Sensitivity Period

'Yes,' Shi Qi repeated dully, 'We can't do that.'

Even as she said it was wrong, her tone was unsteady.

Paired with the Pheromone spilling from her, it held no conviction at all.

Because we're good friends, so we can't...

Shang Sui seemed to smile, and then again, seemed not to.

Shi Qi's mind was dizzy, feeling as if everything was dusted with fine gold powder, the world covered in a hazy, dreamlike filter.

The dark blue velvet of the night sky, the pure white of fine snow, the café on Christmas Eve playing songs about first love...

Apart from the sound of Shang Sui's voice and the subtle expressions on his face, Shi Qi couldn't remember anything else about that night.

As if she'd been bewitched.

All the way up to New Year's Eve, no matter what she did, she would think of that scene from time to time.

Two days before the official holiday break, the department happened to have no specialized classes. Shi Qi decided to skip the one public lecture and give herself an early vacation.

Jiang Yoning came to pick her up to go home, and to pick up Lin Yan along the way.

She drove a supercar painted pink-gold, her dazzling silver hair curled into big waves. Jiang Yoning's looks bore a five- or six-out-of-ten resemblance to Shi Qi's. As an Alpha, her features were more imposing, like a precious, beautiful Ragdoll cat.

At the first sight of Shi Qi, this Ragdoll cat chirped happily: 'Your Highness~ I've come to escort you home.'

Shi Qi: '...'

Feeling the curious stares from all around, Shi Qi burned with shame and dragged Lin Yan into the car at top speed.

Jiang Yoning's hair hadn't been this color the last time they met. Shi Qi gave it a few extra glances: 'You changed your hair color again?'

'To match you.' Jiang Yoning looked into the rearview mirror and said to Shi Qi, 'We siblings can form a Gold and Silver Island now.'

'...'

Jiang Yoning dropped her joking expression: 'Xiao Qi, did you know? Yu Zhiling is in trouble.'

'What?' Shi Qi was stunned, not expecting to hear that name from her first.

'He was involved in selling banned drugs, said to be connected to multiple cases. A lot of people got hooked on drugs because of him, several models I know included.'

As she spoke, Jiang Yoning unconsciously frowned: 'He probably got involved with that stuff after entering the industry. The reason he got so popular so fast was also because of a quid pro quo—he helped sell drugs, and someone backed him from behind.'

'Originally, Yu Zhiling was just a relatively important lower-level link; cutting him loose to save the rest would've been enough. But it seems someone stirred the pot, and the whole source got investigated.'

Shi Qi said, shocked: 'Banned drugs?'

Lin Yan was equally incredulous: 'He was doing that too?! No wonder he was so crazy, turns out he's a real law-breaking scumbag.'

Lin Yan caught on: 'Wait, so doesn't that mean he's going to be sentenced?'

Shi Qi realized this too. The two exchanged a look, and Shi Qi blurted out: 'Justice from heaven.'

Lin Yan picked up the thread: 'So satisfying!'

'Why are you two reacting like this?' Jiang Yoning, who had thought Shi Qi would be worried, asked in surprise, 'Didn't you and Yu Zhiling get along pretty well?'

'I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. Yu Zhiling is disgusting.'

Now it was Jiang Yoning's turn to be stunned.

Shi Qi briefly recounted what had happened those past few days. Jiang Yoning got so angry she unleashed a torrent of exquisitely crafted, non-repetitive curses targeting Yu Zhiling himself and his ancestors eighteen generations back, leaving Lin Yan in awe: 'Sister Yoning's combat power hasn't diminished over the years.'

Finally, Jiang Yoning said: 'This isn't over! I'll go find people. He must be sentenced as heavily as possible.'

The timing was too coincidental. Shi Qi thought of something and asked another question: 'You said Yu Zhiling offended someone?'

'Mm, I heard Huanyun Group was also involved in this. They provided the leads, and someone over there explicitly demanded he be dealt with.'

Jiang Yoning said, puzzled: 'That shouldn't be right. The brand he endorses, Elowen, is under Huanyun Group, isn't it? Even if he had a conflict with the brand, Elowen is just a small workshop compared to the headquarters, a casually invested thing. Why would they bother with Yu Zhiling?'

Huanyun Group?

Qin Shuhe's words had actually come true. If headquarters had intentions, the endorsement would definitely be dropped.

But compared to a prison sentence, losing an endorsement was nothing.

'Do you think it's possible...?' Lin Yan and Shi Qi were thinking the same thing. 'Why don't you ask him?'

Shi Qi had already sent the message.

17: [Did you do this with Yu Zhiling?]

Jiang Yoning asked: 'What are you two talking about?'

Before Shi Qi could answer, a phone call came through.

'I got the news today and was just about to tell you.'

Shang Sui's voice came through the phone: 'He'll be sentenced to five years, the heaviest sentence within a reasonable range.'

'The formal verdict will take a while, but the result won't change.'

Back in Qi Jiang, Shang Sui had indeed said he was investigating something.

