Moonlit: The previous translator used Little Seven for Zuo Nian’s name in the orphanage, but I’ll be using Xiao Qi.
Zuo Nian knew from a young age that he was not wanted.
Many children at the orphanage were there because they had lost their families, but he was different—his parents had abandoned him.
Because his gland was deformed, because… he was a fool.
Every year, many people come to the orphanage to adopt children. Omega children were especially popular, except for him.
Every time parents came, Director Xia would put him in clean, pretty new clothes, wash his little face until it was spotless, and tell him, “Xiao Qi, later you have to behave generously, smile more. Mommies and daddies all like children who smile. That way, Xiao Qi can go to a good family and enjoy a good life.”
He didn’t understand and asked, “Why can’t Xiao Qi stay with Director Mom forever?”
Director Xia would stroke his hair with a pained look and say, “I’m getting old. I can’t protect you forever. You’re so pretty and so innocent. Without a good family to stand behind you, life will be tough for you. You’re still little, you don’t understand many things yet. When you grow up, you’ll know that an Omega who only has good looks will have a tough life.”
When he was little, he half-understood, half-didn’t. But he always listened to Director Mom. Director Mom told him to smile more, so he always smiled, never ever cried.
“Ah, this child… the gland still has problems…” a man said regretfully.
“But Xiao Qi is very obedient, he’s very sensible. If you stay with him for a while, you’ll definitely like him,” Director Xia recommended earnestly.
Every time, he would be picked out by the parents from among all the other children, made to perform alone, and talk with the parents alone. He didn’t even know how many times he’d sung his little children’s song.
Later, he thought maybe his children’s song didn’t sound good, so he learned to recite classical poems from an older sister who had been taken away. He practiced for a very long time before it became smooth, but it seemed he messed up again.
“Director Xia, we’re sorry, but we still want a healthy child.” A woman beside the man gently added.
Director Xia nodded, showing her understanding, and said, “Then please take a look at the other children.”
“That little girl bouncing the ball just now wasn’t bad either, shall we go see her?” the man said.
The woman nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
Xiao Qi clutched the hem of his clothes, shrinking into a corner with his head down. He knew that he had been rejected again.
In his hand, he still held the candy the woman had just given him. He thought she was so gentle, and she smelled so nice. He had almost been able to call her Mama. But… he felt he was just terrible.
Just before they left, Xiao Qi timidly held the candy back out to them. He hadn’t been chosen, so he couldn’t accept this kindness. Just like before, when he hadn’t been chosen and the pretty little teddy bear in his arms had been taken away again—things like that never belonged to him.
The woman was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “It’s alright, it’s for you to eat. You don’t have to give it back.”
As she spoke, she crouched down and gently touched his cheek, saying, “I’m sorry, we just weren’t meant to be. Xiao Qi will find even better parents.”
Xiao Qi felt so sad inside, but he didn’t cry. He remembered Director Mom’s words well. He lifted his face into a smile, softly said “Mm,” and replied, “Thank you.”
Before leaving, the couple gave him more candies.
Later, Xiao Qi leaned against the window and saw that they had taken away a little sister. They even tucked a cute stuffed doll into the little sister’s arms.
Seeing this, Xiao Qi hugged his own bald, ugly doll a little tighter. He wasn’t jealous. He had one too. He just felt that he had let Director Mom down again. He felt so guilty.
The candies the lady had left for him, he couldn’t bear to eat them. But in the end, the other children coaxed and snatched them all away. Only the ones he hid inside his doll’s clothes weren’t taken. At night, he hid under his blanket and secretly ate them. They were so sweet. He kissed his cloth doll and said, “Having you and Director Mom is enough.”
Spring passed and autumn came. Xiao Qi went through several more rounds of selection, and all the Omega children who had arrived at the same time as him had already been taken away. Only he was still there.
He wasn’t just unwanted by the parents; he wasn’t liked by the other children either. They didn’t like him and never included him in their games. Every time he tried to join them, he would get beaten up.
Now he had learned to be smart. He just squatted under the tree and watched. When others laughed, he would foolishly laugh along too. When someone almost got caught by the “eagle”, he would get nervous too, as if that meant he was part of the game.
But even so, there were still people who wouldn’t leave him alone.
A sandbag came flying straight at him and hit him square in the face. His nose hurt, it felt itchy inside, and then warm liquid started to flow out.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. He was already used to it. His first reaction wasn’t to cry and make a fuss, but to turn and run. He knew crying and shouting were useless. He would just get beaten again. He didn’t want Director Mom to worry about him.
