The Sudden Heat

The weather forecast said the temperature would continue to drop in the afternoon. By around three, it had already fallen to zero degrees, and rain was still falling outside. The cold wind howled relentlessly through the windows into the classroom. An Ran hugged his arms and rubbed them, feeling the biting cold even through his thick cashmere sweater.

Luckily, he had brought some hand warmers before leaving. He stuck several onto his thin undershirt, and only then did his body start to feel warm.

Fu Zao lay sprawled on the desk, lazily muttering, “This weather is perfect for staying in bed and sleeping in, not for sitting in a freezing classroom listening to boring, dry lectures.”

An Ran nodded in agreement. It was so cold that even pulling his hands out of his pockets took courage, let alone doing something as arduous as taking notes. He tried to write, but his hand was shaking so much from the cold that his characters came out crooked and ugly.

They barely made it to the end of class, but the rain outside was falling harder than ever. An Ran and Fu Zao were trapped in the classroom.

The rain was pouring down. Walking from the classroom to the cafeteria would definitely leave them soaked. He didn’t want to turn into a drowned rat, so he canceled the hot pot plan. Going back to the dorm to eat some instant noodles to fill his stomach would have to do.

As the rain intensified, An Ran’s patience trickled away. He couldn’t calm down no matter what, and an inexplicable sense of anxiety spread through his heart.

The hand warmers stuck to his clothes had already hardened and stopped generating heat. The cold air outside kept drilling in through his sleeve openings.

Though the weather was getting colder, he felt hotter and hotter. Even his icy hands and feet grew warm, so warm that they began to sweat slightly.

The air around him became thick, as if various perfumes had mingled into a strange, unpleasant odor that made it hard for him to breathe. It even triggered a physical aversion, making him want to vomit.

He wanted to open the window and let the cold wind disperse the strange smell lingering in the air.

The suffocating heat reminded him of the oppressive feeling during his last high-speed rail ride home.

All the other classmates were shivering from the cold; only An Ran felt hot. He touched his forehead and cheeks, suspecting he had a fever.

He didn’t know how much longer the rain would last. An Ran didn’t want to stay in the classroom waiting for it to stop. He had to move, to get back to the dorm before he lost consciousness, take some fever medicine, and get a good sleep.

With that thought, An Ran grabbed his umbrella and hurriedly said goodbye to Fu Zao: “I’m not feeling well. I can’t keep waiting. Xiao Zao, I’m heading back to the dorm first.”

Fu Zao saw the unnatural flush on his face and asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Your face is really red. Do you have a fever?”

An Ran shook his head. The stifling heat grew heavier, making it hard to breathe. “I don’t know. I just feel off all over. I want to get back to the dorm and rest. Even if I get caught in the rain, it’s fine. I can take a hot shower right away.”

Fu Zao said, “Then hurry back. The rain’s too heavy. Watch your step.”

The moment An Ran stepped out of the classroom, the cold wind kept crashing into his chest. The stifling heat instantly dissipated, and even that strange smell faded away, leaving only a faint scent of peach.

He was momentarily startled by the familiar peach scent, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. He rushed toward the dormitory building under his umbrella.

People in the heavy rain hurried past. An Ran’s umbrella covered most of his face. He felt his consciousness growing fuzzier and could only quicken his pace, forcing himself forward. He couldn’t collapse halfway.

“f*ck! What kind of weather is this? Is this rain ever going to stop?”

Lu Ye shook the water off his clothes and wiped his face. The downpour had drenched him to the bone.

It was already dinner time, and it was too cold. If he ordered takeout, it would be cold by the time it arrived at school. He might as well go to the cafeteria.

Hot pot was out of the question. Helpless, he and Gong He could only return to the dorm the same way they came, waiting for the rain to stop before going out again.

A black umbrella brushed past, splashing water droplets onto Lu Ye’s newly dried down jacket, making it wet again.

“Shit!”

“Hey?!”

“You, the student in front! Are you blind?”

“I’m calling you! Can’t you hear?”

Lu Ye shouted angrily at the retreating figure, and was about to say more when he suddenly froze. He sniffed deeply at the air. “What’s that smell? It’s weirdly sweet.”

Gong He, standing beside him, narrowed his eyes sharply. He turned his head abruptly toward the small, thin figure running into the elevator.

The sweet scent of peach lingered in the air. Watching the elevator rise, Gong He furrowed his brow deeply and only said, “I have something to do. I’m going back to the dorm.”

“???” Lu Ye caught the umbrella Gong He tossed at him, shook off the water with a grimace, and muttered, “What’s so urgent?”

But Gong He was already taking long strides up the stairs.

By the time he burst back into the dorm, breathing heavily, he saw An Ran frantically pressing the door lock.

The heavy rain had slowed the airflow, and the damp air…

Gong He’s expression turned stern. He hurried over behind An Ran, reached out, and wrapped his arm around his waist.

Only when An Ran stepped into the dorm did he finally relax. His legs gave way, and he collapsed into Gong He’s arms.

Gong He caught him and was startled by his scorching hot temperature.

An Ran’s lips were pale, but his face was unnaturally flushed.

“You have a fever?” Gong He quickly opened An Ran’s door, gently laid him on the bed, and softly called his name: “An Ran?”

