The Dangerous Omega Who is Good at Disguising Always Wants to Hook Me! - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: You Can Mark Me

As soon as Qi Yan rushed out of the bar, he immediately hailed a taxi.

He took out his phone and stared at the name on the screen for a long while, the words You Yi had just said replaying in his mind. Could it really be because of him?

Qi Yan knit his brows tightly. Patients suffering from Pheromone Disorder Syndrome are far more sensitive, melancholic, fragile, suspicious, and neurotic than normal people. They are prone to overthinking, insecurity, and paranoia…

Yet none of those adjectives seemed to fit the Shen Xiliu that Qi Yan knew. At least in his eyes, Shen Xiliu was elegant and easygoing; he wasn’t someone who would act with a mindless, frantic lack of reason. Even when he had suddenly suffered from respiratory alkalosis, he had done his utmost to maintain his emotions and follow Qi Yan’s instructions…

And yet now, You Yi was saying he was a patient with Pheromone Disorder.

Qi Yan found it hard to believe, but there was no reason for You Yi to lie to him—especially not by using his professional expertise to deceive him. That would be too farcical.

“…”

The night scenery outside the car window moved backward in a blur. Neon lights flickered, their glow passing over Qi Yan’s face in a cycle of light and shadow. He slowly reached out to cover his eyes.

If Shen Xiliu truly had Pheromone Disorder, and if it was exactly as he suspected, then hadn’t his actions that day been equivalent to pushing Shen Xiliu toward a dead end?

Qi Yan didn’t know how to describe his current mood. He could only shift his focus, wondering why Shen Xiliu had left the hospital.

But he couldn’t guess. Patients with Pheromone Disorder often lose control over their behavior; they do things that common people find incomprehensible. It’s hard for anyone to follow their train of thought when their joy, anger, grief, and happiness are so fickle—suddenly going mad, suddenly laughing, suddenly attacking themselves, or even others…

If it were someone he knew well, Qi Yan might have been able to glean a clue or two. But Qi Yan knew nothing about Shen Xiliu.

From the time they met until now, while Shen Xiliu seemed to have a good relationship with him, they were actually only ordinary friends. In some ways, he knew even less about him than he did about You Yi.

Now, his only hope was that Shen Xiliu was at the apartment, but the odds were slim. After all, even Shen Yunshu hadn’t been able to find him.

Qi Yan moved his hand away, his gaze dark as he stared at the phone screen.

Though he knew it was a long shot, he decided to try. For the first time, he took the initiative to call Shen Xiliu.

They had exchanged numbers long ago, but they had never once called each other.

Expecting the call to go unanswered, Qi Yan listened to the “ring-ring” of the phone.

Time seemed to stretch on. Just as he was about to give up, the call connected—

“Qi Yan?”

A voice lower and raspier than usual answered. It was a cold and indifferent voice, yet every time Shen Xiliu spoke to him, he would soften his tone and speak in a slow, measured way. Now, however, he seemed unable to control that gentle cadence; it was laced with a faint tremor.

“…”

Hearing that familiar voice, Qi Yan’s mind went blank for a moment, unsure of what to say.

On the other end, the breathing was clearly ragged. A noisy sound erupted, as if the phone had been moved further away. Shen Xiliu’s voice became softer, his thin voice articulating each word clearly: “It’s rare for you to call me. At this hour… did you just get off work?”

Shen Xiliu sounded as if he were trying to speak casually, but his rhythm was off. It wasn’t the kind of tone a normal Shen Xiliu would use.

“Mr. Shen, where are you?” Qi Yan asked softly after a slight delay.

“…” Shen Xiliu let out a small laugh and whispered, “At this time? I’m at home sleeping, of course.”

Qi Yan looked up at the apartment building right in front of him. He didn’t hang up. Instead, he reached into his pocket for the cash he’d prepared and handed it to the driver.

Even though mobile payments were the norm, Qi Yan always kept some cash on him just in case.

Taking his change and grabbing his backpack, Qi Yan exited the car. He didn’t say a word the whole time, and the person on the other end didn’t hang up either.

Looking up at the dark floors of the building, Qi Yan spoke slowly: “Mr. Shen, I’ve just arrived at the bottom of the apartment building.”

“You’ve worked hard. I heard you’ve had a lot of work lately, and you’ve been helping at the bar until so late. You must be tired, right?” Shen Xiliu said caringly. Then he laughed softly. “The progress on the research institute’s project isn’t actually urgent. You can relax a bit. Professor Tan isn’t a harsh person who likes to oppress his students…”

Qi Yan stared at a curtain swaying slightly in the darkness. It was a bit blurry, but he could vaguely see a dark silhouette appearing. He walked quickly into the building. “The Professor is very kind, it’s just that I like participating in these things.”

“Mr. Shen, I’ll be there in one minute. There’s something I want to discuss with you face-to-face. Is that alright?”

The other end suddenly went silent, as if someone had hit a pause button. There wasn’t a sound, and Qi Yan didn’t speak either.

After a long time, just as the elevator dinged, Shen Xiliu said softly, “Now?”

“Yes, now.”

Qi Yan stepped out of the elevator and looked at Shen Xiliu’s door.

“…I’m afraid not.”

After a long silence, Shen Xiliu rejected Qi Yan for the first time.

“I’m sorry. Not this time.”

Before Qi Yan could ask why, Shen Xiliu’s breathing suddenly became even more erratic. There was the sound of something being knocked over—a sharp, clattering noise.

“Mr. Shen, what happened?”

Qi Yan sensed something was wrong. Hearing the noise from inside the room, he confirmed that Shen Xiliu was indeed inside.

