“No need for later, I just want it now.”
“Why are you laughing so happily?”
“Did another alpha come to find you? What did he say? Did he try to seduce you?”
Ji Yueting’s grip didn’t loosen. Instead, he pulled the two straps around another loop, forcing Yan Chi to step back until his back pressed against Ji Yueting’s chest. Yan Chi had no time to wonder when Ji Yueting had arrived, his mind filled only with thoughts like, “Isn’t Ji Yueting cold running out shirtless and wet like this?” and “His chest is so big.”
“Baby,” Ji Yueting gritted his molars, leaning down like a resentful husband to interrogate, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
His mind buzzing, Yan Chi blurted out, “Aren’t you cold?”
Ji Yueting’s expression froze abruptly, then shattered into pieces. His lips moved up and down, a mix of confusion and frustration.
“That’s all you ask me?”
“What else should I ask?” Yan Chi was puzzled, worried that being too close might seem intrusive, so he tried to pull away slightly.
“…”
“Ji Yueting, don’t always appear out of nowhere like that. It’s really scary,” Yan Chi said, seeing his silence, and took out his phone to flip through the call log. “I only called your assistant, no one else. If you don’t believe me, look for yourself.”
Everything was honestly flawless.
Though the alpha was particularly frustrated, he remained half-convinced and half-doubting. He leaned in with his muzzle, scrutinizing each digit of the number three times before reluctantly feeling reassured.
There were no other alphas out there. Yan Chi only had him.
“Can you let go now?” Yan Chi turned sideways, patting Ji Yueting’s arm lightly but firmly. “You’re wrinkling my clothes.” Next time, he definitely wouldn’t wear this outfit Ji Yueting had grabbed it too easily.
The alpha let go like a child who had done something wrong, saying with a hint of grievance, “I’ve already done what you asked. What about you?”
Having dealt with children for so long, Yan Chi had learned two principles well.
First, always keep promises made to others.
Second, when they make requests, it’s okay to fulfill them, but it’s best not to do so all at once.
With the initiative now in his hands, Yan Chi ordered him, “First, go drink the nutrient solution. Then, take the suppressant and go to bed. When you wake up tomorrow, I’ll give you your reward.”
It wasn’t that he wouldn’t give it just a little later.
Yan Chi’s meaning was clear. Ji Yueting was reluctant but had no choice, so he obediently complied.
Watching him, Yan Chi suddenly felt as if Ji Yueting resembled a big dog, hanging his head in dejection when something upset him, with invisible ears drooping.
Of course, though the alpha was obedient, he wasn’t giving up.
After drinking the nutrient solution, he tugged at the hem of Yan Chi’s clothes, reminding him, “Reward.”
Yan Chi remained expressionless, pulling out the suppressant like a magician and signaling him to inject himself.
After washing up, his mouth was filled with the cool taste of mint. Ji Yueting spat out the mouthwash and nudged Yan Chi’s collarbone with his muzzle, saying, “Reward.”
“Go to sleep quickly. I’m tired.” Yan Chi was acting particularly righteous, ignoring the teasing.
Once in bed, the alpha was even more reluctant to let go of the beta. Ji Yueting hugged Yan Chi from behind, resting his chin on Yan Chi’s shoulder. “Baby, do I really have to wait until I wake up?”
“Mhm, mhm, mhm.” Yan Chi nodded quickly.
Probably aware that this alpha behind him had an unusual way of thinking, he could easily separate the Ji Yueting in rut from the Ji Yueting he knew. Even though the other was currently holding him, he didn’t feel too uncomfortable.
It wasn’t like they’d never hugged before.
After all the commotion, it was already late into the night. Yan Chi mentally gave himself a day off tomorrow and nestled into the alpha’s warm embrace, gradually feeling drowsy.
The bedroom was sparsely furnished, clearly designed specifically for rut periods. Because of this, Yan Chi didn’t even feel the unease of barging in uninvited.
“Are you going to sleep?” the alpha asked.