The children behind him chased relentlessly, as if bullying him was the only fun in their barren lives. He didn’t dare stop, glancing back again and again at the older boys chasing him. Not watching his step, he ran straight into a tall man.
The man was dressed in a crisp suit, and beside him stood a handsome foreign uncle with blond hair and blue eyes. Just one look, and you could tell they were important people.
When the children chasing him saw this, they all hid away. Xiao Qi saw that his nosebleed had smeared on the man’s clothes. Realizing he’d caused trouble, he quickly used his dirty sleeve to wipe it off for the man. Tilting his face up in a smile, he said, “I’m sorry, Uncle. Xiao Qi didn’t do it on purpose. Please don’t be angry.”
The man was very kind. He crouched down, patted his head, and asked, “Your name is Xiao Qi?”
“Mm-hm!” He nodded.
“How old are you this year?” the man continued to ask.
“Almost six years old.” These were questions all parents asked. He was already very used to answering them.
At this moment, Director Xia came out of the office. When she saw the child, she exclaimed in surprise, “Xiao Qi, what happened to you?”
Xiao Qi didn’t know how terrible his face looked right now. He smiled and said, “I fell. I accidentally fell.”
The man looked at him with heartache and said, “Director Xia, could I take a look at this child’s file?”
It seemed like he had been chosen again. But today, these two parents didn’t make him recite ancient poems, nor did they make him sing children’s songs. They brought him to stand outside the director’s office. He could vaguely hear a few adults talking inside.
“Xiao Qi is a child with a bitter life, as you can see. He doesn’t live well here. Mr. Zuo, Mr. Ason, I know you are kind-hearted people, you… just give him a way to live, please. Tomorrow, when Mr. Yue comes again, I’m really afraid I won’t be able to protect him. That Mr. Yue is truly despicable, I really can’t hand Xiao Qi over to him…” The director’s voice choked up several times.
Xiao Qi perked up his ears. He felt very sorry for once again making Director Mom worry and feel sad. He really was a bad child. No wonder no one liked him.
After a while, the door was opened.
That pretty uncle with blue eyes squatted in front of him, smiling as he asked, “Does Xiao Qi want to go with us?”
Xiao Qi widened his eyes, thinking he must have heard wrong. Was there really someone willing to take him home?
Xiao Qi touched the back of his own neck and stammered, “Xiao… Xiao Qi, sick, has sickness, can… can I still go?”
The pretty man pinched his little face. “Of course you can. No matter what sickness Xiao Qi has, we will definitely cure it for you. Right, Jun?”
He raised his head and looked at the other man. That man’s expression was a little complicated, but after a moment, he still nodded solemnly and said, “Yes, don’t worry.”
He was overjoyed, puffing out his chest as he looked towards Director Mom, thinking to himself: Look, Xiao Qi finally has someone who wants him. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.
The Director turned her back and quietly wiped her tears, then said to the two of them, “I’ll take Xiao Qi to change his clothes. Could you two go ahead and handle the adoption procedures first, is that alright?”
The two of them nodded cooperatively. “Alright.”
Xiao Qi was brought back to the dormitory by Director Xia. The director changed him into a new set of clothes, then used a damp cloth to wipe his face clean, and said, “Xiao Qi, once you’re with your new dads, you must behave, you must know how to be grateful, you mustn’t be greedy, you must love them, be filial to them, and never come back here again, do you understand?”
“But I’ll miss you.” Xiao Qi tilted his head and said.
The director handed him the cloth doll and said, “With this to keep you company, it’s just like I’m by your side, alright?”
His things were very few: a few old clothes, a broken doll, and a patched cloth bag. Using his bedsheet, she tied them up into a small bundle and fastened it onto his back.
The director said that taking everything away meant never coming back here again. It was a symbol of good luck. But he thought that when he grew up, he would still come back to visit Director Mom.
The two uncles led him into the car. He watched the familiar scenery and people move backward, until they were no longer in sight. Finally, he shed tears.
The blue-eyed uncle held him in his arms and said, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, we are your dads. We will treat you well.”
The new home was really big, really clean. His shoes were dirty, and his socks had holes in them. He stood in the living room, not daring to move.
But the two uncles were very kind. They encouraged him, even bathed him. They changed him into pretty new clothes and new shoes, all of which fit perfectly, not too big at all.
