《Fouls Prohibited》


 CH 1

    At the end of the track, the black and white checkered flag whirled.


    The match was coming to an end.


    Speeding around the last corner, the one in the lead was still the rare Asian driver in the international Formula One races, Ye Ci.


    He performed as always in this race, his style aggressive and almost crazy.


    More than one sports commentator had spoken negatively about his extreme style of play.


    Some thought that this so-called rising star possessed very composed suicidal tendencies, and one bluntly stated that he didn¡¯t seem to really love the sport, that the track probably brought him more than just accolades, and was more of an outlet for his violent emotions. There were also small online media outlets that vaguely suggested that Ye Ci was suspected of suffering from some kind of mental illness. Coupled with his rare Asian identity and Omega gender in this event, and his inhuman arrogance in media interviews . . .


    In the stands, cheers and boos mingled together.


    He had a mixed reputation.


    But all of this had no effect on Ye Ci.


    The car he drove was matte black, the entire body made of carbon fiber material edged in pale, dancing gold, like roaring black dysprosium [1] entwined with golden thread. Unstoppable, it roared past the finish line.


    In the VIP stands, a handsome man with a proud smile gave a standing ovation despite the boos all around him.


    In the lounge:


    Ye Ci walked with an unsteady gait, staggered, and fell onto the sofa. His water-drenched hair had been pushed back, exposing a warm face that was as pink as a spring peach.


    For an Omega, a formula race was enough to completely exhaust his physical strength.


    He couldn¡¯t even strip off his racing suit.


    This was Ye Ci¡¯s exclusive lounge. Huo Tinglan closed the door and locked it, and unscrewed the cap of an energy drink. The light blue plastic bottle touched Ye Ci¡¯s soft, wet red lips as the drink was fed to him.


    Ye Ci was quiet and obedient, raising his hand to support Huo Tinglan¡¯s wrist as he emptied the bottle in this position. A pair of eyes narrowed, their emotions inscrutable. They were a pale color, like a distant, mist-shrouded mountain.


    Having been married to Huo Tinglan for five years, he had always been like this.


    Cool, restrained, quiet.


    Huo Tinglan knew that Ye Ci was just not good at expressing his feelings, and also knew the cause of his withdrawn and introverted character. He felt sorry for him, and pitied him even more. In his eyes, Ye Ci was like a porcelain beauty restored from fragments, seemingly rigid, but in fact scarred, fragile and brittle. After five years of marriage, during which he treated Ye Ci with great care and love in every possible way, the results were unfortunately poor. The only things that could make Ye Ci feel a bit of relief were racing sports like Formula One. Perhaps only through the life-or-death stimulation of extreme speed could he feel the beating of his heart and the vitality still present in his body.


    The air was full of sweet vanilla-scented pheromones mixed with sweat from the soaked one-piece racing suit, drifting freely.


    This competition was coming to an end. In order not to waste Ye Ci¡¯s physical strength, Huo Tinglan had been abstinent for many days. An Alpha in the prime of his life, like a hungry wolf or a fierce tiger, soaked in his partner¡¯s 100% compatible Omega pheromones, he could only smother the fire and ask a gentle question: ¡°Take it easy now?¡±


    Ye Ci nodded and said nothing.


    In order to not stimulate Ye Ci too much, Huo Tinglan had to suppress various ¡°bad¡± elements of his Alpha nature to cooperate with Ye Ci, and didn¡¯t dare to be too shameless in front of him. One quiet and restrained, one tender and gentlemanly, they had respected each other for five years. There had never been any discord, and although the model of their marriage was a bit dull, it was at least harmonious.


    He couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    Huo Tinglan threw away the bottle and got close, pressing Ye Ci against the back of the sofa as he wrapped him in his arms. He stared at him for a moment with fiery eyes and said hoarsely: ¡°You have a fever . . . have you used an inhibitor lately?¡±


    Ye Ci shook his head, then raised his face and looked at him gently and obediently.


    After years of tacit understanding, Huo Tinglan understood that this was Ye Ci¡¯s way of saying that he could mark him completely.


    For Ye Ci, this could be regarded as a very warm invitation.


    Huo Tinglan lowered his head and used his thin lips to run over the two wet red patches, still holding back his urges, pressing down lightly, teasing patiently.


    Ye Ci opened his eyes, and they were like a pair of polished glass orbs, a bit cool. His emotions were not apparent at first glance, but if you looked closely, it was clear that he was gradually softening.


    ¡°Tinglan . . .¡±


    He called softly.


    He couldn¡¯t show too much emotion, so he had to pinch Huo Tinglan¡¯s diamond cufflinks with two fingers, childishly clinging. He didn¡¯t let him go, didn¡¯t let him move away, until his fingertips turned red.


    ¡°Tinglan . . .¡±


    He called again.


    The two were obviously close, but his voice seemed inexplicably distant, as if he was asking Huo Tinglan for help through a thick and invisible barrier.


    Huo Tinglan hugged him tighter, running his fingertips across his sweaty forehead, whispering comfort, trying to answer his cry for help.


    Holding tight, and a little tighter.


    It was like trying in vain to grip a slippery fish.


    But eventually, it would dive down into the deep sea.


    . . .  . . .


    Three months later, Ye Ci, at the age of 27, was accidentally killed in a race.


    After his death, the outside world was divided.


    There were unreliable and outrageous rumors about it, doing their best to attract people¡¯s attention.


    Slightly more reliable ones said that he was disturbed by depression and other mental problems, resulting in serious mistakes during the race.


    There were also the good people who had unearthed the unfortunate early years of this rising star racing driver, with polarized reviews ¨C


    Abandoned by his wealthy biological father at a young age, and living in a slum with his mother . . . .


    Abused and beaten by his stepfather, resulting in a speech impediment . . . .


    When he became an adult, he was recognized by a wealthy family and became a tool for his biological father to compete for inheritance, and was treated unfairly . . . .


    He dropped out of school to work due to his mother¡¯s illness, which led to his failure of the college entrance examination . . . .


    But his mother¡¯s condition deteriorated and she died . . . .


    . . .  . . .


    Before taking refuge with Huo Tinglan, he experienced too many dark and painful moments.


    Perhaps, his spirit had already been burned to the ground.


    No matter how gentle and lingering spring rain was, it was difficult to moisten scorched earth.


    These rumors about Ye Ci¡¯s tragic early life disappeared quite quickly.


    Before being completely defeated by the heavy fist of reality, Ye Ci was strong and did not want to be pitied by others. Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t want his scars to be what others talked about after dinner. The various spectator posts often survived for only a few minutes, but it was difficult to stop the small-scale spread of gossip. There had always been no shortage of gossip lovers in the news comment threads related to Ye Ci.


    Below a certain obituary that had been forwarded more than 100,000 times, among the mourning voices of many fans, there was a slightly ¡°pretentious¡± hot comment ¨C


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine how much pain Huo Tinglan must be in. He has lost his little husband forever.¡±


    A passerby asked curiously about the relationship between Huo Tinglan and Ye Ci, and some people started gossiping in the thread.


    ¡°They had been married for five years. When Ye Ci was only twenty-two years old, Huo Tinglan happened to see him compete once, and it should be considered love at first sight. It is said that he chased after him for half a year. Huo Tinglan was twelve years older than him, so he always called him Little Sir, and after marriage, the two of them were still very polite to each other. There was mutual respect between them. Ye Ci himself was a bit introverted, but this pair was still very sweet, it¡¯s a pity . . .¡±


    ¡°Huo is an A+ grade Alpha, and his compatibility with Omegas is generally low. He will never meet another Omega that is 100% compatible with him in this life.¡±


    ¡°What if there¡¯s a second one . . . . the one who knows the whole story showed that Huo Tinglan is really affectionate. If even he can marry another one with ease, that Alpha isn¡¯t a good person anymore.¡±


    This topic was brought up, and the comment area gradually started to chat about it.


    An hour later, a new comment was bumped to the top.


    ¡°If time could be reversed, if Huo Tinglan could have met his little gentleman earlier, protected him earlier, would everything be different?¡±


    The crowd below echoed this.


    . . .  . . .


    When Huo Tinglan woke up, the sky was bright.


    His cell phone alarm clock was going off.


    It was 6:00 a.m.


    Huo Tinglan turned off the alarm clock and closed his eyes again. Reaching out a hand with bulging blue veins, he groped to the side, looking for the half-full bottle of tequila.


    Ye Ci was gone.


    It hurt so much.


    There was a hole in the softest part of his heart.


    His nerves longed to be drenched in potent alcohol, and the more sluggish the soaking made him, the better.


    However, he failed to touch the cool, delicate and hard bottleneck in his imagination. Instead, he encountered a smooth LCD screen. The touch was almost unfamiliar.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan frowned and slowly opened his eyes.


    What came into view was a laptop computer with a brightly lit screen on a dark black background. It was lined with a variety of ECG-like steep lines and dense numbers ¨C the interface of a financial software that he was very familiar with . . .


    And he himself was actually lying on a desk as faint golden light shone in from the blinds.


    It was as if he accidentally fell asleep while staying up late last night to handle official business.


    Was it possible?


    He had no mind to work.


    But how could he be at the company . . .


    Did he sleepwalk?


    It was too comical.


    Huo Tinglan propped up his upper body and grinned in pain.


    However, this mocking smile suddenly froze before it could be restrained.


    The chaos between dreams and wakefulness faded, and for a moment, he was suddenly sober.


    This place . . . was clearly his office ten years ago.


    The body preceded the mind. With just one glance, Huo Tinglan precisely swept to the lower right corner of the computer screen. His subconscious had sensed something, and his black pupils were extremely bright.


    Saturday, 6:02.


    2021/ ¡­ ¡­


    Huo Tinglan tried his best to hold his breath and unlocked the phone with his fingerprint. The phone still displayed that date.


    When he opened the address book, his hands were shaking so much that he could barely hold the phone.


    According to memory, he called the personal assistant he¡¯d had back then.


    At 6:30 in the morning, the opposite side picked up in three seconds.


    Such was the style of the personal assistant, a hard-working, always-on-call Beta.


    ¡°Mr. Huo.¡±


    This voice was also familiar.


    Huo Tinglan gripped the phone without saying a word, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The glass in the early morning was shrouded in a hazy light, reflecting his face.


    Handsome, with sharp features and dark eyes that revealed a rare look of surprise, and . . . he was still young.


    This was what he looked like when he was thirty.


    This was ten years ago.


    Suddenly:


    His heart beat wildly, his blood boiled, and the bridge of his nose was sore and painful.


    This year, Ye Ci was only eighteen years old.


    Everything was within reach.


    . . .  . . .


    At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the Fengchi Circuit on the outskirts of the city was bustling with activity.


    On the side of the track, a heavy duty motorcycle was parked under the spotlights.


    The metal fittings on its body had heated up in the race just moments earlier, scorching hot under the blazing white afternoon sun.


    Beside the motorcycle, a long leg rested on the ground. The rider was a teenager who looked like a high school student.


    He was wearing a dark sweater with a slightly childish hood design, with a few strands of soft black hair spilling out from under the brim of the hood. It was neatly placed across his brow, out of tune with the curiously dressed drag racing teams around.


    Ye Ci, just after his eighteenth birthday, had dropped out of school for more than a year. He was currently repeating his second year of high school in Tiancheng Private School. His structural gender was male, his glandular gender . . . the record on his household registration card had been changed to Omega a few days ago.


    He held a stack of banknotes, counted them, and put them in his pocket.


    . . . Still a long way to go.


    Ye Ci looked at the track. His pale pupils and skin were cold like thin porcelain, hard and brittle.


    Fengchi Circuit had been operating in the suburbs for many years, providing tracks and a variety of vehicle rentals ¨C motorcycles, Formula One, they could all be used. The track was legally operated, but most of the people who came to race were not good people. Drag racing burned money ¨C the track, the car, the fuel, real money everywhere. So the custom of racing for money gradually emerged amongst this subset of people who often came to compete. At the beginning, it was only small amounts, purely to subsidize track fees and fuel expenses. Later, this group of people got used to playing with money, and the amount also rose. Sometimes a win or a loss could mean tens of thousands of dollars, and if you lost a few big races in a row, you may even have to relinquish your vehicle to others.


    ¡°Want to race?¡± A blonde-haired man riding a Harley slid toward Ye Ci, covered all over in ear and lips studs, along with iron chains that might weigh several kilograms when removed.


    Huang Mao was a frequent visitor to the racetrack. His skills weren¡¯t bad and he was good at tricks, and he¡¯d earned the Harley under his ass through racing.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t recall such a person, so he simply said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Huang Mao licked his lips.


    Ye Ci adjusted his helmet and bit into the milk-flavored candy in his mouth: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way.¡±


    Huang Mao smiled. His slender legs on the ground swayed as if he had ADHD, and he looked at Ye Ci¡¯s clothes, offering a price that was not excessive: ¡°Three thousand, dare to play?¡±


    Ye Ci lowered his eyes: ¡°Dare.¡±


    He cherished words like gold.


    The two motorcycles slid to the start of the track.


    Huang Mao squinted at Ye Ci. His gaze turned sly and landed on Ye Ci¡¯s feet.


    Off-brand sneakers, cheap and worn out but clean, maybe bleached, pure white.


    Huang Mao grinned happily inside his helmet ¨C everyone said that this was the new and amazing driver who had showed up to play this month, a crazy and fierce whirlwind. But wasn¡¯t this actually a child?


    Engines roared, and the two heavy-duty motorcycles rushed past the starting line.


    The Harley¡¯s momentum was fierce, with a high-horsepower starting speed, exerting enough energy to make Ye Ci take note of the initial show of strength. But Ye Ci hit the gas more ruthlessly. Even if his hardware was no match for it, he still ate up the distance. The battle between the two vehicles was at a stalemate until they reached the middle of the track. Ye Ci precisely caught the multiple low pressure areas behind the vehicle in front, and the hardcore-style Kawasaki motorcycle roared as it brushed past Huang Mao.


    ¡°**** your mother!¡± Huang Mao couldn¡¯t afford to lose and revealed his fierceness. ¡°Little bastard!¡±


    He had originally wanted to bully the child and crush him, but unexpectedly, the little wolf dog was chasing and beating him.


    Ye Ci turned a deaf ear and took the third corner at high speed, the distance between them getting wider and wider.


    Three thousand yuan was about to fly, and he was still watching the little brat thrash him! The veins on the back of Huang Mao¡¯s hands bulged, and he fought hard to accelerate around the corners.


    The two motorcycles kept pace with each other, and the horizontal distance between them did not exceed one meter. Huang Mao took the opportunity to release the handlebar with one hand, and unexpectedly squeezed Ye Ci¡¯s handlebar hard. . .


    Forcing the opponent to brake in the middle of a race was not just a trick, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was intentional injury.


    The body of the motorcycle vibrated violently, jolting and fishtailing. Ye Ci tried his best to stabilize, kept silent, and then chased after him fiercely. The distance lost was tied again momentarily. Huang Mao didn¡¯t get another chance to grab him again. He was utterly dismayed, even belting out curses.


    A few minutes later, the two vehicles crossed the finish line, and Ye Ci was about to dismount.


    Huang Mao slid off the track, swaying his legs and playing the rogue: ¡°Yo, a tie?¡±


    Ye Ci took off his helmet and glanced at him.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Huang Mao clenched his jaw and gave him a ferocious look. ¡°What¡¯s with that expression?¡±


    Before he finished speaking, a helmet flew over from a distance and smashed his mouth bloody. Huang Mao was about to attack, but took a foot to the shoulder and rolled to the ground. He suffered a few violent kicks immediately after, and the pain made him unable to straighten his back.


    Ye Ci picked up the helmet, looking down at his left hand that had held the brake, and asked, ¡°Owe a hand?¡±


    Huang Mo sprayed blood: ¡°I **** your mother . . . ah ah ah ah ah!¡±


    The second half of his curses were swallowed back ¨C


    Ye Ci stomped on his left hand.


    A lot of people gathered around to watch the fun, but no one approached to fight.


    Ye Ci¡¯s appearance gave off a youthfulness that could not be concealed, but his aura was terrifyingly violent.


    He resembled a glass knife, fragile but sharp.


    Huang Mao was in pain and fear, but the few blows just now were enough for him to assess Ye Ci¡¯s strength ¨C He was 80% sure he was an Alpha. He didn¡¯t dare to say a word and hissed, shrinking into the wall with red eyes.


    Ye Ci squatted down and gingerly pinched the hem of the yellow sweater with his fingernails, raising it to inspect Huang Mao¡¯s upper body with an indifferent gaze.


    ¡°What, what are you doing?¡± Huang Mao hurriedly pulled the hem of his clothes down.


    Soft tissue contusion with an area of less than 15 square centimeters, oral cavity damage, broken finger. . . Minor injuries, nothing serious.


    He knew exactly what he was doing.


    Ye Ci stared at him, took out his cell phone, and seemed to be warmhearted, but his tone revealed a threat: ¡°Call the police?¡±


    A wise man knew better than to fight when the odds were against him. Huang Mao shook his head: ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t report it, I really won¡¯t report it.¡±


    Ye Ci nodded, got up, and said in a clear voice, ¡°That three thousand . . .¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, 3,000, this is for you.¡± Huang Mao took out his phone.


    Ye Ci shook his head, held his breath unnaturally for a few seconds, and then said slowly ¡°. . . is for medical expenses.¡±


    [1] A rare-earth element with a metallic silver luster. ?


    Translator¡¯s Note: I never would have thought when I first got into danmei that my first translation would be a modern-day A/B/O, but ¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥

 CH 2

    Ye Ci¡¯s face was pale when he walked into the racetrack restroom.


    Cold sweat dripped down his spine to wet his waistline, and cool fabric stuck to his tailbone.


    Moments ago, that highly charged scene had triggered his pathological reaction.


    ¨C **** your mother. . .


    ¨C Little bastard. . .


    Even the rough tone was very similar.


    In late spring in the north, the water spewing from the faucet was still cold to the bone.


    Ye Ci wasn¡¯t too cold, so he scooped up water and washed his face repeatedly. When the skin of his face became numb and itchy, turning the pink color of spring peach blossoms, he forced himself to stop.


    ¡°Augh ¨C¡± After rinsing his face, Ye Ci leaned on the edge of the ceramic wash basin and retched a few times.


    He didn¡¯t vomit anything since he hadn¡¯t eaten, but inexplicably felt more relaxed. He rinsed his mouth, wiped the water droplets from his lips, and looked up at the mirror behind the sink.


    There was no one else in the restroom. In the mirror, several toilet stalls stood silent and empty.


    Ye Ci was silent for a moment, and suddenly repeated the lines from ten minutes ago.


    ¡°That three thousand . . .¡±


    ¡°Is for, for medical expenses.¡±


    ¡°That three thousand is for, medical, medical expenses . . .¡±


    He stammered.


    Chu Wenlin had thought that he was embarrassing and sent him to a stuttering correction center for a month, but he still couldn¡¯t coherently speak more than three words. Maybe it was because his speech impediment stemmed from deeper problems, and those lessons didn¡¯t get to the heart of it. Fortunately, he had long been used to this problem since childhood. In order to avoid ridicule, he usually spoke very briefly, as if he was naturally cold and reserved.


    Just now, he almost embarrassed himself in front of that gangster, but fortunately held his breath at the critical moment and covered it up.


    Only seven words.


    He couldn¡¯t even say seven words.


    Unreconciled, Ye Ci tried to repeat it several times. As a result, the more anxious he became, the more he stumbled, and the only gain was that his face became flushed and red, and the corners of his eyes became damp.


    There were footsteps outside the bathroom.


    Ye Ci pursed his lips slightly, raised his hood, and remained silent.


    The visitor was a tall Alpha racer. When he entered the door, he glanced at Ye Ci unintentionally and recognized that he was the kid who had just beaten someone up.


    Ye Ci¡¯s face, which was wet and red-eyed a moment ago, switched seamlessly to a blank slate[1], eyes slanted away indifferently.


    The racer looked back and didn¡¯t intend to cause trouble.


    After leaving the racetrack, Ye Ci was in a daze for a while on the side of the road.


    As usual, he adjusted himself and cleaned away his weak emotions. Then he went to the market to buy some daily necessities and fruit with the money he just earned and rushed to the sanatorium where Ye Hongjun was.


    It got dark prematurely in early spring. It was only five o¡¯clock, and the streetlights in the courtyard were gradually lighting up. Half of the sky was still purple, the lake was full of glowing lights and shadow, and swans cruised gracefully on the water. The scenery was pleasant.


    Ye Hongjun¡¯s senior ward was on the third floor.


    When Ye Ci entered through the door, she was falling asleep, her skin cold and sickly white, like a pale skeleton. The lingering malady was torturing her. Even her bones were thin and finely ground, and her pitifully narrow face sunk deep into the soft pillow.


    The highly-paid nurses hired by Chu Wenlin did their best to serve her, even if she was unable to care for herself. Ye Hongjun was still clean and decent, and the hospital gown exuded the scent of citrus. A weak forearm stuck out from the wide cuff of the hospital gown, and the needle marks on it were densely packed.


    Ye Ci stroked Ye Hongjun¡¯s forearm with the pads of his fingers, and the bridge of his nose felt sore.


    She was taking an intravenous injection, and had been stuck with needles more than 20,000 times. Although difficult to cure, it could prolong life.


    However, conscientious nurses, nursing homes, and life-sustaining injections. . .


    It all cost money.


    Ye Ci had a ledger, and he recorded every sum of money that Chu Wenlin spent on Ye Hongjun¡¯s medical treatment. He planned to pay it back slowly in the future.


    The rapid rise in numbers made Ye Ci gradually go from panic to numbness.


    If Chu Wenlin¡¯s conscience still existed, he should have given the mother and son assistance unconditionally.


    He failed to live up to expectations.


    Chu Wenlin was Ye Ci¡¯s biological father and the eldest son of the third branch of the Chu family.


    When he was young and flirtatious, because of his passion, he swore to spend his life with Ye Hongjun, who was born to a small family. He even instigated Ye Hongjun to give up her studies and run away with him. It was not until Ye Hongjun, in defiance of the world, took the risk of giving birth before marriage, that the cries of the baby and the weight of poverty gradually crushed Chu Wenlin¡¯s illusion.


    Marriage, appropriate matches, family poverty . . . he seemed to know these words for the first time, and felt regret. He was a rich young man from a life of luxury and extravagance, and could not bear the hardship. He resolutely returned to his family home to kowtow and accept punishment while the scandal was covered up, and a year later obeyed the family¡¯s arrangements and married a well-bred lady.


    Ye Hongjun cried, made noise, and begged, gritting her teeth and letting go of her restraint. Holding Ye Ci, who was rolling around in his swaddling clothes, she was ultimately unable to recover.


    An Omega giving birth out of wedlock was synonymous with suffering. She grew up raising Ye Ci in the slums. By nature, no matter how many wounds she suffered, she would not linger on the memory forever and retained a bit of girlish innocence. She had gone through several boyfriends, Alpha and Beta, but they didn¡¯t last long and their separations were ugly.


    When Ye Ci was young, he tried to find the shadows of his father in those faces, but couldn¡¯t. His surname followed his mother¡¯s and there was no clue in this regard.


    When he grew up, his thoughts about his father faded away.


    The turning point happened a few months ago.


    Old man Chu, who had been holding the Chu family¡¯s power and refusing to let go, was seriously ill and admitted to the hospital. He was able to be saved, but the grandchildren of the Chu family took this as a dangerous sign and the battle for the family fortune heated up.


    Chu Wenlin was mediocre in talent and selfish, and his eight-year-old son, Chu Rui, was also stubborn and stupid. In addition, Chu Wenlin¡¯s mother, the third wife of Mr. Chu, was just a dancer when she was young. Not only was she from a humble background, but after marriage, there were even rumors of cheating. Therefore, the Third Household had never been favored by the old man Chu, and were at an absolute disadvantage in the battle for inheritance.


    Chu Wenlin was unwilling to accept only the scraps that leaked between the teeth of his brothers and sisters. When he was really clutching at straws, he thought of the eldest son who could be alive or dead outside, and felt that the child might have value and could be exploited. Only then did he investigate the whereabouts of the mother and son, and came to their door for the first time.


    ¡°Mom, I, I ran, ran a race today.¡± Ye Ci found a piece of good news and stammered it to Ye Hongjun. ¡°Made, made a lot of money, enough . . . to treat you.¡±


    In front of his mother, Ye Ci completely removed his disguise.


    He became obedient, his eyebrows arched softly, his eyes light, with a charming appearance.


    He was carved out of the same mold as Ye Hongjun.


    However, in the slums, the mother and son who were as soft as lambs could only end up having their bones broken and marrow sucked dry. Ye Hongjun was weak, so he must be strong.


    No matter how soft you were, you had to pretend to be savage and grow illusory thorns.


    Ye Ci stayed in the ward for more than two hours, massaging Ye Hongjun¡¯s limbs to slow down muscle atrophy and sweeping the floor, but unfortunately, Ye Hongjun was too weak and never woke up.


    He also paced around and talked during those two hours, picking out good news about school, classmates, the handsome silver motorcycle he saw at the racetrack, how beautiful the swans were on the artificial lake in the sanatorium.


    He was not really as taciturn as he appeared, but no one but his mother had the patience to listen to long, stammering speeches.


    Finally, he picked up the wilted sunflower in the porcelain vase by Ye Hongjun¡¯s bed and threw it in the trash, replacing it with a fragrant lily he bought on the way.


    She often missed his visits due to her drowsiness, so Ye Ci would change the flowers every time he came.


    The lily was fresh and tender.


    She would know he had been here.


    . . .  . . .


    After visiting Ye Hongjun, Ye Ci wandered the streets until eleven o¡¯clock, and he didn¡¯t return to the Chu residence until Chu Wenlin went to bed.


    It was good to not have to look at that scumbag.


    With the passing of time, the longing for a father¡¯s love had long been drenched in disappointment. Ye Ci hadn¡¯t called Chu Wenlin father for several months, and he would never call him that again in the future.


    Chu Wenlin was quite dissatisfied with Ye Ci¡¯s late return, so he got up early in the morning with a sullen face.


    Ye Ci turned a blind eye and went back to the bedroom after breakfast to study English. The cotton gauze curtains were drawn, the door was locked, and the light was dim.


    There were dozens of rooms in the Chu family¡¯s mansion, which was as convoluted as an ant hill. After Chu Wenlin recognized him, he sank into the depths of the Chu residence like an ant in a hole, rarely leaving a sign of his existence.


    The house was big enough, but the pilet-like screams of Chu Rui, Ye Ci¡¯s ¡°legitimate¡± brother, could still penetrate the thick walls and reach his brain.


    Even a trivial amount of unhappiness could elicit such a noise.


    The servants coaxed and persuaded, and footsteps drifted to and fro following the call of the legitimate young master.


    Ye Ci pretended not to hear it, and read the English text with difficulty.


    There was no one in the bedroom, but he kept his voice very low, as if afraid that his comical spoken words would be heard by the air.


    In order to treat Ye Hongjun, he dropped out of school to work for a year and a half, and his studies were severely neglected. His worst subject was English. He had difficulty speaking, and the biggest taboo in learning English was not opening your mouth. Before he dropped out of school, his English had always been a crippling subject, and he relied on the other five subjects to get good grades.


    Chu Wenlin gave him the opportunity to go back to school. He should have cherished it, and shouldn¡¯t have wasted time racing at second-rate racetracks, but . . . .


    The sound of a car came from the window.


    Ye Ci walked to the window, opened a slit in the curtain, and peeped out.


    In the distance, an unfamiliar car drove into the inner courtyard of the Chu residence and slowly parked.


    The straight waterfall of the air grille and the little platinum figure on the hood were polished clean and bright. The body of the car was pure black, dark and expensive.


    Ye Ci frowned. He had a bad feeling.


    The driver opened the door, and the housekeeper, Uncle Tong, stood there in attendance. Wenlin greeted him with a loud laugh, in the warm style of businessmen who had a good relationship.


    The visitor was disaffected, and only nodded slightly. Chu Wenlin handled things smoothly, and hurriedly restrained his excessive smile as he greeted the visitor.


    Ye Ci knew about this person, Huo Tinglan, the head of the Huo family that Chu Wenlin tried to curry favor with. He was also an Alpha that matched Ye Ci up to 100%.


    This match was quite rare and could be called biological destiny.


    But Ye Ci only felt uneasy.


    He was originally an A-level Alpha, but now he had become an Omega because he had a so-called ¡°second differentiation¡± that normal people didn¡¯t have.


    Secondary differentiation was a relatively rare disorder, mostly caused by abnormalities in pheromone secretion during puberty. Patients generally started the second differentiation three to four years after the first differentiation, and the true glandular sex of the patient was based on the result of the secondary differentiation.


    Ye Ci never knew that he had this problem. Before the start of the second differentiation, he always thought he was an Alpha.


    He was recognized and brought back by the Chu family a while ago, and Chu Wenlin took him in for a series of examinations, including various infectious disease screenings and gland tests, and the results also showed that he was an Alpha . . . . a healthy A-level Alpha.


    In the end, about two weeks ago, he developed a brief pseudo-Omega heat.


    The heat lasted only about an hour, the symptoms were not severe, and he was alone in the bedroom when it happened. Even he himself almost didn¡¯t realize that it was a pseudo-heat, let alone Chu Wenlin.


    It was not a good thing for Ye Ci to differentiate into an Omega at this time.


    Right now, Chu Wenlin just wanted to add a bloodline to the third house, so that multiple people could share the inheritance. An Alpha boy was the more preferred gender when it came to dividing the estate, and the only thing better was a good-looking Omega. For Chu Wenlin, a beautiful Omega offspring was a ¡°good deal¡± up for grabs.


    Ye Ci was not stupid and could think clearly about this issue, so he didn¡¯t intend to let Chu Wenlin know, and wanted to hide it as long as he could.


    However, the problem lay in the private hospital where Ye Ci was examined.


    Originally, his gland test had been done, but it turned out that he didn¡¯t know what the hospital was doing. They actually claimed that the previous gland results were wrong and that Ye Ci may not be a true Alpha.


    Naturally, Chu Wenlin refused to pass up the possible opportunity, and took Ye Ci in for another examination. This time, the hospital advised them to carry out a more accurate but also more troublesome genetic testing . . . . after all this tossing and turning, Ye Ci¡¯s Omega identity was completely exposed.


    What made Ye Ci even more surprised was that Chu Wenlin, who was overjoyed, was going to ¡°market¡± him to other families in exchange for commercial resources. The new head of the Huo family took the initiative to propose marriage, and the timing couldn¡¯t be more accurate.


    No wonder the Huo family was well-informed ¨C that private hospital was one of the many industries operated by the Huo family. Chu Wenlin¡¯s series of actions happened under the eyes of others. The Chu family suddenly produced an Omega that matched Huo Tinglan¡¯s genes 100%. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for the Huo family to find out.


    . . .  . . .


    Ye Ci looked down through the slit in the curtain.


    As an A+ grade Alpha, Huo Tinglan was almost 1.9 meters tall.


    The weather in spring was difficult to predict, with the temperature at noon being a lot higher than in the morning and evening. The floor tiles were dazzling white in the sun, and looked hot, but Huo Tinglan was wearing a formal three-piece suit to show the importance he attached to this meeting. The fabric of the suit had a deep luster, and the person wearing it should look elegant and noble, but that fierce figure revealed an imposing and beast-like savage sex appeal.


    An A+ grade Alpha was really like a beast in some ways . . . .


    Suddenly, as if alerted by intuition, Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes lifted and went straight to the window of Ye Ci¡¯s bedroom on the second floor.


    They looked at each other for a moment. Ye Ci shrank back, startled, and the fingertips holding the curtain turned white.


    His stomach spasmed.


    His self-perception was still that of an Alpha male.


    Getting up close and personal with another top Alpha . . . . Ye Ci imagined this scene and resisted until he was sweating all over.


    [1] The actual terminology used is ¡°switched seamlessly to a ¡®coffin board''¡± or ¹×²Ä°å, which is a Taiwanese snack. These crispy boxes of bread are usually filled with a creamy mix of chicken products, peas, potatoes, shrimp, etc. The top does indeed look like a blank slate. ?

 CH 3

    In the living room of the Chu residence, the visitors had been waiting for a long time.


    Huo Tinglan, along with his personal assistant, lawyer, and notary.


    Ye Ci dawdled for a long time before walking into the living room, and took a seat on the single sofa in the corner.


    He was so nervous that his face was as white as bone china, but he still tried to keep his composure. His straight legs were wrapped in old whitewashed jeans, deliberately propped apart as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.


    It was a rude posture for an Omega.


    He presented himself as street stall goods of low quality.


    He hoped that Huo Tinglan would dislike him and not dare to go too far.


    Because Ye Hongjun¡¯s life was still in Chu Wenlin¡¯s hands.


    Chu Wenlin looked gloomy and sent Ye Ci a warning with his eyes.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t look at anyone at all. He lowered his eyes and swiped his phone quickly with his fingers, as if he was busy with something.


    His instincts told him that Huo Tinglan was looking at him, and his gaze was a heavy weight pressing down on his head like a cold cloud.


    Huo Tinglan should be wearing a pheromone blocker, but the pheromones of an A+ grade Alpha were too powerful, and slight leakage was unavoidable, so Ye Ci could still smell a trace of a scorching, liquor-like masculine scent.


    The scent of tequila.


    Alphas with A+ grade glands were extremely rare, and this was Ye Ci¡¯s first time coming into contact with one.


    Even a Beta, who were resistant to pheromones, would feel faintly uncomfortable under that sense of oppression and aggression, not to mention Ye Ci, who was in the Omega differentiation stage.


    Like a string pulled from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, yanking hard, Ye Ci couldn¡¯t wait to curl up into a ball in the crack of the sofa to avoid Huo Tinglan¡¯s strong presence and scent.


    He gritted his teeth to suppress the urge and straightened his body.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Huo Tinglan said.


    His voice was low and magnetic, as typical for an Alpha.


    Ye Ci resisted so much that his breath shook. He swiped across the cell phone¡¯s home screen from beginning to end, then from end to beginning, moving the app icons around. His palms were covered in cold sweat.


    After confirming that his voice would not tremble, he said coldly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Chu Wenlin said that the child was introverted and afraid of strangers, so he hurriedly cut to the point and discussed the details of the marriage agreement.


    The marriage was a purely commercial act. After the two parties concluded a marriage contract, the Huo family would cooperate with the Chu family to develop a huge government project that would bring astronomical returns for both parties. It was a mutually beneficial win-win situation.


    The power of the Chu family was still firmly in the hands of Mr. Chu. After this project was completed, Chu Wenlin¡¯s share of the benefits would be limited.


    Therefore, for Chu Wenlin, the real key was not the project itself, but the in-law relationship between the third house of the Chu family and the Huo family, along with the great contribution he was about to make for the Chu family. This would become his capital in the battle for inheritance, and would greatly enhance his status in the mind of Mr. Chu. The first and second houses, as well as his four half-siblings, wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. In exchange, Chu Wenlin would provide his Omega eldest son as Huo Tinglan¡¯s ¡°human medicine jar.¡±


    As a rare A+ grade Alpha, Huo Tinglan enjoyed the advantages of his glands and physical abilities, but also had to suffer more tortuous and frequent susceptible periods than other Alphas. It was double the physical and mental torture. Those who had not experienced it could not imagine it. Some A+ level alphas who could not bear the torture would even mutilate themselves during their susceptible period in order to take their mind off it.


    Not only that, but an A+¡¯s overly strong genes made it difficult for them to match with weak Omegas, making it even more impossible to seek a partner regardless of genetic matching. A+ class pheromones could cause a low-match Omega to go into shock or a coma at high concentrations. Therefore, the vast majority of A+ level Alphas would struggle with frequent and painful susceptible periods for the rest of their lives, and die alone.


    Chu Wenlin knew that for such an Alpha, Ye Ci, who could relieve the symptoms of his susceptible period, was quite valuable.


    Huo Tinglan was also happy to lead him to think so.


    On the other side of the sofa, the youthful teenager had a cold face and a sharp temperament, like a little hedgehog.


    He pretended not to care about this transaction, but he never dared to raise his eyes to look at anyone, and the fingers gripping the phone had turned white.


    In Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes, this stern coldness that fooled outsiders was as flimsy as a wet piece of paper that leaked at a touch.


    Since miraculously returning to the past, Huo Tinglan was in close contact with Ye Ci for the first time.


    This was what Ye Ci looked like when he was eighteen. . . .


    Huo Tinglan stared at him intently.


    Ye Ci had never been in the habit of taking pictures, and even had some resistance against it, so apart from the indifferent high school graduation photos, Huo Tinglan hadn¡¯t seen many photos from when Ye Ci was young.


    Now he saw.


    Fresh and full of life, as green as a scallion or the tip of a tea leaf plucked from a spring bud, stained with morning dew and morning light.


    As if afraid of scaring him off, the expression in Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes was a mess of gentleness and tenderness.


    Eighteen-year-old Ye Ci was too young.


    Really too small and too thin.


    Even his fingers seemed to be thinner than they were then.


    . . . . was he getting enough to eat?


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart felt stuffy, and his thumb moved to rub the empty ring finger of his left hand.


    Relying on Ye Ci¡¯s daring to raise his head, he carefully glanced over at Ye Ci¡¯s bright eyes. The tip of his nose was delicate, his jawline distinct and his lips soft . . . . It wasn¡¯t until that icy little face couldn¡¯t stand it anymore that his lips ticked up slightly. At the moment when Ye Ci glanced at him suspiciously, he turned his eyes away along with the greed and nostalgia in them, without making a sound.


    . . . . Huo Tinglan wasn¡¯t staring at him.


    It was an illusion.


    Ye Ci gave Huo Tinglan a surprise inspection and heaved a sigh of relief, his tense and aching facial muscles finally relaxing a little.


    Over there, Chu Wenlin was finalizing the specific terms with the lawyer.


    This marriage agreement had been drawn up prior to the meeting, and the two parties had communicated numerous times about the important terms. Huo Tinglan had obviously set his heart on this and was in a hurry to ask the important members of the Chu family, so all of the conditions were loosely set, and the marriage agreement and two sets of cooperative projects did not take more than a few days. Even Chu Wenlin felt that this surnamed Huo was frighteningly anxious to ask for his wife.


    Huo Tinglan had come today to formally sign an agreement with Ye Ci.


    Ye Ci pricked up his ears to catch the content of the agreement.


    He could understand the gist of the business operations in a foggy way, but the part about being a human medicine jar for Huo Tinglan was simple and easy to understand.


    According to the agreement, Ye Ci needed to use his own pheromones to help Huo Tinglan delay the arrival of his susceptible period and help him relieve the pain after it began. Reading between the lines, Huo Tinglan¡¯s susceptible period seemed to come more frequently and last longer than a normal Alpha¡¯s.


    Ye Ci had taken a physiology class.


    He knew that ¡°helping an Alpha through their susceptible period¡± often meant embracing, kissing, temporary marks, borderline sexual behavior, and . . . .


    He couldn¡¯t think about it anymore.


    Shame and anger reddened his earlobes and cheeks, and Ye Ci silently clenched his fists.


    Treatment for a susceptible period was a high-sounding thing, but in fact it was not . . . .


    He had already thought about it, and would refuse to embrace all the above requirements. Anyway, even if he couldn¡¯t beat the A+ level Alpha, he couldn¡¯t let the opponent do as he pleased. He would do his best to delay, and when Ye Hongjun got better, he would take her far away, settle down in another city, and try to dissolve this absurd marriage. He could study and work part-time, find a place to compete in more races, and slowly return the treatment fee to Chu Wenlin. If he didn¡¯t owe him anything, he couldn¡¯t be coerced by him again.


    But . . . .


    A thought flashed through Ye Ci¡¯s mind.


    Would Ye Hongjun¡¯s health really improve?


    She was relying on those expensive injections to prolong her life, there was no hope for a cure for the time being, and Chu Wenlin didn¡¯t care about her illness . . . .


    Suddenly, a light knock interrupted Ye Ci¡¯s chaotic thoughts.


    Huo Tinglan flexed his fingers and tapped twice on the corner of the table in front of Ye Ci with his knuckles, as if reminding an absent-minded student in class: Listen to the agreement.


    His internal turmoil was seen through, and Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he glanced at Huo Tinglan again.


    This person had a very handsome face. The contours of his facial features had that exclusive Alpha sharpness, and his irises were darker than those of ordinary people, hiding indistinguishable emotions. He wore a bespoke suit the color of lapis lazuli, and the front of his shirt was slightly stretched by his chest muscles. The fabric undulated with his breath, moving with subtle and ambiguous silky light.


    So purely masculine.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t even have to do anything; his very existence exuded a strong sexual overtone.


    His eyes seemed to have been scorched by fire, and Ye Ci hurriedly turned his face away.


    It was defiance, and in the eyes of outsiders, it was a little bit like shyness.


    It took a few seconds before the lawyer¡¯s flat voice reached Ye Ci¡¯s ears as he read the rules and regulations.


    ¡°. . . . All forms of subjective and intentional physical contact against Party B will be strictly prohibited, including but not limited to: hugging and touching . . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . It is forbidden to harass and make unwanted sexual advances upon Party B by means of words, texts, images, etc. . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . Prohibited. . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . Prohibited. . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . .Only provide pheromones in the form of non-direct contact, including but not limited to: releasing pheromones into the air and providing items that contain sufficient pheromones . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s behavior was regulated and restricted in detail within the marriage agreement.


    As expected, Ye Ci¡¯s face became more visible.


    Huo Tinglan stared at him. His dark pupils were like some kind of measuring instrument, observing and assessing his emotions, and based on this, he chose words to comfort him. He said soothingly: ¡°I added some provisions to the agreement. Maybe this will make you feel more at ease. The Huo and Chu families are friends, and our relationship has always been close, so you still need to call me ¡®Shishu¡¯[1]. . . .¡±


    The two older men were not actually close. If they called themselves friends, it was definitely the Chu family who had climbed to the moon. ¡°The two families have a close relationship¡± was just diplomatic rhetoric, letting Ye Ci be a bit less panicked at being given to a stranger by his father as a bargaining chip.


    ¡°. . . . I will not use marriage as an excuse to do anything against your will,¡± Huo Tinglan said solemnly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±


    Ye Ci quickly pursed his lips and said stiffly, ¡°I don¡¯t . . . .¡±


    He wanted to say, ¡°I don¡¯t have any concerns,¡± but he was afraid of stammering, so he simply kept silent.


    Huo Tinglan looked at him for a moment, then cleverly continued to pick out the things he wanted to hear: ¡°Considering that you are currently enrolled in high school, studying should be a priority, and it is not suitable to publicize the marriage. My personal opinion is that your and my marital status can be kept secret from the media for the time being. All related matters will be arranged on the premise that they will not affect your studies, and that you have the best possible living environment. We¡¯ll try to keep it low-key and simple, and the wedding can be postponed until after you graduate from high school, but . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan paused and said slowly, ¡°Maybe my considerations aren¡¯t sufficient. If you wish to reveal this to the outside world or hold a wedding sooner, I would like to respect your opinion. . . .¡±


    Ye Ci was startled.


    The wedding being postponed and kept secret was exactly what he wanted. Coupled with those gentlemen¡¯s agreements, the situation was much better than he had imagined. It was like he had picked up a bargain. Afraid that Huo Tinglan would retract his offer, he hastily and dazedly plunged into the seemingly harmless net, and quickly said: ¡°I don¡¯t, don¡¯t have an objection.¡±


    A faint smile flashed through Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes. He raised his chin, and the lawyer pushed the final version of the agreement over to Ye Ci.


    By signing this, the two would legally change from strangers to a married couple.


    The eyes on him interlaced like a web. The air suddenly became thinner, and Ye Ci¡¯s chest heaved up and down a few times.


    Ye Hongjun¡¯s sick face sunk deep into the soft pillow flashed through his mind.


    He was truly at a dead end.


    Ye Ci took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and grabbed the pen, holding it in his hand.


    It was one of Huo Tinglan¡¯s. The pen was heavy, and the golden-blue painted surface was stained with trace pheromones.


    Afraid that the others would see his hands shaking, Ye Ci signed his name hurriedly and fiercely.


    The word ¡°Ci¡± slashed the contract paper sharply.


    The author has something to say:


    Dog Huo chased his wife using three steps.


    The first step was to sign an agreement and act like a human being.


    The second step was to take the wife home.


    The third step was to tear up the agreement.


    Young Ci: £¤%&*&


    [1] ÊÀÊå, or ¡®Uncle Shi¡¯ is an appellation applied to those who are younger than their own father among their parents¡¯ friends.?

 CH 4

    In the bedroom.


    The door to the storage closet was wide open, and clutter was piled up on the floor.


    Ye Ci squatted in front of the suitcase and stuffed a pair of sneakers wrapped in a plastic bag into the tight space.


    According to the requirements, Ye Ci should cooperate with Huo Tinglan to complete the relevant civil affairs procedures within one week after the marriage agreement took effect and move into the Huo residence, in order to provide Huo Tinglan with pheromones at any time. The formalities were completed on the day the agreement was signed, but Ye Ci took a few days to move. Finally unable to delay any longer, during the morning meal, Chu Wenlin directly ordered the driver to return to the Chu residence at one o¡¯clock in the afternoon to bring Ye Ci and his luggage to the Huo residence.


    Ye Ci owned very few things. They accounted for less than half of the suitcase, but after Ye Hongjun¡¯s old house was sold, there were a lot of old things cleared out, and he was reluctant to throw even one of them away.


    The home where he lived with his mother for seventeen years was gone, and memories this junk carried were ones that he cherished.


    When Ye Ci moved from the rental house to the Chu residence, Chu Wenlin¡¯s wife, Ruan Jiayi, made a special trip to see him. She was a beautiful Omega who was so well maintained that her age couldn¡¯t be guessed, and had a gentle demeanor. She stepped into the quagmire and gingerly lifted her skirt, tiptoeing through the gap between the luggage to keep her ankles from touching the things on both sides. She didn¡¯t say anything nasty, just softly instructed Ye Ci to tell her if there was anything he was unaccustomed to concerning this lifestyle. After she finished speaking, her eyes swept across Ye Hongjun¡¯s old clothes in the storage room, and she gently hooked her lips in confusion.


    Genuine contempt was often not as bitter and acrimonious as in dog blood dramas. Some people would maintain the pretense of being well bred and leisurely, pretending it was accidental while crushing the dignity of others into the ground.


    The nonwoven duffel bag he had used when he arrived was long ago thrown away by the servants as garbage. Ye Ci collected several sturdy cardboard boxes. He must take everything away, otherwise the remaining 80% would be swept away by the servants as garbage.


    Three full cardboard boxes were packed by Ye Ci and moved to the door, but there was a lot of junk left in the house. Ye Ci stood in the middle of the messy bedroom and looked around. A deep sense of exhaustion seeped from his bones, filling his whole body.


    He pulled over the chair and sat down to rest, and his eyes fell on the edge of the bed.


    There were some unfolded clothes spread out there.


    Among them was a beautiful camel coat, which Ye Ci bought two years ago during a sale promotion as a birthday present for Ye Hongjun.


    It wasn¡¯t name-brand, but it was still staggeringly expensive after the discount, and used up all the savings Ye Ci had collected from doing odd jobs. The cut of the coat was good, but it was also delicate. He was afraid of crushing it, afraid of breaking it. Ye Hongjun¡¯s treasure was so precious, and she was careful every time she wore it. After Ye Ci took it out of the duffel bag last time, he regretted it. He had not treated it well.


    Thinking of his mother, his eyes were sore and painful. Ye Ci took a deep breath and dared not let himself be weak.


    Footsteps came from the door of the bedroom at this moment, but Ye Ci didn¡¯t care. He was an invisible person in the Chu family. Servants passed by the door many times this morning, but no one came in to help or ask a question. When Chu Wenlin was not home, in order to please Ruan Jiayi, the servants tacitly didn¡¯t even call him for dinner.


    Unexpectedly, the door was gently knocked on twice. Ye Ci quickly turned his head, letting the corners of his eyes brush his shoulders as he turned to look.


    It was Huo Tinglan standing outside the door.


    He was wearing a graphite-colored shirt. The silk was supple, showing the outline of his pectoral muscles, and the cuffs were folded up flat. He was not wearing a watch, his posture ready to work.


    Ye Ci refused to let others see through his vulnerability. Bracing himself, he looked at Huo Tinglan with a trace of water in his eyes, as cool as snow.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up . . . . Your father wasn¡¯t home, so I came up by myself.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s gaze stopped on the corners of Ye Ci¡¯s reddened eyes, seeing through something. But he didn¡¯t ask, and moved on straightaway.


    This was a guest room, small in size with simple furniture. A folding study table stood beside a well-lit window, and the lacquered imitation bamboo wood grain looked old. Tucked in the corner of the wastebasket were two wrappers with ¡°coconut bread¡± and ¡°red bean bread¡± printed on them. The plastic sheets gleamed with a cheap, nutrient-deficient gloss.


    . . . . No wonder he was so skinny.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled slowly.


    This was Ye Ci¡¯s living environment when he was eighteen years old.


    According to Huo Tinglan¡¯s previous investigation, Ye Ci would have lived here for a long time until Ye Hongjun¡¯s treatment failed and she passed away.


    The tragic news of his mother¡¯s death would completely overwhelm him. Chu Wenlin, who had successfully divided up the inheritance, would regard him as a burden and send Ye Ci, who was mentally broken at the time, to a Youth Behavioral Correction Center.


    Ye Ci would be in a world without justice, and suffer torment for a long time. Many of his mental issues arose during that period.


    Afterwards, he managed to escape from that place and cut off his father-son relationship with Chu Wenlin, driving in races at second-rate racetracks to make ends meet. At that time, he lived in a shabby rental house. Still obsessed with reading, he would insist on studying and attempting the adult college entrance examination, until the manager of the well-known team with a discerning eye signed him away . . . .


    From the age of eighteen to twenty-two, the four years that Huo Tinglan was absent in his last life were not long.


    But for Ye Ci, they were the loneliest and most painful four years of his life. The malice and devastation from his close relatives was enough to cover an entire lifetime in a haze.


    Presently, the personal assistant was about to come in with a stack of empty sorting boxes. Huo Tinglan came back to his senses and subconsciously took a step to the side, blocking the assistant¡¯s sight into the room. He turned around to take the empty boxes and motioned for his assistant to remove the packed boxes at the door.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Huo Tinglan asked.


    Ye Ci, who had wholeheartedly put on a cold face, was stunned when he heard those words and refused the help reflexively: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Huo Tinglan was silent for a while, looked at the storage closet, and confirmed: ¡°You¡¯re taking all of it?¡±


    ¡°. . . . Right.¡± Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he could choke. He smoothed his tongue with difficulty and spoke well, ¡°I¡¯ll pack it myself.¡±


    Huo Tinglan looked at him for a moment, stopped talking, and started to separate the boxes into stacks. Crouching down and packing things one by one, his behavior was proper and natural, as if he should have done these things for Ye Ci in the first place.


    A lot of these relics had great commemorative significance: photos of mother and son, various learning awards from Ye Ci¡¯s Elementary and Junior High schools, Ye Hongjun¡¯s handwritten parenting diary . . . . Throughout five years of marriage in his past life, Huo Tinglan had never seen a single one of them, and didn¡¯t know where they had all gone. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his shirt pocket, wiping a light coat of dust from a wooden picture frame. There was a sort of forbearance and love in the gesture.


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes burned when he saw him cleaning things. Inexplicably blushing from embarrassment, he felt that something wasn¡¯t right and could figure it out, so he was silent for a while.


    He hesitated for a while, then dragged an empty box to the base of the wall diagonal to Huo Tinglan. Using this as a stronghold, he began to pack up swiftly. He hadn¡¯t been packing for long when Huo Tinglan¡¯s low voice sounded above his head: ¡°This kind of coat can¡¯t be folded like this.¡±


    Two straight trouser legs stopped in front of him, and Ye Ci was startled. Ye Honjun¡¯s most precious coat had been taken by Huo Tinglan. Long, steady fingers brushed the folds, straightened the laces and buckles, and then hung it on a hanger and put it in a clothing bag. When he was finished, Huo Tinglan handed the clothing bag to the assistant and instructed him to carry it downstairs.


    While Huo Tinglan was meticulously tidying up the coat, Ye Ci stood far away, carefully watching him out of the corner of his eyes as he packed.


    If you hadn¡¯t been treated kindly in a long time, it would feel unfamiliar, or even strange.


    Besides . . . . the kindness itself was a bit odd.


    During this time, the housekeeper, Uncle Tong, sent people to assist ¨C no matter the etiquette of other people, allowing guests to work would be a joke.


    But Huo Tinglan just threw out the words, ¡°We won¡¯t bother you guys.¡± After speaking, he didn¡¯t send them away, but continued to pack up in a condescending manner, as if putting on a show. The handful of servants and Uncle Tong dared not insist, let alone just leave. They were left hanging in the second floor corridor by Huo Tinglan, as if they were in a penalty box.


    After being given the cold shoulder for a while, they really couldn¡¯t bear the constant heavy pressure of an A+ grade alpha. With fine sweat hanging on their foreheads, they retreated in shame.


    The two people and the assistant were busy until twelve o¡¯clock, and everything was moved.


    Ye Ci threw his school bag over his right shoulder and went downstairs behind Huo Tinglan. He glanced at the man¡¯s tall, straight figure in front of him, and the conflicted expression on his face intensified.


    Huo Tinglan had made a special trip to pick him up. So meticulous, busy as a bee . . . .


    If nothing else, he should be thankful.


    This was the most basic courtesy.


    He came from a poor background, but his upbringing was no worse than that of the young ladies and young masters of the upper class. Ye Hongjun had a demure temperament and was knowledgeable about etiquette. If she hadn¡¯t been screwed over by Chu Wenlin, she wouldn¡¯t have been reduced to living in a slum that was incompatible with her whole personality.


    The fist concealed in the sleeve of his school uniform clenched and unclenched loosely. After hesitating a few times, Ye Ci bit the bullet and ran a few steps to catch up with Huo Tinglan. As soon as he got close, his nose immediately caught the scorching scent of tequila. Before he could speak, his cheeks stung with heat.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Huo Tinglan stopped and turned to look at him.


    ¡°Today . . . .¡± Ye Ci licked his lower lip, not sure how to adjust his fluctuating expression. ¡°Thank, thank you[1].¡±


    Huo Tinglan was too imposing. Coupled with the leaked Alpha pheromones, there was a strong sense of oppression when he looked at someone. This caused Ye Ci to perform worse than usual, and he stuttered for three words in the second half of the sentence.


    Disgraceful!


    Ye Ci wanted to stretch out his tongue and iron it.


    He didn¡¯t want to open his mouth in front of Huo Tinglan for the next year . . . .


    Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes to look at Ye Ci¡¯s annoyed face, and the corners of his lips curved slightly. He seemed to be of a mind to tease him, but after a moment of silence, he said in a normal manner, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Perhaps having considered that coexisting in a narrow space might make Ye Ci nervous, Huo Tinglan offered to take two cars with Ye Ci, and the two arrived at the Huo residence one after another.


    Ye Ci had hesitated for a while when he got into the car, reluctant to share the ride with the A+ grade Alpha and his strong, intrusive pheromones, but facts proved that his worry was unnecessary. Huo Tinglan remained a considerate gentleman. Every detail made one comfortable, and it seemed that he did not intend to do anything to Ye Ci by relying on their legal marriage relationship.


    He was thinking too much . . . .


    Mr. Huo wasn¡¯t that bad.


    Ye Ci held his school bag, lowering his head as he twisted the strap in embarrassment, and rubbed his fingers red.


    [1] He uses the formal ¡®you¡¯ here, Äú ?

 CH 5

    The Huo family¡¯s main house was an hour¡¯s drive from the Chu residence. It was closer to the city center, and also closer to the private school where Ye Ci was currently studying, making it more convenient to attend school.


    The main building where the previous patriarch had lived was weathered. It did not show signs of decline, but instead embodied the weight of several generations of the family¡¯s noble ancestry. Two annex buildings for servants were attached to both sides of the main house, hidden among fountains, pastureland, and well-manicured garden shrubs. Chu Wenlin¡¯s house looked a little shabby in comparison.


    Ye Ci got out of the car, and several servants trotted out to quietly carry the luggage. The housekeeper, Uncle He, smiled kindly. Afraid that Ye Ci would be uncomfortable, Huo Tinglan had instructed him to deliberately not use post-marriage addresses such as ¡°Mr.¡±, but to instead call him ¡°Young Master Ye.¡± He led Ye Ci into the main building and came to the bedroom specially remodeled for him.


    The square footage of the bedroom was more than double that of his small room in the Chu residence. It was said to have been renovated, but the main changes were the furniture and decorations. All of the best environmentally friendly materials were used, and a professional team had also been hired to remove all harmful substances from the decorations. Even an Alpha¡¯s dog nose could not detect the slightest odor.


    The main colors of light blue and warm gray gave off a simple and clean sense of youth. Smart central air-conditioning was readily available, and there were separate areas for sleeping, playing, and studying in the bedroom. This was Huo Tinglan¡¯s intent ¨C Ye Ci was new here, and if something was lacking, or if there was something he wanted to do, he may not dare to voice it. If the functionality of the bedroom was more complete, he would feel a little less awkward.


    There were several brand new skateboards hanging on the wall behind the bed, and on the left side of the display case was a row of star-autographed F1 models. There was even an autographed F1 helmet that was auctioned off at Sotheby¡¯s in Paris last year. On the right side was a stack of painted models such as mecha race cars, still in the packaging. A huge projection screen hung on the wall opposite the bed, connected to several game consoles. A row of light-colored ash bookshelves stood against the wall in the study area, half full of books. Most were famous Chinese and foreign books, and high school study materials . . . .


    There was a lot of stuff in the bedroom, but it didn¡¯t feel cluttered. Every detail was an attempt to please a boy of Ye Ci¡¯s age . . . . no, it was as if it was precisely made for Ye Ci himself.


    Ye Ci was stunned as he looked around the room. He liked everything in here, but he just stood frozen in the doorway, motionless.


    He didn¡¯t truly think that such a well-decorated bedroom would have anything to do with him.


    ¡°This is your room, I got someone to redesign it.¡± The design plans were made by Huo Tinglan himself, and he was familiar with every corner of it. The furnishings in the room, the bedding and books, and even the clothing, shoes, socks, and underwear in the closet . . . . no matter how big or small, everything was chosen by him. In order to avoid Ye Ci¡¯s suspicion, he looked around slowly, pretending to be unfamiliar with it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what a boy your age would like, and time was limited. I¡¯ll let you look around at the layout, and you can tell me if you need anything, don¡¯t be polite . . . .¡± Seeing Ye Chi standing at the door, unmoving, his dashing black eyes look straight at him as he said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t want to appear timid, so he straightened up and stepped inside. It didn¡¯t take long for him to lose his courage again, and he didn¡¯t know where to place his feet.


    He knew that according to the marriage agreement, he would live in the Huo residence long-term, and that before Ye Hongjun¡¯s condition was stable, he would not file for separation. He calculated that it was necessary for him to live here for three to five years, and he also knew that for Huo Tinglan, renovating the room was just a matter of following the agreement. But in his opinion, this kind of treatment was still too . . . . elaborate.


    The grandness of it left him at a loss.


    Seeing that Ye Ci was so restrained that he was about to become a sculpture, Huo Tinglan thoughtfully did not linger. After a few simple explanations, he took Uncle He away and closed the door.


    Ye Ci watched him leave, and noticed that the door frame was also installed with the kind of anti-theft latch commonly found in hotel rooms. He didn¡¯t know if they were in every bedroom in the house or if Huo Tinglan saw past his defenses and put it there so that he could sleep at night with peace of mind. . . . as if emphasizing that he wouldn¡¯t do anything at night.


    It should be . . . . in regard to . . . .


    Ye Ci grasped his hair, restless with anxiety and inexplicably embarrassed.


    . . . . . .


    Uncle He left first to prepare dinner. Huo Tinglan had replaced a few chefs some time ago, and at present, all of the chefs were specially poached from elsewhere by Uncle He according to his instructions and given high salaries. Those people started work soon after, but Uncle He was not at ease and had a habit of monitoring them when they prepared meals in the morning, noon, and evening.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t leave, but quietly stood outside Ye Ci¡¯s room.


    Through repeated coaxing and deceiving, he had finally brought him home.


    . . . . It felt like kidnapping a child.


    The corners of Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips tilted up slightly, somewhat self-deprecating.


    A little Omega in the early stage of secondary differentiation, his pheromones were still weak. Only a faint wisp of warm vanilla could be vaguely caught from the crack in the door.


    The scent of Ye Ci in his memory.


    Huo Tinglan took a deep breath and silently pressed his forehead against the door, caressing the door panel with his fingertips as if stroking the teenager¡¯s emaciated spine.


    As a top Alpha, Huo Tinglan¡¯s five senses were extremely sensitive. He could clearly hear the slight noises Ye Ci made in the bedroom.


    Ye Ci was walking around with the mentality of being under someone else¡¯s roof. His steps were very light, like a kitten, stopping and going curiously.


    He was very greedy for the things in the showcase, but just stood there looking at them for a while until he was satisfied. Then he conscientiously went to the writing table in the reading area and took reference books out of his school bag, stacking them on the table.


    Then, there was a soft sigh.


    The rustle of pages turning.


    The crisp click of a ballpoint pen.


    It was probably due to the new environment that he temporarily couldn¡¯t read the book, and the movement in front of the desk stopped after a while.


    Then, from inside the room came the small sound of a zipper sliding and polyester fabric swishing.


    This was the sound of . . . . undressing.


    Possibly to change into comfortable house clothes.


    Huo Tinglan closed his eyes.


    He shouldn¡¯t be here anymore.


    Five years of loving marriage had gone up in smoke and only existed in memory. To Ye Ci, he was now just an unfamiliar Alpha, but he was standing outside the door full of unspeakable love, eavesdropping on the subtle noises caused by the rubbing of fabric in the room. . . . it was rather distasteful, behaving like an old scoundrel. Huo Tinglan was self-deprecating, but his feet took root. In an ironed suit and trousers, he was firmly stuck in place, a neatly-dressed scoundrel.


    At this time, Ye Ci was halfway through dressing and stopped abruptly.


    More cat-like footsteps sounded, getting closer and closer.


    Huo Tinglan held his breath and was about to back away, but suddenly there was a ¡°click¡± from behind the door. Two crisp sounds rang . . . . the lock and the anti-theft latch, Ye Ci did it in one go.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan was stunned for a moment, and then snorted.


    This . . . . was he afraid of him rushing in?


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s chest was hot and rapidly heaved up and down twice. It was like his unspeakable thoughts had been seen through.


    ¨C ¨C He would like to.


    . . . . . .


    The next day, Ye Ci woke up late.


    Seeing that it was almost time to leave and there was no movement in Ye Ci¡¯s bedroom, the housekeeper, Uncle He, had to knock on the door himself to wake him up.


    Breakfast was ready. Ye Ci hurriedly washed up and changed clothes, and sat down at the table, rubbing his foggy eyes.


    He hadn¡¯t rested well last night, and his sleep was light and fragmented.


    Years of lacking a sense of safety in life caused him to take longer than the average person to familiarize himself with the new environment. His nerves were also tense after going to bed, and the first night in a new place was definitely not a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Ye Ci¡¯s breakfast was already placed on the dining table.


    Huo Tinglan knew Ye Ci¡¯s preferences like the back of his hand: His appetite was larger than the average Omega, and he preferred meat. In particular, he liked to eat fish, shrimp, crab, and other seafood. He liked sweets and tropical fruits, and he couldn¡¯t put the brakes on his mouth after a bite of ripe pineapple shakya[1]. . . . the chef got a detailed list. The two small workers who began the work got up before dawn to dismantle the crabs, and brought three small pots of fresh crab material to the national first-class pastry chef specially poached by Huo Tinglan, and he steamed two drawers of xiaolongbao[2]. Crab meat, crab roe, and soft crab shell were the three fillings, each with its own flavor. Uncle He originally wanted to take credit, but he didn¡¯t expect Ye Ci¡¯s lack of interest in the xiaolongbao. He controlled himself, averted his eyes from it, and only went to scoop up the fish filet porridge.


    After scooping up a bowl, he drank the porridge and picked up a few side dishes with chopsticks.


    ¡°Young Master He doesn¡¯t like eating crab?¡± Uncle He asked anxiously.


    That wasn¡¯t what Huo Tinglan put on the list for the back kitchen.


    ¡°. . . . it¡¯s okay,¡± Ye Ci said vaguely.


    Uncle He had served the Huo family for most of his life. He had a bright mind, and could see that the status of this young master in the eyes of the master was quite unusual. He didn¡¯t dare to neglect him at all, persuading carefully: ¡°This is what Mr. Huo ordered the kitchen to prepare for you, just thinking that you would like it . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci hummed softly, still drinking porridge and eating vegetables.


    Uncle He was in a dilemma when Huo Tinglan walked down from the second floor into the dining room.


    He must have just rushed through a shower. The hair across his forehead fell naturally, and was particularly jet black because of the moisture. His face was handsome and dazzling, and the wrists extending from the cuffs of his bathrobe had distinct blue veins. This was his state after waking up in the morning and exercising.


    ¨C ¨C Those desires that were particularly tumultuous in the early morning had to have an outlet.


    Ye Ci immersed himself in eating and pretended not to notice his arrival, when in actuality, his ears were almost standing up like a rabbit in a hole who had spotted an eagle.


    An Alpha¡¯s pheromone concentration briefly increased after exercise, and the strong fragrance of tequila scorched Ye Ci¡¯s exposed skin, irritating it and turning it excessively red.


    Faced with the highly erosive pheromones of an A+ grade Alpha, even an Omega that matched him 100% needed an adjustment period.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s gaze fell gently on the tip of Ye Ci¡¯s hot red ear.


    Ye Ci swallowed a big mouthful of porridge with difficulty, and pretended to be calm: ¡°Morning.¡±


    Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t bear to see Ye Ci so nervous that he couldn¡¯t eat well. Just as he was about to withdraw, Ye Ci pushed the bowl away and stood up, saying inarticulately: ¡°I . . . finished eating.¡±


    In a hurry, he was reluctant to waste food and drank the bowl of porridge into which his spoon had been dipped. He gobbled down the last few sips, his cheeks bulging slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan paused. Sweeping his eyes across the two drawers of xiaolongbao, he was slightly startled. He had conjectures in his heart, but didn¡¯t show it on his face, and just said lightly, ¡°How are you such a picky eater?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going -¡± Ye Ci hurriedly grabbed his school bag. ¡° ¨C I¡¯m going to be late.¡±


    He was used to living a poverty-stricken life. From a young age, resources had been deficient and his mother¡¯s huge medical bills weighed heavily on his heart, the road ahead uncertain . . . . on the occasion that he saw such costly and exquisite food, he didn¡¯t dare to move.


    He was afraid of remembering the taste of good things, in case he would miss them often in the future.


    The more desires someone had, the weaker they were.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, just ask the driver to drive faster.¡± Huo Tinglan looked at him with a soft heart. ¡°Bring some milk and fruit to eat on the road . . . .¡±


    Uncle He chased after him and stuffed the bottled milk and sealed box that had been prepared in advance into Ye Ci¡¯s arms. In the box was sliced fruit, cored and peeled and cut into small pieces. Ye Ci took it in a daze and slipped away.


    If it weren¡¯t for manners, he feared he could have run a 100-meter sprint.


    Huo Tinglan sighed deeply.


    Ye Ci¡¯s vigilance seemed to be stronger than in the previous life. But those pale eyes that kept stealing glances at him were also much more lively and bright than in the previous life.


    Timid, but also bright. The flames burning in his eyes had not gone out.


    . . . . . .


    On the other side, Ye Ci got into the car, sat in the back seat, and finally caught his breath.


    Faintly, the aggressive fragrance of tequila still lingered in his nose.


    He lowered the window a crack and looked down at the sealed box that he had received at some point.


