Out of Control Overnight: The Irritable Top Alpha Goes Mad Searching for His Wife - Chapter 20

Lu Shijun looked down at his friend, whom he held tightly in his arms. The worry and tension on Shen Qing’s face did not seem fake; it was exactly the same as how he had looked during Lu Shijun’s previous susceptibility periods.

A faint, nearly imperceptible smile curved his lips. Lu Shijun hid the calculation in his eyes and buried his head in the crook of Shen Qing’s neck. He breathed in his friend’s scent deeply while perfectly pretending to be a fragile, pitiful soul.

“Qingqing, will you abandon me?”

They were currently on the commercial street near the Lu Group. It was not far from the company headquarters, only a few minutes’ walk away.

Shen Qing gritted his teeth. Hearing the helpless tone of the man holding him, he completely forgot that this was an extremely dangerous S-class Alpha.

“No.”

“Unless you chase me away.”

Lu Shijun narrowed his eyes. Although he did not know why his friend would say such a thing, he knew he would never let him leave his side as long as he lived. Not only would he never chase him away, but even if Shen Qing wanted to leave on his own, Lu Shijun would never let go.

An Alpha’s susceptibility period was a terrifying thing, especially in public spaces where it could easily trigger a series of problems. Fortunately, Lu Shijun was not so far gone as to drag other Alphas or Omegas around them into chaos. After a brief alarm, he had managed to control his pheromones within a safe range.

Shen Qing was unaware of all this. As a low-grade Omega who had received a temporary marking, he had never craved an Alpha’s pheromones like a normal Omega would. Furthermore, he was wearing a suppression patch on the back of his neck, so he could not smell any pheromones at all.

At that moment, his only thought was to get Lu Shijun away as quickly as possible to avoid any further trouble.

Fortunately, this susceptibility period was not as explosive as previous ones. By the time they returned to the office, Lu Shijun had not performed any excessive actions. He simply lay half-reclined on the sofa looking quite pathetic, and Shen Qing even had to help him administer the inhibitor.

“Lu Shijun, should we go back to the research institute for another checkup?”

“The doctor said last time that your pheromones had returned to normal. Why did they suddenly flare up again?”

“Even if there is a possibility of being influenced by other Alphas or Omegas at the hospital, you used to be.”

Shen Qing talked at length, but Lu Shijun did not find him nagging at all. He watched his friend through half-closed eyes as Shen Qing knelt before him, his gaze tracing the lines of his features inch by inch. Shen Qing’s eyes were beautiful, but the most captivating part was his pupils, which looked like moonlight.

Lu Shijun stared at him, momentarily infatuated.

Shen Qing had said so much without receiving a single response. When he looked up, he saw the other man staring directly at him. Lu Shijun’s gaze was unshielded, yet at the same time, it was so candid that Shen Qing did not dare to overthink it.

“What is wrong?”

Lu Shijun was a master of acting. Upon hearing this, he pulled Shen Qing into his arms.

The once spacious sofa became crowded with two people, but Lu Shijun enjoyed it immensely. This environment allowed him to be more intimate with Shen Qing. If he could, he would have embedded the man into his very marrow. He did not realize that his obsessive possessiveness had reached a pathological level; he was simply following his heart by holding the man firmly in his grasp.

“Qingqing, I went to see Lin Zhian this morning.”

The sudden confession left Shen Qing somewhat flustered.

“Why did you go to see him?”

Lu Shijun replied, “You have been acting a bit strange lately.”

Shen Qing silently apologized to Lin Zhian in his heart before answering helplessly, “I just went for a physical checkup. You know how the lines are at public hospitals. Besides, I had not seen Senior Lin in a long time, so we chatted for a bit.” Fearing Lu Shijun might overthink, he added, “And Senior Lin works in the emergency department. As an ER doctor, he does not have much spare time to chat with me anyway.”

It was a very reasonable explanation with no obvious flaws, but Lu Shijun was sharp enough to sense that something was still off. His best friend was still refusing to tell him the truth.

Lu Shijun’s fingertips brushed against Shen Qing’s cashmere sweater. The thin fabric could not block much, and before Shen Qing could react, Lu Shijun’s hands were already pressed against his skin.

The sudden touch of warm palms caused Shen Qing’s body to stiffen and his breath to hitch.

“Lu Shijun? What are you doing?”

Lu Shijun had wanted to do this for a long time. Shen Qing’s skin was smooth and fair; one look was enough to know it would feel wonderful to the touch. However, Shen Qing had always resisted overly intimate gestures. Usually, the most they did was hug through their clothes or hold hands. Now, Lu Shijun pushed his luck and slid both hands inside, holding him dominantly.

“Qingqing, your skin is so cool and refreshing. It feels so good.”

An Alpha’s body temperature rises during a susceptibility period. Even though he had taken an inhibitor, his temperature had not yet returned to normal.

Shen Qing’s heart was pounding in his chest, but when Lu Shijun spoke, it was only because of the temperature.

“Take your hands out. I will pour you a glass of water.”

Lu Shijun said, “I am not thirsty. I do not want water.”

As he spoke, his large hands rubbed against Shen Qing’s waist, intentionally or otherwise. Shen Qing was naturally ticklish, and the touch made his entire body tremble.

“You,” his thin skin turned pink, and Shen Qing’s eyes grew moist from the teasing. His body shook slightly. “You are not thirsty, but I am. Let go, or do not blame me for getting physical!”

It was like a kitten extending its claws in a fierce threat, but to Lu Shijun, it was incredibly adorable. He even shamelessly leaned his face closer until their skin was almost touching.

“Little Qing can hit people?”

“How rare.”

“Hit me once and let me see.”

Shen Qing had never heard such an unreasonable request as someone asking to be hit. When he did not move, the other man even said disappointedly, “It seems Little Qing cannot bear to hit me after all.”

Shen Qing was speechless. What exactly are you disappointed about?

Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Qing slapped him across the face. Amid the crisp sound, Shen Qing took advantage of Lu Shijun’s stunned state to quickly scramble away from him. Although he had covered the bite mark on his neck with concealer, the suppression patch was still there. Fearing he would be discovered, his strike had been somewhat heavy.

“President, President Lu, are you alright?” Shen Qing regretted it as soon as he did it. He stood to the side awkwardly, thinking it might be better if the other man hit him back.

Lu Shijun certainly had not expected him to actually do it. He touched the side of his face where he had been hit. It did not hurt; instead, a faint sense of excitement bubbled up within him. It felt so good that he almost wanted his friend to use more force.

Shen Qing felt his skin crawl under that gaze. Lu Shijun’s eerie stare sent him into a panic.

“That, President Lu, I will go pour you some water.”

Shen Qing disappeared from Lu Shijun’s sight like a fleeing cat. As soon as he was gone, Lu Shijun stopped pretending. He rose slowly from the sofa. His suit was already a mess, so he simply took off his jacket and pulled off his tie.

In the pantry, Shen Qing’s hands shook as he filled a glass. He stared at the steaming water, suddenly remembering something important. Earlier, his high collar had been displaced, revealing the bite mark on his neck. If it happened again, his suppression patch would be discovered. To be safe, he peeled the suppression patch off first.

At the exact moment he tore it off, Lu Shijun’s lazy voice rang out from the doorway of the pantry.

“Little Qing, what are you doing?”