In the early morning, Liang Shaowen, still asleep, was suddenly awoken by a call from his brother. It was a brief message: “Bring your medicine box here,” and then the call ended abruptly.

Immediately, all traces of sleep vanished from Liang Shaowen’s mind. His first thought was that his brother had health problems again. Quickly, he changed into his clothes, grabbed his medicine box, and drove to Liang Xianzhang’s apartment.

He took the elevator upstairs, rang the doorbell, and the door opened swiftly.

To his surprise, Liang Xianzhang—who was always immaculately dressed in a suit and tie—answered the door wearing pajamas. Though he had buttoned them up to the top, there were clear marks on his neck—scratches of varying depths left by nails. His hair was still damp, as if he had just showered, and the most striking thing was the silver-gray metal bite arrester covering most of his face, giving him a sharp, defined look.

“Brother, why are you wearing a restraining device? And your neck…” Liang Shaowen started but stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he noticed a strong scent of Omega pheromones in the air.

His mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. “Brother, you…”

“Come in first,” Liang Xianzhang said calmly.

Once inside, Liang Shaowen impatiently asked, “What happened?”

“Let’s check if he’s okay first,” Liang Xianzhang replied, gesturing toward the master bedroom.

When Liang Shaowen entered the room, the overpowering scent of pheromones hit him, even stronger than it had been outside. His breath caught in his throat, and he quickly pulled out a mask, putting it on as he followed his brother into the bedroom. Upon seeing the face of the person lying on the bed, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Isn’t this the Omega from that day?”

Liang Shaowen immediately recognized the high-quality Omega. High-quality Omegas were rare, and he had even suggested that day, “Find an Alpha with a higher pheromone compatibility to mark him, or if that doesn’t work, resolve the issue.” He never imagined that the Alpha in question would be his brother.

Liang Shaowen, no stranger to these matters, noticed the marks on the Omega’s exposed arms—finger marks and red scars. Combined with the anti-Y device on Liang Xianzhang’s face, he quickly pieced things together.

In his eyes, Liang Xianzhang had always been a disciplined and rigorous person, with no time for distractions, especially when it came to Omegas. Seeing his brother in this unexpected situation left Liang Shaowen momentarily speechless.

Liang Xianzhang, sensing his brother’s thoughts, turned to him and said, “Let’s check his physical condition first, and we can talk about everything else later.”

Regaining his composure, Liang Shaowen took out the medical equipment from the medicine box, lifted a corner of the quilt, and was about to examine the Omega lying on the bed when he noticed the visible marks beneath the Omega’s pajama collar, all pointing to what had happened the night before.

Liang Shaowen paused. He understood why his brother had worn the anti-ejaculation device. Without it, his entire body would likely be covered in marks.

As he stood there, contemplating, he glanced at his brother, trying to gauge his reaction. He was met with the same expressionless face, but the look in Liang Xianzhang’s eyes was unmistakable—an unspoken message of dissatisfaction.

Realizing he should stop prying, Liang Shaowen took out a pair of disposable gloves and proceeded to examine the Omega.

After a few beeps from the testing device, Liang Shaowen pressed the stop button, confirming that the Omega had neither a fever nor any other immediate issues.

“There’s no problem,” he said, turning to Liang Xianzhang.

Liang Xianzhang nodded, then gestured to the side. “You can stand over there.”

Liang Shaowen did so, still uncertain of what was going on.

Liang Xianzhang then stepped forward, carefully pulled the quilt back over the Omega, tucking the corners neatly. When the Omega murmured unintelligibly, Liang Xianzhang gently patted his chest. Liang Shaowen, watching this entire process, finally understood why his brother had asked him to stand aside: “…”

Once the Omega had calmed down, Liang Shaowen hesitated before speaking up. “Brother, you talk to him…”

Liang Xianzhang glanced at the Omega on the bed, then softly said, “Come out and talk.”

The two of them walked out of the room and stood in the living room. Liang Xianzhang broke the silence first. “Is there really nothing wrong with the examination?”

Liang Shaowen replied, “Nothing, just some bite marks on the surface of his skin… but this ointment should help.” He handed a tube of ointment to his brother.

