Chapter 45 Part 2

Liang Shijing sat on the sofa, reviewing his work briefs.

“Look, Father—are they pretty?” Liang Wangyou plunked the basket on the table, panting for breath. “I picked them specially for Wen Yan.”

It was a motley handful of flowers in yellows, greens, and blues. Liang Shijing gave them a cursory glance. “He doesn’t like these.”

“You’re making that up again!” Liang Wangyou’s nose practically twisted off his face in fury after his morning’s labors. He stomped off to wash his hands. But when he returned, more than half the flowers were gone—the most striking blue ones had vanished entirely. Liang Shijing hadn’t budged from his seat, feigning innocence as if he had nothing to do with it. With only three people in the house, however, Liang Wangyou wailed in protest. He pummeled Liang Shijing in rage until he tired himself out, then slumped against his side and muttered complaints.

Wen Yan was still asleep, so Liang Shijing carried on with his work. Liang Wangyou sprawled across his father’s back, playing tablet games—first lying down, then prone, his legs eventually kicking up onto Liang Shijing’s shoulders. At last, he rubbed his eyes and whispered, “Father, I’m sleepy.”

“Do you want to sleep with Wen Yan?” Liang Shijing pulled away from his documents, eyeing the boy with keen interest.

“Yes!” Liang Wangyou’s eyes lit up like stars. “Don’t forget to put a diaper on me.”

Of course, Liang Shijing had no intention of doing any such thing. He scooped the boy up and marched straight to Wen Yan’s room, kicking off his slippers at the door. He twisted the knob, revealing a cool room redolent with a pleasant scent. White gauze curtains shrouded the space in tranquil dimness. The omega lay bundled in the covers like a silkworm chrysalis. Liang Shijing gently drew back the blanket, and Little Alpha swiftly burrowed inside. The omega stirred groggily, cracked his eyes to look, then drew Little Alpha into his embrace.

And so, the two little pigs were finally reunited.

Liang Shijing’s gaze dropped to the enormous expanse of empty bed still remaining. Liang Wangyou waved at him with a grin, mouthing a silent “bye-bye”…

The alpha let out a cold snort and walked out.

When the sun reached its zenith, sure enough, the omega flung open the bedroom door in a panic and dashed out, a massive wet patch staining the leg of his pajama pants.

“What happened?” Liang Shijing asked, though he knew full well.

“Little You wet the bed…” Wen Yan clutched his damp pajama leg. He’d been dozing in a haze when he felt a sudden warmth on his thigh. When he reached down to touch it, a stream of hot liquid soaked his hand. With Little You still fast asleep, he hadn’t wanted to wake the boy and had come straight to find Liang Shijing.

“Oh.” Liang Shijing’s face remained impassive. “That’s normal.”

After a pause, he added, “You can sleep in my room.”

“Still sleep?” Wen Yan blinked in confusion. “Shouldn’t we clean him up first? I could sleep in Little You’s room.”

“His bed got wet last night too,” Liang Shijing explained airily.

“Oh. Then I’ll take the sofa tonight.” Wen Yan wandered back into the room in a daze, then poked his head out again. “Has his fever broken?”

Liang Shijing rose with a hint of displeasure and gave Liang Wangyou a bath. Wen Yan took the opportunity to shower as well. When he emerged, he spotted food laid out on the dining table but wasn’t sure if it was for Little You or himself, so he left it alone. He grabbed a simple sandwich from the fridge instead. As he tossed the wrapper in the trash, he noticed several bunches of highly poisonous blue proliferous stars. Footsteps sounded behind him, and Liang Shijing entered, giving him a glance. “Why aren’t you eating the seafood porridge?”

Wen Yan pretended not to hear and slipped out of the kitchen.

With Little You still asleep, the vacation house now held only the omega and the alpha. Unwilling to be alone in the same space as Liang Shijing, Wen Yan headed out for a walk despite the blazing sun. After a short stroll, he couldn’t help but smile. A trail of small footprints stretched along the beach—Liang Wangyou must have been running the whole way, his heels kicking up sprays of sand. Who knew what the child had been in such a hurry about?

The island was vast. He followed Liang Wangyou’s footprints far into the distance. In the forest, the stems of freshly picked flowers still oozed white sap that hadn’t dried. The air should have carried the faint scent of green grass, but he couldn’t smell it.

To his surprise, he discovered that little Liang Wangyou had picked some wild fruits to eat as well. Tiny tooth marks lingered on the especially sour skins. It wasn’t hard to picture the child’s face contorting in puckered sourness, probably spitting out “pthoo, pthoo, pthoo” a few times. Wen Yan trailed his footsteps all the way to the seaside. Layer upon layer of waves crashed against the rocks and beach. The fierce sea wind billowed his clothes as he faced the vast, majestic ocean. Wen Yan felt his heart so light—very light—and filled with happiness.

