He took out what was behind him. “Alright, I bought you strawberry milk tea and a small cake. Don’t be upset anymore.”
Pei Yiyan finally lifted his head slowly, his gaze landing on the milk tea and cake in Shen Yuqing’s hands, as well as the scar on his left arm.
Good Luck, seeing that Pei Yiyan wasn’t petting it anymore, quickly trotted off with its tail raised to find its own toy.
Pei Yiyan leaned back on the sofa and said, “Are you sure these are for me?”
These were all things Shen Yuqing liked to eat.
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Of course.”
He sat down casually. “Super delicious. Try it.”
Pei Yiyan didn’t like overly sweet things, but Shen Yuqing loved them.
Shen Yuqing quickly unpacked the items from the bag, even inserting the straw and actively handing it to Pei Yiyan. “Here.”
Pei Yiyan pushed his hand away. “Not drinking.”
Shen Yuqing insisted, “Just try it.”
Pei Yiyan pressed his lips together and remained silent. Shen Yuqing feigned disappointment. “Fine, I’ll drink it myself then.”
He actually knew Pei Yiyan wouldn’t drink these things, so he had only bought one cup.
After taking a big slurp and chewing the pudding inside, he asked, “Why are you sulking again?”
Pei Yiyan’s temper was really something.
How long had this rut period been going on?
Pei Yiyan said, “You said you’d be back in three hours.”
Shen Yuqing had left at 8 a.m., so he should have returned by around 11 a.m., but it was already afternoon, and he hadn’t even called.
Shen Yuqing replied, “It won’t happen again.”
Pei Yiyan kept staring at him. Shen Yuqing added, “It really won’t happen again.”
Though he said it wouldn’t happen again, he showed no intention of explaining where he had gone.
Pei Yiyan lowered his eyes. Shen Yuqing scooted closer and took the initiative. “How’s your gland? Let me check.”
Meaning he wanted to change the subject and move on.
Pei Yiyan took a deep breath but still turned around, exposing his gland to Shen Yuqing’s gaze.
Apart from the first day he returned, when he had used a scent-blocking patch and suppressants, Pei Yiyan hadn’t needed them since Shen Yuqing had been by his side.
The doctor had said that in the early stages, he needed to let his pheromones release freely to facilitate secondary differentiation.
Shen Yuqing checked Pei Yiyan’s gland every few days, but there had been no changes.
Today was the same, except the redness had faded a bit.
Shen Yuqing asked, “I consulted the doctor. Your rut should end in another two days.”
He yawned and added, “After that, we’ll just wait for the secondary differentiation.”
The doctor estimated that once Pei Yiyan’s rut ended, his secondary differentiation would begin, so this period was crucial. They had to avoid letting Pei Yiyan get overly stimulated.
But Shen Yuqing couldn’t help muttering to himself; he didn’t want to provoke Pei Yiyan either.
The problem was that Pei Yiyan was just too prone to sulking.
Sometimes, before Shen Yuqing even realized it, he might say something slightly off-putting, and Pei Yiyan would brood over it for ages.
After some thought, Shen Yuqing decided to console him. “Pei Yiyan, the doctor said you need to stay in a good mood to help your gland recover. Don’t go around with a scowl all day.”
Pei Yiyan stared at Shen Yuqing’s face and replied, “I’m not.”
Shen Yuqing chuckled. “Alright, alright, you’re not.”
He glanced at the time; this was the perfect moment for a nap.
Shen Yuqing stood up, and Pei Yiyan asked, “Where are you going again?”
He had waited so long!
Shen Yuqing glanced down at him with an amused smile. “I say, Young Master Pei, you still claim you’re not angry?”
Pei Yiyan pressed his lips together tightly. Shen Yuqing stopped teasing him and replied, “I’m sleepy, going for a nap. Do you want to rest too?”
Pei Yiyan’s expression softened slightly. He gave a quiet “Mm” and said, “Rest.”
