After Helping the Protagonist Escape From a Madman, I Became His Target [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 11

Shen Luyang shrieked inside his mind: Tongtong! Tongtong! We have a crisis! In this situation, how am I supposed to get Teacher Xie to give up on Shi Fan?

It was common knowledge that the higher an Alpha’s rank, the harder it was to find a compatible partner. At a level as extreme as S-class, it was no exaggeration to say that finding a match was entirely up to fate.

[Luyang, have you considered that Teacher Xie was exposed to someone else’s pheromones yesterday besides Shi Fan’s?]

Shen Luyang’s alcohol-soaked brain struggled to reminisce. It was only when his body began to yield to the allure of the S-class pressure, unconsciously leaking his own scent, that he finally realized the truth. Yesterday, the scent Xie Weihan had been in closest contact with was actually hot cocoa.

With just a single glance, Xie Weihan read the change in him. He spoke at a calm, measured pace. “Teacher Shen.”

Shen Luyang snapped out of his daze and pointed blankly at himself. “Teacher Xie, the person you’re referring to… it couldn’t be me, right?”

Xie Weihan’s gaze darkened slightly, his focus narrowing for a second before softening. His voice was warm and certain as he confirmed, “It is you.”

In the air, the two distinct pheromones suddenly stalled. Time felt as though it had fallen into a vat of melting syrup, stretching infinitely during the struggle. It wasn’t until Shen Luyang could no longer hold out and let out a ragged gasp that the tension shattered like falling glass.

The scents of red wine and hot cocoa collided in a frenzy, only to be forced apart under Shen Luyang’s clumsy control, leaving behind only a few rebellious fragments—threads of scent that remained tangled and lingering.

Shen Luyang’s throat felt parched. His blood seemed laced with warm wine, flowing through every sensitive nerve and bringing a sensation that was both alien and hauntingly familiar. This sensation was the effect of an S-class Alpha releasing pheromones to ensnare a partner—the “Seductive Red Apple.”

It was sweet, but it demanded a price.

Shen Luyang felt trapped in a mental dead end: I’m a straight man. Once is an accident, but if this happens twice or three times, wouldn’t that make me… very problematic?

The System suddenly went offline as if its battery had died, leaving him without anyone to consult. In this cramped rest area, there was only one exceptionally alluring S-class Alpha in rut and one highly compatible Alpha who claimed to be straight but was an absolute devotee of beauty.

Shen Luyang gritted his teeth, clinging to his final shred of sanity. “Teacher Xie, can you… hold back a little longer?”

He really didn’t want to keep veering off his intended path. He still dreamed of marrying a beautiful “Big Sister” wife.

As if he had long anticipated this answer, Xie Weihan looked at him with a gaze full of gentle indulgence. He smiled and inclined his head. “Of course.”

With that, he stood up, picked up a cotton swab from the table, and carefully wiped away the excess medicinal liquid from his collarbone. Once finished, he draped his suit jacket over his arm with perfect composure. Seeing Shen Luyang still rooted to the spot, he made a gentlemanly gesture toward the door.

Inside Shen Luyang’s head, two little versions of himself were brawling so hard he felt his brain might rattle.

One option was to let Xie Weihan deal with the agonizing S-class rut on his own, which could lead to any number of unpredictable accidents. The other was for him to sacrifice himself, though “sacrifice” felt like a strong word. He’d just be sacrificing his sexual orientation—not that even that was a true hardship… given Teacher Xie’s looks, calling it a sacrifice felt inappropriate. In short, he would help Xie Weihan smoothly navigate this frequent rut.

The process was actually simple: physical contact. Beyond the most primal forms of intimacy, skin-to-skin contact could also provide relief. As long as compatibility was high enough, even just holding hands could allow for pheromone soothing.

Xie Weihan’s condition was clearly worse than he let on. His lowered eyes struggled to hide the crimson tint in his pupils, his pheromones shifted between sweet and intoxicating, and his skin grew increasingly pale. He could no longer hide it. For an S-class Alpha to discard his pride and nonchalantly ask for help, the discomfort must be immense.

A beautiful person in pain always garnered more sympathy than an ordinary one. For a hopeless fan of beauty like Shen Luyang, this realization was especially effective.

Shen Luyang took a deep breath and made a momentous decision. He reached out with a surge of masculinity and blocked Xie Weihan’s path.

