PMWAIAAPM Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The restroom is separately enclosed, and with the door shut, the reflection on the pure white marble wall shows only the silhouettes of two men almost pressed together in an embrace.

The red carpet underneath them is dark and dreary. Tan Zhiyu stands behind him, staring at the man in the mirror. As he leans closer, his pheromones seem to carry a warmth akin to intoxication, so inviting.

Xing Yang’s mind spins; time feels slow. He bites down on the plastic shell of the suppressant, waiting for the needle to pierce his gland, hoping it will bring him back to clarity.

This is how his gland was once damaged. His gland did not develop properly, the places where the needle could be injected were limited, and each injection site would be pricked again before healing. He is an omega, and to avoid mishaps at social gatherings, he can only rely on suppressants to ensure safety.

“Can’t find a place?” Xing Yang asks softly, waiting for the needle.

“After the injection, what do you plan to do? Sweet-talk those people like before?”

Xing Yang stiffens and chuckles silently, “Mr. Tan, this is my job.”

“Job?” Tan Zhiyu tightens his arm around Xing Yang’s waist, almost angrily biting at his neck but skillfully avoiding his gland.

Their compatibility is extremely high. Under the influence of alcohol, every pore of Xing Yang’s being is expanded; even a hint of alpha scent can engulf him like drowning in an endless pool.

“Don’t bite.”

“No…” His throat continually swallows, alcohol heightening every sensation. He feels his legs go weak and reaches back to try to grab Tan Zhiyu’s hand, “Suppressant…”

“I am your lawful partner; with me here, why use suppressants, Mr. Xing?”

“Or are you looking to accept my father’s matchmaking offer and get ready to divorce once you find someone else?” Tan Zhiyu’s words are blurred. His fangs graze the back of Xing Yang’s neck. Xing Yang tilts his head back, nearly resting against his shoulder, breathing heavily, his face flushed.

His ebony scent is faint, radiating from him when his gland is uncontrolled, his whole body trembling.

No matter how much Xing Yang trains to strengthen his physique, it does not change the fact that he is an omega.

No matter how skilled he is at navigating social situations, he still sneaks off to the restroom to take suppressants.

“Tan Zhiyu…” Xing Yang gasps in confusion, “Don’t bite…”

He stands in front of the mirror, seeing himself trembling and barely standing in Tan Zhiyu’s embrace. It feels like a humiliation test; Tan Zhiyu is getting back at him.

Even dressed in a neat suit, the reflection shows a soft allure, making a stiff older man appreciate the agony of an impending heat, as if he were being roasted alive on a volcano.

The back of his neck feels increasingly hot. Just as Xing Yang is about to struggle, Tan Zhiyu grips his chin, forcing him to look at himself in the mirror.

“What’s there to be afraid of looking at?” His deep voice carries a threat. “I’ve seen more excessive expressions than this. Why can’t you look at yourself?”

“After the divorce, how many alphas do you want? Or is there no one you find more valuable than money? You can laugh so flatteringly at those men for money, yet when it comes to me helping you mark, you can’t even say some sweet words?”

Sweet words?

Xing Yang gasps heavily, able to sense Tan Zhiyu’s painful arousal through the mingling pheromones in the air.

“Zhiyu, there are people outside, your father is still out there!”

If his pheromones leak out with Tan Zhiyu’s scent on him, their marriage won’t be a secret anymore.

That’s why he doesn’t want Tan Zhiyu to bite him here; he doesn’t want to push Tan Zhiyu into the limelight.

Outside are all high-society folks. Tan Zhiyu has collaborated with so many brands; his married identity clashes with that.

There has always been a mystery in this marriage. He doesn’t know how he offended Tan Zhiyu.

Why is he hated like this?

“Three years of marriage was something we agreed on long ago.” Xing Yang steadies his breath. Once stable, he firmly takes the suppressant from Tan Zhiyu’s hand and flips his wrist to push Tan Zhiyu away.

He trembles, without hesitation stabbing the needle into his gland. The motion is quick but rough, slightly off-target, causing a bit of bleeding.

Yet Xing Yang lets out a low grunt, clearly suppressing his anger, “What exactly do you want?”

He is an omega; exposing his pheromones is akin to standing naked before everyone, especially with Tan Zhiyu’s father outside! That taut nerve is ignited by the suppressants. For him, the suppressants have long lost their efficiency and can only serve as emergency medication.

“Don’t you fear being discovered?” Xing Yang withdraws the syringe, snaps it, and tosses it into the trash, angrily splashing water on his face.

