PTBC chapter 51

After staying up late, when Xia Yan woke up the next day, he had faint dark circles under his eyes.

As soon as he stepped out of the door, he bumped into Xu Cong.

It seemed like the others in the dorm were not around, and the table was empty except for Xu Cong, who was drinking an iced Americano. When he saw Xia Yan, Xu Cong looked surprised for a second.

They were less than three meters apart, yet neither said anything.

Despite their familiarity, it suddenly felt like they didn’t know how to greet each other.

After a while, Xu Cong spoke first, telling Xia Yan, “The others have gone out. Bai Yu informed me that you’re going to the hospital for a pheromone level check today. He wants me to go with you, in case the doctor has any instructions and you need my help.”

But after speaking, the corner of his mouth tightened for a few seconds, then he added, “If you don’t want me to go, I can stay behind, Bai Yu won’t know.”

Xia Yan felt a moment of suffocation. When did their relationship become this distant? Even going to the hospital together felt like an awkward thing that needed to be handled cautiously.

He looked at Xu Cong and thought about the clips he had watched last night, Xu Cong at 19, at 20, silently watching him…

His throat tightened.

“Let’s go. Don’t be so…” he didn’t know how to put it. He just whispered, “Don’t avoid it like this.”

Xu Cong looked at him for a while, but didn’t say anything more. He just got up to get breakfast for Xia Yan.

…..

After breakfast, Xu Cong drove, and they went to the hospital together.

On the way there, Xia Yan suddenly thought about it. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t had any symptoms in a long time. Since Xu Cong came to the filming set over a month ago, he hadn’t had any temporary marking from him.

But then he thought again, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe it was because of Xu Cong’s heat period, and he had been immersed in so much of Xu Cong’s pheromones that it alleviated his symptoms.

But when he finally sat down in Dr. Li Mingchen’s office and Dr. Li carefully examined his report, he gave an unexpected answer.

“From all the indicators, it seems that your differentiation period has ended,” Dr. Li smiled at him, “In other words, your gland has matured, and this is the true maturity of an omega. As long as you come back for a recheck next month and everything is still normal, congratulations, you’re officially out of the differentiation period.”

Xia Yan was stunned for a moment, unable to believe his ears. He had been tortured by the differentiation period for half a year and had thought this miserable time would never end. Now, suddenly, he was free—he could hardly believe it.

“Really?”

He double-checked with Dr. Li: “You mean, starting from today, I don’t need any more pheromone treatments?”

Xu Cong stood nearby, and when he heard Xia Yan’s words, his face remained emotionless, but a hint of self-mockery crossed his eyes.

He thought, indeed.

This must be the thing Xia Yan cared about the most right now.

“As for the pheromone treatment, I would still suggest you stick with it for another month,” Dr. Li said earnestly, “Although your indicators have reached the standard, we still need to observe for another month. To prevent any unforeseen issues, it’s better to continue taking some of Xu Cong’s pheromones to stabilize it.”

He looked at Xia Yan’s face, making sure Xia Yan understood the seriousness of the situation, and emphasized: “You wouldn’t want an unexpected issue to arise in the last month, right? You’ve come this far; don’t let it all go to waste.”

Xia Yan touched the back of his neck but didn’t speak.

After a while, he took the suppressants prescribed by Dr. Li for his heat period, and left the hospital with Xu Cong.

The whole way back, neither of them spoke. The sunlight streamed through the window, leaving only its residual warmth on their skin.

Back at the dorm, Xia Yan changed his shoes and was about to head to his room, but before he could walk away, Xu Cong grabbed his wrist.

Xia Yan froze, and memories of the heat period rushed back.

Xu Cong grabbed him and pressed him against the wall, locking his hands…

Xia Yan’s face turned pale, and instinctively, he swatted Xu Cong’s hand away.

But as he did, the sharp sound of it echoed through the living room.

Not only was Xu Cong stunned, but even Xia Yan himself was taken aback.

