Soothing

Yuan Chen's order was firm and decisive. The security guard's gaze lingered on Shen Yi, who was still twitching faintly on the floor, but in the end, he could hardly object.

"I'll wait outside. If you need any help, please call me."

Full of misgivings, the guard checked the lock as protocol required, then withdrew. At the click of the lock, Yuan Chen opened a bottle of mineral water and poured it straight over his head. The cold water washed the fire extinguisher powder from his hair and face. He wiped his face carelessly and tossed his sodden suit jacket aside.

He knelt on one knee, wedging it between Shen Yi's still involuntarily twitching legs, and braced his hands on the floor beside his head. Watching Shen Yi tremble like a withered leaf in the wind under the onslaught of Alpha pheromones, he felt no pity. Instead, an inexplicable anger rose inside him.

Hadn't I told him to wait outside? Why couldn't he listen? Why did he have to barge in and end up like this?

Did he really think someone like Yuan Hao could hurt me?

Ridiculous! Yuan Chen drew a deep breath and irritably loosened the tie constricting his neck.

He lifted Shen Yi's head from the floor and bent low over him until they were almost touching. What came next was clear: he had to release his pheromones fully.

No one knew better than Yuan Chen how agonizing a pheromone assault could be. He had experienced it countless times throughout his childhood.

Under excessively violent pheromone pressure, the intense stimulation was more likely to turn into excruciating pain than anything else.

Once someone went into shock like this, even taking him to the hospital for a sedative injection often had only a limited effect.

Ironically, the most effective way to counter this kind of shock was to introduce another, stronger and more controllable set of pheromones.

"He's very dependent on your pheromones. If you think he can't hold on, give him a hand. He's an Omega who only recently differentiated, after all. There's nothing wrong with showing him a little basic consideration."

"Don't you understand mutual support? If you've accepted his protection, you ought to give something back. Do you think paying him is enough?"

"Pheromones are more reliable than medication. If you aren't willing, terminate the contract. Don't waste his time."

Professor Hu's words still rang in his ears. Just as he had said, whenever Shen Yi faced other Alphas outside, he was indeed silently enduring an invisible pressure.

In their circle, there were always some contemptible Alphas who enjoyed provoking and tormenting Omegas. Yuan Chen knew there was no shortage of people who wanted to bully Shen Yi behind his back.

This was merely pheromone soothing, and its intensity could be controlled. There was no reason for Shen Yi to tough it out alone in an environment where he needed pheromone support. After watching him conceal his exhaustion and stubbornly endure everything for so long, Yuan Chen had come to find something rather distinctive about him.

So Yuan Chen released his pheromones as he usually did-no, more forcefully than ever before. The powerful scent willingly emitted by a top-tier Alpha instantly seized control of the surrounding air, sweeping away the unpleasant traces of Yuan Hao's pheromones in one stroke. It even overwhelmed the lingering smell of the fire extinguisher chemicals. Invisible yet impossible to ignore, Yuan Chen's pheromones filled every inch of the room.

"Shen Yi, listen. Breathe slowly."

The problem was that Shen Yi could not follow instructions at all. Usually, only a small amount of pheromones was enough to settle him, but now his body, battered by the assault, was completely beyond his control. Drenched in sweat, he struggled as though he were in tremendous pain.

Yuan Chen called his name over and over, deftly loosening his tie. He slipped his fingers into the tightly fastened collar of his shirt and undid the top few buttons.

Yet even with his airway apparently unobstructed, those rapid, agonized gasps did not ease. Yuan Chen gradually lost his usual composure, a faint, almost imperceptible anxiety rising within him.

"Ugh... cough!"

Finally, Shen Yi's body jerked violently, his waist and abdomen twisting as though he were having a seizure. His struggles grew fiercer. Yuan Chen had to pin his trembling shoulders down and use his own body weight to restrain his thrashing legs.

"Damn it! Shen Yi!"

It was not cold, yet Shen Yi's teeth chattered. Yuan Chen quickly pushed his thumb into the mouth he had opened in pain to keep him from biting his tongue.

Sure enough, the next instant, Shen Yi unconsciously clamped his jaw shut in an attempt to withstand the pain. His hard teeth ground viciously against Yuan Chen's knuckle.

