Childhood Sweethearts (ABO) - Chapter 8

A Faint Scent of Pheromones

The brand Xie Yun endorsed was a light luxury label; its storefront decor was trendy and youthful, staffed by beautiful, young sales associates.

The two high-looking boys had drawn attention almost as soon as they entered the shop.

When Xie Yun realized that his blurting out those words was equivalent to sexual harassment and that the nearby staff had very likely overheard him he felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. His ears and neck flushed a deep, burning crimson.

“…Brother.”

Xie Yun looked at Xi Zhiyu helplessly, his eyes shifting away as he explained in a low voice, “I didn’t mean it like that. Please don’t misunderstand.”

Although he hadn’t seen it clearly, the area where the abnormality appeared was indeed the skin surrounding the gland.

Had this explanation been offered to a sensitive female Omega, it might have been futile; a falling out would have been highly likely.

Xi Zhiyu only let out a heavy breath.

He retracted his gaze, pretending as if nothing was wrong to comfort him: “It’s fine.”

“It might just be a slight allergy.”

The gland was like a hard lump encased under the skin. If the skin suffered an allergy, then the slightly swollen gland would naturally react that way as well.

Xi Zhiyu’s response was flawless; it neither leaked the secret of his illness nor made the Alpha’s act of discussing an Omega’s glands in public seem over the line.

After all, Xie Yun was a superstar actor with unparalleled popularity. Even a tiny incident moved onto the internet could have a devastating impact on his career.

Yet, despite Xi Zhiyu being sufficiently considerate, Xie Yun’s reaction was still unexpected. His full, round puppy-eyes were actually misting over, showing a faint, lingering redness.

Xie Yun sniffled guiltily. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have made you wear the scarf. I’ll go buy medicine right now.”

Xi Zhiyu had almost never seen Xie Yun like this, and a part of his heart softened.

“It’s not that serious…”

However, the actual stinging pain in his nape contradicted his words; he even clenched his teeth as he spoke.

Xi Zhiyu’s eyes darkened; the condition was worse than he had imagined.

The medicine the doctor prescribed was for twice-daily use, but it was mentioned that in special circumstances, he could use his discretion to increase the dosage for morning, noon, and night.

When he left the house, Xi Zhiyu had remembered to bring the medicine, hiding it in the car’s storage compartment. He just hadn’t expected Xie Yun to arrive early for the appointment, so he had momentarily forgotten it in the car and hurried upstairs to eat.

Coming back to his senses, Xie Yun cautiously unwound the scarf and silently placed it back where it belonged.

Immersed in his guilt, Xie Yun failed to notice the various details. He pulled out his phone to check a map; usually, his assistants and manager handled trivial matters, so he rarely had to do such tasks himself.

“There’s a pharmacy just across the street from Gate A.”

Xie Yun’s jawline remained tight. “I’ll go buy it now. Brother, why don’t you wait for me in the car?”

Xi Zhiyu should have refused, but on second thought, he realized he had to get away from his childhood friend to use the medication quickly.

He reluctantly changed his tune: “Alright, I’ll head back to the car first.”

Xie Yun glanced at the navigation distance and estimated time. “Mhm, I should be back in about ten minutes.”

“Okay.”

Xi Zhiyu reminded him softly, “Don’t be in too much of a hurry. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Xie Yun bit his lip and nodded.

He knew better than anyone that his brother was a precious child who came into this world only after his uncle had endured hardships in the hospital that nearly cost him his life. An Omega who was in poor health since childhood, cherished by the whole family and unable to bear even a hint of harm, should not fall ill just because of a single date with him.

Once the agreement was reached, Xie Yun followed the navigation and walked quickly toward the pharmacy, temporarily parting ways with him.

As Xi Zhiyu walked toward the elevator, he pressed his hand against his stinging gland. Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and the usual calm and composure vanished from his face.

In the dimly lit underground garage, his vision blurred further, unable to focus on the scene before him.

