GBROTAH CH75 [End]

Chapter 75: Black Eros…

The two-month summer vacation earned Xie Yuanxing twenty thousand yuan.

This job was much easier than the one during winter break, requiring only three hours a day. The rest of his time was spent fooling around with Shen Bianye.

When school finally started, Xie Yuanxing felt as if he had been living in another world.

…

Campus life was simple and pure. On the back of Xie Yuanxing’s neck, a Beta’s neck, there was now a permanent pheromone-blocking patch.

Occasionally, when someone saw it, they would give him a well-meaning but teasing smile.

Because almost everyone knew who had left the pheromones on him.

It couldn’t be helped; Shen Bianye was just too famous at school.

After the start of his junior year, the famous Senior Shen, breaking his usual silence, suddenly posted on his social media feed. The content seemed to be related to a scholarship.

But as a junior, he was posting the scholarship announcement for sophomores.

Shen Bianye: “Sophomore Scholarship Recipient List.jpg”
“The adorable hamster, lost in its studies, has finally moved its peanuts back home.”

In the picture, a red circle highlighted Xie Yuanxing’s name.

Not long after, Xie Yuanxing received messages from several people.

Shi Tingting: “Xingxing! You got the scholarship!”
“Congratulations!”

Xie Yuanxing replied, somewhat bewildered, “Thanks, but… how did you know?”
They weren’t even in the same major or class.

Shi Tingting: “Senior Shen posted it on his feed!”

Xie Yuanxing was speechless.

Xie Yuanxing replied to everyone who came to congratulate him and proposed treating them all to a meal.

The bill for that night’s dinner was paid by Shen Bianye.

Because a certain “magnanimous” person was not happy that his baby was using his hard-earned scholarship money to treat others to dinner.

From then on, Shen Bianye’s social media would be updated every few days, and it was always about one person.

In his posts, Xie Yuanxing was a hamster, a cat, a peacock, his star baby. He rarely mentioned Xie Yuanxing’s name, but he made sure everyone who saw it knew he was showing off.

Neither of them brought up the issue of his lifespan again, tacitly cherishing every day they had.

…

Until another winter vacation arrived.

Zhou Chao called. “Are you free? Let’s take a trip abroad.”

Shen Bianye agreed readily. “Sure. It’s about time we went to see a certain Mr. Lu who was exiled abroad.”
Although they sometimes called to check in, it had been a long time since they had seen each other.

Zhou Chao thought to himself, What does that have to do with anything? He then said, “You and Xie Yuanxing should go together.”

Shen Bianye’s brow immediately furrowed. “No, why would Xingxing go to see Lu Qiang?”

Zhou Chao said sullenly, “I remember someone said that when they got a partner in the future, they would definitely be very magnanimous.”
“Is this you being magnanimous?”

Shen Bianye said calmly, “Did I say he couldn’t go?”
“I just have to ask what it’s for.”

Zhou Chao smiled and said mysteriously, “You’ll know when you get there.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to trick you.”

Shen Bianye thought about it. A trip abroad with Xie Yuanxing wasn’t a bad idea. He immediately found Xie Yuanxing and told him about it.

Xie Yuanxing was sitting on the soft sofa with a cushion behind his back. When Shen Bianye walked over, he naturally picked him up and started massaging his lower back.

Xie Yuanxing was as lazy as a cat, allowing himself to be moved into Shen Bianye’s lap without bothering to move.

Hearing from Shen Bianye that Zhou Chao had insisted he come along, Xie Yuanxing’s eyes flickered. He had a guess but didn’t dare to be sure.

He turned his head to glance at Shen Bianye. The latter’s handsome face was calm, as if he hadn’t thought of anything.

Or perhaps, he just didn’t dare to hold onto any extra hope, so he masked it with indifference.

It had been a long time since they’d seen Lu Qiang. He hadn’t changed much—fit and tall, but with an added touch of maturity.

Lu Qiang grinned and extended a hand to Xie Yuanxing. “Long time no see.”

A backpack strap was hooked onto Lu Qiang’s hand, blocking Xie Yuanxing.

Shen Bianye said slowly, “Insisting on helping us with our luggage the moment we meet, how embarrassing.”

Lu Qiang was speechless.

