As Lian Yi went to the kitchen to fetch a bowl, Qin You heard the phone ring.
He pushed the wheelchair over and saw that it was Lian Yi’s phone, showing the caller as “Liang Qifang.”
Hearing the sound, Lian Yi came over, holding a bowl in his left hand and a spoon in his right.
“Your phone.”
Qin You handed over the phone, and Lian Yi glanced at the screen, then directly swiped to answer on speaker.
A middle-aged man’s voice came through quickly, sounding a bit anxious.
“Lian Yi! Did you leave the hospital today without using the VIP exit?”
“So what? There weren’t any fans waiting downstairs, so why bother?” Lian Yi replied dismissively as he scooped up a spoonful of soup and fed it to Qin You.
“You were caught by paparazzi, and they got a full shot of your partner’s face. How should we handle this?”
Liang Qifang paused, then continued.
“Also, you can’t delay your album any longer; it has to be finished recording by the end of November, or the promotions and concert will be affected.”
“Buy the photos, he can’t be exposed,” Lian Yi said as he fed Qin You another spoonful. Qin You shook his head, indicating he couldn’t eat anymore. Lian Yi withdrew his hand, set the bowl back on the dining table, and took a napkin to wipe Qin You’s mouth.
“As for the album, just wait a bit longer. I really can’t leave right now,” Lian Yi didn’t relent.
The man on the other end grew more anxious, his volume rising.
“He has recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Why are you still taking care of him? He is not a giant baby! Lian Yi, can you let go a little? Don’t act like a nanny all day long, okay?”
Lian Yi hung up abruptly.
“Is there work?” Qin You, having overheard the call, looked up at Lian Yi. Lian Yi glanced at him but said nothing.
“If it’s urgent, go handle it. Don’t worry about me. Aunt Fang is here to take care of things, I’ll be fine.”
Qin You guessed that Lian Yi had postponed a lot of work since his accident and hospital stay. He wasn’t used to seeing Lian Yi make such sacrifices and didn’t want to be a burden to him.
“I’m worried about letting her take care of you,” Lian Yi ran a hand through his hair, looking a bit frustrated. He didn’t want to leave Qin You in someone else’s care, but he really couldn’t delay his own recording any longer. Lian Yi had always been strict about his work; he rarely canceled a scheduled activity for personal reasons. Taking a week off for Qin You’s injury was a first since his debut seven years ago.
He gently touched Qin You’s face, his voice still soft: “Let’s leave that aside for now. Tomorrow we’ll go to Mom’s for dinner. I haven’t told her you’re out of the hospital yet, and she’s been really worried.”
Qin You was taken aback. Since his memory loss, this was the first time he’d heard any news about his mother.
But, worrying about himself? Was his mother even capable of that?
He remembered once in middle school when he had a fever at school, and the teacher had called home. The call went unanswered, and he’d waited for two hours before his mother’s assistant picked him up instead.
At the hospital, the assistant hurriedly registered him, explaining that his mother hadn’t ignored the call on purpose. There’d been an important acquisition at her company, so everyone was busy.
When the assistant accompanied Qin You to hang up the water, the phone kept ringing.
Qin You saw that he still had things to do, so he politely declined his request to accompany him and sat alone in the infusion room all night.
Thinking back now, Qin You felt little emotion about it. He’d grown used to the distance between him and his mother; without expectations, there was neither hope nor disappointment.
So, hearing Lian Yi say his mother was worried about him surprised him.
Seeing that Qin You hadn’t said anything, Lian Yi took his silence as agreement. He gently took the phone from Qin You’s hand and opened Weibo¹, typing something.
His expression was very focused, and his eyes were fixed on the screen without blinking. A small smile kept tugging at the corners of his mouth as his fingers tapped away.
Qin You found him amusing, so he asked, “What are you posting? Are you so happy? Let me see it, too?”
Lian Yi’s ears turned red.
But he could never refuse Qin You, so he just pursed his lips and said, “It’s… it’s nothing. But if you want to see, go ahead.”
Qin You took the phone.
As an Omega singer with a high popularity, just a few minutes after posting his Weibo update, there were already hundreds of comments, and they were still increasing.
Lian Yi wrote: “Heaven bless, after a whole week of waiting, he’s finally back to me. He’s here by my side, like a new chapter in my life. I don’t know who to express my gratitude to – for giving him back to me, for everything, thank you.”
Below the post was a picture of two clasped hands.
One hand has distinct joints, slender fingers, and a few light blue veins visible under the skin. The other hand held in the former’s palm is a circle smaller, white with a soft pink in the palm. Together, their matching silver rings touched, like lovers silently leaning on each other affirming their bond.
The comments below were increasing rapidly. Qin You could only read a few of them clearly, before they refreshed again.
[Congrats on his recovery! Blessings to you both! Brother Yi, you must’ve had a hard time! The hands of the gentleman are indeed so beautiful no matter how many times you see them hehehe]
[Brother Yi, when will the new song be released? It was said to be released in November, but now it’s almost the end of November, it won’t be pushed to December again, right? ]
[I don’t want to say anything more, Brother Yi, take care of yourself, as long as you are happy.]
Qin You swiped left to exit Lian Yi’s Weibo and was surprised to see Lian Yi’s name trending.
Qin You clicked in and saw a group of videos of Lian Yi at a glance.
In them, Lian Yi was fully covered up, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, and a mask. He was getting out of a car to enter the hospital, surrounded by flashing lights and paparazzi.
Bodyguards shielded him as he ignored the reporters’ barrage of questions, expressionless as he walked inside.
But Qin You noticed that his mask was damp.
In the video, Lian Yi was crying.
Qin You glanced at the Omega who was still grinning across from him, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.
