Today is Friday. There were only three classes in the afternoon, and after school, Wei Xiaochi pushed his bicycle out of the school gate. Just as his foot stepped outside, his phone inside his bag began to buzz loudly.

Wei Xiaochi took out his phone from the bag—no surprise, it was a call from Jiang Zhan. He was the only one who would call him at this time.

Afraid of getting scolded again, Wei Xiaochi quickly answered the call, not letting the ringtone ring for too long. However, a strange voice came from the other side.

“Is this Wei Xiaochi?”

Jiang Zhan had saved the number under the name ‘Chichi,’ and Zhang Linchang had mistakenly thought his name was ‘Xiaochi.’

Wei Xiaochi, mistaking Zhang Linchang for Jiang Zhan’s father, greeted respectfully, “Hello, Uncle, this is Wei Xiaochi.”

Zhang Linchang chuckled, amused. “I’m Jiang Zhan’s primary doctor. I heard you finish school around this time. I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

Wei Xiaochi quickly shook his head. “No, I just got out of school. Is Jiang Zhan alright?”

“He’s fine,” Zhang Linchang briefly explained Jiang Zhan’s condition before asking, “I heard you just went through your differentiation. Have you had a follow-up checkup at the hospital recently?”

It was rush hour at school, and the school gate was crowded with students, chattering and pushing each other.

Wei Xiaochi pushed his bike outside the gate and found a quieter spot.

When he heard he needed a checkup, Wei Xiaochi hesitated for a moment and nervously said, “The doctor I saw before said my glands are developing fine, and there shouldn’t be any issues, so I don’t need another checkup, right?”

Zhang Linchang replied, “I’ve looked at your case. The gland development is good, but you missed the best age for differentiation. It’s better to come in for an O-hormone 36-item screening.”

“If you have time today, you can come to the hospital for a checkup and also visit Jiang Zhan.”

“When you were hospitalized a few days ago, Jiang Zhan was exposed to quite a bit of your pheromones. He’s now in his sensitive period. If he can get some comfort from you, he’ll recover faster.”

Zhang Linchang asked with a smile, “What do you think, Wei Xiaochi?”

Wei Xiaochi had planned to visit Jiang Zhan at the hospital anyway, “I do have time now. I can go to the hospital.”

“But does the O-hormone 36-item screening have to be done?” Wei Xiaochi shyly scratched his ear and asked, “How much is the checkup fee?”

Zhang Linchang reassured him, “This test is covered under the Omega’s health insurance, with national subsidies. It won’t cost much.”

Wei Xiaochi hesitated, biting his lip. “But I haven’t changed my gender yet. Does that mean I can’t get the subsidy?”

This time, Zhang Linchang was taken aback. “You haven’t changed your gender yet?”

Wei Xiaochi had already gone through a week since his differentiation, and according to the rules, his family should’ve taken care of the procedure by now. After all, Omega had many benefits and welfare policies.

The process was simple: just take the hospital’s proof and the household registration book, update Wei Xiaochi’s files, and get a new ID card.

Wei Xiaochi lowered his eyes awkwardly, speaking in a small voice, “No, I haven’t.”

He hadn’t told Wei Dongjia yet, and these past days, he hadn’t even seen him.

Changing his gender wasn’t just about getting a new ID card; the household registration book had to be updated as well, which required the household head to personally handle it.

Wei Xiaochi hadn’t figured out how to tell Wei Dongjia yet, so he hesitantly asked, “Can I do the checkup later?”

“Sure, but will you still come to the hospital today?” Zhang Linchang asked, looking toward the hospital room.

The alpha, who had been lying in bed, was now sitting on the edge of the bed, his ears perked up, watching the movement outside.

When he saw Zhang Linchang looking over, he casually turned his head, offering Zhang Linchang only the back of his head.

Wei Xiaochi nodded, “I’ll come, but I need to go home first and grab something.”

