Chasing Husband
At 3:17 in the morning, Si Qi woke up in the accompanying chair, his whole body burning hot.
A familiar burning sensation spread from his lower abdomen throughout his body, and beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. He instinctively gripped the armrests of the chair, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. He was all too familiar with this symptom—the susceptible period, the thrice-yearly menstrual cycle of an Alpha, the peak of desire and possessiveness.
But this time was different. It had only been two months since the last susceptible period, a full four weeks early. And the timing was terrible: Shao Wei had just undergone glandular surgery, and the doctor had explicitly forbidden pheromone stimulation. There was also the shadow of genetic experimentation hanging between them. Not to mention the possibility that the mysterious "Watcher" was watching them from somewhere...
"Siqi?"
Shao Wei's hoarse voice echoed from the hospital bed. Moonlight slipped in through the gap in the curtains, outlining his half-sitting figure. Even from three meters away, Si Qi could smell the increasingly distinct scent of cedar—Shao Wei's pheromones were much stronger than usual due to the recovery from surgery.
The smell made Si Qi's lower abdomen tighten even more. He clenched his teeth, trying to control the sudden surge of pheromones, but the scent of sandalwood and tobacco had already filled the entire ward uncontrollably.
"Susceptible period?" Shao Wei's voice was nasal, as if he had just woken up, but he was unusually clear-headed. "But the timing is wrong..."
"It's early." Si Qi squeezed out these words from between his teeth, "I'm going out."
He stumbled to his feet, but his knees buckled as he took his first step. The onset of premature susceptibility, coupled with the damage done to his glands by the surgery, was causing his body to protest. Sweat dripped down his chin, leaving dark streaks on the floor.
A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. It was cold, slender, and belonged to Shao Wei.
"Don't go." Shao Wei had gotten out of bed and stood in front of him. His hospital gown hung loosely on his shoulders, revealing the scar on his collarbone and the new dressing after the surgery. "You're like this... It's dangerous."
Si Qi wanted to object, but a stronger scent of cedar washed over him. Shao Wei was actively releasing pheromones. This realization made Si Qi's mind go blank. Alphas rarely used pheromones to soothe each other; it usually led to conflict rather than comfort. But at this moment, cedar and sandalwood blended strangely in the air, forming a new, dizzying scent.
"You...shouldn't..." Si Qi struggled to form his words, but his instinct made him move closer to the source of the smell. "The doctor...forbids..."
Shao Wei's hand touched the back of his neck, avoiding the surgical wound, and gently pressed the intact gland area. This action made Si Qi tremble all over and almost fell to the ground.
"I know how to help you." Shao Wei's voice was surprisingly calm, with a certain determination, "Lie down."
Si Qi wanted to protest, but his body had already acted before his mind. He slumped down in the accompanying chair, his muscles tense like a fully drawn bowstring. Shao Wei knelt before him, his icy blue eyes gleaming startlingly bright in the moonlight.
"Look at me." Shao Wei ordered, his fingers still pressing on Si Qi's glands, "Just look at me."
Then he did something Siqi could never have imagined—he leaned over and pressed his forehead against Siqi's, releasing an even stronger pheromone. The scent of cedar washed over him like a tide, mingling with the sandalwood. This level of contact between Alphas was practically a declaration of war, but in this moment, it had the opposite effect.
Si Qi's vision began to blur. Amidst the intense heat and desire, he felt a strange calm spreading from the point of contact. Shao Wei's breath puffed on his face, cool and with a faint smell of medicine. They were so close that Si Qi could see the shadows cast by each of Shao Wei's eyelashes.
"Breathe." Shao Wei whispered, his fingers sliding to Si Qi's Adam's apple and pressing gently, "Follow my rhythm."
Si Qi did as he was told. Slowly, his pounding heart began to sync with Shao Wei's, and his burning blood seemed to cool down a bit. But the desire deep within him still clamored, especially when Shao Wei's fingertips accidentally brushed his collarbone.
"Shao Wei..." Si Qi grabbed the restless hand, his voice hoarse, unlike his own, "You know what I want."
Shao Wei's eyelashes trembled, but he didn't flinch. "I know. But not now. Your glands haven't recovered yet."
"Then mark me," Siqi blurted out, then was shocked by his own words. It was simply against nature for an Alpha to ask another Alpha to mark him.
Shao Wei's pupils suddenly contracted. He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head: "No, not now. Not under these circumstances."
Si Qi suddenly rolled over and pinned him to the floor, his hands resting on either side of Shao Wei's head. The action caused a sharp sting in the wound on the back of his neck, but he couldn't care less at the moment. Looking down at Shao Wei's pale face and slightly parted lips, a primal impulse surged through his veins.
"Why not?" Si Qi lowered his head and sniffed the scent on Shao Wei's neck. "We have been designed to be a perfect match, haven't we?"
This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over the two of them. Shao Wei's expression froze instantly, and the warmth in his eyes faded: "Let me go."
Si Qi immediately regretted it. He stood up, but didn't leave completely: "I'm sorry, I'm not—"
"No, you're right." Shao Wei's voice regained the calmness that had broken Si Qi's heart. "We were designed to be like this. Perhaps even at this moment."
He pushed Siqi away, sat up, and straightened his hospital gown. His fingers trembled slightly in the moonlight.
Si Qi grabbed his wrist: "No, I was the bastard just now. I..." He took a deep breath, "The susceptible period made me lose control, but I didn't mean it. I want you, not because of any genetic design, but because... because it's you."
