SCOM - Chapter 48
Chapter 48
When Zuo Luohuan brought Ji Yuezhi to her place in the central city, he felt a faint sense of anticipation. An Omega moving into an Alpha's house held a different kind of significance.
The place didn't have much inside, just basic furniture and appliances. There were no extra decorations or anything for leisure and entertainment; it looked more like a temporary place to sleep.
Ji Yuezhi wasn't too surprised. She had always been like this—outwardly casual and smiling, seemingly easy to get along with, but in reality, she was aloof and cold. Alphas like Jiang Hong, who came from a certain status and background, could be quite picky at times, but Zuo Luohuan was indifferent to everything.
"The bedroom is over there." Zuo Luohuan came in, first pouring a glass of warm water for Ji Yuezhi before speaking.
After all they had been through, by the time they reached the central city, the sky was already showing a sliver of dawn.
Ji Yuezhi took the glass, took a sip, and then didn't drink any more. Holding it in his hand, he followed Zuo Luohuan to the bedroom.
Zuo Luohuan found a clean set of pajamas and placed them by the bed. She reached out and took the glass from his hand. "Don't want to drink it?" His lips were clearly a bit dry.
"I want ice water. I'm hot," Ji Yuezhi said, standing opposite Zuo Luohuan, his long lashes slightly lowered.
With the current weather, there was no reason to feel hot. Zuo Luohuan raised a hand to touch his forehead and asked in a low voice, "Is the heat starting again?"
Logically, a successful temporary mark should last at least two days, but only a few hours had passed.
Ji Yuezhi looked up at her and, after a moment, shook his head.
"I'll go get it for you. Wait here." Zuo Luohuan walked out of the bedroom. Standing by the water dispenser, she glanced at the cup in her hand, then tilted her head back and drank all the warm water. Finally, she took a new clean glass and poured a cup of ice water for Ji Yuezhi.
Ji Yuezhi was very well-behaved while drinking the water, holding the glass with both hands, tilting his head back slightly, and swallowing slowly.
Zuo Luohuan's gaze traveled from his slender, clean hands holding the glass to his Adam's apple moving up and down. She watched, somewhat mesmerized, until Ji Yuezhi finished drinking. Only then did she snap back to reality and take the glass.
"You sleep here. I'll be in the living room," Zuo Luohuan said. "Call me if you need anything."
Seeing she was about to leave, Ji Yuezhi was taken aback. "You're not sleeping?"
"I have some things to take care of." Zuo Luohuan only came back to this house occasionally and had only ever stayed in the master bedroom. To sleep in the guest room, she would have to clean it up first. She didn't feel like it, so she decided to just sleep on the sofa in the living room.
Ji Yuezhi pressed his lips together as he watched Zuo Luohuan leave. He glanced at the pajamas on the bed, then finally changed into them and lay down.
The blanket held the faint scent of her pheromones. Ji Yuezhi took a light sniff, and his eyes curved into a smile.
Zuo Luohuan didn't actually have anything to take care of. After reporting her safety to her mother, she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest.
Not long after the temporary mark, the two of them were together yet separated by a door. Zuo Luohuan found it a little hard to sleep, but she didn't go in.
In their current state, their feelings for each other were colored by the natural attraction of their pheromones. Zuo Luohuan didn't want Ji Yuezhi to find the events of this period unacceptable after his heat passed and the temporary mark wore off.
Zuo Luohuan wanted to maintain the proper distance between them as much as possible.
However... this was clearly not something she could decide on her own.
An hour later, Ji Yuezhi came out of the bedroom. The living room lights turned on automatically. Zuo Luohuan shielded her eyes and propped herself up. Seeing him, she froze for a moment, then asked with a nasal tone, not yet fully awake, "What's wrong?"
Ji Yuezhi took a few steps forward and sat down on the small sofa nearby, saying softly, "You sleep. I won't bother you."
He curled up on the small sofa, looking as if he was just waiting for her to fall asleep.
