Yan Chi suppressed the greed and paranoid possessiveness in his mind. He leaned his body back slightly. As he hurriedly lowered his eyes, intending to stand up, he happened to catch a glimpse of that alluring scene. His pupils trembled, and his Adam’s apple bobbed twice. The deep pool in his eyes rippled under the moonlight, glinting with a ghostly blue light.
“That kind of physical reward is not allowed,” Yan Chi said coldly.
Lu Yubai rested his chin on one hand and let out a soft huff. “Stingy!”
He lazily propped his feet on Yan Chi’s lap and let out a tired yawn. “Chi Chi, my feet ache,” he said softly, looking at Yan Chi with clear, bright eyes.
Under that holy and flawless gaze, it felt as though all the evil and desire in the world should be burned to ashes. Yan Chi retracted all his emotions. The cloudiness in his eyes gradually dispersed, and his long fingers began to gently knead Lu Yubai’s calves. His strength was just right and very comfortable.
Lu Yubai’s fatigue slowly melted away. He leaned back comfortably on the sofa, quietly gazing at Yan Chi. Yan Chi’s face, usually devoid of worldly desires, remained calm. Not a single trace of emotion could be captured; he was practically like a monk practicing self-restraint.
“Yan Chi, I do not like drinking milk. Alphas drink coffee and cola,” Lu Yubai suddenly remarked.
He wanted to tell Yan Chi that he did not like milk. Not even a little bit.
“Mhm,” Yan Chi replied indifferently.
A faint look of disappointment flashed through Lu Yubai’s eyes. He lifted his eyelids to look at him and suddenly asked, “If Grandfather liked someone else, would you have married them for his sake?”
Lu Yubai hid the expectation in his eyes perfectly. It was hidden even better than the meticulously planned act from three years ago.
Yan Chi hesitated for one second, then two seconds, then five seconds. The light in Lu Yubai’s eyes dimmed bit by bit. Yan Chi never answered him, but silence is also an answer.
Lu Yubai withdrew his legs. He smiled and propped them on the coffee table, pretending to be calm. However, his face was a mix of complex emotions: playfulness, gloom, and anger were all crushed together. The clear, bright light that had resided in his eyes a moment ago was instantly extinguished, replaced by a lingering chill in his constricted pupils.
If Grandfather Yan liked Lin Lan, Yan Chi would have married Lin Lan too, would he not? But a long time ago, Yan Chi did not say that.
Seeing him lost in thought, Yan Chi felt as if every bone in his body had been crushed into powder. It hurt terribly. His thin lips parted slightly, and his voice was cold. “You do not need to test me anymore. I will not lead you on, nor will I speak to you in riddles. Lu Yubai, I can tell you very clearly: no matter how hard you try, there is no possibility left between us.”
Yan Chi’s words were like a cold, glinting dagger piercing through Lu Yubai’s chest. Lu Yubai curled his lips upward, glancing at him with a hint of disdain. He snapped back, “Stop talking nonsense! You are not made of ice; do you think you cannot be melted?”
Seeing his persistence, Yan Chi did not argue. “As you wish. I will not give you any more responses.”
After saying that, Yan Chi went upstairs, leaving behind only a lonely, desolate silhouette.
Lu Yubai’s body trembled slightly as waves of dull pain hit his chest. He buried his head in his palms. The mist on his fingertips felt even heavier than the steam in the bathroom earlier. He choked out in a small voice, “Is it not enough that I will drink the milk from now on? Why must you be so mean to me?”
The next day, Lu Yubai acted as if nothing had happened, greeting Yan Chi as usual. However, Yan Chi’s attitude was even colder than yesterday. Without even raising his eyelids, he walked silently into the kitchen. He still prepared breakfast for Lu Yubai, but this time, there was no milk.
Lu Yubai’s brow furrowed slightly. “I want milk.”
Yan Chi paused for a moment before getting up to get the milk for him. He placed the milk in front of Lu Yubai. Lu Yubai was very obedient, finishing it in two gulps. After drinking the milk, some residue remained on the corner of his mouth.
“Yan Chi, can I drink milk from now on?”
He did not want to make Yan Chi unhappy. Regarding the words from yesterday, he would act as if he never heard them. The human heart is not made of stone. Where there is a will, there is a way.
“As you wish,” Yan Chi said indifferently.
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Lu Yubai’s head. Lu Yubai pouted and thought to himself: He is so hard to chase! Yan Chi is so hard to chase!
Suddenly, Lu Yubai’s phone rang. It was a call from Lin Ye. His eyes lit up, and he quickly answered. Lin Ye was his only friend during his three years abroad. He was also his doctor.
Lu Yubai answered the phone with a smile. At first, they were just exchanging pleasantries, and the conversation sounded normal. But his subsequent words were somewhat intriguing.
“Can you not find a more decent place? That sounds illegitimate. Fine. Alright, let us say eleven o’clock tonight.”
After speaking, he hung up the phone. Yan Chi’s face darkened, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.
Lu Yubai picked up his jacket from the chair and stood up. He looked down at Yan Chi. “I will not be back tonight. I have an appointment with a friend.”
Yan Chi did not look up, only saying plainly, “You do not have to tell me everything.”
Lu Yubai hesitated as if he wanted to say something else, but he felt that Yan Chi did not care, or might even find him annoying, so he swallowed his words. As soon as he stepped out with his car keys, he saw Uncle Zhou’s car parked at the entrance, clearly there to pick up Yan Chi. Since he had things to do this morning, he simply drove away.
At the hospital, Lu Yubai placed the report in front of Xu Zhiqiu, looking concerned. He asked urgently, “How is it?”
Xu Zhiqiu looked at the report and shook his head. “The situation is not very ideal.” Xu Zhiqiu let out a sigh.
“Do not sigh, damn it!” Lu Yubai grew more anxious. He felt weak all over, and a tingling sensation like an electric current spread through his chest, as if his strength had been drained.
“The body is like a container. The inhibitors you have injected over the past three years have reached the limit of what your body can hold. Originally, Yan Chi’s mark on you should have ended after six months, but it was forcibly prolonged. This is very detrimental to your health. Moreover, your glands are damaged and you have been injecting inhibitors long-term, which slowed down the fading of the mark. That is why you went into heat last time. Fortunately, you have returned to the country, and fortunately, Yan Chi is not too heartless.”
At this point, Xu Zhiqiu stopped. He carefully observed the emotions on Lu Yubai’s face and did not continue.
Lu Yubai took a deep breath. “Is it true that as long as my glands recover, the compatibility between Yan Chi and me will return, and I can comfort him?”
Before he could finish, he was rebuked by Xu Zhiqiu. “Lu Yubai, wake up! What time is it, and you are still thinking about comforting him? Is he really that important? More important than your life?”
Xu Zhiqiu slapped the table in anger. The slap was loud, leaving his palm numb and swollen, but Lu Yubai did not seem intimidated at all. He simply looked up at Xu Zhiqiu earnestly, his eyes brimming with determination.
He said, “Important. Very important. He is more important than my life.”
Three years ago, because he could not comfort Yan Chi, he had watched with his own eyes as Yan Chi lost control and went mad, yet he could do nothing. That deep sense of helplessness was the reason he had resolved to go abroad.
An Enigma’s requirement for gland compatibility is extremely high; if it is below 90 percent, it provides no comforting effect at all.