While Tan Meng was pouring Yan Yi a cup of black tea, Bi Ruijing suddenly appeared by the door, his expression unpleasant, âThereâs an urgent matter, weâre making a trip to the hospital.â
Tan Meng wrinkled his beautiful eyebrows, âWhat happened?â
Bi Ruijing glanced at Yan Yi and couldnât hold back the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Across the doorway, Yan Yi saw Lu Shangjin hurrying downstairs with his coat.
The three of them left in a rush. Tan Meng couldnât sit still as well, so he asked the nanny to bring him his coat.
Completely indifferent, Yan Yi lowered his head to eat the cake.
âAre you coming with me?â Tan Meng turned the car keys between his fingers, âYour alpha seemed very worried.â
âIâm not going.â Yan Yi ate the cake quietly.
He was used to not pursuing matters that Lu Shangjin did not want him to know about, so as to give each other some space and decency.
Now, their relationship had already eased a lot. Lu Shangjin seemed to have really changed his character. Yan Yi didnât want to cause complications. He didnât want to see anything that he shouldnât be seeing and ruin the trust that had just been restored between them.
âHm, donât spoil Lu Shangjin too muchâŠI have to go and take a look.â Tan Meng put on his coat and hurried downstairs.
Yan Yi had no choice. It made one worry to let such a little capsicum1Â go out by himself.
Tan Meng drove fiercely, and it could be seen that Bi Ruijing was the one who taught him those skills. Sitting in the passenger seat, Yan Yi could only hold onto the armrest tightly all the way until they arrived at An Fei Ya hospital.
Even if a two-week old infant who suffered from multiple organ failures was cured, the possibility of having serious aftereffects was extremely high. The most that could happen was damage to the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy.
Yan Yi entered the hospital and saw Lu Shangjin sitting on the ground outside the intensive care unit.
Lying inside, with the glass against its back was the corpse of an infant, stiff and ashen.
Yan Yiâs heart suddenly clenched, his vision turning dark for a moment.
Was it Lu Shangjinâs child?
He didnât want to get closer, but Tan Meng caught his wrist and brought him to Lu Shangjin.
Lu Shangjin was leaning against the glass curtain wall. Even though he was dressed neatly, there was still a trace of dejection and soullessness in his vacant gaze.
With hands on the glass, Yan Yi watched the infant sleeping peacefully inside. It was a peregrine falcon baby, its wrinkly face thin and pitiful, which would have been handsome and lovely if it grew up. Itâs a pity that it died before it was a full month old.
Even if this was Lu Shangjinâs baby with another omega, Yan Yi was still unable to take pleasure in someone elseâs misfortune, his sadness transmitting from his fingers through the glass.
Lu Shangjin said in a low and hoarse voice:
âItâs Ye Wanâs child. My little brother.â
Yan Yiâs fingers quivered as he stared down at him with wide eyes, âTen years ago, didnât Uncle Wan alreadyâŠâ
Lu Shangjin rubbed his face and stood up unsteadily, âIâm going to the washroom.â
He staggered. Being without rest after driving for an entire day and having received a sudden thunderbolt from a clear sky, his spirit was seriously damaged. Feeling extremely exhausted, Lu Shangjin vomited into the bathroom sink, so much that he even saw blood.
Despite the water force in the tap turning on to the strongest, the sound of rushing water couldnât block out the buzzing in his head. A soft and lively little body stiffened and faded in front of his eyes, and Lu Shangjin could only look through the glass as the last trace left in the world by his most beloved father was taken away.
Nothing was left for him.
Yan Yi came in with a paper cup of warm water and hurriedly lifted him up, letting him rinse his mouth before washing his face for him.
Like a drunkard, Lu Shangjin leaned most of his weight onto Yan Yi and hugged his omega tightly into his arms.
âIâll never get to see him again.â Lu Shangjin said in a muffled voice, âHeâs completely gone- he used my gun- and bang.â
He held Yan Yiâs cheeks and leaned in close to him. Yan Yi could clearly see his eyeballs were densely bloodshot as his eyes trembled with extreme sorrow and fear. Every cell in his body was hysterically howling in pain, unable to be relieved.
He embraced Yan Yi into his arms.
âYan Yan, why do I bleed the same blood as a scum like Lu Lin, why!â
Lu Shangjin gritted his teeth and buried his head into Yan Yiâs neck, his whole body trembling.
âI know. Letâs go home first.â Yan Yi patted Lu Shangjinâs back and tried his best to release pheromones to comfort his hurt alpha.
He was too much like a wounded beast. When licking his wounds, the fragility and helplessness in his eyes were inadvertently revealed.
April was coming to an end, and the green plants along the road were sprouting. Willow catkins occasionally swept past the windshield as the gentle breeze filled oneâs nose.
