Chapter 16
Pei Tingyu was only surprised for a brief second.
The soup bowl on the coffee table was still steaming. He disliked the spicy taste of ginger soup, so it must have been Auntie Chen who had coaxed the young man to bring it up to him.
The Omega was young and inexperienced, probably having no idea what it meant for him to enter a highly compatible Alpha’s private domain alone.
If he were in the middle of a pheromone disorder right now, he might lose his reason and tear him apart, limb from limb.
Although in Auntie Chen’s eyes, they were a legally registered, newly married couple.
Perhaps the water temperature tonight had been too high. The man felt an inexplicable heat.
Pei Tingyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His gaze was dark, and water droplets dripped from the ends of his hair.
The man leaned against the edge of the bathroom doorframe, his arms crossed, and asked in a hoarse, leisurely voice, “Are you here now to give me a pre-dinner appetizer?”
Because he had just taken a shower, the Alpha’s usually neatly combed hair was now casually draped over his forehead, his sharp, cold features exuding an air of lazy charm.
The man was bare-chested, his crossed arms bulging, the thick, green veins clearly visible.
His toned abdomen was neatly lined with a six-pack, his pale, firm muscles flushed a seductive pink from the heat.
Water droplets that hadn’t been wiped away slid down from his hair, tracing the lines of his muscles, finally reaching the loosely tied bath towel around his waist…
Bai Yan heard himself suck in a sharp breath.
A wave of hot, moist steam rushed toward him. It felt as if all the blood in his body was rushing to his gland, and his cheeks were burning hot.
“I-I-I—I’m sorry, Mr. Pei, I was just bringing you ginger soup. I didn’t expect you to be in the shower. I’m so sorry for disturbing you!”
Bai Yan rushed out the apology, his eyes darting around in a panic, not knowing where to look. His already fair cheeks were now beet red, his earlobes so red they looked like they were bleeding.
His heart was pounding violently, so fast it felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.
The Omega accidentally glanced at the man’s pink-tinged chest muscles, and his nose grew hot. He quickly averted his gaze as if he had been burned.
He didn’t dare to stay any longer and quickly bowed to the owner of the room.
Before Mr. Pei could say anything, he had already bolted back to his own room across the hall, even slamming the door with a loud bang in his excitement.
Pei Tingyu was speechless.
What did I do that was so terrifying?
The man furrowed his brow and shook his head helplessly. The scent of jasmine, having fled in a panic, seemed to still linger in the air.
Without the Omega, the last traces of pheromones were like tangled threads, winding around him.
The heat in his body, instead of being relieved, burned even hotter.
It was desire.
His rut was coming.
The man tutted, frowned, and turned back into the bathroom.
Cold water, all the way.
Bai Yan leaned against the closed door, panting, his limbs feeling weak.
Oh my god, oh my god, what did I just do?
The gland on the back of his neck was slightly hot. The young man covered his flushed face. The scent of orange blossom seemed to still linger around him, awakening memories that shouldn’t have been remembered.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, V-taper, six-pack, and chest muscles… Mr. Pei’s chest muscles are so big. They look so soft…
Bai Yan froze.
He shot his head down and suddenly found a certain part of his body stirring to attention!
Help me!
Bai Yan heard a roar in his head, his heart pounding so fast it felt like it was about to explode from his chest.
Because of his poor health, his desires had always been faint—how could this be happening today?!
The young man bit his lip in shame and anger. He had only accidentally seen Mr. Pei’s chest muscles, how could he have such a strong reaction!
The Omega no longer had the strength to support himself. He covered his beet-red face in embarrassment and slowly slid down to the carpet.
Forget it, forget it, ahhh!
After dealing with his physiological problem in the bathroom, his overheated gland finally calmed down.
He had no appetite for dinner either. Bai Yan sent a message to Auntie Chen and, with a weak body, collapsed onto the large velvet bed.
The young man buried his face in a pillow and took a deep breath, not daring to even look at the rabbit toy on his bedside table.
The soft quilt formed a round, rolling bulge, looking very tempting to cuddle.
