scent 3

Shen Rui had one goal when he walked into the office the next morning: avoid unnecessary Alpha contact.

He was an Omega now, against his will, and the last thing he needed was his instincts betraying him in front of that man.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

“Good morning, CEO Shen,” Gu Yan’s low voice greeted as soon as Shen Rui stepped through the door. The Alpha was already there, perfectly composed, suit ironed, tie sharp, like he hadn’t just been hired yesterday.

Shen Rui’s heart gave an embarrassing thump.

No. Absolutely not.

“Y-you’re early,” Shen Rui muttered, adjusting his tie.

Gu Yan’s lips curved faintly. “An assistant should always arrive before his boss.”

Oh, for f— Shen Rui cursed in his head. How was he supposed to seduce this guy if he couldn’t even look him in the eyes without going red? Not that he wanted to seduce him, of course. He was just here to… to…

Survive. That’s it. Nothing else.

The morning went by in tense silence, broken only by the sound of papers shuffling and pens scratching. Shen Rui kept his distance, but Gu Yan always seemed to close the gap—passing files too close, leaning just slightly over his shoulder, scent trailing like invisible chains.

Shen Rui held his breath every time. He could handle this. He was strong. He was—

The smell hit him.

Woodsy, deep.pheromones. overwhelming deliberate, like a knock on a locked door. His instincts immediately stirred, heat curling in his stomach before he slammed the feeling down.

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

Shen Rui shot up from his chair, knocking it back with a crash. “D-do you mind?!”

Gu Yan blinked, expression unreadable. “Mind what?”

“You—you’re leaking!” Shen Rui hissed, pointing at him accusingly.

Gu Yan tilted his head slightly. “Pheromones? That was barely a trace.”

“Barely a—?!” Shen Rui’s voice broke. “You’re basically suffocating me!”

The Alpha’s lips quirked. “Interesting. So sensitive, CEO Shen. Are you sure you’re not… overreacting?”

Shen Rui nearly combusted on the spot. His ears burned, his palms itched, and his body screamed at him to either flee or— No. He refused to finish that thought.

“System!” Shen Rui hissed inwardly. “I can’t do this! My instincts are trying to kill me! Or worse—!”

> “Relax, Host. This is just your body responding normally. Totally natural. Totally hot.”

“HOT?!” Shen Rui’s eyes nearly bulged out. “This is harassment! Where’s HR?!”

“You’re the CEO. You’re HR.”

Shen Rui wanted to die a second death.

“CEO Shen,” Gu Yan said calmly, stepping closer, “you look pale. Sit down before you faint.”

“I’m fine!” Shen Rui snapped, stumbling back. His calves hit the desk and he toppled into the chair, glaring up at the Alpha.

Gu Yan leaned down just slightly, enough to invade his space, voice low. “I was only testing your tolerance. Now I know.”

Shen Rui’s pulse roared in his ears. “T-tolerance?!”

The Alpha’s eyes glinted like obsidian. “You don’t handle Alphas well… do you?”

Shen Rui’s brain short-circuited.

That night, sprawled on his luxurious bed, Shen Rui buried his face in a pillow and screamed.

“System! I hate you!”

> “Correction: you love me. Also, congratulations on your first pheromone clash! The male lead is clearly interested. Step one of seduction complete.”

“Seduction?!” Shen Rui shrieked. “He basically suffocated me with his scent! How is that romantic?!”

> “Welcome to Omegaverse, Host. Pheromone tension is romance.”

Shen Rui groaned, rolling over dramatically. “I can’t do this. I won’t do this. I’m straight. I’m normal. I—”

His phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number lit up the screen.

[Gu Yan: Rest well tonight. You’ll need your strength tomorrow.]

Shen Rui froze.

His body went hot all over, and he cursed loudly, burying himself under the blankets.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***