On the way home, Lin Yu kept scratching the back of his neck.
Lu Ziqing frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Yu’s brows furrowed slightly. “I started feeling unwell at the school earlier—my forehead feels hot, and my upper body is really itchy.”
Lu Ziqing asked, “Did you have an allergic reaction to lunch?”
Lin Yu shook his head. “I’m not allergic to anything. Besides, if it were an allergy, it would’ve started immediately. But I only started feeling uncomfortable ten minutes after the meal.”
Lu Ziqing had him turn around and checked the back of his neck carefully. “…We should go to the hospital.”
“Huh?” Lin Yu thought he was exaggerating. “That’s not necessary…”
“It’s similar to what happened last time at the hospital,” Lu Ziqing said vaguely, mindful of the taxi driver. “Better get it checked out.”
Lin Yu realized what he meant. “…Okay.”
Lu Ziqing told the driver to head straight to the hospital instead of going home.
…
By the time the examination was done, night had fallen.
Lu Ziqing’s expression didn’t look too good.
The results showed that due to exposure to Alpha pheromones at school, Lin Yu’s heat cycle had arrived a week early.
Holding the report, Lin Yu spoke casually. “Oh, it’s just a slight hormonal imbalance. I just need a few more suppressant injections.”
“No,” Lu Ziqing said firmly. “Didn’t you hear the doctor? It’s because you’ve been overusing suppressants recently that your hormones are getting more and more unstable. And now you want to increase the dosage?”
Lin Yu waved his hand dismissively. “Doctors in small towns like ours aren’t always right…”
“Between a certified doctor and you, I’m choosing to trust the doctor,” Lu Ziqing said. “Let’s go home and pack. I’ll find you a hotel.”
“I don’t want to stay in a hotel,” Lin Yu stubbornly refused to move from the hospital lobby. “I’ve been traveling for work non-stop—I’m sick of hotels.”
Maybe it was because his heat cycle was approaching, but Lin Yu wasn’t acting like his usual self.
His face was flushed, his brows knitted together, and he was refusing to budge.
Like a stubborn little kid.
Lu Ziqing quickly noticed this change.
“If not a hotel, then where?” Lu Ziqing coaxed. “You’re not feeling well, and the doctor said you can’t take more suppressants. You need a quiet place to ride it out.”
“If you go home, what about your parents and sister? They still have work and school.”
Lin Yu’s head was foggy from the pheromone exposure, but he still insisted, “I hate hotels…”
Seeing that he was unsteady on his feet, Lu Ziqing reached out to support his waist. “Then where do you want to go? I’ll rent you a place.”
Lin Yu, his eyes half-closed and dazed, took a long moment before murmuring, “The countryside…”
…
An hour later, Lu Ziqing was driving Lin Yu’s father’s car, taking him to the old family house in the southern countryside.
The house was Lin Yu’s ancestral home, originally occupied by his grandparents.
After they passed away, the house had been left empty.
Lin Yu’s parents would clean it from time to time, as they liked to stay there for short vacations during summer and winter breaks.
Lu Ziqing had explained Lin Yu’s condition to his parents, asked for the old house’s location, and borrowed the car from Lin Yu’s father.
Lin Yu’s mother packed a few sets of clothes and carefully wrapped up the stuffed lamb that Lin Yu had slept with since childhood—tucking even its little ears into the bag—before stuffing it into the trunk.
Lu Ziqing walked Lin Yu to the back seat of the car, letting him lie on his side to rest, then bid farewell to Lin Yu’s parents. “Uncle, Auntie, we’re leaving now.”
Mrs Lin said, “Thank you for your trouble. If anything happens, call me. We have relatives near the old house—I can ask them to help.”
Originally, Mr. Lin had planned to drive Lin Yu there himself, but a sudden urgent order came into the shop, and both parents were too busy packing to leave. Lu Ziqing volunteered to take on the task instead.
Glancing at Lin Yu, who had his eyes tightly shut in the back seat, Lu Ziqing started the car. “Don’t worry.”
…..
Following the GPS, Lu Ziqing managed to drive smoothly to the Lin family’s old countryside home.
It was a two-story traditional house, with white tiled walls that had darkened over time. Some of the tiles were already cracked and peeling. Beside it stood a small, low building serving as a kitchen. The courtyard had scattered, unknown fruit trees growing in it, and just outside the front door ran a small river.
By the time they arrived, night had already fallen. There were no streetlights in the countryside, so Lu Ziqing turned on the car’s headlights, then wrapped Lin Yu in a blanket and helped him out.
Lin Yu had been asleep in the car for over an hour, so he was feeling a little better.
He sniffed the earthy scent in the air, his expression visibly relaxing as he murmured, “…have we arrived?”