The Omega was unusually considerate. “Is Jiang Zhan with you? Could you ask him if there’s anything he wants to eat? I’ll get it for him when I come.”

You couldn’t visit someone in the hospital empty-handed, especially since Jiang Zhan had been kind to him when he was hospitalized last time.

Zhang Linchang smiled. “I’ll give him the phone, you can ask him yourself.”

He opened the hospital room door. Jiang Zhan was facing away from him, lounging with his long legs resting on the bedside table. But as Zhang Linchang approached, his broad, straight back tensed up more and more.

“Your phone,” Zhang Linchang said with a smile.

The alpha didn’t turn around, reluctantly extending one hand to take the phone.

Zhang Linchang couldn’t help but think back to when Jiang Zhan was little. Every time he had to take medicine, he’d scrunch his face. When given candy, he’d say no, but when you tried to take it back, his big eyes would stare at you.

Very contradictory.

Back then, Jiang Zhan was a little kid, wearing overalls, small black shoes, and curly hair, all dressed up by his sister, looking adorable.

Even though he had a sour face and a bad temper, it was impossible to stay mad at him.

In the blink of an eye, that little kid had grown up, and now he even had an Omega he liked. Time really flew by.

Zhang Linchang sighed as he placed the phone in Jiang Zhan’s palm.

Jiang Zhan grabbed the phone and quickly put it to his ear, asking indifferently, “What’s up?”

“Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll be visiting you at the hospital later,” Wei Xiaochi asked, and then he remembered that Jiang Zhan had a fear of making decisions.

As expected, Jiang Zhan let out a hum, “Anything.”

Wei Xiaochi asked, “Which floor are you on, and what room?”

Jiang Zhan replied, “Second floor, room 307.”

Wei Xiaochi said, “I’ll come later. I just finished school, so I need to go home first.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Wei Xiaochi could hear the tone in his voice, which made it seem like he didn’t care either way. Just yesterday evening, Jiang Zhan had been somewhat clingy and had shown a desire for his pheromones, but today he was so indifferent.

Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but add another symptom to Jiang Zhan’s sensitive period—being fickle.

After hanging up, Wei Xiaochi hesitated. He had researched a lot about the sensitive periods of alphas last night.

Initially, he had planned to skip working at the milk tea shop this weekend and stay at the hospital for a few days if Jiang Zhan’s condition worsened.

When he was sick, Jiang Zhan had taken good care of him, and although he was eager to work and earn money, Wei Xiaochi still understood the importance of reciprocity.

But seeing Jiang Zhan like this, it didn’t seem like he needed him that much. His leave was already arranged.

Wei Xiaochi hadn’t worked at the milk tea shop for a month and was worried that he might lose the job. If Jiang Zhan didn’t need him that much, he could just go back to work.

Wei Xiaochi returned home, took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes, grabbed his bag, and rode his bike to the hospital to visit.

As he passed by the fruit stall, Wei Xiaochi glanced at it and slowly stopped.

The summer days are long, and the nights are short. At 6 PM, the sun is still blazing high, with no sign of it getting dark anytime soon.

Jiang Zhan paced anxiously back and forth in his room. It had been two hours since he received the call from Wei Xiaochi, and he still hadn’t arrived.

He said he would come soon, but how many “soon” had passed already?

Unable to wait any longer, Jiang Zhan grabbed the phone from the bed and dialed Wei Xiaochi’s number.

Soon, the sound of a ringtone echoed from outside the door. Jiang Zhan immediately ended the call, quickly tossed his shoes off, swung his legs onto the bed, and pulled the blanket over himself.

He waited for two minutes, but there was no sound from the door.

A frost-like expression slowly appeared on Jiang Zhan’s face. He threw off the blanket, walked barefoot to the door, and opened it. His eyes scanned the hallway, searching in vain for any sign of Wei Xiaochi.

There was no trace of him.

Jiang Zhan’s eyes darkened, his lips tightening, and he slammed the door shut before dialing Wei Xiaochi again.

