The question that was about to slip out of Ning Zhu’s mouth was cut short by Dou Changxiao’s casual remark: “susceptible period.”

He glared at him coldly.

Dou Changxiao returned his gaze with equal coldness.

—A parent dropping off their child at boarding school on a weekend night?

Who do you think you’re playing at being?

After a moment, Ning Zhu finally gave in first, clenching his teeth: “Fine…”

What else could he do? He was the one who’d invited this big shot in in the first place.

The warm, damp sensation on his right ear still felt as though it were there. In his entire life, only a dog had ever licked his ear…

Ning Zhu lowered his head, his brow furrowed. Yet his physical reaction was beyond his control; his face burned like fire, the heat spreading to his ears until they felt like a single, scorching patch.

Just as he was feeling uncomfortable, he sensed that the gaze resting on his face had grown even more intense.

Lifting his eyes, he saw that the blackness in Dou Changxiao’s eyes had grown serene and viscous. The strands of hair on his forehead shifted ever so slightly; for a split second, it seemed as though he was about to lean in to do something, but he didn’t.

Dou Changxiao’s hand, which had been pressed against the door, dropped.

Ning Zhu felt his face brushed lightly by the other man’s knuckles.

Ning Zhu: “.”

He decisively opened the door again and quickly squeezed through the crack, lest the other man have another fit during his susceptible period.

He stepped back twice after stepping outside the door. A moment later, Ning Zhu heard the sound of the lock clicking shut from inside.

It seemed the kid still had a shred of common sense. He breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his room.

That night, neither of the two people in the house slept soundly.

Early the next morning, Ning Zhu got up early and tidied himself up. Even though he was in his own home, the only safe place was his bedroom.

Stepping out of the bedroom, he didn’t move about freely but stood by the door, observing the situation.

After getting a clear look at the guest room, Ning Zhu raised his eyebrows in surprise and walked over.

The guest room door was wide open, as if the person who had left long ago had left it that way specifically for Ning Zhu, so he wouldn’t have to spend the early morning on edge, constantly on guard.

No one was living there anymore; even the sawdust around the bed frame had been swept clean. Only a bite-preventer and similar items remained on the bookshelf nearby.

……They left quite cleanly and efficiently. Shouldn’t they at least acknowledge what happened last night and offer some explanation? At the very least, they could have said “sorry” or something like that!!

Ning Zhu touched the cold bite guard, tapping the metal bars with his fingertips in a somewhat sullen mood.

He stepped out of the guest bedroom and sent a message to Dou Changxiao.

[Ning Huochong:] Just left?

[Changxiao:] Mm.

【Ning Huochong:】You just ran off without settling the score for licking me all over last night?

【Changxiao:】Sorry.

Ning Zhu felt a little better.

【Changxiao:】Want to lick me back?

“……”

Get lost.

【Changxiao:】Anything else?

【Ning Huochong:】……I was actually going to ask you to let me smell your pheromones after your susceptible period ends. But since you’re gone, let’s just skip it for now.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if he were calculating the time.

【Changxiao:】I’m on duty tomorrow and the day after—I’ll be back late.

The day after tomorrow? A bit late, but not impossible.

Too bad Ning Zhu is currently determined to pick a fight with him.

【Ning Huochong:】Then tonight.

【Chang Xiao:】……I just left.

【Ning Huochong:】Who told you not to say goodbye to me before you left? ^^

There was no reply from the other end.

He turned off the screen and headed to work in high spirits.

In the parking lot outside Third Hospital.

Dou Changxiao hadn’t slept well the night before; every time he closed his eyes, he saw the image of Ning Zhu’s flushed face after he’d bitten him. He’d planned to catch some sleep in the car to avoid affecting his work efficiency, but after being interrupted by Ning Zhu’s message, he didn’t feel like sleeping anymore.

Besides, he felt unnaturally energetic today. After killing a few minutes in the car, he put away his phone and got out.

Dou Changxiao arrived at the hospital well ahead of schedule and worked straight through until noon.

During the afternoon shift, whether it was the rising midday temperature or the department’s heating being cranked up too high, he felt a bit hot. Even wearing just a light shirt, he still felt restless.

The windows in the hallway were always left open for ventilation. Dou Changxiao stepped out of the department and stood in the hallway for a moment, letting the cool air wash over him.

His body gradually cooled down, but the back of his ears remained fiercely hot.

He touched the side of his neck and suddenly froze.

“…………”

Dou Changxiao hurried back upstairs to say goodbye to the teachers in the office, then ran back to his car to retrieve his laptop.

