The hospital was exceptionally quiet at night, with countless stars twinkling beyond the window.
Moonlight slipped silently through the glass and into the hospital room.
A cool evening breeze crept through the narrow gap of the window that hadn’t been properly closed, gently stirring the curtains.
But a moment later, someone caught the curtain in his hand.
Two long, slender fingers gave the window a gentle push, closing it completely.
Inside the room, powerful Alpha pheromones began to rise, sweeping through every corner.
They formed an invisible enclosure around the hospital bed, enveloping the person lying upon it.
The sudden onset of his pheromone disorder caught Gu Yan completely off guard.
His body alternated between hot and cold, yet his mind grew increasingly clear.
Just as Yi Heng had said, this episode was indeed different from the ones he’d experienced before.
There was no pain.
Instead, an overwhelming sense of emptiness filled him.
It felt as though something were lodged in his chest, unable to rise or fall, leaving him unbearably uncomfortable.
Both his body and mind instinctively surrendered to their most primitive urges, drawing him toward the source of warmth before him.
“Are you ready? I’m going to try guiding your pheromones now.”
Yi Heng brushed his fingers against the cold sweat gathering at Gu Yan’s temple, deliberately softening his voice.
Gu Yan bit his lip and forced a faint response through clenched teeth.
“Mm… You don’t have to tell me beforehand.”
Why did he have to announce it first?
That only made it even harder for Gu Yan to look him in the eye.
Every passing second felt like a torment.
After all, there was a considerable difference between being unexpectedly struck by a car while crossing the road and standing in the middle of the street, waiting helplessly for one to hit you.
The scent of cold fir gradually spread throughout the room.
Even the space around them seemed to stretch endlessly.
Gu Yan concentrated and waited for a while, but nothing seemed to happen.
“Yi Heng, I don’t think this is wor…”
“Ah…!”
He had barely begun to say that the treatment didn’t seem effective when the words abruptly caught in his throat.
A fierce, overwhelming surge of pheromones struck him without warning, making his eyes fly wide open.
The pheromones trapped inside his gland seemed to have found a tiny opening.
Through that narrow passage, they began continuously receiving the powerful flood of Alpha pheromones.
Gu Yan dug his fingers into Yi Heng’s arm, his body suddenly arching.
The stimulation was so intense from the very beginning that he barely had time to catch his breath.
“E-Enough!”
The final syllable of his voice rose uncontrollably.
A strange sensation suddenly surged through his body, awakening an insistent craving to be filled and claimed.
It was as though an invisible force were pressing down upon his head, compelling him to bow and submit to the Alpha before him.
He felt like a sponge saturated with water, soft and utterly devoid of strength.
Worse still, damp patches had begun to spread across his trousers.
Gu Yan pressed his hands against Yi Heng’s shoulders, trying to push him away.
But his fingers tingled helplessly, unable to summon even the slightest strength.
And so, under the relentless temptation and provocation of Yi Heng’s pheromones, he was drawn straight into his heat.
“I…”
Gu Yan’s breathing turned scorching hot.
His legs shifted restlessly.
His poor, struggling gland finally managed to release a faint trace of rose fragrance.
His eyes shimmered with involuntary tears, so full that a single blink would send them spilling over.
Too much… I can’t take any more.
His lips parted slightly as he struggled through the haze clouding his mind, completely unaware of how enticing he looked.
Yi Heng leaned over him, capturing the last breath of air from his mouth.
Their lips and tongues met in a lingering, intimate kiss.
At the same time, he slipped one hand beneath the blanket to help ease the sensations overwhelming Gu Yan.
As the temperature between them continued to rise, Yi Heng’s thoughts suddenly drifted back to the day of Gu Yan’s surgery.
After hearing the doctor explain the two treatment options, he had decisively chosen the first.
His answer had taken the doctor completely by surprise.
Puzzled, the doctor carefully explained every possible injury and consequence that the first treatment could cause Yi Heng, reminding him to consider the risks seriously.
But at the time, Yi Heng hadn’t given those dangers much thought.
The only thing he cared about was whether Gu Yan would suffer.
During the month Gu Yan had been away, Yi Heng had struggled with insomnia.
The household’s coffee consumption had doubled.
He had believed Gu Yan was living well.
At least, the side Gu Yan showed the world made it seem as though he was enjoying a carefree, comfortable life.
But now, Yi Heng finally understood.
Gu Yan had turned every sharp thorn inward, leaving them to wound himself while showing the world only a bright and polished exterior.
Gu Yan had left without a word and treated himself so cruelly.
