Despite going to bed late, his biological clock still woke him up early.
There was an arm draped over his waist Pei Yiyan was holding him tightly, sound asleep. Shen Yuqing stared at the ceiling as his rationality gradually returned, followed by a growing headache.
Was I out of my mind yesterday?
He turned his head slightly to glance at Pei Yiyan. Maybe it was his imagination, but after last night’s heart-to-heart, Pei Yiyan seemed to cling even tighter.
Shen Yuqing nudged Pei Yiyan’s arm. “I know you’re awake. Let go I need to get up.”
Pei Yiyan kept his eyes closed but tightened his grip instead, as if trying to meld Shen Yuqing into his very being.
“Pei Yiyan,” Shen Yuqing sighed. “I need to call the doctor to check your eyes.”
He hadn’t forgotten how Pei Yiyan had complained about eye pain last night. While his physical discomfort might have been due to his rut, eye pain was a serious concern especially since his eyes were already injured.
Only then did Pei Yiyan speak. “What time is it?”
Shen Yuqing glanced at his watch. “Seven-thirty.”
He patted Pei Yiyan’s arm again. “Let go. I really need to get up.”
Pei Yiyan asked, “Are you still going to the academy?”
Shen Yuqing exhaled. “No. I’ll message Xiao Zhao to bring me a change of clothes. I’ll stay and make sure you finish your check-up.”
Pei Yiyan was in rut, and Shen Yuqing still had many unanswered questions. Not to mention, he needed to check on Song Wangzhuo upstairs.
But there was another important reason, thanks to the system’s “accidental” tip-off, Nie Xiu, Song Wangzhuo’s mother, was also coming for an examination today.
Hearing that Shen Yuqing would stay with him all day, and with the lingering scent of his own pheromones enveloping Shen Yuqing inside and out, Pei Yiyan’s restless unease eased slightly. His grip loosened just enough.
Shen Yuqing quickly slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time he finished, Xiao Zhao had arrived with fresh clothes.
“Wu Yi has already gone to fetch the doctor,” Xiao Zhao said, handing over the clothes. “They’ll be here soon to check on Young Master Pei.”
Shen Yuqing hummed in acknowledgment, taking the clothes to change.
Once dressed, he found Pei Yiyan already seated on the sofa, wearing an eye mask he’d somehow procured.
Before Shen Yuqing could speak, Pei Yiyan reached out, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer.
Shen Yuqing swatted his arm. “Let go.”
Pei Yiyan inhaled deeply. “Why can’t I smell my pheromones on you anymore?”
Shen Yuqing sniffed himself. “I changed clothes. That’s probably why.”
Unlike Omegas, Betas didn’t retain pheromones as strongly. A change of clothes or a spritz of deodorant was enough to erase most traces.
But for Omegas, even after changing or using scent neutralizers, an Alpha’s pheromones would still linger faintly.
Pei Yiyan clearly wasn’t pleased, but Shen Yuqing cut him off. “Alright, enough. Go wash up. The doctor will be here soon. Once we confirm everything’s fine, we’re going home.”
The word “home” soothed the Alpha for now.
After all, this was a hospital. There wasn’t even a proper nest here.
Pei Yiyan stood up, his tall and broad frame nearly obscuring Shen Yuqing completely.
He said, “Hold my hand.”
While washing up earlier, Shen Yuqing had been browsing online with his tablet, brushing up on relevant knowledge. He knew that alphas in this state desperately needed a sense of security; otherwise, they could become extremely unstable.
He nodded, practically bending over backward to accommodate him. “Alright, I’ll take you there.”
Shen Yuqing took Pei Yiyan’s hand and led him to the bathroom. After squeezing toothpaste onto his brush and filling a cup with water, he said, “I’ll go check if the doctor has arrived. You go ahead and wash up.”
Seeing Pei Yiyan about to speak, Shen Yuqing quickly added before he could protest, “I’ll be back soon just a few minutes. Take your time.”
Only then did Pei Yiyan slowly start brushing his teeth.
Shen Yuqing closed the door behind him and stepped out.
Xiao Zhao had been waiting outside. When he saw Shen Yuqing emerge, he was about to go in and attend to Pei Yiyan, but Shen Yuqing stopped him. “He’s washing up right now. It’s his rut better not go in.”
At the mention of rut, Xiao Zhao immediately gave up. “Young Master, then I won’t be going home with you later.”
Shen Yuqing was puzzled at first, but then he realized what Xiao Zhao meant. “Actually, it’s not really.”
Then the knowledge he’d just reviewed flashed through his mind.
During their rut, alphas had an extremely strong territorial instinct. In their space, only they or their mates were allowed. Anyone else’s presence would make them deeply unsettled.
