When Shi Qi woke up, bright sunlight was streaming in through the window—it was already noon.
He had slept especially well. Lazily opening his eyes, he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, and it took him a moment to figure out where he was.
After washing up, Shi Qi shuffled out in his slippers.
He caught some faint sounds coming from the kitchen and assumed it was Shang Sui. But then he remembered that Shang Sui didn’t know how to cook. Just as he was wondering about that, Shi Qi spotted a friendly-looking auntie.
She greeted him warmly and asked what he wanted to eat later. She said she had just baked some muffins, prepared plum-flavored spare ribs to suit his taste, and was also simmering matsutake chicken soup.
When Shi Qi asked where Shang Sui had gone, she told him he’d left early in the morning and had left a note for him in the living room.
Shi Qi nodded. On second thought, he felt it was probably a good thing not to see Shang Sui right away; he needed a bit more time to sort out his thoughts.
He went to the living room and picked up the note:
[Thank you, Xiao Qi, for staying with me through my rut.
I’m a little different from others. If you want to know, I’ll explain it to you in detail next time.
Something came up suddenly, so I had to head out.
If you want to go home, just tell the auntie and she’ll arrange a driver for you.
Please stamp this note if you’ve read it ^^]
There was no signature at the bottom, just a drawing of a butterfly flying sideways.
A fine line trailed from the butterfly’s back, looking both like the outline of a petal and the path of its flight.
Shi Qi stared at Shang Sui’s unique signature for a while, then picked up the stamp that had been prepared next to it.
The stamp handle was carved into the shape of a cat looking upward, and the stamp face showed a cat trotting forward, its curved tail lifted high.
Shi Qi examined it carefully and confirmed that the stamp was custom-made.
Was this the kind of thing Shang Sui did when he had nothing better to do?
It was actually kind of cute.
The moment he dipped the stamp into the vermilion ink pad, Shi Qi felt like he was reviewing royal decrees.
He stamped the cat beside the butterfly, indicating he’d read the note.
After eating, the driver took him home.
When Shi Qi opened the door, Jiang Youning and Shi An were sitting on the sofa watching TV. They were chatting idly and turned around when they heard the noise.
Shi An said in surprise, “You’re back?”
Jiang Youning looked equally surprised. “Aren’t you accompanying your boyfriend through his rut?”
Shi Qi didn’t mention that Shang Sui’s rut was different from a typical Alpha’s. He just said simply, “He didn’t tell me it started. By the time I got there, it was almost over.”
For once, Shi An looked satisfied. “At least he’s got some restraint.”
Jiang Youning was about to praise Shang Sui’s self-control when, in the next moment, she caught a whiff of the sweet and intense pheromone scent as Shi Qi walked over.
Alphas naturally repelled each other, and Jiang Youning almost bristled, feeling extremely uncomfortable all over. “Why is your boyfriend’s pheromone so strong??”
Shi Qi defended him. “It obviously smells good.”
Shi An sneered. “What’s so good about it? It’s sickly sweet.”
Shi Qi retorted, “I happen to like it sweet.”
Shi An: “?”
Seeing Shi An’s expression turn sour, Jiang Youning coughed.
In Shi An’s view, the way Shang Sui had intentionally or unintentionally hidden his family background at the beginning made him seem too calculating. Shi Qi’s constant defense of him also raised concerns that he might get completely played one day.
But then again, even with someone like Fu Siyue, whose background he knew thoroughly, Shi An would probably still find ways to nitpick.
Although he kept urging Shi Qi to date and get married, now that something seemed to be developing, Shi An found himself more reluctant than anyone else.
Jiang Youning understood how he felt and quickly smoothed things over. “Xiao Qi’s always liked sweet things, and besides, their compatibility is 100%, so of course he thinks it smells good.”
Only when compatibility was mentioned did Shi An’s expression ease up a little.
Seeing Jiang Youning help him out, Shi Qi silently sat down next to her. Jiang Youning was happy that he was being close to her, but the pheromones clinging to Shi Qi felt like a heavy shadow hanging over her, making her increasingly restless.
She had always been outstanding herself and was used to using her own pheromones to suppress others; rarely did she get overpowered by another Alpha’s scent, especially when the other person wasn’t even physically in front of her.
Jiang Youning joked, “Is your boyfriend a special-rut Alpha? His pheromones are crazy strong.”
