Chapter 78: An Lan’s Mark
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Xu Xingran nodded and continued, “Jiao Yun’s mother remarried to a divorced alpha when she was in high school, and he was a high-quality alpha. To outsiders, it seemed like a Cinderella story.”
“Was there a problem with this high-quality alpha?” An Lan inquired.
“The problem didn’t initially arise from her stepfather, but from her stepbrother. Jiao Yun chose to attend a boarding high school to avoid her stepbrother. However, during that time, her stepbrother’s control over her was still strong. Almost all her friends were arranged by her stepbrother. He knew everything about what she did at school and what she thought. Jiao Yun had a crush on a male classmate, but her stepbrother used some means to force him to drop out. Consider it a warning to Jiao Yun.”
Gu Liyu’s brow furrowed slightly.
Xiao Chen chuckled, “Why does this sound like the trendy idol dramas that have been popular lately? Some unattainable high-quality alpha falls for an ordinary omega classmate and controls her life in various ways. My sister and her female classmates seem to love this kind of plot – forced love!”
“But it’s not beautiful at all when you actually go through it,” Xu Xingran said.
At this point, the green light came on, and Xu Xingran continued driving. The story of Jiao Yun had to wait until the next traffic intersection.
Xiao Chen took out his phone, probably searching for information about Jiao Yun. He could likely find some clues in social news.
On the other hand, Gu Liyu remained silent, looking out the window.
An Lan was already uncomfortable being so close yet only able to see the back of the other person’s head. He took out his phone and sent a message to Gu Liyu: [Do you also want to control me?]
Gu Liyu took out his phone, glanced at it, and replied after a moment: [Yes.]
The response was short, only one word, with perfect punctuation, truly in line with Gu Liyu’s style.
An Lan asked again: [To what extent?]
Gu Liyu’s fingers paused on the screen, not moving. After a while, he replied: [Completely.]
An Lan questioned further: [So, do you want to control even simple things like my eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom?]
“Find a place to eat?” Xu Xingran in the front row interrupted.
“Sure. Let’s have some hearty dishes. Not the kind where there are only a few bites in a large plate,” Xiao Chen said.
As soon as Xiao Chen finished speaking, Xu Xingran happily said, “Then let’s have hot pot. Plenty of meat, and we’ll eat until we’re full.”
Xiao Chen immediately gave a thumbs-up. “Great.”
After saying this, he even swallowed, making An Lan chuckle with narrowed eyes.
Xu Xingran chose a hot pot restaurant in a certain mall. Since it was the weekend, there was a considerable flow of customers. When entering the underground parking lot of the mall, they had to wait in line. Xu Xingran continued talking about Jiao Yun’s story.
“Later, Jiao Yun got admitted to a university in another city. She thought it would be liberation, but she still couldn’t escape the control of that alpha. During the high school graduation trip, she lied to her family, claiming she was going out to play with her best friend, and even bought a plane ticket. However, she actually went to find the male classmate she liked.”
Xiao Chen clicked his tongue. “Ah, I can already predict the plot. Her best friend was probably bought off by her stepbrother long ago, and she reported the incident of Jiao Yun going to see her little boyfriend. With the temperament of her stepbrother, can he endure it? He probably personally went to catch Jiao Yun and not only that but also uprooted the situation, ensuring she never saw her boyfriend again, right?”
Xu Xingran nodded, “That boy, her stepbrother had someone injure his leg, and he had to go abroad for treatment. It was from that time onwards that her stepbrother began a three-year-long forced marking. Jiao Yun couldn’t even go to college; she was detained by her stepbrother. She tried to resist at first, and her stepfather would intervene initially, but Jiao Yun, after all, was not his biological daughter, so eventually, it was left unresolved. Jiao Yun’s mother wanted to divorce her stepfather for her sake, but an accident occurred – she fell down the stairs and ended up in the hospital.”
“Why do I feel like there’s a conspiracy? Could it also be designed by that high-quality alpha?” Xiao Chen said.
“Why would you think that?” Xu Xingran smiled and glanced at him.
“I’ve watched countless idol dramas with Lele, the kind of dramas with dog blood plots. I have a very accurate sense for these things,” Xiao Chen confidently expressed.
An Lan was also curious about how accurate this “sense for dog blood plots” was.
“I don’t know the answer to that.”
After Xu Xingran finished, both An Lan and Xiao Chen sighed.
“Jiao Yun didn’t even get to attend university and had been under the control of that high-quality alpha. It was said that she tried to escape once and reported it to the police, but the alpha family suppressed the matter. They even obtained a psychiatric evaluation stating that Jiao Yun was mentally unstable.”
