CH 14

When one’s thoughts are in turmoil, reluctantly talking and laughing in high spirits with someone is agitating. It’s not because of diverting the attention by talking about him and erasing the slight pain in his heart, but because the other party wasn’t important enough. 

“Xia Jingtian.” Yan Yi absent-mindedly murmured and repeated his name. Jiu’An Hongye’s boss was surnamed Xia. A couple days ago, he had looked up a number for Lu Shangjin, but it wasn’t this one. Perhaps it was a duplicated name, or it could be that this young master did it deliberately. 

But he habitually didn’t search the identity of this person, as Lu Shangjin didn’t like him integrating into these noble alphas’ circles. At first, Lu Shangjin had cared for him, afraid he would be targeted by gland hunters from other families, so he was protected deep into the courtyard like a fragile porcelain China doll. 

The little rabbit liked this very much. In the bottom of an omega’s heart, they liked to be spoiled and belong to their beloved alpha, so he obediently waited at home for him. He would study different varieties of recipes everyday. The pair of hands that were used to holding guns started fiddling with cream and piping bags, and the provocatively hot scent of ammunition became soaked with soft and fragrant sweetness.  

Lu Shangjin came home later day by day, his body tainted with the different scents of other omegas. 

After his little rabbit placed down the butcher knife and put on an apron, Lu Shangjin seemed to favour omegas of noble blood, who spoke and behaved with propriety and were able to ascend the hall of elegance. But fortunately, there were no unusual actions; Yan Yi understood him. Besides being a killing machine himself, what other charm did he have?

Before acting coquettish, he had to consider it clearly and observe Lu Shangjin’s mood on the day to guess if he would be able to get a response. If he didn’t get any, he would just quietly watch Lu Shangjin work and go to sleep.  

The young master on the other end of the line was suddenly in a hurry, his voice turning high and low, “Ai, fuck, it’s raining and I didn’t drive, I just landed this afternoon.” 

Yan Yi’s room was on the second floor; there were indeed little cold drops of rain hanging on the window. The sound of footsteps on the ground came from the end of the narrow road below, and there was an alpha in his twenties on the phone, looking for shelter from the rain. 

It’s him.

Yan Yi’s memory was very good, and he could clearly remember anyone he’d met. At the gas station, he had pressed a Desert Eagle against that lion alpha’s forehead.

The alpha had unexpectedly found him and came to his door. 

The initial thought that appeared in Yan Yi’s mind was that this alpha didn’t just happen to pass by. He definitely must have investigated his whereabouts and identity, and now rushing by the window where he was staying was certainly intentional, as he couldn’t determine where he lived. 

However, Yan Yi still put on his pants and slippers before taking his keys and headed downstairs.

Because the kid who was using a few ‘Do You Know About Swimming and Fitness’ leaflets to cover from the rain was really in a mess, pestering endlessly on the phone.  

——

XIa Jingtian held up the leaflets to cover from the rain, looking around to see if any shops were open so he could go in to avoid it. He grumbled about the annoying little rabbit in his heart. How good it was to have a comfortable bath and play games at home? It was just that on the phone, he had heard Lu Shangjin cruelly tossing the little rabbit out the door, so he booked a flight ticket to see him that night. 

He wanted to see Yan Yi so he could give him an unavoidable hug. Before, the lights in the hospital ward were dim and he hadn’t had time to take a good look at his appearance. 

He walked quickly. About ten metres in front of him, an omega with a thin figure and a fine beige woollen sweater came out. Two listless rabbit ears hung from his light grey hair. He slowly tilted his head to look at the sky, and was startled by the cold rain dripping on his cheeks. The little rabbit ears shook a little to brush off the raindrops. 

He was stunned, his footsteps gradually slowing down and stopped under the streetlamp two metres away from Yan Yi.

When Yan Yi heard the sound, he turned his head to look at him. 

The endearingly silly little rabbit ears moved absently. 

The little rabbit was so thin that his chin had become sharp. Wrapped under the fine and soft beige woollen sweater, his bony figure appeared thinner, haggard and weak from the torture during those days spent in the hospital. A weak omega who was pregnant was actually thrown out of the door by his inhuman alpha. 

Under the streetlamp, Yan Yi’s face was pale. In his eyes, there was only the flickering light and shadow reflected by the streetlamp, no longer the arrogant little rabbit who rode the Valkyrie bike and had naturally and elegantly taken off his helmet. There was a sense of desolation and homelessness deep in his eyes.  

After coming back to his senses, Xia Jingtian hurried over. He took off his coat and put it over Yan Yi, stretching out the collar to wrap him up tightly, then hugging the little rabbit, who was as weak as a dried reed, into his arms. At once, he released a large amount of soothing pheromones and caressed his hair in sympathy.  

He was inexplicably attracted to Yan Yi, knowing that this was because of their high pheromone compatibility. But seeing such a domineering omega become withered in appearance after spending a few days in the hospital, as an alpha, it was hard not to feel heartache. 

