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Lu Shangjin came back from work, bringing a strawberry tiramisu for Yan Yi.
When he left this morning, the little rabbit was still asleep. Lu Shangjin didn’t want to wake him, so he just kissed his forehead and lips gently. He poured a glass of water and placed it at the head of the bed as well, right where he could reach out his hand and reach.
Upon hearing his footsteps, Yan Yi would run down to the porch and wait for him, excitedly holding his waist and saying welcome back.
Lu Shangjin looked at the empty rooms. The nanny was busy in the kitchen, she pulled open the door while wiping her hands and replying, “Yan Yan has been in the bedroom, he hasn’t come out all day.”
The smile on Lu Shangjin’s face dropped a bit, paying no mind to change clothes, he hurried upstairs and knocked on the closed bedroom door.
The sound of a chair moving came from the room, but no one answered.
Lu Shangjin knocked again, rolling up the cuffs of his shirt anxiously, “Yan Yan, why is the door locked? Come out and eat.”
Through the bedroom door, Yan Yi’s voice replied speedily, “You go eat by yourself, I’m not hungry.”
By the sound of it, he’s lost his temper again.
Lu Shangjin found a paperclip, stuck it in the lock, gave the door a gentle push and walked in.
Yan Yi was sitting next to the wardrobe mirror with his head down. After hearing the door open, he frowned and looked back at it, “I said I’m not hungry, why did you just come into my room again.”
Lu Shangjin locked the door, placing the things in his hands on the bookshelf. Without giving an explanation, he picked Yan Yi up from the chair, sat on the side of the bed, and placed him so that he was sitting on his lap.
“Throwing a tantrum again.” Lu Shangjin lowered his head and kissed his ear, “Does looking into the mirror not make you feel any better? You’re such a cute little o.”
Yan Yi leaned into his chest but didn’t reply. He impatiently swung away his little rabbit ears, not allowing him to kiss them.
Lu Shangjin coaxed him warmly for a long time before Yan Yi asked lightly, “What gives you the right to not mark me?”
If an alpha does not leave a mark after making love to an omega, it meant that the alpha doesn’t want to be responsible for him, they don’t want to give emotional care nor have a connection with the omega, they don’t want to be marked because it would limit their freedom, and they don’t want to start a family with the omega.
Lu Shangjin remembered a similar question, when Yan Yi was 24, he was cleansed of a mark. From then on, he had only begged himself to mark him again occasionally when he lost control of his emotions.
Lu Shangjin only just understood that this was what Yan Yi most looked forward to.
If he had known earlier how important the mark was to Yan Yi, he would have marked him, even if he had to spend more energy protecting him.
Now, Yan Yi has a chance to grow up again starting from childhood. He should have the chance to make a choice from the heart.
Yan Yi should have the power to determine whether to love or leave, and not be driven by a dependence to become an alpha’s property.
Yan Yi felt Lu Shangjin’s hesitation, thinking that he got used perfunctorily and deceived by an alpha’s sexual desires.
He struggled out of Lu Shangjin’s arms, “Let go. Love mark or no love mark, laozi doesn’t care.”
“Where’d you learn those bad words, who are you a laozi to?” Lu Shangjin put his arms around him, forcefully turning the little rabbit so that he was facing him.
Lu Shangjin placed the dessert box and a small bouquet of roses on the bookshelf into his hands, cupped his cheeks, and rubbed his thumb across the corners of his eyes.
“I don’t want it…” His rabbit ears drooped. He said no, yet he held the gift tightly.
The tip of Lu Shangjin’s nose was placed gently against Yan Yi’s face, his big strong palm clasped Yan Yi’s hand that held the dessert box in the palm of his hand.
“I promise you, if by the time you’re 27 and you still want me to mark you, I won’t hesitate.” Lu Shangjin’s arm tightened, letting the little rabbit in close to his chest, “Before then, you can mark me.”
Lu Shangjin gave Yan Yi a hug, who had stopped struggling, “After you bite, Ge will be yours forever.”
The alpha’s gland was not marked, meaning that the marking would be a one-way action from the alpha to the omega. The alpha gland simply doesn’t have the structure at all to receive a mark and form an emblem.
But what else could Lu Shangjin do to coax his baby rabbit?
He placed Yan Yi on the side of the bed, knelt on one knee and lowered his head, exposing his alpha glands in front of Yan Yi.
This action was like a beast turning over onto its belly, exposing his throat and offering up the most vulnerable part of itself with unconditional and absolute confidence.
Yan Yi gently touched Lu Shangjin’s glands, a nice scent of narcissus staining all over his fingertips.
He lowered his head and gave a kiss, like he was hesitating.
“It’s okay baobei, don’t worry and bite, just don’t break it. If it breaks, Ge can’t take care of you.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Yan Yi bit him roughly on his glands, even though the omega didn’t have sharp canine teeth, at this moment, Lu Shangjin’s whole body went numb, like a beast who got a trap snapped onto his neck.
Alpha glands are used for courtship and fighting; no sense of satisfaction or comfort comes to it being bitten, only instinctive anger and resistance.
“…” Lu Shangjin forcefully tolerated the pain coming from his glands. After Yan Yi’s mouth let go, he immediately knelt down to the floor. A hand gripped the edge of the bed and the other was pressed against his gland, the pain was blinding.
