Gu Sheng had very good hearing; he heard the murmurs behind him.

To be honest, he never expected Zhou Shiyi to make the first move — he had always thought Zhou Shiyi was someone who disliked public displays of affection.

He glanced at Zhou Shiyi with his eyes and saw that the tips of Zhou Shiyi's ears had gone red. He snickered inwardly — clearly embarrassed, yet stubbornly putting on a brave face right in front of him.

Back in the dorm, Gu Sheng finally got a chance to drink the milk tea Zhou Shiyi had bought him — three-quarters sweet, just right, not cloying.

Their phones lit up at the same time; when they opened them, it was Wang Henian wailing in the group chat.

He'd sent the link to that post, tagged both of them, and asked if it was true.

Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow, clicked the post, and saw them debating whether the finance department's campus heartthrob Gu Sheng was dating his beta roommate.

He clicked it open and saw that a mutual friend of his and Zhou Shiyi had screenshotted and posted their posts from last night and this morning.

Gu Sheng opened the image and finally saw that they'd combined his post and Zhou Shiyi's into one.

It turned out that this morning, not only had Zhou Shiyi changed his profile picture, he'd also posted the same update as Gu Sheng.

"I'm no longer single."

Gu Sheng glanced at Zhou Shiyi with his eyes and saw Zhou Shiyi replying to Wang Henian in the group.

"Yes, we're together."

Wang Henian: "Aaaaaa, how is that possible?"

Gu Sheng suddenly burst out laughing and he also @

'd Wang Henian.

"It's true, I'll treat you all to a meal another day."

Zhou Shiyi also saw that post and clicked in to take a look.

The most eye-catching thing was the photo of him and Gu Sheng holding hands on campus.

The person who took the picture probably had some photography skill; they captured the two of them standing together in a very harmonious, story-rich way.

Zhou Shiyi unconsciously saved the photo to his phone.

He saw that many people were offering congratulations, since the two of them were visually a good match and it always felt like everyone else's love was perfect.

But Gu Sheng had been so prominent lately, and then, out of nowhere, another Zhou Shiyi appeared—so there were some snide comments.

"Showing off your relationship—won't last long."

"An alpha and a beta together — what good end can that have? Either madness or cheating and divorce."

"Alphas and betas won't last. Alpha and omega are the match made in heaven."

Zhou Shiyi frowned deeply as he read. He only wanted a normal relationship with Gu Sheng, to let people around them know they were a couple now; he never expected to be posted about on a forum and picked apart.

Zhou Shiyi sent the post link to the admin to prove he was the original poster and requested that the related threads be deleted.

Gu Sheng watched the post vanish before his eyes and looked up.

Zhou Shiyi held his phone, frowning. He didn't say anything, but Gu Sheng knew he had seen those comments.

He knew that in this world many people disapproved of alpha-beta pairings, but he wasn't like anyone else — the bond between him and Zhou Shiyi couldn't be severed.

What’s more, the post gaining traction was partly due to his own push behind the scenes.

He wanted everyone to know that Zhou Shiyi belonged to him.

But he didn't want Zhou Shiyi to be unhappy, and this was also the first time he learned that Zhou Shiyi had once thought about telling his friends about their relationship.

He wasn't wrong—Zhou Shiyi hadn't posted his feelings online; he mainly lacked a sense of security.

"Don't be angry; it's not worth ruining your health. What we have doesn't need anyone else's judgment," Gu Sheng said, holding Zhou Shiyi's hand.

Zhou Shiyi looked up, his eyes dark and deep. He wanted to say something, but one glance from Gu Sheng told him everything.

"Did you really believe it?"

"They say alphas should be with omegas,"

Zhou Shiyi said, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Gu Sheng was taken aback; he hadn't expected Zhou Shiyi to have the same lack of security as him.

He gave a soft laugh. As a partner, what do you do if the other person feels insecure?

Carved into an alpha's genes is the solution: give your partner enough security.

"Zhou Shiyi, are you hurt by that line? It's true that a beta can't be marked, so others won't know he already has a partner."

Zhou Shiyi's eyelids fluttered—he still cared.

Seeing the fire grow stronger, Gu Sheng added another log to it.