    He didn¡¯t eat his fill that morning, and his belly was still half empty. After hesitating, he opened the lid and looked at the fruit inside.


    The milky white lumpy flesh, which he had never seen before, smelled a bit like a pineapple.


    Ye Ci picked up a piece doubtfully and turned it left and right.


    . . . . What was this thing?


    Ten minutes later, the car slowly parked diagonally opposite the school gate, and the driver went around back to open the door: ¡°Young Master Ye, here we are.¡±


    In the back seat of the car, Ye Ci glanced at the driver as if waking up from a dream.


    Immediately, he wiped the milky white juice of the pineapple sakya from his lips and hurriedly stuffed the empty box into his school bag as if he was guilty of something.


    [1] A green-skinned hybrid fruit that tastes like pineapple mixed with other flavors. ?


    [2] A kind of steamed dumpling. ?

 CH 6

    In order to avoid unnecessary contact with Huo Tinglan, Ye Ci did not dare to get up late from that day forward.


    Huo Tinglan was in a high position but was extremely self-disciplined. If he hadn¡¯t come home late, he would have woken up almost as early as Ye Ci, a high school student.


    After figuring out Huo Tinglan¡¯s daily routine, Ye Ci simply went to bed early and got up early. He got up at dawn, hurriedly grabbed breakfast, and went to school. The private high school ended early in the evening, so he took the initiative to go to the racetrack after two evening self-study classes. If he felt good, he raced a few more matches, and when he was in poor condition, he sat in the lounge and read a book.


    The amount of medical expenses owed to Chu Wenlin was huge, and he would not pay it back in a year or two, but on the contrary, he was not in a hurry. Having more cash in his hand could give him some confidence in a situation full of uncertainty, not to be kneaded like dough by anyone. Although after entering a marriage relationship with Huo Tinglan, he could theoretically get astronomical assets from him, Ye Ci never coveted things that didn¡¯t belong to him.


    Seeing that Ye Ci was not at home all day, obviously hiding from him, Huo Tinglan was not in a hurry and only ordered the kitchen to remake the meal plan. He tossed out the excessively extravagant and expensive dishes, and mainly focused on nutritious and tasty home-cooked meals, letting Uncle He watch over Ye Ci every day when he ate and left for school.


    An eighteen-year-old Omega, married to a strange older Alpha, with no protection from his family . . . . such behavior was normal.


    Like a stray cat that had suffered too much and grown withdrawn and alert, when he saw people approaching, he would wave his small paws and posture, fierce and timid.


    If he pursued Ye Ci at this time, he would only be regarded as a wicked scoundrel with bad intentions. Doing too much could have the opposite effect.


    No matter how urgent he felt, how eager, he must be patient and give Ye Ci enough space to get used to it slowly.


    However, some people thought otherwise.


    When she heard that her son had quietly picked up a 100% matching little Omega from Chu Wenlin and placed him at home, Lin Yao swept away her usual elegance and made three calls that day. She anxiously urged him to take that person to the old house to show her. She also advised him between the lines not to miss an opportunity, and that ¡°The purpose of marriage is to form a strong union between Huo and Chu, and to relieve the symptoms of the susceptible period.¡± Her entreaties were full of grievance, and she wholeheartedly believed that the real purpose of their shotgun wedding should be to give birth to a little heir to the Huo family.


    That night, Huo Tinglan handled official business in the study alone, flipping through documents. At the same time, he listened with half an ear to Lin Yao speaking to him gently and tenderly.


    ¡°. . . . You are already thirty years old . . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . The Huo family needs a legitimate heir. At your age, it is time to consider the matter of children . . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . I heard that he is studying at Tiancheng, and his academics should be excellent. I don¡¯t think it matters whether or not it¡¯s the bloodline of the main house of the Chu family . . . .¡±


    ¡°. . . . It¡¯s such a rare match, and you¡¯re already married, why don¡¯t you try going on dates? I heard that the two of you can¡¯t exchange a few words all day long, so how do you know if you¡¯re incompatible? I¡¯ve seen the photos, it looks so painful, you shouldn¡¯t be celibate . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan just listened with a smile on the corners of his lips, occasionally making a gentle, ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, you have to give me and your father some face, don¡¯t you? Even if the wedding is postponed, we Huo have to pick a time to hold a family dinner between our Huo and Chu families, otherwise, it¡¯s inexcusable . . . .¡±


    ¡°A family dinner can be done.¡± It was rare for Huo Tinglan to agree, but then the conversation changed again: ¡°We can wait to talk about it when I¡¯m less busy.¡±


    They were married, the wedding was postponed, and the family banquet was not held. It was truly unreasonable.


    But Ye Ci had always resisted this sort of social situation, and Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t plan to use these trivial matters to add trouble to Ye Ci before their relationship broke the ice.


    It took a long time to bring him home . . . . what should he do if he was scared away?


    ¡°You . . . .¡± Lin Yao got angry and started lecturing him again.


    After finally dealing with Lin Yao, it was half past nine, and Huo Tinglan rubbed his brow wearily.


    He didn¡¯t know when Ye Ci would be willing to get closer to him.


    His next susceptible period was approaching, and for the past few days, he hadn¡¯t even thought about how to make a request euphemistically so as not to scare Ye Ci.


    He was thinking about this when there was a knock on the study door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡± Huo Tinglan raised his eyes.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Uncle He pushed open the door, looking a little anxious, holding the phone in one hand as he said in a low voice, ¡°The police station called and said that Young Master Ye had beat up a few people at the racetrack. He¡¯s now being held at the station for questioning. Do you want to send someone to get Young Master Ye out . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan was stunned, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± He got up, grabbed his jacket, and hurried out.


    He knew that Ye Ci could fight. After all, Ye Ci¡¯s first differentiation result was an A-level Alpha. Before the second differentiation, his body had developed according to the genetic blueprint of a top Alpha. His muscle tone, explosive power, and reflexes were all excellent. Otherwise, it would be impossible to succeed in the realm of formula racing.


    However, Huo Tinglan only ¡°knew¡± that at a theoretical level.


    In fact, he had never seen Ye Ci fight. First of all, such violent behavior might lead to an athlete¡¯s suspension. Secondly, based on Ye Ci¡¯s cool and indifferent temperament in his previous life, he seemed to not care about anything, and it was impossible for him to raise a fist to someone.


    Now, it had been less than half a month, and he had just beaten someone up.


    It turned out that the eighteen-year-old Ye Ci was like this.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart jumped twice out of rhythm.


    . . . . . .


    At half past seven, the school bell rang.


    Tiancheng Private High School advocated a free and independent learning atmosphere. Evening self-study was not compulsory, and half of the students had already dispersed.


    In the last row of the classroom, Ye Ci was leaning his forehead on one hand. He turned his body slightly at an awkward angle and blocked his tablemate¡¯s gaze with his arm.


    The physics paper given out in his fourth class that morning was said to be for strengthening their foundations. The other student was in the same class and at the same table, but he filled out the paper as if he was playing during his lunch break. Not to mention those top students, who may not even bother to do such a simple task.


    Ye Ci clenched the sweaty pen and skipped another question.


    The large blanks on the paper made his scalp tingle ¨C if this was the college entrance examination, he would have already failed.


    Ye Ci had studied at an ordinary high school before dropping out. He could still rank in the top few grades even with his crippled English, and physics was his best subject.


    However, the standard of teaching of the regular high school he had attended and this private school was vastly different. He had taken a long break from school before, and there were too many gaps in his knowledge. He didn¡¯t know where to start when asking a teacher. A subject teacher had to be in charge of two or three classes of students, so how could he have time to waste accompanying him through so many questions? He could only muddle through books by himself, with poor results. As for his English, which was already crippled, the private school cracked down so hard on it that he was completely lost.


    Ye Ci felt that he was not even good enough to be called a slacker student. He was now just a pinch of sand, which would dissipate with a gust of wind.


    ¡°Hey, excuse me, I¡¯m going out.¡± His tablemate got up to leave, and his tone was neither hot nor cold.


    Ye Ci had transferred over a month ago, and had hardly interacted with his classmates. Most of the children who could study there were wealthy and respectable people. They knew each other well and knew that there was no big family sunamed Ye in B city, so they didn¡¯t take the initiative to communicate with Ye Ci ¨C nor did they look down on him. It just wasn¡¯t important. The few Alpha young masters who reached out to him all experienced his rejection. After that, his classmates knew that he was not easy to get along with, and fewer people talked to him.


    Even in gym class, he would find a place to be alone.


    His forehead was hot and damp. It was covered in red marks from the palm of his hand, but fortunately his hair was covering it. Ye Ci casually tossed his pen on the table, folded the paper leisurely, picked up his school bag, and walked out. It looked as if he didn¡¯t intend to answer the questions at all, and was just wasting time there in order to appease his parents.


    The more pitiful he was, the more he was afraid that people would pity him.


    Unable to finish his examination paper, Ye Ci was restless and anxious. As a result, when it rained, it poured, and he encountered things at the racetrack that doubled his anxiety.


    The last time, about half a month ago, he had beaten up a trash fish[1] who had tried to make him crash on the track. He was in the right, he didn¡¯t do anything excessive, and he didn¡¯t accept the 3,000 yuan bet that he should have taken. After all, hitting someone generated medical bills. According to his previous experience on the streets, this could be considered as taking a step back, and anyone with self-respect wouldn¡¯t become entangled again.


    The problem was that the trash fish was shameless.


    After disappearing for half a month, his injuries were healed, and the trash fish led a few other small trash fish in an attempt to come win back some face. Ye Ci had an impression of his cheap yellow hair, and recognized him at a glance. Huang Mao was carrying a steel pipe in his hand, and his mouthful of vulgar cursing could be heard across the track.


    At that time, Ye Ci had just finished a lap with some people and his body was hot. His sports jacket was open, revealing the blue and white school uniform underneath, clean and youthful.


    The drag racing had eased his mood a bit, and the lump of pent-up frustration in his chest was blown away by the strong wind that swept through his body as he raced at high speed. Unfortunately, his good mood did not last long.


    He straddled the heavy motorcycle and quietly looked at the gang of people approaching from a distance.


    There were many people, but their weakness was visible to the naked eye.


    Either a skinny monkey like Huang Mao, or a stout, fat man stained with beer and barbecue, neither were useful.


    Before anyone approached, Ye Ci took out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter.


    He was not addicted to cigarettes, and even though the carton was wrinkled, it was only missing a few, but the posture was familiar. He tilted his head slightly, his thin eyelids drooping. The burning red butt of the cigarette lifted up as he took a draw, and his porcelain-like beauty was hidden behind the smoke. He just appeared like a ruffian.


    In a fight, the one with the most imposing manner had already won half the battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s that little bastard!¡± Huang Mao approached, spat thick phlegm on the track, pointed at Ye Ci, and the foul language that followed was too dirty to listen to.


    Ye Ci casually glanced at the surveillance camera and finished smoking half a cigarette. He stepped off the motorcycle and pinched out the cigarette butt, a few sparks leaking from his fingers.


    He rolled up the sleeves of his uniform, showed no expression, and didn¡¯t say any harsh words. He just said concisely, ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come, mother**** . . . .¡± Several people cursed and grabbed at him. The first one sent a swipe at his shoulder, slamming down with the steel pipe.


    Ye Ci deliberately gave him a heavy shove within range of the surveillance camera, then stepped sideways to dodge. Five fingers clasped the man¡¯s wrist and twisted it skillfully. The main quivered in pain, and the steel pipe fell to the ground. Ye Ci stomped on it so that it bounced up, then grabbed it with a slap and slammed it into the man¡¯s knee!


    That man tumbled to the ground and bloodied his mouth.


    This sequence of events only took two or three seconds, and the other people only understood what had happened afterward.


    Ye Ci weighed the steel pipe in his hand, gave a slight nod to the bloody-mouthed bastard, and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¨C ¨C That person was considerate enough to come pick this thing up and provide a weapon for him.


    He couldn¡¯t speak well, and he was also disgusted by the provocative way others spoke, so he had developed the skill of expressing ridicule with the fewest words possible


    ¡°You mother****er . . . .¡± Huang Mao was stunned for a moment before he could react, so angry that his face twisted out of shape. With a wave of his hand, he led the collection of thugs to pounce.


    . . . . . .


    At the police station.


    In the guard room, Ye Ci sat on the edge of the bed with an English book rolled up in his left hand, quietly reciting words.


    He was not a frequent visitor to the police station, but was also no stranger to it, so he stayed calm and did as he pleased.


    The gangsters who followed that guy to come looking for trouble tonight were arrogant and conspicuous, and someone had called the police before they even started. Ye Ci thoughtfully beat them one by one, and then the police car arrived. After checking his documents, the police saw that he was still in high school and said that they would inform his family and school. Ye Ci really didn¡¯t want to see Chu Wenlin, so he struggled through reporting Uncle He¡¯s phone number.


    Not long after the call was made, the door of the guard room was pushed open. Ye Ci thought it was Uncle He and looked up unprepared, but was startled to find Huo Tinglan¡¯s tall, straight figure at the door.


    Huo Tinglan had a coat over his forearm, and a suit vest and black shirt emphasized his chest muscles and sharp waist. The collar of the shirt was open, his hair wasn¡¯t combed, and there was an unfathomable look on his handsome face, a bit like a smile, but his lips were not curved.


    He first inspected Ye Ci from head to toe, and saw that he was not injured and that his school uniform was even neat, and then said: ¡°You can go home.¡±


    Ye Ci put away the English book, distanced himself from Huo Tinglan, and walked out of the room slowly. Auxiliary police officers and a shrewd-looking man in a suit and leather shoes, maybe a lawyer, were standing in the corridor. Huo Tinglan nodded at him and went downstairs first with the guard in charge.


    ¡°Have you eaten tonight?¡± Huo Tinglan asked calmly.


    ¡°. . . . No.¡± Ye Ci paused, as if afraid of being cared for, and quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not hungry, your stomach can¡¯t be empty all the time. Let¡¯s go back and eat something simple,¡± Huo Tinglan said warmly.


    Ye Ci was preoccupied and didn¡¯t answer him. After a moment of silence, he clenched his fists and asked: ¡°You paid, you paid how much . . . .for medical expenses? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±


    According to Ye Ci¡¯s experience, if one could be so straightforwardly released after fighting and brawling, it was certain that he had spent money to intercede.


    The money was nothing worth mentioning for Huo Tinglan, but he had to bear his own responsibility.


    ¡°There was no need to pay.¡± There was no one in the corridor. Huo Tinglan stopped and turned to look at him.


    Ye Ci was only half a head shorter than him, which was considered tall among Omegas, but his physique was thin, and looked even smaller hidden under loose sportswear. The fingers that were clutching the strap of the school bag were pale and delicate.


    ¡°Why, why . . . . is there no need to pay?¡± Ye Ci asked.


    ¡°You are presumed to have been acting in self-defense based on surveillance and injury reports,¡± Huo Tinglan explained further. ¡°On the contrary, the issue of fighting using weapons and provoking trouble are more serious.¡±


    A charge such as provoking a fight was enough to make that group suffer for a while.


    Ye Ci no longer said a word, but his tense shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°One against five.¡± Huo Tinglan recalled the surveillance footage taken from the racetrack and his smile finally couldn¡¯t be contained, spreading shallowly to the corners of his lips. He controlled his tone and jokingly said, ¡°Nice skills.¡±


    Ye Ci quickly glanced at him, then lowered his eyes again.


    He was a teenage boy, and the phrase ¡°nice skills¡± sounded very good to him, but he quickly suppressed that proud and shy smile, and said, ¡°En,¡± indifferently.


    Huo Tinglan noticed Ye Ci¡¯s brief micro-expression clearly, and an idea occurred to him.


    This was an expression he would never have seen on Ye Ci¡¯s face in the past life. Ye Ci, who was unmoved when he won the Formula Racing Championship trophy would, at the age of 18, actually jump for joy a little at being told, ¡°Nice skills.¡±


    So childish, and so cute.


    The fierce impulses of an Alpha emerged faintly in his bones, scratching at the tip of his heart. Huo Tinglan was itched and tickled, but held back and suppressed that evil fire. Unable to tease Ye Ci, he only said warmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Smoking is harmful to your health, please do not imitate it. The smoker in this story is an adult.


    (Recently I heard that when there is a smoking scene, I have to add a statement in my notes to save myself.)


    ¡¾small theater¡¿


    Young Ci: Exhibit B.


    Lao Huo: A standing ovation! ! !


    Young Ci: (*///_///*)


    (Super happy but pretending it doesn¡¯t matter.)


    [1] Trash fish, ÔÓÓã, is an internet term that refers to a person with poor ability and no brain. ?

 CH 7

    The two left the police station. Huo Tinglan had been in a hurry when he left home. He didn¡¯t send a second car, so he went around to the front and sat in the passenger seat, pretending to be a gentleman.


    Twenty minutes later, the car drove back to the Huo residence and Ye Ci got out of the car, trying to hide his unnatural gait. He entered the door and sat on a stool to change shoes, but as soon as he took off his sneakers, Huo Tinglan stopped him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your feet?¡± Huo Tinglan stood by the door and pointed at his feet with a frown.


    Ye Ci pulled up the loose trouser legs of the school uniform and looked down.


    He felt pain in his right ankle. In the previous melee, he had kicked the steel pipe with one foot, and at that time, the pain made his head buzz. He¡¯d checked it himself at the police station, and didn¡¯t take it seriously when he saw that it was just a bruise. He didn¡¯t expect it to be swollen like a steamed bun now. It looked really scary.


    ¡°. . . . It¡¯s fine.¡± Ye Ci took a perfunctory attitude and put down his trouser legs, about to go.


    In his opinion, it was okay as long as it wasn¡¯t broken. It was enough to apply ice. Children who grew up in the slums were not so delicate.


    ¡°Hold still.¡± Huo Tinglan squatted directly in front of him on one knee and said solemnly, ¡°Let me see.¡±


    The tone of the command was so powerful that Ye Ci was startled and forgot to refuse.


    Huo Tinglan held Ye Ci¡¯s bruised ankle with his left hand and pulled up his trouser leg with his right. There was no actual touch, but across that thin distance, the vigorous heat of the Alpha¡¯s palm still baked his ankle that was extra sensitive from the swelling.


    Ye Ci clenched the strap of his school bag tightly and stiffly stretched out his foot.


    It was an Omega¡¯s foot, with a slender arch. It was long and thin, tightly wrapped in pure white cotton socks.


    The cotton was half-worn but rinsed white. When it was lifted from the sneakers, there was no smell at all. The shape of his toes showed through the tip of his sock, slightly raised due to tension . . . . they were very cute.


    ¡°The swelling is so bad, a fracture can¡¯t be ruled out.¡± In fact, the inspection process only took two or three seconds, or even shorter. To avoid suspicion, Huo Tinglan looked away with restraint. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital for an x-ray.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fractured . . . . I, I know these things.¡± Ye Ci noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere, and his right ankle that was held in the palm of that hand suddenly became numb. The shame and embarrassment was intolerable. He suddenly retracted his foot, pulled on his slippers, and was about to leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t step on the ground yet.¡± Huo Tinglan subconsciously grasped it.


    He had already held this ankle a thousand times, not only holding it, but kissing and sucking on his shoulders. No matter his thoughts, today was not yesterday. Ye Ci was still estranged from him, and every second, he warned himself to pretend to be a gentleman. He wanted to avoid arousing suspicion, but it was also inevitable that there would be moments of forgetfulness and loss of perspective.


    The sweatpants were made of smooth fabric and covered a nimble, gazelle-like calf.


    Because of his thinness, it was slightly skinnier than before.


    Since Ye Ci¡¯s accident in the last life, until now . . . .


    How long had it been since they had physical contact?


    The one he longed for, his lost and found lover, was so youthful and lovely. Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart throbbed with heat, and one of the tense strings in his brain broke. Not only did he not release his hold immediately, but he almost dragged that ankle in for a kiss.


    At the same time, the pheromones of the A+ grade Alpha easily penetrated the fabric. Ye Ci was scalded as if by red-hot tongs, and the tension inside him that had been strung tight day and night since he moved into the Huo residence snapped with a ding.


    Before Huo Tinglan could do anything inappropriate, Ye Ci had already pulled back his feet and shouted fiercely and embarrassedly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Immediately, he limped back to the bedroom with red ears and slammed the door.


    There was a loud bang.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± Kneeling on one knee, Huo Tinglan came to his senses after a while, apologetic, and a riot of mixed emotions rose up.


    Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t had time to do anything yet.


    However, even though he didn¡¯t have time to do anything, he was still regarded as a scoundrel.


    All of his previous efforts had been lost, ah . . . .


    Huo Tinglan rubbed his forehead.


    In any case, Ye Ci¡¯s foot injury couldn¡¯t be left alone. Huo Tinglan turned his head. Uncle He was already standing a discreet distance away, busily pretending to work, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed the predicament of the child and Huo Tinglan ¡°attempting to take liberties.¡±


    Huo Tinglan inwardly laughed, and ordered him to call his personal doctor to see Ye Ci. He went back to the study by himself, reluctantly calmed down, and dealt with the work that had been interrupted earlier.


    Huo Tinglan was very efficient when he was immersed in work, and the remaining contracts were finished quickly. After closing the last document, Huo Tinglan grabbed the phone and checked the time. Less than an hour had passed.


    He estimated that Ye Ci had calmed down a little by now. He took the cell phone and wanted to explain that his actions today were not malicious. When he clicked on Ye Ci¡¯s WeChat, the empty chat interface actually displayed, ¡°The other party is typing.¡±


    Huo Tinglan was curious as to what Ye Ci would say, and waited patiently. But three minutes passed, and the top of the interface still intermittently said, ¡°The other party is typing.¡±


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan smiled and switched the app to his album instead. There were several clips of the surveillance video from the racetrack, which he saved at the police station.


    The earliest clip had nothing to do with the fight. In the video, Ye Ci and another driver ended their race. Ye Ci straddled the rugged heavy-duty motorcycle in his school uniform, took off his helmet, and tossed his fluffy black hair. With a pretentious sophistication, he took a stack of banknotes from the other driver and tucked them away. The next few segments were videos of Ye Ci¡¯s unscathed one against five fight.


    Huo Tinglan watched the surveillance videos several times, and his lips twitched into a smile.


    This was the Ye Ci that he failed to understand in his previous life. Hidden under that cold and fragile ceramic beauty was a little poplar boy. [1]


    He just couldn¡¯t see it.


    When he switched back to the chat interface, the chat box was still empty.


    The other party is typing . . . .


    A pause for a few seconds to think about the wording.


    The other party is typing . . . .


    Pause, enter, pause, enter.


    Over and over again.


    Huo Tinlan felt sorry and also wanted to laugh a little.


    Even an 800-character composition should have been finished by now, was Ye Ci . . . . impeaching him?


    He wanted to send a message first, but he wasn¡¯t sure about Ye Ci¡¯s state at this time, afraid that a disagreement would cause the child to explode with shame and anger. Then he locked the screen. He would control himself and wait.


    Over in the bedroom, Ye Ci didn¡¯t know that Huo Tinglan had been waiting in the study for a long time. Wrapped in a quilt on the bed, he carefully crafted the words in the dialogue box. His forehead was sweating.


    He knew he had overreacted tonight and was quite rude. After his stress response to the Alpha¡¯s pheromones had subsided, he was so tangled up that he had twisted himself into a knot. He knew that he should apologize to Huo Tinglan, but he was ashamed to speak in person, afraid of the effect of stuttering three words out of nine. But typing didn¡¯t seem to be any better, and communicating with others had always been his Achilles heel.


    Ye Ci typed a bunch of words and deleted a portion of them. After dawdling for a long time, he finally closed his eyes, physically and mentally exhausted, and pressed send.


    [Ye Ci]: I¡¯m sorry about what happened today, I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you.


    Huo Tinglan, who was ready to accept the impeachment, looked at those words so weak in strength, and was stunned for a moment. Then he slightly curled the corners of his lips and wrote his response.


    [Huo Tinglan]: It¡¯s okay.


    [Huo Tinglan]: I was the one who was careless. I want to say sorry to you too.


    He was pretending to be very solemn and serious.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Has your foot been seen by the doctor?


    Ye Ci heaved a sigh of relief.


    [Ye Ci]: He saw it, it¡¯s been dealt with.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Good, rest early.


    There was silence from the other side.


    Like he was frantically mulling over the wording again.


    After a while, the message alert sounded.


    Ye Ci: En.


    Poised and leisurely.


    For some reason, Huo Tinglan suddenly remembered the birds swimming on the lake . . . . the upper half was calm and composed, but a pair of small feet were desperately paddling underwater.


    He smiled lightly and put down the phone.


    He didn¡¯t know what those little feet deleted, deleted, modified, and didn¡¯t post.


    . . . . . .


    The incident at the police station had increased Ye Ci¡¯s trust in Huo Tinglan.


    He was neither stupid nor lacking in experience. Gangsters often sought revenge and fought. Entering the police station was nothing more than some monetary losses to reconcile accounts. Huo Tinglan must have played a role in cleaning up those people on the charge of picking quarrels and provoking trouble.


    However, due to the subsequent misunderstanding, the relationship between the two did not ease significantly. It was true that Huo Tinglan had always behaved mildly and gentlemanly, but Ye Ci had terribly thin skin. The guy had three tons of baggage. Even if he had apologized, it was inevitable that his scalp would tingle with embarrassment when he remembered that scene.


    Because of this, he was extra careful to stagger his living time with Huo Tinglan again. As a result, as soon as he entered the dining room that morning, he was taken aback to realize that Huo Tinglan, who should have woken up half an hour later than him, was sitting at the table drinking coffee.


    Not only did he get up early, but he was also well-dressed in a navy blue suit with a straight half inch of eye-catching white on the cuffs. His fingers fiddled with the pearl cufflinks leisurely, as if he was deliberately stopping him here.


    Ye Ci was stunned, then took a step back, trying to slip away.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Huo Tinglan raised his eyes and looked directly at him. ¡°You should finish eating breakfast before you leave.¡±


    ¡°. . . . Morning.¡± Ye Ci paused. He bit the bullet and said, ¡°I know.¡±


    He moved diagonally to Huo Tinglan and sat down. Feeling vaguely aware of something, his nose twitched slightly.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s body was filled with the light fragrance of tequila, a trace amount of pheromones escaping from the barrier patch. Ye Ci was already used to and familiar with this alcohol-like atmosphere, but he didn¡¯t know if it was his own illusion that this morning¡¯s aura seemed to be different from before. It was more intense than before, more aggressive, and also mixed with a wisp of something ¨C the musky scent of a wild and savage beast.


    The back of his neck became faintly hot, and Ye Ci felt so awkward that he poured a few mouthfuls of milk in a flurry, wanting a quick fix for breakfast.


    Huo Tinglan looked at him quietly for a moment, took a sip of coffee, and said slowly, ¡°There is something I want to discuss with you in person, and I got up early for fear that I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you.¡±


    The implication was that it was a special case for him to get up early today, so that Ye Ci did not have to put so much effort into getting up earlier to avoid him . . . . he was afraid that a certain child would get up in the middle of the night to go to school.


    Ye Ci squeezed the cup of milk and sighed softly, asking, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    After speaking, he glanced at Huo Tinglan. Without knowing why, he didn¡¯t think he had woken up early, but had instead had a sleepless night, his whole body radiating an exhausted excitement.


    Indulgence . . . . overindulgence?


    Ye Ci abruptly looked away.


    It was extremely difficult for A+ grade Alphas to find an Omega, but they could use pheromone-insensitive Betas to vent their serious excesses . . . . so what?


    ¡°Actually, my susceptible period is about to begin,¡± Huo Tinglan interrupted Ye Ci¡¯s wild thoughts. ¡°Without intervention, it will probably just last these two days.¡±


    The air was suddenly quiet.


    Probably last just these two days . . . .  just these two days . . . . these two days . . . .


    Ye Ci gulped and muttered, ¡°Oh,¡± almost crushing the glass of milk in his hand.


    Huo Tinglan tapped the tabletop with his fingertips. His eyes were sharp, scratching Ye Ci¡¯s blushing face inch by inch. After two seconds of silence, he smiled self-deprecatingly: ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be mentally prepared, and I didn¡¯t want to tell you. But I¡¯ve made do with medication for the past few days and feel there is little difference between eating and not eating. This susceptible period is more serious than before and may not be easy to control once it starts, so I still want to ask your intentions.¡±


    During their susceptible period, Alpha hormones were secreted in excess, heart rate and blood pressure increased sharply, and the acuity of the five senses was raised to the limit of tolerance, and glandular activity was greatly enhanced . . . . In primitive times, this series of changes was to help the Alpha find, track, and capture the Omega that belonged to him.


    Therefore, an Alpha¡¯s susceptible period could be delayed if it could be eased by Omega pheromones, because the brain would think that he had found the right Omega.


    This was not a long-term solution. At most, it could delay a susceptible period for a month or two, but there was no other way.


    ¡°If you can help me delay the arrival of this susceptible period, that¡¯s not a bad thing for either of us . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s tone sank, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to live with an Alpha who is at risk of going out of control.¡±


    The intensity of an Alpha¡¯s susceptible period was strongly correlated with their mental state.


    Experiencing mental trauma caused by divorce, widowhood, being chronically single, or an Alpha with a strong desire for a particular Omega, could make the symptoms more severe and longer-lasting.


    ¨C ¨C Unfortunately, Huo Tinglan met all of the above conditions.


    So this time his susceptible period would be quite dreadful. Once started, the gentle and innocuous gentleman¡¯s mask would be difficult to wear.


    As far as the current state between the two was concerned, it was natural to delay as long as possible.


    Ye Ci mumbled, unable to speak.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t rush, and waited quietly for him to state his position.


    The agreement had been signed, and Huo Tinglan had treated him with ample generosity these days. In light of reason, he should not refuse.


    ¡°What do you . . . . need ¨C¡± Ye Ci¡¯s fingers trembled, and he had to curl them up into the sleeves of his school uniform. ¡° ¨C need to do?¡±


    Huo Tinglan stared at the boy who was pretending to be calm, a little awkward. The following words, written out in black and white, were fine when written out as terms, but once he said them with his mouth . . . . it seemed that no matter the wording, it would be difficult to clear himself of the suspicion of being a scoundrel.


    He wouldn¡¯t mind playing a scoundrel properly . . . .


    He was just afraid that Ye Ci wouldn¡¯t like him as a scoundrel.


    Seeing that Ye Ci was about to collapse while waiting, Huo Tinglan cleared his throat, making his tone sound businesslike: ¡°According to the agreement, you can provide me with some pheromone-containing items.¡±


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± Ye Ci licked his lower lip, completely speechless.


    Items containing pheromones seemed like nothing at first glance. However, those that could contain pheromones, other than the scent barrier patch attached to the back of the neck, were probably . . . . clothes.


    Ye Ci subconsciously raised his hand and stroked the scent barrier patch on the back of his neck.


    The square piece of non-woven fabric that rose and fell with his vertebrae felt smooth to the touch. Because it was so close to the skin, it was inevitable that it would be contaminated with sweat, so it felt slightly damp when peeled off. Soft, full of vanilla-scented Omega pheromones . . . . Thinking of giving such a private item to Huo Tinglan, Ye Ci¡¯s hand shook and he retracted it as if he had received an electrical shock.


    Barrier patches wouldn¡¯t work.


    Then only clothes were left.


    Ye Ci squeezed the zipper of his school uniform and hesitated. His brain had been roasted by the fires of shame, and he asked in a daze: ¡°You, you¡¯re going to take it . . . . and sniff it?¡±


    His IQ returned as soon as the words came out, and he wanted to sew his mouth shut in remorse.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Things were complicated and couldn¡¯t be explained in one sentence. Huo Tinglan was silent for a moment, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible: ¡°What would I do otherwise?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Huo Dog: Otherwise, could I lick it?


    Young Ci: Pinching himself to wake up .jpg


    [1] Little poplar, С°×Ñî, refers to a Chinese military song where the male character grows from weakness into a soldier. ?

 CH 8

    It would be better if the layer of window paper was not pierced [1], but since it was pierced, the atmosphere immediately became ambiguous and strange.


    Ye Ci lowered his head, squeezed the zipper pull of his sportswear, and pulled it down. The movement was painfully slow, the zipper teeth releasing one by one. Blood rushed to his face and painted it red.


    Because he didn¡¯t dare to look up, Huo Tinglan stared at him almost recklessly, like a falcon locking onto its prey. It wasn¡¯t until Ye Ci¡¯s shame reached a critical point and his fists loosened and clenched as if he was about to beat someone, that Huo Tinglan restrained his wicked foolishness and said:  ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes trembled, and he raised his head as if he had been rescued.


    Huo Tinglan had returned to his usual gentle and prudent demeanor, feigning magnanimity, and asked softly: ¡°Is there something like a throw pillow? Those can possibly be used.¡±


    ¡°There, there are throw pillows.¡± Ye Ci nodded hurriedly.


    He had the habit of holding something to sleep, but he had been so panicked that he didn¡¯t remember. Afraid that Huo Tinglan would regret it, he rushed back to the bedroom to get a pillow and hand it over. He lowered his eyes the whole time, not daring to look at Huo Tinglan¡¯s face.


    He thought this calamity was over, but when he was about to go out, Huo Tinglan stopped him again and told him euphemistically to come back early from school.


    After all, a throw pillow couldn¡¯t hold a lot of pheromones.


    At night, he still needed Ye Ci¡¯s help.


    Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he was dizzy, and he barely remembered how he got out the door of the Huo residence.


    This morning was so hard to bear.


    If Huo Tinglan was as bad as he¡¯d thought, and attempted to use treatment as an excuse to do something beyond the norm, the situation would have been easier. He was not afraid of confrontation with people.


    But Huo Tinglan was really upright, restrained and polite, and strictly abided by the rules. The more he was like this, the more at a loss Ye Ci was. His emotions were held inside without an outlet, causing him to turn red from his hair to the soles of his feet.


    He had been in a daze all day, and before he knew it, evening self-study was over and he had to go back.


    In the inner courtyard of the Huo residence, Ye Ci was walking along the tree-lined path with his school bag on his back.


    He had to treat Huo Tinglan, as he had agreed that morning.


    However, his psychological cognition was still that of an Alpha, and if another Alpha pressed against the back of his neck to smell the glands . . . .


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci had to punch a tree.


    The pain in his hand calmed him down.


    In any case, he would have to help sooner or later. If you were going to die anyway, it was better to fight. It was better to be straightforward than to dawdle . . . .


    Ye Ci clenched his fists, his heart in chaos, and was about to return to the main building of the Huo residence. When he looked up, he saw Huo Tinglan standing a few steps away and looking at him.


    His shirt collar was unbuttoned, and he could see the undulating lines of his chest muscles. The tendons in his neck stood out clearly, and the hair over his forehead fell messily across the ridge of his brow. His pupils were dark, handsome and somber, and five fingers clamped on to a ravaged and wrinkled throw pillow . . . . obviously, his torment on this day was not light.


    Alphas approaching their susceptible period would gradually become violent and jealous under the catalyst of pheromones, paranoid and clingy. They would show an outrageous and unbearable urge to monopolize, along with a morbid craving for a high-match Omega, and not be their usual self. With the official start of the susceptible period, these negative emotions would also reach their peak. The higher the Alpha¡¯s level, the more obvious these personality changes were during the susceptible period . . . .


    But Huo Tinglan¡¯s had obviously not started yet.


    It was just in the early stages, and the symptoms were already so serious?


    It was no wonder that some A+ Alphas were so tormented that they abused themselves during their susceptible period . . . .


    Ye Ci was startled and took a step back in a conditioned reflex.


    ¡°Pardon me, I came out to get some air.¡± Huo Tinglan hooked his collar. ¡°Did I scare you?¡±


    His eyes were still calm.


    However, it was not the same as his usual composure. At this moment, Huo Tinglan seemed to be trying his best to hold something back.


    Like viscous lava flowing under a slab of rock, the seemingly cold and hard obsidian had long been burned to the point of melting. That high temperature came from the illogical possessiveness of an Alpha¡¯s susceptible period, and the fiery . . . . lust.


    Ye Ci¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened. He wanted to take a closer look, but Huo Tinglan had returned to normal and was looking at him calmly with a pair of black eyes. The burning, thirsty eyes just now seemed to be Ye Ci¡¯s fleeting illusion.


    Ye Ci was startled, shook his head, and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled gently, as if to make up for something, and there was even a bit of relief on his face. ¡°You came back early today.¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡±


    Huo Tinglan slowly confirmed the reason: ¡°Is it because I asked you this morning or because racing isn¡¯t fun?¡±


    Even in an outdoor environment, Huo Tinglan¡¯s pheromone concentration was still unprecedentedly high. Ye Ci held his breath and only opened his mouth a little as he muttered, ¡°Because, because in the morning . . . . you asked.¡±


    Huo Tinglan rubbed the soft, dry cloth of the pillow with his fingertips, stared at Ye Ci for two seconds with his handsome face half hidden in the dim shadow of a tree, and asked softly, ¡°So, can I assume that you are mentally prepared to treat me?¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s breath was shaking, and he was silent for a while before making a vague ¡°En.¡±


    It was already dark at this time, but the courtyard lights emitted warm yellow halos and there were servants passing by not far away.


    ¡°Is it okay to do it here?¡± Huo Tinglan asked his opinion, like a patient hunter.


    Compared to a closed room, a garden could obviously make Ye Ci feel more secure.


    And a sense of security would mean relaxing his guard.


    Ye Ci tried his best to put on a cold and indifferent face, and nodded casually.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do it here.¡± Huo Tinglan still stood unmoving in his original place. ¡°Will you actively release pheromones?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ye Ci raised his eyes, looking confused. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    How long had he been an Omega? His glands weren¡¯t well developed, how could he do this . . . .


    Huo Tinglan was silent for a while, giving Ye Ci space to breathe.


    Like holding a slippery, timid little silver fish, the tighter you held it, the faster the fish would escape your hands.


    He had to hold him neither loosely nor tightly, to avoid startling him and also prevent him from running.


    After a while, Huo Tinglan said slowly: ¡°Then I might need to be closer to you.¡±


    Ye Ci slowed down a bit and forced himself to keep cool: ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Huo Tinglan took a few steps closer, walked around behind Ye Ci, and reminded him: ¡°The barrier patch needs to be removed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ye Ci¡¯s hands trembled violently. Fearing that he would be found out, he said firmly, ¡°You tear it.¡±


    The barrier patch had been pasted on for several hours, and the corners had lost their stickiness, curling slightly. Huo Tinglan pinched it with his fingertips, carefully not touching Ye Ci, tore off the barrier patch, and held it in the palm of his hand.


    The moist, slightly warm sweat mixed with Omega pheromones penetrated into the lines of his palm, and Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes moved nervously.


    Ye Ci¡¯s neck had been stimulated by Alpha pheromones to become pink, and was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The moment the barrier patch was removed, the scent of sweet, sticky, creamy vanilla spread out suddenly, and the comfort brought by the absolute match at the genetic level was like warm spring water. It wrapped around Huo Tinglan¡¯s violent, manic nerves and painfully twitching blood vessels, and in an instant, those torturous symptoms disappered as if they had never existed . . . .


    Sweet, happy vanilla.


    It was the smell that had soothed him repeatedly in his previous life.


    So familiar.


    It made him yearn so much.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s breathing suddenly became heavy, and the light blue blood vessels protruding from his temples were accompanied by the violent beating of his heart. Like someone on the verge of drowning breaking through the water¡¯s surface, he panted eagerly. Shaking slightly, he leaned down, and the distance between him and Ye Ci immediately narrowed.


    The hot, rough breath was repeatedly sprayed on the back of his neck. As if a salivating tiger had climbed onto his back, whether his bones would be ripped out to suck the marrow or if he would be eaten into its belly depended on whether the tiger still had a conscience.


    Ye Ci suddenly went numb from his spine to the top of his skull. His skin was sore and itchy from the highly aggressive A+ pheromones, and from head to foot, the fine hairs on his body all stood up in horror.


    ¡°Wait . . . .¡± Ye Ci couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He took a step forward and instinctively wanted to run.


    Huo Tinglan tried his best to regain his sanity and avoid scaring Ye Ci away.


    He stretched out his arms to grasp the tree in front of Ye Ci, confining that person within the circle of his arms. His Adam¡¯s apple trembled and his voice was hoarse as he almost shamelessly coaxed his young lover: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid . . . . it¡¯s just treatment . . . . don¡¯t move . . . .¡±


    Their limbs didn¡¯t really touch, but they were too close. The Alpha¡¯s muscles were hard and hot, burning his back like red-hot charcoal, and Ye Ci¡¯s head and face were flushed. He¡¯d thought he could grit his teeth and endure it, but it turned out that he couldn¡¯t. His willpower and his resistance to another Alpha twisted against each other, grinding together with a tooth-aching metallic sound, and the battle between the two forces reached a critical point. Sparks shot out, and the ambiguous breath between the two bodies was detonated with a bang . . . without warning, Ye Ci jumped up like a wild cat.


    The back of his head seemed to have hit something, making Huo Tinglan groan, but Ye Ci couldn¡¯t care about anything. With his face so hot that he was almost cooked through, he disappeared without a trace.


    The garden was quiet again except for the night wind.


    The front of his shirt was stained with a few drops of blood. Huo Tinglan took out a silk handkerchief and folded it in half calmly.


    He immediately used the silk handkerchief to cover his nose, which was hurt by that little head. He was obviously injured, but as if he had gotten a bargain, he gave a low smile.


    . . . . . .


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s alpha glands, which had suffered from illness for many years, were highly sensitive to Ye Ci¡¯s pheromones. Just a couple of sniffs up close, and the effects lasted for hours. He did not suffer from his various symptoms all the way through bedtime.


    He leisurely leaned on the bed and flipped through a few less important documents. The screen of his mobile phone remained on, showing Ye Ci¡¯s WeChat interface.


    He was curious how long Ye Ci would maintain the state of ¡°The other party is typing . . . .¡± this time.


    Ye Ci really lived up to his expectations, and operated to no avail for more than 20 minutes.


    Huo Tinglan sighed with a smile. After going back and forth between the choice of teasing the little gentleman or being chivalrous, he finally decided to maintain his current good image.


    He took the phone and typed a few words to help Ye Ci open up the conversation.


    [Huo Tinglan]: I¡¯m not angry. Rest early after finishing your homework.


    Perhaps he was finally relieved, because the reply came quickly.


    [Ye Ci]: Sorry, did I bump into you?


    [Huo Tinglan]: En.


    [Ye Ci]: Where did it hit?


    Another one followed.


    [Ye Ci]: Are you hurt?


    [Huo Tinglan]: The nose.


    Huo Tinglan first responded to the previous query. Immediately, he stroked the bridge of his nose, savoring Ye Ci¡¯s unintentionally revealed urgent concern, and thought.


    After pondering for a while, he deleted ¡°it¡¯s not damaged,¡± smiled, and retyped three words.


    [Huo Tinglan]: It¡¯s bruised.


    Ye Ci was silent for a while.


    There was not even a ¡°typing.¡±


    Was he . . . . cruelly teasing him?


    After getting no response for a long time, Huo Tinglan tapped the screen with his fingertips, intending to say something to give Ye Ci a way out, and opened the page.


    But at this moment, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor outside his bedroom. Cautious, the steps were lighter than those of a kitten, and normal people should not be able to hear it. However, as a top-level Alpha, Huo Tinglan¡¯s hearing was so good that he could hear the rustling sounds clearly.


    That person lingered in the hallway, stopped for a few seconds in front of the door, and ran away.


    Back and forth, as if testing someone.


    When this was repeated for the third time, Huo Tinglan finally couldn¡¯t hold back the itch in his heart like sprawling spring grass. He took a deep breath, walked to the door, and took the initiative to open it.


    The door opened without warning, frightening Ye Ci, who was almost standing against the door panel. Like a stressed cat, he almost gave Huo Tinglan a hard punch.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Huo Tinglan raised his eyebrows, pretending to be surprised.


    ¡°To give you, to give . . . .¡± Ye Ci glanced at the bridge of Huo Tinglan¡¯s nose. He swallowed the second half of the sentence suspiciously, and only shook the ice back and trauma spray in his hand.


    The ice pack and spray were prescribed by Huo Tinglan¡¯s personal doctor when he injured his ankle last time. The spray was very easy to use, and the pain would go away after a while. Seeing as there was half a can left, he brought it. If he had a choice, he wouldn¡¯t want to come even under pain of being beaten to death, but Huo Tinglan¡¯s nose had been bruised by him. He had to be responsible, hmm, for hurting it . . . .


    The question was . . . . where was his nose bruised?


    In an instant, Ye Ci, the ¡°perpetrator,¡± had a few heartless speculations flash through his mind.


    The author has something to say:


    His speculations were all right.


    Dog Huo: No bruises, but it¡¯s fractured QAQ


    [1] Piercing the window paper refers to shedding light on a subject or bringing it out into the open. ?

 CH 9

    Huo Tinglan took the ice pack and spray, and said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Seeing Ye Ci¡¯s eyes flicker and look straight at the bridge of his nose, Huo Tinglan, who was suffering a crisis of trust, pondered for two seconds and mixed truth with falsehood: ¡°There was a video conference just now, so I covered it up a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ye Ci was startled. Knowing that Huo Tinglan had seen through his rude speculation, his shame immediately doubled and he nodded hastily, ¡°I know, I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled and changed the subject. ¡°Right, I forgot to thank you . . . . today¡¯s treatment was very effective and I feel much better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± For the purpose of humanitarian aid, Ye Ci gritted his teeth and overcame his embarrassment, ¡°Are those pheromones e¨Cenough? I, I changed my clothes . . . . I haven¡¯t washed them yet.¡±


    Huo Tinglan burst into laughter and repeated with a bit of playfulness, ¡°Haven¡¯t washed them yet . . . .¡±


    He really had no self-awareness of being an Omega.


    Seeing Huo Tinglan¡¯s profound and intriguing black eyes, Ye Ci suddenly felt bashful. The heat burned all the way from his cheeks to his butt, and he dug himself a deeper hole as he explained: ¡°It¡¯s the outer uniform, the jacket, and . . . . the shirt.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Huo Tinglan said gently. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing else.¡± Ye Ci clenched his fists desperately.


    This open mouth was truly unstoppable.


    He stammered, so where did so many unnecessary words come from?!


    Huo Tinglan smiled and didn¡¯t overdo it. ¡°I won¡¯t use them for now. I don¡¯t feel sick at the moment, your pheromones worked well on me.¡±


    If he kept teasing . . . . Ye Ci might beat him up.


    ¡°. . . . That¡¯s good.¡± Ye Ci nodded hastily, walking back in a mess.


    Just a few steps out, Huo Tinglan stopped him again: ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Resisting the urge to start running, he turned around and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We can change the way we do the treatment a bit.¡± Huo Tinglan folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, stroking the bridge of his nose to emphasize the injury and pretending to be magnanimous. ¡°Otherwise my nose might not be able to take it.¡±


    Ye Ci was apologetic, and deflated at once and honestly said: ¡°You speak.¡±


    ¡°From next Monday, you should go home as early as possible after school every day and come to my study. I work, you do your homework, we spend a few hours in the same room together. This level of pheromone exchange can have the effect of treatment for me, and probably won¡¯t make you uncomfortable either . . . .¡±


    A few hours ago, he was still holding this person in his arms in the shade of flowers and trees, shamelessly sniffing and coaxing him, and even tore off the barrier patch and secretly put it in his pocket. Now he put on the mask of a gentleman again and asked in a warm voice, ¡°Do you think this arrangement is okay?¡±


    Ye Ci imagined the scene of the two of them busy in the study. It was much better than getting close for him to sniff the glands. He hastily nodded.


    The only problem with going straight home after school was that there was no way to go to the racetrack. Fortunately, he had saved a lot of money during this time. And Huo Tinglan treated him so kindly. He didn¡¯t have to take his mother away like in the worst-case scenario he had imagined before. Naturally, there was no rush to get money.


    Moreover, he was no longer as resistant to Huo Tinglan¡¯s highly aggressive pheromones as he was at first. Considering how few times they had spent time together, this kind of adaptation speed was already very fast. A 100% match was really not for nothing.


    . . . . . .


    This monday night, Ye Ci kept his promise and went home early. He spent a while alone in the living room, and did some mental preparations before he took the plunge and went into the study.


    The door of the study was wide open. Huo Tinglan was sitting behind the desk reading a few documents, and when Ye Ci came in, he raised his chin and said: ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t asked anyone to set up an additional study desk. This desk was big enough for one person and a half, enough to not get in each other¡¯s way.


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci nodded carelessly. Circling around, carrying a backpack on one shoulder and the other shoulder slightly relaxed to maintain balance, he strode coolly to the desk and sat down.


    . . . . His performance was not bad.


    Ye Ci unloaded his school bag, took out a set of papers, and tossed them on the desk. He took a deep breath and realized that his mental preparations were not in vain.


    If he acted shy and embarrassed, the treatment¡¯s atmosphere could also become complex rather than natural.


    Huo Tinglan watched the whole process quietly with strong interest and a subtle smile.


    Ye Ci suddenly seemed to be aware that he was being watched. His eyes dodged away, and then glanced over vigilantly.


    Huo Tinglan was a step ahead of him, having hidden his smile without a trace and lowered his eyes to read a document.


    . . . . Phew.


    Ye Ci sighed inwardly, feeling nervous.


    The math papers were as difficult as ever. Ye Ci picked out a few simple questions and did them first, then took out his phone. While Huo Tinglan wasn¡¯t paying attention, he took a picture of a question and used a search engine, patiently researching and analyzing the subject.


    The explanation given by the application was not detailed enough, and the difficulty of the problem was high. Ye Ci was stuck on a key step and couldn¡¯t understand it. Unwilling to copy the answer directly, he was so anxious that a few beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose. Just as he was feeling embarrassed, Huo Tinglan¡¯s low voice suddenly sounded above his head: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know when he had come over, or how long he had been standing there. As if it was premeditated, it seemed he intended to check his learning level.


    Ye Ci¡¯s hand shook. He locked the screen and said vaguely, ¡°Nothing . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan put one hand on the desk and leaned over slightly. He glanced at the large blanks on the paper and softened his voice, asking gently, ¡°Is there anything you want to ask?¡±


    Anything he wanted to ask?


    There were blank spaces everywhere.


    Ye Ci berated himself and clenched his hand.


    The palm of his hand was moist, and he was in a hurry to understand the explanation.


    He was anxious, and coupled with Huo Tinglan wanting to talk about the question, he almost blurted out a sentence.


    ¨C ¨C How is this problem calculated?


    When these words reached the tip of his tongue, Ye Ci suddenly remembered what Chu Wenlin had said when he introduced Huo Tinglan to him: Double degree from a first-class university, a top student in international finance. There was another specialized Master¡¯s degree with a hard to pronounce name. He was the elite of the elite . . . .


    To let Huo Tinglan teach him these simple high school math problems . . . . Ye Ci¡¯s face suddenly became hot, and he felt a burst of shame.


    ¡°No.¡± He flipped over the exam paper, appearing to impatiently do his homework.


    He would rather use rebellious behavior to camouflage his embarrassment and stupidity.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t,¡± Huo Tinglan stretched out his hand and pressed his fingertips down on the paper on the desk with rare firmness, not allowing Ye Ci to hide it away in his school bag. His two eyes were dark, with a penetrating and difficult to fathom expression. ¡°Then write it out yourself.¡±


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t take the paper. Deeply worried, he grabbed at his hair and said very stiffly, ¡°I usually . . . .  don¡¯t write it out.¡±


    Huo Tinglan stared at him for two seconds, then rolled his eyes and said slowly, word by word: ¡°You should act like a student, and have the appearance of a student. You usually seem quite sensible, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so laissez-faire academically that you won¡¯t even write out your homework . . . . although you are an adult, in this matter, I have to discipline you on behalf of your family.¡±


    Saying that, he withdrew his hand from the paper and said lightly: ¡°If these papers aren¡¯t finished, you don¡¯t leave today.¡±


    Ye Ci, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Huo Tinglan¡¯s lesson, as if he had survived a catastrophe. He flattened the paper, turned his pen, and started to idle on the job under Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes.


    If he couldn¡¯t go, he couldn¡¯t go.


    Anyway, Huo Tinglan had to go back to the bedroom to sleep.


    After a period of silence, Huo Tinglan leisurely passed judgment: ¡°Peaceful protest?¡±


    Ye Ci lowered his head and said nothing.


    As if making up his mind to see this through to the end with the problem child, Huo Tinglan took a pen, tapped the paper with his knuckles, and said unhurriedly: ¡°Then I¡¯ll go through them with you one by one . . . . let¡¯s start with this question.¡±


    Ye Ci was startled, and hurriedly pricked up his ears to listen. He straightened his body unconsciously, and his sitting posture was inexplicably cute.


    Huo Tinglan caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. The corners of his lips curled into a smile, which was quickly concealed again.


    As a top student in the finance department of a first-class prestigious school, Huo Tinglan played with high school math problems like they were a game. His level of explanation exceeded that of the search software by 100,000 miles. Ye Ci was good at mathematics and physics, but he had dropped out of school and abandoned them for too long. His brain was still bright, and he listened to Huo Tinglan for a while. Several difficult problems that had made him want to die before instantly became transparent.


    ¡°. . . . The foundation is weak, but your brain is smart enough to keep up with me talking so fast.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s tone was a little gentler than before, and his eyes flashed with a trace of mischief. ¡°You¡¯re just deliberately not learning, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡± Ye Ci pursed his lips.


    He lied to keep from being embarrassed. Ye Ci¡¯s face burned a little and he dared not look up.


    ¡°Still dare to say ¡®En¡¯?¡± Relying on Ye Ci being unable to look at him, Huo Tinglan raised the corners of his lips slightly, but his voice was serious, and he educated the child in deadly earnest.


    Ye Ci hung his head and listened, listened, and listened. Doubts grew in his heart, and his thin and delicate eyebrows trembled slightly. He slanted a glance at Huo Tinglan, then looked away again.


    Somehow, he vaguely felt that . . . . Huo Tinglan was doing this intentionally.


    He knew he had the character flaw of finding it difficult to calmly accept the gentleness and kindness of others. It would make him embarrassed; he was more comfortable with being treated harshly. And Huo Tinglan¡¯s performance tonight was just the right degree of unnatural. Every word was smooth and deliberate, as if he had seen through him, so that he could accept help with peace of mind.


    But could this be possible?


    It was too self-indulgent. Why would he do such a thing?


    Ye Ci rationally corrected his thinking.


    Huo Tinglan leaned against the edge of the desk, his eyes lowered, studying Ye Ci¡¯s ever-changing micro-expressions. Holding back a smile, he said solemnly: ¡°You keep staring at me, why? . . . . Are you surprised I¡¯m teaching you? You¡¯re not convinced?¡±


    Silly little gentleman. It was so much fun, it was hard to stop.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Ye Ci had been caught, and stared back at the paper, ¡°I¡¯m not . . . . staring.¡±


    Huo Tinglan tapped a few more sentences.


    Like a frustrated thorny cactus who was tired of studying, so as not to disturb the peace, Ye Ci promised Huo Tinglan that he would try his best to complete his homework in the future, and would ask him if he didn¡¯t understand something.


    The goal had been achieved. Only one question was left on the paper. Huo Tinglan ended the conversation and tapped the question with a pen, saying: ¡°Continue.¡±


    His actions tonight were not so much to give Ye Ci a way to save face, but it would be better to say that he had improvised a way for Ye Ci to get ahead.


    Failing the college entrance examination had always been the regret of Ye Ci¡¯s previous life.


    Perhaps due to Ye Hongjun¡¯s serious illness, Ye Ci once wanted to apply to a medical school, but unfortunately encountered too many setbacks in his senior year of high school. He was unable to improve his grades, and the series of events that happened after did not allow him to try again. Later, he participated in races at the racetrack for a living. He didn¡¯t give up on self-study during this time, but unfortunately, the adult college examination he took later was also a failure . . . .


    Huo Tinglan wanted to make up for his shortcomings with his own hands.


    He hoped that Ye Ci would have the power to make his own choices.


    At the end of the paper was a big question with three small problems, which could not be answered within ten minutes. Huo Tinglan had been leaning on the desk with one hand for a while, and no matter how great his physical strength was, he felt a little tired. He read the question, grabbed the swivel chair, and sat next to Ye Ci.


    When he sat down, the distance between the two suddenly narrowed.


    The aggressive alpha pheromones sunk in, and Ye Ci subconsciously licked his lower lip. His lips were smooth and red, and his saliva was filled with the sweetness of vanilla.


    The lingering Alpha pheromones reminded Ye Ci that he had moved from the bedroom to the study in order to do homework ¨C not to listen to Huo Tinglan¡¯s lectures, but to provide him with pheromones to delay the arrival of his susceptible period.


    After he returned home, Uncle He had also gently reminded him to rip off the barrier patch in order to facilitate the spread of pheromones . . . .


    In other words, at this moment, Huo Tinglan was smelling him.


    . . . . No.


    How could normal treatment be like this?


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t control his thoughts, and the more he thought, the more awkward he felt. As if wanting to rub his spine due to soreness, he covered the back of his neck with his hand and looked at Huo Tinglan.


    As it turned out, Huo Tinglan looked unconcerned, and his profile was particularly handsome due to his focus.


    At a glance, Ye Ci could see that he had made a blind conjecture.


    Ye Ci was ashamed for a while, and listened carefully with a correct attitude.


    The subject that caused Ye Ci¡¯s scalp to go numb was quite simple for Huo Tinglan. He wrote down the arithmetic and explained his thinking, and half of his mind was still idle.


    ¨C ¨C The half that was beginning to stir, his Alpha mind.


    Without his authorization, it captured and analyzed every breath that escaped from Ye Ci¡¯s body.


    The vanilla-scented pheromones


    Very sweet.


    This plant was native to the tropical rainforests and was popular with European royal families in the old days. Its sweet scent was reminiscent of cream.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t show any trace of his thoughts, looked at Ye Ci calmly and naturally, and asked him a question about formula substitution.


    Ye Ci pursed his lips, afraid that his stammering would be annoying. With his left hand, he rubbed his neck in a daze, and with his right hand, he wrote a series of formulas.


    He exuded the scent of cream.


    This person was indeed like a small spoonful of soft white cream.


    Soft, quivering, trying in vain to hide its sweetness. Pretending to be tough, for fear of being licked.


    But the more he tried, the more attractive he was.


    An A+ grade Alpha¡¯s sense of smell was too sensitive. Other than Omega pheromones, Huo Tinglan could passively smell something else.


    Bleach from washing the collar and cuffs of his clothing, which smelled like disinfectant.


    There was also a citrus-scented laundry detergent that exuded a warm, clean smell from his polyester tracksuit.


    A small amount of sweat ¨C not unpleasant, very light, hot and fresh like a small animal. It was soaked into the fabric of the pure cotton fabric inner layer, warmed up by the boy¡¯s body temperature with a fresh, sweet sensuality . . . .


    This was his eighteen-year-old lover.


    Wearing a school uniform, holding a gel pen, his flesh white and tender as if glowing.


    The Alpha glands on the verge of sending him into his susceptible period were soothed and became calm.


    However, something else was just about to move.


    Huo Tinglan quietly smelled Ye Ci¡¯s scent. His eyes darkened, his love was surging, but his tone was level, as if he really didn¡¯t have any evil intentions. He just adjusted his sitting position and folded his left leg over his right, blocking the eyes that might catch a glimpse from the side, and smiled: ¡°. . . . The final answer is this, understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Ye Ci nodded, so excited that he had stopped stammering. ¡°This line of approach is very novel.¡±


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s problem-solving method was tricky and interesting, and saved steps. Ye Ci had never seen such wonderful work, and his eyes were shining. He couldn¡¯t wait to pull out this exercise set from his school bag, wanting to find a similar problem to do independently while the iron was hot. However, as soon as the exercise set was opened, he realized that his ¡°reform¡± speed was too fast, and his facade of a stubborn boy had collapsed before it could stabilize. He raised his eyes in embarrassment, meeting a pair of unfathomable dark eyes, and his heart thumped. Using his finger to straighten the curled corner of the exercise book, he knew he couldn¡¯t conceal the truth: ¡°Today, you . . . . you were right . . . . I will change.¡±


    Huo Tinglan nodded, and said with a half smile: ¡°Knowing your faults and making amends, that is very good.¡±


    Ye Ci thoroughly understood his attitude.


    Huo Tinglan did that on purpose, substituting discipline for mercy, quietly following along so that he could accept help calmly.


    Ye Ci¡¯s fingers on the pen¡¯s grip turned white, and he lowered his head to flip through the exercise set. He seemed to be looking for a question, but in fact it was to conceal his stinging eyes.


    Mr. Huo . . . . was really a very good person.


    The author has something to say:


    Dog Huo who adjusted his sitting position because he was sniffing the cub : Indeed

 CH 10

    Ye Ci flipped through the exercise book, found a few types of problems that Huo Tinglan had gone over, and did them independently.


    After working on them for a while, his mood finally calmed down. Ye Ci raised his head and looked at Huo Tinglan several times, wanting to thank him when their eyes finally met, but Huo Tinglan was very focused on his work. Ye Ci stared so hard that his eyes were sore, and didn¡¯t get an opportunity.


    After hesitating for a while, Ye Ci called out softly, ¡°Mr. Huo . . . .¡±


    He had been in Mr. Huo¡¯s house for so long and had hardly ever taken the initiative to speak to Huo Tinglan. During their few exchanges, Huo Tinglan spoke first and he replied, so he never addressed the man.


    Huo Tinglan had been watching him for a long time from the corner of his eye, and sure enough, he was waiting for an awkward ¡°Mr. Huo.¡±


    In his last life, Ye Ci was also like this.


    From the time they were acquainted, through the ambiguous courting period, it was always a polite and unfamiliar, ¡°Mr. Huo.¡± After getting to know each other well, he couldn¡¯t defeat Huo Tinglan and finally started calling him by his first name. But even during the most intimate times, he only used his name and refused to call him anything else. When he was ruthlessly teased about it, he blushed with a peach-like face, bowed his head, clenched his fingertips in embarrassment and said nothing. After many times, Huo Tinglan knew that he was really unable to speak, not only because of his personality, but also because of a speech impediment. He couldn¡¯t bear to tease him like that anymore, so he had to settle for the next best thing, comforting himself by thinking that it was enough to go by his first name.


    Huo Tinglan pondered for a while, put down the document, and leaned lazily against the back of the chair. He tapped the table with his fingertips but did not respond to the ¡°Mr. Huo.¡± Instead, he changed the topic and said distantly: ¡°It seems this is the first time you¡¯ve called me.¡±


    ¡°. . . . Really?¡± Ye Ci became uncomfortable.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s tone was neither hot nor cold: ¡°Why so formal . . . . I thought you were going to talk to me about business.¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t say a word and lowered his eyes, showing a hint of shame.


    After all, they were married and living under the same roof. Calling him like that showed that he was estranged from Huo Tinglan . . . .


    He felt that Huo Tinglan was a little unhappy.


    But he really didn¡¯t know how to address him.


    ¡°Next time,¡± Huo Tinglan pondered his expression. A smile appeared in his eyes, and he tentatively said, ¡°Call me Huo-shushu.¡±[1]


    They were twelve years apart in age. One was a working man and the other was a student. In addition, the elders of the Huo and Chu families were of the same generation, so it was reasonable to call him ¡°Shushu.¡± And the point was, Huo Tinglan had always been itching for this title.


    On certain occasions . . . . it could work wonders.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± When Ye Ci heard these words, his jaw clenched and the corners of his mouth flattened. There was an awkward aura of ¡°there is no next time¡± all over him.


    A few seconds went by.


    He turned his face away and gave a very light, ¡°En.¡±


    The Ye Ci of this time had thawed his thin, cool shell of ice, and the little things hidden inside turned out to be so cute and soft . . . .


    Huo Tinglan turned his gaze back as if nothing had happened, and looked at his documents calmly. The corners of his lips were barely visible, slightly raised.


    . . . . . .


    He deliberately didn¡¯t ask Ye Ci what he had called him for. Five minutes later, Ye Ci had finally regrouped and stammeringly called: ¡°Huo-shushu . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled, and a low syllable escaped: ¡°Hm?¡±


    Seventeen or eight-year-old boys, strictly speaking, were past the age of using the duplicate character address of ¡°Shushu.¡± He thought that with Ye Ci¡¯s awkward temperament, he would definitely find a way to address him more rigidly, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be word-for-word.


    The clear, youthful voice carried annoyance and embarrassment, but was obedient and called ¡°Shushu¡± so softly . . . .


    Huo Tinglan sighed tenderly in his heart.


    It was really killing him.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work today. You helped me with . . . . so many questions.¡± Ye Ci worked out the draft in his mind and completed it in one go.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Huo Tinglan settled down, closed one document, and opened another. ¡°Feel free to ask me anytime.¡±


    Ye Ci looked at the thick stack of documents by his hand. ¡°Your work . . . . are you very busy?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the situation whether I¡¯m busy or not,¡± Huo Tinglan said lightly.


    Ye Ci understood, and thought he meant that he wasn¡¯t sure when he would be busy or idle.


    Huo Tinglan wrote a few words on a contract and completed the second half of his sentence: ¡°Learning is an important matter, and if you come to me with questions, I won¡¯t be busy.¡±


    He looked calm, as if what he said was a normal thing, but Ye Ci seemed to have been hit by a critical blow. Dizzy, he squeezed out two words: ¡°. . . . Mm, en.¡±


    Even if he hadn¡¯t seen much of the world, he had lived for eighteen years and except for Ye Hongjun, no one had ever treated him with such care.


    He always knew how to handle people who didn¡¯t welcome him ¨C just compare fists and see whose was harder.


    But no one had taught him how to get along with people who were nice to him.


    He wanted to get close and wait to give the same kindness in return, but he was afraid he would be awkward and make a fool out of himself.


    Huo Tinglan raised his eyes and saw Ye Ci stammering, unable to squeeze out the whole sentence, and his heart softened. He had finally received a miracle, and softly soothed: ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, it won¡¯t bother me.¡± He flicked the paper in his hands and sighed with a smile: ¡°Thinking about this stuff is more tiring than going over some questions . . . . just help me take my mind off it, okay?¡±


    ¡°. . . . Okay.¡± Ye Ci¡¯s eyes shook slightly, and he nodded seriously.


    With Huo Tinglan¡¯s guidance, Ye Ci saw hope, and his enthusiasm for learning rose. In addition to the homework assigned by the school, he also had to make up for the progress lost when he took a break from his education. In order to complete the goals he had set for himself, he did not sleep until the early hours of the morning. After a continuous week of hunkering down, he was haggard. His skin was still as white and tender as bamboo shoots, but the bruises under his eyes were also very obvious.


    Huo Tinglan was both relieved and distressed, afraid that Ye Ci would be overwhelmed. At eleven o¡¯clock in the evening, he went to the study room to expel him, and personally watched him go back to his room to rest.


    Ye Ci promised to be obedient, but secretly put the rolls of paper folded into small tofu cubes into his pockets, smuggled them across the border, and lit the lights in the bedroom. At night, when he was sleepy, he slipped out to the terrace to smoke a cigarette.


    He had always slept very little, and his body could withstand the abuse. In order to raise money for Ye Hongjun¡¯s medical treatment, he often worked day and night during that difficult year. When he was sleepy while working part-time, he took a nap at the cash register with his head up, and when he opened his eyes, he had the strength to work again.


    However, it may be that Huo Tinglan had coddled him during this period of time. After staying up all night and studying hard for half a month, Ye Ci was really tired.


    That Friday, Ye Ci routinely woke early, got out of bed, and dug out a few pills from his school bag.


    Fatigue had likely led to low immunity, which was taken advantage of by a cold virus. He had not been feeling well for the past two days, with repeated fever, drowsiness, and fatigue. His stomach and intestines were also affected, and his stomach was inexplicably sore and swollen.


    Ye Ci pulled out the pills, gathered a small handful in his palm, and swallowed them all at once.


    Anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, fever-reducer, and pain-reducer . . . .


    He had developed this kind of unreasonable drug habit in the past two years. While working several jobs a day, he had no time to go to the hospital. He simply adopted a broad-spectrum attack method and took all the medications that might relieve his symptoms, and got better early to avoid delaying work.


    Unlike before, this cold was quite stubborn. Ye Ci took the medicine for two days and it failed to work. When he looked ill while eating breakfast, the truth was revealed.


    ¡°Is Young Master Ye uncomfortable?¡± Uncle He asked with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Ci swallowed the porridge while holding back nausea. ¡°It¡¯s just . . . . a small fever.¡±


    Uncle He looked at his flushed face and felt that it didn¡¯t look like a low-grade fever, so he suggested: ¡°I will tell Mr. Huo and ask him to request a half-day¡¯s leave for you, and call the doctor again to take a look . . . . what do you think?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t bother him . . . . thank you.¡± Ye Ci got up and left.


    He was afraid that Huo Tinglan would watch him more strictly to get him to sleep, but he really wanted to catch up to the school¡¯s progress rate ASAP.


    As a result, Uncle He spread the word quickly. As soon as Ye Ci arrived at school, Huo Tinglan called to confirm whether or not he was really okay.


    ¡°It¡¯s really fine . . . . I¡¯m on medication.¡± Ye Ci walked out of the classroom and into the corridor with his cell phone. Because of the fever, his voice was extremely faint.


    ¡°What medication?¡± Huo Tinglan asked.


    In order to make him feel at ease, Ye Ci stammered out a long list of drug names.


    Huo Tinglan was silent for a while, then took a deep breath before saying: ¡°Excessive use of cold medicine may cause liver and kidney damage, do you not know?¡±


    Ye Ci was stunned. He really didn¡¯t know.


    What liver and kidney damage . . . . he had never heard of such a thing, and knew that he was going to get better soon.


    Huo Tinglan sighed softly and asked: ¡°What¡¯s your body temperature?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t measured it . . . .¡± Ye Ci sensed that Huo Tinglan was unhappy, and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sure it must be a low-grade fever.¡±


    He said it was a low-grade fever, but in fact, he had no idea. Anyway, if it wasn¡¯t burning hot, he would just sit back as usual and treat it as a low-grade fever.


    ¡°Low-grade fever . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan knew that Ye Ci¡¯s definition of a ¡°low-grade fever¡± was different from ordinary people. He furrowed his brow and instructed: ¡°Go to the infirmary. After measuring your temperature, take a picture of the thermometer and send it to me. If the fever is serious, I will pick you up.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Ye Ci licked his lips. ¡°This morning, it¡¯s all, all major subjects, I, I want to be in school . . . .¡±


    In a rare instance, Huo Tinglan interrupted him in a low, cool voice: ¡°Want me to measure it for you myself?¡±


    Ye Ci was stunned. After getting along together for so long, it was the first time he had heard Huo Tinglan speak to him in this tone. His heart thumped for some reason and he said hurriedly: ¡°No, no need, I . . . . I will measure it myself.¡±


    He dragged his steps to the infirmary, his head dizzy with fever and his legs weak due to the dull pain in his lower abdomen. His symptoms were worse than they were before taking medicine in the morning. He asked the school nurse for an electronic thermometer and sat down on the edge of the bed to take his temperature, absentmindedly fiddling with his phone. When his fingertips brushed the words, ¡°Huo-shushu,¡± in the call log, an indescribable feeling suddenly surged in his heart.


    Something like . . . . comforting warmth.


    The whole of his person seemed to be miniaturized into a small mass and held securely by a pair of warm palms.


    It was a totally unfamiliar feeling.


    At this moment, the electronic thermometer beeped.


    39.5. [2]


    His heart was heated by that warmth. Ye Ci pursed his lips and hesitated for a while, but finally didn¡¯t try to be brave. He honestly took a picture and sent it to Huo Tinglan.


    It only took two or three seconds before the opposite side quickly replied.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Wait for me.


    A moment later, he was afraid that Ye Ci would be reckless, so he sent two more messages.


    [Huo Tinglan]: I¡¯ll take you to the hospital now. You can make up for the missed classes.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Be good.


    It was an unexpectedly coaxing tone.


    Ye Ci was in a daze.


    He was a school student . . . .


    What was good or bad?


    He was coaxed to the point of fidgeting, covering his face with one hand out of fear that the school nurse would see him.


    The skin beneath his fingers was already growing red.


    The author has something to say:


    Mr. Huo has officially become Huo-shushu, and calling him ¡®Shushu¡¯ has miraculous effects on certain occasions. What are the specific occasions? The auditor stares and the editor, and the editor dares not say.


    [1] ÊåÊå: Sh¨±shu is a term used for a person¡¯s father¡¯s younger brother, or a way of addressing a man around one¡¯s father¡¯s age or slightly younger. ?


    [2] 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit. ?

 CH 11

    Huo Tinglan arrived quickly, and when he took Ye Ci away from the infirmary, the self-study period was not over yet.


    Accompanying Ye Ci to see a doctor was one of Huo Tinglan¡¯s assistants, surnamed Lin, a middle-aged female Beta with a friendly face. A person with such an identification was convenient to accompany an Omega to see a doctor, so as to avoid arousing suspicion.


    The three of them went to a private hospital. There were few people present, so there was no need to get in line.


    Assistant Lin took Ye Ci¡¯s arm naturally. Ye Ci didn¡¯t have the strength to dodge, and followed her listlessly. She first accompanied Ye Ci to see the internal medicine department. After they did several tests, she followed the doctor¡¯s advice and went to the gland secretion department. After the doctor finished a series of examinations, he saw that Ye Ci was very uncomfortable and didn¡¯t say much. He opened an infusion order to quickly put him on an intravenous drip, and asked the family to enter the consultation room to talk.


    Assistant Lin went to the pharmacy and brought back a paper bag stuffed with medicine. Handing Ye Ci a cup of hot water, she stood at his side to comfort him: ¡°I asked when I passed by the clinic, and Mr. Huo said there was no big problem, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci took the paper cup. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Assistant Lin said amiably.


    Ye Ci held the paper cup in one hand, grabbed the paper bag on the chair beside him, and gestured shortly: ¡°Please sit down, today . . . . thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome.¡± Assistant Lin sat down according to his words, and a slight smile appeared in the corners of her eyes.


    She was sent by Huo Tinglan to temporarily take care of the child, and thought it would be difficult to serve a rich and powerful young master of seventeen or eighteen years old, not expecting such a temperament. At first glance, he looked rather cold, but after showing kindness to him, he suddenly became very easy to get along with, well-behaved and polite.


    The intravenous drip was obviously right for his symptoms, and after a while, the abdominal pain was relieved. Ye Ci took a sip of hot water, pretended to casually pull out a pill box from the paper bag, and looked down at the instructions.


    [Indications:] Suitable for relieving symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, etc. caused by the development of Omega reproductive cavity.


    Ye Ci, who was seriously lacking physiological knowledge about Omegas, was stunned for a few seconds, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief: ¡°!¡±


    . . . . What cavity?!


    Reproductive what?!


    Ye Ci knew that Omegas had that organ, but he¡¯d had an Alpha¡¯s body until the second differentiation, and it hadn¡¯t grown. He had thought . . . . that it wouldn¡¯t grow.


    Ye Ci¡¯s hand shook and squeezed the pill box flat.


    After Huo Tinglan learned about the situation from the doctor, he was about to return to the infusion room when he caught a glimpse of Ye Ci in the corner, looking like an embarrassed little tomato.


    He had probably just read the instructions for the medication, and that little face was red as if it had been steamed. His eyes were perturbed and confused, but he still pretended to be calm, holding his chin and gripping a deformed pill box in his hand.


    Huo Tinglan stopped and looked at him involuntarily, his heart swaying for a while.


    Ye Ci was twenty-two years old when the two met in the last life. At that time, he had fully accepted his Omega identity, and Huo Tinglan could not accompany him through this confusing and shameful transition period.


    The maturing of an Omega¡¯s body would produce various physiological changes ¨C ¨C


    Hidden cavity development.


    A belly that softens to protect the fertilization organs in the body.


    Touch became more sensitive.


    Suet-like skin, softer than an Alpha¡¯s . . . . .


    The Omega part of Ye Ci¡¯s body was maturing.


    Like an ovary tightly wrapped in a pod, swelling day by day, plumping up, growing like a round green bean splitting open from the pod.


    And this whole process would be witnessed by him.


    Huo Tinglan tugged at his neckline, and his throat tightened for a moment.


    The Alpha glands, which had been soothed and suppressed for many days, started to become active again.


    . . . . . .


    In the infusion room, Ye Ci was fiddling with the pill box in a panic, and his thoughts went back and forth.


    The number of male Omegas were few, and like female Alphas, they belonged to a sexual minority group. He didn¡¯t know about male Omegas, and also lacked the real sense of being secondarily differentiated. During this time, aside from the scent of his pheromones going from cold pine to sweet vanilla, he had never felt anything, and felt lucky that the second differentiation would continue in this way.


    In the end, he received a critical blow from reality.


    He was caught off-guard.


    He was a boy, and he actually grew a . . . .


    And so forth . . . .


    He seemed to have overlooked something.


    Assistant Lin had said that Huo Tinglan was talking with the doctor in the consultation room.


    At that moment, wasn¡¯t Huo-shushu the one talking to the doctor about the growth of his new . . . . birth, genital cavity?!


    ¡° !  ! ¡±


    Ye Ci was horrified. His eyes widened, and he suddenly raised his head and looked out the door.


    With this glance, he met a pair of eyes that were as dark as a deep pool.


    Huo Tinglan was standing outside the glass door of the infusion room, watching him.


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t understand that look, full of desire, burning and ambiguous. Like a soft, silky hook, it gently took hold of the pit of his stomach . . . . just a glance, less than a second. The top of his head went numb, and he looked away in shock.


    When he looked again, Huo Tinglan had pushed through the door, holding a folded medical report in his hand. He looked at Ye Ci calmly, still the proper gentleman. Due to the presence of outsiders, he downplayed the issue: ¡°It¡¯s only a small problem, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s throat was dry and his lips moved, but he didn¡¯t know what to ask.


    That glance just now . . . . was it an illusion?


    He took the medical report with his head down. Thinking that one fold was not enough, he almost folded it into a tofu cube.


    All the way back, he kept secretly shooting glances at Huo Tinglan from the corner of his eyes.


    He seemed normal.


    The moment they looked at each other by chance, Huo Tinglan raised his eyebrows. Innocent and confused, he asked him what was wrong, and his expression didn¡¯t seem to be fake.


    Ye Ci had to wave his hand vaguely. After being caught a few times like this, he didn¡¯t even dare to take a peek, staring straight ahead, more disciplined than military training.


    It must be his nerves.


    He had misread it.


    After sending the assistant back to the company, Huo Tinglan led Ye Ci home. He walked into the study on the third floor and closed the door, then tidied the desk and said warmly: ¡°Come sit down, we need to talk.¡±


    Ye Ci pursed his lips and sat down, but his face was tense, as if he was ready to leave at any time.


    Fortunately, Huo Tinglan had already prepared the draft on the way back. He had repeatedly scrutinized every word, trying his best to avoid sensitive ones.


    Really . . . . even business negotiations were not so meticulous.


    ¡°I had a brief talk with the doctor,¡± Huo Tinglan said calmly, controlling his tone. ¡°This is a normal phenomenon, there¡¯s no need to worry. But you need to take your medicine on time to relieve the symptoms, and take them for half a month before going in for a checkup . . . . do you have questions?¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s tense shoulders relaxed, and he shook his head.


    Huo Tinglan took a marker and wrote on a prominent place on each pill box as directed by the doctor, three times a day, one tablet at a time. ¡°Also, the doctor thinks the reason your symptoms were so severe this time may be related to bad working and sleeping habits. Uncle He said that lately, the little lamp in your room sometimes stays on until two in the morning. Do you go back to your room and secretly study instead of sleeping?  . . . . Being motivated is a good thing, but if your body is overwhelmed and your eyes are strained, what will you do about the college entrance examination?¡± He slowly and deliberately counted out Ye Ci¡¯s crimes. Seeing Ye Ci¡¯s stubborn resistance, his eyelid twitched and he said in a low voice: ¡°En?¡±


    ¡°. . . . I understand, Huo-shushu,¡± Ye Ci said reluctantly.


    ¡°Will you stay up late in the future?¡± Huo Tinglan put the several pill boxes into a paper bag, handed it to Ye Ci, and added, ¡°I was afraid that you would take the medicine indiscriminately, so I marked them for you.¡±


    Ye Ci lowered his eyes and looked at the sharply written instructions on the pill boxes. That warm feeling filled his heart again.


    He was softened a bit by that warmth, and hesitated before whispering: ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Huo Tinglan was determined to get rid of Ye Ci¡¯s problem of not caring for his body. Leaning back in the chair, he tapped the desk with his fingertips. As if negotiating in the business field, he carefully looked him over, putting pressure on him, and said solemnly: ¡°Will you really change, or are you bluffing me?¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s pupils shook slightly: ¡°Really, I won¡¯t. Also, also I¡¯ll stop randomly taking medicine . . . . I¡¯m not bluffing you.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s settled. Staying up late until the middle of the night,¡± Huo Tinglan said in a threatening tone, ¡°If I catch you again . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci was just about to make a promise, when he heard Huo Tinglan add the second half of the sentence leisurely: ¡°You¡¯ll move into my room to sleep.¡±


    Ye Ci was stunned for a moment, and was frightened into stuttering. He shook his head and waved his hands with a red face and ears: ¡°No, no need! I definitely . . . .  won¡¯t, won¡¯t do it again!¡±


    There were almost too many ¡®no¡¯s¡¯ in that sentence. Huo Tinglan curved his lips: ¡°Are you that afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°Not afraid,¡± Ye Ci automatically denied. They had been living together peacefully for a month. Huo Tinglan obviously didn¡¯t mind him, and to be on guard against him acting like a scoundrel was just too . . . . He was afraid that Huo Tinglan would be disheartened, and urgently explained himself: ¡°You are good and upright . . . . but I, I¡¯m used to sleeping by myself.¡±


    After saying this, without giving Huo Tinglan a chance to speak, he grabbed the medicine and fled.


    His posture was as if a scoundrel was chasing after him.


    As a scoundrel, Huo Tinglan was deeply regretful while recalling those little red ears hidden behind black hair.


    After a few words, he just ran away.


    And he still had a belly full of words that he didn¡¯t get a chance to say.


    ¨C ¨C According to his observations, Ye Ci¡¯s knowledge of Omega physiology was close to nothing.


    No matter how careless an Omega was, he wouldn¡¯t be ignorant of the phenomenon of ¡°cavity growth pain,¡± but Ye Ci was clearly a blank piece of paper. He was in pain for three days and was still taking anti-inflammatory drugs ignorantly. But Omegas were restricted by objective factors, and needed to pay attention to the most problems on a daily basis.


    Personally giving a sex education class to a young lover . . . . several rogue thoughts flashed through Huo Tinglan¡¯s mind, and he couldn¡¯t help raising the corners of his lips.


    It would be his pleasure.


    But it was a pity that Ye Ci would die of shame, and maybe even run away.


    Eighteen-year-old Ye Ci was much softer than at twenty-two, but he liked to pretend to be tough.


    Like a mimosa, with its tough, slender stem ¨C he was tall and straight, high-spirited, thinking that he stood like a small tree. As a result, as soon as he was scratched by a fingertip, he would curl up like a little cactus in a panic. If Ye Ci was repeatedly scratched and provoked, he feared that he could even squeeze out cactus juice.


    This made people want to take pity on him.


    But even more, it made people want to bully him.


    Huo Tinglan hooked his index finger into his neckline and loosened his tie. His eyes were dark.


    When the relationship between the two was closer, when Ye Ci trusted him more and was firmly tied to him, and it was difficult to take a tiny step away from him . . . . that would be enough.


    He could coax and bully him at the same time.

 CH 12

    After the talk in the study room, Ye Ci didn¡¯t know whether he had been influenced by it or was simply frightened of the phrase ¡°move into my room to sleep.¡¯ Not only did his work and rest routine become comparable to that of a robot, but he also followed Huo Tinglan¡¯s instructions to set a medication reminder on his cell phone, and obediently followed the doctor¡¯s orders to take his medicine.


    The symptoms of reproductive cavity development had been relieved a lot. A few days had passed without a sign of fever, but there was still a subtle soreness in his lower abdomen. Although it seemed to be nothing, as soon as Ye Ci thought about what it was, he immediately fell apart and clenched his fists.


    ¡°. . . . Do you have a lot of homework today?¡±


    Huo Tinglan held a folder, looking through the thick stack of different-sized lists inside, and asked this a bit nonchalantly.


    ¡°Quite a lot. I¡¯ll write half of it today.¡± Friday plus two days on the weekend, a three-day workload was not ideal. Ye Ci took out his school bag and inadvertently glanced at the folder in Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand.


    Perhaps it was because he had accompanied Ye Hongjun to the hospital for so many appointments, but he felt that the paper Huo Tinglan was holding was a bit like a hospital medical report.


    However, before he could take a closer look, Huo Tinglan had already closed the folder and set it aside, saying in an understated tone: ¡°I had someone put something by your bedside, you can take some time to have a look at it.¡±


    ¡°En,¡± Ye Ci responded. Unable to hide his curiosity, he put his homework in order and went back to the bedroom to check.


    In the room, there was a book beside his pillow.


    Perhaps to avoid unintentional snooping by servants, the book cover was wrapped in solid kraft paper, its surface blank.


    Ye Ci became more and more curious, picked up a book, and opened it unpreparedly. He glanced at the table of contents and blood rushed to his face.


    This was actually an Omega-exclusive sex education book.


    Like an encyclopedia, it was exhaustive and comprehensive.


    ¡°The first symptoms of an Omega¡¯s fever,¡± ¡°Self-protection during an Omega¡¯s fever,¡± ¡°Body structure changes brought about by the fever period,¡± ¡°Precautions to take for the first fever.¡± These chapter titles had blue-black pen marks in front of them ¨C ¨C four little checkmarks.


    ¨C ¨C Huo Tinglan had read this book and helped him identify the key points.


    Ye Ci bit his lips white.


    Like a red-hot slap to the chest, the secrets and shame in his heart evaporated into white steam.


    After just flipping through the pages of the book, he was so embarrassed that his neck was flushed red.


    In fact, he had never been able to accept his secondary differentiated glandular sex.


    The sudden transformation from an Alpha, which symbolized strength and leadership, to the ¡°soft and delicate¡± stereotype of an Omega, had caused a lingering sense of shame and displacement.


    It was fine not to mention these things during ordinary times. He could deceive himself and pretend that there was no difference between being an Omega and being an Alpha. Once forced to face reality, he . . . .


    In a daze, he turned another page.


    There was one more pen-drawn ¡°X¡± on the table of contents page. The title was ¡°The Omega¡¯s Character Guidance and Shaping.¡±


    For some reason, Ye Ci first turned to the page marked with the X and glanced at it.


    The content of this page contained mostly cliched advice like, ¡°An Omega¡¯s character is gentle, considerate, and demure,¡± and so on. Above the page number were two sharp and handsome penned characters.


    ¨C ¨C Don¡¯t read.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci turned another page.


    ¨C ¨C Still reading.


    It was like finding hidden easter eggs.


    The corners of Ye Ci¡¯s lips curved in amusement.


    Aside from these two pages, most of the titles with a few sporadic X marks in the table of contents were in this pedantic style that made Ye Ci so annoyed that he wanted to tear up the book.


    Huo Tinglan actually screened the book for him in advance. His work was obviously so busy, but he still took such responsibility . . . .


    Ye Ci lightly sighed.


    That small ball of warmth behind his ribcage reappeared, and the bridge of his nose went faintly tight.


    He settled down and took a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and took a familiar drag from the filter.


    After smoking more than half his cigarettes, he put out the butts, opened the pages that had been checked off, and bravely browsed through them.


    . . . . . .


    After mentally preparing himself, it was half an hour later that Ye Ci returned to the study.


    Beside him at the desk, Huo Tinglan concentrated on his work and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Fearing that Huo Tinglan would ask him about his reading experience, Ye Ci stared straight at his paper but watched him out of the corner of his eye, feeling Huo Tinglan¡¯s movements with his whole body.


    After a stalemate, Ye Ci became more and more uncomfortable.


    He felt that Huo Tinglan was staring at him.


    Another illusion?


    Ye Ci tilted his head stiffly, eyes flickering, and glanced at Huo Tinglan very quickly.


    Huo Tinglan rested his chin on one hand leisurely, and caught his glance like a rabbit.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan was really staring at him.


    After a moment of silence, Ye Ci retracted his eyes in shock. After hesitating, he glanced again.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips curled into a cat-like smile, and he asked knowingly: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you concentrating . . . . do I have words on my face?¡±


    ¡°No, no words.¡± Ye Ci lowered his head down with a swoosh to read a question.


    ¡°Did you read the book?¡± Huo Tinglan asked to confirm.


    ¡°Uh, hm . . . .¡± Ye Ci answered vaguely.


    He wanted to read it and insisted on reading a few pages. The problem was that the popular science book was too detailed. Not only were there detailed descriptions of Omega-exclusive organs, but even cross-sectional drawings and a description of permanent marking. He was so used to being an Alpha that he even took Physiology and Hygiene classes separately from Omegas when he was in junior high school. Not as full of yellow crap[1] as some teenage alphas, the more he read, the more he blushed. Words like ¡°knot,¡± ¡°cavity,¡± and ¡°lifetime mark¡± scorched his retinas.


    He estimated that the yellow book[2] was also like that.


    He didn¡¯t finish reading it.


    Huo-shushu¡¯s good intentions were wasted, and he stuffed the book into the bedside table with guilt and shame.


    The atmosphere was awkward. Ye Ci was anxious to take the lid off the topic, and consciously told a small lie: ¡°I, I finished reading.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huo Tinglan saw through it and smiled, but didn¡¯t expose it.


    He could almost picture Ye Ci¡¯s mental journey in this short half hour.


    His young lover was too pure and innocent.


    That pure innocence made him . . . . ache.


    It seemed that his science education still had to wait until the future.


    ¡°By the way, there is something I want to discuss with you.¡± Huo Tinglan stopped before going too far, and changed the subject. ¡°You know, in name, we¡¯ve been married for more than a month, and my mother is a little anxious . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci was immediately tense, his eyes wide and vigilant.


    The phrase, ¡°we¡¯ve been married . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s mother was anxious . . . .


    She wanted to urge, urge them to what?!


    Ye Ci: ¡° ! ¡±


    Before Huo Tinglan finished speaking, Ye Ci¡¯s vigilance had turned into a pupil earthquake![3]


    ¡°. . . . Because we¡¯ve never had a wedding, she plans to hold a simple family banquet, and the Huo and Chu families would get together for a meal. It could be regarded as a concession to the elders on both sides.¡± Huo Tinglan pondered Ye Ci¡¯s demeanor while talking and endured, but couldn¡¯t resist. Half in disbelief and half teasing, he asked, ¡°Where did you think about going just now?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t think that.¡± Ye Ci was afraid of spilling the beans, so he readily said, ¡°I can do a banquet, no problem.¡±


    Since getting married, all Huo Tinglan needed him to cooperate with was just a meal between the two families. Of course he wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    Ye Ci agreed straightforwardly, but the Huo family was a big family. No matter how small the family banquet was, there were still dozens of people, plus the people from the second branch of the Chu family who would attend . . . . there was no room for sloppy preparations in this last half of the month.


    Huo Tinglan pondered for a moment, and said: ¡°When you are free this weekend, I¡¯ll take you to get formalwear for the family banquet.¡±


    Ye Ci thought about the outfits in his closet ¨C sportswear, sweaters, jeans. He really couldn¡¯t wear those to the banquet, so he just nodded in agreement.


    The next Saturday, Huo Tinglan took him to an artisan tailor shop. It was a time-honored brand, passed down from grandfather to grandson. Since its establishment in 1913, after years of turmoil, it was still stationed in a quiet and archaic site. The small two-story western-style building used as a storefront had a century-old history, and the courtyard gate was half-hidden behind lush sycamore trees. Disdainful of publicity, they only received familiar old customers, demonstrating a stubborn, aristocratic aloofness.


    This was the first time Ye Ci had visited such a place. In his previous impressions, a tailor shop was a thing abandoned by the times, usually opened in a crowded downtown area, where people would change their clothes to be larger or smaller, or have buttons and zippers sewn on. He never knew there was such a tailor shop as this.


    He cooperated with the shop owner to have his measurements taken, and sat on a soft velvet sofa while listening to the conversation going on beside him, almost suspecting that this was a black shop[4] ¨C there were tens of thousands of pieces of fabric, and the price of a set of clothes was enough for him to have to race for a month. He fidgeted like there was an open flame under his ass, trying to speak, and was afraid that he would have to intercede with Huo Tinglan in public. He finally got the chance after the shop owner left temporarily. Wringing his fingers in embarrassment, he whispered: ¡°Huo-shushu, there¡¯s no need . . . . this is too expensive.¡±


    Huo Tinglan stood leisurely in front of the sofa with his hands in his pockets. He swept his eyes toward him when he heard this, and his tone was calm: ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s expensive, that kind of material suits you well.¡± After a pause, he said apologetically: ¡°We¡¯ve been married for more than a month, but I never thought to bring you out to buy you something. I hadn¡¯t thought about it. If you refuse again . . . . I will feel that you are blaming me in your heart.¡±


    ¡®Buy you something.¡¯ Such intimate wording narrowed the distance between them automatically. Ye Ci was young, after all, and couldn¡¯t handle it. His lips moved a few times, and he only denied: ¡°I . . . . won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    Huo Tinglan tried to figure out his approach: ¡°I¡¯m taking you out to buy clothes, so you shouldn¡¯t still want to pay me back.¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t say anything, as if in tacit admission.


    He was most afraid of being gratuitously favored by someone. Naturally, he was embarrassed to have such expensive clothes by relying on someone else¡¯s charity.


    Huo Tinglan was quiet for a moment, afraid of hurting his self-esteem, and teased softly: ¡°I gave you a lot of lectures last night. Did I ask you to pay a tutoring fee?¡±


    Ye Ci shook his head a few times: ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡° ¨C It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Huo Tinglan calmly herded him into his own territory: ¡°Two people living together after marriage ¨C if every account has to be calculated clearly, how is it any different from being roommates?¡±


    A business marriage without an emotional foundation was indeed not much different from being roommates . . . . Ye Ci was dazed by Huo Tinglan, and wanted to refute, but the shopkeeper had already returned with several large books.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t spend much time looking, and with an idle appearance, he discussed the style with the shopkeeper in a low voice and finalized the details: Lapel style, hidden pockets, clothing slits, the choice of buttons, even ¡°dressing to the left or right¡±[5] . . . . he usually left these trivial matters to Uncle He to worry about, but this was Ye Ci¡¯s first formal suit after the age of eighteen, which was of great significance. In the last life, he failed to shelter Ye Ci from the wind and rain when he needed him the most. In this life, he naturally wanted to hold this person in the palm of his hand, pamper him, and take care of him properly. It was only that Ye Ci was still estranged from him, and he didn¡¯t dare go too far. He had to make excuses when ordering a few sets of clothes, otherwise . . . .


    Ye Ci looked at them for a while, but couldn¡¯t intervene, and sat awkwardly on the sofa, using tea and refills to cover up his uneasiness at being cared for by others.


    He had never experienced concern and care from a mature man. It was different from Ye Hongjun¡¯s maternal love, and was a missing link in his upbringing.


    His whole body was softened by the warmth, and gradually, he became less insistent on ¡°drawing a line with Huo-shushu.¡± Huo Tinglan even whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± when he was asked for his design opinions on some details.


    ¡°Anything will do,¡± Huo Tinglan said with a confident attitude. ¡°Just listen to me.¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡±


    Huo Tinglan turned his face calmly and glanced at Ye Ci.


    His red ears were soft, and his expression was obedient.


    Turning back before Ye Ci could notice his gaze, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.


    . . . . . .


    It was a rare opportunity for Huo Tinglan to buy clothes for Ye Ci, and he ordered a lot in one go, filling the three-month schedule of the old shop owner. He purchased a special expedited service for the formal clothes to be worn at the family banquet, to have them made in a few days.


    On this day, he took Ye Ci to try on the clothes. Knowing that the customer was an Omega, the shop owner avoided opening the dark red velvet curtain, and Huo Tinglan stood alone outside of it.


    The expensive fabric rubbed together to make a pleasant sound, and Ye Ci fiddled with it for a while before suddenly opening the curtain a crack. Thin white fingers grasped a mess of black elastic cloth, and he hesitantly asked: ¡°Huo-shushu, what, what is this?


    Huo Tinglan maintained a dignified restraint. With a brief glance, he said: ¡°It¡¯s a shirt clip to prevent the shirt from slipping up.¡±


    He, who had long been wearing formal clothes as naturally as if they were a second skin, had no habit of using shirt clips, but the owner of the shop was very thoughtful. Likely because Ye Ci was young, didn¡¯t often wear formal clothes, and was a lively and active young man, he had prepared two.


    Ye Ci was still confused and asked: ¡°How do I wear it?¡±


    Huo Tinglan turned his head and looked at the dark red gap in the dressing room curtain. Perhaps because of the static electricity when he took off his sweater, Ye Ci¡¯s black hair was so disheveled that it was thought-provoking. The collar of his shirt was not buttoned tightly, and the vanilla scent of pheromones was getting sweeter in the diminutive dressing room, warmly pouring through the gap . . . .


    Huo Tinglan was afraid that his eyes would reveal his secret, so he didn¡¯t give himself a chance to look down at that neckline. He raised his hand and pulled the door curtain, covering the ambiguous gap.


    ¡°One goes on each side.¡± He closed his eyes and kept his composure. ¡°Attach it to the leg band and pull the cloth strip with the metal buckle up to clamp the hem of the shirt.¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡± Ye Ci retracted his hand and fiddled with his shirt clip awkwardly.


    The atmosphere outside the curtain was heavy.


    Huo Tinglan fiddled with his cufflinks, thinking.


    Ye Ci was not the same as he was more than a month ago.


    It could be seen that his guard had been lowered a lot, probably because his good shushu wore his mask too well. Ye Ci had already welded labels such as ¡°gentleman¡± and ¡°noble¡± to him, and was sure that he wouldn¡¯t have any crooked thoughts about him.


    For better or for worse.


    It was good to have a closer relationship, but he was afraid that Ye Ci would be accustomed to his role as an honest caregiver and guardian, and reject him with, ¡°You¡¯re a good person, but . . . .¡±


    Once familial affection was formed, it was not easy to reverse it.


    At this time, there was a ¡°pa¡± sound from behind the curtain.


    It was the slight sound of an elastic band on flesh, ambiguous and seductive.


    The sound reminded him of the night Ye Ci came back from the police station. Ye Ci injured his ankle in a fight with someone, and he knelt down on one knee to check the injury, afraid that Ye Ci would step on the ground with his injured foot. He anxiously reached out to grasp it, but he couldn¡¯t help but be unwilling to let go.


    That grip was their only physical contact since they¡¯d gotten married, and he couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about it.


    Those slender legs not lacking in strength, tough and lanky like a gazelle. He could feel the vigorous youth and vitality under that skin.


    If such a pair of legs were restrained by the elastic band, no matter how firm the muscles were, they would inevitably be tightly bound . . . .


    Forget it.


    After thinking about it but not being able to do anything, he was tortured in vain.


    Huo Tinglan ridiculed those few colorful thoughts with self-deprecation.


    The Alpha glands on the back of his neck were agitated again.


    His susceptible period had been delayed by more than a month through pheromone pacification, and was almost reaching its limit . . . .


    Ye Ci¡¯s ¡°you are very good¡± . . . . he couldn¡¯t bear it. He didn¡¯t want to bear it anymore.


    [1] Yellow crap, »ÆÉ«·ÏÁÏ, means having sex on the mind all the time. ?


    [2] Yellow book, »ÆÊé, means erotic literature. ?


    [3] A pupil earthquake, Í«¿×µØÕð, is an expression of extreme shock. There is also an emoticon for it: ( ; ; @[email protected] ) ?


    [4] Black shop, ºÚµê, is an unscrupulous business, perhaps a front for something illegal. ?

 CH 13

    ¡°Huo-shushu, I¡¯m done.¡± Just as Huo Tinglan tried to contain all kinds of ¡°too early¡± thoughts in his heart, Ye Ci had already put on his clothes, opened the curtain, and walked out.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t choose a calm black and gray fabric for him, for fear that it would appear too mature. An eighteen-year-old boy was just right for the clear blue water of a lake. His naturally white skin was dazzlingly set off by the azure blue, and that black hair and smooth rosy lips were so vivid and thrilling. A vest of the same color as the jacket cinched a slightly thin chest, and the waist was so thin that it made one want to hold it in their hands . . . .


    ¡°. . . . Not bad.¡± As if to avoid suspicion, Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes jumped from his waist to the tie in Ye Ci¡¯s hands. He said in a low voice: ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll tie it for you.¡±


    Ye Ci had never worn this sort of clothing, so he tugged at the hem of his clothes cautiously, young and inexperienced. Purer than lake water, he approached him.


    Huo Tinglan raised the collar of his shirt and wrapped the tie around his neck. His fingertips accidentally brushed the back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck through the shirt and the flesh was soft, exuding unnatural heat around the glands.


    With just an inadvertent touch, Ye Ci was so sensitive that his breathing even stopped for a moment, like a kitten caught by the back of his neck by a big cat.


    This was an Omega¡¯s stress response, not for just any Alpha, but for those with a high degree of matching and a trusting relationship. It was probably to make it convenient for the Alpha . . . . a physiological mechanism. Huo Tinglan noticed that the little bit of Alpha wickedness in his bones couldn¡¯t be contained. He fastened the tie, put down the collar for Ye Ci, and the knuckles of his hand brushed the back of his neck again. Sure enough, Ye Ci froze again, and his eyes widened.


    Like a kitten.


    Huo Tinglan smiled inwardly.


    If a finger lightly scratching his nape made him this silly, then what if . . . .


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s smile faded and he said quietly: ¡°Go and look in the mirror.¡±


    Ye Ci was ignorant and didn¡¯t understand what was going on. He thought that Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t notice his two moments of abnormal behavior, so he calmed down and walked over to look in the mirror.


    An Omega who didn¡¯t know anything . . . . could be bullied too easily.


    Huo Tinglan, who couldn¡¯t help bullying the little gentleman a moment ago, was a little worried.


    Ye Ci tried out the formal suit, and Huo Tinglan added some small things to him, and taught him carefully ¨C


    Gentlemen should carry a handkerchief with them, the Astaire-style folding method was more casual, and the Kennedy style was more suitable for serious business people; Silk-knot cufflinks were not suitable for dinner parties, but the chain style was elegant enough; Black lace-up Oxfords were suitable for all formal occasions in life . . . .


    ¡°The little ring under the collar on this side,¡± Huo Tinglan turned up Ye Ci¡¯s left collar and picked up a rose from the vase beside him. He passed the fresh, thin stem through the button and hooked the end of the stem into a small ring, ¡°can be used to affix flower stems.¡±


    His tone was gentle and slow. Although he said things that Ye Ci didn¡¯t understand, he didn¡¯t appear arrogant and showy. He just gracefully led a young boy into the world of men.


    Ye Ci looked down at the corner of the mirror, appearing unaffected, but in fact his ears were pricked up to listen, and his clear eyes trembled slightly.


    When Huo Tinglan finished speaking and Ye Ci raised his head again, there was almost a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    Ye Ci felt that everything was fine with the first formal suit in his life, but Huo Tinglan still picked out a few flaws and asked the tailor to fix them. When he came to pick up the clothes a few days later, even Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with them. It was a weekend off, and Ye Ci wore this outfit to attend the family banquet at the old house.


    The old Huo residence was located on the outskirts of the city. It was a manor, where Huo Changyu brought his beloved wife to enjoy life after delegating power to his son. A private horse farm, hot springs, and a golf course were all readily available at the manor. In order to ensure that the ingredients used by the family were natural and of sufficient quality, Huo Changyu also divided an area as a small pasture and picking garden, and hired experienced farmers to take care of it all year round. Drones responsible for real-time environmental monitoring hovered over the manor.


    There were nearly 100 guests at this family dinner. When Huo Tinglan and Ye Ci arrived, it was only two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and it was still early for dinner to start.


    In the early summer, the sunlight was warm and the wind was mild. Lin Yao instructed the housekeeping team to arrange an open-air afternoon tea for the guests by the lake. The waves on the water were as bright as gold foil, the green of the pastureland was deep, and the dining tables were covered with crisp white tablecloths. Decorated with flowering vines and spread out along the bay of the lake, the array was comparable to that of a wedding.


    Too extravagant.


    Ye Ci had only seen this kind of situation on the 8 o¡¯clock TV series about rich and powerful families.


    For a long time, the family banquet he conceptualized was a few large round tables set up in a restaurant. Seeing this arrangement in the distance, he was so nervous that his expression went rigid, and he walked a few steps in a stiff, robotic manner without realizing it.


    Wasn¡¯t it just supposed to be afternoon tea?


    Was afternoon tea . . . . so momentous?


    Huo Tinglan saw Ye Ci¡¯s dazed eyes, and he stopped to laugh at himself: ¡°Compared to Lao Huo, the arrogant and extravagant capitalist, I am just a laborer who barely makes a living being exploited by Lao Huo every day . . . . ¡° After a pause, he teased, ¡°You won¡¯t hold that against me, will you?¡±


    This was a strange humble-brag, but Huo Tinglan¡¯s expression was so serious.


    Having said that, Huo Tinglan¡¯s daily duties were indeed heavy, which was different from the full-time lover presidents in the rich and powerful dog blood dramas. When he was busy, he would work at the desk until late at night, and he needed to attend various banquets and entertainment outings. He often went to sleep later than when he was in high school and could still lay around in bed.


    His state was indeed different from the Huo Changyu couple who enjoyed life wholeheartedly.


    In the terminology of laborers, it was more tiring than 996, and was already approaching 007[1] infinitely.


    The Huo family was occupied with their own business, but . . . .


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t help but think of the young, bald and overworked programmers on the social news.


    He had to quickly glance at Huo Tinglan¡¯s head.


    His hair . . . . was rather thick.


    With such a good figure, he must exercise, and his heart should also be healthy.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s self-pitying tale had evoked some random thoughts, and Ye Ci had no time to be nervous anymore. He looked down at the green lawn under his feet and pursed his lips: ¡°Then, then when I have the ability in the future, I¡¯ll try to help, help you share your burden . . . . so that you won¡¯t be so tired.¡±


    These words from a high school student were inevitably vague and general, but Ye Ci looked serious. Huo Tinglan was stunned, and a playful smile flashed through his eyes.


    ¡°. . . . Are you not nervous anymore?¡± Huo Tinglan had achieved his goal and gestured to the other side of the lawn, ¡°Some of my elders are over there. I¡¯ll introduce them to you later, you can just say hello.¡±


    The corners of his lips twitch into a smile, his tone soft: ¡°I will say everything else for you. You are responsible for nodding and smiling . . . . can you handle such an arrangement?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± This was exactly what Ye Ci had wished for, and he nodded.


    ¡°Head nods, well done.¡± Huo Tinglan puts his hands in his pockets. Bending down slightly, he tilted his head to observe that cold little face, and joked, ¡°How about a smile?¡±


    Ye Ci was surprised for a moment. The layer of ice on his face melted, the corners of his lips raised shyly, and he adjusted his demeanor, walking to the lake side by side with Huo Tinglan.


    Lin Yao was drinking afternoon tea with several elders of the Huo family. Seeing someone approaching, she got up to hold Ye Ci¡¯s arm gently and affectionately, and led him to sit beside her.


    There were not many people at the table, so Ye Ci followed Huo Tinglan¡¯s lead to greet them one by one. After the courtesies were over, Lin Yao hurriedly pulled Ye Ci into conversation. She was well-maintained and didn¡¯t look old at all. When she opened her mouth, her voice was soft and gentle as she complained: ¡°Tinglan said that you are shy and that your school workload is heavy, so he kept preventing you from coming to the old house. I see, he¡¯s just a petty cheapskate who doesn¡¯t want other people to see his gentleman.¡±


    Huo Tinglan groaned and let Lin Yao happily scold him, as if tacitly agreeing, and only half-rose out of his chair to pour tea for Ye Ci.


    ¡°Alpha newlyweds are just like this, drinking vinegar and being unreasonable, and wishing they could hide their wife away in a vault, safe from danger. Chanyu and I were the same when we first got married. I wanted to go shopping with my friend, and he stood inside the door acting like a doorman, forcing me to lose my temper with him . . . .¡± Lin Yao pretended to be angry, and Huo Changyu apologized and pleaded guilty. Several Huo family members who were drinking tea at the table laughed one after another.


    The Huo family was prosperous. Although Huo Tinglan was the only son of Huo Changyu¡¯s family, there were many uncles, aunts, and cousins. These people knew that his susceptible period was getting worse year by year, and that it was extremely difficult to find a matching Omega to produce offspring. The power in his hands would not last long, and would be divided sooner or later, so they were happy to see it happen.


    Unexpectedly, an Omega that matched him 100% appeared out of thin air in the Chu family. Now Huo Tinglan was not only cured, but also had hope for descendents. They naturally couldn¡¯t have a good impression of this Omega.


    Due to this, it could not be avoided that some vitriolic rumors circulated in the family, saying that the Omega was born poor and was an illegitimate child, he didn¡¯t know his heritage, and he was not qualified to remain in the Huo family. It was said that Huo Tinglan¡¯s family of three didn¡¯t even care ¨C he was just a jar of medicine to treat a disease, and the relationship between the two was not good. The high level of matching was useless, the probability of conception was low, and it would be difficult to have offspring. It was even said that the degree of matching between the two was fake, and was in fact not that high. It was just that Lin Yao was not reconciled, putting on a show for the other Huo family members with helpless forbearance . . . .


    Lin Yao was high-spirited, and had been pampered by Huo Changyu. How could she bear this grievance? She was fuming with rage about these slanderous rumors. During this period of time, she had been holding herself back, looking forward to the opportunity to finally vent her anger and act intimate and enthusiastic. What¡¯s more, the child was good-looking and quiet, which was really endearing. Although she was acting, there were also seven or eight points of truth to it.


    Lin Yao playfully embraced Ye Ci¡¯s shoulders like a young girl, deliberately irritating: ¡°The more you didn¡¯t show him to me, the more I wanted to see him. This time you can¡¯t stop it.¡± She turned to Ye Ci and said softly: ¡°Xiao Ci, you must stay here for a few days and accompany me.¡±


    Ye Ci was taken aback by Lin Yao¡¯s enthusiastic offensive. Not understanding this sort of social rhetoric, he nodded honestly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    What a well-behaved child.


    Lin Yao felt tenderness in her heart and liked him a little bit more.


    Huo Tinglan smiled and shook his head: ¡°He has to go to school tomorrow. He¡¯d have to get up half an hour early to get to school from here, and there is a lot of homework on weekends . . . .¡±


    ¡°Xiao Ci, don¡¯t listen to him.¡± Lin Yao interrupted and angrily lectured her son, ¡°It¡¯s a rare day out, and you¡¯re still keeping an eye on people¡¯s homework. Aren¡¯t you trying to cause trouble, ah? Later, you take Xiao Ci to relax and ride horses and play golf. Making your gentleman happy is your duty, your obligation.¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled gently and raised his hands to apologize: ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll take him there when I finish marking his homework.¡±


    ¡°You . . . .¡± Lin Yao was so angry that she couldn¡¯t speak, and Huo Changyu laughed on the side.


    The atmosphere at the table was warming up.


    In fact, Lin Yao¡¯s performance this time was to express her position to the Huo family ¨C She was satisfied with the marriage, and also with Ye Ci. The family of four had a harmonious relationship, and it was not for outsiders to turn and point the finger of blame. Huo Tinglan¡¯s aunts and uncles at the table were all sophisticated people, so how could they not be happy? They all put on friendly smiles to talk to Ye Ci, and their mouths were full of praise.


    As previously planned, Huo Tinglan was able to respond for Ye Ci with ease. It wasn¡¯t until Lin Yao gently complained about him rushing to speak before Ye Ci could, thinking that he was being a bully, that Huo Tinglan defended warmly: ¡°My little gentleman has a quiet personality and doesn¡¯t like to talk. I¡¯ll say a few more words for him.¡± Saying that, he turned to look at Ye Ci, looking henpecked but also loving, and sighed with a smile, ¡°How could I dare bully him . . . .¡±


    The tone was too ambiguous. Ye Ci looked up apprehensively, and his gaze collided with a pair of dark eyes that were smiling and full of deep love, tender and heart-pounding.


    His heart felt like it was suddenly suspended in midair. Ye Ci¡¯s fingers tightened, almost  crushing his teacup, and lowered his eyes in confusion and panic.


    . . . . He didn¡¯t know where Huo-shushu had found his acting skills.


    Business, business negotiations must be how he practiced.


    Lin Yao¡¯s eyebrows curved as she pondered the two of them with interest. Something had suddenly changed about this image, and the corners of her mouth started to rise more obviously.


    At this time, Chu Wenlin and his wife and young son came to the table and greeted the Chu family members.


    Chu Wenlin¡¯s youngest son was named Chu Rui, and was Ye Ci¡¯s half-sibling. He had specially picked up his parents¡¯ shortcomings and inherited them. Born stupid and fat, like a cut and fried sausage, people found him unlikable at first glance. Huo Tinglan glanced at the three with a cold attitude and only nodded slightly in greeting, then took Ye Ci to depart on the grounds of a heavy workload for the upcoming mid-term.


    He led Ye Ci to avoid the crowd and walked into the main house from the secluded garden path, coming to the prepared guest room, where he stood at the door: ¡°I brought your school bag. You don¡¯t need to come out and socialize in the afternoon, just study with peace of mind, and let me check your homework after you finish it . . . .¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci turned his face away and looked a little evasive.


    Huo Tinglan looked at him for a moment, understood, and smiled apologetically as he explained: ¡°I didn¡¯t want to seem too estranged from you in front of the elders, so I acted a little more intimate . . . .¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Ye Ci¡¯s ears were hot and red. ¡°I, I¡¯ll do my homework . . . . you go take care of business.¡±


    When he was done, he reached out and closed the door.


    The door was half-closed when it was firmly blocked by a forearm. Huo Tinglan suppressed his smile, made his voice soft, and said lightly: ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    At first glance, it seemed that he was about to apologize for the ambiguous remarks at the banquet, extremely upright.


    When you looked closely, there were all kinds of love hidden in those eyes, as if he was clearly in the right and was only willing to plead guilty to indulge the little gentleman.


    Taking advantage of Ye Ci¡¯s unpreparedness, he secretly coaxed him.


    Secretly overstepping the rules.


    [1] 996/007 references a nine-to-nine, six days a week working schedule and a midnight-to-midnight, seven days a week working schedule. ?

 CH 14

    Warning: Depictions of child abuse


    Ye Ci was unable to withstand the tricky maneuver and hurriedly denied: ¡°I, I¡¯m not angry with you.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t figure out where the panic was coming from, but it absolutely wasn¡¯t anger.


    ¡°Really?¡± Huo Tinglan confirmed.


    The two were so close that Ye Ci could almost feel that velvet-thin Adam¡¯s apple vibrating when Huo Tinglan spoke.


    He felt tingly.


    Scratching his intolerably itchy ears, he was inexplicably worried: ¡°Really. Hurry, hurry and get busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. By the way . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, staring at Ye Ci¡¯s little red ears. Ultimately, because those ears were so red that it broke his heart, he unhurriedly leaned against the door and asked in a low voice: ¡°Dinner may be a little later today. Are you hungry? Should I have someone bring some refreshments? What do you want to eat, sweet or salty . . . .¡±


    What he said was clearly serious, but whether it was because his tone was too gentle or what, it sounded like charming, sultry lovers¡¯ talk.


    ¡°. . . .What? That, sweet . . . .¡± Ye Ci was confused and didn¡¯t know what was going on. He only knew that voice made his ears numb, and he looked at Huo Tinglan as if begging for help. ¡°Salty too . . . . either way is fine.¡±


    The Alpha glands on the back of his neck were restless. Huo Tinglan became increasingly enthusiastic and teased with a smile: ¡°Want something to drink? Tea? Juice?¡±


    ¡°Which, whichever.¡±


    ¡°Does Darjeeling black tea sound good at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Huo-shushu, I still have a lot of homework, and I have to hurry up and write.¡±


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Seeing that Ye Ci would collapse if he kept teasing him, only then did Huo Tinglan restrain his remarkable abilities, turning around and closing the door. The room was quiet. Ye Ci sat at the desk and hurriedly spread out the papers, writing at a tremendous speed. He rubbed his ears from time to time and the tip of the pen made a rustling sound.


    After grinding through the questions for a while, Ye Ci¡¯s mood gradually settled down and his attention was successfully focused on the paper.


    Thanks to Huo Tinglan¡¯s guidance these days, he had made rapid progress. Both sets of papers were stage test papers, and the knowledge points targeted were the new content learned in the classroom in the past two months. Not many of the topics gave him trouble.


    The midterm exam was a few days later, and the ranking was hard to predict. After all, a large portion of the second-to-last exam since the beginning of school had thrown him, but his score should improve a lot.


    After finishing the two sets of papers, Ye Ci finally got back some sense of how it had felt to do practice questions before he dropped out of school. In a rare carefree mood, he shook his sore hand and intended to rest for a few minutes before starting on language and literature.


    Just then, a few cries from a cat came from outside the door.


    Ye Ci raised his eyes, opened the door, and anxiously looked around the corridor.


    A chubby Napoleon Bantam cat was in the corner, its bright satin-like fur puffed up slightly with anger. Ye Ci¡¯s ¡°half-sibling¡± younger brother, Chu Rui, was shooting rubber bullets at it with a toy gun that he had obtained from somewhere.


    Chu Rui was eight years old this year. He had inherited the vicious selfishness in Chu Wenlin¡¯s bones and was very spoiled by his grandmother, so willful that not the slightest bit of cultured upbringing from a prominent family could be seen. Chu Wenlin and his mother, Ruan Jaiyi, were attending the tea party just now, and although he reluctantly pretended to be obedient for a while, as soon as he slipped out of the jurisdiction of the adults, he immediately revealed his true nature.


    Ye Ci hadn¡¯t spoken to him much. Leaving aside not wanting to, there was just no chance.


    ¨C ¨C If one little thing went wrong, he would scream like a scalded pig.


    Ye Ci glanced at Chu Rui and didn¡¯t say a word. He quietly picked up the cat, rubbed the place where it was hurt by the rubber bullet, and turned back to the room. In his arms, the fat little cat acted coy. Seeing that Ye Ci was treating him kindly, he wiggled around and meowed, complaining tenderly.


    The corners of Ye Ci¡¯s mouth turned up as he ignored Chu Rui¡¯s loud shouts behind him.


    He was simulating the sound of gunshots: ¡°Bang! Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    Immediately after, a rubber bullet hit him in the back of the head.


    His skull was struck painfully, feeling as if the little boy had punched him with all this strength in his defenseless state. There was even a moment of darkness in front of Ye Ci¡¯s eyes.


    The destructive power of this toy gun was incredible, and if aimed at the eyes, it could knock a person out.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Chu Rui laughed excitedly and jumped around. The fat mounds of his face were stained with a few uneven patches of red, with a pair of tiny eyes sunk into the flesh.


    Even more like a pig.


    Ye Ci took a deep breath and didn¡¯t dare to look back.


    He could imagine Chu Rui¡¯s disgusting appearance at this time, and feared that he would not be able to resist the urge to use violence against an eight-year-old child.


    However, reasoning with this little beast would only bring shame on himself, not to mention . . . . he also needed the medical expenses provided by Chu Wenlin, so he couldn¡¯t be impulsive.


    Ignoring him was the only way.


    He walked back to the room, and an insult suddenly came from behind him: ¡°Bastard.¡±


    The child¡¯s voice was crisp and bright, but had a natural maliciousness.


    As well as a sick excitement.


    Seeing that Ye Ci didn¡¯t attack and just walked back quietly, Chu Rui became more courageous. He smiled and sang like a children¡¯s song: ¡°Bastard, lowlife . . . .¡±


    He was as excited as a novice experimenter who had stolen several dangerous reagents and thrown them into the cage, impatiently observing the reactions of the lab animal.


    The eight-year-old child could say childish things, but was terribly cunning in some ways. He knew that this cheap brother couldn¡¯t afford to offend him, and if he wanted to bully him, he would bully him.


    Ye Ci closed his eyes and pretended not to hear.


    Seeing that he was unmoved and ignoring him, Chu Rui was flustered and took out his trump card, shouting: ¡°My mom said your mom was ¨C¡±


    ¡° ! ¡±


    With just these few words, Ye Ci¡¯s eardrums buzzed.


    His mother was his weakness, the place he couldn¡¯t let others trample upon him no matter how hard he swallowed back his voice . . . .


    But at this moment, Chu Rui¡¯s provocation stopped abruptly.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s voice came from behind, calm and quiet, with no emotion to be heard: ¡°Which family are you from?¡±


    Ye Ci was startled and turned around.


    Huo Tinglan stood beside Chu Rui, one slender-fingered hand covering Chu Rui¡¯s fleshy head. Lightly and delicately, he directed Chu Rui¡¯s face toward him and turned it left and right.


    The gesture seemed less like identifying a dignified living person, than looking for a signature on a spherical handicraft.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!¡± Chu Rui used his special skill and screamed loudly.


    Huo Tinglan nodded knowingly and let go.


    ¡°Dad ¡ª-! Mom ¡ª-!¡± Chu Rui repeatedly bounced around and made an unreasonable scene, and then ran off to complain.


    Ye Ci watched Chu Rui wailing away, his boiling blood cooled down, and he regained his sanity.


    In fact, he had a very mild temper, and didn¡¯t really get carried away by anger when he beat people up before, a habit that came from living in the slums. Most of the people there bullied the weak and feared the strong. If he didn¡¯t fight and show his power when he encountered a challenge, he and his mother would live an uneasy life.


    But Chu Rui wouldn¡¯t really be able to affect him, there would be little chance to see him in the future, and the provocation just now had been interrupted.


    So there was no need.


    Taking a step back, he didn¡¯t have the endless capital to get into it with someone just because of a few insults.


    ¡°Huo-shushu.¡± Ye Ci stood tall and straight, like bamboo that was impervious to wind and snow. He said with a calm tone: ¡°Are, are you calling me to dinner?¡±


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s tall form stood quietly in the softly-lit corridor, looking at Ye Ci.


    Ye Ci¡¯s fingers on the cat¡¯s ears were shaking.


    He was pretending to be composed.


    Seeking refuge and comfort in your own ¨C if in name only ¨C Alpha, acting like a spoiled child and complaining . . . . any of these things were justified in the eyes of an Omega. For Ye Ci, it was unimaginable.


    In the face of difficulties, he always chose to be strong and brave.


    After a moment of silence, Huo Tinglan smiled gently and said: ¡°I just came up to see you . . . . you may have to wait a little longer for dinner, so why don¡¯t you go back to your room and play with the cat?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Ci heaved a sigh of relief and hurried back to the room with the purring cat in his arms.


    He had cat hair on his hands, and it was inconvenient to wipe his eyes.


    Ye Ci turned his face to the side, rubbed the corners of his eyes on his shoulders, and then buried his wet face in the fluffy cat¡¯s belly.


    The cat¡¯s body exuded the light fragrance of pet shampoo, and its soft, silky fur absorbed the scent well. Ye Ci was trampled on by those four soft feet for a while, and the knot in his heart dissipated a little.


    At this moment, Chu Rui¡¯s dying-pig squeal came through the floor from below.


    He was probably being punished.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t care, and was used to hearing it.


    It was not necessarily the case that he was being punished ¨C that kind of little brat could get into trouble eight hundred times a day.


    But what was different from the past was that Chu Rui¡¯s screams stopped abruptly after a few seconds. After a moment, the screams turned into howls. Even Meng Jiangnu[1] couldn¡¯t compete with that kind of grievance and sadness.


    ¨C ¨C Chu Rui truly cried.


    Not howling, shouting, or screaming, but crying.


    As indifferent as Ye Ci felt, unimaginably, he wanted to know what was going on.


    Afraid of scaring the cat, he put it on the bed and followed the sound to find it. He didn¡¯t have to walk very far, and only after descending a few stairs, he saw a few people standing or sitting in a small side hall on the first floor. Chu Rui¡¯s fat face was imprinted with two bright red symmetrical slap prints. Chu Wenlin¡¯s face was as ugly as a pig¡¯s liver, and he pointed at Chu Rui¡¯s nose as he violently shouted: ¡°Go ahead and cry! You cry one more time!¡±


    Huo Tinglan sat on the sofa, calm and elegant. As if he disliked the specks of spittle that Chu Rui spattered when he howled, he wiped the front of his suit with a square napkin. After wiping, he threw the expensive silk scarf into the wastebasket with a light gesture.


    Chu Wenlin¡¯s wife, Ruan Jiayi, was crying and didn¡¯t care about being dignified. She jumped up and grabbed Chu Wenlin¡¯s raised palm, but was berated by her husband.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the shit you taught him!¡± Chu Wenlin turned his head and pointed at Ruan Jiayi, performing for anyone to see and scolding her just as hard for not knowing how to teach her child.


    The disturbance escalated again.


    Ruan Jiayi couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation, so with another round of crying, she left with Chu Rui and did not attend the dinner.


    After his wife and son left, Chu Wenlin was humble and pleaded guilty. He patted his chest and promised that he would strictly discipline his son when he got home, for fear that the two families would be at odds because of the younger son¡¯s unintentional remarks, affecting their future cooperation.


    ¡°. . . . Mr. Chu¡¯s words are too much.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s wording was estranged, no matter that this was his father-in-law. ¡°Moreover, there is no need for you to apologize to me. The object of your apology should be my little gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. Huo is right.¡± Chu Wenlin bowed his back, bowed his waist, and nodded his head like he was mashing garlic.


    ¡°Xiao Ci . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan tilted his head and calmly swept a sidelong gaze towards the stairs.


    The shadowy kitten who was squatting on the stairs a moment ago had slipped away, obviously unwilling to come into contact with Chu Wenlin and disdaining his false apology.


    Huo Tinglan smiled lightly and, fearing that the little ears in the wall might not be able to hear it clearly, turned the conversation and raised his voice: ¡°. . . . has a generous character and doesn¡¯t bother to care about these little things. He might turn around and just forget it, so it can only be his husband who cares in his place.¡±


    Husband . . . .


    Ye Ci tripped and almost stumbled on the stairs.


    . . . . . .


    When Huo Tinglan went upstairs to call Ye Ci for dinner, Ye Ci had slipped back into the room and cuddled the cat for a while.


    There was a lot of noise in the side hall, and unless one was deaf, it would be difficult not to hear it. But Ye Ci didn¡¯t know what to say. Someone had helped him vent his anger and teach others a lesson for him. This experience was too unfamiliar, and his heart seemed to be in a ball behind his rib cage, so aching and warm that it practically melted him.


    Huo Tinglan leaned against the door with his arms folded, thought for a moment, and calmly helped him broach the subject: ¡°Did you hear that just now?¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡± Ye Ci¡¯s thin eyelids twitched slightly.


    ¡°I was simply teaching them a few lessons downstairs,¡± Huo Tinglan mentioned casually. ¡°The noise was a bit loud, did it affect your studying?¡±


    ¡®Them¡¯ obviously referred to the Chu Wenlin family of three.


    In terms of friendly family relations, Chu Wenlin and Huo Tinglan were considered peers, and were at least ten years older than him. In terms of marriage relationship, the father-in-law was a proper elder, and the word ¡°teaching¡± was used quite arrogantly and rudely.


    Yet, it was enough to work off one¡¯s anger.


    Ye Ci¡¯s lips thinned, and he defended the absolute legitimacy of Huo Tinglan¡¯s actions: ¡°No, it didn¡¯t disturb my studies. I was playing with the cat.¡±


    Playing with the cat . . . .


    Huo Tinglan lowered his head to smile.


    Immediately, he suppressed his smile and said resolutely: ¡°A good family banquet was thrown into chaos because of me. It is also my fault that I have a bad temper and couldn¡¯t hold back in public, and forgot to save some face for Mr. Chu . . . .¡±


    He was doing the self-criticism review, but the tone was teasing, and in his dark eyes there was a sort of tacit mischief with Ye Ci.


    ¡°You won¡¯t blame me, will you?¡± He asked knowingly.


    He wanted to get some sweetness from his innocent little lover.


    He was taking credit.


    [1] Meng Jiangnu is a folk tale heroine whose tears broke down a stretch of the Great Wall to reveal her husband¡¯s body. ?

 CH 15

    Blame him?


    How could he blame him?


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Ye Ci hurriedly denied.


    The emotions in his chest nearly overflowing, he was afraid that he would look like an arrogant villain, so he tried his best to remain calm and commented objectively: ¡°Chu Rui is indeed, yes, someone has to . . . . discipline him a bit.¡±


    Because he was on the verge of susceptibility, the mask of a gentleman was more and more difficult to wear. Huo Tinglan smiled and looked down at Ye Ci¡¯s thin lips that were closed like a clam shell. While staring, he skillfully prized out the nice things inside, using words to stroke out that clumsy little tongue: ¡°En, I assisted you in disciplining them. What do you have to say to me?¡±


    What did one say in this kind of moment?


    Of course it was to say, ¡°Thank you.¡± Even kindergartners knew that.


    It was his duty under the circumstances to speak a sentence. Ye Ci didn¡¯t know why, but he felt embarrassed and his voice was lower: ¡°Thank, thank you, Huo-shushu.¡±


    The room was silent for a few seconds.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t receive enough sweetness, and finally failed in self-discipline. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and in a controlled and upright tone, he asked a shameless question.


    ¡°Is Huo-shushu good?¡±


    . . . . . .


    Ten minutes later, when Huo Tinglan and Ye Ci arrived at the main banquet hall, the heat on Ye Ci¡¯s cheeks was finally dispelled by the evening breeze.


    The dusting of color was mellow, and not so red.


    ¨C ¨C Is Huo-shushu good?


    This question was so simple that he didn¡¯t even have to think, but he was a mess and put on the spot. After dawdling for a while, Ye Ci squeezed out the word ¡°good¡± with a red face.


    Along the way, his palms were sweaty, clenching in embarrassment, and there was a faint sense of shame and confusion at what seemed to have been an off-color remark.


    But that sentence had nothing to do with inappropriate matters, and the tone was normal.


    He wasn¡¯t disgusted, just embarrassed.


    If it was really an adult joke, he wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this. He would be angry.


    So it wasn¡¯t.


    He thought and thought about it . . . .


    It couldn¡¯t have been.


    Huo Tinglan helped him vent his anger, then turned towards him and also, also rubbed the back of his head for a while.


    As a result, he speculated so wildly . . . . did he still have a conscience?


    Ye Ci regained his senses and felt ashamed. He hurriedly shook off the thought of insulting Huo Tinglan¡¯s noble character, and sat down with him at the banquet table.


    The atmosphere of the banquet was not damaged by the temporary departure of Chu Wenlin and Ruan Jiayi. Chu Wenlin knew that he was wrong, and tried his best to act as if nothing had happened. When asked, he only said that his youngest son was unwell and was taken home by his wife to rest.


    Since the season was suitable, the proportion of seafood and fish in the banquet dishes was relatively high. The ingredients were expensive and extravagant, and the layout was dazzling. Eight out of ten dishes were obscure to Ye Ci, and he didn¡¯t even know where to place his chopsticks. But he had the leading role in this family dinner, in the center of everyone¡¯s line of sight, and there were eyes on him at all times.


    He was afraid of exposing his ignorance and inviting ridicule, making Huo Tinglan lose face by accompanying him. So he didn¡¯t move his chopsticks, picking up his cup and taking a small sip of juice. After drinking, he put down his cup and paused, about to take another sip. Huo Tinglan received another pair of chopsticks from the waiter, put a piece of golden cheesy crab meat on his plate that was exactly the size of a bite, and whispered softly: ¡°I don¡¯t know if the chef¡¯s craftsmanship here suits your tastes . . . . try it first?¡±


    ¡°. . . . En. Okay.¡± Ye Ci picked up the piece of crab meat as if he had been rescued.


    ¡°Try this, it looks good.¡± Huo Tinglan picked up a piece of raw fish sashimi with a snow pattern in a poised manner, selected some wasabi with the tip of his chopsticks, and then dipped the sauce-free side into the sauce plate that Ye Ci had at hand. The movement was just right, so that Ye Ci could clearly see the dipping process of eating sashimi.


    Ye Ci was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about it, his eyes shook slightly, as bright as a thin sheen of water.


    Huo Tinglan had seen through his awkwardness, but he was not uncomfortable. He just felt warm.


    Throughout the banquet, Huo Tinglan was always considerate. Acting humble and empathetic, he couldn¡¯t stop serving the newly married little gentleman, filling the juice and blocking the wine . . . . He couldn¡¯t wait to take care of the little things like dipping sauce, and all of his actions revealed a deep, cherishing love. Compared to his father¡¯s wife-loving demeanor, he was no less coddling.


    The relatives of the main family and the branch family gradually understood ¨C No matter how many benefits were attached to the marriage, from now on, Ye Ci was a character whom the Huo family could not afford to offend. Then they stepped forward to toast to Ye Ci and make a good impression on him, chatting enthusiastically. Huo Tinglan drank almost all the wine toasted to Ye Ci.


    ¡°Huo-shushu.¡± In the second half of the banquet, Ye Ci couldn¡¯t help it, and gently tugged Huo Tinglan¡¯s cuff under the tablecloth.


    ¡°En?¡± Huo Tinglan turned his face slightly.


    Ye Ci pointed to his cup: ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t stop me from drinking, I . . . . I can drink.¡±


    Taking advantage of Huo Tinglan¡¯s unpreparedness, he had secretly poured himself a beer. Golden bubbles bounced around the mouth of the cup, exuding the aroma of wheat.


    Huo Tinglan stared at him, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he repeated lightly, ¡°You can drink?¡±


    His throat was soaked with wine, and had a slight drunken hoarseness that rustled in his ears, a little more sensual than usual.


    The articulation was light, almost coquettish.


    Like he was teasing.


    Ye Ci became increasingly convinced that Huo Tinglan was not too drunk, so he decided on the merciful way: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯m afraid you are drunk . . . . and you¡¯ll have a headache tomorrow.¡± Seeing that Huo Tinglan was noncommittal, he frowned a little anxiously and raised his voice without realizing it: ¡°I, I drink very well.¡±


    Speaking of getting drunk . . . . Huo Tinlan had never been really ¡°drunk.¡± The physique of a top Alpha was not for nothing, and the alcohol only excited his nerves.


    He didn¡¯t need a little eighteen-year-old Omega to stop him from drinking.


    He shouldn¡¯t condone Ye Ci¡¯s drinking. After all, he was only a few months into adulthood, and it was good to stay away from tobacco and alcohol.


    Ye Ci hadn¡¯t finished his weekend homework, so he would need to take a rest after eating, and then write another set of papers.


    Moreover, he remembered that Ye Ci in the previous life couldn¡¯t tolerate alcohol. After three to five glasses of beer, he would be drunk and delirious. Right now, he was full of confidence in his drinking capacity.


    Huo Tinglan slowly frowned.


    The only explanation was that after differentiating into an Omega, Ye Ci¡¯s constitution gradually changed. His tolerance to alcohol had dropped dramatically, but he didn¡¯t know it yet.


    He remembered what Ye Ci had looked like after drinking in the previous life ¨C ¨C


    Terribly obedient.


    Like a fluffy little drunken shrimp.


    Even if someone picked it up and stripped the shell, licking all the raw, tender meat inside and eating it clean . . . . he feared he wouldn¡¯t know how to resist.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes got darker.


