Chapter 48
The sound of the bathroom water stopped at some point.
Bai Yan shook out the quilt, arranged the two pillows side by side on the bed, and walked to the sofa, feeling awkward. To avoid looking too nervous, he even deliberately poured a glass of water and held it in his hands.
When Pei Tingyu opened the bathroom door, he saw the young man sitting obediently on the sofa with his legs together, holding a glass and taking small sips of water.
Because his head was lowered, the soft swirl of hair on top of his head was exposed, as cute as a little rabbit.
His little rabbit.
A smile unconsciously touched the Alpha’s lips, and an unprecedented sense of satisfaction filled his heart, incredible.
Bai Yan looked up at the sound, and Pei Tingyu’s smiling features magnified before his eyes until they filled his entire vision.
The Alpha bent down slightly, his gaze level with the young man’s.
He suddenly reached out and ruffled the young man’s soft hair, his low, magnetic voice teasing the young man’s heartstrings. “It’s getting late. Do you want to rest?”
The moist pheromones, tinged with the scent of water, rushed toward him, carrying an indescribable sweetness. The Omega’s breath caught, and he couldn’t help but meet the man’s gaze.
They were very close, so close they could feel each other’s breath. Bai Yan could clearly see himself in those dark, profound eyes.
In the faint green light, as far as the eye could see, there was only him.
The young man’s lashes trembled slightly. He thought dazedly, *No wonder they say online that a lover’s eyes are the eighth great ocean.*①
Otherwise, why would he feel like he was drowning just by looking directly at them?
Bai Yan’s lashes trembled. A deep blush spread across his cheeks. He clenched the hem of his pajamas but didn’t look away.
After a long time, he finally stammered, “O-okay. It’s getting late. Let’s rest.”
“Mm.”
The man turned on the small nightlight on the bedside table and then turned off the main lights in the hospital room.
The hospital room instantly darkened, and all the furniture was draped in a hazy color.
The young man was like a little tail, following behind the Alpha with his head down, without a sound. It wasn’t until Pei Tingyu suddenly stopped and pulled open another door in the room that he finally looked up in a daze.
He blinked in surprise. There was actually a small lounge in the hospital room.
He had always thought that the door led to a storage room and had never opened it.
Moonlight shone in through the window, and Bai Yan could clearly see the furnishings inside.
Although the space wasn’t large, it had everything. There was a bed, a cabinet, and a single bed against the wall, which was neat and clean, without any strange smells.
Bai Yan stared blankly at the room, so embarrassed he could have dug a hole in the ground with his toes.
Oh my god, thank goodness he hadn’t directly invited Mr. Pei to sleep with him. It turned out they weren’t sleeping in the same bed at all!
Pei Tingyu glanced at the young man’s flushed and embarrassed expression and knew what he had misunderstood. He chuckled to himself.
He would have preferred to sleep with his precious.
But not yet.
If they slept in the same bed tonight, he really couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t do something to his precious.
The man pretended not to see the red marks spreading across his face and smiled gently. “The lounge isn’t soundproof. I won’t close the door. You can call me if you need anything.”
He bent down slightly.
Bai Yan’s pupils instantly widened, but he could only see the beautiful line of his jaw.
“Mwah.”
A soft touch, as light as a feather, landed on his forehead.
“Goodnight, Yanyan.”
Goodnight, my precious.
The low, hoarse, and sexy voice fell by his ear like a magic spell.
Bai Yan covered his forehead, shuffled away in his cotton slippers, his head spinning, and turned around in a daze.
Every step after that felt like he was walking on clouds. It wasn’t until he had swayed back to the large bed, thrown back the covers, and rolled into the soft bed that the young man finally came back to his senses.
His gaze uncontrollably flickered to the lounge.
It was far away, and the light from the bedside lamp couldn’t reach it. In the faint moonlight from outside, Bai Yan could only see a blurry black shadow.
The young man lowered his gaze and then looked at his left wrist.
The lotus beads were pressed against his skin, tinged with his body heat, and exuded a hint of warmth.
He held his wrist up and looked at it with a focused and serious gaze, his eyes sliding over each round little bead.
A hint of struggle flashed in Bai Yan’s eyes. In the end, he followed his heart, tilted his head back slightly, and gently kissed the beads.
Goodnight, goodnight, my xian sheng. I hope you have a good dream every night.
A soft smile unconsciously touched his lips. Bai Yan hugged his pillow and nuzzled it, his two lashes slowly falling, covering his eyelids.
