After Transmigrating into an ABO World with My Rival - Chapter 12

Fu Tingyue’s Rut lasted for a full five days before it finally ended. However, aside from those first three days, he remained conscious for the final two, suffering only from a persistent low-grade fever and requiring occasional suppressants at night.

Throughout the ordeal, Chen Yanzhi stayed by his side to care for him. He was “bullied” quite a bit during that time, but he wasn’t angry; his only focus was on Fu Tingyue’s recovery.

By the morning of the sixth day, the Rut had officially concluded. Chen Yanzhi lay on the bed, watching as Fu Tingyue took his own temperature, his large, beautiful eyes round with anticipation.

Fu Tingyue held out the thermometer. “The fever is gone.”

Chen Yanzhi grabbed it, checked the reading, and practically leaped off the bed in excitement. “Great! It’s finally over!” He flopped back onto the mattress, staring at the ceiling with a relaxed expression and a faint smile playing on his lips. After watching Fu Tingyue suffer through waves of discomfort for days, Chen Yanzhi had grown to absolutely loathe this “Rut” business.

Fu Tingyue put the thermometer away and sat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you for your hard work lately.”

He had assumed that after what happened, Chen Yanzhi wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Instead, Chen Yanzhi had cared for him personally every day. Even when he was teased or pushed, Chen Yanzhi didn’t get angry; he simply warned him not to do it again next time.

This gave Fu Tingyue the fleeting illusion that Chen Yanzhi might actually share his feelings. Of course, that thought only surfaced when the pheromones clouded his mind; once clear-headed, he knew better.

Chen Yanzhi was dense. He couldn’t perceive the romantic intentions of others. Or rather, it never occurred to him to view his relationship with Fu Tingyue in that light. At the moment, he saw Fu Tingyue as his only friend and his comrade-in-arms in this strange world.

Fu Tingyue wasn’t in a hurry. He had waited for so many years already; he didn’t mind waiting another few months. As long as Chen Yanzhi didn’t hate him, everything else could be managed slowly.

“As long as you’re okay,” Chen Yanzhi waved it off, rolling over to lie on his stomach beside Fu Tingyue. “How often does this Rut of yours happen?”

“Every three months,” Fu Tingyue replied.

Chen Yanzhi sat up, his expression turning grim. “Once every three months? That’s way too frequent. Can’t it be once a year?”

Fu Tingyue couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle his hair, his expression tender. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Chen Yanzhi looked worried. “What do we do next time?” Honestly, seeing Fu Tingyue in so much pain made him feel uneasy. He wondered if there was a permanent way to eliminate the Rut once and for all.

Fu Tingyue adjusted his cuffs with deliberate slowness, his tone indifferent. “Next time, don’t worry about me. Just lock me up. I can take care of myself.” This Rut had come too suddenly, and his lack of experience had made things a bit chaotic.

Chen Yanzhi rolled around on the bed like a child, wrapping himself in the quilt until only his head was visible. His voice came out muffled. “How could I do that? When you lost consciousness, you kept calling my name. It would be too pitiful to lock you up alone.”

Every time Fu Tingyue called out for him, Chen Yanzhi felt a pang in his heart. In his memory, Fu Tingyue had always been like a big brother who took care of him. Seeing him so vulnerable was a bitter pill to swallow, and it made him resent the concept of the Rut even more.

Hearing Chen Yanzhi’s mumbling, Fu Tingyue felt a bit uncomfortable. “It won’t happen next time. This time was only because I lacked experience.”

He hadn’t wanted it to happen either, but when he lost his senses, his mind was filled with Chen Yanzhi, and he had a desperate urge to mark him. If it hadn’t been for the bite guard, Chen Yanzhi’s neck would likely have been bitten raw.

“It’s not like having experience makes it hurt any less.” On a whim, Chen Yanzhi asked curiously, “You mentioned finding an Omega before. Would that actually make you feel better?”

The warmth in Fu Tingyue’s eyes vanished instantly. He asked tonelessly, “You want me to go find someone else?”

