On the second day of the outdoor sketching trip, Shen Jiayu and the others moved to a new location. That night, they stayed in a local boutique guesthouse. The host was a female Beta who was all smiles and seemed very kind, the interior of the guesthouse was decorated very warmly.
In the evening, Shen Jiayu and Yin Youning walked back to their respective rooms together. After parting ways on the open-air corridor, Shen Jiayu gradually slowed his pace. He lowered his eyelashes slightly, took out his phone, and opened his chat log with Wen Xiuheng.
Their conversation had stopped at the emoji Wen Xiuheng had sent. After seeing that emoji last night, Shen Jiayu’s eyes had widened instantly, his breath hitched, and his face turned even redder than before. His heart had been racing at the time, and he didn’t know what to send back, so he hadn’t even withdrawn the emoji he had sent by mistake.
Now, without realizing it, night had fallen again. He wondered if the Gentleman had finished his work and returned home, and what he might be doing now…
As Shen Jiayu walked slowly forward, he suddenly heard a faint sound coming from nearby. He looked over in confusion and saw two figures in the courtyard not far away, under a dim yellow light. They were standing with their backs to him, pressed tightly together, embracing each other as if they were kissing.
Shen Jiayu immediately averted his gaze as if trying to hide, lowered his eyes, and quickened his pace back to his room.
Because he had walked so fast, he was slightly out of breath. As he slowly calmed his breathing, for some reason, the image of the Gentleman kept flashing through his mind during that walk back.
Shen Jiayu’s cheeks felt slightly hot when suddenly, a phone ringtone broke the silence.
It was a call from the Gentleman.
Shen Jiayu instinctively pressed answer, his voice still carrying a hint of breathlessness and panic: “…Gentleman.”
“What’s wrong, Jiayu? Did something happen?” The man’s gentle, low voice sounded. He had keenly detected the youth’s abnormality just from the two words Shen Jiayu used to address him.
“No…” Shen Jiayu answered softly, pursing his lips. “I just walked a bit too fast back to the room.”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by the man’s deep, magnetic voice, wrapped in a gentle laugh that reached Shen Jiayu’s ears and made his earlobes turn red: “Mm, walk slower. Don’t rush.”
“Have you been eating well these past two days? Are you used to the sleeping arrangements?” Wen Xiuheng continued to inquire like a concerned parent.
Shen Jiayu answered obediently, saying the food and lodging arranged by the school were very good and he was quite used to it.
The Alpha responded warmly and reminded him again to always keep his medicine with him. Shen Jiayu listened while lightly curving his lips, nodding softly as he said “okay.”
Once Wen Xiuheng had finished his rounds of concern and reminders, Shen Jiayu tightened his grip on the phone slightly: “Gentleman…”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Gentleman, have you been busy with work lately? How have you been…” Shen Jiayu finally asked the words of concern he had been holding.
The other end seemed to pause for a moment before the man said gently: “Work hasn’t been very busy lately. I just wanted to give you a call today.”
“Mm…” Shen Jiayu walked to the window, responding in a soft, sweet voice. “You should also take care of your health.”
“I will.”
There was a brief silence on the line. For a moment, neither spoke. Shen Jiayu could only hear the very faint sound of breathing coming through the receiver, yet even so, he felt his heart, which had just calmed down, start racing again.
Thump, thump! Shen Jiayu lightly placed his hand over his chest.
At that moment, the Alpha’s low, gentle voice called him again: “Jiayu…”
“Mm?” The soft, sweet voice had a rising lilt at the end, like a little hook, tugging at one’s heart until it went soft.
Ding-ling-ling! A crisp sound rang out with the wind. It was the wind chime the guesthouse owner had hung by the window.
The guesthouse was near the sea, and the wind chime was made of shells, small conchs, and dolphin shaped decorations. It swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a clear, pleasant sound.
The man’s voice carried a hint of a smile: “What is that sound?”
“It’s the wind chime in the room ringing.” Shen Jiayu’s eyes crinkled. He held the phone up high toward the wind chime so the man could hear it more clearly. “Listen…”
Ding-ling-ling! Ding-ling-ling!
Far apart in different locations, the two of them simultaneously curved their lips, listening quietly.
The sound of the wind chime was enveloped by the sound of heartbeats. Thump, thump! one after another.
Then, the man’s deep, magnetic voice sounded through the receiver again: “I miss you, Jiayu.”
Once again, Shen Jiayu’s heart skipped a beat.
