Chapter 45
The young man’s eyes were dazed, his face showing a look of disbelief, his mouth even forming a small “O” shape.
The moment he met Bai Yan’s gaze, Pei Tingyu’s pupils suddenly contracted, and the blood in his veins seemed to freeze.
The Alpha was completely frozen in place. Before he could speak, the young man in front of him suddenly swayed, his hand, suspended in mid-air, sliding down like a leaf blown by the wind, and he fell straight forward.
“Bai Yan!”
The Alpha’s head buzzed. He reflexively rushed forward and caught the young man’s shoulders.
The young man fell limply into his arms, his eyes tightly shut, completely unconscious.
His face was covered in an unnatural flush, his pale lips parted slightly, and moist, rapid breaths escaped.
A sudden, baseless fear washed over him. The Alpha’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He reached out a trembling hand to check the young man’s forehead. The high temperature was frighteningly hot.
“Get the car! To Erya!” Pei Tingyu’s heart tightened. He didn’t have time to scold the frozen secretary beside him and immediately lifted the Omega into his arms, rushing downstairs.
The jasmine pheromones seemed to lose control, pouring out of the young man’s gland. The rich, mellow, sweet scent filled the air, causing passing AOs to frequently look over.
Pei Tingyu had to release more of his own pheromones, both to soothe and to protect, tightly enveloping the jasmine scent, not letting a single wisp escape.
The black Bentley sped toward Erya Private Hospital. The driver in the front silently endured the heavy atmosphere in the car, not daring to breathe.
The driver was a Beta and couldn’t smell the pheromones. Otherwise, he would have been shocked by the concentration of pheromones in the car, so much so that his heart would have pounded with fear.
Pei Tingyu held the unconscious young man tightly in his arms. His highly compatible pheromones tried to soothe him, but to little effect.
Bai Yan’s breathing grew more and more rapid, his heartbeat violent. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he broke out in a cold sweat, his whole body as if soaked.
He kept his eyes tightly shut, his lashes trembling. His lips parted slightly, and he murmured in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, “Mr. Pei…”
“Yanyan!” Pei Tingyu’s heart leaped. He cupped the young man’s face with both hands.
But the young man didn’t seem to be fully conscious. He only nuzzled his cheek against his palm and, with no strength left, fell back into unconsciousness.
The usually calm man’s eyes instantly turned red, his heart as if being cut by a knife. He wished he could take his place.
But he didn’t know what had happened. He could only grit his teeth, hold the weak and helpless young man, and silently pray for them to go faster, faster.
The Omega’s body temperature rose rapidly. The man had to repeatedly soak a towel in the car’s warm water and place it on the young man’s forehead, trying to cool him down again and again.
Later, the towel would have to be replaced almost as soon as it was placed on him.
The car had just barely stopped at the entrance of the emergency building when Pei Tingyu kicked the door open with a bang and rushed out with the young man in his arms.
Li Xiaoxiao and a group of doctors and nurses were already waiting at the hospital entrance. Seeing them, they immediately and professionally placed Bai Yan on a hospital bed and rushed toward the emergency room.
The light above the emergency room door turned from green to red. The calm and composed Alpha felt as if all his strength had been instantly drained.
The busy emergency building was filled with noise, but the man’s mind was a complete blank. He rested his forehead on his hands and sat dazedly on a waiting room chair.
His vision turned gray, and all the sounds faded away.
What’s the use of Pei Tingyu being a force to be reckoned with in the business world? Right now, he’s just like any other ordinary person.
Terrified, waiting for fate’s judgment.
He’s given his all, but he’s powerless.
Chen Shulan received the news and rushed over from Yǎyuán.
Seeing the wretched, silent Alpha outside the emergency room, the Beta housekeeper said nothing. With tears in her eyes, she gently patted the man’s shoulder and stayed by his side.
After an unknown amount of time, the light above the emergency room door finally turned from red to green. The door opened from the inside, and a nurse pushed a hospital bed toward the private elevator.
Pei Tingyu shot up to follow, but Li Xiaoxiao timely blocked his way, her brow furrowed as she slowly and firmly shook her head.
The Alpha understood her meaning. His heart sank to the bottom, and he walked with her toward the corridor.
“A-Yan’s fever is gone. He’s on an IV drip now and should be waking up soon.” Li Xiaoxiao took off her mask, her face unusually weary.
Pei Tingyu’s expression did not improve. He waited for her to continue.
“But…” the female Alpha looked up at the man’s dark face, sighed, and continued, “we found that his gland was overly red and swollen, which is not normal. We did a gland test on him.”
She frowned and asked, “After you got married, has A-Yan had a heat yet?”
“No,” the man said with difficulty, his hands clenching into fists, so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “He’s only had one brief pseudo-heat.”
“That’s the problem,” Li Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully. “Bai Yan’s heat frequency seems to be abnormal.”
“Generally speaking, for an unmarked Omega like him, the heat frequency should be every 2-3 months. Even if it’s a little longer, it should be between 4-5 months.”
“But the report shows that his last heat was at least half a year ago. The pheromones have been accumulating in his body for a long time without being released.”
“And you,” Li Xiaoxiao pinched the bridge of her nose and continued, “your compatibility with Bai Yan is as high as 85%, and your pheromone level is higher than his.”
“He has been under the influence of your pheromones for a long time without being marked. The accumulated pheromones in his body have far exceeded his limit. He also hasn’t had any rest recently and has experienced huge emotional fluctuations, which is why it suddenly erupted.”
Li Xiaoxiao: “It was sheer luck that we were able to control it this time. If a similar situation occurs in the future, I’m afraid it will leave after-effects on his gland, and could even be life-threatening.”
