Chapter 48
Hugh Elvis remained silent for a full minute, then asked, “Why are you closing your eyes?”
So it wasn’t a dream. Shi Nuo opened his eyes, still slightly disbelieving.
“Well?” the Alpha prompted again.
Shi Nuo looked up at Hugh Elvis, whose expression was neutral. The Alpha was wearing pajamas, which, despite his aloof demeanor, somehow softened his usual coldness.
The white pajamas were soft and fluffy, a matching set with Shi Nuo’s, the men’s version.
The style was different from his other clothes, more casual and comfortable.
Shi Nuo hesitated, then asked, “How…how do we date?”
Hugh was silent. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. He had simply watched the movie and decided they should start dating immediately.
There had been several dating scenes in the movie, from intimate home-cooked meals in warm, softly lit rooms to extravagant dinners in formal attire. Currently, they could only manage the former.
“We’ll have dinner,” he said after a moment.
Shi Nuo, having seen his fair share of movies, understood. A date, not just a regular meal.
“Okay,” he agreed, then after a moment, asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Hugh Elvis looked at him. “Whatever you want.”
Shi Nuo knew he wasn’t being polite, that he truly meant it, and simply nodded.
He had just woken up from his nap, and it was still early for dinner.
Shi Nuo went to the bathroom to wash his face. Hugh, waiting outside the door, suddenly remembered a scene from the movie where the Alpha had given the Omega flowers and a gift before dinner.
The beautifully wrapped gift had been a jeweled brooch.
They had plenty of jewels, but they were buried deep in the mountains. Long Xu could retrieve them, but there wasn’t enough time today.
“I’m going out for a bit,” he said suddenly.
Shi Nuo, having just finished washing his face, looked up, startled. “Okay,” he replied.
He felt the crystal pendant beneath his collarbone pulse faintly.
But Long Xu didn’t appear. Whenever it was summoned, it always stood in front of the house, its shadow looming over them.
Curious, but Hugh was already gone, and he heard a rumbling sound.
He looked up and saw a small spacecraft, sleek and black like a swift, ascending into the sky, leaving a sharp, elegant trail behind it.
It was Long Xu’s integrated spacecraft, which he had seen in the mecha’s database.
Hugh had left in a hurry, without explaining where he was going.
It probably wasn’t hunting. He had brought back a prey just this morning.
The Alpha’s unusual behavior made Shi Nuo uneasy.
Remembering Hugh’s suggestion about dating, he paused, lost in thought.
An hour later, the Alpha returned, carrying a large cluster of flowers.
The flowers, their roots still attached to a clump of earth, had vibrant blue petals and bright yellow centers, their color a pure, intense blue, blooming profusely.
Hugh held the flowers by their roots, a makeshift container fashioned from a piece of bent metal supporting the soil. As he walked, the flowers swayed gently, instantly capturing Shi Nuo’s attention.
After Hugh placed them on the floor, Shi Nuo approached and bent down to examine them closely.
He touched a petal; it was soft and smooth, almost like silk.
He gently rubbed a petal between his fingers, the texture delicate and pleasant.
The fragrance was subtle, their vibrant color more striking than their scent, the pure, soft blue visually soothing.
Shi Nuo glanced at the snow-covered landscape outside. “Where did you find these?” he asked, surprised.
“The highest mountain peak,” Hugh Elvis replied truthfully.
Shi Nuo knew he was referring to the mountain range they had visited before.
Long Xu had carried them across the mountains, even flying over the highest peak, which had been covered in snow, just like now. He hadn’t imagined there would be flowers there.
“They bloom in winter?” Shi Nuo murmured, his attention still on the blue flowers.
He noticed droplets of liquid on the green stems, clear and glistening, like dew, and he couldn’t resist touching one with his fingertip. It was slightly sticky, not quite like water.
“Yes, this plant is quite unique. It’s rare, not only found on the highest peak but also occasionally on other high-altitude locations,” Hugh explained, seeing him touch the droplets. “That’s a liquid it secretes. It has medicinal properties, very effective for treating external injuries.”
Shi Nuo withdrew his hand, rubbing his fingers together, and looked up at Hugh. “Have you used it?” he asked softly.
Otherwise, how would he know about its medicinal properties?
Hugh shook his head. “Intuition. My sense of smell is very acute. I can tell. And I once saw a golden monkey pick these flowers, crush them, and apply the juice to an injured leg. That confirmed it.”
A keen sense of smell and intuition were essential for survival in the wild. He never ignored them.
Seeing Shi Nuo’s interest, he added, “The native animals here have lived here much longer than I have. Their knowledge of the local flora and fauna is extensive. But you can’t always rely on their behavior. Some animals have evolved immunity to certain toxins and can eat things that would be deadly to others.”
Shi Nuo, understanding the importance of caution, especially when it concerned his survival, nodded seriously.
The cluster of flowers was quite large, and the metal sheet Hugh had fashioned into a makeshift container was perfect, holding the soil and the roots securely.
Shi Nuo looked around, about to find a place to put them, when Hugh Elvis carried the “flowerpot” and placed it on the makeshift table in the living room.
The container wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, but the flowers were beautiful.
