If The Persona Is Wrong, Everything Else Is In Vain - Chapter 21

Just as he reached the restroom entrance, a familiar scent of fresh grass washed over him.

After a brief moment of thought, Lin Luo pushed aside a “Maintenance in Progress. Do Not Enter” sign and set it up right at the doorway.

The Water Park hosted a six figure number of tourists every year. Even the outdoor restrooms were built with a hefty investment just to ensure visitors had a great experience throughout their trip.

Not many people frequented this particular area. Since its construction, this restroom had barely been used; the exterior walls were mottled with moss, but the facilities inside were brand new.

“Is anyone in there?” Lin Luo asked tentatively toward the inside.

No one answered. Just as he was about to speak again, he was interrupted by a low sob right after his first two words.

He listened carefully for a moment. The sound quieted down, but the moment he opened his mouth to speak, the sobbing grew louder again in fits and starts. It was as if some mechanism had been triggered that required his voice as an accompaniment.

It was broad daylight, yet it felt distinctively eerie.

Lin Luo walked inside and knocked on each cubicle one by one. Every single door was wide open until he reached the very last one. The door was tightly shut, and before he could even knock, the scent of fresh grass leaked out from within.

He paused, then raised his hand to knock. “Zhou Wan?”

The low sobbing inside stopped abruptly. Lin Luo could even hear the sound of his breathing.

“Zhou Wan?” he called out again. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“Leave me alone,” Zhou Wan’s raspy voice came from inside.

“If something’s wrong, come out and talk. Don’t tell me you want to die in there,” Lin Luo wrapped on the door a few times, urging anxiously, “Open the door, hurry!”

Zhou Wan seemed to be doing everything he could to suppress something. He was clenching his jaw so hard it felt like his teeth might shatter. Sounding more like he was grinding his teeth in a low growl, he repeated, “Leave me alone!”

“Are you… in your heat cycle again?” Lin Luo said.

“I don’t need your…”

This time, before he could finish, Lin Luo cut him off.

He said, “Stop trying to be a hero. Do you really think I want to meddle in your business? If you’re sick, get it treated. It’ll be even more dangerous if someone walks in later. When your gossip scandals spread all over the place, do you think I’ll get any peace?”

Huge beads of sweat poured down Lin Luo’s forehead. He wiped them away haphazardly, forcing himself to endure that inexplicable, surging impulse.

He continued, “I’ll get you out of here first. You… you need to find someone to bring you a suppressor right away.”

Before coming in, he had observed the surroundings. Fortunately, the restroom was encircled by a ring of bushes. Under the cover of the greenery, it shouldn’t be hard to slip out from the entrance.

The only issue was finding a quiet and safe room…

A sudden spark of inspiration flashed in Lin Luo’s mind. This place wasn’t far from the school, and since it happened to be the weekend, it might just work if he could find an empty classroom to use temporarily.

He calculated the time it would take to go back and forth and for the suppressor to take effect. It should give them enough time to make it back for the shoot.

The next second, the sound of a turning lock clicked, and the door swung open from the inside.

Zhou Wan was drenched in sweat. Strands of hair were plastered against his face and neck by the perspiration. His face was flushed, yet his lips were deathly pale, and one could vaguely see a bloody cut on them, likely from biting down just now.

His face was contorted in pain, and he looked like he was on the verge of collapsing. The moment the door opened, his arm which was barely propping up his body, could no longer withstand his weight, and he fell directly forward into Lin Luo’s arms.

“Hey, wake up.”

Lin Luo patted his cheek. Zhou Wan was terrifyingly hot, feeling exactly like a furnace in his arms. Coupled with that damn scent of fresh grass…

The fragrance fanned the flames in Lin Luo’s heart, making them stir restlessly.

He felt that if this continued, even his own body, which wasn’t particularly sensitive to pheromones, wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

Zhou Wan’s brow was tightly furrowed, and his lips murmured softly. Even in his unconscious state, he seemed trapped in a nightmare, unable to find peace.

Lin Luo’s heart softened. Clearing away all his messy, chaotic thoughts, he hoisted the man onto his back and walked out. Evading the crowds under the cover of the surrounding bushes, he swiftly transported him back to the school.

