Chapter 17
The early spring sun was warm and brilliant.
The neatly trimmed lawn was a vibrant green, and the faint scent of grass tickled the nose, the heart-pounding orange blossom scent having faded considerably.
Bathed in the bright sunlight, Bai Yan’s tense nerves slowly began to relax.
Bai Yan wore a pair of UV-protective glasses on the bridge of his nose, one of his few valuable possessions.
Once, during a school spring outing when he was a child, the light had been too strong, and his eyes had been stimulated to the point of temporary blindness for a week.
Not long after that, the director had gotten him these protective glasses.
Bai Yan cherished them. He only wore them when the light was strong; otherwise, he would wipe them clean and store them carefully in their case.
The gardener had taken beautiful care of Yǎyuán, even more exquisite than the examples in his books. Bai Yan admired it as he walked, mentally comparing it to the content of his elective course.
Although it was still early spring, some of the seasonal roses had already bloomed. Various colored flowers shone in the distance, weaving together a background of blossoms.
Over the slope was a small garden. Oz was very excited, bouncing around Bai Yan.
The Doberman’s ears drooped restlessly on either side, flipping up and down as he ran and jumped, occasionally brushing against Bai Yan’s thigh, making it tickle.
The Omega’s two eyes held a beautiful, shattered light, and he smiled, revealing the cute dimples at the corners of his mouth. “Slow down, Oz. Be careful not to fall.”
It was only when they finally reached their destination that Bai Yan realized how superfluous his words had been.
After a dozen throws of the frisbee, the Doberman was still leaping excitedly into the air, eagerly chasing it into the distance, its agile gait showing no signs of fatigue.
But he was already covered in sweat, his arm trembling slightly from the exertion, and he was bent over, unable to straighten up.
The Doberman ran back with the frisbee in its mouth, its big eyes looking expectantly at Bai Yan, its tail still wagging behind it.
Bai Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and took a couple of breaths. Just as he was about to take the frisbee, Pei Tingyu, who had been quiet all this time, walked over and took it from the dog’s mouth.
“I’ll do it.”
Bai Yan was stunned for a few seconds, then saw the man casually flick his arm toward the sky.
The light, circular frisbee was thrown high into the air, tracing a beautiful arc across the sky, flying straight toward the dense woods in the distance.
Oz barked excitedly at the sky a few times and took off after the frisbee.
Pei Tingyu withdrew his gaze and turned to Bai Yan, explaining lightly, “Oz has a lot of energy. You can’t handle him alone.”
Is Mr. Pei explaining why he came?
He really pays attention to detail.
Bai Yan rested his hands on his knees, panting, and almost burst out laughing. “It’s a good thing Mr. Pei came. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have been able to keep playing with Oz.”
The Omega leaned against the tree trunk, his small face flushed from the exercise, a layer of moisture misting his lustrous eyes. The young man couldn’t stop smiling, his eyes curving into two crescent moons.
The wind picked up, a floral-scented breeze rippling the surface of the lake. The specks of light in the lake were dazzling, sparkling in the ripples.
The distant water shimmered, but the smile up close seemed even more brilliant than the sun, vivid and alive.
Pei Tingyu was slightly taken aback, his heart feeling as if it had been gently touched by something soft.
Like a feather, or a flower petal.
Oz, having run into the woods, was now distracted by a butterfly and chased it far away.
The man came back to his senses, his brow furrowed as he walked toward the young man. “Are you alright? Do you want to go back first?”
“Mr. Pei, no, no,” Bai Yan said, shaking his head. He straightened up and gave Pei Tingyu a relaxed smile. “I just get flushed easily after exercise. It’ll be fine after a walk.”
A servant had promptly followed the Doberman’s steps, so Bai Yan was no longer worried about Oz.
So, it was just him and Mr. Pei here again.
The two walked side by side along the lake, the scent of orange blossom floating in the wind. The faint scent of jasmine was enveloped by the strong pheromones, barely perceptible.
Bai Yan felt as if he was about to lose his breath again.
He fanned himself with his hand, forcing himself to shift his focus, and asked unnaturally, “Speaking of which, why didn’t Mr. Pei crop Oz’s ears?”