The alpha was wearing a loose white t-shirt that tightly covered the lion tattoo on his chest, like a handsome teenager spinning a basketball on his finger in a school field, surrounded by omegas cheering for the school grass1, absorbed in his charm whenever he dunked the ball into the basket. 

Yan Yi widened his eyes in surprise, blankly letting himself be held. 

Lu Shangjin seldom held him in such an enthusiastic and sincere way. What he did most of the time was to hook his fingers and let the hopping little rabbit come over and hug him himself. Sometimes he responded, sometimes he wouldn’t, but when the little rabbit hugged him, the enthusiasm in his eyes never diminished. 

Without the black neck protection guard, a large amount of soothing pheromones rushed into the glands. Due to their sufficient compatibility fit, the soothing pheromones were especially effective, even causing the discomfort from his pregnancy to gradually subside. Feeling comfortable, he took a breath, his heart in greater grief. 

After breaking up with Lu Shangjin, he could only rely on inhibitors and painkillers during his heats. When he couldn’t bear it, he would secretly go to Lu Shangjin’s room in the middle of the night to stay for a while and curl up on the floor beside his bed, not even daring to breathe unbridledly. 

Nothing can compare to the sense of security from being wrapped up in the pheromones from one’s own alpha. Lu Shangjin’s scent had surrounded him, safe and warm, as though he was being gently caressed to sleep. 

Yan Yi’s nose turned sour; he had been very cautious not to demand anything from Lu Shangjin. The young lion alpha completely released everything for him. 

“That’s enough, let’s go up.” Yan Yi was aloof and indifferent, maintaining a calm composure as he broke free from Xia Jingtian’s arms. He removed the coat and returned it to him. 

When he took it off, his hand bumped into something dripping wet in the pocket. Yan Yi looked down; it was a small bundle of roses. 

From primary school until now, Xia Jingtian completely forgot all the flirting techniques that he had cultivated from making full use of his appearance to pursue others. He pushed Yan Yi up the stairs to avoid freezing and awkwardly explained, “It was already getting late when I landed, so there were only three roses left in the florist, I wanted to bring them to you.”

He was going to buy all the roses in the florist and give them to the heart-broken little rabbit, but there were only three, it was better than nothing. 

Yan Yi looked at the bundle of roses drenched in water, the corners of his mouth pulled slightly. He remembered bringing home roses to Lu Shangjin everyday, and thought if he was also this reckless and laughable. 

As he went up the stairs, he picked out a rose from the bundle, sniffing it, and put it in his mouth. 

Bite, and chew. 

Xia Jingtian’s mouth opened slightly, watching him like he was looking at a rabbit. 

He followed Yan Yi into this small accommodation that only had one bed and a washroom. He didn’t dislike it, but felt very wronged for the little rabbit. 

“Thank you, I really like eating it.” Yan Yi stuck the leftover bare flower stalk into the only simple glass bottle on the windowsill. He took a breath, then went to get the electric kettle to boil some water. 

“Haven’t you eaten? There’s only instant noodles here, I’ll make one for you.” Yan Yi took the instant noodles from the folding table and opened a packet. 

As his glands were dormant, his auxiliary actions had become very minimal. His pale and slender fingers felt strained from opening the plastic packaging of the instant noodles. It took him a long time to tear open a seam. 

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Xia Jingtian crossed over to tear open the instant noodles packaging, then grabbed the electric kettle and hurried to get water. He mumbled in disgust, “Can this be clean…”

Then came the sound of rushing water. 

The young master’s ten fingers never touched the spring water, working seemingly neatly. He returned with the full electric kettle, plugging it into the power socket and carefully studied how to operate it. 

Xia Jingtian finally found the switch and pressed it, looking at Yan Yi a little vexedly. After watching for a while, he chuckled foolishly, then feeling annoyed that he was stupid after laughing. 

The cold rushing wind made Yan Yi’s body turn chilly. He covered his mouth and coughed twice. 

As soon as Xia Jingtian heard Yan Yi cough, he immediately released a large amount of soothing pheromones, squeezing over and wrapping Yan Yi into a steamed bun with the cotton quilt. 

Yan Yi frowned, the beautiful and light eyebrows becoming less good-looking from being twisted, appearing a little fierce. 

Xia Jingtian looked at him innocently, feeling his heart turn cold as he wondered if he had just offended Yan Yi. He wasn’t like a lion, but instead a coquettish big cat, relying on Yan Yi and not going away. 

Yan Yi flatly averted his gaze and looked at the flower stalk inserted in the glass bottle on the windowsill. 

“Don’t waste your pheromones on me.”

“I’m something someone else didn’t want. I’m very dirty.” 

When he said this, the depths of his eyes were dim, without the ripples of waves. 

Who let an omega, who didn’t let any other alphas come near him during his heat, wear out his prideful self-esteem and self-confidence? It made others want to scold him awake from his self belittlement, yet wanting to hold him tightly with heartache.

Footnotes