This is the first time he feels anger towards Tan Zhiyu; he wipes the cold water from his face, his flush fading somewhat. His eyelashes tremble as he looks down, “Being with me and being discovered is very humiliating.”

Tan Zhiyu leans against the wall, biting his lips, the tip of his tongue licking the remnants of the faint ebony scent, “It is humiliating.”

When Xing Yang hears this, his chest tightens, the rise causing a butterfly tattoo on his chest to seemingly flutter, hinting through his soaked white shirt, which adds a seductive touch, “So, because of Jiang Cheng, you’ve been sulking until now.”

“Mr. Tan, I know our marriage doesn’t go as you’d like. I’m not pretty enough, my pheromones aren’t sweet enough, and don’t fit your ideal omega’s notion. But our marriage is contractual, and breaching it requires compensation. Plus, I believe our previous conflicts aren’t irreconcilable.”

“You know you aren’t good enough. Even at work, you have to put in extra effort to please my father. You could have just begged me,” Tan Zhiyu states.

In his eyes, those valuable assets that Xing Yang holds dear are merely the advertising fees he earned at eighteen.

But as soon as he speaks, he realizes how foolish it sounds, causing Xing Yang to freeze.

Beg him?

Xing Yang lets out a low chuckle, “You know, I could have said earlier to Mr. Tan; I’d exchange the opportunity to be marked by you twice for a dinner with your father. That would be more beneficial than the amount of effort it takes to request just one meal from him.”

“Exactly, then you wouldn’t have to create a single life persona at the dinner table. Why should we get married this way? Being friends with benefits is much cheaper, and you save half of my assets in a divorce! I’d just keep you away from Jiang Cheng, but you can’t even do that.”

“I think our collaboration isn’t going very pleasantly.” Xing Yang shakes his head and pulls out a cigarette from his pocket.

He struggles to retrieve a lighter, and with a flick, a flame ignites, leaving Tan Zhiyu dumbfounded. He never knew Xing Yang smoked.

In the smoke, Xing Yang’s gaze is calm, like a deep pool of quietness.

“What if our collaboration isn’t pleasant?”

“If you’re willing, we can divorce early.”

Xing Yang’s words successfully trigger Tan Zhiyu’s displeasure. The alpha’s pheromones flood out, tightening around Xing Yang. In a fit of rage, he throws down the cigarette in Xing Yang’s mouth, crushing it underfoot, stepping forward to block him, not giving him a chance to speak.

Taking advantage of how the effects of the suppressants haven’t fully kicked in, Tan Zhiyu tightly grips his chin, “What qualifications do you have to negotiate with me?”

“Are you speaking down to me? I’ve always been accommodating. Otherwise, could you say a word?” Tan Zhiyu’s veins bulge at the side of his forehead, all the more noticeable against his fair, exquisite skin.

Xing Yang feels as though he’s being choked, finding it hard to breathe, the nicotine taste lingering in his mouth.

“A bad collaboration means we should divorce?” Tan Zhiyu’s chest rises and falls, his alluring eyes narrowing with intensity, fists clenched, “I’m good-looking; you should at least look in the mirror!”

Xing Yang is no stranger to such harsh words.

He feels a bit helpless, knowing the alpha is excessively angry, and can only silently close his eyes.

As long as Tan Zhiyu releases his frustration, he’d be fine with it.

“Xing Yang! I’m talking to you; do you dare to close your eyes??” Tan Zhiyu sounds incredulous; this is the first time he’s dealt with someone who refuses to even look at his face.

“You’re going too far—!”

Xing Yang was initially waiting for Tan Zhiyu to unleash his anger, controlled entirely by pheromones, he thought the man would just take a couple of swipes at him. But wait.

Why didn’t he hit him?

Why is his mouth hurting?

“Hiss—” Xing Yang inhales sharply, feeling his lip bleed, “You…”

“What do you think you are to dare talk about divorce—Wuwuwuwu, I just said a few words to you! Why bring up divorce? Wuwuwu, Xing Yang, am I that disdainful in your eyes?”

Xing Yang believes he must be hallucinating under the pressure of pheromones; otherwise, how could the man sobbing with his face buried in his shoulder be Tan Zhiyu?

“If it really doesn’t work, you and Jiang Cheng can do it secretly, don’t let me know, okay?” Tan Zhiyu sniffs, his eyes red, looking at him.

“I don’t want a divorce… please don’t abandon me… okay?”

Xing Yang closes his eyes; he must be sleepwalking.

“You bloody don’t want to look at me Wuwu—I hate you so much—”

Xing Yang: Shocked, confused, must be sleepwalking.