She'd thought at most he'd find some work-related dirt, never imagined Yu Zhiling himself had such a big problem, and never expected Shang Sui could go this far.

Yu Zhiling had spoken very viciously when he mentioned the Special Sensitivity Period, but she could tell Shang Sui truly didn't care much about Yu Zhiling's words and actions.

Ultimately, Shang Sui had done it for her.

'Did it take a lot of effort?'

'It sure did, I've been busy with it for a long time.' Hearing the concern in Shi Qi's voice, Shang Sui didn't miss the chance to claim credit. 'So...'

He asked, his voice smiling: 'Is Xiao Qi going to thank me?'

Like some kind of conditioned reflex, as soon as she heard Shang Sui's voice, her gland began to burn hot, just like that night.

Memories of Christmas Eve flooded her mind again. Those heart-stirring words turned into supple, fine spider silk. Only now did Shi Qi realize they had never disappeared, but had been silently winding around her limbs, wrapping her up all along.

Her gland was hot, her head was hot. Shi Qi didn't stop to think further. Gripping her phone, she said: 'I don't know how to thank you. What do you want?'

She added: 'Anything you want.'

Jiang Yoning probably realized what was happening: 'Hey! No way, Shi Qi, don't say things like that.'

Her little brother seemed hard to approach, but in reality, his thoughts were very pure. Before Shi Qi started dating, he hadn't had much contact with other Alphas either.

Fu Siyue's personality was a bit lacking, but he was actually quite simple too.

Being able to handle something this big, the boyfriend Shi Qi had found was clearly not on the same level as Fu Siyue. If he got coaxed and tricked into a Lifelong Mark, that would be a disaster.

'Spend the next Thunderstorm Day with me.'

Even through the phone, Shi Qi could imagine what Shang Sui looked like right now.

Because she was too familiar with him, she could vividly picture his every move.

'Okay,' Shi Qi said, 'Not just the next one.'

The ones after that too.

Understanding her subtext, Shang Sui chuckled softly: 'Xiao Qi is so good.'

Shang Sui talked with her a while longer, explaining the progress of the matter in detail, before hanging up.

'It really was Shang Sui?' Lin Yan couldn't help saying, 'He's that capable?'

'Your boyfriend is called that?' Jiang Yoning keenly sensed something off. 'Didn't you say he was a teaching assistant at Meiyan Academy? Why does it seem like none of you know much about him?'

Shi Qi opened her mouth, momentarily unsure how to respond.

'He is.' Lin Yan quickly helped smooth things over. 'We never specifically asked about Shang Sui's family, and he never mentioned it. But you can tell his family situation is pretty good. Right, Shi Qi?'

Shi Qi nodded immediately: 'Right, that's how it is.'

Huanyun Group's predecessor was a pharmaceutical company. After years of development, the common Inhibitor and Isolation Agent products on the market today all originated from it. Alphas and Omegas probably made up about half the population, meaning half of the total population would use Huanyun Group's products.

Beyond that, Huanyun Group's business was highly diversified, covering many fields, and it also had connections in political circles. She remembered Huanyun Group was a family business, and all its successive heads had the surname Shang.

It couldn't be that much of a coincidence...

If it really was like that, the boyfriend Shi Qi had found had too big a background; their family couldn't hold him down.

'Do you remember? I said before, you should find an Alpha whose family conditions are worse than ours.'

'Being able to resolve this matter in such a short time, your boyfriend's family must at least be high-level management at Huanyun Group, on par with our family.' Jiang Yoning said worriedly, 'What do we do about this? In the future, you won't be able to bully him casually, and when you argue, you won't be able to lock him up either.'

Lin Yan: '...'

That Shi Qi grew up with such a domineering personality had a lot to do with her family's doting.

Rather, the fact that this kid didn't grow into an arrogant, troublemaking personality was proof enough of her inherently pure nature.

Jiang Yoning had said similar things before, but back then Shi Qi hadn't felt it at all.

But once words like 'lock up' were linked with Shang Sui...

Shi Qi's face grew hot. She shook her head sharply: 'I don't want to bully him. He's very good to me.'

Seeing her take his side, Jiang Yoning's face fell even more.

After hanging up with Shi Qi, Shang Sui went to the bathroom.

He had just finished his daily workout and was sweaty. After showering, the slight warmth in his body did not dissipate.

The headache, fever-like, grew increasingly severe, almost making him feel dizzy.

Because of the Special Sensitivity Period, his physical fitness far exceeded normal people's; he rarely got sick. A situation like this was most likely...

It couldn't be.

He'd just mentioned the Sensitivity Period a few days ago; how could it come so soon?

He thought, finding a silver lining, that it was right before the New Year holiday, so this year would count as having three, hitting the average number.

While he was still relatively clear-headed, Shang Sui contacted Shen Qianyu, telling him he would soon enter his Sensitivity Period.

The other would contact him every other day to ensure he was alright. If the Sensitivity Period hadn't ended after five days, Shen Qianyu would take appropriate measures.

After this call, Shang Sui sent a message home, and finally asked for leave from Meiyan Academy.

