TMDP CH 22

Chapter 22: The Rainy Season – 2
Rainy Season – The Time of Love

Returning to his room, Xia Ye felt far from comfortable. He poured the noodles that Han Mingxiu had brought into a bowl. The soup had gone cold, but at least the noodles hadn’t turned soggy, and the ribs still smelled delicious. As he ate, his thoughts drifted to what had happened earlier that afternoon.

When he left the Zhishan Building and said goodbye to his seniors, Xia Ye had barely run out the school gate before he started to feel warm and light-headed.

Here we go again.

Xia Ye was frustrated. Ever since he encountered that Han senior more than two months ago, his cycle had become completely unpredictable. Before, his heat would come roughly every 40 days, with a buffer of at least half a day to a day, giving him enough time to take the necessary precautions.

But now, everything was out of order. The onset came suddenly and without warning. It almost felt like there was a pattern—every time he ran into Han Mingxiu, his pheromones would surge uncontrollably, only to be subdued immediately with a spray of blocker.

Leaning against the school wall, Xia Ye fumbled through his bag, trying to find some oral suppressants. When he pulled out the medicine pouch, his heart sank. All he had left in his hands was an empty packet.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and called an Omega-friendly taxi service. After confirming the driver was a female Beta, he headed straight to the hospital.

At the emergency room, the staff asked him about his condition and administered a suppressant shot without delay. Once the heat subsided, an elderly doctor came to inquire about his medical history.

The doctor listened patiently as Xia Ye rambled about his encounter with a highly compatible Alpha two months ago, which eventually meandered into an account of the events that had transpired since. From Xia Ye’s endless chatter, the doctor zeroed in on a critical point.

“You haven’t been ‘together’ with that Alpha yet?” The doctor curled his index and middle fingers on both hands into air quotes as he said the word ‘together.’ His tone was laced with surprise. “You two can actually hold back?”

Xia Ye felt embarrassed but couldn’t help being a little indignant. “It’s not like we’re a couple. Why would we be ‘together?’”

The doctor’s expression turned somewhat peculiar. “You don’t like your fated Alpha? But the way you kept calling him ‘senior’ with that sweet look on your face just now…”

“I…” Xia Ye was momentarily at a loss for words. How had this medical consultation turned into a therapy session about his feelings? He pursed his lips. “It’s not that I don’t like him. It’s just that we both dislike the idea of being forced together because of some biological compatibility.” Xia Ye snorted, puffing up his chest. “That’s not love.” His tone was firm, self-assured.

The elderly doctor nodded in understanding. “Ah, so you resist it,” he said with a knowing smile. “From what you’ve described, you seem to deeply value and admire your senior, and it sounds like he treats you well too. The fact that he sprays you with pheromone blockers every time you meet shows he’s considerate and mindful of your boundaries. Of course, I don’t know the full story. Maybe he’s just that kind to everyone.”

“He’s not!” Xia Ye snapped without thinking, startling both himself and the doctor. “He only treats me like this,” he added, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice.

The doctor chuckled. “See? You already have a possessive streak when it comes to him. So why fight it? To find a highly compatible partner who could also be your lover—that’s a rare stroke of luck. Take some time to figure out what you truly feel.”

Xia Ye sighed inwardly. It wasn’t just his decision to make. His senior didn’t like it either.

The doctor continued, “While pheromone blockers aren’t harmful to the body, excessive use over a short period can lead to a strong rebound effect. Your body will increasingly crave that highly compatible Alpha, and you’ll release little to no pheromones for anyone else. Conversely, when you’re around him, your body will instinctively flood the air with pheromones, seeking a response. If you align your actions with both your physical needs and your true feelings,” the doctor paused deliberately, “falling in love could be an effective treatment.”

Xia Ye gloomily set his chopsticks down. Fall in love with his senior? But his senior already had Senior Sister Manqing. He couldn’t bring himself to snatch someone else’s happiness away.

Thanks to the timely suppressant injection, Xia Ye stayed home for a day to rest. This time, the heat seemed to pass without further incident. By the next day, he was back to attending classes.

