Rose: “Because I love you, of course.”
The best part about living in the city center was that everything was convenient. There was a well-reviewed pet hospital near the residential complex, and the drive took only five minutes.
Yun Xi sat in the passenger seat holding the cat carrier. He unzipped it slightly, and Candy, nestled inside, let out a meow. The cat seemed to be in relatively good spirits.
It was nearly midnight, but the pet hospital was still open. Yun Xi handed the cat over to the medical staff for an examination and waited outside the operating room with Su Yanqing.
Across from their seats was a glass door. Looking at the reflections in the glass, Yun Xi noticed that Su Yanqing had secretly glanced at him several times. Originally, Yun Xi had intended to tell Su Yanqing that he had already agreed with his family to get married, but seeing this, he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to see how long Su Yanqing could hold it in.
He took out his phone and started a game. It was not until the word “Victory” popped up on the screen that the person beside him finally spoke.
“Why did you get back so late?”
Yun Xi checked the match duration: 18 minutes. He really can endure, he thought. He turned to look at Su Yanqing, a mischievous impulse suddenly striking him.
“Didn’t you tell me a couple of days ago that I shouldn’t ask questions I shouldn’t be asking? What is this, Professor Su? Are you checking up on me? Do you want me to write an itinerary report?”
The Omega narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked over. The corners of his eyes were like little hooks, scratching at one’s heart. It made one wonder what it would look like if those beautiful eyes were to lose focus and well up with tears.
Su Yanqing looked away, desperately suppressing the growing itch in his heart, and said in a low voice, “I am sorry. I spoke too harshly that night.”
“I was heartbroken for a long time, you know. Do you think you can just brush me off with a single ‘sorry’?”
“Then, what do you want me to do?”
Yun Xi rested his chin on his knuckles, feigning deep thought for a few seconds. Just as he was about to speak, the door to the operating room was pushed open.
“I will tell you later,” Yun Xi said, standing up and leaving him in suspense.
Candy had a mild case of gastroenteritis, which was nothing serious. The doctor gave him two injections and prescribed some medicine, and they were allowed to take the cat home.
Once they were back in the car with Candy, Yun Xi buckled his seatbelt, but Su Yanqing did not start the engine immediately.
“Can you tell me now?”
Yun Xi’s eyes sparkled as he cast a lingering glance at Su Yanqing. “Are you asking how you can be forgiven, or why I came back so late?”
“How I can be forgiven.”
Yun Xi let out a soft laugh. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned in closer. His voice dropped very low, creating a sudden sense of ambiguity.
“Give me a kiss, and I will forgive you.”
Feeling the warm, moist breath against his ear, Su Yanqing blinked slowly.
“Yun Xi, why are you doing this?”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t we in a partnership? Why are you doing these unnecessary things?”
“Why? Well, because,” Yun Xi’s mouth curled up. He reached out and gently pinched Su Yanqing’s chin, turning the Alpha’s face toward him.
Su Yanqing followed the pressure of Yun Xi’s hand. In the dim interior of the car, the Alpha’s grey eyes were stained dark by the night, appearing like bottomless whirlpools ready to swallow everything whole.
Yun Xi dazed for a moment. A second later, the headlights of a distant car shone in. Stimulated by the light, Yun Xi instinctively blinked. When he looked back at Su Yanqing, those grey eyes were back to normal.
It must have been an illusion, he thought. How could a person as gentle as Su Yanqing have such a terrifying look in his eyes? A look that seemed like he wanted to devour me whole.
“Because of what?” Su Yanqing pressed, his voice low and husky.
Yun Xi snapped back to reality, pushing the strange feeling to the back of his mind as he continued his grand plan of seduction. He tilted his lips upward, his “peach blossom” eyes gazing lingeringly at Su Yanqing.
“Don’t you understand yet? It is because,” Yun Xi moved closer inch by inch until his lips were only a fraction of an inch away from Su Yanqing’s. Almost brushing against them, he whispered, “I love you.”
After saying it, he retreated to a safe distance. He felt his cheeks beginning to burn after that performance. Fortunately, it was dark in the car, so it likely was not noticeable.
Meanwhile, the Alpha opposite him seemed to freeze like an AI suffering from information overload. He sat there motionless for a good while before finally blinking slowly and parting his lips to ask, “You love me?”
Yun Xi took a quiet, deep breath and said, “I know this might be sudden for you, but actually, it was love at first sight for me. Otherwise, why would I have given you my business card the first time we met? When I found out my blind date at the restaurant was you, I was actually very happy.”
Su Yanqing opened his mouth slightly as if to say something. Yun Xi immediately reached out to cover his lips, looking at him affectionately.
“Shh. I know you just need someone for a contract marriage. It is okay. I will work hard to make you fall in love with me.” Yun Xi paused, lowering his eyes as he continued, “If you find you cannot like me no matter what, that is okay too. This relationship can be terminated at any time. I promise I will not cling to you.”
Having finished this long speech in one breath, Yun Xi swallowed hard. He rested for two seconds and forced out a few tears before looking up at Su Yanqing again.
“So, at least for now, do not reject me, do not distance yourself from me, and do not give me the cold shoulder, okay?”
