UNCLTRD chapter 27

Yang Tao put on his coat and dragged a small stool to sit in front of Chen Qiusu, comfortably leaning against his lap. Outside the window, the mist was thick, and the biting cold wind made the bare tree branches sway. Fortunately, the little heater in front of him was warm enough.

He didn’t mind that this place wasn’t as convenient or nice as home. He could still sleep in the same room as his dad and Uncle Chen. It was lively and fun.

Besides, if it weren’t for him and Uncle Chen, his dad would have had to stay alone in the mountains, and he would have definitely been lonely.

“Uncle Chen, next time we should come out here to play too.”

Chen Qiusu gently rubbed Yang Tao’s hair, the sound of the loud hairdryer drowning out Yang Tao’s voice. He leaned closer to hear clearly what Yang Tao had said, but Yang Tao was just lying on his lap.

“Are you tired?”

“Uncle Chen, your pheromone smells really good.”

Yang Tao didn’t really understand what pheromones were. He couldn’t describe it either, but he just liked the smell of Chen Qiusu’s pheromones. As long as Chen Qiusu was nearby, he felt that both he and his dad could relax. He could sleep more peacefully.

He added, somewhat mindlessly, “Daddy must like it too.”

What he liked, his dad surely wouldn’t dislike.

Just as Chen Qiusu turned off the hairdryer and was about to use a towel to wipe Yang Tao’s head, he clearly heard those words. He wrapped the towel around Yang Tao’s head, “Really?”

He had never heard Yang Shao say that, and Yang Shao wasn’t the type to talk about liking or disliking things. For a beta without glands, pheromones had no appeal.

“Why do you say that?”

Yang Tao thought for a moment. “Daddy must think you’re reliable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let you take care of me.”

His dad didn’t say it, but he was very reassured leaving him at Uncle Chen’s house. There was no other reason besides trusting Uncle Chen.

The sound of water from the bathroom had long stopped. Every word Yang Tao said to Chen Quisu made him ponder, and he hadn’t noticed that Yang Shao had already finished his shower and come out.

Yang Shao stood quietly at the bathroom door, wanting to interrupt the conversation a few times, feeling both frustrated and speechless.

Yang Tao was overthinking things. He never felt that way. Chen Qiusu might be a bit more reliable than most, but this idea of liking him because of his pheromones was purely imaginary.

“Achoo!”

Before Yang Shao could speak, Chen Qiusu sneezed.

“Uncle Chen! You’ve sneezed several times! You must be getting a cold!” Yang Tao turned around and saw Yang Shao standing behind him. “Daddy!”

Yang Shao wasn’t embarrassed at all. He didn’t eavesdrop; he was just listening openly. When the door was knocked, he turned to open it.

When he borrowed the clothes from the innkeeper, Yang Shao had also ordered some food. By the time they finished their showers, the food had arrived.

He brought the food to the room, letting Chen Qiusu and Yang Tao eat first while he went out with the clothes they had changed out of.

The laundry room at the farmhouse was easy to find, on the rooftop terrace. He dumped all the clothes into the washing machine, not caring whether Chen Qiusu’s clothes could be machine-washed.

“Would he rather leave the clothes untouched until tomorrow or wash them tonight? Knowing Chen Qiusu, he’d probably choose the former.”

Yang Shao poured the laundry detergent into the machine, set the timer, and pressed the start button. With the laundry taken care of, he felt like he owed Chen Qiusu nothing now.

Thinking of how frequently Chen Qiusu sneezed, Yang Shao worried he might catch a cold and pass it to him and Yang Tao, which would be a disaster. He went downstairs to ask the innkeeper for some cold medicine.

When he returned to the room, Yang Tao was already asleep. Chen Qiusu was sitting by the bed, keeping him company as usual. With no books at hand, he had searched for a fairy tale on his phone and was reading it to Yang Tao.

Seeing Yang Shao return, Chen Qiusu put away his phone and lowered his voice, “Eat while it’s still warm.”

The food had been served separately and kept warm near the heater. Even after some time, it hadn’t cooled down

No wonder Yang Tao liked Chen Qiusu so much. Chen Qiusu, as a father, was undoubtedly a great one. Like Yang Tao said, Chen Qiusu was dependable.

It wasn’t just Yang Tao who found him dependable. Yang Shao himself unconsciously trusted him with Yang Tao’s safety without a second thought.

As for Chen Qiusu’s pheromones, Yang Shao sniffed the air. He only found the scent overpowering. The entire room smelled like Chen Qiusu, and he didn’t like it one bit.

With the liveliest one already asleep, only Yang Shao and Chen Qiusu were left in the room. But since Chen Qiusu wasn’t much of a talker, Yang Shao didn’t know what to say, leaving the room oppressively quiet.

Midway through his meal, Yang Shao pulled some medicine from his pocket. “Take this cold medicine, or you’ll end up catching a cold.”

Chen Qiusu looked puzzled. “Where did you get this?”

“From the innkeeper. Do you think I stole it off the street? Why ask so many questions?”

