Chapter 35: A Glimmer of Conscience
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“Pa–“
Shen Yao flexed his fingers without hesitation. He swiftly and cleanly slapped Yan Zhixing. The crisp sound echoed for a moment, and the entangled tongues suddenly paused, slowly separating.
Yan Zhixing’s pale complexion made the handprint on his cheek even more apparent. His parted lips still heaved with heavy breaths, and his gaze remained fixed on Shen Yao’s lips.
It seemed like he was regaining his senses but not fully awake.
Seeing Yan Zhixing in this state, Shen Yao’s calm chest finally began to rise and fall. He furrowed his brows in pain, his fingers tightly gripping Yan Zhixing’s clothing.
The high compatibility with AO seemed to have a significant impact on him as well. Beads of sweat trickled down his jawline, his face tinted with a flush of red.
However, there was a hint of fear in his gaze, as if he had been startled awake by a sudden thunderclap during a sweet dream.
The slap he had just delivered seemed to have exhausted all his restraint. He couldn’t help but lean his cheek against the alpha’s body once again. But in the instant when he was about to make contact, he jolted awake once more.
Fear and instinct battled within him. Shen Yao felt the arm around his waist tightening more and more. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva with difficulty, he unconsciously murmured, “Yan Zhixing…”
This sound brought the dazed Yan Zhixing back to his senses. The pain lingered on his right cheek, the memory in his brain hadn’t faded, and his grip on Shen Yao hadn’t loosened.
Everything vividly reminded him of what had just occurred.
From the moment he entered as an omega, his eyes were only on Shen Yao. He eagerly embraced him, unable to bear even a moment of separation, exerting his strength at all times, afraid of being abandoned by the omega.
He let go of all defenses and pride for Shen Yao, just to beg for his cooperation in a kiss. So he remembered every detail clearly. He remembered how he held onto Shen Yao’s lips and refused to let go. He remembered his impatient and eager demeanor, like a stray dog searching for a sweet taste.
He didn’t even miss a single drop of saliva that slipped from Shen Yao’s lips, licking them meticulously.
Even when he heard Shen Yao’s helpless moan and felt the shoves on his shoulder, he wanted to ease the kiss, but he couldn’t stop himself at all; Shen Yao’s allure was too strong.
Yan Zhixing’s irises, like the most precious sapphires, now resembled shattered glass, unable to be pieced together again.
There were no surveillance cameras in this secluded room because he detested his own loss of control. However, his ugly state, immersed in desire, was fully exposed in Shen Yao’s eyes.
The throbbing pain in his temples had completely disappeared. It was Shen Yao’s pheromones that were the only effective medicine for him. However, this medicine had side effects. His body gradually grew hotter, and the uncontrollable desire started boiling within his blood.
If he and Shen Yao continued to stay in the room, the events that would unfold would be completely beyond his control.
Yan Zhixing suddenly released his grip on Shen Yao’s arm, extending his hand to create distance between Shen Yao’s back and their contact. He took a deep breath and finally spoke, “Let’s go out.”
With just a few simple words, Yan Zhixing regained his usual tone, disregarding his current disheveled appearance.
Shen Yao instinctively turned his head to look at him. He felt a strong sense of reliance on the alpha who had just marked him. Just like how Yan Zhixing wanted to embrace him, he longed to be held, kissed, and comforted by an alpha.
His expression appeared somewhat helpless, and his gaze met Yan Zhixing’s face, as if suddenly snapping back to reality.
Shen Yao conscientiously stood up from Yan Zhixing’s body and slowly walked towards the door, but each short step felt incredibly difficult.
The moment he turned around, his expression instantly changed. Shen Yao silently counted down in his mind, moving his lips without making a sound.
Starting from ten, Shen Yao thought that based on Yan Zhixing’s personality, he would endure until the last second. However, when he reached the fifth second, Shen Yao heard the chaotic footsteps behind him.