On the third night, at roughly the same time, Wen Xiuheng sent another photo of the rose. The soil in the pot was new. Wen Xiuheng said that after he returned home today, he had added new fertilizer to the rose.
Shen Jiayu curved his lips and replied with a “thank you” kitten emoji.
On the fourth day, they headed to the final sketching location according to the original plan, but it suddenly started raining mid-journey. Gradually, the rain grew heavier, turning into a torrential downpour.
News came from ahead that a landslide had occurred on the road, and the route was temporarily blocked. After the teachers reported to the faculty, they decided to end the sketching trip early. The bus carrying the group began its return journey.
When Shen Jiayu learned the news of the return, a faint sense of anticipation actually welled up in his heart, something even he hadn’t expected.
During the return trip, Shen Jiayu sent a message to Wen Xiuheng about coming home early, but there was no reply.
Time ticked by, and the bus drew closer and closer to home. Dark clouds loomed outside the window, and raindrops drummed against the glass. Shen Jiayu’s heart was also gradually clouded with unease.
He felt that if the Gentleman had seen his message, he wouldn’t have ignored it. By now, it should have been past the Gentleman’s working hours.
As the rain washed over his reflection on the glass window, a sudden bad premonition rose in Shen Jiayu’s heart. Without hesitation, he dialed Wen Xiuheng’s number.
Beep, Beep, Beep! The sound of the unanswered call deepened the worry in his heart. He turned and called Auntie Cui instead.
When the call connected, Shen Jiayu anxiously asked about Wen Xiuheng. Auntie Cui hesitated for a long time before she dared to tell him.
“Young Master’s rut period suddenly came early today. He is in a lot of pain and distress. He didn’t want us to tell you.”
Rumble! Muffled thunder rolled across the sky outside. Shen Jiayu’s breath hitched, and his heart sank heavily.
On the rainy night, inside the villa, Shen Jiayu finally arrived home. He had asked the driver, Uncle Li, to drop him off.
The house was very empty, no one else was there. Auntie Cui said the Gentleman had dismissed them and temporarily arranged for them to stay elsewhere.
Shen Jiayu walked quietly up the stairs, Auntie Cui’s words still ringing in his ears.
“An Alpha becomes irrational during their rut. They need to mark an Omega or use suppressants. But because the Young Master suffers from a disorder, regular suppressants are useless. He can only rely on special medicinal agents to gain some relief.”
Shen Jiayu reached the second floor and turned left.
“But the Young Master’s rut is very severe this time. The previous agents seem to have lost their effectiveness. This time, no one knows if the Young Master can safely endure it. If an Alpha’s rut isn’t effectively channeled, it can easily cause physical problems.”
Shen Jiayu stood still in front of Wen Xiuheng’s room door.
“Before you arrived, the Young Master spent every rut like this, locking himself alone in his room and enduring it through brute force…”
Shen Jiayu bit his lip hard, his eyes filled with heartache and worry. Trembling slightly, he placed his hand on the doorknob.
The door opened slowly. The room was unlit. In the gloom, Shen Jiayu saw that the furniture and decor had become a total mess, even the sofa was overturned on the floor.
The only thing in the room that remained unharmed was the pot of roses by the bed, still blooming perfectly.
And he finally saw the current Wen Xiuheng.
The Alpha sat with his head bowed beside the roses. His hair was messily pushed back, making it impossible to see his face.
The man was bare chested, revealing firm, well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. Veins bulged on his arms and shoulders. His shirt had been torn to shreds, scattered messily on the floor.
And around one of his ankles, a metal chain was fastened, locking him firmly to this room!
Shen Jiayu’s eyes widened instantly. A heavy wave of heartache surged within him, making his eyes sting and swell.
Shen Jiayu called out in a trembling voice: “Gentleman…”
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the Alpha’s body jerked. At the moment he lifted his head, a clap of thunder sounded simultaneously.
When Shen Jiayu saw his face, his breathing stopped instantly.
The Alpha had not only locked himself with a chain, he was even wearing a muzzle!
The cold, black muzzle fitted over the lower half of the Alpha’s face added to the overwhelming sense of pressure and wildness radiating from him.
Wen Xiuheng’s pupils had turned a deep ink-black. Seeing Shen Jiayu, the Alpha’s low, hoarse voice carried a tone of disbelief: “Jiayu… baby…”
Shen Jiayu’s eyes instantly flushed red.