Chapter 56

Lin Si bristled like a startled cat. Fortunately, his years of pretending to be an Alpha kept him from immediately giving himself away. Lowering his gaze, he forced himself to stay calm and asked, “What smell?”

The makeup artist glanced at Lu Nan, unsure whether to speak.

“It’s fine. Just tell me directly,” Lin Si said. “What smell?”

“There is a scent?” Lu Nan frowned, leaning in to sniff Lin Si’s shoulder. “Yeah, I think there’s something… kind of like milk? What’s going on? Did some Omega bump into you this morning?”

“Maybe…” Lin Si quickly went along with his words.

Once styling was finished, Lu Nan immediately tugged Lin Si closer and sniffed again. “No way—are you actually having a sex life?”

Lin Si pushed his head away and denied it seriously, “No. Absolutely not. I’m a virgin.”

“Oh, you’re a virgin?” Lu Nan raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you smell like Omega pheromones? Who did this to you?”

“Stop making stuff up. I didn’t do anything,” Lin Si started rambling, trying to confuse the conversation. “I have no idea where the Omega pheromones came from. Maybe I brushed past a staff member or something…”

He covered the back of his neck with his hand, made an excuse about needing the restroom, and quickly hid in a stall to message Li Jicheng, then notified Liao Ji to bring him a special pheromone suppressant patch.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. His heat had just passed a few days ago. Before leaving the hospital, he had even used a long-lasting pheromone suppressant. An Alpha shouldn’t be able to pick up any scent from him right now.

Li Jicheng asked if he could call, but Lin Si didn’t feel safe talking in the restroom, so he stuck to texting.

Li Jicheng: [Not sure why this is happening. You should come to the hospital.]

Lin Si checked his filming schedule—he wouldn’t be free until at least tomorrow afternoon. And knowing how Ye Gaotan worked him to the bone, he usually couldn’t wrap up on time.

Lin Si: [Would tonight work? It’ll be late—probably around ten.]

Li Jicheng: [That’s fine. Liao Ji has some pheromone suppressant patches. Go ge tone and use it for now. We’ll talk when you come over tonight.]

Lin Si turned off his phone and waited in the restroom for Liao Ji.

Since he couldn’t apply the patch to the back of his own neck on his own, he had Liao Ji place it a bit lower and covered it with his clothes, making sure it wasn’t visible unless his shirt was lifted. Only then did he return to the set.

Today’s scene was an intense one. It depicted You Yu, panicked after hitting someone, scrambling in desperation and dragging Shang Qi along in a chaotic escape.

Lin Si and Lu Nan shot nearly ten takes, but none satisfied Ye Gaotan.

“Knees still okay?” Ye Gaotan asked.

“I’m fine, Director Ye,” Lin Si replied, setting down the ice pack on his legs. “I’m a dancer. I know how to fall without getting hurt. I can keep going.”

By noon, they finally got a passable take. Lin Si’s next scene wasn’t scheduled for another two hours, so he retreated to the public lounge, icing both his legs, when he received a message from Xu Xiangyang.

Xu Xiangyang: [Filming for Director Ye at the film studio today?]

Lin Si: [Yeah, been with the crew for a few days now.]

Xu Xiangyang: [I’m shooting next door. Want me to drop by?]

Lin Si: [Sure! I’m resting now. Do you want to come over and hang out?]

Xu Xiangyang: [Yeah, send me your location and room number.]

Lin Si rolled down his pant legs and waited for Xu Xiangyang to visit.

Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, Xu Xiangyang arrived, still partially dressed in his costume.

“Are you filming a period drama?” Lin Si’s eyes lit up.

Xu Xiangyang sat beside him. “Yeah, it’s a movie. Interested in making a cameo? The director and I are pretty close.”

Xu Xiangyang was being polite, inviting him to appear in the film, but Lin Si didn’t even know what movie it was. That realization made him a bit embarrassed. Scratching the back of his head, he said, “I’ve been dealing with some things lately, so I haven’t been keeping up with the news.”

“No worries. No one wants to get caught up in that kind of mess,” Xu Xiangyang said, tactfully avoiding the topic of Lin Si’s recent scandals. Instead, he changed the subject. “The director sent me a demo of the theme song you recorded a few days ago.”

“How was it?” Lin Si asked, eager for feedback.

Xu Xiangyang glanced at him. “It sounds great. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing something that sweet before.”

Lin Si shook his head mysteriously and leaned back. Distracted, he accidentally knocked his elbow against the back of the couch and let out an “Ah!” of pain.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just hit it by accident,” Lin Si said. “It’s nothing, it’ll be fine in a few days.”

“Let me see.” Xu Xiangyang lifted his sleeve and frowned. “That’s a bad bruise. It won’t heal in just a few days.”

Lin Si didn’t want his injury exposed, so he gently pulled his sleeve back down. “I heal fast. It’s not a big deal.”

“I’ll have my assistant bring some healing spray over. Just wait a bit.” Xu Xiangyang made a quick call, then said, “We always keep some on hand in our crew since we do a lot of wirework. It works pretty well. But you still need to be careful and avoid getting hurt again.”

Lin Si smiled and thanked him, then added, “That take finally passed. It wasn’t easy.”

“No need to rush. Take your time,” Xu Xiangyang said. “Finishing a film under Director Ye is no small feat. Adjust your mindset, don’t stress yourself out, and don’t blame yourself.”

Lin Si nodded. “As long as Director Ye doesn’t fire me, I’ll study under him seriously.”

As they spoke, Xu Xiangyang’s assistant arrived with the bruise spray. Lin Si took it and noticed the name “Xu Xiangyang” labeled on the bottle. “Why put your name on it?”

“Everyone in the crew uses the same brand. It’s easy to mix them up, so we label them.”