Wei Xiaochi didn’t answer the phone while riding his bike. He only picked up after pulling over at the roadside.

As soon as the call connected, Jiang Zhan’s furious voice rang out.

“Where have you been? Did you take a rocket to Mars to find me?”

Wei Xiaochi wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting, “I’m almost there, just a few more minutes… maybe ten minutes.”

His house was 20 kilometers from the hospital, and Wei Xiaochi had been riding for an hour and fifteen minutes. His legs felt like they were going to give out. He was carrying his schoolbag, a bag of fruit in the basket, and a bunch of bananas hanging from both handlebars.

The added weight made it even more tiring.

After being scolded by Jiang Zhan, Wei Xiaochi apologized while trying to comfort him. He said many reassuring words, and Jiang Zhan finally calmed down.

After hanging up, Wei Xiaochi took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and continued riding.

By the time Wei Xiaochi arrived at the hospital, it was half an hour later.

During that time, Jiang Zhan called several times, each call coming every five minutes, demanding an update.

Wei Xiaochi felt that his lateness was partly due to those calls, since every time Jiang Zhan called, he had to stop and soothe him with gentle words.

The old bike had also broken down twice during the ride.

With two bags, a bunch of bananas, half a watermelon, and two pounds of seedless grapes, Wei Xiaochi had gone through all sorts of trouble before finally arriving at Jiang Zhan’s room.

He had just opened the door when he was immediately pushed against it by the waiting alpha.

His belongings scattered across the floor, and the watermelon hitting the ground made a loud noise that resonated in Wei Xiaochi’s ears.

He felt sorry for the watermelon and turned to check if it had broken, but Jiang Zhan held his hands behind his back and pressed his towering figure against him.

Jiang Zhan’s intense pheromones enveloped Wei Xiaochi like a boiling oil bath, with Wei Xiaochi as the drop of water falling into it.

The water boiled, and the oil splattered.

Jiang Zhan propped his elbow against the door, trapping Wei Xiaochi in the narrow space, his face contorted with frustration.

“Why are you only here now?”

“Why are you only here now?”

“Why are you only here now?”

Each question more irritated than the last, and the thick pheromones pressed down on Wei Xiaochi like a storm cloud. He huddled in the corner, nervous and uneasy.

Wei Xiaochi had ridden 20 kilometers under the scorching sun. Even though his body had trouble cooling down, he had sweat quite a lot during the ride.

Leaning against the door, his face glistened with sweat, and he trembled as he repeated the explanation he had given over the phone earlier.

“I rode my bike here… it’s a bit far.”

“Why are you only here now?”

Jiang Zhan asked again, burying his face in Wei Xiaochi’s damp black hair.

Wei Xiaochi had just taken a shower, and the shampoo mixed with his pheromones lingered at Jiang Zhan’s nose. He wrapped his arms around Wei Xiaochi’s waist.

Still asking, “Why are you only here now?”

His voice was soft, as if it were a mist from the mountains, with a nasal tone.

Wei Xiaochi’s mind was momentarily blank. Just a moment ago, Jiang Zhan was on the verge of exploding, but now he seemed to be acting like a spoiled child, his tone suddenly turning tender.

It seemed like alphas in their sensitive period could really be this way—suddenly hyper, then suddenly moody. One moment they were violent, and the next, they could turn into a crying mess.

Jiang Zhan: “Why are you only here now?”

Wei Xiaochi didn’t answer, feeling like Jiang Zhan would keep asking the same question.

So Wei Xiaochi had no choice but to explain again.

“It’s really far, 20 kilometers.”

Jiang Zhan: “Why are you only here now?”

Wei Xiaochi wasn’t bothered by the repetition. Jiang Zhan asked how many times, he would answer how many times. It was just a question, much better than an outburst.

“It’s far. The bike broke down twice on the way.” Wei Xiaochi repeated the answer patiently.

Jiang Zhan: “Why are you only here now?”