Liang Xianzhang glanced at the half-open bedroom door, his brow furrowing slightly. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “But he just fainted.”

Liang Shaowen paused, then responded, “He was exhausted… that’s why he fainted.”

Liang Xianzhang lowered his eyelids, his discomfort clear on his face. He fell silent.

Liang Shaowen, intrigued by the rare expression of embarrassment on his usually composed brother, watched him closely. It had been years since he last saw this side of Liang Xianzhang—if the timing weren’t so off, he might have taken a picture to send to their parents for a laugh.

As Liang Xianzhang lost himself in thought, he finally caught his brother’s gaze. Liang Shaowen, not quite able to hide his amusement, was knocked gently on the head by Liang Xianzhang.

“What are you thinking about?” Liang Xianzhang asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Liang Shaowen replied quickly, rubbing his head. “Tell me what happened. What’s going on with the Omega in there?”

“I met him in a bar,” Liang Xianzhang said after a brief pause. “He sent me a message on QQ, and then I brought him home.”

Liang Shaowen raised an eyebrow. “You’re simplifying this way too much. Explain it clearly.”

Recalling how indifferent his brother had been toward other Omegas, especially when they were in heat, Liang Shaowen couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve never seen you take an Omega home during their heat. You’ve either ignored them or just let them be. Why did you take him home?”

Liang Xianzhang paused, his gaze drifting upward as he spoke slowly, “I don’t know why, but when he messaged me on QQ, I could not only smell his pheromones, but I could also release my own pheromones when I was near him. The most important thing is…”

He trailed off, the rest of his words unspoken as he swallowed back his thoughts.

Liang Shaowen, surprised, grabbed his brother’s shoulders. “Wait, you can actually smell his pheromones and release your own?”

Liang Xianzhang nodded, “Yes, it’s true.”

The confirmation sent a surge of excitement through Liang Shaowen. Due to Liang Xianzhang’s congenital gland atrophy, he had never been able to smell or release pheromones. While it might seem beneficial to be unaffected by them, the reality was far from ideal. Omegas, with their generally weaker constitutions, required the comforting pheromones of an Alpha.

An Alpha unable to release pheromones couldn’t mark the Omega they liked, nor could they offer the comfort that Omegas needed during their Q period. Moreover, the lack of pheromone release could cause an imbalance, damaging the Alpha’s body over time—much like a machine running without maintenance. In Liang Xianzhang’s case, it could even affect his lifespan.

The news that his brother could finally smell and release pheromones made Liang Shaowen extremely hopeful. “Brother, tell me what physical reactions you’ve had since meeting him. Is there anything different from usual?”

Liang Xianzhang thought for a moment. “Whenever I touch him or smell his scent, I lose control. My glands hurt so much, and pheromones just pour out.”

Liang Shaowen, keen to understand more, pressed, “Is that all? Anything else?”

After a long pause, Liang Xianzhang spoke again, his voice quiet and serious. “I wanted to bite the back of his neck. I wanted to claim him completely, to make him mine.”

He shuddered slightly at the memory, fear and desire mixing in his expression.

“If I hadn’t worn the anti-Y device,” he continued, “he would have been marked by me already.”

Liang Shaowen, though surprised, was quick to explain, “That’s normal. Alphas will experience such irrational urges when affected by an Omega’s Q period. The urge to mark them or make them your own is a natural physiological reaction when an Alpha’s pheromones surge.”

Liang Xianzhang whispered to himself, thinking of Zhou Yi’s pleading eyes, and the feeling of possessiveness that had overwhelmed him.

“The way you’re reacting to him is extraordinary,” Liang Shaowen observed thoughtfully. “This Omega has affected you in a way no other Omega has. What makes him so different from others?”

Liang Shaowen, looking more and more perplexed, continued, “When this Omega came for consultation, I saw his test results. He’s been using inhibitors for too long, and it’s caused a pheromone imbalance. Normally, an Omega like him would be highly sought after by Alphas, but instead, he’s been taking inhibitors. He’s the first Omega I’ve seen with such an imbalance…”

Liang Xianzhang listened quietly, as his brother continued his analysis, realizing for the first time that this Omega was unlike anyone he had encountered before.