SMS CHAPTER 34

As soon as Yan Chengfeng left, a wave of drowsiness swept over Zhen Ning once again.

Zhen Ning understood that a temporary mark was not enough to completely suppress his heat. The restlessness and hotness in his body were already beginning to resurface. However, Yan Chengfeng’s mark had undeniably given him a sense of security he had never felt before.

He decided to sleep a little longer to conserve his strength before the next surge of heat arrived.

This was Yan Chengfeng’s dorm room. Naturally, the blanket was Yan Chengfeng’s as well, carrying the distinct white tea scent of his alpha pheromones.

Lowering his gaze, Zhen Ning hesitated for a moment before carefully pulling the blanket into his embrace and closing his eyes again.

When he woke up, he found Yan Chengfeng standing by the bedside, silently staring at his face.

Zhen Ning was momentarily stunned and asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Yan Chengfeng’s gaze finally shifted away. After a long pause, he said in a quiet voice, “I brought food back. Do you want to eat?”

Zhen Ning: “…Alright.”

They hadn’t actually sat face-to-face like this and quietly shared a meal in a long time.

At first, Zhen Ning didn’t even pay attention to what Yan Chengfeng had bought. He seemed distracted, mechanically putting food into his mouth. Right now, eating was merely a way to replenish the energy drained by his heat. His mind was preoccupied with figuring out how to prepare himself before the next wave came.

However, when he looked up, he noticed that Yan Chengfeng was still staring at him.

Yan Chengfeng’s expression appeared somewhat stiff.

Then, Zhen Ning heard him abruptly ask, “Didn’t you… only like their tofu rice bowl before? Not their twice-cooked pork?”

Zhen Ning froze for a moment. He looked down at the twice-cooked pork rice bowl in front of him, and only after a moment did he understand the meaning behind Yan Chengfeng’s words.

Zhen Ning had never had any particular preference when it came to food. Whether it was tofu or twice-cooked pork, it was all the same to him.

However, back then, the reason he had said, “I like tofu,” did indeed stem from a small, selfish reason.

After all, if he said something like, “You love meat, and I just happen to love tofu,” it would create the impression for Yan Chengfeng that “What a coincidence, we must really be meant for each other.”

That way, the next time Yan Chengfeng wanted to eat rice bowls, the first person he’d think of asking would be him.

Zhen Ning’s expression remained calm.

He stayed silent for a moment before giving a vague answer. “It’s true that I don’t particularly like it. It’s a bit oily, and the flavor is on the heavier side. But it’s not to the point where I can’t tolerate it.”

He saw Yan Chengfeng absentmindedly nod in response.

Zhen Ning frowned slightly, sensing that something seemed off about Yan Chengfeng’s state.

As expected… I shouldn’t have let him mark me, Zhen Ning thought.

He knew that when Yan Chengfeng had chosen to mark him at the time, it had probably been a spur-of-the-moment decision, purely out of a desire to help. But the meaning of a mark between an alpha and an omega was ambiguous and heavy. Once it was formed, the connection between them was bound to become complicated.

It was inevitable for things to feel awkward.

Yet, there were moments when even Zhen Ning couldn’t remain 100% calm. Whether it was the panic he had felt at the time or a tiny selfish desire buried deep within him, the fact remained that he hadn’t refused back then.

Looking back now, it had been far too irrational.

Zhen Ning let out a breath.

“Zhen Ning, I… have something I want to talk to you about.” The next second, he heard Yan Chengfeng speak. “It’s about the temporary mark.”

Zhen Ning was startled and lifted his head.

He had assumed that, given Yan Chengfeng’s personality, he would choose to avoid the topic of the mark altogether. He hadn’t expected Yan Chengfeng to be the one to bring it up first.

“Actually, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while.”

Yan Chengfeng’s voice sounded a little muffled. “But for some reason, every time I try to talk to you, I can’t seem to control my temper. Sometimes, the words I say end up being completely different from what I originally meant.”

“I know that omegas have heat, but I didn’t know that an omega’s heat… could be this agonizing and uncontrollable.”

“So, I want to apologize first.” He turned his face away, murmuring, “For what happened in the training room that time, when I used my pheromones… to force you to sit beside me. I really shouldn’t have done that. I was just too angry at the time because, honestly, I didn’t know how I was supposed to interact with you anymore.”

“When you left back then, I was really angry. If you had left even half a year earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have found it so hard to accept. Because back then, we were so close to that moment of stepping onto the stage together. We were… really just one small step away.”

He said, “But later, I figured it out. You’ve always had far more choices and opportunities ahead of you than I ever did. I suppose I didn’t have any right… to demand that you stay and wait with me.”

“A few months ago, when I heard you were coming back, my first reaction was anger. But as the day of your return got closer and closer, I found myself so excited I couldn’t even sleep.”

Yan Chengfeng continued, “I don’t want to admit it, but after all these years, deep down… I’ve always been hoping you’d come back.”

“It’s just that I don’t understand why, whether it was in the past or now, you always seem to prefer carrying everything on your own. You could try relying on others a bit more, like Dr. Zheng, or Li Feng, or—”

He mumbled, then took a deep breath and said, “Or me.”

