Chapter 9: Keep Your Pheromones in Check

The hot pot restaurant was located at the end of the coastal street.

The storefront was not large, with four words—”Old Pier Fish Pot”—painted in red lacquer on the sign, the lettering somewhat weathered by the sea breeze.

Pushing the door open, a wave of hot and spicy aroma surged head-on, mingled with the potent smell of Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and simmered fish bones.

Ji Xu was leaned backward slightly by the cloud of heat, but was immediately drawn further inside by the mouthwatering fragrance.

Rong Du greeted the boss, looking like a regular who had visited several times.

The boss led them to a booth by the window to sit down.

The window pane was covered in a thin layer of water vapor, through which the darkening sky outside and the sparse fishing lights twinkling on the sea surface could be seen.

When the soup base was brought out, the red oil was bubbling vigorously, floating a dense layer of peppercorns and dried chili segments.

The snow-white fish slices were neatly arranged on the side plate, so thin they were almost translucent, accompanied by a plate of vegetables, a plate of tofu, and a small dish of dipping sauce.

Rong Du’s movements were practiced as he lowered the fish slices into the pot.

His chopsticks held the thin slices, swishing them in the roiling red broth for a few seconds before retrieving them.

The tender fish meat was coated in red oil and crushed peppercorns, glistening with an appetizing sheen under the lamp light.

Picking up the first slice, he placed it directly into Ji Xu’s bowl.

The dipping sauce dish was set right beside it.

Ji Xu lowered his head, blew off the steam, and stuffed the entire piece of fish into his mouth.

Hot.

Spicy.

Flavorful.

All three sensations exploded simultaneously on the tip of his tongue.

The fish meat was so tender it hardly needed chewing, melting the moment it entered his mouth.

However, the heat that followed burned like a flame from the root of his tongue to his throat, while the numbness of the peppercorns rushed up to wrap around his entire tongue.

Ji Xu’s mouth opened wide, his hand fanning the air near his mouth as he let out a series of sharp gasps, his eye sockets instantly turning red from the spice.

Rong Du was prepared well in advance, pushing a glass of amber-colored plum juice in front of him, a dense layer of water droplets condensed on the outer wall of the glass.

Ji Xu picked it up and gulped down a huge mouthful.

The ice-cold plum juice rushed into his mouth, its sweet-and-sour chill suppressing a good portion of the fiery heat.

He let out a long breath, feeling as though the tip of his tongue finally belonged to him once more.

“Eat slowly,” Rong Du said, placing another slice of fish into his bowl, pushing the dipping sauce dish over as well this time.

“Dip it in the vinegar and sesame oil, and it won’t be as spicy.”

Ji Xu followed his advice, and indeed it felt much better, though fine beads of sweat were already starting to break out on his forehead.

The fine droplets seeped out from his hairline, flowing down along his temples and sideburns.

He wiped them with a tissue, only to find the paper quickly soaked through.

Rong Du spent the entire meal serving him food, putting cooked fish slices into his bowl, and fishing out the tofu early onto his side plate before it could break apart from over-boiling.

He even drained the excess broth from the cooked vegetables before handing them over.

His chopsticks hardly stopped for a moment, alternating between putting raw food into the pot and adding cooked items to Ji Xu’s bowl, while his own bowl and chopsticks remained almost untouched in front of him.

Halfway through the meal, Ji Xu stopped to catch his breath and looked down at his bowl—it was piled high like a mini mountain of fish meat, tofu soaked in dipping sauce, and green vegetables lined up along the rim.

He looked up at Rong Du again.

Rong Du was leaning over, intently scooping out the last few slices of fish from the pot, naturally preparing to put them into Ji Xu’s bowl again, only to be stopped by Ji Xu’s outstretched hand.

“Rong Du, you should eat too,” Ji Xu said, pushing his bowl slightly toward Rong Du.

“You’ve been busy serving me the whole time, you barely ate anything yourself.”

Rong Du froze for a moment, looking down at the empty rim of his own bowl as if only just realizing he hadn’t moved his chopsticks much at all.