The rich scent of orange blossom lifted his sweet, dark dream. The painful memories of the hospital were hidden in the depths of the shadows, no longer daring to come out and disturb the young man in the hospital bed.
The night was beautiful and peaceful. Bai Yan knew he was cherished and loved.
The next morning was a blood test. After a few days of IV treatment, Bai Yan’s gland was no longer hot.
Li Xiaoxiao said happily that his condition was very good and that he needed to pay close attention to the timing of his heat this month.
As long as he received a stable marking from an Alpha during his heat, the second development of his gland would be no problem at all.
The enthusiastic Alpha doctor also took the young man to another examination room for a test. After reading the report, she said enthusiastically that Bai Yan’s fertility function was also completely fine.
If he didn’t deliberately take contraceptive measures, he could easily get pregnant after being with a highly compatible Alpha.
And now, medical technology was very advanced. It was completely possible to detect whether the child in his womb had inherited the albinism gene after he became pregnant.
Even if it carried the gene, it was no problem. Through intervention, it could be corrected and treated in time before the child was born.
Hearing this, Bai Yan’s face almost turned the color of a braised shrimp, and his whole head was steaming.
Thank goodness this was a special examination room for Omegas, and his husband was waiting for him outside. Otherwise, he would probably be the first Omega to faint in a hospital out of shyness.
After another two days in the hospital, Bai Yan was discharged smoothly.
The spring breeze blew, and the sun was just right.
Outside the bay window of Yǎyuán, the crabapple blossoms, which were still in bud when he left, had now fully bloomed their pale pink petals when he returned home.
The crabapple branches trembled, and the pink and white petals swayed and fluttered in the wind, being blown far, far away.
The young man hugged the enthusiastic Oz and fell onto the soft lawn. Just a glance at his husband in the distance, and he couldn’t help but smile, so happy he was about to burst with bubbles.
Unfortunately, no matter how wonderful life was during the holiday, he still had to go to class on Monday.
He had missed a few days of classes due to his illness. When Jiang Zhiyi came to visit him in the hospital, he also brought news from the school.
The school had publicly issued a statement, clearly restoring the truth of the incident. Bai Yan and the other victims had been proven innocent.
Cen Yang had also been promptly expelled, and might even face jail time.
Most students agreed with this, but the private rumors would not stop because of it.
When he entered the classroom, there were still some unfriendly gazes directed at him.
It was still early before class started, and Bai Yan could even hear whispers about him.
Bai Yan was used to it. Since he couldn’t control what others thought, he could only not be controlled by what others thought.
The young man went to the front row and sat down, opening his textbook.
The few professional courses he had missed were the key parts, and it was difficult to study them alone without explanations and notes.
As he was engrossed in his thoughts, a textbook full of notes suddenly appeared before him.
“Bai Yan, can we sit next to you?”
The Omega looked up, and several girls smiled at him friendly.
A warmth spread through Bai Yan’s heart. He knew they were supporting him.
He had helped the class president’s group solve a few experimental problems before, and they had enthusiastically offered to treat him to a meal.
Bai Yan had politely declined, and they had felt bad and had brought him a small cake to thank him.
When he was embroiled in the scandal, it was also they who had spoken up for him in the department group chat.
The young man’s eyes curved into a smile, his soft lips forming a smile as he stood up to make way. “Of course.”
The girls giggled and found seats around him.
“You’re finally back. These are the notes from the past few days. You’re welcome.”
Yan Xiaorui smiled, placed her bag on the seat next to him, and pushed the notes toward him.
“Don’t take what happened on the forum to heart. We all know you’re not that kind of person.”
The young man’s eyes sparkled. He smiled, revealing the shallow dimples at the corners of his mouth, and said in a soft voice, “Thank you. Don’t worry, I don’t care at all.”
Seeing the Omega’s brilliant smile, Yan Xiaorui was both happy and a little sad.
Bai Yan was being well taken care of by his partner.
The thin young man of the past, though equally beautiful, was always listless and would lower his head, very quiet, not smiling much, and not talking much.
Like a piece of broken glass that had been barely glued back together, you never knew when it would shatter again.
But this semester, Bai Yan was clearly different. Not only was his complexion rosier, but his whole spirit and temperament were different. He smiled more and was more confident.
Bai Yan’s lover must love him very much.
Perhaps she no longer had a chance.
Yan Xiaorui lowered her gaze in disappointment, suppressing the sourness in her heart.
She blinked to cover it up, and something suddenly slid past her eyes. The girl was suddenly stunned and asked in surprise, “Bai Yan, did you also go to Jiang’an Temple to pray for a bodhi seed?”
