Shen Yuqing heard his somewhat dejected response and initially wanted to comfort him, saying it was fine to seem like a beta. But then he remembered that the other man was an alpha with double-S-level mental power someone who had fallen from great heights into the mud over the years, enduring countless frustrations and scornful looks.
No matter what he said, it would feel inappropriate. In the end, he nudged the arm draped over him and suggested, “Take off the bite mask.”
Pei Yiyan seemed to be lost in thought, and Shen Yuqing didn’t rush him. The choice was his to make keeping it on would just be a little uncomfortable, but once asleep, he wouldn’t feel it anymore, so it was bearable.
Closing his eyes, Shen Yuqing felt Pei Yiyan’s grip loosen. When he opened them again, Pei Yiyan had already swiftly removed the bite mask and tossed it onto the sofa.
Without it, he clearly felt much more at ease. Turning onto his side again, he draped his leg over Shen Yuqing’s and wrapped his arms around him.
Before he could bury his face into the crook of Shen Yuqing’s shoulder, he heard a quiet reminder: “Don’t you need to take care of that?”
They were both men they understood perfectly.
Pei Yiyan still hadn’t opened his eyes. After hesitating for a few seconds, he asked, “What about you?”
As he spoke, his arm slid lower, brushing against Shen Yuqing before the latter could react.
“You—” Shen Yuqing felt like his entire body was breaking out in a sweat. “Calm down.”
Then he added, “I’ll go sleep on the sofa bed.”
He struggled to sit up, but Pei Yiyan’s strength was greater than he’d expected. With half his body pinned down, Shen Yuqing couldn’t move at all.
Pei Yiyan said calmly, “You’re just as worked up.”
Shen Yuqing gave up, lifting his injured hand to press lightly over his eyes, unwilling to face reality.
Pei Yiyan finally opened his eyes. Shifting slightly, he studied Shen Yuqing’s expression his eyes were hidden, but his lips were pressed tightly together, giving him an unexpectedly adorable look.
He kept staring at Shen Yuqing’s face. Often, when he looked at him, it felt like he was seeing past the surface, glimpsing another soul beneath.
Just then, Shen Yuqing snapped, “Pei Yiyan.”
Then he heard Pei Yiyan ask, “Do you like me?”
Shen Yuqing froze, his body reacting faster than his mind.
He didn’t know how to answer that question.
But Pei Yiyan didn’t seem to care. He withdrew his hand, only to take Shen Yuqing’s and guide it where it needed to go.
Shen Yuqing’s throat bobbed. Closing his eyes, he then heard Pei Yiyan chuckle softly by his ear.
The warm breath against his neck made him shiver, and he instinctively tried to pull away.
Then Pei Yiyan asked again, “Shen Yuqing, who are you?”
The question left Shen Yuqing dazed. “I’m Shen Yuqing.”
Why were Pei Yiyan’s questions so strange today?
He felt the back of his right hand being pressed again, the palm against his scorching hot. Hazily, he wondered was the room temperature too high?
In the end, he didn’t get a peaceful night’s sleep.
He got up to shower in the bathroom. Fortunately, when Xiao Zhao had brought Pei Yiyan over earlier, he’d packed a few clean changes of clothes for him.
After freshening up, Shen Yuqing stepped out of the bathroom to find Pei Yiyan already sitting on the bed.
He could still feel the heat lingering on his face and silently scolded himself for being foolish. Eventually, he walked over and asked, “Do you want a shower or just a wipe-down?”
Pei Yiyan replied, “A shower.”
Shen Yuqing fetched a clean set of clothes for him and placed them inside. “The hospital bathroom isn’t like home, so be careful. I’ll wait outside call me if you need anything.”
Pei Yiyan gave a quiet hum and stepped in with his eyes closed.
Only after shutting the door did Shen Yuqing finally exhale deeply. He turned on the room lights and checked the bed thankfully, it wasn’t soiled, or he wouldn’t have been able to stay. Tomorrow, he’d buy this set from the hospital.
Taking a deep breath, his mind still felt slightly dizzy. How had things escalated so quickly beyond his control?
His arm had gotten a bit wet from the shower. After a moment’s thought, he knocked on the bathroom door. “I’m going to change my bandage. Take your time.”
Only after hearing a response from inside did Shen Yuqing leave. At the nurse’s station, he asked for help with the bandage. Once done, the nurse remarked, “Your scent is quite strong right now. Would you like us to handle that?”