He picked up a piece of tofu, placed it in his mouth to chew, and casually refilled Ji Xu’s plum juice.

The ice cubes in the glass had half melted, clinking softly against the glass wall.

“Mhm, I ate.”

Seeing his perfunctory attitude, Ji Xu didn’t bother arguing with him anymore.

He reached out his chopsticks, scooped a piece of fish from the pot, and placed it directly into Rong Du’s bowl.

Rong Du looked at the slice of fish steaming in his bowl, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly before he picked it up and ate it.

From then on, the two finally settled into a normal dining rhythm, sharing the fish meat from the pot slice by slice, occasionally exchanging glances after getting scorched by the spice, and picking up their glasses to gulp down plum juice.

By the time the hot pot meal reached its conclusion, the soup base was simmering gently, its color growing deeper and richer.

The tip of Ji Xu’s nose and his cheeks were flushed red from the spice, his lips bright red, and the fine layer of sweat on his forehead was half-dried by the air conditioner.

He wiped his face with a wet wipe.

When his fingers brushed across his cheeks, he felt his skin burning hot, even his earlobes warm to the touch.

By the time they paid the bill and stepped out, the sky was completely dark.

The ocean night breeze blew over, entirely different from the humid warmth of noon.

It was cool, refreshing with a hint of moisture.

Ji Xu stood on the steps at the entrance of the shop and took a deep breath.

The cool breeze poured into his lungs through his nasal passage, carrying away most of the spicy heat from the hot pot, making his entire body so comfortable that his eyes narrowed.

He stood there enjoying the breeze for a few extra seconds.

Rong Du came out after settling the bill and naturally took his hand.

The crowd on the street was sparser than during the day, yet far from deserted.

By the roadside were small stalls selling grilled squid and coconut water, a few children running around holding glow sticks, and a family of three slowly passing by them on a rented four-person bicycle.

Rong Du held his hand as they walked along the street, keeping an unhurried, leisurely pace.

Ji Xu’s hand was held by Rong Du, palm against palm.

He could feel that Rong Du’s body temperature was slightly lower than his own, his fingertips feeling cool whenever the sea breeze blew past.

They passed a stall selling seashell bracelets.

Rong Du stopped to pick out a sea-blue one, slipped it onto Ji Xu’s free wrist, looked down at it, and nodded with satisfaction.

Ji Xu raised his wrist and shook it slightly.

The seashells clinked softly against each other, their blue luster gleaming with a soft light under the street lamps.

After walking a short distance further, Ji Xu suddenly felt his eyelids growing heavy.

That drowsiness came without warning, not the normal fatigue after playing for a day, but a weariness that seeped outward from the depths of his bones, heavy as if his entire body had been filled with lead.

His head felt dazed, the streetlights and pedestrians in his line of sight turning somewhat blurry, the edges of the neon signs along the road merging into a fuzzy halo of colored light.

He raised a hand to touch his face.

The skin beneath his palm was alarmingly hot, far higher than the heat caused by the spicy hot pot earlier.

The gland at the back of his neck was also swelling and throbbing faintly, like a tiny object pulsing inside.

Ji Xu’s pace slowed down, his body leaning sideways as his entire weight came to rest against Rong Du’s arm.

Rong Du was wearing a gray sleeveless top, his arms chilled slightly by the night breeze.

When Ji Xu’s face pressed against it, that cool sensation seeped in through the skin of his cheek, making him so comfortable that he couldn’t help nuzzling it again, like a feverish kitten that had found a cold wall.

His forehead rested against Rong Du’s upper arm, his eyelashes drooping down to cast fan-like shadows over his cheekbones, his breathing somewhat uneven.

Rong Du felt the heavy head resting against his arm and came to a stop.

He withdrew the arm Ji Xu was leaning on, turned to face Ji Xu, and placed his palm over Ji Xu’s forehead.

When his fingertips made contact, his brow furrowed immediately.

Too hot.

He pressed the back of his hand against it to test it once more.

