PHWM Chapter 43.1

Liang Xiao lay in President Huo’s bed for a full three days.

 

The heat period lived up to its reputation. It wasn’t until the third day that Liang Xiao barely mustered enough strength to stand up on his own.

 

Huo Lan had gone to the company, and Liang Xiao couldn’t bear to lie down anymore. After tossing and turning in bed a few times, he put on some clothes and stumbled out the door.

 

The life assistant guarding the door was startled: “Mr. Liang—”

 

“It’s nothing,” Liang Xiao smiled, “Just getting some air.”

 

The life assistant was assigned to Liang Xiao by Xingguan and didn’t know Liang Xiao’s background, only that he was an artist President Huo particularly valued. He was nervous, afraid of offending him by doing something wrong.

 

Liang Xiao had spoken to him a few times but wasn’t very familiar.

 

President Huo had specifically instructed to take good care of Mr. Liang before leaving. The life assistant hesitated for a moment, then carefully spoke up: “Where are you going? Let me help you—”

 

“No need,” Liang Xiao said kindly, “I know the way.”

 

He had actually been to Huo’s residence before when fulfilling the contract.

 

He had been in the master bedroom these past few days. Next to the master bedroom was the side bedroom, and past that was the office.

 

Coming back around from the office, there was a small bedroom.

 

Liang Xiao had a particular fondness for the bathroom in the small bedroom. It was also in the small bedroom where he had dumped heavy medical knowledge on President Huo’s head.

 

Later, when leaving in a hurry, he had given paparazzi an opportunity to take a stack of suggestive, blurry photos.

 

Liang Xiao just wanted some fresh air. He didn’t ask the life assistant to follow and slowly walked half a circle along the familiar route by himself.

 

He had been sick before, but this inexplicable weakness was different from previous times. The gland at the back of his neck was still endlessly troubling him. Though he didn’t feel unwell in any specific place, he couldn’t muster any strength at all.

 

By the second lap, Liang Xiao’s forehead was already faintly sweating. He had to close his eyes to block out the spots in his vision and leaned against the door to rest for a while.

 

Liang Xiao gathered his strength several times but hadn’t steadied himself when suddenly someone ran over and supported him: “What are you doing running out here?”

 

Liang Xiao was stunned for a moment, then opened his eyes: “Brother Duan?”

 

“President Huo asked me and Xiao Gong to come over,” Duan Ming knew what he was going to ask and answered in advance, “Worried you wouldn’t be used to the people in the villa.”

 

Liang Xiao hadn’t expected Huo Lan to think of even this. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled: “I’m fine… Thank you for your trouble.”

 

“Staying in a villa, Xiao Gong is overjoyed,” Duan Ming couldn’t stand seeing Liang Xiao like this. He casually pushed open a door and helped him sit down: “Rest for a bit, then walk again when you’ve recovered.”

 

Previously, they had always waited for Liang Xiao outside. This was the first time the assistant had entered the villa and was extremely excited.

 

Duan Ming, afraid he might cause trouble, kept him in check all morning and only let him out to look around after President Huo left.

 

“I told him,” Duan Ming said, “He’s only allowed to wander outside, not enter any rooms or touch anything.”

 

Liang Xiao smiled: “It doesn’t have to be that strict…”

 

Duan Ming: “Better to be strict.”

 

Liang Xiao’s dizziness hadn’t completely subsided, so he didn’t say more. He nodded and closed his eyes to rest for a while.

 

“Are you alright?” Duan Ming asked worriedly, supporting him, “How bad is the dizziness? Has it been like this these past few days?”

 

“It was worse the first few days,” Liang Xiao opened his eyes, still feeling uneasy, “I felt like I was on a small boat tossing and turning with the surging waves.”

 

Duan Ming: “…”

 

Duan Ming wanted to ask where he got that metaphor from, but held back: “Has President Huo been with you the whole time?”

 

Liang Xiao was slightly surprised: “Brother Duan, how did you know?”

 

Duan Ming thought to himself that probably the entire Huo household knew by now. He patted Liang Xiao’s shoulder and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

 

For these three days, President Huo hadn’t left the bedroom. All work was communicated remotely through the housekeeper, and even meetings were just brief text discussions. He hadn’t even connected a single video call.

 

Xingguan was far away, so not many people knew the inside story yet.

 

The Huo family’s housekeepers, chefs, and security team were all privately discussing that this time, President Huo had likely truly been captivated by the omega he brought back.

 

“These three days…” Duan Ming couldn’t resist gossiping himself and lowered his voice, “What did President Huo do with you?”

 

Liang Xiao had pondered this question for three days in bed and prepared just one answer: “Temporary marking.”

 

“My gland needs stabilizing,” Liang Xiao explained calmly, well-prepared, “Multiple temporary markings help regulate pheromones. President Huo’s pheromones are active during this period, so temporary marking can help stabilize them too.”

 

Duan Ming was surprised by Liang Xiao’s composed demeanor and stared at him carefully for a while.

 

Liang Xiao nodded: “It’s mutually beneficial.”

 

“President Huo bit you,” Duan Ming carefully considered his answer and translated, “For a full three days.”