He opened the laptop and logged into the Beicheng Incubation Period Quarantine System. The registration form he’d submitted a few days ago had already been approved.

Normally, once approved, the application could be withdrawn, and Dou Changxiao had originally planned to resubmit the form in the next couple of days.

But now, the “Withdraw” button was gone…

In its place was a warning message.

In red text on the screen, it warned him that his pheromone levels were slowly rising, his window of susceptibility was approaching, and he should self-isolate at the registered address in advance.

“……”

His susceptible period has come early—how could that be? What caused it… Was it because of last night? Because he bit that guy’s ear?!

His “susceptible period” had ended less than a day ago, and yet he’d gone to Ning’s place and told him his susceptible period was coming again… What would happen?

Dou Changxiao thought: Ning Zhu will definitely kill me.

He felt a bit nervous. But he didn’t stay nervous for long; he quickly calmed down and began to think of other solutions.

A few minutes later, Dou Changxiao called the quarantine center to ask if he could change his quarantine location now.

The person on the other end asked why, and Dou Changxiao explained, “My window of vulnerability has come two weeks earlier than usual, but my partner has some things to take care of these next few days and won’t be able to stay home and watch over me all the time.”

At first, the person on the other end was surprised that Dou Changxiao had called on his own initiative.

After all, an Alpha with a partner typically relies heavily on their partner’s companionship during the susceptible period and simply cannot bear to spend it alone. Especially a top Alpha.

Then they tactfully suggested, “Mr. Dou, your security rating in our system is very high, which indicates you have sufficient self-control during the susceptible period.”

The implication: You’re relatively well-behaved during your rut. Even if your wife can’t stay home to watch you all the time, I’ll turn a blind eye. So go find a place to cuddle up with your lover and cool off—stop being such a pain in the ass. What are you trying to pull, acting like some model citizen?

But Dou Changxiao kept being a pain: “Thanks. But please still help me change my quarantine location. I need to go to the quarantine center.”

The other end: “……”

Probably thinking they’d run into a real oddball, the operator was speechless for a moment. When they replied, their tone was much more dismissive: “It’s too late to change it in the system now. Get yourself there within eight hours, and you can complete the paperwork after your window of vulnerability ends.”

In the eight to ten hours before an Alpha’s infectious period, pheromone levels gradually rise, but during this time, they remain fully conscious and capable of self-control. Otherwise, if he were to show up only after entering the infectious period, even if the quarantine center agreed to admit him then, it would cause a lot of trouble later on.

Eight hours—there was still plenty of time.

After hanging up, Dou Changxiao contacted both the school and the hospital, and finally turned to his benefactor.

He asked Ning Zhu if he could postpone taking the medication for three days, but twenty minutes later, he received a brief, firm “No.” It was followed by a smiley face, making the refusal all the more unyielding.

Dou Changxiao: “…”

If he didn’t show up for their date tonight, Ning might get suspicious and might even go to the school to look for him.

And…

Dou Changxiao furrowed his brow.

Even if he didn’t suspect anything, he’d probably still be upset.

Calculating the time, there was enough time to give Ning his medicine one more time before heading to the quarantine center.

He typed back: Got it, I’ll meet you tonight.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Ning Zhu got off work forty minutes late.

Aunt Lin had prepared dinner tonight, so he didn’t eat at the office; after finishing work, he headed home. There were quite a few people leaving the office at this hour, mostly employees who had just finished eating in the cafeteria.

Ning Zhu took the elevator down to the first floor. A few short lines had formed in front of the time-clock station not far away.

As he walked out, he ran into two employees from the project department. Since Ning Zhu had been spending almost all his time there lately, he recognized them.

The two greeted him, and Ning Zhu smiled in response. Just then, a scream suddenly rang out from the time-clock area—

The scream spread like a virus, echoing throughout the area within seconds and turning the place into a chaotic din.

Startled, Ning Zhu turned to look and saw a tall Alpha wearing a Qisheng employee uniform bursting out of one of the lines.

He smashed straight through the turnstile at the clock-in station, sending the two transparent panels flying.

Ning Zhu instinctively ran over to check on the situation.

Several security guards at the entrance reacted quickly, rushing forward to block the Alpha.

The Alpha employee was grappling with them. As Ning Zhu arrived, he heard two panicked voices speaking behind him.

“…He’s a new hire in our department, an SA…”

“Is he in his susceptible period? There’s a tobacco-like smell in the air—it must be his pheromones…”

SA? He’s in his susceptible period?

Ning Zhu caught those words.

When did their company start hiring SA employees?

