A Fatal Attraction from Lawyer A - Chapter 40

Gu Yuxi lowered his hand heavily. He dropped his gaze, tugged at his lip, and laughed aloud: “Fine, Luo Panzhi, you said it.”

So why did he soften and walk back, only to be innocently yelled at?

Was he that desperate for love?

He expressionlessly removed the wristwatch Luo Panzhi had put on him that morning, walked over to the desk to set it down, and turned to leave.

Luo Panzhi, you had better not regret this.

With a loud bang, the office door was forcefully slammed shut.

Luo Panzhi could no longer hold himself up and collapsed onto the floor, curling up in pain. Hearing the words, “Fine, you said it,” and the furious slam of the door, he laughed through the pain, unable to stop his tears: “It’s over; I can’t talk him back now.”

To actually tell Gu Yuxi to get out—where did he get the nerve?

Yet, he didn’t have the nerve to control his rationality and avoid touching Gu Yuxi. He was currently driven to the point of madness, wanting to penetrate Gu Yuxi even though he felt intense physical pain from the stimulating pheromones when Gu Yuxi got close. But it was impossible.

These past few days, he had nearly reached his limit of endurance. He couldn’t sleep well at night and could only wake up early to go out and exhaust his energy.

However, the Vulnerability Period could not be alleviated just by exhausting his energy, and he absolutely could not stimulate Gu Yuxi.

Luo Panzhi clenched his jaw, shakily reached into his pocket, and, enduring the sharp pain of every movement, managed to take out his phone. He dialed a number, and the instant the call connected, he forced out: “…Zuo Gu, help me.”

Chu Guzhi, on the other end of the line, heard his younger brother’s strange voice: “What’s wrong with you? Where are you?”

“I’m at the group headquarters. Don’t tell Dad, and don’t come yourself. Just have Lawyer Yan and Xiao Yu come find me immediately. Hurry… my Vulnerability Period has started.”

“What?! Your Vulnerability Period has started? Then can Lawyer Gu…”

“No, don’t call him. No one is allowed to tell him, and no one is allowed to tell him where I am.” Luo Panzhi tugged at his bothersome shirt. He struggled to stand up, and as he rose, his vision blurred, and his body swayed.

“But if you don’t have an Omega to help you during your Vulnerability Period, it will be very harmful to yourself.”

Luo Panzhi tried his best to stabilize himself, fighting back the constant burning sensation spreading through his body as he walked toward the large bed nearby. He had hidden Gu Yuxi’s torn shirt in the pillowcase; perhaps smelling it would make him feel better.

He wondered if it still had a scent.

“…I don’t care if I hurt myself. I can’t hurt Gu Yuxi. Brother, hurry and have Lawyer Yan and Xiao Yu come find me. I’m hanging up now.”

He tossed the disconnected phone aside and collapsed onto the bed, aching so badly he couldn’t catch his breath, his lips and teeth numb with pain. He even began to crave the sensation of having bitten Gu Yuxi’s neck gland, but he knew there was no point. He wouldn’t seek out Gu Yuxi.

He couldn’t.

Luo Panzhi gathered all his strength and raised his hand, pulling over the pillow on his right. His hand trembled as he reached inside to retrieve the ragged shirt.

Holding the shirt, he was like a man in a desert finding an oasis. He eagerly covered his face with Gu Yuxi’s shirt, but the next second, he felt a heart-wrenching pain.

“…How can there be no scent… How could this happen?” Luo Panzhi looked confused. A violent surge of burning and tearing pain rushed over him. He curled up in agony but still clutched Gu Yuxi’s shirt tightly, sobbing in despair: “Baby, there’s no scent left…”

Gu Yuxi, I’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to be aggressive toward you. How could I bear to be aggressive toward you? I cherish you too much.

He was ruined.

The overwhelming pain and regret in his heart completely broke Luo Panzhi, and he cried out loud: “…Baby, I’m sorry.”

How could he have said such hurtful words?

In the dim lounge, the vulnerable and anxious pheromones belonging to an Alpha in his Vulnerability Period, no longer restrained by suppressants, ran wild in the air. Accompanied by muffled groans and sobs of pain, they sounded particularly lost and helpless.

But he never imagined that the Vulnerability Period could be so agonizing.

For three full days, the suppressants and inhibitors injected into his body could no longer control his Vulnerability Period. This was because his body had already tasted the flavor of Omega pheromones. The after-effects of the pseudo-mark made him frantically search for the scent of that pheromone.