It wasn’t that Yi Heng hadn’t been hurt by it.
But compared to Gu Yan’s safety and well-being, all those grievances seemed utterly insignificant.
Now, fate had given him a second chance.
All he wanted was to hold on to it tightly and never let go again.
Nothing else mattered.
The doctor frowned deeply and considered the matter for a moment.
“My recommendation is still the second treatment option. The first would be extremely painful for the Omega as well.”
Hearing this, Yi Heng’s expression finally softened.
Later, after considerable persuasion from the doctor, he came to understand that the second treatment option was indeed the better choice.
“But if his heat is triggered, he’ll have a difficult time enduring it. How are we supposed to relieve his discomfort? With his gland in its current condition, he still can’t withstand a complete heat cycle.”
The doctor gave him a look that practically said, You already know the answer, so why are you asking?
“Use your hands, or other suitable aids. Once the patient’s pheromones have fully returned to normal, I recommend proceeding with a permanent mark as soon as possible. That would be the most direct and effective way to prevent his pheromone disorder from recurring.”
Yi Heng gazed at the tiny beads of sweat gathering on the tip of Gu Yan’s nose.
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss there, then slowly continued upward until his lips reached the space between Gu Yan’s brows.
This exceptional, strong-willed, easily embarrassed Omega belonged to him.
And to him alone.
Their ninety-nine percent compatibility was a bond that had been destined from the moment they were born.
Even if they were reduced to ashes one day, that connection could never be erased.
“Yi Heng, that’s enough… Don’t… ah…”
Gu Yan bit back the helpless gasps rising in his throat, finally burying his face against Yi Heng’s shoulder in near desperation.
He was forced to experience the sensation of Yi Heng’s knuckles against another, far more sensitive part of his body.
The faintly rough friction sent a wave of tingling numbness racing from his tailbone all the way to his scalp.
Even his toes curled involuntarily.
“Does it hurt?”
Gu Yan caught his breath and answered stubbornly in a small voice.
“…No.”
After a long while, his pheromones finally began to emerge.
Like a child who had done something wrong, they crept out slowly and hesitantly.
Although the amount released was small, it was enough to prove that the treatment was working.
Several tissues lay scattered across the floor.
Gu Yan shivered.
It seemed Yi Heng was kissing the scar on his gland.
By the time the treatment finally ended, Gu Yan was utterly exhausted, lying limp and powerless on the bed.
He hadn’t even done anything himself, yet he was so tired that he couldn’t be bothered to lift his eyelids.
“Eat something before you go to sleep.”
Yi Heng bent down and threw the used tissues into the trash.
Gu Yan pulled the blanket over his head.
His voice had lost its usual clear brightness, sounding softer and more languid than normal.
“Don’t want to…”
He slept soundly through the night.
The following morning, when the doctor came to examine him, the subject of treatment came up again.
Right in front of the nurse, the doctor began seriously explaining the precautions they needed to observe.
“Avoid spicy food and seafood. I understand that young people have plenty of energy, but remember not to overdo the treatment. Moderation is essential. Otherwise, not only will it fail to produce the desired results, but it could also interfere with the gland’s recovery.”
Yi Heng listened without the slightest change in expression.
He even took out his phone and carefully recorded every instruction, one by one.
His serious demeanor made it seem as though he were attending an important business briefing rather than receiving advice about their private affairs.
Gu Yan, however, didn’t possess nearly the same level of composure.
Before the doctor had even finished speaking, he was already so embarrassed that he wanted to disappear.
In the end, he could only keep drinking water to conceal his awkwardness and mortification.
On the day of his discharge, Gu Yan underwent a comprehensive medical examination.
The injury to his foot had also healed completely, and he was free to run and jump around again.
Yi Heng personally drove to the hospital to take him home.
But halfway through the journey, Gu Yan suddenly noticed something strange.
This wasn’t the road leading back to his apartment.
It was the road to Yi Heng’s home.
“Um… I haven’t brought any of my things over yet. Maybe I shouldn’t stay at your place for the time being?”
The closer they got to Yi Heng’s home, the more nervous Gu Yan became.
It was a strange feeling, almost like someone returning to their hometown after a long absence, only to grow unexpectedly timid as they approached.
More than once, he stole a glance at Yi Heng from the corner of his eye, as though trying to reassure himself that everything was real.
He had truly changed the ending of the original novel.
He and Yi Heng hadn’t become strangers.
And he really had become Yi Heng’s boyfriend.
Yi Heng kept his eyes on the road, one hand moving smoothly over the steering wheel.