Wei Xiaochi continued, “I got a call from your main doctor, so I went home to shower first, because I thought I might stay here tonight…”

Wei Xiaochi went on explaining, detailing every delay he encountered on the road.

Normally, he wasn’t a chatty person, and no one usually listened to him talk about trivial matters, but since Jiang Zhan kept asking, Wei Xiaochi found himself saying more than usual.

After complaining a bit, Wei Xiaochi added, “Next time, I’ll come earlier.”

He thought for a moment and then added, “I won’t buy fruit in advance next time. Carrying it all the way is so heavy.”

He couldn’t help but keep talking, “This hospital is really far from my home. 20 kilometers. I’ve never ridden this far before.”

It was truly exhausting; his entire week’s worth of exercise didn’t add up to the effort he’d put in today.

Having complained about everything, Wei Xiaochi waited for the sensitive alpha to ask him again, “Why are you only here now?”

One minute passed, but the person behind him didn’t say anything.

Wei Xiaochi turned his head and met Jiang Zhan’s damp, shiny black eyes. His eyes were tinged with a hint of red, his expression dazed, his chest rising and falling as if he had been aroused.

The way Jiang Zhan looked made Wei Xiaochi blink his lashes in confusion.

Jiang Zhan suddenly grew angry. “Don’t look at me!”

Wei Xiaochi, intimidated, immediately turned his face back toward the door, standing upright as if he had been scolded.

He was still sweating, his hair wet, a thin layer of perspiration covering his neck. His glands were filled with pheromones, the scent swirling around Jiang Zhan like threads.

Jiang Zhan’s arms instinctively tightened around Wei Xiaochi, as if hypnotized. He lowered his head and kissed the back of Wei Xiaochi’s neck.

Wei Xiaochi shuddered, his vision blurred, and his mind went blank. It took him a while to process.

Had that soft sensation just now been…

Wei Xiaochi’s neck stiffened. He turned slowly to look at Jiang Zhan, who seemed just as stunned, leaning back as if shocked, holding his breath.

Wei Xiaochi touched the spot where he had been kissed, his lips moving slightly.

Jiang Zhan, thinking Wei Xiaochi was about to speak, hurriedly stammered, “I accidentally brushed against you.”

Wei Xiaochi, still confused, didn’t know what to say. He looked dazed and muttered, “Oh,” before turning his face away again.

The sweat-drenched spot on his neck was now exposed to Jiang Zhan’s view, looking vulnerable and unguarded.

Unable to control himself, Jiang Zhan leaned in again, his nose twitching.

Wei Xiaochi instinctively shrank back, trying to avoid the hot breath from Jiang Zhan’s nose, clearly feeling the alpha’s scent near his glands.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhan’s strange behavior didn’t last long. He turned his face to Wei Xiaochi’s shoulder, irritated, and reached out to pinch his waist.

Wei Xiaochi, ticklish, laughed and moved away a bit.

Hearing the suppressed laughter, Jiang Zhan glanced at him before pinching his side again.

Wei Xiaochi’s stomach muscles jerked with the sensation, and he laughed lightly but hurriedly, his voice breathless, “Stop, stop it.”

“You’re soft here, not like me, I’m hard,” Jiang Zhan teased, “Feel it, I’m hard.”

Seeing Wei Xiaochi not respond, Jiang Zhan suddenly realized and his ears turned red. “What are you thinking?”

He took a step back, lifting his shirt to reveal his toned, muscular abdomen, clearly displaying six neatly arranged abs.

“I meant abs. This is hard, I have muscles here, you don’t.”

“What did you think I meant?”

“What’s on your mind all the time?”

After saying that, Jiang Zhan turned away, clearly disgusted with Wei Xiaochi’s empty thoughts.

Wei Xiaochi wasn’t thinking what Jiang Zhan assumed, and with a confused expression, he said, “I didn’t mean it like that…”

Jiang Zhan’s body stiffened. As soon as Wei Xiaochi spoke, he suddenly turned around and grabbed him, pulling him onto the bed.

