Zhou Yi had not been feeling well since returning from the hospital that day. He constantly felt the glands at the back of his neck heating up, especially when he was near Shang Yichen, who released pheromones without any restraint.

Zhou Yi was deeply troubled. Every time he smelled Shang Yichen’s pheromones, an unknown desire would surge inside him, making his glands burn with pain. What was even harder for him to deal with was the physiological reaction of a certain part of his body.

He couldn’t control these physical symptoms. If Zhou Yi hadn’t taken emergency medication beforehand and hadn’t possessed great endurance, he likely would have become aroused in front of Shang Yichen.

After finally enduring their time together, Zhou Yi returned to his room. The moment he closed the door, he collapsed onto the floor, his back, which had been stiff for over an hour, finally giving way. His body was now fully exhausted.

Zhou Yi, drenched in cold sweat, let out a long breath. As he relaxed, he felt a sharp pain on the tip of his tongue. It was the result of trying to hold back the pheromones earlier.

The most troublesome thing now was that even though he hadn’t smelled Alpha pheromones, the desire aroused in his body hadn’t subsided. The pain, which couldn’t be relieved, made him feel like he was burning. His legs trembled slightly, and he was nearly breathless from the heat.

Zhou Yi covered his face and tried to comfort himself. The only sound in the quiet room was his suppressed breathing.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. After finishing his actions, Zhou Yi slowly exhaled, but he still didn’t feel satisfied.

By now, he had to admit that the desire his body felt for Alpha pheromones was beyond his imagination. Even after relieving it, he still didn’t feel right. The emotions rising in his chest were helplessness and frustration.

Zhou Yi clenched his fists and slammed them onto the carpeted wooden floor, making a dull sound. He cursed under his breath, then stopped and closed his eyes in exhaustion.

If this continued, Shang Yichen would eventually find out. Zhou Yi knew he couldn’t delay any longer.

He woke up early the next morning and prepared breakfast for Shang Yichen. As usual, he walked him to his place and tied his tie. Then, he asked tentatively, “Mr. Shang, will you be back for dinner today?”

“I have to go on a business trip for a few days. You can take care of things by yourself,” Shang Yichen replied coldly, as always.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s downcast expression, Shang Yichen withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Once the door was completely closed, Zhou Yi rushed to the bathroom and sprayed the pheromone eliminator throughout the living room. He also swallowed two pills. He had been so close to Shang Yichen earlier that he nearly got affected by his pheromones again.

After taking care of that, Zhou Yi collapsed onto the sofa. Since Shang Yichen wouldn’t be around for the next few days, he decided to try his luck at the bar and find an Alpha he liked to get through this difficult estrus period.

The nightclub was full of bright lights and thumping music, the heavy metal beats hitting like a wave of heat.

Zhou Yi, sitting at the bar with a glass of wine in hand, still wore his punk-style outfit, but today he had removed his hat and lowered his mask to his chin. He had been sitting alone for nearly half an hour, drinking one glass after another, but none of the people he looked at caught his interest.

At first, Zhou Yi had been worried about running into Shang Yichen’s friends, so he disguised himself and visited small bars every night. But the men who approached him for two nights in a row were unattractive, and Zhou Yi had no desire to waste his time with them.

As his estrus symptoms grew stronger, he realized that the timing of his estrus was unpredictable due to the large amounts of inhibitors he had taken.

For him, this uncertain estrus time felt like a time bomb hovering over his head, threatening to explode at any moment.

Zhou Yi knew he didn’t have much time left. If he couldn’t find a suitable candidate and missed this opportunity while Shang Yichen was away, it would be difficult to hide his identity without raising suspicions. He needed to control his estrus before Shang Yichen returned.

Today, he had chosen a high-end bar that required membership for entry.

When Zhou Yi first walked in, he was impressed by the luxurious decor. It seemed much more upscale than the smaller bars, and he hoped the guests would meet his expectations.

Unfortunately, despite sitting on a high stool and carefully observing the guests, none of them caught his eye.

In his view, they were either unattractive, too greasy, too short, too tall, too muscular, too thin, or had unappealing smiles. There was even one guy who seemed decent, but when he raised his hand to grab his glass, Zhou Yi immediately dismissed him, thinking, “His hands are ugly.”

He had taken a risk by entering this bar, hoping to find someone of interest, but he was thoroughly disappointed.

Zhou Yi drank the last sip of wine in his glass and turned to the bartender. “Another Bellini, please.”

Zhou Yi loved drinking, but his body didn’t tolerate alcohol well. Even with a low-alcohol cocktail like a Bellini, he started feeling dizzy after just three glasses.

It seemed like tonight wasn’t going to be successful. If no one caught his interest after finishing this drink, he’d call a taxi and go home.

Zhou Yi took the Bellini from the bartender. The cocktail, a mix of peach puree and champagne, had a lovely pink color.

As he took a slow sip, a voice sounded in his ears, “Give me a Bellini like his.”

Zhou Yi subconsciously looked toward the voice. A man in a suit and tie, his hair styled with layers of hairspray, was smiling at him from across a chair.

Zhou Yi, already in a bad mood, glanced at him sideways, lowered his head, and took another drink, too tired to deal with his prying gaze.

However, the man found his behavior intriguing. He sat next to Zhou Yi with a glass of wine and said, “Oh, you like Bellinis too? It’s nice to meet someone with the same taste.”

Zhou Yi felt disgusted by the man’s greasy, overconfident attitude and replied coldly, “Happy? How happy? And this doesn’t taste that great.”