“There’s no need to go back for your things. That apartment is your home too. Your belongings shouldn’t have to be moved around unnecessarily.”
That sounded reasonable enough.
Gu Yan rested his chin on his hand.
“But I’ll still need to bring some clothes over, won’t I?”
However, it wasn’t until he arrived at Yi Heng’s home that he finally understood why Yi Heng had said that.
The spacious apartment had been completely transformed.
It was no longer as empty as before.
Instead, numerous pieces of furniture had been added, carefully chosen to match the style of Gu Yan’s own apartment.
The slippers by the entrance, the toothbrushes and cups beside the bathroom sink, the desks and chairs in the study, the beanbag chair beside the bedroom bed…
Everything now came in pairs.
Even the walk-in closet had been filled with clothes perfectly suited to Gu Yan’s size.
“This… You really didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
Gu Yan stared at everything in the apartment, momentarily speechless.
But the most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly the agreement, now displayed in gleaming golden frames across the living room wall.
Whether they were eating dinner or sitting on the sofa watching television, all it took was a slight lift of the head to see it.
“Could you please take those down?”
With his back turned toward the housekeeper, who was busy cooking, Gu Yan tried to sound as calm and composed as possible.
“I promise I’ll never break our agreement again.”
“Or how about I apologize for what I did before? I know I was wrong. I can write a self-criticism, a written guarantee, anything you want.”
He couldn’t bear to imagine how embarrassing it would be when guests visited Yi Heng’s home and saw those framed documents hanging on the wall.
Unfortunately, ever since they’d reconciled, Yi Heng had become particularly difficult to negotiate with.
Faced with Gu Yan’s attempts at bargaining, he rejected the proposal outright.
If a direct approach wouldn’t work, Gu Yan would simply have to resort to something sneakier.
That night, after Yi Heng had fallen asleep, Gu Yan tiptoed into the living room.
He intended to secretly remove the framed agreements and stuff them into a bag.
Just as he’d once hidden away the framed childhood photograph of the original Gu Yan crying, he planned to make these documents disappear without anyone noticing.
He would take them back to his own apartment and keep them out of sight.
Unfortunately, the frames had been firmly nailed to the wall.
Without professional tools, there was no way to remove them.
Gu Yan tried fiddling with them, but he nearly cut himself on one of the sharp edges.
And as if that weren’t unfortunate enough, just as he was about to give up, Yi Heng appeared behind him like a ghost.
He raised an eyebrow.
“So this is your idea of showing remorse?”
Gu Yan: “…”
As a consequence, Yi Heng pinned him against the nearby dining table and subjected him to a treatment session he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Gu Yan couldn’t say how much of it was Yi Heng settling old scores.
But one thing was certain.
Yi Heng was genuinely displeased.
By the time Yi Heng was finished teasing him, Gu Yan’s legs had gone weak.
While relentlessly stimulating the most sensitive part of Gu Yan’s body, Yi Heng continued reminding him, in the calmest and most serious tone imaginable, not to forget to practice releasing his pheromones.
Gu Yan could barely remain standing.
But before his knees could even touch the floor, Yi Heng caught him.
“Can’t take it already? What are you going to do when your real heat comes?”
Yi Heng tilted his head slightly.
The bridge of his high, straight nose brushed against Gu Yan’s burning ear.
He caught the scent of Gu Yan’s pheromones, noticing that the fragrance had grown a little stronger than before.
Gu Yan shivered involuntarily.
Every time Yi Heng said such shamelessly straightforward things while wearing that cold, solemn expression of a man who looked as though he’d never fall in love in his entire life, Gu Yan found himself utterly defenseless.
Gu Yan held back for what felt like an eternity before finally collapsing limply into Yi Heng’s arms.
Unable to resist complaining, he muttered,
“How did your body and your brain end up developing so separately…?”
Well, that settled it.
Now he couldn’t bear to look at the framed agreements hanging in the living room.
And even the dining table had become impossible to face.
Every time he saw it, he would remember how Yi Heng had coaxed the trapped pheromones out of his body, little by little.
It had felt as though Yi Heng were slowly peeling away every layer of his defenses, leaving even his soul trembling.
Barely two days after Gu Yan was discharged from the hospital, Wang Zhiliang was already growing restless.
He wanted to invite Gu Yan out, but with Yi Heng standing between them, he hadn’t dared bring it up.
It wasn’t until he heard that Yi Heng had recently become busy with company matters, leaving Gu Yan mostly on his own, that Wang Zhiliang finally worked up the courage to contact him discreetly.