Shi Qi hadn’t expected her offhand comment to hit so close to the truth, and for a moment, he felt extremely guilty.
He wasn’t good at lying, so he pretended not to hear.
Luckily, special-rut Alphas were extremely rare, and no one really thought he’d run into one.
Jiang Youning sniffed again.
For the pheromone scent to stick this strongly after just half a day? Things must’ve gotten intense.
She suddenly asked, “You didn’t let him enter your reproductive cavity, did you?”
Shi An snapped his head around, suddenly alert.
Jiang Youning continued to muse aloud, “Oh, right, I gave you guys condoms. That shouldn’t have happened.”
Shi Qi noticed Shi An had been perking up his ears to listen to their conversation the whole time. A mischievous thought struck him. “Jiejie.”
Jiang Youning: “?”
Shi Qi gave her a look, then asked casually, “Where did you get the stuff you gave me?”
Jiang Youning caught on right away and thought, “This brat is asking for it,” but she was also eager to stir up trouble with Shi Qi. “From the study.”
“No wonder the study’s always locked, with stuff like that in there.” Shi Qi blinked and turned to Shi An. “Dad, be careful. I don’t want any new siblings.”
The moment he finished speaking, the siblings stood up in sync and bolted toward the in-house elevator.
Shi An was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing what they meant.
“Jiang Youning! Shi Qi!” Shi An roared from behind. “You two are unbelievable, sneaking off with Dad’s stuff! And Shi Qi, what the hell do you mean by that?? Get back here—!!”
The elevator doors slid shut just before Shi An caught up.
“Aiyo, I can’t take it, I’m dying! Did you see Papa Xiao An’s face?” Jiang Youning laughed so hard she was clutching her stomach; even her hairpin tumbled to the floor.
Shi Qi kept laughing too, nodding as he said, “His whole face turned red.”
After this incident, Shi An probably wouldn’t bother him with any more questions for a while.
When they got upstairs, Shi Qi suddenly thought of something.
“By the way, jiejie,” Shi Qi said, knowing Jiang Youning was very knowledgeable about clothes and jewelry, “Shang Sui gave me a gift at Christmas. I want to get him something in return. Do you have any recommendations? Preferably jewelry too.”
“He gave you that gemstone waist chain, right? If he’s giving you something like that, he’s probably used to seeing regular jewelry.”
She thought of something and scrolled to a page on her phone, handing it to Shi Qi. “I’ve been looking at new jewelry myself recently. I really like this one.”
“The bracelet and anklet come as a set. Usually, couples wear them separately.”
“Besides that, it comes with an extra-long chain so you can link them together.” Jiang Youning added with a sly grin, “Once you’ve put it on, you can tug on the other person’s foot just by lifting your hand. Fun, right?”
Shi Qi had a vague sense that something was off. Jiang Youning explained, “It’s a new jewelry brand that’s really popular lately, though it’s actually been around for a long time. Originally, it specialized in making specialty items.”
“Specialty items?”
“Mm… just a little something for the bedroom, let’s say.”
Meeting Shi Qi’s puzzled gaze, she suddenly felt a bit guilty, like she was leading a child astray, but she quickly defended herself. “Don’t doubt it! We Alphas love this kind of thing!”
Shi Qi studied the set on the screen closely. It was decorated with pink and peacock-green gemstones, and the chain was silver. His eyes lingered on the English description; just like Jiang Youning had said, it was recommended as jewelry for couples.
It still felt a little strange.
But Jiang Youning’s taste was impeccable—the set was beautiful, and she wouldn’t lie to him.
“It’s really nice. Send me the link.”
“?”
Jiang Youning had only meant to show it to him, not that he’d actually buy it.
She suddenly felt the same kind of worry as Shi An, realizing her little brother really seemed like he was trying to wrap himself up and give himself away. She couldn’t help picturing a cartoon cat tying a bow around itself and climbing into a gift box.
In the end, Jiang Youning said with mixed feelings, “Baby, you’ve really grown up.”
Shi Qi was too preoccupied with other thoughts to catch the deeper meaning behind her words.
When he returned to his room, he finally had a chance to sort out his thoughts properly.
He replayed everything from when they first met in Huijian, recalling every little moment since they’d started pretending to be a couple.
