When Jiang Heng asked this, Shen Huaizhi slightly lowered his head. He didn’t speak but took advantage of the time Jiang Heng was still thinking to lean in and gently bite Jiang Heng’s lips.
As soon as the Alpha approached, the pheromones greedily surrounded Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng, slow to realize what was happening, hadn’t even had time to speak before Shen Huaizhi, with his lips close to his, spoke in a slightly muffled voice. But since they were so close, Jiang Heng could hear him clearly.
Shen Huaizhi said, “I want to stay with you for a few more days.”
Actually, even though they lived together, there wasn’t much intimacy between them. Apart from sitting close while doing homework, Shen Huaizhi slept in the guest room at night.
However, the bed in Shen Huaizhi’s room often ended up with the scent of Jiang Heng’s pheromones from the night before, which made Jiang Heng sleep a bit more peacefully.
After Shen Huaizhi finished speaking, Jiang Heng didn’t have time to react before he was tightly held by the waist, firmly embraced. Shen Huaizhi’s hand slipped under Jiang Heng’s sweater from the back, carrying the unique coolness of an Alpha.
In that instant, Jiang Heng’s mind went blank, and Shen Huaizhi kissed him again.
At first, Jiang Heng went along with Shen Huaizhi, but then Shen Huaizhi’s fingertips lightly brushed against his waist, causing a tickling, tingling sensation.
Being controlled in this way, Jiang Heng inevitably felt a bit of resistance, which led to Shen Huaizhi letting out a soft hiss when they separated.
On the surface, it looked like Jiang Heng had suffered more. His eyes were slightly red, and his lips had a bright, moist red tint, making it seem to anyone that he had been bullied. But in reality, it was Shen Huaizhi who had bitten his tongue.
However, there was no sign of anger on Shen Huaizhi’s face. Instead, he seemed somewhat satisfied.
—
After the official start of the school year, Jiang Heng once again plunged into the sea of studies.
He was even more diligent now than at the end of the previous semester.
The third-year students started school a few days earlier than the first and second years, and as soon as school started, it was said they had already begun taking exams.
This semester, the third year was essentially a non-stop cycle of exams, and for the second-year students like Jiang Heng, the teachers had already classified them as third-year students. Even the blackboard in their classroom had the words “Time won’t wait for you, but a good university will.”
A week into the semester, the weather showed no signs of warming up.
On Saturday, light snow began to fall. Although it didn’t accumulate, it was colder than the previous days.
When Jiang Heng arrived at the hospital, a bit of snow had fallen on his shoulder, quickly melting into a small wet patch.
Jiang Heng was almost entirely wrapped up in his down jacket, with his scarf covering his face so that only his eyes and eye-catching buzz cut were visible.
As soon as he stepped into the hospital, Jiang Heng glared and gritted his teeth, “Shen Huaizhi!”
He, a dignified and fierce Omega, had to go out wrapped up like a dumpling. The hospital was crowded with people, but few were bundled up as tightly as he was.
Where was his dignity?
Although Jiang Heng was angry, his voice was muffled in the scarf, so it didn’t carry much threat.
Shen Huaizhi, standing to the side with his hands already on Jiang Heng’s scarf, couldn’t help but smile when he heard him. He slightly lowered his head and quickly brushed his lips against Jiang Heng’s eyelids.
After the brief contact, Jiang Heng’s eyelids fluttered, and he unconsciously took a step back, continuing to glare at him.
Shen Huaizhi, seemingly unbothered, helped him remove the scarf, touched Jiang Heng’s still slightly cold cheek, and said softly, “Let’s go. The doctor is already waiting.”
The doctor they had an appointment with was recommended by the Shen family’s family doctor. Shen Huaizhi had specifically mentioned beforehand that the results of this examination should be kept confidential.
When they entered the office, the doctor had already been waiting for a while. Seeing them, the doctor didn’t show much surprise and didn’t waste any time, immediately asking Jiang Heng some routine questions.
“Could you tell me the frequency of your previous susceptibility periods?” the doctor asked while taking notes.
Jiang Heng had no intention of hiding anything and answered honestly.
The doctor then asked, “How many times have you been temporarily marked?”