"Many marriages between alphas and betas end in divorce when the couple's feelings break down, because betas don't have pheromones and can't give alphas the reassurance they crave during their rut."

"Betas also get anxious, because alphas don't bear marks that make their relationship known; they already have a lover. Betas worry the alpha will be tempted by others, and alphas get irritable for not being able to give their partner a sense of security."

"But I'm not the same as you."

"You know we alphas have a very strong possessiveness, so I have a way to let others know that I have an owner."

Gu Sheng leaned his body forward.

They were sitting facing each other; this movement exposed his fair, delicate nape to Zhou Shiyi.

Zhou Shiyi's hand, a little cool, reached up and touched the bump hidden under the skin, the protrusion that pushed up the skin at the back of his neck.

"Zhou Shiyi, bite my gland—make sure you leave tooth marks. I'll get your bite tattooed on my gland so everyone will know I'm your alpha."

Zhou Shiyi's cold fingers curled slightly.

He was no longer the Zhou Shiyi who had just arrived in the ABO world, knowing nothing.

Alpha and omega glands were equally fragile; in wartime, alphas would even wear collars at the nape to protect their glands.

Because gland injuries hurt ten or even a hundred times more than limb wounds. Even slight touches in normal times would make an alpha feel uneasy—only a lifetime-marked mate would possibly be allowed to touch an alpha's glands.

But now, Gu Sheng's gland was just quietly pressed against Zhou Shiyi's palm; even though Zhou Shiyi's hand was cool, Gu Sheng's gland showed no sign of resistance.

The most vulnerable place on an alpha's body was exposed in front of Zhou Shiyi like this — it could be said to be complete, one hundred percent trust in Zhou Shiyi.

At the same time, he also knew that an alpha's glands could be driven to unbearable pain by even a tiny amount of chemical agents.

Tattoos are a very long process, and having a tooth mark tattooed onto an alpha's gland is risky—one slip, and Gu Sheng could die on the spot.

Even if by some luck he survived the tattooing, the ink potion would cause irreversible damage to the alpha's gland—at best a permanent impairment, at worst death.

Zhou Shiyi was no longer the person who could only tell the three genders—A, B, O—apart by appearance. He still could only smell Gu Sheng's pheromones and didn't want to smell anyone else's, but his store of knowledge was now on par with anyone in this world.

He gently ruffled Gu Sheng's hair and said, "What nonsense are you talking?"

Gu Sheng waited a moment and realized Zhou Shiyi really didn’t intend to do it; a sudden twinge of unwillingness rose in him.

He tried to lift his head, but Zhou Shiyi grabbed him down.

“Don’t move.”

Gu Sheng’s body went rigid for a moment, then quickly softened and obediently held his position.

He could feel Zhou Shiyi's warm breath, blowing against his delicate glands, triggering involuntary physiological reactions that made every hair on his body stand on end.

But even so, Gu Sheng didn't move; inside he felt a mix of expectation and secret delight—he knew he had successfully seduced Zhou Shiyi.

When an alpha exposes his most vulnerable places to you, it's a sign of submission; you could do whatever you wanted with his glands. In large part, that alone can awaken anyone's urge to dominate.

Especially someone like Gu Sheng, an S‑rank alpha—he was completely undefended against Zhou Shiyi.

Gu Sheng could feel Zhou Shiyi's breath, which had grown somewhat heavy.

Gu Sheng was trembling with excitement, but he could feel Zhou Shiyi’s warm breath—when it was very close to the back of his neck, it suddenly pulled away.

Gu Sheng felt a bit disappointed; Zhou Shiyi had regretted it after all.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Shiyi suddenly leaned in close and, on his vulnerable gland, solemnly placed a gentle kiss.

Gu Sheng gave a soft hum; the sensation on the gland made his scalp tingle and his whole body shiver.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Zhou Shiyi wrapped his arms around Gu Sheng as his body slid down, and finally sighed in resignation.

In the end, Zhou Shiyi still couldn't leave bite marks on Gu Sheng's glands, but that was undeniable.

Zhou Shiyi was very tempted by Gu Sheng's proposal.

But he knew this would cause irreversible damage to Gu Sheng's body, and in the end, he still couldn't bear it.

