A few days after returning home, Shi Qi received a message from Yu Wan.
Yu Wan: [Xiao Qi, is there anything you like? Auntie wants to give you a gift.]
Yu Wan: [I picked out some clothes for you. You have fair skin, so everything looks good on you.]
Yu Wan: [I also picked some jewelry. They’re all relatively elegant. There’s an exotic-style necklace that would look especially beautiful on you.]
Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Shi Qi felt a sense of relief.
It seemed Yu Wan didn’t think he was weird.
She spoke while sending over pictures.
Yu Wan: [Take a look. Do you like these?]
Yu Wan: [Or is there a particular style of clothing or accessories you usually prefer? Auntie can pick some others.]
He thought she had only chosen one or two items, but Yu Wan unexpectedly sent over more than twenty pictures in one go.
He’d seen how Shang Sui shopped—always buying things in bulk, sometimes even collecting all the colors or limited editions like he had a compulsion.
Now he finally understood where Shang Sui got his sense of style and habits from.
17: [They’re all beautiful. Thank you, Auntie.]
17: [You’re too kind. You don’t need to give me so many gifts.]
Yu Wan: [It’s not much! Auntie really likes you. I know it may sound inappropriate, but it feels like you’re my own child.]
The items Yu Wan chose were all quite expensive. Although the adults around him had always doted on him since he was little, no one besides his family had ever given him so many luxurious gifts all at once.
Shi Qi wanted to refuse, but with Yu Wan saying that much, he was afraid of hurting her feelings.
Thinking of this, Shi Qi opened his chat with Shang Sui.
Their conversation had stopped on the afternoon of the day before yesterday. After provoking Shang Sui, he had run off, and Shang Sui sent a message telling him to “just you wait.”
Even through the screen, Shi Qi felt a chill down his back, and the usually adorable emoji now carried a faintly eerie, ghostly air.
After a brief panic, he started to find it amusing, even curious about how the other would react.
It was as if provoking Shang Sui itself was thrilling.
But now, he didn’t dare provoke him again and pretended not to see that “just you wait.”
17: [Auntie wants to give me gifts.]
17: [She picked so many. I don’t know how to turn her down.]
Shang Sui’s tone was natural, as if that previous incident had never happened.
Ss: [She originally wanted to give you a house.]
Ss: [I told her that made her seem like a creepy aunt, so she dropped the idea.]
At first, Yu Wan just thought Shi Qi was good-looking and sweet. But after learning who he truly was, she was beyond grateful and practically wanted to worship him.
She had happened to buy a place near A University. Upon hearing that Shi Qi studied there, Yu Wan wanted to give it to him as a gift when they met. It was only when Shang Sui asked, “Are you trying to make us live separately?” that Yu Wan gave up the idea and decided on giving gifts instead.
She wasn’t finished yet and started asking when he could get married. At the very least, he should bring it up with Shi Qi. Omegas could legally marry at twenty, and Xiao Qi was clearly popular. Better to act early and feel more at ease.
Before Yu Wan had only been pretending to play the role of a marriage-pushing elder, but now it was completely genuine emotion.
Ss: [She has good taste. Just accept it.]
Ss: [She just likes you. When she likes someone, she loves giving them things.]
Seeing the message, Shi Qi felt a little embarrassed.
Shang Sui’s mother… had such a good impression of him?
Before he could reply, Shi An knocked on the door.
Shi Qi: “Come in.”
As soon as Shi An entered, he saw him curled up on the bed playing with his phone, hugging a pillow, clearly lost in it and in a good mood.
Shi An urged him, “Get up. We have to go to Ningshan Hospital today. Appointments with the deputy director are nearly impossible to get. If we miss this one, who knows how long we’ll have to wait.”
Shi Qi gave an “Oh,” lifted the covers, got out of bed, and looked for clothes to wear.
“I had your dad ask around. Your boyfriend’s family runs Huanyun. They’re not just some executives.”
Since they were already thinking about marriage, Shi An specifically asked Jiang Li to look into Shang Sui.
