Nan Yi looked down at the sofa, deep in thought. He felt his idea was feasible.
“Mr. Nan.”
As he was deep in thought, the butler ignored Xiao Jing’s question and called to him instead.
“Huh?” Nan Yi looked at the kind butler in confusion.
“Why are you calling him?” Xiao Jing asked irritably.
“Xiao Jing! Haven’t I told you to show more respect to Mr. Nan?”
Xiao Jing let out a scornful snort. “You only know how to lecture me. I am going upstairs.” He shot a look of disgust at Nan Yi and turned away, leaving the living room.
“Xiao Jing, Young Master He treats you well because he is kind-hearted; you must not push your luck.” The butler looked at Xiao Jing’s retreating back with a troubled expression, but the Omega who had walked away seemed not to hear him at all, disappearing around the corner upstairs.
Nan Yi stood quietly, waiting for the butler to continue.
“Mr. Nan,” the butler called out again.
Nan Yi nodded.
“I may have to leave tonight. Please look after Young Master He from now on.”
Nan Yi was surprised and quickly used sign language. He Yushen is only angry for the moment; he did not really mean to fire you.
The butler gently interrupted his movements. “My apologies, Mr. Nan. I do not understand sign language. Could you please listen to me first?”
Nan Yi hesitated and lowered his hands.
The butler continued, “Young Master He has a stomach condition, but he dislikes eating breakfast, which often leads to stomach aches. He is a perfectionist and cannot tolerate spicy food; he prefers a light diet.”
Nan Yi frowned, not quite understanding the butler’s intention.
The butler added, “From tomorrow on, could I trouble you to prepare breakfast for Young Master He every morning? No one else dares to advise him, but if it is prepared by you, perhaps Young Master He will not let your efforts go to waste.”
Nan Yi became increasingly shocked, his mouth agape in disbelief.
Sign language: I cannot do it. He Yushen despises me. Let… let Xiao Jing do it.
Nan Yi always unconsciously used sign language, forgetting that the butler had just said he could not understand it.
The butler interrupted his frantic hand gestures. “Mr. Nan, I am begging you.”
The butler looked at Nan Yi with sincerity, his face still etched with worry. Seeing Nan Yi remain silent, he spoke again, “I am truly begging you, Mr. Nan. I have to go back tonight to take care of my mistress.”
The butler was a good person—kind, gentle, and never once looked down on Nan Yi or treated him poorly for being a low-quality Omega.
After thinking for a long time, Nan Yi gritted his teeth and nodded, feeling as if he were heading to the execution grounds.
Relieved by his consent, the butler finally smiled. “Mr. Nan, it is getting late. You should go up and rest.”
Nan Yi nodded again and turned to head upstairs, his footsteps feeling unusually heavy. At the stairs, he realized he had not asked what time he should start preparing breakfast for He Yushen, but when he turned back, the living room was empty.
With no other choice, Nan Yi slowly made his way back to the bedroom. It was a short hallway, but it felt like he had been walking forever.
He pushed the door open to find the room in darkness. The bright moon cast a dim light through the window. A dark, tall, and lonely silhouette stood by the window where the outside view was clearly visible. Nan Yi did not know why he felt that silhouette was lonely, even when he could not distinguish the color of the person’s clothes. Perhaps it was the desolate moonlight.
“Tell me, how much must one love someone to be willing to return to the side of a person they have hated for over twenty years?”
Nan Yi gently closed the door and tiptoed toward He Yushen. Without love, there would be no hate, Nan Yi thought to himself.
The room remained quiet for a long time.
He Yushen sighed softly. “You cannot speak, so why am I even asking you?”
In that moment, Nan Yi felt that the person before him was truly sad.
That night, He Yushen even had a nightmare. In the middle of the night, Nan Yi was awakened by a tight embrace. As if a child afraid of losing a beloved toy, He Yushen held Nan Yi in a death grip. Nan Yi did not even dare to struggle; every time he moved, those large hands would tighten.
Nan Yi had to tilt his head just to breathe, accidentally touching skin that felt as cold as ice. Feeling helpless, he released his faint, low-quality soothing pheromones. Having spent a long time with He Yushen, his pheromones were still faint as always, but they were better than before. Perhaps because even an Alpha relies on his Omega, the faint, sugary scent allowed He Yushen to relax his body in his sleep.
Nan Yi was finally able to fall into a comfortable slumber.
Because he remembered the butler’s request, Nan Yi woke up early the next morning. He felt the person beside him still sleeping soundly, so he gently lifted the hand pressing down on him and got out of bed with soft movements.
Having released soothing pheromones all night, Nan Yi’s glands felt a bit parched.
The morning air was chilly, and with the air conditioning still running, it felt cold outside the warm quilt. Nan Yi found a wine-red, loose-fitting knitted sweater and a pair of soft, flowing casual pants in the wardrobe. They were not the discounted clothes Nan Yi usually bought; they were sent over by Liu Yue and kept in the wardrobe by the butler.
The fabric was exceptionally soft, and the vibrant color looked quite good. Nan Yi looked at himself in the mirror for a while longer while brushing his teeth.
He Yushen is at least very generous, Nan Yi thought, suddenly feeling that making breakfast for him was only right.
Nan Yi went downstairs. The butler was truly gone this time. Nan Yi was not very good at cooking, but he was not completely incompetent either; a simple breakfast was well within his capabilities.
By seven in the morning, he had breakfast ready and was waiting at the table.
Half an hour later, a well-dressed He Yushen came downstairs. He paused upon seeing Nan Yi dozing off at the table. The wine-red color complemented his fair skin, and he looked much healthier than before.
He Yushen headed straight toward the door, feeling like something was missing today. He did not turn around until he was nearly at the door, when the sharp, screeching sound of a chair moving made him frown.
The person who had been dozing was now rushing toward him in a panic. Nan Yi instinctively reached for his waist, and in his haste, he tripped and stumbled, falling forward. He Yushen reached out and caught him with ease.
He Yushen looked down at the hands gripping his clothes and then at the rabbit slippers on Nan Yi’s feet. Finally, his gaze settled on Nan Yi’s panicked face.
He Yushen frowned deeply. “Throwing yourself at me early in the morning?”
Nan Yi awkwardly stood upright. Tripping on flat ground and falling into He Yushen’s arms—this pose really did look like a cliché drama accident.
He Yushen retracted his hands, which were still suspended in mid-air, and said coldly, “Don’t play these useless little tricks on me. Unless I am in my rut, I will not touch you.”
Nan Yi: “…”
The man turned to leave, but Nan Yi anxiously reached out and tugged at the corner of his suit jacket.
He Yushen turned back, appearing impatient. The Omega holding him was blushing, his clear eyes darting away.
“You want it that much?” He Yushen’s expression faltered for a moment as he asked in a cold voice.
Nan Yi hurriedly shook his head in embarrassment, pointing toward the dining table nearby.
Realizing he had misunderstood, the corner of the man’s mouth twitched stiffly.
“You want me to eat breakfast?” He Yushen asked, pretending to be nonchalant.
Nan Yi nodded again and let go of his jacket.
He Yushen glanced at the corner of his suit and said calmly, “I won’t eat.”
As he turned to leave again, Nan Yi had no choice but to grab him once more.
He Yushen was forced to stop. “Are you annoying or what?!”