Shen Zhuoran realized something was wrong with him.
He struggled as he tried to reach for the male rutting period soothing agent he kept in the lounge.
He could not go into rut at the Scientific Research Institute.
The deep blue soothing agent was retrieved from the medical kit, radiating an icy chill from every inch of its body.
Shen Zhuoran knew all too well how it was administered; every rut since he reached adulthood had been forcefully suppressed and weathered with the help of the soothing agent.
The freezing liquid would be injected deep into his body, and soon the surging, fiery tide of desire would gradually fade away.
However,
at the very moment he reached the soothing agent,
Shen Zhuoran hesitated.
Did he really need to inject the soothing agent?
Did he really have to do this?
So sweet, so sweet, so sweet.
It felt as though even his soul was trembling in response.
Shen Zhuoran abruptly raised his head to look at the man in the mirror. His damp black hair clung to his forehead, still dripping water that ran down the skin of his cheeks and onto his clothes.
The fabric across his entire chest was completely soaked, rising and falling heavily as he panted. A wicked gleam flashed in his dark eyes—a stark contrast to his usual detached and aloof demeanor, unmistakably painting the portrait of a man whose carnal desires were in desperate need of satisfaction.
Shen Zhuoran raised a hand and wiped hard across his face, drying away the dripping droplets.
When he raised his eyes again, he had transformed back into the aloof, refined, and courteous elite Dean of the Scientific Research Institute.
Shen Zhuoran turned and walked toward the door.
On the washbasin, the deep blue, untouched soothing agent caught the light with a cold gleam.
No one likes the cold; humans naturally yearn for warmth.
*
Meanwhile, out in the corridor,
the confrontation between Yulan and Louisa had not subsided.
Facing Louisa's haughty, dismissive attitude—one that even faintly suggested she was waiting for Yulan to throw a frantic, messy tantrum—
Yulan curled the corners of her lips and tightly gripped the identity badge Zhao Song had just given her.
This was the insignia of a research assistant at the Scientific Research Institute, the pass that would grant her free access to the institute.
The two stood in silent confrontation for a moment before Yulan spoke, her voice breaking the air:
"On what grounds?"
"What?" Louisa frowned, casting an evaluating glance up and down Yulan's body.
The next second, Yulan raised her eyes. She had exceptionally pretty eyes, with long, upturned lashes and a slightly rounded shape that usually made her look entirely wholesome and healing when she smiled happily. But now, provoked to anger by an enemy, the corners of her eyes lifted, revealing a rare and sharp edge.
"I said, on what grounds?"
Yulan articulated each word distinctly, staring straight at the identity badge hanging from Louisa's chest.
A mocking curve touched the corner of her mouth:
"You are nothing more than a research and development assistant here at the Scientific Research Institute either."
"In terms of rank, we are equals now. What right do you have to tell me to leave?"
"Princess Louisa."
Yulan deliberately emphasized the last few words, her eyes carrying a trace of derision.
Had it not been for the original owner's disappearance, would Louisa ever have had the chance to be bestowed the title of princess?
She was merely the daughter of a prince.
When all was said and foot-trodden, in terms of status and bloodline, Yulan could leave Louisa trailing eight hundred streets behind.
Louisa caught the faint, elusive mockery in the tail of that sentence, and the gentle facade she was forcefully maintaining nearly shattered right then and there.
Just as she could mock Yulan for being a useless female, utterly worthless and less favored than her now, Yulan could likewise mock her bloodline.
Louisa clenched her teeth tightly, and just as she was about to retort, her gaze suddenly caught sight of a tall, aloof figure walking slowly toward them.
Louisa's expression instantly melted into one of gentle consideration. "Dean Shen, why did you come over?"
"Are you here to check on the research progress? Regarding the new male rutting period soothing agent, our Second Laboratory—"
"What are you doing here?"
Before Louisa could finish, Shen Zhuoran cut her off directly.
Following that captivating, soul-stirring fragrance all the way, Shen Zhuoran had been sniffing the air like a starving hound lured by a meaty bone, capable of tracking down the sweet female no matter how far away she was.
It wasn't until Shen Zhuoran saw that slender, familiar figure standing with her back to him that his mind felt as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer.
Now drawing closer, the tall man stepped directly in front of Yulan, his lanky frame completely overshadowing the petite female. With his dark eyes half-lowered, he scanned inch by inch over the pretty girl's face—she clearly had no idea what was happening—a flicker of unnamable emotion crossing his gaze.
After a long moment, he asked again:
"Why are you here?"
Did she like him that much?
So much so that she would go to the lengths of sneaking into the Scientific Research Institute.
Shen Zhuoran pressed his thin lips into a straight line, his brow furrowing slightly. He ought to have been displeased, yet deep down, a quiet surge of secret delight flickered through him.
She had actually gone to such lengths all for his sake.
"Ah?"
Taken aback by the sudden question, Yulan blinked in a daze.
She extended her small hand, opening her snow-white palm to reveal an identity badge resting right upon it.
"I saw the Scientific Research Institute was hiring research and development assistants online, so I submitted my resume and came for an interview."
"Zhao Song just told me I passed the interview, and now I've joined the big family of the Scientific Research Institute too."
Yulan's face radiated the happiness and satisfaction of having landed a job, and her irresistibly soft lips curved into a sweet arc.
Anyone with eyes could tell she was thrilled at that moment.
Seeing this, Louisa rushed to chime in:
"Dean, you know how it is—how could Lanlan possibly do any lab work?"
"I feel like Zhao Song didn't handle this well. If the laboratory is really that short of female research assistants, I have female friends with A-grade healing powers; I can invite them to come to the Scientific Research Institute and give it a try."
In the past, even though Louisa knew the research assistant positions at the institute had a chronic shortage of females, she never brought it up, precisely to safeguard her own exclusivity.
She wanted to be the sole female—kind, clever, and dedicated—capable of enduring the grueling work at the research institute.
This was the calling card she presented to the outside world.
Once she was no longer the only one, the publicity would lose its special luster.
But things were different now. If it came to Yulan, she would rather find a few A-grade females herself; at least those women would serve as foils to her in healing power, figure, appearance, and family background. She wouldn't fear anyone else's gaze stealing the spotlight.
As for Yulan—Louisa's gaze swept over Yulan's pretty, soft face, a flash of jealousy crossing her eyes.
"Hmm."
Shen Zhuoran nodded, appearing quite receptive to Louisa's proposal.
He reached out and took the research assistant identity badge right out of Yulan's hand.
His voice carried an absolute, freezing chill:
"The position of research and development assistant is not suited for you."
"Zhao Song made a mistake regarding this matter, and I will have him apologize to you."
In truth,
Shen Zhuoran hadn't really swallowed Louisa's words or concluded that Yulan was lazy and useless, come to the institute simply to sponge off the stipend.
He simply felt, in his heart of hearts, that the laboratory was packed entirely with males, and Yulan was as soft and pretty as a delicate little cake. Though she lacked healing powers, her looks were outrageously striking.
Who knew how those vicious, rut-driven males might bully her?
The mere thought of Yulan standing amidst a crowd of males made Shen Zhuoran realize he could not accept it at all.
Considering how deeply Yulan was infatuated with him, he simply made the decision for her, sharp and decisive.
The soft, adorable smile that had previously graced Yulan's pretty face vanished in an instant. Her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides, and she stared straight at Shen Zhuoran, who stood a head taller than her—this cold, ruthless dog of a man.
"On what grounds?"