    Restrained for a long time, lava-like sensuous desire slowly overflowed with the wine and the restlessnes of the Alpha glands, boiling and searing him.


    Even his veins and arteries were so affected that they shifted slightly.


    ¡°Are you okay, Huo-shushu?¡± Ye Ci acted recklessly, with an eagerness to help. His eyes were clear and innocent, wanting to share the burden with him.


    The young man¡¯s heart was pure and precious.


    As if coming to a decision, Huo Tinglan slowly curved the corners of his lips and said with a hoarse voice: ¡°Just this time . . . . but it mustn¡¯t be repeated.¡±


    ¡°En!¡± Ye Ci held the beer glass, sat up straight, and stood up to intercept the alcohol for Huo-shushu.


    He looked very handsome when drinking, calm and neat, no-nonsense, with a sullen face. When the guests who came to toast finished their greetings, he raised his head for a cup.


    Huo Tinglan played with an empty glass, staring at Ye Ci and watching his small and angular Adam¡¯s apple roll up and down. His eyes darkened.


    One cup.


    Two cups.


    Three cups.


    . . . . . .


    When the waiter came up to pour the fourth cup for Ye Ci, Huo Tinglan suddenly used five fingers to cover the mouth of the cup and waved him away. Presently, he looked askance at Ye Ci and said teasingly: ¡°The strength of an alcoholic drink like this came on so quickly . . . . and you still claim to have a tolerance to alcohol.¡±


    Ye Ci blinked hard, staring around and squinting. Peering at the double images in front of him with confusion, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Stop rubbing, your hands are dirty.¡± Huo Tinglan laughed and reservedly used two fingers to gently block Ye Ci¡¯s hand from rubbing his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you take the physical hygiene class in junior high or elementary school?¡±


    ¡°This beer.¡± Ye Ci turned his head, his face as pink as a peach as he attempted to compensate: ¡°The degree, degree of alcohol should be quite high . . . .¡±


    ¡°All the beer you poured was 6% alcohol light beer¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled mildly as he reduced him to silence.


    Ye Ci was dazed, and wilted.


    As the banquet drew to a close, it was somewhat noisy. Huo Tinglan¡¯s voice was low, and others couldn¡¯t hear what he said. They saw that his expression was gentle and teasing, as he leaned close to Ye Ci¡¯s bright red ear and whispered softly, as if the newlyweds were flirting.


    Unexpectedly, Huo Tinglan was extremely ruthless. He exposed the alcohol content of the beer, and on this joyous occasion, still looked after a child in deadly earnest. ¡°. . . . The physique will change after one differentiates into an Omega. A high alcohol tolerance before might become low later. You can still handle three glasses of this light beer, but if you changed to one with a higher potency, you might be lying down by now. Do you still dare to drink outside in the future?¡±


    ¡°I know, I understand, Huo-shushu, in the future . . . . I won¡¯t dare.¡± Ye Ci hung his head with a look of shame.


    That clear young voice was soaked in wine, soft as a feather.


    He was indeed the same as the previous life.


    So obedient when he was drunk.


    ¡°Will you follow my advice and not drink without Huo-shushu there?¡±


    ¡°. . . . En.¡±


    Huo Tinglan lowered his head with a smile.


    This could now be ruled out as a major safety hazard.


    After the dinner was over, the guests came to say goodbye one after another.


    Generally speaking, as the main focus of this family dinner, Huo Tinglan and Ye Ci should accompany Huo Changyu and Lin Yao to see off the guests. They should be the last ones to leave, or simply stay overnight. But in fact, Huo Tinglan took Ye Ci to the car before the guests had left. Before leaving, he spoke with Lin Yao but didn¡¯t know what to tell her. The corners of Lin Yao¡¯s mouth suddenly raised so much that she couldn¡¯t hold back the smile, and she didn¡¯t mention the matter of letting his husband stay overnight. Huo Tinglan happily drove away with him.


    In the car, Huo Tinglan showed a rare look of fatigue and tilted his head slightly back. He closed his eyes and catnapped, his handsome face frowning slightly. The blue blood vessels in his temples jumped, as if he was not very comfortable, and the pungent aroma of tequila wafted through the car, stronger than usual.


    Ye Ci was already used to Huo Tinglan¡¯s pheromones, so he didn¡¯t notice for a while. He was also worried that he was uncomfortable due to drinking so much, so he stammered in concern: ¡°Huo-shushu, do you need, need the car to pull over for a moment? I¡¯ll accompany you . . . . to get out for a walk, and get some fresh, fresh air.¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled with his eyes closed: ¡°I¡¯m not drunk . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci shook his head in disbelief and wanted to persuade him, but heard Huo Tinglan gently toss out the second half of the sentence: ¡°This is the susceptible period.¡±

 CH 16

    ¨C ¨C This is the susceptible period.


    After Huo Tinglan finished speaking, the car was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.


    Since the early stages of the susceptible period to the present, he had postponed the official susceptible period for more than a month by relying on the pheromones he obtained from his daily interactions with Ye Ci, and now there was finally no way to push it back.


    The drunkenness from the 6% light beer had been washed away, and Ye Ci woke up with a fright. His eyes wandered, and he licked his dry lips, stammering and not knowing what to say.


    In the past month, he and Huo Tinglan had gotten along harmoniously, and he almost forgot about the fact that he was Huo Tinglan¡¯s human medicine jar.


    To help Huo Tinglan delay the susceptible period, he gave him a pillow.


    He even let Huo Tinglan smell the back of his neck.


    After that, he spent several hours with Huo Tinglan in the study every day.


    He could accept this much, which was equal to the requirements in the agreement.


    The issue was . . . .


    After the susceptible period officially began, would these things be enough?


    If they weren¡¯t, to what extent would it be enough?


    After all, Huo Tinglan himself said that this susceptibility period was particularly serious for some reason.


    When Ye Ci was at war with himself, a deep laugh sounded in the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Huo Tinglan rubbed the pale blue blood vessels that were throbbing on his forehead. The furrow between his eyebrows deepened, but he endured it and reassured him with restraint: ¡°I don¡¯t need your help this time.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Ye Ci swallowed and said with a dry mouth, ¡°for, for more than a month, I have been helping . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan sighed: ¡°That was the early stages of susceptibility, and it was mild. This time, it won¡¯t work.¡±


    The sweet scent of vanilla silently diffused throughout the car.


    Sweet and light.


    Mixed with tonight¡¯s particularly strong fragrance of tequila, it was difficult to detect it immediately.


    Omega gland differentiation was a long process that often lasted the entire puberty of adolescents, and it generally took two to four years for the complete set of Omega organs to develop to maturity.


    Ye Ci¡¯s situation was special. The differentiation would be faster, but it would not come for a year.


    In other words, he was not quite a full-fledged Omega yet. Therefore, the concentration of pheromones in their natural state was lower than the normal level, and the aroma was also weak, like a flower bud that would not bloom.


    With such a pheromone level, it was fine to deal with the early stages of susceptibility, but this time, it was really unlikely.


    ¡°Your pheromones are too weak,¡± Huo Tinglan said truthfully.


    Ye Ci was anxious: ¡°Then how can they be concentrated?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± Huo Tinglan laughed at himself, his tone soft and helpless. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t be in the same car with you . . . . I didn¡¯t plan to tell you. It¡¯s been like this for over ten years, and this time will be nothing. When you get home, go back to your room . . . .¡± He paused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    As he was talking, it was probably because his head hurt too much that he gasped slightly.


    Almost inaudible, the hiss was lighter than a gust of wind, but it firmly impacted the soft part of Ye Ci¡¯s heart and caused its swaying balance to tilt to one side with a bang.


    Such a good Huo-shushu.


    Huo-shushu was so kind to him . . . .


    Blood rushed to Ye Ci¡¯s face, and words that could not be beaten out of him rose from his warm chest and agitated the boy¡¯s spirit. He briefly broke through the restraint of his shyness to blurt out: ¡°Does phys, physical contact work?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Huo Tinglan looked up, and a faint smile flashed in his dark eyes. Gently and apologetically, he warned his young lover: ¡°I might need to hug you . . . . and my personality will be different than usual.¡±


    Alphas would become paranoid, jealous, and clingy, and change in temperament during the susceptible period.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot in pain, but his expression remained patient.


    He looked . . . . normal.


    Ye Ci himself had been an A-level Alpha for three years. He felt that he was more irritable than Huo Tinglan during the susceptible period, and much more gloomy. In comparison, Huo Tinglan was very pure and harmless.


    But, in fact . . . .


    The huge gap between A+ and A-level was unknown to a high school student such as Ye Ci, who lacked physiological knowledge. Huo Tinglan was enduring an emotional storm that was a hundred times stronger than his own back then.


    So, for an A+ grade Alpha in his susceptible period to look normal . . . . it was the biggest abnormality.


    Ye Ci was ashamed in hindsight, and almost bit his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m . . . . I¡¯m sure.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t dare to look at Huo Tinglan again, and turned his head to look in front of him.


    ¨C ¨C At some point, the privacy windows between the front and rear cabins had been switched from transparent to milky white.


    Ye Ci was so nervous that his eyes went still, and he stared straight ahead at the window, not noticing the subtlety of it.


    The rustling sound of suit fabric rubbed against his ears.


    They were separated by a distance . . . .


    And that distance was shrinking.


    In the corner of Ye Ci¡¯s sight, an arm wrapped in silver-gray fabric stretched out.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s voice sounded above his head, low and magnetic, along with the heat exhaled from his lips against his outer ear ¨C


    ¡°Hug Shushu.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s ears turned red, and he didn¡¯t move.


    Huo Tinglan approached further, his chest hard and supple, slowly but firmly pressing against him.


    A hug.


    Ye Ci turned his face away in embarrassment.


    He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had been hugged by someone, or by whom.


    Probably Ye Hongjun. Except for his mother, he was unlikely to let anyone else hug him.


    But he couldn¡¯t really remember when that was.


    Most boys in their teens resisted intimacy with others, and avoided tender feelings as if they were snakes and scorpions, for fear of hurting their fragile rebelliousness.


    Luckily, Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t hold him tightly, and only rested against Ye Ci¡¯s thin back. Like a heavy bough of pear blossoms lovingly hugging a bunch of new red haitang, unable to bear crushing it.


    The fragrance of tequila pressed down on Ye Ci, and it was as heavy as an attack.


    Ye Ci always took for granted putting himself in the position of a healer, but forgot that the pheromones between Alpha and Omega was never a one-way effect.


    His Omega glands were densely covered in the fragrance of tequila.


    The skilled Alpha pheromones solicited and plundered the Omega¡¯s juvenile glands with ease and cunning. They were too inexperienced, and after being provoked a few times, they released a high concentration of pheromones without reservation. The sweetness of vanilla bubbled out, thick as sap, and set off a chain reaction ¡ª-


    With just a hug, the vertebrae that held up his body seemed to disintegrate. Ye Ci was paralyzed, unable to raise his head, so he could only bury his cheeks against Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulder and gasp for breath. The heat from his nose and mouth dampened the fabric.


    ¡°Huo-shushu . . . .¡± He whispered, begging for mercy.


    He was too ignorant, and didn¡¯t even know what he was begging for mercy from. He just followed his instincts and refused to easily fall into the trap of the Alpha¡¯s unrestrained eroticism.


    ¡°En?¡±


    His unhurried voice sounded.


    Huo Tinglan slowly tightened his arms. His strength was like cast iron, suppressing Ye Ci¡¯s weak struggles.


    ¡°. . . . Why is this still attached?¡± In order to prevent possible withdrawal, he blocked the conversation and changed the subject with a glance at the back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck. ¡°The scent will be lighter this way.¡±


    A narrow white strip peeked out from under Ye Ci¡¯s formalwear, slightly wrinkled and damp, and printed with fine, water-blue flowers. It was a scent-blocking patch. Ye Ci had worn it for the whole day and forgot to replace it. It was ineffective. Not only could it not stop the scent, but because it was full of pheromones, the smell was stronger there than in other places.


    Barrier patches were a private thing for Omegas.


    Ye Ci was generally aware of this.


    But he may not be as sensitive as other Omegas. After all, he was not so conscious of being an Omega . . . .


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes darkened, and he tore off the patch. Craftily clenching it into his hand, he confiscated the small trophy.


    Like a mad dog charging left and right at the border of sanity, the possessiveness and erotic desire were given a touch of comfort, and the madness was slightly reduced.


    He did this same thing last time, but Ye Ci didn¡¯t ask him about it at all.


    ¡°That, give it to me . . . . I¡¯ll throw it out myself.¡± Ye Ci worked hard, and begged Huo Tinglan with a blushing face.


    His time at school during this period had given him some glandular gender awareness.


    The Omega students in his class, after replacing their barrier patches, wrapped the old ones in several layers of thick toilet paper before throwing them away, and an Alpha couldn¡¯t even touch it. His nerves were too thick in this regard.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan was silent for a while. He didn¡¯t hand it over, but didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t. Instead, he went off-topic and warned: ¡°Don¡¯t move around.¡±


    What ¡®don¡¯t move around¡¯ meant, any man could understand no matter how simple he was.


    As expected, Ye Ci was well-behaved for a while.


    ¡°That patch, still . . . . give it to me.¡± Ye Ci held still for a minute, stuttering, then went to open Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand again.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t mean to struggle, but Huo Tinglan hugged him too tightly, and he had to get rid of the confinement first if he wanted to lift his arm. But this escape-like move happened to hit the inverse scale[1] of an Alpha during the susceptible period.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s breathing suddenly became heavy. As if fearing that he would run away, he immediately hugged him tighter.


    The tightness hurt Ye Ci, and he subconsciously struggled. Not only did he not break free, but Huo Tinglan pushed him even harder into the angle between the door and the back of the seat, using his entire body to hold him firmly.


    ¡°Wu . . . . . .¡±[2]


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Huo Tinglan regained his precarious sanity, loosening his hold as he coaxed in a hoarse voice: ¡°I¡¯ll do as I¡¯m told, I¡¯ll throw it away in a moment . . . . let me take it for a while, just five minutes . . . .¡±


    . . . . . .


    An hour¡¯s drive passed.


    Ye Ci was held in the corner between the back of the seat and the door by Huo Tinglan, and even sniffed the whole way, not daring to move at all.


    When he got out of the car, his legs were trembling, his eyes were red, and his heart was pounding.


    The custom suit worth tens of thousands of yuan was wrinkled front and back like dried plums.


    Ye Ci stepped into the Huo residence while clutching the hem of his clothing and pulling it down. He wanted to straighten it, and was still thinking about where to find an iron to iron it . . . .


    Before taking a few steps, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    When he turned around, his gaze fell flat on the light teal patterned knot of a silk tie.


    Very close.


    So incredibly close.


    ¡°You¡¯re . . . .¡± Ye Ci was startled. ¡°Still not good?¡±


    Even an A-level Alpha could be normal for a long time after inhaling such a large amount of pheromones.


    An A+ grade Alpha . . . . didn¡¯t seem to be the same as he had imagined.


    Sure enough ¨C


    ¡°What good?¡±


    Huo Tinglan asked faintly, staring at him with a predatory look.


    [1] According to legend, there is a white scale under the neck of a dragon that cannot be touched without misfortune falling upon you. The phrase ¡°inverse scale¡± would be similar to ¡°pushing someone¡¯s buttons.¡± ?


    [2] ßí, the sound of a cry or a whimper. ?

 CH 17

    The still immature Omega glands had continuously released high concentrations of pheromones for an hour. They were already sore and exhausted, and his limbs also felt weak, as if they had been drained.


    . . . . He, he still wanted it?!


    Ye Ci was stunned, and this sense of crisis was long overdue.


    Like a sly falcon peeking over a small nest, the cub was coaxed to leave the nest, and when he left, there was nowhere to hide.


    Ye Ci¡¯s mind was in chaos. He swallowed dryly and tried to calm down: ¡°My homework is un, unfinished. There¡¯s still one set of papers.¡±


    He used his studies as a shield.


    Learning was his top priority ¨C Huo Tinglan said it himself when he disciplined him.


    He wasn¡¯t going back on his word and stopping the treatment of the susceptible period symptoms, he just wanted to take a breather, to have peace quiet, even for an hour or two. It was too soon ¨C ¨C he couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong, why it didn¡¯t work, but it was just . . . . too soon.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Huo Tinglan nodded. His eyes were black with undistinguishable emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the midterm exam soon, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t be lazy.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    That was unexpectedly reasonable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll first . . . . go write.¡±


    Ye Ci let out an internal sigh of relief.


    ¡°En.¡±


    It was an easy negotiation.


    . . . . . .


    Ten minutes later.


    There was a set of physics papers spread out on the desk. Ye Ci sat there at the desk, leaning his forehead in the palm of his hand. A few locks of black hair were tucked between his fingers to ease his embarrassment, and his head was ducked low so that the tip of his nose was almost brushing the paper.


    The large swivel chair was barely able to seat the two of them.


    Behind him, Huo Tinglan opened a pair of long, straight legs and clamped him firmly, and his rogue arms wrapped around his thin waist and abdomen, making him unable to move.


    Huo Tinglan let him come to the study to do his homework.


    But no one could have imagined that it would be written in such a way.


    The mature Alpha¡¯s frame was tall and straight, and Ye Ci, whose differentiation had stagnated in the middle, was thin and slender. Trapped in Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms and completely covered, it didn¡¯t matter how hard he tried to seem indifferent. He could only appear helpless.


    He had obtained permission before and, thinking that he could finish writing the remaining set of papers in a hurry, his guard was relaxed. Unexpectedly, Huo Tinglan hung behind him without saying a word, and locked the door as soon as he stepped into the study. Half of him still maintained the demeanor of a noble gentleman, and half of him had become foolish and clingy.


    He had drawn close to Ye Ci through deception, and his eyes were full of apology. He spoke as if to talk things through, but the heat splashed on Ye Ci¡¯s ear was terrifyingly hot: ¡°Sorry, this time the symptoms are more stubborn. I thought I would last until you finished writing the paper . . . . Another ten minutes of treatment? . . . .¡±


    ¡°Why are you . . . .¡± Ye Ci opened his lips slightly, stunned and pitiful.


    Half the words were swallowed back.


    Why was he like this?


    ¡°Sorry, I still scared you . . . .¡± Ye Ci didn¡¯t say a word, and seemed to be reviewing something silently. Huo Tinglan gave a light, self-deprecating smile, as if he was ashamed of not being a gentleman during his susceptible period. He didn¡¯t give Ye Ci a chance to recover, and left his lofty airs in the dust to plead in a soft tone that was almost embarrassing: ¡°You write the paper as usual, just pretend that I¡¯m not here . . . . is that okay?¡±


    Ye Ci was kind, soft-hearted, and didn¡¯t get enough love. When others treated him well, he was overwhelmed, and could not wait to pay it back. In the previous life, Huo Tinglan was also like this, and there were endless ways to break the defenses around Ye Ci¡¯s heart, harmless but shameless.


    He met Ye Ci at a race. He wasn¡¯t that keen on formula racing, and was originally there to kill time. However, his eyes were scorched by the silver-white race car that was shining like a meteor on the track. That marvelous handling, the courage to turn quickly, the precise and decisive judgment, and the madness that was faintly revealed in its pursuit. It made Huo Tinglan think that the racer in the car was a young and vigorous Alpha, a fierce little wolf dog with sharp teeth and claws.


    He didn¡¯t expect . . . .


    The contrast was too great.


    Formula racing was an extremely physical sport. If nothing else, the centrifugal force of up to ten kilograms could break the neck of the racer when the car was taking a corner quickly. Therefore, formula racing was the kingdom of Alphas, and even a Beta was rare, not to mention the weaker Omega. The slender necks and weak muscles of Omegas may not be able to withstand even a single turn. They just dressed up nicely and appeared on the field as ¡°racing babies¡± to liven up the atmosphere.


    The thin, beautiful Omega racer mingled with a group of beefy Alphas, looking out of place.


    But also firmly attracted Huo Tinglan¡¯s gaze like a magnet.


    He couldn¡¯t help chasing after him.


    Of course, Ye Ci¡¯s presence on the racing circuit was not by chance.


    Ye Ci became a race car driver half due to his false Alpha differentiation. The three year high-level Alpha differentiation period in his youth laid an excellent foundation for his physique, and although he appeared slender, his muscle strength was quite high. The other half was due to his staggering amount of training, in which he would do all kinds of extremely high-intensity endurance training in the off season ¨C he seemed to enjoy the quiet state of a blank mind after physical exhaustion.


    He was just such a person.


    As fierce as a wolf dog on the track.


    In the face of the public, he was taciturn and kept to himself.


    After experiencing a half-year-long pursuit using various methods, only in front of Huo Tinglan was he peeled open bit by bit, revealing a soft and sweet core.


    It was terribly soft.


    Clever and sticky.


    Just right for him.


    Huo Tinglan was perfectly happy to fall head first.


    It was worth another half a year.


    Twenty-two-year-old Ye Ci was much colder and harder to approach than he was as an eighteen-year-old.


    Therefore, now it was like Huo Tinglan was turning on a cheat, using that full-level experience to pursue the lover who was at present pure and innocent.


    Really pure, too pure. He more or less took advantage of this innocence.


    But so what?


    He would do a hundred times better for Ye Ci, be totally devoted to him, love him. Even if everything was under false pretenses, there was no falsehood in his heart.


    He readily apologized, his words sincere, his fierce and handsome face softened by rare guilt.


    His body was like a beast, and he grasped the inexperienced boy in his arms, clamping him tightly. He dragged him to the swivel chair and squeezed him to the point that his face and ears were red, then sanctimoniously urged him to write physics problems.


    The alpha hormones secreted in excess during the susceptible period finally stimulated all the evil in his bones. His lost and found lover was in his arms. He loved him so much that his heart hurt, and he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Huo Tinglan breathed heavily, and the hot air containing rich pheromones repeatedly gusted against the back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck, forcing the already exhausted Omega glands to pump out more sweetness.


    Ye Ci was holding a gel pen that was slippery and covered in sweat. It quickly fell, leaving his mind and face blank.


    He moved forward quietly, very slowly, trying to steal a little space, one second of respite. But the iron-strong arms over his waist and abdomen were more vigilant than he imagined, and they suddenly pulled back, making the embrace even tighter.


    Huo Tinglan had changed.


    It was true that an Alpha¡¯s temperament changed greatly during the susceptible period, but this . . . .


    Ye Ci¡¯s brain was working hard.


    Not to mention how different it was from when they first met, but even compared to a few hours ago, it was completely different.


    Just as if . . . .


    The culture and refinement from before was all pretend.


    No.


    Don¡¯t speculate about Mr. Huo like that.


    In order to vent the violence that had nowhere to go, Ye Ci¡¯s hand on his forehead clenched into a fist. His knuckles were blueish-white with the force, and he almost lost a few hairs.


    Suddenly, Huo Tinglan asked in a low voice, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you writing?¡±


    He seemed to be trying to maintain the pretense of ¡°just add treatment to doing homework,¡± and knowingly asked, ¡°You can¡¯t?¡±


    Ye Ci nodded casually: ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°The first multiple choice question is to apply . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan repeated the physics formula, and the vibrations of his Adam¡¯s apple and chest were transmitted to Ye Ci¡¯s back. Even his insides felt itchy. Ye Ci¡¯s spine swiftly softened, and if it wasn¡¯t for being firmly sandwiched between two long legs, he feared he would have slipped under the table.


    There was one thing that Ye Ci refused to admit, or to be more precise, didn¡¯t even think about ¨C


    Their genes were 100% compatible, and Huo Tinglan¡¯s pheromones were absolutely attractive to him.


    The fierce and fragrant scent of tequila gusting over and over against the back of his neck, he seemed to . . . . like it.


    He couldn¡¯t suppress his blush or his heartbeat.


    So strange.


    ¡°Do you understand,¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes were dark, looking askance at him, ¡°what to select?¡±


    ¡°Select,¡± Ye Ci was off in another world and looked towards the cover of the test paper, startled. ¡°I don¡¯t know . . . . that one, C.¡±


    The first one to rule out was always C.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen to anything?¡± Huo Tinglan asked knowingly.


    Ye Ci desperately put on a cold and sharp face, and shirked the responsibility: ¡°My stomach is not, not very comfortable, so, so I wasn¡¯t listening.¡±


    He was not very good at lying, and this was not a lie.


    His stomach really was uncomfortable, and it started when he was hugged by Huo Tinglan on the way home, getting heavier and heavier, increasing until now. Saying it hurt was not very accurate. It was more like soreness or tightness. Many subtle discomforts were intertwined and nibbling away at him, making him want to put his hands on his stomach and scratch a couple of times.


    ¡°Did you eat something bad?¡± Huo Tinglan frowned.


    ¡°No, just . . . . I, I don¡¯t know.¡± Ye Ci twisted uncomfortably. ¡°Still, still not finished? It should have been . . . . ten minutes.¡±


    After he finished speaking, a large warm hand slid down his stomach, accurately covering the uncomfortable spot in his abdomen.


    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable here?¡± Huo Tinglan confirmed.


    ¡°. . . . . . En.¡±


    Huo Tinglan hooked his lips.


    Under his palm, thin, soft skin covered the newly developed cavity.


    Nerve hyperactivity, mucous membrane hyperemia . . . .


    The series of changes made to the inside of the cavity produced a sore itching that could be compared to a slight pain.


    This was a reaction unique to Omegas, preparing for the impending mark.


    Ye Ci was unfamiliar with this kind of experience, so he didn¡¯t understand . . . .


    There was an ¡°uncomfortable¡± sort of emotion called desire.


    He didn¡¯t understand anything, didn¡¯t even realize that he had been seduced by Huo Tinglan. He was too shy and just wanted to get back to ¡°normal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even worse, don¡¯t . . . .¡± Ye Ci couldn¡¯t take it any longer. Clamping Huo Tinglan¡¯s wrist and pulling it to the side, he gritted his teeth and adopted an unyielding attitude.

 CH 18

    Huo Tinglan revealed a rare assertiveness, and brazenly competed with Ye Ci to cover his abdomen again with the palm of his hand.


    Ye Ci was too thin, with a narrow waist and belly, as if he was trying to lure him in to hold it, to induce him to do evil.


    ¡°. . . . Do you know what¡¯s in your stomach?¡±


    His voice was terribly hoarse.


    There was softness under the tips of his fingers.


    Due to Omega development, Ye Ci¡¯s originally thin and tight abdomen was covered with a thin layer of fat.


    Looking at it with your eyes, you might not be able to see it, but the smooth, suet-like touch didn¡¯t lie, existing at the same time as the toughness of muscle . . . .


    Like soft velvet wrapped around gold.


    It could really drive him to his death.


    At this time, because the abdominal cavity was stimulated, the sweetness of vanilla was suddenly stronger.


    ¡ª His beloved Omega was throbbing, only half-understanding, and longing for him.


    This realization made Huo Tinglan¡¯s arm under his silver suit tremble with excitement, and the bridge of his nose was dashed with sweat. Even his lips and eyes seemed to be stirred by the influx of blood, synchronizing with the rhythm of his heart.


    ¡°In the, in the stomach is ¨C¡± Ye Ci didn¡¯t dare to look directly at the terrifying guess in his heart, and only incoherently tried to break Huo Tinglan¡¯s grip. In his haste, he lost control of his hand strength, and a few red and white finger marks were printed on Huo Tinglan¡¯s wrist like cat scratches. ¡°Huo-shushu, let, let go for a bit . . . .¡±


    All at once, his stomach spasmed and thrashed like a contraction.


    It felt strange, indescribable. With a huge sense of shame, Ye Ci¡¯s breath shook, and his clear voice was faintly hoarse: ¡°Let go!¡±


    He was like a wolverine kitten carried off by a beast to its lair to be licked and drooled over. Frightened and pitiful, its fluff was matted down, and it was about to be overwhelmed.


    Whether it was his mental state, pheromone-excessive glands, physical strength, or something else . . . . he was already at his limit.


    Moreover, there was also a question of whether the immature Omega glands that had not yet been differentiated could withstand a bite from an A-level Alpha.


    He couldn¡¯t go any further.


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t bear it.


    He had asked for enough tonight.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched sharply as he fixed his eyes on Ye Ci. His precarious sanity was entangled with an Alpha¡¯s vicious instincts. He was like a tiger that coveted fresh meat, very greedy, hungry and confused, but he clenched his fists and restrained his frantic, scorching emotions. Slowly releasing his restraints, he let his Omega escape from his arms like he was running for his life, avoiding him at a distance. Enduring the pain of the hunger, thirst, and loss was tantamount to mental whiplash for an Alpha.


    . . . . . .


    Ye Ci used a cool summer quilt to wrap himself into a chrysalis, a single hand emerging to hold his phone.


    He glanced at the time and closed his eyes.


    Tomorrow was Monday. With a morning of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, his brain was going to be fried.


    He tried forcing himself to fall asleep, but his brows were unconsciously furrowed, his face like a bun with eighteen pleats.


    A few minutes later, Ye Ci opened his eyes in discouragement, only to realize that his face was sore.


    2:37.


    After calculating the remaining time he had left to sleep, he couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    He had been restless since he escaped from the study. He¡¯d crouched on the terrace to empty a pack of cigarettes, his legs shaking. His pulse didn¡¯t slow down, and his heart ached.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t seek him out again, and he also didn¡¯t take the initiative to talk.


    There was still an illusory sensation in his abdomen, and the heat of Huo Tinglan¡¯s palm still seemed to be scorching him.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci turned over anxiously, his face buried in the pillow. His ears were red, his black hair messy, and he didn¡¯t know how many times he had tossed and turned under the quilt.


    He had run out. He couldn¡¯t do it if he didn¡¯t run. Something was so wrong with Huo Tinglan tonight.


    He could comprehend that something wasn¡¯t right. After all, when an Alpha was susceptible, sometimes they would act in spite of themselves. Especially with high-level Alphas, it was not uncommon for them to lose control, and no matter how strong their willpower was, there was a limit.


    But Huo-shushu at that time also really . . . .everyone would say it was excessive . . . .


    Ye Ci grabbed the edge of the quilt, pulled it up, and wrapped his head fiercely, as if he could wipe out those messy thoughts in one go.


    Too much was too much.


    The moment he left the study, he didn¡¯t have many thoughts about escaping, but was more worried and guilty.


    He had run away in a hurry, but after thinking about it, Huo Tinglan¡¯s appearance at that time seemed a little wrong.


    . . . . In the end, what was wrong?


    Ye Ci tried hard to recall.


    The only thing that came to mind was a wrist with his fingerprints on it, and a pair of unhinged black eyes trying hard to maintain self-control.


    He realized in hindsight that, in fact, even if he hadn¡¯t struggled so desperately, Huo Tinglan wouldn¡¯t have done more.


    Ye Ci grabbed his hair, kicked off the quilt, and put on his shoes.


    If he didn¡¯t go take a look, his conscience would sting.


    The sconce lights along the walls of the hallways were lit, giving off soft halos of illumination.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedroom door was left open, revealing a dark gap, and it didn¡¯t look like anyone was sleeping inside.


    Ye Ci hesitated for a while, and it was hard to say whether he was more worried or temporarily relieved. He quietly opened the door a little wider, took two steps in, and looked in the direction of the bed.


    The light from the wall sconces peeked through.


    The unnecessarily large bed was a mess. The graphite satin sheets were twisted up like two thin, sodden towels, and seemed to be ripped in a few places, as if the person lying on them suddenly went mad. On the bedside table was an empty syringe that had been broken in two. There were also several colorful medicine bottles and packages lying or standing, and one bottle was not screwed shut. Small white pills were spilled all over the ground, and the bottle was compressed strangely, as if the person who opened it had lost control of their grip strength.


    And he had been told not to take medicine indiscriminately . . . .


    This scene didn¡¯t look like a normal medication routine.


    The bridge of his nose was suddenly sore and painful, and Ye Ci rushed to the first floor.


    On the first floor, Uncle He¡¯s housekeeper¡¯s room was also empty with the door wide open, the blanket on the bed flung aside ¡ª it seemed he was in a hurry to get up from the middle of sleep.


    The Huo residence was too big. Ye Ci aimlessly pushed open doors to search, and made two calls to Huo Tinglan and Uncle He, but both numbers were out of the service area.


    Would the hospital¡¯s signal be so bad?


    Ye Ci frowned.


    He knew that sometimes high-level Alphas wanted to avoid losing control and hurting people during their susceptible period, and would ask others to help lock them up while they were still sane.


    When he was an Alpha, there were a few times when the susceptible period was particularly severe and he was locked in the bathroom of the old house by Ye Hongjun. Once, he was so manic that he kicked the door.


    In Huo-shushu¡¯s case, maybe there was a ¡°safe room¡± . . . .


    Ye Ci turned his head and ran towards the stairs leading to the basement.


    Sure enough, the stairwell lights were on. He was halfway down when he happened to bump into Uncle He coming around the corner, his highly professional face revealing a rare apprehension.


    ¡°Is Huo, Huo-shushu down there?¡± Ye Ci was out of breath.


    Uncle He was stunned for a moment. He had been ordered to cover up this matter, and originally planned to say that Mr. Huo had gone to a special medical institution to recuperate for a few days. He didn¡¯t expect someone to stop him in the basement. In the current situation, to insist that Mr. Huo was not at home would be no different than making a fool of himself. He gave a hollow smile and deliberately avoided the question: ¡°This . . . . It is so late, and Young Master Ye still hasn¡¯t slept. You have to wake up at 6:30 in the morning, otherwise you will . . . .¡±


    ¡°Then, then he¡¯s here.¡± Ye Ci came to a conclusion and deftly walked around Uncle He.


    ¡°Young Master Ye, ai, Young Master Ye!¡± Uncle He was alarmed and hurriedly chased after him.


    There were also many rooms on the basement floor, but Ye Ci just looked straight at one that was different, made of metal. He didn¡¯t need to touch it to know that it was thick and sturdy, appearing at first glance like the door of a vault.


    He leaned over to fumble for the switch, and comforted: ¡°I won¡¯t, won¡¯t make it difficult for you, I¡¯ll say that I, I found it myself. That, that is actually the truth..¡±


    Uncle He hesitated.


    Would it not be difficult to face Mr. Huo?


    It was hard to say.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should help the other person achieve his goal.


    The husband and wife had been married for so long, and without mentioning that they slept in different rooms, they usually didn¡¯t even speak a word of affection. The polite greetings and civility, he saw it all with his own eyes. Moreover, Mr. Huo was in such pain during his susceptible period, and locked himself up to endure it. But anyone with eyes could see that Mr. Huo was incredibly happy with this marriage, and it was Young Master Ye who was unwilling. It was good that he finally sought him out himself, plus this deep concern . . . .


    Besides, this Young Master Ye could hop faster than a rabbit, how could this handful of old bones stop him?


    ¡°This, ai, all right . . . .¡± Seeing Ye Ci tinkering at the door for a long time without being able to do anything, Uncle He pushed him aside. With a grim expression on his face, he silently showed Ye Ci how to open the door.


    The door opened a crack.


    Although the safe room had an independent ventilation system, the aroma of tequila that rushed to his face was still as rich as the real thing. In just one breath, his lungs seemed to be filled with potent alcohol.


    The walls and floor were covered with a soft, cotton-like material to prevent Huo Tinglan from hurting himself when he went mad.


    There was no signal in the room, but it was equipped with emergency contact equipment that could call several internal numbers in the Huo residence, Huo Tinglan¡¯s parents¡¯ phone number, and those of the city¡¯s emergency centers.


    Huo Tinglan sat beside the bed facing him. His legs were spread apart, his elbows resting on his knees, like a silent and tyrannical stone statue.


    Hearing the door open, he turned his head and stared at Ye Ci, who was standing at the door. His eyes were as dark as two black holes, burning with passion.


    Passion, mixed with greed, possessiveness, thirst, infatuation . . . . concentrated and dense, burned black as pitch.


    A used barrier patch stuck to the glands on the back of his neck.


    Damp, wrinkled, printed with cyan blue flowers, full of Omega pheromones and sweat. Secretly, paradoxically, with an almost twisted erotic implication, it was stuck to the Alpha¡¯s neck.


    In the more than two hours since Ye Ci had left him, he had sat in this safe room, isolated from the world as he repeatedly rubbed the barrier patch to soothe his insatiable restlessness and avoid hurting his still innocent lover.


    No one would believe that the dignified head of the Huo family actually satisfied himself with a barrier patch he had used deception and thievery to get his hands on.


    Thankfully, most of the patch was covered by his collar.


    Ye Ci¡¯s legs were trembling, and he swallowed hard. Against the storm of high-potency Alpha pheromones, he took a step inside the door.


    From this angle, he could only see Huo Tinglan¡¯s head hanging between his knees.


    Both hands were bandaged, and blood was oozing from his palms.


    His fists were clenched.


    The muscles in Huo Tinglan¡¯s jaw trembled terribly, and two perfunctory words were squeezed out from between his teeth: ¡°Go back.¡±


    Translator¡¯s Note: A big thanks goes out to Kay for their Kofi donation! As new to this as I am, I¡¯ve never received a donation before, so you¡¯ve made this translator¡¯s day!

 CH 19

    The room was not large. Ye Ci took a few steps closer.


    After tossing about all night, it seemed that some threshold had been forcibly lifted, and although his voice was so dry that it even felt unfamiliar, he still expressed himself clearly in the present situation: ¡°Let¡¯s hug again, hug for a while, ba. Huo-shushu . . . . you can¡¯t just, you can¡¯t go on like this . . . .¡±


    Even if subjective feelings of pain were set aside, susceptibility syndrome could cause shock in extreme cases, and the risk was very real.


    This was an outdated, absurdly savage mechanism of evolution.


    In primitive times, it forced the genetically advanced Alpha to find an Omega that was highly compatible with itself, and insatiably plunder, possess, mark, breed . . . .


    For primitive humans where instinct prevailed, this was a positive mechanism.


    However, with the birth of civilization, law, and morality, reason and an increasingly rich and meticulous heart and mind thwarted the progress of genetic selfishness.


    So much love, so much want.


    In the eyes of a lover, a sweetheart who was ignorant of worldly affairs had become a budding flower.


    He delicately sniffed and fiddled with it, and sometimes couldn¡¯t help but reach into the core and steal a drop of honey . . . . yet couldn¡¯t bear to break it.


    But . . . .


    Patience had its limits.


    Moreover . . . .


    He came to the door himself.


    Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes and did not look at Ye Ci. Under his thin, half-closed eyelids, a pair of eyes nervously trembled.


    He seemed to be hovering at some critical point.


    Burning to the touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m mentally prepared.¡± Seeing that Huo Tinglan was motionless, Ye Ci took two steps forward and stood in front of him.


    His thin neck and hands were white as jade and lined with lake blue pajamas.


    Inadvertently or not, he used a kind of ¡°feigned calm¡± posture that diluted the ambiguity inherent in this mode of treatment: ¡°You, feel free to hug this time, it¡¯s okay. Before, I just wasn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t used to it . . . .¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the world suddenly turned upside down, and the astonishing speed and strength of an A-level Alpha was revealed in this moment. With a bang, Ye Ci was shoved onto the bed. The mattress was soft, and it didn¡¯t hurt, but it was shocking.


    ¡°Huo-shushu!¡± Ye Ci was about to get up, but Huo Tinglan¡¯s hot hand grabbed the back of his neck.


    He froze from head to foot.


    Male cats would bite the back of a female¡¯s neck at certain times to prevent them from escaping midway, which may be connected to how Omegas were built. Alphas had similar instincts, and would clamp down on an Omega in the same way when engaging in intimacy.


    And Omegas cooperated sufficiently to evolve corresponding physiological reflexes. When the back of the neck was restrained by the high-matching Alpha they had established a trusting relationship with, they would fall into a state of surrender that was difficult to resist due to a series of stress responses such as decreased muscle strength . . . . this was very convenient for the Alpha.


    ¡°Wu . . . .¡± Ye Ci gritted his teeth and struggled to move, but could only do so weakly.


    Huo Tinglan had also underlined this in that well-selected popular science book on physiological knowledge, but Ye Ci hadn¡¯t read it.


    He thought he had a hard enough fist to protect himself, but in reality, he had to pay the price for his arrogance . . . .


    He was going to be ¡°bullied.¡±


    As if tormented by some sweet, sharp torture device, the blue veins on Huo Tinglan¡¯s neck became prominent. His teeth were clenched so hard that they rattled.


    After everything, he was still persistently enduring.


    He forcefully pulled down the back collar of Ye Ci¡¯s pajamas, using his fingertips to slowly and carefully stroke both sides of Ye Ci¡¯s vertebrae to check the maturity of the Omega glands hidden under the smooth skin: It didn¡¯t feel right, too small in size, slow to respond to an Alpha¡¯s touch . . . . they demonstrated a low degree of development, and even a temporary mark could cause damage.


    After being married for so long, this was actually the first time he had directly touched it.


    The warm touch made both of them shudder at the same time.


    Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t control his strength, and his force was rough.


    Therefore, Ye Ci¡¯s feedback came very quickly.


    On both sides of his spine, the Omega glands were positively glowing with an unnatural peach-pink color. Driven by the blood vessels under the skin, they pulsed weakly and regularly, exuding a surging, extraordinarily appealing aroma.


    ¡ª This was a testament to their responsiveness to an Alpha.


    And the extent of their softening and volume was also in the range that could withstand temporary marking.


    Before, Huo Tinglan had been looking for an opportunity to take Ye Ci to do a full set of examinations on the direction of his Omega development, but knowing that Ye Ci was thin-skinned, he didn¡¯t mention it. He didn¡¯t expect to do a preliminary inspection in a more straightforward way at this time.


    Due to being slender and having little fat, Ye Ci¡¯s skin looked very thin.


    His Omega glands were stimulated and swollen, like a ripe fruit.


    The thin skin had to work hard to cover them, pitifully red and swollen, luring people to bite.


    The scent was also quite . . . .


    Mixed with the familiar scent of vanilla was a thin layer of fishy sweetness.


    That was the smell of desire.


    ¡°Huo-shushu . . . .¡±


    With the heat of the Omega glands rising, and unprecedented restlessness swept through his whole body.


    His bones were crumbling.


    Huo Tinglan need not restrain him. He couldn¡¯t struggle to break free.


    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Compared to when he had a high fever, he had less energy, his thoughts were more chaotic, and the saturation of the colors in his field of vision had risen. Even the soft cream-colored material covering the walls and floor had a strange splendor under the light.


    The sore, indescribable feeling in his abdomen from before also struck again.


    Ye Ci was so restless with anxiety that he kept looking back, wanting to see what was going on at the back of his neck, like a stupid cat chasing its tail.


    Of course he couldn¡¯t see it.


    Then he could only ask Huo Tinglan for help.


    No matter how slow he was, he was still aware of who the culprit was behind this series of changes.


    But he could only turn to the culprit for help.


    ¡°Huo-shushu . . . . what, what¡¯s happening to me . . . .¡±


    Huo Tinglan was silent, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled.


    Originally, he consoled himself with empty hopes to quench his thirst, and was able to speak fluently.


    But Ye Ci was too stimulated at this juncture, and unexpectedly entered the first phase of fever . . . .


    Yet again, he innocently called out to him.


    Huo Tinglan looked at the back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck with burning eyes, so hot that they could burn through.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not feeling well . . . . you just, just hug me, don¡¯t, don¡¯t do anything else . . . . okay?¡±


    In order to break free, Ye Ci twisted like a willow swaying in the wind, and like tree sap, wrung out a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.


    He helplessly called out to that nice gentleman in his mind, stammering for mercy, wanting to awaken Huo Tinglan¡¯s dormant ¡°conscience¡± and reason. There was no turning back. The moment he stepped into the safe room, the matter was a foregone conclusion. But he had thought he would be shown mercy.


    The lingering heat of that high fever was finally accompanied by the ¡°Huo-shushu¡± and ¡°hug me¡± that his brain clipped out without permission, igniting everything that was flammable in Huo Tinglan¡¯s body.


    There was a roaring in his ears, his vision exploded into white snow, and his blood surged. When he came back to his senses, his teeth had pierced the skin, wedged into the glands behind Ye Ci¡¯s neck, and injected a small stream of pheromones.


    Rich tequila blended with sweet vanilla to produce a wonderful chemical reaction. A brand new compound substance was derived, releasing an aroma that was somewhere between the two pheromones, but not quite like either.


    This derivative, which symbolized a temporary mark, could solve the susceptibility period problem at the root.


    Huo Tinglan took a deep breath. The torturous pain, the massive jumble of information brought by the hyper-sensitivity of the five senses, and the frenzied and chaotic thoughts were all cut down by a lot in an instant.


    As comfortable as if he had been reborn.


    The tip of his nose brushed the ends of Ye Ci¡¯s sweaty hair. Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes and gently turned Ye Ci¡¯s face, which was buried in a pillow.


    Ye Ci¡¯s cheeks were as pink as a spring peach.


    An Omega¡¯s initial fever would usually be quite severe, and their mental state would be affected. The current Ye Ci was a good example. With his eyes wide open, his blank pupils were filled with a kind of drunken emptiness, clearly not lucid.


    Thanks to this lack of sobriety, his last bit of pretense completely disappeared. Not only did he forget that he used to be an Alpha, he even forgot to cover up his physical attraction, his desire for Huo Tinglan.


    The misty expression in his eyes was thus completely exposed.


    The temporary marking was only carried out halfway, and the amount of Alpha pheromones injected was still very small.


    Originally, Huo Tinglan may have stopped here. After all, the symptoms had been relieved a lot. But right now, he had to use all the self-control he had to resist the urge to grasp Ye Ci and directly eat him clean. He crushed the impulse.


    He turned Ye Ci over and put one hand next to his ear, teasing the cute drunken shrimp as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Who am I?¡±


    ¡°You, you are Huo-shushu . . . .¡± Ye Ci answered honestly. His nose twitched, smelling him comfortably from a short, safe distance.


    Good boy, even when he wasn¡¯t sober, he hadn¡¯t forgotten to use honorifics.


    ¡°Who is Huo-shushu to you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s . . . . shushu.¡±


    ¡°Wrong.¡±


    Ye Ci got stuck. Hesitating, he answered tentatively: ¡°Or, the per, person who received a marriage certificate . . . .¡±


    ¡°And the person who received a marriage certificate with you is your what?¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡± Although Ye Ci was not sober, he instinctively avoided this pointed question, rambling, ¡°Me, me and Huo-shushu are married . . . . it¡¯s, it¡¯s a fake marriage, it doesn¡¯t count . . . .¡±


    ¡°There is no fake marriage at the legal level. Our marriage relationship is real and valid, ¡° Huo Tinglan said, his voice quiet and deep.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°The person you have received a marriage certificate with, is your what?¡± Huo Tinglan repeated this question hoarsely.


    He was unusually persistent, as if asking for a name for what he was on the verge of doing.


    The obvious answer was that the Alpha with the marriage certificate was the husband.


    Even kindergarten children knew this sort of common sense. Ye Ci raised his clear and beautiful eyes, a little shy, and looked at Huo Tinglan again a bit evasively.


    ¡°It¡¯s your husband,¡± Huo Tinglan said word by word.


    The next second, Huo Tinglan¡¯s chest sank down ¨C ¨C


    Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he wanted to escape Huo Tinglan¡¯s predatory gaze, but there was nowhere to hide.


    That little head turned in confusion, dizzy and bewildered, and plunged into his arms.

 CH 20

    He had thrown himself into the net.


    Even a saint couldn¡¯t endure.


    Huo Tinglan wrapped his arms around the thin, fresh, and tough young man and buried his canine teeth completely into the back of his neck.


    The large amount of aggressive and extremely potent Alpha pheromones were injected without reservation. The heat was scorching, washing through the red and swollen Omega glands.


    In the end, they were A-level pheromones, and if the strength was too high, it would affect the pain nerves after injection.


    The back of his neck was hot and painful, and even though he had lost the strength in his limbs, Ye Ci still gritted his teeth and struggled. Dizzy and confused, he forcibly twisted his neck to one side, ignoring that Huo Tinglan¡¯s teeth were still wedged in his flesh.


    If he twisted at this time, Huo Tinglan feared that the light bite that was easy to heal might open up.


    Huo Tinglan would be heartbroken to death. He had sharp eyes and agile hands, and was quick to hold Ye Ci¡¯s jaw, letting that pointy little jawbone grind into his bloody palm. He ignored the injury and only tightened his grip, reveling in the temporary marking.


    ¡°Hold still, bear with it,¡± Huo Tinglan coaxed in a hoarse voice, the shameless rhetoric that Alphas had used to mark their partners for thousands of years. Even he was not exempt, but he coaxed more affectionately and tenderly, ¡°Just be patient, baby.¡±


    Ye Ci shook, and the slender fingers that were clinging to Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulders flexed abruptly, tightening as if there was nowhere to vent their strength.


    This indulgent title made him more embarrassed than the temporary mark, and almost woke him up from his confusion.


    In fact, Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t call him that often. In the last life, Ye Ci was too thin-skinned to bear such strong flirtation.


    It seemed to have been bottled up inside, and as soon as the gates were opened, he kept calling it, his voice low and hoarse like sandpaper against Ye Ci¡¯s ear, filling the atmosphere with heat and shame: ¡°Baby, Xiao Ci . . . . Baby . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s ears were red, and he wanted to pull back, but he was restrained.


    The fever was surging, and he was being coaxed by the highly compatible Alpha. He was unbearably and inexplicably excited, and even his toes curled.


    Mentally, physically . . . . the undifferentiated immature glands had endured too much.


    The moment the temporary mark was complete, Ye Ci whined like a kitten from his throat, kicked his bare feet spasmodically, and fainted in Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms.


    For susceptible Alphas, a temporary marking on the back of the neck was often just the beginning of a series of intimate behaviors.


    An appetizer.


    The physical pain was relieved, but the spirit was not full. On the contrary, it enticed a greedy person to keep going.


    Huo Tinglan embraced the bamboo-like youth in his arms and greedily sniffed the scent of spirits blended with vanilla. It was the smell that symbolized the completion of the temporary marking, and it was familiar and unfamiliar. It haunted his longing, and had soothed his mania and relieved his pain countless times.


    A certain deep and surging emotion seeped into every breath he breathed. Heaving up and down in his chest like sea lanterns, the madness, the beastly desire, the vicious instincts . . . . gradually merged into monstrous love and shattered into salty white foam.


    He held Ye Ci¡¯s thin shoulders, his breathing still heavy and his eyes bloodshot, but with forbearance and love, he laid Ye Ci down flat like a piece of fragile porcelain and closed the collar of his pajamas for him.


    Immediately, he grabbed the intercom phone on the side.


    . . . . . .


    Charity Private Hospital.


    East Hospital Building on the third floor.


    The newly admitted patient needed to rest. The Huo family had cleared the area, and except for room 305, there was no one in the other wards on the third floor. It was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of the willow branches in the wind outside the window.


    Ye Ci had fallen into a deep sleep.


    He had inherited Ye Hongjun¡¯s small face. It was cold when he was awake, his countenance was like snow, and it only showed a little bit of childishness when he was sleeping and defenseless.


    These two months, he had eaten very regularly and nutritiously. He had gained a few pounds, his bones were no longer so prominent, and his cheeks had a wholesome arc.


    In the morning, it was time to wash his face.


    Huo Tinglan stood at his side, took off his watch, and rolled up the cuffs of his shirt. He dipped a towel in some warm water and wrung it out, then wiped Ye Ci¡¯s forehead, the corners of his eyes, his cheeks . . . .


    For the first time, he had received an A-level Alpha mark. Not to mention an undifferentiated Omega boy, even a fully mature older Omega would have inevitably fallen asleep for a day or two.


    The intensity of A-level pheromones was too high, and was destructive to an extent. The body needed to repair itself and assimilate the new information during sleep, and in this way, adverse reactions would be alleviated a lot when the same A-level Alpha marked him next time.


    Ye Ci had been asleep for three days. His physical examination results were normal for the moment.


    But since he was marked by an Alpha in the middle of differentiation, it was difficult to say whether or not there would be any short-term repercussions. Therefore, doctors recommended that he stay in the hospital for observation for a period of time, so that his hormone fluctuation levels could be monitored 24/7 and treated at any moment.


    His face was ticklish and wet . . . . as if he was being licked by a large dog.


    Ye Ci frowned, his eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes abruptly.


    He had slept so long that his awareness was lax, and he blinked a little hazily.


    He saw the ceiling, walls, and bed sheets, an expanse of white.


    There was also a hand with a few blue veins on the back of it. The cuffs of the fog-blue shirt were rolled flat and smooth. It was a mature man¡¯s hand, but its movements were so soft, wiping his face with a damp towel.


    Dazed, he followed the arm with his eyes.


    Huo Tinglan was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at him. His eyes were dark, and except for tenderness, no other emotions could be discerned. The rest were buried very deeply.


    He was like a frenzied hunter maintaining his calm. Having set up a thousand traps, he lay in the grass, quietly watching, waiting to see which pit the precious cub would fall into, so that he could follow him, pick up the soft bundle, and put it in his pocket.


    Memories from before the coma gradually returned.


    The family dinner.


    Light beer.


    Embracing in the back of the car.


    . . . . . .


    ¡°Huo-shushu,¡± Ye Ci rubbed his eyes, ¡°Why am I here . . . .¡±


    Before a word could be said, the long-overdue memories from the safe room returned.


    Like a metal wire that burned orange-red, the fine point unexpectedly stirred up the ashes into the shining whiteness of hot shame.


    The hot pain on the back of his neck, the curled toes, tightly gripping arms and undulating chest muscles, the sweet and presumptuous sound of  ¡°baby¡± that caressed his ears. ¡°Baby,¡± ¡°Xiao Ci,¡± and the intense, suffocating emotion in his eyes. So straightforward, so terribly blunt, like a mad beast that wanted to eat him alive. An Alpha in his susceptible period was actually like that . . . . Ye Ci couldn¡¯t breathe. His chest still seemed to be restrained by a constricting arm, and his face flushed red. He rolled, slamming into the guardrail to avoid Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand that was holding the hot towel. Stirred up like a girl dodging a scoundrel, if he hadn¡¯t been fenced in, he would have rolled to the ground.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand froze as if someone had agitated the wound, and he was stunned.


    That palm was indeed injured. The bandage had been removed, but four dark red bloody scabs still remained.


    Ye Ci glanced at it, and averted his eyes as if burned.


    Huo Tinglan withdrew his hand and threw the towel away to show that he wouldn¡¯t touch him, and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    This apology came from the heart.


    That night, he really didn¡¯t mean to mark Ye Ci. He had crooked thoughts and wanted to sneak a mouthful of honey, but that was all.


    Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have had to endure so hard at first.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Ci coming to his door, perhaps he could have stopped himself from putting that little neck under those fangs dripping with greed . . . .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to give you a temporary mark.¡± Huo Tinglan looked straight at Ye Ci, not begging for leniency, not shirking responsibility, not coercing. The pain of being tormented during the A-level susceptibility period, Ye Ci¡¯s negligence in throwing himself into the net, the gentle care he had shown Ye Ci these past two months . . . . he didn¡¯t mention a word of it.


    ¡°I lost control. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He only apologized for his own mistakes.


    Like a drowning man clinging to driftwood, Ye Ci grasped the metal guard rail on the edge of the bed, alertly watching him from the corner of his eye.


    Huo Tinglan had come to the hospital to take care of this person and had not dressed up. With a few strands of hair drooping over his brow, he wore a casual shirt without a tie, with one button undone. His temperament made him seem a few years younger, not in line with the ¡°shushu¡± that Ye Ci was used to calling him. His straight collar bones gradually disappeared into his collar, and his muscles propped up that fog-blue shirt material, expensive and sensual . . . .


    His ears roared, suddenly flushed with blood.


    Appropriately dressed, sober expression, honest and sincere tone . . . . Ye Ci turned his face away, as uneasy as if he had looked at a yellow book.


    ¡°. . . . Xiao Ci,¡± Huo Tinglan called to him softly, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed and he gave an mm-hm, saying faintly, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    He had forcefully broken into the basement during Huo Tinglan¡¯s susceptible period. His intentions were good, but had led to these consequences, and it was difficult to say that he bore no responsibility.


    Replace him with any A-level Alpha that night, and it would have been impossible for them to remember not to mark him.


    There was nothing to say. He didn¡¯t blame anyone.


    ¡°Really,¡± he emphasized again in a whisper.


    Then, without saying a word, without looking at anyone, he picked and rubbed at the metallic paint on the guard rail he couldn¡¯t get through, making his fingers red.


    The precious cub froze in place, curled into a small ball, didn¡¯t give a reaction, and didn¡¯t fall into any traps.


    There was no telling what was going on in that little head.


    He hid himself again.


    The possibility of all his previous efforts going down the drain made Huo Tinglan feel a rare anxiety in his heart.


    Feeling as if two sharp eyes were patrolling his face like ice chisels, attempting to find a weak point and defeat him in one fell swoop, Ye Ci hurriedly lowered his head, lay down, and wrapped himself with a blanket.


    He had experienced the power of Huo-shushu¡¯s insight.


    ¡°I¡¯m still, still tired, I want to sleep for a while.¡± The voice was muffled by the blanket as it urged: ¡°You go, go do your own thing.¡±


    Only a few strands of fluffy black hair poked out from the blanket, laying on the pillow like whiskers.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Huo Tinglan closed his eyes and got up to stand beside the bed, his voice low. ¡°Call me anytime, your phone is on the bedside table, and it is fully charged.¡± After a pause, he spoke again, ¡°With your current situation, you can be discharged from the hospital as soon as tomorrow. Your school midterm exam was yesterday and today . . . .¡±


    The figure under the blanket moved slightly.


    Ye Ci attached great importance to the midterm exam, and had been looking forward to the improvement of his score to give himself a boost.


    ¡°. . . . I requested an alternate exam paper.¡± Huo Tinglan had guessed this. Fearing that Ye Ci would be disappointed, he comforted him in a gentle voice, ¡°The difficulty is very close to the first exam. The scores can be used for reference, and you can take the test yourself once you have time.¡±


    The person under the blanket was silent for a few seconds, as if calming down a certain emotion, and his voice trembled a little when he spoke again: ¡°Thank, thank you, Huo-shushu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, was quiet for a moment, and leaned over slightly. He lightly touched the ends of Ye Ci¡¯s hair outside the blanket with his knuckles.


    Under the blanket . . . .


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t notice Huo Tinglan¡¯s small movements, and only covered his two small, thin ears in vain. It seemed that in this way, he could block from his ears the sweet and presumptuous ¡°baby¡± in his memory, and could contain that electric current that penetrated from the top of his skull, down his spine to the soles of his feet . . . .


    Nibbling away until his bones were limp and numb.


    But he couldn¡¯t ward it off, couldn¡¯t stop it.


    His heart was beating fast.

 CH 21

    Ye Ci¡¯s negative reaction was much bigger than Huo Tinglan had imagined.


    When he was discharged from the hospital, he was checked again inside and out, and by all indications, he was basically back to normal. The person himself was still listless, obviously thinking about things.


    Huo Tinglan apologized to him, and he had accepted it completely. It didn¡¯t look like he dared to be angry or speak out. But when he wanted to take the opportunity to reconcile with Ye Ci again, he would awkwardly shy away. He often wouldn¡¯t say more than a few words, clumsily using ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sleepy¡± as excuses to avoid communicating with Huo Tinglan.


    It seemed inoffensive but was, in fact, more difficult to deal with than anger.


    In order to not over-stimulate him, Huo Tinglan resisted the urge to ask questions and press. After putting this matter on the backburner for a couple of days, the midterm exam papers were sent by Uncle He.


    After getting the school¡¯s exam papers, Ye Ci tried his best to dispel the strange emotions that had been haunting him for the past two days, strictly following the school¡¯s exam time to monitor himself. After finishing the sets of test papers in his bedroom, he asked Uncle He for the answers in order to compare scores.


    It was easy to decide how to fill in the blanks, and to follow the steps for the major questions of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, but he was not sure about some subjective questions in Chinese and English, especially regarding composition.


    If he scored himself low, he would not be reconciled, and if he judged the score too high, he would be lying to himself.


    After hesitating for a while, he finally took the papers and looked for Huo-shushu.


    ¡°. . . . Huo-shushu.¡± Ye Ci knocked on the study door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Huo Tinglan closed a document and gestured at the paper in Ye Ci¡¯s hand. So as not to make him feel awkward, he took the lead and said, ¡°How did you do on the exam?¡±


    ¡°I per, performed well.¡± Ye Ci pursed his lips.


    Huo Tinglan wore a dazzling white shirt today, with an imperial collar and a platinum tie with one side decorated with small stag antlers. He had an Alpha¡¯s unique power and dignity. With eyes as black and clear as water, he was extraordinarily handsome.


    Ye Ci was as nervous as a thief, swiftly averting his eyes and staring at his slippers: ¡°That is, some questions, such as composition, I wasn¡¯t sure how to judge . . . . Can you help take a look at it for me?¡±


    ¡°Okay, bring it to me.¡± Huo Tinglan reached out to pick it up.


    The hand was slender and powerful, strong and lean. The fingers and wrist were angular, with slightly convex blue veins on the back. An expensive mechanical watch clasped that wrist, with sapphire glass and a crocodile wristband, and the dial was painted with a magnificent moon phase diagram.


    Innately handsome, nourished by money, dazzling, calm, and elegant. It would be difficult for any Omega to resist these charms, but they had fallen into the eyes of the uninitiated, who had just now noticed them.


    He¡¯d used his jawbone to grind into the bloody palm of this hand . . . .


    Some ill-timed images burst into his mind. Ye Ci¡¯s heart beat straight into his throat, and with his face lowered, he redirected his hand to place the paper on the corner of the table: ¡°Thank, thank you.¡±


    After speaking, and without waiting for Huo Tinglan to respond, he slipped away faster than a wildcat.


    Ye Ci returned to the room, and in order to shake off those blush-inducing, ear-warming images that were playing repeatedly in his mind, he went to the terrace to smoke half a pack of cigarettes.


    Maybe it was from smoking too much or from crouching for a long time, but his legs trembled when he got up, soft and heavy like dragging two lumps of mud.


    He washed hastily, and with the chaotic mind of a teenager, slumped onto the pillow, forcing himself to repeat formulas continuously to expel the unwanted thoughts. Half-dreaming and half-awake, an unbearable dry heat rose up in his body, and the sweet fragrance of vanilla drifted. Ye Ci opened his eyes in a daze, wanting to turn on the air conditioner, but was reluctant to waste the drowsiness he had cultivated with great concentration. He fell into dreamland, at a loss.


    And in that dream, it was all . . . .


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand.


    The hand he saw in the study that evening.


    With sharp angles and sensual blue veins, like that night, it clasped Ye Ci¡¯s jaw and let him use his jawbone to grind into the palm of that injured hand, and the faint, sweet scent of blood pervaded.


    ¡°Baby . . . .¡±


    A seductive double-bass voice.


    A tingling pain in his neck.


    The feeling of being possessed by an Alpha.


    What it was like to be an Omega . . . .


    The vague dream abruptly came to an end.


    ¡°Wu . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci woke up suddenly.


    A foot spasmed across the sheet, making a long, shallow dent in the pure white cotton.


    The bedroom was sweet and fragrant, and Ye Ci¡¯s body exuded an abnormal heat, dripping with sweat. His pajamas and even the sheets were soaked through, his face was the color of a spring peach again, and his mind was a bit chaotic.


    It was very similar to the experience that night.


    It was just a difference of degree.


    . . . . This appeared to be a mild and brief period of fever.


    He had dreamed of Huo-shushu.


    He still . . . .


    Was he crazy?!


    What was he thinking?!


    Like a fish out of water, Ye Ci abruptly sat up, resting his elbows on his knees and covering his hot, embarrassed face with one hand.


    He didn¡¯t know what was normal and what was abnormal. He hadn¡¯t had a competent father who could properly guide a boy through adolescence, and the pressure of life during his lingering youth never allowed him the curiosity to explore independently.


    He was ashamed, as if he had done a bad thing.


    It may have been that his face was too hot and the heat made his eyes sore, because Ye Ci¡¯s eyes were moist and slightly red, holding a trace of water.


    He wiped his eyes fiercely and exhaled. With a cold face, he removed the sweat-stained sheets and quilt, kicked off his pajamas, and took them into the bathroom.


    As long as the laundry that needed to be washed was thrown into the dirty clothes basket, the laundry room servant would come to collect it the next day. The outer garments were okay for them to deal with, but Ye Ci was too embarrassed to let others touch his underclothes. He had purchased a small jug of laundry detergent, and for shorts and the like, he washed them as soon as possible the day after changing them, and then hung them in an inconspicuous place.


    Fortunately, he had been prepared.


    He dug out the jug of laundry detergent and scrubbed the sheets with water.


    After washing the set, he dared not take it to the terrace to dry, for fear that people would see  and ask him why he was up in the middle of the night cleaning them, so he took two chairs and set them a distance apart to stretch the larger pieces out to dry.


    After washing, drying, and changing the bedding, he had worked for over an hour. In addition to the mild fever that still hadn¡¯t gone away, Ye Ci was so tired that he nodded off while changing the quilt. He didn¡¯t care to continue beating himself up, and fell asleep.


    The next day.


    Ye Ci rarely slept late in the morning.


    To Ye Ci¡¯s perception, the brief mild fever from the previous night had subsided and everything was normal.


    He was marked by an Alpha in the middle of differentiation and couldn¡¯t bear it in the end, resulting in the repercussions of hormonal disorder, and would have irregular and mild pseudo-fevers in the following days. When he was discharged from the hospital, the doctor told him to keep a few more barrier patches with him, try not to go other places besides home and school until his hormones were stable, and pay attention to his personal safety . . . . As for the treatment of this fever, the first thing was to be patient since the intensity was mild and was not dangerous to his health. It was enough to isolate the pheromones so that they wouldn¡¯t affect others. The second thing was to seek out the Alpha who marked him before for comfort.


    Since the active ingredient in the Omega inhibitors on the market was artificial imitation Alpha pheromones, these  ¡°inferior products¡± would only stimulate the Alpha pheromones remaining in Ye Ci¡¯s body and make him more uncomfortable. So until Huo Tinglan¡¯s temporary mark disappeared, inhibitors were ineffective for Ye Ci.


    Of course Ye Ci chose to endure it.


    He didn¡¯t go to class for a whole week due to his hospitalization. On Monday the next day, he grabbed a handful of barrier patches from the drawer and stuffed them into his shoulder bag.


    One layer was not enough, so he pasted on a second, and two layers weren¡¯t enough, so he pasted on a third.


    At last he was done sticking them on.


    He got up late, and Huo Tinglan had already left for the company when he went downstairs for breakfast.


    Ye Ci heaved a sigh of relief at not meeting him face to face.


    Otherwise . . . .


    Thinking of that shameless dream, Ye Ci didn¡¯t know what expression he should use to face Huo-shushu.


    They were out of control that night.


    But Huo-shushu was purely affected by his susceptible period, and returned to normal immediately after it ended. He looked the same as before, still so gentle and decent.


    He was the only one who couldn¡¯t control himself, as if he had awakened some deep-rooted bad habits, some dark instinct, a mind full of crooked thoughts and images not fit to be seen.


    It was still just a temporary mark for the sake of treatment. He was unexpectedly dwelling on it over and over, and his soul trembled at the thought.


    If Huo-shushu saw through him . . . .


    He wouldn¡¯t need to find a hole in the ground, just directly find a beam to hang from.


    There were two corrected test papers on the table.


    The pen marks were handsome and sharp, and the most annotated part was English composition. He crossed out the spelling and grammar mistakes and wrote the correct ones to the side, explaining a few sentence patterns. There were more comments than actual text. After explaining, he did not forget to leave a few words of encouragement, to the effect that he had made obvious progress.


    Such an ordinary thing somehow made his eyes sting.


    Ye Ci re-read it several times.


    The score given by Huo Tinglan was very fair, and he did not deliberately relax his standards in order to indulge him.


    He calculated the points and added them together with mathematics, physics, and chemistry for an exciting score.


