The night grew darker and darker, as though endless layers of thick black ink had been painted across the horizon.
Even the stars seemed to have grown weary.
In the silent bedroom, Yi Heng opened his eyes, his pupils suddenly contracting.
The person lying in front of him was fast asleep, his body rising and falling gently with every breath, completely unaware of the fire he had unwittingly ignited.
Yi Heng’s gaze grew complicated and dangerous.
He stared intently at the slender neck just inches away.
All he had to do was open his mouth, and his teeth could sink into the soft skin surrounding the gland at the back of Gu Yan’s neck.
An unprecedented desire surged from deep within his body, striking his lower abdomen and making even his breathing grow slightly heavier.
The arm wrapped around Gu Yan unconsciously tightened.
Yi Heng’s expression remained calm, betraying nothing.
Yet the line of his jaw was tenser than ever, his back teeth clenched tightly as he struggled to restrain himself.
The defenseless Omega before him was giving off the fragrance he loved.
His Alpha’s most primitive instincts were clamoring for him to pierce the gland immediately and permanently mark this Omega.
To make the one who had so carelessly stirred his desire carry his scent, inside and out.
His arm tightened further.
Meanwhile, in his dreams, Gu Yan was wandering through a vast forest filled with fresh, clean air.
As he walked, he suddenly felt something like the barrel of a gun pressing against his waist and hips.
His entire body stiffened, and he immediately stopped daring to move.
What a strange dream.
Gu Yan murmured silently to himself.
In the past, whenever he slept beside Yi Heng, he always slept deeply and peacefully without dreaming.
But tonight was different.
One moment, he was strolling through the forest.
The next, he had fallen into the water, where little fish swam around him, brushing against him with gentle kisses.
He rubbed his neck, trying to chase away a little fish that kept touching the back of it.
But before long, the fish returned, making the hollow of his neck unbearably ticklish.
Even though he was underwater, his entire body felt strangely hot.
After quite some time, the fish surrounding him finally began to scatter.
The heat enveloping him gradually subsided as well.
Gu Yan buried his face in the pillow.
The soft patter of rain reached his ears.
Half asleep, he opened his eyes slightly and vaguely noticed that the bathroom light outside seemed to be on.
*
When Gu Yan woke the next morning, he reached up to touch his neck.
A sharp sting accompanied by a tingling itch spread from the side of his neck.
He stood in front of the mirror and took a look.
“???”
At some point, a mosquito had apparently bitten him on the neck.
And what a vicious mosquito it must have been!
The area near the hollow of his neck was so red that it was almost turning purple.
How ridiculous!
It was already November, yet mosquitoes were still running rampant!
Gu Yan brushed his teeth with a numb expression, thinking to himself,
All living creatures have a spirit… except those damned mosquitoes.
Yi Heng hadn’t gone to the company that morning.
He had just spent more than an hour running on the treadmill in his private gym, and his entire body was still radiating heat.
The desire that had been awakened the previous night had nowhere to go, so he could only distract himself with high-intensity exercise.
Gu Yan watched as Yi Heng raised his muscular arm and used a towel to wipe the sweat from his hair.
The sheer masculine appeal was overwhelming, making Gu Yan swallow involuntarily.
He quietly glanced down at his own slender arms and legs and sighed inwardly.
If I had a physique like Yi Heng’s, I wouldn’t have to worry about failing to catch that stalker who was secretly taking pictures of me!
“Not sleeping anymore?”
Yi Heng glanced at the time.
It was only a little past seven in the morning.
Gu Yan didn’t notice that Yi Heng’s gaze had lingered on his neck.
Still not fully awake, he answered in a slightly muffled, sleepy voice.
“Mm. I’ve got quite a few classes today.”
“Go ahead and eat. I’ll take a shower first.”
As Yi Heng walked toward the bathroom, he pulled off his shirt.
The smooth, defined muscles of his back were exposed to the air.
Every muscle seemed beautifully sculpted, as though carved by a master craftsman.
Gu Yan continued eating the fried egg on his plate, but his eyes kept sneaking toward Yi Heng like a thief’s.
His throat suddenly felt dry.
Before long, Yi Heng finished showering and came back out.