Seeing Jiang Heng’s ears suddenly turn red, the doctor found it somewhat amusing. For a guy who seemed quite tough, he was blushing while talking about this. “It’s just a routine question, no need to be too shy.”
“I’m not shy,” Jiang Heng responded quickly this time, “Six times.”
After he finished speaking, he stepped on Shen Huaizhi, who was standing beside him in silence. The latter, however, didn’t react, just looked at him with a faint, amused smile.
The doctor nodded and smiled again.
For kids their age, this number of temporary markings was a bit high. An Alpha’s pheromones can easily affect an Omega, and when Omegas are still young, their self-control is weak. If an Alpha had bad intentions, it would be hard for the Omega to resist.
However, considering the situation of these two, there didn’t seem to be any major issues.
After all, this Omega’s condition was special.
“Did you have a temporary marking before coming here?” Although the doctor had already reminded them not to do a temporary marking before the examination, as it could affect the pheromone test, the question still needed to be asked.
Hearing this, Jiang Heng shook his head.
The doctor nodded in satisfaction, then issued a series of test orders for Jiang Heng. After finishing, the doctor said to Shen Huaizhi, “These are all routine tests. Your senior has briefed me, and there are a few other tests I will conduct personally, but they may require the Omega to sleep for a few hours.”
Then, he turned to Jiang Heng, “But don’t worry, it won’t harm your body. You’ll just need to sleep for a few hours, and you might feel drowsy for a day or two afterward, but that’s normal.”
Since Jiang Heng had already agreed to the examination, he had no objections to these arrangements.
After the doctor finished his instructions, Jiang Heng and Shen Huaizhi went off to complete some smaller routine tests.
There were more people at the hospital on weekends than on regular days, with queues at several windows. After spending almost the entire morning, Jiang Heng finally finished all the small tests.
–
When Shen Huaizhi called, Xie An was still pacing around the apartment where Jiang Heng used to live.
She hadn’t slept well for several days. To handle Jiang Heng’s transfer procedures, she had privately gone to see Jiang Heng’s homeroom teacher. However, the teacher was not as agreeable in person as they had been on the phone. The teacher said that First High School respects the students’ autonomy and if they needed to process the transfer, Jiang Heng would have to come in person and give his consent.
With no progress with the homeroom teacher, Xie An decided to seek help from a friend with connections at the education bureau. But this time, the friend kept finding excuses, saying that there were new policies in place requiring the student’s personal consent for a transfer. The procedures had also become more complicated, and if the reasons for the transfer were insufficient, it would be subjected to further review.
With no other options, Xie An turned to Jiang Jin.
But this time, Jiang Jin refused to help her and even urged her to turn herself in as soon as possible.
Naturally, Xie An was unwilling.
She had worked hard for so many years, all for the final outcome of this project. Once it was over and she succeeded, Alphas and Omegas would no longer be affected by pheromones.
For once, she dropped her usual gentle demeanor and argued back at Jiang Jin with a hint of madness.
Jiang Jin had never imagined that Xie An could become like this.
In his mind, Xie An had always been gentle, never arguing with anyone, and passionate about her work. Even after their divorce, he still thought Xie An was a good person. Even though she used their son as a test subject for her experiments, Jiang Jin still believed she was just overly obsessed with her research.
But now, this version of Xie An felt like a stranger to him.
In the end, Jiang Jin couldn’t help but say, “Crazy.”
After hanging up on Jiang Jin, Xie An curled up on the sofa.
She wasn’t crazy.
If Jiang Jin hadn’t abandoned her and Jiang Heng for an Omega back then, she wouldn’t have started this research to benefit everyone. These people didn’t understand that what they were doing was for the good of humanity.
They talk about true love, but how much true love can there be when it’s governed by pheromones?
She refused to believe Jiang Jin’s lies about not cheating. It was all just an excuse! Alphas can never control themselves!
She had been in this state for several days in Jincheng. Her assistant had been calling her repeatedly, saying that the other professors in the lab were starting to complain. After all, they were still working on other projects, and Xie An was one of the initiators of those projects. Without her, the progress had slowed significantly.
Xie An, however, refused to listen to any advice.
When she saw the incoming call, Xie An pressed the answer button.
“Hello,” Shen Huaizhi’s voice was deep and steady, not at all like that of a teenage Alpha. Even though it was just a phone conversation, Xie An inexplicably felt a sense of oppression, as if she were being dominated by an Alpha.