Everything from today flashed uncontrollably in his mind: getting the marriage certificate, going back to the orphanage, being trapped in the coffee shop by the rain and being picked up by Mr. Pei, and just now…
The young man covered his burning face under the covers. So many things had happened at once, and it was too much for him to handle.
But even so, Bai Yan wailed in his heart. He had been scared off by Mr. Pei’s chest muscles, so much so that he didn’t even dare to go downstairs and was now holed up in his room. This was so wrong.
Actually, there’s nothing strange about it at all.
Bai Yan tried to convince himself. He and Mr. Pei were both male. What Mr. Pei had, he had too, just maybe a smaller model…
Besides, besides, I didn’t even see anything just now.
The image of firm muscles rising and falling with each breath, the slightly damp edge of the bath towel, flashed in his mind. Bai Yan immediately lost his courage and buried his face back in the soft pillow, his head feeling like it was about to explode.
I promised to cooperate with Mr. Pei. How could I run away just because I accidentally saw his chest muscles?
The young man criticized himself in his heart. He had no sense of the agreement at all!
If Mr. Pei made any intimate gestures toward him in public and he ran away, wouldn’t that be a complete breach of the contract?
In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Bai Yan, after painful deliberation, finally decided to change his phone’s wallpaper to a picture of a male model’s abs.
Through daily training, he would achieve desensitization and eventually have a heart as still as water.
Although he was blinded by the sudden appearance of creamy chocolate when he turned on his screen for the first few days, after a few days of persistence, the results were remarkable.
Mm, at least he was no longer so scared by a naked man’s abs that he frantically pressed the screen, accidentally hitting the power button and causing his phone to freeze.
Life after marriage was no different from before. Mr. Pei was still busy. Usually, when he woke up in the morning, Mr. Pei had already left.
At most, Bai Yan would see him at dinner, share a quiet meal, and then they would each go back to their own rooms to rest.
It wasn’t Bai Yan’s fault that his biological clock had changed. It had been raining continuously for the past few days, and the thick, dark clouds covering the sky gave him no desire to go out.
The rain continued unabated. Bai Yan felt a tickle in his throat and immediately swallowed a few vitamin tablets to prevent a cold.
For the past few days, he hadn’t even wanted to leave his room. He spent all day in his small study, reviewing his lessons for the next semester. When he got tired of studying, he would play with Oz.
The manager of the milk tea shop looked at the weather forecast and decisively changed the schedule, deciding to stay in a sunny city abroad until next month.
He also generously extended Bai Yan and his colleagues’ paid long vacation by another half a month, and they would reopen after school started.
The young man, curled up in his soft bed, saw the salary deposited into his account and smiled so widely his eyes crinkled. He followed his colleagues in replying to the group chat with a string of “The boss is generous, may the boss get rich in the new year.”
Good news first thing in the morning. The young man hummed a song to himself, his steps much lighter as he went downstairs.
Pei Tingyu had just come out of the gym’s bathroom. He had changed his clothes and was sitting in the dining room, checking the news. Before he could even see the person, he heard the young man’s conversation with Oz.
“Good morning, Oz. I’m very happy to see you too. Do you want to go for a walk in the small garden with me today? The roses are blooming so beautifully. Shall we go pick some?”
“Woof woof woof!”
“The weather is good today. We can also play frisbee. We can play all morning.”
“Woof woof woof!”
“Hehe, Oz is so good. Oz is the cutest dog in the whole world!”
The young man’s voice was soft, sweet, and cheerful, revealing his owner’s unconcealed happiness and relaxation.
The Alpha’s brow raised slightly. The hand that was swiping on his tablet paused, his fingertips now tapping lightly on the table.
A subtle emotion arose in Pei Tingyu’s heart. He hadn’t known Bai Yan had such a lively side.
In front of him, the Omega was either cautious and polite, calling him Mr. Pei, or thinking he had done something wrong, lowering his gaze in annoyance and panic to apologize.
Or he was shy, his face turning beet red, and running away like a little rabbit.