 

Liang Xiao: “…”

 

Duan Ming didn’t know much about temporary marking, but based on how long Liang Xiao usually spent on financial transactions with President Huo, he felt that such a simple task shouldn’t take three days: “That’s not right, you previously—”

 

Duan Ming waved his hand in front of Liang Xiao’s eyes: “What’s wrong?”

 

Liang Xiao was caught off guard. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

 

“…” Duan Ming understood: “Ah, ah, ah, too stimu—”

 

Liang Xiao steamed: “Brother Duan!”

 

Duan Ming cooperated: “I won’t ask anymore.”

 

Liang Xiao’s gland became a bit unstable again. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling in several parts to cool himself down.

…

 

For these three days, Huo Lan had indeed been giving him temporary marks continuously.

 

The gland’s sensitivity during heat is an omega’s physical instinct. Liang Xiao thought that after enduring it a few times, he would gradually adapt and it would be fine. He didn’t expect there to be no improvement at all.

 

As for Huo Lan… he showed remarkable talent.

 

At first, he couldn’t even control Liang Xiao’s left arm while holding down his right, or hold his shoulders while restraining his waist.

 

Now he could smoothly and comprehensively pin him in his arms, softly coaxing him not to be afraid, offering his wrist for Liang Xiao to bite, while skillfully biting Liang Xiao’s neck.

 

Liang Xiao was powerless to change the situation. He was bitten in a daze for three days, and even now, thinking about it still left him emotionally unsettled.

 

Seeing Liang Xiao’s changing expressions, Duan Ming had basically guessed the plot of these three days. He stopped provoking Liang Xiao and changed the subject: “Your pajamas have arrived.”

 

Liang Xiao was still in a daze. Hearing about pajamas, he couldn’t help but think of how Huo Lan had barely slept while taking care of him these three days, hardly even changing his clothes: “What pajamas?”

 

“Didn’t you buy them?” Duan Ming worried he had been bitten silly and felt his forehead, “A gift for President Huo, to return the favor for the walnuts.”

 

Liang Xiao tried hard to recall: “…Right.”

 

Several batches of walnuts had already been eaten. President Huo had a strong obsession with walnuts during his susceptible period, and there were still many in stock in the bedroom.

 

When Liang Xiao felt unwell, he would open his eyes to see Huo Lan watching over him without leaving a step. When he felt better and fell into a deep sleep, occasionally waking up groggily, he would see Huo Lan cracking walnuts under the lamp.

 

Using what looked like professional tools, he would crack the walnut shell, carefully disassemble it, and extract the kernel inside.

 

His movements were skilled, quick, and silent.

 

Liang Xiao’s mind was hazy these days. Sometimes he would watch entranced, even feeling that this scene was somewhat familiar.

 

Not from the impressions of their time together these days, but more like something too distant, so far away that only a vague outline remained—a kind of quiet and hazy déjà vu.

 

…

 

Seeing him suddenly lost in thought, Duan Ming waved his hand in front of Liang Xiao’s eyes again: “What are you thinking about?”

 

Liang Xiao pondered: “I wonder if walnuts and I have some unfinished business.”

 

Duan Ming was stunned for a moment: “Huh?”

 

Liang Xiao couldn’t explain it clearly to him, looking very profound as he waved his hand: “We’ll talk about it later…”

 

When Liang Xiao was helped inside, he was too dizzy to notice, but now that he had recovered, he looked back at the full wall of bookshelves behind him: “Is this a study?”

 

Duan Ming was in a hurry to get him to sit down and hadn’t looked carefully either. He was stunned for a moment before looking up: “I guess so.”

 

Liang Xiao hadn’t seen Huo Lan’s study before. Remembering his obsession these past few days, he suddenly couldn’t resist wanting to find a couple of books.

 

Duan Ming was surprised: “What books?”

 

Liang Xiao was still thinking about what Huo Lan had said before. These three days had been so chaotic he hadn’t had a chance to think about it. Now as he considered it, the tips of his ears grew hot again: “Just books.”

 

Duan Ming remembered: “You let President Huo mark you continuously for three days. You two, a lone alpha and omega, highly compatible, but you’re still obsessing, really wanting him to hold you and read to you like he promised.”

 

This was Liang Xiao’s only dream. He gritted his teeth, abandoning his shame: “…Yes.”

 

Duan Ming took a deep breath: “Does President Huo have any erotic books here?”

 

“…” Liang Xiao turned away from “One Hundred Years of Solitude”: “No.”

 

Duan Ming almost wanted to donate a couple to him. Seeing Liang Xiao circling that bookshelf, he pulled him away just in time: “These are economics works, ‘Currency Wars’.”

 

Liang Xiao moved to another shelf.

 

Duan Ming looked up to help him: “Philosophy theory.”

 

Liang Xiao switched to another shelf.

 

Duan Ming: “Mysteries of the universe.”

 

Liang Xiao: “…”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t really want to fulfill his dream anymore: “Are there any novels?”

 

“‘History of Modern Chinese Novel Schools’,” Duan Ming helped him search, “‘Columbia History of the British Novel’, ‘A Brief History of Chinese Fiction’.”

 

“…” Liang Xiao personally buried his own dream, swaying as he held onto the bookshelf and walked out.