    It was much better than the test at the beginning of school, and his ranking didn¡¯t necessarily have to look good. After all, in a place like Tiancheng Private School, even the slacker students were good enough.


    Ye Ci folded the papers and planned to show Ye Hongjun when he visited her at night ¨C if she was not in a bad state and could chat with him for a while.


    Aside from his mother, the only person in the world who made him want to share his joy was Huo Tinglan.


    Ye Ci stirred the porridge with a spoon in a trance, his cheeks pink and his eyelashes fluttering.


    He remembered that Huo Tinglan helped him clean up his mother¡¯s old things and cherished the things he cherished, thought of how Huo Tinglan helped him learn in a roundabout way to maintain his fragile self-esteem, about the words ¡°Three times a day, one tablet at a time¡± written by Huo Tinglan on the medicine box, about Huo Tinglan tirelessly showing him how to tie his tie over and over again. How he taught him how to eat things he wasn¡¯t familiar with, helped him vent his anger by teaching others a lesson on his behalf, and bloodied his hands for him.


    In just two months, Huo Tinglan was so good, but he hadn¡¯t thought about it.


    It was too much.


    This Huo-shushu was a wealthy heir born with a golden spoon in his mouth, strong-willed but not a bully.


    Like the moon in the sky, the snow on the top of the mountain.


    It looked cold and distant, unattainable, but what fell into his arms was clear light and a spring breeze.


    Ye Ci took a sip of porridge.


    It was his favorite seafood porridge, but he couldn¡¯t taste it.


    He was thinking about his Huo-shushu. His heart clenched, his ears were burning hot, and he thought about everything that had happened the past two months, but he couldn¡¯t understand why he was dwelling on it.


    It was the first awakening of romance.


    Love without knowing.

 CH 22

    Ye Ci wanted to talk to someone.


    If he kept thinking like this all day, let alone not being able to study, he would go crazy.


    Originally, he would have had a chat with Ye Hongjun. The mother and son depended on each other for survival, and could trust each other more than the usual parent-child relationship, but this was the only thing he couldn¡¯t tell Ye Hongjun.


    She didn¡¯t even know about the marriage connecting the Chu and Huo families.


    Since she fell ill, Ye Ci had always reported good news to her instead of the bad.


    Being arranged by Chu Wenlin to marry an Alpha who was 12 years older than him and whom he didn¡¯t know before, no matter how he presented this matter, he couldn¡¯t erase the scummy smell of Chu Wenlin selling his son for glory.


    He was lucky to have met Huo-shushu.


    What if he had been unlucky?


    If Ye Hongjun knew about it, she would probably go crazy. Given her current physical condition, it was hard to say whether she could bear it.


    Moreover, it was difficult for him to explain the current situation without causing Ye Hongjun to worry. After all, she knew how he always tried to act brave. The more he hyped Huo-shushu up, the more afraid Ye Hongjun might be.


    So when he visited her last week, he lied and said that he was still living with Chu Wenlin and everything was fine.


    In addition to Ye Hongjun, he used to have some good friends when he lived on the old street. Later, Ye Hongjun fell ill and he was so busy with his part-time job that he became estranged from these people and his former classmates.


    Besides, even if he hadn¡¯t distanced himself, he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to them about this mess¡­¡­


    Ye Ci hurriedly finished his breakfast, went back to the room, and locked the door. After thinking about it, he took out his phone and browsed around for a while, and found an Omega support forum.


    No one knew anyone online.


    He wouldn¡¯t be afraid of being embarrassed.


    He registered a new account and opened a post. He didn¡¯t know where to start, so he vaguely said that he had agreed to marry an Alpha who was much different in age, and picked out a few things about Huo Tinglan¡¯s daily dealings with him, talking about them briefly.


    L1: Dude, make a public display of affection.


    L2: He asked for help in the title, isn¡¯t that bad advice?


    . . . . . .


    L10: . . . . My heart is as cold as my knife.[1]


    Yc: That¡¯s not it.


    Yc: I often think bad things.


    Yc: About him.


    33L: What do you mean by bad things? Spousal murder? Domestic violence? Cheating? . . . .


    Dozens of floors were built[1], and no one guessed correctly.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Were netizens so obtuse?


    Ye Ci hesitated for a moment, then quickly typed a few colorful words. After sending it, he threw the phone away as if it was on fire. With a blushing face, he felt for a cigarette, and after feeling around for a while, he found that his stock was depleted. He was too good at smoking these days.


    He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, then suddenly grabbed his phone.


    83L: Taking the liberty to ask OP¡¯s age.


    84L: Can¡¯t laugh anymore, I¡¯m dead.


    85L: No way, no way, no one these days can¡¯t realize when they¡¯re in love with someone, right?


    86L: Blindly guessing it¡¯s an innocent male high school student, ha ha ha.


    . . . . . .


    Yc: 18 years old.


    Yc: I¡¯m a high school student. I stayed back a year. What¡¯s the problem?


    Immediately below, there was a wave of ¡°cute and pure male high school student, hug gege/jiejie¡±. . . .


    Ye Ci: ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ashamed, he reflexively felt for a cigarette again.


    Yc: Is this a joke?


    There was another round of hilarity and love below.


    Ye Ci was completely taken aback, and accepted the bombardment with honest confusion.


    After a few rounds of laughter and amusement, someone finally answered the question.


    156L: Don¡¯t you just like him? What¡¯s wrong with thinking about someone you like?


    157L: Don¡¯t be ashamed, you¡¯re both adults. Don¡¯t worry about it, there¡¯s not a problem, you¡¯re normal.


    . . . . . .


    Yc: He just takes care of me as my senior, I have the wrong idea.


    177L: Alas . . . . the old man is suffering. Let me try the next paragraph ¨C I thought he took care of me because he liked me, but he actually treated me like a child.


    178L: Also, he¡¯s your father¡¯s friend and there¡¯s a big age difference, maybe the old man can¡¯t express it out loud.


    179L: What¡¯s wrong with having feelings? Besides, who is it that you have a crush on?


    180L: Don¡¯t you live together? Seduce him with pheromones!


    . . . . . .


    Further down, the chaos descended and the more they said, the more outrageous they were, until they were almost sprinting to board the train.


    Ye Ci blushed, and dared not look again. He nervously closed the web page, cleared his browsing history, and then fell back as if he had lost all his strength, falling heavily on the bed.


    The sun was bright all of a sudden, and he covered his face with his arms. Under the sleeves of the lake-blue pajamas, a small area of hibiscus-pink jaw was tense, as if he were gritting his teeth and stubbornly resisting. After a while, the lines gradually loosened and softened.


    So, he unconsciously . . . . liked Huo-shushu?


    Since when?


    He didn¡¯t know, and still couldn¡¯t figure it out up to now.


    Like a pot of slowly heating water, he suddenly regained his senses and felt it was hot, but couldn¡¯t tell at what moment the temperature exceeded the threshold.


    Probably around . . . . hm.


    Ye Ci turned over and hid his face in his arms.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand, he had learned that he liked someone.


    He was done for.


    . . . . . .


    Some things didn¡¯t make sense, and once they were figured out, the crisis would be impossible to control.


    When a young man began to fall in love, it was as if a floodgate was knocked open in his mind. It opened suddenly, but he lacked the experience to control the flow. Waves rushed toward the sky, and everything was washed away by that young and reckless love.


    Originally, Ye Ci only made mistakes in taking care of himself. He was always cautious and practical in his studies and work, but these two days, it seemed that he had become a fool. Things were not going well. Whenever others asked him questions, he answered without thinking, so absent-minded that he couldn¡¯t even keep up with the exercises. Going to school, his body and mind headed out first, and Uncle He chased after him, calling him with his schoolbag.


    In the past two days, he had also redoubled his efforts to hide from Huo Tinglan and resumed the style of staying aloof just like when he first came to the Huo residence. The hazy admiration and longing had his heart in his throat every second. He feared that his expression and the emotions in his eyes would be revealed, and Huo-shushu would see into the thoughts of love hidden within him. As a result, he felt doubly ashamed to show his face.


    After school on Wednesday, he returned to the Huo residence, said hello to Uncle He, and slipped back to the bedroom to do his homework. He used to go to the study to do his homework so that he could release pheromones in the same room and help Huo Tinglan relieve the symptoms of the early stages of susceptibility. But he wouldn¡¯t have to do that again for the next two or three months, and he was happy to avoid it.


    He immersed himself in writing papers, and for the questions he didn¡¯t know, he went as far as the steps could take him. In the past few days, he had accumulated a lot of questions, and he wanted to try his luck and wait for the teacher to cover them in class.


    Half of the homework was written, and the long summer day turned into twilight. The white-hot summer air dissipated, and cool wind blew from the window, but Ye Ci was hot and uneasy.


    The scent of vanilla, like velvet soaked in honey, spread and grew.


    It was far from familiar, but the two previous experiences were enough to make Ye Ci realize that his pheromones were disordered again.


    It was that kind of ¡°mild, short-lived fever.¡±


    Ye Ci tore off the barrier patch that had been in use for a long time and quickly replaced it with a new one.


    As if his head had been injected with glue, his thinking gradually became muddled.


    Ye Ci was lying on the study table, hiding his face in the darkness provided by his arms.


    The scene of the temporary marking a few days ago emerged from the chaos, vivid and fragrant. Like an inexhaustible piece of sugar cane, juicy and plump, he ate it again and again. It was sweet and moist, and he chewed it with a kind of embarrassed shame.


    On the one side, he was having unrealistic fantasies about his senior and caregiver. On the other side was the unfamiliar inverted yin and yang love ¨C that urge belonged to an Omega, not an Alpha. His body could change very quickly, but his spirit had not turned this sharp corner. What the body desired was no longer to conquer, plunder, and occupy, but to add a ¡°be¡± in front of every word, completely transforming into the yielding, submissive party . . . . he was afraid and embarrassed.


    The tide of love was flowing, its offensive getting stronger, and his body slid down like mud. He couldn¡¯t stay sitting, staggered to the side of the bed, and fell down.


    He lay down and curled up, making his body appear small. This little one, trembling pitifully, endured the throbbing alone.


    He suspected that the hospital¡¯s judgment was inaccurate. What about this looked ¡°slight?¡±


    Hours had passed, and there was no sign of the tide ebbing.


    Instead, the desire for Huo Tinglan¡¯s pheromones intensified. The fluffy tips emerged like spring grass, a gust of warm wind blew, and they rubbed against each other, itching to the core . . . .


    ¡°Huff . . . . huff . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci urgently pulled at his neckline. Due to a few threads of blood, his black and white eyes were not so clear.


    Maybe . . . .


    An absurd thought popped into his mind.


    He couldn¡¯t let Huo-shushu know.


    If you didn¡¯t know something, it was almost like it never happened.


    He was silent.


    Once he had this bad idea, he couldn¡¯t get rid of it.


    After another ten minutes, Ye Ci got down from the messy bed and grabbed the exercise booklet as an excuse of last resort.


    Unless he didn¡¯t have much business to take care of that day, Huo Tinglan would most likely be working in the study at this time.


    Ye Ci tiptoed to Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedroom.


    The door was open, and he peeked in. No one was there.


    There was no one on either side of the corridor.


    Ye Ci swallowed hard, stepped inside, and whispered to himself: ¡°Huo-shushu, are you, are you here?¡±


    Of course, no one responded.


    Ye Ci tightened his grip on the exercise book in his hand to gear himself up, and took a few steps inward: ¡°I have, have some questions that I can¡¯t do . . . .¡±


    The chilly smell of tequila lingered in the bedroom. Ye Ci moved his small nose and smelled it so comfortably that his breath even shivered.


    It was comfortable to be in the room like this, but he couldn¡¯t stay there forever, in case Huo Tinglan went back to the room to get something or change his clothes. It would be too easy to get caught.


    Wait, change clothes . . . .


    As if he had grasped something very important, he walked toward the bathroom as if compelled by some kind of spirit.


    Huo Tinglan paid attention to appearance and loved cleanliness. In summer, he changed clothes frequently, often wearing one set in the morning and another set in the afternoon, so he didn¡¯t have time to clear away the clothes he changed at noon.


    They were all in the laundry basket.


    The problem was, on top of the basket of laundry was an item . . . .


    Pure black.


    Bullet type. [3]


    Inexplicably . . . . unassuming, yet intriguing.


    Ye Ci glanced around from side to side in a daze. He turned his face away suddenly, choked, and was so ashamed that he wanted to kill himself in the bathtub on the spot to show his innocence.


    He didn¡¯t sneak in to see this!


    By heaven and hell, he didn¡¯t think about it!


    Huo-shushu was also strange. He thought that if you sweat, you should change your shirt, but why were underwear also changed twice a day?!


    Ye Ci was so shocked that his palms began to sweat, and he didn¡¯t dare to think about getting a shirt anymore. As if he were running a drug ring, he just wanted to get away from the area on the double. But as soon as he turned around, something even more devastating happened.


    [1] ¡°My heart is as cold as my knife¡± is an internet term to used express indifference, referring to a marketplace fish butcherer who has been killing fish so long, he is no longer affected by it. ?


    [2] ¡°Floors¡± = comment threads, indicated by L1, L2, etc. ?


    [3] Bullet type: A type of underwear that look like briefs, but tighter.  ?

 CH 23

    ¨C ¨C There were clear footsteps in the hallway.


    And they were getting closer.


    Going straight to Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedroom.


    Ye Ci¡¯s face turned white with horror. When his shock faded, he rushed out.


    As a result, as soon as he stepped out, he ran into Huo Tinglan head-on. The two looked at each other and saw one another clearly and distinctly, with no room for salvaging the situation.


    However . . . . the hallway was silent for only a second.


    No, maybe not even a second.


    Huo Tinglan looked calm, glanced at the exercise book in Ye Ci¡¯s hand that was on the verge of being crushed, and asked lightly: ¡°Which question are you having trouble with? Why didn¡¯t you go to the study to find me?¡±


    ¡°. . . . . .¡± Ye Ci¡¯s throat felt like it was filled with cement, and he hesitated. Let alone saying nonsense, he couldn¡¯t even squeeze out a single syllable.


    But Huo Tinglan seemed to be asking casually. He didn¡¯t give Ye Ci time to answer and didn¡¯t even look at his panic-stricken face. Instead, he went straight to the bed and picked up a document from the bedside table that he had been reading when he fell asleep last night, and said to him: ¡°I have an emergency meeting.¡± He looked down at his watch and confirmed the meeting time. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to be back before ten o¡¯clock. If you don¡¯t know the questions, save them and I¡¯ll go over them with you tonight . . . . is that okay?¡±


    Coming back from death¡¯s door, Ye Ci regained his language ability and nodded like he was pounding garlic: ¡°O, okay!¡±


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips curved into a covert arc. He walked into the cloakroom, took out a coat and put it on his forearm, and strode toward the stairs like he was really in a hurry.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t dare to linger any longer and quickly went back to the room, clinging to the window and looking out.


    In the distance, a black Maybach 62 slowly drove towards the gate of the house.


    ¨C ¨C Huo-shushu really went out.


    The fever period was making his brain dull, otherwise Ye Ci would have noticed that Huo Tinglan¡¯s ¡°consideration¡± was familiar.


    Seeing through everything, but staying silent. Just lightly prodding from the side to provide guidance. It was completely in accordance with Huo Tinglan¡¯s consistent style.


    The miserably suffering brain that was hijacked by the Omega glands desperately craved Huo Tinglan¡¯s pheromones. Ye Ci had never been in Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedroom until he went there and tasted how sweet and comfortable it was to be soothed by an adoring Alpha during the fever period. That greed and thirst were twice as difficult to contain, and his body temperature continued to rise.


    It would be fine if he didn¡¯t touch what he shouldn¡¯t touch.


    For a while, nothing moved in the house.


    Huo-shushu wouldn¡¯t return home until ten o¡¯clock.


    There was even time to open the windows and ventilate the ¡°evidence¡± of the smell.


    What was he afraid of?


    The brain dominated by love instigated him every minute and every second, without end.


    When he regained his senses, he had already returned to Huo Tinglan¡¯s room as if sleepwalking.


    Their pheromones were so compatible. The burning glands were soothed, and just like dipping burnt skin into ice water, Ye Ci was immersed in a kind of extreme comfort that made his muscles and bones go soft.


    The object with the most residual pheromones, aside from the laundry basket in the bathroom, was the big bed in the center of the room. He was like a cub attracted by bait. He knew he shouldn¡¯t go, but his stomach was empty. Hungry and thirsty, sniffing the fragrance and anxiously going in circles, round and round, he couldn¡¯t overcome his instincts in the end and looked for an excuse to draw near . . . .


    Just a sniff.


    He wouldn¡¯t touch.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedsheets and quilt cover were an identical graphite color made of satin material, cool and soft, overflowing with a silk-like brilliance. Ye Ci had never seen anyone use a four-piece bed set like this . . . . he couldn¡¯t describe it, and only felt that just looking at it could make people blush.


    He stood beside the bed with a dense fog in his eyes, sniffing greedily.


    He couldn¡¯t get enough.


    It was so strange.


    Wave after wave, his hot blood surged.


    When the good child did a bad thing, at first, fear and dread interweaved. But then, a secret and novel excitement quickly fermented, awakening a part of the green youth that overlapped with his Omega attributes . . . . his qi and blood flourished, restless and reckless. These things had been lying dormant inside him all along.


    His fingertips rebelled, casually stroking the silky graphite-colored satin soaked in Alpha pheromones.


    It was like licking a dark pool of water with the tip of his tongue.


    Sweet and tempting.


    Ye Ci¡¯s face and ears were red, his eyes blank and unfocused. It was difficult to control his throbbing heart, which was like a bad boy coaxing a little lover to taste the forbidden fruit for the first time. He pricked up his ears to catch the subtle noises outside the window and the hallway, and kept glancing at the gap in the door ¨C the soundproofing in Huo Tinglan¡¯s bedroom was very good. He didn¡¯t dare to lock the door, for fear that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear noises from the hallway, or that a servant would suddenly break in and stumble upon his dirty desires.


    Confirming that no one would break in, Ye Ci cautiously lay on his stomach, resting his head on the side of Huo Tinglan¡¯s pillow.


    At first, he tried to hold his bottom line.


    He maintained his restraint and tried not to take up space. His thin body was neatly tucked into a line along the bed, so that he would fall off if he turned over. He breathed in small sips, as if he were sipping strong wine, but also as if he would be charged by the millileter for the air he breathed in this room.


    But gradually, this sort of contact was no longer satisfying. He moved towards the middle impatiently, and no longer lay rigidly like a corpse at a funeral.


    After some time, he began to rub his hot face against Huo Tinglan¡¯s pillow. His thin lips were open, greedily taking in the pheromones in the air with his mouth and nose. The soft little red tip of his tongue could be seen between his teeth. He was addicted and drunk. Like a little cat that fell into a pile of catnip, he didn¡¯t know what it meant to stop, just wanting to build a nest with catnip and live there forever.


    ¡°Huo-shushu . . . .¡± In a trance, he sat up and rolled up Huo Tinglan¡¯s quilt, folded it like a nest, and piled it high with the quilt under his legs and his face buried in it. The ¡°only ten minutes¡± that he had thought about before he came in had long been ejected into the atmosphere. He couldn¡¯t remember how many ¡°ten minutes¡± he had lingered on Huo-shushu¡¯s bed. He had long forgotten to be alert to the sound of vehicles outside the window, and his ears were full of his frantic, clumsy heartbeat and hoarse murmurs of, ¡°Huo-shushu . . . .¡±


    At this moment, the sound of footsteps came in through the crack in the door, neither light nor heavy.


    The delirious Ye Ci caught this signal.


    The moonlight spilling into the room suddenly became brighter, not like moonlight . . . .


    The scent of tequila became fragrant . . . .


    These signs were very weak, and he was still in a daze, but his instinctual vigilance rose from the chaos, breaking through the surface of the water . . . .


    Ye Ci raised his eyes, took a breath of cold air, kicked the quilt away suddenly, and bounced up in a single movement.


    The bedroom door opened at an angle.


    Huo Tinglan stood backlit at the doorway and looked at him quietly.


    He woke from his trance.


    But it was too late.


    He was caught in the act.


    ¡°Huo . . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s cheeks lost color. His eyes trembled slightly, staring in disbelief, as terrified as a criminal caught in the net or a startled wild goose.


    Why did he come back this soon?


    Was it ten o¡¯clock?


    No, that was wrong . . . .


    How long had he been there?!


    What time was it now?!


    To avoid being noticed, Ye Ci hadn¡¯t dared to turn on the lights. It was pitch dark, and the dim room was gently soaked in the warm light from the wall lamps in the hallway.


    Huo Tinglan was afraid to startle him again, so he didn¡¯t turn on the light. His sharp figure gradually approached in the haze, and he opened his mouth, as always, with a gentle and apologetic tone: ¡°Sorry, did I scare you?¡±


    With Ye Ci¡¯s current state of mind, it was obviously difficult for him to notice the uncontrolled trembling at the tail end of his words.


    It was agreed that he would be back at ten o¡¯clock and it was now 10:01. Right on time. He couldn¡¯t be called a cheater.


    He had been thinking for the past few days that Ye Ci was concealing the situation from him, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, Ye Ci evaded him too well.


    However, when he ran into him in the hallway tonight, he basically confirmed it with one glance.


    He¡¯d wanted to take the opportunity to grab a few clues and use them to scratch Ye Ci¡¯s soft, ticklish flesh, to tease him, to play with him. To let him explain why he wanted to go into his room when no one was there, touching his clothes and sleeping in his bed. To force that tightly closed little clam shell to sip some water, and then slowly pry it open.


    Unexpectedly . . . .


    He simply caught him.


    With his eyesight, he could clearly see from the door that captivating, charming and gentle picture.


    At this moment, he could still hold back the wicked fire due to having endured the past two months, accustomed to playing the role of a good person.


    ¡°I, I wasn¡¯t. So, sorry, Huo-shushu, I¡¯m, I¡¯m not . . . .¡± Ye Ci returned from the dead, wanting to prevaricate, but the joints of his mouth were rusted and hard, and couldn¡¯t be opened.


    He wanted to slip away.


    But before his toes touched the ground, that cool tequila fragrance approached and the mattress sank as Huo Tinglan knelt on one knee on the edge of the bed, cutting off his path.


    Ye Ci shrank back and fell onto the stack of quilts, and the blood gradually poured back into his face.


    He could no longer run, dizzy with shame, and the secret excitement of stealing the forbidden fruit had already been swept away. He was remorseful, and stammered an apology: ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry, Huo-shushu . . . . I, today I¡¯m especially, especially uncomfortable. Sorry, I also don¡¯t, don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me, it¡¯s like, like . . . .¡±


    Intense self-loathing and tremendous shame made his voice ripple on the verge of a sob.


    He was the very picture of speechlessness.


    That word was so shameful.


    In front of Huo Tinglan, he couldn¡¯t speak, couldn¡¯t make it come out.


    He was finished.


    Ye Ci¡¯s slender chest rose and fell rapidly, accompanied by a small and helpless sob.


    He didn¡¯t even remember how old he was the last time he cried in front of someone.


    Disgraceful. He wiped his face with his arm a few times, gritting his teeth to stifle it.


    Suddenly, an arm hugged him firmly and tugged him into an embrace, while the other pulled over the thin quilt he had stacked into a mountain, shook it out, and wrapped up his tense, icy limbs as if spinning a silk chrysalis around a tiny butterfly.


    The slight pressure and heat all over made Ye Ci temporarily return to the present like a soul that had strayed from his body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Huo Tinglan was reclining on the bed, hugging him. His posture was very possessive, as if he wanted to completely encircle Ye Ci. He took out his handkerchief and carefully brushed the corners of Ye Ci¡¯s eyes, which were scratched red by the sleeves of his pajamas. He softened his voice to help that soft, clumsy little tongue explain: ¡°It¡¯s close to your fever period, and you¡¯re very uncomfortable. You can¡¯t use the inhibitors, so you had no choice but to come to my room and lie down for a while¡­¡­right?¡±


    Ye Ci sniffed and nodded lightly as he was coaxed, but felt aggrieved as another round of tears welled up but didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very legitimate need, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Huo Tinglan slowly tightened the arm that hugged Ye Ci¡¯s shoulders, asking gently and knowingly: ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me these days¡­¡­.do you hate Huo-shushu?¡±

 CH 24

    Ye Ci lowered his eyes, shook his head which was exposed outside of the quilt, and said quietly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate . . . .¡±


    He couldn¡¯t lie.


    When he shook his head, his cheek brushed against the prominent muscles of Huo Tinglan¡¯s chest.


    The texture was firm and tough, and the shirt material was smooth.


    He felt like he had taken advantage. His eyes flickered, and his face was ridiculously red.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate him.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes were dark. Relying on the dimness, he stared presumptuously at those two soft, moist lips, flirting and asking in a low voice: ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    Like Huo-shushu ¨C ¨C


    The entanglement of the past few days was suddenly revealed.


    A pile of dirty desire not fit to be seen was pulled to the bright side and illuminated by the sun. Ye Ci reacted as if he had been stabbed, his eyes widening in astonishment. He couldn¡¯t hold those tears back, and they were about to fall.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to look directly at his urge to succumb to the stronger, more mature man, and dared not admit it.


    Especially after just making that scene . . . .


    Just now, he had almost reverted to his appearance from when he was in a state of delusion ¨C this was clearly the face of a young man, with distinct and heroic contours, but due to the Omega pheromones, he showed a delicate, supple, and blushing look at the corners of his eyes. He hugged Huo Tinglan¡¯s quilt, appearing clingy, confused, and unbearable to look at. He had turned into an Omega, but he was still a boy after all, so he shouldn¡¯t be like this. He was so weird, and . . . .


    So awful.


    All of this was seen by Huo Tinglan.


    He was extremely out of sorts, but Huo Tinglan, who was imprisoning him, was dressed neatly. His shirt was crisply ironed and washed snow white, and the slender silver collar pin was decorated with a small jadeite leaf. This close, he could smell the clean fragrance of his aftershave under the pheromones . . . .


    The contrast was great. Ye Ci became increasingly afraid to answer, and pulled out his forearm from the quilt, covering his face as if it was something dirty. His body was shaking with shame and inferiority.


    ¡°Xiao Ci?¡± Huo Tinglan grasped Ye Ci¡¯s wrist to pull it aside, wanting to see his face clearly. He held back his strength at first, but when he saw his stubbornness, he brazenly pried it open and pinned the arm back on the pillow.


    Ye Ci¡¯s face was exposed, and the tips of his eyes, his cheekbones, and the sides of his face were all wet and bright red. His eyes were shut as if he didn¡¯t dare to look at anyone, and he had closed them so hard that a few tears squeezed out of the lovely fine folds at the ends of his eyes.


    He only asked if he liked him or not, and he cried.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him,¡± Huo Tinglan answered for him.


    ¡°. . . .No, I don¡¯t . . . . don¡¯t dislike him.¡± It was as tiny and fragile as a gnat, almost inaudible.


    ¡°Then you like him,¡± Huo Tinglan answered for him again.


    Like him?


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t make a sound, and his thoughts were chaotic and confused.


    The things he couldn¡¯t figure out in his heart were too hard to stammer.


    He clenched his hand until his fingertips went numb, then opened his eyes and looked at Huo Tinglan as if asking for help.


    He seemed to be counting on Huo Tinglan¡¯s keen insight, hoping that he could see through his sick heart and diagnose and treat him.


    Unknown to him, that helpless and aggrieved look, overflowing with light, was saying ¡°yes¡± to Huo Tinglan.


    He couldn¡¯t say it.


    Huo Tinglan understood.


    His chest was abruptly set on fire by this look, and his heart burned hot and painful. As if a switch had been pressed, Huo Tinglan suddenly rolled over, holding Ye Ci¡¯s weakly writhing wrist with one hand. With the other, he drew up Ye Ci¡¯s jaw and kissed his tear-soaked face.


    Ye Ci was stunned. He drew back slightly with a hum, but his chin was grasped and there was a pillow behind his head. There was no place to shrink away, and he could only be pressed down by Huo Tinglan and kissed again.


    His soft face, smooth forehead, black eyebrows . . . . those kisses deliberately avoided Ye Ci¡¯s lips, clearly passionate and full of turmoil, but containing unexpected caution and restraint. Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulders arched slightly, his solid and fierce muscles tense and quivering under his forcible control, like a gentle beast. Ye Ci was numb and softened by the kisses, but also panicked and frightened,


    Like or not like?


    . . . . . .


    He didn¡¯t know. His chest was folded in half and all he knew was that his heart was about to break free, to jump into Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms like a rabbit.


    ¡°Huo-shushu . . . . don¡¯t, don¡¯t . . . .¡± Ye Ci shuddered and begged for mercy.


    As if awakened, Huo Tinglan sat up abruptly and let go of Ye Ci.


    He controlled the violent ups and downs of his chest, adjusted his heavy breathing, and stroked the scattered hair back from his forehead.


    ¡°. . . . I apologize.¡±


    He lowered his eyes and straightened his crooked tie, hiding his aggressive, tiger-like gaze.


    He had made a rare gaffe.


    The heat of Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips still remained on Ye Ci¡¯s cheeks.


    Ye Ci seemed to be in a magnificent and absurd dream, staring at him blankly, his eyes vacant.


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to respond to me . . . . but I think I need to explain to you what I just did.¡± Huo Tinglan closed his eyes, and when he looked up again, he had returned to his usual mild and elegant appearance. He pondered, considering his words as usual in order to make them tactful and appropriate. But after a moment of silence, he smiled in defeat, only tossing out one sentence softly and solemnly: ¡°Xiao Ci, I like you.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes trembled fiercely, and he even held his breath.


    After giving Ye Ci a few seconds to buffer, Huo Tinglan explained slowly: ¡°After agreeing to marry you, I thought we were too different in age and wanted to be a good ¡®shushu¡¯ for you, take care of you and watch you grow up, but . . . .¡± Huo Tinglan laughed lightly at his age, his own frivolity, and the yearning that did not match his years. ¡°I¡¯m 30 years old, but I was just like you in this respect, a blank sheet of paper. So . . . . I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but once I realized, I couldn¡¯t help but think of you every day.¡± He sighed helplessly. ¡°I was afraid of frightening you and didn¡¯t dare let you know. If it hadn¡¯t been for this situation today, I might never have said anything. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll think I¡¯m very wicked and took care of you with impure motives . . . .¡±


    Huo-shushu . . . . liked him?


    Not only didn¡¯t dislike him, but also liked him.


    Ye Ci stirred uneasily, and white steam nearly poured from the top of his head because of this series of confessions. He had really never forgotten when he first called him Huo-shushu. Grabbing the key points, he retorted: ¡°I, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wicked.¡±


    ¡°. . . . What about just now?¡± Huo Tinglan hit the snake with the stick,[1] but he said with a sincere expression of guilt, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help kissing your face just now, without asking for your consent. I¡¯m sorry I offended you, I won¡¯t do it next time.¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m not offended, I . . . .¡± Ye Ci spoke to Huo Tinglan wholeheartedly, but halfway through, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He closed his mouth abruptly and almost bit his tongue.


    It offended him, so he wouldn¡¯t do it next time.


    If it wasn¡¯t offensive . . . .


    There was still a next time?!


    ¡°What were you just about to say?¡± Huo Tinglan looked at him with a gentle and mischievous expression.


    ¡°. . . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci pursed his lips silently, and there was a little bit of confusion and struggle in his eyes.


    Huo-shushu . . . . was he a person who would set this kind of trap for people?


    He was 80% sure he was thinking too much.


    But whether Huo Tinglan was such a person or not, this little interlude made Ye Ci¡¯s mood a little less devastated.


    Embarrassment and terror at being caught, tears of shame and anxiety . . . . it was all gradually fading from his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said all I can say.¡± Huo Tinglan gently scratched the clumsy little tongue in the clam shell with his words, calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos, and tried his luck at digging out a few pearls: ¡°Is there anything you want to say to me?¡±


    Ye Ci nodded, hesitated, and then shook his head again, his fingertips clenched white.


    Huo Tinglan speculated on Ye Ci¡¯s thoughts. After five years of marriage, he knew him too well. Linking Ye Ci¡¯s various expressions and reactions tonight, he could make a close guess.


    His guess was perhaps even clearer than what Ye Ci figured out for himself.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t figured out what to say to me yet?¡± Huo Tinglan asked warmly. ¡°Afraid that the pheromone changes during the marking period will affect your judgment?¡±


    After a temporary marking, it was indeed easy for Alphas and Omegas to have a mirror-like yearning for each other due to the fluctuation of hormone levels, and various dramas such as ¡°friends with benefits become true lovers¡± could occur. But when the temporary mark faded, the skin-deep feeling of pure physical attraction also faded immediately.


    But in fact, Huo Tinglan could see that Ye Ci was not like this toward him.


    Moreover, spirit and flesh, sex and love, were not separated from each other.


    But there was a generation gap between the teenager and him. Perhaps in Ye Ci¡¯s view, feelings mixed with too much desire may not necessarily be real feelings. Ye Ci had a temporary fever at the moment, and during the fever period, the physiological needs for affection and comfort from an Alpha were a tangled mess. Based on Ye Ci¡¯s experience, of course it was all ceaseless chaos.


    ¡°. . . . En.¡±


    Ye Ci found it difficult to speak about, and nodded slightly.


    Sure enough.


    He had guessed right.


    If he could, Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t want to wait even a second.


    But that would be no good.


    Besides . . . .


    He really hadn¡¯t expected Ye Ci to care so much about the secondary differentiation of his glands when he was 18 years old.


    The current Ye Ci clearly lacked a sense of identity with the Omega gender. The Omega fever period made him ashamed, and correspondingly, it was naturally equally difficult to accept the fact that he ¡°liked an Alpha.¡±


    When asked, ¡°Do you like Huo-shushu,¡± he suddenly cried and covered his face with his arms, likely because his ¡°secret and unbearable¡± thoughts were spoken, and he was fearful and self-loathing . . . .


    This problem needed to be solved.


    He needed to guide Ye Ci to accept the fact that ¡°Huo Tinglan was his Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I understand your concerns.¡± Trying to fathom Ye Ci¡¯s thoughts, Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart gradually softened into a mess. ¡°We¡¯ll have a good talk when the marking period is over¡­¡­okay?¡±


    ¡°O ¨C okay, Huo-shushu.¡± Ye Ci gazed at him, his eyes bright.


    The room was silent for a moment.


    The sweet, intimate smell of vanilla had been frightened away for a while, but now it became strong again.


    ¡°Your temporary fever . . . . isn¡¯t over yet?¡± Huo Tinglan suddenly said with concern.


    Only then did Ye Ci realize that the greedy glands were still agitated.


    ¡°Want to resolve it quickly and go back to your own room?¡± Huo Tinglan was simply tempting and testing his inexperienced little lover, trying to see how far he had actually softened.


    Ye Ci quickly glanced at him. Those eyes were not naive, and after a moment of silence, he just blushed and whispered, ¡°I want.¡±


    Huo Tinglan lifted the corner of the quilt and reached in with one hand.


    Ye Ci¡¯s cold hands and feet hadn¡¯t recovered yet from the fright of being caught.


    ¡°Skin contact can efficiently transmit pheromones, that was in the physiological knowledge book before, remember?¡± Huo Tinglan said in earnest, and gently grabbed Ye Ci¡¯s hand.


    It was fair and ice-cold.


    Like holding a ball of snow.


    [1] ´òÉßËæ¹÷ÉÏ: ¡®Hit the snake with the stick¡¯ basically means to see an opportunity and strive for greater benefits, or to exploit an opponent¡¯s flaws. ?

 CH 25

    His hands were so cold, and were sweating from nervousness. In contrast, Huo Tinglan¡¯s palm was as hot and dry as holding fire, making him fidget.


    Relying on the low friction of the silk, Ye Ci slowly slid under the quilt to lay flat. Half of his face was submerged, and the bridge of his nose peeked over the quilt along with a pair of bright eyes.


    He faintly guessed that those big hands contained evil intentions, but he didn¡¯t want to believe it and was reluctant to draw away, flustered and self-deceiving.


    Ye Ci was lying on his side, and in order not to make the position awkward, Huo Tinglan also reclined halfway at the head of the bed, holding the wet snow with both hands.


    Ye Ci¡¯s hands were very slender, the bones sharp and hard. It looked just like a boy¡¯s hand.


    But perhaps it had been affected by the Omega hormones in the past few months, because that skin was as tender as soft tofu, as smooth as satin, and the five slender finger bones were like bamboo supports under a paper umbrella, clearly distinct.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s expression was honest, just wanting to warm him up. He didn¡¯t bend the rules even a little bit, letting the pheromones blend gently.


    After a while, the hand in his palm softened, the muscles losing tension as Ye Ci eased his guard.


    Huo Tinglan then began to rub it in a calm and collected manner, slowly kneading. First the back of the hand, the edge of the palm, and then he rubbed Ye Ci¡¯s ten cold, kitten-like finger pads in turn, helping to improve circulation.


    That technique was not improper, as if the only purpose was to warm him and pass him pheromones.


    But Ye Ci lowered his gaze, his eyelashes trembling, and didn¡¯t dare to look at him.


    ¡°Xiao Ci.¡± As if to distract his attention, Huo Tinglan suddenly spoke, ¡°I want to make a request of you. May I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ye Ci raised his eyes. ¡°Okay, you, you can say it.¡±


    This student was so good.


    Huo Tinglan pondered for a while, then said warmly: ¡°I hope that when you encounter trouble in the future, when you experience difficulties, you can learn to take the initiative to tell me, to let me solve it for you and help you find a way to handle it.¡± He soothed Ye Ci¡¯s fragile self-esteem, ¡°Seeking help from the right person is smart. It doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re incapable, and . . . .¡± He gazed at him, his eyes tender but without pity, as if he were looking at a young, wounded eagle. ¡°You¡¯re so young, and you¡¯ve endured a lot more than your peers, but you¡¯re not overwhelmed. You¡¯re a strong, brave person, and that won¡¯t change just because you need help sometimes¡­¡­understand?¡±


    It was very common sense. If someone else said it, Ye Ci would turn a deaf ear, but when it came out of Huo Tinglan¡¯s mouth, he listened.


    ¡°I, I understand¡­¡­Huo-shushu.¡± He nodded firmly.


    At the same time, the graphite silk rippled delicately.


    Five strong and steady fingers snuck between Ye Ci¡¯s lightly sweating ones without delay.


    The lines of their palms overlapped.


    Their ten fingers met.


    Pheromones blended into the sweat and efficiently soothed Ye Ci¡¯s feverish glands.


    These warm hands and the exchange of pheromones in such a way made Ye Ci blush and his heart beat faster, and he struggled weakly for a moment.


    ¡°This matter tonight, you don¡¯t have to let your imagination run wild when you go back and feel embarrassed.¡± Huo Tinglan had considered this carefully and thoroughly, afraid that the more Ye Ci thought about it, the more ashamed he would become. ¡°You¡¯re my little gentleman who received a marriage certificate. Half of this house is yours, let alone a bed. There is no need to apologize to me. Besides . . . .¡± He smiled, with a candid but poised look, ¡°This bed has been laid in by you, and I like it very much.¡±


    He shamelessly spoke nonsense in a gentleman¡¯s tone. Ye Ci was at a loss, and ignoring the fingers that were overlapping with his, he nodded carelessly with a scattered mind. ¡°En, I won¡¯t, won¡¯t dwell on it . . . .¡±


    He was flirted with again without knowing it.


    The central air conditioner in the Huo residence had a smart temperature sensing system, which would automatically adjust the indoor temperature to the range with the highest level of human comfort. The current level was just right, but Huo Tinglan seemed to be cold, and had covered up with the quilt at some point.


    It may have been that his movements were so elegant and natural, but by the time Ye Ci noticed, he was already lying under the quilt. The tips of their noses were close together, separated by only a few centimeters. At first glance, it seemed intimate and gentle, like a young couple leaning their heads together to sleep.


    Ye Ci¡¯s ears were hot and he blinked frequently, not knowing where to look, but he didn¡¯t shrink back. Their warm breaths blended together in every square inch of those ten centimeters.


    The tip of his nose, his lips, and his cheeks were warm.


    His hands were warm.


    His heart was also warm.


    Ye Ci¡¯s face was getting redder.


    The words were not thoroughly expressed, and they weren¡¯t together, but he was ignorant and shy, and let this person take advantage of him. He was lying in bed with another person, and his hands were still red from being ¡°warmed up.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this . . . .


    Not, not quite right?


    ¡°You promise every time, and the next time you encounter something, you just continue to be brave and don¡¯t tell me . . . . this habit needs to be changed.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s black eyes were full of laughter, as if he was teasing a cat with a string, using words to draw up Ye Ci¡¯s mood. He was being bad, but he had to find a secret outlet for the lust that was boiling like magma. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to let Ye Ci go back in one piece. ¡°So this time, I want to give you a task.¡±


    ¡°What, what task?¡± Before his shame value could reach a critical point, Ye Ci¡¯s attention was poked away again.


    ¡°Within a week, practice by asking me for one request.¡± Huo Tinglan looked at him solemnly and said word by word: ¡°Any request, anything within my power.¡±


    Ye Ci hesitated in a rare moment of not immediately agreeing.


    Proactively asking people.


    This skill had long been neglected.


    A life of hardship had caused him to grow up prematurely, and during young Ye Ci¡¯s childhood, he knew that requests could not be made indiscriminately. His mother was often in financial constraints and needed to plan their life carefully, so his practice had always been to suppress his desires and try not to make things difficult for his mother by asking for toys and snacks. This was even more so as he grew up. He was a man, and he should stand tall like a big tree and be his mother¡¯s support. He should be the one to solve the requests.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, don¡¯t seem to have anything . . . . to ask for.¡± Ye Ci tried to take advantage of a loophole: ¡°Then I¡¯ll request that, that you go over the lecture topic with me . . . .¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡± Huo Tinglan snorted when he saw the child¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°I have the final say.¡±


    In the end, Ye Ci still couldn¡¯t out-talk Huo Tinglan, so he responded in a daze. The temporary fever gradually subsided under the comfort of pheromones, but when he climbed off Huo Tinglan¡¯s bed, his legs were still very weak. With his pajamas and hair also in disarray, he was like a small balloon that had been inadvertently deflated by someone.


    It was easy for ordinary people to ask for things.


    He really couldn¡¯t think of any special request. Considering the financial resources of the Huo family, at least one expensive gift could be asked for.


    But as it happened, Ye Ci was stumped. Apart from getting into a good university, he really didn¡¯t want anything. As for the biggest difficulty he was facing right now . . . .


    That was Ye Hongjun¡¯s illness.


    Birth, old age, sickness, and death were sometimes beyond human reach.


    He didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Most of the time, he deliberately kept this part of his brain in a state of numbness and sluggishness, without thinking about what would happen if the only person in the world who loved him left him. Otherwise, he would be trapped in panic and anxiety all day long, making it difficult to go about daily life.


    Saturday afternoon, the summer heat was white-hot. Ye Ci sat on a bench under the shade of an acacia tree, smoking heavily.


    Originally, he was tired of working on questions, so he went downstairs and strolled through the garden for a while, stretching his muscles and bones. But as he walked, he remembered what Huo-shushu asked him to request, and thought about his mother¡¯s illness along the way.


    At this thought, his stomach was heavy, as if a block of lead had dropped into it. He lit a cigarette, and the more he smoked, the more upset he became, and the more upset he became, the more he wanted to smoke.


    On the bench were the neatly arranged butts of his finished cigarettes, inexplicably pleasing.


    He intended to finish off this pack of cigarettes and throw them all away together.


    Ye Ci sat on the bench with his legs crossed, his elbows resting on his knees, fiddling with his cell phone while holding a cigarette in one hand.


    The patient group he added for Ye Hongjun was very lively at the moment, and was full of news for a long time. Someone posted the registration information for going to X country to participate in a clinical trial. Several family members of the patient were discussing visa applications and round-trip fares. Ye Ci frowned and looked at the information.


    When Ye Hongjun first fell ill, he was very sensitive to this sort of news. In the past two years, he had seen much of it, and had been disappointed many times. He knew that the majority of them had no choice and would try clinical trials with various unstable factors. If someone went and couldn¡¯t be cured, then never mind, but he feared that the patient¡¯s constitution was weak and couldn¡¯t bear the constant ups and downs, or that an adverse reaction would have the opposite effect. And the most terrible thing was not knowing their authenticity or reliability. Some people in the patient group relied on this to make money, claiming that they had channels to send patients to participate in any kind of experiment. They would hype them up and then charge large registration fees to do nothing, and the patient would wait until death for that Schrodinger¡¯s place . . . .


    Ye Ci thought of that ¡°request¡± again.


    Perhaps Huo-shushu would have a way? He could have channels Ye Ci didn¡¯t know about, or at least help him find out where new treatments would be more promising . . . .


    His heart gave a sudden and violent leap.


    Ye Ci was in a daze. He brought the half-finished cigarette between his fingers to his lips, but halfway there, his fingers were suddenly empty.


    ¡° ! ¡° Startled, Ye Ci raised his eyes and saw that Huo Tinglan had come to stand beside him at some point, holding the half cigarette between his thumb and forefinger and looking at him with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Huo, Huo-shushu!¡± Ye Ci jumped up from the bench and frantically tugged at the hem of his clothes. ¡°You, when did you come back?¡±


    He remembered that Huo Tinglan was not at home when he went downstairs for a walk.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t answer, lowered his eyes to look at the seven well-behaved cigarette butts sitting in a row, and glanced at Ye Ci cooly: ¡°Your smoking addiction is not small.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not addicted, just ¨C¡± Ye Ci¡¯s voice gradually lowered. ¡°I just smoke for fun.¡±


    ¡°Is smoking fun?¡± Huo Tinglan asked leisurely. As if to verify Ye Ci¡¯s statement, he bowed his head modestly and took a puff from the half cigarette.


    The filter was still slightly damp.


    ¡°I smoked, smoked it already . . . . y-you won¡¯t like it . . . .¡±


    Ye Ci seemed to have been scorched by fire, and looked helplessly at Huo-shushu smoking the cigarette he had already smoked, red from his forehead to his neck.


    ¨C ¨C It was indeed fun.


    The tobacco was cheap. Huo Tinglan was choked, coughed lightly, and almost couldn¡¯t keep the corners of his lips from curving.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Huo Tinglan calmly shook the cigarette in his hand. ¡°The next time I catch you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t, won¡¯t be a next time!¡± Ye Ci shook his head and waved his hand, wishing he could grow a tail and wag it too.


    Huo Tinglan opened his palm towards Ye Ci: ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s face was red, and he very politely handed over the remaining half pack of cigarettes and the lighter.


    The cigarette carton had been kept in Ye Ci¡¯s pocket for two days, and was wrinkled from being squeezed and fiddled with.


    Huo Tinglan nodded slightly and turned to leave.


    Ye Ci was frozen in place.


    He didn¡¯t see it clearly.


    But after Huo-shushu turned around just now, didn¡¯t he . . . .


    Bow his head and sniff at that cigarette carton a little bit?

 CH 26

    Ye Ci really wasn¡¯t addicted to smoking.


    He usually smoked less, but these days were just full of worries, many and complicated, so he couldn¡¯t help but rely on nicotine to soothe his nerves.


    Just as soon as the signs of addiction appeared, Huo Tinglan snuffed it out.


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety as soon as he approached the sanitorium. When passing a convenience store, he wanted the driver to stop and let him buy a pack of cigarettes, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out and he reflexively remembered that scene. Huo Tinglan¡¯s thin lips covering the moist and slightly deflated filter, white smoke passing over dark eyebrows . . . .


    His tone and demeanor were both calm, indeed the attitude of correcting a disobedient child.


    Besides . . . . it was just a puff from half a cigarette.


    ¡°The next time I catch you . . . .¡±


    If he was caught again . . . . what would happen?


    Would he continue to grab half his cigarettes and smoke them by himself?!


    Whatever state of mind he was in, maybe out of curiosity, Ye Ci suddenly regretted interrupting Huo Tinglan¡¯s words.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t have the guts to try his hand at it.


    He was honest by nature, and once he promised there would ¡°be no next time,¡± he was too ashamed to buy cigarettes secretly after struggling with himself over it for a while. The car was already parked in the sanatorium parking lot.


    Twice a week, Saturday and Sunday afternoon or evening, Huo Tinglan would send a driver to take him to the sanatorium to see his mother, and Ye Ci would decide the specific time.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t tell him clearly, but Huo Tinglan probably knew Ye Ci¡¯s fear that this marriage would upset his sick mother, and never asked to accompany him to visit as Mr. Ye Ci.


    The third floor was the senior ward area, which had always been quiet in the past, but today, as soon as the elevator doors opened, a scene of chaos entered Ye Ci¡¯s eyes.


    A patient on this floor had passed away.


    A gurney was parked in the corridor, and the blanket outlined the shape of a person. Shriveled by disease, they looked lonely and helpless. Their face was covered in white cloth. They were no longer alive.


    Several family members were sobbing. There was a big Alpha guy as strong as a brown bear kneeling before the gurney that was comically small next to him, crying like a sad child.


    ¡°Mom ¨C ¨C¡±


    He didn¡¯t have a mother anymore.


    The setting sun smeared across the white cloth covering the body.


    So red. So desolate.


    Ye Ci turned his face away, his heart sinking into his stomach. He hurriedly walked into Ye Hongjun¡¯s ward and locked the door, isolating that desolate redness and death outside the door.


    Fortunately, Ye Hongjun didn¡¯t wake up.


    She didn¡¯t hear the activity in the hallway.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t know if he was imagining things, but Ye Hongjun seemed to be a little thinner than last week. Her cheekbones were like two shallow reefs that emerged after the fat and flesh ebbed away, propping up her pale skin sharply.


    When he was recognized by the Chu family, Ye Ci had made many requests to Chu Wenlin. He used Chu Wenlin¡¯s money to take Ye Hongjun to several top hospitals in first-tier cities, and also invited experts in the industry who were hard to find. The expensive imported injections had also been pursued, and various confirmed and reliable treatments had been tried.


    But Ye Hongjun¡¯s time awake seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.


    Ye Ci took out the half-dead dianthus in the vase and inserted a few fresh carnations.


    The fingertips holding the stalks trembled with fear from the scene in the corridor.


    Tonight when he went back . . . . he must ask Huo-shushu.


    In case he happened to have another way.


    They had only known each other for two months, but Huo Tinglan seemed to be the terminator of all bad luck in his life and the beginning of all good luck, like a kind of destiny.


    So with his mother seriously ill, was it possible that the greatest bad luck in his life could be reversed by Huo Tinglan?


    Ye Ci made up his mind and didn¡¯t dare to let himself think too far ahead, lest he be disappointed. He threw the dianthus flower in his hand into the trash can. Sitting on the edge of the bed and firmly grasping Ye Hongjun¡¯s weak hand, he called softly, ¡°Mom¡­¡­¡±


    For a boy of his age, it was rare to call out ¡°mom.¡± He was not too embarrassed to call her that, but it was usually more comfortable to say ¡°mother.¡±


    But in some fragile moments, the title ¡°mom¡± allowed him to draw warm and practical strength.


    ¡°You must, must . . . . be okay.¡± With a long sigh, he rested his head on Ye Hongjun¡¯s leg.


    After a moment of silence, he chatted about his recent life, omitting some details and picking out what he could say.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he had been talking, but he¡¯d said all he could say.


    ¡°Mom.¡± Ye Ci rubbed his red eyelids. He buried his face in the quilt, hesitated, and muttered softly, ¡°I seem to, to have . . . . someone I like.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, haven¡¯t told him, some, some things are still . . . . not clear.¡± He pursed his lower lip. ¡°This, this is such a big deal. I have to take, take responsibility for others, just in case it¡¯s . . . . a temporary impulse.¡±


    With Huo Tinglan¡¯s age, he couldn¡¯t afford to delay.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to say that.


    Ye Hongjun slept quietly.


    ¡°Later, if there is a chance . . . . I want you to meet him.¡± Ye Honjun couldn¡¯ actually hear him. Ye Ci still fought against the void, his body covered in hot sweat and his face all red. ¡°If you can¡¯t speak, that is your answer. You promised to wait and see him.¡±


    . . . . . .


    It was already dark when Ye Ci returned home after visiting Ye Hongjun.


    Along the way, he thought about how to bring this up to Huo Tinglan, and made several drafts.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of being rejected if he didn¡¯t phrase it well ¨C if he opened his big mouth and Huo Tinglan agreed, it would inevitably involve money and energy. How could these accounts be repaid? He had no ideas for the time being, but he couldn¡¯t think about that. After all, he didn¡¯t want to take the other party¡¯s contribution for granted just because Huo Tinlan said he liked him.


    Ye Ci got out of the car and walked to the door of the Huo residence, mulling things over in his mind. Distracted, he walked through the entrance without looking up, and almost ran straight into Huo Tinlgan¡¯s arms.


    The man had received the driver¡¯s report in advance and met him at the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Wearing an expensive white shirt, Huo Tinglan closed the door and squeezed Ye Ci into the gap between the door and the entryway. To his back was the door panel, and at his front was Huo Tinglan with both hands in his pockets. His face was stern, and the corners of his lips were straight, but there was a faint smile in his eyes. ¡°This is a surprise inspection.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­are you checking for?¡± Ye Ci was taken aback, and subconsciously straightened his posture.


    Huo Tinglan gave a slight tilt of his head and leaned over gracefully.


    The straight, handsome bridge of his nose drew close.


    Whereupon he promptly sniffed Ye Ci¡¯s suddenly closed lips.


    He could see how soft they were without touching them, closed up like crumpled petals.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t smoke?¡±


    Thinking that Huo Tinglan was going to kiss him on the mouth, Ye Ci¡¯s whole body froze. His heart beat hard, and it took him a few seconds to realize what he had just heard. His face was as red as a ripe fruit, and he was so embarrassed that he drooped his head desperately, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten to answer in a low voice: ¡°I didn¡¯t smoke, I, I promised I wouldn¡¯t smoke anymore¡­..¡±


    He was an honest kid.


    In fact, Huo Tinglan had known without asking.


    Ye Ci had been like this in his previous life. He was honest of character, taciturn and quiet. When he said something, it counted.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Huo Tinglan gave his approval and made way for him. Without waiting for him to think about it, he asked with concern, ¡°You went to see your mother this afternoon?¡±


    Ye Ci sat down on the shoe changing stool and changed into slippers with light movements: ¡°En¡­..¡±


    ¡°How is she doing lately?¡± Huo Tinglan was intending to chat with Ye Ci about his mother, and led the topic in this direction.


    When Ye Hongjun was mentioned, the scene in the corridor that afternoon suddenly came to mind. Ye Ci clenched his hands fiercely, and without giving himself time to hesitate, he blurted out: ¡°Huo-shushu, you said a few days ago that I¡­¡­should take the initiative to ask you, to make a request¡­¡­I¡¯ll ask it now, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Huo Tinglan softened his voice. ¡°You can say it.¡±


    ¡°Can you, can you help me¡­¡­help, help my mother?¡± Ye Ci¡¯s chest heaved violently. It was not as difficult as he imagined to open his mouth to Huo Tinglan. There was no sharp pain of injured self-esteem. On the contrary, the moment he said those words, he actually experienced an unprecedented lightness and fatigue.


    The long-closed area of his mind was broken open, and the pressure that had already swelled to its limits rushed out. Some hard and deformed thing quickly collapsed, became soft, and returned to its original appearance. With reckless and joyful disregard, Ye Ci poured out all the words he held inside, for fear that if he didn¡¯t say them now, he would become unable to say them again: ¡°I took her to, to all the big hospitals I could, and tried all kinds of treatment plans. I, I really don¡¯t know what else to do, I feel like she, she might not make it this year. I think about it and I¡¯m afraid¡­¡­I¡¯m really afraid, Huo-shushu¡­..¡±


    When speaking of the latter, his already worrying language ability completely collapsed, and Ye Ci was so out of sorts that he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. The floodgates were opened wide and the bitter water poured out, unstoppable.


    He spoke of these few long years, the bitter hardships on the road to seek medical treatment, the exhaustion and suffering of working multiple jobs a day in order to raise money for medical expenses, and the disappointment and despair of failed test results again and again, the hard and cold benches in the hospital corridor, the meager steamed buns under a hot pot lid, the empty desk in the classroom that once belonged to him¡­¡­so much heartache and grievance that he was used to holding back firmly, never daring to pour it out. Otherwise once his energy was drained and he was deflated and soft, who would support him?


    Finally, he could talk. He could let himself talk.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he spoke and stammered, but his mouth was tired and his face was sore. Huo Tinglan was next to him, and in order to avoid interrupting, he had squeezed side by side with him on the shoe-changing bench in the entryway. He listened quietly, occasionally making a sound to show that he was still listening carefully, and wrapped his solid arms around Ye Ci to rub his back, as gentle and patient as if he were coaxing a child.


    With his emotions completely vented, Ye Ci only felt that his head was empty and numb.


    He had never unreservedly confided these things to anyone in his life. Once the impulse had passed, he became embarrassed and slowly moved his little head away from Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulder, trying in vain to cover it up by wiping the wet patch on Huo Tinglan¡¯s white shirt with his sleeve.


    Huo Tinglan raised his hand and rubbed his soft, messy black hair. After a long silence, he said softly, ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hm?¡± Ye Ci sniffed his stuffy nose, still not responsive yet.


    ¡°Your request.¡± Huo Tinglan patted his shoulder and stood up. ¡°I originally planned to find time to tell you in the next couple of days¡­¡­come with me.¡±

 CH 27

    Ye Ci followed Huo Tinglan to another study on the west side of the third floor.


    He had never been to this room before. It seemed that it was used to store more important things. The floor was smooth cedarwood, the carpet soft and plush, and there was a genuine leather safe as tall as a person, dark blue and inlaid with gold, solid and heavy.


    There were several flat drawers in the safe, filled with categorized documents relating to things such as real estate and stocks, and the one at the top was reserved for Ye Ci.


    There was a thick stack of old certificates with smooth corners and finished coating: ¡°Three-good Award,¡±[1] ¡°Certificate of Honor,¡± ¡°Letter of Good News,¡± in festive bronze and red. They lay peacefully together in the expensive black walnut drawer alongside two big albums and the parenting diary handwritten by Ye Hongjun, exuding the atmosphere of ¡°My whole life is worth something¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Why, why is all of this in the safe?¡±


    There was actually a ¡°Model of Good Health¡± that Ye Ci received when he was in the first grade of elementary school.


    Ye Ci was so embarrassed that his legs were weak, and he almost knelt down to Huo Tinglan.


    The old boxes he brought in were all packed up by Uncle He, and he had always thought they were just piled into a storage room. During this period of time, he had been studying so much that he didn¡¯t even think about it¡­¡­


    ¡°Why?¡± Huo Tinglan hooked his lips. Taking out a folder, he concealed his teasing and asked calmly, ¡°The purpose of a safe is to hold important items. Aren¡¯t these items important to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re, they¡¯re important.¡± Ye Ci was at a loss for words.


    But they were not valuable, not worthwhile. This¡­¡­


    ¡°So.¡± Huo Tinglan gave a smile, admiring the blue smoke sizzling from the child¡¯s head, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ye Ci: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing that Ye Ci was silent, Huo Tinglan opened the folder and got down to business.


    The medical reports of all sizes in the folder were arranged by item and date. The changes in Ye Hongjun¡¯s condition in recent years were clear at a glance. In addition, there were some documents in foreign languages that Ye Ci couldn¡¯t understand.


    The folder looked familiar. Ye Ci remembered that he seemed to have seen Huo Tinglan holding it in his hand when he got out of school one day. At that time, he¡¯d felt that the papers somewhat resembled hospital medical reports¡­¡­


    They really were.


    ¡°In legal terms, your mother is also my mother. Whether due to my feelings for you or because of law and morality, I should be responsible for her health¡­¡­I¡¯m sure you agree. If our roles were reversed, you would do the same.¡± Huo Tinglan explained in a natural tone, and also smoothly roped Ye Ci into his system of logic, as if his actions were normal and it would be strange if he didn¡¯t do it like this. ¡°So I had a chat with her primary doctor some time ago and sorted out her medical reports for the past two years, then got in touch with a biomedical firm in San Francisco¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Hongjun suffered from a malignant disease related to the Omega biological system, which carried a certain genetic predisposition.


    In the last life, because he was worried that Ye Ci would repeat his mother¡¯s tragedy, Huo Tinglan had a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the disease, its risk factors, early signs, prevention methods, and the most important forms of treatment. Fortunately, a new drug with a breakthrough therapeutic effect was approved for marketing at that time, and although the price was high, the treatment effect was excellent. Even if Ye Ci really got sick in the future, he could be cured by this medicine. Sadly, this new drug successfully passed the ¡°breakthrough drug¡± approval certification by the country¡¯s drug regulation authority in the year of Ye Hongjun¡¯s death. This project that would be hugely successful in the future had not received much attention in the country, and its reliability had not been fully proven.


    However, Huo Tinglan had experienced the future of this new drug becoming an effective medicine, and just to be on the safe side, he had consulted many parties in the past two months and conducted a full investigation of the research¡­¡­right now, it was indeed Ye Hongjun¡¯s only hope for recovery.


    ¡°¡­¡­ The pharma company went public on the Nasdaq last December. The amount raised reached an astonishing $335 million, and the research and development funds are sufficient. They currently have seven drug candidates in their pipeline, and among them, a drug for malignant Omega gland disease has entered the phase III clinical trial stage, and has become their main project at this stage.¡± Huo Tinglan explained the situation, took out a paper printed with the company information and drug development status, and handed it to Ye Ci in turn. ¡°I¡¯ve consulted several authorities in the medical industry during this time, and they have a high evaluation of this project. There are of course uncertainties in the clinical trial stage, but under the premise that other treatment options have no obvious effect, I think¡­¡­it is worth trying.¡±


    Huo Tinglan thought that this plan was feasible, and its importance could not be overstated.


    Ye Ci gripped the stack of documents that Huo Tinglan handed to him. His eyes trembled slightly as he anxiously looked them over, and the paper was wrinkled where he pinched it, as if he was afraid that if he responded too slowly, the opportunity would leak out from between his fingers.


    Huo Tinglan handed the entire folder over to him and said warmly: ¡°I wasn¡¯t fully prepared before, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was safe, so I never told you. I was afraid that if something went wrong, I would give you hope only to disappoint you¡­¡­the information on the project so far is all here, take it back and read it carefully and give me an answer. There is still some time before the start of the Phase III clinical trials.¡± He raised his hand and rubbed Ye Ci¡¯s hair, his calm tone inexplicably convincing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t be afraid, your mother is in stable condition now.¡±


    In the last life, Ye Hongjun passed away three months before Ye Ci¡¯s college entrance examination. That was still far from now, and there would be no major problems in the near future.


    ¡°If she par, participates in the trial¡­¡­my mother will go to San Francisco?¡± Ye Ci asked, his eyes revealing his helplessness.


    He could barely even speak Chinese the way he was, and if his English was applied practically, he estimated that he could recognize a street sign or ask, ¡°How, how much?¡± at a convenience store¡­¡­


    But to let Ye Hongjun go to the other side of the ocean alone to participate in the clinical trial, he couldn¡¯t rest assured.


    Huo Tinglan saw through his concerns and smiled softly: ¡°The clinical trial process is very long, and you wouldn¡¯t be able to care for her. If you are willing to send your mother to treatment, I will arrange for a medical team and living assistant to accompany her through the whole process. Your first priority at the moment is to study¡­¡­the rest can be left to me.¡±


    As for what sort of medical team accompanied someone through the whole process and also accompanied them to foreign countries, Ye Ci had limited knowledge. For a time, he didn¡¯t even think about it at all, and reviewed the previous experiences of seeking medical treatment abroad.


    It turned out that things could be resolved this way.


    How could there be such a good person in the world as Huo-shushu?


    Ye Ci¡¯s nose was painful and stuffy for a while, but he couldn¡¯t speak.


    His surging and turbulent emotions were all stuck in his throat, choking him to death.


    So he stepped forward abruptly and plunged into Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms. Like a tired bird returning to the forest, he threw himself into the spring breeze and wrapped his arms around Huo Tinglan¡¯s slim waist, so tight, so hard. With a childlike clumsy innocence, he didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings, so he could only hold on tight.


    Just as that white shirt showed a hint of drying, it was soaked again.


    After a long while, Ye Ci squeezed out a sentence: ¡°I¡¯m not like this normally, I don¡¯t cry, cry at every turn¡­¡­¡±


    These days, he seemed to have cried all his tears in front of Huo-shushu.


    He wouldn¡¯t feel at ease without explaining.


    ¡°En.¡± Huo Tinglan lowered his head and hugged him. ¡°Xiao Ci won¡¯t cry in the future.¡±


    For the rest of his life, he would never again cry tears of bitterness.


    Ye Ci nodded and didn¡¯t move, just hugged Huo Tinglan like that, like a sticky little plaster.


    This hug, in Ye Ci¡¯s view, was very pure and had nothing to do with desire, just clean attachment and warmth. That chest was like the sea, gentle and accommodating, and he floated on the warm, comfortable waves of his heart, savoring the unprecedented joy and peace. He was reluctant to let go.


    After hugging for a while, Huo Tinglan suddenly patted Ye Ci¡¯s back and reminded him reservedly: ¡°Alright¡­..it¡¯s been an emotional day, go take a hot bath and rest early.¡±


    Not only did Ye Ci not let go, but because he was afraid of being chased away, he hugged him tighter. He rubbed his little head against Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulder and shook it twice.


    ¡°Be good, Xiao Ci.¡± Huo Tinglan took a step back for some reason.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s the matter, Huo-shushu?¡± Ye Ci stumbled, still sticking to him.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s time to rest.¡± Huo Tinglan pinched the back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck through his shirt collar and used the Omega¡¯s stress response to lift Ye Ci away like a clingy kitten.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t say a word, his eyes dimmed, and he stood still just a step away from him.


    Huo Tinglan sighed.


    A rarely established intimacy¡­¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ve been hugging for five minutes,¡± Huo Tinglan pondered for a moment, his expression filled with the innocence of someone who had been forced by Ye Ci into speaking of indecent things. ¡°I am a healthy, energetic Alpha and I¡¯ve liked you for a long time. You holding me like this¡­¡­¡± He watched Ye Ci¡¯s confused expression gradually change into one of disbelief, and said helplessly, ¡°Do you need me to make it clear? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s face turned red, and he subconsciously glanced down.


    He seemed to be shocked that Huo-shushu, a gentleman, also had the functions that Alphas should have.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Huo Tinglan laughed in spite of himself and used a finger to lift Ye Ci¡¯s chin, forcing him to look up. ¡°Look forward.¡±


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Ye Ci was so frightened that he swallowed his saliva and stared straight ahead.


    Not to mention that the two were not officially together, but even if they were together, with Ye Ci¡¯s current level of innocence, he couldn¡¯t do much.


    Otherwise¡­¡­


    Ye Ci would probably dig a tunnel through the bed and escape overnight.


    ¡°Turn around, forward march.¡± Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Go back to your bedroom to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Good, goodnight, Huo-shushu.¡± Ye Ci hurriedly turned around with the information packet. His steps were stiffer than a robot¡¯s and he walked toward the bedroom on the second floor, dazed.


    Huo-shushu just now, did it count as¡­¡­indecent behavior?


    In any case, by his scale, it was hard to determine.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci squeezed his fists.


    The blame was on him.


    How old was he? He should know better.


    He had caused Huo-shushu to play the scoundrel.


    [1] The three-good award, ÈýºÃѧÉú,  recognizes Chinese students with ¡°good morals, good grades, and good health.¡± ?

 CH 28

    The information given by Huo Tinglan was quite detailed and comprehensive. Ye Ci read it over and over several times, and the more he read, the more excited he became.


    It was said that a long illness makes a patient into a doctor, and this was true. Ye Ci had a deep understanding of Ye Hongjun¡¯s illness, and could stumblingly navigate the complicated experimental research report.


