Once Nie Xiu was out of sight, Shen Yuqing explained, “That was Nie Xiu, Song Lejin’s mother.”
Song Wangzhuo recalled Song Lejin and remarked casually, “Hmm, they don’t look alike.”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Yeah, I thought so too. But now that you mention it, I actually think you and Aunt Nie Xiu look quite similar.”
Song Wangzhuo turned to him, and Shen Yuqing continued earnestly, “Really, especially your eyes. They’re strikingly similar almost like they were carved from the same mold. If you two stood side by side, people might mistake you for mother and son.”
Song Wangzhuo hadn’t paid much attention to Nie Xiu’s appearance, but at Shen Yuqing’s words, he merely raised a brow slightly. “Is that so?”
Shen Yuqing nodded and then asked, “Song Wangzhuo, have you ever wondered what your parents might be like?”
Song Wangzhuo’s gaze drifted back to the fluttering butterflies. After a long pause, he replied, “No, there’s no point in thinking about it.”
From the moment he could remember, he had been alone, surviving only through the support of others to reach where he was now. But saying he never thought about it would be a lie.
After a moment of silence, he amended, “I did when I was younger. But the place I was born was remote and poor. They’re probably long gone by now.”
Shen Yuqing reached out and patted his shoulder. “Don’t think like that. What if you were just separated? Maybe they’re looking for you too.”
Song Wangzhuo offered a bitter smile. “Maybe.”
As the temperature rose, Shen Yuqing said, “I’ll take you back to your room, then I’ll head out.”
Song Wangzhuo gave a quiet “Mm” and stood up. This time, Shen Yuqing supported him as they walked slowly back.
Unable to hold back any longer, Song Wangzhuo asked, “What’s your fiancé like?”
Shen Yuqing hadn’t expected the question. After a moment’s thought, he answered, “He’s a good person.”
His earlier conversations with Pei Yiyan had been limited to monosyllabic responses “Mm,” “Okay,” “Oh.” But at some point, their exchanges had become more frequent.
Now, during his rut, he found himself clinging to Pei Yiyan, though he figured things would return to normal afterward. He couldn’t help but muse was the evolution of secondary genders in humans a blessing or a curse?
He didn’t have an answer.
Song Wangzhuo lowered his eyes. “You’re a good person too.”
Shen Yuqing chuckled. “Song Wangzhuo, you’re good too.”
Song Wangzhuo fell silent again.
Once they reached the hospital room, Shen Yuqing said, “I won’t come by today, but I’ll visit tomorrow.”
Song Wangzhuo shook his head. “Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll be discharged in a couple of days. There’s no need for you to come to the hospital every day.”
He knew how inconvenient it was for Shen Yuqing to make the trip.
Shen Yuqing considered it. “Then how about this, I’ll message you tomorrow whether I’m coming or not. It looks like it might rain.”
Song Wangzhuo nodded. “Alright.”
Shen Yuqing waved. “I’m off. If anything comes up, call me. I’ll come.”
Song Wangzhuo opened his mouth, wanting to ask wouldn’t your fiancé be upset about you visiting me like this?
But seeing Shen Yuqing’s expression, he swallowed the words and simply nodded. “Okay.”
After being alone for so long, meeting someone willing to walk in step with him he couldn’t help but want to linger in this warmth a little longer.
Shen Yuqing left the ward and gave a few more instructions to the caregiver. Before leaving, he glanced back inside and noticed Song Wangzhuo was watching him.
Their eyes met, and Shen Yuqing smiled at him, waving before finally departing.
He had actually been keeping track of the time. This time, he didn’t forget to spray himself with odor neutralizer. By the time he returned to the ward, Pei Yiyan hadn’t come back from his examination yet.
Leaving the ward, he headed toward the examination room just in time as the doctor stepped out.
“Family member of Pei Yiyan?” the doctor called.
Shen Yuqing stepped forward. “Yes, please go ahead.”
The doctor said, “Let’s talk in the office.”
Shen Yuqing glanced at the other two before nodding and following the doctor.
Once seated in the office, the doctor began, “The patient’s eyes are fine now, but he still needs to take care of them after discharge limit screen time, avoid prolonged exposure to electronic devices.”
