Inferior Sincerity - Chapter 5

School was starting tomorrow. Wen Yu had not expected that Fu Chen would be attending No. 1 High School. He had assumed Fu Chen would attend a purely elite private school like No. 13 High School. No. 1 High School was excellent, but its admission scores were quite high.

In addition to the children of wealthy families, No. 1 High School recruited many high-achieving students from other schools using large scholarships to boost their university admission rates. Consequently, the school was divided into two factions, as students tended to associate mostly with their own kind.

Wen Yu had originally attended No. 6 High School, where most students came from poor backgrounds and the academic quality was lower. He had chosen No. 6 High School because his grades allowed him to receive a waiver for tuition and miscellaneous fees. That school was notorious for its average teaching staff and its many unmotivated students.

It is never easy for a student from a humble background to succeed. Lack of resources and the pressures of life often lead children from poor areas to give up on themselves. Conversely, truly wealthy families place a high value on education. While there are plenty of spoiled heirs, children from prestigious families are rarely incompetent.

Because school started the next day, Wen Yu did not study late. He went to bed around 10:00 PM. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a knock came at his bedroom door.

Knock, knock, knock!

The urgent sound startled Wen Yu awake. He got up and opened the door to find Butler Chen.

“The young master is having another episode!” Butler Chen said anxiously. “We have already called the doctor, but he said that until he arrives, you must stay by the young master’s side and release your pheromones to soothe him.”

Wen Yu followed him to Fu Chen’s bedroom door. Even through the wood, he could smell a thick scent of Alpha pheromones. It was Oolong tea.

Having been an Omega for many years, this was the first time Wen Yu could perceive an Alpha’s pheromones so clearly. As an inferior Omega, he had previously been almost equivalent to a Beta; he rarely produced pheromones and was largely unresponsive to those of others.

Because their compatibility was so high, Wen Yu felt his heart rate accelerate. He could sense Fu Chen’s agony through the scent, and he began to feel a sympathetic pain.

His breathing grew heavy as he pushed the door open. The room was in total disarray. It looked as though a storm had swept through; books were scattered across the floor, and the bedside lamp had been smashed into pieces.

Fu Chen was curled up on the bed, clutching his head and letting out pained groans. Wen Yu could tell from the pheromones that he was suffering immensely.

Wen Yu began to release his pheromones. Since he was still inexperienced, he could only release a small amount at first.

When the scent of Ylang-Ylang reached him, Fu Chen abruptly looked up. His eyes were bloodshot. The chaotic pheromones within his body suddenly smoothed out, and his physical pain eased significantly.

He climbed off the bed and approached Wen Yu. He stared at him with an entranced gaze, like a man burning in a fire who had finally found a cool spring and wanted to plunge in to extinguish the flames.

Wen Yu began to tremble under Fu Chen’s gaze, but he maintained his composure and looked Fu Chen in the eye. Fu Chen’s tall frame blocked the light, casting a large shadow over Wen Yu.

Fu Chen lowered his head and pressed his nose against the gland on the nape of Wen Yu’s neck. He whispered obsessively, “You smell so good.”

As Fu Chen pulled him into a tight embrace, Wen Yu instinctively tried to struggle. However, he realized with a pang of sadness that his strength had diminished significantly since his gland transplant.

The transplant had changed many things about his body. Losing strength was one thing, but he could now smell pheromones. While the scents of others were faint, Fu Chen’s pheromones were overwhelmingly clear. Because of their high compatibility, he could even sense Fu Chen’s emotions through the scent.

Fu Chen held him so tightly that Wen Yu felt as if he might suffocate. He frowned and shouted, “Fu Chen, let go!”

Fu Chen seemed unable to hear anything. He stared at Wen Yu’s gland with a burning intensity and pressed his nose against it.

It smells so good. It’s too good.

It was not enough. He wanted more pheromones. Fu Chen’s expression was dazed, and his canines began to itch. He wanted to mark the Omega in his arms.

Is he not my medicine? I can do whatever I want with him, Fu Chen thought incoherently.

Sensing the sudden lust within the Oolong scent, Wen Yu realized something was wrong. He had barely endured the pain of being marked last time. His new gland had not yet fully integrated with his body; frequent marking could cause the gland to fail.

If that happened, he would lose his utility. He knew exactly how the Fu family and their enemies would treat him once he was no longer useful.

Wen Yu began to struggle violently, pushing against Fu Chen’s chest. Fu Chen was angered by the Omega’s attempt to leave. Driven by instinct and devoid of reason, he wanted to mark the Omega and claim him as his own.

Fu Chen’s pheromone pressure made it difficult for Wen Yu to resist. Having spent his previous biology classes doing other homework, he did not understand the concept of pheromone suppression. He only knew that his body felt weak, as if all his strength had been drained.

Wen Yu felt Fu Chen’s sharp canines graze his gland. In the next second, the Alpha would bite down. Wen Yu closed his eyes, unable to do anything.