    Of course he could trust the research project that Huo Tinglan recommended, but the stakes were very high and he had to know these things himself.


    There was still risk in going to receive treatment, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be called a clinical trial, but it was worth a shot at getting a comprehensive assessment.


    If it succeeded, Ye Hongjun would have a healthy second half of her life.


    That was impossible with any current treatment plan.


    Ye Hongjun was currently weak and frail. She could barely say a few words when she was awake, but she was still conscious and naturally had to agree to such an important decision.


    As such, there were still many issues that had to be explained.


    The clinical trial itself was conducted in the form of recruiting volunteers, and no treatment fee would be charged, but the miscellaneous expenses other than the treatment itself could add up to a large amount. Who would pay these expenses? How did he get the visa? Who did he contact in a biotech company as far away as San Francisco? Where did the accompanying medical team and life assistants come from? How could Chu Wenlin suddenly change his nature and do this for her?


    So the next problem before Ye Ci¡¯s eyes became how to circle his words around it.


    Fortunately, Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t let him struggle with this issue for too long.


    After confirming that Ye Ci intended to go through with the treatment, Huo Tinglan personally accompanied him to the sanatorium on Tuesday evening to discuss the matter with Ye Hongjun. Before coming, Ye Ci used WeChat to give Ye Hongjun some warning, and vaguely talked about the clinical trial. He also introduced Huo Tinglan¡¯s identity ¨C ¨C the marriage part, he planned to ease her into slowly later. It was only explained that the Huo and Chu families were friends, and Huo Tinglan was the head of the Huo family. After Ye Ci was recognized back into the Chu family, the two happened to meet each other. Huo Tinglan had heard that she was ill and was willing to help.


    A lot of key ¡°details¡± were covered up, but the parts presented were not at all false.


    Perhaps infected by the hope and joy expressed in Ye Ci¡¯s WeChat, Ye Hongjun had some rare spirit, and for dinner, she forced herself to drink half a bowl of porridge. She didn¡¯t vomit, and didn¡¯t want to sleep. She even had the nursing bed raised and sat up against her pillows.


    She and Ye Ci were carved out of the same mold, especially their eyes. The pupils were light in color, as round and large as apricot seeds, naturally revealing an aura of innocence and charm, and rippled with light.


    Ye Hongjun had been fighting against this disease for the past few years. Her spirit and body had been devastated, and she was as weak as a cut reed, her skin a sickly blueish white. But when Ye Ci entered the door, likely because she was afraid that the child would be worried, there was still a light, soft smile at the ends of her eyes, and she greeted him with enthusiasm: ¡°Xiao Ci, you¡¯re here.¡±


    After saying this, she also nodded and smiled at Huo Tinglan with some doubts that could not be concealed, and said in a gentle greeting: ¡°Mr. Huo, hello. I heard Xiao Ci mention you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Huo Tinglan thought for a moment and smiled, ¡°Auntie Ye.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As if he had stepped on charcoal with bare feet, Ye Ci stood uneasily for a second and awkwardly twisted his feet back and forth, his eyes darting.


    Ye Hongjun was slightly startled, and hesitantly replied, ¡°Ah.¡±


    She had given birth to Ye Ci at the age of twenty-two and had just passed forty this year. Young people in their twenties would call her ¡°older sister¡± if they were being sweet.


    However, she couldn¡¯t figure out Huo Tinglan¡¯s age. Judging by the state of his skin, he was at most twenty-six or seven, but that deep and noble bearing made him seem like he was in his early thirties.


    ¡°Please take a seat¡­¡­Xiao Ci,¡± Ye Hongjun didn¡¯t hesitate, and sat up weakly, ¡°hurry up and get Mr. Huo a chair.¡±


    Ye Hongjun¡¯s family was ordinary, but her family¡¯s education was strict. Her father had been a teacher all his life, and he was ruthless with his students. When he disciplined his daughter, he was even more severe. She had been dazzled by Chu Wenlin¡¯s sweet words back then and was willing to dedicate everything to that illusory ¡°love,¡± so she did that deviant thing. Over the years, she had been struggling to make a living in the quagmire of the old part of town, but her well-bred upbringing had long since sunk into her bones and blood. Not contaminated in the slightest by her vulgar surroundings, she spoke decorously and politely, and communicating with her made people feel comfortable.


    Huo Tinglan explained to Ye Hongjun all the arrangements that Ye Ci hadn¡¯t mentioned on WeChat. Even small details such as how he had chartered a plane for her and equipped it with medical facilities to ensure her safety on the flight were explained thoroughly. Not only that, but Ye Hongjun could hear between the lines how Huo Tinglan had meticulously done his homework on her illness. He knew no less than her, maybe even more, and he answered all of her questions in detail.


    After they were finished with business, the ward was filled with an unnatural silence that all of them were aware of but didn¡¯t acknowledge.


    ¡°By the way, Xiao Ci,¡± Ye Hongjun suddenly broke the silence and instructed in a soft tone, ¡°go downstairs and buy Mr. Huo something to drink¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sick and confused that it took me a long time to think about it, it was remiss of me¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci stood up hesitantly.


    His mom must want him to leave.


    Huo Tinglan raised his eyes, smiled gently, and said, ¡°Mineral water is fine, thank you.¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with him. He lowered his head, gave a firm hum, and quickly slipped out.


    As he left, he took a few steps toward the stairs with his head down. He was really curious and wanted to know how Huo-shushu would explain their relationship, so he turned back.


    Enduring the flagellation of his conscience, he quietly depressed the doorknob and pushed the door open a small crack.


    They were already chatting inside.


    It was Huo Tinglan¡¯s low voice, and the tone was full of an inexplicably familiar apology and helplessness.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve been busy with my career all these years and have very little personal time, and my matching with Omegas is generally low. As a thirty-year-old person, let alone falling in love, I¡¯ve never even been on a blind date. In terms of my love life, you may laugh, but I¡¯m really just a blank sheet of paper¡­¡­I saw Xiao Ci by chance at the banquet held by the Chu family that day, and he never left my mind¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not the right age, I¡¯m really too old for him¡­¡­No, no need to apologize, you didn¡¯t blunder¡­¡­You don¡¯t have to worry about our progress being too fast, I confessed, but Xiao Ci didn¡¯t promise me anything. With you in this state, he didn¡¯t want you to worry, so he doesn¡¯t have time to think about me, which I totally understand¡­¡­I happen to have resources and channels in this area, and this matter is not as troublesome as you think. I just can¡¯t bear to watch Xiao Ci work so hard. I¡¯m paying for him, and I¡¯m delighted to do so. I won¡¯t say fanciful words, you can judge me by my actions¡­¡­¡±


    The voice suddenly got closer.


    The door fanned closed.


    With a click, Huo Tinglan locked it from the inside.


    Huo-shushu had discovered his eavesdropping.


    Ye Ci¡¯s ears turned red, and he dizzily slipped down to buy water.


    It seemed as if Huo-shushu¡­¡­wasn¡¯t lying.


    In order to upset Ye Hongjun as little as possible and beautify the episode of Chu Wenlin¡¯s forced marriage into a chance encounter, they had discussed this rhetoric before coming.


    But although he couldn¡¯t say why, he felt that between the lines, Huo-shushu sounded sort of miserable.


    Huo-shushu was actually so¡­¡­so pitiful?!


    Ye Ci went downstairs and bought two bottles of water to deliver, and when he returned, the door of the ward was still closed. He tactfully waited in the corridor.


    About ten minutes later, Huo Tinglan slowly stepped out and looked into Ye Ci¡¯s slightly complicated eyes. He raised his lips and said softly: ¡°Your mom agreed to go to San Francisco for treatment¡­¡­After talking for so long, she should have a good rest. You go say goodbye and we¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Ye Ci entered the ward and saw that Ye Hongjun was already lying down, and it seemed that she was indeed exhausted.


    He didn¡¯t linger long, just helped tuck in Ye Honjun¡¯s blanket and said goodbye. Ye Hongjun smiled at him tenderly and wearily, and seemed not to be in a bad mood.


    On the way home, Ye Ci couldn¡¯t bear the curiosity. After hesitating for a while, he asked: ¡°Huo-shushu, what did¡­¡­what did you and my mother talk about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special, to be honest.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled and joked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen at the door?¡±


    Ye Ci choked. ¡°I just¡­¡­I listened a little.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Huo Tinglan raised his eyes, looking pure and innocent. ¡°Other than the part we discussed, were there any other parts that didn¡¯t match the facts?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci was searching for a rebuttal when his phone rang.


    He picked it up and looked at it. It was Ye Hongjun.


    She had sent a long WeChat text.


    Ye Ci swept over it at a glance, his eyes trembling.


    [Mom]:


    Son, mom talked a lot with Mr. Huo tonight, and thought about it a lot. I¡¯m too embarrassed to say some things in front of you, so let¡¯s communicate like this.


    Sorry, mom has been in poor health in recent years and made you accompany her to suffer too bitterly. Sometimes mom can¡¯t help crying when she thinks of it at night. She feels that fate is too unfair, and let her good boy suffer too much grievance. Mom is incapable. She brought you into this world, but continuously makes you suffer from poverty. Every time mom thinks of these things, she will pray to heaven, praying that you will meet a little luck in the future. She dares not ask for too much, only that you will be safe and healthy for most of your life, and that you can eat and dress warmly without working too hard. That would be great.


    Perhaps mom¡¯s prayers were not in vain.


    Mom didn¡¯t know Mr. Huo well, and we were just strangers before today.


    Mr. Huo is a very intelligent person and knows how to talk. Mom can see this, but mom can also feel his care for you. Mom won¡¯t say too much, we can also find a way to repay Mr. Huo¡¯s kindness in the future. Your own thoughts and feelings are the most important. It¡¯s just that mom was unlucky in her life and failed to meet a sincere person, and had to endure. She can¡¯t help wanting to nag you a little: A person who treats you with sincerity is the rarest treasure in this world, and very hard to come by. You must know how to cherish them, even if you don¡¯t like them romantically. Be kind to them, and never hurt them or make them sad. Mom hopes that you can firmly grasp your own happiness¡­¡­


    . . . . . .


    The Alpha suitor, who was twelve years older, should have had a hard time with the elders. After all, Ye Hongjun was not someone who saw money. No matter how big the allure of a wealthy family was, she would still worry about her child.


    However, what Ye Ci expected did not happen at all.


    He originally had a belly full of mental outlines to encourage his mom to be at ease.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s pupils shook like an earthquake and he turned his head with a swoosh, staring at Huo Tinglan in disbelief as the man looked out the window.


    Huo-shushu, this¡­¡­


    Was he that good at sweet talking?![1]


    [1] This was a little difficult to translate, but what he actually said was, ¡°Did he boil a pot of ecstasy soup?!¡± Ecstasy soup, or ÃÔ»êÌÀ, is a metaphor referring to language or behavior that confuses people into thinking that something is good.

 CH 29

    Huo Tinglan took care of Ye Hongjun¡¯s trip to the United States for treatment.


    Things went smoothly, and without bothering Ye Ci, he just signed several documents as the patient¡¯s family member and transferred Ye Hongjun out of that sanatorium.


    With his seriously ill mother traveling across the ocean to receive medical treatment, even if he knew that the accompanying team would take good care of her, Ye Ci couldn¡¯t help worrying. So he asked for leave from school, and together with Huo Tinglan, they accompanied Ye Hongjun on the plane to San Francisco.


    At the end of last year, he was still in the state of discontinuing his studies during the provincial senior exam, and he missed it. He couldn¡¯t afford to miss taking the makeup exam in June this time, and he crammed his studies into these few days of vacation with difficulty. He brought a bag of History and Geography exam materials, even studying on the plane. With sore eyes, he opened the window and looked at the sea of intertwined cotton-white and gray-blue clouds below. Immersed in a calm and peaceful mood, he was quietly in a daze.


    The exam period was imminent, and Ye Ci could only stay for three days after landing. There was a sense of novelty in going abroad for the first time in his life, but at the thought of not knowing if he would see his mom in the next few months, he had no intention of wandering around. He would just stick to Ye Hongjun like a small tail, and where his mom went was where he would be.


    Three days passed quickly. Seeing that Ye Hongjun had settled in properly, Ye Ci had to return to China.


    Staying really wouldn¡¯t help. There was a whole team watching over her, but he couldn¡¯t seem to pull himself away, and Ye Hongjun had to banish him back to school.


    Seeing that Ye Ci still looked uneasy, Huo Tinglan continued to stay in San Francisco on the grounds of ¡°handling some backlogs from the American subsidiary.¡± He said that he could accompany Ye Hongjun for a time as she adapted while handling official business, lest she find herself in a foreign country with only unfamiliar faces all around, making her emotionally unstable.


    ¡°¡­¡­I did originally have work to do here, so I didn¡¯t lie to you.¡± Huo Tinglan rubbed Ye Ci¡¯s head. It was still early for boarding time. He had also sent an assistant to accompany Ye Ci back to China, and wasn¡¯t afraid of Ye Ci being unused to flying, so he was not in a hurry to let this person go now. ¡°If not for this incident, I would have had to make time to visit in June. It¡¯s all the same.¡±


    ¡°When do you plan to return to China?¡± Ye Ci had forgotten to ask before, but listening to Huo Tinglan¡¯s nonchalant tone, he subconsciously thought it would only be a few days.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, we¡¯ll see when my business is finished.¡± Huo Tinglan estimated, ¡°It¡¯ll be one week to half a month.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if the subsidiary company¡¯s affairs were dealt with later, but since he couldn¡¯t leave at present, he would do it now.


    Ye Ci was stunned. Plucking the strap of the schoolbag with his fingers, he muttered, ¡°That, that¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°Too long?¡± Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes and looked at the corners of Ye Ci¡¯s lips, which had fallen like lead weights. Wicked intentions of teasing the child took hold, and his words gradually shifted.


    ¡°Yesterday, I said that I would stay here a while to handle official business and accompany your mother at the same time. I saw how happy you were at that moment, and thought it would be okay if I stayed longer¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci frowned and defended in a whisper: ¡°I thought it would be, be three to five days.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to spend more time with your mother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not that.¡± Ye Ci fiercely shook his head, in a dilemma. He just hated that he couldn¡¯t stay in San Francisco.


    ¡°No one will be there to look after you when you go back, so you need to take care of yourself.¡± Huo Tinglan softened his tone and intimately reminded him of some trivial matters, ¡°Don¡¯t smoke, don¡¯t stay up late, get up early if you want to memorize, eat three regular meals, and if you have a temporary fever, just go to my room and lie down for a while.¡± He paused, and said with a sort of malicious tenderness, ¡°Call me anytime, no matter the time difference¡­¡­will you remember?¡±


    Separating for half a month ¨C ¨C although this was still too much ¨C ¨C  was nothing next to being separated for half a year.


    Ye Ci¡¯s chest rose and fell quickly a few times at the tone of that villain¡¯s teasing farewell. He had no choice but to clamp Huo Tinglan¡¯s wrist. Gripping firmly with five fingers, he looked at him helplessly.


    Pale pink skin, eyes rippling with light. Like a kitten who had been spoiled unknowingly and didn¡¯t usually seem too sticky, but when parting, he hooked the tip of his claws on the person¡¯s cuff and meowed tenderly.


    ¡°Huo-shushu,¡± He suppressed his shyness and requested shakily, ¡°Can you come back¡­¡­a little sooner?¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled: ¡°En, I will as soon as possible.¡±


    Ye Ci still didn¡¯t let go.


    Huo Tinglan asked gently and knowingly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    What¡¯s wrong was obvious.


    But Ye Ci couldn¡¯t say it. He had reached his limit, and those two red and tender lips seemed to have dried up in just a few minutes, looking bashful.


    There was silence for a moment.


    Huo Tinglan said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ll miss me?¡±


    Ye Ci nodded weakly.


    So soft.


    Like a piece of soft tofu, he had wanted to give it a light poke and watch it tremble softly, but who would have expected it to collapse?


    After teasing the child, Huo Tinglan gathered up his broken conscience, pulled it into a small pile again, and comforted: ¡°I¡¯ll try to make it a week, okay?¡±


    It was time to get ready to board.


    Ye Ci reluctantly followed the assistant.


    Five minutes later:


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s cell phone rang.


    When he picked it up, there was a message from Ye Ci.


    The short three words were the answer to the previous question, more clear-cut than a nod.


    [Ye Ci]: I miss you.


    . . . . . . .


    East Eighth District, night.


    The screen of the video call was on, and the thin morning light of San Francisco barely penetrated the fog to spill into Ye Hongjun¡¯s ward through the blinds.


    Ye Hongjun smiled and waved goodbye at the camera. He didn¡¯t know if it was a psychological effect, but after taking the new drug treatment, Ye Ci felt that her complexion was slightly better than before.


    As soon as the lens turned, Huo Tinglan left the ward.


    In order to be able to make a video call with Ye Hongjun, Ye Ci had to go to bed later these days. It was a legitimate reason to stay up late.


    After the call connected, he would chat with Ye Hongjun for a while, and then with Huo Tinglan for about ten minutes, so that he could still get to sleep in the first half of the night.


    In order to accompany Ye Hongjun conveniently, Huo Tinglan had set up his computer in the ward next to her for the past two days. When he went out and turned left, that was his temporary San Francisco office.


    ¡°¡­¡­Why are the lights so dim?¡± Huo Tinglan closed the door, narrowed his eyes slightly, and recognized the wall behind Ye Ci. ¡°You¡¯re not in your room?¡±


    The color of the wall paint was obviously wrong.


    The air conditioner was also familiar.


    When the video call connected ten minutes ago, he hadn¡¯t taken a close look, and kept holding it up for Ye Hongjun to watch.


    Ye Ci shook his head, wrapped in a thin summer quilt, and looked a little embarrassed: ¡°I have a little, temp, temporary fever¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan lifted his lips. ¡°You¡¯re in my room?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci closed the quilt around his body in discomfort.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes were fierce as he looked at the misty blue neckline and smiled: ¡°Is my room cold? You¡¯re wrapped up so tightly.¡±


    Ye Ci was red from face to neck: ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s a little cold.¡±


    More than a month had passed since that temporary marking.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s Alpha pheromones left in his body had been metabolized, the effect of the temporary mark had weakened, and Ye Ci¡¯s hormone disorder had also been alleviated a lot.


    In short, the symptoms of temporary fever were not as severe as they were a month ago.


    It could be seen by the state he was in that his mind was clear, his expression was normal, and he was not out of control like last time¡­¡­hugging and sleeping with Huo Tinglan¡¯s messy quilt.


    Huo Tinglan sat down at the temporary desk arranged by the assistant, leaned against the back of the chair in a relaxed manner, and thought for a while before asking shamelessly in a pure tone: ¡°What are you wearing in there?¡±


    ¨C ¨C Ever since he saw Ye Ci¡¯s ¡°I miss you¡± at the airport that day, he just couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    The thought of those three words made his chest feel hot with excitement, like a house that had been uninhabited for a long time and was now covered in flames that reached to the sky. That boiling hot and deformed gentleman¡¯s mask was completely unstable, and he had to press it with his hands or it would fall from his face at any time.


    ¡°Just,¡± Ye Ci¡¯s words flickered, ¡°a, a piece of clothing.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a piece of clothing.¡± Huo Tinglan was silent for a moment, and a shameless  ¡°otherwise, are you sleeping naked in my bed?¡± twitched on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed it back ¨C after all, their relationship had not yet been determined, and he couldn¡¯t cross the boundary of flirting and harassment. He only asked, ¡°What clothes? Show me.¡±


    His tone was calm, so calm that it was almost absent-minded, as if he was asking for nothing, rather than being a scoundrel in a subtle way.


    ¡°Just¡­¡­a shirt¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci was very obedient, and with a red face, he pulled the quilt down.


    The clothing was indeed nothing to be ashamed of.


    Just a shirt.


    Matte blue linen material, a long pointed collar that was retro and coquettish, and polished seashell buttons that were as smooth as white jade.


    That was Huo Tinglan¡¯s shirt.


    He was dying.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slowly.


    Ye Ci was 1.8 meters tall and usually wore an appropriately sized school uniform. Although he looked thin, he was not weak.


    But as soon as he put on Huo Tinglan¡¯s clothes, his whole person changed.


    His still youthful face in contrast with the mature shirt made him appear more pure.


    The thin wrists protruding from the cuffs were obviously more slender than Huo Tinglan¡¯s.


    His shoulder muscles were also slender, and couldn¡¯t hold up the fabric.


    ¡­ ¡­


    It didn¡¯t fit.


    But it looked good.


    He looked so small.


    ¨C ¨C ¨C The thought poured into the fire like gasoline.


    The fire soared to new heights and immolated his sanity.


    Huo Tinglan cleared his throat, but his voice was still hoarse: ¡°What¡¯s with this shirt¡­¡­did they forget to wash it, or?¡±


    ¡°No, it was, it was washed.¡± Ye Ci hurriedly defended, ¡°There¡¯s no, no pheromones, I just¡­¡­¡± He choked, not knowing where his courage had come from. Perhaps it was incited by the fever period, or if he said it once, it became easier to say again. Or maybe the question that had him tangled up over and over these days finally had an answer.


    Ye Ci lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t dare look at the camera, saying softly, ¡°Just, I¡¯ve missed you so much these past few days.¡±


    A fresh, clean shirt satisfied not the glands, but the spirit.


    Suddenly, the screen went black.


    Ye Ci had covered the camera.


    ¡°Wearing the clothes that you wear, it feels¡­¡­it feels like¡­¡­¡±


    He was losing his mind.


    This little thing¡­¡­


    Was relying on him from a distance?


    Huo Tinglan tugged on his tie, almost unable to sit still: ¡°Like what?¡±

 CH 30

    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t sit still. He covered the camera with his fingertips, pressing hard until his fingers went white.


    His voice went continuously lower as he spoke: ¡°Like, like you¡¯re hugging me¡­¡­¡±


    That night he took the initiative to hug Huo Tinglan, the solid firmness of his chest and the comfort like floating on ocean waves was unforgettable.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think about a simple hug over and over again.


    The memory entangled his thoughts, spreading like weeds, squandering nutrients. After just a few days of separation, his heart was so empty that he became agitated.


    ¨C ¨C This was not in line with the situation he was worried about previously, and was even the opposite.


    He had basically smoothed out the tangled mess.


    When one¡¯s heart was set, it was time to speak up.


    He wanted to find a time to confess, and had thought about it all night, knowing that he was too introverted, his face was too thin, and it was especially difficult to speak when he was emotional. If he confessed to Huo Tinglan face to face, those good words would be incoherent and fragmented¡­¡­


    So he planned to say it from a distance first, so that when the two met, the news would already be digested in part, the mood would be calmer, and he wouldn¡¯t be so nervous that he was unable to speak.


    He planned the formula on his little abacus with a crackling, disordered rattle, not realizing how naive he was in his inexperience. ¡°The temp, temporary mark you gave me is getting weaker and weaker¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci swallowed and closed his eyes shyly, as if talking to himself. ¡°But on the contrary¡­¡­I miss you even more.¡±


    His words were vague, but clear enough.


    Not the effects of hormone fluctuations.


    Not the confusion of physical attraction.


    In the past few days away from Huo Tinglan, he had a lot of time to think independently.


    He picked up his own bewildered heart from the warm and aching thoughts, like picking up a pebble from a spring stream. He drained the water droplets off his desire and dried it, only to find that it had been polished clean and soft by love, the texture as clear as an engraving ¨C ¨C


    I like Huo-shushu.


    I like Huo Tinglan.


    I like him more with each passing day, no one else but him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Why do you miss me?¡±


    The question came through the phone, consuming the last bit of silence and patience.


    ¡°Because¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci took a deep breath, and with the sacrificial sincerity unique to young people, he said, ¡°I like you.¡±


    After he finished speaking, as if he felt that his intentions mustn¡¯t be questioned, he explained before he could be asked: ¡°Not because of the temporary mark, or, or because of my mom¡­¡­don¡¯t have any doubt. I thought about it for, for days, I just¡­¡­really like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Really liked him.


    It truly depended on him being far away.


    Huo Tinglan loosened his tie and took a deep breath. The blue blood vessels in his temples pulsed slightly, and his sanity was on the verge of collapse.


    The matters that he could originally endure were stimulated by Ye Ci¡¯s ¡°provocative¡± operation, and he feared he could no longer stand it.


    The camera was still covered. He wasn¡¯t sure if Ye Ci was looking at him from over there, and had to forcefully control the wicked fire and maintain a false calm: ¡°You¡¯re on video, so far away, and you¡¯re saying this to me¡­¡­¡±


    He leisurely interrogated: ¡°What sort of evil intentions do you have?¡±


    ¡°No, no evil intentions!¡± Ye Ci thought he was unhappy, and hurriedly removed his hand covering the camera. His face was burnt through, even his eyes were dyed with a light pink, and his lips were red.


    He was so embarrassed that he licked his lips and inadvertently covered them with a layer of moisture, making him even more gorgeous.


    He didn¡¯t know that his beloved Huo-shushu was painfully holding back his feelings in private, and wasn¡¯t aware of what it meant to be in a relationship in the adult world. He was also an adult, but after all, this was a recent development and he was still innocent. He used this childish method to analyze a thirty-year-old Alpha who had been single for a long time, as if he was playing youthful love games with boys and girls of the same age. So he thought about it a bit and tried to make up for the sense of ceremony that Huo-shushu might want: ¡°I used, used video to confess, not because¡­¡­I¡¯m not sincere, or not serious about you. I want to confess again when, when I¡¯m in front of you. I talk clumsily, and I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be too nervous at that time. Since I can¡¯t speak well, I told you over video first¡­¡­.I¡¯ll say it again.¡±


    He was so sincere to his lover, and could not wait to open his young heart and shine a light on it as he described word by word: ¡°And I felt, now that we¡¯ve both¡­¡­figured it out, that I should say it as soon as possible and not¡­¡­leave you hanging.¡±


    As if coaxing a disappointed little girlfriend, he lowered his body in a masculine and beseeching posture and said, ¡°You¡­¡­don¡¯t be mad at me, okay?¡±


    Huo Tinglan laughed dumbly in spite of himself, and was speechless for a few seconds.


    He was so far away from being angry¡­¡­


    He was clearly holding back his madness, enduring those vicious currents from head to toe. Forbearance on the left and forbearance on the right, he endured!


    But Ye Ci didn¡¯t understand this.


    Huo Tinglan sighed, the boy¡¯s mental journey as clear as the sun at midday. The workings of that brain and his thoughtful considerations were really green and cute. He was a total softhearted mess.


    He could be softhearted, but others may not necessarily emulate that softness.


    Rather, they could be as firm as iron and stone.


    Huo Tinglan flattened the corners of his lips and threw out a sentence: ¡°No good.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah?¡±


    Ye Ci wilted like a snowman in a preheated 200¡ãC oven.


    His shoulders collapsed and swiftly melted.


    Oh no.


    He had screwed up.


    Huo Tinglan leaned back in the chair and tapped the table with his fingertips, as solemn as if he were in a business negotiation, but his words were not serious: ¡°When we meet, tell me what you just said again¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°En!¡± Ye Ci nodded hurriedly.


    ¡°When you¡¯re done talking,¡± Huo Tinglan said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll kiss you¡­¡­is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmhm, okay.¡± Ye Ci at first responded wholeheartedly, and after a few seconds, his eyes trembled nervously. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and inquired with feigned sophistication, ¡°The same as, as last time? Then when you¡¯re done kissing¡­¡­you won¡¯t be angry?¡±


    Kiss the face, kiss the eyebrows, kiss the forehead¡­¡­


    He was familiar with these.


    Relying on the fact that the other party couldn¡¯t see where his eyes fell on the video call, Huo Tinglan stared at the two alluring, thin red lips on the screen, entirely unscrupulous and almost indecent.


    ¡°No.¡± He smiled, controlled his expression, and answered two questions in turn. ¡°I won¡¯t be angry anymore.¡±


    Seeing that Ye Ci still appeared to consider himself lucky, with an expression that said, ¡°Huo-shushu, such a decent person,¡± Huo Tinglan lifted his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°I want to kiss your lips, may I?¡±


    ¡° ! ¡°


    Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he almost threw away his phone.


    May he?


    It seemed like it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    They had confessed to each other. Ordinarily, this would count as a romantic relationship, and other than being in love, what more proof did they need¡­¡­


    The two were married, and they were in love with each other. If even a kiss on the lips was too much, then life could not continue.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s tone was disappointed, but his forbearance remained.


    It seemed that as long as Ye Ci didn¡¯t allow it, he could really endure until the end of the world.


    ¡°No¡­¡­you can.¡± Ye Ci sat cross-legged on the bed and held his forehead in embarrassment. At this moment, even the back of his hand was flushed.


    Huo Tinglan took on the style of a rigorous business negotiation. As if he wanted to sign a contract with Ye Ci, he first emphasized the existing conditions: ¡°We are already married in the true sense of the word.¡± He immediately verified with perfect enunciation, ¡°So how many times can I kiss you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, how, how many kisses?¡± Ye Ci repeated apprehensively, his breathing uneven.


    The way a gentlemanly person in love spoke turned out to be like this?!


    You had to ask how many kisses you were allowed to have. Was it a foul if you kissed too much?


    Only¡­¡­


    In fact, it was still better to just directly kiss¡­¡­


    Didn¡¯t this make it more embarrassing?!


    ¡°Any, any amount.¡± It was hard for Ye Ci to say a specific value.


    If it was more or less, Huo-shushu would draw him into a negotiation.


    ¡°Any amount?¡± Huo Tinglan used a cough to hide his smile.


    It was too much fun to tease the little gentleman.


    Truly, endlessly fun.


    In the last life, he never teased Ye Ci like that.


    First, Ye Ci in the previous life was much more closed off and fragile than he was now. He couldn¡¯t bear to go too far, and besides, twenty-two-year-old Ye Ci was much more mature than he was at eighteen. Unlike now, where he took the bait as soon as he was teased, over and over¡­¡­


    ¡°There is no upper limit.¡± Huo Tinglan reflected for half a second, then his humanity disappeared and he summed up with a smile, ¡° That is, infinity.¡±


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about, and nodded in confusion.


    Seeing that Ye Ci was about to be played with to tears, Huo Tinglan mercifully hung up the video call.


    As soon as the words ¡°call ended¡± appeared on the screen, Ye Ci set aside his phone as if rescued, collapsed on the bed, and stared at the ceiling in a daze.


    It was just a confession¡­¡­who would have expected it to be like peeling skin.


    But ultimately, not bad, Huo-shushu.


    He himself was still too thin-skinned, too introverted. Things that were as normal as eating food and drinking water for other couples were difficult for him.


    He had to learn to be outgoing, and just kiss him calmly and naturally.


    Right!


    This determination lasted for more than 40 hours.


    He was a cheerful and outgoing person, facing the sea as spring flowers bloomed.[1]


    Until sudden news from Huo Tinglan knocked Ye Ci back into his original shape.


    It was nine thirty in the evening. After Ye Ci ate the fruit that Uncle He sent as a late-night snack, he wiped his mouth and wanted to hurry up and finish a set of papers.


    By the time he was done, it would be past eight o¡¯clock in the morning in San Francisco. He would make a video call, chat with his mom for a while and talk with Huo-shushu for a while¡­¡­today, he had a lot of schoolwork. He didn¡¯t touch his phone much all day in order to have time for the video call at night, so he didn¡¯t realize that Huo Tinglan hadn¡¯t contacted him for more than ten hours.


    The exam paper had barely been spread out when the cell phone rang.


    Ye Ci pulled it over and took a look.


    His heart nearly stopped.


    [Huo Tinglan]: I¡¯ll be home in ten minutes.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Wait for me.


    ¡° ! ¡±


    Gripping the phone, Ye Ci was stunned for a few seconds.


    Ten minutes?


    Ten minutes!


    Had Huo-shushu fallen into a wormhole?!


    Had time and space folded?!


    [Huo Tinglan]: I was busy all night yesterday, and I¡¯ve finished with the matter over there. I got on the plane this morning and didn¡¯t say anything earlier for fear that you would be thinking wildly all day and not be able to study well.


    ¨C ¨C Whether it was really considerate or an ill-intentioned attack to not give Ye Ci any chance to delay or regret, only Huo Tinglan could know.


    With shaking hands, Ye Ci helplessly entered a word, squeezing out an ¡°OK.¡±


    Ye Ci put down the phone and was dazed for a moment, then jumped up and rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.


    After brushing several times very thoroughly, his tongue was numbed by the toothpaste.


    There were bright drops of water hanging from his chin as he held the toothbrush, blushing as he stared blankly into the mirror.


    There was a sound on the first floor. Huo Tinglan was back.


    How could he dare greet him when they would kiss on the lips in a moment?


    How many minutes and seconds? Where should he wait? What posture should he wait with? What expression should he wear? What should he say?¡­¡­In only a few minutes, his anxiety and thoughts were boundless. Every second felt like torture, and he even wished that Huo Tinglan would come to kiss him sooner.


    ¡­¡­So why did he tell him in advance?!


    Huo-shushu, was he¡­¡­was he actually a little evil??


    Ye Ci had nowhere to vent his shame and anger, and hit the washstand with a punch.


    There was a loud bang.


    Then, faint footsteps sounded.


    Through the door panels of the second-story bedroom and bathroom, they reached his ears.


    Ye Ci¡¯s heart beat like a drum, and he listened in panic.


    He bowed his head and waited for a kiss on the lips.


    [1] This is a reference to a poem by the Chinese poet Hai Zi. The full line goes: ¡°I have a house, it faces the sea, and flowers bloom in spring warmth.¡± The poem is about someone who makes future plans to become a different, better person, with warm feelings toward the world and its people. ?

 CH 31

    There was a knock on the bedroom door. The two reserved sounds were like knocks on his heart.


    Knowing that Ye Ci would not respond, Huo Tinglan opened the bedroom door on his own after a moment.


    Immediately afterwards, a hazy shadow floated behind the frosted glass door of the bathroom.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± Huo Tinglan stood still and coaxed him out like a patient hunter, his voice low and magnetic, ¡°Baby.¡±


    At this change of address, Ye Ci¡¯s face went red and he was so embarrassed that he almost knocked the doorknob off.


    ¡°I really miss you.¡± Huo Tinglan seemed to understand that he had come back very unexpectedly, so he didn¡¯t force him, and just negotiated softly, ¡°Let me see you? I worked all night yesterday and took a 12-hour flight. My head hurts, I just took painkillers¡­¡­after I see you, I¡¯m going to go rest.¡±


    He was bewitching him.


    But Ye Ci¡¯s heart softened quickly, and in a daze, he pulled the door open a crack.


    The slit was so narrow that it was only about the width of a raised finger, which was enough to reveal a dark eye peeking at Huo Tinglan.


    However.


    It didn¡¯t matter how narrow the crack was. Once it was opened, it meant ¡°permission.¡±


    Huo Tinglan grabbed the edge of the door abruptly, relying on Ye Ci¡¯s reluctance to close the door and hurt him, and brazenly pulled it open like breaking apart a weakened clam shell.


    The back of Ye Ci¡¯s neck was hot when Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand grabbed it with gentle but irresistible strength. Grasping him like a cat, he took him out of the bathroom and blocked him into a corner.


    ¡°You dare to hide¡­¡­what did you say on the video call?¡± After catching the cat, Huo Tinglan gently retracted his hand and put it in his trouser pocket. He lowered his smiling black eyes and looked at Ye Ci, and said in a leisurely manner, ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t you just say¡­..¡± Ye Ci, in the wrong, was honestly crowded into the corner. Not daring to resist, he could only open his mouth and mumble with insufficient confidence, ¡°you just, just wanted a look.¡±


    From such a short distance away, he could see Huo Tinglan¡¯s clean as new shirt, straight and tidy. A navy blue silk tie hung down the middle, faintly emphasizing the contours of the full and seductive pectoral muscles on both sides. The cuffs were dazzlingly white, and two expensive canary diamond cufflinks shone brightly. The scent of vetiver aftershave was still fresh ¨C ¨C His Huo-shushu was well-dressed. Perhaps on the plane on his way to see him, like a male beast in courtship boastingly displaying his gorgeous fur and lean body, he did his best to seduce and tantalize him.


    Obviously, Huo Tinglan achieved the expected effect.


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes darted to the side first to avoid suspicion, but he couldn¡¯t stop looking back in distress. At the distinct outline of the chest under that shirt, at the extravagant and flashy accessories, at the sharp contours of that handsome face.


    He couldn¡¯t refuse to admit it. He was a young visual animal, an adolescent boy. Huo Tinglan was trying to please him, and he was so fascinated by it that he couldn¡¯t help but look again and again.


    ¡°¡­¡­The first words spoken don¡¯t count, right?¡± Huo Tinglan teased him with a smile, tit for tat.


    One¡¯s own promise must be kept.


    Ye Ci could only stammer and repeat the words he confessed the night before ¨C ¨C but it wasn¡¯t a perfect repetition. Due to nerves and forgetfulness, the wording wasn¡¯t entirely the same, only a rough imitation.


    But Huo Tinglan seemed to have memorized the full text of what he said that day. Whenever there was a subtle discrepancy in Ye Ci¡¯s retelling, he would speak up and force Ye Ci to repeat it.


    Extremely evil.


    After reiterating the set of confessions, Ye Ci had sweat on the tip of his nose and his face was flushed.


    Finally, the last word was repeated.


    The room was silent.


    Ye Ci glanced sideways at Huo Tinglan. His eyes were bright and dark, a collection of contradictions. Innocent hunger and thirst. Ye Ci still retained the instinct of an Alpha to conquer and possess, but it was also softened by the new Omega instincts. He stood precariously on a balancing rope, waiting for someone to push him, to catch him.


    Huo Tinglan lowered his gaze and traced Ye Ci¡¯s lips with his eyes. Thin, but plump in the middle, there was no lack of sensuality, and the cool scent of spearmint lingered on his breath.


    ¡°You brushed your teeth?¡± Huo Tinglan chuckled.


    ¡°En, I was, was afraid I would be sleepy after the video call, so I, I brushed them first.¡± Ye Ci made it more conspicuous by trying to hide it, and his inquisitive eyes were also fixed on Huo Tinglan¡¯s mouth.


    He was curious about the feeling of ¡°kissing on the lips.¡±


    After giving it some thought, he was a little eager to try¡­¡­


    The two looked at each other¡¯s lips, breathing together.


    The atmosphere maintained a delicate and ambiguous balance.


    All of a sudden, Huo Tinglan broke the balance, gently squeezing Ye Ci¡¯s small jaw and tilting his head up to meet his touch.


    Tender and greedy, like a bee stealing honey.


    He was extremely hungry, and the buds were about to bloom. He cautiously arched open the half-closed petals, burrowed in shamelessly, and brushed the fine, exquisite pollen in the core.


    At first, it was just a touch.


    Then, he rubbed a little.


    Ye Ci was so sensitive that he leaned against the corner made by the two walls and trembled. His spine was so soft that he couldn¡¯t even hold his back straight.


    So comfortable.


    Formidably comfortable.


    Low on oxygen and short of breath, he turned his face away in embarrassment and had difficulty looking directly at his own response.


    This was what it felt like to be an Omega. A small kiss transformed into deep spring waters, and his bones went weak and soft. So unfamiliar.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Huo Tinglan pressed his body against him so that he could use his strength to support him.


    Then he used his fingertips to turn back Ye Ci¡¯s averted face. His jet-black pupils were keen as measuring instruments, detecting every wisp of Ye Ci¡¯s emotions: embarrassment, confusion, joy¡­¡­


    ¡°Wait, Huo-shushu.¡± Ye Ci slid down like mud, his sweaty palms clinging to the wall as he tried to stand firm on his own strength. ¡°I can¡¯t, can¡¯t stand up straight anymore¡­¡­¡±


    Something was beginning to sprout, and its shy appearance was fresh and full of life, like a flower bud showing its slender stamen or a freshly harvested water chestnut peeled of its raw white flesh.

 CH 32

    ¡°Baby.¡±


    His blood was boiling.


    Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t wait at all for him to get used to it. He only intensified and slightly bowed his shoulders, holding Ye Ci¡¯s face to kiss him and crush those small lips out of shape. As if he wasn¡¯t embarrassed enough, he coaxed in a low voice: ¡°Baby¡¯s lips are so soft¡­¡­¡±


    Just five words, ordinary lovers¡¯ talk, but they were like some kind of spell with the power to drive a person crazy.


    His heart suddenly soared into the air and smashed down again, beating desperately at his ribs.


    Ye Ci¡¯s eardrums were roaring and his brain was empty, steamed dry. The numbness that penetrated his chest rose and fell with his heartbeat, surging and ebbing like waves. The kiss he imagined was like a dragonfly lightly brushing the water¡¯s surface, similar to a kiss on the face.


    This was simply not the same at all.


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and was so alarmed that he ducked away, but Huo Tinglan held his face and chased after him. Huo-shushu, who was usually so gentle and elegant, was at this moment so fervent that it was almost obscene, and firmly captured him!


    ¡°Huo-shushu,¡± Ye Ci¡¯s head was about to explode, and he faintly begged for mercy, ¡°Huo, Huo-shushu¡­¡­is it enough?¡±


    His heart was beating to death, and his nose was obviously working, but he was holding his breath without realizing it.


    His mouth was sore from being rubbed, and his lips were so hot that the skin seemed to be broken.


    It didn¡¯t seem like he should have confessed in that way¡­¡­


    He regretted it a little, but it was too late.


    He twisted like a small silverfish with wet scales. If Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t let him go, he would slide away along the crack in the wall, slip back into the water, and never bite again.


    Finally, Huo Tinglan straightened up a little. Brushing the thin cartilage at the tip of his nose, he reminded in a low voice, ¡°Breathe.¡±


    Flustered, Ye Ci took a few big breaths.


    Huo Tinglan waited for him to breathe, and then tilted his head again¡­¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re still, still kissing?¡± Ye Ci shrank back, and rounded those watery apricot seed eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± Huo Tinglan caught Ye Ci¡¯s shock, suppressed the fire in his dark eyes, and brought out his innocent ¡°good shushu¡± mode, smiling softly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just one kiss?¡±


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t believe it, and repeated, ¡°Just one¡­¡­¡±


    So, so many actions counted as just one?!


    He became increasingly bewildered, unable to speak. After a long while, he licked his red lips, looking stunned and pitiful, as if he was being bullied by a trusted person, pierced by the hook hidden in the sweet bait.


    ¡°Can, can you not kiss¡­¡­a second time, Huo-shushu.¡± The more he spoke, the quieter he got. ¡°My¡­¡­my lips are broken.¡±


    ¡°Broken?¡± Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t believe it, and pushed away Ye Ci¡¯s hand to check carefully.


    Where were they broken, they weren¡¯t broken at all, he knew what he was doing. They were just red and hot, giving them the illusion of ¡°broken skin.¡±


    ¡°Not broken.¡± He told the truth, not choosing what children would like to hear.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci drooped his head, not even letting him touch them.


    ¡°But you¡¯re in pain, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Huo Tinglan took a step back and let Ye Ci slip away.


    When young teenagers fell in love, if they hadn¡¯t encountered an Alpha who was particularly anxious and confused, they would probably go to school and leave together, accompany each other to do their homework, touch each others¡¯ heads, hold hands, and kiss shallowly and carefully, even more hazy than the moonlight.


    The issue was¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan felt that he was also as hazy as moonlight.


    He didn¡¯t even stick his tongue in¡­¡­


    Was that not hazy?


    But Ye Ci had been rubbed so hard that his soul flew away, sitting on the small sofa and covering his mouth in a daze.


    To Huo Tinglan, it was the touch of a dragonfly upon water, but for Ye Ci, it was a stormy sea.


    Huo Tinglan walked over and knelt on one knee in front of the small sofa, tugged at the cuffs of Ye Ci¡¯s pajamas, and coaxed gently: ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    Ye Ci hurriedly shook his head: ¡°No, I¡¯m not mad at you.¡±


    It was impossible for him to be angry with Huo Tinglan.


    ¡°What happened¡­¡­can you describe it to me?¡± Huo Tinglan set the tone for a serious discussion.


    ¡°Just,¡± Ye Ci pursed his lower lip and tried to describe, ¡°My heart was, was beating like I was dying. I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s because I¡­¡­¡± He glanced at him timidly, and with a pure and innocent voice, spoke words that could kill a person: ¡°I, I like you so much, I can¡¯t stand the excitement. You let me slow down and take it easy, okay?¡±


    Huo Tinglan took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and repeated, ¡°Slow down¡­¡­¡±


    A lifetime of perseverance was consumed in this moment.


    ¡°Xiao Ci, I¡¯m twelve years older than you, I¡¯m a mature Alpha, and my thoughts and needs regarding these things might be different from yours.¡± His tone was sincere and apologetic, with a somewhat rare embarrassment. ¡°Maybe my needs will be more than yours. Sorry.¡±


    Ye Ci licked his still aching lips, and with a red face, he unexpectedly gave Huo Tinglan a round of sex education in turn: ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t apologize. What you said is, is actually normal¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°En, you¡¯re right.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, and then, as if it was difficult to speak about, laughed softly at himself. ¡°So what should I do? I have a lot of needs¡­¡­otherwise,¡± he teased softly and mischievously, ¡°Is there another method that you can accept?¡±

 CH 33

    Ye Ci heaved a sigh of relief, and hurriedly asked: ¡°What¡­¡­what method?¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled softly, found an easy-to-accept entry point, and threw a line: ¡°Did you sleep in my bedroom the day before yesterday?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci nodded.


    ¡°How about tonight too, then?¡± When Ye Ci opened his mouth slightly in surprise, Huo Tinglan added calmly, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything excessive. We can add a blanket, one for each of us.¡±


    He kneaded his forehead wearily, once to sell his misery, and twice to imply that he was currently out of energy and therefore not dangerous: ¡°I was busy all night last night, and I haven¡¯t closed my eyes up to now. I¡¯m exhausted. I just want to give you a good hug.¡±


    Ye Ci was embarrassed, his mouth closed and his attitude wavering, but he didn¡¯t show a clear expression of rejection.


    ¨C ¨C Given a fright by the prior unacceptable outcome, he found himself thinking too much. After giving a sigh of relief, his rate of acceptance also increased briefly.


    His negotiation skills were fairly basic, but practical.


    Huo Tinglan looked like he was holding the soft nape of a kitten¡¯s neck gently but firmly, with skillful ease, making the inexperienced kitten disoriented and confused.


    ¡°Your expression just now¡­¡­¡± With a smile, the villain brought a suit against his victim,[1] teasing in turn: ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Ye Ci looked at him with clear eyes like glass beads, but didn¡¯t try to defend himself, and only blushed.


    Because he was indeed thinking wild thoughts.


    He would prefer to not say a word and tacitly acquiesce, rather than expose the yellow trash in his brain to Huo-shushu and be teased. He didn¡¯t want to lie to his lover, either.


    ¡°What are you thinking, baby?¡± Huo Tinglan expressed his curiosity as if he was a big, innocent boy. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Ye Ci suddenly had a sense of peril, as if he was being targeted by a carnivore ¨C ¨C if he didn¡¯t tear off a piece of meat to sacrifice to those white teeth, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape tonight.


    ¨C ¨C What was he thinking about?


    He thought he was going to sleep under a blanket with Huo Tinglan like a real married person, and for a moment, even vaguely thought about ¡°that kind of thing.¡±


    But how could these words be spoken?


    There was only one piece of meat left to tear off for the beast.


    His throat tightened, and he forcibly skipped the question in order to compromise: ¡°Then, then let¡¯s add a blanket¡­¡­¡±


    In the master bedroom, a pair of pillows and two blankets were placed side by side, and the area between was still spacious.


    Huo Tinglan went to wash up, and Ye Ci burrowed into his own blanket like a thief. His sleeping position was restrained, with the light blanket tightly covering him, pulled all the way up to the tip of his nose.


    He secretly touched his mouth under the edge of the covers.


    The painful heat had subsided, and the skin was not broken.


    Suddenly, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.


    Ye Ci retracted his hand as if he had received an electric shock, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.


    With his temperament and under these circumstances, it seemed a little fake for him to be able to sleep without a care. He knew this, but hoped that Huo Tinglan would be as graceful as ever, seeing through it but not bringing it up.


    The bathroom door opened.


    The scent of men¡¯s body wash slowly approached, sea salt mixed with cypress wood.


    The side of his body sank down, something blocked the light, and then Huo Tinglan called to him in a low voice: ¡°Baby, are you asleep?¡±


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t move. Not even his eyelashes fluttered.


    He pretended quite well.


    The corners of Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips lifted slightly. He didn¡¯t say anything, and didn¡¯t turn off the lights. Lying down next to Ye Ci, he stretched out his arms and pulled the thin form wrapped in a light blanket into his arms.


    That small sample of a kiss did not satisfy his craving. Instead, it evoked the memory of entangling with his lover in the last life.


    Desire was like a shark sensing blood. It was better not to taste it, but once he did, he became mad with greed.


    That graphite silk was as deep and dark as the sea. He cruised through it silently and sinisterly, coveting the creamy white flesh in that ocean. The marking period wasn¡¯t over yet, and his Alpha glands began to stir.


    After being pacified by an Omega, the glands were supposed to be at rest.


    But the painful experience of his spouse¡¯s death made Huo Tinglan¡¯s Alpha glands more sensitive and fragile than in the previous life, and their hormone fluctuations were difficult to predict using normal medical theory.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes darkened, and his hands circled around in front of Ye Ci.


    His fingertip touched the blanket that was dampened by Ye Ci¡¯s breath and traced along the line of his lips.


    After a while, it stopped in the middle and played with them.


    The small breaths gusting on Huo Tinglan¡¯s fingertips suddenly accelerated.


    Ye Ci panicked.


    Afraid that his breathing rate would reveal his pretense, Ye Ci took a few breaths and then subconsciously held his breath, his body trembling slightly.


    This was not pretending to be asleep, but pretending to be dead.


    ¡°Ye Ci,¡± Huo Tinglan suppressed a laugh, his fingers like bait as he rubbed the silly mouth with a poor memory that continued to bite the hook. ¡°Are you really asleep?¡±


    Suddenly waking up at this time would only be more embarrassing.


    It was hard to ride a tiger,[2] better to play the role to the end. Ye Ci resolutely kept his eyes closed. There was sweat on his forehead, and his eyelashes trembled.


    ¡°You really are asleep?¡± Huo Tinglan announced in a low voice, ¡°Then I¡¯m going to do something bad.¡±


    Ye Ci: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly in disbelief.


    Huo Tinglan took the edge of the blanket and picked it up.


    It was almost like lifting the hem of a skirt, but he could do it without appearing vulgar.


    Under the blanket, the collar of Ye Ci¡¯s pajamas was fastened to the top button, and Huo Tinglan flipped the button as if teasing a small fish.


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyelashes trembled and he thoroughly crumbled. Too embarrassed to open his eyes, he turned over, plunged into Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms, and begged for mercy: ¡°Huo-shushu, don¡¯t, don¡¯t do it¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You pretended to be asleep.¡± Huo Tinglan gently tugged Ye Ci¡¯s bright red ear.


    He saw through it and laid it bare.


    No matter how foolish Ye Ci was, he realized that Huo Tinglan was not the same as before he confirmed their relationship. Besides, he wasn¡¯t stupid in the first place. If someone else attempted Huo Tinglan¡¯s actions, he would probably see through it within three sentences.


    The fact that he could be hooked with one cast was due to nothing more than preconceived notions. He believed firmly in Huo Tinglan¡¯s pure and good nature, and this filter was too thick to see through.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, why are you¡­¡­¡± He clenched his fists and hesitated. ¡°Why¡­¡­are you like this?¡±


    ¡°What am I like?¡± Huo Tinglan laughed, and the deep vibrations of his chest tickled Ye Ci¡¯s eardrums.


    ¡°Like,¡± Ye Ci struggled to retrieve a precise word that was not a curse, ¡°You¡¯ve become un, ungentlemanly.¡±


    Ungentlemanly.


    Huo Tinglan was stunned for a moment. In his life and in his previous life, he had never heard anyone make a comment about him like this.


    Not only that, but he was often rated the opposite.


    It was said that no one knew a child better than their mother, but even his mother, Lin Yao, often persuaded him to let go of the elite air of being alone all his life. Even if he couldn¡¯t find a matching Omega, at least he could meet a Beta woman¡­¡­


    Moreover, the way he and Ye Ci got along in the last life was not the same as it was now.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t a compliment, but he felt a heat up his spine. Being provoked by the aggrieved little lover who vaguely realized he had boarded a pirate ship doubled his agitation.


    ¡°Xiao Ci,¡± Huo Tinglan moved back a little, looked at Ye Ci buried in his chest, and stroked his messy hair. Half coaxing and half serious, he said: ¡°From the moment we established our relationship, you were officially my lover and husband, legally and emotionally. In front of you, I don¡¯t think I need to, or should, put on the air of being a good gentleman. Just like you don¡¯t have to try to be brave in front of me. You can talk to me, you can cry to me, and you can rely on me to your heart¡¯s content¡­¡­what do you say?¡±


    With just a few words, he integrated his ¡°hooliganism¡± with his true nature.


    Extremely shameless.


    Ye Ci wrestled with this for a while. He also pretended to be tough in front of Huo Tinglan. If it was wrong to say that it wasn¡¯t the same, then he probably¡­¡­didn¡¯t count as innocent?


    Besides, flirting with a lover seemed to be okay, it was just that the contrast¡­¡­


    ¡°Do you still like Huo-shushu?¡± Huo Tinglan asked knowingly.


    How could he not like him because of that?


    Ye Ci nodded in embarrassment.


    ¡°You like me even if I¡¯m not a gentleman?¡± Huo Tinglan repeated with a smile.


    Ye Ci gritted his teeth, and the corners of his jaw flexed sharply. After a few seconds of silence, he admitted: ¡°I like you.¡±


    However, the villain hadn¡¯t even revealed one-tenth of his essence.


    ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan paused. Meeting Ye Ci¡¯s inquisitive gaze, he said quietly, ¡°Will you help? The susceptibility period is about to be drawn out by you, so soothe me¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci was stunned, unable to argue: ¡°I, I drew it out?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Huo Tinglan choked back a laugh. His eyes were jet-black and bright, and he had a handsome appearance, but it was a pity that it contained a wicked thing that would toss a black pot to a child.[3]


    ¡°You did¡­¡­do you know how pretty your blush is?¡± The black pot smashed him in the face. ¡°You¡¯re still drawing it out.¡±


    Was being inclined to blush a sin? What could be done about an abundance of capillaries?


    Ye Ci had a rare rebellious thought and snatched the blanket from Huo Tinglan to cover his face. As a result, as soon as the bridge of his nose was covered, it was pulled back down to his chin. He covered it up again, and it was pulled down to his neck by Huo Tinglan. He was light and quick, half smiling, making them look like a playful and flirtatious couple. Ye Ci noticed that the atmosphere was ambiguous and didn¡¯t dare to grab it again. His flushed face was exposed to the air, and he braced himself to ¡°look good¡± under Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes, retorting in a whisper: ¡°Wasn¡¯t your susceptible period¡­¡­more, more than a month ago? Usually an Alpha¡­¡­is only susceptible two or three times a year. Besides, it also can¡¯t be drawn out.¡±


    He might know very little, but he had also been an Alpha, and couldn¡¯t be fooled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick.¡± Huo Tinglan unexpectedly smiled. ¡°I have a disorder.¡±


    Ye Ci stared, going quiet.


    Huo Tinglan really was sick ¨C ¨C the susceptibility period syndrome. Not every Alpha¡¯s susceptibility symptoms were as severe as his, which could be considered pathological, and the frequency was indeed uncertain.


    ¡°Give me treatment, baby. Think of it like an essay on being a good person and doing good deeds, doesn¡¯t that sound pretty good?¡± The more he said, the more ridiculous and unscrupulous it became. Holding back a smile, he continued to coax and deceive: ¡°We had a deal to use a way you can accept, other than touching your lips.¡± He turned over, holding Ye Ci¡¯s hot face like a handful of spring water as he pecked kisses across his red cheekbones, his sweaty hair, his blinking eyelids¡­¡­


    His word was truly trustworthy. Since he said he wouldn¡¯t touch his mouth, he didn¡¯t touch his mouth.


    However, at the end, Ye Ci had to keep a deadly grip on his collar and not let go. With a clear, lively voice, he repeatedly emphasized that he was not to put his mouth on his neck. It was just that the collar of his school uniform really couldn¡¯t cover the neck, and his classmates and teachers would see it at a glance.


    This just barely saved his neck.


    That night, he was only kissed on his face outside of his cocoon.


    [1] ¶ñÈËÏȸæ×´. Literally means the villain sues his victim before he himself can be prosecuted. ?


    [2] ÆﻢÄÑÏÂ: The idiom is, ¡®If you ride a tiger, it¡¯s hard to get off,¡¯ meaning it¡¯s impossible to stop halfway. ?


    [3] Throwing a black pot to someone is basically putting the blame on them/letting them shoulder the responsibility. ?

 CH 34

    This night passed in chaos for Ye Ci.


    In the first half, after a round of sparring, he was thoroughly kissed above the neck.


    He was embarrassed, nervous, and excited, and sweated profusely all over.


    After all the tossing and turning was over, Ye Ci was too ashamed to sleep on someone else¡¯s bed while covered in sweat, so he took a shower in the bathroom connected to the master bedroom. After rushing to finish up, he smelled of the same sea salt and cypress wood as Huo Tinglan. This probably hit the man¡¯s possessive nerve again, and he was firmly held in his arms through two thin blankets.


    His cheek was squeezed against a firm pectoral muscle, and Ye Ci was so alarmed that he didn¡¯t even dare to blink, for fear that if he brushed it with his eyelashes, he would make himself a scoundrel. He also thought over and over ¨C ¨C Me and Huo-shushu are really together, it can¡¯t be more true! He was sometimes embarrassed, sometimes throbbing, sometimes in disbelief, and like galloping horses, his thoughts couldn¡¯t stop for half a second.


    Therefore, it was not until early morning that he cultivated a little drowsiness and snuggled up to Huo Tinglan to sleep.


    At six o¡¯clock in the morning, the alarm on his cell phone rang.


    But Ye Ci was too sleepy to open his eyes.


    Drowsiness was like heavy black velvet wrapped around his body. The blackout curtains deceived his biological rhythm, the atmosphere was dark and comfortable, and the handmade mattress padded with long horsetail hair and cashmere gave him a sense of comfortable support and envelopment. There was also that tequila fragrance that lingered in his nose, making Ye Ci feel at ease upon smelling it¡­¡­His eyelids weighed over a thousand pounds, and Ye Ci was so sleepy that he didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    ¡°Wake up, it¡¯s time for school¡­¡­Xiao Ci?¡± The alarm was too noisy, not soothing enough. Huo Tinglan turned it off and twisted Ye Ci¡¯s earlobe gently, then scratched the tip of his nose. He saw that Ye Ci subconsciously blocked his hand and then itched the place he had scratched, repeatedly performing this act of ¡°a kitten washing its face¡± in a half-asleep, half-awake state.


    ¡°Huo-shushu¡­¡­¡± To avoid harassment, Ye Ci hid his smooth, peach-pink face in the pillow and begged, ¡°Just, just five minutes¡­¡­p-please¡­¡­¡±


    He acted spoiled without realizing it, as sweet as a spoonful of honey.


    Huo Tinglan would have been perfectly happy to let him have a lie-in.


    In his difficult and struggle-filled past, how many times had he had the experience of refusing to get up because of sleepiness?


    They could be counted on one¡¯s fingers.


    This was especially true when his mother was sick. If he didn¡¯t work hard, she would suffer from poverty and even go hungry. A scrawny boy in a baggy convenience store uniform, with white skin and dark bags under his eyes, he would diligently carry over a dozen loads of merchandise. When he was finished stocking shelves, he would take a short break behind the cash register when there were no customers. Tired, but not daring to sleep in order to be on guard against thieves, he could at most hug his arms and hang his head down for a while. Due to his thinness, his spine and shoulder blades would immediately become prominent when his back was arched as he rested, sharp and hard.


    The bones were hard, and this person was also very rigid at first glance.


    At that time, he never imagined that the days to come would be like this.


    He never thought that he would completely remove his disguise and be so soft in front of others.


    In a daze, Ye Ci didn¡¯t know how long he lay there ¨C probably more than five minutes. Suddenly, there was a hot aroma and the sound of something rolling, like a dining cart. Then, there was the light clink of ceramic tableware, and the fragrant smell of food became stronger.


    Hunger overcame sleepiness as his empty stomach woke up first, his limbs and bones coming back to life. An ankle was gripped by a hot palm, and Ye Ci struggled instinctively, but the hand didn¡¯t let go. On the contrary, it escalated and even caught his toes.


    ¡°Hold still.¡± Huo Tinglan pinched the toes that were as pale as green onions, put one cotton sock on him, and stroked the edges of the sock along the stretched arches. He was clearly waiting upon him, but he coaxed hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll put socks on for you.¡±


    His hand was so strong that Ye Ci couldn¡¯t pull his foot back. When he looked again, the other sock had been put on, the school uniform shirt and trousers were stacked at hand, and there was an exquisite blue dining cart parked not far away. A table was set up next to the bed so that he could have breakfast without touching the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to act coquettish for me, so I¡¯ll give you a little time to stay in bed.¡± Huo Tinglan glanced at his legs and smiled gently. ¡°Do you¡­¡­want to change your trousers yourself?¡±


    Of course he would change his trousers himself!


    Ye Ci shrank back like a wild cat and said in fear: ¡°I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± He turned his head to look at the breakfast beside the bed. His emotions were complicated, and his conscience couldn¡¯t bear it, so he mumbled, ¡°You, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡­to spoil me. Just directly call me down.¡±


    ¡°How is this spoiling¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan tightened his grip on the foot in his palm. His heart was on fire and his eyes were hot as he said firmly but gently, ¡°I will love you very much from now on.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t spoiling? This was spoiling him to death!


    Ye Ci was intensely embarrassed. He had never experienced this sort of thing before. The maternal love Ye Hongjun gave him was as gentle and delicate as a stream, the complete opposite of this thick, fiery love. He didn¡¯t know how to answer these words, so he just tried to pull his foot back again.


    As a result, he had barely twitched when Huo Tinglan pulled him over by the calf until he was almost sitting directly on Huo Tinglan¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Huo Tinglan clasped his leg and looked at him with a pair of passionate and pitiful black eyes. ¡°Let me love you.¡±


    If you wanted to love someone, to pamper someone, to spoil someone, you didn¡¯t need the other person¡¯s permission ¨C you just had to do it. The initiative was in his own hands, but he forced him to agree and wanted to hear him say a ¡°good¡± word.


    The temperature of that gaze washed over him as if it was going to burn him through, piercing through his chest. There was no room to evade or shy away. Ye Ci lowered his eyes and dropped his head, pressing his forehead against Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulder. After a soft ¡°En,¡± he added solemnly after a few seconds of silence: ¡°We, we love each other, Huo-shushu¡­¡­I¡¯m still, still young, and I don¡¯t have anything to offer. You¡­¡­wait for me to get older, and, and I will treat you as well as you treat me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart softened even more, and he vigorously rubbed that messy black hair on the back of Ye Ci¡¯s head, saying softly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to get older.¡±


    As if he was afraid that this big talk would seem empty and wanted to provide some evidence, Ye Ci raised his head and glanced at Huo Tinglan with his bright apricot core eyes, but he couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking about.


    Huo Tinglan smiled: ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Ye Ci suddenly leaned forward, tilted his head, and pecked him on the cheek as briskly as a spring swallow skimming water.


    After the kiss, in the second that Huo Tinglan was momentarily stunned, he withdrew his leg as if fleeing for his life. For fear of going to school early in the morning with a kiss-swollen mouth, he leaned over the table and hastily stuffed a small steamed bun into his mouth. A drop of golden red crab oil dripped from the corner of his lips as he said, full of the desire for survival: ¡°I still, still have to go to school soon, Huo-shushu.¡±


    His studies were important. Even though Huo Tinglan¡¯s desire was left unsatisfied, he could only stare at him from the sidelines with angry amusement.


    Talking was delayed for a time, and Ye Ci had no choice but to thoroughly clear his plate. During these days, Huo Tinglan had taken good care of him. Not only had his face become softer, but he was not so thin in other places, such as his jaw and wrists. The knobs of his spine at the nape of his neck were less bony and sharp, and when Huo Tinglan held his calf and ankle just now, he also felt that it was more supple and sensual than before.


    His body¡­¡­could probably grow some more fat.


    Unfortunately, it was invisible.


    Just a moment ago, Ye Ci had given him a childlike kiss on the cheek.


    But such a pure kiss could not wash clean his ¡°dirty¡± heart.


    Ye Ci was just a young deer restless with emotion, and it never occurred to him that his pious Huo-shushu was actually thinking about his body at this time.


    ¡­¡­Otherwise the young deer would probably bang his head against the wall in embarrassment.


    After eating, it was time for Ye Ci to change his clothes.


    Huo Tinglan timed it right and, without waiting to be shooed away, walked into the master bedroom cloakroom to calmly pick out a shirt, as if he was also preparing to get ready and go out.


    Ye Ci saw this and didn¡¯t dare to say anything, for fear of drawing Huo Tinglan¡¯s attention. Taking advantage of Huo Tinglan¡¯s back being turned to him, he seized the opportunity to get naked and put on his school uniform in a panic.


    In the cloakroom, Huo Tinglan flicked the rotatable full-length mirror in front of him leisurely, the corners of his lips curled up.


    ¡­¡­Just like a jade orchid.[1]


    Round. White. Pink.


    Meaty.


    Good-looking.


    The eagle-eyed eyesight of an A-level Alpha was indispensable.


    ¡­¡­It was too indecent and outrageous to actually steal a peek at the little gentleman changing clothes.


    Seeing that Ye Ci had fastened the last button on his collar, Huo Tinglan turned the full-length mirror back to its original position, smiled, and ruthlessly belittled himself in his heart.


    . . . . . .


    Ye Ci talked big in front of Huo Tinglan that morning, asking him to wait until he got older, and that he would be as good to him as he was capable of being in the future.


    A boy¡¯s teenage years were when his self-esteem was the strongest and most sensitive. This tough talk was aimed at the object of his love, and was easier to use than struggling through any vague and empty catchphrases. Not to speak of how close it was, he must show Huo-shushu good results in the upcoming final exam of the sophomore year of high school.


    So on this day, Ye Ci¡¯s studying was full of energy, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.


    During the recess in the afternoon, he summoned up the rare courage to go to the teacher¡¯s office, stuttering as he asked a couple of questions ¨C ¨C Huo Tinglan¡¯s lectures were undoubtedly good, but Ye Ci shouldn¡¯t rely on him for all six subjects, and should ask the teacher.


    It was the same after coming home from school. Ye Ci studied until eleven o¡¯clock in the study room. Not only did he finish his homework, but he even did a lot of it by himself, and his eyes shined like a hungry little wolf who couldn¡¯t get enough. If not for Huo Tinglan coming to detain him, he might have been able to study until he fell into a coma.


    ¡°Just, just one more question.¡± Ye Ci pitifully clutched one end of the pen that had been taken away and didn¡¯t let go. ¡°I just, just figured out how to do this type of problem, I need to, to strike while the iron is hot.¡± As he said that, he actually took advantage of the newly developed coquettish skills from that morning, softly begging, ¡°Huo-shushu, you are the best.¡±


    How could Huo Tinglan bear this?


    His bones were weak, and he stood aside with a smile on his face, looking at the high school student answering questions with enthusiasm.


    Finishing a few minutes later, Ye Ci had nothing to say and went back to honestly rest in his room. Halfway there, he suddenly realized that he had gone in the wrong direction. This was not the way back to his bedroom, but to Huo Tinglan¡¯s master bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m going the wrong way¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci turned his head and wanted to go back.


    He thought sleeping with Huo Tinglan last night was a special case ¨C ¨C Huo Tinglan had said he had a headache and worked all night, and so on, and wanted to hold him and rest for a while, but he didn¡¯t say that they would share a room in the future.