If Gu Sheng had looked up at that moment, he would have seen Zhou Shiyi smiling in his eyes and brows, his expression carrying a trace of satisfaction and pleasure.

Zhou Shiyi has always known he has a strong possessiveness toward things that belong to him.

His parents divorced when he was young, each remarried and quickly had children. He seemed like a stranger; no matter which family he was with, he always felt out of place.

Zhou Shiyi had never had a room or any privacy of his own growing up; all his things were either what his younger siblings didn't use, or items they all shared.

So he was especially particular about things that truly belonged to him.

From a young age he knew those shared items weren't his; only he himself, and the knowledge he stuffed into his head, were his.

So he studied like crazy, packing all that knowledge into his mind, hoping to arm his intellect and make the things that belonged to him grow.

He stuffs every bit of what he learns into his head, not letting a single piece slip.

He looked perfectly normal, as if nothing in the outside world mattered to him.

Only he himself knew that those external things were not his; even if they belonged to him briefly, they would ultimately leave him.

Every step he took after reaching adulthood was an attempt to claim something from the world; among countless temptations, he would choose what he wanted, what truly belonged to him.

After learning of Gu Sheng's feelings for him for the first time, he could not lie to himself—he was moved by that same Gu Sheng.

He had always been honest with himself; he liked that Gu Sheng trusted him so completely, that look that was all his. Especially Gu Sheng’s wholehearted dependence on him—it stirred a trace of possessiveness in his long-dormant heart.

That trace of possessiveness, starving for even the tiniest scrap of nourishment, went mad and gradually seized every inch of land in his heart, leaving no gap at all; nothing, no matter what, could squeeze in even a fraction.

That vine called possessiveness had already grown to fill Zhou Shiyi's heart.

Zhou Shiyi held Gu Sheng, utterly content; he knew that the heart of greed that had long been suppressed within him was finally sated.

He was holding Gu Sheng when he suddenly realized that Gu Sheng seemed to have gone completely silent.

Zhou Shiyi hurriedly lifted Gu Sheng’s head and saw his face flushed bright red, even his eyes bloodshot.

Zhou Shiyi was startled, quickly helped Gu Sheng up, and patted his back until Gu Sheng finally began to breathe on his own; only then did he feel both angry and amused.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you brave just now?”

Gu Sheng wrapped his arms around Zhou Shiyi and buried his face in the hollow of Zhou Shiyi’s neck.

"Zhou Shiyi, don't move for now, let me hold you a little while—my legs are weak."

Their body heat pressed together, their hearts close as well. Zhou Shiyi ran his hands from head to back, helping Gu Sheng catch his breath.

He found it a little amusing, but afraid of making his lover angry, he gave a soft

"hm."

They sat like that holding each other for a while.

In the dorm, their phone screens kept flashing from time to time—mutual friends asking if they were really together.

But they ignored it, holding each other like they owned the whole world.

Soon, their phone screens went dark and stayed that way.

Not until the afternoon did Wang Henián and Lu Qi return to the dorm; when Wang Henián came back, he still seemed a little dazed.

He had a lot of questions, but in the end could only say, "I wish you both happiness."

Zhou Shiyi nodded.

"We will."

Lu Qi saw the corners of Gu Sheng’s eyes a little red, with a bit of moisture in them, and mentally sighed—so this is what being in love feels like.

At first Wang Henian felt a bit awkward, but seeing that the two involved acted as usual, and that in their daily interactions they never did anything excessive in the dorm—hardly any physical contact at all—he relaxed.

As time went on, Wang Henian began to notice.

These two were considerate of others and very restrained; in front of other people, they didn’t even touch.

But that kind of atmosphere made it obvious at a glance that there was something fishy about those two.

Those restrained gestures—his coarse nerves could still see right through them; they were only making things more obvious.

Sometimes a single exchange of glances could leave Wang Henian dumbfounded. Is this what people mean by a young couple?

Even doing nothing, he could feel himself excluded by them; the atmosphere made it impossible to break in.

Lu Qi had been mentally prepared, so he accepted it better than Wang Henian.

Later, Wang Henián realized that even if Zhou Shiyi and Gu Sheng were dating, they were the kind of close roommates, and that little twinge of jealousy in his heart disappeared.

They went in and out together, walking to and from class side by side.