No, Dou Changxiao had said that regulatory authorities would issue a warning before a Top Alpha’s susceptible period began; under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t happen at the office.

Ning Zhu realized almost immediately that something was amiss.

Blood was visible in the tangled melee; several security guards had been injured.

The Alpha who had caused the injuries ran straight toward the exit.

Qisheng was directly across from Anjiang Plaza… and this was the peak of foot traffic.

Ning Zhu’s heart sank. He turned and quickly told the person beside him, “Go up and notify General Manager Ji,” then, without a second thought, he dashed through the turnstile in pursuit,

It was the busiest time of day for pedestrians and traffic, and the area around Anjiang Square was completely gridlocked.

The winter evening sky was dim. Ning Zhu anxiously dodged several pedestrians; the lanes were completely gridlocked, but he didn’t have time to think—he simply cut straight through the stationary traffic.

A motorcycle weaving through the gaps in traffic nearly struck him. But just a split second before impact, he was grabbed around the waist and pulled back.

Then a voice tinged with irritation rang in his ear: “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Before Ning Zhu could recover, the person behind him had already let go and taken his place in pursuit of that Alpha.

He stared in shock: “Changxiao…?”

Watching the other’s retreating figure, Ning Zhu’s heart suddenly settled. But immediately afterward, he realized that the Alpha in rut was also an S-class with formidable physical prowess—and given the danger of the heat period, Dou Changxiao might not come out unscathed if he faced that man.

He dared not delay any further and followed a moment later.

However, Ning Zhu had witnessed the explosive speed of a top-tier Alpha firsthand. By the time he arrived at Anjiang Square, he had no idea where Dou Changxiao had gone in pursuit of that man.

He faintly heard a commotion in the distance, pinpointed the direction, and upon arriving, witnessed the scene before him:

The Alpha, who appeared to be in his heat, was kneeling on the ground with both hands pinned behind his back by Dou Changxiao, held fast against the railing along the Anjiang River.

Just as Ning Zhu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he caught sight of two bloody gashes on the back of Dou Changxiao’s hand.

“Did he have a knife?”

Dou Changxiao turned to look at him and said, “No, I just got scraped by something earlier.”

He glanced at Ning Zhu’s expression and added, “It’s nothing.”

Ning Zhu stared at the two cuts for a long time before looking away and calmly calling for help.

By the time the police and security personnel arrived to take Alpha in for questioning, the commotion had been temporarily quelled, though the exact cause remained unclear.

Thanks to Dou Changxiao’s timely arrival, none of the tourists in Anjiang were injured, and the few security guards who were hurt sustained only minor injuries.

Both witnesses and those who intervened were to be taken in for questioning. For some reason, Dou Changxiao asked, “Can I skip it?”

Ning Zhu, who had been talking to Ji Chi, turned his head to glance at him upon hearing this.

The police officer spoke in a polite tone, expressing hope that Dou Changxiao would cooperate with the investigation.

Dou Changxiao didn’t respond, but he glanced down at the time.

Finally, he looked up at Ning Zhu.

Ning Zhu caught Dou Changxiao’s gaze, walked over to him, and whispered, “Hmm?”

With people around, Dou Changxiao spoke in a voice only Ning Zhu could hear: “I can’t let you smell my pheromones today. How about the day after tomorrow?”

Ning Zhu’s expression was complicated. “Why bring this up now? Really…” He felt as if those words had stabbed him right in the heart. “Of course. Whenever you want is fine.”

Ning Zhu suddenly became surprisingly accommodating, and Dou Changxiao looked at him with some surprise.

Once they arrived at the police station, Dou Changxiao requested to give his statement as soon as possible. This request was easily granted.

Ning Zhu frowned and said, “What’s the rush? Your wound hasn’t been treated yet.”

Seeing that the wound on Dou Changxiao’s hand was still bleeding, the officer said, “You’re right. Let’s just bandage it up first; it won’t take long.”

The infirmary here could provide basic medical care. Although it was normally only open to internal staff, this was a special situation, so providing basic first aid to a witness was acceptable.

Dou Changxiao’s tone quickened: “I’m a doctor; this little cut is nothing.”

Ning Zhu cut him off from behind: “You’re not a damn doctor—you haven’t even finished your undergraduate internship yet.”

Dou Changxiao: “……”

“I’m not—” Before he could finish, his wrist was grabbed.

Without a word, Ning Zhu dragged him toward the infirmary.

Dou Changxiao’s voice trailed off abruptly.

He looked at the hand gripping his own and fell silent.

He let Ning Zhu lead him quietly. A moment later, his other hand silently pulled out his phone. He glanced at the time again.