An Ran was burning with fever, his body still heating up. He couldn’t hear what others were saying.

Unable to bear the heat, he tried to take off his down jacket.

His wet trousers stuck to his legs, making him feel terribly uncomfortable.

“So hot.”

An Ran’s consciousness was fading. His blazing temperature made him feel like a fish tied to a rack and being roasted over a fire.

He struggled to take off his jacket and started on his trousers, but couldn’t undo the button. In desperation, he grabbed Gong He’s hand and pressed it to his waistband, whimpering, “It hurts so much. Help me take them off.”

Gong He took a deep breath, his grip tightening on An Ran’s waistband. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he fought to control his impulse. He used his other hand to pinch An Ran’s chin, applying slight pressure. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

An Ran shook his head, half-closing his eyes. His nose was red as he sobbed, “I just know I feel terrible. I’m so hot. Help me.”

Unlike a normal fever, his temperature was skyrocketing with no time to adjust. The gland at the back of his neck swelled, emitting a strong Omega pheromone.

An Ran couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it hurt. He just felt like a fish desperate for water, like parched grass.

He broke free from Gong He’s hand and burrowed into his arms again like a cat, seeking the Alpha’s pheromones.

Gong He held him, seduced by his pheromones. A fire seemed to ignite inside him, burning with restless heat, threatening to destroy all his reason.

*Mark him.*

The words circled in his mind.

Suppressed desires were about to break the cage within him. Even his breathing trembled.

Gong He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. The scent of peach filled his nostrils. His pheromones stirred restlessly.

An Ran tore at his own clothes while gently licking and biting Gong He’s neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses.

It was an Omega’s instinct—seeking solace from an Alpha’s pheromones.

Gong He tried to release a little pheromone, but it triggered a violent reaction from An Ran.

An Ran reached out to him, began pulling hard at his collar, trying to get more pheromones.

Gong He grasped his hand. The fire inside him surged, ready to drown his reason at any moment. His breaths came faster as An Ran drew closer. The hand holding An Ran’s arm turned white from the force.

An Ran felt the pain and had a brief moment of clarity. He looked at Gong He and asked blankly, “What’s happening to me?”

Gong He lowered his eyes to hide the burning heat. His Adam’s apple bobbed. A hoarse voice fell at An Ran’s ear: “You’re in heat.”

“What?” An Ran didn’t understand what he said. Desire screamed inside him. The gland on his neck became unusually swollen and red from the lack of an Alpha’s soothing. The wave of heat drowned his reason again.

Gong He’s jaw was tight. He carried An Ran to his bedroom. Watching An Ran lie on his bed, he lost control for a moment, almost compelled to mark An Ran right then and there.

He knelt on one knee between An Ran’s legs. One more step—tear off An Ran’s clothes, grasp the back of his neck and inject pheromones, then pull down his trousers…

An Ran would be completely his.

Looking at An Ran beneath him, Gong He held the hem of his shirt. Even his fingertips turned white from the strain. But in the end, he let go.

He couldn’t do this.

He couldn’t mark An Ran like this.

He couldn’t push An Ran further away.

He got up and went to the bedside cabinet, searching for suppressants in the drawer.

When he wiped An Ran’s arm with alcohol, his hands trembled.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

An Ran clung to him as soon as he got close, crying and begging him to release pheromones.

It wasn’t that Gong He didn’t want to release pheromones to soothe An Ran. He was afraid that once he did, he would lose control.

His own rut had already been triggered by An Ran’s pheromones. His reason teetered, and at any moment he might pounce and mark An Ran without thinking.

An Alpha in rut had no reason.

Soothing An Ran, he injected him with a suppressant, then gave himself two shots.

After the suppressants, Gong He felt a little clearer. He dialed Lu Ye’s number and asked him to bring the car to take him and An Ran to the hospital.

Lu Ye exclaimed, “Your rut hit?”

Sweat dripped down Gong He’s face from his forehead as he urged, “Hurry. I can’t hold on much longer.”

Lu Ye immediately scrambled out of bed: “I-I-I got it! I’m coming now! Hang in there, man. We’re still on campus!”

Gong He ignored his nonsense, tossed the phone aside, and checked on An Ran.

An Ran rubbed against his blanket, and pounced on him again when he came closer, collapsing weakly in his arms.

The shot of suppressant hadn’t done much for him. But Gong He had no more.

“Mark me.”

“H.”

“Why won’t you mark me?”

An Ran sobbed quietly, delirious from the heat’s torment, mistaking Gong He for his online boyfriend H, hoping for the Alpha’s mercy.

Gong He’s reddened eyes stared fixedly at An Ran’s face. His every breath was filled with the enticing peach pheromone. His mind began to cloud, his breathing heavy, desire churning in his eyes.

“Who am I?”

An Ran reached out for a hug, sobbing coquettishly, “H, you’re H.”

Gong He gave a low laugh. “Yeah, I’m H.”

The whispered words fell at An Ran’s ear. Gong He could no longer suppress the burning lust inside him. He forcefully picked up An Ran, turning him around so An Ran’s back faced him. Seeing the already swollen and red gland, Gong He bit down hard, injecting his pheromones, completing a temporary mark.