Suddenly, a weight slumped onto his shoulder. Fu Chen had lost consciousness. A hand reached out to support him; the doctor had finally arrived.

Fu Chengze and Shen Wanjun had been out handling business, but they rushed back as soon as the butler called about Fu Chen’s episode.

The doctor explained that Wen Yu’s pheromones were vital to stabilizing Fu Chen, but the dosage was insufficient. Because the two had not spent much time together recently, Fu Chen had developed a desperate urge to mark Wen Yu. To prevent future outbursts, Wen Yu needed to stay by Fu Chen’s side as much as possible.

Fu Chen lay on the bed with his eyes closed. When he was awake, his sharp eyes usually held a look of cold arrogance. In sleep, he appeared much gentler, allowing one to appreciate his handsome features.

Wen Yu sat by the bed and focused on releasing his pheromones. He still could not control them perfectly, so he had to fumble through the process. By the time Fu Chen’s brow finally relaxed, Wen Yu’s forehead was covered in sweat. He panted slightly, feeling a wave of exhaustion from releasing so much energy.

Noticing his fatigue, Shen Wanjun suggested he return to his room to rest. However, the doctor insisted that he sleep next to Fu Chen. Since Fu Chen’s condition had just stabilized, he still needed the pheromones nearby.

Wen Yu was so tired that his head was buzzing. He lacked the strength to argue and eventually collapsed into sleep beside Fu Chen.

He had not slept well since arriving at the Fu house, often haunted by dreams of being bullied at the Zhou residence. He would usually wake up drenched in sweat and gasping for air. However, perhaps because of their high compatibility, Fu Chen’s pheromones felt incredibly comforting. For the first time, Wen Yu slept through the night without any dreams.

The next morning, however, he woke up in pain. Fu Chen had kicked him out of the bed.

“Who allowed you into my bed?” Fu Chen asked, his eyes flashing with anger. “Keep your disgusting schemes to yourself!”

“Have you no shame?” Fu Chen continued. “Is climbing the social ladder the only thing people like you think about?”

Wen Yu sat on the floor, still dazed from the sudden fall. He looked at Fu Chen with sleepy eyes, his mind not yet fully awake. Seeing Fu Chen acting like an agitated cat, ranting about the “atrocity” of Wen Yu sleeping in his bed, Wen Yu felt a strange sense of absurdity. It was as if he had not only slept in the bed but had also slept with the man himself.

Being kicked out of bed hurt; his backside was sore. He did not bother to defend himself. It was clear Fu Chen had no memory of what happened before he fainted, and Wen Yu knew Fu Chen would not believe him anyway. In Fu Chen’s mind, Wen Yu was already a villain.

“I am warning you, do not get any ideas. I will never marry someone like you!” Fu Chen said spitefully.

“I know,” Wen Yu replied.

“You had better know,” Fu Chen sneered, narrowing his eyes. “Get out!”

Fu Chen threw a pillow, which hit Wen Yu squarely in the head. The pillow was soft and did not hurt, but the insult was clear. Wen Yu stood up and did as he was told.

Because of the episode, their school registration was delayed by a day. That afternoon, the doctor checked Fu Chen and confirmed his pheromone levels had returned to normal. He gave Fu Chen a wristband to monitor his pheromones in real-time; it would beep if the levels fluctuated.

The doctor also instructed Wen Yu to stay close to Fu Chen at all times. He even prescribed Wen Yu a special medication designed to help an inferior gland produce more pheromones. Wen Yu understood: he was being medicated so he could serve as effective medicine for someone else.

The following morning, Butler Chen came to wake them for breakfast. Wen Yu was already up, but the butler had to take a deep breath before knocking on Fu Chen’s door.

Knock, knock!

“Young Master, it is time for breakfast,” the butler called.

A thud followed as another pillow fell victim to Fu Chen’s mood.

When Wen Yu finished his breakfast, Fu Chen finally came downstairs looking displeased. He clearly had not slept well; the dark circles under his eyes were prominent against his pale skin.

Butler Chen offered him a sandwich, but Fu Chen refused. The butler worriedly insisted that a growing boy needed breakfast. When Fu Chen remained stubborn, the butler gave the sandwich to Wen Yu, telling him to give it to Fu Chen if he got hungry later.

Wen Yu took it and followed Fu Chen into the car. They sat at opposite ends of the backseat. Fu Chen closed his eyes, clearly intending to catch up on sleep.

Wen Yu tried to stay as quiet as possible. However, there are three things a person cannot hide: a cough, poverty, and love. Wen Yu was currently struggling with the first. He must have caught a cold from sleeping without a blanket during the night of the episode. Despite taking medicine, his symptoms persisted.

“Cough, cough! Cough, cough!” Wen Yu could no longer hold it back.

As expected, a click of the tongue came from the other side of the seat. The more Wen Yu tried to suppress it, the worse the coughing fit became. Fu Chen opened his eyes, his expression dark.

As soon as Fu Chen looked over, Wen Yu’s coughing finally stopped. Fu Chen glared at him with eyes as cold as ice.

“You are doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”