A symptom akin to mate-seeking fever, it swept through his consciousness again and again during the Vulnerability Period like a scorching wave, plunging him into a self-inflicted frenzy.

No one could save him.

No one dared to approach him.

He couldn’t save himself.

He felt like he was going to die.

The first thing Gu Yuxi did when he got home from work was take out all the alcohol Luo Panzhi had hidden. Luo Panzhi didn’t let him drink much, but now he could drink as much as he wanted.

At the bar, bottle after bottle of brandy poured down his throat.

It was also as if he was using the brandy to distract himself from thinking about something.

Perhaps because he hadn’t drunk for a long time, drinking so heavily all at once burned his stomach, but the burning pain was nothing compared to the pain caused by Luo Panzhi’s words.

Gu Yuxi sat back on the high stool, his shirt slightly open, and tilted his head back to gulp down the whole bottle of brandy. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t care that the spilled liquor from his lips was wetting his shirt collar, nor could one tell if the flush around his eyes was due to the alcohol or his mood.

Draining the last of the liquor, he put down the bottle and stared blankly at the living room.

On any other day, Luo Panzhi would be in the living room tidying up the clothes he’d taken off. He would both grumble and say he was happy to do it. Then, he would urge Gu Yuxi to take a shower quickly before heading to the kitchen to cook.

He might even intentionally push the door open while wearing an apron while Gu Yuxi was showering, deliberately provoking and teasing him, only to maliciously turn and walk away. Naturally, Gu Yuxi wouldn’t let him leave so easily.

Before going to sleep, they would lie in bed and chat about things that seemed trivial now, but before they fell asleep in each other’s arms every night, they never found it boring; their eyes were only for each other.

Whether at his house or Luo Panzhi’s house, every corner held the traces of their passionate love.

Gu Yuxi turned his head to look at the refrigerator in the kitchen. There was still a sticky note Luo Panzhi had left this morning: ‘There’s iced coffee in the fridge. You can only have two sips; the rest is mine.’ It was a note of Luo Panzhi’s usual caring tenderness.

It was so strange, so sudden, the way he just withdrew.

His eyes welled up, as if he absolutely couldn’t accept it. He looked up and took a deep breath, trying to ease the sudden, surging pain in his heart.

“Luo Panzhi, what exactly is wrong with you…”

How could Luo Panzhi bear to scold him?

And how could he bear to tell him to get out?

At the bar, Gu Yuxi buried his head in his arms in torment and discomfort. His hand reached for the back of his neck, his palm covering the gland where a shallow bite mark still lingered. He squeezed it tightly, as if yearning for the warmth that had once been left there.

And he never expected that Luo Panzhi would disappear for three full days.

Employees across the Galaxy Group learned that their Little President Luo would be taking a week-long leave. The reason was unknown, only that it was very sudden. The person temporarily taking over the Little President’s position for the week was Chu Guzhi.

This was the eldest son of the Galaxy Group and Little President Luo’s twin brother.

In the hallway, Gu Yuxi suddenly stopped. He looked with surprise at the man walking toward him. By his count, he hadn’t seen Luo Panzhi for three days. The last message on his phone was from three days ago.

The man in front of him looked almost identical to Luo Panzhi, but he wasn’t as tall or robust, and he didn’t have the beauty mark on his nose. His brows were gentle, and his demeanor was soft.

Just as they were about to pass each other, Gu Yuxi caught a subtle scent of cherry blossom, osmanthus, and honey pheromones from the man.

He was an Omega.

It was Luo Panzhi’s brother, Chu Guzhi.

Not Luo Panzhi.

“Lawyer Gu.”

A voice entirely different from Luo Panzhi’s sounded beside his ear—light and gentle.

“I heard you were with my brother?” Chu Guzhi glanced at the man before him, a flash of surprise in his eyes. Honestly, he had to admit his brother had good taste; this Alpha was exceedingly handsome.

Gu Yuxi’s face under his gold-rimmed glasses remained unchanged, his expression calm: “No.”

“No?” Chu Guzhi smiled gently. His delicate appearance, coupled with his smile, was like a spring breeze, but he noted the dark circles under Gu Yuxi’s eyes: “It looks like my brother can now feel at ease being with the young miss of the Jiang Group.”

Gu Yuxi’s expression instantly froze.