The rain continued unabated.

Xia Ye walked briskly under the little floral-patterned umbrella he had neither returned nor had stolen from him, keeping his head down as he moved. Suddenly, a couple blocked his path. No matter how he tried to sidestep, they moved in sync, cutting him off.

Frustrated, Xia Ye finally looked up to apologize, only to freeze in place.

It was Senior Sister Manqing and Senior Siwen, smiling sweetly at him with their arms around each other.

Late to realize what he was seeing, Xia Ye’s frustration quickly turned to anger.

“You two… are together?” His disapproving expression was unmistakable. “What about Senior Han? Does he know about this?”

Wang Siwen laughed heartily, while Zhao Manqing simply shrugged. “What can I say?” she teased, flashing Xia Ye a mischievous smile. “Senior and I made a bet to see who could win over their crush first. Now that I’ve won,” she said proudly, turning to Wang Siwen with a gentle gaze. Wang Siwen coughed lightly, as though urging her to tone it down, but the pride of being pursued by his goddess was unmistakable on his face. Zhao Manqing turned back to Xia Ye. “He lost. So, in the next few days, he’s treating us to a meal. Why don’t you join us?”

Leaning closer, Zhao Manqing whispered conspiratorially, her upper body squeezing under Xia Ye’s little floral umbrella. “Your Senior Han is heartbroken. His crush is an adorable, beautiful Omega that he just can’t seem to win over. Why don’t you go and comfort him?”

Absolutely not. If he can’t win them over, that’s his own problem, Xia Ye thought bitterly.

Yet his feet betrayed his resolve. They pivoted a full 180 degrees, carrying him to the 302 research lab. Standing outside, he peered through the window and saw Han Mingxiu sitting alone, engrossed in typing on his laptop. An ache spread through Xia Ye’s chest.

How could anyone not want such an amazing senior?

He thought the sight of Senior Han and Zhao Manqing together last time had already been painful enough. Now he realized he would rather see Senior Han with someone—anyone—than alone like this.

Han Mingxiu, taking a break from typing, stretched his neck and shoulders. When he looked up, he spotted Xia Ye standing dazed in the hallway, staring at him through the glass. Han waved him in.

“Why are you standing out there like an idiot? Don’t you have class right now?” Han glanced down at the desk mat and chuckled. “You’re in trouble. This is Professor Wang’s Intro to Economics class—the one taught by the infamous Demon Professor—and you’re skipping it?”

Xia Ye gave a sheepish laugh. For a top student, getting caught skipping class was anything but glamorous. But how could he explain that he’d been so worried about his senior that he’d forgotten he even had a class this afternoon?

Seeing Xia Ye’s silence, Han Mingxiu frowned curiously. “What’s wrong? Little Xia Ye, do you have something on your mind? Want to talk to your senior about it?” He ruffled Xia Ye’s hair, his fingers brushing over Xia Ye’s cold ears. Grasping Xia Ye’s hand, Han’s expression darkened. “Your ears and fingers are freezing. How long have you been standing outside? Wait here, I’ll make some milk tea to warm you up.”

Han got up to make tea but was caught off guard when Xia Ye suddenly wrapped his arms around Han’s waist from behind. “Senior, don’t be sad. You’re such a great person; someone is bound to like you,” Xia Ye murmured, his cheek pressing softly against Han’s lower back as he nuzzled him gently.

“…” Was this a pity card? Damn it, I haven’t even confessed yet!

Han Mingxiu’s heart sank, mixed with confusion over Xia Ye’s odd behavior. He awkwardly turned to push Xia Ye away, only to realize something was wrong. Xia Ye’s hands were ice-cold, but his body was burning up.

Han placed a hand on Xia Ye’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever?”

“Mm,” Xia Ye mumbled, lifting his head, his expression dazed. “No, I don’t.”

“Then why are you so hot? And why is your face so red?” Han frowned deeply. “Something’s not right.”

