After Helping the Protagonist Escape From a Madman, I Became His Target [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 21.1

The heat of their breath grew increasingly scorched. In the friction of skin against skin, the rich, heavy scents of alcohol and grapes entwined around their nerves. The air held nothing but the sound of labored, heavy panting.

The overcast weather seemed to smother their overflowing desire, trapping it within the small space where it churned, struggled, and surged.

Like a devil, Xie Weihan subtly soothed the restlessness in his palms while remaining seemingly oblivious to his own hunger, appearing instead to indulge in the act of giving.

It was a transaction that, on the surface, appeared entirely one-sided.

Shen Luyang’s hand pressed hard against the back of Xie Weihan’s neck. The place where, much like his blood, the most fragrant pheromones were hidden. The light in his usually sunny eyes was stained with a predatory crimson, like blood splattered on an angel’s wings, seeping in inch by inch.

His voice, dazed and impatient with confusion, rasped out: “Wh… why?”

Xie Weihan placed a feather-light kiss on Shen Luyang’s left eye. His low, raspy voice pierced through the chaotic fog of the other man’s mind, carving itself deep into his memory. “You aren’t lucid. I won’t take advantage of someone in your state.”

******

The leaves rustled. Sunlight finally broke through the shackles of the clouds. The sound of leather shoes clicking against the floor hit Shen Luyang’s dazed nerves, snapping him back to reality.

He jerked his head up, his chest heaving. The silhouettes in his mind were still shifting; for a moment, it felt like a hazy summer dream from his youth, leaving behind no tangible trace.

He twitched his fingers, only to realize he was currently lying on a desk. As he propped himself up, he immediately spotted the man leaning by the window.

Delayed memories came rushing back with a vengeance. Shen Luyang’s eyes widened. I was that wild during the rut, and yet I remember every single detail now that I’m awake?

…

Did I just shamelessly take advantage of Teacher Xie’s good temper?

Shen Luyang felt utterly mortified. After the “enjoyment” had passed, he had to sadly acknowledge the truth: he was a massive lecher, specifically the kind that only harassed Teacher Xie.

Noticing his gaze, Xie Weihan looked up. His crisp black shirt collar showed no sign of disarray, strictly concealing the collarbone that bore the ambiguous teeth marks.

“Do you feel unwell anywhere?” His gaze was exceptionally soft, and the curve of his lips suggested an infinite tolerance for Shen Luyang’s earlier impulsiveness. “Are you dizzy?”

Shen Luyang’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Having been a virgin for twenty-four years, he found it nearly impossible to face the version of himself that had experienced his first rut. The saying “Alphas are creatures that think with their lower halves” was clearly no exaggeration.

“No,” Shen Luyang took a deep breath, though the metallic scent of blood still lingered in his throat. He looked toward Xie Weihan’s collarbone. “Teacher Xie, does it still hur—”

“I’ve already taken care of it.” Xie Weihan pressed the spot through his shirt noncommittally. A startling ring of red was visible around his pale wrist.

He took a long-legged stride toward him, his thumb brushing beneath Shen Luyang’s eyes, where broken red capillaries hadn’t yet faded. “Go to the infirmary and get some eye drops.”

Shen Luyang blinked; his eyes felt dry and slightly stung. But that didn’t matter—the fact that Teacher Xie had treated his own wounds made Shen Luyang feel more and more like a heartless scumbag who had “pulled out and moved on.”

Xie Weihan’s voice was languid and affectionate as he withdrew his hand, offering a playful compromise: “The eyes are a lingering effect of the rut. I can’t help you with that. Let’s go; I’ll walk you there.”

True. Shen Luyang was drowning in self-loathing. He helped with everything else, and now he has to accompany me to the infirmary. Shen Luyang, what kind of past-life merit did you earn to know Teacher Xie?

On the way to the infirmary, Shen Luyang pulled himself together and rubbed his hair, finally remembering he was here for a mission. He asked awkwardly, “How is Teacher Shi?”

Xie Weihan answered nonchalantly, “He’s already awake.”

Shen Luyang sighed in relief. “That’s good.” His biggest worries were a mission failure and causing the original protagonist to get hurt because of his interference. Perhaps because he had read the fanfiction, he always felt a protective instinct toward Shi Fan. In the book, Shi Fan’s life was truly… tragic.

Xie Weihan’s expression remained unchanged. “Luyang seems very concerned about Teacher Shi. Did you know him before?”

Shen Luyang was still deep in self-reflection. He replied offhandedly, “We’re on okay terms. Teacher Shi just looks so easy to bully; I’m always worried he’ll get hurt.”

Xie Weihan watched him gently. “Is that so?”

******

There were no students in the infirmary that morning. Fang Yi was sprawled in a lounge chair, legs crossed, scrolling through his phone with the volume on his short videos turned up high and noisy.

Shen Luyang knocked on the door, and seeing a third person helped ease his shame and guilt slightly. “Doctor Fang.”

Fang Yi squinted as he looked up, scanned Shen Luyang, and said lazily, “Tripped on Xie Weihan again?”

