Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome chapter 36

Temporary Marking

Yan Lian came out with Gu Jinyi.

He organized this party today, inviting all his colleagues to bid him farewell, creating a lively atmosphere and refusing no one who came to drink.

But no one knew that his original intention was just to have a memorable conclusion with Gu Jinyi before leaving, like any ordinary secret admirer, making every effort to spend an extra second with the one he yearned for.

He didn’t even know when he started liking Gu Jinyi.

When Gu Jinyi first came to the studio, he didn’t pay much attention. He had seen plenty of attractive people since he was young, and once he got used to them, they didn’t seem particularly special anymore.

But somehow, from some unknown day, his gaze couldn’t help but follow Gu Jinyi’s movements. He watched him smilingly talking to people, holding a fluffy kitten in his arms and trimming its nails, or sitting by the sunny window sorting out documents.

He couldn’t pinpoint what made Gu Jinyi special.

He felt Gu Jinyi was like the cherry blossom tree in the garden, unassuming but gentle and beautiful, subtly captivating.

But unfortunately, this cherry blossom was married.

Since the first day at the studio, Gu Jinyi had been wearing a wedding ring, and he never hid his married status.

Yan Lian recognized the ring as somewhat familiar, set with a genuine topaz, expensive enough to buy a castle.

Later, he asked his elder brother to investigate, and in a few days, his brother passed on a message: “Don’t bother. That’s Xie Huaizhou’s partner.”

His brother told him to be more open-minded. There were plenty of gentle and charming omegas out there, so why bother competing with the Xie family for someone?

He knew his brother was right, and he had never been a particularly devoted or affectionate person. Why should he fight with the Xie family over a partner who couldn’t bring any benefits?

But how could the heart be controlled by reason?

Yan Lian sat face to face with Gu Jinyi and clearly saw the wariness in Gu Jinyi’s eyes.

He thought he had been getting along quite well with Gu Jinyi for the past few months, but just because he mentioned “Xie Huaizhou,” Gu Jinyi instantly became cold and distant.

Yan Lian smiled bitterly. He knew he was being foolish.

He knew this omega didn’t belong to him, yet he still lingered around Gu Jinyi for four months in the studio.

He knew that a forbidden crush should die in the heart, yet he still insisted on it.

Perhaps because this rest area was too quiet, the moonlight was so gentle, and the alcohol burned away his reason.

All of this gave him the illusion that no matter how wrong his decision was, it would only stay on this night and dissipate with the dawn.

He said to Gu Jinyi, “Assistant Gu, are you curious why I care about who your partner is?”

“Because I like you and want to steal you.”

“Even if you’re married, I don’t mind. I can still snatch you away.”

His words were impolite but straightforward, without any shame for his intentions.

He had always been such a person, not hesitating to use any means to get what he wanted.

But as he looked at Gu Jinyi’s expression, there was also some hidden sadness.

Because he knew he couldn’t have Gu Jinyi.

His rival was Xie Huaizhou, the renowned head of the Xie family, while he was just the second son of Rongyu Technology. He didn’t even have the qualifications to compete with Xie Huaizhou.

So his smile became somewhat helpless again, seeming genuinely regretful.

“It’s a pity. If your partner weren’t Xie Huaizhou, maybe I would have stolen you away by now.”

Gu Jinyi was struck speechless by this series of statements.

He had just made various speculations about Yan Lian, thinking he must have come for Xie Huaizhou, and schemes and plots ran through his mind.

But he never expected to hear an unexpected confession in the end.

This froze his expression, even making him feel a bit embarrassed.

He didn’t immediately believe Yan Lian’s words; he didn’t think he had such great charm. Even if Xie Huaizhou liked him, Yan Lian, a young and active alpha from a good family, wouldn’t fall for him like this.

So he turned away, saying, “Don’t joke like that, it’s not funny.”

But Yan Lian didn’t take the hint.

Yan Lian chuckled, “Do I look like I’m joking?”