Dobermans are traditional guard dogs. Generally speaking, cropped ears provide more sensitive hearing than droopy ones. But at the same time, ear cropping and tail docking are not easy procedures for a dog.
Bai Yan had brought it up randomly, but now that he had, he was genuinely curious.
The Alpha glanced at him slowly, his hands in the pockets of his casual pants, his tone nonchalant.
“When I found Oz, his skin condition was already very severe. It wasn’t suitable for ear cropping.”
“Besides, modifying a Doberman based on human aesthetics goes against the laws of nature.”
“Yǎyuán has enough guards. We don’t need to rely on a dog.”
Bai Yan’s gaze fell on the distance. Oz, unaware of the conversation, was playing with his ears flopping, rolling around on the lawn with his toy.
He was clearly an eighty-pound, serious-looking big dog, but his heart was like a child’s.
Every day when Mr. Pei’s car returned, no matter what Oz was doing, he would be the first to greet him, fawning affectionately on Mr. Pei, begging for pets and hugs.
A smile touched the young man’s lips. Mr. Pei is really gentle.
As he was lost in thought, the man’s low, magnetic voice came from beside him. “Weren’t you going to pick flowers? What are you standing there for?”
Bai Yan blinked. Unconsciously, they had already reached the entrance to the small garden.
A European-style, retro-inspired long corridor came into view. The pink and white climbing roses were mostly in bloom, their buds weaving a magnificent pattern on the wall. A rich fragrance drifted over with the wind.
A gentle breeze blew, and soft petals floated in the wind, swirling down to the ground.
It was only early spring, and the flowers deeper in the garden had not yet bloomed much. Deep and shallow green shadows swayed in the breeze.
Seeing the wall of flowers before him, a smile appeared in Bai Yan’s clear eyes. He said to Mr. Pei with great interest, “I asked Sister Qin. She said the garden will be re-pruned next month, and all these roses can be picked.”
The “Sister Qin” the young man mentioned was Yǎyuán’s head gardener, Zhou Haiqin. She was small but extremely patient and passionate, with a wealth of gardening experience.
Most importantly, she had studied botany at Haicheng University for two years, making her, in a way, Bai Yan’s direct senior.
The two had become familiar in just a few days, and Zhou Haiqin had even enthusiastically said that if Bai Yan didn’t understand anything in the future, he could always ask her.
Pei Tingyu’s long eyebrow raised. So, without his knowledge, the Omega had already adapted very well to Yǎyuán.
He remembered their first meeting in the coffee shop. The slender Omega, wearing an ill-fitting down jacket, had sat opposite him, restless and uneasy, his long, beautiful neck as pink and white as jade.
The young man had chosen his words carefully, tentatively suggesting that he was willing to accept a three-year contract marriage, on the sole condition that he support Huixin Orphanage.
A strange, indescribable feeling suddenly filled Pei Tingyu’s heart.
Amidst the complex emotions, only one thought was crystal clear.
Fortunately, I brought Bai Yan back to Yǎyuán.
Bai Yan didn’t notice the sudden complex emotions of the person beside him. He took out a pair of special gloves and pruning shears from his bag and slowly cut the flower stems along the thorny branches.
The young man’s gaze was focused, his expression calm, his movements skilled and swift. The cut flowers were placed neatly beside him.
Each cut was clean and decisive, taking care to preserve the intact branches, and the flower buds were not damaged in the slightest.
A look of appreciation showed in the Alpha’s eyes. He suddenly asked, “Why don’t you pick from the greenhouse? There are more varieties there.”
“There’s no need, Mr. Pei,” Bai Yan said, smiling sweetly at Pei Tingyu and explaining seriously.
“We have a course next semester that covers the Rosaceae family. I just want to pick some in advance to study. The flowers in the greenhouse can’t withstand my ‘devastation’.”
Turning his head, Bai Yan secretly stuck out his tongue. Are you kidding me? The orchids and giant water lilies in the greenhouse—I probably couldn’t afford to pay for them even if I sold myself. How could I dare to touch them?
Hearing the young man’s answer, Pei Tingyu fell silent for a rare moment. He had almost forgotten that his new spouse had just turned nineteen and was still a student.
