Marked by an Enigma After a Pheromone Disorder - Chapter 3

Little Uncle’s body has gone soft; Little Uncle is so pitiful. How can a man… not be able to stand up anymore?

“Get out,” Sheng Yansheng muttered, bracing his body against the tub.

To his surprise, the Alpha he had just been bullying leaned in closer instead of running away. Tang Shi looked aggrieved, his voice trembling slightly. “I didn’t peek on purpose. I thought… I thought it wouldn’t matter.” He paused, then added in a tiny, sympathetic whisper, “Let me help you.”

It was clear he felt sorry for the man’s condition. But just as the words left his mouth, Tang Shi saw it—the “shriveled” thing suddenly snapped to attention, rising as if to salute.

Tang Shi’s face burned with a scorching heat. Coming from the countryside, he had never seen a spectacle like this. What was going to happen now? Was an uncle supposed to perform a “flag-raising ceremony” right in front of his nephew? This definitely wasn’t the kind of thing where they should be practicing “mutual self-help.”

“Get. Out!”

Sheng Yansheng forced the words out in a ragged, airy hiss. Tang Shi let out a startled yelp and scrambled away, fleeing the bathroom in a daze.

So hot, so hot. What a pervert! Only after he had escaped did he realize that he wasn’t just feeling hot from embarrassment; he was actually burning up. Sheng Yansheng’s silhouette was burned into his mind, reappearing every time he blinked. He felt as though he were falling ill. I just got back to the Sheng house and I’m already sick? What kind of luck is this?

Unable to endure the strange sensation, he had no choice but to go back and find his uncle.

Sheng Yansheng had just finished dressing and was steadying his breath when he saw the small Alpha hovering at his door again. Tang Shi’s eyes were rimmed with red, and his cheeks were flushed a delicate pink. Sheng Yansheng noted that the boy hadn’t eaten dinner, nor had he touched any alcohol.

Tang Shi shifted his weight from foot to foot, acting spoiled as he complained, “Little Uncle, I’m sick. Touch me… touch my forehead.”

Sheng Yansheng found it a nuisance, but as soon as he reached out, the little Alpha grabbed his arm and began to nuzzle and bite it. Logically, Alphas shouldn’t have a teething phase.

Tang Shi blinked, the pink on his face deepening. “What’s happening to me?” he murmured.

“You’re in heat,” Sheng Yansheng stated coldly.

It should be called a rut for an Alpha, Tang Shi thought vaguely. Since his secondary differentiation, this was his very first rut. His doctor had told him that his cycles would be infrequent and almost never triggered by external factors, so this sudden onset caught him completely off guard.

But a rut was probably just like being in heat, right? You wanted comfort, you became clingy, and you just wanted to be touched.

“What should I do then?”

This little Alpha was still so naive, having experienced so little of the world that he truly didn’t know how to handle himself. Sheng Yansheng brushed a stray hair from Tang Shi’s neck. The dry scent gland was ringed with red, and the sour scent of citrus began to permeate the air. His pheromones were indeed a bit unpleasant, clashing harshly with the fragrant plants in the courtyard.

“Go back to your room first,” Sheng Yansheng commanded.

Tang Shi was obedient; he always listened to adults. As long as someone was willing to look after him, he was happy. By the time he reached his room, his mind was a blur. Someone injected something into his arm—an inhibitor. Tang Shi had never used one before, and while it stung for a moment, the discomfort quickly faded.

The crisis seemed to pass. He clutched his bedsheets tightly, feeling a surge of gratitude. Thank goodness Little Uncle was here.

******

“Yansheng, I suggested you get a pet, and it looks like I was right.” Song Chi excitedly showed Sheng Yansheng a medical report. “Your hormone levels are finally something other than zero.”

The doctor held a bright orange in his hand, fresh and so sweet it was almost cloying. Sheng Yansheng usually enjoyed eating them, relishing the sensation of peeling them apart. But today, he didn’t want to touch it.

“Take it,” Song Chi urged. “What, do you need me to peel it for you? Fine, I’ll do it.”

Sheng Yansheng swatted his hand away with an air of inviolable authority. An Enigma’s sense of territory and danger was absolute; once something was in his hands, he would never let another soul touch it.

“I didn’t get a pet.” Sheng Yansheng’s mind drifted back to how Tang Shi looked after the injection. The house only stocked Enigma-grade inhibitors, and he figured the side effects shouldn’t be too severe for an Alpha pretending to be an Omega.

“If it’s not a pet, then this… ‘resurrection’ of yours surely didn’t happen just because you re-watched your old acting clips, did it?”

No, Sheng Yansheng was certain of that. Even after the injection, the little Alpha had been deliriously nuzzling him. The boy clearly hadn’t been matched with an Omega’s pheromones yet; his raw need and expressions had played out before Sheng Yansheng like a series of magnified film frames.

The impact had been greater than any movie he had ever filmed.

