RBNR Ch82: Susceptible period

After helping the two elders complete the room renovations, Qin Bao called a cab and moved some of Feng Chengyu’s belongings back home from his parents’ house.

Sure enough, Feng Chengyu had left him some clothes, all soft sweaters and loungewear. Qin Bao, blushing, sniffed them and found the scent quite faint, likely because Feng Chengyu changed his clothes frequently due to his cleanliness.

However, Qin Bao was already very satisfied!

He knew that the few clothes he had stolen from Feng Chengyu during filming were practically useless, as some had never been worn by Feng Chengyu. They served only as a psychological comfort.

News about Feng Chengyu’s participation in the negotiations with Tuduo was all over the news, with many speculating whether this would mark his return to the Imperial Council. People even left comments on Qin Bao’s flow page, and within a few days, there were over a hundred thousand comments.

On the fifth night after Feng Chengyu left, he video-called Qin Bao.

The ground communication account was provided by the military and was fully monitored, so they couldn’t say much, only exchanging brief updates about their situations.

It was nighttime in the imperial capital. Qin Bao sat on the couch in his living room, illuminated by a soft floor lamp.

On Feng Chengyu’s side, it was the bright interior of the spaceship. He asked, “Aren’t you supposed to attend the film festival tomorrow? Why haven’t you flown over yet?”

“The Seaside Guido” was up for five awards at the Yatan International Film Festival, including Qin Bao’s nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Qin Bao stared at his face and answered, “I’m not going this time.”

Feng Chengyu asked, “Because of my situation?”

Qin Bao nodded and said casually, “It’s just a nomination; it doesn’t matter if I go or not. If I went now, the media would bombard me with questions, and Brother Lu agreed it would be better for me not to go.”

Feng Chengyu smiled, “What if you win?”

Thanks to his good performance in the movie, people had gradually shed their biases against his modeling background. Qin Bao’s lost reputation from “Echoes” was slowly being restored, making him a strong contender for awards this year.

Qin Bao, not one to underestimate himself, replied, “I told Xu Tangzhou that if I win, he should accept the award on my behalf.”

Feng Chengyu asked, “Is he attending too?”

“Yes, they have a movie coming out this year called ‘White Tower,’ which was made by Zhouzhou and Ying Chen.”

Qin Bao continued, “Ying Chen is a judge at the Yatan Film Festival.”

At the end of the year, a significant event occurred: Xu Tangzhou and Ling Che’s compatibility was recalculated using a new formula, revealing an unprecedented perfect match of 100, earning the genius teenager Qiu Yin the title of the youngest Cloverville Prize winner. As Ling Che’s friend and Qiu Yin’s current boyfriend, Ying Chen had also been in the spotlight recently.

After losing his memory and coming to the capital for university, Xu Tangzhou had been roommates with Qiu Yin for nearly four years, forming a bond that linked the four of them together. Qin Bao had even joined their gatherings twice.

Qiu Yin had once asked Qin Bao, “Would you and Mr. Feng be interested in re-testing your compatibility?”

“No need,” Qin Bao replied nonchalantly, “We’ve already been permanently marked. The exact compatibility doesn’t matter anymore.”

Qiu Yin agreed, “That’s true,” and added, “Many people think the new algorithm will always increase compatibility, but that’s not the case. Xu Tangzhou and Ling Che are an exception.”

Qin Bao truly didn’t care if their compatibility had changed. Due to his pheromone rejection syndrome, Feng Chengyu had an irresistible allure to him, already approaching a perfect 100.

The Yatan International Film Festival is an A-list festival, and just being nominated was a great honor. Although Qin Bao couldn’t attend this time, Feng Chengyu felt a bit regretful, “I hope I can accompany you next time.”

“Don’t worry about me; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Do you think I won’t win any awards?” Qin Bao said. “How are things going for you? Smoothly?”

Given the sensitive and confidential nature of Feng Chengyu’s mission, Qin Bao could only ask in vague terms.

“Smoothly,” Feng Chengyu said, suddenly moving closer, his handsome face magnified. He looked down at the screen and lowered his voice, “But I’m not feeling too well today.”

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure, maybe it’s the environment and food here.”

Qin Bao became anxious. “Is there a doctor? There should be a doctor and medical equipment on the spaceship, right? Please get a checkup.”