Compared to this soft, low-alcohol cocktail, Zhou Yi actually preferred whiskey—hot or on the rocks—but because of his physical condition, he could only drink this lighter alcohol.

The man didn’t mind Zhou Yi’s sarcasm. He tapped his glass and chuckled, “I’m not just talking about the wine’s taste.”

“Then what are you talking about?” Zhou Yi asked, his voice cold.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, leaned closer to Zhou Yi’s ear, and said, “I’m talking about people. Aren’t you looking for a man? I’ve been watching you. You’ve been eyeing men since you came in.”

Zhou Yi didn’t even look up. “Then what? What does it have to do with you?”

“You didn’t pick anyone you liked, so how about choosing someone like me to spend a hot night with?” The man raised his eyebrows and winked at Zhou Yi suggestively. “Once you sleep with a high-quality Alpha like me, I guarantee you’ll never forget the feeling.”

Zhou Yi finished his last sip of wine and glared at the man. “Not so good.”

“I like people like you,” the man said, licking his lips. “You’re so beautiful even when you’re angry. You must be an Omega. It would be thrilling to be with you.” The man silently released his pheromones.

A strong scent of burnt leather immediately hit Zhou Yi.

Already close to estrus and sensitive to Alpha pheromones, Zhou Yi pulled up his mask, stood up, and took a few steps back to distance himself, looking at the man warily.

“Hmmm? My pheromones smell good, don’t they? You seem to have a strong reaction. Are you still a virgin?” The man smirked, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he watched Zhou Yi’s reaction.

Zhou Yi clenched his fists. “I’m warning you, put away your disgusting pheromones.”

“Disgusting pheromones? Don’t you like them? I can see your voice is shaking…” The man smiled, moving closer to Zhou Yi, releasing his pheromones even more freely.

The smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and burnt leather mixed in the air, irritating Zhou Yi’s nose. He felt lightheaded from the pheromones and nauseous from the man’s scent.

Seeing that the man was about to reach out to touch his face, Zhou Yi grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. The man let out a low cry. “It hurts… It hurts…”

Zhou Yi leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “Put away your terrible pick-up lines, or I’ll break your arm if you come any closer.”

With that, he let go. Their actions had attracted the attention of many people, which wasn’t Zhou Yi’s intention. He quickly paid for his drinks and hurried out.

The man, still lying on the bar and clutching his arm, muttered angrily, “Damn it, what a crazy Omega!”

Noticing the eyes of those around him, the man felt embarrassed and was about to leave. But just then, he stepped on something. He looked down, paused, and then grinned sinisterly, stomping the object under his foot and smashing it to pieces.

Zhou Yi quickly made his way outside, leaning against the wall as he walked. Despite avoiding the crowd, he still felt the effects of the Alpha’s pheromones. His glands on the back of his neck were swollen and hot, and the alcohol was making him feel dizzy and overheated.

He stumbled a few steps before leaning against the wall, his body shaking with weakness. He slid down into a corner, his mind spinning.

The noise from the bar felt like it was drifting further away as Zhou Yi fought the overwhelming sensation in his body.

He realized he was showing signs of estrus again, but this wasn’t the right place for it. If he released pheromones here, an Alpha could catch him.

He searched his pockets for emergency medication. Zhou Yi had brought some along to prevent situations like this, but after checking four or five times, he couldn’t find any.

Panic swept over him. He bit his lip, trembling as he searched again, but it was gone. He knew that meant only one thing—the medicine had fallen somewhere.

This was bad news for Zhou Yi, who was already showing estrus signs. If he encountered an Alpha now, he’d be caught and possibly taken advantage of.

As the thought of being violated by a disgusting Alpha filled him with disgust, Zhou Yi clung to the wall and tried to stand up. That’s when he heard chatter and laughter nearby.

Zhou Yi’s sharp ears picked up an unmistakable voice. Why did he meet Meng Rongze here?

Zhou Yi’s face turned pale. Although he had prepared for the possibility of running into acquaintances, he felt incredibly unlucky. The unexpected events had piled up, making him feel that coming to this bar tonight was a mistake.

He bit his lip and used his willpower to stand, but there was no cover in the empty corridor.

Even with his disguise, he wasn’t sure if Meng Rongze would recognize him. His body felt heavier with every passing moment, and the heat surged through him. Pheromones began to leak, and if he ran into any of those shameless Alphas, who knew what would happen?

The laughter grew closer. It seemed that they were about to turn the corner.

Just then, the door to the opposite room opened. Zhou Yi had no time to think. He threw himself into the arms of the man across from him, grabbed his windbreaker, and buried his face deep in his chest. He managed to whisper, “Help me…”

Meng Rongze’s group halted just in front of him.

Zhou Yi, with his back to Meng Rongze, couldn’t understand why they had stopped. He thought he had been spotted. Suddenly, his body stiffened, and he silently clutched the clothes of the man in front of him.

He was afraid of being pushed away by this stranger, but he also had to worry about being discovered by Meng Rongze and his friends.

As Zhou Yi buried his face in the man’s chest, he held his breath, trying to minimize his presence.

What Zhou Yi didn’t expect was that the man seemed to sense his nervousness. He gently touched Zhou Yi’s head as if trying to calm him and then wrapped his windbreaker tightly around him.

Zhou Yi felt a slight relief, but at the same time, he was confused by the man’s thoughtful actions.

Before he had time to think, he heard Meng Rongze’s voice.