Chapter 16: The Urge to Mark

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It happened the moment Shen Shuyi pushed open Xie Chenzhou’s office door.

A gust of wind rushed in from the hallway.

Xie Chenzhou heard Shen Shuyi’s voice.

Then his pheromones surged uncontrollably toward Shen Shuyi.

At first, Xie Chenzhou thought it was normal. He tried to suppress the flood of pheromones leaking from him, until he realized he couldn’t.

The desire to mark Shen Shuyi was stronger than ever before. That craving roared like a beast unleashed, lunging at Shen Shuyi with the force of a storm.

He remembered last night at the hotel. Shen Shuyi’s lips, like the finest honey wine from a private estate, had left a taste he couldn’t forget. He wanted to drown in that barrel labeled “Shen Shuyi.”

Xie Chenzhou lifted his head at the sound of Shen Shuyi’s soft voice.

His vision blurred. His mind was locked in a fierce internal struggle. He couldn’t imagine what expression he wore now.

Was it terrifying?

Did he look like he wanted to devour someone?

Was Shen Shuyi afraid?

But his gaze couldn’t lift. It stayed fixed on Shen Shuyi’s neck.

He wanted to bite it.

To lick it.

To mark it.

To mark it.

To mark it.

Those three words echoed endlessly in his mind.

Shen Shuyi looked at him with concern.

He’d sensed something was wrong the moment he entered.

Xie Chenzhou’s eyes were unnaturally red, his gaze intense, his expression raw with desire. Shen Shuyi knew instantly he was in rut.

Though he’d never experienced it firsthand, his training hadn’t been for nothing.

The correct response now was to isolate the Alpha, administer a suppressant, and use pheromone dispersal spray or wait for the overwhelming concentration to fade on its own.

But clearly, Xie Chenzhou couldn’t do that alone. Shen Shuyi had to stay and help.

During rut, an Alpha’s target for marking isn’t fixed. Anyone in the room could become the object of instinctive desire. It was beyond conscious control.

Right now, Shen Shuyi was the only one here.

Thankfully, he was a Beta. He didn’t emit pheromones and wouldn’t instinctively respond to the Alpha’s urge to mark. That made him safer than an Omega.

Still, he couldn’t leave Xie Chenzhou alone. An Alpha in rut was dangerous. Without a suppressant, the situation could escalate into full-blown pheromone frenzy, violent and uncontrollable.

Shen Shuyi opened the windows and activated the ventilation system at full power.

The high-rise windows had safety locks and could only open a crack. He did what he could, then messaged Zhao Jian to alert him: Xie Chenzhou was in rut. No one else should come upstairs. He also asked where the suppressant was usually kept and whether there was dispersal spray in the office.

While doing all this, he kept a cautious distance from Xie Chenzhou, watching him closely.

Xie Chenzhou’s expression remained blank until he suddenly stood up.

At the same time, Shen Shuyi’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out quickly.

Zhao Jian:

【!!! President Xie is in rut?? How?! Mr. Shen, are you okay? Open the ventilation system fully. His office has an independent system. The suppressant should be in the first drawer on the left side of his desk. If it’s not there, I’ll find another one. Hang in there!!】

Zhao Jian was clearly panicked. But Shen Shuyi couldn’t reach the desk. Xie Chenzhou was already moving toward him.

He was now between Shen Shuyi and the drawer.

Some high-level Alphas could maintain rationality even during rut. With Xie Chenzhou’s pheromone grade, he should’ve been able to hold out long enough to inject himself.

Especially if the suppressant was right within reach.

But now his eyes were bloodshot, his breath heavy, his gaze locked onto Shen Shuyi like prey. He looked ready to consume him whole.

Sometimes even high-level Alphas couldn’t control their instincts.

Shen Shuyi wanted to run.

Knowing theory didn’t mean having experience. His basic self-defense might work against others, but against someone like Xie Chenzhou—tall, powerful, and mentally compromised—he had no confidence.

He’d seen firsthand how another high-level Alpha had been paralyzed by Xie Chenzhou’s pheromones.

His legs felt weak, but he forced himself to stay calm. He couldn’t abandon him.

From what he knew, Xie Chenzhou had long been tormented by his own pheromones. But he was too guarded, too quiet. Shen Shuyi couldn’t tell if he had deeper psychological issues.

Regardless, today he had to stay and help him through it.

Just marking, right?

Shen Shuyi thought.