After getting ready for bed, they lay down side by side. Qin You didn’t sleep deeply and heard a faint sobbing sound in the middle of the night.
His body woke up before his mind, and he reached out beside him, finding only an empty spot. Startled, he sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.
The room was still dim, except for the closed bathroom door, where a strip of light crept through the bottom. The sobbing came from inside.
Qin You got up quickly.
His legs were still weak, so he limped as he walked, but at this moment, he didn’t care.
Walking to the bathroom door, Qin You turned the handle, but it was locked.
The smell of eucalyptus penetrated Qin You’s nostrils, but unlike the usual soothing and tranquil fragrance, the Omega’s pheromones were mixed with a strong bitterness, as if his whole body was explaining how sad he was.
Qin You knocked on the door, but Lian Yi was still crying and didn’t respond. After knocking repeatedly with no reaction, Qin You started to infuse the air with his pheromones to soothe the emotionally distressed Omega.
The warm, soft sandalwood scent spread through the room like a gentle incense, easing everything into tranquility.
The Omega’s body detected the familiar scent before he even realized it. Lian Yi’s glands greedily absorbed the Alpha’s pheromones; the deep sandalwood aroma enveloped the lonely eucalyptus scent, slowly helping him regain his composure.
At that moment, Qin You’s voice came through the door.
“Baby, could you open the door? Wife? What’s wrong? Could you let me in so I can see you?”
Lian Yi quickly wiped his face and opened the door.
Qin You entered without a word, glancing at the Omega. Lian Yi wasn’t crying anymore, but his lashes were still damp, clumped together, his face flushed, and he looked slightly disheveled.
Qin You took his fingers, feeling the dampness—Lian Yi’s tears still clung to them.
Qin You kissed them, gently sucking away the tears.
The Alpha’s lips moved to Lian Yi’s eyes, his soft lips brushing over the Omega’s reddened eyelids, his eys moving restlessly underneath. Qin You finished with a kiss to his brow, as Lian Yi’s white arms draped around the Alpha’s neck in a gesture of intimacy and dependence.
With his height advantage, Qin You could see the Omega’s short hair and the fair skin of his neck.
Lian Yi’s skin was naturally paler than most. Typically, the glands were even lighter than the rest of the skin, but on him, it was barely distinguishable—you’d have to look closely to notice the difference between the sensitive area and the rest of his skin. His gland was smooth, tender, and slightly raised. Qin You stared at it for a moment, suddenly realizing that since his injury, it had been a while since he’d marked Lian Yi.
“Baby…when is your estrus period?” Qin You asked, and Lian Yi answered obediently.
“It’s the beginning of this month, and we have already marked it.” He glanced at Qin You, then quickly looked down, his voice getting quieter.
Qin You touched that patch of skin, noticing the faded bite marks. He looked down, seeking the Omega’s consent. “The mark’s almost gone. How about I renew it today?”
Lian Yi never said no to him.
Qin You drew him into an embrace. The Omega, still softened from his earlier crying, leaned limply against him as Qin You’s arm tightened around his waist.
“It’s not convenient here. Let’s go back to bed and lie down, okay?”
Lian Yi’s fingers grasped the hem of the Alpha’s pajamas, and the two of them walked towards the bed while hugging.
The marking started with a kiss.
Qin You wrapped an arm around the Omega, and lowered his head, his lips lingering on his collarbone.
The taste of eucalyptus itself is slightly bitter, with a rich fragrance. Qin You couldn’t resist tasting it again and again.
Suppressing the itch in his fangs, Qin You softly kissed the back of Lian Yi’s neck. In terms of endurance, the Omega was never a match for Qin You. Soon, he slumped in the Alpha’s arms, letting Qin You sink his sharp teeth into his gland.
The bite was sharp, and the marking was painful, but Qin You’s movements held an undeniable gentleness. His teeth grasped the back of Lian Yi’s neck with a light bite, more like a lion quietly displaying his possessiveness toward his mate.
When the marking ended, Qin You kissed away Lian Yi’s reflexive tears, his arm still around his waist. The atmosphere was warm, and the two lay together in silence.
Qin You kept recalling the sight of Lian Yi crying alone in the bathroom, even though he was now calm and obedient. He couldn’t shake the image of his damp, tearful gaze.
“Baby,” the Alpha stroked his hair and met Lian Yi’s gaze. “So, why were you crying in the bathroom?”
“I hurt you, it’s all my fault.” Lian Yi’s tone carried a trace of guilt that Qin You didn’t understand.
“Haven’t we talked about this? It was the driver’s fault for driving drunk; it has nothing to do with you.”
Qin You kissed his nose. “Not one bit.”
“I should’ve picked you up!” The Omega’s rebuttal was unexpectedly fierce,. “If we’d taken my car, with its bulletproof glass, then you wouldn’t… you wouldn’t—”
Lian Yi couldn’t finish his words, the Alpha pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh.”
Qin You’s arm moved from his waist to his back, patting him soothingly, running his hand up and down Lian Yi’s spine and shoulder blades. The person in his arms slowly calmed down.
Qin You turned off the bedside lamp, and Lian Yi rolled toward him, nestling into his arms.
Omegas are petite in nature, and at this moment, the two of them fit tightly together, neither feeling crowded.
Lian Yi rested his head on Qin You’s arm, his forehead against Qin You’s collarbone. The soft sandalwood scent wafted from the Alpha’s chest, carrying a faint hint of milky smell.
Lian Yi took a sip intoxicatedly and reached out to hug the man in front of him.
The moment he put his hands together around him, he felt like the world was in his arms.
In the quiet of the night, the koala clung tightly to his eucalyptus tree, awaiting the dawn of a new day.
Onee-chan’s Notes:
¹Weibo – a popular social media platform on China, similar to X(Twitter)