He had never worn such nice clothes before. He stood in front of the mirror, admiring himself for a long time. He wanted to show Director Mom. Fortunately, his new dads seemed to understand what he was thinking. They took a picture and sent it to Director Mom.
After coming here, he was no longer called Xiao Qi. He now had a name: Zuo Nian. Nian as in the Nian of sui sui nian nian[mfn]year after year[/mfn].
His new dad said, “In a bit, we’ll take you to meet a Gege. He’s also a very cute child. You two will definitely become good friends.”
Zuo Nian felt uneasy. After all, the older boys at the orphanage were all fierce. They would hit people. He was afraid the new Gege would be like that, too.
With unease in his heart, he arrived at Gege’s home. He saw two noble and good-looking men smiling at him, even asking his name, and kindly calling him Nian Nian.
Then, one of the men called upstairs, “Sui Sui, godfather’s here. Come down quickly.”
A few minutes later, a boy wearing overalls, a white shirt, and a little bowtie came down the stairs.
He was probably the most beautiful Gege Zuo Nian had ever seen. So fair, so delicate, like a little prince from a fairy tale.
The little prince politely greeted everyone, his gaze sweeping over him unintentionally. Then he called out in surprise, “Meimei, it’s a meimei[mfn]little sister[/mfn]!”
The man beside him held his forehead and said, “Duan Baisui, have you lost your mind to the point you can’t tell boys from girls? One look and you can see he’s a didi[mfn]little brother[/mfn]!”
New Dad laughed and said, “Brother Yan, what’s wrong? You really don’t plan on giving Sui Sui a little sister?”
The man called Brother Yan looked proud. “No way. My wife has suffered enough.”
While the adults were talking, the little Gege came up to him and pinched his face, very gently, not roughly like the boys at the orphanage, and said, “She’s a meimei!”
The little Gege really liked him. He pulled him to the toy room, gave him toy cars, dolls, and even pushed the whole fruit platter the auntie brought over right in front of him, saying, “Eat!”
Zuo Nian didn’t dare to be greedy. Back at their place, he couldn’t eat up all the snacks alone. They had to be shared. Their apples had to be cut into eight pieces, and he would get one tiny piece. That was how it should be.
He picked the smallest piece of apple and stuffed it into his mouth, then didn’t touch the fruit platter again.
Gege asked him, “You don’t like eating these?”
Zuo Nian shook his head and said, “It’s not that. They have to be shared; lots of people have to eat them. I can’t eat them all by myself.”
Gege tilted his head. “That’s right, I’m sharing them with you, so you can eat. It’s okay, eat them all up, don’t waste them.”
He was a bit timid, but Gege didn’t give him time to hesitate. He kept stuffing strawberries, grapes, one after another, into his mouth, saying, “Eat more, you have to get chubby. Chubby girls look nice.”
But he wasn’t a girl. What a pity.
He adapted to the new home very quickly because Dads, Papas, and Gege all treated him so well. They really liked him, and he liked everything here too.
But when there’s too much happiness, unexpected things happen.
Fat Dad’s father didn’t like him. That Grandpa always wore a stern face, never smiled at him, and always argued with Fat Dad.
Zuo Nian was very afraid of him. He wanted to please Grandpa, but Grandpa never allowed him to come near.
Later, when all his paperwork was done, he was sent to kindergarten, the same school as Gege. But he was in the middle class, and Gege was in the senior class.
Gege would often come to check on him, to see if he was being bullied. He liked Gege because Gege was the first child of his age who played games with him, gave him fruit to eat, didn’t bully him, and didn’t look down on him.
So, to show his gratitude, every day he would save the little biscuits and candies given out at kindergarten and share them all with Gege.
Whenever this happened, Gege would always show him off to a pair of twin boys in their class, saying, “This is my didi. I have a Didi, too. He’s obedient and even saves biscuits for me. Your meimei only knows how to beat you up!”
The boy would look at him enviously and say, “I’ll trade my meimei for him.”
Zuo Nian would stare nervously at Duan Baisui, terrified he would agree. If that happened, wouldn’t he be unable to play with Gege anymore? Would he have to go be someone else’s Didi? He didn’t want that. He only liked Sui Sui Gege.
Fortunately, Sui Sui didn’t trade him away. Instead, he wrapped an arm around his shoulder and said, “Not trading. Zuo Nian and I are the best in the whole world.”
The best in the whole world. Ah, so that’s what Gege thought.
