Ning Zhu’s forehead slammed against the cabinet door, and then he felt a sudden heat on the back of his neck.

The person behind him was rubbing something against his glands.

He wanted to turn around, but Dou Changxiao pinned him firmly against the cabinet, leaving him no room to move.

The bastard behind him, who was up to no good, was breathing heavily and rapidly at that very moment—and it actually sounded as if he were the one being wronged…

Has this kid lost his mind?

Ning Zhu’s left hand braced against the cabinet, leaving him with only one free hand. He reached back with his right hand to grab the person behind him, found the collar, and yanked it.

“Fuck…” Ning Zhu cursed, “Even if you press your nose right up against it, there’s still only that little bit!”

He tugged at Dou Changxiao’s collar, trying to pry the head behind his neck away.

The injury on Ning Zhu’s right wrist had improved somewhat over the past few days, but it still hurt when he twisted it unexpectedly or exerted force.

He gritted his teeth, letting out only a faint, muffled groan.

This struggle seemed to actually work; the person behind him slowly stopped moving and gently took hold of his right hand.

“Don’t move…”

After a few seconds, the weight pressing against Ning Zhu’s back lifted, allowing him to move. Once released, he turned his head, his first instinct being to look at Dou Changxiao.

The other man’s face was even redder than when they’d taken his temperature, and the corners of his eyes were flushed as well.

Before Ning Zhu could speak, Dou Changxiao spoke first: “I’m sorry.”

“……” Ning Zhu silently swallowed the thirteen curse words he’d been preparing to say.

He heard Dou Changxiao’s steady voice: “I… took a leave of absence from the hospital. For the next couple of days, you’d better not knock on my door or call my name. I have a severe cold, and it’s contagious. Tell Aunt Lin not to come either.”

Ning Zhu had a lot to say, but the first thing that came out was a sarcastic retort: “Even if you’re really sick, do you think the virus will just jump through the air and infect me just because I knock on your door or call your name?”

What kind of crazy quantum virus is that?

The veins on Dou Changxiao’s knuckles bulged, and he immediately turned and headed upstairs.

Ning Zhu sighed and called out to him, “You haven’t taken your medicine yet.”

Dou Changxiao replied quickly, “I took it this evening.”

Ning Zhu fell silent, watching him go upstairs and close the guest bedroom door.

He stood in the living room for a moment; his physical reaction had already subsided following the earlier incident.

He looked up, staring at the tightly closed door on the second floor.

That kid’s uncontrolled reaction just now—it looked a bit like he was in his susceptible period…

But Dou Changxiao’s susceptible period had clearly just ended this morning; it was impossible for it to happen a second time less than a day later. Or was it that AO pairs with a high compatibility level react more strongly to each other’s pheromones?

Ning Zhu gently rubbed his right wrist a couple of times before going upstairs to sleep.

The next day, he went to work at Qisheng as usual, but before leaving, he couldn’t help but glance toward the guest bedroom one last time.

A faint scent of coconut lingered in the air.

It was subtle. Ning Zhu seemed to have caught a whiff of it last night while he was in Dou Changxiao’s room, but once he went in and closed the window, the scent vanished, so he’d assumed it was just his imagination.

Ning Zhu took a couple of quick sniffs but didn’t bother to identify the scent before leaving.

Upstairs, the bathroom in the guest bedroom was dark.

A black bracelet and silver handcuffs were intertwined on his wrist. The display on the bracelet—who knows what it had been through—was covered in fine cracks. It flickered feebly one last time before going dark forever.

It was already 8:00 p.m. when the front door on the first floor opened again.

Ning Zhu was still on the phone when he walked in.

As he stepped through the door, he was unexpectedly hit in the face by the scent of coconuts filling the room; his footsteps and voice both halted at the doorway.

“……”

Did that kid forget to turn off the shower?

“I’ve got something to take care of here. We’ll talk at the office tomorrow.” Ning Zhu hung up, put away his phone, and headed upstairs, knocking on Dou Changxiao’s door.

“Don’t just ignore the knock on your door.” He stood there, thinking helplessly. No matter what I do, I’m still more considerate than you, you pheromone-spewing jerk.

Two minutes passed with no answer.

Ning Zhu frowned and called Dou Changxiao’s name again, but still there was no response.

He began to worry that something might have happened to him inside.

The spare key was in the study; it took Ning Zhu a while to find it.

He returned, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. First, an absurdly strong scent of coconut hit him.