“Do they need watering? Is there enough soil?” Shi Nuo asked. He had seen a few scattered wildflowers in late autumn, but since winter arrived, he hadn’t seen such vibrant colors, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of protectiveness towards them.
Hugh glanced at the flowers, then at Shi Nuo. “Not today. The soil is still damp. Tomorrow, or the day after, I’ll bring some clean snow from outside. That’s all they need. No other water.”
“Okay,” Shi Nuo nodded.
The makeshift table was next to the sofa, facing the rug. He sat cross-legged on the edge of the rug, admiring the flowers while considering what to make for dinner.
Hugh Elvis picked a flower, just the blossom, no stem, and handed it to Shi Nuo.
Shi Nuo carefully took the blue flower, its petals soft and smooth, its shape pleasing.
He held it in his palm, admiring it, then opened his optical brain and took pictures of the flower in his hand and the cluster on the table.
Suddenly, a flower petal was placed in his hair. Before he could react, the Alpha, standing behind him, gently tilted his chin up, directing his gaze towards a floating camera drone.
Like taking a selfie, they both looked at the camera, and a series of pictures were taken.
Shi Nuo, slightly dazed, with a blue flower petal in his hair, sat cross-legged on the rug. Hugh Elvis, to be at the same level, had to kneel behind him, his legs slightly apart, his upper body straight as he held Shi Nuo from behind.
Hugh Elvis moved quickly, shifting positions after the first set of pictures. He sat down on the rug, pulled Shi Nuo between his legs, and took more pictures.
He then released Shi Nuo.
Shi Nuo touched the flower petal in his hair, which must have fallen from the flower Hugh had given him earlier. He picked it up and placed it on the table.
Giving flowers, taking pictures together…
He paused, suddenly understanding the meaning of “dating,” the difference between this and their usual interactions.
He turned and glanced at Hugh, who was looking at the pictures, then quickly looked away, his eyes downcast, lost in thought.
“Do you want the pictures?” the white-haired Alpha asked, his expression soft, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Yes,” Shi Nuo nodded, and the pictures were transferred to his optical brain.
Hugh’s looks were flawless, every angle perfect. As for himself, he looked alright, not as bewildered as he had in the previous pictures.
Shi Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something. He opened his optical brain’s communication app, selected a contact, and sent two of the pictures.
The contact was Long Xu.
Long Xu was currently stored in its spatial storage device, but its consciousness was active and could be contacted.
It had its own independent account, different from the control terminal Hugh used. It could communicate with Shi Nuo through the messaging app.
They had exchanged pictures before, after building snowmen. He had no one else to share them with, and Long Xu, not being human, wouldn’t judge him, even for these slightly intimate pictures.
[You look good.]
As soon as he sent the pictures, he received a reply from Long Xu.
He was slightly embarrassed by the compliment and didn’t reply directly, instead typing another message.
[Do you have any suggestions for dinner? For a date?]
He couldn’t think of anything to make, and he couldn’t ask Hugh, since the Alpha had suggested the date and told him to choose the menu.
[Eat what you want. Don’t worry about anyone else’s preferences.]
The reply seemed familiar. Shi Nuo knew Long Xu wouldn’t lie, so he simply replied with “Okay” and continued to fret over the menu.
Before he could close the messaging app, he heard the Alpha’s cool voice behind him, “What are you talking about?”
Hugh Elvis had walked up behind him and was looking at the screen, his expression indifferent.
The messaging app’s default setting was privacy mode, the screen opaque, preventing others from seeing the content.
But Shi Nuo hadn’t set a higher security level for his conversations with Long Xu, so Hugh could see everything.
“N-nothing,” Shi Nuo stammered, turning to see Hugh’s expressionless face. “Just…asking for dinner suggestions.”
“Anything is fine,” Hugh reached out and closed the messaging app.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Compared to him, Shi Nuo not only seemed to prefer Long Xu’s company but also relied on it more, even sharing pictures with the mecha.
The white-haired Alpha pursed his lips, a frown creasing his brow. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t as…appealing as Long Xu.
He seemed to be angry.
Shi Nuo didn’t dare ask and, excusing himself, hurried to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Evening.
A steaming pot of meaty bone broth sat on the dining table.
Shi Nuo was embarrassed. He had no idea what to make for a “date night.” If it weren’t for his current situation, he wouldn’t even know how to cook.
The bone broth smelled delicious. He had wanted to eat it since this morning, while portioning the meat and bones.
The bones were thick and perfect for gnawing on.
Hugh Elvis placed the pot on the table and sat down, his attire different from usual: a black suit with a dark red shirt underneath.
The suit was simple yet stylish, a more youthful design, with a small silver ornament on the cuff.
Shi Nuo had been staring at him since he entered the kitchen carrying the pot of broth. He looked down at his own pajamas and hesitated. “I’ll…go change.”
“Yes. Wear the matching one,” Hugh Elvis said seriously, nodding.
He was referring to the suit that matched his own, the one Shi Nuo also had, their designs slightly different in a few details.
Ten minutes later, as soon as Shi Nuo sat down, Hugh placed two bones on his plate.
He looked at the Alpha, who was elegantly eating with his knife and fork, his long fingers moving gracefully.
