Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 18

Lin He lay on the bed, his body burning with a dry heat. The faint lingering warmth of Yu Lin’s touch remained on his arm; the spots where those fingertips had brushed felt as if they had been seared by wildfire, ostentatiously proclaiming the marks left by their owner.

An Alpha in their Rut cannot withstand such trials. On the way home, he hadn’t dared to say a single word to Yu Lin.

But with a personality like Yu Lin’s, once he became stubborn, he acted entirely on his own whims; no amount of persuasion would get through to him. Even though Lin He had exerted every ounce of effort to lock himself in his room, Yu Lin remained single-mindedly standing outside the door, demanding an explanation.

Cedar-scented pheromones permeated every corner of the room. The chilling fragrance, however, could not suppress the scorching temperature. A numbing sensation climbed all the way up from his tailbone. With trembling hands, Lin He gritted his teeth and injected himself with a dose of suppressant.

Yet the “antidote” that usually took effect immediately seemed to be on strike, failing to alleviate the heat roasting his limbs and bones.

Outside, Yu Lin continued to knock tirelessly. Lin He’s heart, urged by the persistence, began to race frantically.

“Brother? Lin He!” Yu Lin shouted from outside. “What exactly is going on?”

In his irritation, he actually called Lin He by his name.

“Don’t come in…” Lin He’s throat was dry and hoarse, yet it unexpectedly carried a strangely alluring, magnetic quality.

Unfortunately, blocked by the door, Yu Lin could only hear a muffled sound. Assuming Lin He was simply unwilling to respond, his knocking grew even heavier.

Suddenly, as if losing patience, he took two steps back. After gauging the strength in his limbs, he finally raised his leg.

“Lin He, last time. If you don’t open the door, I’ll find my own way in.” Yu Lin even “thoughtfully” gave Lin He a final ultimatum.

He didn’t know why Lin He had to leave halfway through their meal, nor why he was trying to drive him back to their parents’ house or to Xie Zhizhang’s place.

He only knew that throughout the journey, Lin He had refused his support and refused to answer a single question. He couldn’t grasp the unfamiliar emotion blooming in his chest; it felt like needles pricking him incessantly, a deep discomfort. He was frustrated and desperately wanted to see Lin He to get an answer.

Yu Lin took a deep breath, his upper body leaning forward slightly like a leopard poised to strike.

However, just as he was about to move, System 007 suddenly spoke: “Lin He is likely in his Rut. Why don’t you just leave him alone for a bit?”

Yu Lin paused, confused: “Rut?”

System 007 gave him a quick lesson: “An Alpha’s Rut is similar to an Omega’s heat. During this time, Alphas are usually very restless and have an intense craving for an Omega’s comfort. Their aggression is higher than usual, and in severe cases, they might even lose their sanity. Lin He is probably afraid of hurting you, which is why he locked himself away.”

Yu Lin leaned against the wall, his emotions gradually stabilizing. He thought back to the burning temperature of Lin He’s skin when he touched him earlier.

“Then why didn’t he tell me?”

System 007 went silent, appearing to be in a difficult spot.

“Maybe… because it’s hard to talk about? You know Alphas care about their pride; he probably doesn’t want anyone to see him in such a vulnerable state.”

Yu Lin didn’t say anything, and it was unclear if he believed 007’s explanation.

System 007 urged: “The duration of a Rut varies from person to person, but most last three days to a week. Why don’t you stay at Lin Zhou’s parents’ house for the next few days?”

“Why? I’m a Beta anyway; I can’t smell his pheromones, so I won’t be affected, right?” Despite saying this, Yu Lin walked downstairs and sat on the sofa.

System 007 felt his tone wasn’t particularly friendly, but couldn’t guess his true thoughts.

“He’s a hot-blooded Alpha in his mid-twenties. You wouldn’t want him to just suffer through it alone in his room, would you?”

“What?” Yu Lin blinked, taking a moment to process what 007 meant.

He thought of the “sister-in-law” Lin He had dreamed about but he had never met, and remembered the distinctly tender tone Lin He used when mentioning him. A sour, swelling ache appeared in his heart.

“He needs an Omega?” Yu Lin asked while pulling out his phone to search: What happens during an Alpha’s Rut?

System 007 said sheepishly: “Uh, technically, yes…”

At the same time, the search results popped up.

During a Rut, most Alphas experience restlessness and prolonged fever, and their craving for an Omega—especially a partner—skyrockets. If a partner can release pheromones to soothe them, or engage in a passionate encounter…

“So, did he tell me to leave just to make room for someone else?” Yu Lin murmured.

System 007 didn’t answer.

Yu Lin looked up at the closed door upstairs. The image of Lin He’s flushed face under the moonlight earlier flashed before his eyes.