It’s fine. He didn’t have glands. Even if Xie Chenzhou tried to mark him, it would just be a bite.

He could try to awaken his consciousness.

His training kicked in.

He knew not to forcibly restrain an Alpha in rut unless you were physically stronger or had higher-grade pheromones. Otherwise, Betas like him should use verbal cues to guide them back.

That’s why the doctor at the mall had tried that approach too.

Rut wasn’t the same as pheromone frenzy.

Shen Shuyi believed he could do it.

He stepped forward to meet Xie Chenzhou.

Before he reached him, Xie Chenzhou grabbed his arm tightly.

His grip was far stronger than expected. Painful, cutting off circulation.

“Mr. Xie,” Shen Shuyi winced, “Is the suppressant in the drawer by your desk?”

Xie Chenzhou’s eyes were glazed. He bent slightly, nose brushing Shen Shuyi’s neck, sniffing, searching.

His hot breath lingered behind Shen Shuyi’s ear and on his nape, making him shiver.

“Mr. Xie?” he called softly. “…Chenzhou?”

Xie Chenzhou paused.

Shen Shuyi quickly said, “Can you hear me? I’ll get the suppressant for you.”

He tried to move past him, but Xie Chenzhou held on, dragging him toward the desk.

Just a few steps away. Still possible. Shen Shuyi reached for the drawer.

Xie Chenzhou pulled him close. Shen Shuyi felt his mouth open and clamp down hard on his nape.

He cried out in pain.

His hand kept reaching, fingers brushing the drawer handle.

It hurt so much. The sharp teeth dug into his skin. He vaguely remembered the bite mark from last night. Was it the same?

He couldn’t think anymore.

His breathing grew ragged. Sweat poured from him.

The air conditioning was useless.

Xie Chenzhou’s arms tightened around his waist.

Shen Shuyi froze. He felt something unusual pressing against him.

He couldn’t bear to think about it. Sweat drenched him. He let out a low groan and finally managed to open the drawer.

The suppressant lay inside.

He grabbed it, turned around.

Just as Xie Chenzhou’s teeth broke skin, the faint scent of blood filled the air.

At the same time, Shen Shuyi jabbed the suppressant into his neck.

They stayed locked in a strange embrace.

Sweat dripped from Shen Shuyi’s chin onto Xie Chenzhou’s shoulder.

Both were breathing heavily.

Xie Chenzhou’s breath was like a beast’s. Low, ragged, dangerous. Right by Shen Shuyi’s ear.

The scent of blood began to dissipate. Shen Shuyi heard Zhao Jian’s voice at the door.

“Mr. Shen? President Xie? Are you okay?!”

He rushed in, dispersal spray in hand, spraying wildly as he entered.

The two were still in that same position.

Zhao Jian froze, neck stiffening, mind blank. His only thought: I’m so fired.

Shen Shuyi, gritting his teeth, said, “It’s okay now. Secretary Zhao, do you have iodine?”

“Oh—yes, I’ll go get it.” Once he confirmed they were safe, Zhao Jian quickly left.

Xie Chenzhou was still sweating, his hand trembling as it held Shen Shuyi’s arm.

“You’re okay now?”

Normally, a suppressant should stabilize an Alpha during rut. Shen Shuyi had glimpsed the packaging. It was a brand he didn’t recognize.

Probably a top-tier suppressant, custom-formulated for high-grade Alphas.

Xie Chenzhou should be lucid now.

And he was.

But truthfully, ever since his differentiation, he’d often lived in a haze. Half-awake, half-dreaming.

During the worst of it, he’d thought of Shen Shuyi constantly. So much it made him dizzy. So much it hurt.

Hurt so badly he wanted to die, just to end it.

But he’d survived that pain. This was nothing.

At least Shen Shuyi was here. He could see him. Touch him.

Even though this sudden rut was agonizing, Shen Shuyi’s presence brought a strange joy and satisfaction.

Like a poisonous flower blooming in a bottomless abyss.

Toxic, but fragrant.

Xie Chenzhou thought, almost cruelly, that he’d endure a hundred times more pain for this.

This aching, unreachable desire was somehow sweeter than loneliness.

If he had to describe it, it was pain laced with honey.

And he almost didn’t want to wake up.

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Translator note: 📌

I will be posting 2 chapters everyday at 9:30 PM ~ Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) zone.

Thank you for reading 💖 see you again in the next chapter~ cherries 😘