The movement was so fluid, as if it had been practiced a thousand times in Jiang Zhan’s mind, smooth and effortless.

Wei Xiaochi’s back slammed against the thick mattress, his glasses tilting on his nose.

It didn’t hurt, but he was shocked, his eyes wide open in surprise.

Jiang Zhan straddled the bed, ripped off Wei Xiaochi’s glasses, not caring whether they fell onto the sofa or not.

Wei Xiaochi’s pupils contracted, and his body jerked upright, ready to find his expensive glasses.

But as soon as he moved, Jiang Zhan pinned him back down and wrapped him in the blanket, tightly holding him in place.

Wei Xiaochi was wrapped up in the blanket like a chicken roll, with Jiang Zhan holding him from behind, burying his face in the omega’s neck.

After sniffing for a while, Jiang Zhan finally settled in, holding Wei Xiaochi without moving.

It felt like time had stopped at that moment.

Not sure how long it had been, Wei Xiaochi slowly poked his head out from the blanket, squinting as he looked around.

The floor was a mess. The fruit he bought was scattered everywhere. Whether it was good or bad, he couldn’t tell from the angle. Wei Xiaochi felt a pang of guilt.

He wasn’t sure if his glasses were broken.

Carefully, he tried to sit up, but the moment he did, Jiang Zhan immediately opened his eyes, staring at Wei Xiaochi with intense, dark eyes.

Wei Xiaochi swallowed nervously and lay back down.

At times like this, Jiang Zhan was completely unreasonable. If he could pin Wei Xiaochi down and wrap him in a blanket like this, it was clear his mind was far from clear.

After lying quietly for ten minutes, Wei Xiaochi held his breath, slowly turning his head to look at the sofa.

The person beside him growled, “What are you moving for?”

Wei Xiaochi was startled and quickly lay back down again.

Half an hour later, Zhang Linchang entered the room for his rounds. Upon seeing the scene before him, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and he almost collapsed from shock.

He had asked Wei Xiaochi to come to the hospital to comfort Jiang Zhan, but this was not the kind of comfort he had in mind.

And looking at the chaos in the room, it was obvious this was not about comforting Jiang Zhan, but rather Jiang Zhan letting loose and causing trouble all by himself.

Sensing the presence of another person, Jiang Zhan opened his sharp eyes and instinctively pulled the person in his arms closer, releasing a wave of exclusive pheromones.

Unfortunately, this tactic didn’t work on Zhang Linchang, who was a beta. While he felt a bit uncomfortable, he was not as immobilized by it as an alpha would be.

Zhang Linchang frowned as he approached and skillfully injected Jiang Zhan with a sedative to calm his surging alpha levels.

From the pile of blankets, a head peeked out. Beneath messy hair were a pair of dark eyes, filled with anxiety.

When Wei Xiaochi saw Zhang Linchang in his white coat, he felt embarrassed and lowered his eyes.

Zhang Linchang asked, “Wei Xiaochi?”

Wei Xiaochi blinked in surprise, “The attending doctor?”

The two shared an unspoken understanding, confirming the details of their conversation from three hours earlier.

Zhang Linchang had not expected Jiang Zhan to like this kind of obedient little Omega—one who seemed very polite, good at studying, and didn’t appear to do anything outrageous. He was the complete opposite of Jiang Zhan, almost a stark contrast.

“You’re okay, right?” Zhang Linchang asked, his manner calm and scholarly, giving off a strong professor vibe. “He just lost control for a moment.”

Wei Xiaochi nodded slightly, feeling awkward as he asked, “Can I leave now?”

That was a weird way to ask.

Zhang Linchang smiled and nodded. “You can.”

Now that Jiang Zhan’s hormone levels had stabilized, he turned his back to Wei Xiaochi, his face expressionless.