No mark was formed on the gland, just an upper and lower row of small rabbit teeth marks were left behind. Fortunately, the bite force of rabbits were weak, and Yan Yi’s bite wasn’t aimed at killing him, so no blood was drawn.
This sharp pain was comparable to walking and suddenly kicking your little toe against the foot of a sofa or like being kicked in the guts.
He looked back and glanced at the little rabbit who was sitting calmly at the edge of the bed, watching him while he rubbed his fingertips together.
“Hiss…” Lu Shangjin  took a break from covering his gland and simply sat on the ground, reaching out to touch Yan Yi’s face, “Are you feeling better now?”
Yan Yi looked at the teeth marks at the back of Lu Shangjin’s neck, nodding his head a little.
Lu Shangjin looked up at him, pinched his face and gave a bitter smile, “Let’s go- let’s go downstairs to eat.”
“Wait…” Yan Yi caught up to him and helped him take off his tie, hung it in his closet and sheepishly took glances at Lu Shangjin’s glands.
Lu Shangjin thought he was feeling concerned for him, his heart secretly felt happy for a bit, and he would be willing even if the little rabbit were to bite him more.
Yan Yi unexpectedly got a pen and drew a small Tuzki on Lu Shangjin’s glands, making it so that it was now an emblem that has left a mark.
He gave Lu Shangjin a pat on the shoulder, “Don’t erase it. I want everyone to know that you’re my alpha.”
.Lu Shangjin gave a mischievous smile, pressed Yan Yi onto the bed and smothered him in a hard kiss until the little rabbit gasped for help before releasing the kiss.
“You clever little thing1.” Lu Shangjin clasped Yan Yi’s wrists backwards like scissors, staring into the pale eyes of the man under him, “Next month, there’s a jewellery show that I’m organising. Just stand by me, everyone will know that I’m your alpha then.”
Yan Yi’s eyes glowed, “You’re going to let them see Tuzki?”
“…I can let people I’m close to see it…” Lu Shangjin seriously didn’t want to see #Lu ShangjinTuzki trending.
“Oh, then I’ll set a reminder.” Yan Yi flipped out his phone, taking a selfie with Lu Shangjin’s gland, the scissorhands playfully poked his cheeks.
Lu Shangjin turned over, hugging Yan Yi from behind, and smiled at the front camera.
The self-admiring little rabbit even used some filters. Lu Shangjin went through the pictures, so many were taken. There were intimate photos of them holding hands and kissing cheeks.
“I like you.” Yan Yi said in his arms, looking up and kissing his chin, “My beloved.”
“Beloved…” Lu Shangjin carefully felt out this form of address, his heart softened to the point of being able to be shaped into anything.
Lu Shangjin rested his chin on his shoulder, asking with a hint of dismay, “Will you still like me when you’re 27?”
“I will.” Yan Yi’s eyes curved.
Lu Shangjin gave a smile as if he had been given comfort and kissed him on the ear, “Go wash your hands, dinner time.”
Yan Yi happily ran out to wash his hands, Lu Shangjin looked at the two people in the picture on Yan Yi’s phone. He sat on the side of the bed and zoned out for a bit.
He managed to force the same smile as the one in the photo. Uneasily reaching into his pocket, he clutched the wedding ring inside that matched the wedding ring on his ring finger. The sweat on his fingers made the ring warm and slippery.
As Yan Yi’s glandular age grew up year by year, his fragmented memories were repaired. The anxiety in Lu Shangjin’s heart also grew stronger and stronger.
He was eager to mark Yan Yi, wanting to start a family with him, wanting to love Yan Yi deeply after his memories were fully repaired.
But the former reckless and selfish cold teenager has grown up as well, and finally understood that respect was deeper than love.
Was Yan Yi still willing to wear his ring?
On the day of the jewellery exhibition, celebrities from all walks of life were invited to the show. More than a dozen black-suit bodyguards opened the way. A mirage separated the stream of people, and for a moment, all the cameras turned to the front of the exclusive customised flying eagle logo on the front of a car.
Especially when Lu Shangjin appeared with Yan Yi, journalists were not the only ones causing a stir at the venue.
Most people only knew that Lu Shangjin did have a lady of the palace hidden in his golden house, but have never actually seen their face.
For a while now, the only person who had been by Lu Shangjin’s side was a lop-eared rabbit bodyguard who could handle all kinds of scenes with ease.
At the side of a long table at the venue, Yuan Mi attended as a movie star. While chatting with others about gossip, he took his glass of red wine with him as he found a quieter corner to rest.
Through the glass curtain wall, he watched Lu Shangjin hold Yan Yi’s waist as they walked into the venue.
His eyes were sharp and could tell that Yan Yi hadn’t been marked.
But this wasn’t like he was being kept around and not allowing himself to be marked. To bring an omega by your side at such an event was already such a tantamount situation, it was the same as admitting their partnership to the world.
Without a mark on this omega at such an event, Yuan Mi could actually tell that Lu Shangjin was madly pursuing him instead.
This didn’t match Lu Shangjin’s personality.
He gave Yan Yi the chance to leave.
footnotes
1. 小作精: someone who’s not easy to fool, smooth when dealing with things (a clever little child)