After Dou Ming officially moved into the Jiang household, he immediately became the center of attention for Aunt Xue and the chef. They pampered him with hot tea and nourishing soups, treating him like a little emperor.
Jiang Wan quickly noticed that the frequency of grocery shopping had increased, and there was suddenly an abundance of fruit and snacks at home.
He sulked, “Oh, I see. Once the little one arrives, the big one is forgotten.”
Gang Ya, grinning mischievously, stepped on the gas metaphorically, saying, “Who’s little? Who’s big?”
Jiang Wan shot him a sinister look. “I’m big. Everywhere. Got a problem with that?”
“No, no.” Gang Ya immediately backed down and slinked away, not daring to say another word.
Jiang Wan directed his jealous gaze at Aunt Xue.
Without looking up from her knitting, Aunt Xue casually replied, “We’re nourishing him now so you’ll feel better in a few days.”
Huh? Feel better how?
Jiang Wan did some quick mental math and realized his heat was approaching.
Aunt Xue wasn’t just driving a car—she was piloting a rocket straight to Mars.
Jiang Wan confidently declared, “I have suppressants!”
Aunt Xue responded with a nonchalant, “Oh.”
Ugh, she’s mocking me, Jiang Wan thought.
He turned and grabbed a plate of freshly cut fruit, heading to Dou Ming’s room. He peeked inside and saw Dou Ming focused on his studies, so he quietly placed the fruit on the desk and tried to leave unnoticed.
But Dou Ming called out, “Is there something on your mind?”
“No, no.” Jiang Wan waved, smiling as if nothing was wrong.
Ever since his cover was blown and he had “dropped out” Jiang Wan no longer had to do any homework. But the shadows of “repeating senior year” still lingered in his mind—just the sight of test papers made his head throb.
Dou Ming gently held Jiang Wan’s hand, as if he could read his thoughts. “Are you worried about your heat?”
“!” Jiang Wan quickly changed the subject. “Isn’t the holiday coming up? When school starts again, it’ll be time for the hundred-day sprint to the exams, right?”
Dou Ming kissed Jiang Wan’s fingertips, softly saying, “You can handle your heat however you like. But whether you take suppressants or… anything else, just let me know. I know those injections hurt.”
Jiang Wan’s evasive expression faded, and he turned serious. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m scared of doing it—it’s just that you’re too young. I don’t want it to affect your development!”
He spoke with such conviction, not realizing how offensive the term “affect your development” could be to an Alpha. Any hot-tempered Alpha would have already unzipped and challenged, “Come on, take a look. See if I’m fully developed!”
But Dou Ming’s expression didn’t change. His gaze only deepened as he said, “I understand.”
Jiang Wan, feeling proud of how mature Dou Ming was, patted him on the shoulder and praised, “Good, glad you understand.”
Believing they had reached a mutual understanding, Jiang Wan, to be cautious, bought another round of suppressants to keep on hand. Feeling relaxed and in control, he spent the next few days in high spirits.
The day Dou Ming’s school went on break arrived, and he had many books to bring home for his holiday studies. Jiang Wan had already planned to send the driver to help, so Dou Ming wouldn’t have to carry everything by himself. Jiang Wan even thought about going along and surprising him by waiting in the car.
But just as Jiang Wan was about to leave, a sudden heat wave coursed through his body.
“You go ahead,” he told the driver, waving him off as the Maybach slowly pulled away. Jiang Wan calmly returned to his room, tilted his head in front of the mirror, and injected himself with a suppressant.
A few seconds later, the heat subsided. He sat back down, calm and collected.
As expected, a few minutes later, the second wave of heat hit him. This time, his face flushed bright red, and the intensity was far greater than the first.
Prepared, he administered a second injection, satisfied to see his reflection return to normal as the redness faded.
Everything is under control, Jiang Wan thought, nodding in approval of his own excellence.
He patiently waited for about ten more minutes but didn’t experience a third wave of heat.
Did I successfully get through this heat? he wondered, cautiously getting up and stepping outside.
He walked around a bit, pausing occasionally, but still didn’t feel any discomfort. Finally, he smiled and relaxed.
Feeling good, it was time to head out.
Jiang Wan decided to take the other car from home and let the driver bring Dou Ming’s books back. He planned to take Dou Ming out for a nice dinner.
Aunt Xue exchanged a glance with Gang Ya.
Gang Ya scratched his head. “I’ll go with you.”
Jiang Wan initially refused. “Don’t be a third wheel, okay?”
Gang Ya replied with a simple, “Oh.”
Aunt Xue and Du Yanlong both gave him meaningful looks. After a moment, Gang Ya caught on.
“I have to ensure your safety. Once Dou Ming is in the car, I’ll switch to the driver’s vehicle, alright?”
Jiang Wan, not one to risk unnecessary danger, said, “Fine, you can come along.” He glanced at Aunt Xue. “Too bad someone here is going to be disappointed. Thanks to my smart, decisive actions, this heat is perfectly under control.”
Aunt Xue just shrugged, not bothering to argue. She squinted slightly, watching him leave, then sent a message to Dou Ming, advising him to be cautious that night and avoid taking Jiang Wan to crowded places.
As an older Omega, Jiang Wan had never received a permanent mark, so his heats were never easy.
Based on her experience, Aunt Xue figured Jiang Wan’s body was already simmering beneath the surface, on the verge of an eruption.
She only had Jiang Wan’s best interests at heart, always preparing for the worst. But even she didn’t expect the heat to strike so quickly or so intensely.
Gang Ya parked the car in a secluded alleyway about two or three hundred meters from the school. After getting out, he locked all the doors and stood at the entrance of the alley, releasing his pheromones in a clear signal: Keep out unless invited.
Normally carefree and playful, Gang Ya could switch to a serious mode in an instant. His presence became as deep as the sea and as imposing as a mountain. With his Alpha aura on full display, he became a natural barrier. No Alpha dared to provoke him.
Even though all the Alphas in the area could sense the alluring sweetness of an Omega in heat hiding within the alley, none dared approach. But they didn’t leave either, silently cursing Gang Ya for hogging the treasure.
They lingered, staring at the alley, fantasizing about claiming the sweet Omega. But soon, a cold, overwhelming scent of cedarwood appeared out of nowhere.
The true chill of winter swept through, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped seven or eight degrees. Teeth chattered, and even those far from the alley felt the biting cold.
The Alphas who had been waiting and watching could no longer maintain their composure under the oppressive wave of pheromones.
One by one, they retreated, wrapping their coats tightly around themselves as they hurried away.
At the same time, Dou Ming arrived, cutting through the biting cold like a blizzard sweeping across the sea, freezing everything in its path.
Gang Ya opened a gap in the pheromone barrier for him. “Go ahead.”
His expression was stern, far from his usual lighthearted demeanor. The waves of his pheromones lapped against Dou Ming’s presence, almost as if they were testing each other.
This was the instinctual reaction of every Alpha when they encountered an equal.
But the scent of cedarwood effortlessly pushed aside the waves. Dou Ming nodded, whispered a quick “thank you,” and strode into the alley, unlocking the car door and slipping inside.
Gang Ya’s keen hearing picked up snippets of their conversation.
“You’re here?”
“It’s okay now. Be good.”
“I’m… I’m going to mess up your development…”
“Why don’t you check first? See if I’m fully developed.”
The rest of the conversation was drowned out as the car doors locked, sealing everything inside the cocoon of cedarwood.
Raising an eyebrow, Gang Ya leaned against the wall and dutifully stood watch as the impromptu parking lot guard for the night.
