It was late at night by the time Zhou Shu rushed back to Haicheng. He had Zhu Lili take his luggage home first while he went straight to the house across the hall.
This was the first time Zhou Shu had entered Jin Yan’s room in five years; the last time was when he had locked himself in the other’s wardrobe.
Jin Yan’s mother had told him that Jin Yan had been asleep all day and hadn't woken up, suffering from a persistent low-grade fever. Zhou Shu’s heart tightened at the news. Casting all hesitation aside, he pushed open the bedroom door.
The moment the door opened, the scent of a torrential rainstorm in a forest surged toward him.
Zhou Shu’s heart jolted. His first instinct was that Jin Yan had likely entered his rut.
However, despite the intensity of the pheromones, he felt no rejection or irritability. It was just as Jin Yan had said—their pheromones were harmonious.
In fact, Zhou Shu felt a wave of weakness in his legs that he could barely withstand. But the sensation lasted only a few seconds; the cold pheromones seemed to sense his presence, and the moment someone entered the room, they began to weaken.
The downpour shifted into a misty drizzle, though it somehow made one’s heart itch even more.
Zhou Shu’s body stiffened for only a moment before he regained his composure. He draped his coat over the sofa and sat down by Jin Yan’s bed.
Only then did he see Jin Yan’s slightly furrowed brows and the cold sweat beading on his forehead. This reaction was quite different from his own ruts.
Zhou Shu pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from Jin Yan’s brow, then couldn't help but brush the back of his hand against the younger man's cheek a few times.
The moment their skin touched, Jin Yan was like a Sleeping Beauty awakened by a kiss. His eyelashes fluttered, and he forced his eyes open.
When he realized who was sitting by his bed, he snapped awake. His eyes widened, he blinked several times, squeezed them shut, and then opened them again...
Zhou Shu was struck by how adorable he was. The icy gaze of the aloof Movie King melted instantly. He gently squeezed Jin Yan’s hand through the quilt and smiled with tender indulgence. "Did the fever turn your brain to mush?"
"You..." Jin Yan started to speak, only to find his voice so raspy that it was difficult to make a sound. He cleared his throat and asked, "Ge, why are you back?"
"If I didn't come back, how long were you planning to let this fever run before telling me?" Seeing that the boy was alright and that the rut reaction wasn't too severe, Zhou Shu felt relieved. He cracked a few jokes to distract him.
Jin Yan dazed for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh. "You still care about me, Ge."
"Auntie Fang said you haven't eaten all day. Do you want to sit up? I'll go get you something to eat."
Jin Yan opened his mouth, then shook his head. "It's fine, don't worry about me." His throat worked as he swallowed, and after a pause, he made a difficult decision. "You... should go back."
"What?" Zhou Shu hadn't expected the kid to start driving him away the moment he woke up. He frowned instinctively.
"Mm..." Jin Yan’s voice dropped, his eyes clouded with a layer of mist. "Go back."
Zhou Shu didn't answer. In the silence that followed, the "rain" in the air came to an abrupt halt, as if a valve had been twisted shut. It was clear its owner was exercising extreme restraint.
After a short while, Zhou Shu stood up. He gave the person on the bed a cool glance, picked up his coat, and walked out, closing the door behind him.
The sound of the closing door triggered a memory for Jin Yan—it was the same sound he had heard the day he finished his differentiation at eighteen.
*Sigh, looks like I'll have to coax him for a while again.*
Jin Yan thought to himself with a bitter smile, a sense of heartache rising alongside his physical exhaustion.
Now that the other was gone, he didn't need to deliberately suppress his pheromones. In an instant, the rainstorm returned to the room, more violent than before.
An Enigma’s rut wasn't like an Alpha’s, which demanded a hearty release. Alphas usually became irritable and aggressive during their ruts, their combativeness and desire peaking.
For an Enigma, however, it was exceptionally mild—at least, Jin Yan didn't experience those volatile emotions. Instead, he would run a low fever for two or three days, during which his consciousness would be blurred and he would be prone to extreme fatigue. It was like entering a brief, fragile period of hibernation, devoid of any desire for conflict.
But the pheromones, which usually remained unaffected by anyone else, would grow rampant during these days, spreading to every corner of the room.
If a stranger were to walk into this room now, they would likely lose consciousness instantly. Even Jin Yan’s parents didn't dare stay for long.
Just now, Jin Yan had endured immense physical fatigue to pull his pheromones back; otherwise, Zhou Shu might not have been able to withstand it.
If he accidentally drew out Zhou Shu’s pheromones... the consequences would be truly unthinkable.
Jin Yan tried his best to suppress the heat surging through his body and slowly closed his eyes, but it was difficult to fall back asleep.
