Chapter 4

The young man, dripping wet in the shower, smelled like ripe plums, as if he'd been soaked in plum wine.

When the shower shut off, the distracting noise faded, and the sounds lingering in his nose, throat, and on his tongue—some short, some long—became clear.

Amidst the heat, Zhong Jin felt a cool sensation and instinctively tilted his face to chase it.

Shang Yansi gazed at the pale face in his palm, his thumb pressing into the full, soft lips.

The heat seemed to have receded slightly, though it was still far from the temperature expected on a spring night.

Is this the inhibitor? Zhong Jin thought sluggishly.

His overactive pheromones were being soothed, but it wasn't enough, not nearly enough.

Whose fingertips were tracing the line of his lips, making him gnaw his teeth in frustration?

The smooth, soft skin—so distinctly human—left Zhong Jin vaguely puzzled. Did my agent give me a hand hair removal today?

Leopards cherish their shimmering fur. They wouldn't self-mutilate like this, would they?

Why is the inhibitor working so poorly this time? It's like it's from an external source, not directly injected into my veins. Worse than the drugs from Old Earth.

The keyword "memory vs. reality" flashed through his mind like a shrill alarm, jolting Zhong Jin into the realization that he had come home. There were no inhibitors here, and no leopard agent.

What... what is that...?

He struggled to open his eyes, trying to get a clear look at the scene before him, when he suddenly met a pair of dark, murky eyes.

Shock flickered across Zhong Jin's face. Before he could even process what was happening, he noticed something strange about the visitor's eyes.

They weren't clear, lacking their usual indifference to most things. Instead, they were clouded with confusion and desire, the pupils tinged with a faint crimson hue, exuding a terrifying sense of possessiveness.

These eyes no longer seemed human, lost in a vortex of animalistic instinct. They looked like the eyes of an Alpha.

More precisely, they looked like the eyes of an Alpha driven mad by an omega's pheromones.

"Wait..."

Zhong Jin pressed his hand against Shang Yansi's face, trying to push him away.

"Whether you're in the same situation as me, or if this is just me going crazy in a dream, I'm gay. Get that straight. If you kiss me, don't jump in the lake tomorrow."

Weak and breathless, Zhong Jin spoke intermittently.

He didn't care much himself, but Shang Yansi was homophobic. What if he woke up tomorrow and thought Zhong Jin had tricked him into something?

The young man stared at the lips that kept parting and closing before him, catching glimpses of crimson.

The boiled plum wine emitted a cloying, warm fragrance, and biting through its skin and flesh might reveal the raw, tartness of the unsoaked fruit.

I want to eat.

The mirror above the sink was fogged over with condensation, but it had already dried, reflecting a hazy image.

All that could be seen was a tall figure and hands encircling his neck.

"Shang Yansi, you look like a dog," Zhong Jin murmured with a soft laugh, pain and pleasure entwined in his shimmering eyes, weaving through the corners of his eyes and the curve of his brows.

He loves to bite so much.

This was a stark contrast to his usual detached indifference toward most people and things, his aversion to touch and being touched.

The man he used to loathe now held him in a passionate embrace.

This isn't his fault, Zhong Jin thought hazily. I did try to refuse.

He couldn't push Shang Yansi away, and he didn't bother trying anyway. Since he's here, might as well take advantage of it. It's just a casual thing.

The world swayed. As he slumped against the sink, Zhong Jin thought Dong Ku was right: today truly deserved a place in the history books of 319. This is too surreal.

The rich, fragrant aroma of the wine mingled with the whispers of their ears brushing against each other.

For the first time after getting drunk, Shang Yansi had forced milk on him again. This time, it wasn't the usual carton; the extra-rich version had successfully stuffed him to the brim.

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His head was a little dizzy, probably a hangover.

Zhong Jin pressed his temples, and the memories of last night came flooding back. He abruptly sat up in bed, caught a glimpse of the mark on his body with the corner of his eye, and quickly grabbed the air-conditioned blanket before lying back down, closing his eyes peacefully.

I wonder if Shang Yansi is awake yet. He probably wants to leave this world.

To be honest, it's not bad, just as I imagined. No, it's even better than I imagined. I have to give it high praise.

What is this? People with pheromones get to enjoy the world first?