The temperature remained abnormally high, clearly not a fever within the normal range.

“Do you have a fever?” Rong Du asked, his voice lowered as his other hand supported Ji Xu’s shoulder to keep him steady.

Ji Xu shook his head, though to Rong Du, the motion looked wobbly, like a tiny seedling swayed by the wind.

He raised his face slightly from Rong Du’s palm, only to droop back down as if unable to support it, his chin resting on Rong Du’s palm, his lips parting slightly as he spoke in a faint, sticky voice: “Uncomfortable… it might be my susceptibility period coming.”

Rong Du’s expression changed.

He certainly knew what a susceptibility period was.

Every month, Alphas had a few days like this—disrupted pheromones, elevated body temperature, drastic mood swings, and extreme physical exhaustion, sometimes accompanied by short-term fevers and muscle soreness in severe cases.

He should have noticed it earlier.

Over the past few days, Ji Xu’s honey-scented pheromones had been consistently richer than usual, and he always snuggled close to him while sleeping.

Rong Du had assumed Ji Xu was simply accustomed to his bed.

His gaze fell upon the back of Ji Xu’s neck.

The position of the gland was indeed more prominent than usual, the skin flushed with an unnatural red, like hot beeswax.

“Let’s head back.”

Rong Du hailed a passing taxi with one hand, while turning to pull Ji Xu closer to his body, keeping him steady.

Ji Xu’s entire weight pressed almost completely against Rong Du, his head resting in the crook of Rong Du’s neck, his warm breath brushing against Rong Du’s collarbone with every exhale.

Rong Du could feel Ji Xu’s entire body burning hot, the heat continuously transferring over through their two thin layers of T-shirt fabric.

The ride arrived quickly, bearing a local Haicheng license plate.

Rong Du helped Ji Xu into the back seat and climbed in after him.

By the time he shut the car door, Ji Xu was already leaning sideways against his shoulder, his eyelids closed, his eyelashes trembling faintly.

The driver was a young Omega, looking to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

In the rearview mirror, the corners of his mouth could be seen constantly turned up, appearing to be in a great mood.

His phone was connected to the car’s Bluetooth, playing a cheerful song as his fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel to the rhythm.

After the car set off, Ji Xu furrowed his brow.

The tip of his nose twitched slightly, and then his brow furrowed even tighter.

The interior of the car was filled with an unfamiliar, sickly sweet scent, densely wrapping around every inch of the air.

To an Alpha who had just entered a susceptibility period, that scent carried an intense sense of intrusion, like something constantly winding around him, creeping stubbornly and gently toward his gland.

His body, which had been leaning against Rong Du’s shoulder, suddenly tensed up.

His fingers clutched Rong Du’s sleeve so tightly his knuckles turned white.

It was the Omega pheromone from the driver.

A sweet and rich orange blossom scent.

Likely, his suppressor patch had been worn for a full day, its stickiness fading by this hour.

Combined with the driver’s own excited mood, the pheromones seeped out uncontrollably, steeping the entire air inside the vehicle.

Ji Xu’s temples throbbed violently.

That unfamiliar Omega pheromone pricked at his nerves like fine needles, forcing his own pheromones to surge outward as well.

The back of his neck burned hot, the pulsing rhythm of his gland falling into chaos.

The scent of honey seeped out from the side of his neck, crashing into the orange blossom scent within the cramped car interior.

The two scents entangled and clashed with each other, neither willing to yield.

Ji Xu abruptly braced himself up to sit forward, his voice suppressed, though clearly in a bad state: “Driver, could you please keep your pheromones in check?”

The moment his voice sounded, the cheerful music in the car suddenly felt exceptionally grating.

The driver saw Ji Xu’s complexion through the rearview mirror—unnaturally flushed red over pale skin, his lips tightly pressed, a restless glint in his eyes.

The driver’s smile froze on his face.

Realizing the issue with his suppressor patch, an awkward flush of red spread across his entire neck.

