MVCFO CH28

The Betas still didn’t realize what had happened.

Because Omega pheromones aren’t dangerous and don’t cause harm. If one can’t smell them, they’re almost undetectable.

So when people saw Lin Xiangqi faint, no one suspected glandular differentiation. The immediate assumption was simple: he had overexerted himself after that 400-meter sprint and collapsed from exhaustion.

It made sense.

But on the nearby track, a few Alphas who happened to be close reacted differently.

They had clearly already caught a whiff of something sweet in the air, and now looked toward the commotion in the stands with curious and slightly excited expressions, searching for the source of the scent.

It’s often said that Alphas and Omegas are creatures of instinct—once attracted by pheromones, they lose their reason and are driven by desire.

But until today, these young Alphas never really believed that. After all, even when they encountered pretty, sweet-looking Omegas, they might feel a flutter, but nothing more—never a physical reaction.

Yet this scent—this moment—shattered all that.

In a single breath, they lost themselves.

The same thought flashed through each of their minds: they wanted the person that scent belonged to.

It didn’t matter whether it was a boy or girl. It didn’t matter how they had to take them—only that deep, primal urge to possess was stirring restlessly within them. Some of them had already started to release their own pheromones.

Part of it was to elicit a response from the Omega. The other part? To compete with the other Alphas around them.

Even if they hadn’t fully processed what they were smelling, their instincts were already steering them in one direction.

“What’s going on?”

“Someone from Class 7 of Grade 12 fainted.”

“Fainted? A Beta? How’d that happen?”

“Smells so good… That can’t be a Beta. Did anyone see clearly who it was? Where?”

“Who the hell are you? Hey, back off! Damn it, don’t push me!”

Lu Cong held Lin Xiangqi in his arms, his face cold and expression grim. His piercing gaze swept across the worried faces around him, quickly identifying the few Alphas who were trying to get closer.

Beside him, Chen Qiutian was still picking up Lin Xiangqi’s clothes and bag. When he stood up and noticed Lu Cong wasn’t moving, he asked cautiously, “Class rep… what’s wrong? Aren’t we going to the infirmary?”

Lu Cong didn’t answer right away. He neither explained nor made any move to leave with Lin Xiangqi. He simply gave Chen Qiutian a terse order: “Step back.”

Chen Qiutian was confused, but his survival instinct told him this wasn’t the time to argue. He instantly jumped back several meters.

In just one second, the previously noisy crowd went completely silent—like someone had hit the mute button.

Everyone instinctively clutched their noses in shock.

The Alphas who had tried to approach earlier also froze in place. The dreamy, dazed expressions on their faces vanished in an instant. They all looked horrified.

“Holy crap—something’s burning?! Cough cough!”

“No, it’s an Alpha’s pheromones—someone’s unleashing their scent!”

“…This is f***ing brutal! Ugh—I can’t—my head hurts!”

“Get back! Everyone get back—ugh!”

The sweet coconut-milk scent they’d been following was suddenly, completely overwhelmed by a new, fierce scent—sharp like gunpowder and fire.

In the ensuing chaos, no one even remembered the Omega scent or the person it belonged to. Their minds, like a defense system reacting to danger, seemed to wipe the memory clean—leaving only fear and instinctual retreat.

Lu Cong’s pheromones were vicious by nature. Just a breath of them felt like smoke and ash being forcefully poured into one’s eyes, nose, and mouth. In seconds, people couldn’t open their eyes, speak, or breathe properly.

The Betas were better off—they couldn’t smell the scent clearly, but their bodies still reacted. Uncomfortable, they instinctively moved away from the source.

As for those Alphas—they were already scrambling to flee, tripping over themselves.

And even though they ran as fast as they could, they couldn’t escape the impact of that oppressive pheromone wave.

This kind of high-level genetic suppression was terrifying—whether for Alphas or Betas.

Only after everyone’s attention had shifted to “some Alpha’s pheromone outbreak” did Lu Cong finally start walking away.

Soon, everyone realized—the scent came from Lu Cong.