The room was pitch black.

Ning Zhu turned on the light immediately to see what was inside.

The room was in disarray.

The bedding on the bed was crumpled and disheveled, and the once-smooth sheets were now covered in wrinkles.

But there was no one there.

“…Changxiao?”

Suddenly, a clinking sound came from the closed bathroom door.

Startled by the sudden noise, Ning Zhu slipped the door key into his trouser pocket as he walked toward the bathroom, pushing the door open without a second thought.

The light from the bedroom spilled into the dim, narrow space, clearly illuminating the figure curled up on the floor.

Ning Zhu froze in his tracks.

The figure shifted slightly, and a faint metallic clink sounded from his wrist.

Ning Zhu looked in the direction of the sound.

The source of the sound was the pair of metal handcuffs he had seen just a few days ago.

Dou Changxiao had a cuff on one wrist, the other end locked to a decorative marble pillar beneath the sink. His head rested against the sink; when he saw Ning Zhu, he jerked his wrist violently, causing the metal to strike the marble with a terrifying clang.

Ning Zhu instinctively wanted to take a step back, but the fabric of his slacks merely fluttered slightly; he didn’t actually move.

He looked at Dou Changxiao, the expression in his eyes shifting from shock to bewilderment…

Then shifting again into a kind of incredulous realization.

“A power drill…?”

He laughed out of sheer frustration, his vision going slightly dark; he didn’t even have the presence of mind to realize that the Alpha in front of him, currently in his susceptible period, couldn’t hear a thing. But Ning Zhu still couldn’t hold back: “You… you ran over here with a power drill to scare me?”

Ning Zhu had never been toyed with like this before, especially not by Dou Changxiao. He smiled, yet a complex mix of emotions he couldn’t quite put his finger on welled up inside him. He was genuinely a bit angry.

He quickly suppressed that irritation, crouched down slightly, and scolded him with a hint of amusement in his voice: “Damn it, you little bastard, do you just hate seeing me that much?”

“I knew it. You were acting so strange last night—refusing to give a statement, refusing to ride in the same car with me…” He searched for Dou Changxiao’s eyes hidden in the dim light. “You were in a hurry to get to the quarantine center, weren’t you?”

Another clang rang out, accompanied by the Alpha’s ragged, intermittent gasps.

Ning Zhu caught sight of the numerous bruises on Dou Changxiao’s wrists—all marks left by the handcuffs, some deep, some shallow. At the sight, the anger in his heart temporarily subsided, though his brow furrowed.

But there was truly nothing he could do to help right now. The only thing he could do was keep his mouth shut for a while and wait until Dou Changxiao’s rut period was over to settle the score.

He stood up again and turned to walk out.

The person behind him suddenly let out a muffled groan, and the clanging sounds grew more intense. It sounded painful.

Ning Zhu couldn’t help but glance back at the other person, then turned his head away again and turned the doorknob.

But in the end, he couldn’t resist. Without even taking a step out the door, he turned sideways and whispered, “You… be gentle.”

Dou Changxiao paused in his movements.

This half-hearted reminder was utterly useless; even Ning Zhu felt a bit… awkward after saying it… and sure enough, he saw the other person struggling even more fiercely.

The lock in the middle of the handcuffs had warped from repeated tugging. Dou Changxiao twisted his wrist, tightening the flexible clasp, and pulled with all his might—

The connecting lock snapped open!

Ning Zhu: “…………”

The worry on his face smoothly transformed into a look of astonishment that defied description.

The clasp clattered to the floor, and Ning Zhu was swept into the arms of the Alpha who had broken free from his restraints.

“Chang…”

Dou Changxiao hooked one arm around his waist while his other hand slid down along his tailbone. Caught off guard by the sudden touch on his butt, Ning Zhu nearly jumped out of his skin.

He tried to dodge the hand groping his butt, so he jerked his body forward—only to feel something in front of him poke his lower abdomen.

“…………”

Ning Zhu silently offered his buttocks back to the other man’s hand.

Damn it…

Rarely flustered, he began imagining the worst possible outcome at this critical moment.

This guy clearly can’t stand the sight of me… wouldn’t he take this opportunity to snap my neck?

But Dou Changxiao merely cupped the base of his hips, lifting him up, tilting Ning Zhu’s collarbone upward, and burying his face to inhale the scent of his neck.

“Changxiao!” Ning Zhu’s face flushed almost instantly. “You Dou guy! Say something.”

