Chapter 2: Gland

The morning sun warmed his feet as Ran Ting was jolted awake by his alarm. He yawned, slowly getting out of bed.

The throbbing pain from his hangover made him hiss involuntarily.

He sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while, then wrinkled his nose.

Fuck, what’s that smell?

A cloyingly sweet fragrance wafted through the air. Ran Ting bent over, searching high and low in his room, but couldn’t find the source of the smell.

After a moment’s pause, he cursed. Damn it, the smell seemed to be coming from him. Who splashed perfume on him?

Ran Ting stripped and went into the bathroom, turning on the showerhead to drench himself. After a refreshing cold shower, the smell finally dissipated a little.

Drying himself off, Ran Ting stood naked before the full-length mirror. It seemed like something was growing on his back. He had felt it while showering, and now that he was specifically looking for it, he saw it was quite something. There was a raised bump on the back of his neck, like a swelling.

What the hell is this thing?

Ran Ting touched it with his cool fingers and a shiver ran through his entire body.

The spot was ridiculously sensitive. The moment his fingertip applied a little pressure, he couldn’t stop his toes from curling and gripping the floor.

Seeing that he was almost late, and since the bump didn’t hurt or itch, Ran Ting didn’t pay it much mind and grabbed his bag to head to class.

His morning class was in the furthest academic building. With half a slice of bread dangling from his mouth, Ran Ting focused only on running forward. As he rounded the corner of the building, there was a sudden, dull *thud*. His forehead had slammed squarely into a hard back.

Immediately after, the light, elegant scent of white tea drilled into his lungs through his breath. The perfectly balanced woody aroma was enough to make one’s heart flutter in disarray.

Just as he was about to apologize, the owner of the back slowly turned around. Ran Ting’s I’m sorry got stuck in his throat, and breadcrumbs nearly choked him.

It was that bastard, Jie Zhishen.

Their eyes met. Jie Zhishen frowned, sizing him up with a probing, curious gaze.

The fuck are you looking at? The sight of Jie Zhishen reminded Ran Ting of last night, and his temper flared. Standing here like a pillar? You’re blocking my way.

Jie Zhishen’s slender eyes narrowed slightly, his handsome face suddenly turning incomparably dark. He said coldly, Don’t wear such strong perfume in the future. It stinks.

?

While Ran Ting was still stuck in the bewildered state of ‘Did I wear perfume?’, Jie Zhishen had already turned and walked away, the hem of his shirt fluttering in the wind.

Fuck! You psycho! What about the strong white tea flower scent on you?! Did you sleep in a flower bush last night?!

Ran Ting was so angry he shadowboxed a few combos on the spot. As expected, wishes were all fake. That dog Jie Zhishen showed not the slightest intention of submitting to or worshipping him.

Despite rushing, he was still late. By the time he reached the classroom, the professor was already speaking at the lectern. Ran Ting silently bent over and slipped in through the back door.

It wasn’t the first or second time he’d done this. Every time, he was as quiet as a cat and had never been caught in the act. But for some reason, today, the professor and most of the class turned in unison to stare at him, as if he had a tracking device on him.

Ran Ting gave an awkward twitch of his lips and guiltily shrank into the seat next to Li Zheng.

The professor on the stage knitted his brows into a knot. Although it was Ran Ting who was late, he inexplicably glanced in Jie Zhishen’s direction, cleared his throat, and said, Some students, please be mindful of your privacy. Before you leave the house, you must check if your pheromone blocker patch is applied properly. If you haven’t applied one, at least try to control it a little. Don’t affect others.

What the hell?

Ran Ting was utterly bewildered by what he heard. He leaned toward Li Zheng and asked in a low voice, What’s a pheromone blocker patch? I was only a few minutes late. It can’t be that I already don’t understand what the professor is saying, right?

Li Zheng, who usually loved to sling an arm around his shoulders, looked at him today with an indescribable expression and shied away. Ting-ge, even though we’re bros and I don’t usually see you as an omega, but you… you should have some self-respect, at least. Stop trying to tempt me with your pheromones.

…What? What the hell?

Omega? Pheromones? Tempting you? Ran Ting repeated the words he didn’t understand.

Li Zheng pinched his nose and leaned back. If you can’t control your pheromones, you should at least put on a blocking patch. What are you and Jie Zhishen planning today? Did you two coordinate this? Why are you both reeking of strong pheromones? I can still handle an alpha’s pheromones, but yours… I really can’t take it.

Alpha?

How did another word he didn’t understand pop up?

