Marked by an Enigma After a Pheromone Disorder - Chapter 6

It had been three years since Sheng Yansheng last allowed himself any contact with an Alpha. It had taken him two full years just to emerge from the depths of his own gloom and decadence.

During those two years, Fang Yanxiu, refusing to be looked down upon, had sought out every possible treatment for him. Knowing he couldn’t tolerate Alphas, she tried to set him up with Omegas, claiming under the guise of concern that it was high time he married. She argued that if he had no plans for a comeback, he might as well use the opportunity to find a suitable political marriage; ideally one that would allow her to trample over He Xiangyi.

But Sheng Yansheng’s temperament was volatile. Any Omega who dared get close was either scared half to death or driven out by his coldness. She had even sent him small pets, but in the presence of such a frigid man, even the most docile creatures became skittish and resistant.

Then there was Tang Shi.

Finding the room at the back of the courtyard too cold, Tang Shi appeared before Sheng Yansheng clutching a quilt and a small pink stuffed rabbit, his bare feet red from the chill.

“Little Uncle, the back courtyard is so cold and dark. Can I stay with you?”

He looked like he was wagging an invisible tail, his eyes sparkling and watery. He blinked incessantly, putting on a pitiful act. “I can tuck you in, Little Uncle. I can even carry you to bed and keep it warm for you.”

Tang Shi was like a kitten in need of affection; the better people treated him, the more dependent he became. Whether he actually wanted to “warm the bed” or was just looking to steal some warmth for himself was something the Enigma understood perfectly.

Sheng Yansheng’s lips curled upward in a teasing smirk. “Do you even know how to take off a man’s pants?”

The Alpha, who had been putting on such a brave face, was instantly hit by a flush of heat and embarrassment. He shrank back slightly. “I…”

Tang Shi glanced toward his uncle’s lap. Why hadn’t he noticed during dinner that something was… different there? It had been the same in the bath; it looked… very substantial. Compared to him, Tang Shi didn’t even feel like a real Alpha. Something like that looked like it could break a person.

Tang Shi swallowed instinctively. “I… I can do it.”

He stepped forward slowly and asked his uncle to lift his arms. As Tang Shi leaned down, his waist looked so thin it seemed as though it could be snapped with one hand. In the next second, Tang Shi pressed closer.

He had intended to lift his uncle, but the man was far too heavy. The moment he gathered him up, Tang Shi was pinned beneath him, the weight pressing him down into the mattress.

“Little Uncle, get up…” Tang Shi’s face turned red from the pressure. His body was feeling unusually sensitive. But since the man hadn’t done it on purpose, Tang Shi didn’t complain.

Something is so hard. What is poking me? As he wondered this, he realized his uncle’s face was mere inches from his own. If they were any closer, their lips would touch. A muffled hum escaped Tang Shi’s throat. His voice sounded like a low, spoiled plea. “Sorry, Little Uncle. Did I hurt your legs?”

He reached down to check, but Sheng Yansheng caught his hand.

“Tang Shi, do you have any idea what you look like when you’re in heat?” Sheng Yansheng asked.

The question only made Tang Shi’s scent gland flare with an internal fire. “When I’m in heat… it feels restless down there. There’s…” He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence because he realized his uncle seemed to be in heat too.

The thing poking him so painfully was…

Tang Shi froze, the corners of his eyes turning wet and soft from the shock. This wasn’t the first time. What is going on? He’s my uncle! I can’t have a crush on him just because I didn’t grow up with him, right?

He pushed against Sheng Yansheng’s chest, finally managing to roll away before tucking the man in properly. “Little Uncle,” Tang Shi said, his round eyes wide. “Does this… count as being in heat for you too?”

So, the boy thought he was simply experiencing a surge of passion. An Enigma’s heat was notoriously difficult to trigger, but once it was, they would never let go of their chosen prey. They would lick and bite every inch of them until the other person was saturated with their pheromones.

“No,” Sheng Yansheng’s voice was dark and raspy. “Go.”

He watched Tang Shi, offering no excuses or explanations. But Tang Shi was worried about him and refused to leave.

“What? Do you want to help me?” Sheng Yansheng challenged.

“I… I don’t know how. I don’t have experience.” The Alpha fidgeted with his fingers. “But if you need anything, you can call me! Otherwise, I’ll just sleep in the living room tonight.”

“Go back to your room.” This time, Sheng Yansheng was stern, his voice like a cold reprimand.

Tang Shi, being the type to yield to pressure, scurried away the moment he was yelled at.

******

Later, Tang Shi did a quick search into his uncle’s romantic history. Amidst the faded tabloid news, it seemed his uncle had been linked to almost everyone. The rumors read like a tangled chain: White Moonlights, Cinnabar Moles—no matter how beautiful they looked in the films or how seductive their bodies were, they all turned out to be people who merely wanted to use Sheng Yansheng to climb the social ladder. At their core, they all shared a common trait: they were Alphas who loathed other Alphas.

Stripped of their cinematic personas, they were coarse, vulgar, and some had even mistreated Omegas. After working with Sheng Yansheng, they would drop the act and revert to their base Alpha natures. They all thought they could succeed on their own, but without his presence to balance them, they vanished into obscurity.

Except for one.

In netizen shorthand, this person was simply called “That One.” Tang Shi excitedly clicked the link, wondering if this “Uncle-in-law” figure had a world-shaking love story with his uncle. Instead, he found only anonymous rants.

