Chapter 66
The strawberries in Y Country weren’t actually very sweet.
But Pei Tingyu had happened to buy cream puffs. The tart, soft pastry, paired with the rich cream, and with a slightly sour strawberry in the middle as a filling, the sweetness was just right.
Even though Bai Yan wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, he ate until his stomach was round and full this time.
So much so that for a long time after, whenever he saw the rabbit toy on the bed, he would unconsciously blush and his heart would pound, his legs trembling.
He had wrongly underestimated the stamina of a top-tier Alpha, and the attraction of his sweet little rabbit to his husband. The Alpha had been unrestrained all night, insatiably demanding.
The result was that Bai Yan had no extra energy to return to his home country the next day. He was even in a daze when Pei Tingyu carried him onto the private jet.
The intoxicating scent of bitter orange blossom pheromones constantly lingered at the tip of his nose. Bai Yan woke up a few times in the middle of the flight, and feeling the man’s body temperature and gentle caress, he would comfortably fall back asleep.
By the time he was fully awake, he was already back in the large bed on the third floor of Yǎyuán.
The clear spring sunlight streamed in through the deep green tree shadows, pouring in from the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Oz’s wet tongue licked Bai Yan’s face, one lick after another.
The young man had finally had his fill of sleep. He stretched his arms comfortably, patted Oz’s head, and got out of bed to wash up.
The somber black and brown decor of the room had long since been replaced. The fresh, warm gold style was like an invitation for the sun to stay.
A blue jellyfish nightlight had been added to the master bedroom’s bedside table. Next to it, three palm-sized crocheted dolls sat side by side. They had been born on an ordinary summer afternoon.
The little black figure on the left was wearing a crisp suit, his hair combed impeccably. Even though he only had two black bean eyes, he exuded an inexplicable air of seriousness.
The little white figure on the right had a dazed expression, a layer of blush on his small face, and, due to someone’s personal preference, two rabbit ears on his head.
Between the two little figures, a Doberman with its tongue sticking out was grinning foolishly.
Walking out of the bedroom, the small living room was illuminated by the light, bright and clean. The green wool blanket on the sofa, the seasonal bouquet in the vase, the things scattered around, and in the walk-in closet, the overflowing light-colored custom-made clothes…
Even though the other master of Yǎyuán had been studying abroad for more than half a year, his presence was still everywhere.
On a branch of the small money tree by the entrance, a conspicuous green sticky note was clipped.
Bai Yan, with a slice of freshly baked whole wheat toast in his mouth, casually took down the note and habitually glanced at it.
But after seeing the words on it, he didn’t even have time to put it back in its specific box. He hastily stuffed the note into his jacket pocket and rushed to the elevator.
Oz, who was wagging his tail behind him, looked up in confusion and quickly barked as he chased after his little master.
A corner of the tag was exposed from his flying pocket, on which was written:
[My precious, I’ve baked you some toast. Don’t forget to eat it. I’m going to the company to deal with some things. I’ll be back tonight. Lin Yu and Jiang Zhiyi’s car just arrived. I’ve booked a chef from Shangruoshui for you. Have fun. No need to wait for me ^v^.]
Bai Yan took the elevator from the third floor directly to the first-floor reception room. Lin Yu and Jiang Zhiyi were already there, drinking tea and chatting.
“When did you two get here?” Bai Yan, still in his loungewear and cotton slippers, sat down with his friends.
His round eyes were filled with a smile. “Why didn’t you come up and get me? You must have been waiting for a long time.”
“We just arrived when your Alpha was leaving. Not long.” Lin Yu petted Oz’s head and gave him a dog biscuit.
Smelling the orange blossom scent on the young man, Jiang Zhiyi smiled suggestively and winked. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. A-Yan must be tired. We all understand. Anyway, we’re not busy, so we can wait.”
“Oh, right, have you used my company’s product, A-Yan? How is it? Not bad, right?”
“Anyway, CEO Yu is very satisfied and even asked me to—ouch!”
Before he could finish, the annoyed Lin Yu suddenly pinched both his cheeks and squeezed them.