    ¡°I brought you a change of clothes.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, blocked his way, and coaxed him softly, ¡°Don¡¯t sleep in a different room, baby.¡±


    Ye Ci was silent for a moment, and then took a step to the left, wanting to go around.


    Huo Tinglan also moved to the left.


    Ye Ci moved to the right.


    Huo Tinglan smiled and also moved to the right.


    Wherever Ye Ci went, he would block him.


    Like a little scoundrel harassing an Omega at the school gate.


    [1] Jade orchid: ?

 CH 35

    Ye Ci¡¯sexpression showed embarrassment. ¡°If, if I sleep together with you, I¡­¡­¡± He was shy, but contradictorily straightforward. ¡°I¡¯ll be too, too excited to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Too excited to sleep with me?¡± Huo Tinglan repeated with a smile.


    Phrased in such a way, if Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t know how pure Ye Ci¡¯s words were¡­¡­


    Ye Ci nodded carelessly, and wanted to slip away again.


    ¡°Huo-shushu will coax you to sleep.¡± Huo Tinglan hugged him. The scoundrel pressed his upper body against him, enfolding him as he moved toward the master bedroom, continuing to coax and tease, ¡°Shall I sing you a lullaby?¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci wasn¡¯t strong enough to resist as he was pulled once again against the swell of ample pectoral muscles. After all, he had the mindset of a young adolescent boy. Consciously eating other people¡¯s tofu, he didn¡¯t dare to move. His face swifty turned red, his vision became unfocused as he yielded after making a show of resistance, and he retreated again and again until his knees knocked against the edge of the bed and bent. He fell on his back with a thud.


    This scene was a bit comical. Ye Ci was stunned for a moment, then laughed. Huo Tinglan also laughed, taking the opportunity to lower his head and peck his lips.


    Ye Ci was about to struggle again, but a big hand was already pressed against his ribs through his pajamas. As if knowing where his weak point was, it directly attacked his most ticklish fifth rib.


    ¡°Huo-shushu!¡± Ye Ci exclaimed, curling up like a cooked shrimp.


    At first, he silently endured and twisted his body to avoid the tickling, his jaw and the corners of his lips drawn tight. However, the nerve reflex triggered by tickling could not be resisted by willpower. His efforts were in vain, and he laughed: ¡°Stop, stop it, ha ha, Huo-shushu¡­¡­¡±


    He usually smiled a lot less. First because there was an element of deliberately pretending to be strong and cold, and second because if a pretense was kept up for a long time, it would unknowingly become the new norm. That face was habitually flat toward outsiders, and although he was obedient and soft toward Huo Tinglan, he didn¡¯t smile much.


    Therefore, such laughter was rare. A pair of dimples and a row of neat white teeth could be seen, like a ray of light breaking through the clouds in the blue sky.


    Huo Tinglan looked slightly stunned, and suddenly leaned forward and kissed him.


    He liked it so much. The tip of his tongue entered, as if to draw out a bit of honey.


    This kiss could still count as pure, but it was so affectionate and loving that Ye Ci was more embarrassed than ever.


    It seemed that in Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes, he had become something soft and loveable, which was inconsistent with his view of himself.


    He hurriedly suppressed his smile, hiding the dimples. In order to dispel the enchantment that made him blush and caused his heart to beat fast, he lightly rubbed Huo Tinglan¡¯s ribs in turn to show that they were just joking around.


    Huo Tinglan grabbed his hand and helped him poke his body, saying with half a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not ticklish.¡±


    ¡°You, you really aren¡¯t?¡± Ye Ci didn¡¯t believe it. How could anyone not be ticklish?


    He tried again, and Huo Tinglan leaned on a few pillows with a half-reclined posture, holding in a smile as he indulged him.


    Maybe it was because of his physique as a top Alpha. Ye Ci experimented and tested. The neck that would make ordinary people giggle when touched, then the armpit. Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t even respond, but on the contrary, Ye Ci¡¯s little paws drew apart the dark blue nightgown.


    Perhaps due to the excitement, there was sweat on his body and the warm light illuminated his light honey-colored muscles with a delicate glow. It was an extremely attractive male body.


    The playful energy suddenly dissipated. Ye Ci rushed to withdraw his hand as if he had invited misfortune, and his face turned even redder.


    The atmosphere was just right. Huo Tinglan leaned closer and kissed him lightly, like sipping strong wine.


    From cautious to lingering.


    Huo Tinglan decided to impart some new knowledge to his young lover.


    ¡°¡­¡­Open your mouth, baby?¡± he asked, testing the waters.


    The tip of the tongue brushed between the lips.


    Wet and slightly cool.


    Ye Ci trembled and shrank back vigilantly: ¡°¡­¡­Open my mouth?¡±


    With this reaction from him, Huo Tinglan had the illusion that he had become a kidnapper.


    He colored on Ye Ci¡¯s white paper with a tone that was as upright as a popular science article, but the content was shameless: ¡°Open your mouth to let our tongues touch each other, this is a real kiss¡­¡­¡± He looked as if he had suffered a loss. ¡°The previous ones don¡¯t actually count.¡±


    With their foreheads touching, he held up that confused and flustered face and first made contact that would not make Ye Ci feel uneasy. Shallow kisses, words of love, rubbing their ears and temples together, brushing the corner of the jaw and earlobes with his fingertips. He saw that Ye Ci¡¯s mood gradually changed from apprehensive to hazy, and then to unfocused¡­¡­like a kitten that had inhaled too much catnip, dazed by the drug, he obediently poked out the tip of his tongue from between his teeth.


    There was a star of water on it, soft and bright.


    Huo Tinglan lowered his head and seized it all at once.


    ¡°Wu¡­¡­¡±


    In just a few minutes, like a spoonful of condensed honey, fine and flexible, stretched to infinity¡­¡­


    His tongue was sucked numb.


    Ye Ci covered his mouth. As if he had no face to see anyone, he drilled into the pile of pillows with a glowing red blush: ¡°I can¡¯t, can¡¯t kiss any more, Huo-shushu.¡± He felt around and pulled something out of the pocket of his pajama pants. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday because of your, your wild kissing, and I was so sleepy in class. Today I ate¡­¡­half of this.¡±


    He opened his hand, and in his palm was the leftover half of a peppermint. Printed on the package were the exaggerated words, ¡°Strong and cool, instantly freezes the brain.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s small face wrinkled, and he complained in a bright and youthful manner to his needy lover: ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s spicy, hotter than wasabi¡­¡­¡± He twisted out a piece and muttered, ¡°If you kiss, kiss me with all your strength again, I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan almost laughed out loud.


    What was this¡­¡­


    A suicide attack?


    So cute.


    In front of him, Ye Ci¡¯s cold, hard shell had been removed more and more cleanly.


    He didn¡¯t just act soft toward him, but was obedient to him.


    But he was still able to complain a little bit like he was doing now, using mint candies to joke with him¡­¡­with the vivacity and liveliness that a boy of his age should have.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Ci¡¯s academic considerations, he would definitely escalate.


    However¡­¡­


    ¡°Understood.¡± Gentleman Huo Tinglan smiled and captured the mint candy, covered Ye Ci with a blanket, and tucked in the corners. He reached out and turned off the light, saying softly, ¡°Sleep well, good night.¡±


    This time he really didn¡¯t do anything else, and lay down a few centimeters away from Ye Ci.


    The two people¡¯s breaths mingled, and the scent of tequila enveloped them heavily in the quiet night.


    Being a natural ¡°leader and commander,¡± the pheromone secretion of an Alpha¡¯s glands would undergo various subtle changes due to fluctuations in the Alpha¡¯s mood, enabling the pheromones to have different effects on the immediate environment according to the Alpha¡¯s needs.


    Such as in this moment. Huo Tinglan took the initiative to suppress some of his needs, and the tequila scent was obviously softer than usual. The compositions that could awaken an Omega¡¯s desire were rare, and most had soothing and calming effects.


    Ye Ci¡¯s heartbeat, which had been soaring at 180 beats per minute a short while ago, became more relaxed.


    Between the soothing pheromones, the 100% genetic matching, plus the fact that he hadn¡¯t slept well last night and was seriously sleep-deprived¡­¡­even sleeping pills wouldn¡¯t have such a strong effect.


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyelids were sore and heavy.


    ¡°I promised to put you to sleep.¡± Huo Tinglan stroked his hair. ¡°Sleep, ba.¡±


    . . . . . .


    The final exam for the second semester of school was scheduled for the 7th and 8th of July, and there would be three days off after the exam. After the results were released, the approved high school seniors would usher in the most precious lengthy vacation of the coming year ¨C a full 20-day summer vacation.


    This kind of vacation schedule was a bit harsh, but considering that he was about to enter the sprint stage of the third year of high school, Ye Ci had no complaints.


    He had officially moved into Huo Tinglan¡¯s room. Aside from the night they confirmed their relationship, which had gone a little out of control, Huo Tinglan was appropriately behaved and didn¡¯t let falling in love delay important matters. In this final exam, Ye Ci had advanced by more than 100 places in his year group. Although he was still at the middle to lower level, considering Tiancheng¡¯s environment of fierce competition and staggeringly high costs, Ye Ci¡¯s ranking in the province would definitely not be bad. At least his undergraduate courses had reached a point of stability. In the next year, if he maintained this momentum and speed of progress, as long as he reached the middle of his year group, the entrance examination would not be a problem at all.


    Besides¡­¡­his potential should be higher than that.


    After the results were released, at the last class meeting before the summer vacation, the head teacher called him out and praised him, and also presented him with a ¡°Star of Progress¡± certificate on behalf of the school.


    That afternoon, Ye Ci returned home with his transcript and certificate of merit. The first thing he did was to stammer and recount to Huo Tinglan what the teacher had praised him for, so that he could hear it word for word.


    ¡°¡­¡­Xu-laoshi said it like that.¡± After Ye Ci¡¯s retelling, the corners of his lips were half-raised. He tried to appear calm so as not to seem too childish in front of his lover, or excessively excited over such a small score. But he didn¡¯t know that when he glanced at Huo Tinglan, his eyes were as bright as a little wolf¡¯s, and his ears were almost pricked up.


    Like a child waiting to be praised.


    ¡°That¡¯s really great, you¡¯ve made significant progress.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, first giving overall affirmation before spreading out the six test papers one by one, and discussing in detail the areas where Ye Ci was particularly excellent. ¡°Your math test is the best this time, and that is not only reflected in the score.¡± A blue and gold lacquered fountain pen tapped the math answer sheet, pointing to the penultimate question. ¡°Your problem-solving methods are clear and concise. I only taught you a simple solution to this type of question once last month, I didn¡¯t expect you to remember it¡­¡­it shows that you not only have a high degree of comprehension, but also listen carefully.¡±


    ¡°You also performed well in physics¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Chemistry¡­¡­¡±


    He single-handedly held an award ceremony for Ye Ci.


    After being praised for the second half of the sequence, Ye Ci almost couldn¡¯t even sit in his chair.


    He had never received such a high level of praise in his life. He felt like he had asked for a little red flower and was buried by a shipping container of little red flowers. But Huo Tinglan¡¯s demeanor and tone were serious, the praise was well-founded, and there was no edge of teasing or ridicule.


    ¡°Huo-shushu.¡± He couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Wiping his red face, he quietly refuted, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating too, too much. If I¡¯m really as good as you say¡­¡­like this, I can be, be admitted to a prestigious school next year.¡±


    Huo Tinglan looked straight at him, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said what should be said: ¡°With your qualifications, you can of course set a prestigious school as your goal. Your foundation is a bit poor, but it has recovered a lot in the past few months. You are so smart and eager to learn, plus it¡¯s a whole year in the future, I think the odds are good¡­¡­¡± As he spoke, he smiled softly and joked, ¡°Why, does our Xiao Ci dislike prestigious schools?¡±


    Ye Ci quickly shook his head. He was amused, and when he finished laughing, his eyes were hot and sore.


    ¡°In twenty days, you¡¯ll be a senior in high school.¡± Huo Tinglan carefully smoothed the corners of the papers and the answer sheet and chatted with him. ¡°Any thoughts on majors or schools?¡±


    He would not restrict Ye Ci, and would at most give him some guidance.


    As long as he didn¡¯t go into formula racing¡­¡­he could do anything he wanted.


    Ten mathematicians couldn¡¯t calculate the area of his psychological shadow regarding formula racing.


    ¡°I have some, some basic¡­¡­ideas.¡± Ye Ci hesitated, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m interested in, in manufacturing pharmaceuticals¡­¡­¡±


    The clinical trial in San Francisco that Ye Hongjun was participating in had been going on for four weeks. According to the latest test results, she did indeed show signs of improvement. Follow-up tests would take a long time, and whether she could recover was still inconclusive, but this was already a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been, been thinking about this for a while.¡± Ye Ci clenched his fingertips, his eyes bright as he spoke of his dreams. ¡°My mom was able to get, get treatment this time mainly because¡­¡­you provided her with, with such good¡­¡­conditions and access. But many people don¡¯t, don¡¯t have this ability. The imported medicines we used before were all¡­¡­terribly expensive. I think I will study, study medicine in the future, so maybe I can help those kinds of people, and let them all use cheap and, and effective medicine.¡±


    The bitterness of being seriously ill, he understood too well and empathized with too much. He earned his way out of the quagmire through untold hardships, and wanted to turn around and help someone else ¨C ¨C with his own strength.


    Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, he said: ¡°It¡¯s a pretty, pretty childish idea, I know it¡¯s not that simple.¡± When he raised his eyes, there was a glistening light in them and a sort of simple kindness. It was the look of those who had witnessed suffering without losing their heart. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡­a general direction to work towards, don¡¯t laugh at me.¡±


    Huo Tinglan looked at him, and his heart was so soft that he didn¡¯t know how much more he could love and adore him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not childish at all,¡± he said firmly, and stood up.


    They were in the study room, talking about life goals¡­¡­this was a serious occasion and an upright topic, but his impulses were inexplicably ignited.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t, don¡¯t know if¡­¡­the salary in this line of work is high or, or not.¡± Ye Ci was still making these small calculations in his head. When a man had a family and a house, he couldn¡¯t just think about himself. ¡°I also want to make, make a lot of money in the future and spend it on you and my, my mom¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan hugged him then with a reckless and unbridled energy that didn¡¯t match his usual demeanor. With his chest and abdomen full of hot steam, he pressed against him, sweeping away the pile of papers and awards, and pushing him onto the desk in the study. Still on the right side of their unspoken rules, he warmly promised in his ear: ¡°Just study what you want, don¡¯t worry about anything. I¡¯ll invest in you and help you with your projects, okay, baby? Alright?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­um, alright¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci obediently let himself be kissed while blushing, and felt like an actor who had gone to the wrong set in a daze.


    He and Huo-shushu just now¡­¡­weren¡¯t they just talking about a serious topic?!

 CH 36

    The fact that Ye Ci was lagging behind in Tiancheng Private School had been widely circulated within the Huo family. This sort of famous and noble family that had existed for hundreds of years looked down on ignorant and uneducated playboys. Mediocre offspring implied a drop in social class and opened the door to family decline. Therefore, ¡°the family head¡¯s little gentleman is naturally dull¡± had become a topic of conversation for those side relatives who coveted the family estate.


    Knowing that Ye Ci¡¯s ranking at the end of the term had improved by more than 150 in one go, Lin Yao couldn¡¯t hold back. She was anxious to show off to others and let loose her belly full of anger at this small matter. It just so happened that Huo Changyu had his birthday in July, so she happily held another family banquet, using Lao Huo as her tool. Half the focus of the banquet was on birthday celebrations, and the other half was to celebrate Ye Ci¡¯s academic progress.


    ¡°¡­¡­Xiao Ci, you are too modest, what mid-to-low rank? Besides, can the middle and lower ranks for Tiancheng and those of ordinary schools really be considered the same concept?¡± Beside the dining table, Lin Yao affectionately held Ye Ci¡¯s arm and eloquently refuted his ¡®mid-to-low rank¡¯ theory. ¡°Furthermore, you took a break from school for more than a year to take care of your mother, and in the past six months, you¡¯ve managed to make up over a year of progress.  Your subsequent improvement will only be faster, and you¡¯ll work even harder. It goes without saying that you¡¯ll get into the top 30 or 50 in your grade with no problem at all. Don¡¯t you think so, Tinglan?¡±


    Huo Tinglan was using serving chopsticks to fill Ye Ci¡¯s plate. Hearing this, he first affirmed Ye Ci¡¯s learning ability: ¡°En, there would be no problem, in theory.¡± After saying so, he glanced at Ye Ci and gently comforted him, ¡°But Xiao Ci doesn¡¯t need to stress too much over rankings¡­¡­¡±


    There was no need to set rigid requirements for himself.


    He had originally wanted to reduce the pressure on Ye Ci, but Ye Ci had been exaggeratedly praised by his elders and entrusted with high hopes, thoroughly flattered. Before Huo Tinglan finished speaking, that little head had already nodded toward Lin Yao several times, and issued a military order: ¡°I will try, try harder. In the second semester of, of the third year of high school¡­¡­I will definitely be able to enter the top 30 in my grade!¡±


    His path couldn¡¯t be blocked.


    Huo Tinglan smiled.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Lin Yao¡¯s maternal love overflowed, and she smiled gently. It was rare for her to lower herself to serve someone, but she raised her hand to lift the lid of the small cup of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall[1] and called, ¡°Xiao Ci, taste the stew first, it won¡¯t be fresh once it cools down¡­¡­¡±


    This child was so obedient, and had a rare innocence that made people everywhere fond of him. It was no wonder that her son¡¯s temperament had changed drastically in the past few months, and he protected this person like the flesh of his heart.


    There was only one point where he was lacking.


    When this child talked¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t very eloquent.


    It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to correct stuttering these days, right?


    Lin Yao took a sip of the soup, slightly worried, and wanted to wait until the banquet was over to find a chance to bring it up. But after thinking about it, she was afraid that hearing such a thing would hurt the child, so she had to suppress her thoughts for the time being.


    The family dinner lasted nearly three hours.


    During the banquet, Huo Changyu was urged by Lin Yao as the birthday star to invite the guests present to toast Ye Ci¡¯s academic progress. Ye Ci was afraid that not drinking would be disrespectful, so he urgently asked the nearest waiter to pour him a small half glass of some kind of wine, and then got up and drank it all in one gulp.


    The wine tasted fine and bitingly cold, and the alcohol content seemed to be quite high. Ye Ci had a hunch that it would get worse.


    After drinking and sitting down to see Huo Tinglan looking at his wine glass with narrowed eyes, Ye Ci was sure that something was going to go wrong.


    Sure enough, the wine was served extremely fast.


    When Lin Yao took out the jadeite bracelet passed down to her by Huo Changyu¡¯s mother in front of the Huo family members, and handed it over to the husband of the current family head according to family custom, Ye Ci was already drunk.


    Fortunately, he was a well-behaved drunk, not prone to wild drunken behavior. If it weren¡¯t for the dull eyes, one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that he was inebriated. When Lin Yao spoke to him, he let out a soft sound from his throat.


    Lin Yao also hadn¡¯t imagined that he would be that far gone. The corners of her mouth lifted up and she couldn¡¯t press them back down. With men on the left and women on the right, she took Ye Ci¡¯s left hand and put the jade bracelet on him.


    Taking advantage of the rare vacation time, Ye Ci had promised Lin Yao before the family banquet that he would stay for a few days and talk with her.


    After the banquet, Huo Tinglan took him out of the banquet hall with the intention of letting him take in the night breeze and walk for a bit to sober up, and walked back to the main house through the garden.


    The gardeners had retired for the night, and the garden was quiet. Ye Ci was simulated by the alcohol, and his gait became more lively as he walked in front of him in a provocative and tempting manner. Lin Yao liked flower art, and there were many exotic flowers and plants in the garden. Ye Ci patted this and touched that, like a curious kitten. Huo Tinglan wore his formal coat on his forearm, following unhurriedly with a smile on his face.


    When the two passed by a flower wall, Huo Tinglan casually glanced at the top of the wall and raised his hand, calling to Ye Ci: ¡°Xiao Ci, look ¨C ¨C¡±


    It was late and the garden lights were all on, shining brightly to illuminate the good things on the flower wall ¨C ¨C


    A rare variety of rose.


    The petals transitioned from bright golden red to cream, and didn¡¯t look like a real flower. If it was photographed and posted on the internet, there was a high probability that it would be called a photoshopped image.


    The current temperature was no longer suitable for the cultivation of this delicate and expensive flower variety. For some reason, this one bloomed exceptionally tenaciously.


    Ye Ci raised his head, opened his watery apricot core eyes, and looked over.


    ¡°Is it pretty?¡± Huo Tinglan asked, looking at him with great interest.


    He pointed at the flower to show him, just to tease out his innocent and surprised expression.


    ¡°Pretty.¡± Ye Ci blinked. ¡°Huo-shushu, do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I like it.¡± Huo Tinglan answered casually, solely admiring the face against the wall of flowers.


    As a result, with such a distraction, Ye Ci tugged his sleeves smartly and suddenly rushed a few steps toward the flower wall. Stepping on the red and white bricks exposed between the vines, he jumped up in a parkour style. His right hand firmly grasped the top of the 3.5-meter-high wall, and taking advantage of the brief pause, he grabbed the rose with his left hand and flew down.


    He still wore the jade bracelet on his left wrist.


    This bracelet could fetch tens of millions at the auction house, but due to his ignorance and drunkenness, he just jumped up and down like this while wearing it.


    Anyone who hadn¡¯t met him would think he was some family¡¯s young master who had been spoiled by lack of discipline.


    Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t tell what state of mind he was in, but he suddenly smiled.


    Ye Ci stood firm on the ground. He was so drunk that his mind was muddled, but he also vaguely understood that he had acted cool just now. However, he didn¡¯t know what effect being cool would have, and whether it would move the heart of the person he liked. Seeing Huo Tinglan looking at him and smiling, he revealed a hint of pride amidst his shyness and handed the rose to Huo Tinglan, saying in a small voice: ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll give, give it to you.¡±


    He was a boy ingratiating himself to his sweetheart.


    And his sweetheart was his favorite person.


    All of this was hazy like a dream.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s heart was a mess, and he reached out, intending to pick up the rose, but touched Ye Ci¡¯s hand by chance.


    He couldn¡¯t help caressing the back of his hand, rubbing it almost lustfully and then moving up to caress the strong, thin wrist ¨C ¨C as white as the moon, surrounded by the thin, delicate green color of something that only the orthodox ¡°daughter-in-law¡± of the Huo family could have.


    A wife.


    Ye Ci was afraid of hearing such gender-reversed titles.


    He had differentiated into an Omega, which was the ¡°female¡± sex at gland level, so the ¡°male¡± nature of his body structure had become his bottom line. He was so sensitive to these things that he couldn¡¯t even crack a joke about them.


    If it really happened, he wouldn¡¯t be angry with Huo Tinglan, but he would be listless for a long time and lose his energy, with the downtrodden look of a man whose masculinity had been damaged. So Huo Tinglan only made this kind of joke once, and after he said it, he regretted it so much that he hugged the little gentleman for a long time and couldn¡¯t bear to do it again even on pain of death.


    But this kind of address was indeed thought provoking, and when he mouthed it silently, it made him burn.


    ¡°Huo-shushu¡­¡­¡± That sort of touch was too strange. It wasn¡¯t normal. Ye Ci was so embarrassed that he wanted to withdraw his hand, but he was looking forward to Huo Tinglan picking up his rose, so he had no choice but to let it hover there in a dilemma and allow the other to be frivolous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room.¡± Huo Tinglan finally took the rose, wrapped Ye Ci¡¯s hand completely in his palm, and dragged him toward the main house quickly.


    The room they were staying in had already been prepared, and Ye Ci was tossed down by him. Their red faces and hot ears rubbed together, and Huo Tinglan repeated what he did to Ye Ci¡¯s left hand a few moments ago from his head to his toes.


    Ye Ci was rubbed by him until he couldn¡¯t see straight. With some drunkenness and reddened eyes, he couldn¡¯t even struggle to resist, and gave a weak groan.


    At present, this was as far as they could go.


    ¡°Here¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan stood up and covered Ye Ci¡¯s abdomen. The cool linen was warmed by the palm of his hand, looking soft and smooth. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled and he asked in a low voice, ¡°Has it grown?¡±


    Ye Ci asked in confusion: ¡°What, what¡¯s grown?¡±


    Inside that flat belly¡­¡­


    He didn¡¯t know how far that secret cavity had grown, or if it was mature enough to bear a permanent mark.


    This was different from the glands. He had no way to judge with his sense of touch and naked eyes, so he could only rely on Ye Ci¡¯s own perception or go directly to the hospital for a test.


    And before confirming this, he couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Besides, taking advantage of the moment when Ye Ci was drunk and hazy to take this step was just¡­¡­inexcusable.


    He believed that every major breakthrough in a relationship happened when both partners were at least sober and lucid.


    Fearing that Ye Ci would have a hangover and a headache, Huo Tinglan asked someone to bring over sobering soup and a small vase.


    He put the rose in a vase and fed Ye Ci the sobering soup all at once, then coaxed the little drunken cat to change clothes and wash, falling asleep with his arms around him. He hadn¡¯t given deliberate instructions, so when a servant cleaned the guest room, they only spread out one blanket, and he was happy to cover up under the same blanket as Ye Ci.


    Soothing tequila pheromones and the sweet scent of roses permeated the quiet night.


    Perhaps because of so much physical contact that day, and because they slept with their arms around each other intimately in the same bed¡­¡­


    At three o¡¯clock in the morning, Ye Ci woke up from a beautiful dream.


    He dreamed of Huo Tinglan again like last time.


    The back of his neck felt hot, the sweet and sticky scent of vanilla filled the room, and his heart was beating wildly.


    He had already sobered up from the wine.


    If there was even a remnant of drunkenness, it was scared off when he realized that something was wrong¡­¡­


    And when Ye Ci became more conscious and realized that they were not even at home, but at Huo Tinglan¡¯s parents¡¯ house, this bad turn of events became doubly unfortunate.


    Ye Ci bit his lips until they turned white, then sneakily lifted the quilt.


    He was drenched in sweat, and¡­¡­there were traces of dampness on the sheets.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He was finished.


    He would rather die.


    [1] Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, ·ðÌøǽ, is a high-protein delicacy named for its rumored ability to entice vegetarian Buddhist monks away from their temples to sample the meat-based dish. ?

 CH 37

    Ye Ci leaned over, squeezing his fingers and twisting them.


    There was a soft, powdery feeling between the fingertips.


    He was still confused, but had a gut feeling that something was going wrong. His face was suddenly burning hot, and he clutched the back of his neck as he stood straight on the ground, the revolving lantern of life projecting in his mind¡­¡­


    Fortunately, Huo Tinglan was still asleep.


    After another half a minute, he swallowed his saliva, leaned over to lift a corner of the sheet and slowly pulled it.


    If his technique was light and careful enough, then maybe it could be pulled out without alerting Huo-shushu.


    The idea was sound, but unfortunately, before it could be implemented, Huo Tinglan suddenly turned over. He opened his eyes without warning and stared straight at Ye Ci. His tone was wide awake when he opened his mouth, as if he hadn¡¯t slept: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, baby?¡±


    Primal instincts of vigilance enabled advanced Alphas to recover energy quickly through short, light sleep. The higher the gland level, the more prone they were to sleep light and wake up easily.


    Besides, the fishy-sweet vanilla scent was so strong that it could clog the nose, and it was not hard to wake up.


    ¡°N-nothing!¡± Ye Ci almost jumped at his unexpected and sudden stare. ¡°You go to sleep, I¡¯m going¡­¡­to the bathroom.¡±


    What was with Huo-shushu¡¯s sleep patterns¡­¡­no, why was he so alert?!


    Huo Tinglan turned around and turned on the light. Propping up his upper body with his elbows leaning on the pillow, his heavy eyes swept over him. He smiled and said teasingly: ¡°Why is there a sweet scent? Did juice spill?¡±


    ¡°Ah, en.¡± Ye Ci was stunned for a moment. Heart pounding, he babbled nonsense, ¡°I wasn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°Why are you eating in the dark in the middle of the night?¡± Huo Tinglan looked at Ye Ci tenderly, and slowly said with concern, ¡°Did you not get enough to eat at dinner? Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I was very full at dinner,¡± Ye Ci rambled. ¡°That isn¡¯t why¡­¡­it¡¯s easy to get hungry when, when the body is growing.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huo Tinglan was silent for a moment, thinking, then smiled as he reproached affectionately, ¡°You also spilled a pair of pants¡­¡­be careful next time.¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes went blank, and he tried his best to suppress the impulse to jump out the window and end it once and for all.


    Huo Tinglan remained calm and composed: ¡°Next time you get a midnight snack¡­¡­bring me one?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll bring you one next time.¡± Ye Ci nodded indiscriminately.


    ¡°What juice did you drink?¡±


    ¡°S-strawberry.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°The, the kitchen refrigerator.¡±


    ¡°You know where the kitchen is?¡±


    His tone was surprised.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Seeing that the little gentleman was so ashamed that he would answer indiscriminately when asked, Huo Tinglan teased him for a long time and said a lot of nonsense.


    His needs as an Alpha were chronically unmet. In addition to losing his spouse and finding him again, his lover was too young and his glands weren¡¯t fully developed, so he could always see but never eat¡­¡­psychologically, it was inevitable that there would be some serious illnesses.


    With symptoms such as bullying children. The more obedient they were, the happier he was to bully them.


    Ye Ci: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    He had thought Huo-shushu was going to rescue him and give him a way out.


    In the end, it was going more and more wrong¡­¡­


    Only when he saw that Ye Ci was about to be harassed into a coma did Huo Tinglan mercifully withdraw his supernatural powers. After digging out the replacement clothes, sheets, and other items from the cabinet, Ye Ci retreated to the bathroom.


    After tidying up in a hurry, Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t help it and cornered Ye Ci, puncturing the paper window to give him a few words of ¡°popular science.¡±


    In short, it was¡­¡­


    Very thorough.


    ¡°Can you stop, stop talking about this, Huo-shushu¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci drooped his head. His face was so red that he could boil an egg on it, and he was so embarrassed that he could cry.


    It wasn¡¯t just the glands on the back of his neck. He had thoroughly turned into an Omega.


    However, Huo Tinglan managed to speak in a sincere tone, and with half a smile, he kept talking to him.


    In order to make Huo Tinglan shut up temporarily, Ye Ci wanted to cry but had no tears as he agreed to the next thing ¨C ¨C


    Regarding his lack of education in some respects.


    In fact, there was no time to delay. Before their relationship had settled, there were some things that even Huo Tinglan felt would burn his lips, and he couldn¡¯t teach them if he wanted to. Now he could finally teach generously.


    ¡°¡­¡­So it¡¯s settled? We won¡¯t talk about it today, and I¡¯ll talk to you slowly when we go back.¡± Huo Tinglan gave an innocent smile and put the blame on others again. ¡°You didn¡¯t even read the popular science textbook I gave you earlier. I would have rather taught you personally, but I was afraid you would be too thin-skinned and misunderstand that I was taking advantage of you¡­¡­It¡¯s just in time for summer vacation, and when we go back in two days, there will be one forty minute class per day until the book is finished. Do you think this arrangement will work?¡±


    ¡°Fine, it¡¯s all¡­¡­fine.¡±


    ¡°Then, when will you have time¡­¡­to go to the hospital to check?¡± Huo Tinglan pointed at Ye Ci¡¯s stomach.


    How could Ye Ci dare say no? Only hoping that Huo-shushu would stop quickly, he said whatever he had to say.


    Huo Tinglan was satisfied and let him go to sleep.


    . . . . . .


    The next day.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t want to let summer vacation wear down his fighting spirit too much, so he still woke up as early as when he was in school and took advantage of the morning, when he was most clear-headed, to memorize ancient Chinese and English words for a while, and then went to have breakfast.


    After breakfast, he went back to his room to quiz himself. Too much pressure could be counterproductive, and he would be at loose ends. According to Huo Tinglan¡¯s guidance, he formulated a study schedule and rested every day when his goals were completed, which could be regarded as recharging for the coming year.


    Huo Tinglan said that after today¡¯s task was completed, he would take him to have fun. There was a horse farm near the old house, where horses could be ridden, and a shooting gallery nearby, where you could play with guns. In the end, he had a playful heart and was full of motivation to learn, so he completed the task nearly an hour earlier than the expected time and looked for someone after putting down his pen. Huo Tinglan wasn¡¯t in the room where they slept last night, and he didn¡¯t message back right away, so he just asked the random auntie who was cleaning the room. She said that the other party was drinking tea in the tea room on the second floor. He didn¡¯t think much about it and went directly to find him, but before he could knock on the door, he heard Lin Yao¡¯s soft voice coming from the tea room.


    ¡°¡­¡­After all, he is your husband and you¡¯re the head of the Huo family. He will more or less attend some occasions with you in the future, and it¡¯s not good to open one¡¯s mouth and speak poorly¡­¡­¡±


    It turned out to be about his stuttering.


    What Lin Yao said was not unreasonable, and her words were also tactful, but Huo Tinglan still defended him. There was a smile in his voice, almost mischievous: ¡°It¡¯s not easy for him to speak, but he still has me. I will be my husband¡¯s spokesperson, all the same¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Aiya,¡± Lin Yao teased him with a smile, ¡°I know that Xiao Ci is the flesh and blood of your heart and you won¡¯t listen to half a sentence that doesn¡¯t please your ears.¡± She was not in a hurry, and persuaded slowly, ¡°I know you are afraid that he will think you dislike him for not being good enough, and that his self-esteem will be hurt. I understand, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m talking with you and not him. This is not an urgent matter, I just wanted to remind you.¡±


    ¡°I know you meant well.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled and lightly changed the subject, no longer speaking with Lin Yao about it.


    He knew the cause of Ye Ci¡¯s language barrier.


    In the previous life, it was only in the second year after their marriage that Ye Ci completely let his guard down and confided those things to him.


    How it was because of Ye Hongjun¡¯s ex-husband, Ye Ci¡¯s stepfather, a low-level Alpha.


    This person was in love with Ye Hongjun for more than half a year before they got married, and had always been taciturn and honest, gentle and sincere, treating mother and son with utmost obedience and meticulousness. Ye Hongjun mistakenly thought that she and her child had found support for the rest of their lives.


    However, after a few months of marriage, that scumbag gradually tore off his disguise in front of the mother and son.


    He had quite serious violent tendencies.


    And that personality flaw was compounded when he became addicted to drugs.


    Maybe he used it to justify the outpouring of violence, or just to spice up the monotonous brutality ¨C but outside of the regular punching and kicking, from time to time, he would also torture the seven-year-old Ye Ci in the name of ¡°reciting texts.¡±


    Of course, the items to be recited were not limited to textbooks for the lower grades of elementary school. In order to deliberately make things difficult for him, the stepfather sometimes even found some difficult and obscure classical Chinese.


    In the process of reciting, if little Ye Ci misidentified a character, omitted something, or stumbled¡­¡­


    This would lead to beatings.


    If Ye Hongjun went to stop him, they would be beaten together.


    For little Ye Ci, ¡°reciting texts¡± was synonymous with fear during those days of purgatory.


    And the act of ¡°talking¡± was often accompanied by sudden and severe beatings.


    During that time, little Ye Ci often went to school with injuries all over his body, his thin little arms and legs covered with blue and purple bruises. During the dog days of summer, the tiny little kid was all wrapped up in long shirts and trousers, otherwise there would be no way to see other people.


    Ye Honjun had been desperately trying to protect her child, but there was a huge gap in physical strength between her and an Alpha. The marriage process was difficult and long, with obstacles everywhere, and even after the divorce was successfully adjudicated, she was constantly harassed. Until that poisonous worm was imprisoned for drug trafficking, and died suddenly of a drug overdose several years after being released. The days of mother and son completely returned to peace.


    Unfortunately, this tranquility came too late.


    After being abused for a period of time, little Ye Ci gradually realized that when he was speaking normally, he would often suffer from nervousness, anxiety, and other emotions that lead to obstacles such as cold sweats and his mind going blank, as if he was being forced to ¡°recite texts.¡± The tension and anxiety caused by this deepened in turn, exacerbating the problem¡­¡­and just like that, a vicious cycle was created.


    After growing up, Ye Ci, who had differentiated into an A-level Alpha, had the ability to protect himself. He gradually no longer flinched or felt fear when thinking of his stepfather, but a speech impediment could be deeply entrenched and difficult to remove.


    To effectively correct Ye Ci¡¯s stuttering, psychological treatment was an unavoidable hurdle.


    Some victims with sensitive self-esteem tended to conceal this type of violence and abuse, and Huo Tinglan wasn¡¯t sure if the current Ye Ci was willing to reveal this old scar in front of a therapist.


    Therefore, until Ye Ci took the initiative to ask him for help, he would never put any pressure on him.


    ¡­¡­


    The tea room fell silent.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer, and was about to retreat on tiptoe, when the cell phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    ¨C ¨C Huo Tinglan had sent him a message back.


    The corridor was quiet in the afternoon. Even Lin Yao could hear the sound clearly, and it couldn¡¯t escape the ears of a top Alpha.


    Huo Tinglan hurried out of the tea room. After Ye Ci slipped a few steps away, he knew he couldn¡¯t escape and stopped in embarrassment in a corner.


    ¡°Still learning how to eavesdrop?¡± Huo Tinglan first teased in a spry tone to show that he didn¡¯t mind. Then he pressed the wall beside Ye Ci and caged him in with his arms, watching his expression.


    Seeing that Ye Ci¡¯s face was turning red and he didn¡¯t look like his dignity had been hurt, he was relieved and tentatively asked: ¡°What did you hear? Tell me.¡±


    Ye Ci hesitated briefly, and raised his eyes. Those eyes were calm, and there wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of the painful struggle when baring a scar, only candidness and a soft, kitten-like dependence.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, in fact, I want to, to fix it myself,¡± Ye Ci said with slight shyness.


    ¡°Baby, why are you so good¡­¡­¡¯ Huo Tinglan smiled softly. Fearing that he might be putting on a brave face, he thought about it and said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about things like attending events with me. You are my husband, and no one can force you to do things you don¡¯t like, to go where you don¡¯t want to go, or say what you don¡¯t want to say¡­¡­understand?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s alright.¡± Ye Ci shook his head, and his expression did not seem to be fake. ¡°I also never, never mentioned correcting it because I can¡¯t remember speaking more than, than a few words to people before. But¡­¡­¡± He took a step forward, wrapped his arms around Huo Tinglan¡¯s slim waist, and tilted his head to rest his face on his shoulder.


    From this angle, Huo Tinglan couldn¡¯t see his expression, but he could hear it.


    ¡°I just hope that, that in the future¡­¡­I can talk to you without barriers.¡±


    There was a smile in his tone.

 CH 38

    ¡°¡­¡­Alright.¡±


    Huo Tinglan hugged Ye Ci and stroked his head.


    He didn¡¯t know when it had started, but Ye Ci was more and more different from the brittle and fragile person in his memory.


    The scarred sapling had sprouted new shoots from the wounds, fresh and high-spirited. All the humiliation and suffering endured in the past had been peeled away like an inconspicuous plaster, unable to hurt him anymore.


    Warmth surged quietly between the two as they embraced each other.


    It was a pity that Huo Tinglan here had lost both his gentleman¡¯s mask and demeanor, and the warmth lasted no more than three seconds.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Huo Tinglan backed away a little and lightly ran his fingertips over Ye Ci¡¯s lips, smiling and humbly asking for advice: ¡°Isn¡¯t the usual way to correct this through mouth-to-mouth? I say something and you say something back?¡±


    He was playing a scoundrel. Ye Ci glanced at him hesitantly, and honestly said: ¡°We may have to find a specialized agency, or a psychiatrist¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you find the best one.¡±


    Ye Ci was silent for a moment. His eyelashes fluttered, and his voice became smaller and smaller: ¡°Just now, you really, really made an innuendo¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan said courteously, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Not with shame, but with pride!


    Ye Ci: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    There was silence.


    Ye Ci was not reconciled to being harassed by his older lover all day long. He was so embarrassed that his earlobes were about to drip blood, and he didn¡¯t dare look at anyone, but stood up straight and said: ¡°Then, then you try and treat me mouth-to-mouth¡­¡­¡±


    He was like a young animal trying to hunt with his tiny claws.


    Before he finished speaking, Huo Tinglan pushed him against the corridor wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you mouth-to-mouth, and stroke your tongue again¡­¡­can I, baby? What do you say?¡±


    Lips rubbed against lips. Not knowing who made the first move, the two were inseparably entangled.


    Those pink lips were sucked bright red and slightly swollen, and it would be impossible to face anyone for half an hour.


    That little tongue was also firmly ¡°stroked¡¯ a dozen times back and forth, and became not nimble, but doubly clumsy.


    After the kiss was over, Ye Ci covered his mouth and hurried back to the room, unable to utter a single sentence.


    He really shouldn¡¯t have flirted with Huo-shushu indiscriminately!


    Originally, he wanted Huo Tinglan to take him out to have fun. Now he had to wait in his room for his mouth to calm down before he dared go out. Fortunately, he happened to have something to do when he came back ¨C ¨C those clothes and sheets hanging on the terrace should be collected.


    Apart from the big items such as the quilt cover, there were also Ye Ci¡¯s pajamas and a pair of white cotton underwear¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan had washed them all by hand.


    Yesterday, Ye Ci had to deal with Huo Tinglan¡¯s teasing interrogation with a head full of steam. He was dazed from embarrassment, and when he came back to his senses, he was already in the bathroom. Huo Tinglan pushed him to sit on the changing stool.


    The so-called spilled juice was all sticky and wet.


    ¡°Take off your pajamas for me.¡± Huo Tinglan knelt down on one knee in front of him. Putting aside the teasing look, he said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash them.¡±


    An Alpha¡¯s desire to possess was illogical. Even if Ye Ci didn¡¯t care about these items soaked in the scent of vanilla, he couldn¡¯t let others wash them.


    ¡°I, I can do it myself¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci muttered.


    Huo Tinglan tugged at his trouser legs and thoughtfully said: ¡°Juice is not easy to wash out. Let me do it, I have strong hands and can rub it clean.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci got stuck in the middle of his retort. His face flushed red, his mouth pursed in shame, anger and pitifulness, and he was clutching his trousers as if they were his last hope.


    ¡°Be obedient,¡± Huo Tinglan said gently, with ulterior motives. ¡°Go take a hot shower and I¡¯ll clean up the rest.¡±


    ¡°Baby.¡± Seeing Ye Ci¡¯s refusal, he tossed a sentence out in a lukewarm manner: ¡°Are you so polite with your husband?¡±


    He said this as if complaining about Ye Ci¡¯s estrangement from him. Ye Ci¡¯s hands shook as he tentatively let go.


    His legs felt cold when he loosened his grip.


    The pajama pants were taken off by Huo Tinglan.


    That hand speed belonged to a thief, and made one feel ashamed to see it.


    Two white, slender, and straight gazelle-like legs were desperately pressed together. Almost out of breath, Ye Ci pulled the hem of his pajamas to cover himself.


    ¡°Give it all to me,¡± Huo Tinglan said with a gentle look and a smile. ¡°I just want to help you wash your clothes, why are you making it look like I¡¯m a scoundrel¡­¡­be good, baby, stand up and be obedient¡­¡­¡±


    Like this, he half-coaxed, half-spurred him to undress.


    Ye Ci was as embarrassed as a steamed shrimp, curled up red and hot on the changing stool. The hem of his pajamas was long enough that nothing could be seen. He pulled it down with one hand and grabbed Huo Tinglan¡¯s wrist with the other to prevent him from leaving, pleading in a trembling voice: ¡°Huo-shushu, throw it away instead, don¡¯t, don¡¯t wash it¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it a good thing to just throw it away after spilling some juice?¡± Huo Tinglan smiled. Kneading the ball of cotton and white cloth into the palm of his hand, he set up a provisional rule for the Huo family, earnestly instructing the little gentleman who was extravagant and wasteful: ¡°¡®Tranquility cultivates morality, and frugality fosters character.¡¯ This is the Huo family¡¯s motto.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it my, myself, the Huo family¡¯s motto should also include¡­¡­taking care of, of your own problems, right?¡± Ye Ci pulled at Huo Tinglan¡¯s fingers, wanting him to open his hand flat. Huo Tinglan moved his hands away with a smile, and Ye Ci leaned forward to chase after them, resulting in his hands wrapping around him. The visual effect was as if he had taken the initiative to hug Huo Tinglan. As a result, that mischievous man took the opportunity to kiss his face twice. This didn¡¯t look like he was trying to grab something at all, it was basically flirting.


    ¡°Huo-shushu!¡± Ye Ci¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. It seemed that he wanted to stare at Huo Tinglan¡¯s face, to test how thick it was.


    It was just a little unfathomable!


    ¡°Be good, take a shower.¡± Huo Tinglan pulled out a bath towel for Ye Ci to wrap himself in, and drove him to take a shower.


    Ye Ci took one step and turned his head back three times, deeply reluctant to go. He was itching to take those wet things out of Huo Tinglan¡¯s hands and stuff them into a rocket to launch into outer space.


    The bathroom was designed to keep the wet areas separate from the dry, and the shower room had a frosted glass door. Nothing could be seen clearly, and the water vapor hung in the air, making it more hazy.


    Huo Tinglan brought a new pair of pajamas and put them on the wash stand, then went back to the room and removed the dirty quilt cover and other large items, and even dug out the spare ones to replace them. Although he hired someone to take care of these things when he was abroad, it was not as convenient as at home, so he was not bad at taking care of himself and could even change the quilt and wash the clothes.


    Ye Ci cleaned up in a hurry and didn¡¯t wash his hair, so he came out and changed in less than two minutes.


    Huo Tinglan walked into the bathroom with a pile of wet linens. Pushing Ye Ci out the door, it was as if he doted on the little gentleman and wouldn¡¯t let him do the work.


    Ye Ci stood at the door and heated the room temperature several degrees with his face. Heaven and man fought for 300 rounds,[1] and there was really no way to go back to sleep like this, so he mustered up the courage to push open the door: ¡°Huo-shushu, let me wash it¡­¡­Huo, Huo-shushu! ! !¡±


    ¡°En?¡± Huo Tinglan unhurriedly removed the pile from near his nose and pushed it back into the sink with an elegant gesture, as if he had just wiped his mouth with a napkin.


    Ye Ci¡¯s pupils shook like an earthquake.


    ¡°What, what are you¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°What did you say? You spilled some juice?¡±


    Huo Tinglan laughed lightly and simply shook off the drops of water on his hands. Strutting out of the bathroom, he bundled Ye Ci into the corner, leaned close to his ear, and said in a hoarse voice: ¡°That¡¯s called¡­¡­something a mature or near-mature Omega has in some specific circumstances.¡± Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes, stared at him darkly, and said softly, ¡°Xiao Ci has grown up.¡±


    After a moment, he turned Ye Ci¡¯s embarrassed face back with his fingertips and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did you dream of me?¡±


    Ye Ci turned his face away, not daring to recall.


    But Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t let him go. He grabbed his hands in one of his own and tortured him slowly: ¡°What did you dream about?¡±


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t bear the torture, and truthfully said, ¡°I just, just dreamed of you holding me¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t believe it, and forced a confession: ¡°What else?¡±


    Ye Ci swallowed his saliva and lowered his head. Wiping the seams of the floor with the soles of his feet, he confessed in a voice softer than a mosquito: ¡°There was a kiss¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all there was.¡± Ye Ci shook his head rapidly, honestly assuring, ¡°Really, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Huo Tinglan knew he wasn¡¯t lying, so he laughed in surprise: ¡°You dreamed of me¡­¡­so innocently?¡±


    Whether he had been teased into insanity or to add credibility to the confession, somehow Ye Ci came up with a sentence: ¡°I don¡¯t, don¡¯t know¡­¡­what else can be done, ah.¡±


    As a result¡­¡­


    He bit the bullet and agreed to go back to study the Omega biology book.


    How could he take this lesson, ah!


    Ye Ci stood on the balcony in a daze.


    After a while, he didn¡¯t know what to think and suddenly raised his hand and punched the balcony railing.


    Huo-shushu took care of him well.


    But he was also too¡­¡­too unscrupulous!


    [1] When a party refuses to accept and wants to challenge an opponent, the catchphrase, ¡°Who will fight with me for 300 rounds!¡± is sometimes used. ?

 CH 39

    Ye Ci lived in the Huo residence for a few days, riding horses, playing with guns, and swinging a few rounds of golf. He was not interested in the leisurely sport of golf, and after completing his daily study tasks, he went to the shooting hall. When he touched the gun, his eyes lit up with excitement. After a few days, he emptied the platinum card that Huo Tinglan¡¯s assistant gave him, but he still couldn¡¯t get enough of it. It was a pity that he had stayed in the manor for long enough and it was time to go back to the house.


    On the way back, Ye Ci listlessly stroked the platinum club membership card whose massive balance was cleared in just a few days. Putting his head on Huo Tinglan¡¯s shoulder, he whispered: ¡°Huo-shushu, in the future¡­¡­just occasionally, is it okay for me to go back and play?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Why are you interested in these dangerous things?¡± Huo Tinglan rubbed the back of his neck and sighed quietly. ¡°If it¡¯s not racing, it¡¯s shooting.¡±


    It could be seen that no matter how soft Ye Ci was in front of him, there was still a bit of an Alpha¡¯s nature left in his bones, and he naturally yearned for these dangerous and exciting things.


    After all, it was the result of his first gland differentiation, and its influence on shaping his personality could not be completely erased.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been racing for, for a long time, but if you forbid me to go, I won¡¯t go¡­¡­¡± He raised his head and gazed at him with those shining almond eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll just go do this, okay, Huo-shushu? Okay?¡±


    Huo Tinglan was silent for a moment, then held the card reservedly between his middle fingers and pulled it away.


    Ye Ci fell silent. This was the highest level request he could make, and it was impossible to pester him further. But he was so depressed that he almost collapsed into a limp noodle in the back seat.


    ¡°What?¡± Huo Tinglan rubbed his flat stomach and said with amusement, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was empty? I¡¯ll get someone to take care of it and give it back to you¡­¡­are you unhappy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy!¡± Ye Ci sat up abruptly.


    ¡°But you are not allowed to go by yourself. Every time you go to play, you have to wait for me to coordinate the time to accompany you, otherwise I¡¯ll worry¡­¡­can you do that?¡± Huo Tinglan established his terms.


    ¡°I can!¡± Ye Ci nodded as if he was pounding garlic. Then he paused, afraid of holding up Huo Tinglan¡¯s time, and tried to speak, ¡°In fact, this shooting gallery is very formal¡­¡­it¡¯s pretty safe. I¡¯m already an adult, so even if I go by my, myself¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan cut him off with a smile: ¡°Not allowed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Ye Ci shut up obediently. His thoughts drifted, and he remembered what happened some time ago.


    He hadn¡¯t ridden motorcycles for a long time, and didn¡¯t need to make money by racing with people. It was purely a hobby. But a few days ago, Huo Tinglan¡¯s attitude was quite profound when he mentioned that he wanted to go to a regular race track for a few laps during summer vacation. Out of respect for his lover, he didn¡¯t directly object, but in his words were a million reasons he was reluctant to let him race, as plaintive as if when Ye Ci went out to race, he would become an old man with an empty nest¡­¡­No, not an empty-nester, but more like a widow¡­¡­


    Of course, Ye Ci obediently didn¡¯t go. It was Huo Tinglan who originally asked where he wanted to go to relax during summer vacation, and he only mentioned it. It was not something that had to be done, and there was no reason to make Huo Tinglan unhappy.


    However.


    Ye Ci held his chin in his palm and fell into deep thought.


    It was the same as drinking at the family banquet before. Huo Tinglan deliberately let him drink first and allowed him to realize that his drinking capacity had become extremely low after the second differentiation, telling him not to drink outside in the future¡­¡­This safety education was rather thoughtful ba.


    Was he thinking too much, or was Huo-shushu really¡­¡­insecure?


    A top Alpha like Huo-shushu¡­¡­could feel insecure too?


    Before he could come to a conclusion, a more serious matter appeared before Ye Ci ¨C ¨C


    The one session per day 40-minute ¡°Omega General Education Class¡± was officially put on the agenda by Huo Tinglan.


    Ye Ci couldn¡¯t help delaying the scheduled class time, and showed up five minutes late.


    The health textbook for the second grade of junior high that Ye Ci had shelved before was placed on the desk in the study in a dignified way. Huo Tinglan held his chin with one hand in a reserved posture, flipping through the pages.


    On the other corner of the desk, there was also the rose that Ye Ci picked for him that night when he was drunk.


    The rose had been dried with desiccant and other chemicals, and was placed in a sealed glass container. It was golden red and milky white, fresh and alive, like a work of art.


    It was just a flower, but because it was gifted by Ye Ci, he cherished it so much.


    Ye Ci looked at the glass cover in astonishment. His heart was tender and warm, and he almost forgot what he was doing in the study.


    ¡°You came.¡± Huo Tinglan nodded slightly and greeted very naturally, ¡°Please sit down.¡±


    Ye Ci looked around, dazed.


    Sit¡­¡­where?


    The swivel chair he sat in while doing his homework had been removed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for two people to read a book while sitting face to face.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled apologetically. ¡°Can you make do with¡­¡­sitting on my lap?¡±


    Ye Ci was so shocked that his face almost cracked. He stared at the ¡°apologetic¡± expression on Huo Tinglan¡¯s face that he was very familiar with.


    Could it be that from the past to the present, every time Huo-shushu showed such a sorry expression¡­¡­


    He was always secretly playing the scoundrel? !


    Ye Ci recognized Huo Tinglan¡¯s true face, was thoroughly unwilling, and turned around with a pair of red ears to go and find a chair. As a result, as soon as he took a step from the study, a powerful forearm was inserted horizontally from the side, hooking around him to prevent him from going. Immediately afterward, the other hand wrapped around the bend of the knee and lifted him up lightly and deftly.


    ¡°Huo-shushu!¡± Ye Ci struggled and kicked, and his head almost hit the man in the nose again.


    Huo Tinglan laughed and walked towards the desk. His elegance was three points like a bandit leader who stole away the women of the people.


    The kitten was finally spoiled enough to scratch at him, and he was overjoyed.


    In the end, Huo Tinglan sat in the swivel chair with Ye Ci in front of the desk.


    It was exactly the same as during the previous susceptible period, a familiar scene.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t even about physics.


    The textbook was beautifully printed, and the pages were made of coated paper with a delicate luster, full of color and various popular science diagrams.


    Ye Ci knew that this was a serious textbook, so he had to treat it with a correct attitude. But as soon as Huo Tinglan was by his side, he would inevitably think wildly when he read, no matter how serious the book was.


    He felt uneasy and didn¡¯t dare to look, turning his face away awkwardly.


    But Huo Tinglan pulled his chin so that he couldn¡¯t help but look, and he had to read it anyway. After a few glances, he couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity. His eyelashes dipped and he half-read the book through the cracks in his eyelids, a contradiction of innocence and curiosity.


    Huo Tinglan turned the pages of the book and recited word by word, with his thin lips at his ear.


    ¡°¡­¡­Different from a Beta, the gland is a structure unique to Omegas¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It is located here.¡± He marked the key points with a pen.


    ¡°An Alpha will mark an Omega.¡± Huo Tinglan asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know how this pheromone chemical reaction process works?¡±


    ¡°I know, you don¡¯t, don¡¯t have to say it.¡± Ye Ci was so anxious that he tried to turn the page. ¡°Skip this, this paragraph.¡±


    ¡°As soon as you¡¯re asked, you ¡®know¡¯ it.¡± Huo Tinglan scoffed lightly. This was like a student who pretended to understand the lesson. Holding the page, he said, ¡°If you¡¯re asked more difficult questions, you¡¯ll reveal your secret, and if you take the exam again, it will be difficult to pass.¡±


    So he forced the little gentleman who was ashamed and indignant to explain it.


    When the lesson was finished, the actual time was far more than forty minutes.


    After finally getting out of class, Huo Tinglan released him from his restraints and Ye Ci hurried back to his room.


    Huo Tinglan got up with lazy satisfaction in the corners of his eyes and brow, and went into the bathroom.


    His hands were stained with ink, and he rubbed them slowly. It turned into dark blue hand wash foam, which was washed away by warm water.


    Later, when he was about to go out, he straightened his tie and checked his appearance.


    According to the plan, he would accompany Ye Ci to see a well-known psychological counselor in the afternoon. It was said that he was very good at correcting stuttering.


    Ye Ci hoped to overcome this obstacle, and of course he supported him, but he really didn¡¯t mind Ye Ci¡¯s little problem.


    Besides¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan thought about it for a bit, and the corners of his lips raised.


    When Ye Ci was bullied by him to the point of shame and indignation, he couldn¡¯t even say a few words to beg for mercy¡­¡­it was cute.


    When Huo Tinglan got ready and went downstairs, Ye Ci had already changed clothes and was waiting in the car.


    The kid was bullied so badly this time that when he heard him get in the car, he didn¡¯t even look back, just folded his arms and rested his chin as he looked out the window, his body stretched like a bowstring.


    ¡°Baby.¡± Huo Tinglan coaxed softly, not afraid that the driver would hear through the privacy screen. ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    Ye Ci remained silent, pressed against the car door, and tried to distance himself from the old scoundrel.


    Huo Tinglan suppressed a smile, controlled his apologetic tone, and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this just helping you with a lesson? I urged you to learn by yourself, and you didn¡¯t study hard¡­¡­¡±


    What else could be said¡­¡­he was teaching a class.


    In this world, there was really such a degree of shamelessness.


    ¡°You¡¯re still, still speaking in this tone!¡± Ye Ci, red-faced, rushed to cover his mouth.


    As a result, Huo Tinglan pushed the chair back with his hand.


    He bullied him fiercely again in the same way.


    The poor innocent high school boy wanted to call the police!

 CH 40

    Half of the precious twenty-day summer vacation had passed in the blink of an eye.


    As for the ¡°health education class,¡± with emphasis on the quotes, Ye Ci took it once and refused to honestly take it again. Their relationship had only been confirmed for so long ¨C how could he be subject to such stimulation? As a result, Huo Tinglan, who had taken off his disguise, captured him and brought him to the study every time. As soon as it was time for class, the dignified head of the Huo family relied on his terrifyingly keen five senses to catch the little cat all over the house, using his high-quality top Alpha genes in crooked places.


    He himself was a person with heavy desire, and had endured for too long to match Ye Ci¡¯s pace, so it was understandable for him to do so.


    The next round of susceptibility was coming soon, and he could finally ask his Omega for comfort. Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t deliberately suppress it, and the medicine for susceptibility syndrome was stopped early. He just let nature take its course and waited for the susceptibility period to come, stroking and sniffing Ye Ci every day to relieve the discomfort caused by the pre-susceptible stage.


    In the past few days, taking advantage of the Omega knowledge class, Huo Tinglan gave Ye Ci several informal ¡°physical examinations.¡±


    It could be seen that Ye Ci¡¯s current development was good, and he would be able to withstand the intensity of a permanent mark without being harmed.


    However, health was the top priority. Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t intend to take any risks, so he still took time to take Ye Ci to the hospital for a comprehensive and detailed examination.


    ¡­¡­The meticulousness was a bit much.


    Ye Ci sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, his knuckles turning blue as he clutched the medical report that Huo Tinglan handed to him.


    Due to excessive shame and indignation, the paper crumpled.


    ¡­¡­The lining is smooth and soft, good dilation, complete development, no abnormalities¡­¡­


    He wanted to die.


    Didn¡¯t they use that unknown instrument to take a few laps up and down his belly and have that Omega doctor press a few times¡­¡­


    How did they come to such a series of conclusions?


    It was already so advanced?!


    ¡°Have you read all, all of the report?¡± Ye Ci asked in a quivering voice, propping up his forehead with one hand.


    Huo Tinglan said tactfully: ¡°I read a bit.¡±


    Ye Ci: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Baby, these exams are a must.¡± Huo Tinglan looked at him tenderly, half comforting and half suggesting, ¡°My susceptible period is in two days, and if I don¡¯t hold back, I¡¯ll mark you permanently¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    Moreover, he also couldn¡¯t bear it.


    The matter of a permanent mark had finally come to the table.


    Ye Ci¡¯s pupils trembled, and he lowered his head in alarm.


    Susceptibility syndrome was devastating to an Alpha both mentally and physically. Since its influence could be permanently eliminated with a lifetime mark, there was no excuse for Huo Tinglan to continue torturing himself.


    It was also good for an Omega to have a permanent mark. It meant a stabler mood and hormones, and regular, manageable periods of fever.


    Huo Tinglan sat down next to Ye Ci, held his long, thin white hands in his palms, and asked in a gentle voice: ¡°Would you blame me if I didn¡¯t hold back?¡±


    Ye Ci licked his dry lips and murmured: ¡°You don¡¯t, don¡¯t need¡­¡­to endure it at all.¡±


    Huo Tinglan gave a soft sigh and brazenly said: ¡°Baby, how can you think of Huo-shushu so much?¡±


    Ye Ci tried his best to fight against his soft heart. His lips were tightly pursed, for fear that more honeyed words would follow as soon as he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Say it just in case.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled, teasing him with words, ¡°Baby, can you accept it?¡±


    He was so shameless that Ye Ci didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Thus,Huo Tinglan changed the question: ¡°So it¡¯s not acceptable, is that it?¡±


    Ye Ci¡¯s chest rose and fell quickly, and he shook his head: ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unacceptable.¡± Huo Tinglan smiled and said unhurriedly, ¡°Double negation means affirmation.¡±


    ¡° ! ¡± Ye Ci¡¯s face went red. He jumped up and slipped away without a trace along with the full set of medical reports.


    He couldn¡¯t be around Huo-shushu for one second!


    . . . . . .


    It was two o¡¯clock in the morning.


    A groan suddenly sounded in the quiet bedroom.


    The tone was hoarse and pained, as if someone had just woken up from a nightmare.


    Huo Tinglan stared at the ceiling. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his ink-black pupils trembled neurotically.


    His heart was beating like it was about to burst.


    Fortunately, the warm temperature by his side quickly brought him back to reality. There was a heavy feeling of pressure on his upper arm. Ye Ci was resting on it, sound asleep.


    ¡­¡­It was a dream.


    He slowly tightened the arm holding Ye Ci and rubbed the back of his neck with the other hand.


    The Alpha glands were already boiling hot with excitement, accompanied by the beating of his heart.


    This round of susceptibility had already begun.


    No wonder.


    The excessive secretion of glandular hormones during the susceptible period would increase an Alpha¡¯s sensitivity and alertness, thereby amplifying negative emotions and the dark side of their personality.


    Moreover, yesterday was the anniversary of Ye Ci¡¯s death in his previous life¡­¡­


    He knew that that ¡°future¡± would never happen again in this one, and had long been obliterated, but his mood was unavoidably low. He concealed it impeccably during the day, but after nightfall, he failed to escape the intrusion of nightmares.


    He dreamed of that temple.


    Bright yellow walls, green-gray tiles, magnificent snowy mountains, so white that they shaded to blue. It was late summer, but the altitude where the temple was located was very high. He wore a windbreaker and could still feel the chill.


    He was an atheist, but Lin Yao held the belief that ¡°if you believe in it, it exists, and if you don¡¯t believe in it, it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± She didn¡¯t usually mention these things, but she had also made offerings to temples. Therefore, after Ye Ci passed away unexpectedly, she advocated praying for him ¨C ¨C they prayed for blessings for the dead, but it was actually the living who were comforted.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t care about anything at that time. Lin Yao made up her own mind and took care of all the big and small matters by herself. The only thing she asked him to do was to sign the donation agreement for the temple, and dragged him by force on the day of the ceremony.


    He was in disbelief, his face frozen along the way like an empty shell, until Lin Yao personally offered Ye Ci the ever-burning lamp.[1]


    According to her, the ever-burning lamp could be provided to the living to seek a safe and long life, and it could also be offered to the dead to illuminate the soul¡¯s way to the next life and accumulate blessings.


    ¡°¡­¡­Xiao Ci had a hard time in this life, and his good fortune was small, his predestined fate with us was too shallow.¡± Lin Yao hugged her son¡¯s shoulders with difficulty, rubbing them in distress. The Alpha¡¯s frame was tall and broad, but he hardly ate or drank these days, and was worn down to a skeleton. ¡°Let¡¯s offer a lamp to Xiao Ci, perform a good ceremony, and accumulate merit for him. In this way, if there is an afterlife, he will surely live in peace and joy. Perhaps you will meet again in the next life, and your fate will be deeper, unable to be broken apart. Maybe you can meet him earlier, protect him earlier, and prevent him from suffering. It¡¯s all arranged by the heavens, who can say for sure. I believe that sincerity leads to success. If me, you, and your father all believe in this matter wholeheartedly, then we will definitely be able to¡­¡­Tinglan?¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I want this life.¡± Huo Tinglan shook his head. He hadn¡¯t spoken for a few days, and when he did speak, his voice was rough and unfamiliar.


    ¨C ¨C I want this life.


    Approximately this sentence.


    He couldn¡¯t remember clearly. He was numb during that time, his mind in a daze, and his memory was not solid.


    What previous life, afterlife¡­¡­they were too illusory, too ethereal.


    He only wanted this life.


    In this life, he wanted him to have peace and joy.


    In this life, he wanted to have a deep fate with him, which could not be broken apart.


    In this life, he wanted to protect him as soon as possible, so as not to let him suffer so much¡­¡­


    He knelt down before the Buddha statue.


    It was said that sincerity leads to success.


    As Lin Yao asked, he had donated the Buddha statue, and the red sandalwood and silver tiles. The temple hall was rebuilt, along with the glazed tile pagoda. He did everything, kowtowed, and shed tears. Was it sincere enough? Would it work?


    Tears wet the corners of his eyes, dampening the blue bricks in front of the Buddha statue.


    His mother said that the ever-burning lamp could illuminate Ye Ci¡¯s path to the afterlife, so that he would not be frightened, miserable, or scared of the dark.


    Could it then give him light to find his way?


    . . . . . .


    After that, he lived like the walking dead for a while.


    And then, a few months later, he woke up that morning and time had gone backwards.


    He had no way of knowing whether it was true that sincerity leads to success, or if it was just a coincidence. But in any case, he had miraculously returned to the year after he turned thirty. The first thing he did was to go to the Chu family and commit robbery. The second thing was to go to the temple that Lin Yao took him to in order to fulfill his vows, and donate a sum of money far more generous than in the past for various repairs in the ancient temple.


    Whether it was true or not, he wanted peace of mind.


    Then, another few months passed.


    The grief that once pierced his heart and bones had long since disappeared. However, the psychological shadow had not been completely removed. Especially when he was affected by the susceptible period, the heartache and despair of that time would come to haunt him and make him wake up in the middle of the night when he dreamt of the past.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s breathing gradually became heavy, and he hugged Ye Ci in his arms tighter and tighter.


    Alphas who lacked a sense of security would tend to ¡°mark¡± their Omega¡­¡­


    The rich fragrance of tequila madly invaded every inch of Ye Ci¡¯s skin.


    The nearly suffocating tightness all over his body and the slight tingling of his skin woke Ye Ci up.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, what¡­¡­what¡¯s the matter?¡± He rubbed his bleary, sleepy eyes. The steel-like arms around him hurt, but he didn¡¯t struggle to get free, and stroked Huo Tinglan¡¯s back with difficulty using his moveable forearm.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡­¡± This sort of comfort made Huo Tinglan relax a little, and the pain from being constricted was no longer so painful. He lowered his head like a wounded beast, silently buried his face in the socket of Ye Ci¡¯s shoulder, and sniffed the sweet vanilla pheromones hungrily.


    Ye Ci¡¯s neck was pressed against Huo Tinglan¡¯s cheek.


    Smooth, damp, and slightly cool.