So the very same Lu Cong who had been cheered and celebrated moments earlier for winning the race now became the one everyone was desperate to avoid.

Countless shocked, fearful, and wary eyes followed him from a distance.

But Lu Cong didn’t care.

He had already achieved his goal.

Now, no one was talking about that brief Omega scent from earlier, because the entire field was blanketed by the overwhelming force of this Alpha’s pheromones.

Several teachers and Qin Xiao rushed over to block Lu Cong’s way.

They had come because they heard Lin Xiangqi had fainted. But upon arrival, they realized Lin Xiangqi was no longer the focal point.

What worried them more was whether Lu Cong—while in this state—might accidentally hurt someone while carrying Lin Xiangqi away.

“Lu Cong, put Lin Xiangqi down first. Can you hear me?”

Qin Xiao was a Beta too, but as a middle-aged one, his glandular function had degraded more than the students’, so the pheromone effect on him was milder. He wasn’t as afraid of Lu Cong’s presence.

But he still felt it.

Because Lu Cong’s pheromone concentration was simply too strong—no one could ignore the invisible pressure hanging in the air.

And that only made Qin Xiao more nervous.

He had never seen Lu Cong release this much pheromone at school. The last time something similar happened, it was because Shen Qiaolan provoked him—and even then, Lu Cong had shown restraint, reining it in the moment his classmates started reacting poorly.

But what Lu Cong did today—acting like this—was completely unlike him. And since he didn’t respond when spoken to, Qin Xiao assumed he had lost control.

“Lu Cong, calm down. Stop releasing your pheromones, or else…” Qin Xiao hesitated, unable to continue.

Teacher Zhou from the infirmary, who wore professional pheromone-protection gear, picked up where he left off and warned, “Student, if you’re still lucid, give us some kind of response. Otherwise, we’ll treat this as a pheromonal outburst due to unconsciousness, and we’ll be forced to subdue you.”

She held a suppressant and a tranquilizer specifically for Alphas. The message was clear: if Lu Cong didn’t rein in his pheromones, she’d inject him with both.

But none of them knew that suppressants didn’t work on Lu Cong at all.

They might think that forcibly injecting a young Alpha was already a very harsh measure. As long as Lu Cong had any shred of rationality, he’d definitely stop.

What they didn’t know was—Lu Cong didn’t care.

He had no intention of responding and let them misunderstand all they wanted.

His pheromones kept spilling out, enveloping the Omega in his arms, thoroughly concealing Lin Xiangqi’s scent.

Just like that, Lu Cong walked forward expressionlessly.

The teachers exchanged worried looks.

“Has anyone called the police?”

“No, there’s no time. We need to stop him—student safety comes first.”

“We tried! When Mr. Li got close, he collapsed and hasn’t gotten up!”

“Here’s the plan—Mr. Qin, call Lu Cong’s parents and ask if there’s any prior history. Maybe they know how to handle this. And Zhou, you try to get close and inject him with a suppressant.”

In the end, Teacher Zhou, geared with protective equipment, was tasked with the job. She ran toward Lu Cong with the suppressant in hand.

She jabbed it into his arm and injected it as quickly as possible. But when she looked up instinctively, she saw that Lu Cong hadn’t reacted at all.

The pheromones only grew stronger. Her hand trembled as she realized, in horror, that even her protective gear couldn’t fully block out Lu Cong’s scent.

Her legs buckled, and she crumpled to the ground.

Other teachers rushed over to help her up, but no one dared go after Lu Cong again.

In the end, they could only watch helplessly as Lu Cong left.

Qin Xiao soon got through to Qi Ye on the phone.

He quickly explained the situation: “Lu Cong’s current state has frightened us all. Has he ever had an episode like this before? Our school doctor suspects his gland might be diseased, affecting his brain. He couldn’t even communicate with us—it seems serious…”

Surprisingly, Qi Ye didn’t react with the expected panic. She calmly asked, “Mr. Qin, has anyone at school been injured? Has his behavior affected the others?”