Zuo Nian was so happy. That night, he shared this news with his Dads and also with his A Bei Bei. He promised he would be the best in the whole world with Gege for a lifetime.
Yet not long after, the Grandpa who had never liked him came to pick him up from school. Clearly, it wasn’t even time to leave yet, but Grandpa said there was something at home and that he had to go early.
He hadn’t gotten today’s biscuits yet. He wouldn’t be able to save them for Gege. Zuo Nian was a little dejected. He hoped Gege wouldn’t be angry.
Getting in the car, he saw luggage packed on the seat. Zuo Nian suddenly felt uneasy. The driver was heading in a direction that wasn’t the road home. Zuo Nian stared with wide eyes and asked, “Grandpa, where are you taking Nian Nian?”
Grandpa Zuo looked cold and indifferent. “Where you came from, that’s where you’re going back to.”
When Zuo Nian heard this, his tears fell pat, pat. He didn’t know if he had done something wrong. Was it because he still couldn’t count? Or because last night, when he was learning to write numbers, he didn’t write them well? But he would work hard to learn.
Grandpa Zuo looked at him and said, “Don’t blame me either. Your situation really doesn’t meet what I require of a grandson. When you grow up, you won’t bring any benefit to our family. You’ll only be a burden to Zuo Jun. With your condition, it’ll be hard to find you a good family marriage. Bad families, Zuo Jun won’t agree to let you marry into them either, so he’d have to support you for a lifetime. You are… a worthless Omega. I don’t know if you can understand, but you… were just born this way.”
Zuo Nian understood. He knew, once again, he was being disliked. He was worthless. He was a little fool. He would drag everyone down with him.
Zuo Nian wiped away his tears and stopped crying. He felt that Grandpa was right. He couldn’t be a burden to his Dads. These days, the love that his Dads and Gege had given him, he could never repay it. He just felt a little regret. In the end, he hadn’t seen Gege or his Dads one last time. He hadn’t said a proper goodbye to them.
He clung to the car window, trying to memorize the road. He thought that when he grew up, he would take a car and come back to find them. By then, he would know how to count, know how to write numbers. He’d be a little more useful.
But before they reached the welfare home, the car was stopped.
The pretty Dad rushed over and yanked the car door open in fury. He pulled him out from the back seat and said, “I’m sorry, baby.”
Zuo Nian touched Pretty Dad’s face, not understanding why he was apologizing. He only knew that he looked both very sad and very angry.
Grandpa Zuo got out of the car and said, “I’ve said it. This child must be sent back.”
Pretty Dad, who had always been gentle and courteous, suddenly roared in anger, “He’s my child. I’ll raise him myself! I don’t need you interfering!”
Zuo Nian was being held tightly, and he could feel Pretty Dad trembling from fury. He continued, “If you ever take him away behind my back again, I’ll call the police. I mean it!”
They were fighting again—over him. Zuo Nian felt deeply upset.
He helped wipe the tears off Pretty Dad’s face and said, “Dad, don’t cry. Nian Nian, it’s okay. Nian Nian can go. Please don’t fight.”
Ason hugged him tightly and said, “Baby, no one is going to send you away. Believe me.”
They got back into the car. This time, it drove toward the Duan family home.
Because Fat Dad had gone on a business trip and would be away for a month, Pretty Dad, feeling uneasy, sent him to stay with his godfather.
Papa Xu held him in his arms, comforting him with a heart full of ache. Gege had just gotten back from school and stood beside them with a heavy expression, listening to everything the adults were saying.
After dinner that evening, the two of them went to the toy room again.
His Gege said, “You’re such an idiot. You should’ve come to me. I would’ve protected you. I wouldn’t have let him take you away. If the teacher hadn’t called today, you would’ve been kidnapped and sold!”
Zuo Nian recalled what Grandpa Zuo had said in the afternoon and replied, “Nian Nian should’ve left. I shouldn’t drag Dad down. Nian Nian is a useless Omega. When I grow up, no one will want me anyway… sob sob sob…”
Zuo Nian rarely cried, but today he was just too upset. He wasn’t blaming Grandpa Zuo. He was blaming himself. Why couldn’t he be a little smarter? A little healthier? If he were, Grandpa Zuo might like him, and he wouldn’t fight with Dad. When he grew up, he could become someone useful and help Dad. But why, why did he have to be such a fool?
“A real man eats tofu, bleeds, but doesn’t cry. Don’t cry. If they don’t want you, I want you.” Duan Baisui’s face was full of seriousness. “I have a lot of pocket money. I can support you, I can take care of you for a lifetime. When we grow up, we’ll get married.”