The lily of the valley bracelet Shang Sui had given him in Qijiang had been brought back with him. He’d originally wanted to preserve it as a keepsake, but lily of the valley was so delicate and fragile that it withered too fast, and in the end, he had to give up.
Scenes from Shang Sui’s rut flashed through his mind, as if he were back in that pheromone-filled studio.
Shi Qi’s ears felt a little hot, and his fingers unconsciously touched his lips.
If they confirmed their relationship, they could kiss every day. That sounded amazing…
No, no, focus on something else. There’s more to life than just fooling around.
Shi An and Jiang Youning’s earlier words had more or less sunk in.
He knew his own physical condition was special, and it would be best to think about the long term.
The words “long term” circled around in Shi Qi’s mind for a while. Then he thought about how Shang Sui could sleep with him, and how he’d never have insomnia again—wasn’t that the most tangible kind of long term?
After careful thought, Shi Qi decided to follow his truest feelings and decisively placed an order for the jewelry set Jiang Youning had sent him.
It was settled.
Once he got the jewelry, he would confess to Shang Sui.
Shi Qi clenched his fist. What was about to happen filled him with an unprecedented sense of anticipation and excitement, like he was about to embark on an adventure full of novelty, with an especially enticing prize waiting at the finish line.
Just then, a notification popped up on his phone.
Jiang Yan: [Um, Shi Qi, are you free the day after tomorrow?]
Jiang Yan: [It’s Shen Qianyu’s birthday. But it’s super awkward if I celebrate with him alone. Can you and Shang Sui come too?]
Jiang Yan added a crying emoji.
Jiang Yan: [Shang Sui told me to ask you. He said you’re the boss at home.]
Jiang Yan: [Please be sure to honor us with your presence.]
Shi Qi’s eyes lingered for a moment on the words “at home,” then he started typing a reply.
17: [Have you and Shen Qianyu made up?]
[No.] Jiang Yan replied hesitantly: [But I’ve celebrated his birthday with him every year. I can’t just skip it because we had a fight, right?]
17: [?]
Jiang Yan seemed to have been struggling with it for a long time and unleashed a string of messages to Shi Qi. The gist of it was: “He doesn’t have many friends, and his family’s out of town. If Shang Sui and I both don’t go, it’d be kind of sad for him to spend his birthday alone!”
Shi Qi still felt like something wasn’t quite right, but seeing Jiang Yan trying so hard to convince him, he eventually went along.
17: [That kind of makes sense.]
17: [What time are you guys meeting the day after tomorrow? One of my friends has a birthday that day too.]
Qin Shuhe’s birthday happened to fall on the same day. Qin Shuhe, Lin Yan, and Chu Tao were going to Mirage’s concert. Mirage’s main dancer had been a member of the dance club. They had even asked Shi Qi if he wanted to join, but he wasn’t interested and had declined.
After the concert, when they returned to the city around ten, Qin Shuhe had simply suggested grabbing a late-night meal and singing karaoke.
Jiang Yan: [Is dinner time okay?]
The two gatherings wouldn’t overlap.
17: [That works.]
17: [What does Shen Qianyu like? I’ll get a gift.]
Jiang Yan was overjoyed. [No, no! What gift? You guys coming is the best gift!]
Jiang Yan added: [Plus, aren’t you and Shang Sui family? He’ll definitely prepare something.]
Shi Qi read that a few times and thought Jiang Yan was surprisingly smooth with words.
With the mindset of testing the waters before his official confession, he sent a message to Shang Sui.
–
“So you didn’t know how to face Shi Qi and ran away, is that it?”
Shen Qianyu looked at his silent friend beside him and cut straight to the point.
They had just finished a banquet, both dressed in formal attire. Shang Sui had said he needed to talk, and after listening carefully to his vulnerable, sensitive thoughts, Shen Qianyu finally learned the truth about his relationship with Shi Qi.
“What are you talking about?” Shang Sui denied, trying to sound natural.
“You usually can’t even be bothered with these kinds of social events. Your rut just ended, so you should prefer staying home and catching up on sleep.”
Even though Shang Sui looked polished and radiant, Shen Qianyu immediately saw through his poor condition. It was rare to see Shang Sui like this, so he chuckled. “Didn’t sleep all night? Shi Qi must really have some skills, wearing you out like this.”