So, was Luo Panzhi avoiding him because he wanted to be with another Omega? Did he just not know how to break up with him?

“After all, the Galaxy Group is a large, wealthy family, and an heir is very important, isn’t that right, Lawyer Gu?” Chu Guzhi thought, He’s not angry about this? My brother is useless. Now that I’ve said this much, Lawyer Gu still doesn’t care.

Could I ask Gu Yuxi for this favor later?

Gu Yuxi suppressed the suffocating feeling in his chest and maintained his composure: “The advent of suppressants and A/O/B sex-directed agents has, to a certain extent, broken traditional restrictions. I don’t mean anything by it; I’m just a little surprised.”

His subtext was that an Omega born into such a family still clung to outdated traditional views.

Chu Guzhi: “…” He felt personally attacked. Did his brother really manage to get this person? Were Jian Wenxing’s words reliable? “What I meant was, Panzhi likes children, and even if you two are together, you can’t have one, since you’re both Alphas.”

Gu Yuxi looked at him with a subtle expression.

Chu Guzhi: “…” What’s with that look? It’s like he’s attacking me again.

Luo Panzhi, you’re going too far. The person you like dares to attack me.

“It doesn’t matter; we’re not together anyway.” Gu Yuxi made a move to leave, but Chu Guzhi quickly grabbed his arm.

“Don’t you want to know what happened to him?”

Gu Yuxi’s footsteps paused.

Chu Guzhi released Gu Yuxi’s arm and turned to face him: “Don’t you want to know why he suddenly stopped coming to the company?”

Although his brother had forbidden him to tell Gu Yuxi, if his brother didn’t receive comfort from a highly compatible partner soon, things would truly become terrible.

Gu Yuxi remained silent, but a hard-to-control sense of loss and distress surged deep within him, as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart, making it difficult to breathe.

—Gu Yuxi, did you not hear me tell you to get out!!!

He even had nightmares about Luo Panzhi’s heartbreaking scream.

He let go of him.

He blocked him outside the door.

He told him to get out.

The inexplicable quarrel plunged him into endless confusion.

He was not a man without pride. Since Luo Panzhi had fiercely told him to leave, how could he possibly stay there shamelessly? They were adults; they had experienced everything, let alone the fact that he was long past the age of adolescent yearning for love.

He could pick it up, and he should be able to let it…

go.

“His Vulnerability Period has arrived. I don’t know if you noticed. His reaction is severe—more severe than a typical Vulnerability Period—because it stimulated mate-seeking syndrome and he’s starting to show signs of mania. He’s locked himself in a house and won’t let anyone in. We are extremely worried about him,” Chu Guzhi said. “The doctor said that no one can help him except for his Omega. But as far as I know, the person Panzhi likes is an Alpha. Is that you, Lawyer Gu?”

“No one can help him except for his Omega? What does that mean?” Gu Yuxi’s eyes flashed slightly.

Luo Panzhi’s Vulnerability Period had arrived?

“During the first check-up, the doctor detected residual Omega pheromones in his blood, leading them to conclude that Panzhi must have his own Omega and that a temporary mark had been performed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have developed mate-seeking syndrome when his Vulnerability Period struck. Mate-seeking syndrome is a symptom only triggered in a partner who has been marked.”

“Lawyer Gu, is it you?”

Gu Yuxi’s gaze deepened. So that was why Luo Panzhi hadn’t been clinging to him lately: because he was currently an Alpha, and getting close to him during the Vulnerability Period would cause pain. It had been three days; Luo Panzhi had been hiding for three days. Did this person not care about him at all?

“Where is he now?” There was only one solution now: to make Luo Panzhi stimulate his pheromone concentration to escalate and differentiate into pseudo-Omega pheromones, and then perform a forced mark on him.

“He won’t let me tell you where he is, and I can’t let you see him. He’s showing manic tendencies now, and it’s dangerous for you to go see him. But if he doesn’t have an Omega to soothe him and help him get through the Vulnerability Period, something terrible might happen to him.”

Gu Yuxi’s brows furrowed tightly. He began to feel anxious: “Tell me where he is.”

“What method?” Chu Guzhi asked hesitantly.

“A forced mark.”