Before he could say more, Han suddenly felt an unsettling reaction in his own body. Neither of them had noticed the subtle signs of pheromone leakage earlier, but by now, the overwhelming concentration of their scents tangling in the air was impossible to ignore.

Realizing the situation, Han immediately grabbed the pheromone blocker on the desk and sprayed Xia Ye liberally. Then he sprayed himself just as fervently, all while yelling, “You’re in heat! Didn’t you just go through this? Did you even finish your suppressant course properly?”

Xia Ye, watching Han’s panicked spraying and rapid-fire questions, blinked in delayed realization. “I… I think I forgot to take it today.” He had assumed that with a full day of classes, he wouldn’t run into Han Mingxiu. The doctor had also mentioned his body’s reduced sensitivity to others…

That’s why he had been careless.

“Hurry up and take it!” Han Mingxiu shouted at Xia Ye, rummaging frantically through his bag. By this point, his own heat had been fully triggered by Xia Ye’s pheromones, and he needed to administer a suppressant injection immediately.

He moved swiftly, injecting himself in seconds. Turning back, he saw Xia Ye still sitting there dumbfounded. “I… I forgot to bring my medication,” Xia Ye stammered, his body trembling and sweat breaking out all over. A wave of uncontrollable heat surged upward from his abdomen, and Xia Ye let out a soft whimper. He spun his chair around to face away from Han Mingxiu, clamping his thighs together and leaning over the desk in a desperate attempt to suppress the overwhelming sensations.

Damn it. Han Mingxiu cursed internally.

The suppressant he had just injected was far too weak to quell the storm of desire ignited by Xia Ye’s pheromones. He had reacted too slowly, and now his body had fully responded to Xia Ye’s scent. The suppressant barely helped him cling to the last shred of reason.

And that reason told him: No.

He knew Xia Ye absolutely loathed the idea of instinct-driven intimacy, and he himself wasn’t any different.

Though he understood that his feelings for Xia Ye weren’t just a primal reaction, Xia Ye didn’t see it that way.

What Xia Ye wanted was a gradual journey—a deep connection, mutual understanding, and shared trust—before reaching this point.

If he lost control now and touched Xia Ye, Xia Ye would hate him forever.

Han Mingxiu frantically searched his desk, even rifling through Li Mu’s drawers. Finally, he found two more suppressant injections.

Weighing the situation, he realized suppressing Xia Ye wouldn’t solve the problem. He needed to suppress himself. A frenzied Alpha could lose control even with an Omega in complete rest mode.

Without caring about dosage calculations, he recklessly injected all three suppressants into his own body. He knew that no Alpha, no matter how strong, could handle such an excessive amount at once—but he didn’t hesitate.

“Xia Ye, don’t be scared. I won’t touch you. Don’t be afraid,” Han Mingxiu reassured him while administering the suppressants into his arm.

Xia Ye whimpered softly from the side, as if wanting to stop him but unable to form the words. Tears blurred his vision as he watched Han Mingxiu inject himself with a dangerously high dose.

After the injections, Han Mingxiu looked visibly unwell. The massive dose coursing through his body caused his heartbeat to race and his breathing to quicken. The conflicting hormones rampaged inside him—one moment surging, the next moment suppressed—leaving his insides writhing in agony.

Pale-faced, he braced himself against the desk, taking deep, labored breaths before grabbing his phone to make a call.

“Uncle Gao, it’s Mingxiu. I’m in the lab, and I’ve gone into heat. There’s also an Omega here. Yes, I’ve already injected suppressants—three doses. He hasn’t. No, it’s my fault. Please contact the hospital immediately and come to the lab to pick us up. Bring isolation blankets. Hurry—I can’t hold on much longer. Protect him. Wrap him up.”

Han Mingxiu hung up the phone, his breath labored, and turned to look at Xia Ye. Xia Ye had slid off his chair, curling up on the floor like a shrimp. His exposed skin was flushed red, as if he had been boiled.

The lab was filled with the sickly sweet scent of watermelon and the sharp tang of fir trees. Even with the suppressants, Han Mingxiu’s instincts still urged him to get closer to Xia Ye. Seeing Xia Ye lying on the cold floor, he grabbed his coat and cautiously approached him.