Some Alphas had severe Sensitivity Periods and needed to go to hospital isolation rooms, where professional medical staff would monitor them in real time.

But in recent years, his Sensitivity Period had been very stable; he didn't need that much trouble, just had to lock himself up properly.

During his Sensitivity Period, he hardly felt like eating. Not knowing how long this one would last, he picked out some simple, filling food and took plenty of water.

After brief consideration, this time he chose to lock himself in the Art Studio.

Shang Sui fastened one end of the Chain to a fixed ring in the corner of the wall, and the other end clamped around his right ankle.

The key to open the shackle was placed in the bedroom, out of his reach, limiting his range of movement strictly to the Art Studio.

Click.

The shackle closed tightly.

The ankle cuff contained electronic equipment that would monitor his physical data in real time. The cuff would only open automatically under two conditions.

One was if he suffered severe injury and his physical data showed abnormalities; the other was if it detected his Pheromone concentration had dropped to normal levels, meaning the Sensitivity Period had ended.

Ordinary chains couldn't hold him. This composite metal Chain was exceptionally heavy, scraping against the floor with a grating sound as he moved.

So damn noisy.

Shang Sui thought expressionlessly.

Hearing this godawful noise every time was utterly annoying.

During a Sensitivity Period, an Alpha would exhibit strong aggression and desire for control, becoming more sensitive to an Omega's Pheromone; an Alpha in a Special Sensitivity Period would be even more severe on this basis, with destructive urges, aggressive urges, and sexual desire all magnified many times over.

Sensing his emotions growing increasingly irritable, Shang Sui suppressed the clamoring urges and decided to force himself to sleep first to pass the time, and deal with it after waking up.

He thought it would be hard to fall asleep, but unexpectedly, he lost consciousness not long after.

He had a dream.

Everything was extremely chaotic, as if worlds were nested within worlds, dreams falling into dreams.

When he regained awareness, the sky outside the window was unusually dark.

He thought he'd only slept from day to evening, but checking the time, it had been over a full day and night.

He hadn't eaten anything, only drank a little water, but didn't feel hungry at all.

It seemed something particularly exciting, capable of bearing the projection of the deepest desires in his heart, had happened.

Not fully clear-headed, Shang Sui took two steps forward. The Chain jangled with his movement. Seeing the object placed not far away, his pupils abruptly contracted.

On the easel stood a recently completed painting. The thickly applied paint glistened wetly, the not-yet-dry colors vivid and saturated. Clearly painted while he was not in his right mind.

Lush, delicate flower branches twined around a massive golden birdcage. Inside the cage, an angel sat naked on the ground, knees hugged to chest.

Moonlight-pale wings sprouted from the slender back, folded to cover the body's private parts. The angel's delicate skin was nearly the same color as the wings, the platinum-blond hair having a soft, fuzzy texture.

Compared to the dense, vivid flower branches around, he looked pure and clean.

On the snow-white, supple thigh was a small, rouge-colored mole, complementing the ruby Chain wrapped around the slender waist.

As if locking him in a cage wasn't enough, a gem-encrusted ankle cuff shackled the slender ankle, both a restraint and a decoration, together adorning that beautiful form.

A sharp chin, a straight nose bridge, lips as tender as flower petals.

The angel imprisoned in the golden cage only showed a half-profile, with no clear facial features. His eyes were lowered, the heavy eyelashes long and dense, a translucent deep gray.

Anyone familiar would be able to tell exactly who the 'angel' was.

Every time during his Sensitivity Period, Shang Sui's memories would shatter into fragments. Whether after the Sensitivity Period completely ended, or like now, briefly lucid in the middle, he could only remember a small portion of things.

Scenes of painting flashed through his mind like skipped frames. He vaguely recalled his abnormal state at the time, both excited and infatuated.

Shi Qi, Xiao Qi.

Baby, darling, sweetheart.

Only then did he belatedly realize the entire Art Studio was saturated with a dense Pheromone.

The easel, the floor, even on himself.

Everywhere was stained with a thick, fragrant liquid tinged with a fishy scent, some parts congealed into white spots, emitting an intensely sweet honey odor.

A Special Sensitivity Period wouldn't stop naturally; it could only end when desire was completely satisfied, or when utterly exhausted.

If the desire of the Special Sensitivity Period was compared to a jar of water, he clearly felt that, in just a day and night, half the jar had already flowed out.

So he had done that... in front of this painting?

While painting it, or after finishing?

Whichever scenario of release it was...

Shang Sui closed his eyes.

He really was perverted enough.

But soon, that burning sensation swept through his body again.

He slipped back into his previous muddled state, rationality gradually fading.

The weather forecast said it would be clear, sunny weather all the way into the new year, but the dark clouds outside the window piled thicker and thicker. Within just a few hours, it had gone from clear skies to an abrupt downturn.

Shang Sui was dizzy and lightheaded, not noticing someone had sent him a message an hour ago.

17: [Where are you?]

17: [The weather's changed. It seems there'll be a thunderstorm tonight. Should I come keep you company?]