Shen Yuqing lowered his head to sniff. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but now that it was mentioned, he could indeed detect the scent rain-soaked bamboo. His ears burned crimson as he forced composure. “Yes, please.”
The nurse handed him a bottle of scent neutralizer. Thanking her, Shen Yuqing retreated to a secluded corner and sprayed himself thoroughly. After sniffing repeatedly to ensure no trace remained, he returned to the room.
Pei Yiyan had already finished showering. Closing the door behind him, Shen Yuqing approached. “It’s late. Let’s sleep.”
Pei Yiyan hummed in agreement but then frowned Shen Yuqing no longer carried his scent. Earlier, he’d carefully layered his pheromones over him, yet now, after stepping out briefly, there was nothing left.
The bed was clean, but Shen Yuqing hesitated to lie down again. “I’ll take the sofa bed.”
Pei Yiyan pressed his lips together silently.
“…Pei Yiyan,” Shen Yuqing prompted.
Finally, Pei Yiyan spoke. “I’m uncomfortable. My eyes hurt too.”
A headache throbbed behind Shen Yuqing’s temples, but he relented. “Fine.”
“Sleep here,” Pei Yiyan insisted. The sheets still held lingering traces of his scent.
Regret gnawed at Pei Yiyan for staying at the hospital. Had they gone home earlier, they’d already be asleep by now everything here was inconvenient. But for tomorrow’s “vision recovery,” he’d endure.
Shen Yuqing inhaled deeply. “Alright…” Just one night. He could manage. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him glancing at the clock, it was nearly 2 AM, and he’d need to rise early tomorrow.
Having convinced himself, Shen Yuqing guided Pei Yiyan to the bed, switched off the lights, and efficiently climbed in from the other side. The blankets carried the crisp fragrance of rain-soaked bamboo. After a silent pause, he turned away, facing his back to Pei Yiyan.
Yet Pei Yiyan still pressed close, resting his chin atop Shen Yuqing’s head. “Are you wearing my clothes?”
Shen Yuqing hummed in agreement, “Go to sleep now! I’m exhausted!”
His ears were still burning red.
Pei Yiyan felt an itch in his teeth, a desire to bite down on something, but his willpower kept him in check.
He asked again, “The one inside can you put it on?”
“…” Shen Yuqing took a deep breath. The scent of pheromones had grown even stronger, almost suffocating.
Pei Yiyan tightened his embrace slightly, his scorching chest pressing firmly against Shen Yuqing’s back.
After a long pause, Shen Yuqing finally muttered, “I tied a knot. Why do you care so much?”
Pei Yiyan reached out and brushed his fingers over the fabric near Shen Yuqing’s hip, confirming the presence of a small knot.
Shen Yuqing couldn’t take it anymore. “If you keep groping around, I’m going back.”
“Going back” meant leaving.
Pei Yiyan said, “Don’t go back.” Don’t leave.
Shen Yuqing replied, “You’re holding me too tight. I can’t breathe. Loosen up a little.”
Pei Yiyan thought for a moment, then shifted backward until his back rested against the railing. He adjusted Shen Yuqing from lying on his side to lying flat. Once Shen Yuqing looked at him, he clung to him tightly, just like he did at home.
“Like this,” Pei Yiyan murmured. “It’s better. I always dream.”
Shen Yuqing had never asked what Pei Yiyan dreamed about, but since the topic had come up, he voiced his long-standing question: “What do you dream about?”
“The car accident from years ago,” Pei Yiyan said softly. “Sometimes I’m inside the car, reliving it. Other times, I’m outside, watching coldly, but I can’t wake up.”
The past scenes assaulted his mind from different angles, replaying endlessly.
Shen Yuqing only knew that he suffered, unreachable even when called.
Pei Yiyan continued, “Only when I’m close to you do I feel a little better.”
Shen Yuqing hummed in acknowledgment and, as he did every night, gave Pei Yiyan’s arm a few gentle pats. “Go to sleep. Goodnight.”
Pei Yiyan tightened his arms around Shen Yuqing again, breathing in the scent of his own pheromones clinging to the other man.
It made him feel at peace.
The air circulation system in the hospital room worked dutifully, yet the scent on Shen Yuqing only grew stronger.
For a double-S-class Alpha, suppressant patches were barely effective. If things really spiraled out of control, only sheer willpower could hold him back.