Han Mingxiu knelt beside Xia Ye and carefully draped the coat over him. He was afraid of startling Xia Ye, knowing that an Omega in heat was fragile, sensitive, and caught between vulnerability and reckless desperation. He understood the torment Xia Ye was going through—the unbearable pull between craving and resistance.

“Don’t be scared,” Han Mingxiu repeated softly, over and over. “Don’t be afraid of me.” His voice was both soothing and almost pleading. His mind was too overwhelmed to form coherent thoughts, and apart from those words, nothing else came to him. The raging tides of his own heat threatened to consume his sanity. Fortunately, the heavy dose of suppressants had already dulled his physical response. His lower body was completely soft, unable to act out even if he lost control.

Surrounded by the fir-tree scent, Xia Ye suddenly realized that his previous experiences couldn’t truly be called heats. This time was ferocious, relentless. Sweat poured from every pore, drenching him. Even that place was damp, exuding fluid that seeped out and lined his inner walls. The unfamiliar sensation crawled like tiny insects, itching and driving him mad with emptiness.

Xia Ye wanted to disappear, to hide himself completely. But his body instinctively sought to present itself to the Alpha. Unable to stop himself, he let out soft whimpers. He wanted to say, “No,” but the words that came out were, “Senior, hold me.”

The moment those words slipped out, the campus bell tolled. Xia Ye silently thanked the long chimes for drowning out his shameless plea, relieved that his senior hadn’t heard it.

But Han Mingxiu had heard it. He hadn’t noticed the chimes, but Xia Ye’s quiet request rang loud and clear in his ears.

For a brief second, Han Mingxiu frowned in hesitation. Then, through the coat, he scooped Xia Ye into his arms.

Han Mingxiu laid himself down on the floor, cradling Xia Ye tightly in his arms, shielding him from the cold, damp ground.

Xia Ye lay on top of his senior, resting his head on Han Mingxiu’s shoulder and inhaling greedily. He wanted to move, to rub against him, to tear away the barriers of clothing and press their bodies together, skin to skin. His drenched, aching lower half brushed against the Alpha’s hips, and Xia Ye froze for a moment. There was no firm response, no hard blade pressing against him—just soft warmth yielding to his movements.

“Senior… you…” Xia Ye stammered, unable to form a complete sentence in his dazed state. The emptiness in him screamed for fulfillment, and he almost reached down to check for himself what was wrong.

Han Mingxiu caught Xia Ye’s wandering hand at his waistband and gently pulled it up to rest against his chest. “Be good. Don’t move,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and dry. “I’ve already called for help. They’ll be here soon.”

Each word felt like fire tearing through Han Mingxiu’s throat, but he forced himself to speak. “Xia Ye, I’m not feeling well. I might fall asleep soon. Just asleep, okay? Don’t be scared.”

He didn’t dare say that he was about to pass out. He just wanted to hold on a little longer while he was still conscious, to ensure…

“…protect you a little and let the junior relax. My pheromones will cover you, so no other Alpha will come near. Don’t worry. And I… it’s already… won’t attack you. Don’t worry…” Han Mingxiu’s voice gradually grew weaker.

Xia Ye forced his eyes open, but Han Mingxiu had already closed his.

“Senior…” Xia Ye cried out in panic, tears streaming down his face. He tried to reassure himself—his senior had said he was just asleep. He could still hear Han Mingxiu’s heavy breathing and his strong, rapid heartbeat. Xia Ye clung tightly to him, hoping the person Han Mingxiu called would arrive soon.

Just as Xia Ye was about to lose consciousness, he heard the lab door burst open. Someone came in, carrying a large blanket, wrapping him and Han Mingxiu together.

The person called out, “Young Master!” and anxiously patted Xia Ye’s shoulder, asking, “Are you okay, student?”

It was probably the person Han Mingxiu had called for. But why were they addressing someone as “Young Master”? Who was the young master?

Xia Ye had no strength left to think further as darkness overtook him.

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– End of chapter –

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