He was worried Zhou Shu was angry; he desperately wanted to hold him.
He also truly missed and needed that sweet, clear scent of the ocean.
After an unknown amount of time, the door to Jin Yan’s room opened again. He didn't open his eyes, only hearing the sound of a cup being placed on the bedside table.
"It's fine, Mom. I'm not eating," Jin Yan said softly.
"Oh? You've stopped calling me 'Ge' and started calling me 'Mom' instead?"
Jin Yan’s body stiffened for several seconds. He opened his eyes in disbelief, his gaze slightly red and watery as he looked at Zhou Shu.
Zhou Shu had changed his clothes, allowing Jin Yan to see the chain on his wrist. The pendant swayed back and forth, just as teasing as the "spray of the waves" that was Zhou Shu himself.
But the "wave" seemed utterly unconcerned about the danger he was in. He looked at Jin Yan with smiling eyes, his voice soft. "You're already in this state, don't make me leave, okay? Consider it a favor to your Ge."
Jin Yan’s breath hitched completely, his pupils trembling.
This was a phrase he had often heard as a child. Every time he was unhappy or threw a small tantrum, Zhou Shu would coax him like this. He had thought he would never hear Zhou Shu use that tone with him again in this lifetime...
In an instant, all of Jin Yan’s mental defenses crumbled. He could no longer remain firm. Using what little rationality he had left to rein in his pheromones, he pulled Zhou Shu into his arms with a sudden tug.
Zhou Shu was stunned, his body instinctively struggling for a moment.
"Ge, don't move. Just let me hold you."
"I..." Zhou Shu stopped moving and sighed. "You're pinning my arm. Let me get my hand out first."
The two of them adjusted their positions. After a bit of shuffling, Zhou Shu found himself lying on the bed with Jin Yan hugging him from behind, his soft gland positioned right at the tip of Jin Yan’s nose.
Jin Yan gritted his teeth, suppressing his inner impulses, yet he couldn't resist his physical instincts.
He leaned forward slightly and brushed his lips gently against Zhou Shu’s gland.
Zhou Shu shuddered, as if a numbing electric current had surged through him. It made his heart race, yet his body grew even softer.
Seeing that Zhou Shu didn't resist or show any repulsion, Jin Yan took it as permission. He began to lightly nuzzle Zhou Shu’s gland with his lips, but stopped after only a few brushes, finally leaving a lingering, reluctant kiss.
Zhou Shu indulged Jin Yan’s actions. Amidst the nervous excitement, a wave of bitterness rose in his heart.
Two Alphas could never mark each other. They were destined to never be like ordinary couples, unable to fuse their pheromones together.
At this thought, he let out a very soft sigh.
Jin Yan noticed Zhou Shu’s distraction. He gave a punishingly light nip to the area beside Zhou Shu’s gland. "Who are you thinking about while you're in my arms?" His voice was deep and raspy, making Zhou Shu’s ears tingle.
Zhou Shu felt things couldn't continue like this. He tried to get up, but Jin Yan held him firmly in his embrace.
With reddened ears, Zhou Shu patted him. "Let me up first." Only then did Jin Yan reluctantly let go and sit up himself. Zhou Shu rose, picked up the porridge from the nightstand, and held it out to Jin Yan. "Be good. Eat something."
Jin Yan pursed his lips, acting spoiled. "I have no appetite."
Zhou Shu shook his head helplessly and brought the spoon directly to the other's lips. Just like when they were kids, the "successful" party finally deigned to open his mouth.
After coaxing him through half a bowl, Zhou Shu set the porridge down. "Would you really refuse to eat if I didn't feed you?"
Jin Yan curled the corners of his mouth and nodded.
"Typical." Zhou Shu poured a glass of water and handed it to him. "What do you do when I'm not around? During these past five years, did you just not eat whenever you were sick?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, both fell silent for a long time.
Jin Yan turned to look out the window. He saw the moonlight making the leaves shimmer and heard the restless waves of the sea.
"Well, skipping a day or two won't kill me."
This spoiled remark sounded like a sharp blade in Zhou Shu’s ears, as if reminding him how foolish his stubbornness five years ago had been.
He turned his face away and shifted his body. Jin Yan, thinking he was leaving, grabbed him. "Ge, I was wrong. Don't leave me..."
Zhou Shu turned sideways, looking at Jin Yan’s face by the moonlight. He saw the "doll" from his childhood, and he saw a reflection of Zhou Duo.
His entire demeanor softened as he squeezed Jin Yan’s hand back. "I'm not leaving. I'll never leave again."
*I'll never leave you alone in this room again, like I did the day you differentiated.*
After saying this, Zhou Shu realized Jin Yan was staring at him intensely, his gaze hot enough to melt him.