Although the alpha’s grip was gone, Wei Xiaochi still didn’t dare act carelessly. He slowly pulled back the blanket, keeping an eye on Jiang Zhan’s every movement.

Seeing that Jiang Zhan hadn’t turned around, Wei Xiaochi quickly got out of bed and retrieved his glasses from the corner of the couch.

He checked them carefully, relieved to find they weren’t broken, and put them back on.

When he looked up, he saw Zhang Linchang smiling kindly at him. Wei Xiaochi’s heart tightened. “What’s wrong?”

“We can talk outside,” Zhang Linchang said as he gracefully turned and walked out of the room.

Wei Xiaochi straightened his disheveled clothes and, with a sense of unease, followed Zhang Linchang to his office.

“Sit down.” Zhang Linchang noticed Wei Xiaochi’s nervousness and smiled. “Don’t be nervous. I just want to talk to you about how to calm Jiang Zhan during his sensitive period.”

Wei Xiaochi sat down on the chair across from Zhang Linchang, feeling his ears turn red with embarrassment at the mention of calming Jiang Zhan.

“Alphas in their sensitive period can have erratic emotions, so you’ll need to learn how to calm their anxiety,” Zhang Linchang joked. “And now you have a perfect opportunity to practice. You can use Jiang Zhan as a test subject.”

Wei Xiaochi felt even more embarrassed. He was only eighteen and had just differentiated recently. Talking about this kind of thing felt too soon.

Zhang Linchang asked, “Do you know what an alpha’s sensitive period is?”

Wei Xiaochi shook his head.

“They’re like giant dogs that destroy furniture,” Zhang Linchang explained. “They have the intelligence of a child, boundless energy, and separation anxiety. Omega’s pheromones are like a leash that tethers them.”

Normally, an Omega would be the one leading an alpha by the nose, but judging by today’s situation, Wei Xiaochi clearly couldn’t control the rowdy Jiang Zhan.

This was also because Wei Xiaochi hadn’t quite grasped the right methods to calm an alpha.

Zhang Linchang was a great teacher. After talking with him, Wei Xiaochi roughly understood what he needed to do to help Jiang Zhan recover more quickly.

After leaving the doctor’s office, Wei Xiaochi returned to the hospital room and started cleaning up the mess on the floor.

Fortunately, the watermelon rind was thick, so it didn’t break, though there was a crack along the edge.

Jiang Zhan was lying on the bed, his gaze never leaving Wei Xiaochi as he entered. But whenever Wei Xiaochi looked at him, he would quickly turn away, only to glance back once Wei Xiaochi stopped looking.

Wei Xiaochi busied himself with tidying up the room. His movements were quick and efficient, clearly someone accustomed to cleaning.

Once the room was tidied, Wei Xiaochi took the grapes to the bathroom to wash them.

There was a fruit tray in the room, so after washing the grapes, he placed them on the tray and asked Jiang Zhan if he wanted any.

Jiang Zhan, with a blank expression, shook his head. Wei Xiaochi reluctantly put the grapes down and slowly sat on the sofa.

“Um,” Wei Xiaochi began awkwardly, “Professor Zhang said I could use my pheromones to calm your emotions. Do you… want that?”

“Not needed!” Jiang Zhan snapped, pulling the blanket over his head.

Wei Xiaochi scratched his ear. He thought he understood the method for calming an alpha, but apparently, he’d stumbled on the first step.

Alright then. He’d try again when Jiang Zhan needed it.

Wei Xiaochi picked up his schoolbag from the side and opened the zipper to start on his homework.

Jiang Zhan buried his face in the blanket, rubbing against it, then rubbed it some more.

After waiting for a while, hearing nothing but the sound of pages turning, Jiang Zhan couldn’t help but peek out from under the blanket, looking over at Wei Xiaochi.

Wei Xiaochi sensed his gaze and looked up at him.

Author’s Note:

First day back at school, I feel so cold, I want to cry. The dog probably wants to cry too. Hahaha.