MVCFO CH5

Lu Cong shut his eyes, forcing himself to calm down by refusing to meet Lin Xiangqi’s gaze.

He told himself: Lin Xiangqi is a Beta. Lin Xiangqi doesn’t understand what it means to ask an Alpha for pheromones. Lin Xiangqi is just being playful, just curious, just…

But all his excuses were running out, and even so, Lu Cong could no longer convince himself that Lin Xiangqi’s current behavior was simply playful mischief.

Crawling into an Alpha’s arms, touching the gland at the back of the neck, using that sticky-sweet voice to ask for help, to beg for some pheromones…
Even an Omega wouldn’t casually resort to such high-level seduction tactics.

Lin Xiangqi—who had never even dated—was a Beta. Where had he learned all this? Why would he want to learn it? And how did he dare use it on Lu Cong?

In the midst of the chaos, a memory suddenly flashed through Lu Cong’s mind.
It was like he had caught hold of a clue.

…

Back then, Lin Xiangqi had just “fallen in love at first sight” with Shen Qiaolan.

He had no experience with liking someone, so he clumsily picked up a few “how to pursue someone” tips from others. Then he wrote Shen Qiaolan a love letter.

Granted, the entire letter was copied from a relationship post online—but it was still an effort, and effort counted for something. The next day, he happily gave it to Shen Qiaolan.

But Shen Qiaolan tore the letter up in front of everyone. He looked down his nose at Lin Xiangqi with an air of disdain and said with deliberate cruelty to the Beta:

“Instead of wasting time writing useless things, you might as well learn how Omegas seduce people. Maybe if I’m in a good mood one day, I’ll throw you a bone.”

At the time, Lu Cong had been in the homeroom teacher’s office, helping grade papers. He only heard the full story later, from the classmates’ chatter.

He couldn’t imagine how someone like Lin Xiangqi—so prideful, who had never tried to pursue anyone—could smile like nothing happened and come back to class after being humiliated like that.

Lu Cong had always assumed that after that incident, Lin Xiangqi would grow to dislike Shen Qiaolan. But it turned out things weren’t so simple. Afterward, Lin Xiangqi still kept trying to get close to him.

Not only that—on the very night of the incident, Lin Xiangqi actually went online and searched for all sorts of information about Alpha and Omega pheromone attraction.

But maybe he went down the wrong rabbit hole, or used the wrong keywords, because most of what he found was vague and ambiguous. More than once he accidentally clicked into some shady websites and almost got a virus.

So at two in the morning, he quietly used the spare key to sneak into Lu Cong’s bedroom, crawled under the covers, squished Lu Cong into the corner, and asked:

“Is it true that Alphas can’t like Betas?”

Lu Cong looked at him calmly and said nothing.

Lin Xiangqi rambled on: “I searched online, and it seems like high-level Alphas aren’t willing to be with Betas because their pheromones are more intense—like, their sex drive is really high—and if they don’t have an Omega to help release it over time, they’ll suffer… mmph?!”

Lu Cong clamped a hand over his mouth. At a loss for words, he finally sighed and said helplessly, “Enough.”

Lin Xiangqi mumbled, “Mmmph mmmph?”

Anything to share?

Lu Cong lowered his gaze, lips pressed into a tight line.

He didn’t have anything to share. He simply rolled over, showing Lin Xiangqi the back of his head.

Lin Xiangqi threw his arms around him from behind. “You’re the only high-level Alpha I know. You’re also my best friend. Just talk to me.”

Lu Cong pretended to be asleep.

Lin Xiangqi wouldn’t give up. “I’m not asking for much. I just want to know—if it were you, without any pheromone attraction, could you ever feel something for a Beta? Whether emotionally or physically—would there really be no feelings at all?”

From Lu Cong’s side came a faint sound—too quiet to tell if it was speech, though it sounded like slightly irregular breathing.

Lin Xiangqi: “Did you say something?”

Lu Cong: “No.”

In the end, Lu Cong never did answer Lin Xiangqi’s question.

…

Can an Alpha feel something for a Beta?

Back then, Lin Xiangqi had searched that up for Shen Qiaolan.
So if he also learned how to seduce an Alpha while he was at it—it wasn’t impossible.

All things considered, the most logical guess was that the bold and reckless tactics Lin Xiangqi was using on Lu Cong today were originally meant for Shen Qiaolan.

Lu Cong’s expression darkened instantly.

In just a moment, Lin Xiangqi noticed something odd—Lu Cong’s pheromones seemed to vanish.

“…Hmm?”

He looked at Lu Cong in confusion.

