Chapter 45 Part 1

It sounded like Liang Wangyou was crying. Without a second thought, Wen Yan climbed out of bed, opened the door, and hurried out.

Moonlight faintly illuminated the dim living room. Over by the floor-to-ceiling windows where waves crashed in the distance, Liang Shijing—dressed in pajamas—held Liang Wangyou close, gently patting and soothing him.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Yan asked, rushing over.

“He’s running a fever,” Liang Shijing said in a low voice.

Worry was like a curse—he’d gotten sick after all. Wen Yan touched Liang Wangyou’s face, which was draped over Liang Shijing’s shoulder. The temperature wasn’t too high, so he relaxed a little and whispered, “Have you given him any medicine?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you holding him like that? He won’t sleep in bed?”

Little Alpha’s temper turned foul whenever he was sick. The moment he was laid down, he’d start crying irritably. The fever made his limbs ache, which set him off crying too. Nothing calmed him down except being held and paced around the room.

“I’ll put him down once he’s asleep,” Liang Shijing said. “Did we wake you?”

Wen Yan shook his head. “I wasn’t asleep yet. I got up as soon as I heard him.”

In the soft night glow, Liang Shijing shifted Liang Wangyou on his shoulder and patted his back again. Watching them, Wen Yan’s heart ached. “You go rest. I’ll take care of him.”

At times like these, there were no lingering resentments or complications between alphas and omegas. They both put the child first and appreciated each other’s efforts.

“No need,” Liang Shijing said simply, though he didn’t send Wen Yan back to bed.

Afraid of waking Liang Wangyou, Wen Yan retreated to a nearby sofa and sat down. He watched moonlight play across Liang Shijing’s body and face. He remembered the previous time, when Liang Wangyou’s hand hurt too much to sleep after a beating. Liang Shijing had held him through the quiet midnight hours just like this—without handing him off to the childcare workers, without seeking praise, and without a single complaint.

Alphas were always like that. They acted without fanfare.

After a while, Liang Shijing reached over and twisted on the floor lamp beside them. Light poured out, brightening half the sofa while the rest of the living room stayed shrouded in shadow. That small glow was like a lone lantern in the depths of an endless ocean, offering a flicker of warm hope.

Wen Yan propped his head on one hand. Truth be told, he was exhausted. The seven o’clock flight that morning had worn him out, and they’d spent the entire afternoon and evening playing. It was past one in the morning now, and his eyelids were growing heavy.

There was plenty of sofa space, but Liang Shijing sat right beside him, still cradling Liang Wangyou. No sooner had he settled than the boy began to whimper and fuss, on the verge of waking. With no other choice, Liang Shijing stood and resumed pacing the living room. Time ticked by slowly. The crashing waves outside gradually quieted. Liang Shijing must have been worn out too; he leaned against the fireplace, using half his shoulder for support as he dozed lightly.

“Tired? Let me take him for a bit,” Wen Yan said, creeping closer on quiet feet.

Liang Shijing’s eyes snapped open. He stared deeply at Wen Yan. Such intense gazes used to unnerve him, but now he met them with calm composure. Liang Shijing held the look for a long moment, shadows cloaking his face while his eyes burned hot. Then he passed Liang Wangyou over—but the boy woke instantly, clutching Liang Shijing’s neck and refusing to let go. His eyes were a little red as he stared at Wen Yan.

“Your father has been holding you for ages. He’s exhausted,” Wen Yan murmured softly. “Baby, let me hold you for a while, okay?”

Liang Wangyou blinked sluggishly, then finally reached out toward him.

Liang Wangyou nestled against his shoulder with special affection, his cheeks warm and his body soft. In that moment, holding him felt like cradling the entire world. Utterly content and secure, Wen Yan stroked his back. Liang Shijing headed downstairs, and Wen Yan assumed he was off to rest—until he spotted the light flick on in the drinking water room from the stairwell.

Moments later, Liang Shijing returned carrying a milk bottle. It was an oddly incongruous sight. He was so tall that the half-full bottle dangled from his fingers like a miniature toy. Wen Yan sat and eased Liang Wangyou flat in his lap. Liang Shijing leaned in, deftly tilting the boy’s lower lip and slipping the nipple inside with practiced ease. Liang Wangyou began suckling without even opening his eyes. Then Liang Shijing ducked into the bedroom and came back with a diaper to change him.

“He’s still wetting the bed?” Wen Yan asked in disbelief. Just recently, while tending to Liang Wangyou’s eczema, the boy had sworn up and down that he no longer had accidents.

“He always does after milk,” Liang Shijing replied quietly.

“Have the childcare workers taught him anything?” Wen Yan said. “He’s nearly six now. Next semester he’ll start first grade and nap at school in the afternoons. If he still wets the bed, he might feel humiliated.”

Liang Shijing finally had a chance to rest, leaning his head back against the sofa. “It’s not a big deal. We’ll get him a private rest room then.”