“It’s nothing serious; I’ve already seen a doctor,” Feng Chengyu assured him. As their call time was nearly up, he looked at Qin Bao and said, “I miss you a lot.”

Qin Bao hurriedly said, “I miss you too.”

In the following days, they didn’t have another call. Although Qin Bao knew Feng Chengyu would be well taken care of, he couldn’t help but worry.

Why would he suddenly have trouble adapting to the environment and diet? They had spent a week in a similar environment during their last interstellar trip, and Feng Chengyu had no issues then.

Lately, Qin Bao hadn’t been able to go out much. Knowing he would be lonely, Xu Tangzhou visited him at home, ostensibly to keep him company but actually to play video games.

Xu Tangzhou had a severe internet addiction. With Ling Che away, he would stay up playing a new game until three or four in the morning. Recently, Ling Che confiscated his equipment, so Xu Tangzhou sent a new set to Qin Bao’s house to sneak in some game time.

Whenever Qin Bao looked out the window, he would casually say, “Ling Che’s here!”

Xu Tangzhou would panic, immediately abandoning his equipment to check by the window, asking, “Where? Is he coming up?”

Qin Bao would deadpan, “He’s about to knock on the door.”

Xu Tangzhou would frantically hide his equipment, making Qin Bao laugh. The fact that this trick worked every time made it even more amusing.

When Xu Tangzhou learned about Qin Bao’s concerns, he retaliated with exaggeration, “Oh no, what if your husband caught an alien virus?”

Qin Bao replied, “…How old are you?”

“Scared, huh? You know, the protagonist in my game gets infected with an alien virus,” Xu Tangzhou said, showing him the game interface. “The virus is colorless and odorless, can teleport and penetrate objects, and once it finds a host, it attacks their central nervous system—”

Qin Bao grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them into Xu Tangzhou’s mouth. “Eat! Maybe that will shut you up!”

Qin Bao’s worries persisted until the military’s spaceship returned and he received news of Feng Chengyu’s safe arrival.

Feng Chengyu didn’t come home immediately. Instead, the Director Feng’s office sent National Security personnel to pick Qin Bao up and take him to the Imperial Capital Guesthouse, a place for receiving foreign guests and important figures. Qin Bao’s grandfather had stayed there for a long time to recover from serious injuries in his youth.

As soon as Qin Bao got out of the car, a doctor was waiting for him. The first thing the doctor said was, “You need to be prepared. Mr. Feng’s condition is quite serious, and he’s been isolated.”

Isolated? Qin Bao’s face turned pale. Could Xu Tangzhou’s joke have come true? Had Feng Chengyu really contracted an alien virus in space?

“We’ve given him some medication, but it’s not very effective,” the doctor explained. “In the first few days, he could barely maintain his condition, but his symptoms worsened during the return trip. The susceptibility period after a permanent mark is tough for an Alpha, especially for an S-class Alpha. It’s almost impossible for anyone to get close to him…”

Qin Bao finally understood. “A susceptibility period?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes.”

“Has he experienced a susceptibility period before?” Qin Bao asked.

The doctor shook his head. Seeing that Qin Bao didn’t fully understand, the doctor explained as they walked upstairs, “An Alpha’s susceptibility period is hard to predict and can’t be prevented. It usually occurs in Alphas who have engaged in frequent marking behaviors, and it’s more pronounced in those with a permanent mark. It’s somewhat similar to pheromone dependence but more severe, resembling an Omega’s heat period.”

Qin Bao recalled learning about this in school health classes. “Is he feeling very uncomfortable?”

“Yes,” the doctor confirmed. “An Alpha in a susceptibility period will experience symptoms like palpitations, agitation, and lack of sleep. If they don’t receive comfort from their Omega in time, they can lose their rationality, show strong hostility towards other Alphas, and exert pheromone suppression on those around them.”

When they reached the floor where Feng Chengyu was, Qin Bao understood what the doctor meant by saying that no one could get close to an S-class Alpha during a susceptibility period. Except for two Beta guards, there was no one else on that floor.

The strong scent of daffodils was overwhelming, making it hard to breathe. As soon as Qin Bao stepped out of the elevator, he felt his legs go weak, and his neck and glands seemed to be under immense pressure, making it difficult to move.