Yan Chi turned his face away. “Yeah, I’m really tired. I was about to sleep before I came to find you, but your message woke me up.”
“Sorry,” Ji Yueting apologized, attempting to create a safe nest for Yan Chi with his body. “I don’t remember. I just wanted you to come.”
“Wanted me to come,” Yan Chi suddenly turned back and asked him, “Ji Yueting, can you tell who I am right now? You’re not mistaking me for someone else, are you?”
He hadn’t thought about this earlier, but now that things had quieted down, he began to worry.
He hadn’t seen Ji Yueting in years, so naturally, he had no idea about the other’s romantic history. It was possible that the message had been sent randomly.
“No, I clearly called your name,” Ji Yueting retorted, tightening his arms.
What he had said was, “Yan Chi, I need you.”
Yan Chi nudged him with his elbow. “Not pretending anymore? You just said you didn’t remember.”
Ji Yueting buried his head and spoke word by word, “I wanted to tell you that I’ve never been in a relationship with anyone else.”
“Mhm.”
“And I’ve never been involved in anything ambiguous.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
“And I’ve never done it with anyone.”
“Got it, you don’t have to say any more.”
Ji Yueting ignored him. “I have to say it, baby. I have to tell you everything.”
The atmosphere grew strange again. Yan Chi genuinely wanted to sleep but couldn’t help asking, “So what else do you have to say?”
“I’ve never held hands with anyone, never kissed anyone. Some people said they wanted to pursue me, but I didn’t let them. I’m still a virgin,” the alpha said shamelessly. “I’m very clean.”
Yan Chi’s heart trembled. He hadn’t done any of those things either.
“How come you’ve never even held hands? Back in high school when you won competition medals, didn’t you always shake hands with those officials?”
Ji Yueting rarely got annoyed. He bent his knee and pressed it against Yan Chi’s leg. “That doesn’t count. Only holding hands with someone you like counts as holding hands.”
“Oh, I see,” Yan Chi teased him, though he felt a slight sourness in his mouth. “Then you can hold hands later. I’m not talking to you anymore. I want to sleep.”
With that, he turned over and fell silent, pretending to sleep.
But a few seconds later, the blanket over his shoulder shifted slightly. Yan Chi held his breath. In the darkness, a hand slid along his arm, touched his wrist, and then continued downward without pause, its warm palm covering the back of his hand.
Newly arrived fingers pried open the gaps between his, slipped in, and grasped his hand tightly.
Ji Yueting pressed close behind his ear, giggling softly. “No need for later. I just want now.”
Yan Chi’s heart pounded like a drum, and he didn’t dare move.
“Baby, do we really have to wait until tomorrow?”
That would be so long. If he didn’t get his reward, he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes for even a second.
He would keep watching his partner until dawn.
Time and again, even a heart of stone would have been worn down by his persistence, let alone when they were holding hands at that moment.
“Then come a bit closer,” Yan Chi murmured.
Ji Yueting obediently leaned in.
Yan Chi took a deep breath, turned his head, cupped Ji Yueting’s face with his other hand, propped himself up, and quickly kissed the muzzle.
He didn’t touch Ji Yueting, but let the kiss land in this close, yet unreachable position.
The alpha’s eyes widened in an instant, stunned.
After the kiss, Yan Chi didn’t bother with anything else, burying his head under the blanket.
“Alright, no more talking. Sleep.”
Delayed gratification, yet separated by an inescapable restraint, the alpha’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as if he wanted to say something, but was cut off by Yan Chi’s words.
Yan Chi had no way to deal with him, and neither did he.
In the end, the alpha only dared to hook Yan Chi’s little finger under the blanket: “Goodnight, baby.”
The accumulated exhaustion of the past few days was washed away by a good night’s sleep. Yan Chi rubbed his eyelids and opened his eyes.
Ji Yueting had been behind him when he fell asleep last night, so why wasn’t he there this morning?
Yan Chi fished out his phone to check the time it was still early. He got up and went out, hearing the sound of running water from downstairs.