In the darkness, the Omega’s eyes were slightly red, shimmering with a moist light. With a gentle blink, a crystal tear rolled down his cheek and fell with a splat, as if it had dropped directly into Su Yanqing’s heart, scalding hot.
It burned so much that even though Su Yanqing knew this mischievous little liar was full of falsehoods, he could not resist.
Yun Xi watched the Alpha’s expression and slowly withdrew his hand. “Now, can you tell me your answer?”
Silence filled the car for a long time as they stared at each other wordlessly. Finally, Su Yanqing seemed to let out a sigh. He leaned in and pressed a light kiss on Yun Xi’s forehead.
Yun Xi knew he had made the right move.
The car, which had been parked in front of the pet hospital for an unknown amount of time, finally pulled away. Yun Xi grabbed a tissue to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes. Just as he finished, he heard the man beside him ask, “There is one more question you have not answered.”
Yun Xi blanked for a moment before realizing Su Yanqing was asking why he had come home so late. We are not even officially dating yet, and he is already so diligent about checking up on me.
Yun Xi, unable to stay still, began folding the tear-stained tissue into a rose. “Today was my Alpha father’s birthday. I went home to celebrate with him.”
A flash of surprise crossed Su Yanqing’s eyes. “You should have told me. I should have brought a gift to visit as well.”
“Oh, I thought that would be one of those ‘misleading actions,’ so I did not say anything.”
“I am sorry.”
“I went back today to tell my fathers about us getting married. They have both agreed. Everything is fine on my end; now it just depends on your family.”
“Yes, I will speak to them.”
Upon reaching the apartment building, they got out and took the elevator up to the 17th floor. At the door, Yun Xi handed the folded tissue rose to Su Yanqing.
“How can there be a confession without a gift? I will give you this rose, stained with my tears.” He winked at Su Yanqing, his eyes overflowing with a smile. “I have placed a spell on it to make you fall in love with me. Remember to keep it by your bedside.”
Back in his own apartment, Yun Xi paced around a few times with light steps before his excitement finally began to settle. Su Yanqing is just too much fun!
Yun Xi lay sprawled on the sofa like a starfish, the image of Su Yanqing’s recent expression still fresh in his mind. It was not until he was back in the bright light that he realized Su Yanqing’s ears had been shockingly red. He had acted so calm in the car, but bodily reactions do not lie. Yun Xi had a feeling that the day his plan succeeded would not be far off.
After lounging like a salted fish for a while, Yun Xi took some fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom. Passing the mirror, he caught a casual glimpse of himself and froze.
Good Lord, who is this person whose face is as red as if they have eaten ten pounds of chili?
Yun Xi covered his face in horror. Thinking that he had been fluttering in front of Su Yanqing with a face like that, he felt his toes curl in embarrassment. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, but the redness did not fade at all. Instead, his face grew hotter, and even the gland at the back of his neck began to throb and burn.
“Agh! Stop being so red!”
At the same time, in another apartment on the same floor, a bathroom door opened.
Su Yanqing walked out, wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked shirtless to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of ice water. He tilted his head back to drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he finished half the bottle in no time.
Candy had already taken his medicine and was lazily curled up in his bed sleeping. Su Yanqing watched him for a moment before turning back to the bedroom.
The bedroom was large. He walked straight to the nightstand. On top of it sat the rose folded from a tissue.
Su Yanqing stood before the nightstand for a long time. He leaned down, picked up the paper rose, and slowly brought it to his nose.
The sense of smell of a high-level Alpha is extremely sharp. He could easily detect the faint, lingering scent of gardenia amidst the folds of the rose.
Su Yanqing closed his eyes. In his mind, he saw Yun Xi with his reddened eyes and tear-streaked face. The love in the Omega’s eyes was entirely fake, but the falling tears had been real.
Although he had badly wanted to use his tongue to sweep those tears into his belly, the restraint buried deep in his bones had stopped him in time, allowing him only to press a gentle kiss on Yun Xi’s forehead so as not to scare the little liar away at the wrong moment.
Those crystal tears had instead benefited this piece of tissue. No, not entirely. In the end, the tears had still found their way into his hands.
Su Yanqing slowly opened his eyes, his deep grey gaze fixed on the paper rose as the aroma swirling at the tip of his nose playfully teased his nerves.
An Alpha or Omega’s saliva contains a small amount of residual pheromones. The tissue was unscented, so the faint floral fragrance on the rose could only be the scent of Yun Xi’s pheromones.
A surging desire for destruction rose in his heart, only to be suppressed by logic. This was the first gift Yun Xi had ever given him; it must not be treated roughly.
So, Su Yanqing moved the rose from his right hand to his left, cradling it with cherished care, only occasionally leaning in to catch its scent until he was finished, never letting a single speck of filth touch it.
The night grew deep and the dew heavy. Next door, Yun Xi had long since fallen into a deep sleep, and only then did the activity in this room gradually cease.
Su Yanqing placed the white paper rose back on the nightstand and headed to the bathroom. Such a level of solace was a mere drop in the bucket for an Alpha, making him wonder what the little liar’s next move would be.
He was already impatient.