He actually did sling the backpack over his shoulder, walked past the two of them, and gave Zhou Chao, who was behind them, a light hug. They were about the same height and both good-looking, a well-matched pair.

Then he said, “I was originally planning to treat you to a meal before telling you, but I’ll just say it now.”

He looked at Shen Bianye and shrugged. “I’m counting on your problem being solved so you can inherit the group and pull me out of this mess.”

Xie Yuanxing’s eyes flickered, and he asked, “What is it?”

Lu Qiang became serious and said, “It’s like this. After being thrown out of the country, I didn’t have much to do.”
“Knowing that there are a lot of weird research projects here, I got in touch with an institute that studies Alpha-Alpha pheromone repulsion.”
“The AA repulsion problem hasn’t been solved, but they made some other discoveries that are quite important. I asked you to come and see.”

…

Forgetting about eating or resting, the group went straight to the research institute.

In the institute filled with cold equipment and white walls, a researcher in a white coat received them. Perhaps because their field of study was so niche, the lab was very small.

Shen Bianye’s glands were examined, and Xie Yuanxing’s blood was drawn.

Then, with the cooperation of other research departments, a comprehensive examination was completed.

The researcher stood in front of a large examination machine composed of precision instruments, staring at the report, and said to Shen Bianye, “The conclusions those doctors made were based on the assumption that your pheromones couldn’t be soothed or replenished.”
“Strictly speaking, they weren’t wrong.”
“But they didn’t know that people who were predicted to differentiate into Omegas at birth but failed and became Betas are slightly different from ordinary Betas.”
“Between such a Beta and an Alpha, there also exists a hidden, undiscovered compatibility.”

As the researcher spoke, he looked at Lu Qiang. “At the time, our research lacked funding and had hit a bottleneck. We were thinking of pausing it.”
“It was Mr. Lu who invested a sum, saying that this discovery might be useful to his friend.”

He returned to the research. “When we were studying Alpha-Alpha pheromone repulsion, we hypothesized that perhaps the bodies of Betas, who can’t smell pheromones, contain a substance that could neutralize the repulsion between AA pheromones.”
“Based on this hypothesis, we began our research. Because Betas don’t have glands, it was only when we took genetic samples for study that we discovered this hidden compatibility.”

The researcher shrugged. “But unfortunately, this discovery had no effect on Alpha pheromone repulsion.”
“However, your hidden compatibility must be very high, which is why, even though he’s a Beta, he can smell your pheromones.”
“This is also why, even though he’s a Beta, you can ‘taste’ his emotions.”
“As for why you suddenly couldn’t taste them, it was probably because you were too pessimistic about your future. A person’s strong subjective emotions can affect their pheromones.”

As Shen Bianye listened, he felt that it sounded very similar to something he had said before.
He seemed to remember saying it on a call with Doctor Li.
Something about hidden compatibility.
He never would have thought that he could actually be right about something like this.
Medicine really could continue to advance.
Wait.
What if Xingxing heard this and thought he only liked him because of some damn pheromone compatibility?

Shen Bianye subconsciously glanced at Xie Yuanxing and couldn’t help but question, “But Xingxing couldn’t smell my pheromones from the very beginning.”

The researcher explained, “That’s normal. The pheromones of top-tier Alphas are selective and have tendencies.”
“This is also why top-tier Alphas aren’t easily lured into losing their minds by an Omega’s pheromones.”
“He can only smell the signal released by your pheromones because you like him.”
“If I may ask, when was he first able to smell your pheromones?”

As soon as the researcher asked this, both Shen Bianye and Xie Yuanxing fell into a simultaneous silence.
Both of them remembered the incident just three days into the school year, when Xie Yuanxing had been choked to tears by the scent in the dorm room.

Shen Bianye no longer had to think about how to explain to Xie Yuanxing:
He didn’t like him because of some damn pheromones.
What a relief.
Not.

For a rare moment, he felt a bit embarrassed, especially under the half-smiling gazes of Lu Qiang and Zhou Chao.
No matter what, at least in Zhou Chao’s eyes, it had started about a month in.
If he were to say three days…
Liking his baby wasn’t embarrassing, but his old history really couldn’t stand being dug up like this.

Fortunately, the researcher didn’t press the issue, and Xie Yuanxing was kind enough not to say anything.
His baby was truly the most considerate and kind person in the world.
I want to kiss him.