He raised his hand slightly. Shen Yuqing suppressed a laugh and reached out to hold it. “Is this better now?”
Pei Yiyan didn’t respond, but the tightening grip betrayed his true feelings.
Very much better now.
Shen Yuqing led him into the bedroom as usual.
Because of his rut period, Xiao Zhao hadn’t dared to clean their bedroom these past few days. Shen Yuqing himself only stayed during the day and left in the evenings.
The bed was still piled with clothes, they had been sleeping in a cramped space recently.
After regaining his senses, Pei Yiyan felt both shocked and awkward about his nesting behavior.
Yet after changing the sheets, he couldn’t help but rebuild the nest again.
Fortunately, Shen Yuqing understood his feelings and didn’t question it, simply sleeping in it as it was.
But today was different.
Shen Yuqing had asked the doctor about this behavior, who said it was time to dismantle the nest now.
Excessive reliance wasn’t good.
“Let me hang these clothes up,” Shen Yuqing suggested.
Pei Yiyan turned to look at him. “The doctor said you shouldn’t rely on it too much,” Shen Yuqing added.
After a moment of silence, Pei Yiyan murmured, “Mm.”
Shen Yuqing tried to pull his hand free, but Pei Yiyan held on tightly.
With a sigh, Shen Yuqing relented. “Well, no rush. I’m really tired let’s nap first and deal with it after, okay?”
Pei Yiyan’s mood improved slightly.
Shen Yuqing fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He turned his back to Pei Yiyan, who immediately wrapped around him from behind, resting his chin atop Shen Yuqing’s head like a big cat.
But today at noon, Pei Yiyan’s fingers traced the scar on Shen Yuqing’s back.
The gentle stroking of his thumb felt oddly distracting, making it hard for Shen Yuqing to sleep.
He rolled over onto his back instead, and Pei Yiyan adjusted his position accordingly.
“Pei Yiyan,” Shen Yuqing said helplessly, “are you going to sleep like this even after your rut ends?”
Pei Yiyan always held him tightly, as if that was the only way he could sleep soundly.
Before Pei Yiyan could respond, Shen Yuqing continued, “Next week, I’ll be leaving for fieldwork I won’t be back for almost half a month.”
Pei Yiyan already knew this. After a pause, he said, “I’ll go with you.”
Now that his eyes and legs had healed, a fieldwork trip posed no problem. He could treat it as an outing.
But Shen Yuqing shook his head. “The academy won’t allow it. Give up you’ve already graduated. Why bother tagging along?”
Yawning repeatedly, Shen Yuqing added, “Actually, this is good. While I’m away, you can work on breaking this sleeping habit.”
Pei Yiyan kept his gaze fixed on Shen Yuqing, who raised a hand to cover his eyes. “Stop staring at me.”
Under Pei Yiyan’s intense gaze, Shen Yuqing always felt like prey watched by a predator something he could never quite get used to.
Pei Yiyan closed his eyes, his eyelashes brushing against Shen Yuqing’s palm with a ticklish sensation.
Unable to resist, Shen Yuqing withdrew his hand. Pei Yiyan asked, “When exactly will you be back?”
Shen Yuqing replied, “Not sure. Probably not until the very end I’m aiming for the top ten, after all.”
During the practical training, eliminated students would be sent home early. But Song Wangzhuo was determined to make the top ten, and with Song Lejin eyeing the spot like a predator, Shen Yuqing couldn’t afford to slack off.
He had to protect Song Wangzhuo. And for some reason, he had a premonition something big was going to happen during this training.
Pei Yiyan wasn’t entirely satisfied with this answer, but hearing Shen Yuqing’s confident tone, he closed his eyes again with a quiet sigh.
He truly couldn’t bring himself to tell Shen Yuqing not to participate or to come back early.
He, too, wanted Shen Yuqing to make the top ten because someone that dazzling deserved to shine.
