The Scent of the Iris and the Auctioneer’s Invitation

Li Chen squatted by the bed, silently watching Shi Ji’s solitary busyness. The man had somehow produced a mountain of pillows, stacking them one by one between himself and the youth. The once spacious bed was forcibly divided into two narrow, cramped sections.

Shi Ji knit his brows, calculating the most “reasonable” division. Several times, the leaning tower of pillows toppled over. Li Chen simply blinked, yawning every now and then as he watched.

When Li Chen was stubborn, no one could stop him, but Shi Ji was equally persistent. Finally, the two zones were defined. Shi Ji placed the final pillow atop the wall and gave a satisfied nod after a careful inspection.

Shi Ji tossed a second quilt over to Li Chen. His peripheral vision caught the youth’s hand stealthily reaching over the pillow barrier toward him. Without mercy, he slapped the back of Li Chen’s hand. The “puppy” let out a pained “ow!” and retracted his arm as if he’d touched a live wire.

“Tonight, you are absolutely forbidden from crossing this line,” Shi Ji pointed at the pillow wall. “Or I’m kicking you out immediately.”

Li Chen bundled the quilt into his arms and looked at Shi Ji with a signature aggrieved expression.

Shi Ji gave it a single glance before turning away. He crawled under his own covers and turned his back to Li Chen. “Playing piteous won’t work. I’m immune to that trick now.”

Li Chen stared fixedly at the back of the man’s head, his black hair scattered across the pillow. He swallowed hard and once more reached out a hand. Before he could even clear the pillow wall, Shi Ji’s cold voice rang out: “Try moving one more time.”

The warning was sharp. Li Chen’s fingers froze mid-air, trembling slightly. He retracted his hand with a look of immense displeasure and grumbled, “Brother is so childish.”

Using such a primary-school tactic to keep distance?

Li Chen lay down sullenly, pulling the quilt over his head to cocoon himself, rolling back and forth in frustration. It wasn’t until the oxygen grew thin that he poked his head out. He instinctively looked toward Shi Ji; the man remained in the same position, indifferent to his antics.

Li Chen bit his lower lip, his fingers twisting a corner of the soft fabric into a mess. This feeling of being ignored made him even more irritable.

He lowered his lashes, his gaze “licking” over Shi Ji’s skin under the warm yellow light. Then, like a ghost, he rose and leaned over.

His palm sank into the soft mattress. The room was so quiet that even the faint creak of the springs felt like thunder. Li Chen carefully bypassed the pillows and invaded Shi Ji’s territory.

His shadow loomed over the man. Shi Ji was fast asleep, his quilt rising and falling with his steady breathing. The lamplight fell on his cheek, making his slightly pursed lips appear even more flushed.

Li Chen stared at the refined curve of his profile.

Just a moment ago he was so wary, and now he’s completely defenseless. So lax that an intruder is right beside him and he has no idea.

So stupid.

Li Chen couldn’t help but think it. Shi Ji’s threats had zero effect on him; in fact, the more the man resisted, the more Li Chen wanted to force him to submit.

He took pleasure in breaking Shi Ji’s defensive lines, dragging him out of his safe zone just to see him afraid, trembling, and begging for mercy with reddened eyes.

A thin layer of muscle rippled on Li Chen’s bracing arms. He thinned his lips and raised his other hand to touch Shi Ji’s cheek. The slight contact didn’t wake the man, so Li Chen grew bolder, stroking from the brow bone down to the chin.

He gently kneaded Shi Ji’s earlobe, watching the pale flesh flush red under his “torment.” Resisting the urge to lick it, he brushed away the hair at the nape of the man’s neck, revealing the fair skin.

Shi Ji had a beautiful, slender swan neck. His Adam’s apple was small, a slight protrusion beneath the skin that felt as though it could be taken into a mouth and bitten just to hear him let out an uncontrollable moan.

Li Chen’s gaze swept over Shi Ji inch by inch. He felt his internal temperature rising as if a fire were spreading through his limbs. The fingers stroking Shi Ji grew hot, sliding slowly along the veins beneath the thin skin.

Then, he stopped at the man’s gland.

A Beta’s gland isn’t as prominent as an Alpha’s or Omega’s. It’s buried beneath smooth skin and requires firm pressure to feel a small, round shape.

Li Chen’s lashes flickered. His thumb began to press and circle around Shi Ji’s gland. The movement was somewhat direct; the sleeping man frowned and swiped his hand through the air instinctively.

A gland isn’t a Beta’s sensitive spot, which is why they cannot be marked. They naturally wander the periphery, forever unclaimable.

The youth sat behind Shi Ji, dodging the man’s random arm movements. Once Shi Ji settled, Li Chen reached back and peeled off the suppressor patch from his own neck.