The doctor, being a Beta, couldn’t perceive the pheromones and thus was unaffected. “Mr. Feng has good self-control. So far, he hasn’t harmed anyone and has retained some rationality, though his temperament has changed a bit. When you go in, don’t provoke him. Just go along with him, and once the marking is complete, things will be fine.”

Qin Bao nodded. He touched the door handle and, without much hesitation, pushed the door open. As soon as he stepped inside, the guards quickly shut the door behind him.

Alphas in their susceptibility period hated light, so the room was dim. It took Qin Bao a few seconds to adjust before he could see the familiar tall figure sitting by the bed.

“Feng Chengyu?” Qin Bao called out. The scent of narcissus was intense, causing the glands on the back of his neck to swell and pulse.

The figure shifted slightly, its outline graceful like a painting but remained silent.

Qin Bao’s heart was pounding. He approached the figure and squatted down. “Do you recognize me?”

Feng Chengyu’s face gradually became clear. Qin Bao’s heart gave a heavy thud. His eyes were too cold. Due to their positions, Feng Chengyu looked down at Qin Bao with an almost scrutinizing gaze, devoid of any emotion, like an iceberg in a dark ocean, making Qin Bao’s scalp tingle.

Feng Chengyu extended his left hand, lifting Qin Bao’s chin, and spoke coolly, “Xiao Bao.”

It felt like being in both fire and ice, as Feng Chengyu’s fingers were scorching hot. Qin Bao, oppressed by the Alpha’s pheromones, felt extremely uncomfortable. His beautiful eyes were completely wet, but he was relieved to know Feng Chengyu could recognize him. “It’s me. I’m here. Are you okay?”

“No,” Feng Chengyu replied. “I miss you.”

Before Qin Bao could respond, Feng Chengyu coldly accused, “You weren’t here.”

Qin Bao thought, “…”

Was it his choice to be absent? They should be reasonable.

Feng Chengyu’s thumb was already pressing against his lips, rubbing heavily until they turned a vivid red. Then, without hesitation, his thumb was thrust into Qin Bao’s mouth.

Qin Bao was caught off guard, his breathing became heavy.

A clear metallic sound rang out.

Following the noise, Qin Bao saw that Feng Chengyu’s right hand was handcuffed to the bedpost, his wrist already bearing red and blue marks.

No wonder Feng Chengyu could only move his left hand. It seemed others didn’t dare to restrain him, so Feng Chengyu must have handcuffed himself to avoid harming anyone.

“I’m here now. You don’t need to move, okay?” Qin Bao gently soothed him, releasing some pheromones. “Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you.”

“…Okay,” Feng Chengyu replied.

“Get on,” the Alpha rasped.

His left hand wiped away the moisture from Qin Bao’s lips, and his tall, slender body leaned back.

Qin Bao climbed onto the bed, causing the mattress to sink noticeably.

…

It wasn’t until Feng Chengyu’s canines finally pierced Qin Bao’s glands, releasing the Omega’s pheromones and exchanging them with the Alpha’s, that the humiliating and coldly violent ordeal ended.

There was no communication throughout the process, no tenderness. Because of their complete trust, the change in Feng Chengyu’s temperament acted like a catalyst, making the entire experience intensely and shamefully pleasurable.

Qin Bao was highly cooperative.

When the second round began, he wanted to escape, but the Alpha held him tightly by the waist, forcing kisses upon him.

Despite the drastic change in temperament and the loss of some rationality, Feng Chengyu’s possessiveness did not diminish. Any attempt by Qin Bao to evade was met with severe reprimand.

“Be good,” Qin Bao cried, trying to coax him. “Don’t hold me so tight. Take a bit more of my pheromones, okay?”

“No,” came the robotic reply.

…

“I won’t leave. Just be gentler,” Qin Bao tried to kiss him, attempting to deceive him. “You’re hurting me.”

“…” Feng Chengyu then eased up slightly.

“Good boy,” Qin Bao used his own words to pacify him, only to provoke another fierce assault.

Despite the cold demeanor, Feng Chengyu was unbelievably obedient.

It wasn’t until night had completely fallen that they finally stopped.

This time, it was Feng Chengyu who looked as if he had been fished out of water. The pheromones pent up during his susceptibility period were fully released. His cold, pale body was covered in sweat, his muscular frame strong but fragile.