Lu Shangjin leaned against the door of the passenger seat and slept. Before, no matter how busy the company was, Lu Shangjin would never show such a defenseless and tired expression.
Yan Yi had only ever seen Lu Shangjinâs uncontrollable rage the day they broke up three years ago.
It was in the past.
Yan Yi reached out a hand, gently interlocked his fingers with Lu Shangjinâs left ones which were hanging down, and rubbed the wedding ring on his finger.
Let these painful three years pass as a dream. Everything can start again, like how all things on earth come back to life in April, sprouting from branches. From now on, every time their hands clasped together, it would be like a willow catkin brushing across the heart, letting the sincere feelings in their childhood and the fiery enthusiasm of their teenage years completely deliver to the gentleness and steadiness of the present. This would prove that his adoration that he had exhausted all his life wasnât like a moth to a flame.
He carried Lu Shangjin back to the bedroom. A strong alpha of 1.9 meters wasnât light, so when Yan Yi put Lu Shangjin onto the bed, he was almost brought down with him.
He went to the pantry next door to pour a cup of warm water, and when he returned, he saw Lu Shangjin had already fallen asleep, breathing evenly.
Yan Yi placed the warm water by the bedside and hesitated for a moment, then sat on the carpet with his back against the edge of the bed.
Since the breakup, he was rarely permitted into Lu Shangjinâs room to rest. Only when Lu Shangjin was too used to eating delicacies outside and wanted to taste something light to cleanse his palate, would he occasionally have the mood to have fun with him. He would then be able to lie for a while on the bed full of the smell of narcissus pheromones and get out as soon as they were done, not being allowed to relax his weak legs for even a moment.
Now, Yan Yi had already gotten into the habit of trying his best not to stay in Lu Shangjinâs bedroom, let alone getting onto his bed.
He silently hugged his legs as he sat on the carpet.
The scent of narcissus pheromones filled the air. He would never get tired of being wrapped with a sense of security by the alphaâs pheromones. Even so, he was satisfied with this and didnât want to ask for too much.
Lu Shangjinâs breath was suddenly close to his neck.
âDonât sit here.â He wasnât very awake and lay sleepily on the edge of the bed.
Startled, Yan Yi took the cup of water and brought it to his mouth, âDrink some water.â
âI donât want to drink.â Lu Shangjin dragged Yan Yi back, lifting one leg to press onto him, and lying sideways as he wrapped the little rabbit into a ball to hold, the tip of his nose and lips pressing against the soft rabbit ears. His heart, wrapped in the warm chest that was pressing close to Yan Yi, pounded quickly. Lu Shangjinâs fingers slightly trembled as he hugged him, deeply breathing in the soft scent of pheromones on Yan Yiâs nape.
Yan Yi quietly stayed with him and released even more pheromones for him. The omegaâs milk candy pheromones balanced out the irritable and anxious scent of narcissus in the room. When the restless narcissus pheromones finally adopted the omegaâs gentle comfort, it even unguardedly entwined with it.
Yan Yi traced his finger along the bridge of Lu Shangjinâs nose, then helped him smoothe out the tightly knitted brows.
His alpha needed him.
He tried to reach out to turn off the lights, but was powerless to the body hugging him tightly, like he was being bound by a giant octopus, and couldnât reach the switch.
The breath that carried the light scent of pheromones swept over Yan Yiâs nape. With difficulty, Yan Yi turned around in Lu Shangjinâs arms and kissed the corner of his lips, then raised his little rabbit ears to cover Lu Shangjinâs eyes.
Lu Shangjin was extremely exhausted and slept from the afternoon until the next evening.
His arms and the bedside were empty.
When the harsh sound of the dishes shattering rang from the first floor, Lu Shangjin was abruptly shaken awake.
He put on his slippers and went downstairs.
The smell of beef steak wafted from the dining room.
Yan Yi was squatting by the dining table, picking up the broken porcelain pieces. His fingers had cramped up suddenly just now and he didnât hold the plate steady.
The sound of footsteps hurried down from the second to the first floor. When Yan Yi looked up to see Lu Shangjin, his fingertips accidentally scraped against the sharp porcelain.
It didnât hurt at that moment, and he only discovered that the small wound was deep enough when it started seeping blood.
âWhatâs the matter with you!â Lu Shangjin went over and dragged Yan Yi out of the pile of broken porcelain pieces. He took Yan Yiâs finger and squeezed the blood, âWait here, donât move.â
The alcohol and band-aids were originally placed in the medical kit in the bathroom, but they had been rummaged through from Lu Shangjinâs tossing about when he was in his rut, so he could only go to the storeroom to get a new one.
âThank you.â With a sweet look in his eyes, Yan Yi was overwhelmed by favour as he waited obediently.