“Uh, no one was hurt. Once Lu Cong left, everyone’s discomfort faded. Since it was outdoors, the pheromones dispersed quickly. After a short break, the sports meet resumed as normal. Right now, the only thing we’re concerned about is that he took Lin Xiangqi with him.”

Qin Xiao hadn’t interacted much with Lu Cong’s parents before, so he didn’t know whether Qi Ye was strict or lenient. Worried that she might be too harsh with Lu Cong afterward, he added, “Actually, we all believe Lu Cong didn’t do this on purpose. He’s usually very mature and responsible. For him to act like this today, it’s probably due to some issue with his glands. He couldn’t control the pheromones.”

“Betas have low tolerance for Alpha pheromones, and Lin Xiangqi had already fainted before Lu Cong took him. We’re afraid something might happen, so we’re organizing a team of three teachers—including myself—to visit his home. I’m not sure what your occupation is, but I’ve heard you and Lu Cong’s father are often away on business? In any case, I strongly suggest a parent returns as soon as possible.”

There was a moment of silence on Qi Ye’s end before she said, “Mr. Qin, you don’t need to worry. Lu Cong…”

She had wanted to say that if Lu Cong’s pheromones had truly spiraled out of control, they would’ve hurt people. The fact that no one was harmed meant he had exercised restraint.

But she didn’t say that aloud.

Qi Ye didn’t claim to fully understand her son, but she knew enough.

Lu Cong always acted with intent. He had a strong sense of responsibility and would never act recklessly.

For him to release his pheromones in front of the entire school was so absurd and out of character, it actually gave Qi Ye a different impression: Lu Cong had done it deliberately.

He had used one shocking act to cover up another even more astonishing truth.

Reckless, yes. But also effective.

Qi Ye changed her tone and said, “Thank you, Mr. Qin. I’ll return as soon as possible. Please tell the school administration that there’s no need to go looking for Lu Cong. I’ll handle the matter myself.”

Qin Xiao didn’t quite understand. He felt her reaction was far too indifferent: “I still think I should go. It’s no trouble—I can drive there in ten minutes.”

Qi Ye replied, “That won’t be necessary.”

Lu Cong’s family had always been shrouded in mystery. Since his enrollment, neither parent had ever appeared at a parent-teacher conference. It was always a representative. Detailed information about them was scarce.

Qin Xiao once suspected Lu Cong’s parents might work in government—and not in minor roles. Maybe that explained the secrecy, to avoid unnecessary social entanglements.

At first, Qin Xiao had spoken politely, but Qi Ye’s tone made him feel she didn’t care about her son at all, so he became more assertive:

“Ma’am, even if you’re not worried, the school still has an obligation to ensure the student’s safety.”

Qi Ye replied, “I care deeply for my son, and I’m also concerned about Lin Xiangqi. That’s why I’ve already arranged for a doctor to pick them up. If you go now, you might miss them.”

“Oh, I see,” Qin Xiao replied awkwardly. “In that case… let’s stay in touch. If possible, please share the doctor’s contact information with me.”

Qi Ye wasn’t great at formalities, but she still managed to say, “You’re a responsible teacher. Thank you.”

/

Seven or eight used injector-style suppressants lay scattered on the floor.

Lu Cong was still searching for more.

The house was sealed tight, every window and door shut. He had locked both Lin Xiangqi’s scent and his own inside.

When the final shot was administered, there wasn’t a patch of unbroken skin left on his arms.

Lu Cong closed his eyes and stood still for a long while, then finally walked upstairs.

The sixth time his phone rang, he had just pushed open the bedroom door.

Irritated, he meant to hang up again.

But his hand trembled uncontrollably this time—he missed the swipe, and accidentally answered the call.

Tang Luyu was practically shouting, “Lu Cong, you need to separate from Lin Xiangqi immediately! An Omega in the middle of differentiation is extremely fragile—both gland-wise and mentally. He absolutely cannot endure any stimulation from you. Don’t do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life!”