In the dimly lit room at this moment, the Alpha pheromones of “Oolong Brandy” were wildly and aimlessly spreading in the air, dense and rampant, even carrying a faint scent of blood. At the same time, muffled sounds of tearing and groaning in pain could be faintly heard, like a severely injured beast, and from the nearly hoarse voice, one could tell he was completely exhausted.

On the carpet beside the bed, Luo Panzhi was propped up against the bed frame, his entire body soaked in sweat and looking disheveled, the close-fitting shirt barely concealing his hormone-charged muscular frame.

The fatigue of three days and three nights without sleep was etched on his face: his bloodshot eyes, the dark circles beneath them, the stubble around his lips, the split lip he’d bitten, and the empty, vulnerable Alpha pheromones surrounding him.

He picked up the crumpled shirt in his hand, put it to his lips, bit down, and yanked his head to the side.

Tear, a sound of ripping, and he tore the shirt into strips of cloth.

He then wrapped the shirt strips around the wound on his arm that he had bitten until it bled, but it did no good. Instead, the blood immediately stained the cloth red, but he seemed unconcerned. He wrapped it with one hand while using his mouth to pull the other end to tie it into a knot.

Before he could calm down for a few minutes, the burning sensation of the Vulnerability Period swept over him again.

Luo Panzhi lowered his head and bit the wound wrapped in the shirt. His eyes were blood red, his teeth pressed down hard, and blood slowly seeped out. He looked fierce enough to bite the flesh off his own arm, yet he seemed to catch a faint, lingering trace of the familiar pheromones on the shirt, and his grip slackened for an instant.

The focus in his eyes scattered then collected again. A muffled whisper escaped from between his clenched teeth: “…Baby.”

Just then, there was a faint sound at the door, as if a key was being used to unlock it from the outside.

Luo Panzhi’s head snapped up.

The door opened, and the light from the outside streamed into the room, sweeping across Luo Panzhi’s face. A tall, slender figure, the one he longed for and craved intensely, was standing outside the door, right before his eyes.

Luo Panzhi’s pupils contracted. He bent over, clutching his head, attempting to hide his curled-up body.

“After yelling at me, you dare to hide? Luo Panzhi, you truly don’t care about me at all.”

The door click-ed shut and was bolted from the inside.

Footsteps slowly approached, neither hurried nor slow, yet they trod heavily on Luo Panzhi’s violently beating heart. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. The scent of Juliet pheromones passed his nose, not comforting, but intensely repulsive.

It was a conflict between the physical and the psychological.

Physically, they were Alphas.

Psychologically, he loved Gu Yuxi.

Why did you let Gu Yuxi come find me!!!

“Luo Panzhi, what did I tell you last time?”

Luo Panzhi felt a warmth against his back. A slightly cool hand cupped his chin, forcing him to look up, and an index finger pressed against his lips, stopping him from biting himself again. His bloodshot eyes stared straight into Gu Yuxi’s gaze.

Gu Yuxi’s eyes reflected Luo Panzhi’s current state: the sweat-drenched hair on his forehead, the bloodstains and dryness on his lips, the strip of cloth on his arm soaked in blood. He was no longer the spirited Little President Luo.

And the Alpha pheromones on his body, which were on the verge of collapsing.

Empty and desperate.

A clear sign of an Alpha urgently needing Omega comfort.

“…Who told you to come? Get out!” Luo Panzhi ground out the warning from between his teeth, trying to push Gu Yuxi away.

“Aren’t you telling me to get out anymore?” Gu Yuxi was quick to react and grasped Luo Panzhi’s hand.

Luo Panzhi fiercely shook his hand off. The pheromones he usually found the most fragrant now made him intensely repulsive, causing painful and unbearable irritation: “…Gu Yuxi, don’t come near me. I’m telling you, leave quickly. I’m not joking.”

The greater the pain, the more his sanity slipped.

Luo Panzhi’s bloodshot eyes stared at the Gu Yuxi he missed so dearly, and an uncontrollable urge slowly ignited in them.

“Luo Panzhi, I’m very angry.” How could Gu Yuxi possibly leave? He put his hand on Luo Panzhi’s shoulder.

Luo Panzhi braced himself against the edge of the bed and made a move to get up, but Gu Yuxi immediately pressed him down onto the bed. He watched Gu Yuxi’s movements, and the fervent passion in his eyes flared up instantly.

Hyperventilating.

Gu Yuxi hooked his finger under the bridge of his glasses, tossed them aside, reached out to loosen his shirt collar, and casually lowered his eyes. He met Luo Panzhi’s burning gaze, his eyes shimmering: “Baby, I’m very angry.”