Wearing a bathrobe, he sat across from Gu Yan with his legs crossed, leisurely drinking coffee.
A project proposal was displayed on the tablet in front of him.
Afraid that his imagination might start running wild again, Gu Yan hurriedly sped up his breakfast and swallowed the remaining fried egg almost without chewing.
Before leaving for university, he asked the housekeeper, who was changing the water in a vase, whether they had any mosquito-bite lotion.
The housekeeper replied,
“Yes, Mr. Gu. Did an insect bite you?”
Gu Yan touched his neck.
“Mm. I think there are mosquitoes in the bedroom.”
The housekeeper examined the marks on Gu Yan’s neck and let out a surprised exclamation.
“Oh my! I’ll go get the lotion for you right away… Mosquitoes, in weather like this? Honestly! Looks like I’ll have to give the entire house a thorough spraying today.”
Throughout the entire exchange, Yi Heng continued reviewing the documents on his screen.
He calmly took a sip of coffee without so much as lifting his eyes.
*
Unfortunately, Gu Yan had a full schedule of classes that day.
Instead of going home for lunch, he went to the university cafeteria with Wang Zhiliang.
Wang Zhiliang poked listlessly at his rice, sighing dramatically.
“How is it that finals are only a month away already? Didn’t we just finish our midterms?”
The students sitting nearby overheard him and immediately started teasing.
“What difference does it make to you whether finals are coming? It’s not like you ever bother taking the exams anyway.”
“Hahaha, exactly! We haven’t even started worrying yet, and you’re already worrying on our behalf!”
Wang Zhiliang indignantly slammed his hand against the table.
“Hey! Watch what you’re saying! What do you people know? This is called being prepared in advance!”
“You could never hope to match my extraordinary foresight!”
On the surface, Wang Zhiliang always acted as though he couldn’t care less about studying.
But after the midterm exams, he’d watched his best friend make a spectacular academic comeback.
Not only had Gu Yan earned newfound respect from his professors, but he’d also received a scholarship.
The university had even dedicated a special section of its honor board to praising his achievements.
Admittedly, the scholarship money wasn’t even enough to cover one of their usual nights out at a bar.
But still…
It was ridiculously cool!
Wang Zhiliang wanted to become a legend people talked about, just like his best friend!
“Yes, yes. You’re rich, so everything you say must be right.”
Wang Zhiliang lifted his chin proudly.
“Of course! I—”
“Yan Zi?! Why are you joining them in making fun of me?!”
Gu Yan struggled to suppress his laughter as he finished the soup in his bowl.
“What are you talking about? I’m clearly agreeing with you.”
Before Wang Zhiliang could fully process the sarcasm, another friend curiously asked,
“By the way, why haven’t we seen Yi Feng hanging out with you two lately? It’s been ages since he last showed up at school.”
The three of them used to be the notorious trio that everyone in their department would instinctively avoid.
But lately, only two of them had been attending classes together regularly.
Wang Zhiliang replied,
“Oh, him? He’s been busy interning at his family’s company lately.”
“After all, he’s a member of the Yi family. No matter how brilliantly his older brother shines, he still needs to gradually familiarize himself with the company’s operations.”
“Though we all thought he wouldn’t start until after graduating from university. Who would’ve expected his family to throw him into the deep end so soon?”
At the mention of the Yi Group, Gu Yan unlocked his phone and checked for updates.
There was still no new information about Du Ting.
The decision to involve Yi Feng in the company’s affairs certainly hadn’t come from Yi Heng.
But regardless of whose idea it was, Yi Feng’s involvement would further strengthen the Yi family’s control over the company.
That would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction among the other senior executives.
Du Ting also held a relatively high position within the company.
If Yi Feng’s involvement threatened any of his interests, Du Ting might resort to underhanded tactics again.
For now, Gu Yan had only secured a witness.
The chain of evidence was still incomplete.
He needed to gather enough proof that Du Ting had hired someone to follow Yi Heng, then remove this dangerous thorn embedded deep within the Yi Group before it could cause further harm.
Gu Yan and Wang Zhiliang returned their trays and dishes to the collection area.
As they walked outside, Gu Yan nearly missed a step on the stairs leading out of the cafeteria.