The moment the patch left his skin, the scent of iris pheromones exploded. A drop of cold sweat rolled down Li Chen’s temple. He touched his own heating gland; the organ responded to his touch with a physiological command. With his fingertips now saturated with pheromones, Li Chen let out a shaky, hot breath and pressed his finger against Shi Ji’s gland once more.

Under the warmth, Li Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He circled the Beta’s gland, “marking” the area with his scent.

After a long while, Li Chen withdrew his hand. He leaned in close and took a deep, lingering breath of the man’s skin.

The rich scent of iris filled his nose. To Li Chen, it smelled as though it were emanating from Shi Ji himself.

He let out a low, satisfied laugh.

His brother has finally become a person like him.

Li Chen studied the fair skin closely. It was then that he noticed a mark he hadn’t seen before. He hesitated, then reached out to part a few strands of hair covering it.

Revealed beneath was a faint ring of…

Tooth marks.

The next morning, Shi Ji opened his eyes. His first sensation was—there was someone behind him.

The body heat pressed against his spine and the weight across his waist woke him instantly. His pupils contracted. He lifted the quilt to look down and saw a pair of slender, pale hands clutching him tightly.

Without a doubt, the restless “puppy” had squeezed over while he was asleep. He had even shamelessly crawled into the same quilt, his long legs tangled with Shi Ji’s so he couldn’t move.

Shi Ji turned his head to see Li Chen’s peaceful sleeping face, though the hands hidden under the covers were doing something entirely contradictory to that expression. His brow twitched. He gave the boy’s arm a sharp pinch. The person behind him let out a pained sound and woke up. Li Chen blinked blearily, meeting Shi Ji’s indignant eyes.

“Let go,” Shi Ji said coldly.

“No.” Even half-asleep, Li Chen refused without hesitation. He instinctively held Shi Ji even tighter. His morning voice was thick and nasal, sounding soft and wheedling.

“Li Chen,” Shi Ji called his name. “We had an agreement last night.”

Li Chen pouted. “I didn’t agree to it.”

With that, he nuzzled his fluffy head against Shi Ji’s shoulder. “Is it uncomfortable for me to hold you like this?”

Shi Ji’s lip curled. “Uncomfortable.”

“Really?” Li Chen looked skeptical. With a surge of strength, he easily flipped Shi Ji over to face him.

Li Chen pressed one hand against the back of Shi Ji’s head, burying the man’s face against his chest. “Is it really uncomfortable?” he persisted.

“Uncomfortable!” Shi Ji pushed at him, trying to escape the swelering embrace.

Li Chen blinked. “But Brother’s body is so hot.”

He pinched Shi Ji’s chin to make him look up, his gaze scanning the man’s burning cheeks. “Looks like you’re shy.”

Li Chen narrowed his eyes, his tone teasing.

Shi Ji was fuming. He glared at the boy, his lips moving to retort, but Li Chen suddenly pressed his head back into his shoulder, hugging him with a force that felt like he wanted to knead Shi Ji into his own body.

“Today is my birthday,” Li Chen said, his tone suddenly shifting. “Just let me hold you a little longer.”

“Is that okay?”

The tentative question instantly extinguished the fire in Shi Ji’s mind.

In the original plot, ever since Shi Ji’s parents died on Li Chen’s birthday, the boy had never celebrated it again. That day was a tragedy for both of them.

Shi Ji released his grip on Li Chen’s collar and let out a helpless sigh, turning his head slightly to nestle into the boy’s chest.

Li Chen lowered his lashes, looking at Shi Ji’s red ears. A smile flickered in his eyes as he gently stroked the man’s hair.

“Brother is so good.”

The low, ambiguous murmur tickled Shi Ji’s ear. He felt his heart swelling, the vibration of his own heartbeat making his whole body feel numb.

A long while later, a phone vibrated on the nightstand. Shi Ji had to look up, reaching out with messy hair to grab the device.

An unknown number was on the screen. Shi Ji hesitated for a few seconds before sliding to answer.

“Hello,” he said softly.

“Mr. Shi,” a familiar voice came from the other end. “I am Ji Shichu.”

“It was our oversight that caused you and your assistant to fall into the water at our auction. I am truly sorry it took this long to reach out.”

Ji Shichu’s voice was as calm and emotionless as ever.

Shi Ji replied flatly, “My assistant and I are fine. Mr. Ji needn’t blame himself.”

“That won’t do,” Ji Shichu said. “Please allow me to invite you again. I must apologize to you in person.”

Shi Ji thought about it, intending to refuse.

Ji Shichu seemed to anticipate this, interrupting him: “I have something important I wish to discuss with you regarding the last auction.”

Shi Ji looked at Li Chen beside him and asked, “What is it?”

“You will certainly be interested,” Ji Shichu laughed softly. “But as for the specifics, I can only tell you once you come in person.”

Shi Ji frowned. He didn’t know what game Ji Shichu was playing.

“Oh, right.” Ji Shichu paused. “That assistant who was with you at the auction…”

“Bring him along as well.”