Friday after class, our roommates went home for the weekend. I planned to wait for Lin Zeyan that night, but after my shower, I suddenly felt dizzy and weak. My neck was burning, my whole body limp as if I’d just stepped out of a hot spring.
What was happening?
When Lin Zeyan walked in, I was overwhelmed by the urge to throw myself into his arms. The air was thick with his osmanthus scent, but I also caught a hint of lemon—oddly, I found myself searching for his pheromones.
“Lin Zeyan… help me,” I managed, my voice shaky.
He walked over, bent down, and looked me in the eyes. “You’re in heat, Yun Fei.”
Heat? My mind was foggy. “That’s only for Omegas…”
Silence. I wasn’t a Beta anymore.
When I left the hospital, I’d been too scared to buy suppressants. The doctor had said my glands weren’t fully developed yet, so I thought I’d be fine.
But there was another way—an Alpha’s temporary mark.
Lin Zeyan seemed to know exactly what he was doing. “How do you want me to help?”
His voice was hypnotic, pulling me in. My mind was mush, and suddenly another memory—different from before—flashed through my head.
In this one, I was Lin Zeyan’s secret crush, and Yun Han was the villain keeping us apart.
A robotic voice echoed: “Memory correction… plot correction…”
Then it faded.
Lin Zeyan steadied me. “Tell me, what do you want me to do?”
I grabbed his collar, inhaling his scent. “Lin Zeyan, one more time—are you sure you don’t like Yun Han?”
He frowned, clearly annoyed I’d bring up Yun Han now. But he answered seriously, “I never liked him. Not once.”
That was all I needed.
I kissed him. It didn’t matter who it was, as long as it wasn’t Yun Han.
Breathless, I whispered, “Mark me, just temporarily. Please.”
I barely remembered what happened next. As I passed out, I caught a glimpse of Yun Han’s furious face through the open door.
When I woke up, it was the same doctor as last time.
He told me my glands weren’t fully developed, so I’d have occasional heats—and suppressants wouldn’t work, since they’d damage my glands. If things went wrong, it could even be fatal.
But there was good news: my pheromone compatibility with Lin Zeyan was high, and since his scent triggered my presentation, I wouldn’t reject his pheromones.
In other words, I needed his scent to get through my heats.
The doctor grinned. “You’re lucky—your boyfriend’s pheromones are just right for you. But remember, only temporary marks for now. No permanent marks until you’re fully developed.”
My face turned red. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Lin Zeyan walked in with breakfast, catching the last part. “Hey, that’s cold. Yesterday you couldn’t get enough of my pheromones, and now you’re pretending we’re nothing? Don’t forget who helped you last night.”
I looked up at him, realizing for the first time that maybe Lin Zeyan wasn’t so bad.
I smiled. “Not my boyfriend—but maybe a marriage partner.”
He froze. “You mean it?”
“I’m serious,” I said, “but I want a contract marriage.”
His face fell a little.
I added, “Just so we’re clear—I’m using you to get away from my family.”
He nodded. “I know. Your family’s a mess, and your mom’s the worst.”
He hesitated. “Do you… like anyone?”
Why was he asking that? “No.”
He grinned. “Then I agree. But I have one condition: if I manage to win you over during the contract, the deal’s off.”
My heart skipped a beat. I looked away from his burning gaze. “Deal.”
If the story had really changed, maybe it was worth a shot.
Lin Zeyan, once you got past his stubbornness, was actually pretty great.
The only awkward part was his pheromone disorder—when it flared up, he’d cling to me, desperate for more of my scent. The doctor said the only real solution was a permanent mark.
Chapter 05
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