“Married?” Zuo Nian sniffled and murmured the question.
“Yeah, yeah, like how my Daddies live together. We’ll live in the same house, watch TV together, take baths together, and sleep together.”
“Really?” Zuo Nian stopped crying.
If it’s like that… then Nian Nian still has a home. Maybe… maybe he wouldn’t be sent away?
“Of course.” Duan Baisui patted his chest, then got up and said, “Wait for me.”
He dove wildly into the pile of toys and finally pulled out a big Barbie doll.
He tugged the ring off Barbie’s hand and put it on Zuo Nian’s finger, saying, “This is our token. You’re wearing the ring I gave you, so you’re my Omega. No one can take you away…”
No one can take you away. You’re my Omega. Zuo Nian remembered those two sentences for many years.
Nian Nian and his world’s best Gege became more and more distant from him as they grew older. No. It seemed like it wasn’t just toward him. Apart from studying, his Gege had grown indifferent to everything.
He no longer liked playing with toys, didn’t enjoy going to amusement parks, and even broke their annual Christmas tradition.
But as long as he took the initiative to approach Gege, his Gege would still talk to him, still walk him home. Zuo Nian believed that he was still different from the rest. If he just tried a little harder, he would be able to understand what smart people were really thinking.
So, in order to catch up to him, he studied hard. He even asked his dad to hire a private tutor for him. When it came time to move from primary school to junior high, he just barely managed to get into the same school as Duan Baisui.
It was only after starting school that he realized how popular Duan Baisui was, more popular than when they were in kindergarten or primary school.
Zuo Nian didn’t want Duan Baisui to be close with anyone else, so he could only try to be even more attentive than the others. Every day, he made bento lunches for Duan Baisui, brought him water, held an umbrella for him when it rained, and waited after school to walk home with him.
He believed he was special. After all, Duan Baisui had said it himself that he was his world’s number one, and had even said he would marry him.
At his current age, he naturally understood the meaning of marriage. Zuo Nian looked forward to it eagerly. He hoped he would grow up faster, hoped he would become better and better, and hoped Duan Baisui would fulfill that promise soon.
He had made up his mind: in junior high, high school, and even university, he would follow Duan Baisui wherever he went. He could do it.
But plans never keep up with change. Duan Baisui chose to study abroad for high school, something Zuo Nian had never expected.
If he went abroad, there was truly no way for Zuo Nian to follow. First, his English was poor. Second, Zuo Jun and Ason would never feel safe letting him go overseas alone to study and live, not with his special condition.
When he saw that Duan Baisui had been accepted into a school, he looked so happy. Zuo Nian was happy for him, too. His Gege was going to chase his dreams. He should be blessed.
He made a doll, hoping it could protect his Gege.
The day Duan Baisui left, Zuo Nian followed his dad to the airport to see him off. Duan Baisui left in a carefree, unburdened way, barely saying a word to him.
Thinking back now, he must have felt relieved that he was finally able to shake off this clingy shadow. That’s probably why he felt so free.
So it turned out, the whole marriage thing… it was only him who was looking forward to it. Duan Baisui’s coldness toward him wasn’t because he’d grown up and gotten shy, but because… he truly didn’t like him.
It turned out Duan Baisui had been avoiding him all along. That’s why he went abroad for nearly eight years.
It turned out he was still as pathetic as he was when he was a child, not worthy of being liked by anyone.
Zuo Nian met the gaze of the person who had rushed over. In Duan Baisui’s eyes, he saw panic.
“You… why are you here?” he heard Duan Baisui’s throat tighten, his voice unlike the usual calm and composed one.
A fever patch was stuck to Zuo Nian’s forehead. His eyes were red from the fever as he looked at him. A moment later, Zuo Nian smiled just as always: “Nian Nian had a fever, so I came back early today.”
Duan Baisui opened his mouth as if to say something, but just then, the friend who had come back with him walked over awkwardly and greeted him nervously: “Uh, sister-in-law… lo-long time no see.”
Zuo Nian waved at him. “Hello.”
“Sister-in-law, I just got back to the country and didn’t have time to adjust to the time difference. My brain’s not clear. If I offended you in any way, p-please don’t take it to heart.” The man stuttered, apologizing, practically wishing he could bite off his own tongue.
Zuo Nian pulled at the corner of his lips. “Not at all, why would you say that?”