Pain shot through his bitten thumb. Yuan Chen frowned deeply as he watched Shen Yi, utterly senseless and on the verge of a mental collapse. An indescribable unease swept through him.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Chen stopped hesitating. He bent down, gripped Shen Yi's jaw firmly, and forced his tongue into his mouth.

This was the fastest, most direct method.

In pheromone exchanges, contact through bodily fluids was far more effective than suppression through scent alone.

Compared with simply forcing pheromones onto someone through pressure, using saliva as a catalytic medium significantly enhanced their soothing effect. He mingled his pheromones with his saliva and passed them over, mouthful by mouthful.

As the pheromones were forced into him, Shen Yi shook his head sharply as though shocked by electricity. His hands blindly pushed at Yuan Chen's face and shoulders.

Yuan Chen firmly subdued his fierce resistance and continued the kiss, which held nothing remotely romantic.

As though supplying oxygen, he kept transferring highly concentrated pheromones to him.

Gradually, Shen Yi's throat began to work as he swallowed, accepting the saliva and potent pheromones being passed into his mouth.

As the pheromones flowed into him, his violent struggles gradually weakened.

His rapid breathing slowly found a rhythm, and the hands that had been pushing Yuan Chen away instead clung weakly to his firm neck.

"Mmph..."

"Don't fight it. Accept all of it."

Now he seemed able to hear. Shen Yi obediently opened his mouth wider.

There was no telling how much time passed. His breathing had long since steadied, yet their tightly pressed lips seemed reluctant to part. Only when Shen Yi's sweat-soaked hair was nearly dry did Yuan Chen draw his lips back slightly and ask in a low voice:

"You should be clearheaded now, shouldn't you?"

His low voice held a trace of hoarseness. Shen Yi's eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.

"P-President Yuan..."

His gaze was still somewhat unfocused. Instinctively, he raised a hand and pressed its back against his burning cheek.

Yuan Chen slowly straightened, pulling Shen Yi up from where he still lay limp on the floor and settling him against the wall. He carefully studied that pale, fragile face, still shaken by the ordeal.

"Are you all right now?"

Shen Yi did not answer immediately, only nodded slowly. He was still far from fully recovered, but at least his mind was clear and he could make out the man before him.

"Sit here and rest."

Yuan Chen's voice had regained its usual calm and brooked no argument.

"...Yes."

Yuan Chen patted his shoulder, then stood and went outside. As the door clicked shut, a muffled commotion drifted in from beyond it.

Shen Yi rested the back of his head against the cold wall and gasped for breath. His entire body felt sore and powerless, as though it had been taken apart. Yet the worst pain, surprisingly, was at the tip of his tongue.

He pressed the back of his hand against his slightly swollen lips, trying to cool them. This strange sensation would probably take a long time to fade.

He lowered his head and breathed deeply. Yuan Chen's potent scent enveloped him, leaving him unsettled and unable to calm down.

The commotion outside grew louder. News that the two brothers had come to blows inside the company spread like wildfire, drawing enough onlookers to pack the corridor. Rumors circulated instantly and, naturally, reached the Chairman's ears, sending him into a fury.

Not only had Yuan Hao failed to reflect on his behavior after being disciplined, but he had attacked Yuan Chen instead. This was no small matter. Worse still, he had assaulted a vulnerable Omega employee, which thoroughly enraged Chairman Yuan.

In a sense, Yuan Hao was "lucky" to have passed out and been taken to the hospital. Otherwise, in his fury, Chairman Yuan might have swung one of his treasured golf clubs and knocked his teeth out.

While the security team completely sealed off the scene, Yuan Chen calmly discussed how to handle the aftermath with the lawyer who had hurried over upon hearing the news.

He let out a long breath and raised a hand to sweep back the hair hanging over his forehead, which had dried into stiff clumps. Although he had rinsed it with water, powder from the fire extinguisher still sifted down whenever he moved. His shirt and trousers were rumpled, and his loosened tie hung crookedly to one side, making him look more disheveled than if he had worn no tie at all.

Yuan Chen, who always presented an immaculate, polished image, was rarely such a complete mess.