The pitch-black Porsche waited quietly for its master. When it identified the proximity of the vehicle’s chip holder, it unlocked automatically with a “beep.”

Xi Zhiyu pressed the button forcefully. The car door rose automatically, and he scrambled inside.

The first thing he did was turn on the air purification system. With trembling hands, he fished a small needle-type injectable medication out of the storage compartment, briskly rolled up his sleeve to reveal his fair skin, and plunged the needle in.

Hiss.

The soothing liquid entered his veins, quickly smoothing over the pain. He felt like a man rescued from a cage. He breathed greedily in large gulps, gasping incessantly.

His already handsome face possessed a touch of coldness; in his discomfort, his usual gentle demeanor faded, making him look more aggressive.

Inadvertently, he caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror and was startled by his own appearance.

Yun-zai will definitely be scared when he gets back.

Xi Zhiyu frowned and quickly hid the medication. He set the air circulation system, which was already on maximum, to emergency purification mode.

On the screen, the pheromone level readings dropped steadily, and his restless emotions were barely soothed.

At the entrance of the underground parking lot connecting to the outdoors, the light was bright, reflecting a hurried and familiar figure.

Xie Yun arrived at a fast pace, clutching a paper bag from the pharmacy. His back was soaked with hot sweat, and the anxiety on his face was impossible to hide.

Had it been anyone else, his reaction to such an allergy would never have been this exaggerated. But because the other person was Xi Zhiyu, the sense of responsibility and unease was naturally magnified.

Whoosh.

Xie Yun climbed into the passenger seat. The sound of his jacket rubbing against the seat echoed in the surroundings, and the medicine bag rustled loudly.

The hair on his forehead was messy, and his tone was frantic.

“Brother, I bought it. Do you want to apply it yourself, or should I help.”

The young man raised his hand to hook the elastic band of his mask, but the moment he loosened it slightly, his entire body froze.

Xi Zhiyu looked back at him composedly, holding a used wet wipe in his hand. His tone was gentle: “I can do it myself, but it seems to have gotten a bit better.”

In the dim light, he couldn’t see the expression of the person before him clearly; he only vaguely sensed that the other had something left unsaid.

“Is something wrong?”

“No…”

Xie Yun responded blankly. After a moment of hesitation, he put his mask back on.

A beat later, he clumsily opened the medicine bag. His hands felt like slipping gears, and the movement of pulling out the allergy cream was none too smooth. “I’ll take it out first.”

Xi Zhiyu reached out to take it. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against Xie Yun’s hand, leaving a patch of scalding heat on the knuckles.

Both of them flinched simultaneously.

Xi Zhiyu feigned calmness: “Sorry.”

“It’s… it’s fine.”

Xie Yun turned his head stiffly, his speech faltering. “Brother, can you open the window a bit wider?”

Xi Zhiyu’s breath hitched slightly. “Alright.”

His reaching hand pressed a button at random, accidentally triggering the convertible top. Both of them were startled.

After hurriedly closing the soft-top roof, Xi Zhiyu felt a splitting headache. He did his best to act nonchalant. “It might be an effect of the allergy.”

“It’ll dissipate in a while.”

Xie Yun’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He said hoarsely, “Will my staying in the car affect you?”

“Would it be better if I got out?”

In his peripheral vision, Xi Zhiyu didn’t have much of a reaction; it was simply that his own sensitivity to the scent of pheromones had become too extreme.

He seemed to… indeed smell a faint scent of pheromones.

Xi Zhiyu didn’t let Xie Yun get out of the car. His fingers trembled as he unwrapped the cotton swab. He gritted his teeth, a minuscule flash of red embarrassment crossing his handsome face.

He squeezed out the ointment and aimed the cotton ball at the skin on his nape, avoiding the gland, and applied it haphazardly. It was merely for show, to the point that his technique seemed like he was intentionally dragging out the time.

He had clearly tried his best to purify the air until the pheromone concentration was below 0.05%.