Luo Panzhi’s eyes captured every move Gu Yuxi made, every single look, framing them one by one, recklessly provoking the beast that was already poised to break free within him.

The Alpha pheromones belonging to Luo Panzhi in the air intensified, becoming overwhelmingly dominant, pressing down on Gu Yuxi.

It was the pressure of an Alpha, utterly devoid of affection, carrying a brutal intent to invade that was as relentless as a crashing wave.

“Gu Yuxi, don’t provoke me right now. You won’t be able to handle it,” Luo Panzhi warned, almost growling through his teeth.

Gu Yuxi stepped on both of Luo Panzhi’s arms with his feet, letting out a light chuckle: “How could I not handle it? You underestimate me.”

Luo Panzhi’s eyes suddenly darkened. He surged up, pressing Gu Yuxi down onto the bed with extreme force.

Gu Yuxi fell onto the bed, staring directly into Luo Panzhi’s eyes, which were filled with invasion. For him, Luo Panzhi’s pheromones did not cause any physical discomfort. It was just that Luo Panzhi’s state was no longer gentle as usual; instead, he was somewhat rough.

“I’m serious. Only I can help you, and that is to forcibly mark me.”

The seductive voice, carrying a tone of permission, made the words ‘forcibly mark’ trigger Luo Panzhi’s already near-uncontrollable state.

“…Gu Yuxi, seriously, don’t provoke me.”

Gu Yuxi leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, fully prepared for anything: “Baby, it’s my turn to protect you this time, okay?”

Separate matters were separate. He could help with the Vulnerability Period; the matter of ‘scolding’ him would be settled later.

“Baby, I can’t do this to you,” Luo Panzhi gripped Gu Yuxi’s shoulders, bowing his head, still struggling with himself, his voice choked: “I can’t.”

“You can open my long-closed and underdeveloped Reproductive Cavity and inject your Alpha pheromones into me for a complete mark.” Gu Yuxi leaned close to Luo Panzhi’s ear and whispered.

Luo Panzhi met Gu Yuxi’s gaze.

“Luo Panzhi, I’m different from everyone else. I’m not just your Alpha.”

Luo Panzhi stroked the back of Gu Yuxi’s neck, their foreheads touching.

Their warm breaths collided.

“Because I’m also your Omega during your Vulnerability Period, your one and only Omega,” Gu Yuxi smiled: “So, mark me.”

An unknown amount of time passed, possibly several hours. Gu Yuxi was in so much pain he nearly fainted.

The long-stagnant Reproductive Cavity made knotting inside excruciatingly painful, yet an Alpha in the Vulnerability Period would not cease until the knot was formed. In addition, due to his unique physique, Luo Panzhi’s biting of his gland had virtually no effect, leaving no scent on the back of his neck.

Luo Panzhi had to bite his gland over and over again, just to leave Alpha pheromones.

Deep in his Vulnerability Period, Luo Panzhi’s entire focus was on marking Gu Yuxi, but because the Reproductive Cavity was too small, knotting was exceedingly difficult. During this process, he asked countless times:

“Baby, this is the Reproductive Cavity, isn’t it? Why can’t I go in?”

Gu Yuxi was in too much pain to utter a single sound. Even though Luo Panzhi would stop out of tenderness, it couldn’t alleviate his pain.

Because he was an Alpha after all. He was no longer an Omega.

Finally, Luo Panzhi formed the knot, and the forced mark was complete.

After Luo Panzhi fell asleep, Gu Yuxi endured the pain, struggled to climb out of bed, put on the clothes that were still somewhat intact, and left the room. The moment he closed the door, he nearly collapsed.

“Lawyer Gu, are you leaving?! I’ll have the doctors come for you—”

Gu Yuxi looked at Chu Guzhi, who was supporting him, and shook his head: “I’m fine. I’m leaving now.”

Chu Guzhi hadn’t expected Gu Yuxi to leave. Seeing the man’s pale and fragile appearance, he felt deeply guilty: “Lawyer Gu, you really can’t leave in this state.”

“You look after him,” Gu Yuxi said. “He might not remember that I was here. Just don’t tell him I came.”

With that, he dragged his heavy steps and slowly walked away from the villa.

Luo Panzhi was very vengeful.

He’d have to deal with the consequences himself.