Zuo Luohuan woke up completely. Looking at Ji Yuezhi's profile, she asked, "Can't you sleep?"
Ji Yuezhi didn't answer, merely turning his head away as if to avoid her question, but the action was a clear admission.
After a temporary mark, an Alpha's protective instincts towards an Omega surge. Zuo Luohuan couldn't bear to see Ji Yuezhi uncomfortable.
She got up and pulled him to his feet. "I'll sleep with you."
Ji Yuezhi quietly let her lead him back into the bedroom and lay down obediently, as if he wasn't the same person who had insisted on sitting on the small sofa just moments ago.
Zuo Luohuan sat sideways on the edge of the bed, looking at him. "Go to sleep."
The room gradually filled with Alpha pheromones, soothing every inch of the Omega's exposed skin on the bed.
Ji Yuezhi loved the feeling of being enveloped by her pheromones. He instantly relaxed, and the exhaustion from his heat washed over him. His eyes were nearly closed, yet he still insisted on looking at Zuo Luohuan.
Zuo Luohuan picked up the remote and closed the small gap in the curtains, extinguishing the last bit of light in the room. Then, she reached out and covered his eyes, coaxing, "Sleep."
Ji Yuezhi finally allowed himself to close his eyes. His long eyelashes brushed against Zuo Luohuan's palm, creating a ticklish sensation.
This tickle seemed to travel from her palm to her heart, making her feel a little uneasy.
...The power of a temporary mark seemed a bit too strong.
Before long, the person on the bed fell into a deep sleep. Only then did Zuo Luohuan move her hand away, tuck him in, and sit down in the chair beside him, not leaving again.
When Ji Yuezhi woke up, it was already three in the afternoon the next day. Zuo Luohuan was sitting nearby, scrolling through her optical computer. Hearing a sound, she looked up and asked him, "Awake? Are you hungry?"
Although Zuo Luohuan loved to skip classes since she was young, she always excelled in all her coursework. She could remember the textbooks for those courses very clearly, so she considered herself a very qualified Alpha.
Omegas in heat are delicate and sensitive. Such Omegas must be protected with the utmost patience. An Alpha should promptly attend to an Omega's psychological state and physiological needs—Alpha-Omega Health and Hygiene.
Zuo Luohuan had skipped that class back then, but she had read and remembered every sentence in the textbook and was now putting it into practice very well.
It was just that she hadn't heard the health and hygiene teacher mention something else when explaining this point: an Omega who has received a temporary mark, while still psychologically dependent on the Alpha, remains clear-headed.
Zuo Luohuan got up, led him over to wash up, and cared for Ji Yuezhi with all her patience, afraid he might feel any discomfort.
Ji Yuezhi noticed her excessive care and chose to accept it quietly.
The food on the table was all to his taste. After a few bites, Ji Yuezhi couldn't help but look up.
"Your father sent over a list. It details the foods you like," Zuo Luohuan said directly, seeing what he wanted to ask.
Ji Xixiu was currently busy rooting out everyone involved in the sneak attack on the First Military Academy, yet he still took the time to send her such a list. It was clear how much he doted on Ji Yuezhi.
However, Zuo Luohuan felt the list Ji Xixiu sent was a bit long. After reading through it all that morning, she discovered it contained not only Ji Yuezhi's favorite foods but also all sorts of preferences and things to avoid.
The two of them didn't interact much usually, so she really didn't know. Only now did Zuo Luohuan fully understand how picky he was.
But she didn't find it off-putting. During competitions, Ji Yuezhi had never shown any sign of being different, eating the same food as everyone else and resting in the same conditions.
"Thank you." After getting up, Ji Yuezhi was in good condition, but this state only lasted for another day.
At dusk on their second day in the central city, Ji Yuezhi was sitting on the balcony reading a book. Across from them in the distance was the central city forest. The balcony had no railing, but a large transparent glass wall, ensuring his pheromones wouldn't leak out. Zuo Luohuan stayed by his side. They didn't talk much, the only sound being the occasional rustle of him turning a page.