He leaned slightly forward, closing the distance with Gu Jinyi a bit, then said clearly.

“Gu Jinyi, I like you. You heard me right.”

Gu Jinyi couldn’t pretend to be confused anymore.

This rest area was too quiet, the noise from the private room blocked by heavy doors, leaving only the gentle moonlight in this dim corner.

Yan Lian’s words fell flat, each one like a small nail, leaving invisible wounds.

Gu Jinyi had a bit of a headache.

Actually, Yan Lian’s confession was quite offensive to him, using predatory words that made him uncomfortable.

He furrowed his brows slightly, asking Yan Lian, “Then why tell me now, since you know you can’t separate me from Xie Huaizhou? What’s the point?”

He asked calmly, without the shyness that usually follows a confession, nor the stern reprimand.

He looked at Yan Lian as if he were a rash and impulsive teenager, with a hint of helplessness and sighing, but without any hint of being moved.

This made Yan Lian feel hopeless from the bottom of his heart.

Actually, he hadn’t planned to confess to Gu Jinyi at first.

Unrequited love should be hidden in a corner.

He should have resigned quietly, bid farewell to everyone in the studio, and in a few years, he would have forgotten Gu Jinyi completely.

But he couldn’t maintain this rationality in front of Gu Jinyi.

At the moment he spoke, he was actually hopeful, wanting to know if he held any weight in Gu Jinyi’s heart.

But now Gu Jinyi’s reaction was worse than he had anticipated.

Gu Jinyi didn’t care at all, not even showing anger, just his usual calmness, as if he were already accustomed to such confessions.

Yan Lian chuckled self-deprecatingly, softly saying, “Because I can’t bear it. I can’t bear not doing anything.”

He knew there was no hope, but he still wanted to give it a try.

But now, he had lost so miserably that he couldn’t even deceive himself.

Yan Lian couldn’t help but reveal a little sadness. He had a pair of innocent and clear eyes, clearly not an inexperienced young man, yet he couldn’t help but make people feel soft-hearted.

But Gu Jinyi just looked at him.

Xie Huaizhou’s eyes were not like this.

Xie Huaizhou never had this kind of innocence and softness. He was as sharp as a cold blade, even if he was sad, he remained silent, seemingly so powerful that he didn’t need anyone, not even comfort.

Gu Jinyi hesitated, reluctant to say a harsh word.

He fell silent for a moment, calculating in his mind how to reject Yan Lian. After all, they had been colleagues for several months, so he couldn’t be too harsh, but he also couldn’t give false hope.

But before he could say anything, he heard Yan Lian say softly again.

“Assistant Gu, your marriage with Xie Huaizhou shouldn’t be as simple as it seems on the surface. One of you is from Baidi Star, the other from G6 Star, with almost no intersection. How did you suddenly get married??”

Gu Jinyi raised his head, his expression even a bit cold.

He didn’t like others probing into his business.

Yan Lian felt stung by this look, hesitated for a second, and then asked softly, “I just want to ask you, do you really love him, or is there some other reason you got married to him?”

Gu Jinyi was stunned. There was another reason, it was the contract on the G6 Star, which was the biggest reason.

But after a moment of silence, he shook his head. “There’s no other reason.”

Yan Lian wanted to ask further, “But do you love him?”

Gu Jinyi didn’t answer.

He lowered his head, looking at a patch of moonlight beside his hand, and remembered the night at the Golden Waterfall when Xie Huaizhou casually said he loved him.

Many scenes flashed before his eyes, as beautiful and fragile as bubbles: Xie Huaizhou first time he kissing his forehead, the restrained yet passionate gaze… and a few days ago, at the amusement park, Xie Huaizhou holding his hand and saying, “Let’s go home, kid.”

His eyelashes trembled, and his heart trembled slightly.

But his silence seemed to be misunderstood by Yan Lian.

Yan Lian’s eyes lit up a bit, almost eagerly asking, “Don’t you love him?”