“…”
Shang Sui countered by poking at his sore spot. “I heard someone already looked into the entire process of gland transplant surgery. Too bad that move didn’t work out. Jiang Yan was scared half to death by you. What’s up with that, Dr. Shen?”
They both fell silent.
“But I’m doing a lot better than you,” Shang Sui said with a cheeky grin. “I’m just figuring out the best way to confess.”
“Knowing you, you’re probably planning a unique confession gift, picking out a scenic location, making sure everything looks perfect, and timing it for some meaningful date.”
“…I’m not that over-the-top, am I?” Shang Sui choked a bit on the words, then added, “But I did order a unique gift recently.”
When they were in Qijiang, he’d noticed that Shi Qi really liked the bracelet he gave him. Flowers didn’t last long, so after he got back, he ordered a lily-of-the-valley-shaped bangle.
He sketched the initial design himself, worked with the jeweler, and after understanding the materials, current techniques, and expected production time, he finalized the plan.
“But it’s going to take a long time to finish, and I can’t wait that long.”
Shen Qianyu looked exasperated. “May I ask under what identity you ordered that? It wasn’t cheap, right? Giving something like that will only make others think you have evil intentions. Are you trying to pressure him into marriage?”
“Why don’t you drop all the trivial stuff and just say it outright?”
Shang Sui had been drinking at the banquet. He lazily propped his face up with his palm and didn’t answer right away.
After a moment, he suddenly said, “You know, when you realize you like someone, happiness and excitement aren’t the strongest feelings.”
“For me, it’s inferiority.”
You think you’re special, but deep down, you’re scared it’s all just in your head.
Arrogant one second, insecure the next.
This time, Shen Qianyu didn’t laugh at him. He said softly, “I know. How could I not know?”
That feeling when the other person seems perfect in every way, and you can’t help but think you’re not good enough here or lacking there.
Close friends all knew Shang Sui once had a “white moonlight,” but that had always just been a running joke.
After learning that Shi Qi was the one, Shen Qianyu fully understood why Shang Sui had been so hesitant.
More than just feelings of affection or love, Shi Qi’s presence held a much deeper significance.
Shen Qianyu still remembered how, after that summer, Shang Sui’s entire personality underwent a drastic change.
If you deliberately tried to teach someone how to live, to express their feelings, to find ways to forget their troubles, step out of the shadows, and be happy… it would likely end up as nothing more than wishful thinking on your part.
Shi Qi hadn’t deliberately done anything, yet he had unknowingly set those changes in motion.
This change, which came naturally from being drawn to someone, actually had a much more precise description:
“He’s the one who saved me.”
Back when they were teenagers, after telling part of his summer story, Shang Sui had quietly brought their somewhat incomplete ending to a close.
Even if only one person remembered it, it still held extraordinary meaning.
Thinking of this, Shen Qianyu couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want to take the chance to tell him about the past?”
Shang Sui stared blankly for a moment at the sparkling lava chandelier in the distance.
“Since he forgot, that means it wasn’t important.”
With his usual smile and a relaxed tone, he replied, “If I suddenly said, ‘We used to be really close, and you even said you’d marry me—how could you forget everything?’… no matter how you look at it, it’d feel like I’m bringing up old accounts. It would just add pressure.”
“As long as we can be together happily now, there’s no need to bring up the past when I confess.”
As he was speaking, his phone screen suddenly lit up.
After reading the message, Shang Sui said abruptly, “I think I’m finally ready to confess.”
“Congrats, but how’d you manage to cure your indecisiveness?”
Shang Sui ignored the question. He stared at his phone screen and, in an extremely doting tone, said,
“Aww, our baby is just too cute.”
“…”
Compared to the brooding guy from just moments ago, he now looked like he was going into heat staring at his phone.
In the end, Shen Qianyu managed to stay polite and said, “I hope your courage lasts until the day you confess.”
Shang Sui didn’t seem to hear a word he said, fully absorbed in imagining what Shi Qi must have looked like while typing that message:
17: [Jiang Yan said we’re family, so no need to prepare separate gifts.]
17: [Are we?]
Even through the screen, he could picture Shi Qi stretching out his little cat paw, cautiously taking a step forward.
He smiled as he typed his reply:
Ss: [Of course we are ^^]
Author’s note: You two are a family that’s going to be lovey-dovey every day.