“D*mn! Can high-quality alphas do whatever they want?” Xiao Chen was extremely angry. “Jiao Yun is so capable, why didn’t she just directly beat the crap out of that alpha!”
“…” Xu Xingran glanced at Xiao Chen.
An Lan patted Xiao Chen’s shoulder from behind. “The legendary school bully, you’re also a high-quality alpha.”
“I’ve never bullied an omega,” Xiao Chen said decisively.
Xu Xingran freed up one hand to pat his head. “Exactly, you’re a good boy.”
“Get lost!”
If Xu Xingran wasn’t holding the steering wheel for everyone’s safety, Xiao Chen might have already punched him in the head.
“How did Jiao Yun eventually break free from his control?” An Lan patted Xu Xingran’s seat, signaling him not to interrupt and to continue.
“One time, when Jiao Yun went to see her mother, she seized the opportunity to escape. She went into hiding and, to prevent being controlled by pheromones, she cut the gland at the back of her neck herself. Due to excessive bleeding, the hospital had to perform emergency surgery and removed the entire gland. After that, Jiao Yun hid and changed many identities. I don’t know what she went through during that time. But four or five years later, when she reappeared, she directly beat the hell out of that alpha. It’s said that the alpha couldn’t stand up again,” Xu Xingran said.
“What kind of standing up are we talking about?” Xiao Chen asked.
An Lan paused for a moment, and Xu Xingran couldn’t help but laugh.
“Just the very normal standing up.”
“Oh.” Xiao Chen showed a disappointed expression.
“But did that alpha give up?” An Lan asked.
“The exciting part is here. Remember the psychological evaluation that declared Jiao Yun mentally unstable? Jiao Yun called the Alpha Management Committee, and exchanged that ‘mentally unstable’ evaluation for a stay in a nursing home. She enjoyed ‘convalescing’ for many years,” Xu Xingran said.
“How could she be ‘comfortable’?” Gu Liyu spoke, “Losing her freedom, being forcibly marked numerous times, and even reaching the point of destroying her own gland. It’s probably hard for her hatred towards alphas to diminish.”
“True. So, this hatred is a rare gift for ‘Eden,'” Xu Xingran said.
They parked the car and entered the hot pot restaurant.
Xiao Chen and An Lan took out their pads and began ordering. Their heads were both squeezed into the screen.
“I want duck intestines! Tripe! Oxtail! Also, one pig’s brain…”
“We have four people. We should order at least four plates of beef and lamb, right?”
Propping his chin with his hand, Xu Xingran watched them with a gentle smile. When his gaze passed by Gu Liyu, his smile faded, and his fingers rhythmically tapped on the table.
When Gu Liyu looked over, Xu Xingran mouthed: Don’t overthink it.
Because the hot pot broth was spicy, Gu Liyu didn’t eat much and stood up.
“Aren’t you going to eat anymore?” An Lan pulled his wrist.
“I’ll go get something to drink,” Gu Liyu said.
While An Lan ate lamb slices, he watched Gu Liyu’s figure. Gu Liyu didn’t go to get a drink but left the restaurant. An Lan grabbed a tissue, wiped his mouth, and stood up.
“What, are you also going to get a drink?” Xu Xingran lifted his eyes and asked.
An Lan just smiled.
He followed behind Gu Liyu and saw him go to the small terrace on this level of the mall. There were some flowers and plants there, and some people leaned against the edge of the terrace to smoke.
Gu Liyu also arrived at the edge of the terrace, half-tilting his head, probably coming out for fresh air.
Standing next to him was a young man who had been staring at him since Gu Liyu arrived.
An Lan twitched his mouth; this man should be an omega. But with Gu Liyu’s aura, no one would take the initiative to strike up a conversation…
Wait, this man actually walked up to Gu Liyu? And… even handed him a cigarette!
In any case, Gu Liyu wouldn’t pay him any attention!
The man smiled at Gu Liyu, his fingers holding a cigarette, and raised it slightly.
Wasn’t this a blatant “I’m interested in you”?
An Lan watched quietly from behind, waiting to see how he would react after being rejected.
Unexpectedly… Gu Liyu actually took the man’s cigarette, lowered his head, and looked at it.
The man smiled, placed his own cigarette between his lips, took a puff, and then gently blew a smoke ring near Gu Liyu’s ear, “What, is it your first time?”
Gu Liyu remained silent.
The man took it as confirmation, took out a lighter, and lit the cigarette for Gu Liyu. He raised his chin, implying that Gu Liyu should give it a try.
An Lan raised an eyebrow, thinking, if you really dare to try, don’t blame my explosive temper.
Oh, Gu Liyu did indeed bring the cigarette to his lips.
