What's Wrong with This Alpha? - Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – Marking

Duan Yi only realized the seriousness of the situation when Sheng Yunze slumped onto the desk.

He shoved his papers and notebooks into his backpack and reached out to touch Sheng Yunze’s forehead. It was slightly warmer than usual.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Duan Yi asked worriedly. “Should we go back to the dorm?”

Sheng Yunze glanced at him before closing his eyes. “No.”

Duan Yi frowned. “How did you suddenly get sick? Did you catch a cold from running at night?”

He thought for a moment, then pulled out a test paper and fanned Sheng Yunze, trying to cool him down—a futile gesture.

“Can you walk?” Duan Yi kept asking questions, but Sheng Yunze didn’t want to say anything.

Duan Yi didn’t know about Sheng Yunze’s condition, but after a moment of shock, Sheng Yunze immediately recognized the signs: the onset of his Alpha rut.

Unlike an Omega’s heat, an Alpha’s rut doesn’t cloud their mind. Instead, it brings intense aggression, uncontrollable urges, and a destructive nature. During this time, Alphas also emit pheromones that can force nearby Omegas into heat.

Sheng Yunze’s ruts had always been mild, well within his control. He had always managed to get through them safely.

Second High School’s three-times-a-day suppressant injections had always kept pheromones under control without any issues. Today’s situation was highly unusual, and Sheng Yunze felt deeply suspicious.

He quickly reviewed his day, trying to recall anything out of the ordinary. The only unusual thing was the pack of cigarettes Duan Yi had given him.

Did Duan Yi drug me?

Sheng Yunze dismissed the thought almost immediately. He turned to see Duan Yi anxiously fanning him, looking flustered and confused. He wouldn’t dare, Sheng Yunze scoffed inwardly.

That meant Duan Yi had no idea what was going on.

Sheng Yunze tore open the cigarette pack, ripping off the wrapper. Fine strands of tobacco spilled onto the table. He picked some up and sniffed them. Sure enough, he detected a faint trace of Omega pheromones—not Duan Yi’s. The scent was strange, like cheap, synthetic perfume.

“Where did you get these cigarettes?” Sheng Yunze demanded through gritted teeth.

“I didn’t buy them,” Duan Yi replied.

Seeing Sheng Yunze’s worsening condition, Duan Yi didn’t dare lie. “Scar gave them to me.”

“Scar?” Sheng Yunze snapped. “Do you even know what he does? How could you take anything from him?”

Duan Yi looked hurt and confused. “I didn’t know… I just heard he got into trouble off-campus before. What’s wrong with the cigarettes?”

Sheng Yunze pressed his temples. “Omega pheromone inducer.”

Duan Yi: “What?”

Sheng Yunze: “Haven’t you heard of it? It’s a recreational drug used to induce Omega heat cycles. If an Alpha inhales it, they’ll be forced into rut. In simpler terms, it’s an aphrodisiac.”

Duan Yi: =口=!

He instantly understood and grabbed the cigarette pack. “An inducer?”

Sheng Yunze scowled. “Stay away from me.”

Duan Yi snapped out of his shock. “But you’re already like this…”

Sheng Yunze’s pheromones, usually tightly contained, were slowly leaking out.

It was past ten o’clock, and the riverside was gradually emptying, though not yet deserted.

Alpha pheromones are highly aggressive, especially Sheng Yunze’s. Genetically superior, his pheromones were far more potent than those of ordinary Alphas. If an unmarked Omega were present, they would immediately enter heat.

Duan Yi sighed in relief. Good thing I’m permanently marked.

Sheng Yunze’s pheromones had already bonded with his. As long as Sheng Yunze didn’t deliberately try to force him into heat, Duan Yi wouldn’t feel uncomfortable even when enveloped by his pheromones.

Sheng Yunze asked in surprise, “Why are you okay?”

Duan Yi: “…Huh?!”