There was basically no attempt to hide it, so everyone knew there was a little alpha–beta couple at school.

They were so close that they’d sit in on each other’s classes just to make themselves familiar faces to each other’s teachers.

Zhou Shiyi also managed, during his freshman year, to join the lab of a major figure whose words carry a lot of weight in this field.

Anyone with eyes could see that the old professor was grooming Zhou Shiyi to be his successor, and Zhou Shiyi was proving himself—he hadn't let the professor down.

College years always flew by, and they experienced their first college finals week.

After finishing the last paper, Zhou Shiyi capped his pen, gathered his things, handed in his exam early, and left.

Gu Sheng still had one exam scheduled the day after next, but Zhou Shiyi was leaving today.

That reckless driver Wang Yong, after a long judicial process, would be sentenced tomorrow in H City's court. As a family member of the victim, Zhou Shiyi had to be present to witness it — a way to give the deceased some closure.

Gu Sheng hauled Zhou Shiyi's suitcase and saw him off at the station.

"Go back first. I'll call you when I get there."

Zhou Shiyi took the luggage, heard that his train had started boarding, gave Gu Sheng a hug, and said goodbye.

"Mm."

Although Gu Sheng said that, his gaze never left Zhou Shiyi.

Before being in a relationship, he never understood those couples at the station who couldn't bear to part. With technology so advanced now, you can just make a video call and see each other often.

Only then did Gu Sheng suddenly understand—he truly couldn't bear to let go.

He didn't let go of Gu Sheng until it was time to leave; Gu Sheng watched him as he checked his ticket and went down the escalator.

After Zhou Shiyi's figure disappeared from sight, Gu Sheng wiped his face—he still had business to attend to.

Zhou Shiyi sat in on Cao Yong's trial, and only after the police's tireless investigation did they make the case public.

In Cao Yong’s case, the length of time involved, the large number of victims, and the heinousness of the circumstances were all exposed to the media under irrefutable evidence.

Cao Yong was ultimately sentenced to death; in the end he did not appeal.

After leaving the courthouse, Zhou Shiyi let out a quiet sigh.

When he returned home, he found Grandma Zhou listening to the radio, which had just finished.

She lay in the rocking chair, dabbing her eyes with her shriveled hand, looking at Zhou Shiyi and sobbing uncontrollably.

Zhou Shiyi stepped forward and embraced the elderly man who had lost his child.

With this case finally settled, those who had died received justice, and those still living had to go on with their lives.

A few days later, Granny Zhou also emerged from that pain.

She shifted the center of her life to the flowers and plants in the courtyard; watching those vigorous, thriving greens always brought her a bit of comfort.

That New Year’s Eve, Zhou Shiyi took a moment to reply to Gu Sheng.

Grandma Zhou was making dumplings nearby and saw a smile tug at Zhou Shiyi’s mouth.

She asked, “Xiaoyi, are you dating someone?”

Zhou Shiyi put down his phone and said, “Mm.”

Grandma Zhou looked pleasantly surprised. She had always seen Zhou Shiyi burying himself in his studies and worried he might be too dull to make friends; she hadn't expected he'd already found a partner.

"What kind of person is it?"

"She's a classmate from my high school. Don’t worry, Grandma, she's a very good person."

……

Gu Sheng put down his phone as Nian Meilan teased him with a playful look.

"Have you put your phone down? Come help me draw a card."

After the New Year's Eve dinner, the Gu family set up the mahjong table for their annual game.

Only Gu Sheng from the Gu family currently had a partner, so he got the privilege of spending time alone with his significant other while the rest of them watched them play mahjong.

Gu Sheng reached over to help Nian Meilan feel for a tile, then sat behind her to watch her play.

He wanted to be with Zhou Shiyi too, but it wasn't right to abandon the whole family during the New Year and run off to find him alone.

Since the second semester of his senior year Gu Sheng had rarely lived at home, and after the college entrance exam he decisively skipped his birthday party and went to spend more than a month with Zhou Shiyi in a small town. This time, no matter what, he couldn't let him go.

Close to midnight, the Spring Festival Gala on TV had reached the countdown stage.

Zhou Shiyi also received Gu Sheng's call; until the countdown ended and the first fireworks burst in the sky, amid the clamor, Zhou Shiyi and Gu Sheng both said at the same time: "Happy New Year."