Since Jin Yan’s return, this wasn't the first time he felt unable to handle the younger man's gaze.
Just as he was wondering how to hide his fluster, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Zhou Shu quickly moved to the side of the bed. Once he saw Zhou Shu had straightened his clothes, Jin Yan curled his lips and said, "Mom? Come in."
The door opened, and Jin Yan’s mother peeked her head through the gap. "Is it convenient for me to come in?"
Zhou Shu cleared his throat. "Of course."
Jin Yan’s mother looked at the bowl on the table and beamed with surprise. "As expected, he only eats when his Ge is here. Yanyan, you're really regressing as you get older."
Zhou Shu’s expression didn't change much, but the tips of his ears deepened in color.
Jin Yan’s mother gave a few more instructions and helped clear the dishes. Before leaving, she turned to ask Zhou Shu, "Is Xiaoshu sleeping here tonight?"
"Yes."
"He's going back."
The two spoke at the same time. Jin Yan’s mother hadn't expected this conflict, so she hastily blurted out, "Get some rest early," and fled, closing the door behind her.
The two were left in a bizarre atmosphere, each looking toward a different side of the room.
In the end, Jin Yan was the one to cave. He leaned in and tugged at the chain on Zhou Shu’s wrist. "Ge?"
Zhou Shu pulled his hand back, his tone much colder. "You want me to go back?"
Jin Yan took a sharp breath, his chest tightening. No one knew how much he was struggling, but to avoid something irreversible from happening, he gritted his teeth and said, "Yes... go back to sleep, Ge."
Zhou Shu let out a cold laugh and uttered a single word: "Fine."
Jin Yan had told him to leave several times tonight. If he stayed any longer, he would be overstaying his welcome.
Zhou Shu stood up, dropped a "Sleep early," and headed for the door.
Unexpectedly, just as his hand was about to touch the doorknob, he was hugged from behind. The person holding him was trembling.
"You..." Zhou Shu’s bottled-up frustration from the night was starting to leak out, but he still felt bad that Jin Yan was sick, so his voice remained tinged with indulgence. "You tell me to leave, then you try to keep me. Tell me, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"It's not that..." Jin Yan exhaled heavily against Zhou Shu’s neck, his voice raspy in the other's ear. "Ge, I don't really want you to go. But I'm in my rut."
Zhou Shu froze, slightly confused. "I know you're in your rut. But our pheromones don't clash, do they?"
Jin Yan gave a weak laugh, unable to explain.
Of course they didn't clash. Not only did they not clash, they were prone to causing trouble.
"Ge, do you really not understand?" Jin Yan whispered against Zhou Shu’s ear.
"Wh... what?" Feeling Jin Yan’s breath, Zhou Shu’s face grew even hotter. In the next second, he felt as if he were standing in a forest during a torrential downpour, every frantic drop of rain trying to penetrate his skin.
Zhou Shu’s body went limp, and Jin Yan caught him, pulling him into his chest.
"Do you know now?" Jin Yan’s breathing was unsteady, the corners of his eyes red. "I was holding back just now, but Ge, I really can't hold it much longer..."
Zhou Shu followed the rhythm of Jin Yan’s breathing, the feeling of weakness growing heavier. He couldn't help but wonder—Jin Yan’s pheromone level was actually this much higher than his own.
Yet, there was indeed no sense of being suppressed. He thought that perhaps the ocean and the rain were simply meant to be together.
Thus, instinct prompted him to lean closer to Jin Yan, his hands becoming restless.
Jin Yan caught Zhou Shu’s hands and looked into his eyes; his soft gaze was simultaneously filled with danger and warning.
But Zhou Shu couldn't care about any of that. He only wanted to smell more of that heavy rain, but the owner of the pheromones was being too stingy.
He would just have to take it himself.
Jin Yan breathed a sigh of relief when Zhou Shu finally seemed to settle down.
He was just about to coax the man back to the house across the hall when the person in his arms gave him a massive "rut gift."
Sea salt, laced with sweetness, surged out along with the frolicking waves, extending a grand invitation to the rain filling the sky.
Every cell in Jin Yan’s body was instantly stimulated to the core. Even an Enigma could no longer restrain instinct. He slammed Zhou Shu against the wall, his face closing in.
Zhou Shu shuddered instinctively at the provocation of the scent, yet he continued to stare at Jin Yan with reddened eyes, showing no intention of backing down.
Jin Yan lost the ability to breathe. He let out a low laugh, his gaze turning dangerous.
He pulled Zhou Shu into his embrace, his lips brushing against the other's earlobe. With extreme restraint and a gravelly voice, he said, "Zhou Shu, you asked for this..."
***