“I know this temporary mark… was probably the only option at the time due to unexpected circumstances.”

Yan Chengfeng spoke in a dry voice. “And I know you only chose me to mark you because you had no other choice. You might feel uncomfortable being marked by me, or awkward, or even annoyed—”

“But since the mark is already formed, just as you said in the bathroom back then, I will take responsibility during this period.”

He stiffly added, “I also hope you’ll let me know what you need me to do during this time.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Yan Chengfeng felt his throat and the back of his ears burn.

They had once been the closest of friends, and a mark was something that should only exist as an intimate bond between an alpha and an omega who loved each other. It felt like some sort of balance had been quietly broken. His thoughts were in chaos, but his heart was racing wildly.

No matter what, this was something that had already happened. And so, Yan Chengfeng didn’t want to run away from it.

The next second, his gaze fell on the rice bowl in front of him, and his mind became even more muddled.

Back in the restaurant, a strange suspicion had suddenly formed in his mind. But the moment he realized it, he wondered if he was just reading too much into things.

Zhen Ning’s expression earlier had been calm, and his answer had been perfectly reasonable, which only made Yan Chengfeng feel more uncertain.

But as he carried the steaming rice bowl back to the base, he figured it out. It didn’t matter whether Zhen Ning really liked tofu rice bowls or not. It didn’t matter what had happened afterward. At least during that time, Zhen Ning’s kindness toward him had always been genuine.

Yan Chengfeng took a deep breath.

He finally said the words he had prepared for so long—words he had originally intended to say after finishing that BO3 match against ZC and having hot pot at his birthday dinner:

“I don’t want to dwell on our past anymore. All I know is that right now, I want to play with you.”

“Zhen Ning, let’s not have a cold war anymore.”

He stood there, trying to maintain his composure as he looked into Zhen Ning’s eyes and asked, “Alright?”

As soon as the words left his lips, the weight on his chest finally lifted. Yan Chengfeng saw Zhen Ning’s eyelashes tremble slightly.

The last time they had spoken this openly was three years ago.

Afterward, Zhen Ning left. Later, they met again, but even after their reunion, most of their interactions had consisted of Yan Chengfeng being stubborn and throwing passive-aggressive remarks by himself.

So, Zhen Ning’s silence now inevitably made him uneasy.

He didn’t know how long it took before he finally heard Zhen Ning say, “Alright.”

Zhen Ning met his gaze, and after a moment, he added in a soft but clear voice, “Let’s play well together.”

He said “alright.” He also said “play well.” And he used the word “together.”

Even though the faint blush on his neck and cheeks hadn’t entirely faded, Zhen Ning’s eyes remained bright and clear. Yan Chengfeng’s heart skipped a beat.

The uneasiness from a moment ago was suddenly replaced with calmness, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

“…Alright.”

Yan Chengfeng tried his best to suppress his excitement, nodding randomly before quickly turning away to hide his expression. But when he spoke, his words came out jumbled. “Well, I… you… if you’re done eating, I-I’ll throw away the trash for you now, and then I—”

However, Zhen Ning didn’t give him a chance to escape.

Sitting on the bed, he reached out and grabbed Yan Chengfeng’s hand.

An omega’s body temperature during their heat was generally higher than normal. Zhen Ning’s fingertips were warm and soft, and Yan Chengfeng flinched.

“Didn’t you just say you’re willing to take responsibility?” Zhen Ning said calmly. “What? You say it, and now you’re leaving?”

Yan Chengfeng hadn’t expected Zhen Ning to ask so directly.

He faltered for a moment and could only forcefully defend himself. “I’m not, I just—”

“We have a common goal, and in the future, we need to play our matches well together. On that point, we’ve just reached an agreement,” Zhen Ning said.

“But Yan Chengfeng, regarding some of the other things you mentioned, I think I need to clarify them with you now.”

“First, about this temporary mark—I didn’t feel any discomfort or awkwardness.”

Zhen Ning continued, “In fact, compared to all my previous heats, this has been the most peaceful and comfortable one I’ve experienced since my secondary differentiation.”

Yan Chengfeng’s eyes widened.

“Since you just said that sometimes I should try relying on others a little,” Zhen Ning said, “then there are some things I think I should also try saying to you now.”

“Since I woke up, I’ve been thinking about what Dr. Zheng told me,” he continued. “The intensity of every match in the future won’t be any less than that match against ZC. And medications like suppressants, with such severe side effects, really shouldn’t be used so recklessly by me.”

“What you said earlier is also true.” Zhen Ning’s gaze shifted to the window. “I’ve never liked relying on others, but the pressure of facing everything alone can be overwhelming. Sometimes… I inevitably get stuck in my own head.”

Zhen Ning’s hair was slightly messy, but his eyelashes were soft and long, his expression serene. For a moment, he even looked gentle.

But Yan Chengfeng felt like he didn’t understand a single word Zhen Ning was saying. He stood frozen, staring at Zhen Ning’s face.

“Yan Chengfeng.” Zhen Ning paused, looking into his eyes calmly. “From a long-term perspective, for my own health and for my performance in future matches—”

“I think that both the current me and the future me do indeed need to find a stable alpha partner.”

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Author’s note:
Someone’s brain is spinning at full speed!