He took a quick scan. There were four classrooms on the first floor, split down the middle by the staircase. Without much hesitation, his eyes quickly locked onto an inconspicuous little classroom at the very end of the hallway, and he hurried toward it.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side. Just as he reached the stairwell, he was startled by a sudden flurry of footsteps. Looking up, he saw someone walking down, already reaching the landing of the stairs.

Lin Luo dodged quickly. Crouching low, he tiptoed backward several steps in rapid succession. Before the person could turn into the hallway, he slipped into a nearby classroom.

Fortunately, the classroom doors in this school were just like before, left ajar and unlocked. Otherwise, given their current appearance and the way they were sneaking around when no one was around.

If they were caught red-handed, they wouldn’t be able to explain themselves at all.

The footsteps drew closer and closer, finally stopping right outside the window of their classroom.

Lin Luo lowered Zhou Wan onto the floor, letting him sit against the wall. He then ducked beneath a desk against the wall, keeping one hand pressed firmly on Zhou Wan to prevent him from collapsing in his stupor, and held his breath.

About half a minute later, the footsteps faded away into the distance. Only after confirming the sound was gone did Lin Luo slowly poke his head out, letting out the breath he had been holding in his throat.

Belatedly, he wiped away the sweat that was about to drip into his eyes, glanced at the sleeping Zhou Wan, and after a moment of deliberation, reached into his pocket.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Before he could grab the phone, his wrist was caught in a tight grip by Zhou Wan. The man’s eyes were unfocused and glassy. Lin Luo waved a hand in front of his eyes, unsure if he was currently conscious.

“Are you feeling better?” Lin Luo asked tentatively.

Immediately after, a rich burst of fresh grass scent rushed over his face, answering his question ahead of time.

Lin Luo: ?

Lin Luo swiftly reached into the pocket, fished out the phone, and shoved it right in front of his face. “Hurry up and call someone to bring a suppressor.”

He craned his neck to peer outside, saying anxiously, “It’s not safe here either.”

Zhou Wan shook his throbbing head violently. His brain felt rusted over, unable to turn even an inch. “There is no suppressor.”

Lin Luo froze. “What do you mean?”

“Is it because no one is coming to bring you one,” his heart sank, “or did you just not bring a suppressor with you at all?”

Zhou Wan rubbed his brow and looked askance at him. The bloodshot veins in his eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest, and the redness at the corners of his slightly narrowed eyes made them look all the more bewitching.

“What difference does it make?” Zhou Wan finally spoke with great difficulty.

Lin Luo said, “Do you have any common sense at all? Don’t you know your own heat cycle? You don’t carry a suppressor with you?”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous an Omega’s heat cycle is!” Lin Luo said, exasperated by his lack of care.

“If you were caught by an Alpha…” He choked up, feeling a wave of lingering fear just thinking about it, and silently hid his uncontrollably trembling hands behind his back.

Zhou Wan had already forcibly suppressed it for far too long. He had even endured the hyper excitable phase of the heat cycle, now, only weakness remained. If he didn’t find relief soon, it would damage his health at best, or claim his life at worst.

He let out a cough, a faint smile appearing on his pale lips. “I have one other way.”

“What is it?” Lin Luo asked.

Zhou Wan’s fingertips brushed across Lin Luo’s brows and eyes, tracing gently downward along the contours of his face. Suddenly, applying a slight pressure with his fingers, he gently tilted Lin Luo’s chin up.

“I shouldn’t need to lecture you on how a heat cycle is normally spent, right?”

There had actually been news reports before about Omegas who failed to find timely relief during their heat cycles, which ultimately triggered multiple complications and led to sudden death.

Zhou Wan exerted some effort to prop himself up against the wall with both hands, throwing the entire weight of his body against it. He was thoroughly soaked in sweat and his breathing was faint, he looked as though he had only a single breath left in him.

“Where on earth am I supposed to find an A for you…” His words broke off abruptly.

Lin Luo locked eyes with him, confirming the sudden realization that had popped into his head from the look in the other man’s eyes.

“Me?” He pointed at himself, his voice trembling.

Then, before Zhou Wan could say anything, he rejected the idea himself, shaking his head like a rattle. “No, no way. Absolutely not.”

Zhou Wan asked, “Why not?”

Lin Luo fell silent for a moment, not daring to look straight into Zhou Wan’s eyes. “…Anyway, it’s just not happening.”

Without another word, Zhou Wan merely pulled his lips into a pale smile and nodded. “Alright.”