The scent that had been thick in the air was now faint and distant. It wasn’t enough anymore. Lin Xiangqi had been hoping to coax more from the gland itself—but suddenly, it was gone.

This wouldn’t do!

Lin Xiangqi poked Lu Cong in the chest. “Phe-ro-mones.”

Lu Cong looked down at him, expression cold and silent.

He clearly intended to reject Lin Xiangqi’s request.

Lin Xiangqi wasn’t happy with this reaction. A hundred words clogged his throat, but none would come out. He could only bite his lip and stubbornly glare back.

Only then did Lu Cong notice—Lin Xiangqi’s lower lip was split.

It hadn’t happened just now, under his watch. It must have happened earlier.

A small crack ran across the full, pink flesh. He must have bitten down very hard.

Who knows what kind of grievance Lin Xiangqi had suffered to hurt himself like this?

Lu Cong felt a sharp stab in his chest. He reached up almost reflexively, brushing his fingers gently over Lin Xiangqi’s cheek and tracing the pitiful wound with his thumb.

Lin Xiangqi had a small face, with soft, tender cheeks. His pale skin was tinged with a flush of unnatural red.

Lu Cong cradled his chin in one hand—and couldn’t help thinking:
Lin Xiangqi’s favorite strawberry-flavored mochi always had this same texture.
He wondered what it tasted like.

Lost in thought, his fingers slipped. Without realizing, they brushed right against the corner of Lin Xiangqi’s lips.

It was already an inappropriate gesture—but for some reason, Lin Xiangqi was being unusually obedient today. He opened his mouth slightly and clumsily licked Lu Cong’s fingertip.

What… was this?

Another seduction trick he had picked up?

Lu Cong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His blood was burning, on the verge of breaking through his skin.

The next second—Lin Xiangqi suddenly bit down.

His eyes held a threat that was anything but intimidating. He simply held the finger in his mouth and stared at Lu Cong, as if saying:

If you don’t give me pheromones, I’m not letting go.

Lu Cong: “…”

This wicked little kitten act probably wasn’t something he learned online.

He didn’t pull his fingers back, letting Lin Xiangqi bite down weakly. But soon, a warm, wet tongue brushed against his fingertips—Lin Xiangqi, wanting to bite harder, had taken his fingers deeper into his mouth.

Lu Cong realized this was becoming a problem.

If he didn’t stop now, it would be too late. Steeling himself, he withdrew his hand from Lin Xiangqi’s mouth, trying to use his last shred of rationality to explain something—

He must never, ever use this kind of tactic to tempt any Alpha other than him.
Because no one else could resist it.

But just then, Lin Xiangqi switched strategies. He suddenly lifted his head and nuzzled into the crook of Lu Cong’s neck in an affectionate, dependent manner. Again, he said, “Just give me a little more of your pheromones.”

The words died in Lu Cong’s throat. He clenched his jaw, the tension in his arms making veins bulge.

Lin Xiangqi nuzzled again. “…Please?”

All the refusals were finally swallowed back down.

Lu Cong sighed, thinking it didn’t matter anymore.
Whether Lin Xiangqi was practicing some technique to seduce Alphas on him, or just teasing and playing around—it didn’t matter anymore.

He had never been able to say no to Lin Xiangqi. After a moment of looking down in silence, he finally gave in.

“Okay.”

–

Tang Luyu had a private date today. She spent most of the day at home choosing outfits, doing her makeup, and getting ready. Originally, she was going to have her assistant deliver the suppressant to Lu Cong.

But not long after hanging up the phone, she suddenly remembered how Qi Ye had repeatedly warned her before leaving: Lu Cong had never experienced a full susceptibility period from childhood to now. Every time, it was suppressed with medication. If he ever unexpectedly entered susceptibility one day, it would mean his pheromones were on the brink of losing control. The situation would be serious, and Tang Luyu had to check on him personally.

A child of double-A parents born with special genes—if their pheromones spiraled out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable. Although Lu Cong’s self-control had always been praised, he couldn’t be expected to handle an unknown risk alone.

Tang Luyu dared not slack off. She immediately canceled her plans, grabbed her medical kit, and rushed to Lu Cong’s place.

She arrived as fast as possible, but it still took nearly thirty minutes. Worst of all, she tried calling Lu Cong on the way, but no one answered.

Thirty minutes wasn’t short, nor was it long, but it was enough to raise concern.

She had a spare key Qi Ye had left with her. His only instruction was that an Alpha’s territorial instinct—especially for someone of such dominant genetics—was very strong. Unless it was an emergency, she shouldn’t open the door herself. Ideally, Lu Cong should open it for her.

But clearly, this was an emergency.