They both laughed softly into the phone.

Gu Sheng said, "Zhou Shiyi, I miss you so much."

Zhou Shiyi smiled too and said, "I miss you so much as well."

"Wait for me."

Gu Sheng hurriedly hung up the phone, grabbed the suitcase he'd already packed, and left the house.

He had to hurry to catch his flight.

The airport on New Year's Eve was very quiet, with only a few scattered people waiting for their flights.

But Gu Sheng felt extremely warm inside; he wanted to fly to Zhou Shiyi's side right now.

The plane ticket had been purchased long ago; barring any mishaps, he would arrive tomorrow morning.

Zhou Shiyi was left hanging on the phone by Gu Sheng and felt a bit puzzled.

Later, when Grandma Zhou called him, he went downstairs.

Early the next morning, Zhou Shiyi received a call from Gu Sheng.

On the other end of the line, Gu Sheng was panting as he said, "Zhou Shiyi, guess where I am?"

Zhou Shiyi sat up in bed.

It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the small town still kept the tradition of setting off firecrackers.

He heard the firecrackers going off on the other end of Gu Sheng's phone, mixed with the surrounding bursts yet somehow especially clear.

Zhou Shiyi got out of bed and drew the curtains.

He stood at the foot of the stairs; Gu Sheng held a phone in one hand, his breath leaving a faint mist in the cold air, and dragged a suitcase with the other.

He looked up and saw Zhou Shiyi on the balcony.

Zhou Shiyi saw him and immediately came down from the upper floor, opened the front door, and let Gu Sheng in.

"Why did you come?"

Zhou Shiyi was both surprised and delighted, taking Gu Sheng's suitcase.

Gu Sheng's hands were empty, so he reached out to hug Zhou Shiyi and smiled, "You missed me, so I came."

Zhou Shiyi gave him a gentle hug, and when he looked at the dark bruising and the red bloodshot veins in Gu Sheng’s eyes, he petted his eye with a touch of concern.

“You still shouldn’t have come over in the middle of the night, you know. Aren’t you tired?”

Gu Sheng covered Zhou Shiyi’s hand with his own and said, “I’m not tired.”

Zhou Shiyi had just gotten out of bed and his hands were warm, but Gu Sheng’s hand was very cold.

Obviously it took a long, winding route before finally arriving at the small town.

Zhou Shiyi, worried he might be sick, brought him inside.

He took off Gu Sheng's heavy coat and tucked him entirely into the still-warm blanket.

Gu Sheng obediently let Zhou Shiyi wrap him into a bundle, lying in the blanket and watching Zhou Shiyi fuss back and forth.

Zhou Shiyi went to make a bowl of brown sugar ginger soup for Gu Sheng and brought it over, urging him to drink it before sleeping.

Zhou Shiyi went downstairs and saw that Grandma Zhou was already up; she noticed the suitcase in the living room.

“This is…”

“Grandma, Gu Sheng is here at our house. This is his luggage; I’ll carry it up in a bit.”

Grandma Zhou looked a little surprised.

“Xiao Sheng is here—why didn’t you tell me?”

“Grandma, he came specifically to see me. He hardly slept on the way, so I let him rest for a while and will wake him for dinner.”

Grandma Zhou liked Gu Sheng very much. When she heard he had arrived, she was overjoyed. At dinner, seeing he still hadn’t come down, she even told Zhou Shiyi not to disturb him while he slept.

So Gu Sheng slept until after eight that evening before waking up.

Winter is the best time to lie under thick quilts and sleep; he woke up still a little groggy.

“Awake?”

Zhou Shiyi had made Gu Sheng a bowl of noodles and brought it to his bedside.

"Mm, you're awake."

Gu Sheng got up from the bed, sat on the small stool beside it, and obediently waited to be fed.

While eating, Gu Sheng's gaze wandered restlessly.

It was still the first time he went into Zhou Shiyi's room after they had made their relationship official.

Back then Zhou Shiyi hadn't figured things out about him, so he treated Gu Sheng like a normal friend; even if they slept together, Zhou Shiyi wouldn't read anything into it.