It seemed he still knew too little about his new spouse.
As they spoke, the young man and Oz walked into the dining room.
The smile on Bai Yan’s face hadn’t yet faded when he saw Pei Tingyu sitting at the dining table, his arms crossed, watching him with interest.
Bai Yan froze.
The Omega was wearing a warm yellow loungewear set today. His soft, pale gold hair rested on his fair, tender neck. His cherry-pink almond eyes were moist and bright, and his cheeks had a healthy, rosy glow.
Chen Shulan had taken good care of Bai Yan. In less than half a month, she had driven away most of his sickly pallor. The young man’s originally sharp, narrow chin had even become a little rounder.
Seeing the man who rarely appeared at the dining table, Bai Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He asked blankly, “Mr. Pei! W-what are you doing here?”
Pei Tingyu was speechless.
Mm, I missed one. Stuttering unconsciously out of nervousness. The man mentally facepalmed. Am I really some kind of monster?
Pei Tingyu’s fingers tapped on the solid wood table. He explained slowly, “It’s the weekend.”
Bai Yan blinked, a beat behind. Oh, it really is.
In the eyes of a college student on vacation, there was no difference between weekdays and weekends. The few weekends he had been at Yǎyuán, either Mr. Pei was on a business trip, or he was sick in the hospital.
Today was actually their first weekend together. The thought of it made Bai Yan a little nervous.
After Bai Yan took his seat, Pei Tingyu’s lips curved. He said teasingly, “In your eyes, am I a complete workaholic?”
“It seems I should consider coming back earlier. Otherwise, someone won’t be used to me being at Yǎyuán.”
“Mr. Pei, you don’t have to…” Bai Yan reflexively turned his head to explain and met the man’s smiling gaze.
The early spring sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, casting a soft halo around the man.
It was as if specks of light were flashing in those dark eyes, no longer covered by an icy frost. They were so dark and profound they could suck a person in.
For some reason, Bai Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
“The last course, raspberry pudding.” Auntie Chen held the silver tray steadily and placed the dessert in front of the two of them.
Bai Yan hastily averted his gaze and buried his head. Beneath the tablecloth, his two hands clenched tightly, his ears turning red without him realizing it.
Chen Shulan asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched Pei Tingyu’s lips. “Nothing.”
Today was Cantonese-style morning tea, with a variety of dim sum, both savory and sweet. Not only were they exquisitely shaped, but they were also delicious.
Bai Yan took a small bite of a soft, flaky pastry. The pastry was too big, and his cheeks immediately puffed out, like a little hamster.
The man still ate with a slow, deliberate manner, his noble and elegant posture a pleasure to watch.
The young man’s eyes secretly peeked at the person opposite him. Mr. Pei really does prefer sweet things. Apart from the sweet crystal buns, he barely touched the rest with his chopsticks.
The Alpha’s gaze was focused on the tablet in front of him. Bai Yan followed his gaze for a few glances. Mm, it’s not English. I can’t understand any of it.
In the quiet dining room, the scent of orange blossom pheromones swirled around him, but it was slightly different from before. For some reason, it made his face flush and his heart pound, leaving him breathless.
The heating was turned up high. Bai Yan hadn’t been eating for long when he felt a wave of panic.
He was about to go upstairs after finishing breakfast, but the man called out to him first.
Pei Tingyu raised an eyebrow and gestured to the little dog pacing anxiously at his feet. “Weren’t you going to play frisbee with Oz outside?”
“Ah? Oh, oh.” So Mr. Pei heard everything I said to Oz earlier. Bai Yan’s face grew slightly hot, but he didn’t head upstairs.
Taking the jacket and hat from the servant, the young man casually smoothed his bangs and turned to see Mr. Pei, also dressed and ready.
Pei Tingyu had a light brown greatcoat over his sweater. Compared to a suit, it looked much more relaxed. He glanced at his watch and strode toward the young man. “Let’s go.”
The young man’s heart skipped a beat. He pretended to be nonchalant and obediently walked to the man’s side.