That day, Gu Yan was reading in the study when his phone suddenly vibrated.
Wang Zhiliang greeted him with an ingratiating smile that could practically be heard through the phone.
“Yanzi, are you feeling better? Got any free time lately?”
For the first time in his life, Gu Yan discovered that a person’s voice alone could sound suspiciously sneaky.
“Yeah. I could take on five guys by myself without a problem. What do you want?”
Wang Zhiliang paused, then began circling around the subject like someone practicing tai chi.
“Just tell me whether you can come out first.”
Gu Yan found his behavior strange.
“It’s not like my legs are broken. Why are you being so hesitant today?”
In the past, Wang Zhiliang had always been straightforward with him.
He would jump straight to the point without even bothering with a greeting.
He would never have behaved like this, squeezing out one sentence at a time as though trying to get the last bit of toothpaste out of a tube.
Wang Zhiliang broke into an embarrassed sweat.
“I’m just worried it might be inconvenient for you to go out. That man of yours is so strict. Who would dare upset him…”
“Shut up. Stop talking nonsense.”
Gu Yan’s ears grew warm.
Unable to concentrate on his book anymore, he returned it to the shelf.
“All right, all right! I’ll shut up.”
Having been scolded by Gu Yan, Wang Zhiliang awkwardly changed the subject.
“By the way, are you two really together this time? He’s not holding what happened before against you?”
The mere thought of those nights he and Gu Yan had spent partying until dawn at bars made Wang Zhiliang’s vision go dark.
He wished he could grab himself by the ears, lift himself off the ground, and spin around a few times to knock some sense into his head.
He really should have thought further ahead back then.
When Yi Feng had shown up to wreck their party, he should have transformed into a righteous messenger and pulled Gu Yan back from the brink.
Instead, he’d ordered more than a dozen beautiful, sweet little Omegas to liven things up.
And now he’d thoroughly earned himself a place on Yi Heng’s blacklist.
Gu Yan hesitated for a moment before answering uncertainly,
“I don’t think he’s holding it against me anymore… Probably.”
He had always firmly believed that Yi Heng was an honorable gentleman who wouldn’t fuss over past mistakes.
But over the past few days, he’d discovered just how wrong he was.
Yi Heng clearly knew how to hold a grudge.
Who could say whether he was only letting things slide because Gu Yan’s gland hadn’t fully recovered yet?
Perhaps once Gu Yan was completely healed, Yi Heng would come collecting every debt, with interest.
Wang Zhiliang mumbled,
“Well… okay, then.”
He wanted to take Gu Yan skiing before the Lunar New Year.
However, skiing counted as strenuous exercise, and he wasn’t sure whether Yi Heng would approve.
To his surprise, Gu Yan agreed immediately.
“Don’t you need to… ask Yi Heng first?”
Wang Zhiliang was afraid there might be a catch.
“I just need to let him know. He’s not nearly as scary as you think.”
After being cooped up indoors for so many days, Gu Yan had been itching to go out himself.
Wang Zhiliang thought bitterly,
How is that the same thing?
You might not be scared, but I am!
He’ll kiss you, but he’s certainly not going to kiss me…
The ski resort was located in the outskirts of Kyoto.
The artificial snow couldn’t compare to natural snowfall, but it was decent enough.
Perhaps because the weather was particularly pleasant, the resort was unusually crowded that day.
When Gu Yan sent Yi Heng a message, Yi Heng happened to be in the middle of a meeting.
He had accumulated a considerable backlog of work after spending the previous week caring for Gu Yan at the hospital.
To make matters worse, his capable assistant, Yi Cen, had happily gone off on vacation.
As a result, Yi Heng was often so busy that he even forgot to eat lunch.
At the monthly management meeting, the general managers of various departments sat along both sides of a long conference table.
Some were long-serving veterans, but most had been promoted by Yi Heng after he took control of the group.
The manager of the Culture and Publicity Department had just reached a crucial point in his presentation when he suddenly saw the icy-faced president raise a hand.
He immediately assumed something was wrong with his report.
Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
Everyone who managed to enter the Yi Group was an elite professional, carefully selected from thousands of candidates.
They were not only excellent at their jobs but also exceptionally skilled at reading people’s expressions and anticipating their superiors’ reactions.
Everyone assumed the newly appointed manager was about to lose his position before he’d even had a chance to settle into it.
However, Yi Heng merely unlocked his phone and glanced at the photograph Gu Yan had sent him.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
As he typed a reply, he calmly said,
“Continue.”
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