    ¡°Are, are you¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci was slightly startled, and was forced to move back. It was like pushing away a giant, clingy dog. Reluctantly fighting for a little space within Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms, he twisted his neck desperately to check Huo Tinglan¡¯s face.


    The moist touch and luster¡­¡­was like tears.


    Would A+ grade Alphas be sentimental during the susceptible period?


    Ye Ci was anxious and sat up suddenly, hugging Huo Tinglan back with all his strength.


    ¡°If, if something is the matter, you can tell me anything.¡± He was so anxious that he couldn¡¯t care about anything, and his speech was much more agile than usual. ¡°Don¡¯t keep it all inside, I¡¯m worried to see you like this. Is, is it not going well at work?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡± Huo Tinglan suppressed his emotions, let out a sigh of relief, and comforted him, ¡°Let me hold you for a while, baby.¡±


    Ye Ci paused for a moment, then lowered his voice: ¡°Is that an emotional matter?¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan benefited from Ye Ci¡¯s anxious concern, and the aftermath of the nightmare disappeared without a trace. He smiled and said truthfully, ¡°It is, ba.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into silence.


    Maybe half a minute later, Ye Ci very slowly withdrew from Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms and eased into bed.


    After a while, his muffled voice, softer than the sound of a mosquito, came from the bed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t say¡­¡­that I, I wouldn¡¯t let you permanently mark me.¡±


    [1] A light that would be left lit in a tomb until the flame went out by itself. ?

 CH 41

    Huo Tinglan¡¯s eyes showed a rare astonishment, and he almost laughed out loud.


    What kind of strange image did Ye Ci have of him in his head¡­¡­


    He quickly suppressed his leaking emotions and held that silkworm chrysalis wrapped in a thin quilt in his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of that.¡± He pretended to be self-deprecating, ¡°It¡¯s just that sometimes it feels like you may¡­¡­not like me that much?¡±


    ¡°I, I like you so much, ah!¡± Ye Ci seemed to have been extremely wronged, and he straightened up in his arms. Huo Tinglan looked down and lowered his head, eagerly chasing those forlorn eyes. ¡°Why, why do you think that?¡±


    Even though Huo Tinglan had long been ¡°notorious for his misdeeds,¡± the cool, wet tears on his cheeks were real. A top Alpha secretly crying at night was the epitome of sadness.


    ¡­¡­It was impossible for him to have used eye drops.


    Huo-shushu should still have his bottom line.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Right, ba?!


    Ye Ci hesitated for half a second, then resolutely put aside that dark speculation and said cautiously: ¡°What am I doing, doing wrong? Just say it and I, I will change.¡± He held Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand, sincere and flattering, as if coaxing a sad little girlfriend. ¡°Point, point out what needs to change.¡±


    Huo Tinglan shamelessly savored the wonderful taste of being coaxed and pampered by a young lover, and smiled helplessly: ¡°Do I have to make it so clear?¡± He didn¡¯t seem too embarrassed, saying in a low voice, ¡°I want to get close to you, but you always hide, so I just¡­¡­¡±


    It turned out to be the case, just as he suspected.


    He was also worried about whether the two people¡¯s incongruity would lead to similar misunderstandings, so he had guessed right this time.


    Flustered, Ye Ci licked his lower lip as his throat tightened. In order to clear up the misunderstanding, he forced himself to explain: ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, I¡¯m just, just embarrassed¡­¡­because you¡¯re kind of¡­¡­¡± He stammered, trying to pick a good word, but was unable to. So he could only whisper, ¡°Too, too¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Too what?¡± Huo Tinglan laughed. He really didn¡¯t hear clearly this time, and turned his head to put his ear towards him, repeating, ¡°Am I too amorous?¡±


    Ye Ci blushed and said nothing, looking at Huo Tinglan with a hint of horror as he said those words aloud.


    Too amorous ¨C there was a naivety in this complaint, a taste of innocence. Huo Tinglan was so excited that it was like a ball of fire burned from his tailbone to the back of his neck. He turned over and held down the whining and complaining little thing, and the corners of his lips could not be pressed down as he tortured him with a smile. As if his innocence had been stained by Ye Ci, and he wanted to ask for an explanation: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me, what did I do, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not, not to mention ordinary times, even during the, the health lessons, your hands¡­¡­are not honest,¡± Ye Ci complained, and when he got to the crucial point, his volume dropped again, ¡°All the time.¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled and repeated in a straight voice: ¡°I always touch you?¡±


    The clumsy wording was just too cute.


    Why did he have to repeat it so loudly?!


    Ye Ci¡¯s eyes rolled and he almost passed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s called a physical examination. Physical examination, what kind of hooliganism¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan chased him and kissed him while saying unreasonable things. The kisses made Ye Ci¡¯s cheeks pink and his lips bright red. Sweat formed and both bodies were hot with excitement, the pheromones ambiguously blended.


    The mood was just right, the moon was full, and the enchanting atmosphere was heavy¡­¡­everything was ready, and if he pushed the boat along the way, he could mark him permanently, but Huo Tinglan resisted the impulse ¨C ¨C a misunderstanding was a misunderstanding. He stroked his hair and straightened to prop himself on top of Ye Ci with a smile. ¡°Just kidding, it wasn¡¯t because of that¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Ye Ci¡¯s blurred eyes slowly focused. When he understood what Huo Tinglan meant, he knew that he was probably being self-indulgent just now and had also taken the initiative to mention the permanent mark. His expression gradually changed until it looked like he had nothing left to live for. ¡°What was it¡­¡­you said it, it was an emotional matter¡­¡­¡±


    That was all he could think of.


    Huo Tinglan pondered for a moment, then said softly: ¡°I had a dream.¡±


    ¡°About going back to the past and living it again.¡± If Huo Tinglan told Ye Ci about this kind of thing seriously, Ye Ci might not believe it.


    Even if he was on the verge of credit bankruptcy with Ye Ci, Ye Ci would trust him no matter what.


    However¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan privately didn¡¯t want Ye Ci to know what a terrible and hopeless situation he was in during his previous life. How he had been trampled and bullied, and died young.


    Besides, that gloomy past could no longer even be called ¡°the past.¡± That entire space-time had ceased to exist, so why mention it?


    It would just add unhappiness.


    So he substituted it for a dream.


    ¡°A nightmare?¡± Those few tears became the gold medal for avoiding death. Ye Ci didn¡¯t care to pursue the matter of being teased a moment ago, and shakily stroked Huo Tinglan¡¯s head.


    The hair that brushed against his palm was thick and smooth. Without the setting spray, the elitist feeling of being in control of the situation was a bit less, and he looked real and fragile.


    ¡°Tell me, once the nightmare is said, it will be broken and it won¡¯t come true.¡±


    Ye Ci got up and turned on the night light. The warm light was like a thin layer of floating mist, tempting people to be honest.


    ¡°I dreamed of you¡­¡­¡± He began.


    Regarding the accident, he tried to describe it concisely, as he was afraid that his voice would reveal something abnormal.


    But Ye Ci could still feel the deep, intense pain hidden in the forbearing narrative. Not like a frightening dream moments ago, but like years of mourning were seeping through, overflowing at the slightest touch.


    He was at a loss, becoming panicked. He didn¡¯t know how to coax people in the first place, but now he could only stroke Huo Tinglan¡¯s back and repeat awkwardly, ¡°But aren¡¯t I okay? Huo-shushu, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the dream was too real.¡± Huo Tinglan cleared his hoarse voice and smiled. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I care so much about you¡­¡­that I can¡¯t accept this possibility.¡±


    Ye Ci was so anxious that his palms were sweaty. He squeezed Huo Tinglan¡¯s hand with all his strength, turned over his palm, and slotted his five fingers between the other man¡¯s. Holding it tightly again, he wished to exchange all the strength he had nowhere to use for words of comfort ¨C ¨C he had guessed right, Huo-shushu was indeed an insecure person.


    ¡°There¡­¡­there was no such possibility to begin with.¡± He desperately manipulated his tongue, ¡°I am very careful to, to protect myself. I¡¯ve been racing all, all my life¡­¡­I won¡¯t do it, don¡¯t worry. Anyway, it¡¯s just a hobby¡­¡­actually, it can¡¯t even count as a hobby, I just do it when, when I¡¯m in a bad mood, and after a few laps, I feel comfortable¡­¡­¡±


    That depression needed a place to go.


    But he didn¡¯t need it now.


    ¡°I will never do anything that, that you think is dangerous.¡± Ye Ci fought with himself for a while, then suddenly turned over and stood on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not, not going to that shooting club either¡­¡­¡± He thought that this was what Huo Tinglan was worrying about. He didn¡¯t want to make his lover worry about an insignificant hobby, so he wanted to fetch his membership card and shred it in front of him.


    ¡°Come back.¡± Huo Tinglan was amused, and he grabbed that strong, thin waist and dragged him back. Cuddling at the head of the bed, he closed his eyes and sincerely said, ¡°It¡¯s okay to play with guns, as long as I¡¯m with you. Racing cars¡­¡­really scares me.¡±


    He was unwilling to restrict Ye Ci¡¯s freedom in the name of so-called love, but in this matter alone, he would rather be an unreasonable person.


    ¡°I understand, I really do.¡± Ye Ci solemnly nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think that, that this is¡­¡­restricting my freedom. I¡¯m an¡­¡­¡± He swallowed the ¡®Alpha¡¯ that slipped to the tip of his tongue, and awkwardly changed the word, ¡°¡­¡­a man, married, and should let you have a sense of security.¡±


    This Alpha burden couldn¡¯t be set aside.


    Huo Tinglan smiled, enjoying the moment of being forcibly enveloped by Ye Ci¡¯s boyfriend power. So instead of destroying Ye Ci¡¯s Alpha illusion, he just said softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ye Ci scrutinized his expression, still uneasy, and organized his words for a while. Using the way the psychiatrist taught him to speak, he slowed down his speaking speed, lowered his tone, and said word by word: ¡°Huo-shushu, don¡¯t you think that my fate with you¡­¡­is particularly deep? With a physique like yours, the degree of matching with other people¡¯s genes is so low, but it is higher than mine. And I also, by chance, secondary differentiated into an Omega, as if just to meet you.¡±


    ¡°You and I are not from the same world, not to mention¡­¡­we got married, and even if there was an intersection, it would have been difficult. But not only do we match, but, but there are so many good and bad¡­¡­combinations of factors, like the Butterfly Effect just pinched us together.¡± He had never said such lovey-dovey words to anyone, and his cheeks were pink with embarrassment, but those clear black and white eyes were full of resolve. ¡°The fate between me and you must be very deep. Even if we are separated, it cannot be taken apart. If, if I didn¡¯t meet you, I can¡¯t even imagine what my, my future would be like¡­¡­Luckily, I met you early and was protected by you early on. I feel that these are all things that were arranged by the heavens.¡±


    ¡°I was born for, for you, to cure your illness in this life,¡± he concluded. ¡°You, too, were born for me, to protect me. God can¡¯t bear to let us separate¡­¡­don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t worry anymore.¡±


    Huo Tinglan stared at his thin, moving lips without taking his eyes off them, his ears roaring and his blood rushing.


    ¨C ¨C Maybe you will meet again in your next life¡­¡­


    ¨C ¨C Fate so deep that it cannot be broken apart¡­¡­


    ¨C ¨C Meet him earlier, protect him earlier¡­¡­


    ¨C ¨C It¡¯s all arranged by the heavens¡­¡­


    Lin Yao¡¯s gentle words in the dream lingered in his ears and gradually merged with the syllables that dropped from Ye Ci¡¯s mouth. There was a high degree of overlap, and some sentences were even exactly the same.


    Was it a coincidence?


    Or were they really destined in this life?


    His feeling at that moment was impossible to put into words. He abruptly hugged Ye Ci, who was trying to coax him with his face up, his voice trembling slightly.


    ¡°I know, baby¡­¡­¡±


    The melancholy and regret in the depths of his heart were like the ice of a lake frozen for a long time, then suddenly cracking in the spring.


    Spring water gurgled and gradually became turbulent, melting and soothing the black and blue frostbite in his heart, and his chest was filled with a warm and wonderful emotion. He hugged Ye Ci tightly. A small piece of frozen soil was about to come back to life, and spring grass burst densely out of the ground, making his heart itch unbearably. In order to relieve the piercing itch, he had no choice but to hold Ye Ci¡¯s face and kiss him messily, passionately, and sincerely, holding him tightly and recklessly.


    He was going to mark him forever, tonight, right now, right now.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡­¡± A bit later, he pressed against Ye Ci, who was about to turn into a puddle of water, and inspected the learning results of recent days. ¡°Do you remember the process of permanent marking?¡±


    Ye Ci nodded lightly.


    ¡°Even if you know, I still need to remind you again.¡± Huo Tinglan touched his forehead, rubbed the tip of his nose affectionately, then immediately got up. While talking, he took out a small bottle of capsules from the small drawer of the bedside table, swallowing two capsules with water. It was a drug that reduced the activity of a certain reproductive cell to achieve a contraceptive effect, and it could only be taken by an Alpha ¨C ¨C this drug was the only method of contraception he could use when giving a permanent mark¡­¡­He couldn¡¯t let Ye Ci delay his studies because of his kind of accident, but he didn¡¯t want Ye Ci to take medicine either, so he had to take it himself. This bottle of medicine had been placed in this small drawer for several months.


    ¡°Permanent marking is not a 100% pleasant process for the Omega¡­¡­¡± After swallowing the capsules, he continued to give a science lesson.


    At first, it was purely pleasurable.


    But that was just a trick of the vile laws of nature.


    After the real marking phase started, the Omega¡¯s deep cavity needed to be opened for the first time. This process was often accompanied by pain and a strong sense of being violated and conquered at the psychological level. This was the inevitable consequence of the deep fusion of Alpha pheromones, and had nothing to do with whether the Alpha¡¯s performance was gentle and considerate.


    Therefore, for some Omegas whose temperaments were comparatively proud, the mental discomfort could even outweigh the physical pain.


    ¡°¡­¡­Especially for an Omega like you whose initial differentiation result was an Alpha, you may suddenly feel resistance at a certain moment.¡± The arrow was on the string, but Huo Tinglan calmed down and gave Ye Ci a warning, ¡°At that time, I may completely lose my mind. Even if you cry and beg me, hit me, it will be difficult for me to stop the marking¡­¡­and a secure mark needs to be repeated many times, lasting for a few days on and off. Are you afraid?¡±


    Ye Ci turned his head in embarrassment, opened a pair of almond eyes filled with tears from being kissed, and fibbed: ¡°I¡¯m not, not afraid. Besides, I¡¯m not, not the kind of person who cries often¡­¡­¡±


    With this matter being imminent, he was still clinging to his Alpha baggage.


    It was really cute.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s lips twitched, and he leaned over to silence the lingering sound of his words.


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    When it was all over, it was four days later.

 CH 42

    Ye Ci, who claimed to be ¡°not the kind of person who cries often,¡± actually had his defenses broken down faster than any Omega.


    The Alpha portion of his glands had shrunk and lost their function, replaced by the brand new Omega glands.


    But the sort of personality they formed was difficult to erase.


    When the arrow was on the string and he realized that he was going to be marked by a stronger Alpha, Ye Ci struggled like a small silver fish out of water.


    The scales were stained with water droplets, dragging thick and bright traces of different shades across the graphite silk.


    It smelled like sea water.


    His pajamas were also damp with sweat.


    The omega glands at the nape of his neck had received a temporary mark.


    The young skin was as tight as a drum, covering the sharp, bony part of the spine. Huo Tinglan pierced it with the tips of his teeth, leaving two shallow round holes, which were oozing blood.


    Huo Tinglan pushed down the collar of Ye Ci¡¯s pajamas and gently wiped away the blood on the back of his neck with a disinfectant wipe.


    Immediately throwing away the wet wipe, he put his dry fingertips to the corners of Ye Ci¡¯s eyes and touched his tears.


    Ye Ci was crying.


    He had said hours ago, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who cries often.¡± Fearing that Huo Tinglan would see, he had buried his face deep in the soft goose down pillow. A mouthful of small white teeth bit the corner of the pillowcase tightly, and his eyes were soaked with tears, shining extremely brightly as he cried secretly and quietly.


    How pitiful.


    It was a shame that an Alpha in his susceptible period, only a step away from a permanent mark, was no different from a tiger or a wolf.


    A few hours had passed, and his humanity had long since perished.


    ¡°Baby, be obedient¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan comforted him gently, wiping Ye Ci¡¯s flushed and wet face with the back of his hand, and said without conscience, ¡°Why are you crying, I haven¡¯t done anything yet¡­¡­don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    He lowered his dark eyes and stared at Ye Ci intently. The corners of his lips were straight, and the warmth of his usual smile was gone, but his voice was still soft, coaxing his Omega intimately.


    But for some reason, that tone of voice was inexplicably like a villain coaxing a child in an empty house to open the door¡­¡­Baby, open the door, Huo-shushu is not a bad person, don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡­saying that, he waved the sweet, bright candy in his hand behind the peephole of the door as bait ¨C ¨C a bag of candy called pleasure. But once Ye Ci in the empty house opened the door for him in order to get the candy, he rushed in and did evil, even seizing the house. On the walls, the furniture, the floor, he used white graffiti to mark every corner with his message.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, I don¡¯t, don¡¯t want to be marked¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci buried his face aggrievedly so that he couldn¡¯t see the Alpha¡¯s sly and vicious expression. He thought that since he was coaxed by Huo-shushu, Huo Tinglan still had some reason left.


    This misunderstanding caused his defenses to collapse, and he suffered a catastrophe. The sense of invasion brought on by temporary marks and permanent marks were not of the same order at all, especially for someone who had been an Alpha. He thought about this matter too simply, bursting into tears as he stammered and begged: ¡°Can, can we change it to another day and, and you can mark me then, Huo-shushu, please¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± Huo Tinglan grinned, revealing the carnivore-like tips of his teeth.


    His nightgown was slightly unbuttoned, and his shoulders were elegant and straight. Even with this almost evil expression, he still looked like a gentleman.


    Ye Ci didn¡¯t expect him to agree so happily, and his eyes lit up as if he had been saved.


    The beautiful Omega who stammered and begged him for mercy, his eyes as clear as frozen ice melting into ripples of water, his clear voice slightly hoarse as he shyly called ¡°shushu¡± over and over again¡­¡­


    All of these elements were provoking his dark side as an Alpha.


    ¡°¡­¡­Say it again, baby.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he gave conditions.


    Let him stammer that long sentence while unstable with emotion.


    Truly, this was not something this person could do.


    Ye Ci knew he was bullying, but he could only curl up, sobbing, and repeat that sentence in a plaintive voice.


    ¡°Can we change, change¡­¡­¡±


    He stuttered again.


    ¡°Can, can¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡­¡­¡±


    The more anxious that clumsy little tongue was, the more difficult it was for him to speak.


    ¡°Can we change it to another day and you can mark me then¡­¡­¡±


    ¨C ¨C When trying for the tenth time, he finally had a hint of being able to speak fluently, but before the last two words could come out, his lips were blocked.


    ¡° ! ¡±


    What a scoundrel!


    Ye Ci tried to resist, but the last barrier was lifted, and the marking had officially begun.


    The feeling of being possessed, seized, conquered, mixed with unbelievable pleasure ran through his nerves and veins, eroding every cell.


    He had the illusion that he was going to melt into red tears like a candle from the inside out. Shock and fear interweaved, and he tugged on Huo Tinglan¡¯s cuffs and pulled at his shoulders, wanting to escape far away. But out of Omega instinct, he hid shyly in Huo Tinglan¡¯s arms, scratching the lake blue silk with his fingertips and dragging a few long, bright red marks on Huo Tinglan¡¯s back.


    ¡°Scratch, baby, scratch me to death¡­¡­¡± Huo Tinglan was elated at his aggressiveness, and didn¡¯t care about this little injury at all.


    The marking process continued ¨C ¨C

 CH 43

    Ye Ci struggled through the cycle of falling into a coma-like sleep ¨C waking up ¨C being physically exhausted, and then comatose again for an unknown amount of time.


    This time when he opened his eyes, it was noon on an unspecified day. The Omega glands at the nape of his neck throbbed from depletion and over-extraction.


    His whole body was warm and dry, smelling of light citrus shampoo, and his scalp was slightly hot, as if had been blown with a hair dryer just a moment ago.


    Ye Ci finally understood where the rumbling noise in his dreams came from.


    ¡°Are you awake, baby?¡±


    A finger brushed the tip of his nose affectionately. Ye Ci¡¯s eyes, which were sluggish due to exhaustion, suddenly came to life, and he followed that finger to look at Huo Tinglan.


    The nightgown on his body had been changed a few times. The silk was fragile, and some of them had been scratched by Ye Ci. After being scratched, there were some red and white spots like blood and sweat, and Huo Tinglan threw them directly into the trash.


    The light silk fit snugly like waves on water. The opening at the neckline was suspicious, revealing full, thick chest muscles.


    He exercised properly, and his form was excellent. The shape of each muscle was just right, and there was a shallow and narrow line down the middle.


    Ye Ci¡¯s fair skin was already painted with green and red, and Huo Tinglan was not much better, with scabbed-over scratches, somewhat comical teeth marks, reddish fingerprints¡­¡­


    Especially the chest.


    Followed by the easily scratchable back.


    Like some sort of crazy little cat had wrecked him.


    No wonder some people said that the permanent mark between an Alpha and an Omega was like a battle that lasted for several days.


    Feeling guilty, Ye Ci hurriedly lowered his eyes. After a little while, he asked with a hoarse voice: ¡°What, what date is it today?¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled and said a date.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Ye Ci counted the days in a daze. It had been four days, and the first thought that crossed his mind was that his summer study schedule was now completely invalid, and school was about to start soon. What followed was four rounds of memory playback from these days and nights. Aside from drinking water, replenishing his energy with energy bars and sleeping in a semi-conscious state, the rest of the time¡­¡­


    Insanity.


    Was that really him?


    Hot blood suddenly filled his head and face, and his eardrums buzzed with embarrassment.


    Huo Tinglan was extremely wicked, trying to figure out Ye Ci¡¯s thoughts through his micro-expressions. Knowing what he was recalling, he lost no time in taking the shot and said in a satisfied tone: ¡°I thought you would be shy, you cried so aggrievedly at first¡­¡­¡± Then with a low smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so enthusiastic later.¡±


    Very different from the previous life.


    ¡° ! ¡±


    ¡°Huo-shushu ! ! ! ¡±


    The innocent male high school student¡¯s pupils trembled violently, his face flushed, and he wanted to kill someone on the spot!


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, after all.


    It was Huo Tinglan who saw through his proclivities. Deliberately using his big chest was not right. It should be said that those pectoral muscles¡­¡­seduced him.


    He had already been forcibly stimulated into a fever period, and his will was strangely unstable. Every time Huo Tinglan said, ¡°Just until the mark is finished,¡± Huo Tinglan would just, just¡­¡­


    Huo-shushu was shameless!


    Ye Ci was as anxious as a little ant on an iron plate. After going round and round for a while, he suddenly approached, red-faced, and grabbed the collar of Huo Tinglan¡¯s nightgown to pull it tightly closed, saying with slight annoyance, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t show it anymore¡­¡­¡±


    He really couldn¡¯t go again. His whole body was about to be wrecked by Huo Tinglan.


    Beauty was misleading.


    Ye Ci gritted his teeth, imitating Huo Tinglan by putting the blame on others.


    ¨C ¨C He had a distinctly soft temper, and at the moment he actually showed a bit of a princely appearance.


    Huo Tinglan embraced him with a suppressed smile, pressed his lips against his citrus-scented hair, and said softly, ¡°Alright, baby, I¡¯ll stop teasing you.¡±


    Warmth flowed silently in the small world between them. Ye Ci remained silent and rested his chin on Huo Tinglan¡¯s collarbone like a kitten. A permanent mark would make the spiritual connection between an Alpha and an Omega closer, and Ye Ci felt as if a fruit had grown out of thin air in his chest, full and swollen. The sweet and sour juice was pounded by his heartbeat, splashing in the atrium again and again, throbbing happily. He turned his head unconsciously and rubbed his cheek against Huo Tinglan¡¯s neck, as if he was so happy that he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± After snuggling for a while, Huo Tinglan broke the silence and rubbed Ye Ci¡¯s slightly concave abdomen.


    For the past four days, they hadn¡¯t eaten anything substantial, relying on energy drinks and energy bars to maintain their strength.


    That little stomach was already empty, except for¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan smirked, reluctantly dismissing those colorful thoughts: ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Ye Ci nodded obediently, stepped into some slippers, and got up. As a result, his buttocks were only five centimeters away from the mattress when Huo Tinglan fiercely grabbed him around the waist and he staggered back to sit on his lap. The strength of that embrace was downright ungentlemanly.


    Immediately afterwards, Huo Tinglan¡¯s heavy, fiery breath blew on the back of his neck ¨C ¨C he pressed the tip of his nose against Ye Ci¡¯s glands and took a few eager, intoxicated breaths without warning, looking like a carnivorous animal that had suddenly gone berserk at the sight of blood.


    Ye Ci shrank his neck in shock.


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡± Huo Tinglan still hugged him without letting go, his eyes dark as his desire surged, dense and fiery. ¡°I only just finished the mark, and I can¡¯t quite contain myself.¡±


    After the initial establishment of the permanent mark, an Omega would develop a heightened attachment to the Alpha for a period of time. Even an Omega who was usually cold and introverted tended to become soft and sticky. The unusually strong warmth and sweetness that Ye Ci felt before was because of this change. Correspondingly, an Alpha¡¯s possessiveness and desire for the Omega would reach its peak during this period. Even the most calm and stable Alpha would inevitably do all kinds of illogical things, and Ye Ci¡¯s act of ¡°getting up and leaving¡± just now had stimulated Huo Tinglan, who was currently extremely sensitive, tearing away his presence of ¡°normality¡± a moment ago.


    The duration of this period varied from person to person, and it was positively correlated with the depth of the relationship between Alpha and Omega. The deeper the bond, the longer it lasted, which could be weeks to months as the intensity continued to decrease.


    Ye Ci¡¯s physiological knowledge class was not in vain during this time, so he immediately remembered this phase.


    ¡°I¡¯m just, just hungry. I¡¯ll go to the first floor and eat, I won¡¯t, won¡¯t go outside.¡± He tried to appease Huo Tinglan with the ¡°talking skills¡± from the book.


    ¡°I know.¡± Huo Tinglan closed his eyes and said helplessly, ¡°What can I do, baby¡­¡­I don¡¯t want you to leave my bed.¡±

 CH 44

    In the end, Uncle He sent someone to deliver the food.


    It was still the exquisite little dining cart delivered to the door, and Huo Tinglan pushed it in himself.


    The bedroom was filled with Ye Ci¡¯s pheromones, which were extremely rich.


    The sweet smell had changed after the permanent marking. It still smelled of vanilla, but just like delicate and tender flower buds were swollen, red, and fully bloomed under the irrigation of fertilizers, Ye Ci¡¯s glands also exuded a sweet and fragrant smell after the marking, very infectious. Huo Tinglan, who was at the peak of possessiveness, was so grudging that he even refused to open the window, let alone allow outsiders to smell the ambiguous atmosphere.


    During the last few days of the holiday, in order to satisfy his unreasonable possessiveness, Huo Tinglan simply installed a bed table and coaxed Ye Ci to do his homework like this.


    Sometimes even while holding Ye Ci¡­¡­at the same time, he let him sit at the desk to do problems, calling it ¡°convenient tutoring.¡±


    Ye Ci knew that Huo-shushu was no longer the good Huo-shushu he had known in the past, but never thought that he would do such a ridiculous thing.


    It was simply¡­¡­unreasonable!


    The twenty-day holiday ended quickly.


    According to Tiancheng¡¯s tradition, in order to temper the perseverance of the college entrance exam candidates, the school would arrange a week-long military training every year at the beginning of the first semester of the third year of senior high school. This tradition had been followed for many years, evolving to this day. It was more a formality than anything, and they wouldn¡¯t really try their best to make these high school seniors suffer. Some training programs were even quite interesting, but the process of isolation was the real deal.


    Not being able to see each other for seven days, but also enduring the jealousy that fermented as his Omega ate and slept with classmates and trained together¡­¡­


    For Huo Tinglan, not wanting Ye Ci to go to the military training was just a matter of telling his assistant to take care of it, but he didn¡¯t want to disturb Ye Ci¡¯s normal high school life because of his selfish desires. Besides, Ye Ci¡¯s temperament was so introverted. He hadn¡¯t made any friends in Tiangcheng for nearly half a year, and probably didn¡¯t have much chance to socialize with others. These several days of communal living was an opportunity for Ye Ci to build good relationships with his classmates and integrate into the class, so he shouldn¡¯t deprive him of it.


    Young eaglets could not be raised into canaries.


    Reason eventually triumphed over irrationality.


    Before delivering Ye Ci to the training base, Huo Tinglan packed his suitcase with his own hands, going through all the items, big and small, to make them all smell of his own pheromones. There were two full packs of scent-blocking patches, and the words ¡°Strong Lemon Mint Fragrance¡± were printed on them. After they were applied, an Alpha with a keen sense of smell could only smell a soulless chemical scent.


    ¡°¡­¡­How many changes of clothes do you want to bring?¡± Huo Tinglan opened a drawer in the cloakroom.


    Ye Ci¡¯s frequently used items were moved to the master bedroom despite the fact that they had separate rooms.


    There were rows of neatly folded ¡°small square parcels¡± in the long, flat drawer. They were mainly pure white cotton, with the occasional black and fine silk ones, brand new as if just purchased, probably because Ye Ci was too embarrassed to wear them.


    Out of an illogical desire for monopoly, Huo Tinglan folded these underwear by himself.


    He entrusted the housekeeper and the staff to be responsible for all the trivial matters of his own life. When it was Ye Ci¡¯s turn, especially after the permanent mark, he was itching to do these things without the help of others.


    ¡°Those¡­¡­I¡¯ll pack those myself.¡± Ye Ci hurried over and grabbed three of them.


    It was definitely enough to bring three for seven days. He washed them every day, and the climate in early autumn was dry, so it was more than adequate to rotate them.


    Huo Tinglan held him back and fiddled with the clothes in his hands unhurriedly, saying with disapproval: ¡°Just three pairs? You¡¯re going for seven days.¡±


    ¡°I wash them every day,¡± Ye Ci explained, ¡°While training and sweating, these personal things can¡¯t be hoarded¡­¡­otherwise bacteria will grow.¡±


    ¡°Where will you hang them after washing?¡± Huo Tinglan chuckled, pestering him quite unreasonably and making no secret of his jealousy, otherwise he would have a hard time these days. ¡°Hanging them out in the dormitory¡­¡­won¡¯t all your classmates see them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Ci stared. ¡°Those who live together¡­¡­must all be Omegas, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He had a point.


    Normal people would think so.


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry, baby.¡± Huo Tinglan was silent for a moment, laughed at himself, and said with sincere apology, ¡°Am I being unreasonable?¡±


    Huo-shushu was here again! It was that expression again!


    Ye Ci looked at him from the corner of his eyes. That face was honest, but was in fact secretly improper. He muttered in a low voice: ¡°As long as you know, remember not to do it next time.¡±


    After saying so, he just slipped away.


    ¡°What?¡± Huo Tinglan laughed in surprise.


    The little gentleman had learned to be wicked.


    Which bastard did he learn it from?


    His little mouth still stuttered, but would he stop stuttering in the future? Would he still obediently let him bully?


    If the soft method didn¡¯t work, he could only use harder means. He reacted quickly, and Ye Ci had only taken two steps before Huo Tinglan grabbed him like a cat by the neck.


    ¡°You¡¯ve revealed your true face again!¡± Ye Ci quickly accused.


    Huo Tinglan laughed out loud and stopped pretending. He picked Ye Ci up and put him on the sofa, pressing him firmly down and even poking his ribs to profit at his expense. This made Ye Ci laugh and beg for mercy, and then reluctantly agree to bring seven pairs.


    ¡­¡­He was bringing so many, like some kind of underwear maniac. Ye Ci was so tortured that his eyes filled with physical tears, and he had no choice but to pray that the desire for exclusiveness brought by the permanent mark would subside as soon as possible.


    On the first day of the third year of high school, more than a dozen buses drove the group of seniors to the training base.


    Male Omegas were rare in the population. Including him, there were only three in Ye Ci¡¯s class. For the entire grade, they could barely even fill three six-person dormitories.


    Although the dozen or so people were scattered in different classes, many of them knew each other, and they chatted enthusiastically in twos and threes from gathering to sleeping. The two cute little Omegas who were in the same class as Ye Ci put their heads together to watch a dance video of a certain Alpha internet idol, shrieking and clutching each other from time to time. Ye Ci didn¡¯t understand, and maintained his usual silence. The other strange Omega who shared the dormitory with him saw that he was 1.8 meters tall and had a cold appearance, and was a little fearful of him. Ye Ci glanced at them inadvertently, and the chirping chatter of those several people dropped down, like a nest of chickens with a hawk hovering above their heads.


    The training intensity of the first day was approximately equal to zero. After dividing the dormitories and tidying up, the students who had changed into camouflage uniforms went downstairs to gather for a half-hour meeting. They listened to the school leaders¡¯ speeches, had a face-to-face meeting with the instructors, and then got to know the common area and training ground, and this half day was over. When everyone went back to the dormitories, a delivery car was parked at the entrance of the building. The use of high-power electrical appliances was prohibited in the dormitory building, and there was no place to boil water. Therefore, the school was responsible for distributing drinking water to the students. Each dormitory was allocated a lot of boxes of mineral water, and everyone was busily transporting them into the building.


    Those male Omegas were petite and tender, with slender arms and legs, and they were all young masters who had grown up spoiled. A box of water weighed more than 20 kilograms, and they had to climb to the fourth floor, so they couldn¡¯t move them at all. But this dormitory was full of Omega and Beta girls, and they didn¡¯t know where to start to catch a strong man. While they were discussing amongst each other, Ye Ci had already picked up a box and stacked it on top of another. With a weight of nearly fifty catties, he picked it up lightly and deftly, and slipped upstairs in a hurry.


    He ran fast, and when he went downstairs to move more, he bumped into his temporary roommates who were working together to carry the water up the stairs. The little faces of the Omegas were flushed with exhaustion, and they sighed in despair while climbing the stairs.


    ¡°¡­¡­Give it to me, ba.¡± Ye Ci slowed on the steps and coughed uncomfortably, glancing at the few people and looking away shyly.


    He had rarely taken the initiative to communicate with people like this before.


    On the one hand, he was too introverted, and on the other, he felt inferior because of his speech impediment, fearful of being ridiculed.


    A stutter was often the object of teasing by those badly behaved students in class.


    After seeing experts several times during the summer vacation and actively cooperating with the training, he could pretty much speak coherently in short sentences of four to five characters. At home, he often took the initiative to talk to Huo Tinglan, and could sometimes joke around naturally. The changes were subtle, and only when he came back to his senses did he realize that the matter of ¡°speaking up¡± had unconsciously become less difficult.


    ¡°Then¡­¡­thank you for your hard work, la.¡± The little Omega who was in the same class as Ye Ci raised his face and smiled kindly at him.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Ye Ci turned his head away, his face suddenly flushed, and rushed upstairs with two boxes of water.


    ¡°¡­¡­pff.¡±


    ¡°Why do I think that he¡¯s so cute¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He blushed when he said that.¡±


    ¡°I remember he was in your class, right?¡±


    They were all the same age and lived in the same dorm. With such a good starting opportunity, and knowing that Ye Ci was soft-tempered and not as cold as he looked, communication became natural.


    Although the little Omegas couldn¡¯t chat with Ye Ci, this didn¡¯t prevent them from taking Ye Ci to the cafeteria for a meal after training.


    The table was full of classmates, and there was also a place for him. There was a lot of noise in his ears. From time to time, someone would be afraid of neglecting him and would simply say a word to him in the middle of the lively chat.


    Ye Ci often put his chopsticks down and responded earnestly.


    It was really nice to not feel so alone anymore.


    These days, Ye Ci had not been able to find a chance to be alone. There was a curfew in the dormitory building, and you couldn¡¯t come and go at night. He and Huo Tinglan mainly communicated with each other by sending messages.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, Huo Tinglan sent a series of messages. Ye Ci climbed to the upper bunk and sat against the wall so that no one could see his phone screen.


    [Huo Tinglan]: [picture]


    [Huo Tinglan]: [picture]


    ¡­ ¡­


    The chat box was brushed with the honey-gold color of flesh.


    None of them showed a face.


    But Ye Ci could recognize them based on the outline of the pectoral muscles.


    Ye Ci¡¯s blood vessels almost exploded upon seeing it, and he hurriedly locked the screen. No one in the dormitory noticed him, but he was more nervous than a thief.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    How did Huo-shushu look like an erotic male model ! ! !


    After calming down for a while, Ye Ci unlocked the screen.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Do you like it, baby?


    [Ye Ci]: Be careful of being banned.


    [Ye Ci]: I¡¯m still a student, so you can¡¯t have an intimate chat with me.


    After condemning him, he saved the pictures one by one with a blushing face.


    Who could he possibly have learned that sanctimonious energy from.


    Huo Tinglan could guess what Ye Ci was doing there, and to match him, he smiled and pretended to be serious, typing with his eyes down.


    [Huo Tinglan]: Okay, no intimate talk.


    [Huo Tinglan]: How are you getting along with your classmates? Are you tired from training?


    The corners of Ye Ci¡¯s lips curled up in a soft arc, and he typed a lot of words quickly.


    [Ye Ci]: Very good, I went to the cafeteria with them these two days. I didn¡¯t stutter much, and they didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    [Ye Ci]: In fact, I feel that the students in our school are quite nice.


    [Ye Ci]: The training was very easy. In the 400-meter obstacle race this afternoon, I was faster than many Alphas, and brought back a lot of points for our group.


    He was implicitly proud and shared his joy with Huo Tinglan.


    The dozen or so little Omega boys were fascinated by him, and they almost regarded him as the glory of Omegas.


    Ladders, high board walls, single-plank bridges, deep jumping pits¡­¡­every time Ye Ci overcame an obstacle, they were screaming on the sidelines, more excited than when supporting their idols. They rushed up to hug Ye Ci, who was out of breath, and jumped up and down together.


    Ye Ci had no choice but to politely dance with them a bit in embarrassment.


    ¡­¡­This couldn¡¯t be told to Huo-shushu.


    Otherwise, he would definitely go crazy with jealousy.


    As they chatted and chatted, it would soon be time to turn off the lights.


    Huo Tinglan was afraid that he would damage his eyes if he looked at his phone in the dark, so he urged him to put the phone down, take a shower, and rest.


    Ye Ci hesitated for a while, then poked his head out and looked around. The five roommates who had been chatting and gossiping so much that they forgot lights-out time were all panicking and preparing to go to the bathroom with their washbasins and toothbrushes, and no one noticed him.


    He had received so many generous pictures from Huo-shushu, so out of consideration for reciprocity¡­¡­


    Ye Ci blushed, took a photo of himself, and quickly sent it.


    He knew that Huo Tinglan would definitely like to see him, but hadn¡¯t mentioned anything because he feared that it would be inconvenient for him in the dormitory.


    [Ye Ci]: [picture]


    [Ye Ci]: I¡¯m going to sleep. Good night, Huo-shushu.


    From his head to his toes, he wondered what Huo Tinglan¡¯s next reaction would be.


    He didn¡¯t dare to look anymore, put his phone on silent, stuffed it under the pillow, then propped himself up on the bed rail and jumped down to wash.


    ¡­¡­Reserving countless off-color remarks for the innocent pillow.

 CH 45

    Since the military training at the beginning of school, Ye Ci was no longer an invisible person at school. The communication skills of those little Omega boys were comparable to a battalion of machine guns. A dozen people together were noisier than a dozen chicken farms, and getting to know them was equivalent to getting to know the whole school.


    After being chattered around by those little Omegas,  Ye Ci¡¯s soft temper and athletic talent for beating Alphas was undoubtedly exposed in one day ¨C ¨C there was an Omega in the next class who secretly brought a mobile phone during training. During Ye Ci¡¯s 400-meter obstacle course, he recorded a section and spread it widely, and accompanied it with passionate and dynamic background music. At the end, he typed, ¡°Glory of Omegas¡± in a strawberry marshmallow font, which made Ye Ci cover his face with embarrassment.


    The handsome boy who put on a face like a coffin board every day was actually shy and timid. In fact, after teasing him for a few times, he was softer than glutinous rice cakes in front of his friendly classmates, but was so good at sports that it was scary¡­¡­


    It was not just the dozen or so little Omega boys, the girls also found him so cute that their motherly love was almost overflowing. Among other things, Ye Ci didn¡¯t need Huo Tinglan to explain when he was stuck on a topic. Their average age was one year younger than Ye Ci, but still stubbornly called themselves his ¡°older sister fans¡± and ¡°auntie fans.¡± The girls worked together to raise this single-minded primary school slag who was dedicated to learning.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Omega and Beta girls who were attracted by Ye Ci after his surge in popularity, but quite a few Alphas. They had previously been afraid to make a move, for fear of hitting a wall, but now that they found out he was a paper tiger,[1] they were all ready to try.


    But facing the flirtatious Alphas, Ye Ci still maintained his cold face from before.


    Wearing a wedding ring or announcing his marriage status was still too high-profile for the current Ye Ci. If he couldn¡¯t come clean, he had to be mentally prepared.


    But he knew it himself.


    He was a married man¡­¡­


    He needed to keep a lookout.


    An Alpha¡¯s possessiveness was unreasonable. Huo Tinglan even drank vinegar over Omegas, let alone Alphas who were the same age as Ye Ci. Therefore, Ye Ci concealed the fact that a large number of Alpha suitors had suddenly appeared after the military training. In addition, he took the initiative to share with Huo Tinglan all the big and small things that happened at school: In physical education class, he taught the little Omegas how to do a three-step layup, and one after another, the ones who learned shouted, ¡°Ye Ci is so cool, wu wu!¡± During the lunch break, they taught him how to play games in turn and even teamed up with him to have a match¡­¡­


    Although they teamed up for a game about dressing up the Omega protagonist.


    It touched all the blind spots in his knowledge¡­¡­


    Ye Ci¡¯s year-round aesthetic of hoodies, sneakers, and jeans made record lows for the team one after another, and he was finally kicked off the team by the tearful little Omegas. Ye Ci was dumbfounded: ¡°I dressed her up, doesn¡¯t it look good? Why is it F-level?¡±


    The little Omegas collectively mourned Ye Ci¡¯s aesthetics.


    Ye Ci licked his lips anxiously: ¡°I¡¯ll give her pink, pink lipstick, doesn¡¯t she look like a kind of doll?¡±


    Everyone continued to mourn.


    Ye Ci was dying, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty, ah¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called death to Barbie fans! ! !¡± All the little Omegas spoke in unison and burst into tears.


    The campus life of youthful vigor, laughter, quarrels, and friends came a bit late, but it came after all.


    Ye Ci¡¯s high school life left no regrets.


    After autumn that year, the temperature dropped rapidly, getting colder with each autumn rain. The rubber track on the sports field seemed to be covered with gold and red fallen leaves overnight. And then, on a night of self-study, it was quietly covered with a layer of frosty snow.


    Although there was no scientific research to prove it, based on Ye Ci¡¯s own experience, he felt that the time in his third year of high school had passed much faster than before.


    The crisp sound of firecrackers and the cool smell of gunpowder smoke seemed like it was just yesterday, but the snow at the edges of the road had already melted in the warm spring.


    Half a month, then a month, all flew by in the blink of an eye, as they had never passed before.


    Perhaps it was also because life was so regimented.


    Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t dare to delay Ye Ci¡¯s studies even if he didn¡¯t behave like a human being. He was ridiculous while taking advantage of the summer vacation before, but after Ye Ci entered the third year of high school, he resumed his behavioral pattern of restraint as the mainstay and hooliganism as the supplement. After the permanent marking, Ye Ci had two to three days of fever every month, which was very regular. He would only be presumptuous in these two or three days, and the rest of the time was spent teasing at most, and letting his desires remain unsatisfied.


    In this way, Ye Ci lived a life of endless repetition back and forth between two places, submerged in a sea of books and learning, hand in hand with his classmates. Aside from the important study topics and exercises, every day was like a copy of the previous one. Although enriching, it was inevitable to feel that time passed quickly.


    However, during these months of copy-and-paste routine, a few unusual things happened, stirring up waves.


    The old man of the Chu family fell ill a year ago and was admitted to the hospital. He was saved, but his body collapsed completely. For the past year, he had been hanging on by a thread. For some unknown reason, this old man Chu, who may pass on at any time, had been stubbornly refusing to make a will. The inheritance battle between the branches of the Chu family and the heirs of each house had been fought intermittently for a year. Compared with the second son who used test tube technology to ¡°create a human¡± in order to get more property, and got twins with his wife three months ago, the eldest son of the third house, Chu Wenlin, recognized his illegitimate son who had been adrift for many years and forced him to marry in order to cling to the Huo family.


    This big family searched and searched but couldn¡¯t pick out a few normal people.


    After all, the old man¡¯s property was a fixed amount. Whoever got more, the others would get less, and a group of misfit half-brothers and sisters looked at each other covetously. They all wished they could tear each other¡¯s flesh and chew it raw, but the battle line was stretched too long, and the situation gradually reached a stalemate, entering a state of balance, and no one could deal with each other.


    At this moment, Huo Tinglan threw a few pebbles into the backwater of the Chu family, breaking the balance.


    He first repaid Ye Ci¡¯s huge medical expenses that Chu Wenlin had paid for Ye Hongjun. The debt was cleared, and the father and son had nothing to do with each other except for the blood relationship on a biological level.


    Chu Wenlin was a slick person. After recognizing Ye Ci, he didn¡¯t speak ill of him to his face. Without saying a word, the coercion was half-hidden and half-exposed. There were a few rounds of confession drama in the beginning, such as: Dad is willing to make it up to you and your mother, Alphas inevitably make mistakes when they are young. Seeing that Ye Ci didn¡¯t buy it, he stopped all the drama.


    In short, during those few months of getting along with Ye Ci, he didn¡¯t have much trouble with Ye Ci and was a repulsive person with a knife in his smile. If Huo Tinglan only used Ye Ci as a medicine jar, he naturally wouldn¡¯t have to be afraid. Huo Tinglan really liked Ye Ci, so no matter what mistakes he made when he was young, he was their matchmaker and Ye Ci¡¯s biological father. He would make up for his mistakes so that Huo Tinglan wouldn¡¯t bear a grudge against him.


    ¨C ¨C The abacus clacked.


    However, Huo Tinglan already knew that this person was rotten to the bone. There had been no serious consequences yet, but that was just because Ye Ci entered the Huo family¡¯s door early this time, and there was no time for them to occur.


    In the previous life, Huo Tinglan also attacked Chu Wenlin in order to vent his anger for Ye Ci. At that time, he started with Chu Wenlin¡¯s wife, Ruan Jiayi ¨C ¨C this couple had lived in harmony for many years, and Ruan Jiayi, as the daughter of a renowned family, had always been arrogant. She always had to compare herself to others and be better than them in every way. However, her husband¡¯s private life was corrupt. Not only did he have an illegitimate child, but he also treated her more and more indifferently and rudely, and even caused her to catch a sexually trasmitted disease. She had no one to confide in. Although glamorous on the surface, she was miserable in reality. Coupled with the fact that the Ruan family business had been declining over the years, she had no natal family to rely on, so she had to swallow her anger.


    Huo Tinglan saw this and promised to give her some benefits, then tried to comfort and provoke her in a seemingly gentle manner. Ruan Jiayi really couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and shook out all the dirty things that Chu Wenlin had done over the years at him¡­¡­


    Chu Wenlin was greedy, but Mr. Chu had been clinging to power all this time. The father and son were the same in this respect.


    Chu Wenlin was ruthlessly suppressed. A bottomless pit of greed and desire, his hands and feet had always been dirty in terms of economic issues, and he was severely punished by Ruan Jiaji and Huo Tinglan in his last life.


    But in this life, since returning to the age of thirty, Huo Tinglan¡¯s maneuvers never stopped. With the information given by Ruan Jiayi in the previous life, he had done many things with half the effort this time. As if opening his third eye, he didn¡¯t need to check in order to know which direction to exert his strength.


    So at the beginning of this year, just after the Spring Festival, a detailed, comprehensive, and well-documented report was submitted to the inspection department.


    Chu Wenlin was inexplicably shaken out of the sky. Bribery, tax evasion¡­¡­after this case was settled, he would have to squat in jail for a few years. Not to mention the years of squatting, his messy affairs also involved several government cooperation projects signed by Mr. Chu himself and implemented by him, and the entire Chu family was taken over and inspected. Mr. Chu, who was originally in stable condition, was so stimulated that he was sent to the ICU, where he almost died.


    Chu Wenlin didn¡¯t care about the life and death of Mr. Chu, and he would not die if he was imprisoned for a few years, but in the future inheritance, it was hard to say how many leftovers could be picked up from those shark-like brothers and sisters.


    For a villain like him who was greedy for money and profit, this was more painful than dying after ten years in prison.


    Naturally, Huo Tinglan confirmed Ye Ci¡¯s opinion before submitting the materials.


    Ye Ci was kind-hearted and honest, but he also made a clear distinction between love and hate. Chu Wenlin had harmed his mother and also regarded him as a tool for forced marriage. As far as Huo Tinglan¡¯s methods were concerned, he didn¡¯t think they were too much, and could even be regarded as light.


    Moreover, those materials were really not false or slanderous. It was nothing more than uncovering what Chu Wenlin had done with his own hands. Chu Wenlin got what he deserved, and couldn¡¯t blame anyone but himself.


    This incident turned the Chu family upside down, but Ye Ci only glanced at the materials Huo Tinglan handed him while working on questions.


    ¡­¡­This could be regarded as taking revenge on that scumbag on behalf of his mother, right?


    In fact, Ye Ci¡¯s heart was not very troubled. Even thinking about it for a minute more would be a waste of his life. The college entrance examination was coming up, and all he could think about was brushing up on questions.


    There was one other thing that stirred his heart ¨C ¨C


    Ye Hongjun came back from San Francisco with the medical team sent by Huo Tinglan before the Spring Festival.


    With a healthy body, free from sickness.


    The phase III clinical trial of that biotech company had achieved relatively gratifying success. Not all volunteers participating in the trial achieved such a good therapeutic effect, which was probably related to the specific type of gland structure, but all the members of Ye Hongjun¡¯s group had improved to varying degrees. Before returning to China, she had undergone repeated tests. All indicators were normal, and she had fully recovered to her previous state before she fell ill. She still needed regular checkups and reports on her physical condition in the follow-up, but the project team was quite optimistic about her prognosis and believed that her probability of recurrence was theoretically very low.


    The old house had been sold, and she temporarily lived in the Huo Residence after returning to China.


    In the past six months, Huo Tinglan had traveled between the two countries several times due to business reasons, and no matter how busy he was, he would make a special trip to San Francisco to visit her. She also often made video calls with Ye Ci, and with more contact, the relationship between the two naturally and gradually got through to her. She already had a good impression of Huo Tinglan, and when she heard the good news, she was of course happy for her child.


    Seeing that Ye Ci not only did not fall behind in his studies, but also improved by leaps and bounds under Huo Tinglan¡¯s encouragement and guidance, she felt even more at ease in her heart ¨C ¨C it was completely different from Chu Wenlin, who persuaded her to give up her studies and elope to have a baby. Huo Tinglan cherished Ye Ci¡¯s wings in every possible way.


    He really loved him, and would help him soar into the sky wholeheartedly.


    After Ye Hongjun returned to China, Huo Tinglan bought her a small two-storey western-style house only a few minutes¡¯ drive from the Huo residence.


    The inside of the western-style building was not too big. It was suitable for Ye Hongjun to live in by herself, and could be properly taken care of by hiring a housekeeper and a gardener. There was a garden on the first floor, with scattered flowers and trees, and vines hanging on the walls that faced the sun. After spring, the branches and leaves were full of vitality, and when the wind blew, the leaves fluttered green and silver alternately. Light yellow flowers were dotted in the gaps, lining the white bricks and stones, as beautiful as a fairytale.


    It would take some time to renovate the house after purchasing it, and the mother and son had not seen each other for half a year. Therefore, Ye Hongjun lived in the Huo residence first, and it happened that she could personally accompany Ye Ci through the difficult second semester of senior high school.


    Her culinary skills were not as good as those chefs hired by the Huo family, but she was the only one who could cook Laohuo[2] soup. It was learned from her mother many years ago, and was a unique secret recipe. No matter how good a chef was, they couldn¡¯t recreate that unique taste. Before she got sick, she would cook the health-improving food for Ye Ci once a week. After her body collapsed, she didn¡¯t go into the kitchen for two years and Ye Ci never drank such delicious soup again.


    At nine o¡¯clock that night, Ye Ci was in the study as usual, immersed in writing questions.


    Huo Tinglan had finished his work for the day and stayed in the study simply to accompany him. In his hand was a book with a black leather cover and bronze inscriptions, its title difficult to read.


    The study door was ajar, and Ye Hongjun stood at the door, calling out in a warm voice: ¡°Tinglan, Xiao Ci, I brought you some supper.¡±


    Huo Tinglan got up quickly to meet her. Taking the tray in Ye Hongjun¡¯s hands, he smiled gratefully and said: ¡°It¡¯s so late, and you still worked so hard to cook¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Xiao Ci likes to drink this.¡± Ye Hongjun smiled gently. Her body had healed and she had recovered a bit in the past six months, but her body was still overall thin. However, her cheeks were much rounder and her complexion was also pink, with a healthy appearance.


    Ye Ci¡¯s calculations on a problem had reached a critical point, and he was reluctant to stop writing, but he still took time out of his busy schedule to complain in a distressed tone: ¡°You told me yesterday that you would have a good rest today, shouldn¡¯t promises be kept?¡±


    ¡°Aiya,¡± Ye Hongjun retorted, caught out by her son. ¡°It¡¯s not tiring to make soup. I just sat there and watched the fire, and the chicken was prepared by others¡­¡­¡±


    Huo Tinglan smiled and, like a tall and handsome waiter, bent over to put the two soup cups on the tray onto the table, persuading: ¡°Take a break first and drink while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Ye Ci swallowed, scribbled out a few lines of calculations and hurriedly filled in the answer, then put down the pen.


    It was already the end of the third year of high school, and there was still a small gap between him and the top 50 in his class that he had promised Lin Yao he would reach, so he didn¡¯t dare relax.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­it smells so good.¡± He had eaten a lot of dinner, but perhaps he had used his brains too much, because after three hours of writing and calculations, he was hungry again. Ye Ci rubbed his slightly concave belly and lifted the lid of the soup pot.


    Steam mixed with a fresh fragrance rose up, making his red lips and white teeth half hidden behind the mist extra vivid.


    The light brown soup was very clear, and all impurities were filtered out, but it didn¡¯t look bland. When scooped with a spoon, the soup was thick and had a jelly-like texture.


    It was simply at a professional level.


    Ye Ci drank vigorously, and Ye Hongjun dragged the swivel chair over to sit down, looking at the child drinking soup with a smile on her face ¨C ¨C Since Ye Hongjun moved in, the chairs in this study had never been ¡°missing.¡± It seemed that even Huo Tinglan still had to save some face in front of his elders.


    ¡°By the way, Xiao Ci¡­¡­¡± Ye Hongjun wiped her hands on her apron. Looking at Huo Tinglan, she was a little embarrassed, but she still asked, ¡°It will be your birthday in a few days. Is there any gift you want? Mom will buy it for you.¡±


    After she returned to China, Huo Tinglan opened an account for her and transferred money into it every month, which was essentially alimony ¨C ¨C It was a matter of course to support the mother of one¡¯s spouse. But he was afraid that she would lose face and refuse to accept it, so when he saw her cook soup for Ye Ci from time to time, he said it was ¡°vegetable money.¡±


    In fact, Ye Hongjun didn¡¯t need to buy vegetables. The ingredients used in the Huo residence were all delivered by special personnel every day. What¡¯s more, such a large amount of money was more than enough to buy a few fresh supermarkets, let alone vegetables.


    However, Ye Hongjun knew that Huo Tinglan only wanted to treat Ye Ci¡¯s family well, and it would be petty to just blindly evade it, so she thanked him and accepted it.


    She took it but didn¡¯t waste the money in it. She was used to hard times, and her spending habits wouldn¡¯t change for a while, so she wanted to save it for her child, just in case.


    ¡°It seems¡­¡­there is nothing I want.¡± Ye Ci hesitated before telling the truth.


    ¡°You can just say a few things casually.¡± Ye Hongjun stroked the hair at his temple and said with emotion, ¡°I haven¡¯t given you a real birthday in the past two years since I was sick. Can¡¯t Mom try to make it up to you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡±


    Ye Ci was in a bind.


    Huo Tinglan had taken care of him well this year and he really didn¡¯t need anything. What else could he want besides getting into the top 50 in his class?


    At this time, Huo Tinglan gave a small smile, turning to Ye Hongjun to say: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Xiao Ci¡¯s birthday celebration. I¡¯ve pretty much prepared everything.¡±


    Ye Hongjun¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said curiously on behalf of Ye Ci: ¡°It¡¯s all been done? How did you prepare? Can I be of use?¡±


    Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment: ¡°It really has¡­¡­I will discuss this in private with you later. Ye Ci shouldn¡¯t know, so that it¡¯s a surprise when the time comes.¡±


    If you wanted to surprise people, how could you say that in front of them?


    Didn¡¯t it hurt people if you don¡¯t tell the whole story? !


    ¡°What?¡± Ye Ci stopped, tugging on Huo Tinglan¡¯s cuff. ¡°Don¡¯t just say something halfway¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of surprise would that be?¡± Huo Tinglan immediate Ye Ci¡¯s tone leisurely with a half smile, and gently scratched the tip of his nose with his fingers. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Ye Hongjun couldn¡¯t hold down the corners of her lips, so she hurriedly left the study and closed the door, so as not to disturb the young couple.


    The door shut softly, and there were only the two of them left in the study.


    ¡°Be coquettish,¡± Huo Tinglan said softly.


    Ye Ci hesitated for a moment, leaned forward, and hugged Huo Tinglan. He buried his face in his chest, rubbing left and right, soft and slightly jerky: ¡°Say a little bit, ba, just a little bit. You¡¯re the best, I, I like you the most.¡±


    ¡°Baby is so cute.¡± Huo Tinglan kissed that glowing red face, then sat back as if nothing had happened, picking up the half-read book and continuing to flip through it.


    ¡° ? ¡±


    Ye Ci stood in amazement.


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Huo Tinglan expressed a smile.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m asking¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    This was just blatantly bullying a child.


    ¨C ¨C He only said to ¡°act coquettish,¡± but didn¡¯t say ¡°I will tell you if you act coquettish.¡±


    Falling in love with an old scoundrel was so hard.


    Ye Ci had no choice but to nurse a grievance and continue to solve problems.


    In this way, Ye Ci was in a dilemma for a few days. It was almost all he thought about during the study break, and his expectations were high.


    Finally, it was March 17th, just in time for Saturday, when the school was on a half-day holiday, and he returned from school with two big bags of birthday presents from his classmates. The car drove to the courtyard of the Huo residence, where Uncle He was already waiting. Ye Ci got out of the car, and Uncle He asked someone to take the two bags of presents. Instead of letting him into the main house, he led him to the banquet hall next to the auxiliary building.


    Huo Tinglan did not have Lin Yao¡¯s sociable and lively character. This banquet hall was only used a few times a year, and Ye Ci had never been inside at all. Uncle He opened the door for him, and the afternoon sun poured warm light into the hall. The glacier-white marble floor was polished to a bright sheen and there were no lights on in the hall. The scarlet curtains hanging to the floor had an excellent shading effect, and distant objects were hidden in darkness. Ye Ci stepped in, and only had time to glimpse some vague outlines before Uncle He hastily closed the door behind him with speed like a black shop owner trying to abduct someone.


    As soon as the door closed, the huge banquet hall was so dark that you couldn¡¯t see your fingers.


    ¡°Huo-shushu?¡± Ye Ci called out, his voice fluttering with nervousness.


    His heart beat wildly.


    Suddenly, there was a light ¡°click¡± in the darkness, as if a switch had been flipped.


    Then, something not far away was illuminated.


    It was a small exhibition stand, square, slender, and tall. A bit like the ones used to display cultural relics in museums, it had an ebony countertop and soft, shiny silk, just without the glass cover. The beam of light was very narrow, like the stage light in a play. It only illuminated this one area, and the things in the distance were still unclear.


    ¡­¡­What was on it should be Huo Tinglan¡¯s birthday present to him, right?


    The corners of Ye Ci¡¯s lips raised, and he walked over quickly and excitedly.


    There was a letter on the silk surface along with a silver longevity lock.[3] The letter paper was folded, and the words ¡°Zero Years Old¡± was written on the back of it.


    Ye Ci was impatient about the gift, so he picked up the longevity lock and rubbed it. The lock was silver-gray, with an engraving of a child riding a horse, and the silver chain was decorated with four small bells. The engraving was ancient and quaint, the gilt was light, and there was a sense of wear and tear, as if it were an antique that had been passed down for more than a hundred years.


    Ye Ci unfolded the letter.


    On the paper was Huo Tinglan¡¯s sharp, eloquent handwriting.


    ¡°¡­¡­19 years ago today, you were born. I was 12 years old. If I had been in your life then, I couldn¡¯t be ¡®Huo-shushu,¡¯ but ¡®the neighbor¡¯s big brother.¡¯¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­I heard from your mother that you seldom cried at night, and you were already so well-behaved after only being a few months old. She also said that among the rubber toys for exercising your fingers, your favorite pony had been lost¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­I happen to have a zero-years-old birthday gift for you, a longevity lock with a boy riding a horse. This lock was worn by my great-grandfather when he was a child, and he was a hundred and twelve years old when he died. No disease and no pain, a happy death. So I think this lock must be very effective¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­..A longevity lock, a lock for a hundred years, a lock for a prosperous life. May my baby live a long life and be free from disaster and diseases. This is a gift from Huo Tinglan, who was 12 years old at the time.¡±


    Ye Ci clutched the silver lock. It was metal, but it wasn¡¯t cold and hard, and his palm was filled with a soft warmth.


    His eyes suddenly turned red, and he read the letter several times, as if he wanted to engrave the words and sentences into his heart. Then he folded the paper carefully and put it back in its original place for the time being ¨C ¨C


    The second beam had come on.


    With the help of the two lights, he could just barely see into the distance.


    There were about a dozen similar gifts and letters in the shadows, but he couldn¡¯t pick up another until he put the previous one back.


    On the next letter, it said ¡°One Year Old.¡±


    The next letter said, ¡°Two Years Old.¡±


    Another and another¡­¡­


    Huo Tinglan made up every birthday gift to him from birth to eighteen years old, and they were not given indiscriminately. Like the longevity lock, they were each related to the corresponding age and had profound meanings. The effort this must have taken was unimaginable.


    ¡°¡­¡­15 years ago today, you were still in kindergarten, listen to what your mother said¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This is a gift from Big Brother Huo Tinglan, who was sixteen at the time¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t appear in your life earlier, I can only make up for it in this way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Not only were there gifts, but he also assumed what would have happened to the two of them if he had appeared in Ye Ci¡¯s life at that time.


    ¡°¡­¡­3 years ago today, you were sixteen years old and completed your transformation from a child into a teenager. I think that at 28, I would have given you a real, beautiful horse when you were an Alpha and liked speed and excitement. I would have liked to respect your hobbies under the premise of ensuring your safety. I heard from your mother that you secretly learned to ride a motorcycle with others. This is no good. A horse would be more suitable. I would teach you how to ride, and until you learned, I would have to choose to ride with you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­A young Friesian horse, intelligent, easy to control, and gentle, suitable for beginners in horsemanship. Here is a pedigree certificate, it is already in the backyard, and you can play with it later¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This is a gift from Mr. Huo, who was 28 years old at the time.¡±


    Ye Ci wiped away tears as he walked.


    Afraid that his tears would wet the precious letters, he wiped his face with his sleeve, and the cuff was full of dark wet marks.


    He cried so hard that when he saw Huo Tinglan, who was waiting at the end of the row of display stands, he couldn¡¯t even speak.


    ¡°Baby.¡± Huo Tinglan opened his arms to him, smiled softly and handsomely, and said with understanding, ¡°Don¡¯t talk, give me a hug.¡±


    Ye Ci rushed forward and desperately hugged him as if trying to strangle someone to death, his throat choked up.


    How fortunate he was to have met him.


    Huo Tinglan¡¯s warm palm rested on the back of his head, hugging him in a very possessive posture. After he calmed down a while later, he dropped the last ¡°blockbuster.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been given your nineteenth birthday present yet¡­¡­from this year, I won¡¯t ever miss another one again. Will you accept it?¡±


    Ye Ci straightened up, and in a strong, nasally voice, he said: ¡°Okay.¡±


    Huo Tinglan handed him a thick stack of documents. There was also a key made of unknown material in the file, and he said with a smile: ¡°Happy nineteenth birthday.¡±


    Ye Ci wiped his eyes and opened the documents.


    ¡­¡­He couldn¡¯t understand half a word.


    ¡°What is this?¡± He flipped through them in a daze, and it was all in the same unknown language.


    Huo Tinglan smirked and said unhurriedly: ¡°You can read it after you learn it¡­¡­you just need to remember that this is very important and take good care of it.¡± He reminded him, ¡°It can be put together with the jadeite bracelet.¡±


    The documents came from a city in Central Europe, where more than 120 banks worldwide were headquartered, known as the ¡°Billionaire Capital.¡± What Ye Ci had in his hands was documentation provided by one of the established financial service providers. Their official common language was German, so of course Ye Ci couldn¡¯t even understand half a word. With this certificate, the key, and Ye Ci¡¯s own fingerprints, Ye Ci would be able to open a private vault that Huo Tinglan had purchased for a 100-year service period, within which were piles of gold that ordinary people would not be able to squander within dozens of lifetimes. This was an astronomical level of wealth. Huo Tinglan didn¡¯t intend to tell him directly at the moment, but Ye Ci would know sooner or later.


    ¡°Huo-shushu, I think I¡¯ve probably guessed¡­¡­what this is.¡± Ye Ci pondered for a moment before making a vague guess.


    He didn¡¯t entirely understand, but it looked like some kind of document related to assets. If it could be given away as a gift, it must be expensive.


    ¡°Guess, just guess, I won¡¯t take it back.¡± Huo Tinglan finally used his scoundrel tendencies in the right place. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to me¡­¡­.it is my lifetime guarantee to you.¡±


    In the first eighteen years of Ye Ci¡¯s life, he suffered so much due to poverty. He only hoped that he would never be in such a predicament for the rest of his life, no matter what.


    Not for one second.


    He just wanted him to fly high.


    May he soar through the sky, free and light.


    May his wings be free from the dust of the world.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Ye Ci gripped the documents and didn¡¯t evade the issue. He just raised his head, kissed Huo Tinglan lightly on the lips, and whispered, ¡°Thank you, this is the best birthday I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    He had already become calm, accepting love and kindness without resistance.


    He was loved and in love.


    There was nothing better.


    Looking back, the nineteen beams of light behind him formed a bright road full of love and warmth.


    And as the lights in the banquet hall gradually turned on, the road ahead became clear.


    It was a smooth road.


    Radiant and splendid.


    In this way, full of love and warmth, he would go forward down that road, running all the way.


    ¡¾The End¡¿


    T/N: There are several extras after this, and I¡¯ll have those posted soon!


    [1] A paper tiger, Ö½ÀÏ»¢, is someone who looks tough and intimidating but is actually the opposite. ?


    [2] Laohuo soup (ÀÏ»ðÌÀ) directly translates to ¡®old fire soup.¡¯ It is made by boiling various ingredients for several hours in a pot or pressure cooker. ?


    [3] A longevity lock is an ancient Chinese tradition. These ornaments are given to children as sort of a ward against disaster and evil spirits. ?