Even Betas can sometimes feel the oppressive presence of an Alpha, a natural instinct to submit.
“Aunt Xie, this is Shen Huaizhi. There’s something I think you should know.”
Xie An was a bit surprised that Shen Huaizhi would call her. She dismissed the strange feeling she had just experienced and responded.
“Jiang Heng has fallen into a coma. If you have time, you might want to come to the hospital to see him. The doctor says it’s unlikely he’ll wake up again.” Shen Huaizhi’s voice was flat, with no emotion, as if he were talking about something inconsequential, as if the person in a coma, the one who might never wake up, wasn’t his Omega.
Upon hearing this, Xie An, who had been relatively calm, suddenly became agitated. Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and asked, “Why did he fall into a coma? Wasn’t he fine before?”
Shen Huaizhi’s voice remained calm: “It’s a complication of pheromone deficiency syndrome. You’re a professional, Professor Xie, so I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
Of course, Xie An had heard of it.
But wasn’t that supposed to occur only in cases of congenital pheromone deficiency?
Jiang Heng only developed pheromone deficiency syndrome due to a small failure in the experiment. Xie An had made countless hypotheses at the time, but none of them included falling into a coma and never waking up.
If he doesn’t wake up, how can her experiment continue?
For a moment, Xie An even thought that Shen Huaizhi was deliberately deceiving her.
Shen Huaizhi’s tone was too calm. According to Jiang Heng’s usual descriptions, they had a good relationship. If their relationship was really that good, why wasn’t Shen Huaizhi more anxious?
But on second thought, Xie An found it plausible. Alphas are beasts ruled by pheromones—how could they have genuine feelings? They are merely attracted by Omega’s pheromones, reveling in the pleasure of dominating an Omega.
Shen Huaizhi was no different, especially considering their 100% compatibility, which was enough to create the illusion of a relationship driven by pheromones.
But the thought of Jiang Heng possibly never waking up made Xie An feel like she was losing her grip on reality.
All her years of hard work…
“I’ll be there right away.”
Xie An hurriedly hung up the phone, not taking the time to ponder why Shen Huaizhi knew she was in Jincheng or why he informed her at the exact moment she was available.
“Ah, our junior brother has become quite skilled at telling these little lies,” the Shen family doctor teased as he stood outside the hospital room after Shen Huaizhi hung up.
The doctor who had just performed the examination coughed lightly. “Unethical, very unethical.”
Shen Huaizhi lowered his gaze, looking into the room where Jiang Heng was sleeping due to the medication. Even though he knew it was fake, he still felt as if his heart was being tightly squeezed.
It hurt.
Shen Huaizhi couldn’t imagine what he would do if Jiang Heng truly fell into a coma.
Throughout his life, no matter what he encountered, he had always remained calm and composed. But when it came to Jiang Heng, he found himself losing control repeatedly, unable to keep his emotions in check.
Thankfully, thankfully Jiang Heng’s condition hadn’t actually become that severe.
The aftermath of pheromone deficiency syndrome can indeed cause someone to fall into a coma, possibly never waking up for the rest of their life.
But such cases are extremely rare.
“Thank you,” Shen Huaizhi nodded to the two doctors.
“It’s part of our duty. We in the medical field particularly despise illegal human experimentation like this,” said Dr. Shao, who had performed the examination. When Shen Huaizhi made the appointment, he had already explained his intentions.
Not only did he want Jiang Heng to undergo a comprehensive examination, but he also needed their help in staging a little play.
As for why they needed to stage this play, that wasn’t for the doctors to consider.
Dr. Shao only knew that Jiang Heng’s condition wasn’t congenital but resulted from someone experimenting on him.
Recently, Dr. Shao had heard some rumors within the medical community, saying that something had happened at a hospital in Yuancheng and that the authorities were investigating, causing unrest in every hospital.
The family doctor chuckled, “I’ll take my leave now. Junior brother, make sure to act well, don’t slip up.”
Dr. Shao waved his hand, noticing that Shen Huaizhi was still staring at the person in the room. He couldn’t help but say, “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. It’s just a sedative.”
Shen Huaizhi didn’t move, only responding with a soft acknowledgment.
