The pheromones in the room were even more intense than outside, and Gu Xuanze struggled hard to stay conscious. Lu Youze’s condition was very poor; his whole body was curled up, and his handsome face was twisted with pain.

Even so, he still looked at Gu Xuanze, who was approaching him, with a wary expression. It seemed as though he had already anticipated what would happen next, staring at him as if he were a venomous snake or a wild beast.

“Don’t come any closer,” Lu Youze warned, his body gasping heavily due to his condition. “Don’t touch me.”

Gu Xuanze continued to approach without expression. The distance between the door and the huge bed was actually quite short, but to Gu Xuanze, it felt as though it spanned mountains and seas. Yet, even with mountains and seas in between, he still had to cross them.

“You need me,” Gu Xuanze said emotionlessly as he reached the bedside.

He had no idea how much effort it took to keep his composure.

“I don’t need you,” Lu Youze’s voice grew colder, even laced with anger. How could such a proud person tolerate having such a pathetic side exposed to someone he despised? “Get out.”

“But I can’t watch you die.” Gu Xuanze bent down, speaking calmly. “Even if you’ll hate me, it’s fine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xuanze stopped suppressing himself and began releasing his pheromones.

The scent of hyacinth pheromones surrounded Lu Youze.

The unique scent of an alpha’s pheromones mixed with an omega’s, and Lu Youze’s body was instinctively unable to resist… His body was burning with heat, and he actively wrapped his arms around Gu Xuanze’s neck, passionate as fire. But his gaze remained cold, with no warmth at all, as if he wished for the person before him to die immediately.

Even though he was holding the body he had longed for, Gu Xuanze felt as though he was in the icy wilderness.

The two bodies intertwined, and as Gu Xuanze marked Lu Youze, the latter suddenly began to cry.

This was the first time Gu Xuanze had seen Lu Youze cry outside of acting. He felt a tremor in his chest and a sourness in his mouth. He vaguely sensed that Lu Youze’s tears weren’t because of him. Maybe Lu Youze had discovered something… Maybe… But in that moment, his mind was in turmoil. He abandoned his thoughts, and the demon he had kept hidden deep inside himself suddenly emerged.

After all, there was no worse situation than this. Since they had already been filled with resentment, and after tonight, they would never cross paths again…

Why not just…

But as Gu Xuanze leaned in to kiss Lu Youze, their eyes met again. In the end, he locked the demon back inside. He simply raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from Lu Youze’s face, repeating “I’m sorry” over and over.

Because only after the heat cycle passed could the effects of the medication be truly undone. That night, both of them sank into desire.

By the time the sunlight from outside shone through the curtains, the room was a mess, and Lu Youze was utterly exhausted. Yet, the look he gave Gu Xuanze seemed to stab right through his weakest, most vulnerable heart.

Gu Xuanze had intended to carry Lu Youze to the bathroom to clean up, but was coldly rejected. The look Lu Youze gave him was devoid of warmth, as if he were looking at garbage in a trash heap. “Get out. Don’t ever let me see you again.”

This was the person he loved deeply, yet how could he bear being looked at like that? Gu Xuanze could only flee in shame.

…

…

At this point in the story, the truth about the father of Lu Youze’s child was becoming clear.

Gu Xuanze remained silent for a long time. He didn’t dare to look up at Lu Youze, but he wouldn’t avoid it anymore. Once a person has something, they can’t afford to lose it. Unlike before, he could no longer leave Lu Youze.

“After leaving the hotel, I used some connections to get the surveillance footage from the hotel,” Gu Xuanze continued. He finally mustered the courage to look at Lu Youze, who seemed calmer than he had imagined, giving Gu Xuanze a little relief. “After that, I did my best to stay out of your sight. When you were being blacklisted online because of Yu Li, I actually wanted to help, but just when I was about to act, you rejected me.”

Gu Xuanze fell silent again. He was more certain now that Lu Youze probably knew everything about Yu Li’s scheming behind the scenes, but everything he was saying now seemed to be shifting blame: “When Ah Hao came back and said you had forgotten everything, I was actually happy! I shamelessly used your ‘amnesia’ and even hid the terrible things I did. I’m sorry, for making you so miserable. I’m sorry, for being a coward when you needed me most. I’m sorry, even though I’m such a scoundrel, I still don’t want to let go. I’m sorry, please don’t leave me.”

In these few minutes, he probably said “sorry” more times than Gu Xuanze had in his entire life. But if it would make Lu Youze forgive him, he would say “sorry” as many times as needed.

Lu Youze’s feelings were very complicated at this moment. As an excellent actor, he always had to control his emotions precisely during performances. So, Lu Youze knew that the complex emotions he was feeling now were not anger, but jealousy—a jealousy of the original owner of this body.

Love makes people lose all composure.

In many romance-themed TV shows or movies, similar lines were often said, and he had said them many times. Although Lu Youze always tried to understand how to express the right emotions while delivering these lines, and the director always praised him for his emotional depth, Lu Youze never fully understood. But now, he realized that what truly makes people lose composure wasn’t love itself, but the jealousy that comes from love.

The Lu Youze from before had already disappeared. He had given up everything for Yu Li, even his own life.

Now, there was only one Lu Youze in this world, and the rest of his life would be spent with Gu Xuanze.

Since agreeing to date Gu Xuanze, he had already let go of his struggles.

But why???

Seeing that Lu Youze remained silent, Gu Xuanze’s expression grew panicked. He cautiously reached out to grab Lu Youze’s hand, but as soon as he almost touched it, he hesitated and pulled back.

He didn’t dare to take the risk, and he couldn’t bear to make Lu Youze unhappy. Until Lu Youze forgave him, he wouldn’t do anything that would upset or bother him.

Seeing Gu Xuanze, the great CEO, act this way, Lu Youze became even angrier. He stood up abruptly and grabbed Gu Xuanze’s wrist with force, pulling his hand to his chest. He bent slightly and pressed his face near Gu Xuanze’s, looking at him with a somewhat terrifying expression. His handsome face showed signs of irritation and impatience: “Gu Xuanze, what are you going to do if I don’t plan to forgive you?”

Before Gu Xuanze could answer, Lu Youze continued, “Are you planning to set me free? Let me get rid of the child inside me and then watch me get back with Yu Li???”

As Lu Youze spoke, he realized that the hand he had been holding was suddenly gripping his own tightly, as though it was trying to break his wrist.

“Let go,” Lu Youze frowned. The pain in his wrist, combined with his displeasure, made his tone unfriendly. “It hurts.”

Gu Xuanze quickly let go, his expression unreadable, and his handsome face seemed conflicted. “Sorry.”

It was unclear whether he was apologizing for hurting Lu Youze’s wrist or for some other reason.

“Why are you apologizing?” Lu Youze became even more forceful. He tightened his grip on Gu Xuanze’s chin and spoke in a more indifferent tone. “Gu Xuanze, you better clarify what you mean!”

“I won’t let go,” Gu Xuanze’s voice grew steadier. His voice was still quiet, but there was no hesitation.

“What? Gu Xuanze, are you unable to make yourself clear?”

“I won’t let go,” Gu Xuanze’s voice grew louder. “Youze, even if you hate me, even if it makes you suffer, I won’t let go of you!”