Wang Zhiliang exclaimed in alarm,
“Holy shit! Slow down! Are you hurt?”
Gu Yan shook his head.
He had simply been too absorbed in his thoughts.
But now that his attention had returned to the present, an inexplicable sense of unease suddenly rose within him.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
During his afternoon classes, Gu Yan remained restless and distracted.
The harsh cawing of crows flying past the window only made it harder for him to calm down.
Fortunately, everything seemed perfectly normal.
Before he knew it, the bell rang to signal the end of class.
Just as Gu Yan began thinking that perhaps he was being overly sensitive, his phone, which had been charging inside his bag, suddenly rang.
It was his grandfather.
Gu Yan answered.
A moment later, his face turned deathly pale.
He turned to Wang Zhiliang and said hurriedly,
“Something’s come up. I have to go.”
With that, he grabbed his bag and rushed out.
Wang Zhiliang reached out after him.
“Hey, wait! Where are you going…?”
Hadn’t Gu Yan promised to lend him his textbook so he could catch up on his notes?
How had he disappeared so quickly?
Gu Yan sprinted all the way to the university gates, nearly colliding with a bicycle along the way.
Panting heavily, he hailed a taxi.
“Runtong Hospital!”
Half an hour later, Gu Yan rushed through the hospital entrance.
At that very moment, several doctors were wheeling a stretcher out of an ambulance.
“Make way! Move aside!”
The doctor shouted as the stretcher raced forward, its wheels moving so fast they almost seemed to throw sparks against the floor.
Gu Yan spotted his grandfather struggling to follow behind with his walking cane and immediately hurried over to support him.
“What happened?”
His chest was still heaving violently, and he hadn’t even caught his breath.
His grandfather’s legs had never been particularly strong, and he was quickly left far behind by the doctors and nurses rushing ahead.
Only when he saw his wife being wheeled into the operating room did he finally slow to a stop.
It was as though he had aged ten years in a single day.
The wrinkles on his face seemed deeply etched into his skin, and his eyes no longer held their former vitality.
Gu Yan helped him find a chair outside the operating room.
The bright red words “SURGERY IN PROGRESS” above the door were painfully glaring.
His grandfather lowered his head helplessly and sighed.
“It’s her old condition…”
As it turned out, Gu Yan’s grandmother had developed heart problems after losing her daughter.
The doctors had advised her to rest quietly, avoid emotional distress, and refrain from overexertion.
That was also why the elderly couple had gradually stepped away from managing their company, entrusting its operations to people they trusted.
But earlier that day, while watering the flowers in the garden, his grandmother had tripped over a stone and fallen.
She had collapsed onto the ground, clutching her chest, unable to make a sound.
By the time his grandfather finished preparing tea and went to invite her inside to enjoy it together, he discovered that she had already lost consciousness.
Gu Yan finally understood the reason behind the uneasiness that had plagued him all day.
His own hands were trembling.
Yet he continued gently patting his grandfather’s back, trying to comfort him.
“Medical technology is so advanced nowadays, Grandpa. Grandma is a good person, and heaven will surely watch over her. She’s going to be okay.”
The surgery lasted a total of four hours.
The moment the light above the operating room door went out, Gu Yan helped his grandfather to his feet.
The doctor emerged with sweat covering his forehead.
The exhaustion on his face made it clear just how dangerous the operation had been.
“Who’s the patient’s family?”
Gu Yan and his grandfather answered simultaneously.
“I am!”
The doctor wiped away his sweat.
“Don’t worry. The patient is no longer in life-threatening danger. She can be transferred to a regular ward for observation.”
“That’s good… That’s good…”
Upon hearing that his wife had survived the ordeal, the elderly man kept repeating those same words.
The enormous weight pressing on Gu Yan’s heart finally lifted.
Only then did he realize that his fingernails had dug so deeply into his palms that they had nearly drawn blood.
His hands and feet were icy cold.
His mind was completely blank.
In his original world, Gu Yan had never experienced anything like this.
The moment he saw his grandfather sitting on the chair with his eyes closed, unable even to look toward the operating room, he suddenly understood just how terrifying death could be.
Whether ordinary people or billionaires possessing unimaginable wealth, everyone seemed equally small and helpless in the face of death.