Logically, opposites with low compatibility staying in the same space shouldn’t be able to smell that scent at all. Yet he was still “plugging his ears while stealing a bell,” ignoring his childhood friend’s status as an S-class Alpha.

What should he say?

A young man who had spent years giving school speeches and had even won “Best Debater” in overseas competitions had no idea how to start a conversation appropriately. Even the usually enthusiastic Xie Yun was being silent and reserved, which meant the situation was already very wrong.

Time passed minute by minute.

Just as Xi Zhiyu slowly tossed the cotton swab into the car’s trash bin and screwed the cap back onto the ointment, he was about to speak.

Xie Yun spoke first: “Do you feel any better, Brother?”

Xi Zhiyu’s eyelashes quivered. He said in a low voice, “I’m fine. It wasn’t very serious. I feel much better after applying the medicine.”

“Do you want to go anywhere else to play?”

“I’m… not sure.”

“Then I’ll take you home, Yun-zai,” Xi Zhiyu said, his hand stroking the steering wheel. “How many days are you staying in Nancheng?”

Xie Yun’s mental capacity had reached its limit. He glimpsed those long, fair fingers, which seemed to glow.

He swallowed hard. A perverted thought began to climb into his mind. When he snapped out of it, he remembered that Xi Zhiyu was waiting for his answer.

That’s right…

An Alpha and an Omega alone in a room, smelling pheromones this was a bad omen. They had to separate immediately.

“I’ll have my driver pick me up.”

Xi Zhiyu paused. “That’s fine too.”

He felt an immense sense of defeat. His emotions were like a leaking balloon, and his heart kept sinking slowly.

He saw Xie Yun take out his phone; he was likely contacting Peanut to arrange a car. In the quiet surroundings, only the sound of typing could be heard.

Ding.

The message was sent successfully.

“A car will be here to pick me up soon.”

Xie Yun turned off the screen. His tone was light, so much so that he almost believed his own acting. “I haven’t slept well these past few days. It’s the perfect time to go back and take a nap.”

His villa in the city area wasn’t far, but there was usually no one home—only a hardworking robot butler named Peanut.

Who would choose to go home and stare at a robot instead of seeing the brother they were secretly in love with?

Xie Yun’s brain felt rusted; he had long since stopped thinking, following logic to make the decision to separate while tearing himself apart inside.

Throughout it all, Xi Zhiyu breathed quietly. Only after Xie Yun called the driver did he let out a breath. “We can meet again next time.”

“Okay,” Xie Yun repeated indistinctly. “See you next time.”

Cars drove into the garage one by one, pulling into parking spots or merely passing through. The ordeal was nothing short of agonizing. The two boys sat as rigid as reinforced concrete, automatically switching to “military training mode”; even a drill sergeant would have praised them.

Finally.

When the familiar Cullinan appeared and pulled up beside them, Xie Yun snapped back to reality. “The car is here.”

“Mhm.”

Xi Zhiyu didn’t even dare to help him open the car door. His voice was muffled and hoarse. “Be safe on the way back.”

Xie Yun nodded blankly. “You too, Brother.”

Though neither said it aloud, from the moment they parted while feigning composure, both were soaked to the bone with a sense of loss.

From getting out of the car to sliding into the backseat of the Cullinan, Xie Yun’s face was incredibly red. He touched his wristband and gave a command with almost no emotion: “Drive.”

Driving out of the dimly lit garage and back into the light, Xie Yun tapped open the monitoring function on his wristband and confirmed the memory repair button. It could not only detect whether he had smelled an Omega’s pheromones but also detect the concentration of residual scents in the air.

Buzz.

Detected concentration of unfamiliar pheromones: 0.0078%. However, we apologize; it cannot be confirmed whether the pheromones are from an Alpha or an Omega.

Xie Yun: “…”

This damn wristband must be broken.

Xie Yun’s breath was hot. He closed his eyes, thinking: How could it possibly not be an Omega’s pheromones?

Just moments ago, he had secretly turned up the wristband countless times, relying entirely on the power of the high-tech chip to maintain the last of his reason and calm.

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