Chen Yanzhi sat cross-legged, frowning slightly. “I’m just curious. The internet says Omegas can help Alphas through their Ruts. So, do you want to…”

“No.” Fu Tingyue cut him off, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door. “I need to go to the office. We’ll talk about other things later.”

Chen Yanzhi tugged at his hair in frustration, shouting at Fu Tingyue’s back, “Why are you getting angry for no reason again? I’m just worried about you!”

“Do you even know what ‘finding an Omega’ implies?” Fu Tingyue stopped and turned around, meeting Chen Yanzhi’s eyes with a mix of anger and helplessness. “Chen Yanzhi, you’re being lazy again. You haven’t looked at the books I gave you at all, have you?”

Chen Yanzhi felt a flash of guilt but immediately found an excuse. He straightened his back and said, “And whose fault is that? I was too busy taking care of you to read!”

“Then let me tell you.” Fu Tingyue tossed his suit jacket aside and strode back toward Chen Yanzhi.

Startled, Chen Yanzhi scrambled to the foot of the bed, watching Fu Tingyue’s expressionless eyes warily. “Just say it! Don’t get physical!”

Fu Tingyue took a deep breath and relaxed his clenched fists, trying to speak as gently as possible. “Do you know how an Omega helps an Alpha through a Rut?”

Chen Yanzhi looked innocent. “How?” He had been too worried about Fu Tingyue’s health to look into the details. He knew marking involved biting the gland, but he hadn’t learned the rest.

Fu Tingyue flatly uttered a single word: “Sex.”

Chen Yanzhi’s mouth dropped open. Before he could speak, Fu Tingyue questioned him: “You want me to do that with someone I’ve never met, someone I have no feelings for?”

“I didn’t mean that! And I didn’t know it required… that…” Chen Yanzhi’s voice grew quieter and quieter, his ears turning inexplicably hot.

So, when Fu Tingyue lost his mind and kept pulling at his clothes, he wanted to do that? Good heavens. Luckily, Fu Tingyue’s lapses in consciousness didn’t last long; otherwise, given the difference in their strength, Chen Yanzhi wouldn’t have been able to resist. Thinking this way, Chen Yanzhi felt that his “little bird” hurting for a few days was acceptable—at least his backside didn’t hurt.

Fu Tingyue looked down at Chen Yanzhi and sighed helplessly. “I don’t want to become a beast driven by pheromones, with nothing but that on my mind. I don’t want to do anything to hurt you, and I certainly don’t want to do that with a stranger. Next time a Rut comes, I’ll leave ahead of time so I don’t put you in a difficult position. I’ll come back once it’s over.”

Fu Tingyue left immediately after saying his piece, ignoring Chen Yanzhi’s shouts.

Angry again. Chen Yanzhi sat on the sofa, staring at the closed door, feeling a bit depressed. He shouldn’t have said that. If their roles were reversed and Fu Tingyue told him to find someone else, he probably would have thrown a punch already. But he really was just worried, and he honestly hadn’t known what the “help” entailed.

Chen Yanzhi expected Fu Tingyue to return that evening, but the man sent word that he had too much work to catch up on and would be staying at the office. While the excuse was perfectly logical—a week’s worth of work from the Rut did need handling—Chen Yanzhi’s intuition told him Fu Tingyue was avoiding him because of the Omega comment.

Fu Tingyue didn’t come home for several days, and Chen Yanzhi was bored out of his mind. Fu Tingyue replied to all his texts, but he never picked up video calls, always claiming to be in a meeting or busy.

When Chen Yanzhi’s latest video call was rejected, Fu Tingyue messaged saying he had a business dinner, would likely be late, and would stay at his nearby apartment instead of coming home.

Chen Yanzhi messaged back immediately: “I’m coming too.”

Fu Tingyue replied instantly: “It’s not convenient. There will be drinking. Your health isn’t great; stay home and be good.”

Chen Yanzhi retorted: “If you don’t take me, I’m going to go to a bar by myself. I won’t come home either. Suit yourself.”