"You'll be staying in that room—it's already been tidied up; your luggage has been moved over. Take a look later and see if anything's missing."

Gu Sheng was stunned for a moment.

"I'm not going to live with you?"

"You want to live with me? Aren't we already living together in the dorm every day?"

Zhou Shiyi flicked his finger, lightly scraping Gu Sheng's nose.

"How can that be the same?"

Zhou Shiyi: "How is it not the same?"

"I used to live with you before."

"Well, that was before."

Zhou Shiyi's ears flushed red.

Gu Sheng, seeing a chance, started to act stubborn: "I don't care, I'm telling you, I'm going to sleep with you. Wherever you live, that's where I'll live."

"Alright."

By the final week Zhou Shiyi gave in. He moved all of Gu Sheng's things over and even set aside a full set of toiletries for him.

When the two of them lay in bed, Zhou Shiyi did feel that something had shifted.

The bedroom had a double bed; he and Gu Sheng each took one side, with space left between them.

They lay there in the dark on the bed, saying nothing at all.

Zhou Shiyi still couldn't quite fall asleep.

When he opened his eyes, Gu Sheng was obediently lying to one side; when he closed them, he could hear Gu Sheng's breathing.

His heart was racing.

Clearly they'd slept in the same bed before, and even when Gu Sheng had been in heat, but back then he only wanted to make Gu Sheng more comfortable during that time and hadn't thought about anything like this.

It was very likely the change in their relationship that suddenly made Zhou Shiyi recall those descriptions from his biology textbook.

He closed his eyes and rehearsed pi in his head, forcing all the chaotic thoughts aside.

But Gu Sheng was restless.

Zhou Shiyi heard the soft rustling from Gu Sheng's side, and a warm body pressed against him.

Zhou Shiyi opened his eyes and gently held Gu Sheng's hands down.

"What are you doing?"

Gu Sheng opened his eyes, gaze clear: "I'm cold. Don't stay so far from me—the cold wind is getting in."

Feeling the part of Gu Sheng not covered by the blanket was indeed a bit chilly, so Zhou Shiyi pulled him into his arms, and there was no space left between them.

"Go to sleep."

In the darkness, Gu Sheng gave a soft laugh and hugged him back.

With the fireworks that occasionally exploded outside the window, they held each other and slept through the cold night.

Grandma Zhou was old and her legs were weak; she rarely went upstairs, so she didn't know Gu Sheng wasn't sleeping in the room that had been prepared for him— the two of them slept together.

There wasn't much going on during the New Year; aside from a few scattered people coming to pay their respects, it was extremely leisurely.

Zhou Shiyi's birthday happened to fall within these days.

Early in the morning, Gu Sheng went into town to order a cake while Granny Zhou was busy making longevity noodles for Zhou Shiyi.

Zhou Shiyi's birthday falls on the third day of the Lunar New Year, so hardly anyone ever comes out to celebrate with him; most of the time, he spends it alone.

Previously, because of the gaokao and competitions, he hadn't spent his birthdays at home either—this time was the first time he'd ever celebrated a birthday in this world.

Under the eager gazes of Gu Sheng and Grandma Zhou, Zhou Shiyi closed his eyes and made a wish.

After eating cake and longevity noodles, Grandma Zhou went to rest.

Zhou Shiyi and Gu Sheng packed everything up and put it in the kitchen.

When Zhou Shiyi turned around, he saw Gu Sheng leaning against the kitchen, smiling as he watched him wash the dishes.

"What are you looking at?"

"You're so virtuous, lucky I acted first."

Gu Sheng laughed, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind.

Mindful of the foam on his hands, Zhou Shiyi quickly pressed a kiss onto Gu Sheng's cheek: "Don't mess around, you go out first, I'll be done soon."

Gu Sheng touched the kissed spot, then leaned in on the other side: "Kiss me again."

In the end, with Zhou Shiyi's face flushed bright red, Gu Sheng got the promise of another kiss later, and triumphantly slipped out of the kitchen.

He didn't forget that promise even after lying down on the bed.

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Shiyi felt Gu Sheng's hand tugging at the hem of his shirt; he held Gu Sheng and didn't want to let go.

"Zhou Shiyi, did you forget something?"

"What?"

"You were supposed to kiss me."