He braced himself against the wall and stood up. “I was just looking for Bai Xue. It ran too fast, and I couldn’t catch it. I think I even twisted my ankle. It’s really disobedient. I’ll go upstairs and look again.”
Duan Baisui tried to help him up, but Zuo Nian stopped him: “Gege, your friend is here. Nian Nian can go up by himself. It’s okay.”
Duan Baisui held onto a sliver of hope. Maybe Zuo Nian hadn’t heard those words. Otherwise, he would’ve been crying by now. The way he was acting now… it was very normal, very calm…
Once the others were gone, Zhou Xu slapped himself hard across the face and said, “Damn my big, stupid mouth! You think—do you think sister-in-law heard everything?”
Duan Baisui looked toward the empty staircase and said, “Probably not.”
Probably not. And yet… something still felt off.
“Wait, ge, he’s running a fever and you’re not even going to check on him?” Zhou Xu nudged him.
Duan Baisui snapped out of it like waking from a dream and quickly strode upstairs.
Passing by the baby room, he pushed the door open and took a look. Bai Xue was lying on the cat tower, grooming itself. Zuo Nian wasn’t there.
He went to open the bedroom door. Zuo Nian was curled up on the bed, his head buried under the covers.
Duan Baisui sat down by the bed and patted his back through the blanket, asking, “When did the fever start?”
Zuo Nian didn’t answer.
Duan Baisui tried to pull the blanket down, but Zuo Nian clutched it tightly. His voice came muffled and thick with congestion: “Gege, Nian Nian already took medicine… I’m really sleepy. Can you let Nian Nian sleep for a bit?”
“You shouldn’t sleep with your head under the covers. What if you suffocate?”
“I won’t. Even if Nian Nian is a dummy, I still know how to breathe.”
Duan Baisui let go and said, “Alright then, get some rest. I’ll bring your dinner up later.”
“Mm.”
When he went downstairs, Zhou Xu was smoking. He glanced upstairs and asked, “Is everything okay?”
Duan Baisui replied, “He just took some medicine. He’s sleepy and wants to rest for a bit.”
Auntie Liu came out carrying some freshly cut fruit. Duan Baisui asked, “When did Zuo Nian’s fever start?”
Auntie Liu said, “I’m not exactly sure either. Mr. Zuo came back around noon, bought some medicine and a fever patch himself, took them, and went straight upstairs.”
Duan Baisui let out a breath of relief. He’d taken medicine, so that was good.
For dinner, Auntie Liu had made yam and pork rib soup. She said Zuo Nian had specifically instructed her to buy the ingredients and stew them to help warm Duan Baisui’s stomach and dispel the cold.
Zhou Xu said, “Honestly, your wife really loves you. With your usual icy temper and constant sulking, and after being gone abroad for seven or eight years, anyone else would’ve forgotten you by now. But him? He never changed, kept waiting for you. Man, that’s real devotion.”
Duan Baisui looked a bit pleased with himself. “Jealous?”
Zhou Xu snorted. “What would I be jealous of? I’m not bad either. For all you know, my first love’s still thinking about me.”
“You actually believe that?” Duan Baisui said flatly.
Zhou Xu replied, “Alright, alright, go bring dinner up to your wife. We clearly can’t keep talking.”
Duan Baisui ignored him and carried the bowl upstairs to find Zuo Nian.
The room lights weren’t on. Only when he opened the bedroom door did the light from the hallway spill in.
He set the small porcelain bowl on the bedside table. Zuo Nian was still asleep. This time, he wasn’t hiding under the blanket, his face exposed.
The fever patch had already been removed. Duan Baisui reached out to feel his forehead, but couldn’t quite judge it clearly. So he leaned down and pressed his own forehead gently against Zuo Nian’s.
It seemed the fever had gone down. His forehead wasn’t as hot anymore, though he was drenched in sweat. His temples and neck were sticky and damp, and his face had turned rosy from the fever. Duan Baisui affectionately rubbed his nose against Zuo Nian’s, then gave his cheek a gentle kiss.
Zuo Nian finally woke up. The corners of his eyes were red, still stained with tears, making him look especially pitiful.
“Get up and eat,” Duan Baisui said, reaching out to hold him.
Zuo Nian looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, staring for a long time before finally sitting up properly and obediently drinking the soup. The hair at the back of his head had stuck up in a few tufts from sleeping too long, adding even more to his soft, silly charm.