However, whenever Zuo Luohuan's pheromones faded even slightly, Ji Yuezhi would turn his head and look up at her, and she would release her pheromones again to envelop him.
"The dinner I ordered has been delivered. I'll go get it. You wait here for a bit." Zuo Luohuan heard the doorbell ring and stood up to speak to Ji Yuezhi.
Bathed in the sunset, Ji Yuezhi looked up at Zuo Luohuan and said softly, "Come back soon."
"Okay." These past few days, Zuo Luohuan wouldn't use a negative word for anything Ji Yuezhi said.
Zuo Luohuan opened the door, got the dinner, and sensed something was wrong the moment she stepped back inside. The sweet scent of iris was scorching and scalding hot.
Ji Yuezhi must be in heat again.
Zuo Luohuan tossed the dinner on the table and hurried toward the balcony. Sure enough, she saw Ji Yuezhi slumped on the floor beside his chair, the book in his hand long since fallen to the ground, his whole body trembling.
He looked to be in a worse state than the first time.
Although Omegas who differentiate late have a tougher time than normal Omegas, their condition shouldn't worsen subsequently.
Zuo Luohuan could only attribute Ji Yuezhi's condition to An Yingjing's pheromones, and her dislike for An Yingjing rose sharply.
Far away at the First Military Academy, An Yingjing, who was recuperating, was talking with Luo Shaoyuan when he suddenly raised a hand to rub his back, feeling as if someone was staring at him.
"Ji Yuezhi." Zuo Luohuan lifted his face, only to find it wasn't flushed as she had expected, but rather pale. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
Ji Yuezhi felt a tearing pain in the gland on the back of his neck, and at the same time, a tingling numbness spread from the gland to his limbs. He guessed the reason for his current state but didn't want to tell the person in front of him.
Zuo Luohuan instinctively used her pheromones to soothe him but found they weren't as effective as before. Just as she was about to contact a doctor with her optical computer, Ji Yuezhi suddenly reached out and stopped her. His face was still pale, but his eyes were moist and misty.
After stopping Zuo Luohuan's hand from using the optical computer, Ji Yuezhi leaned against her. These few movements seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He paused for a moment before looking up at her and saying, "...It's just the heat. Can you mark me again?"
Zuo Luohuan had brought him back precisely to prevent an unstable first temporary mark, so she was naturally willing to give Ji Yuezhi another one.
But for some reason, she hesitated.
Ji Yuezhi was originally kneeling on the floor. Seeing Zuo Luohuan's inaction, he straightened up and pressed his entire body against her, exuding the scent of iris that craved to be marked.
Zuo Luohuan could only embrace Ji Yuezhi, her hand gently caressing the gland on the back of his neck. She could feel the person in her arms trembling and assumed it was because he was desperate to be marked, not knowing that Ji Yuezhi was enduring a tearing resistance, enduring it until his whole body shook.
Her fingers, carrying an intimate and soothing touch, pressed against the gland again and again. After a moment, Zuo Luohuan lowered her head, kissed Ji Yuezhi's gland lightly, then opened her mouth and bit down without hesitation, pouring her pheromones in.
The cloyingly sweet iris scent filling the room gradually merged with the frigid ice and snow, forming a pleasant, light, misty fragrance. At this point, the second temporary mark should have been complete.
The setting sun streamed through the glass, bathing the two people embracing on the balcony, one half-kneeling. The Alpha continuously kissed the trembling Omega's nape. Everything looked incredibly warm and tender.
In reality, Zuo Luohuan's arms tightened around him. She didn't know if she was imagining it, but she felt that during the temporary mark just now, the Omega's pheromones had faintly carried a wail of mournful submission.
Normally, an Omega's pheromones should express joy and pleasure at the moment of being marked, just as they had during their first temporary mark.
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