This question made Gu Jinyi’s lips curl up.

He didn’t look at Yan Lian, not like he was answering Yan Lian’s question, but more like talking to himself.

His lips were clearly curved upwards, but his eyes had a kind of sadness shrouded in mist.

“If not because of love, why else would I choose to be with him?”

Actually, admitting this wasn’t difficult at all. After saying this, he absentmindedly thought to himself. He did love Xie Huaizhou, just like he had loved Fu Chen hopelessly in the past.

He tossed and turned, finding a thousand reasons to hide this, but in the end, it was all in vain.

Love couldn’t be hidden, just like self-deception.

Yan Lian was choked up. He bit his lip, still looking at Gu Jinyi with some reluctance. “Why do you love him? Is it because he’s excellent? Because he’s the head of the Xie family? I can be that too, in a couple of years…”

Gu Jinyi didn’t hear the rest of what he said clearly.

He smiled, his eyes a bit swollen, feeling that Yan Lian was indeed young and spirited.

If only it were that simple.

The scariest thing was that even if Xie Huaizhou wasn’t who he was, and there was nothing special about him, he would still fall in love with him without hesitation.

“Maybe it’s because he has a mole behind his ear,” he murmured in response to the question, sounding like he was talking to himself.

There was a place deep in his heart where a scab had formed for a long time, and it was gently torn open, the wound warm and slowly bleeding.

There was a very small brown mole behind Fu Chen’s left ear, so small that not even he knew about it.

He used to secretly kiss this small mole, as if discovering a secret that belonged only to him.

Xie Huaizhou also had such a mole behind his left ear, in exactly the same position.

After saying this sentence, he suddenly felt sad, not knowing what to do. Obviously, there was nothing special about it. He had always told himself that the world was full of coincidences, and it wasn’t surprising that two strangers looked similar.

But his internal organs were still entangled, the pain making it hard for him to breathe, as if someone was strangling his throat.

And it was at this moment that his phone rang.

He lowered his head and saw the message Xie Huaizhou sent him.

“I’m coming to the hotel to pick you up.”

His vision was a bit blurry, as if covered by a mist, everything appearing hazy, but that line of text was clear.

He replied, “Okay, I’ll wait for you in the lounge on the top floor.”

After sending this message, he raised his hand and wiped away the tear from the corner of his eye expressionlessly.

He looked at Yan Lian. “You should go back now. Li Xiu and the others are waiting for you, and I’m going home.”

He realized he wasn’t feeling too well, his heart beating faster and his body feeling slightly feverish, so he didn’t want to linger with Yan Lian anymore.

But Yan Lian couldn’t move his feet.

In the dim light, Gu Jinyi, with his long hair cascading down, eyes moist, expressionless, was as beautiful as a deity worthy of worship.

But he knew that he wasn’t the one who made Gu Jinyi show such an expression.

He asked, “Why are you crying? Is Xie Huaizhou not treating you well?”

Gu Jinyi seemed to hear something funny and laughed.

“He treats me very well.”

But it’s too good, so good it feels like atonement.

But after saying this sentence, he didn’t want to say anymore. He turned his head away from Yan Lian, not wanting to discuss anything further.

Yan Lian stood still for a while. He understood that he was a defeated pursuer, no longer qualified to accompany him, and finally slowly moved his feet.

But as he was about to leave the lounge, he caught a very fragrant scent of red tea.

Soft, warm, reminiscent of all things comforting.

He froze in his steps, unbelievably turning back.

In the lamplight, Gu Jinyi was no longer the expressionless deity, but a vivid beauty, with moist eyes and enchanting lips that seemed to drip blood, his snow-white skin tinged with a faint blush, like peach blossoms falling on fresh snow.

The air was filled with an ambiguous and sentimental atmosphere, and the scent of red tea, usually gentle and plain, was now stirring.

Yan Lian’s Adam’s apple rolled.

As an alpha, he naturally sensed what the pheromones in the air were transmitting.