“I was wondering why he’s been acting so crazy recently. So it was you behind it.” The Beta youth let go of his hand and gave him a look that was both amused and exasperated.
Jiang Zhiyi clutched his not-so-painful cheeks, crying out in mock pain. He deliberately put on a long face and said, “It’s not my fault. You two are the only ones I know whose husbands are S-class Alphas.”
Bai Yan’s eyes curved into a smile. “Making the best use of things again?”
Jiang Zhiyi’s anger flared, and he slammed the table righteously. “Don’t forget, you two also have shares in the company. So, is it good or not?”
Lin Yu was speechless.
Bai Yan was speechless.
A suspicious blush appeared on the Beta boy’s cheeks. He raised his chin and muttered proudly, “It’s passable. There’s still room for improvement.”
Bai Yan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
The three of them looked at each other’s expressions and immediately burst out laughing.
Only Oz, who couldn’t get his dog biscuit, was pacing anxiously. His two front paws anxiously rested on Lin Yu’s thigh, and he whimpered as he nuzzled his chin.
Lunch was prepared by a chef from Shangruoshui. The exquisite Chinese dishes made Bai Yan’s eyes water.
He exclaimed that home-cooked food was still the best, and that the bland food in Y Country was not fit for human consumption, which made the other two laugh at him for a long time.
After lunch, the three of them moved to the Yǎyuán karaoke room. In front of the million-dollar sound system, each with a microphone, they sang their hearts out, howling like wolves.
Finally tired, they lay in the villa’s massage room, enjoying the services of a professional masseuse.
The masseuse’s technique was so good that it made Jiang Zhiyi drowsy. His eyelids drooped, and he almost didn’t notice Lin Yu’s subtle hint.
He lifted the cucumber slices from his eyelids, cleared his throat, and asked nonchalantly, “A-Yan, when do you graduate? When you come back, I’ll use the yacht my mother just gave me to throw a celebration party.”
Lin Yu chimed in, asking him what flavor of cake he liked, so he could make it for him at the party.
The orange-flavored incense was sleep-inducing. Bai Yan lay on the massage bed, drowsy, completely unaware, and was even asked clearly about his favorite variety of Ecuadorian roses.
The three of them enjoyed another luxurious and delicious dinner, then hugged each other and said their reluctant goodbyes.
After seeing his friends off, his husband also came home. Bai Yan and Pei Tingyu held hands, walking side by side and laughing as they returned to the main house, the Doberman trotting around their knees.
At Yǎyuán, the sun set and the moon rose. The flower shadows outside the window swayed in the evening breeze. The flowers were similar year after year, as if the three years of separation had never existed.
On the fourth day, the staff from the AO Matching System arrived at Yǎyuán on time as agreed.
For the past two wedding anniversaries, because Bai Yan had been studying abroad and Pei Tingyu had happened to fly to Y Country to celebrate, the staff could only conduct their inspection online and had said that in the year of Bai Yan’s graduation, the staff would find time to visit in person. The two of them had to be present for the final inspection.
Compared to the last time, this inspection was noticeably faster and much simpler.
Anyone with eyes could see that this intertwined AO couple was very much in love. Even if they didn’t say it, the love was evident in each other’s eyes.
The president of the AO Association was also very satisfied with the results. Before leaving, she once again politely declined their dinner invitation, smiled meaningfully, and wished them a happy and fulfilling life together.
Happy days are always so short. Even though the two of them were reluctant, the fifteen-day holiday passed in a flash.
On the last night at Yǎyuán.
Pei Tingyu hugged the young man’s waist from behind and looked out the window with him. In the hazy, fine rain, the flower petals trembled, and the distant lake was also stirred into layers of ripples.
The sound of the rain was constant, and moist droplets slid down the windowpane.
The man’s arms around the young man’s waist tightened. He buried his face in the young man’s delicate neck and kissed it, his voice tinged with a resentful hoarseness. “I really don’t want to let my precious fly back.”
Bai Yan turned his head, wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, and kissed his brow, his high nose, his soft voice like he was acting coquettishly.