Yang Shao wasn’t interested in explaining himself, as though showing too much concern for Chen Qiusu would make it seem like he cared a lot.

“What about you and Yang Tao?”

Yang Shao glanced at his bowl. “Didn’t you see how lively Yang Tao is?”

But Chen Qiusu, unusually persistent, pressed on, his voice lower and hoarser than usual. “What about you?”

Yang Shao grew irritated. It was enough for Chen Qiusu to worry about Yang Tao; there was no need to include him.

“People like me are tough; we don’t get sick that easily. Take care of yourself, rich boy.”

Yang Shao’s words were sharp as usual, but Chen Qiusu was used to it.

“Thank you.”

Saying something like, “It’s fine, no need to thank me,” didn’t come easily to Yang Shao. Deep down, he probably believed there was a need, and Chen Qiusu should thank him.

After their brief exchange, silence fell again. Neither spoke until Yang Shao finished his meal. He stood to place the dishes by the door and noticed Chen Qiusu sitting nearby, his cheeks flushed.

“If you’re sleepy, just go to bed.” He sounded like he was scolding Yang Tao. “Staying up to keep me company, with your face all red from the heater—what’s the point?”

To be honest, with his ill-fitting tracksuit, limp hair, and rosy cheeks, Chen Qiusu looked like some naive country bumpkin.

Chen Qiusu himself felt the warmth spreading through his face and body. His eyelids felt heavy as if glued together. “What about you?”

“You go ahead and sleep. I’ll wait for the laundry to finish.” If he didn’t, tomorrow might truly require them to head out naked.

Seeing Chen Qiusu finally settle on the other bed, Yang Shao let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t very late, but the day had been exhausting. If not for the need to dry the clothes, Yang Shao would’ve gone to bed early too. He scrolled through news on his phone, all text with no sound, and found his eyelids growing heavy.

It felt like karma—teasing Chen Qiusu earlier, only to be stuck paying for it now.

“Hmm…” A muffled groan and the rustling of fabric came from behind him.

Instinctively, Yang Shao turned to see Chen Qiusu kicking off his blanket. For a moment, he struggled internally, but ultimately, he couldn’t stand it, just as he couldn’t tolerate Yang Tao kicking off his covers. He got up to tuck the blanket back over Chen Qiusu.

Usually, Chen Qiusu slept neatly, but perhaps he wasn’t used to the bed. After rolling over, his forehead pressed into the pillow, his messy bangs casting shadows over his face. Under the dim bedside lamp, his cheeks were unusually red, his breathing labored, and his chest heaving noticeably. The cedarwood scent in the air grew overwhelmingly strong.

“Ugh…”

Yang Shao paused, frowning as he placed his hand on Chen Qiusu’s forehead. Sure enough, it was burning hot. He had known it—someone as pampered as Chen Qiusu wouldn’t hold up.

Yang Shao debated waking Chen Qiusu. His gaze shifted, catching sight of Chen Qiusu’s long legs outlined by the tight tracksuit, the bulge in the fabric all too prominent.

The cool touch of his hand on his forehead seemed to soothe Chen Qiusu. In his feverish haze, Chen Quisu unconsciously leaned into Yang Shao’s palm.

Yang Shao recoiled as if burned, muttering curses under his breath. “Are all alphas beasts? Even though sick, they still…” His irritation peaked. “Chen Qiusu!” he snapped in a low, harsh voice, landing two light smacks on the man’s face. “Wake up!”

The cold medicine had left Chen Qiusu groggy. Even after opening his eyes, his vision remained unfocused. Familiarity in the voice made him pause, struggling to recall who it was.

The searing heat coursing through his body left him parched, weak, and sweating through the sheets. He felt like a fish out of water, even his struggles falling short.

Yang Shao leaned closer, realizing something was off. “Hey? Are you okay?”

It took a long moment before Chen Qiusu’s eyes managed to focus. His lips moved faintly, and after several attempts, he finally managed to whisper, “Yang Shao.”

“Yang Shao…”

Yang Shao’s mind buzzed as Chen Qiusu’s fevered breath seemed to reach his heart from a distance. That familiar feeling surged from somewhere far away.

Chen Qiusu… was he in heat?

“Are you freaking burning up from a fever… or in heat?”

Chen Qiusu, in his current state, was so out of it that he had to muster all his focus and process Yang Shao’s question for several seconds before reacting.

Frantically, Yang Shao rummaged through Chen Qiusu’s coat pockets. The suppressant—where was it? The pockets were empty. Seriously, who carries suppressants around? And now, in this remote mountain area, where the hell was he supposed to find one?

Grabbing Chen Qiusu by the collar, Yang Shao shouted, “Aren’t you undergoing treatment? What did the doctor say? Don’t you know when your heat is supposed to come? What’s the doctor’s number?”

“I’m fine…” Chen Qiusu’s reply held no conviction.

“Bullshit!”

Yang Shao didn’t care if Chen Qiusu was “fine” or not. He fished out Chen Qiusu’s phone and, scrolling through recent calls, found a contact labeled “Doctor” that had been called repeatedly. Without hesitation, he dialed.