There was perhaps nothing more beautiful than the cold moon being stained with magnificent colors. Restraint and desire were hidden in those gentle peach-blossom eyes; a flush spread from the corners of his eyes along with an imperceptible vulnerability, his thin lips pressed tightly together in trembling control.

Yu Lin thought: I’m not leaving. I’m not the kind of “good person” who makes room for others.

He sat quietly on the sofa, staring fixedly at Lin He’s door.

“If he can’t control himself, I’ll knock him out,” Yu Lin said coldly.

Yu Lin lost track of how much time had passed. When he heard the sound of the door opening, he seemed to catch a peculiar scent.

The top note was a cold, piercing north wind, carrying clean, transparent snow through a vast, lush mountain forest. The base note was pure, gentle sandalwood—lonely and proud, with a hint of lingering sweetness.

Yu Lin twitched his nose, trying to find where the scent was coming from. Through his blurred, sleepy vision, he saw a figure emerge from Lin He’s room.

His sharp nerves were triggered; Yu Lin snapped awake and moved quickly to block the stairs.

Lin He was half-bathed in shadows. From Yu Lin’s perspective, his expression was unclear, but the coldness radiating from him was unmistakable. His drenched hair was still dripping with water.

“Are you going to find someone?”

The youth’s clear voice seemed to pierce through the years of separation, merging with a dream. Lin He’s body swayed; the heat he had barely suppressed seemed to surge back with a vengeance.

“Didn’t I tell you to go home?”

As soon as he spoke, not only was Lin He startled, but even Yu Lin was somewhat surprised. Unlike his usual clear tone, it was a mixture of restraint and irritability, hoarse yet resonant—excessively sexy.

“Is your Rut over?” Yu Lin looked at him steadily. “Or are you going to find someone else to help you now?”

Lin He’s knuckles on the railing turned white, his tensed muscles shivering and trembling, but hidden in the shadows, Yu Lin didn’t notice.

Yu Lin slowly climbed the steps, feeling that the crisp, steady scent in the air had grown even stronger.

“I can help you too, Brother.”

Lin He stiffened. He watched as Yu Lin walked right up to him. Controlling his urge to retreat, he asked coldly, “How could you help me?”

Yu Lin tilted his head and smiled. His fingers brushed past Lin He’s shoulder, his voice light and soft: “I can…”

Lin He’s thoughts were in disarray. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating from the fever; otherwise, why did he feel like the boy’s voice was so alluring?

Then he heard Yu Lin finish the sentence: “…knock you out. I’m very fast; it won’t hurt, Brother.”

The heat on his body receded instantly like a tide.

“No need. I’ve taken suppressants.” Lin He avoided his hand, turned, and went back upstairs.

“Oh.”

Yu Lin watched him return to his room. The wooden door shut with a sharp “thud,” closing coldly without even leaving a lingering silhouette.

The next day, Mother Lin personally came to the apartment to take Yu Lin back home. The reason was that Lin He had to go to a neighboring city for a business trip in a few days, and she was worried no one would look after Yu Lin.

In truth, even without that reason, Lin Zhou should have returned to the Lin family estate after the college entrance exams. Fabricating this reason was simply out of concern that Yu Lin would react strongly and be difficult to persuade.

To her surprise, Yu Lin said nothing. He stood in the living room for a long time, looking up at the door that hadn’t opened since the previous night, while Mother Lin and the housekeeper packed his things.

Until the moment they left, Lin He never came out to say a word to him.

Mother Lin treated him very well, and the housekeeper came up with new dishes for him every day, but for Yu Lin, none of it felt as comfortable as when the two of them lived in the apartment.

His restlessness came strangely; whenever he thought of Lin He’s sudden change in attitude, he felt an uncontrollable sense of unease.

Later, Yu Lin simply went to the cafe where Xie Zhizhang worked part-time and sat by the window for the entire day.

Xie Zhizhang took a break when the shop was empty to keep him company, saying soothingly, “Maybe your brother is just a bit busy.”

Yu Lin just stared quietly at the leaves swaying in the wind outside, saying nothing.

“But sometimes, that’s just how it is.”

Xie Zhizhang’s random remark made Yu Lin turn his head in confusion.

“What?”

“Maybe… because you’re a Beta, you haven’t had a deep experience with this before. In a family, two children of different genders always reach a stage in their growth… from talking about everything to avoiding each other.” As Xie Zhizhang spoke, he unwrapped a lollipop and held it out to Yu Lin’s lips. “The pheromones released during an Alpha’s Rut are very aggressive. Even if there’s only a one percent chance, it could still affect a Beta.”

Yu Lin vaguely remembered the flash of surprise on Mother Lin’s face the day she picked him up, and the unknown spray she had specifically used on him before they left.

“Maybe it’ll be better after some time. Don’t think too much.”

Xie Zhizhang nudged the candy toward Yu Lin again. The latter accepted it absentmindedly, but his peripheral vision caught a fleeting glimpse of a car on the street opposite.

It looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.