Shen Luyang nearly tripped over the actual doorframe. He steadied himself and said, “I’m here for eye drops.”

Xie Weihan followed him in, looking down at Fang Yi, who showed no intention of getting up. He helpfully added, “Teacher Shen just finished his rut; his eyes are uncomfortable.”

Fang Yi’s gaze bounced between the two of them about seven or eight times with profound meaning before he reluctantly sat up. “A rut? Why don’t I smell anything? There isn’t a scent in this world I can’t smell except for your—”

He paused mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes at Shen Luyang, who was standing by the medicine cabinet. He arched an eyebrow at Xie Weihan and mouthed, “You hid it for him?”

It was a question, but in his mind, Fang Yi was already certain.

Xie Weihan didn’t acknowledge the look. Instead, he asked Shen Luyang, “Does your throat feel uncomfortable?”

Shen Luyang touched his throat and swallowed. “It’s alright. A bit dry.”

Fang Yi let out a yawn. “Come here, let me see how ‘dry’ it is.”

Shen Luyang sat in a chair, and Fang Yi tilted his chin up. “Open wide. Say ‘Ah’.”

Shen Luyang complied. “Ah—”

“…As I thought,” Fang Yi turned and pointed at Xie Weihan, who was sitting relaxed in another chair. “You’re something else.”

With his mouth still open, Shen Luyang asked indistinctly, “Wha? Wha am I shumthing else?”

Fang Yi let go, but instead of the medicine cabinet, he went to a small metal box and pulled out two unlabeled glass bottles. He handed them to Shen Luyang. “The red one is for the eyes; use it until the redness fades. The pink one is oral; take it for three days. If you still feel off, come back.”

Shen Luyang held the bottles, feeling highly suspicious. “What kind of medicine is this? Why are there no instructions?”

Fang Yi tsked. He pointed at the pink vial and leaned close to Shen Luyang’s ear. “My dear, sunny Teacher Shen, this is an S-class Alpha pheromone buffer. It effectively relieves the discomfort of being bonded with an S-class Alpha. There aren’t more than ten vials of this quality available in the entire country right now. Why do you think I’m giving it to you? Don’t you have a clue?”

Holy crap, Shen Luyang thought. Our little secret with Teacher Xie has leaked! Teacher Xie’s reputation is ruined because of me!

He leaned in and whispered back to Fang Yi, “Don’t go slandering innocent people’s reputations!”

Fang Yi scrutinized his face, thought for a moment, and poked his shoulder. “I can see you’re a kid from a decent family. Let me give you a tip: don’t let him sell you and then help him count the money.”

Shen Luyang looked at him with a serious, solemn expression, his brow furrowed.

Fang Yi’s lips curled. “Realized the gravity of the situation? Let me study your pheromones for a bit, and I’ll tell you Xie Weihan’s secret.”

Shen Luyang held up his index finger and wagged it. “Doctor Fang, you might have misunderstood me. I am not a ‘kid from a decent family.’ Just last month, my own father froze my accounts, which held millions, and kicked me out of the house while brandishing a meat cleaver.”

Fang Yi: “…”

Is that seriously the takeaway from what I said?

He looked at Xie Weihan, who was watching him with a half-smile and mouthing: He knows everything.

Fang Yi looked thoughtfully at Shen Luyang, who was currently unscrewing a cap to sniff the medicine. He knows. He knows exactly what kind of person Xie Weihan is and he’s still this reckless? This guy is quite a character; I must have misjudged him.

Shen Luyang flicked the red eye drops and looked away from Fang Yi, asking nonchalantly, “How come there’s no label on this either?”

Fang Yi looked at Shen Luyang’s clean neck, without so much as a single teeth mark and said disinterestedly, “I formulated it myself. You can buy the commercial equivalent outside if you want; it’s 1,200 yuan for a small bottle.”

“How much for yours?”

“Twenty-five for the pair.”

“Perfect. Sending the payment now. Thank you, Doctor.”

Shen Luyang happily stowed the vials, stood up, and looked at Xie Weihan. Suddenly remembering something, he turned his back to Fang Yi and gestured toward his own collarbone, his gaze flickering. “Teacher Xie, do you want to—” Maybe get some antiseptic or a bandage? He remembered gnawing on the man like a dog…

The other man was also looking at him. Leaning against the chair, his posture emphasized the excellent proportions of his neck and shoulders. His black shirt was buttoned all the way up—a picture of restraint, yet it held a suggestive, explicit meaning meant only for Shen Luyang. “No need. Let’s go.”

Shen Luyang snapped out of it. “Well… alright then.”

******

Walking back to the office, Shen Luyang finally had the energy to think. During the rut, his mind had been hazy, thinking of nothing but Omegas. When he realized there were none, he had turned his “poisonous hands” toward Xie Weihan…

The man had considerately used his pheromones and… other means to help him through it. But when Shen Luyang had wanted to reciprocate and help him out too, Xie Weihan had refused.

“You aren’t lucid. I won’t take advantage of someone in your state.”

Shen Luyang chewed on those words. He finally understood why readers were so obsessed with Xie Weihan despite him being a minor character. It was hard not to have a good impression of someone so considerate, gentle, and gentlemanly. He was no exception. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a person like that?