The more they found out, the more impressive it all seemed. Shi An didn’t look too pleased. “His mother’s side isn’t simple either—Yu Zhaoxing is his grandfather.”
Shi Qi vaguely recognized the name; it seemed familiar from the news.
“You didn’t need to investigate. I could’ve just asked him.”
Shi Qi figured that saying Shang Sui was an art academy teaching assistant at first made Shi An not trust him much, so he explained, “I didn’t know any of that at the beginning because I never asked. Shang Sui never hid it from me.”
“That’s not the point,” Shi An said. “Even if you did ask, you wouldn’t get much out of it. From what I can tell, you don’t care about anything besides his face.”
“…”
“His personal info is hidden like state secrets, and there’s not even a single photo online. I heard his family used to keep him under strict protection. Wherever he went, there’d be bodyguards.”
“Huh?” Shi Qi was a little surprised. “There are no bodyguards around Shang Sui.”
And Shang Sui had a special rut and could control minds.
Honestly, not many people could be a real threat to him. Even if his background was extraordinary, bodyguards seemed unnecessary.
“Is that so? Maybe not in recent years, but there were in the past.”
Shi An followed Shi Qi as he went to wash up. He had worried about this all night, afraid Shi Qi might suffer in the future. “Their family’s so powerful—what if they’re overly strict with rules?”
After saying that, Shi An added, “But you don’t have to listen to them. What matters most is that you’re happy.”
After washing his face, Shi Qi turned and looked at Shi An. “Auntie Yu said she really likes me.”
Seeing his naive expression, Shi An poked his forehead. “Dummy, that’s just being polite. Only your dad and I like you the most.”
Shi An had made a 10 AM appointment. Ningshan Hospital specialized in treating illnesses related to secondary gender, and an entire building was dedicated to ABO-related departments.
Shi Qi followed Shi An up to the third floor. On the way, Shi An chatted with him casually. “The doctor seeing you is the youngest deputy director at Ningshan. Besides common secondary gender issues, he’s also very familiar with special ruts.”
“Most special rut cases are handled by specialized institutions. In the country, there are very few licensed doctors who can independently conduct psychological assessments for this condition, and he’s one of them.”
On that note, Shi Qi took the opportunity to ask, “What’s your opinion on special ruts?”
“Nothing special, but I don’t want your future partner to be someone with a special rut.” Shi An replied casually, “Being with someone like that is complicated and could bring a lot more pressure.”
Shi Qi didn’t say anything.
The special rut was so rare that Shi An didn’t dwell on it and shifted the topic back. “Besides being highly skilled in medicine, this doctor is also very remarkable. A real-life hero.”
“Have you heard of the Haicheng serial murder case? You were still young when it happened, so maybe you don’t remember much.”
Lately, that case had come up from time to time, so Shi Qi was a little surprised and nodded.
Seeing this, Shi An continued, “They say this deputy director and his mother were the killer’s original targets. He wasn’t even an adult at the time, but he managed to subdue the killer himself and held out until the police arrived.”
“Afterward, the victims’ families were deeply grateful and even came together to thank him personally.”
“Maybe it was because of that incident that he later became interested in special rut cases and pursued a license,” Shi An said, a look of admiration in his eyes. “He’s a doctor with both skill and ethics. That’s why I wanted him to take a look at your glandular issue.”
“By the way, his surname is Shen.”
“Please come in.”
Hearing the appointment number called, Shi Qi knocked on the door, and a voice came from inside.
As soon as he stepped into the room, Shi Qi paused mid-step. “Shen Qianyu?”
The doctor, who had been looking down at a file, lifted his gaze and also looked surprised. “Shi Qi?”
Shi An looked back and forth between them. “You two know each other?”
Shi Qi answered, “He’s a friend of Shang Sui’s.”
“Hello, are you Shi Qi’s family member?”
Shen Qianyu greeted Shi An, then turned to Shi Qi. “Have a seat.”
His mind moved quickly. Logically speaking, if something were seriously wrong with Shi Qi, Shang Sui would’ve made a bigger fuss than anyone else by now.