The drowsiness left Zhou Shiyi. He remembered what had happened in the kitchen today; luckily, the night hid all the other colors.

"Do we have to kiss right now?"

"Right now." Gu Sheng insisted.

In the night, he couldn't make out Zhou Shiyi's expression, and Zhou Shiyi couldn't tell that he was already so embarrassed his toes had curled up.

He knew someone like Zhou Shiyi warmed up slowly; if he hadn't taken the initiative, it was very likely they'd have stopped at a hug and some kisses on the cheek.

In a relationship there's always one person who's more proactive, and besides, Gu Sheng really liked Zhou Shiyi—he thought it was totally fine for him to take the initiative.

He heard, in the darkness, that Zhou Shiyi seemed to chuckle; he heard Zhou say with amusement, "Okay."

In the dark, Zhou Shiyi accurately captured Gu Sheng's lips.

As their lips met, both of them shivered.

Gu Sheng felt that the place where they touched was like an electric shock, sending tingles through his whole body.

He had only one thought: Zhou Shiyi's lips were so soft.

Their lips and teeth brushed together; it was the first time for both of them, but they were both good kids, and through repeated tentative moves they gradually found ways to make each other feel good.

Zhou Shiyi hadn't expected that a single kiss could be so intoxicating. They held each other like that, kissing one another.

By the next day, Gu Sheng's period of susceptibility had arrived.

Zhou Shiyi felt a bit helpless and comforted Gu Sheng, telling him to rest well.

"Are you doing it on purpose? You always come to see me during my estrus."

Zhou Shiyi tested Gu Sheng’s pheromone levels and finally concluded that he had entered his receptive period.

Seeing Gu Sheng burn with tear-filled eyes and a flushed face, Zhou Shiyi skillfully placed Gu Sheng's head in his lap.

Since the last heat, Zhou Shiyi had discovered that Gu Sheng really liked this position—especially when Zhou Shiyi read him bedtime stories; Gu Sheng would obediently fall asleep.

"This time it's different. Don't you know that an alpha's pheromones are unstable and easily tempted into heat?"

Since the two confirmed their relationship, Zhou Shiyi had found it harder and harder to resist Gu Sheng's bluntness.

Especially since Gu Sheng is now in his susceptibility phase.

What the susceptibility phase means — both are adults, of course they understand.

Actually that remark was completely shirking responsibility. If Gu Sheng hadn't actively provoked the pheromone surge that triggered the susceptibility phase, his condition would have remained very stable.

It was yesterday night's kiss that made him lose a bit of control, and it was his indulgence in the pheromones—so he successfully entered the susceptible phase.

"Zhou Shiyi, I'm not feeling well."

Gu Sheng frowned and asked Zhou Shiyi for a hug.

The same posture made Zhou Shiyi suddenly feel a sense of danger. Sure enough, Gu Sheng opened his mouth and bit Zhou Shiyi on the shoulder.

This time Gu Sheng didn't use much force, like teeth that hadn't fully grown in yet and couldn't hold onto prey; Zhou Shiyi only felt a tingling there, no pain.

"What's wrong? Can't bear to let go?"

Zhou Shiyi remembered the last heat cycle, when Gu Sheng chased him and bit him—surely drawing blood, and even if he didn't draw blood, Gu Sheng would insist on taking a bite of Zhou Shiyi's flesh.

He had no doubt that if he made any move to leave, Gu Sheng would suddenly bite that piece of flesh off.

"Mm, I can't bear it, Zhou Shiyi, kiss me."

Gu Sheng's eyes were rimmed with red; he didn't wait for Zhou Shiyi to refuse and planted a kiss on his lips.

This kiss, compared to last night's tenderness, was tinged with a bit more heat.

Soon their kiss took on a trace of bloodiness; Gu Sheng stuck out his tongue and licked all the blood seeping from Zhou Shiyi's wound dry.

Watching Gu Sheng was like watching someone treat his blood as an addictive substance; Zhou Shiyi felt his scalp go a little numb.

During the susceptibility period, an alpha's emotions are amplified—Gu Sheng's possessiveness and obsession toward Zhou Shiyi were laid bare at this time.

Zhou Shiyi grabbed Gu Sheng by the neck and forced him away.