Ran Ting’s head was full of question marks. Just as he was about to ask for a detailed explanation, Li Zheng patted a female classmate next to him. Xiao Jing, do you have an extra blocking patch?

Xiao Jing nodded, took out something that looked like a band-aid with a cartoon pattern from her bag, and handed it to Li Zheng.

Li Zheng tossed it to Ran Ting. Ting-ge, use this for now.

Ran Ting perplexedly held the ‘pheromone blocker patch’ and turned it over and over. I’m not bleeding.

Tsk, this is a blocking patch, not a band-aid, Li Zheng said. Put it on your gland.

Gland? Ran Ting was about to faint. What part of the body is that?

Whoa, you don’t even know where your own gland is? How did you get into university! Didn’t you take high school biology!?

High school biology taught this!!?

Ran Ting uncontrollably reached out and touched Li Zheng’s forehead. Li Zheng, stop messing around. It’s not April Fool’s Day. Do you know what you’re saying?

I don’t have a fever! Li Zheng pushed Ran Ting’s hand away as if dodging a plague. But you, Ting-ge… why are you so strange today? Did celebrating your birthday make you stupid?

Birthday…

Li Zheng still remembered his birthday last night, so he probably wasn’t possessed by a ghost. Could it be that he himself wasn’t fully awake!?

Ran Ting viciously pinched his own thigh. It hurt.

So he wasn’t dreaming?

This was insane. Ran Ting stuffed the blocking patch back into Li Zheng’s hand and said, holding back his temper, Then you put it on for me.

He was determined to see where this gland was.

Li Zheng looked horrified, his body practically trying to burrow into Xiao Jing’s arms next to him. Ting-ge, please spare me. Stop seducing me, I really have no interest in you!

Seducing!?

Damn it, Li Zheng, are you sick? How was what I just said in any way seductive!

Ran Ting was too agitated and forgot he was in a classroom. He didn’t hold back his voice, which was loud enough for the whole class to hear. The professor tapped the table to signal for quiet, and Ran Ting immediately shut his mouth.

Everyone in the class was used to Ran Ting’s personality; they wouldn’t find anything he did strange. Hearing his voice, they couldn’t even be bothered to turn their heads. But Jie Zhishen, who perennially paid no mind to the world outside, actually turned his head abnormally and stared at the back of Ran Ting’s neck for a good while.

Ran Ting shrank his neck and quieted down, hearing Xiao Jing say in a soft voice, Classmate Ran Ting, the gland is a private area.

A private area?

Ran Ting muttered under his breath, Don’t tell me the gland is on my dick?

If that were the case, it would indeed be normal for Li Zheng to be unwilling to put the patch on for him.

But something was still wrong. He had been alive for nineteen years, how could he not know whether there was a gland on his own dick?

Fuck, this was a real headache.

After the long class ended, Ran Ting headed straight for the hospital next to the school.

This bump on the back of his neck—it didn’t hurt, nor did it itch, but it was just uncomfortable. Especially the feeling of his clothes rubbing against it, which was extremely peculiar…

He had originally wanted Li Zheng to go with him, but Li Zheng’s behavior today was too weird. He even dodged him and ran off the moment class was over.

He registered for dermatology. Being terrible with directions, Ran Ting wandered around the hospital for a while before finding the consultation room. Along the way, he kept muttering, I should have dragged Li Zheng here too, and made him register for neurology, or maybe psychiatry.

There was still someone in the consultation room. The brightly lit screen clearly displayed the three words ‘Jie Zhishen’.

Holy shit. Ran Ting let out a sneer. Someone actually had the same shitty name?

Before the curve of his lips could even fully form, the door to the consultation room opened.

Jie Zhishen walked out with a cold expression. At the same time, the electronic screen announced, Will Ran Ting please proceed to Dermatology Room 2 for consultation.

One coming out, one going in, they bumped into each other again.

Ran Ting: …

Damn it, so it wasn’t someone with the same name, but the man himself.

He couldn’t help but run his mouth. What are you seeing a dermatologist for? Got a pimple in your brain?

None of your business.

Jie Zhishen was about to walk around Ran Ting when the sweet scent from the morning, which he found so pleasant, suddenly wafted around the tip of his nose. He paused his steps and turned back. Ran Ting was already seated in a chair inside the consultation room.

Doctor, Doctor! Ran Ting was seen pulling open his shirt collar, twisting his neck with great effort to show the doctor the back of it. Quick, help me take a look. Something I don’t know what has inexplicably grown on the back of my neck. It’s been bothering me all morning.

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