They stood in the living room, facing each other for several minutes, neither of them able to say anything.

Xia Yan almost immediately regretted it. He had reacted that way because of what happened the day Xu Cong had bound his hands, not because he truly rejected Xu Cong.

But as he looked at Xu Cong, he didn’t know how to explain, and anything he said would seem like an excuse.

He wasn’t used to showing weakness.

Finally, he whispered, “I didn’t mean it.”

Xu Cong wasn’t sure whether he accepted the apology. He looked at Xia Yan for a while, then softly said, “I just wanted to ask, do you need one last pheromone treatment?”

He lowered his eyes, his tone flat, “I don’t have any other intentions, just following Dr. Li’s advice. I swear I won’t take advantage of the situation. You can rest assured.”

Xia Yan froze.

He didn’t expect Xu Cong to say such a thing. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t that he was really afraid of Xu Cong doing anything to him—after all, it wasn’t his heat period anymore, and Xu Cong wouldn’t lose control so easily.

But he couldn’t help but think: Is it really not a kind of torture to bite the nape of an omega you like, yet still force yourself to hold back?

However, his silence clearly made Xu Cong misunderstand.

Xu Cong looked at him for a moment, then stood up from the couch. “If you don’t want it, then forget it… I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

But before he could take two steps, his wrist was grabbed.

He turned around and saw Xia Yan standing in the sunlight filling the room, looking at him. The sunlight was so bright that Xia Yan’s already faint eyelashes almost appeared transparent.

Xia Yan lowered his head, seeming like he couldn’t bear to meet Xu Cong’s gaze. He only showed him his side profile.

“I’m not unwilling,” Xia Yan’s voice was dry, as though he wasn’t used to feeling so awkward, “As long as you… don’t mind.”

At the last word, Xia Yan nearly bit his tongue. He tightened his grip on Xu Cong’s hand but quickly let go, feeling defeated.

He just stood there, neither stepping forward nor retreating, silently standing in the sunlight like a quiet statue.

Xu Cong silently looked at him for a while, then walked over.

There was no one else in the dorm.

The living room was empty, and even the faintest breath could be heard.

Xu Cong could feel Xia Yan’s body tense up as he approached, but he didn’t offer unnecessary comfort.

Words were futile.

Ever since what had happened during his heat period, he knew in Xia Yan’s heart, he must be the number one wanted criminal, with a giant red X beside his name.

Xu Cong lowered his gaze, brushed aside Xia Yan’s hair on his neck, and without any hesitation, he bit down.

Over a month had passed, and the scent of rose rum filled the air, while his pheromones infused into Xia Yan’s glands.

Xia Yan almost cried out.

The intense sensation almost made him lose his balance. He instinctively reached for Xu Cong’s arm but, for some unknown reason, held himself back.

But just as he wobbled, Xu Cong’s hand reached out and steadied him, pulling him close into his embrace.

The temporary marking lasted only a few minutes.

Xia Yan clenched his hands, his eyelids drooping, and his vision blurred.

He looked down and saw the shadows of him and Xu Cong tangled together on the living room floor, bathed in the bright sunlight.

It was hard to tell who was who.

A few minutes later, the marking was over.

Xu Cong quickly withdrew his teeth, leaving a dark bite mark on Xia Yan’s nape.

But after all, this wasn’t a permanent mark. It would fade and eventually disappear.

This made Xu Cong’s heart surge with intense jealousy and an overwhelming sense of possessiveness toward the omega in front of him. It flowed in every drop of his blood.

But still, he swiftly and decisively withdrew his hand from Xia Yan’s arm.

By the time Xia Yan came back to his senses, Xu Cong had already silently turned and walked to his room.

After a soft click of the door, the living room returned to silence.

Xia Yan stood in the living room, staring at his own shadow on the floor, lost in thought for a long time.

He raised his hand to touch the back of his neck, his expression dark.

…..

In the next few days, Xia Yan and Xu Cong’s situation didn’t improve, but it didn’t worsen either.