Unable to get through on the phone, she guessed Lu Cong might have lost consciousness. Without hesitation, she unlocked the door and rushed in.

But the moment she entered the living room, she froze.

No pheromones.

Of course, “no pheromones” didn’t mean there were no residual traces, but from a medical standpoint, there were no active pheromones currently flowing in the air.

In other words, for at least the past ten minutes, Lu Cong had not released any pheromones.

Could it be that his susceptibility period was already over?
Impossible.

Tang Luyu headed upstairs, her mind swirling with speculation.

When she reached the second floor, she was even more stunned.

The bedroom door was slightly ajar, just wide enough to clearly see what was happening inside—

Lu Cong was kneeling by the bedside, his back stiff and tense, staring at Lin Xiangqi, who lay on the bed.

A flurry of wild thoughts exploded in Tang Luyu’s mind. She swore that in her nearly forty years of life, no moment had ever made her more nervous.

She didn’t dare hope for the best, because Lu Cong’s susceptibility periods were dangerously intense, and Lin Xiangqi was a Beta. A Beta couldn’t withstand such potent pheromones!

If Lin Xiangqi had been beside him during an out-of-control susceptibility period, then at best he’d suffer muscle or bone injuries. At worst…

She didn’t even dare imagine.

Tang Luyu burst in. “Lu Cong, tell me what’s going on right now!”

Lu Cong didn’t seem surprised by her arrival. But when he turned around, his expression wasn’t panicked, guilty, regretful, or upset—it was gentle, unconcealed and faintly pleased. He even raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

Tang Luyu: “?”

What kind of reaction was that? It didn’t match the gravity of the situation at all.

Lu Cong tucked the blanket around Lin Xiangqi before standing up and saying to her, “Let’s go downstairs.”

“…”
Tang Luyu, facing a boy twenty years her junior, actually had the odd urge to obey the order instinctively.

She felt a little annoyed at herself, but quickly found a justification—
That aura of effortless authority Lu Cong had wasn’t tied to age. It was a powerful genetic trait that made anyone who smelled his pheromones instinctively submit. Totally normal.

Once she’d reasoned it out, she no longer felt awkward. Straightening her back, she followed Lu Cong downstairs.

“Can you tell me exactly what happened?”
Tang Luyu took out a notebook to take notes—it was her habit to record by hand rather than use electronic devices. “By all logic, you should still be in your susceptibility period. Your pheromones should be unstable. But you seem calm now? And what about that kid, Lin Xiangqi? Was he knocked out by your pheromones?”

“He’s asleep,” Lu Cong answered simply.

“…Okay. Though I’m really curious how he could fall asleep while surrounded by your pheromones, what matters now is—how did you get through your susceptibility period?”

Lu Cong paused, then deliberately ignored her question. Instead, he said, “He said he’s an Omega.”

“What?”
Tang Luyu’s brain nearly short-circuited.

She’d been doing regular checkups on Lu Cong since he was very young, and she had met Lin Xiangqi before. She was sure that he had always been a Beta.

Did he go through secondary differentiation?
When?

Lu Cong couldn’t answer her doubts—because he also wanted her help in figuring that out.

“I didn’t smell any pheromones from him,” Lu Cong said, “But he seemed very sure that he’s an Omega. It’s just that he was under the influence of my pheromones at the time and not very clear-headed. He didn’t finish his sentence. I can’t be sure if he was joking or being serious.”

Tang Luyu thought about it, analyzing the situation. “It’s extremely rare to not differentiate by age eighteen. Schools conduct annual physicals, right? If nothing showed up, that means his glands likely had no signs of development before.”

She paused, then asked, “Exactly how did he say it? Could you describe it in more detail? Did he say he might be an Omega, or did he mention experiencing any physical symptoms?”

This is a very simple question, yet strangely, Lu Cong fell silent.

Tang Luyu asked, “Did you forget?”

“No.”
Lu Cong responded, then quieted again.

Under Tang Luyu’s gaze, his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a dozen minutes ago.

When Lin Xiangqi asked for his pheromones, Lu Cong gave them to him.

Fortunately, Lin Xiangqi showed no adverse reaction at all. He inhaled eagerly, practically clinging to Lu Cong the whole time.

But in the next instant, Lu Cong realized what he was doing and panicked, wanting to stop.

Lin Xiangqi was not pleased. He whimpered, muttering, “I want more,” and when Lu Cong didn’t respond, he bit his shoulder, leaving neat rows of teeth marks.

Lu Cong, helpless, said, “No, your body can’t handle too much pheromone.”

Lin Xiangqi must’ve misheard something, because he replied with great determination, “I can still take more.”