Unable to endure it any longer, An Lan took two or three steps to his side, leaned his arm on the edge of the terrace, and said in a cool tone, “Do you want the cigarette or me?”
“You,” Gu Liyu’s response was without hesitation.
The young man nearby paused, a regretful expression on his face, unable to hide it. He whispered, “So there’s an omega here.”
An Lan narrowed his eyes and huffed, “I mean, do I look like an omega to you?”
Although this place was open-air, there were many people smoking. The air was filled with a mixture of various tobacco scents and the aroma of plants on the terrace. A fresh bamboo fragrance slowly diffused, becoming more noticeable.
The scent was unique; at first, it didn’t seem attractive, but gradually, one’s mind swayed with it. The young man dropped the cigarette butt in his hand and instinctively leaned toward An Lan.
This tranquil and charming feeling became captivating, fearing that the scent was too faint to be smelled again, generating a desire to grasp it.
Gu Liyu extinguished the lit cigarette, his other hand gripping An Lan’s cheek, looking at him with a gaze that carried a warning. He softly uttered his name.
“An Lan.”
But An Lan did not stop releasing his pheromones. His gaze remained fixed on Gu Liyu’s eyes, while the young man behind Gu Liyu’s fingers reached for An Lan’s hair, as if to confirm something.
Gu Liyu’s hand, gripping An Lan’s cheek, exerted more force, making An Lan turn his face away to avoid the touch.
The captivating bamboo fragrance suddenly got covered by a surging scent of ambergris. It felt like a giant wave crashing from the sky. The young man, who was abruptly awakened, took a big step backward.
An Lan turned to look at him and said, “Hey, what am I?”
“You are… You are an alpha…”
The young man showed a surprised expression. He looked at this teenager who indeed had a slender and tall figure, handsome features, not like an omega. Although the pheromones weren’t aggressive, they still had a certain allure to omegas, a typical alpha behavior.
But the other alpha, looking at him, was oozing possessiveness. Even in the pheromones he released, there was a strong warning, not typical of one alpha towards another.
An Lan chuckled and hooked his finger under Gu Liyu’s chin. “I know he’s handsome, but he’s mine.”
“Oh… Sorry.” The young man immediately left. After walking a few steps, he staggered, almost tripping.
The others on the terrace, smoking, felt uncomfortable due to Gu Liyu’s pheromones and left one after another.
The entire terrace suddenly became quiet and empty.
“Who allowed you to release pheromones at others?” Gu Liyu’s hand went into An Lan’s hair, grabbing the back of his head with force. An Lan almost bumped into his arms.
“My own pheromones. I release them whenever I want,” An Lan said nonchalantly, contrasting sharply with the others on the terrace who left in a hurry.
Gu Liyu instantly clenched his teeth. “After listening to Jiao Yun’s story today, you should know you shouldn’t provoke me.”
“Did I provoke you with this?” An Lan retorted, turning to break Gu Liyu’s grip.
In that moment, Gu Liyu’s gaze darkened to the deepest. He suddenly grabbed An Lan’s face, forcing him to open his mouth, and kissed him fiercely.
“Mmm…” An Lan’s cheek hurt, tears welling up, but Gu Liyu’s kiss, so intense with no gaps, made him feel invaded.
This kiss lacked any hint of tenderness; it was intimidating, coercive, even felt like Gu Liyu wanted to destroy An Lan.
Gu Liyu kept a distance from most people, but he loved kissing An Lan. When they slept together, and An Lan was asleep, he would feel something touching his lips—it was Gu Liyu kissing him. Sometimes, when An Lan woke up from being kissed, he would find Gu Liyu looking at him, apologizing for waking him up, but no matter how much Gu Liyu liked kissing him, he rarely went further.
Because the concentration of pheromones in the oral cavity was high, and Gu Liyu didn’t want to affect An Lan during the last stage of differentiation.
But this time, he not only invaded but overwhelmed him. If An Lan resisted even a bit, Gu Liyu would tighten his grip on An Lan’s cheeks, forcing him to open his teeth.
Due to lack of oxygen, An Lan pushed against Gu Liyu forcefully. Even though it hurt, he wanted to turn his face away. But Gu Liyu clamped onto him tightly. An Lan’s tongue started to numb, and the upper jaw was sore from the force. When he ran out of strength, An Lan could only pull Gu Liyu’s shoulder, but his body kept falling down.
But Gu Liyu pursued the kiss relentlessly, seeking endlessly. Just when An Lan’s knees were about to kneel down, Gu Liyu pulled him up, lifted An Lan’s legs with his arms, stepped back step by step, suddenly turned around, and pressed An Lan against the wall.
Shivering, An Lan came back to his senses. With all his strength, he pulled Gu Liyu away. Even if there was a slight gap, An Lan seized the opportunity to breathe forcefully. Then he was captivated by Gu Liyu’s eyes.