The rumors about him and Xu Cong had to be dealt with, as Xia Yan, being the team captain, had to protect the team’s reputation. Since he saw them, he couldn’t just ignore them.

When under the camera, he would still try to cooperate and stand next to Xu Cong, and follow the host’s cues to include Xu Cong in the conversation.

Although Xu Cong wasn’t one to smile much, during an outdoor shoot with a huge crowd, when fans almost knocked Xia Yan over, he stepped forward to shield him and protect him.

This photo was widely shared by fans, especially since Xu Cong, after protecting Xia Yan, instinctively raised his hand to shield Xia Yan’s head, fearing he might be hit by a nearby metal frame. The scene was perfect: the crowd pressed together, a light drizzle in the air, and the dim lighting perfectly illuminating them. The atmosphere was just right.

Their fans screamed, calling them the best of friends, and assumed that all the rumors were lies, fueled by jealousy over D.A’s strong bond.

The CP fans even went so far as to put veils and bow ties on them, declaring that “Congyan” had just gotten married right there, and thanking everyone for attending their wedding.

Such behavior temporarily cleared up the rumors about D.A potentially disbanding, reassuring the fans.

Bai Yu let out a sigh of relief.

But when he returned to the dorm and saw the two rooms with closed doors, he still couldn’t help but worry, silently taking his ginseng pills.

Although he was the manager, the truth was, Xia Yan, as the captain, was the soul of the team, and Xu Cong, being the heir of the Xu family, had a lot of freedom in their contract, allowing him considerable autonomy.

He couldn’t really control what was happening between the two of them.

But no matter how Xu Cong and Xia Yan avoided the issue, there was one thing they couldn’t escape: Xia Yan’s sister, Fu Hui, and her partner Li Song’an’s wedding.

The two had been engaged for a year, and their wedding date had long been set for January 28, just a month before the New Year.

Fu Hui had already arranged for Xia Yan and Xu Cong to be the groomsmen. With the wedding date approaching, she made sure to call and remind them.

When Xia Yan answered the phone, Xu Cong was standing next to him. Xia Yan had the speaker on, so every word was clear.

Fu Hui’s voice was cold. “You two better not ditch me. You’re my brother, and Xu Cong has eaten so many meals at our house, he’s also like a brother to me. For such a big event in my life, on the day I get married, I don’t care how busy you both are, even if you have to crawl, you better get to my wedding. Otherwise, I’ll come to your dorm and assassinate you both. Do you hear me?”

Xia Yan pressed his nosebridge with a headache and said perfunctorily, “…I heard you.”

He was still reluctant to indulge Fu Hui, snorting coldly, “What are you getting so angry about? Is it pre-marriage jitters? I suggest you calm down, or maybe tomorrow, Li Ge will abandon you and run off to the ends of the earth.”

After speaking, he hung up the phone without hesitation, not caring about Fu Hui on the other end yelling and cursing him out.

When he hung up and looked up, he just happened to meet Xu Cong’s gaze.

As the other person who was mentioned, Xia Yan said calmly, “You heard, right? If you don’t go, Fu Hui will have you secretly assassinated.”

Xu Cong didn’t respond to this statement.

This was Fu Hui’s wedding, and also a family gathering for Xia Yan’s friends and relatives.

He was originally an outsider who was brought in by Xia Yan, and thanks to Xia Yan’s kindness, he had a place at the long table of the Xia family.

But now, he had been officially “exiled” by Xia Yan, and it was time for him to have some self-awareness and stop being a bother.

Before he could speak however, a warm hand grabbed him.

Xu Cong’s heart skipped a beat, and his gaze lowered.

Xia Yan had a firm grip on his hand, but his face was turned away, not looking directly at him.

He whispered, “You have to attend, don’t make Fu Hui, Li Ge, and my dads sad. They like you so much.”

Xu Cong froze.

From his angle, Xia Yan’s eyelashes, which were fluttering like a butterfly, trembled nervously.