Inside the room, Jiang Heng lay on the hospital bed. To make the scene more convincing, the bedside was filled with various medical instruments. Shen Huaizhi could clearly see the rise and fall of Jiang Heng’s chest, the peaceful softness of his sleeping face, which was much gentler than usual. After having several vials of blood drawn, Jiang Heng’s complexion was noticeably paler, giving him a genuinely sickly appearance.
Shen Huaizhi closed his eyes, suppressing the dark thoughts in his mind, and quietly waited for Xie An to arrive.
This floor housed the high-end patient rooms, and aside from Jiang Heng, there were no other patients.
The nurses had already been informed, and as soon as Xie An arrived, they directed her to the room.
On her way up, Xie An felt dizzy, a sense of foreboding washing over her, as if all her years of hard work were about to go to waste.
Hospitals are always filled with the scent of disinfectant, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
As soon as Xie An reached the floor, she saw Shen Huaizhi standing outside the hospital room, along with a doctor who didn’t seem particularly old.
She had never actually met Shen Huaizhi before, but just seeing him from a distance now gave her the impression that this Alpha wasn’t someone to be easily trifled with.
Shen Huaizhi was facing away from her, his back straight as if he was intently focused on the person inside the room.
Xie An’s heart couldn’t help but race.
She knew Shen Huaizhi was looking at Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng was really lying there.
Was he really… not going to wake up?
She tightly clenched her hands, suppressing the emotions that were on the verge of spiraling out of control. Just as she was about to walk over, Shen Huaizhi seemed to sense her presence and turned around.
At that moment, Xie An noticed the young Alpha’s eyes were bloodshot. Despite his calm demeanor, it was hard to miss the panic and helplessness hidden in his gaze.
This made Xie An’s heart leap into her throat, and her mind became a chaotic mess.
She didn’t even remember how she walked closer.
“Why… why did this suddenly happen…” Xie An looked at the person inside the room.
Jiang Heng lay on the bed, looking as if he was simply asleep.
The instruments by the bedside were all functioning normally, with the readings indicating that Jiang Heng was fine—except for the fact that he couldn’t wake up.
Seeing the distraught expression on her face, Dr. Shao glanced at Shen Huaizhi, inwardly marveling at his impressive acting skills. After a moment of silence, he couldn’t help but offer some comfort: “The patient not waking up right away doesn’t mean he won’t wake up in the future. There’s no need for you to…”
“How can I not be agitated!” Dr. Shao’s words seemed to strike a nerve in Xie An. Her previously controlled expression instantly turned a bit ferocious, and she even hysterically yelled at Dr. Shao, “Why is this happening!”
Xie An was well-known.
As a young and outstanding doctor, Dr. Shao had naturally heard of Xie An’s name. He had seen her mentioned in various papers and research projects, and the industry’s evaluation of her was always “gentle and intelligent.” He never expected to see Professor Xie like this.
For a moment, Dr. Shao was at a loss for words.
Xie An also realized her outburst and gradually calmed down. “My son’s condition was never this severe. I need to see the test results.”
“And when exactly did he fall into a coma?”
Shen Huaizhi, who had been silent the whole time, withdrew his gaze from her and replied in a cold, restrained tone, “Last night.” His words were brief, with no intention of providing any further explanation.
Dr. Shao remained calm. “Professor Xie, there’s no need to go into unnecessary details. You’ve certainly come across topics related to pheromone deficiency.”
“The patient’s situation is rather complex. Our preliminary assessment suggests that it was caused by a conflict of pheromones within his body.”
As soon as Dr. Shao mentioned this, Xie An understood. Using Alpha pheromones to treat Jiang Heng’s deficiency could also produce side effects, especially since Jiang Heng’s pheromones were inherently unstable. Although previous tests indicated that his pheromones had stabilized, it might have only been a temporary state.
For a moment, Xie An was at a loss for words, staring blankly at the unconscious Jiang Heng.
They were just one injection away.
If Jiang Heng hadn’t refused her, if he hadn’t been avoiding her all this time, he wouldn’t have fallen into a coma! By now, her experiment should have succeeded, and Jiang Heng would have been free from the control of pheromones!
