Once an Enigma’s permanent mark is formed on an Alpha, it is like a melting glacier—utterly irreversible.
An Alpha who becomes an Enigma’s exclusive Omega cannot simply wash away the mark to start a new life as a regular Omega might. For an Alpha, the mark is more like a brand, one that cannot be easily removed. To attempt to scrub it away would be to gouge out the brand along with one's own flesh and blood; it would not only cause fundamental damage to the body but could even result in death.
The same held true for the Enigma who performed the marking. He would develop an immense dependency—both physiological and psychological—on the Alpha he had marked. They could not mark multiple partners; their mark was their most precious gift.
Once an Enigma bonds with their exclusive Omega, a tight connection is formed. Their pheromones merge into one, they can sense each other’s emotions, and their intimacy becomes a perfect union of soul and body. An Enigma and an Alpha who have shared a permanent marking will remain eternally loyal to their partner, wishing for nothing more than to embed the other into their very soul.
When Jin Yan woke up that morning, Zhou Shu was quietly curled in his arms, the scents of the ocean and raindrops blending together.
He still remembered how, in the heat of passion last night, Zhou Shu had whispered many endearments in a low, breathless voice. It was a side of Zhou Shu he had never seen before. Even now, a few of the most startling and frantic sentences refused to leave his mind.
"Do you know why I was so repulsed back then, when you differentiated into an Alpha and asked me if I could accept an AA relationship before you left?" Zhou Shu had asked, his voice strained and his eyes clouded with lingering moisture, exuding a cold glamour rarely seen in him.
Jin Yan had kissed him and asked if it wasn't because of the misunderstanding—that he thought Jin Yan had fallen for another Alpha.
Zhou Shu had frowned, his voice still thick. "It was... but that was only the first thought that surfaced. It was quickly washed away by other images."
"The day you differentiated, I smelled your pheromones. After I went home, I had many dreams..."
Jin Yan’s breath hitched. He suppressed his own urges and patiently asked what those dreams were about.
He received an answer that made his blood boil.
"In the dreams, it was just like this... you were doing these things to me."
As soon as Zhou Shu finished speaking, he pulled out the rings he had prepared long ago from beside the pillow. He slid one onto Jin Yan’s ring finger and then extended his own hand, letting Jin Yan do the same for him.
In the most absurd and frantic of circumstances, they finally exchanged their wedding rings.
In the next instant, there was a few seconds of calm—the kind that precedes a storm. Then, the rain broke through the surface of the sea, merging into the depths of the ocean before sinking to the seabed to freeze into crystalline ice flowers.
The ocean and the rain intertwined and trembled together. In that moment, all the sounds of the world ceased.
"Yanyan..."
The ocean woke up, his voice indescribably hoarse, as if he had swallowed too much salt and the brine had clouded his throat.
"Ge, does it hurt?" It was that question again.
An Alpha was not an Omega; they were not born with such fragility. Zhou Shu knew that Jin Yan truly cherished him, so he reached out to stroke the younger man's face and shook his head slightly.
"Then stay lying down. I’m going out for a bit; I’ll be back in ten minutes." Jin Yan leaned down to kiss Zhou Shu, preparing to get up.
"Hey." Zhou Shu cleared his throat and lightly caught Jin Yan’s arm. "Where are you going?"
Jin Yan smiled and pulled him back into his arms. "To buy medicine."
It took Zhou Shu a few seconds to process this, and then his ears turned a deep shade of red.
In the ensuing silence, Jin Yan caught the scent of post-rain sea salt mixed with a clear, sweet fragrance. That scent seemed to hook into his every nerve, easily reigniting the fire that had finally died down last night.
"Ge, don't tempt me." Jin Yan’s voice dropped, feeling as though he were being held back by countless invisible tentacles.
"Mm." Zhou Shu retracted his pheromones, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he looked at him with soft eyes. "Then don't go."
Jin Yan’s heart turned to mush. He looked at Zhou Shu with a helpless smile. "I can't, Ge. You have to take it, otherwise you'll definitely..."
He coughed twice, swallowing the last few words. Otherwise, his dear brother would be blushing for a long time.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Shu’s prideful streak flared up. He arched an eyebrow. "What, are you unwilling?"
"I..." Jin Yan’s breath stalled. A tentacle of a wave was teasing his strained nerves, but in the end, he suppressed it with an Enigma’s powerful self-control. "No, Ge, don't mess around."
Hearing this, Zhou Shu’s playful mood dissipated slightly. His brow furrowed imperceptibly as he said flatly, "Fine, I understand."