The other remained silent. This feeling was far too ominous.

Ning Zhu’s voice softened slightly: “Changxiao, say something.”

Dou Changxiao slowed his movements and reluctantly let out a soft “Hmm.”

Ning Zhu tried to use something to bring the other man back to his senses, testing the waters cautiously: “…Five million?”

“……”

Ning Zhu felt a sharp pain in his collarbone.

Five million didn’t work.

It hurt too much. This little bastard’s canine teeth… were they sharper than the needles from the suppressant?

Ning Zhu: “Once your susceptible period is over, I’ll settle this score—along with that electric drill incident!”

Dou Changxiao stiffened for a moment, then bit down even harder.

Ning Zhu couldn’t stand the pain anymore and reached out to push Dou Changxiao’s cheek away.

The other person stopped biting his collarbone and let Ning Zhu touch his face.

Ning Zhu took a breath.

It seemed to work… though he didn’t know why.

He raised his right hand as well, but Dou Changxiao grabbed it.

Dou Changxiao began biting the fingers of his right hand.

Ning Zhu: “……”

Well, this didn’t work either.

Ning Zhu’s voice cracked as he said, “You’re not allowed to bite me. I’ll let you smell my pheromones, okay?”

Dou Changxiao fell silent, seemingly weighing whether biting Ning Zhu’s fingers or smelling his pheromones was more important.

Ning Zhu felt a pang of guilt even as he said it—with his “clogged faucet,” releasing pheromones would make little difference.

Dou Changxiao released his grip.

“Can you talk to me?” The other’s silence made Ning Zhu feel uneasy.

Dou Changxiao: “Mm.”

Ning Zhu: “Go ahead.”

Dou Changxiao: “…Ning Zhu.”

Ning Zhu: “Mm, continue.”

Dou Changxiao: “Ning Zhu.”

Ning Zhu: “…Can you say something else?”

Dou Changxiao: “Mr. Ning.”

“…Huh.”

Dou Changxiao continued on his own: “Little Sweet Apricot.”

“……”

After a moment, Dou Changxiao finally said something else, “You keep… touching me.”

Ning Zhu: “…”

When did I ever touch him… He felt like his innocence was being slandered.

A few seconds later.

Oh.

Ning Zhu’s mind clicked into place, and he realized that “touch” was a very innocent kind of “touch.”

So he pressed his left hand against the other’s face.

Dou Changxiao seemed to calm down a bit.

Ning Zhu was about to raise his right hand.

Dou Changxiao: “Don’t move your right hand.”

Ning Zhu: “…You discriminate against my right hand? My right hand is so good. I use my right hand for everything.”

Dou Changxiao’s lips parted slightly, and he suddenly stared at him in a daze.

Ning Zhu saw Adam’s other apple bob a few times.

Then his waist was pulled much tighter, and he felt that massive bulge pressing against him again.

Ning Zhu: “……”

But Dou Changxiao touched him briefly before quickly loosening his grip, and Ning Zhu swiftly pressed his butt against the bathroom’s glass door.

Dou Changxiao seemed to have forgotten about Ning Zhu’s earlier offer to let him smell his pheromones.

He picked Ning Zhu up, walked to the bed, tossed him onto it, then lay down on his side, wrapping his arms around Ning Zhu from behind as if he were hugging a blanket.

“……” Ning Zhu pushed against Dou Changxiao’s hip with one hand, then thrust his hips forward slightly, separating his tailbone from the other man’s lower body.

Fortunately, Dou Changxiao didn’t press closer. He lowered his head, as if the scent of detergent on Ning Zhu were as alluring as his own pheromones, capable of easing some of the thirst of his heat.

He wasn’t acting crazy at all now; he was just quietly rubbing against him, nudging Ning Zhu’s neck collar with his nose, licking the skin at the back of his neck, and occasionally pressing his canine teeth against it—just barely, as if on the verge of biting.

Ning Zhu wasn’t fazed by this.

After all, getting marked by him was pretty expensive; getting it for free wasn’t such a bad deal.

He looked down at Dou Changxiao’s arm wrapped around his waist; the dark bruises looked even more terrifying under the lamplight.

He stared at them for a moment, thinking: Alright… this kid’s vulnerable phase is actually pretty well-behaved. Being used as a pillow for a few moments is better than watching him act like he’s self-harming.

An hour later, Ning Zhu began to regret it.

“…You’ve had enough, haven’t you?”