Pei Yiyan still needed time to stabilize his emotions.
Shen Yuqing hummed in agreement. “Then don’t go back to the Shen residence either. I’ll give you time off go home to your own place.”
Xiao Zhao nodded eagerly. “Great! Thank you, Young Master!”
After making arrangements, Shen Yuqing went to the nurse’s station to have his wound redressed.
It had already started healing, and in another couple of days, the bandages wouldn’t be necessary anymore.
By the time Shen Yuqing returned to the ward, Wu Yi and the doctor were already there, examining Pei Yiyan’s eyes.
Shen Yuqing watched for a moment before sitting down to wait.
Soon, the doctor reached a conclusion and approached Shen Yuqing. “The pain in his eyes is due to photophobia. Once this phase passes, he’ll be able to see.”
Shen Yuqing’s expression flickered with surprise. Pei Yiyan could see?
“You’re sure?” he asked.
The doctor smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m certain. His eyes have already recovered. This photophobic phase isn’t very long some people adjust within an hour or two. However, he’ll still need to avoid strong light afterward, like from electronic devices. He should protect his eyes. Come by my office later to pick up a pair of glasses they’ll help speed up his recovery.”
Shen Yuqing snapped out of his daze and nodded. “Alright, thank you, Doctor. Wu Yi, go with him to get them.”
Once the doctor and Wu Yi had left, Shen Yuqing walked to the bedside and looked down at Pei Yiyan, who had put his eyepatch back on.
“Can you see now?” he asked.
Pei Yiyan made an affirmative sound. “I can see light, but it’s still very blurry. Still, it’s better than complete darkness.”
He tilted his head slightly toward Shen Yuqing. “Aren’t you happy?”
“Of course, I am. This means you won’t need a cane anymore,” Shen Yuqing said. “I just didn’t expect it—before, you couldn’t see at all.”
Pei Yiyan said, “It might be because of last night’s pheromone surge.”
Shen Yuqing responded with a complicated “Hmm.” Although the timing of Pei Yiyan’s regained sight wasn’t ideal, it was still better than being blind. He couldn’t help but feel happy for him.
The favored child of heaven was finally returning to his rightful place.
Shen Yuqing patted his shoulder. “Wu Yi went to get your glasses. How are you feeling now?”
Still in his rut, Pei Yiyan had been given an inhibitor shot by a beta nurse before the doctor arrived. The restlessness inside him had eased considerably.
“I want to go home soon,” Pei Yiyan said.
Shen Yuqing checked the time. “There’s still one more examination, which might take over an hour. Once it’s done, we can go home.”
Pei Yiyan lowered his head. “Why does it need another hour?”
Seeing his dejected expression, Shen Yuqing instinctively reached out to ruffle his hair but quickly withdrew his hand, realizing what he was doing.
He cleared his throat. “It’s already the fastest. Since we’re here, we might as well get a full eye examination done before leaving.”
Pei Yiyan’s eyes were hidden beneath the eyepatch. He suppressed his emotions and replied, “Mm.”
Just half a day more. Half a day, and he could go home.
Before entering the examination room, Pei Yiyan received another inhibitor shot to prevent his pheromones from surging uncontrollably in the prolonged absence of his partner, which could harm others.
The examination was conducted in isolation to determine the cause of his sudden pheromone instability.
Calculating the time, Shen Yuqing said, “I need to step out for a bit. Xiao Zhao, message me when he’s about to come out so I can return.”
Wu Yi glanced at him and couldn’t help but say, “Young Master Pei wants you to wait outside for him.”
Pei Yiyan was in his rut, and even Wu Yi could tell how clingy he had become toward Shen Yuqing. It had taken considerable coaxing to get him to go in for the examination.
Shen Yuqing replied, “Just pretend I’m here. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before he comes out.”
As Wu Yi hesitated, Shen Yuqing turned to Xiao Zhao and asked, “Where did Shen Yuqing go?”
Xiao Zhao answered smoothly, “Young Master Pei, the young master has been waiting outside for you the whole time. He refused to rest or even use the restroom just waited for you to come out.”
Shen Yuqing looked back at Wu Yi, who was stunned. But under their gazes, he reluctantly added, “The young master has indeed been waiting for you.”
Satisfied, Shen Yuqing nodded and quickly left.
After he was gone, Wu Yi couldn’t help but ask Xiao Zhao, “Isn’t it wrong to lie like this?”
Xiao Zhao replied, “Young Master Pei is in his rut right now. If you want him to lose control, you can always tell him the truth.”
Wu Yi thought about it. Sometimes, a well-intentioned lie wasn’t so bad after all.