But how can I explain it? If I say it's a side effect of time travel, will Shang Yansi believe me?

Hmm... he might just think I'm some cunning gay man.

I didn't want this either. Isn't this kind of an irresistible force?

Zhong Jin glanced at the bed opposite him. Chen Cheng's spot was empty. He pulled on his t-shirt from under the blanket and sat up.

Chen Cheng wasn't there. Dong Ku was wearing headphones and staring at his computer. Shang Yansi's bed was neatly made, suggesting he'd already gotten up.

Did he escape the dorm?

Just as Zhong Jin was thinking this, Shang Yansi emerged from the bathroom.

Speaking of the bathroom, I should check there later for any lingering evidence.

Sensing his gaze, Shang Yansi looked up at him with his usual composed expression. As always, he averted his eyes without saying a word.

Shang Yansi lowered his head to pack his belongings, seemingly preparing to leave.

Zhong Jin sensed something amiss. After what had happened last night, Shang Yansi's behavior remained unchanged, which felt very wrong.

"Shang Yansi," he called out before Shang Yansi could leave the dormitory.

Shang Yansi stopped and asked with his eyes what was wrong.

"Do you know about the Aether Cup?"

The Aether Cup, also known as the Ether Award, was a prestigious acting competition organized by the Interstellar Alliance's Entertainment Oversight Department. Even Hesse Giants living on remote planets were familiar with this award.

If Shang Yansi had also transmigrated and returned, he would surely know about it.

Shang Yansi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Never heard of it."

"Oh, never mind. Maybe I remembered wrong. I'm sorry I hogged the bathroom for so long last night."

"Mm."

Shang Yansi recalled that Zhong Jin had indeed stayed in the bathroom for a long time last night, delaying his own shower.

After Shang Yansi left, Zhong Jin withdrew his gaze, lost in thought.

He had carefully observed Shang Yansi's expression, but couldn't detect any trace of acting.

The entire incident was bizarre, from his pheromones to Shang Yansi's reaction to them, and Shang Yansi's subsequent amnesia.

If not for the bite marks above his heart, he would have thought last night was merely his imagination.

Zhong Jin greeted Dong Ku and went to the hospital.

He had initially wanted to ask a high school classmate working at the hospital to check his blood for any anomalies. However, to avoid fueling rumors of drug use before his debut, he opted for a standard physical and even had his brain scanned.

The next day, Zhong Jin received a thick stack of medical reports confirming he was a perfectly healthy adult.

He had expected this result—current technology likely couldn't detect his pheromones. But he was deeply puzzled: without any glands, how could he experience an omega's heat cycle?

Why could Shang Yansi smell his pheromones? Was he special, or could everyone smell them?

Why could Shang Yansi, who had no pheromones, comfort him like an Alpha? And why had his heat cycle ended without any marking?

Why had Shang Yansi forgotten the heat cycle incident and not noticed the memory lapse?

Too many questions piled up in Zhong Jin's mind. After a moment's thought, he decided to put them aside for later.

Overthinking wouldn't help, and besides, these weren't things he could control. Some things would only become clear after future experiments.

Looking on the bright side, maybe this was a one-off incident that would never happen again.

As for Shang Yansi having been so heated with him without knowing anything, Zhong Jin felt a little apologetic, but not much.

After all, he was also a victim of this situation, and he'd had to wear band-aids to minimize friction with his clothes yesterday.

Zhong Jin put the report in his drawer and started packing.

He had booked a train ticket for the evening and would officially join the crew tomorrow. It was a historical drama, and the crew was at a film city.

After saying goodbye to his empty-nest roommate Dong Ku, Zhong Jin set off with his suitcase.

Watching the myriad lights outside the train window, Zhong Jin, traveling alone, felt little emotion.

He wasn't a true newcomer, and besides, he knew some people in the crew.

Thinking of a certain homophobic roommate who would be his scene partner, Zhong Jin touched the faint, almost invisible bite marks on the inside of his wrist.

Fortunately, their relationship had already soured before he transmigrated. Otherwise, he would have thought homophobia was Shang Yansi's lie.

If the opportunity arose, he really wanted to sincerely tell him, "Your bird is amazing. You don't need to feel inferior when you sleep with me."

"How wicked of me," Zhong Jin thought to himself, but the image still made him laugh.