Alliance Primary School paired kids two to a room, so they could watch out for each other and make friends. Wen Yan thought to himself: so Liang Wangyou’s bedwetting wasn’t some inherent bad habit—it was all because Liang Shijing spoiled him. After a pause, he said, “How about we break him of it sooner rather than later?”

He dreaded the idea of other kids teasing Liang Wangyou after he left. The boy had such strong pride; during the taekwondo competition, he’d dislocated an opponent’s arm over something like that. Wen Yan worried he might lash out impulsively at anyone who mocked him.

“We’ll discuss it when we get back,” Liang Shijing said, his voice a low rumble.

“Can’t you promise me now?” Wen Yan pressed.

“Are you in such a rush?” Liang Shijing countered.

“No, not really.” Wen Yan shook his head. “Just keep it in mind.”

They fell silent after that. Liang Wangyou finished his milk and drifted off to sleep. With moonlight still lingering, Wen Yan gently touched the boy’s cheeks, now cooled from the fever. They were incredibly soft and tender. He usually stood or ran around like a little grown-up, but curled in Wen Yan’s arms, he was still just a tiny bundle. Breathing deeply and steadily, no crying or fussing. At an age when he still wet the bed, he already knew to protect betas and omegas. He talked tough about fighting and killing, loved playing with race cars and guns.

Wen Yan watched him and suddenly smiled. At the same moment, a weight lifted from his shoulder as a blanket draped over it from behind, cascading down onto Liang Wangyou too. The sofa cushion dipped slightly. Liang Shijing had sat down. Half a second later, he rested his head on Wen Yan’s shoulder. Wen Yan couldn’t tell if it was deliberate or accidental, genuine sleep or feigned. Either way, he didn’t push him away. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes.

The family spent the night like that on the sofa, until the first rays of morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Liang Wangyou woke first, letting out a couple of gurgles.

He’d slept soundly, and his fever had broken.

Little Alpha climbed out of bed and examined the alpha and omega with their heads pressed together. He even overlapped their hands and placed them side by side. Then he quietly slipped off the bed—his bladder was about to burst! After using the bathroom, he changed his sodden diaper himself, tiptoed back, and crouched on the carpet to snap secret photos of the pair. After taking a whopping 180 shots, he stepped onto Liang Shijing’s thigh between Wen Yan and Liang Shijing, scheming to wriggle into Wen Yan’s arms for another nap just like before.

“Get down,” Liang Shijing scolded suddenly.

Liang Wangyou fumed but didn’t dare protest. He slunk off the sofa with his tail between his legs, and his empty tummy let out a loud gurgle. A few seconds later, Liang Shijing cracked his eyes open. He first carried the soundly sleeping Wen Yan—who resembled a dead pig—into the bedroom. When he emerged, he asked, “What do you want for breakfast?”

“First, two hundred milliliters of milk,” Liang Wangyou ordered in his piping childish voice. “Then shrimp. You peel them for me, Father.”

Liang Shijing raked a hand through his hair before heading downstairs to the kitchen. Liang Wangyou trailed after him like a persistent shadow, orbiting around as he asked, “Father, have you made up with Wen Yan?”

Liang Shijing leaned against the counter, arms folded, and watched the warm water fill the bottle. With an expressionless face, he replied that he hadn’t.

“Didn’t you send him gems?”

“He doesn’t like those.”

“Then what does he like?”

“You.”

Liang Wangyou bit his lip bashfully. “Are you going to give me to him, then?”

“…” Liang Shijing pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation at the sheer idiocy. “Is your brain still asleep?”

If I sent you away, I’d have no leverage left. How could you not grasp something so obvious?

Liang Wangyou certainly didn’t grasp it. He stormed off in a huff, muttering curses under his breath. But moments later, when Liang Shijing brought out breakfast, the boy was all smiles again. The child was thoughtful in his own way, dutifully peeling shrimp for his father out of sympathy. Once he finished eating, he set down his bowl. “I’m going out to play. Don’t disturb Wen Yan.”

“Wear your wristband,” Liang Shijing said impassively as he chewed a shrimp.

“Got it.” Liang Wangyou slid down from the table. Liang Shijing first checked his forehead, then gave him a full-body spritz of mosquito repellent. Little Alpha had bounced back from his fever with remarkable speed—he’d been bawling the night before, but by morning he was full of vim and vigor. Donning his yellow sun hat and slinging his little bamboo basket over his shoulder, he bolted out the door like a gust of wind.

The private island appeared to house only the three of them, but three nuclear submarines lurked beneath the serene sea surface, and bodyguards patrolled every vantage point on the island. Little Alpha could roam freely without a care for his safety. Two hours later, Liang Wangyou returned from his adventures, his cheeks rosy from the sun and sweat beading on his forehead. The bottom of his little basket held general hats he’d pried from the seashore, along with sea cucumbers and abalone. A fat bunch of unidentified wildflowers poked out from the side.