“Teacher Xie,” Shen Luyang straightened his back, bravely taking on a man’s responsibility. “Let’s resolve the rut before we head out. I won’t feel right letting you leave like this.”

Xie Weihan watched him for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a soft laugh. After a while, he set down his suit and asked with interest, “Teacher Shen, do you realize what you’re saying?”

Thanks to the System, Shen Luyang felt he was on a grand mission. “Frequent ruts don’t last more than a month. During this month, I’ll be responsible for your safety, Teacher Xie.”

This time, Xie Weihan did not refuse. He let go of his control over his pheromones, and in an instant, they filled the entire room. His deep, mellow voice was thick with the scent of wine, sending ripples through the air that coiled into Shen Luyang’s ears.

“Which method does Teacher Shen prefer?”

Which method…

Shen Luyang inevitably thought back to yesterday. His index finger and thumb brushed against each other as a faint itch blossomed in his heart.

No, no, no.

Shen Luyang pinched himself and took the initiative to grab Xie Weihan’s hand. With a look of utter internal struggle, he said, “Let’s just… hold hands.”

Xie Weihan pressed his lips together as a smile broke across his face. “Whatever Teacher Shen says.”

The slightly calloused pads of the man’s fingers lightly grazed Shen Luyang’s fingertips, the pressure shifting between light and firm. When Shen Luyang’s fingers instinctively recoiled, the long, pale hand opened up, interlocking their fingers with seamless precision. They gripped each other tightly as Xie Weihan’s fingertips lingered between his knuckles and over the back of his hand. The resulting itch spread all the way to Shen Luyang’s heart, weaving a dense, prickling web of sensation.

Shen Luyang’s breath hitched for a moment. He wanted to pull away, yet his body craved this moment of tenderness. The more he wanted to flee, the more sensitive his skin became. He eventually found himself squeezing Xie Weihan’s fingers to keep them from moving.

Suddenly, a low, raspy chuckle sounded by his ear, stained with unmasked desire. “Teacher Shen, you… already are.”

Shen Luyang jerked his head up, his lips grazing against something unexpectedly soft. He froze, staring directly into the thin, crimson line of the man’s lips. They seemed sweet.

Xie Weihan’s eyelids were lowered as he brushed past Shen Luyang’s lips with apparent nonchalance. His lashes fluttered, feeling like a stroke against the other’s Adam’s apple, causing it to bob involuntarily.

In the next second, Shen Luyang’s lips felt damp. The air could no longer contain the excess wine; the scent overflowed, seeping through his pores and into his blood, gnawing at his nerves. Rationality, like water held in a cracked porcelain bowl, fell away entirely. A flush of red stained the corners of Shen Luyang’s eyes as he instinctively gripped Xie Weihan’s shoulders and opened his mouth.

******

By the time he left the infirmary, Shen Luyang’s mind was still a mess. His lips were significantly redder than usual, and although he had tried to smooth out his trousers, careful observation would still reveal lingering wrinkles.

Looking at Xie Weihan, who was crisp in his suit and wearing a calm, natural expression that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist, Shen Luyang felt… he was still too green.

A delayed wave of “shame” began to wash over him. He stopped and cleared his throat. “Um, Teacher Xie, I need to go buy some things. You go on ahead.”

Xie Weihan watched him for a moment before letting go of his hand. His fingertips traced a light line across Shen Luyang’s wrist as he whispered an instruction: “Don’t let your pheromones leak out.”

Shen Luyang had only just awakened and was very unskilled. If he didn’t control himself, he might cause the students to go into sudden heat. Such a precious scent—how could he let anyone else encounter it?

Shen Luyang accepted the man’s kind reminder and fled to the cafeteria to buy a cold drink. He smiled as he greeted the staff, while internally, a storm was raging.

D—n it!

You’ve really done it now!

Shen Luyang, single for twenty-four years!

You can get… like that just from holding hands? Are you a rabbit or something?!

…Wait, he actually was born in the year of the rabbit.

Shen Luyang: System! Tongtong! Get out here!

[Yo, Luyang! Finished enjoying yourself?]

Shen Luyang’s ears turned hot. The interrogation he had prepared vanished instantly in the face of the System’s considerate “I stayed away while you were busy” attitude.

He awkwardly changed the subject: …Just check if there are any missions for tonight.