He pulled the car over to the side, frantically rummaging through the storage box: “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I’ll change the suppressor patch right away. I worked too long today and didn’t notice…”

His movements were quick, ripping off the old patch and slapping on a new one in two or three seconds, then rolling down the side windows to let the night breeze pour in.

Fresh air flooded into the cabin, diluting and washing away the orange blossom scent bit by bit.

Only then did Ji Xu’s tense spine slowly relax an inch.

A layer of sweat broke out on his forehead, the gland at the back of his neck still burning hot.

However, without the stimulation of that unfamiliar Omega pheromone, he could at least regain control over his own pheromones to prevent them from leaking further.

The driver rummaged through the storage box compartment and found a sealed auxiliary suppressor.

This type of suppressor was mainly used to neutralize the impact of minor pheromone fluctuations on Alphas or Omegas.

It was not a strong medication, but it should be useful for Ji Xu’s current state.

“I’ll waive the fare for this ride,” the driver apologized profusely, leaning over from the driver’s seat to hand the suppressor to the back seat.

“I’m really so sorry, I didn’t notice at all and delayed your trip back.”

“It’s fine.”

Ji Xu took the suppressor, tore open the packaging, and skillfully administered an injection to himself.

His brow furrowed slightly as the needle pricked his arm.

A few seconds later, as the medication took effect, the feverish heat and restlessness spreading from his gland slowly, gradually ebbed away like a receding tide.

His breathing finally stabilized.

His entire body seemed drained of all strength, collapsing softly against Rong Du, his forehead pressed to Rong Du’s shoulder, his eyes already closed.

Filling with deep apology, the driver restarted the car.

This time he drove even more steadily than before, reducing his speed and trying to make every turn and brake as gentle and smooth as possible.

In the rearview mirror, he occasionally glanced at the back seat.

Ji Xu had fallen completely asleep, his breathing shallow and even, his whole body curled up in Rong Du’s arms, one hand still clutching the hem of Rong Du’s shirt.

Rong Du remained motionless in that position, his arm wrapping around Ji Xu’s back to support his shoulder, preventing him from sliding down when the car turned.

Ji Xu’s hair was scattered near the side of Rong Du’s neck.

A faint honey scent seeped out from between his locks, mingling with the cool air brought in by the night breeze, gradually covering the very last trace of orange blossom remaining in the car.

When the car pulled up at the entrance of the alley, the driver turned his head and lowered his voice: “We’re here. Take your time getting down, no rush.”

Rong Du pulled out his phone from his pocket to scan the payment code, but the driver waved his hands repeatedly, saying it was unnecessary since he promised to waive the fee.

Rong Du didn’t insist either.

He put his phone away and carefully lifted Ji Xu out of the seat into his arms.

Ji Xu shifted slightly in his arms before settling down again, his face pressed against Rong Du’s chest, his breathing brushing across the front of his gray sleeveless shirt.

Rong Du carried him up to the fifth floor.

The voice-activated lights in the stairwell turned on and off layer by layer.

His footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

The person in his arms felt light as a feather, his body warm and soft.

Reaching the door, he supported Ji Xu with one hand to free up the other hand to fetch the key.

When opening the door, Ji Xu buried his face further into Rong Du’s neck crook, mumbling something indistinctly that couldn’t be heard clearly.

Rong Du laid Ji Xu down on the bed, took off his sandals, and pulled the thin blanket up to his chest.

Ji Xu’s eyelashes rested together quietly.

The flush on his cheeks had not fully faded, but his breathing was already steady and long.

Rong Du squatted by the bed and watched for a while, reaching out to brush away the stray strands of hair stuck to Ji Xu’s forehead by sweat, his fingertips brushing across that patch of warm skin.

The scent of honey drifted gently out from beneath the blanket, quietly filling the entire room.

Rong Du turned off the main light, leaving only the small nightstand lamp on.

He then sat down on the floor with his back against the edge of the bed.

Listening to Ji Xu’s steady breathing and the faint, distant sound of ocean tides outside the window, he slowly closed his eyes.