His arm was forcefully pulled, and his back was pushed, hitting the door behind him. Shen Yao anticipated this and quickly raised his hand, blocking Yan Zhixing’s lips just before the intense kiss landed. Yan Zhixing only revealed his eyes, which were clearly filled with restless and anxious emotions, like a beast forced to wear a muzzle.
Yan Zhixing’s lips restlessly opened and closed, his breathing became irregular, and his teeth occasionally nibbled on the palm of Shen Yao’s hand, causing a tingling sensation. Shen Yao pressed himself tightly against the door, tilting his head slightly backward to create some distance from the alpha.
He sensed that Yan Zhixing could only suppress himself for a mere second before becoming restless, clearly wanting to forcefully break through the barrier and kiss the omega in front of him.
“Yan Zhixing.”
Shen Yao’s voice sounded slightly hurried due to his erratic breathing, and the hand covering Yan Zhixing’s lips seemed to loosen as the sandalwood fragrance slowly dissipated.
Biting down on his tongue with force in front of Yan Zhixing, Shen Yao’s face turned pale in an instant as he regained his consciousness.
After the flush of embarrassment subsided, Shen Yao’s complexion became pale, almost translucent. Yan Zhixing, who couldn’t smell the pheromones, gradually calmed down, and the scent of sandalwood also faded away.
“That night, it was you.” Shen Yao’s eyelashes glistened with moisture, as if hanging teardrops about to fall. He didn’t beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, “You forcibly dragged me into the room that night and raped me. You said our relationship was a transaction, but you hid this from me. Why? Is it because you found it disgusting yourself?”
Yan Zhixing and he shared some similarities, to the point that Shen Yao could even guess what was going through Yan Zhixing’s mind. He wouldn’t ask Yan Zhixing why he didn’t tell him because there was no point in asking.
Growing up in the cannibalistic environment of the Yan family and rising to a high position, Yan Zhixing was undoubtedly selfish and ruthless, completely focused on his own interests without caring about the life or death of others.
The act of raping a weak omega, Yan Zhixing didn’t think there was anything wrong with it; he simply never considered things from other people’s perspectives.
Only when Shen Yao spoke it out loud would Yan Zhixing realize what he had done wrong and see the harm he had caused to others.
As expected, Yan Zhixing’s gaze flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth tightened, showing signs of stiffness.
At the time, he was manipulated during the negotiation, triggering his pre-heat prematurely, and there were omegas prepared for him in the room. He barely managed to maintain his sanity and escaped, taking the elevator. The first thing he did was contact Chen Shuang.
It should have ended there, but amidst the mixed scent of pheromones, he caught a trace of the apricot blossom fragrance.
The compatibility of his and Shen Yao’s pheromones was too high, and his rationality collapsed in an instant. Yan Zhixing completely lost control, leaving only his alpha’s beast-like hunting instinct.
Chen Shuang found him in a pool of blood, and when he woke up in the hospital, the omega by his side had long disappeared, leaving behind a mess of memories.
The freshly stitched wound on his head brought sharp pain, making it feel like an electric drill was drilling into his brain. Yan Zhixing raised his hand to support his forehead, enduring the pain, and the first thing he did was ask Chen Shuang to find the omega from last night.
In all likelihood, Yan Zhixing had originally planned to marry this omega, but to his surprise, the omega turned out to be Shen Yao.
He would never marry an ambitious omega like Shen Yao, so Yan Zhixing decisively changed his mind, treating it as a transaction between him and Shen Yao.
Yan Zhixing lowered his gaze, not understanding the harm that forced marking could cause to an omega.
But he should indeed compensate Shen Yao. In this matter, Shen Yao was truly an unlucky victim.
He stared at Shen Yao, slowly parting his lips, his voice still without much fluctuation: “I’m sorry.”
This was unexpected, but it was also not unexpected. There’s no need for him to explain so much because, regardless of the reasons, it was still rape.
A slight frown appeared on Yan Zhixing’s brow, and he fell silent for a moment before saying, “If you’re willing, I can compensate you to the fullest extent.”
This was always Yan Zhixing’s quickest way of resolving problems, and it was the only method he knew.