“Ji Yueting?” Yan Chi went downstairs, looking at the alpha standing in the kitchen, hesitating as he spoke.
Ji Yueting turned around, his eyes clear and his clothes changed: “You’re up so early. I thought you’d sleep a bit longer.”
There was no clinginess, no immediate attachment upon seeing him. At this moment, the alpha looked no different from usual clear-headed and steady.
The pitiful, sorrowful demeanor from last night had vanished. Yan Chi paused in his steps.
“Are you awake now?”
Knowing what he was asking, Ji Yueting nodded: “I woke up this morning. Still a bit dizzy, but don’t worry, I won’t lose control again.” Ji Yueting picked up the warmed milk and handed it to Yan Chi: “For you. I was planning to bring it up to you. Did I wake you when I got up?”
Yan Chi took it, warming his palms: “No, I woke up naturally. I haven’t washed up yet. You your rut is over now, right?”
“I still need to rest for a couple of days, and this thing can’t come off yet,” Ji Yueting lifted the muzzle slightly. “Yan Chi, last night, my pheromones went out of control. If you hadn’t come, I probably would’ve gotten more hurt.”
“It’s nothing. I can’t smell it anyway,” seeing his calm expression, Yan Chi asked, “Do you remember what happened last night?”
“Not really, just a vague impression. I had a headache, and then you came. After that it’s a blank.”
That’s good enough. Yan Chi felt much more at ease.
Then, Ji Yueting changed the subject: “Also, when I woke up this morning, I found myself holding you. Although I don’t remember what happened last night, I must have overstepped.”
Yan Chi suppressed his emotions, forcing himself to stay calm: “It’s fine. Alphas are like that during their rut. I understand.”
“So, you’ve accompanied other alphas through their ruts before?”
Ji Yueting stood right beside Yan Chi, and when he leaned in to ask, the muzzle nearly brushed Yan Chi’s ear.
“No,” Yan Chi denied. “Nothing like that.”
You’re the first.
After those words, neither of them spoke again.
Regaining his senses, Ji Yueting was far more difficult to handle than the alpha who had only known how to call “baby” last night. Yan Chi felt constrained in every way. After hastily washing up and finishing his milk, he prepared to leave.
Before stepping out, Ji Yueting reached out and touched his shoulder, signaling him to turn back.
A beautiful glass bottle was placed in Yan Chi’s hand.
“Is this a specimen of double-petaled tuberose?” Yan Chi asked in surprise.
“Last time I visited you, I noticed quite a few flower specimens in your glass cabinet. You had single-petaled ones, but not this variety,” Ji Yueting explained. “I happened to see it in a gift shop while on a business trip and brought it back.”
Yan Chi’s daily life was filled with scent appreciation and perfume blending. In his spare time, he also enjoyed collecting flower specimens. He loved beautiful things and had explored various flower types and varieties, with roses being the most abundant in his extensive collection.
Ji Yueting’s small gift hit the mark perfectly Yan Chi liked it very much.
“You observed so carefully. I can’t let it go to waste I’ll place it in the display cabinet as soon as I get back.” Yan Chi lowered his gaze with a smile, focusing on the flower. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a shadow over the pale purple petals of the tuberose and enveloping Yan Chi’s amber eyes.
Standing behind Yan Chi, Ji Yueting’s gaze was profound, his barely regained rationality teetering on the edge.
Taking advantage of the fact that betas couldn’t detect scents, he allowed his glands, still in their estrus period, to release pheromones over and over again, imprinting the scent of tuberose onto the person who could never be marked.
Caught between clarity and loss of control, Ji Yueting touched the front of his bite inhibitor.
He remembered clearly last night, Yan Chi’s kiss had landed right there.
“Ji Yueting, it’s truly beautiful. You have excellent taste.”
The oblivious beta remained completely unaware, believing the danger had long since passed.
Leaning against the wall, Ji Yueting gazed at him, his eyes filled with affection, and replied with a low chuckle, “Yes, my taste is indeed excellent.”