Just as Sheng Yansheng was about to speak, Dr. Song Chi seemed to remember something. “I heard the Sheng family found their biological young master. He’s just started university, hasn’t he?”

The Enigma’s expression darkened as he tightened his grip on the orange in his palm.

“Don’t tell me… he gave the kid to you to raise?” Song Chi took a cautious step back. He was a good friend, but he knew when to be careful. He understood the “Film Emperor’s” way of doing things all too well. Even as a Beta, he wasn’t entirely safe from an Enigma’s aggression.

“He’s just an Alpha who still wants milk,” Sheng Yansheng said with a faint, chilling smile. So milky.

Generally, such a reaction would only occur if there was a high level of pheromone compatibility, but compatibility was usually meaningless to an Enigma. He concluded that this particular Alpha must be quite unique.

“Yansheng, the Sheng family’s business has nothing to do with him,” Song Chi advised kindly. “And you can let the kid help you without actually catching feelings for him.”

But the Sheng blood in the boy’s veins was real.

“Song Chi,” Sheng Yansheng said solemnly, “you know I hate noisy children most of all, especially if they’re Alphas.”

Song Chi sighed and pulled out a mysterious invitation. “The ‘Mingge’ streaming platform has a new investor. They’re looking to sign a wave of high-quality streamers and artists. You’ve been in retirement too long. Your legs are better now; it’s time to come back.”

Once, Sheng Yansheng had single-handedly dominated the entertainment industry before being blacklisted and vanishing. Who knew how many people still held a grudge? The invitation featured a mask, meaning if no one remembered his body perfectly, he wouldn’t be recognized.

However, participating in a streamer talent search felt beneath his status. The noble and arrogant Enigma couldn’t bring himself to lose face.

Just then, the housekeeper called. As Sheng Yansheng listened, his brow furrowed deeply. Song Chi caught snippets of the conversation and, seeing Sheng Yansheng’s face turn incredibly dark, burst into laughter. “Go on back, Yansheng. Otherwise, your dear nephew might not be able to find you.”

*******

After Tang Shi woke up, he found himself with nothing to do. While organizing his things, he discovered a stack of discs. It was only then that he realized his “Little Uncle” was the legendary Film Emperor who had once taken the world by storm.

A DVD player had also mysteriously appeared in his room.

In the film, the man on the screen had a stunning physique and features so striking they were unforgettable. The character walked slowly toward a pool, pouring a glass of dark, thick red wine into the water where another Alpha was resting with his eyes closed. He then stepped into the pool himself, driven by the twisted, dark pain of betrayal.

The man stared at his co-star, his invisible presence exerting a crushing pressure until a sharp, bloody blade fell to the bottom of the pool—a stain that could never be washed away.

His uncle’s face, the face of a dangerous, natural-born actor, looked both piteous and tender in that moment. It was impossible to tell if the moisture on his face was pool water or fresh tears. Tang Shi realized that if this man wanted to, he could possess any character or person, even after walking through the countless temptations of fame.

Then, the camera moved into a series of more intimate, deliberate shots.

Tang Shi’s rut hadn’t fully subsided, and his uncle’s beautiful, panting breaths on screen began to coax out a powerful surge of hormones. The filming angles were masterful, showcasing the man’s deep features and full lips that seemed capable of stealing the very air from another person’s lungs.

Tang Shi found himself swallowing repeatedly, his mouth filling with sweet saliva. Even as a famous cross-dressing streamer, he had never seen anything like this. The intimacy and the intensity of the performance were overwhelming.

The atmosphere on screen was thick with desire, sending waves of inexplicable pleasure through the young Alpha. His eyes wandered to the man’s lower body. He was perfectly “whole.” No, “whole” wasn’t the word for it. He was perfect, primal, and full of raw power, making the inexperienced Alpha’s imagination run wild.

Tang Shi felt like he was becoming a “bad kid.” He tried to cover his eyes, but he couldn’t stop looking. A wave of primal desire, triggered entirely by his uncle, crashed over him like a tsunami.

The movie was titled Ten Nights, depicting the protagonist’s descent into madness during the ten days after his wife left him. In this world, his uncle controlled everything. It was Alpha against Alpha… only two Alphas in the whole film…

Tang Shi was mesmerized, sinking into the grief and the hedonistic pleasure of the story. He felt parched, his body burning as if he had drunk strong liquor, desperate for a drop of water.

He knew he had to turn it off. He couldn’t keep watching; he couldn’t make a mistake. An uncle was an uncle, and he was himself. He was supposed to like Omegas!

“Is it good?” Sheng Yansheng’s voice suddenly rang out.

Tang Shi had been so absorbed that he hadn’t heard the wheelchair at all. Like any rebellious teenager caught in the act, his first instinct was to bolt the door.

“I… I only watched a little bit!”

Tang Shi rubbed his hands together, his eyes suddenly sparkling with genuine admiration. “Little Uncle, you’re so cool! You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen!”

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