Unless it was something Shang Sui didn’t know about…
Realizing the situation might be complicated, Shen Qianyu asked gently, “Where are you feeling unwell?”
Shi An had brought Shi Qi’s medical records along. He had assumed another round of tests would be needed, but this young doctor reviewed the data thoroughly and gave a clear conclusion right away. “No later than August this year. It can’t be delayed any further.”
“In the later stages, even if there are no visible symptoms, problems with the glands might make it impossible to complete a mark. Even if marking succeeds, there’s still a very rare exception: if the glands don’t fully recover shortly after, the mark may degrade along with the damaged glands. It would be like an automatic cleansing procedure was performed, and the result would be a failed mark.”
“After August, there’s a real risk of failure. The second type of case can’t even be detected in advance. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth taking that chance.”
Shen Qianyu added, “You and Shang Sui likely have a high compatibility rate, right? Prolonged contact might slow the progression slightly, but at most, it would only delay things by about a week.”
His tone was calm, but his words were firm. Shi An, listening on the side, felt his heart pounding in fear.
Most doctors in the past had made Shi Qi go through numerous tests, and even then, few dared to give a definitive timeline. Yet this one immediately gave a deadline.
According to the last doctor, Shi An had thought the condition could be postponed until the end of the year, but expected it to be moved up by a full four months.
Glandular degeneration was already a rare illness, with only a handful of cases worldwide. Shi An had never heard of the second scenario before and felt lucky they had come today.
Grateful, Shi An thanked the doctor and asked many detailed questions, which Shen Qianyu answered one by one. Finally, he asked, “If it’s alright, may I speak with Shi Qi alone?”
Since they already knew each other, Shi An agreed.
Once the door to the consultation room closed, Shen Qianyu got straight to the point. “Does Shang Sui know about your condition?”
Seeing Shi Qi shake his head, he paused for a moment. “If that’s the case, I won’t tell him.”
“But why don’t you want him to know?” Shen Qianyu could only think of one possibility for now. “Is it that… you don’t plan to let him help you?”
Shi Qi hesitated, not speaking.
Seeing this, Shen Qianyu’s heart sank.
He had thought that Shi Qi and Shang Sui were together willingly. Now, it seemed Shang Sui really had used some kind of tricks, so much so that Shi Qi had to hide something this serious from him.
Shen Qianyu asked tactfully, “Are you with him by choice?”
“?”
Shi Qi finally realized how his behavior could be misunderstood. “It’s not like that. If he knew I had glandular degeneration, it would be like I’m forcing him to give me a permanent mark.”
If he were permanently marked, his illness could be cured. But in exchange, he wouldn’t be able to erase the mark like other Omegas could. For the rest of his life, he’d need the Alpha who marked him to soothe him.
“If it came to that, he’d have to marry me, wouldn’t he? The kind where we can’t ever separate.”
Even though he was different from a typical Omega, saying he hoped everything would happen naturally felt too naive.
But still…
“Bringing it up would feel like forcing him into marriage. And since it’s not the end yet, I don’t want to pressure him or myself.”
After hearing his reasoning, Shen Qianyu’s expression grew complicated.
He could understand Shi Qi’s perspective. A union forced by illness and one that grew naturally from love were indeed two very different things.
Before meeting Shang Sui, Shi Qi had withstood the pressure of his condition alone for a long time. It was clear that in his mind, the freedom to choose his marriage and life was deeply important.
But there was one thing Shi Qi hadn’t realized.
For Shang Sui, a permanent mark might not be a burden at all, but exactly what he wished for.
“I understand how you feel, but this concerns your life. If you still haven’t said anything by May, I’ll tell him for you. Alright?”
The atmosphere was a little solemn, so Shen Qianyu cracked a joke. “If I know and don’t say anything, the consequences would be hard to predict. You know how our young master is… I might not be able to stay friends with him.”
Shi Qi couldn’t help but laugh and nodded.
After hearing what Shen Qianyu had said earlier, he had already planned to tell Shang Sui by May at the latest. After all, he hadn’t intended to hide it forever and had just wanted to delay it a little.