Gu Jinyi suddenly entered into heat without warning, and this kind of situation mostly occurred in omegas whose pheromones were unstable.

He took a step forward involuntarily.

But Gu Jinyi hadn’t lost his rationality yet. His eyes were as sharp as knives as he looked over, exuding a coldness and aura different from usual.

“Don’t come any closer, go away.” He ordered Yan Lian rather impolitely, pressing his finger on the emergency call on his Ipad, calling for help, with Xie Huaizhou on the other end.

Yan Lian’s nails dug into his flesh, gritting his teeth tightly, a desire churning in his eyes. His rational mind told him he should leave, but he couldn’t control his reaction.

Alphas and Omegas could sense each other’s pheromones.

At this moment, he could perceive that his compatibility with Gu Jinyi shouldn’t be low, at least seventy to eighty percent.

This made his dissatisfaction even stronger.

Why?

Why was it that just because he was a step too late, the Omega he liked had nothing to do with him anymore?

Clearly, they were also so compatible.

He couldn’t help but take another step forward.

But before he could take the second step, a chilling coldness crawled up his spine, as if being stared at by some hungry ghost.

He heard a cold voice behind him saying, “Get out of the way, move aside.”

There was a surge of anger in the voice, instantly sobering him up.

A much higher-ranking alpha’s pheromones forcefully hit him, the aura of a top predator overwhelming him, more like crushing him than overpowering him.

He watched as a tall figure passed by him, the one he had seen many times in videos, the one who made him jealous and restless.

Xie Family’s head, Xie Huaizhou.

He also saw Gu Jinyi, who had just moments ago warned him to leave, now, upon seeing Xie Huaizhou, tearfully open his arms to him.

And Xie Huaizhou quickly embraced him.

The shadows of the two intertwined under the light. Gu Jinyi leaned against Xie Huaizhou, full of dependence, tilting his head up to ask for a kiss.

After briefly comforting Gu Jinyi, Xie Huaizhou firmly held his shoulders, biting down on the back of Gu Jinyi’s neck without giving him a chance to refuse.

His canines pierced the tender skin, and Gu Jinyi whimpered, unable to resist.

Xie Huaizhou marked Gu Jinyi temporarily, his own pheromones overwhelming the scent of red tea in the air.

A tidal wave surged forth.

Yan Lian belatedly noticed the fading scent of red tea in the air.

He knew he should leave.

He had already lost face enough, so why linger here?

But his feet felt as if they were glued to the ground, unable to move.

When Gu Jinyi rejected him earlier, he was only sad. But facing an alpha as top-tier as Xie Huaizhou, he felt a blow to his pride.

What could he use to compete with him?

From the beginning, they were never on the same starting line.

Xie Huaizhou lifted Gu Jinyi up.

When he entered the top floor, he sensed Gu Jinyi’s pheromones in the air, causing his heart to tighten. He rushed to the lounge at the fastest speed.

Fortunately, he arrived quickly, and Gu Jinyi was unharmed.

But now, although he had marked him temporarily, Gu Jinyi’s feverish condition hadn’t eased. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, burying his head in Xie Huaizhou’s neck, whimpering softly.

He quickly made a judgment in his mind.

Modern high-end hotels had rooms specially designed for isolating pheromones to deal with any emergencies.

He swiftly carried Gu Jinyi out of the lounge.

As he passed by Yan Lian, he didn’t spare the young alpha a glance, but the pheromones surged down like a tide.

“You better hope I don’t find out that his unexpected heat has anything to do with you.”

After saying this, he left with Gu Jinyi.

The scent of red tea in the air was almost gone, surrounded by the smell of the sea, making it almost imperceptible.

The lounge was quiet, and the colleagues in the private rooms were probably all drunk. No one knew what had happened in the short twenty minutes outside.

Yan Lian stood in the cold corridor, staring at his toes blankly for a long time.

He pressed his heart, feeling the pain, but because his heart was as dead as ashes, he became numb.