[None—although Shi Fan has been discharged from the hospital, our Luyang had the foresight to tether Teacher Xie’s gaze firmly to himself! Excellent work!]

Shen Luyang (acting profound): I was just being kind-hearted.

[Yes, yes. Luyang only helped because he felt sorry for Teacher Xie suffering the rut in silence—not because he wanted to enjoy himself too.]

Shen Luyang: Why don’t you just go offline?

[Mentioning a ‘member’ already? Let’s keep it civil, Luyang~]

********

The specific point Shen Luyang was fixated on wasn’t actually the act of two men helping each other out.

What truly bothered him was the fact that he had already “helped” the same person twice.

This feeling of being drawn to one specific person made him instinctively feel that things were going south—very, very south. However, since he had already given his word, he had no choice but to toughen up and endure it for the time being.

The following day was Friday. Even though his physics class wasn’t until the first period after lunch, Shen Luyang still woke up exceptionally early. Clutching a mountain of newly purchased review materials, he walked for fifteen minutes before hopping on the Number 26 bus straight to the school gates.

After getting off, he kept his backpack on and stopped at a breakfast stall for a quick bite, grabbing two cups of hot soy milk to go. He hummed a tune as he walked, something about wanting to escape but being unable to—and took a shortcut toward the school through the back alley of the breakfast shop.

Halfway there, Shen Luyang felt it. Someone was following him.

Based on the footsteps, there were about three or four of them, all Alphas. He found it quite novel how many perks came with his recent awakening; it felt like he was living in an action movie. Amused by the novelty, he continued walking toward the school at a steady pace.

Predictably, the footsteps behind him suddenly quickened. Someone lunged toward his back with the speed of a gust of wind. Judging by the thin shadows on the ground, they were even wielding a burlap sack.

Modern troublemakers, truly keeping up with the times.

Shen Luyang dipped his waist slightly, effortlessly dodging the sack’s descent. With a nimble pivot of his feet, he spun around instantly to come face-to-face with his attacker.

Before the look of impending triumph could even fade from Peng Jun’s face, Shen Luyang had already snagged his arm. With a swift grab and a twist, a loud thud echoed as he pinned the boy against the wall without breaking a sweat.

“What a coincidence,” Shen Luyang said, looking at the row of stunned troublemakers behind him. He offered a remarkably amiable smile. “Why didn’t anyone say good morning to their teacher? My feelings are truly hurt!”

Peng Jun couldn’t believe it. His meticulous plan had been shattered by the very same Shen Luyang who, just last week, had been a total weakling. He gritted his teeth and jerked his arm violently, desperately trying to break free.

Shen Luyang gave him a light flick on the forehead. “Do you want to keep that arm or not?”

On the other side, Xiang Lei and Ding Yifan were operating under the logic that since their faces had already been seen, the man named Shen definitely wouldn’t let them off easy. Fueled by a desperate, “nothing left to lose” heroic momentum, they swung their fists and charged forward fiercely. Li Shenyu only had enough time to grab Ding Yifan, who was trailing a half-beat behind the charge.

Shen Luyang watched Xiang Lei approach. The boy’s form looked impressive enough, but he was actually riddled with openings. Shen Luyang raised a leg and delivered a kick, carefully controlling his strength as he sent the boy tumbling back a short distance.

“I know you don’t want your teacher to be sad,” Shen Luyang said, patting Peng Jun on the shoulder as if trying to reason with him. “But this is a bit too much passion. Your teacher is practically overwhelmed by the honor.”

“How about this?” Shen Luyang released his grip. Peng Jun immediately swung a punch at him, which Shen Luyang caught with a single hand. He chuckled. “I won’t lie; that actually stung a little.”

Peng Jun: “…”

“How about this,” Shen Luyang repeated, offering a very considerate solution. “All of you come at me at once. If you manage to land a single hit on my face, I’ll never bother you again. How does that sound?”

Li Shenyu took off his jacket, his gaze calm and steady. “And if we don’t?”

Shen Luyang waved a hand with an air of great generosity. “Then you just have to casually score an 80 or higher on the physics final. Anyone who fails the mission has to praise my good looks to my face.”

Seeing the indescribable expressions on their faces, Shen Luyang held up two fingers and added, “And you have to use twenty different compliments without repeating yourself.”

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