No matter how desperately the living tried to chase after someone, they could never catch a person already taken away by the Grim Reaper.
It was as though the boundary between life and death depended entirely on death’s whim.
Gu Yan helped his grandfather settle his grandmother into her hospital room after the operation.
She was still wearing an oxygen mask.
Once everything had been arranged, he returned to the corridor alone.
From somewhere in the distance came the heart-wrenching cries of another patient’s family.
Clearly, that operation had not been successful.
The anguished sobs were like a blunt knife, repeatedly cutting into Gu Yan’s heart.
He took a cigarette from his pocket.
But just as he was about to light it, he remembered that smoking wasn’t permitted inside the hospital.
So he walked outside to the roadside.
Every so often, an ambulance would rush through the entrance with its siren wailing.
Gu Yan exhaled a cloud of smoke, his heart heavy with complicated emotions.
In the past, he had always believed that everything was gradually getting better.
He had been extremely confident in himself.
But now, he was beginning to doubt whether he could truly change the original Gu Yan’s fate in the novel.
Ever since he had transmigrated into this world, certain events had already deviated from the original storyline.
His pheromone disorder, for example.
And Lin Chen’s revenge.
None of it seemed like a good omen.
Then there was the worst possible fortune he’d drawn at the temple, along with the nightmares that kept repeating themselves…
Perhaps one day, he too would be wheeled into an operating room.
And eventually end up lying in a cold morgue.
What had happened today left him with an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
In the face of a death that seemed predetermined, all his desperate struggles felt as futile as a tiny mayfly trying to shake an enormous tree.
Winter nights arrived quickly.
The streetlights on both sides of the road had already been glowing for some time.
Runtong Hospital was a private hospital, and there were numerous convenience stores in the surrounding area.
Gu Yan crushed the cigarette butt beneath his shoe and picked up his phone, intending to ask his grandfather what he wanted to eat.
The screen lit up.
Reflected in his eyes were more than a dozen missed calls from Yi Heng.
Gu Yan stared at the phone without blinking.
A cold gust of wind swept past, making him shiver involuntarily.
He called back.
The other end answered almost instantly.
“Where are you?”
There was a tension in Yi Heng’s voice that most people would have struggled to notice.
He was speaking faster than usual.
Hearing his voice felt extraordinarily real to Gu Yan.
He glanced at the time on his phone.
It was already past nine in the evening.
His breathing trembled slightly.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his icy fingers.
When he finally spoke, his voice was so hoarse that even he was startled.
“Runtong Hospital.”
The other end of the line fell silent for several seconds.
Then came the sound of a door opening.
Yi Heng didn’t ask why Gu Yan was at the hospital.
Nor did he ask why Gu Yan hadn’t answered his calls.
He simply spoke in a voice deeper than usual.
“Wait for me. I’ll be there soon.”
It was as though none of those questions mattered.
All he needed to know was that Gu Yan was safe.
When the housekeeper saw Yi Heng preparing to leave, she quietly took the dishes on the dining table, which he hadn’t touched even once, back into the kitchen to keep them warm.
Yi Heng had already stepped outside when he suddenly turned back.
He went into the cloakroom, picked up a thick, warm coat, and brought it with him.
*
After ending the call, Gu Yan went to the convenience store across the street.
He spent quite some time inside.
When he emerged, he was carrying a large bag filled with supplies.
Given his grandmother’s condition, someone would need to stay at her bedside and look after her.
He had already hired a professional caregiver online and purchased every daily necessity he could think of.
Yi Heng’s words had brought him back to reality.
Gu Yan let out a faint, self-mocking laugh.
Even if there’s only the smallest glimmer of hope, I can’t give up.
At the very least, I’m not willing to surrender.
Behind him came the sound of tires rolling across the road.
Gu Yan stopped walking.
As though sensing something, he instinctively turned around.
Yi Heng stepped out of the car, his expression cold as frost.
Holding a thick coat in his hand, he approached Gu Yan against the glow of the streetlights.
The cool, distant aura surrounding him seemed to blend seamlessly with the freezing night air.
Yi Heng raised his arms and draped the coat completely over Gu Yan’s shoulders.
As he spoke, his breath formed a pale cloud in the cold.
“Put it on properly.”
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