The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi

Chapter 25

At three in the morning, as the wind rustled the lotus flowers and the crescent moon and stars cast their gentle glow, he dreamt of Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan's expression, movements, everything in the dream was just like before. Perhaps his understanding of it was too limited, and his imagination could only be conventional. In the dream, Xiao Zhan treated him with the same tenderness, and the kisses that rained down on him felt like thick mist and light breeze. He nestled in Xiao Zhan's arms, as if he was swaying in a cradle made of cotton candy.

"Ge..." He felt like a golden pill, and Xiao Zhan was the cauldron refining him. The roaring flames burned and burned, making him melt from head to toe, gradually transforming into a pool of sweet liquid.

He boldly held onto Xiao Zhan tightly, and when Xiao Zhan's sweat dropped onto his face, he entered his body, calling out in his ear, "Laopo."

That was the ultimate imagination he could conjure.

After waking up from the dream, Wang Yibo lowered the temperature of the air conditioner and buried himself back in the pillow. His breathing was still erratic, his cheeks flushed, and the unfamiliar feeling of stickiness and dampness beneath him left him at a loss.

A few days ago, he had the same dream, but at that time, he wasn't aware of his feelings for Xiao Zhan. He thought that Omega had a strong sexual desire before their heat, and if it wasn't relieved, they would have such dreams. He even brainwashed himself shamelessly, saying that since he only faced Xiao Zhan every day, it was natural to dream about him. Dreaming of someone else would be even weirder.

Brainwashing is indeed effective. He wasn't so emotionally moved last time and didn't think much about it upon waking up. But now, he craved Xiao Zhan's scent, embrace, and kisses. He longed to see Xiao Zhan push the door open in the next second and possess him completely, just like in his dream.

He was willing to be marked, as long as it was Xiao Zhan.

Trembling, Wang Yibo pulled the blanket over himself, wrapping it tightly. When the heat subsided a bit, he slowly sat up, intending to get the suppressant. But as soon as he got out of bed, he heard the sound of the door opening.

His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Footsteps sounded outside the door, hesitating and lingering. The person outside seemed just as anxious as he was.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Wang Yibo grabbed the blanket with both hands and looked at the unlocked door. He wondered, would Xiao Zhan push the door open? He should have smelled his pheromones, but it wasn't yet his heat, so his pheromones wouldn't be released without cause. Would Xiao Zhan guess his predicament?

Both inside and outside the door were silent. Suddenly, the glands on the back of his neck started to heat up, and his breathing became rapid due to nervousness. The air conditioner hummed as it ran, and Wang Yibo lost track of time. Finally, there was a knock on the door.

The knock was light, hesitant, as if the person outside wanted to touch the door but pulled back their hand repeatedly. Wang Yibo draped the blanket over himself and stared at the door, opening his mouth several times but not making a sound.

"Yibo" it was Xiao Zhan who spoke first, with concern and hidden awkwardness. "Are you okay? I smelled your pheromones, so I came to check on you. Do you need the suppressant? I'll get it for you."

He was truly a gentleman, being awakened by an Omega's pheromones in the middle of the night and still able to restrain himself and ask such a question from outside the door. Wang Yibo suddenly felt despicable for hoping that Xiao Zhan would push the door open.

How could he expect his dream to come true? With Xiao Zhan's self-restraint, how could he take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable state? Xiao Zhan was so open-minded, saying that as long as they appeared as a couple on the surface, he wouldn't think of anything else. They had been married for a year, spending their days together, and there had never been any crossing of boundaries. Unlike himself, he broke the rules he set for himself and greedily enjoyed Xiao Zhan's love, like a thief gradually devouring him.

"I'm fine." His eyes grew hot, whether it was from another surge of emotions or longing. He looked at the closed door and said, "Don't come in."

There was silence outside the door for a moment, and then Xiao Zhan said, "I won't come in." His voice was as gentle as always, and he smiled. "Don't worry, I won't come in. I'll leave the suppressant outside the door, you can take it yourself."

Wang Yibo bit his lip until it turned pale, burying his face in the blanket. The fabric soaked up two water stains, and he cleared his throat before lifting his head and saying, "Okay."

Footsteps sounded again, gradually growing lighter. He had never had such good hearing before. He even heard the sound of Xiao Zhan opening a drawer in the living room.

At three in the morning, the night was too quiet, the stars and moon were absent, and the wind hid away. His worries shattered under the yellowing light, and this time, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't seek solace in Xiao Zhan's embrace.

"I left it outside the door" Xiao Zhan bent down to place the suppressant, and the light leaking through the crack illuminated his fingers. His back seemed burdened, and standing up became incredibly difficult. The living room light had already been turned off, and he looked at the blurry outline of the door. After a few seconds, he turned and walked toward the illuminated bedroom. "I'll go back now. If there's anything you can't handle, just call me."

"Okay. It's just the pheromones leaking, nothing serious. Don't worry, you have to go to work tomorrow, so sleep well" Wang Yibo replied.

Xiao Zhan looked up at the ceiling where light and darkness intertwined. His heart felt like a sponge filled with water, heavy and sour.

He thought he had become accustomed to unrequited love, thinking that as long as he admitted his failure in love, he wouldn't be devastated by setbacks. But he had overestimated himself, he couldn't be a saint who silently loved without expecting a response. They were just a door apart, yet he couldn't enter openly and honestly. It was still so painful.

He closed his eyes, nodded again, and exhaled before saying, "Okay, goodnight."

The light briefly disappeared and then reappeared. Wang Yibo picked up the suppressant at the door, looked at the closed master bedroom across from him, and the cold glass bottle stung his palm. He squatted down and looked for a long time, silently saying, "Zhan gege."

A hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the clock struck six. In two bedrooms under the same roof, two people wrapped tightly in their blankets dreamt about each other.

Xiao Zhan furrowed his brows as he saw a forest of mushrooms in his dream, bathed in a temperature of 24 degrees. He was one of the countless towering mushrooms, with a small mushroom beside him that was less than one per cent of his height. The sunlight was claimed by the large mushrooms before they could reach the small mushroom, and even the nutrients in the soil were snatched away. He stayed alone in a dark corner, unable to grow taller, gradually becoming accustomed to being just a small mushroom.

It was only when the small mushroom turned twenty-two that he approached him, missing the time when he most wanted to grow taller at sixteen. He shared his sunlight and nutrients, but the small mushroom said, "I don't need them."