Seeing her in this state, Dr. Shao further explained the results of today’s examination: “Aside from the pheromone conflict, we also suspect the patient may have been taking medication long-term. Unfortunately, with our current medical knowledge, we can’t identify what kind of medication it might be. Perhaps, Professor Xie, you might know? This could potentially aid in the patient’s recovery.”
Upon hearing this, Xie An trembled slightly.
Of course, she knew what the medication was.
But her experiment couldn’t have caused Jiang Heng’s coma. It was all because of Shen Huaizhi! An Alpha’s unrestrained marking, the uncontrolled input of pheromones!
As she thought this, her gaze fell on Shen Huaizhi, whose expression remained indifferent. Apart from his reddened eyes, there was no sign of anything amiss.
Before she could voice her accusations, Dr. Shao gave Shen Huaizhi a meaningful look and then suggested, “However, there is another treatment option, one that I’m sure Professor Xie has heard of.”
“Transferring the Alpha’s pheromones into the Omega’s body. However, this would effectively result in a complete medical marking. After the patient wakes up, he would lose his own pheromones, just like all Omegas who have been completely marked.”
After speaking, he paused for a moment and then continued, “Actually, before you arrived, we had already drafted a plan, and the patient’s Alpha has agreed to the surgery. We just need your signature.”
In other words, Shen Huaizhi had called her here just to get her signature. For such a major operation, the consent of a family member for the surgery’s risks is required.
But after listening, Xie An started to laugh.
“I don’t agree.”
Dr. Shao seemed a bit surprised. In such surgeries, the most painful part is for the Alpha. Extracting pheromones is an extremely painful process—an Alpha usually feels like they’re dying just from a touch to their glands, let alone having instruments inserted into them for continuous extraction. It’s possible that even after the Omega recovers, the Alpha might not.
It was baffling that the Alpha didn’t object to such a procedure, but the mother, who should be most concerned about saving her son, was against it.
“My son didn’t agree to this himself. How could he consent to being completely marked by an Alpha when he wakes up?”
She finished speaking and stared at Shen Huaizhi, with rare hatred in her eyes.
But at this moment, Shen Huaizhi slightly curled his lips, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Aunt Xie, whether you agree or not, this surgery has to be done. It’s the only way to save Jiang Heng.”
“Or are you worried that after the complete marking, your experiment can no longer continue?”
His voice was calm, yet it seemed as though he could see right through her.
The previously aggressive Xie An suddenly looked a bit flustered, but she quickly composed herself. “I won’t let anyone take advantage of my son in this situation.”
“Then do you want him to lie there for the rest of his life?” Shen Huaizhi asked.
“He won’t!”
“And I won’t let him lie there either.” Shen Huaizhi smiled, observing Xie An’s gradually crumbling demeanor. “Maybe you’re overthinking this. I called you here today just to get your signature. If you don’t want to sign, I can sign it myself. But since you’re Jiang Heng’s guardian, I’m giving you this opportunity.”
He didn’t seem at all like the polite and gentle person Xie An had known. Instead, every word he spoke felt like a threat to her.
Like a devil.
Each word slowly trampled on Xie An’s years of hard work.
It was because of Shen Huaizhi that Jiang Heng had fallen into a coma.
And now, he wanted to completely mark Jiang Heng and destroy all the hard work she had put into her experiment over the years!
Xie An’s breathing grew more rapid. She leaned against the glass window, breathing heavily, and glared at Shen Huaizhi. “You have no right to make decisions for Jiang Heng, no right to sign in my place!”
She then turned to Dr. Shao, “If your hospital dares to do this, it’s illegal!”
Dr. Shao seemed completely indifferent to her words, simply jotting down something.
Hearing her outburst, Shen Huaizhi raised an eyebrow. “Why is it that you can make decisions, but I can’t?”
“I’m also doing this for Jiang Heng’s sake, to save him.”
“It’s just a complete marking. The pain is mine to bear. I just want him to stay by my side for the rest of his life—is that so wrong?”
He spoke slowly, in the same calm tone as before.
But each word felt like it was hammering at Xie An’s heart.
Where was he wrong?
What right did Shen Huaizhi have?
Just because he wanted to save Jiang Heng?
Xie An was about to speak when Shen Huaizhi softly asked again, “Aren’t I just like you, doing what’s best for Jiang Heng?”
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️”