“Oh, then I’ll buy a new one tomorrow and return this to you,” Lin Si said. “I’ll use this for now.”

Xu Xiangyang stood up, smiling. “Whatever works for you. I’ll head back now. I’ll visit again next time I have a break.”

“Alright, I’ll drop by too if I have time.” Lin Si was about to walk Xu Xiangyang out, but Xu Xiangyang stopped him. “I’ll sneak back on my own. Wouldn’t want to be photographed. Your recent scandal just settled down.”

Lin Si had almost forgotten about the whole thing until Xu Xiangyang’s words reminded him—Xu Xiangyang was an Omega.

Technically, he should be keeping his distance.

After seeing Xu Xiangyang off, Lin Si quickly sprayed the healing spray on his hands and legs. The slight numbing effect kicked in, making him feel alive again. He grabbed his script and headed to the set, pulling up a small stool to sit next to Ye Gaotan and observe.

By the time filming wrapped up, it was already 8:30 PM. Lin Si ate dinner in the car and didn’t arrive at Xiaoshan Hospital until after ten.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Li Jicheng paused what he was doing and smiled. “It’s fine. I signed up for the night shift, so you can come as late as you need.”

Lin Si sat at the desk, looking troubled. “An Alpha smelled my pheromones today.”

“I was reviewing your recent heat cycle records,” Li Jicheng said. “From what I can tell, it’s related to your glands. Your heat cycles have normalized, but your pheromone levels are still unstable.”

Liao Ji immediately asked, “Is it because he’s in a relationship?”

“No, I haven’t even started dating Lu Wei yet,” Lin Si said.

“Is there a difference?” Liao Ji pressed, then turned to Li Jicheng. “Is it because of that?”

Li Jicheng made a thoughtful noise and glanced at Lin Si. “Not sure. A blood test would help.”

As soon as he said that, Lin Si shrank back. “Isn’t there another way?”

“I can’t be certain without testing.” Li Jicheng said. “Just one quick draw. I’ll do it.”

Lin Si pursed his lips and rubbed his arm. “I already had a rough day… How about I come back tomorrow night?”

Liao Ji squeezed his shoulder. “You’re 20 now. Let’s celebrate your birthday with a needle.”

Lin Si tensed up, too nervous to even joke around. He stayed silent.

Li Jicheng got up and left to get a blood collection kit.

Knowing he’d have to be poked in less than two minutes, Lin Si’s hands and feet went numb. He gripped the armrest of the chair, his face scrunched up in dread.

Liao Ji ruffled his hair. “It’ll be over in a second.”

Lin Si hugged Liao Ji’s waist, his eyes slowly turning red.

When Li Jicheng opened the door, Lin Si flinched slightly. Li Jicheng grabbed his arm, wrapped a tourniquet around it, and casually asked, “Does Lu Wei know you’re here?”

The cold iodine swab touched his skin. Just as Lin Si was about to look up at the mention of Lu Wei’s name, someone gently lifted his other hand.

Lu Wei had taken Liao Ji’s place and pulled Lin Si into his arms.

Lin Si didn’t have time to process it before the familiar sting hit his arm. Instinctively, he pressed his forehead against Lu Wei’s waist and let out a muffled whimper.

“Just a mosquito bite, not painful at all,” Li Jicheng reassured as he pulled the needle out. “All done.”

Lin Si was still nestled against Lu Wei’s side until Lu Wei hooked his finger under Lin Si’s chin and lifted it slightly. “It’s over.”

Lin Si pulled away gently and looked up at Lu Wei. His unshed tears, not yet absorbed by his shirt, glistened around his reddened eyes. His nose was red too, and he gazed at Lu Wei pitifully.

“What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t reply to my messages. 604 said you weren’t at the hotel,” Lu Wei said. “And Dr. Li happened to call me over.”

Li Jicheng packed up his supplies and added, “I just mentioned that if his condition is what I suspect, a temporary mark from you could help stabilize him for the next week of work.”

“Oh.” Lin Si lowered his gaze and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Thanks for coming.”

Li Jicheng paused for a second before teasing, “Are you thanking me or him?”

Lin Si rubbed his fingers together. “Both of you…”

Sensing the moment, Li Jicheng and Liao Ji tactfully left the office, giving the “not-quite-a-couple” some alone time.

Lu Wei hadn’t let go of Lin Si the entire time, even though Lin Si had already sat up straight.

Maybe it was the shock of Lu Wei’s sudden arrival, but Lin Si hadn’t cried as hard as usual. He only teared up briefly, leaving his eyes feeling sore.

“Weren’t you supposed to have work today?” Lin Si asked.

Lu Wei’s tone carried a hint of helplessness but also fondness. “I did.”

“Then I interrupted you, didn’t I?” Lin Si’s heart was racing. He had no idea what to say, and the two sentences he managed to squeeze out were completely trivial.

“Sorry for the intrusion, but,” Lu Wei said, “I came because I wanted to.”

Lin Si’s ears burned, his heart set ablaze by Lu Wei’s words. He suddenly wanted to stand up and meet Lu Yan’s gaze, but his knee slammed into the desk, sending a sharp pain through him. He crouched on the ground in pain, unable to get up for a long moment.

“What happened?” Lu Wei quickly held him up, his voice urgent. “Where does it hurt?”

The worst of the pain subsided, and Lin Si exhaled, saying, “Go get the healing spray from Liao Ji’s bag for me…”

Lu Wei carried Lin Si in his arms and placed him on the sofa before rummaging through the bag. After searching for a while, he finally found the healing spray.

As he handed it to Lin Si, his hand paused for a moment when he noticed the label on the bottle—”Xu Xiangyang.”

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T/n : Nothing to say today but Stay tuned guys ❤️. If you like what I’m doing and want to support me you can buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading 😄