In the brief silence, Xie Yuanxing spoke calmly, “So what you mean is, his lifespan will no longer be affected by pheromone depletion, right?”
His ears, hidden under his black, messy hair, were slightly red. No one could see his slight shyness at that moment.

The researcher replied, “Absolutely not. To be honest, his pheromones were depleted before, but looking at it now, they have been replenished very well.”
He shrugged and said with a bit of a tease, “The frequency between you two must not be low.”
When he had examined Xie Yuanxing, he had seen the pheromone patch on the back of his neck.
For a Beta to need a patch to hide the Alpha scent on him, one could only imagine the kind of affection Xie Yuanxing had received.

Foreigners were open-minded, and besides, the two were in love. These things were normal. The researcher, being half a doctor, said these teasing words very naturally.

But the tips of Xie Yuanxing’s hidden ears grew even hotter.
It wasn’t just “not low”; it was so high that Xie Yuanxing’s legs would go weak.
An Alpha’s desires were strong. He had actually found it difficult to endure. The pleasure exceeded his threshold, creating a thrilling sensation on the verge of collapse.
But always thinking about Shen Bianye’s illness, he had almost never refused.
Now, hearing the researcher say this, Xie Yuanxing wished he could shrink back into the ground.

The researcher added, “His body is healthier than 99% of people.”
“From a health data perspective, he would outlive you even if you were to die first.”

Shen Bianye’s brow immediately locked tight, and he blurted out instinctively, “Baby, if you die, I die too.”

Xie Yuanxing was speechless.
He said calmly, with a strange sense of humor, “Actually, I can still live.”

The other two people standing by had a hard time suppressing their laughter.

The researcher held up his hands. “Relax, relax, I was just making a comparison.”

Shen Bianye’s instinctive words were actually a sign of his extreme anxiety over Xie Yuanxing.
After realizing what he’d said, he didn’t feel awkward, but instead said, “Next time, don’t use Xie Yuanxing as an example.”

…

The problem that had been weighing on his heart, like thorns tightly wrapped around it, their sharp points digging into his flesh, constantly bleeding and giving him no release, was solved so easily.

When Shen Bianye walked out of the institute, the sun was setting in the west, and the afterglow of the sunset spilled over him.

Xie Yuanxing stood beside him, bathed in the light. He turned his head and saw Zhou Chao and Lu Qiang following closely behind.

Shen Bianye suddenly felt that he was, indeed, a very lucky person.

He had a lover who would be true to him until death, friends who cared for him no matter the circumstances, and although he had been tormented by illness, heaven had finally shown him favor.

Xie Yuanxing took his hand and pulled him aside to whisper.
The moment he opened his mouth, the smile on Shen Bianye’s face completely collapsed.

Xie Yuanxing said, “I’ve already decided. For the next month, we’re going to be celibate.”

Shen Bianye looked as if he had been struck by lightning, in utter disbelief. “Baby?”
“You can’t do this to me, baby.”

Xie Yuanxing shook his head again. “Never mind.”

Shen Bianye had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Xie Yuanxing say, “A month is too short. Let’s make it half a year.”

Xie Yuanxing, with a heart of stone, shook off his hand and walked ahead.
The huge stone in his heart had finally settled, and his steps felt much lighter. He turned back and said to Shen Bianye, “I want to go see that very famous statue.”

His chin was slightly raised, like a haughty peacock. “Accompany me.”

Shen Bianye strode forward to catch up. “Whenever baby wants to go, wherever you want to go, it’s all fine.”
“But half a year is too long, baby.”

The corner of Xie Yuanxing’s lips curled up. “Then let’s make it a year.”

Shen Bianye was speechless.

He suddenly felt that he wasn’t that lucky after all.

If he were truly lucky…

Baby would be willing to reward him every day, instead of a cold:

“One year.”

Shen Bianye’s expression changed again and again. He followed behind Xie Yuanxing, starting to ponder if not going all the way would still count as celibacy.

He could still lick his baby.

Satisfaction guaranteed.

The sun behind them was a warm yellow, slowly sinking, sinking into a black eros.

Their shadows were stretched long.

Intertwined, entangled, inseparable from each other yet rejecting all others, destined to be only the two of them, together sinking into a sticky swamp of desire.

(End of Main Story)