Jin ge was more considerate than the day before.
Lu Shangjin spent more time looking for the alcohol than expected. Yan Yi waited patiently, his little rabbit ears bouncing around in boredom.
Where did he go to find the alcoholâŠthe wound would soon heal if he didnât come back.
When Lu Shangjin returned, his expression was a little odd.
He placed the alcohol and band-aids in front of Yan Yi before watching him disinfect and bandage himself.
âWhy are you looking at meâŠâ Yan Yiâs expression had also started to become uncomfortable as he looked at Lu Shangjin strangely.
Lu Shangjin opened his palm, and on it was the examination report folded into a small piece.
Shocked, Yan Yi tried to take the examination report back, âWhy did you touch my things againâŠdid you see whatâs on it?â
ââŠâ Lu Shangjin held the examination report between his fingers and stretched his hand out where Yan Yi couldnât reach, âWhen did this happen?â
His little rabbit ears flicked lightly to hide his uneasiness.
Yan Yiâs eyelids drooped as he answered softly, âIt was whenâŠwe were in the dining room. You didnât wear it, and I didnât take the pill either.â
Lu Shangjin pressed his temple as he clenched the examination report in his hand and smashed it on the table.
Yan Yi backed away from Lu Shangjin in fright, hugging his belly as he retreated to the corner, âYou donât like it?â
ââŠIâll raise it myselfâŠIâll raise it myselfâŠI wonât bother youâŠâ
Lu Shangjin moved closer to him and reached out.
Like a frightened rabbit, Yan Yi shut his eyes and squatted down, shrinking himself into a ball and trembled in fear.
âLet me keep this baby, Iâm begging you, I wonât disturb you when you play with anyone in the future. Iâm begging you, please donât kill it, I really want it, I want the babyâŠâ
Lu Shangjin watched him in dismay.
Had he gone too far with Yan Yi, that he only dared to secretly have a checkup even when he was pregnant, yet not daring to tell his alpha about it?
It turned out that Yan Yi had been treading on thin ice around him. For this poor little rabbit, Lu Shangjin was not the most dependable alpha he could rely on, but a demon who would steal his child at any moment.
âDonât- donât be scaredâŠâ Lu Shangjin squatted down, hooking his fingers and softly rubbing Yan Yiâs wet eyelashes. He picked up the trembling little rabbit and gently stroked his back, carrying him to the sofa in the living room and whispering in his ear, âI didnât say that I donât like it, I didnât say that I donât want it.â
Yan Yi lifted his gaze, his light grey pupils glistening with a layer of tears:
âIf itâs merely a little bunny OâŠâ
âIâll still love him.â Lu Shangjin planted a kiss between Yan Yiâs eyebrows, like the tender promise he made when he was seventeen.
Yan Yi froze for a moment. He then hugged Lu Shangjinâs neck, unable to contain the tears from spilling out of his tear ducts along his cheeks and onto Lu Shangjinâs nape.
âJin geâŠhave I waited long enough⊠that youâve finally returned?â
Lu Shangjin lowered his head and responded to the little rabbitâs expectation with a long kiss.
At the age of thirty, he could relax his heart and be at peace.
In the bedroom at night, it was extremely touching.
Two kinds of pheromones diffused into sweet aphrodisiacs, entwining and coupling as they submerged together.
Lu Shangjin was very patient, using sufficient soothing pheromones and his skills to give Yan Yi the most comfortable experience to make up for their lack of compatibility.
Yan Yi stuck to him, seeking after him, holding his neck as he whispered in his ear again and again:
âJin ge, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love youâŠâ
Even when it hurt, hidden inside, his heart still beat with enthusiasm.
At three in the morning, Lu Shangjin coaxed Yan Yi to sleep and closed the bedroom door.
The small coffee table on the balcony was still in the same miserable sight as it was in when it had toppled over. Lu Shangjin ignored it as he sat on the ground with his back against the railing, lighting up his cigarette.
May was soon approaching and the temperature at night was no longer terrifyingly freezing.
This child might be a gift from the gods, bringing him hope when he had lost everything.
He had only one thought in his mind; never to let Lu Lin find out and stir up his life that had just returned to peace, trampling and extinguishing his only hope.
He smoked on the balcony all night.
Three days later, he drove Yan Yi to An Fei Ya hospital for a formal checkup.
The set of examinations took several hours to finish. It was very exhausting. While Lu Shangjinâs driver sent Yan Yi back home to rest, he stayed in the hospital to wait for the results.
When he received the examination report, there was inexplicable excitement in his heart. A little fella of his own blood was quietly gestating in his belly. It was a mysterious and sacred thing.
After reading them one by one, Lu Shangjinâs face turned from white to green.
As if the stems of a row of bright blooming haitang flowers were cut off by a sickle.