Those eyes, cold and direct, were like glaciers in the darkness, impossible to measure the depth and unknown in their coldness.
“Am I not restrained enough for you?”
Gu Liyu’s voice squeezed through his teeth, piercing An Lan’s nerves, causing a splitting pain in his brain.
An Lan’s throat moved, but he didn’t speak.
“Or do you want to be marked by me over and over again?” Gu Liyu’s hand still held An Lan’s face, unwavering.
“Do you think what Xu Xingran told you… is just a story?” Gu Liyu’s voice got even colder, like needles that pierced through An Lan’s bone marrow, as if wanting to nail him to the wall.
An Lan still didn’t speak. Gu Liyu turned his face, leaned against An Lan’s ear, and lightly touched his cheek.
“I don’t want you to meet Xu Xingran and Xiao Chen. I don’t want you to go to class. I don’t want you to play foolishly with Qiao Chuluo. I don’t want anyone to see you. I don’t want to just kiss you… I want to mark you in the most profound way, make you cry and beg me over and over… I want to dominate everything about you.”
His voice was calm, as if casually talking about something not significant. But An Lan knew this was Gu Liyu’s original, unadorned thought.
An Lan’s heart beat fast. He gripped Gu Liyu’s shoulders tightly, suddenly turned his face, and kissed him.
There was an emotion in his heart that he hadn’t discovered, like tides attracted by a huge force, rushing out. He had never been so eager to touch a person, to possess Gu Liyu’s touch, Gu Liyu’s warmth.
Gu Liyu widened his eyes. An Lan bit his lower lip, drawing blood. The taste of rust, mixed with a certain sweetness, spread between their lips and teeth, changing everything.
The harder An Lan kissed, the tighter Gu Liyu held him, as if crushing him to mold into his chest.
Gu Liyu’s blood, mixed with a rich scent of pheromones, carried the lively vitality of a thriving desire, making An Lan feel bewitched. His hands loosened Gu Liyu’s shoulders, grabbing his hair instead, forcefully pulling him closer, as if mere contact was not enough.
“An Lan…” Gu Liyu abruptly ended the kiss, staring at An Lan, fearing that his pheromones might make An Lan lose control.
He feared that the current An Lan wasn’t the original An Lan.
Though An Lan’s breathing was erratic, his eyes were bright, attracting Gu Liyu’s gaze like a morning star.
“Do you know that when it gets quiet, I’ll search for your scent? Not your pheromones… your scent. I know… I know you won’t let others smell your pheromones, but your scent can be detected by ordinary people. The scent of your shampoo, the scent of your clothes…”
An Lan pulled on Gu Liyu’s front, burying his face in it.
Thin clothes couldn’t stop An Lan’s breath from passing through the gaps, touching Gu Liyu. With An Lan’s hoarse voice, Gu Liyu felt a shiver, as if the impulse he had barely suppressed was like a river, surpassing high dams.
“I want to firmly control your gaze, your thoughts… I can’t stand you looking at others, your fingers touching the omega passing you a cigarette… Do you know what I want to do?”
“What do you want to do…” Gu Liyu held him, his heart out of control.
Whatever An Lan wanted, even if it meant breaking the world, Gu Liyu wanted to satisfy him.
“I want to release pheromones to suppress him… I want to see him afraid, want him kneeling in front of me, want him to know the consequences of touching my person.”
With every word, An Lan spoke with more force. Gu Liyu, knowing An Lan’s character, knew that “jealousy” was almost an emotion that didn’t belong to him.
But now he was trembling slightly, not because of fear but to suppress the emotions surging in his heart.
“Release pheromones to suppress an omega?” Gu Liyu kissed his head, and a hint of warmth floated in his icy and dark voice. “You’re clearly tempting him. If I don’t stop you… he might be in your arms by now.”
An Lan raised his head and kissed Gu Liyu’s chin forcefully. Gu Liyu obediently tilted his head, approving of his recklessness. An Lan’s rapidly beating heart slowed down, but every beat felt as if the valve in his heart would rupture.
His lips searched for the pulsation of Gu Liyu’s blood in the neck. Hands propped on Gu Liyu’s shoulders, suddenly he opened his mouth and bit down.
“Mmm…” Gu Liyu was entirely unprepared.
He could feel An Lan’s lips tightly against his neck, fangs piercing in, and the willful and indulgent tip of his tongue swept past, leaving behind a softness that made him tremble.
The author has something to say:
From then on, An Lan became addicted to marking, wanting to bite Gu Liyu a thousand times every day.
Applause should be here! Otherwise, An Lan’s A power will be completely wasted~
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