“…”
Lu Cong felt several times like he was on the verge of losing it. He held back and gave another warning. “Betas don’t have glands. You can’t metabolize pheromones. If you keep messing around like this, you’ll get hurt.”

That was when Lin Xiangqi dropped a bombshell.

He said, “But I’m an Omega.”

Lu Cong froze and asked if he even knew what he was saying.

Lin Xiangqi leaned in close to his ear, speaking in a mysterious whisper: “If you give me lots of pheromones, maybe it’ll make me turn into an Omega. Don’t believe me… try it.”

–

After hearing Lu Cong’s abridged version of the story, Tang Luyu managed to suppress her gossipy curiosity and asked in a professional tone, “Did you continue releasing pheromones after that?”

“No.” Lu Cong’s eyes lowered slightly, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t want to take the risk.”

“That was a very good call,” Tang Luyu nodded approvingly. “Without confirming whether his body can tolerate pheromones, it’s safest to keep everything within a manageable range.”

“Even if he really is an Omega, from what you’re saying, he probably hasn’t fully differentiated yet. And your susceptibility period is hard to control. If—”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but Lu Cong understood what she meant.

Even if Lin Xiangqi really was an Omega, that would only mean he wouldn’t die from a pheromone overdose.

But Lu Cong’s susceptibility period was too unpredictable. If he kept releasing pheromones, both of them might lose control.

And at that point, Lu Cong might end up hurting Lin Xiangqi in an entirely different way—
One not necessarily better than physical injury.

“Is there a way to find out more definitively?” Lu Cong asked.

Tang Luyu glanced at him and suddenly gave a knowing smile. “In such a hurry to know the answer?”

Lu Cong, however, appeared more stern. “You’re a doctor. You know better than me what it means if someone still hasn’t differentiated at eighteen.”

He thought of Lin Xiangqi’s plea: “Help me…”

If that wasn’t a teasing line meant to tempt him, then Lin Xiangqi was truly in trouble.

And he—who’d been by Lin Xiangqi’s side all this time—had never noticed a thing.

Lu Cong rubbed at his brow, trying not to let the anxious tension in his heart show too much.

Tang Luyu, sensing his seriousness, dropped her teasing tone and grew solemn. “Of course I’ll schedule a full differentiation test for him. But if the school physicals didn’t detect anything, that means ordinary tests won’t work. We’ll need to do a gland puncture—and we’ll have to wait until he wakes up. On the other hand, you—”

Tang Luyu turned her attention to Lu Cong. “This was your first real susceptibility period. And it was very brief. The pheromones may not have been fully released. If you don’t manage that properly, your glands might suffer side effects. Right now, that’s more urgent. Let’s take care of you first—”

“No rush,” Lu Cong interrupted without hesitation. “He’s more important.”

“Ah…”
Tang Luyu picked up on something from that instinctive answer. She couldn’t help but ask, “Lu Cong, do you want Lin Xiangqi to become an Omega?”

She couldn’t be blamed for being nosy—Lu Cong was a special case.

Although he was still young and not in a rush for romantic entanglements, the truth was, most Alphas his age had already started engaging in all sorts of pheromone interactions with Omegas.

But Lu Cong never had.

His parents had always hoped he’d meet a compatible Omega he liked and lock in the engagement early. After all, relying long-term on medication to suppress his susceptibility was bad for his health. If there were an Omega bonded to him by a mark, his pheromone outbursts would happen less frequently.

But in the eighteen years of his life, Lu Cong had never shown interest in any Omega.

Tang Luyu even recalled something Qi Ye had once told her: the year Lu Cong finished his middle school exams, he had a huge fight with his father. The reason? He refused to enroll in the elite AO academy arranged by his family and instead chose the public school he now attended, one with mostly Betas and only a handful of Alphas.

Qi Ye had joked with her back then, saying, “My son’s a weirdo. Other Alphas his age are dying to chase after Omegas. Mine sees one and immediately walks the other way.”

Tang Luyu had laughed and said, “Your Lu Cong doesn’t just avoid Omegas—he ignores everyone, except that little Beta at his side, Lin Xiangqi.”

And now, years later, that little Beta might be an Omega after all.

Naturally, the question was inevitable—
Would Lu Cong feel any different about Lin Xiangqi now that he might become an Omega?

Tang Luyu really hoped he would say yes.

After all, an Alpha and a maybe-soon-to-be Omega, youth blooming, sparks flying—how could you not root for it?

But Lu Cong only looked at her with a blank expression, revealing nothing of what she hoped to see.

His voice was calm and neutral. After a long pause, he said:

“It doesn’t matter.”