The frequency of Huo Xingchen's recent visits to the clinic had pushed Lu Yu to the brink of his patience.
In the past, this helmsman of the Huo Group was so overwhelmed with matters of global importance that even his mandatory annual physical required his secretary to book an appointment three months in advance. Yet, ever since their paths had become inexplicably intertwined, this private clinic, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in the city center, had become a "mandatory meeting" that the great CEO Huo attended without fail every Wednesday afternoon.
This time, Huo Xingchen sat in the spacious, comfortable consultation chair. Dressed in a sharp suit, his long legs crossed, his expression remained as composed and self-assured as if he were presiding over a board meeting concerning a hundred-billion-dollar merger at the Huo Corporation headquarters.
Thump!
A thick cowhide file folder was slammed heavily onto the marble desk.
Lu Yu, clad in a crisp, spotless white coat with fine strands of black hair falling slightly over his forehead, stared down at the man who wore "ulterior motives" written all over his face. His cold, amber-like eyes were currently brimming with patience that was about to burn out. He leaned his hands against the edge of the desk, looking down coldly at the man before him:
"Mr. Huo, this is your physical examination report for the past three months—fourteen visits in total. Do I need to read it to you line by line? Your stomach is fine, and your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and every single minor physiological indicator are healthier than a purebred bull in a zoo. So, what exactly are you here for again today?"
Faced with Lu Yu's merciless questioning, Huo Xingchen's handsome eyebrows arched slightly.
Those flimsy excuses like "just passing by for a consultation" or "a dull ache in the stomach" had finally reached the end of their lives. Huo Xingchen offered no further pretenses. He slowly unfastened the exquisite obsidian cufflinks on his left sleeve and, under Lu Yu's cold gaze, unbuckled the pure black titanium alloy smart watch—custom-made by the Huo Biotech lab to rigorously monitor the vital signs of top-tier Alphas.
With a slow push of his long fingers, he slid the watch steadily toward Lu Yu.
The cold-white electronic screen lit up between them. It was empty of all data except for a single, violently undulating wave—a red so jarringly bright it stung the eyes—and a number beside it that pulsed with frantic, ironic intensity:
[132 bpm]
In the silent clinic, where the only thing thicker than the scent of disinfectant was the clandestine confrontation of their pheromones, that number felt like a series of silent, heavy blows. A top-tier Alpha decision-maker who wouldn't blink even if Mount Tai collapsed before him was, at this very moment, exhibiting a heart rate of 132.
"My legal department and medical team, after reviewing my baseline data, explicitly told me that the most rational approach—the one most aligned with the Huo Corporation's interests—is to stay away from you."
Huo Xingchen braced one hand against the desk and stood up slowly. His tall, imposing frame instantly cast a shadow over Lu Yu, and the cold, sharp scent of his mature Alpha pheromones—faint notes of tobacco and cedar—invaded Lu Yu's space with an irresistible command.
Yet, in those eyes that were usually as deep and cold as a frozen pool, there was a surging heat so intense it felt as if it could burn anyone to ash.
"Because experimental data shows that every time I am within a one-meter radius of you, my dopamine and adrenaline levels exceed safe limits. This not only fails to meet the health standards for a competent decision-maker, it is, quite literally, slow-motion suicide. But, Dr. Lu—"
Huo Xingchen leaned down slightly, his firm jaw nearly brushing against Lu Yu's slightly chilled cheek. His voice was low and gravelly, laced with a sensual sense of resignation. "My body refuses to listen. This is the only 'investment risk' in my entire life that I cannot predict, and absolutely cannot control."
Lu Yu stared fixedly at the heart rate line, which represented both the "collapse of reason" and "absolute loss of control." His usually ice-smooth amber eyes trembled violently for a fleeting second.
As a doctor specializing in both psychology and physiology, who had witnessed countless life-and-death moments, he had always relied on his "High-Wall Principle"—a cold, clinical set of rules used to shield his inner self. According to his original plan, he should have calmly set aside the medical report at this moment and issued three near-impossible conditions to this encroaching capitalist, enough to make anyone retreat in hesitation.
But right now, the "tick-tock" of the heart rate monitor emanating from the watch felt like a drumbeat that could not be ignored, hitting his nerve endings one pulse after another.
Under the shroud of the cedar-scented pheromones, the high wall shattered, leaving a crack.
After a brief silence, Lu Yu suddenly let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
He didn't step back. Instead, he crossed forward one step to meet Huo Xingchen's aggressive posture. Lu Yu's cool right hand reached out with precision, grabbed the deep-gray silk tie around Huo Xingchen's neck, and gave it a sharp pull downward!
The sudden force compelled the arrogant CEO to lower his head further. Their nose-tips nearly touched, while Lu Yu's long, fair fingers—lingering with the faint, chilled temperature of disinfectant—pressed firmly and suggestively against the frantic, pulsing carotid artery on the side of Huo Xingchen's neck.
"Mr. Huo, there's no need to look at the test results on that watch anymore."
Lu Yu tilted his head up slightly. A rare, dazzling streak of madness ignited within his amber eyes. Feeling the near-explosive heat of the pulse beneath his fingertips, his voice was cool yet laced with a tremor, resolute and unquestionable:
"I've finished my final evaluation on my end. Your condition is indeed hopeless, because—my heart rate is racing, too."