"No!" Seeing him like this, Jin Yan’s heart instantly twisted into a knot. He hurried to pull the man entirely into his embrace, explaining softly, "How could I possibly be unwilling?" He answered Zhou Shu’s earlier question, rubbing his lips against Zhou Shu’s hair. "But... it’s too painful."
"I’ve heard that every stage, from pregnancy to childbirth, is far too painful." Even Omegas, who were naturally suited for it, found it hard to endure, let alone an Alpha.
"I can't bear it," Jin Yan said to himself, repeatedly and firmly stating his stance. "It’s not happening."
Hearing this, Zhou Shu felt a pang in his heart. He silently burrowed deeper into Jin Yan’s arms and gave a small "mm" of agreement. Only then did Jin Yan breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ge, I’m very selfish. I only care about you."
"I know." It was a long time before Zhou Shu spoke. He kissed Jin Yan’s neck, a tender response of his own softness and attachment. Then, his lips quirked up as he revealed his little secret. "Then help me open the nightstand drawer and take the medicine out."
"..."
***
Since it was the Lunar New Year holiday, the two of them could rest well at home. They didn't need to go out and suffer the "pain of separation," as couples who had just completed a permanent marking often found it impossible to be away from each other for long.
It was the kind of "long" where even going to the bathroom alone was unbearable.
However, staying cooped up at home for too long was one thing; going out was another, as they feared their lingering pheromones and flushed complexions might be noticed or photographed by others.
Thus, after the New Year, they made a spontaneous decision to travel to Country A, treating it as a belated honeymoon.
Zhou Shu had been the one to suggest it. Jin Yan understood that his brother wanted to make up for the five years they had lost. Even though his heart felt a bit heavy, he agreed to any request Zhou Shu made.
The elders of both families were well aware of the situation and practically pushed the children out the door. However, before they left, the two mothers stuffed many miscellaneous pills into Zhou Shu’s bags, making him pack his luggage with bright red ears.
After making the decision, they invited Zhu Lili and Gou Feifei out for dinner. Zhu Lili had a sudden whim to tease Zhou Shu, saying that she and Gou Feifei also wanted to go on a trip and suggested they all go to Country A together.
To her surprise, Zhou Shu rejected the idea ten thousand times in a fraction of a second. Seeing how easily he was rattled, Zhu Lili’s prank succeeded, and she laughed against Gou Feifei for a long time.
Before the gathering ended, Gou Feifei suddenly stopped Jin Yan in the restroom with a mysterious air.
A bad premonition immediately rose in Jin Yan’s heart.
Sure enough, Gou Feifei looked around and said mischievously, "I smell a very strong scent of heavy rain on Shu-ge."
The awkwardness lasted for several seconds. Jin Yan gave a cold laugh and spoke a few gentle words.
"You can prepare your resignation letter."
"...I was wrong, Jin-ge."
Three days later, Jin Yan and Zhou Shu boarded a plane to Country A.
After a flight of over ten hours, they arrived in the capital. As the plane landed and came to a halt, Zhou Shu’s heart rate suddenly accelerated.
This was the place where Jin Yan had stayed alone for five years. There were no shared memories of him and Jin Yan here. In the midst of his wandering thoughts, a hand grasped his and tucked it into a warm embrace.
"What are you staring out the window and overthinking for?" Jin Yan used his other hand to unscrew a bottle cap and handed the water to Zhou Shu.
Zhou Shu shook his head, took a few sips, and said, "I was wondering what Country A would smell like."
When you arrive in a strange city, the first things you experience are its airports and train stations. Zhou Shu hadn't thought about this before, but looking through the small window at the airport that looked just like any other, he felt an urgent need to know the scent of this place.
"It’s nothing special." Jin Yan naturally took the water bottle back from Zhou Shu. He suddenly leaned in to kiss the lips that were still beaded with water, coaxing him softly, "Really, all the airports in the world look the same and smell about the same."
He thought back to his own feelings when he returned to Haicheng six months ago. He silently tightened his grip on Zhou Shu’s hand and said calmly, "You can only smell the true scent of a city once you leave the airport."
Zhou Shu nodded blankly, then shifted his gaze back out the window.
Just as Jin Yan said, the cabin of every plane smelled the same, as did the airport corridors and halls.
It wasn't until they collected their luggage and walked out of the airport that Zhou Shu truly felt the essence of the Proust Effect.
The capital of Country A actually smelled remarkably like Jin Yan’s pheromones. At this moment, it felt like standing in a forest that had just been drenched by rain.
"Yanyan..." His eyes sparkled as he looked at Jin Yan, his lips trembling slightly.
In the next second, Jin Yan suddenly pulled Zhou Shu into a kiss, unable to pretend any longer.