Lu Cong’s canines ground together with a painful sound. His jaw was clenched tight, the veins on his neck bulged. After a long moment, he finally swallowed his agitation and rasped, “I don’t plan to do anything.”

“Then get out of that house!” Tang Luyu’s voice was laced with desperation. “I’ll be there in five minutes—no, three! Lu Cong, no matter how much you think you can resist, don’t go near him. Your compatibility is too high. You cannot reject his pheromones. But you absolutely must not mark him during his differentiation—it’ll ruin him!”

Lu Cong fell silent. Tang Luyu thought he’d understood, but then she suddenly heard him ask:

“It was okay before. Why isn’t it okay now?”

Tang Luyu’s heart sank. She sensed something was wrong with Lu Cong’s tone and quickly explained, “Listen carefully—because you marked him before, his glands have developed a dependency on your pheromones. If you mark him again now, his glands will prioritize accepting your pheromones and halt the differentiation process. But Lin Xiangqi’s glands are already going through a second development. If this differentiation fails, he could be left with permanent glandular damage.”

Lu Cong said nothing.

Tang Luyu checked her navigation—just one more turn, 300 meters. She was sweating from anxiety.

“Lu Cong, one impulsive moment could destroy his future. Just leave. If you can’t smell his pheromones, you’ll be able to calm down—”

“No.” Lu Cong’s voice was low, heavy. He stepped into the room. “He’s calling me.”

Tang Luyu paused—then let out a nearly hopeless sigh. “Damn it…”

She had no doubt that Lu Cong had already been completely enthralled by the Omega.

And she couldn’t blame him—because with a compatibility that high, no Alpha in history had ever resisted an Omega like that.

Let alone a 100% compatibility match.

The fact that Lu Cong hadn’t marked Lin Xiangqi while still at school was already a miracle born of years of habitual self-control.

An Omega in the middle of differentiation secretes constant pheromones; their glands and reproductive system go through final maturation over a period of 3 to 5 days.

If they are marked during this process, it can hinder that development.

Ordinary Omegas who receive timely medical attention during differentiation can sometimes complete the process.

But Lin Xiangqi was different—his glands had only just recovered from a serious illness. If Lu Cong lost control now, Lin Xiangqi’s future would be even harder than his past.

Because at least before, Lin Xiangqi could still absorb Lu Cong’s pheromones. But if the differentiation fails, his glands will lose even that function.

He’d become someone who could smell pheromones—but not absorb them. A cripple.

Tang Luyu pushed her speed to the limit, but she feared…it was already too late.

“Lu Cong…”

“Mm?”

“It hurts so much… my glands… they’re so swollen…”

“Don’t scratch them.”

“Why are you just standing there? Come here.” Lin Xiangqi weakly lifted his arms. “…I want a hug.”

Lu Cong lowered his eyes. Countless chaotic colors flickered through the depths of his dark pupils.

In the end, he walked over to Lin Xiangqi, crouched down beside him, gently patted his back, and pressed down the hand that was trying to claw at his glands. “Be good.”

“I am being good…” Lin Xiangqi looked at him with pitiful, tear-reddened eyes. “Why won’t you mark me?”

Lu Cong turned his face away. The sweet, rich scent of Omega pheromones clung to his nose, but he acted like he didn’t notice. “I can’t. Not now.”

“Then hug…”

“Can’t do that either.”

“I feel like I’m going to die. I’m not lying—the ceiling’s spinning, the blanket’s on fire, I’m hot, and I hurt, and I’m dizzy.” Lin Xiangqi was barely coherent anymore, unsure if he was dreaming or awake. All he wanted was for Lu Cong to give him a bit of pheromone comfort. “But if you bite me, just once, it’ll stop. Just one bite.”

Lu Cong closed his eyes tightly, clenching his teeth. But in the end, he couldn’t resist the sudden surge of Omega pheromones.

He leaned down and wrapped his arms tightly around Lin Xiangqi.

Like dry, cracked earth finally receiving the rain it had been waiting for.