“There’s one more thing,” Shen Qianyu continued. “Glandular degeneration is often accompanied by various complications during differentiation, such as high fever, allergic reactions, and loss of taste and smell. In severe cases, it may even lead to paralysis.”
Thinking of how Shang Sui had mentioned that Shi Qi had forgotten everything, Shen Qianyu boldly guessed, “Did you lose a portion of your memory?”
With just a few exchanges, Shen Qianyu had guessed correctly, and Shi Qi exclaimed in surprise, “You’re amazing.”
He still remembered waking up and seeing the hospital ceiling, with Shi An sitting beside him. As soon as he opened his eyes, Shi An’s tears had fallen straight down.
Shi An had told him he’d been unconscious for three days. Because the medical conditions in Qijiang were poor, they had rushed him back to the capital that first night. The doctor said that if he hadn’t woken up that evening, he would have had to be transferred to the ICU.
His phone had been lost in Qijiang. When he bought a new one, Shi An took the chance to change his number too. But he had no memory of any of it, and he didn’t even remember going to Qijiang.
A whole summer’s worth of memories had vanished from his mind.
Seeing him agree, Shen Qianyu stared at him with a complicated expression for a long moment.
Just as Shi Qi was about to ask if something was wrong, Shen Qianyu finally spoke. “If you want to recover your memory, you can consider medication.”
Glandular degeneration was a condition related to pheromones. If he used the same pheromones he’d been exposed to during differentiation, combined with medication, there was a chance to retrieve his lost memories.
Since his differentiation had only succeeded under pheromone induction, and the only highly compatible Alpha around at the time was Fu Siyue, the doctors had assumed Fu Siyue was the key to his differentiation.
Fu Siyue had dutifully stayed with him for a week, releasing pheromones every day.
His pheromone smelled like tobacco. Shi Qi had been submerged in the scent for a whole week, and by the end, he’d felt dizzy and nauseated, to the point where he figured maybe it wasn’t worth recovering those memories at all.
“I tried, but it didn’t work.”
Shen Qianyu had already roughly guessed who the real key to Shi Qi’s differentiation was, but didn’t say so outright. Instead, he casually misled him, “You’re in a critical stage of glandular illness now. If you take the medicine, the result might be different from before.”
Recently, Shang Sui and Shi Qi had been very close and had likely exchanged pheromones.
Given their high compatibility, there was already a chance Shi Qi might slowly regain his memories just by spending time with Shang Sui. With medication, the process would be even more effective.
Shen Qianyu laid it all out convincingly, and Shi Qi didn’t doubt his words.
Based on what Shi An and the others had told him, the lost memories didn’t seem to hold anything particularly special. Every summer, their family vacationed in various places. If not for the glandular degeneration, it should’ve just been a carefree, pleasant holiday.
But he had always been curious about what he had forgotten.
Could it have been something very important?
That thought had gradually faded as he grew older. It did seem, just as his family had said, that the summer that year had been no different from many others—nothing special at all.
Before he left, Shen Qianyu reminded him, “Memories usually resurface in the form of dreams or flashbacks. At first, they may be very disorganized and illogical, but as more fragments return, you’ll gradually be able to piece them together.”
“While taking the medication, there may be a mix of memory and imagination. People who weren’t originally in your memories might appear.”
“You might have strange dreams or see strange scenes.”
“Over time, you’ll naturally be able to distinguish what’s real.”
Following Shen Qianyu’s instructions, Shi Qi took the medication before falling asleep. He hadn’t held out much hope, but as drowsiness slowly took over, he unknowingly stepped into a dream filled with Endless Summer blossoms, and when he looked up, he saw a figure that seemed strangely familiar.
It took Shi Qi a moment to realize that he was dreaming of the same Alpha from last time.
He had dreamed of the person once before, back in Qijiang. Seeing the same person again surprised him.
Could this possibly be a memory he had lost…?
Last time, the Alpha had barely acknowledged him, but this time, they seemed to have become familiar with each other.