Shen Yao’s eyelashes trembled, but he neither said he was willing nor unwilling. He simply turned his face away and said to Yan Zhixing, “Let me leave first.”
Yan Zhixing didn’t continue speaking. He looked at Shen Yao for a while before finally reaching out and pressing the nearby call button.
Before long, the tightly closed door opened. Shen Yao turned around without even looking at him and walked out with Jian Ran.
The door closed again in front of Yan Zhixing’s eyes, but his gaze remained fixed on Shen Yao, concealing indiscernible emotions.
He lowered his head until the last trace of Shen Yao’s figure vanished from his sight, slowly releasing the grip on his rolled-up sleeve.
His attention turned back to the bed. He had held onto Shen Yao for too long, and even now, he could still feel the lingering touch in his embrace.
Yan Zhixing’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and he stopped thinking about it.
Jian Ran led Shen Yao to the lower floor, where all the rooms were accommodations. Each room had the same black and white decor. It was simple, but everything necessary was provided.
Shen Yao politely thanked him and waited for the door to close. Then he swiftly turned and rushed into the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door, and bent over the washbasin.
He retched several times, but in the end, nothing came out due to his empty stomach.
Shen Yao cupped his hands together and rinsed his mouth with cold water several times, feeling a little better.
He had endured for far too long. In order to deceive Yan Zhixing, he needed to fully immerse himself in the role he had just played.
Even though the scent of Yan Zhixing’s pheromones made him feel nauseous, he had to forcefully deceive himself, becoming addicted to it and pretending to rely on Yan Zhixing under the influence of his pheromones.
It was disgusting.
Shen Yao wiped away the water droplets from his cheeks and turned to walk back to the bedroom. Following the plan he had already devised, he manipulated the public phone that Jian Ran had taught him to use.
Once the call connected, Shen Yao hoarsely said, “Jian Ran…?”
“It’s me,” Jian Ran inquired, “What’s wrong?”
“My forehead feels so hot, as if I’m experiencing a false heat under the influence of Yan Zhixing’s pheromones. Can you please bring me some suppressants?” Shen Yao requested.
Jian Ran held the phone between the shoulder and face as they walked away, asking further, “Do you need me to call a doctor for you?”
“No need,” Shen Yao replied, “It’s not that severe. Suppressants will be enough.”
Shen Yao received the suppressant but instead pushed the contents of the syringe into the air, emptying it, and then discarded the empty needle in the trash can.
Yan Zhixing stayed alone in the enclosed room for a while until he completely calmed down. He then got up and walked out. After taking a shower and tidying himself up completely, he allowed Jian Ran to come in.
Jian Ran entered with a pile of documents and hesitantly said, “Based on my observation, his dependence on your pheromones isn’t as strong as we thought, but your pheromone compatibility is still high.”
“As for the reason… I think one possibility is that you forcefully marked him, and it’s possible for a fear response to exceed instincts.”
“And there’s another reason.” Jian Ran handed a document to Yan Zhixing as she spoke. “Take a look at his medical examination report.”
It seemed that Shen Yao rarely went for medical check-ups. The most recent report was from his senior year of high school when the school organized a check-up.
In the upper right corner was Shen Yao’s one-inch photo from that time. He was wearing a clean white shirt, and his hair was slightly shorter to meet the photo requirements, revealing his youthful and clean brows and eyes.
His eyes seemed to speak and appeared clear in the photo. Yan Zhixing looked at it for a while before shifting his gaze to the conclusion below.
“Gland development complete, moderate insensitivity to alpha pheromones, recommended treatment.”
Jian Ran continued to explain, “It could be because of this insensitivity that he is not as sensitive to alpha pheromones. However, based on the case studies, his dependency on you is likely to deepen with each marking… There is a high possibility that it will develop similarly to yours.”
After a while, Yan Zhixing’s fingers twitched slightly, and he coldly said, “Then extract my pheromones as well.”
He changed his mind. This troublesome condition all started because of him, and he should take responsibility for it.
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