He wasn’t joking. He was truly going to go out; he had been stuck at home so long he felt like he was growing mushrooms.

Fu Tingyue knew Chen Yanzhi well enough to know he was serious. A moment later, he told Chen Yanzhi to wait for him at home; he would come pick him up.

Seeing him again after nearly a week, Fu Tingyue looked a bit thinner, but his mental state was good. Top Alphas had incredible stamina; after working a week straight, he wasn’t just alive—he looked energized.

Chen Yanzhi sauntered up to Fu Tingyue and gave his firm muscle a playful slap. “Your constitution is actually pretty great, aside from being a pain during your Rut. You’re durable.”

Seeing that Chen Yanzhi wasn’t angry, Fu Tingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t drink later, or I won’t take you with me.”

“Depends on my mood.” Chen Yanzhi looked down at his casual clothes and raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to change into formal wear?”

He had used Fu Tingyue’s money to buy quite a few clothes lately, but he hadn’t bought a single suit. His wardrobe was full of flashy, colorful tops with various trinkets and jeans. During Fu Tingyue’s absence, Chen Yanzhi had even dyed his hair a soft pink. After twenty days at the villa, he had gained a bit of weight and his complexion had improved; his formerly pale face now had a healthy glow that complemented his hair color beautifully.

Fu Tingyue hid his admiration behind an expressionless mask. “No need. It’s not a formal occasion, just a dinner with some partners. If you don’t like suits, wear that.” He actually regretted agreeing; he didn’t want others to see Chen Yanzhi. He wanted to hide him away.

Chen Yanzhi nudged Fu Tingyue’s shoulder with a grin. “Won’t I embarrass you?” Knowing he had messed up, Chen Yanzhi had spent days thinking of how to make it up to Fu Tingyue. He couldn’t think of anything great, so his priority was just getting the man home; he needed to be near him to make amends.

From the looks of it, Fu Tingyue’s anger had mostly faded, otherwise he wouldn’t have come to fetch him.

Fu Tingyue suppressed the urge to pinch Chen Yanzhi’s cheek and turned away. “You won’t.”

Chen Yanzhi hopped up and threw an arm around Fu Tingyue’s neck like they were brothers. “Then let’s go!” Fu Tingyue was so tall that he had to hunch over so Chen Yanzhi could comfortably hook his arm around him, doting on him to an extreme degree as they walked out.

Once in the car, Chen Yanzhi stared at Fu Tingyue’s profile for a while. On a sudden impulse, he said, “Fu Tingyue, are we made up now? I won’t tell you to find other Omegas anymore. Since my help worked for you, then let me help you during your Ruts from now on. How about it?”

He had searched online; it didn’t strictly have to be sex, as long as there was a release, it helped. He had helped the first time; doing it a few more times wouldn’t be a big deal. More importantly, he didn’t feel comfortable letting a strange Omega near Fu Tingyue when he was at his most vulnerable. He realized his previous suggestion had been poorly thought out.

Fu Tingyue’s hand, resting on his knee, suddenly clenched. He looked at Chen Yanzhi with a slight frown. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

Chen Yanzhi rested his chin on his hand, leaning against the seat back with an indifferent tone. “I know. But I’m a Beta, so I can only help you with my hand. Anyway, we’re both guys; it’s not like I’m losing a piece of myself.”

However, next time he definitely had to tie Fu Tingyue up. The man was not gentle at all; Chen Yanzhi was worried that after a few more times, his “little bird” would be completely ruined. He was busy worrying about how to tie Fu Tingyue up more securely next time, and he failed to notice the swirling emotions in Fu Tingyue’s eyes or the pheromones growing increasingly thick inside the car.

When they got out, Chen Yanzhi was covered in the scent of Fu Tingyue’s pheromones. Oblivious as always, he naturally grabbed Fu Tingyue’s wrist and walked with him like a restless kitten. The small charms hanging from his pants swayed with every step, utterly adorable.

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