Sheng Yunze seemed to realize something, his face darkening further. His next question was accusatory and angry, as if Duan Yi’s well-being was a fatal blow, shattering his belief in his own allure, “Why are you okay?!”

“Me?” Duan Yi’s alarm bells rang. He frantically tried to think of a lie, but before he could come up with one, Sheng Yunze grabbed the back of his neck. “Duan Yi, why are you okay?”

Duan Yi froze.

Why was he okay?

What other reason could there be?

Did he have to explain that Sheng Yunze had never been an Omega and wouldn’t understand that marked Omegas don’t strongly resist their husbands’ pheromones? As long as Sheng Yunze didn’t act up, Duan Yi wouldn’t react too much.

And this was a lifelong bond.

Sheng Yunze’s eyes burned with confusion and frustration, as if he wanted to overwhelm Duan Yi with his pheromones right then and there.

“Don’t lie!”

Duan Yi: “What? No, no, I wouldn’t dare.”

Sheng Yunze: “Don’t tell me you weren’t making up lies in your head just now to trick me!”

…He was.

Duan Yi dared not speak. “Is this really the time to worry about that? Let me take you to the hospital first.”

Sheng Yunze gritted his teeth. “I’m not going.”

Duan Yi stared in disbelief. “Are you going to die here? You’re just going to lie here instead of going to the hospital?”

“Don’t tell me you think your ‘righteousness’ will stop an Alpha’s rut,” Duan Yi said.

Sheng Yunze took a deep breath. “Whose fault is this?!”

Duan Yi instantly felt guilty. “Mine.”

The Alpha pheromones in the air grew stronger.

Duan Yi couldn’t leave Sheng Yunze in the pavilion. He slung his backpack over one shoulder, supported Sheng Yunze with his other arm, and hurried him to the nearest hotel.

In the opulent lobby, the receptionist asked for Duan Yi’s ID. She then gave a strange look to Sheng Yunze, who was sitting nearby with his eyes half-closed. Luckily, Second High School’s suppressants were working well, preventing his frosty pheromones from spreading everywhere.

The receptionist was a Beta. Seeing Duan Yi’s handsome face and Sheng Yunze’s obvious high school appearance, she wondered if they were underage.

“Sir, please show your ID,” she said, her voice full of doubt.

Duan Yi never carried his ID at night. He tapped the counter impatiently. “Get your manager here now. This is an emergency.”

“Sir…”

“Or call Ren Pingyuan. Now.”

After a moment, Manager Ren hurried down and escorted Duan Yi to the presidential suite.

The front desk staff now realized that the underage guest checking in was Second Young Master Duan, the Chairman’s son, and their faces paled in shock.

“Get me some inhibitors, and water too,” Duan Yi ordered bluntly.

Manager Ren wiped his sweat nervously. “Second Young Master, you see…”

He glanced at Sheng Yunze’s flower-like face—a rare beauty. Could he be an Omega? Manager Ren was a Beta and couldn’t easily detect Alpha pheromones.

Oh no! he thought in horror. I’ve heard Second Young Master Duan is a troublemaker at school, but drugging an Omega? Should I tell the Chairman?

Manager Ren, dying of curiosity, hesitated. “This might not be appropriate…”

He tried to dissuade Second Young Master Duan from going down the wrong path.

Duan Yi turned sharply. “What’s inappropriate? He’s my classmate! He’s in rut, and he’s an Alpha! What are you thinking? Ugh, your expression is so creepy! Are you imagining something weird? I’ll fire you, I swear!”

Manager Ren sighed. “Second Young Master, you’ve fired me over a thousand times this year. I’m used to it.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Duan Yi hadn’t done anything illegal or unethical. How else could he explain this to the Chairman?

Manager Ren, who worked at a hotel near Second High School, often dealt with Duan Yi. He frequently had Duan Yi come to the hotel and use his connections to get special treatment, eating, drinking, and staying for free.