Turning abruptly, he spotted Liang Shijing walking toward him. Without a word, the man came to stand silently at his side.

“What have you been hiding from these past few days?” Liang Shijing asked calmly.

Wen Yan had plenty he wanted to say, plenty to confess, but none of it was for Liang Shijing’s ears. So he stayed silent. Liang Shijing didn’t push. After a pause, he asked, “How do you like it here?”

The island’s air was crisp and fresh, bathed in abundant sunlight, with endless expanses of blue sky and green foliage. This place held their happiest times as a trio. Liang Shijing had no pressing work, and Liang Wangyou could play without a care. The Vacation House was small and charming, yet it felt just like a real home—three bedrooms, a kitchen, floors above and below. Wide beaches and undisturbed shores surrounded it. For a family to live here long-term would be a blessing worth celebrating.

“Very beautiful,” Wen Yan replied softly.

“Then we’ll keep you locked up here,” Liang Shijing said in the most casual tone imaginable.

An alpha’s aura of dominance never came from barked orders or rigid commands, nor from force or strict rules. It was the effortless nonchalance that seeped through invisibly—a major decision needed only a passing mention, and others would handle the details methodically. With the entire world under his sway, an omega had no cause for frantic rebuttals or flushed-faced arguments.

—Against such tyranny, only a gentle blade would suffice.

Wen Yan gazed at him with pity. “Okay.”

No matter what happened now, he could accept it. It was only a question of where he died.

They lingered a while longer before heading back to the Dream Home for dinner. Afterward, the three of them played video games together. At Liang Wangyou’s insistent pleading, they even played another round of hide-and-seek. The house was tiny, so he found them with ease this time. That night, all three slept together once more.

Rain fell that night, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rolling thunder outside the window. A warm wall lamp glowed in the room. Two large pillows pressed tightly together. Liang Shijing lay on the left side of the big bed, Liang Wangyou in the middle, and Wen Yan on the right. Propping his head on one hand, Wen Yan read a little story from the picture book to Liang Wangyou.

“Long, long ago, mice had excellent memories. They could often recall things from ages past.”

“Once, the snake family brought back a treasure from a faraway place. It was kept in a glass bottle. The little mouse and the little snake were the best of friends, even though relations between their races were poor. That day, the little mouse learned from the little snake that the treasure was something called Forget-Sorrow Grass. Whoever ate it would forget everything.”

“So the little mouse wanted to see what this treasure looked like. But he feared the other snakes would spot him. Under cover of night, he sneaked into the snake den and studied the bottle closely for a long time. Just then, many snakes woke up suddenly. Terrified of discovery, the little mouse panicked and accidentally swallowed the Forget-Sorrow Grass. When he turned around, he had forgotten everything—his name, his home, even his good friend the little snake.”

“The little mouse fled the snake den. The little snake woke and chased right after him, but he couldn’t catch up. From his clanmates, he learned the little mouse had stolen their treasure, so he grew angry. From that day on, they became bitter enemies. Having eaten the Forget-Sorrow Grass, the little mouse lost his once-sharp memory and became the animal with the worst recall. He would forget what he was doing the moment he began, and he could never be friends with the little snake again…”

“Why didn’t the little snake tell the little mouse they’d been good friends?” Liang Wangyou asked. “Why didn’t he say anything? They still could’ve made up!”

“Because the mistake had already happened,” Wen Yan said after a moment’s thought. “Maybe the little snake felt betrayed.” As he finished, he noticed Liang Shijing’s brows furrowing, his expression sour. Wen Yan silently guessed that mocking thoughts were churning in the man’s mind.

“The little snake was too petty,” Liang Wangyou said with innocent wisdom. “The little mouse only ate a little bit of it. And it wasn’t on purpose. Since he forgot everything, how could he apologize? The little snake remembered, so he should’ve just told him. If it were me, I’d have forgiven the little mouse ages ago. You can buy another treasure, but once a good friend is gone, they’re gone for good.”

Wen Yan paused, then burst into laughter. “Baby’s right.”

“Who said the snake was angry?” Liang Shijing interjected from the side.

“What do you mean?” Liang Wangyou asked curiously.

“Ask the storyteller,” Liang Shijing replied, his head pillowed on his arm.

“Maybe the little snake was afraid the little mouse had forgotten him,” Wen Yan said slowly, voicing his hunch. “Chasing after him didn’t have to mean blame… He might’ve been trying to remind the little mouse about their friendship…”

“Oh, right! It could be that way,” Liang Wangyou said, enlightenment dawning.

“The world outside is dangerous,” Liang Shijing added evenly. “A lone mouse can hardly survive. That’s why the snake kept searching for him.”