The person behind him pretended to be dead. But his nose was still sniffing at him.

Ning Zhu resorted to a trick he’d used before: “Let me go, and I’ll let you smell my pheromones.”

The person behind him didn’t hesitate for a second: “No way. I don’t want them anymore.”

He doesn’t want my pheromones anymore.

At that moment, Ning Zhu really hated his uncooperative glands. That tiny bit of pheromone held absolutely no appeal for this kid…

“I have to work tomorrow morning. How am I supposed to give you five million if I can’t make any money?”

“I’m not letting go.”

Ning Zhu tried to find some humor in his misery: Oh boy, is my measly pheromone really comparable to five million?

Ning Zhu: “Then do you want me to touch you?”

The person behind him paused, “With your right hand?”

Ning Zhu: “Aren’t you against using your right hand? Use your left.”

“……I’m not letting go.”

Ning Zhu actually detected a hint of disappointment in the other’s voice.

He tried to struggle, but Dou Changxiao’s arms were astonishingly strong, holding him fast without budging an inch.

Ning Zhu really couldn’t spend the whole night like this; he racked his brain, trying to think of any other way to negotiate.

But the person holding him suddenly shifted, rolling over Ning Zhu’s shoulder to lay him flat on his back. Then he rolled over himself, propping himself up on top of Ning Zhu, and looked down at him with lowered eyes.

This intimate position made Ning Zhu feel inexplicably nervous.

Dou Changxiao: “Want me to let you go?”

“…Yeah.”

Dou Changxiao said softly, “…Kiss me, and I’ll let you go.”

Ning Zhu: “……”

Dou Changxiao repeated, “Kiss me, and I’ll let you go.”

Ning Zhu: “…” What’s the point of asking for a kiss during the susceptible period?

Ning Zhu: “…Then just keep holding me.”

Dou Changxiao: “Kiss me.”

Ning Zhu didn’t say anything, looking away awkwardly.

Silence.

Dou Changxiao: “Kiss me.”

Still silence.

Dou Changxiao slowly sat up.

Ning Zhu also propped himself up; his crisp suit was now wrinkled beyond recognition.

He pulled his legs back: “…Don’t want me to kiss you anymore?”

“Mm.”

Ning Zhu tried to roll off the bed, walked to the door, and gave the doorknob a turn.

Then he turned his head; Dou Changxiao was still sitting there watching him, showing no intention of stopping him.

“I didn’t kiss you, so you’re just going to let me go?”

“Mm.”

“……”

Dou Changxiao’s gaze was serene; it was hard to imagine that he was currently in his susceptible period.

Ning Zhu stared at him for a moment, looked away briefly, then returned his gaze to Dou Changxiao’s face. He walked over slowly.

“I suppose I’ll keep my word. Once your susceptible period is over, we’ll settle this score.” He spoke softly, then lowered his head to brush his lips against Dou Changxiao’s cheek.

“……”

Ning Zhu finished the kiss quickly, straightened up, and had barely straightened his back halfway when his lower back was suddenly hooked by someone.

Then, in a flash, he was pulled back onto the bed.

Dou Changxiao pressed his knee against Ning Zhu’s groin and lowered himself. Ning Zhu stammered in confusion, “You…”

A sudden heat washed over his lips. His words were cut off as Dou Changxiao cupped the back of his neck and kissed him deeply.

The word “you” turned into a muffled whimper.

Dou Changxiao used his tongue when biting Ning Zhu’s ear, but when it came to kissing, he was clearly still a novice—only his lips moved, yet he kissed with great force. After grinding his lips against Ning Zhu’s for a while, as if feeling unsatisfied, he used the tip of his tongue to lick the gap between Ning Zhu’s lips.

Ning Zhu finally snapped back to his senses, turned his face away to dodge the kiss, and with great effort pulled his hand—which had been wedged between their bodies—free, quickly covering the lower half of Dou Changxiao’s face.

He gasped for air, staring wide-eyed at the shameless fellow in front of him, and said in disbelief, “Excuse me… where’s your face?”

Dou Changxiao looked at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly, a soft glow in his pupils.

Ning Zhu stared at his smiling eyes, momentarily dazed. As far as he could recall, this was the first time he’d ever seen this man wear such an expression.

He unconsciously loosened his grip a little.

“You kissed me,” Dou Changxiao said.

Ning Zhu: “……”

“So you like me.”

“……”

Ning Zhu’s mouth twitched twice. “…… I like your sister.”