Duan Yi ordered him around without hesitation. The hotel had inhibitors, and Duan Yi poured some water for Sheng Yunze to drink before helping him into the master bedroom.

He carefully laid Sheng Yunze on the bed. “Rest well. I won’t disturb you.”

Duan Yi felt deeply guilty. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Tomorrow was the last day of midterms. If Sheng Yunze lost his chance at being the top student because of him…

Duan Yi wanted to die.

Sheng Yunze lay with his eyes closed, his brow slightly furrowed.

Although he had taken the inhibitor, it didn’t seem to be working. Duan Yi worried: was the forced rut induced by the pheromone different from a normal one?

Manager Ren led Duan Yi out of the room. “Second Young Master, you’re an Alpha too. Staying with him might make your classmate uncomfortable.”

Between Alphas, pheromones often clashed. In severe cases, they could even fight to the death.

Manager Ren said, “If you’re worried, you can wait in the other room. The rooms are right across from each other, very close. You’ll know right away if your classmate needs anything.”

Duan Yi mumbled a listless “Okay.” Manager Ren found his dejected expression endearing and couldn’t resist patting his head reassuringly. “It’s just the rut. He’ll be fine after taking an Inhibitor.”

“But his rut seems different from usual,” Duan Yi said.

“How so?” Manager Ren asked.

Duan Yi couldn’t quite explain it.

He had witnessed Sheng Yunze’s ruts in parallel timelines, and none had ever been this intense.

Sheng Yunze was a man of extreme rationality, with an almost unnerving level of control over his own pheromones. He handled everything with effortless ease, as if nothing could ever push him to his limits.

The kind of leader who always had things under control, utterly reliable.

Duan Yi had never seen him so out of control.

Could it be that Sheng Yunze had weakened, his self-control diminished?

He paced anxiously. “Anyway, it’s different. Do you have my family doctor’s contact information? I’ll call him to prepare to come check on my classmate.”

The Duan family’s private doctor?

Manager Ren was torn between amusement and exasperation. Even if he had the number, calling a private doctor in the middle of the night just for a rut seemed absurd.

A rut is just like a cold, Manager Ren thought. Calling a private doctor is a huge overreaction.

Manager Ren said, “Second Young Master, he’s really fine.” He added with admiration, “You’re a good friend to your classmate.”

Duan Yi hesitated, then snapped, “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

He tried to open Sheng Yunze’s door again, but Manager Ren stopped him. “Second Young Master, don’t. Alphas in rut can be very aggressive. You’re an Alpha yourself, you should know. Going in there now would make both of you uncomfortable.”

With Manager Ren watching, Duan Yi couldn’t admit he was an Omega.

He pushed Manager Ren out the door. The manager knocked on the door. “Second Young Master, call me if you need anything. I wrote my number on the desk.”

Duan Yi squatted absently in the living room. Sheng Yunze’s pheromones, sharp as snow, drifted from the bedroom. Duan Yi kept turning toward the door, worried. Finally, he went to the bedroom door.

Knock, knock, knock.

He knocked three times. “Sheng Yunze, are you okay? Is the Inhibitor working?”

Sheng Yunze didn’t answer. Duan Yi tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.

He felt a surge of frustration. “Hey, why did you lock the door? Afraid I’ll take advantage of you? I’m not just any Omega!”

Duan Yi felt guilty as he finished his sentence. He remembered the last time he’d gone into heat in the music room, clinging to Sheng Yunze like an octopus. Now he felt too embarrassed to say he didn’t want to take advantage of him.

But did he really need to guard himself against me like I’m some kind of thief?

Duan Yi’s anger flared. “Damn it!”

Does he really like me?

Or does he just want my handsome face?

Defeated, Duan Yi lowered his head and said dejectedly, “Then remember to drink plenty of hot water. I’ll be sleeping next door. Call me if you need anything.”

After a moment, he pressed his forehead against the door. “I’m sorry, Sheng Yunze. I…”

“Leave,” Sheng Yunze’s voice came from the bedroom, strained and trembling.

