The Omega’s sleep was restless, and he woke up quickly with Qin You’s movements.
Still half-asleep, Lian Yi caught the familiar scent and instantly relaxed. He cupped the Alpha’s palm and gently rubbed it against his face.
“Husband.”
There was a soft and sweet voice in his voice, as if he was acting coquettishly with his lover.
“You’re awake.”
“I missed you so much. I haven’t slept well these past few days without you holding me.”
Lian Yi chattered, holding tightly to the Alpha’s hand. The faint scent of sandalwood wafted over him, allowing his wandering soul to find a place to land these days.
“The other day, I secretly took out your clothes to build a nest. You didn’t even know, and all your shirts got wrinkled, so you can’t wear them. I’ll wash them for you when I get back, okay?”
Lian Yi said and laughed, not noticing Qin You’s unnatural expression.
But his lover’s long silence made him a little overwhelmed. He looked up and saw Qin You’s expression was indifferent, without the tenderness and love he was familiar with.
“Lian Yi.”
Not calling me “wife” anymore, Lian Yi thought.
But the joy of Qin You waking up dulled the sting of the colder address, and Lian Yi, ever unconditionally devoted to his Alpha, didn’t take it to heart.
“Why am I here?”
Qin You couldn’t understand what was happening. He had woken up feeling much older, covered in injuries, lying in a hospital bed, and somehow his high school deskmate was covered in his pheromone scent.
Qin You found the last part the most overwhelming.
He couldn’t imagine himself being with an Omega, especially one he already knew. But more importantly, Lian Yi had obviously been completely marked by him.
At least as an Alpha, he knew he had a responsibility to uphold.
“Husband, we were supposed to go back to my mother’s house for dinner last Wednesday evening. We were waiting for you at the dinner table, but you never showed up. Then, we got a call saying you were in a car accident on the way.”
Lian Yi frowned deeply, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
“The driver was drunk, but thankfully you’re okay. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let them get away with it.”
“And what about you? Why are you here?”
Lian Yi looked a bit puzzled by Qin You’s question.
“Husband, what are you saying? You’re in the hospital, of course, I’m here to take care of you.”
“Lian Yi.”
Qin You hesitated, looking at the pale-faced Omega with dark circles under his eyes, clearly from lack of rest.
Based on his own situation and Lian Yi’s reaction, Qin You guessed that he must have been taking care of him these days.
Qin You wasn’t sure how to bring up his memory loss.
“Just… I don’t remember some things, a lot. Like how we ended up together.”
Lian Yi’s face instantly turned pale.
“You don’t love me anymore? You don’t want me anymore? You don’t remember… you say you don’t remember…”
Lian Yi gasped, but the air seemed to have become thinner around him, and an inexplicable feeling of suffocation enveloped him. The poor Omega trembled in the hospital room, like a leaf drifting in the wind.
“We’re married—you, don’t you remember that?”
Lian Yi shakily took Qin You’s right hand, their fingers interlocking, and the two simple silver rings clinked together, making a crisp sound in the quiet room.
“No—no. Just calm down.”
Qin You could tell that Lian Yi wasn’t in a good state. His eyes were unfocused, his jaw was clenched tight, and his nails were digging into the back of the Alpha’s hand, almost breaking the skin.
Qin You felt the pain but didn’t pull his hand away.
The Omega in front of him needed comforting, so Qin You tried releasing a bit of pheromone, a faint sandalwood scent wrapping gently around Lian Yi’s body.
“Baby.” Qin You guessed this was his nickname for Lian Yi. “I just forgot some things. I’m not leaving you.”
He freed his hand from Lian Yi’s tight grip and gently touched his face.
Just now, Lian Yi mentioned that he had nesting behavior and had a rapid stress response to his words. Qin You suspected he might be experiencing pheromone dependence.
If an Omega who has been completely marked is away from the pheromones of their Alpha for a long time, they will develop stress-induced pheromone dependence. The symptoms include insomnia, mood swings, loss of appetite, nesting behavior, etc.
The Alpha’s comfort was the best remedy: touches, kisses, marking, and a constant presence of the Alpha’s scent could ease the symptoms of pheromone dependence.
Over time, as the Omega’s glands sensed the Alpha’s return, the dependence syndrome would subside.
But if an Omega was deprived of their Alpha’s pheromone replenishment for too long, their gland health would deteriorate.
The first effects were pheromone instability and disrupted estrus cycles, followed by long-term emotional distress. Eventually, some Omegas would choose to spend a painful life in a care facility, while others would choose to end their suffering altogether.
But Qin You found something odd.
According to Lian Yi, he had only been in a coma in the hospital for a week. Logically, Lian Yi wouldn’t reach this stage so quickly.
However, pheromone dependence syndrome was also heavily tied to the emotional bond between an Alpha and Omega.
Generally, the more an Omega loved their Alpha, or the less secure they felt in the relationship, the more prone they were to developing the condition.
Qin You gained a bit more insight into their relationship.
Qin You’s touch seemed to calm Lian Yi down a bit. The Omega obediently closed his eyes as Qin You’s fingers brushed lightly across the delicate skin under his eyes, touching his lashes, then pressing gently against the corners of his reddened eyes.
