After saying those words, Cheng Shenzhi stepped back, putting a comfortable distance between himself and Hiiragi Yu.
That space finally allowed Hiiragi Yu to catch his breath. Even though he repeatedly reminded himself that Mr. Cheng was a good person who had helped him immensely, he couldn’t control his body’s instinctual reaction. Whenever that high-ranking Alpha drew near, his deep, dark pupils magnifying until Hiiragi Yu’s own image was all that remained, a cold shiver would run straight down Yu’s spine.
He was like a helpless rabbit targeted by a natural predator.
Yu assumed it was because Mr. Cheng’s rank was so exceptionally high that even a dull, insensitive Beta couldn’t ignore the latent aura. Not to mention, Yu had been as sensitive as an Omega around Alphas ever since he was a child.
Cheng Shenzhi wanted to reach out and pat the boy’s head, but knowing it was inappropriate at this moment, he compromised. He gently tucked the blanket around Yu and offered a soft reassurance. “Think it over, there’s no rush. Get some rest first.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
Sinking into the soft bedding, Hiiragi Yu pulled out his phone, opened the calculator, and recalculated his savings again and again.
Not enough. It’s still not enough.
The young Beta felt himself slipping into deep confusion once more, while a throbbing ache pulsed at his neck and wrists. Discomfort washed over him, and though he closed his eyes wanting to sleep, a quiet restlessness kept him tossing and turning until utter exhaustion finally pulled him under.
When he woke up again, a small, fluffy head was curled up beside his bed.
The heavy weight on Hiiragi Yu’s chest instantly dissipated. With stinging eyes, he reached out to pull his younger sibling close.
Disturbed by the movement, the child groggy stirred and instinctively hugged him back, a sleepy voice mumbling, “Brother…”
Yu softly brushed the sweaty hair away from the child’s forehead, pulling the blanket down to reveal her face. As he took her hand, the lingering warmth of a fever made him freeze.
Slowly, stroke by stroke, he traced letters onto her small palm. [You have a fever? Who brought you here?]
Still dazed, the girl, Hiiragi Satoru, rubbed her face against his palm and murmured, “Uncle Cheng brought me… My temperature was 38 degrees before I came, but I’ve already taken medicine.”
Yu pulled the blanket tighter around her to block the draft. Then, he picked up his phone, typed a message, and held it out for her to read.
[Brother wants to ask you a few questions, then you can sleep, okay?]
She looked at the screen obediently for two seconds, shook her head to clear the sleepiness, and gave a solemn nod.
Hiiragi Yu took a deep breath.
[If Brother wants to leave here…]
Before he could finish typing, Satoru scrambled into his arms like an octopus, burying her face in his chest. “I’m going with you!” she cried out anxiously.
Her warm, small body clung tightly to him. Yu remembered the very first time he had held his sister in his arms, she had been so tiny and fragile, as if a gentle breeze might hurt her.
[But if we leave, you won’t see your friends again. We won’t eat or sleep well, and you won’t get new clothes for months at a time…]
“I still want to go with you!” Satoru sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes. “Brother, don’t leave me behind…”
How could he ever leave her?
He had watched this child grow up day by day. In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed, and she was an inseparable part of his life.
[Brother will never leave you.]
Satoru read the words, tilted her head back, and blinked hard to hold back the tears brimming in her eyes. “Brother…”
Holding her tiny hand tightly, Yu made up his mind to bring up the alternative option.
[Do you like Uncle Cheng?]
Satoru rubbed her eyes, thought for a moment, and said softly, “Uncle Cheng is a good person.”
[Then, if we live with Uncle Cheng from now on, would you be willing?]
Not quite understanding what that entailed, Satoru blinked up at him blankly.
[It means the three of us will live together.]
Satoru caught the main point immediately. “Won’t Pan Wang and the others come?”
[No. Just you, me, and Uncle Cheng.]
Hearing that those insufferable people wouldn’t bother them anymore, a secret smile tugged at the corners of Satoru’s lips. Lowering her face, she whispered, “Wherever Brother goes, I’ll go.”
Two hours later.
Cheng Shenzhi stood reviewing the latest medical report. Seeing that the child’s fever had dropped significantly, his tense expression softened slightly.
Assistant Tao, standing guard outside the door, lowered his voice to report. “The room has been very quiet. They appear to still be sleeping, and they haven’t let anyone enter.”
Cheng Shenzhi nodded thoughtfully, pushed the door open, and was surprised to find Hiiragi Yu sitting up against the headboard, gazing down at his sister with a gentle expression.