Duan Yi’s heart twisted with pain and resentment. “Fine, I’ll leave. Don’t misunderstand—I won’t try to get close to you on purpose.”

Sheng Yunze didn’t respond.

Duan Yi couldn’t understand. I’m an Omega too. Why doesn’t Sheng Yunze ask me for help?

He turned away, then thought, If Sheng Yunze asked me for help, would I agree?

It would just be one bite. He’d let Sheng Yunze bite him before—back in that parallel world.

Duan Yi returned to the guest room, showered, and threw himself onto the bed, muttering in despair, “Does he really have no interest in me at all?”

Then he pulled out his phone and sadly played Flirtatious Little County Magistrate. In this cold world where his husband would rather suffer alone than sleep with him, only the game offered a sliver of warmth.

After buying a bunch of dresses for Little Fairy—his bootleg Sheng Yunze—Duan Yi’s eyelids grew heavy.

Sheng Yunze’s pheromones filled the air, and Duan Yi slept soundly, his body relaxing completely as his limbs grew heavy.

In the middle of the night, he woke to the sound of a lock clicking.

Duan Yi groaned. Before he could sit up, a powerful force pinned him to the bed.

“Holy shit?” He snapped awake, only to be overwhelmed by an even more aggressive pheromone assault. His “holy shit” turned into a soft, watery sound. He gasped, staring into Sheng Yunze’s eyes in the darkness.

Sheng Yunze pressed him down, the Alpha’s thick pheromones making him cough.

“Sheng Yunze…” Duan Yi managed, his limbs pinned and tingling, unable to move.

Wasn’t he next door? How did he get in here?

Sheng Yunze’s gaze was like a cold knife. Duan Yi’s heart raced with fear, and his instincts screamed submission to the Alpha.

Duan Yi, sleeping across the hall, noticed something on the floor in front of the master bedroom door: the doorknob, broken into two pieces.

Damn it! Duan Yi was stunned. What the hell happened here?

Did he lock himself in the room and then break the lock to get out?

Is this some kind of weird rut quirk for Alphas?

Am I going to have to pay Ren Pingyuan for this tomorrow?

Duan Yi frantically pushed Sheng Yunze away. The Alpha’s pheromones were so thick they were practically solidifying into a misty cloud.

Even though Duan Yi had been marked by Sheng Yunze, being bombarded with this much pheromone was overwhelming. If Sheng Yunze continued his relentless assault, Duan Yi might even be forced into heat.

That would be a disaster!

Duan Yi quickly regained his composure. “Sheng Yunze, didn’t your Inhibitor work?”

Sheng Yunze buried his face in Duan Yi’s neck, exhaling deeply, his voice hoarse. “Let me bite you.”

Duan Yi swallowed hard, thinking, You spent half the night locked in your room, brooding, and this is all you came up with?

He shoved Sheng Yunze away. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Why did you lock yourself in the room?”

“I was thinking,” Sheng Yunze replied.

Duan Yi’s sleepiness vanished. “Thinking about what?”

“The price I’d have to pay for that bite.”

Duan Yi: “Don’t worry, I won’t make you take responsibility.”

Sheng Yunze, perhaps more vulnerable during his rut, said something that made Duan Yi’s face flush and his heart race. He couldn’t find the words to respond.

“I want to.”

Duan Yi: “Want what?”

“…I want to take responsibility.”

It sounded a little like he was trying to act pitiful.

Sheng Yunze’s face looked innocent, his tone was gentle, but his body betrayed him. His possessiveness grew stronger, and he squeezed Duan Yi’s wrist until it hurt.

They had agreed on just one bite, so why was Sheng Yunze’s hands all over him?

Duan Yi struggled, but Sheng Yunze, driven by his rut, naturally interpreted Duan Yi’s resistance as defiance. This only fueled the violent impulses within him.