Having cleared his head, Shen Luyang’s tone lightened. “Teacher Xie.”

Xie Weihan turned his head. “Hmm?”

“Are you and Doctor Fang friends?” Shen Luyang asked casually.

Xie Weihan admitted it directly. “We have some personal history.”

“No wonder,” Shen Luyang stretched. “I noticed that when you talk to him, you’re different than with everyone else.”

Appearing intrigued, Xie Weihan arched an eyebrow. “In what way?”

“Just… especially relaxed,” Shen Luyang gestured. “The kind of state you only have with people you’re very close to.”

This was also evident from Fang Yi; in the whole school, Fang Yi was the only one who dared to talk to Xie Weihan with such a cheeky attitude. Shen Luyang completely ignored himself. The one who had dared to leave marks on the man.

Xie Weihan’s eyes held a hint of a smile as he asked offhandedly, “Then what state am I in when I’m with you?”

Shen Luyang’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he looked away. What state? An incredibly seductive state.

He frowned, his lips forming a straight line as he engaged in serious self-scrutiny. Was it because he had a “dirty mind,” or was Teacher Xie’s charm just too powerful?

“Is it hard to describe?”

“No,” Shen Luyang took a deep breath. “When you’re with me, you’re also a bit different from your usual self. Very…” He struggled for a moment before choking out: “Seductive.”

The moment the word left his mouth, both of them froze.

Shen Luyang forced a polite, awkward grin and gave Xie Weihan a fake smile. “More or less… yeah.”

Good job, Shen Luyang. You actually said it! Fantastic! Absolute legend. Is there anything in this world you won’t say?!

Xie Weihan let out an unreadable low chuckle. “Seductive?”

Shen Luyang’s brain finally caught up to his mouth, and he added in a hurried attempt at damage control, “I meant ‘exceptionally good-looking’.”

Xie Weihan didn’t push him on the choice of words. Instead, he followed the topic and explained, “I’ve known Fang Yi for many years. We’re quite familiar.”

Shen Luyang sighed in relief. “Are you two childhood friends?”

Xie Weihan’s lips curved. “You could say that.”

******

At noon, in the infirmary.

The curtains were drawn tight, the door was locked, and a “Temporarily Closed” sign was hung up.

Fang Yi used a syringe to rapidly draw a red liquid from a glass vial, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure this won’t kill anyone? This dose is five times the normal amount.”

The man leaning in the lounge chair had his eyes closed. The stark indoor lighting hit his sharp features, making him look like a perfect, cold-blooded marble statue. At the sound, he opened his eyes. Those ink-like pupils were now entirely crimson, like flowing red wine—eerie and beautiful.

Fang Yi’s hand jerked, and the glass vial shattered on the floor. “Crap! Your eyes—”

He walked quickly to Xie Weihan’s side, leaning over to look. His complexion was as bad as it could be. “Did you encounter an Omega with extreme compatibility?”

“It was an Alpha.”

“That Teacher Shen?”

“No.”

Fang Yi was panicking. “Your pheromones are this out of control. Why didn’t you just have that high-compatibility Alpha resolve it?! No one could refuse you!”

Xie Weihan closed his eyes noncommittally. Whatever he was thinking of caused his lips to curve into a delighted smile.

Fang Yi didn’t know how to judge this behavior. Although he knew the man would never let his pheromones truly dictate his actions, he couldn’t empathize. This was a matter of life and death! Going past the threshold for pheromones would lead to insanity!

Xie Weihan’s internal pheromones had always lived on a dangerous edge, maintained by a level of self-control that bordered on masochism. For years, because Fang Yi had been monitoring him, things had remained somewhat stable on the surface. But encountering someone with excessive compatibility brought the risk of a total collapse.

And yet, this lunatic was so out of control, and he still hadn’t done it with that Alpha—instead, he was in the mood to flirt with Shen Luyang! He even accompanied the man to the infirmary!

Fang Yi took a deep breath and looked at him. “I’m only giving you one injection. If there’s no relief, I suggest you head home.”

Xie Weihan gave an “mm” and looked toward the red marks on his wrist. Under the lights, his eyes held a magnificent, cruel beauty. His gaze narrowed slightly as his lips curved into a playful arc.

Shi Fan—the reason for this loss of control. Their compatibility was at least over 80%.

Interesting.

The strangely colored medicine in the syringe was slowly pushed into his vein. The crimson in his eyes faded rapidly; the effect was so instantaneous it was unsettling.

Fang Yi sat opposite him for at least forty minutes, watching for severe side effects. When the clock chimed, Fang Yi finally let out a long breath and slumped into his chair. It took a while before he asked, “That Alpha with the high compatibility… why didn’t you use him?”

Xie Weihan looked at him with a half-smile. “Do you think I would do that?”

“Probably not,” Fang Yi said, his interest piqued. He propped up his face. “And that Teacher Shen? Shen Luyang… you told me this morning that he knows you’re…?”

Xie Weihan lowered his eyes. His voice was very soft as it vanished into the air: “He is very special.”

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