Involuntary Symbiosis Chapter 4

The First Heat

Wang Ling returned to his usual life. That incident seemed to be just one of his many misfortunes. Nan Ningyue and Xu Tongxiao had opened up new market targets, and as a secretary, he also became busy. Everything was the same as before, except that the scent of absinthe still lingered in his gland.

“Your heat is approaching, Mr. Wang. You need to be careful during this period. It’s best to stay home or in a hospital isolation room,” Director Hu instructed. She tapped the keyboard, prescribing Wang Ling some medication and suppressants. “It’s easy to become dehydrated during heat, so remember to replenish your fluids promptly.”

Wang Ling followed the doctor’s orders. He knew he was feeling the onset of his heat; his gland was throbbing with faint pain, and his Pheromones were becoming difficult to suppress. He tentatively asked, “Doctor, about the matter I mentioned last time?”

“Let me tell you, removing the gland can indeed prevent you from sensing Pheromones, but you are already a Marked alpha. Removing the gland will not only affect the enigma itself but also decrease your physical condition.” Director Hu frowned. Why were young people nowadays so careless with their glands? And why did they always think that removing the gland could cure all glandular diseases?

“I understand.” Wang Ling was an adult and responsible for his own body. He took the slip to get his medication.

It was a crucial time for work, and he didn’t want to take leave, but he wasn’t sure how his heat would be. He also didn’t want his Pheromones to affect the omegas and alphas in the company. Finally, he went to Human Resources to submit his application.

He looked at the leave application form on the computer screen, his cursor hovering over the reason for leave. After some thought, he finally wrote: “Accompanying partner through heat.”

Before leaving, he told Xiaohui that she could send him any important work, as he could work from home. Xiaohui looked at the leave application he submitted and thought that Wang Ling, this block of wood, actually had a partner. Perhaps some omegas liked this kind of dedicated, handsome, wooden alpha.

She teased him for once: “If your omega is clingy and you can’t reply to my messages immediately, I’ll see to it myself and complete the task without disturbing you two.”

Wang Ling appreciated Xiaohui’s thoughtfulness and said no more.

Wang Ling stayed at home. The first three days were like any other, except for the occasional twitching in his gland. There was nothing else unusual. He was able to reply to and complete the work Xiaohui sent him immediately.

If every heat was like this, Wang Ling thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, and he wouldn’t need to take leave in the future. He took a shower. Wiping the mirror, he saw the steam had made the corners of his eyes slightly red. He looked at the fading Mark on his body, rinsed quickly, and, catching the light, injected a suppressant into the vein in his arm. He had done the same for the past few days.

Wang Ling got into bed. The drawn curtains blocked all light from the bedroom. He slowly closed his eyes, and in his dream, he seemed to return to that day.

Wang Ling was driving. He parked his car at a clothing mall. He got into the elevator and randomly pressed a floor. To Wang Ling, since they all sold clothes, no floor made much difference.

The moment the elevator doors opened, a male beta in a high-end custom suit smiled, as if he had been waiting by the elevator for a long time. He said, “You’ve arrived.” Wang Ling, who was visiting for the first time, only knew that this building sold luxury gowns and suits. The suits he usually wore to attend banquets and business meetings with the CEO were prepared by Du Jia, and he didn’t like shopping. He simply replied, “Yes.”

“Follow me.” The male beta guided him, leading Wang Ling through the shopping area, taking an elevator to another unknown place. The surroundings resembled a high-end hotel. Wang Ling found it strange and asked, “Where is this place?”

“Sir, that is not within my professional scope,” the male beta said with a polite smile, guiding him to open a door. “It’s inside.”

This didn’t seem like a typical clothing procurement transaction. Wang Ling frowned, intending to leave, but the wooden door opened, and a slender hand grabbed him, dragging him into an abyss.

Wang Ling’s body temperature felt like it was burning. He wanted to escape, but the person held him tightly. That person was connected to him. He angrily pushed the person away, but the person kissed his earlobe, whispering fragmented words into his ear. The liquid left from their entanglement, the dark surroundings—there was no sound except for their primal gasps. Wang Ling could clearly hear his own panting before he closed his eyes from exhaustion.

Wang Ling opened his eyes. He felt a burning pain in his eyes, and tears welled up. His body temperature was scorching. The tears running down his face provided a slight coolness. He couldn’t breathe, feeling as if a thorn was constantly obstructing his breath.

Sweat was pouring over every inch of his skin, but his body was still hot. He looked at the sheets and saw the unique fluid of his heat staining the fabric. A large patch spread out beneath him. He wanted to grab a tissue to wipe it, but his limbs were so weak that he knocked over the charger on the bedside table. The “bang, bang, bang” echoed in the dark bedroom. He was panting hot air. The pitch-black bedroom, just like that night, was cruel and intense. He couldn’t even clean himself up, yet he was still worried about the sheets.

He managed a smile, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. The evaporation of the tears brought him a momentary coolness, but only a moment.

Then, a dense, pervasive pain spread throughout his body, especially in the gland area. His lower abdomen was throbbing with fine pain. He curled up into a fetal position, hoping to alleviate the pain, but it was useless.

His phone chimed, followed by the ringing of a call. He looked at the vibrating phone on the bedside table, slowly crawled to the head of the bed, and reached out, struggling to grab the phone. As he touched a corner of it, the phone fell to the floor, and he tumbled down with it. The floor was cold, transmitting its chill to his skin. He pressed against the floor, gasping, then rubbed against it, using an awkward posture to absorb the coldness of the tiles.

When he came to his senses, there were streaks left on the floor. The phone, which had rung several times, finally fell silent. He struggled to crawl over. His pajamas were already filthy. He picked up the phone and answered the call, asking, “What is it?”

He realized how soft his voice was, and he could even hear a hint of choked-up grievance in it. The person on the other end paused. Xiaohui’s voice came through: “It’s nothing. I can handle it myself.”

“Okay,” Wang Ling replied, then hung up.

Why? Why did it turn out like this? The face of that person kept flashing in his mind. That person’s rough intimacy had become his current obsession. Tears flowed from his eyes. Wang Ling wondered why he was so prone to crying now. If he cried any more, he would become dehydrated. The doctor told him to drink water, but he felt like he couldn’t even lift a cup.