“Xian sheng, when the hydrangeas bloom, I’ll be back. It’ll be soon.”
A mist of water quickly filled his eyes. He gently stood on his tiptoes and said in the man’s ear, “Besides, we still have a whole night, right?”
He poked his chest, and a pink blush slowly crept up the young man’s earlobes as he added in a small voice, “A few less times… should be okay.”
“As you command, my princess.”
A low chuckle escaped Pei Tingyu’s chest. He lifted his Omega precious into his arms and strode toward the bedroom.
But tonight, Oz was acting strange for some reason. He kept barking at the man’s calves, his tail wagging restlessly behind him. When Bai Yan was placed on the bed, he even pounced and bit Pei Tingyu’s sleeve.
The Doberman bravely lifted its two front paws, bared its sharp teeth, and, in a protective posture, stood guard loyally in front of its little master.
Even when Pei Tingyu forcefully carried it out, it still howled and scratched at the door.
Bai Yan’s heart softened. He said in a soft voice that Oz must be feeling insecure because he had been sick last week and had stayed at the hospital for a few days, and that they should let him in for a little while longer.
Another guess suddenly appeared in Pei Tingyu’s mind, but he dismissed it in the next moment.
With his pheromone level, and with the long-term injection of contraceptive agents, it was impossible for his precious to get pregnant without intervention.
The Alpha kissed Bai Yan’s forehead, opened the door, and let Oz in.
The Doberman, who had been so fierce just now, was now a little hesitant. It tiptoed around the large bed, whimpered softly, and ran away.
The two of them exchanged a look and smiled helplessly.
With this interruption, all thoughts of intimacy were gone. Bai Yan snuggled in his husband’s arms, whispered to him, and drifted into a sweet dream filled with the scent of orange blossom.
When he returned to school, the pressure of graduation immediately followed.
Submitting his thesis, checking his credits, his professional defense…
The unpredictable weather of London’s spring and summer, coupled with the pressure of graduation, had made Bai Yan’s appetite not very good recently.
His small face had lost a circle of weight, and even his jasmine pheromones were listless. He was completely drained.
But when he video-called his husband, he would deliberately pretend that it was no big deal, smiling mischievously and joking about his Y Country classmate who was so stressed he had developed alopecia areata, to comfort his frowning husband.
Seeing this, Pei Tingyu’s heart ached. He wished he could fly over and bring Bai Yan home immediately. But all he could do was have the nutritionist adjust the plan as soon as possible.
After Auntie Jiang had made him various nutritious meals, the young man’s complexion slowly improved.
When the related matters were finally almost over, Pei Tingyu also breathed a sigh of relief. He had Song Jian move next month’s work schedule to this month, as he was preparing to attend his precious’s graduation ceremony.
One day in June, Bai Yan went out for a meal with his classmates.
Professor Sman’s graduation requirements were so strict that everyone had been skinned alive. It had taken a lot of effort to find a suitable time for a meal.
The restaurant for the gathering specialized in traditional English dinner. The first course was a rare Wellington beef.
The few of them were chatting heatedly when the bloody smell of the steak rushed to his nose. Bai Yan suddenly frowned, and the next moment, he covered his mouth and bent forward.
A slight spasm suddenly occurred in his stomach, and nausea and an urge to vomit rose together. When the young man looked up again, even his eyes were red.
His classmates were all startled and looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”
The one beside Bai Yan quickly patted the Omega’s back to soothe him. “Yan, are you alright? Are you sick from the stress recently?”
“I’m fine. Maybe the pizza I ate last night was bad.”
Bai Yan offered a reassuring smile and leaned back against the chair to rest, waiting for the feeling of nausea to dissipate, not yet realizing the seriousness of the situation.
“No,” a meticulous Omega girl suddenly frowned and shook her head repeatedly. “Yan, your pheromones are so strange, so sweet. Just like, just like my mommy…”
She paused and, under the curious gazes of everyone, asked hesitantly, “Yan, are you pregnant?”
Bai Yan froze.
Eh, eh, eh?!
The slow-witted young man’s eyes widened, and he was completely stunned.