Shao Wei looked up at him, the icy blue in his eyes almost transparent in the moonlight: "How do you prove it?"
Si Qi was stunned. How could one prove that a feeling wasn't programmed? How could one prove that love was a voluntary choice, not a predetermined outcome? He opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly felt a sharp headache, and an unfamiliar image flashed before his eyes—
A white lab... glaring lights... a crying child...
"Siqi?" Shao Wei's worried voice brought him back to reality. "What's wrong with you?"
Si Qi shook his head, and those images immediately disappeared like smoke: "Nothing, just... dizziness."
Shao Wei frowned and reached out to touch Si Qi's forehead: "You have a fever. The susceptible period plus the glandular surgery must have put too much pressure on your body."
He stood up, took the pillow and blanket from the bed, and motioned Siqi to lie down on the floor. Siqi wanted to protest, but a sudden feeling of weakness made him obey.
"I'll go call a doctor," said Shao Wei.
"No!" Si Qi grabbed the corner of his clothes, "Don't go... please."
The word "ask" made Shao Wei stop in his tracks. He looked down at Si Qi, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Finally, he sighed, sat down on the floor, and let Si Qi rest his head on his lap.
"Go to sleep." He whispered, running his fingers through Siqi's hair, avoiding the glandular area. "I'll be here."
This kind of gentleness was too unusual for Shao Wei. Si Qi wanted to ask further, but exhaustion washed over him like a tide. Before falling asleep, he vaguely felt Shao Wei's fingers gently pressing near his temples, and at the same time, the scent of cedar enveloped him again, bringing a strange sense of peace.
In a trance, he heard Shao Wei muttering to himself: "I also saw...that laboratory..."
The next morning, Si Qi was awakened by the sun. He found himself lying in a hospital bed, and Shao Wei was sitting by the window reading the morning paper, as if nothing had happened the previous night. But the dull pain in the glands at the back of Si Qi's neck and the lingering taste of medicine in his mouth told him that it wasn't a dream.
"What time is it?" Si Qi sat up and was surprised to find that the heat from the susceptible period had mostly subsided.
Shao Wei put down the newspaper. "Nine-thirty. Doctor Li came and gave you an inhibitor." He paused. "Your susceptible period was artificially induced."
Si Qi looked up suddenly: "What?"
"Blood tests showed traces of an induction agent." Shao Wei's voice was calm, but his fingers unconsciously crumpled the edge of the newspaper. "It might have been introduced through the ventilation system. Someone was here last night."
Si Qi immediately thought of the passing shadow and the business card on the ground. He reached into his pocket and found the business card was still there.
"Watcher..." he muttered.
Shao Wei's brows furrowed slightly. "Do you know this name?"
Si Qi told him what happened last night. As he spoke, Shao Wei's face became paler and paler, and finally he stood up and paced back and forth in the ward - this was the equivalent of an emotional outburst for the usually calm and self-controlled Shao Wei.
"They want to test us," Shao Wei said suddenly. "They want to induce you into a susceptible period early and observe our reaction. This is...data collection."
Si Qi felt a chill run down his spine. "Are you saying we've become guinea pigs in some kind of experiment? Even now?"
Shao Wei didn't answer directly. Instead, he walked up to Si Qi and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his hospital gown, revealing a barely visible scar below his collarbone. "Remember this?"
Si Qi shook his head. Shao Wei smiled bitterly: "I don't remember how it came about. But I found this this morning." He took out his cell phone and showed Si Qi a photo - a close-up of the scar, which vaguely looked like the shape of the number "7".
"Subject number?" Si Qi guessed, his stomach sinking.
"Very likely." Shao Wei buttoned his shirt back up. "There's something even stranger. This morning, when the nurse drew my blood, I... I knew in advance which vein she would insert the needle. It's like..." He searched for the right words, "muscle memory. But I never studied medicine."
Si Qi recalled the flashes of the lab scene from last night. He was about to speak when Shao Wei's phone suddenly rang. The caller ID read "Unknown Number."
The two looked at each other, and Shao Wei pressed the hands-free button.
"Good morning, Sample Seven," came a digitally processed voice. "Last night's data was very revealing. You established the secondary link much faster than expected."
Shao Wei's fingers tightly grasped the phone: "Who are you?"
"Watcher. Or rather, one of your creators." The electronic voice carried a strange sense of pleasure. "Don't worry, we'll meet soon. After all... you are getting closer to the truth, aren't you?"
The phone was suddenly disconnected. The ward was completely silent.
Si Qi looked at Shao Wei and found that his expression was unusually calm, but something in his eyes had completely changed - it was no longer indifference or restraint, but a sharp, almost wild alertness.
"How long have we been under surveillance?" Si Qi asked softly.
"Maybe since birth." Shao Wei walked to the window and drew aside the curtains. Sunlight poured in, illuminating his pale profile and the taut jawline. "Or even earlier."
Si Qi got out of bed and walked over to him. Side by side, they gazed out the window at the vibrant cityscape. On this ordinary morning, everything felt different. Their past might have been a lie, their memories an implant, but the feeling of standing side by side now was piercingly real.
"No matter what they plan," Si Qi grabbed Shao Wei's hand, "our choice now is our own."
Shao Wei didn't struggle. Instead, he squeezed his hand back, almost painfully. "Then find out the truth. The whole truth."
In the sunlight, the wedding rings on their hands sparkled, a light that felt like both a promise and a challenge.
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