[Who does he think he is? Don’t think the Alphas he acts with turn out that way for no reason. I suggest you don’t fantasize too much; that kind of person isn’t someone an ordinary person can love.]

There were a few recent posts as well; it seemed people were still discussing it after all this time.

[On the surface, he’s filming kiss scenes with Alphas, but behind the scenes, he’s the number one Alpha-phobe.]

[No, didn’t he have someone he liked? Someone from university? I remember him saying that. You guys love to speculate.]

Tang Shi’s mind drifted. So Little Uncle has been getting through all these years alone with inhibitors? Come to think of it, he had only recently differentiated, and yet Little Uncle had already taught him so much. Helping him wouldn’t be the worst thing. If it were anyone else, Tang Shi wouldn’t even consider it.

******

The next morning, Tang Shi decided to try using a scent-blocking patch for the first time. As long as he wore it, Little Uncle wouldn’t realize he was an Alpha. He fumbled blindly at his own neck; he had no real concept of how big an Alpha or Omega’s gland should be. He just thought his own felt small and quite soft to the touch.

Unable to see the exact spot, he slapped the patch on roughly where he thought it should go. Before heading out, he sprayed himself with a sweet citrus perfume. The scent of unripened orange mixed with the perfume created a fragrance that would be hard for an average Alpha to decipher. He had forgotten to do this at the showcase.

He headed to the front courtyard, but as he went to push the door open, he heard a woman’s voice inside.

“Yansheng, it’s not good to have an Omega in your courtyard,” the woman’s shrill, mocking voice rang out. “It’ll block your marriage prospects. You should find a chance to kick him out.” She paused. “He Xiangyi acts like she doesn’t care, but she’s secretly sending people to check on him. He is her flesh and blood, after all. Don’t go catching feelings for him while you’re playing house.”

Sheng Yansheng remained cold and silent. Tang Shi waited, hoping he might say something in his defense—maybe even a compliment. He had never been praised before, and he desperately wanted his uncle to like him.

“The rest of the family is away and doesn’t know this ‘nephew’ has returned. When they come back in a swarm, there’s going to be a fight over him. They already have issues with you, especially your little aunt, who’s always preaching about AO equality. He Xiangyi gave the boy to you, but she’s probably not happy about it. Still, if Sheng Qian doesn’t like it, no one can do anything.”

Sheng Qian? Is that my father? Tang Shi wondered.

The woman’s voice became more aggressive. “That dinner Sheng Qian arranged for you? You must go.”

Once the voices faded, Tang Shi pushed the door open. He walked over to push the wheelchair, his eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. He was a beautiful Alpha, but he felt he had many other strengths too. Still, hearing those words made him pout. He pushed the chair toward the garden in silence.

“Get some sun,” he mumbled, his voice trailing off. He didn’t even run off to pick any flowers.

Sheng Yansheng felt a slight tremor in the chair and turned around to see Tang Shi blinking rapidly, his eyes rimmed with red. Sheng Yansheng’s hands tightened on the armrests. The boy looked like he was about to cry, a sight that was surprisingly moving.

After a long silence, Tang Shi spoke in a small, aggrieved voice. “Are you going to kick me out soon?”

“I—” Before Sheng Yansheng could answer, Tang Shi cut him off. “It’s okay. If I’m blocking your marriage luck, I should go.”

Sheng Yansheng turned the wheelchair around to find Tang Shi secretly wiping away a tear.

“But I’m a little reluctant to leave you,” Tang Shi added. “Will you miss me, Little Uncle?”

His eyes were so watery and piteous. He had already reached his own conclusion and condemned himself. Sheng Yansheng found it almost amusing. His gaze drifted to the back of Tang Shi’s neck, where the scent-blocking patch had been applied haphazardly.

“Lower your head,” Sheng Yansheng said softly.

Tang Shi gave a soft “oh” and obediently bowed his head, thinking his uncle was going to comfort him. Would it be a rewarding pat on the head?

In the next second, Sheng Yansheng reached up and pressed his hand directly over the blocking patch. A tingle of electricity shot through Tang Shi’s entire body. As he went to move, his uncle’s low voice commanded: “Don’t move.”

A hand then gripped the back of his neck, right where his sensitive gland was located.

Ngh! A soft, muffled moan escaped Tang Shi’s throat. He felt a sudden, intense urge to get closer to his uncle, to cling to him.

Sheng Yansheng ripped the patch away with a sudden, forceful rrip. A tear escaped from the corner of Tang Shi’s eye and landed on his uncle’s leg. He had cried so easily—though the man hadn’t even been that rough this time.

Tang Shi felt a new patch being pressed firmly over his gland. Along with the adhesive, he felt the warmth of his uncle’s palm lingering against his skin. Sheng Yansheng gave the gland a very light, soothing rub.

Was that my imagination? Or was he actually… comforting me?

Once the patch was secure, Tang Shi remembered something. “Little Uncle,” he said in a soft, airy voice, “I want to see my real father.”

Sheng Yansheng’s hand stilled. His face turned bone-chillingly cold in an instant. He slowly rubbed his fingertips together, feeling the warmth he had just touched. The heavy scent of the Alpha had left a trace of citrus sweetness on his palm.

“You want to see Sheng Qian? Fine,” Sheng Yansheng said. “Come with me to a certain place first.”

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