Eh?
The young man, who had been focused on his textbook, looked up at the sound and glanced at the bracelet on his left hand.
Bai Yan obediently held out his wrist. “Is it this bracelet?”
The surrounding girls all stopped talking and looked at the Omega’s fair, slender wrist with curiosity.
Yan Xiaorui nodded. “That’s it. The bodhi seeds from Jiang’an Temple are the most effective for praying for peace. I prayed for a string for my mother before.”
“But I don’t think I’ve ever seen this lotus style…”
She frowned in thought. The girl beside her, her eyes shining, couldn’t help but jump in and say in a small voice, “I know. I just volunteered there last week.”
“This kind of lotus bodhi seed is not for public sale. You can’t buy it no matter how much you donate!”
“Only by kneeling and bowing all the way up the ninety-nine steps from the main hall to the mountaintop, showing the sincerity of the visitor, will the monks in the temple be willing to form a bond with the visitor.”
“Really?” The surrounding girls all expressed their disbelief.
But Bai Yan was suddenly stunned. He stammered, his lips moving, and asked softly, “You have to kneel and bow, up the ninety-nine steps?”
“Yes,” the Omega girl nodded vigorously, vowing, as if swearing to the heavens.
“And the monks will only take the person who prayed to a special room, have him make it himself, and then have him kneel before the Buddha to have it blessed. They won’t interfere casually.”
The surrounding people all “wowed,” casting racy, envious glances at Bai Yan.
Although the school didn’t say it explicitly, it was already widely known in the school that Bai Yan was married to the CEO of the Pei Corporation!
Who this bodhi seed bracelet came from was self-evident.
But the young man in the center of their gazes didn’t say anything more, only staring at the bodhi seeds in a daze.
Yan Xiaorui coughed loudly and repeatedly said that the teacher was coming, finally stopping everyone’s eager, gossipy gazes.
This was an English class. The little old man, over fifty, slowly opened his PowerPoint and stared at the screen without looking up, reading the English from the textbook in a flat tone.
But Bai Yan didn’t hear a single word.
So that day, his husband hadn’t just gone to the company to deal with things. He had also done so much behind his back.
What kind of mood was his husband in when he knelt and kowtowed, step by step, up the ninety-nine steps, all the way to the mountaintop, just to pray for a string of bodhi seeds for his peace?
Even though it was priceless, he had lightly told him that it wasn’t valuable. And he had hidden it so well, without a hint of unnaturalness.
If Yan Xiaorui and the others hadn’t brought it up, he would never have discovered the truth.
The young man slowly clenched his hands, his fingertips cherishing, gently stroking the bodhi seeds. He couldn’t help but feel the urge to cry.
Pei Corporation Twin Towers
A suffocatingly low pressure filled the conference room.
The Alpha in the main seat was expressionless, his sharp, cold gaze fixed on the presentation screen. The man exuded an extremely dangerous and oppressive aura, indicating that his patience was severely running out.
The other meeting participants didn’t dare to breathe, making themselves as small as possible, their eyes glued to the tablets in their hands, afraid of accidentally making eye contact with the CEO.
The product department manager, who was presenting in front of the screen, was sweating profusely, his legs trembling. He had the urge to die.
Finally, amidst the silent mourning of his colleagues, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and prepared to face Mr. Pei’s storm.
Pei Tingyu let out a cold laugh. Just as he was about to speak, the phone screen on the solid wood table suddenly lit up.
He glanced up coolly, looked at the trembling product manager, and picked up his phone.
A cartoon smiley face immediately filled half the screen.
He read the message from his precious.
Pei Tingyu’s icy gaze suddenly softened, and the frosty aura around him instantly melted.
The Alpha put down his phone, coughed a few times, and, under the shocked gazes of everyone, spoke calmly, getting straight to the point in just a few words.
The man was exceptionally easy to talk to today. He didn’t say much more, just told the product department to redraft a proposal, then announced the end of the meeting, straightened his suit jacket, and strode out of the conference room.
The people in the conference room all started to whisper among themselves, in disbelief. Only Assistant Song, who was tidying up the documents, had a profound smile on his face.
The product department director was in tears. He hadn’t expected to escape so easily and humbly asked Assistant Song for advice.
The elite Song Jian was well-versed in the ways of the workplace. He gave him a meaningful look and sighed, “Even the hardest steel can be bent.”
He packed up his files, patted the manager’s shoulder, and stood up gracefully, leaving the middle-aged product department manager alone in the wind, completely bewildered.