Yu had been about to smooth his sister’s hair, but at the sound of the door opening, he instinctively withdrew his hand, sat up straight, and looked toward the entrance.
“Mr. Cheng… let’s talk.”
Hiiragi Yu tried his best to maintain a composure of dignity, but being stuck in a hospital bed severely limited his presence. He nervously clenched his fingers, looking up at Cheng Shenzhi as he awaited a reaction.
Cheng Shenzhi glanced at the sleeping child first.
Yu quickly shook his head and typed on his phone. [It’s fine, it won’t wake her.]
Redirecting his gaze back to Yu, Cheng Shenzhi asked softly, “What do you want to talk about?”
Yu didn’t avert his eyes, though his hands twitched nervously in his lap. He lifted his hands to sign, but in a moment of panic, he realized he had forgotten the sign language gesture for marriage, after all, he had never imagined himself in this situation before.
With Cheng Shenzhi’s patient eyes fixed on him, panic took over. Yu’s hands moved faster than his brain: he bent his fingers forward, clumsily forming a heart shape toward Mr. Cheng.
…What was he doing?!
Cheng Shenzhi quickly turned his head and let out a soft cough, hiding a sudden smile behind his hand. Raising a fist to his lips, he politely avoided staring at the boy’s rapidly reddening ears. “Is it about our marriage?”
Hiiragi Yu nodded in embarrassment.
He handed over his phone, the screen packed with tightly written text. Over the last two hours, he had carefully considered every detail and listed all his conditions:
[I am willing to fulfill all my responsibilities as your spouse. I will do my best to meet any requests you have, but I have one condition. I must bring my younger sister with me.
My mother left behind enough funds for her living and educational expenses, and I will earn extra money through part time work. She won’t be a financial burden on you, she only needs a small bed.
She is in third grade now and will enter middle school in three years. She can attend a boarding school then, so she won’t occupy your personal space for long.]
Yu lowered his head nervously, his fingers twisting together as he anxiously awaited Cheng Shenzhi’s verdict. He knew how unusual his request was, who brings their younger sibling into a marriage? But this was the one boundary he refused to compromise on.
If Mr. Cheng refused, he would buy the train tickets immediately.
“Okay.”
Cheng Shenzhi answered without a moment’s hesitation. Looking down at the boy’s lowered head and trembling eyelashes, a gentle warmth filled his chest.
He wanted to reach out and touch those fluttering lashes, but he restrained himself, choosing instead to say warmly, “After we get married, your sister will be my sister, it’s only natural. Besides, I like her very much.”
The answer was far better than the absolute best outcome Yu had dared to hope for. He looked up in pleasant surprise, hesitating for a moment before typing another question.
[Is there anything you need me to do?]
Then, Yu remembered their brief conversation from the previous night.
Mr. Cheng had mentioned needing his help during his “vulnerable period”…
As a Beta, Yu had never taken specialized physiological classes regarding Alpha-Omega dynamics, but given his academic background, he possessed a general understanding of an Alpha’s rut. In textbooks, Alphas during their vulnerable periods were described as unpredictable, volatile, dark and deeply driven by physical desire.
The higher an Alpha’s rank, the more intense their physiological reactions during this period.
Mr. Cheng’s rank was undeniably high, yet he always conducted himself as a polite, considerate, and refined gentleman. Yu found it difficult to imagine what the man would be like during a rut. Surely it won’t be as extreme as the textbooks describe? he thought uncertainly.
However, Cheng Shenzhi didn’t mention the subject at all. He simply offered a reassuring smile and said, “My family has been pressing me to settle down. After we get married, you’ll just need to accompany me to visit them a few times.”
It was a perfectly reasonable request.
Yu’s tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. He looked up, his expression still somewhat taut, and signed to ask if there were any other requirements.
Cheng Shenzhi shook his head. Watching the young Beta try so hard to stay composed, a subtle trace of Alpha playfulness surfaced within him. He turned the question back onto the boy, lowering his voice. “What about you, Yu Yu? What do you think?”
Hiiragi Yu opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Of course he had questions, namely, the unaddressed matter of the vulnerable period.
Yet even with his sister asleep beside him, he found it far too embarrassing to discuss such an intimate subject with his future husband in the presence of a child. After much hesitation, he could only shake his head softly.
That’s enough.
Cheng Shenzhi, however, had no intention of letting him off the hook so easily. Instead, he took two steps closer and leaned down slightly.
“Yu Yu.”
The Alpha’s deep, magnetic voice was deliberately softened, resonating right beside Yu’s ear in the quiet room.
Instinctively, Yu tried to shrink back, but his flustered hand reached out blindly, only to rest against his sister’s warm, soft body beside him.