“Gege, you’re not eating?” Zuo Nian asked hoarsely.
“I’ll go down after you finish,” Duan Baisui said, smoothing out his hair for him.
But Zuo Nian’s hair had a mind of its own. No matter how he tried, it wouldn’t stay down. Duan Baisui found it amusing and kept playing with the two stubborn tufts.
Zuo Nian put down the bowl, and his warm palm pressed gently against Duan Baisui’s stomach. He said, “Gege, your stomach hurts. Go eat. Nian Nian asked Auntie Liu to make this soup. It should be drunk while it’s hot. Nian Nian’s fine now, I feel much better already.”
Even now, Zuo Nian was only thinking of him. Duan Baisui felt a deeper tenderness rise in his heart. He asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”
Zuo Nian lowered his gaze. “It’s just a cold… Gege is very busy.”
“You can still tell me even if it’s just a cold. From now on, don’t call Assistant Luo. Call me directly, anytime, no matter what,” Duan Baisui said, leaning down to kiss him.
Zuo Nian turned his head away and mumbled, “It’s contagious… no kissing…”
Duan Baisui chuckled softly. In the end, he just kissed Zuo Nian on the forehead and the top of his head.
Watching him finish the soup and remembering that Zhou Xu was still waiting downstairs, Duan Baisui comforted Zuo Nian with a few more words before finally getting up and heading down.
Zhou Xu hadn’t started eating yet. He was playing on his phone.
Seeing Duan Baisui come down, he asked, “Is your wife feeling any better?”
Duan Baisui replied, “The fever’s gone down, but he’s still low on energy. If he’s still not well tomorrow, I’ll have Dr. Lu come by.”
Zhou Xu let out a short laugh and bumped Duan Baisui with his shoulder. “You know… You do like him, don’t you? Just look at you—nothing like how you were back in junior high.”
Duan Baisui served himself a bowl of soup, then looked at Zhou Xu and admitted openly, “Yeah, I like him.”
After dinner, Duan Baisui asked Auntie Liu to prepare a guest room for Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu had just returned to the country and had no energy left to go out partying. He was already drowsy, yawning as he headed to his room to rest.
Once everything was settled, Duan Baisui couldn’t wait to head back upstairs.
Zuo Nian was awake this time. It looked like he had just taken a shower. His hair was still a bit damp, and he had changed into a new set of pajamas. The soft pastel blue made his pale skin look even fairer.
Duan Baisui sat down beside him, touched his face, and said with concern, “You’re still sick. How could you take a shower?”
Zuo Nian lowered his head. “Nian Nian… stinky. Had to wash.”
“Really? Let me see,” Duan Baisui leaned closer, sniffed his hair with the tip of his nose, then took the chance to kiss his neck. He commented, “Not stinky. Smells nice.”
Zuo Nian felt ticklish and shrank back to avoid him. “That’s because… I washed. So it’s not stinky.”
Probably because of the illness, his voice was softer than usual, his whole demeanor sluggish and lacking energy.
Duan Baisui felt bad seeing him like this and said, “I’ll go take a shower. Let’s sleep early tonight.”
In Duan Baisui’s eyes, the two of them sleeping cuddled together every night had already become something natural. But when he came out of the shower, Zuo Nian hadn’t moved from his spot. He was lying on his side, hugging his plush doll, eyes nearly closed again.
Duan Baisui asked with a smile, “Not sleeping with me tonight?”
Zuo Nian didn’t open his eyes. “Mm… Nian Nian will sleep alone.”
The smile froze on Duan Baisui’s face. He leaned over and pressed closer. “What’s wrong?”
Zuo Nian buried his face a little deeper into the covers and said, “I have a cold. It’s contagious.”
There it was again. He had used the same excuse in the afternoon to avoid a kiss. Zuo Nian seemed to be rejecting his closeness.
Duan Baisui thought back to what happened earlier that day and asked, “Did you… hear something?”
Zuo Nian responded with a question of his own: “Hear what? Nope. Nian Nian’s really sleepy. Didn’t Gege say we should sleep early?”
It seemed like nothing was wrong again. Duan Baisui suddenly found himself unable to read him.
Not wanting to keep pushing, Duan Baisui turned off the light and lay down on his side of the bed. It was only then that he realized how big this bed was. With them each on their own side, he couldn’t even touch Zuo Nian’s arm.
Duan Baisui felt a bit unsettled. He stared blankly at the pitch-black ceiling for a while, completely unable to fall asleep. Eventually, he groped his way over in the dark.