"Ge..." His voice was deep and tinged with sadness, like a spoiled child asking to be comforted. "I imagined a thousand times what it would be like if you came to Country A to find me. Maybe you’d come to my school, and we’d meet at the coffee shop on the corner of the library."
"Or when I had a headache and wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes, you’d suddenly appear at the door of the convenience store on my way home."
"I even wondered if you’d find where I lived. One day, when I went out for an early class, I’d see you waiting for me downstairs."
The "spoiled child" grew more aggrieved as he spoke, his voice cracking. "So every day I went out, I dressed myself up well. I wanted you to always see me at my best."
"Alright, alright, don't say any more." Zhou Shu’s eyes also grew wet. He patted Jin Yan’s back repeatedly. "It’s Ge’s fault for letting Yanyan suffer so much."
There were many passersby at the airport entrance. Seeing two men of such striking appearance embracing, they cast meaningful glances their way.
"Differentiated into an Enigma and still such a baby, just like a little sweet Omega." Zhou Shu suppressed the bitterness in his heart and smiled, gently coaxing the "child."
"Mm." The younger man calmed down after a while, nuzzling his brother’s gland. "I am Ge’s Omega."
They settled into a vacation villa in the capital. It was near the sea, overlooking the beach where Jin Yan had undergone his secondary differentiation.
It was summer in Country A. The evening breeze carried a salty, damp scent and a hint of coolness, constantly sweeping through the highly private seaside villa.
After they moved in, Zhou Shu often sat on the balcony, staring blankly at the waves. He would think of how Jin Yan had looked when he collapsed, frowning in pain, and how he hadn't let go of the cat leash for a single second even while unconscious.
Thinking of this, Zhou Shu raised his hand, and the pendant with Jin Yan’s phone number swayed.
Then, he was embraced from behind. That person inhaled the scent of his gland as if addicted to something sweet, finally easing the heart that had been aching with loneliness for so long.
"Ge, you’re always sitting here in a daze instead of spending time with me. Is this how you spend our honeymoon, hmm?"
A breath brushed against his gland, causing a slight shiver. Zhou Shu’s thoughts returned, and he pulled the man in front of him to kiss him.
"Don't be sad, I’m perfectly fine now." After their lips parted, Jin Yan softly soothed the unease in Zhou Shu’s heart. They embraced quietly for a long time. Jin Yan’s gaze suddenly fell on the distant beach, a glint appearing in his eyes. "Ge, I have a way to make it up to you." *To make up for the regret of you not being part of my past.*
Zhou Shu looked at him with bright eyes, seemingly waiting for an answer.
Then, the upward curve of Jin Yan’s lips betrayed his outward composure. Zhou Shu narrowed his eyes warily, but how could the ocean perceive the little schemes hidden within the clouds high above?
And so, in this city forever surrounded by the scent of heavy rain, the ocean waves were actually coaxed into a tent on the quiet, moonlit beach, doing something he would never have agreed to in his right mind.
The wind blew the waves against the tent, and the moonlight fell upon the sea, creating shimmering ripples.
The scent of the post-rain forest mixed with sea salt was everywhere, carrying the stories of the past five years hidden in the wind, seeking to enter someone's heart.
In that tiny world, someone released the waves without end, and the raindrops, unwilling to be left behind, vied to fall.
...
"Ge, let’s go back. It’s raining." After an unknown amount of time, Jin Yan finally woke Zhou Shu, who was sleeping soundly on the tent’s cushions, with one kiss after another.
Zhou Shu’s exhaustion hadn't dissipated; he was tired to death and his morning grumpiness was acting up.
But when Jin Yan gently unzipped a corner of the tent, the sudden intrusion of the cool breeze cleared Zhou Shu’s head a little.
His eyelashes fluttered twice before he slowly opened his eyes. He saw that familiar face, eyes filled with the glowing seawater as they looked at him.
They stared at each other for a moment. Neither spoke first, making it seem like a childish, silent standoff.
Raindrops hit the top of the tent with a soft "thump-thump" sound, and the waves rushed toward them following the lunar tide. Against this background music, the two of them laughed out loud together.
This contest between the rain and the ocean ultimately had no winner, just as their ending had long been written and hidden in the clouds.
It is as if you are the vast ocean, and I am the rain falling upon you.
—END OF MAIN STORY—
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 终身标记 | Permanent Marking | An irreversible bond between an Enigma and their partner. |
| 专属Omega | Exclusive Omega | Refers to the role an Alpha takes after being permanently marked by an Enigma. |
| AA恋 | AA Romance | A relationship between two Alphas. |
| 普鲁斯特效应 | Proust Effect | A sensory cue (often smell) that triggers a vivid memory. |
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