As he continued releasing pheromones, Qin You moved his hand down to caress Lian Yi’s cheek and neck.
Sensing the long-lost scent, the Omega’s glands soon responded eagerly, drawing out the faint scent of eucalyptus—a sweet, refreshing fragrance that carried a calming effect.
Qin You continued, his voice gentle.
“You know, in my memory, it feels like just yesterday I was wishing you a happy winter break. I accidentally took your workbook, remember? We swapped them back just before we left.”
It was something that happened back in their second year of high school.
Lian Yi’s expression momentarily contorted before quickly composing himself.
He forced a smile toward Qin You. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
The doctor and nurse arrived soon, conducting a basic checkup on Qin You and asking him several questions, which he answered one by one. Lian Yi waited on the side.
When the checkup was over, Lian Yi anxiously asked, “Doctor, my husband… he doesn’t remember many things. His memory seems stuck ten years ago. What’s going on?”
His expression was tense, his gaze fixed on the doctor. Lian Yi feared the answer he had anticipated yet was unwilling to accept.
“Mr. Qin’s head suffered trauma in the accident, leading to a brain injury. Brain injuries can sometimes cause memory system disturbances, leading to memory disorders—like amnesia or memory confusion.”
“When will he recover?”
“We can’t be certain. Generally, as the blood congestion in the brain gradually disappears, the symptoms of memory confusion should alleviate. However, I’m afraid we can’t give an exact timeline.”
The doctor’s reserved answer did little to satisfy Lian Yi. Just as he was about to ask more questions, Qin You interjected.
“Lian Yi, let’s not press the doctor anymore. Didn’t the doctor just say I could be discharged? Pack up, and let’s go home.”
The words “let’s go home” easily pleased Lian Yi, who no longer felt the need to press for a definite answer from the doctor. He turned, neatly folding Qin You’s hospital belongings and placing them at the bottom of his suitcase, then went to gather his toothbrush and cup. Finally, he walked to Qin You, straightened his coat, and carefully helped him to the wheelchair.
Qin You saw him holding his water cup excitedly, looking like he couldn’t wait to go home. He thought it was funny and cute, and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.
Lian Yi turned around and met Qin You’s eyes, which were a little teasing.
He realized his excitement and felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly adjusted himself and showed Qin You his most genuine smile this week.
As long as Qin You was still well, living by his side, and accompanying him like now, Lian Yi had nothing else to ask for.
“During recovery, Mr. Qin should spend time with friends from the past decade and visit familiar places from this period. Familiar environments can increase the likelihood of memory recovery.”
Hearing the doctor’s words, Lian Yi’s face darkened for a moment. But Qin You didn’t notice it. He politely thanked the doctor and patted Lian Yi’s hand, “Let’s go home.”
Lian Yi regained his composure and nodded goodbye to the doctor.
Lian Yi drove on the way back.
Qin You sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window at the quickly passing scenery.
In ten years, he had missed too many things and forgotten too much. RQin You thought of Lian Yi’s red eyes and sighed silently in his heart.
Qin You actually had no idea what to do about his amnesia, his relationship with Lian Yi, and his current life. Since he woke up, he has not seen anyone who has a relationship with him other than Lian Yi.
But Qin You has always been easy-going person.
Even though his current memory is still at the age of seventeen, a large part of his personality is about being stable. The frivolous youthful spirit cannot cover up the calmness and composure in his nature.
What’s more, his mother’s guidance had taught him to be a responsible Alpha and to respect every secondary gender.
She’d often told him that regardless of his partner’s gender, Qin You should love and respect them. Although she wasn’t deeply involved in his daily life, she had always been generous in sharing life wisdom and guidance.
Qin You himself also believed in her teachings.
Since Lian Yi is my Omega now, I’ll learn to treat him well, Qin You thought—even though he’d never been with an Omega before.
No matter how he treated Lian Yi in the past, he is now, the seventeen-year-old Qin You, in this twenty-seven-year-old shell, Lian Yi’s legal spouse.
Qin You thought of this and turned to look at Lian Yi who was driving.
The Omega’s face was still pale but looked a bit better than in the hospital. His eyes were slightly red, and his lips tightly pressed together, looking pitiful.
Noticing Qin You’s gaze, Lian Yi wanted to turn his head to the right to look, but since he was driving, he had no choice but to stay focused, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
Qin You reached over, placing his hand on Lian Yi’s nape, gently caressing that small, slightly raised area of soft skin with a touch meant only to comfort.
The most delicate gland of the Omega was wrapped in the hands of the Alpha. His whole body suddenly tensed up, but soon relaxed. The alpha’s pheromones nourished him, loosening his tense nerves. A soft sound escaped his throat, like a contented cat.
The steady fragrance seeped into his glands, constantly reminding him of his lover’s presence.
In the narrow space, the sandalwood scent is no longer light, enveloping Lian Yi in a sense of peace, as if he were in a quiet temple surrounded by incense.
He’s back.
Lian Yi silently repeated the phrase over and over in his mind, feeling as though the softest part of his heart was being gently caressed by Qin You’s touch. It tickled and hurt a little, but all sensations were quickly wrapped in the Alpha’s warmth, leaving no room for other thoughts.
In the evening sunset, they sped along the road home, immersed in a comfortable silence.