Shi Qi watched as his dream-self climbed easily onto the windowsill, casually picking up a slice of lemon crepe cake from the small table, as if he knew it had been prepared just for him.
He ate while watching the Alpha paint, occasionally chatting as the sun sank below the horizon.
Unlike usual, heavy dark clouds gathered in the distant sky, hinting at an imminent thunderstorm.
“I’ll get going now. It might rain soon.”
Shi Qi put the small fork and plate back on the table. The Alpha looked at him and suddenly said, “You’re like the ones downstairs.”
What?
Shi Qi looked down and saw a tabby, a calico, and an orange cat crowded together, happily eating from bowls left out for them.
At the edge of the flowerbeds downstairs, the kitchen staff regularly placed food for the local stray cats, who had learned to come by on schedule.
Once they finished eating, the cats began to leave one by one.
The Alpha commented, “They eat and leave.”
“I’m different. I place orders.” Shi Qi pulled his gaze back and replied, sounding perfectly justified, “Tomorrow I want strawberry cake.”
The Alpha seemed at a loss for words but then smiled.
He rarely smiled. Shi Qi’s own lips curled slightly too, and finally he said, “Bye, then?”
The Alpha nodded and watched him leave.
After he left, the other person went back inside and stood motionless by the sofa.
A long time passed before he finally clicked his tongue in frustration.
Shi Qi, hiding in the corner of the windowsill, watched his every reaction, which only confirmed his suspicions.
He had only walked a few steps away before recalling how the Alpha had repeatedly seemed on the verge of saying something but didn’t. Combined with his comment about Shi Qi eating and leaving, there was clearly a hint of resentment about being left behind.
“Hey,” Shi Qi called out. “If you don’t want me to leave, you could just say so.”
At the sound of his voice, the Alpha turned sharply.
He hadn’t expected Shi Qi to come back, and his eyes showed clear surprise.
A low rumble of thunder echoed from outside, gradually approaching. A heavy rain was clearly on its way.
Shi Qi guessed, “Are you afraid of thunderstorms? I can stay with you tonight.”
The Alpha didn’t answer directly. “Won’t your family worry if you don’t go home?”
Shi Qi usually went home at sunset to make it back in time for dinner.
The Alpha knew Shi Qi’s family rented a villa at the foot of the mountain, about half an hour away from here.
“My dads went out to sea. They’re on the island and won’t be home for a couple of days.”
Just the thought of being unsupervised made Shi Qi’s eyes sparkle with excitement at being in charge. “Papa Xiao An told my sister to watch me, but she snuck off to another city to visit her girlfriend.”
As he spoke, he showed the Alpha a message from Jiang Youning.
Jiang Youning: [Xiao Qi, I’m not coming back tonight.]
Jiang Youning: [Take care of yourself, remember to lock the doors, and don’t let any weird people kidnap you!]
The Alpha’s eyes paused on the last line.
He wasn’t sure whether he counted as one of those “weird people.”
Shi Qi didn’t notice what he was thinking. Until now, they had mostly interacted by the windowsill. This was the first time he had entered the bedroom.
The carpet, books, paintings, scattered paints, furniture in various colors, and the weathered pink walls…
Everything looked like a scene out of an oil painting. Shi Qi found it all fascinating.
After he’d seen enough, he tiptoed into the bathroom to take a shower and changed into the pajamas the Alpha had given him.
Noticing how cautious he was being, the Alpha couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you sneaking around like a thief?”
Shi Qi looked up. “Don’t you have guards watching you?”
This time, it was the Alpha’s turn to be stunned. Then he smiled. “Yeah, I do.”
The pajamas were clearly too big on Shi Qi. As he walked forward, the oversized pants dragged underfoot, and he tripped slightly.
Luckily, the Alpha reacted quickly and caught him just in time.
Taking advantage of the moment, the Alpha picked him up. The loose pant legs slid up with the movement, revealing a small section of smooth, pale calf.
It was only then that Shi Qi became aware of the physical difference between them. He hadn’t differentiated yet, while the Alpha was nearly an adult, and lifting him with one hand had been effortless. His leg was nearly the same thickness as the Alpha’s arm.
