Chà Chà Novel

His limbs burned and tingled. His blood felt as though it had suddenly begun flowing after being frozen for a very long time. His body could not adjust, and the prickling sensation dragged him out of the darkness.

Fang Fengzhi squinted against the faint light beside him. Once he had recovered a little, he looked around. The room was large, like a hotel room. The final scene in his memory suddenly flooded his mind, and his whole body went cold.

His scent gland felt perfectly comfortable now. There was none of the stifled heat he usually endured, much less the burning agony of heat. Instead, it seemed to have been soothed into silence, so thoroughly that he could barely feel it at all.

Fang Fengzhi took no joy in that. All he felt was regret and anguish. He knew what it meant.

With an effort, he raised his weak hand and reached behind him, trembling.

The moment he touched the tooth marks driven deep into his gland, his whole body jolted. He did not know how hard that Alpha in rut had bitten him. Even the lightest touch hurt terribly. Without looking, he knew the wound must be a dreadful sight.

Strangely, however, apart from his gland, nothing else in his body felt wrong. That meant those Alphas had not sexually assaulted him.

Why?

Fang Fengzhi pushed back the covers. Perhaps that Alpha had brought him here only to keep him for himself. Whatever the case, staying was not a good idea. He was about to get out of bed when he heard the door open. He fixed his eyes on the person coming in.

But it was a Beta carrying a tray. She was no longer young. Seeing his open eyes, she paused, then smiled kindly.

“You’re awake?”

Before Fang Fengzhi could say anything, she set down the tray.

“Wait a moment. I’ll go get him.”

She must mean the Alpha. Fang Fengzhi clutched the sheet. He did not know whether this was a normal reaction to being marked, but he had no strength at all. Even moving his legs was difficult, let alone leaving. He could only sit motionless on the bed.

Footsteps sounded outside. That familiar scent drew closer with them, aggressive gunsmoke. Yet the Omega marked by those pheromones now liked it very much. It sent warmth through his body. Unable to control his physiological response, Fang Fengzhi grew so nervous that sweat seeped into his palms.

The scent came closer and grew stronger. He no longer even dared raise his head. Instead, he kept it bowed, staring blankly at a small fold in the covers. The man’s footsteps entered the room, and Alpha pheromones immediately enveloped him.

He heard a familiar voice.

“You’re awake? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

Fang Fengzhi paused for a second, then lifted his head.

His eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly open in disbelief.

“It—it’s you?”

He had never imagined that the man before him would be the Alpha who had driven him to the hospital a few months earlier. Remembering the kindness he had shown him, Fang Fengzhi relaxed a little. He did not think this Alpha was a bad person.

The Alpha’s gaze swept over him. The Omega did not seem to be suffering any ill effects, and Min Zhi felt relieved. He had worried that the intensity of an Enigma’s pheromones might be more than the Omega could withstand.

“You’ve been asleep for a whole day. Have something to eat first.”

Min Zhi remained by the door, far from Fang Fengzhi. After marking him, the Omega’s pheromones exerted a powerful attraction on him as well. He was afraid he might lose control again and do something to Fang Fengzhi.

When he had followed Fang Fengzhi, his original intention had simply been to keep the Omega from being assaulted by those ill-intentioned men. His unwillingness to accept an Omega partner did not mean he hated Omegas. He respected everyone. His moral principles would not allow something like that to happen before his eyes.

But when he pulled the Omega from the Alphas’ grasp, the man’s alluring pheromones rushed into his mind, and he briefly lost his reason.

He could feel the Omega trembling in his arms. Looking down at his pale face, contorted with unbearable pain, Min Zhi suddenly remembered that while pheromone suppression could be used to attack Alphas, it could also seriously harm Omegas.

He immediately stopped releasing his pheromones.

The Alphas before him were suffering under his pheromones too, but the Omega’s scent had gone to their heads. They had lost all reason and looked ready to throw themselves at him and fight.

If it came to blows, the Omega would certainly get hurt. It would also cause a considerable disturbance. If anyone took photographs, the meddlesome media would have another story to spin.

That was not a good solution.