The doctor went on with a long list of precautions.
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Understood.”
Then he asked, “Doctor, what’s the situation with his glands? And why did he suddenly faint?”
The doctor replied, “I just ran a series of tests and found signs of secondary differentiation in his glands.”
He held up the report. “Has he been injected with any medication or experienced any intense stimuli recently?”
Shen Yuqing said, “He’s been having frequent nightmares lately reliving the accident from years ago.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s likely the trigger. The psychological trauma may have stimulated a genetic recombination of his pheromones. But secondary differentiation is highly dangerous for him. If he pulls through, his glands might actually recover. If not they’ll be beyond repair.”
Shen Yuqing thought for a moment. “Was his fainting related to the secondary differentiation?”
“Yes,” the doctor explained patiently. “Some alphas experience syncope after severe stress. Combined with his recent unstable pheromone levels, the shock might have overwhelmed his body, leading to the collapse.”
“As for his sudden vision recovery, it’s likely connected. So far, the progress seems positive.” The doctor stacked the test results into a folder. “But the more pressing issue now is his rut.”
Shen Yuqing froze. “What about his rut?”
The doctor said, “During the examination, the instruments detected his pheromone concentration was already far beyond normal levels. To put it simply, a healthy adult alpha’s pheromone concentration during rut averages around 20%, with a baseline of about 5% in normal circumstances. But his just now was nearing 40% indicating extreme agitation and hypersensitivity. You’ll need to monitor his emotional state closely these next few days and minimize any triggers of distress.”
“But… he seemed relatively normal?” Shen Yuqing frowned. “During the examination, he was fine. Just a bit clingy around me.”
The doctor shook his head. “Think of it as him trying very hard to act normal.”
Trying to act normal?
Before Shen Yuqing could ask more, the office door was suddenly pounded with urgent knocks.
The door was pushed open from the outside, revealing Wu Yi standing there with an anxious expression. Shen Yuqing’s eyelid twitched. “What’s wrong?”
Wu Yi glanced at the doctor, then at Shen Yuqing, before stepping forward. “Young Master, you should go check on Young Master Pei first. He seems not quite right. No one can enter that room now.”
As an alpha, he could only pace around anxiously, not daring to get any closer. Even with his scent suppressant patch, approaching Pei Yiyan in his current state would trigger combat instincts.
Shen Yuqing turned to the doctor. “Didn’t you say he was fine when he came out?”
Wu Yi interjected, “The young master didn’t see you there, so he suddenly…”
Though Pei Yiyan hadn’t uttered a single word, the alarms in the room were blaring incessantly. Anyone who could smell pheromones had been forced out by the overwhelming mental pressure of his scent.
Even Xiao Zhao, a beta, was feeling uncomfortable.
Shen Yuqing couldn’t bear to hear more. “Continue negotiating with the doctor,” he said hurriedly before rushing back to the ward.
By now, medical staff had gathered outside the ward, and security had arrived as well.
But the pheromones inside were still intensifying, the mental energy within them attacking indiscriminately. No one dared enter.
“What happened?” Shen Yuqing asked.
Xiao Zhao was frantic. “He was fine when he came out, but as soon as he returned and saw you weren’t there, Young Master Pei started acting strange.”
“I’ll go in and check,” Shen Yuqing said.
Xiao Zhao grabbed his arm. “Young Master, with Young Master Pei in this unstable state, maybe we should wait for the doctor to go in first.”
Shen Yuqing turned to the doctor. “Could you give me some oral suppressants, please?”
The doctor looked at him. “Are you his partner?”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Yes, I’m his fiancé.”
Only then did the doctor hand over the suppressants. “We’ll all be outside. If anything seems wrong, press the call button or shout for us.”
Shen Yuqing agreed, but Xiao Zhao was still worried. Shen Yuqing patted his shoulder. “Guard the door.”
Xiao Zhao nodded. “Be careful.”
Shen Yuqing grasped the handle and pushed the ward door open.
Inside, the curtains were drawn, leaving the room pitch dark. After entering, Shen Yuqing closed the door behind him.
He fumbled to turn on the lights when he heard soft footsteps. Just as he was about to look toward the sound, a scorching body pressed against his back.
The man whispered, “Caught you.”