The breathing on the other end of the line became distant. He could only vaguely hear faint, rapid gasps mixed with painful sobs: “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Not this time, not this time. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

The person on the other end seemed to have fallen into a deep, obsessive trance, repeatedly chanting “I’m sorry.” The tearful voice sounded sickly, lost, and panicked.

Qi Yan didn’t knock. He looked at the row of potted plants Shen Xiliu kept outside the door. He tipped the corner of the third mint plant and reached underneath. Sure enough, he found a key.

Once, when he happened to run into Shen Xiliu leaving, he had seen him put the key there. Noticing Qi Yan had seen it, Shen Xiliu didn’t hide it, just laughed and said it was a spare. Since there were only two units on this floor, he wasn’t worried about strangers.

Qi Yan’s expression had been complicated at the time, but he hadn’t said anything. He had just instinctively checked the security camera to ensure he wouldn’t be a suspect if anything happened.

He never expected he would actually use that key, nor that the camera would catch him “stealing” it…

Qi Yan wanted to call the hospital or Shen Yunshu, but since he was still connected to Shen Xiliu, he didn’t dare hang up. He had to go in to check on his condition first, then find a chance to call for help.

“Mr. Shen, excuse me.” Qi Yan took a deep breath, inserted the key, and opened the door. There was no reply from the other side, just the continuous apologies.

The house was pitch black and terrifyingly quiet. The air was thick with the scent of pheromones—a very faint, elegant orchid fragrance that filled the entire space, almost suffocating anyone inside.

“!!!”

The Pheromone Disorder had triggered the Omega’s heat. The moment he stepped into the room, the Alpha pheromones in Qi Yan’s body were instantly provoked by the concentrated Omega scent. They began to churn, awakening the most primal desires of the human body. Instinct almost made him lose control.

But humans are humans because they possess reason and can control instinct.

Qi Yan quickly opened his backpack, took out a pheromone isolation mask, sprayed it with clearing agent, and put it on. He then swiftly injected himself with a dose of Alpha-specific pheromone suppressant.

With the suppressant controlling him, Qi Yan felt much clearer. He prepared a dose of Omega-specific suppressant as well. Just as he stood up and took two steps inward, the lights in the room suddenly flickered on with a click.

“It seems… I’ve troubled you again…”

A slender figure stood at the bathroom door. Ink-black hair dripped with water, which rolled down his pale, sickly face. His deep, dark pupils were somewhat chilling as he gazed silently at him.

Shen Xiliu tried to slow his voice, but he still couldn’t stop the trembling. He tried to smile at Qi Yan, but the corners of his mouth wouldn’t turn up. He could only stare at him expressionlessly. The three faint beauty marks under his long, narrow eyes gave him an aura of lonely, cold cynicism toward the world.

Dangerous and arrogant—just like the man he used to be, always maintaining a high-and-mighty posture.

Even now, saying “I’ve troubled you” felt like he was teasing a dog.

Qi Yan seemed stunned by his appearance. The concern at the tip of his tongue couldn’t be voiced. The sound of crying he had heard on the phone felt like a hallucination; it wasn’t a sound a person like Shen Xiliu could make.

After a long time, Qi Yan spoke with a delay: “Mr. Shen, I’m glad you’re okay.”

He felt a bit awkward and tried to look away. A sudden sense of discomfort rose in his heart—as if his instincts were telling him not to look directly at the current Shen Xiliu.

Confirming Shen Xiliu was “safe,” he hung up the phone call, took a step back, and seemed ready to leave. He maintained a gentle tone: “Everyone is worried about your safety. I’ll call Director Shen—”

Before he could finish, Shen Xiliu suddenly lunged forward. He snatched the phone from Qi Yan’s hand and crashed into his chest. Caught off guard and off balance, Qi Yan was knocked to the floor. His backpack fell, and the Omega suppressant rolled away.

“Ugh!”

The carpet provided some cushion, and Qi Yan instinctively used his training to deflect some of the force, but it still hurt—he was bearing the weight of two people.

The strange tension was knocked away by the impact, and his brain became even clearer. Qi Yan propped up his upper body with his elbows and frowned slightly at the other person. “Mr. Shen, are you alright?”

Drip, drip.

The person sitting on his waist was dripping water. His pale, sickly face was exquisite, but his brow was clouded with an impenetrable gloom, making him look as somber as a ghost.

“I’m fine,” Shen Xiliu replied, though he looked anything but “fine.”

A normal Shen Xiliu would never tackle him. Qi Yan felt a headache coming on as he stared at the man sitting on him. He didn’t dare speak casually, fearing he would trigger a fragile nerve and set off something uncontrollable. The chaotic Omega pheromones were constantly stimulating his senses.

Shen Xiliu truly looked like someone suffering from Pheromone Disorder now. You Yi hadn’t lied.

Under Qi Yan’s gaze, Shen Xiliu stared at the disconnected phone with an erratic expression. His eyes were dangerous and dark, like a cold viper sizing up its prey.

It even gave Qi Yan an eerie sense of familiarity.

Finally, Shen Xiliu closed his eyes, suppressing his turbulent emotions. But Omega pheromones continued to leak from his body, reaching an unbelievable level of concentration.

The suppressant he’d just taken felt like a fake, and the mask couldn’t block everything. As a normal Alpha, it was hard for Qi Yan not to be affected. He clearly felt his body becoming feverish; instinct was urging him to do things he shouldn’t.

But his reason, which ran counter to his instinctive desires, made Qi Yan close his eyes to calm his heart and suppress his lust. Just as he was about to tell Shen Xiliu to get up, his mask was suddenly ripped away.

Qi Yan snapped his eyes open. A few strands of ice-cold black hair brushed against his cheek.

He heard Shen Xiliu’s cold voice, laced with lust, whisper in his ear:

“There’s no need to call him. Qi Yan… you can mark me.”