Min Zhi ran his tongue over his canine teeth. His gaze flicked across the Omega’s gland. Then he abruptly gripped the front of the Omega’s neck and sank his teeth into the place he had been thinking about for so long.

Once he marked him, everything would be easy to resolve.

That was what he had thought at the time. But Min Zhi knew it had not been the only solution.

The Omega’s pheromones were too enticing, and they were the very scent he had been unable to banish from his mind. Enchanted by it, he had wanted only to mark him and satisfy his own desire. He had found himself an excuse so he could act with a clear conscience.

Now, however, remembering everything he had done filled him with regret. Faced with the innocent Omega before him, he felt deeply guilty.

“When you’ve finished eating, let’s talk.”

Still struggling to take everything in, Fang Fengzhi hurriedly answered.

“Ah, all right…”

After the Alpha left, Fang Fengzhi lay in bed a little longer. His stomach was painfully empty. He pushed himself up and went to sit at the table. The woman had brought him a small bowl of congee with mushrooms and fresh meat. It smelled delicious.

When he finished, he carried the tray to the door. Only after seeing the furnishings outside did he realize this was not a hotel. The housekeeper hurried over when she saw him carrying the tray.

This was the first time her employer had brought anyone home. What was more, he had carried this Omega inside in his arms. To her, that made the Omega practically another master of the house.

She took the tray from him.

“Please leave these things to me…”

“You’re looking for him, aren’t you?”

She pointed.

“He’s downstairs.”

Fang Fengzhi smiled at her.

“Thank you.”

The Alpha was sitting in the living room, working on a laptop. As soon as Fang Fengzhi came downstairs, he looked up at him.

“Have a seat.”

Fang Fengzhi sat on the sofa to one side. He could smell the Alpha’s pheromones steadily emanating and reacting with his own. It was terribly embarrassing.

The Alpha closed his laptop and set it aside.

“Mr. Fang, about yesterday…”

He looked at the Omega’s fingers digging into his knees.

“I intended to help you. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”

The Omega paused.

“Help me?”

Min Zhi nodded.

“I saw you on the street and noticed several Alphas following you. I was afraid they might do something to you, so I followed…”

He had not expected to become the one who did such a thing himself.

“Mr. Fang, I’m very sorry.”

When the Omega remained silent, Min Zhi continued.

“I was at fault. Whatever compensation you need, I’m prepared to take responsibility.”

Fang Fengzhi frowned, unsure what to say.

He looked at the Alpha before him. He could take this man to court. In recent years, the government had introduced numerous protections for Omegas. But what would happen afterward? His family would learn about it. His husband would find out too. In the end, he would be the one thrust into the center of the storm.

Besides, he knew the Alpha should not bear all the blame. The man had meant well and tried to help him, but things had gotten out of control. In a sense, Fang Fengzhi ought to thank him. Without him, he might have been assaulted by those unfamiliar Alphas.

Yet the mark on his body was real, too. It had been forced upon him.

Then the Alpha asked, “Are you married, Mr. Fang?”

Fang Fengzhi glanced at the ring on his finger and nodded. His heart sank endlessly.

If Fu Baiqi learned of this, he would have a reason to sever all ties with him. And since Fang Fengzhi believed he was the one at fault, Fu Baiqi’s mother would not let him off. Then there was his own family…

His mother’s surgery had cost a great deal of money, all borrowed from Fu Baiqi’s family. If Fu Baiqi’s mother demanded repayment, he would not be able to afford it for the time being.

What was he supposed to do?

Min Zhi looked at the pale Omega.

“How about this, Mr. Fang? A temporary mark doesn’t last very long. It should fade in about two weeks. You can stay here for now and go home once it’s completely gone.”

Fang Fengzhi lifted his head to look at him, and the Alpha continued.

“You can stay without worrying. I won’t do anything to you.”

Then, to ease his concerns, he added, “I’m not here very often.”

After a long while, Fang Fengzhi finally nodded as though he had made up his mind.

This was his only option. There was nothing else he could do.

Author’s note:

I’m writing this story to unwind, so its overall tone won’t be as dark as my previous ones.