“Yeah.” Lu Ziqing helped him inside. “I finally get why you insisted on coming to the countryside. It’s definitely more comfortable than staying in a hotel.”
The air was fresh, the surroundings peaceful, and there was even a faint fruity aroma lingering in the courtyard.
But the night air was still a bit chilly.
The light switch in the entrance hall was hard to find. Lu Ziqing used his phone’s flashlight, fumbling around for quite a while.
With a hoarse voice, Lin Yu called out, “It’s by the door, just under the window, a little to the inside—”
Click.
A warm yellow light spilled out, illuminating half the courtyard.
Unlike in the city, the so-called “light” here was just a single exposed lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
Thanks to Lin Yu’s parents regularly cleaning the house, it was still relatively clean inside, though a fine layer of dust had settled over everything.
The bedroom was right next to the entrance hall.
It was a small room, with dark red wooden furniture and a mirror that had grown foggy over time, exuding a strong sense of nostalgia.
This used to be Lin Yu’s grandparents’ room. After they passed away, his parents would stay here whenever they returned.
Lu Ziqing grabbed a stool for Lin Yu to sit on, then went to the kitchen for a rag and started wiping down the bedside table and the bed frame, carefully cleaning every corner.
As he wiped, he sighed, “I never expected that as a young, handsome bachelor, I’d start working as a servant for your family before even officially marrying in.”
Lin Yu, still weak, replied, “Our family can’t afford your bride price…”
“I’ll marry in for free, no bride price needed. Happy now?” Lu Ziqing said, then smirked. “Seriously, am I under some kind of spell? Did you slip me a love potion or something? Why else would I stick around?”
There was no response.
After a while, Lu Ziqing turned his head and noticed that Lin Yu’s skin looked even redder than before, and his condition seemed off.
He immediately realized that Lin Yu’s heat was flaring up again. Without hesitation, he quickly made the bed, tucked Lin Yu under the covers, and said, “Alright, go to sleep. I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll sleep on the couch outside. Call me if you need anything.”
Lin Yu half-opened his eyes, watching Lu Ziqing’s figure disappear behind the door, followed by the heavy, deliberate sound of it closing.
The scent of clean soap lingered in the blankets. Lin Yu stared at the ceiling with complicated emotions, suddenly feeling like today’s decision might not have been the smartest one.
Everyone in his family was a Beta—except him.
He didn’t want to trouble his parents, so when they asked if Lu Ziqing was an Omega, he had vaguely gone along with it.
That was why his parents had felt comfortable leaving Lu Ziqing in charge of taking care of him.
But… this was actually a risky situation.
Lu Ziqing had been extremely proactive.
Lin Yu’s silent consent was based on his trust in Lu Ziqing.
So far, despite openly pursuing him, Lu Ziqing had never crossed any lines.
To prevent anything from going wrong, Lu Ziqing had even taken a short-term suppressant before coming.
As long as Lin Yu could control himself, nothing bad would happen.
…
After Lu Ziqing left, Lin Yu soon drifted off to sleep again.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he was woken by soft footsteps.
The sound wasn’t actually loud—it was clear that the person was trying to move quietly. But perhaps because of his heightened sensitivity during his heat, Lin Yu snapped awake instantly.
Rustling sounds. The faint swish of fabric. Footsteps. The creaking of an old wooden sofa. The sound of a chair being moved…
He listened for a while and roughly figured out that Lu Ziqing had finished his shower and was getting dressed.
Lin Yu couldn’t fall back asleep.
The entryway wasn’t really a suitable place to sleep.
It faced the front door directly, which didn’t close properly and let in drafts during the winter. The sofa was an old wooden one, and though there was a cushion on it, it was still hard and uncomfortable—even worse for lying down.
Just to take care of him, Lu Ziqing was willing to sleep on that sofa, staying up to watch over him for the next few nights.
As the only son of the Lu family, he had probably never endured such hardship in his entire life.
To say he wasn’t moved at all would be a lie.
Lin Yu occasionally felt a little uneasy. What had he done to deserve Lu Ziqing going to such lengths for him?
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t sleep.
His neck still ached, and his lower back was sore. He lay there in silence for a while before opening his eyes.
Neither the room nor the outside had any lights on. His bed was directly facing the door.
When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed that while the screen door was closed, the wooden door was only half-shut.
Lu Ziqing had probably left it like that so he could hear any movement from him.
From where he lay, Lin Yu could just make out Lu Ziqing under the faint moonlight, his head lowered as he towel-dried his hair.
His upper body was bare, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. The muscles of his arms and shoulders were toned and defined, and the hem of the towel swayed slightly with his movements…
Lin Yu’s mind went blank in an instant.
[mfn]
[Author’s Note]
You little rascal, you’re doing this on purpose!
[/mfn]