Sheng Yunze gripped Duan Yi’s chin, his expression dark. He forced out a sentence through gritted teeth, “Can’t I bite you?”

Duan Yi was confused. Why is he suddenly so angry?

Before he could answer, Sheng Yunze took action. He roughly pinned Duan Yi’s hands behind his back, flipped him over, and forced his face into the pillow. Duan Yi gasped in pain. Sheng Yunze loomed over him, then slowly lowered himself, pressing his hand against Duan Yi’s gland.

Duan Yi shivered, a jolt of electricity shooting through his lower abdomen.

Sheng Yunze was using his pheromones to suppress him?!

Damn it, that’s just cheating!

Duan Yi’s cheeks flushed crimson. “You son of a bitch…”

Sheng Yunze’s breathing quickened, his voice low and urgent. “Watch your mouth.”

His thin lips finally pressed against the back of Duan Yi’s neck. Duan Yi froze, terrified, like a rabbit caught in a snare.

“Let me bite you, Duan Yi,” Sheng Yunze said, his tone a mix of threat and persuasion. “You made me do this.”

Duan Yi’s resistance crumbled. Sheng Yunze’s eyes darkened as he kissed the back of Duan Yi’s neck, finding the old teeth marks on his gland increasingly irritating.

As if merely informing Duan Yi, Sheng Yunze’s small canines glinted in the dim light. Duan Yi groaned softly as a sharp pain shot through his neck. The Alpha’s pheromones, forceful and possessive, flooded his body.

Duan Yi’s body went limp, his feeble resistance vanishing completely. He slowly sank into the bedding.

An Omega’s consciousness blurs the moment they’re marked.

Duan Yi lay face down on the bed, only half his face visible. His eyes were vacant, his mouth slightly open, emitting meaningless whimpers.

Complete surrender and obedience.

This was Sheng Yunze’s first time marking an Omega, and he never imagined it would be so exhilarating.

It felt like floating on clouds. The pleasure from the pheromone fusion exploded through his body, so intense his limbs went numb. An inexplicable possessiveness and bliss surged within him, making him want nothing more than to die in bed with Duan Yi.

No wonder teenagers were obsessed with early romance. During the marking, Sheng Yunze nearly lost control, unable to resist Duan Yi’s gland. He bit it, then kept nipping at it, unwilling to stop.

He even wanted to bite Duan Yi’s plump lips.

Sheng Yunze had a secret plan, to overwrite Duan Yi’s previous temporary mark with his own. That’s why he bit the exact same spot.

Then he discovered something unbelievable, his teeth marks perfectly matched the ones on Duan Yi’s gland.

And as soon as he bit, Sheng Yunze knew this wasn’t a temporary mark—it was a permanent one.

Duan Yi had bonded with another Alpha, and they had a permanent mark.

That Alpha’s pheromones should have been forever in Duan Yi’s body. Sheng Yunze was blinded by anger for a moment, but then he realized there was only one kind of pheromone in Duan Yi’s body.

—All of it was his.

Even Sheng Yunze, with all his intelligence, couldn’t understand what was happening. He froze in place, completely stunned.

Duan Yi took over ten minutes to regain consciousness, his vision slowly coming into focus.

Sheng Yunze’s rut hadn’t ended, but he was much calmer than before. He was now exhibiting a nesting instinct, clutching the blankets Duan Yi had slept in and trying to curl up with them.

Duan Yi wiggled his fingers, feeling utterly drained. He looked at Sheng Yunze, who seemed uncharacteristically embarrassed and guilty. “Are you okay?” Sheng Yunze asked.

Duan Yi replied weakly, “What do you think I should say?”

Sheng Yunze’s expression darkened slightly, his tone turning serious. “Duan Yi, is there anything you want to tell me?”

Oblivious to the unusual intensity in Sheng Yunze’s demeanor, Duan Yi tried to brush it off with his usual flippant humor. “Next time, bite a little softer, okay? That really hurt.”