He hung his head and reached into his pocket. Before he could pull the item out, he heard Lin Luo say, “I have another way.”

“It’s just… it might wrong you a little bit.” He made a tiny gesture with his fingers.

Zhou Wan raised an eyebrow. He was so weak that even breathing was slightly difficult, yet he didn’t forget to flaunt his usual cool and arrogant demeanor. “Let’s hear it.”

“I heard that pheromones travel along with the bloodstream. If you encounter a heat cycle and don’t have a suppressor on hand, letting out some blood can release the congested pheromones, provided the amount is enough.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Wan pressed a folding knife into his hand.

“Like what you did before, Brother Luo, turning your thigh into a sieve?” Zhou Wan lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on Lin Luo’s thigh as he teased, “Then care to guess how much blood I need to lose this time?”

Lin Luo was stunned. He looked at the knife Zhou Wan carried with him, then looked back at Zhou Wan in utter disbelief.

The scent of fresh grass released from the man didn’t lessen in the slightest, instead, it grew more intense and turbulent, swirling all around Lin Luo. It wasn’t in a hurry to attack, but simply coiled around him, trapping him within its confines like an airtight wall, intending to drown its prey all at once.

And Lin Luo, true to expectations, indeed began to sink into it.

Lin Luo grit his teeth. His rationality was on the verge of being shattered. Grasping the knife, he made a move to plunge it straight into his own leg, but Zhou Wan caught his hand with swift reflexes.

Zhou Wan’s blood flowed down along the blade, soaking into the fabric and winding its way down Lin Luo’s leg. The warm, sticky sensation was highly uncomfortable.

Exposed to the air along with the blood, the pheromones became even more concentrated.

“Is this enough?” Zhou Wan asked.

Lin Luo was stunned by his actions, his mind failing to process anything for a long moment.

Seeing that Lin Luo remained silent, Zhou Wan increased his grip. The blood flowed heavier, and his already pale face grew even more ghastly.

“How about now?”

With every question he asked, he deepened the pressure, repeatedly committing to “bloodletting.” In the end, he even yanked the knife directly out of Lin Luo’s hand, preparing to carve out a new wound.

“That’s enough!” Lin Luo knocked the knife away with a hard swing, then tore a piece of clothing to stop the bleeding for him.

Zhou Wan didn’t seem to care. Watching Lin Luo fuss over him in a panicked rush brought a strange, twisted sense of gratification to his heart.

With a pale face, he remarked casually, “I don’t think the amount of bloodletting is enough.”

He paused to reflect on it. “It doesn’t seem to have provided any relief whatsoever.”

As he spoke, he made a move to retrieve the knife. Lin Luo pushed him right back against the wall, flipped his hand, and delivered a slap to his face. Griting his teeth, he said in a low, heavy voice, “What exactly do you want?”

The smile on Zhou Wan’s face froze in tandem. He pressed his tongue against his inner cheek, his expression gradually darkening as he met Lin Luo’s gaze. “I just wanted to prove to you that this method is completely useless for a heat cycle.”

His gaze landed on the knife that had flown several meters away. It was as if he were looking across time and space, his eyes deep and lingering. “Don’t do foolish things like that ever again.”

“You don’t know a damn thing,” Lin Luo squeezed out the words from between his teeth.

Whether it was useful or not didn’t matter. He knew perfectly well that during his own previous heat cycle, he hadn’t pulled through by “self-harm” either.

Suppressors were the best option for any Alpha or Omega without a partner, everyone knew that.

However, Lin Luo was a bit different. He was a low-grade Alpha, he liked men, and he was allergic to suppressors…

He had never told anyone that Zhou Wan’s pheromones didn’t just drive him wild, they also had the effect of stabilizing his own pheromones. In the past, when Zhou Wan wasn’t around, he had always pulled through by getting hospitalized. Fortunately, over the past decade or so, his actual heat cycles could be counted on one hand.

But ever since he accidentally came into contact with Zhou Wan’s pheromones that one time, he had found the pattern.

Just like now, after the burning, unbearable frenzy had passed, his thoughts were actually gradually stabilizing amidst the crisp fragrance of fresh grass.

“Don’t do anything strange,” Lin Luo said, pressing down hard on Zhou Wan’s palm as he lowered his eyes. “If you die, no one is going to bury you.”