"Gu Sheng, pull yourself together."

Gu Sheng was roused by that thread of blood, carrying Zhou Shiyi's faint grassy scent; he opened his eyes, his look a silent invitation.

A strand of something called ambiguity flowed between them.

Zhou Shiyi looked at the small version of himself in Gu Sheng's eyes; tempted by Gu Sheng's gaze, he lowered his head and kissed Gu Sheng's moist lips.

The two of them were like two beasts, tearing and tangling at each other, frantically snatching the air from one another's bodies.

It wasn't until the very last moment that Gu Sheng suddenly came to his senses.

He shoved Zhou Shiyi away.

Zhou Shiyi also snapped out of the almost-seduced, aroused state he'd been in.

Seeing Gu Sheng's current situation, he halted, his breathing a little rapid.

“Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom first.”

Gu Sheng also hadn't expected Zhou Shiyi to think of him that way, and for a moment he didn't react.

Before this, Gu Sheng had never imagined an alpha would submit to a beta, but if it was Zhou Shiyi, he might accept it.

Gu Sheng wrapped himself around Zhou Shiyi with hands and feet, not letting him go.

Both of them were sweating; they held each other tightly, and Gu Sheng's eyes looked as if they'd been washed with water.

"Come here."

"No, you'll get hurt if this continues."

Not to mention their positions, Zhou Shiyi hadn't expected it to happen so fast, so he hadn't prepared anything.

……

It had rained last night, and the temperature had risen.

The sky had been washed by the water and was very clean.

Zhou Shiyi made a bowl of porridge for Gu Sheng and coaxed him into eating it.

After a night of madness, even normally energetic Gu Sheng was a little exhausted.

But he grew increasingly clingy to Zhou Shiyi, insisting that Zhou stay within his line of sight.

Zhou Shiyi fully understood how strong an alpha's possessiveness over their partner could be during the rut.

Last night, Gu Sheng left several scratches from his nails across Zhou Shiyi's back, and he sucked all the blood that flowed out dry.

Gu Sheng gave Zhou Shiyi the feeling of a vampire feeding on human blood.

In the throes of passion, Gu Sheng left bite marks of varying depths on Zhou Shiyi's body.

Gu Sheng himself wasn't in much better shape; his body was mottled green and purple, not a single unbruised spot.

After Gu Shengyi's fertile period passed, Zhou Shiyi was called down to move the flowers.

The town was warm, and the cold lasted only a few days, so those seedlings had already begun to bud.

When Zhou Shiyi went down to move the flowers, he saw the small pot of mint that had originally been planted in the flowerbed.

Having endured the severe cold, it had quickly sprouted again, and it was growing very lushly.

Grandma Zhou said that not long after he started school, that pot of mint had filled the whole flowerbed, and it kept growing more and more vigorously.

She often picked some to give to the neighbors, and it only kept growing faster.

It had already grown out of the flowerbed and stretched outward.

Zhou Shiyi was busy outside when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps; without turning around, he knew it was Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng wrapped his arms around Zhou Shiyi's waist from behind, his head resting against Zhou Shiyi's back.

"Where did you go? I couldn't see you anywhere."

Zhou Shiyi turned around and put his arm around him for a moment, careful not to let his hand touch Gu Sheng's clothes.

"I'll move the flowers; you just sit over there and wait for me, okay? Let me finish, alright?"

Gu Sheng's lips were swollen and there were countless tiny scratches; his peach-blossom eyes were puffy and red from crying, and there were layers upon layers of marks hidden beneath his clothes.

Gu Sheng's gait was still a bit awkward; he could hardly stand steady.

He looked like he'd been through a rough beating.

Zhou Shiyi cleared his throat lightly — he was that scoundrel.

Strangely enough, Zhou Shiyi had been able to keep his composure at first, but as time passed he gradually began to feel Gu Sheng's pheromones having an effect on his body.

He could feel the ferocity of Gu Sheng's pheromones, the possessiveness that could overwhelm Zhou Shiyi, and Gu Sheng's dependence on him.

These were all catalysts, making Zhou Shiyi's emotions increasingly agitated.

Later on, the pain they caused one another became like a silent encouragement.

An alpha in their estrus finally goes crazy together with the beta who’s always been known for staying calm.