Shi Qi’s slippers fell to the floor. Seeing his dazed expression, the Alpha set him down in the middle of the bed and playfully shoved a pillow into his arms.
He hadn’t responded for a while. Just when the Alpha thought he might be upset, Shi Qi finally came back to his senses and took the initiative to crawl under the blanket.
After a moment, he poked his head out, his eyes sparkling as he said, “Your bed smells really nice.”
The Alpha looked at his movements without saying anything.
There was no scented diffuser in the room; the bedding only carried the faint scent of detergent, but mostly, it was permeated with the Alpha’s pheromones.
Shi Qi genuinely seemed to like the scent. The rustling sounds of linen pillows accompanied his movements, some even rolling off onto the carpet.
He had originally intended to pick them up, but realizing the two of them would be sharing the bed and there wouldn’t be room for all the pillows, he simply sat on the bed and asked, “Why do you have so many pillows?”
“I’m used to sleeping while hugging something.”
The Alpha’s knee pressed against the edge of the bed, making a move as if to lean toward him. Only then did Shi Qi realize how close they were, and a wave of nervousness hit him belatedly.
He tossed the pillow aside. Was the Alpha planning to hug him instead?
Outside, thunder and rain crashed down. Shi Qi looked up, and the Alpha looked at him. After a pause, he reached out his hand—
But before he could touch him, another pair of arms wrapped around Shi Qi’s waist from behind and pulled him into a firm embrace.
His back was pressed tightly against a broad, solid chest. Realizing that someone else had somehow appeared on the bed, Shi Qi broke out in goosebumps, nearly thinking he’d seen a ghost.
A soft, familiar voice asked, “Xiao Qi, are you sneaking food behind my back?”
Shi Qi’s eyes flew open. He couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.
He twisted his head around. The other person’s face was half-hidden in shadow, but the high, prominent outline of the brow ridge could still be seen.
“Shang Sui…?”
Shang Sui asked in a vaguely suggestive tone, “How could you sleep with someone else?”
With his sudden appearance, it was as if Shi Qi was no longer a boy who hadn’t yet differentiated, but he had become his real self again.
Shi Qi was confused. “I didn’t. I don’t even know what’s going on—”
Before he could finish explaining, Shang Sui’s hand moved to encircle his neck, then slowly moved upward, gripping his face with a force that was neither light nor heavy.
Shi Qi was forced to turn his head to face the other Alpha.
The room’s warm lighting contrasted sharply with the apocalyptic thunderstorm outside, casting a surreal glow like something out of a fantasy film.
Shi Qi’s eyes widened abruptly.
He finally saw the Alpha’s face clearly.
He looked exactly like Shang Sui. Same high nose bridge, same fox-like eyes, but younger and colder.
Seeing Shang Sui drag him away, the Alpha stood silently in place, with broad shoulders and a slim back, beautiful like a blade with exposed sharpness.
Shang Sui asked affectionately, “Baby, who do you think he looks like?”
Hearing Shang Sui call Shi Qi that, the other Alpha seemed triggered. He climbed onto the bed, grabbed Shi Qi’s ankles with both hands, and started pulling him back into his own arms without saying a word.
Shi Qi instinctively tried to stop them. “Wait! Let go of me!”
“Hey.” Shang Sui jerked his chin at the other. “Get lost.”
The Alpha responded coldly, “You’re the one who should get lost.”
They looked at each other, identical faces both showing expressions of mutual disdain, as if reaching some kind of agreement. Then, at the same time, they turned their gaze to Shi Qi.
The Alpha asked first, “Are you choosing him or me?”
Shang Sui coaxed gently, “You’ll choose me, right? After all, you don’t even remember him.”
…
Shi Qi suddenly opened his eyes.
He stared blankly for half a minute before realizing everything just now had been a dream.
What kind of nonsense was that? Shen Qianyu must’ve given him fake medicine!
Author’s note:
Memory recovery countdown begins.
Should be obvious, right? The first half of the dream was real, and everything after the second 2s dramatically entered the scene was fake hahaha