With every word Li Xiaoxiao said, Pei Tingyu’s face grew a shade paler. His body swayed, and he almost couldn’t support himself.
The man’s lips were pressed tight, his knuckles cracking. He asked in an almost trembling, strained voice, “Then is there any way to treat it?”
Li Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow slightly and gave him a “what do you think” look.
“The most effective method is, of course, a complete marking. It’s a once-and-for-all solution. Spending your ruts and heats together in the future will be good for both of you.”
She added, “But, if you have no intention of marking him and want to opt for conservative treatment, it’s best to have him stay completely away from highly compatible Alphas. In short—Mr. Pei, you’d better live separately from Bai Yan.”
“Otherwise, if you live together, even if Bai Yan recovers this time, there will be risks sooner or later. Either your pheromones will go out of control, or his gland will be damaged.”
“Hah,” Li Xiaoxiao sighed again, pressing her throbbing temples. “If nothing unexpected happens, his next heat will probably be this month.”
“You should think about it carefully.”
The female Alpha turned and left, leaving the man in the empty, cold corridor.
Think about it carefully…
An immense bitterness filled Pei Tingyu’s heart. A rusty, metallic taste welled up in his throat, and he swallowed it back down.
He clenched his fists and slammed them against the hospital wall.
The S-class Alpha’s constitution made his knuckles quickly turn red and bloody, but the man, as if not feeling the pain, slammed them again several times.
He had thought he could be by his precious’s side as family, but now, was the dream about to end?
Pei Tingyu’s eyes were red. He returned to the inpatient room, almost in a daze, and sat down beside the young man.
Chen Shulan quietly retreated, leaving the room to the two of them.
The Alpha’s gaze was loving as he gently traced the outline of the quietly sleeping Omega.
His clothes were soaked with sweat and had been changed into a new hospital gown. The wide collar made the young man in the bed look exceptionally frail.
His cheeks, which had just started to get some color back, were now once again fragile and pale.
His pale lips were colorless, his brow furrowed in unease, his lashes like white butterflies by the water, trembling, unable to settle.
The man couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to smooth the lines on the young man’s brow. But his hand stopped halfway, hovering in mid-air.
He couldn’t anymore. He had lost the right.
The man slowly curled his fingers and, trembling, withdrew his hand.
At that moment, the stinging pain he had ignored suddenly shot up from his knuckles.
A bitter sigh suddenly sounded in the quiet hospital room.
My precious, as long as you can get better, I’ll do anything.
When Bai Yan woke up, the first thing he saw was the white ceiling of the hospital.
His just-awakened brain was still a little dazed, but the pungent smell of disinfectant brought back his memories.
The hospital? The hospital.
How long had it been since he had been to the hospital?
The young man was in a daze for a moment. He used to go to the hospital all the time, but since moving into Yǎyuán, this place had become unfamiliar to him.
He instinctively lifted his hand, and a faint, stinging pain came from the back of it.
There was a needle in the back of his hand. As expected, he was on an IV drip.
Bai Yan pouted habitually and tried to use his elbow to sit up, but he found that his limbs were weak and he couldn’t exert any strength. He could only fall back onto the bed, half-slumped.
Pei Tingyu heard the movement and immediately came out of the room’s built-in bathroom.
Seeing the young man’s actions, the man’s brow furrowed. He quickly walked to the hospital bed and helped him sit up.
The Alpha’s gaze was gentle as he said softly, “Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
The man had tidied his suit in the bathroom and bandaged his wound. Even though he tried his best to act as if nothing had happened, the bloodshot in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Bai Yan leaned against the headboard and slowly shook his head, a faint, reassuring smile on his pale little face. “I’m fine, Mr. Pei. I’ve had enough sleep. I want to sit up for a while.”
Seeing the young man’s naive and innocent smile, a hint of bitterness appeared on Pei Tingyu’s lips.
If Bai Yan knew that he had fainted and his gland had gone haywire all because of him, would he still smile at him?
Knowing that the person who called himself family actually had many dark thoughts, would he still trust and rely on him as he always had?
Pei Tingyu almost lost his composure. He forced a twitch of his lips and was about to turn and leave. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
But Bai Yan couldn’t wait a second longer. He immediately called out to him, “Mr. Pei, please wait—”
“Were the things you said in the conference room true?”
Pei Tingyu’s steps, heading out, suddenly paused. The Sword of Damocles hanging over his head slowly descended.
Of course, he had better ways to answer, such as lightly saying it was for the company’s reputation, or that it was the official line to deal with the AO system.
But he suddenly didn’t want to do that anymore.
Even if this relationship was destined to end, he wanted Bai Yan to understand his feelings before he left.
The man lowered his gaze, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty a few times. His voice was unusually low and hoarse. “Bai Yan, every word I said was true.”
“I love you. I want to be your lover. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
The man’s tightly clenched fingers trembled slightly. He didn’t even dare to turn his head to look at the Omega in the hospital bed.
But he masochistically imagined what the young man’s expression would be.
Surprise, fear, even disgust…
A stinging pain shot through Pei Tingyu’s heart, but he maintained a calm and composed expression and said coolly, “I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position. I will terminate the agreement in advance. The compensation and property you will receive will not be any less.”
The Alpha was about to leave when his raised hand was suddenly grabbed.
The man’s pupils instantly widened.
The young man’s calloused fingers were not soft. The tip of his little finger hooked the man’s, slowly slipping between his closed fingers, and gently tugged him.
His soft voice was tinged with a hint of helplessness.
“Mr. Pei, it seems you haven’t asked for my opinion yet?”
