jiang Sen walked to the sink first to wash his hands, "You should clean your wounds too, to avoid infection."
I walked over, and Jiang Sen made space for me.
Our shoulders brushed against each other as I carefully washed my hands.
Jiang Sen glanced over and asked, "Why are your hands wrinkled?"
I paused, looking at him with a bitter expression, and finally said, "They got soaked in sweat."
I won’t say where the sweat came from, though, for fear you might hit me.
Jiang Sen thought for a few seconds, his expression growing even more complicated as he said, "That must have been tough."
I nodded in agreement.
He led me to the bed and gently pulled aside the clothes on my shoulder. I couldn’t help but gasp again as some of the fabric had deeply embedded itself into the flesh, the pain making me break out in cold sweat.
Jiang Sen held a cotton swab, bent down to apply the medicine, and said softly, "This is an older aircraft, so the medical facilities are a bit outdated."
I fell silent.
What, has medical technology advanced to the point where cotton swabs and alcohol are obsolete?! Wait, what’s going on in the central inner city? Has AI already taken over the world or something?!
Jiang Sen used tweezers to remove the shards, his movements meticulous, his handsome face looking even more porcelain-like under the medical room’s light. But good looks can’t substitute for painkillers, and I couldn’t help but grip the sheets, forcing myself not to cry out.
But Jiang Sen’s movements froze, his lips pressed tightly together as he glanced at me and then looked down again.
I asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong?"
He shook his head, "Nothing."
But this time, his movements were gentler, and the emotions that had been surging within him earlier seemed to have subsided.
I looked down and realized I was gripping the hem of his shirt.
I quickly let go, "Sorry, I didn’t notice."
Jiang Sen shook his head again and said softly, "It’s fine, I don’t mind."
I didn’t respond.
He added, "If it hurts, let me know, and I’ll be gentler."
As soon as Jiang Sen said this, he felt it sounded a bit odd. His hand holding the tweezers trembled slightly, and almost instantly, he heard the person in front of him let out a faint gasp. Her fair shoulders trembled, blood still flowing from the wound, and he could even see the beautiful lines of her shoulder blades through the gaps in her clothes.
The scent of burning paper mixed with a unique fragrance, now also infused with the rich aroma of roses. The combination stirred a restless aggression in Jiang Sen, a wave of heat surging through him, making him feel almost nauseous with impatience.
But for a moment, Jiang Sen couldn’t tell which pheromone was causing the problem.
I noticed Jiang Sen staring at the wound as if in a daze, and I got goosebumps again, perhaps shifting my body slightly. This movement immediately caught his attention, and he lowered his gaze, saying, "It’s not bandaged yet."
Who the hell would let you continue bandaging it? You’re seriously giving off some vibes!
I shook my head, curling up, "No need, I can do it myself. I’m feeling a bit—"
"Overwhelmed?" Jiang Sen asked, but before I could answer, he quickly stood up, "It’s fine, I understand. It’s not your fault. Rest for a bit; we’ll be docking in two hours."
I asked, "Where are we docking?"
Jiang Sen placed the medical kit aside and stood up to leave, "Disen is a subsidiary of Central City’s Fifth District, so we’ll be investigated by the military court there. You’ll likely be summoned in about three days."