This time, he slipped under Zuo Nian’s blanket and hugged him from behind, whispering, “Then let it spread. It’s just a little cold.”
The next morning, when Duan Baisui woke up, Zuo Nian had already gotten out of bed.
He didn’t stay in his arms as usual, clinging to him sweetly. Instead, he had already dressed neatly and greeted him with a crisp “Good morning.”
Duan Baisui was a little stunned.
Zuo Nian was still on leave today and had no intention of going to the shop. He saw Duan Baisui off, just like always, helping him with his tie and reminding him to be careful on the road.
Zhou Xu teased from the side, “Yo, showing off your love?”
Zuo Nian just smiled and didn’t respond.
Only Duan Baisui knew. Zuo Nian had started acting differently since yesterday. But what exactly was different?
After the morning meeting, Duan Yan came over and asked Duan Baisui, “Is Xiao Xu staying with you?”
Duan Baisui nodded. “Yeah, but he moved to a hotel early this morning. Said his mom sent him money last night.”
“Tch, that kid really gave his dad a heart attack. Still pulling a runaway act at his age like he’s never grown up. Your Uncle Zhou said he’d most likely come find you, and he was right.” Duan Yan gave a helpless smile. “He’s staying in A City for now, so keep an eye on him when you can. Try talking some sense into him, too. He shouldn’t keep butting heads with his dad like that. His dad’s blood pressure shot up to 180 yesterday. Said one of these days, the kid’s gonna send him to an early grave.”
Duan Baisui nodded. “Okay.”
That afternoon, while Duan Baisui was reviewing a project proposal, the phone at home suddenly rang.
His eyelids twitched. He had a bad feeling.
When he picked up, Auntie Liu’s anxious voice came through: “Young Master, something’s wrong. Mr. Zuo locked himself in the room, and he’s been crying loudly. I knocked, but he won’t open the door. He sounds like he’s in a lot of pain, and he keeps calling your name.”
Duan Baisui shot to his feet. “How’s his cold today? Any better?”
“He seemed fine this morning. He just looked a little flushed. I asked if he had a fever, but he said no. After lunch, he went back to his room, and not long after that, he started crying.”
A suspicion quietly rose in Duan Baisui’s mind. Zuo Nian might have entered his heat.
He quickly told Luo Yin to prepare the car and rushed home.
Just as he had expected. He hadn’t even reached the top of the stairs before the sweet, cloying scent of a heat-triggered pheromone reached his nose.
Duan Baisui asked Auntie Liu, “Is there a spare key?”
“I just found it. Here,” she said, handing it to him. Then she asked, “Should I call Dr. Lu over?”
Duan Baisui immediately refused. “No need.”
He unlocked the door with the spare key. A wave of green grape gummy scent hit him square in the face. As an Alpha, his own body instantly reacted to the surge in pheromones. He could feel it. Their compatibility had grown stronger.
There was no one on the bedroom’s large bed. Soft sobs drifted from the bathroom.
Duan Baisui walked over quietly. The bathroom door wasn’t fully shut. There was a narrow gap.
Through it, he could see Zuo Nian lying in the bathtub, his entire body tinged with pink, crying uncontrollably from the discomfort and restlessness brought on by his heat.
He was holding a small toy he’d bought earlier, but didn’t know how to use it. The little pink wand was vibrating in his hand. He rubbed his legs together, whining helplessly, “How do I poke it in…? How do you even poke it in…? Wuwuwu…”
He had known his heat was coming, yet hadn’t said a single word to Duan Baisui. He would rather fumble with these little toys than pick up the phone and call him.
Duan Baisui felt a flash of anger. His grip on the doorknob tightened more and more, until finally he let out a bitter laugh in frustration.
He released just a hint of his own pheromones, and as expected, Zuo Nian was immediately drawn to it.
The Omega, legs trembling, pulled open the bathroom door and threw himself into Duan Baisui’s arms, shaking all over, pitiful beyond words.
The physical torment had robbed him of his senses. He stood on tiptoe, trying desperately to press his nose against Duan Baisui’s neck. But he was stopped when Duan Baisui grabbed his chin, holding him in place, not allowing him to move.
Zuo Nian started shedding silent tears, murmuring, “Give it to me…”
“Give you what?” Duan Baisui looked at him with a half-smile, half-sneer. “Only now you remember you have an Alpha?”
Awww.. Poor Nian Nian.. 🥺