PA chapter 12

Qu Baiyuan had never experienced a situation where his omega was upset and couldn’t be coaxed. His precisely calculated life plan didn’t include a preset for “what to do when your lover is angry.”

Closing his eyes, Lin Sheng’s neck turned red, and Qu Baiyuan noticed many small, blood-like red spots appearing. He wanted to touch them, his hand almost reaching the skin, but then he withdrew it.

After hesitating for a while, he turned and left.

When Lin Sheng heard Qu Baiyuan leaving, a sour feeling filled his chest again. The cool liquid flowed into his bloodstream from the back of his hand, gradually calming his restless body, and he also gradually calmed down.

Qu Baiyuan probably doesn’t like me very much, he thought, but why did he act like he did like me a lot?

After about ten minutes, Lin Sheng heard someone approaching him, and then something warm touched his face. He opened his eyes and saw Qu Baiyuan holding a cup of hot milk standing by the bed.

He looked at him expressionlessly as Qu Baiyuan squatted down and awkwardly coaxed, “Have a glass of milk, don’t be angry.”

“I don’t want to drink milk,” Lin Sheng frowned, “You can leave.”

“Sorry,” Qu Baiyuan apologized again.

Looking into his eyes, Lin Sheng thought, perhaps these eyes looked at everyone with such deep affection, which made people think that they are highly cherished. A slight pain welled up in his throat, and he said softly, “Qu Baiyuan, please leave.”

Qu Baiyuan put the milk on the small table nearby and held Lin Sheng’s un-needled hand. “I didn’t know about your health condition before and didn’t realize it would make you so uncomfortable, so I repeatedly did the wrong thing. Can you forgive me?”

Lin Sheng turned his face away and didn’t speak. Qu Baiyuan continued, “Can I have another chance to mark you?”

The auntie on the next bed overheard and turned to look at Lin Sheng, smiling encouragingly and blinking at him, as if urging him to agree quickly.

Lin Sheng blushed slightly and told Qu Baiyuan not to say anything more, “I’m a bit tired, I want to sleep for a while.”

Qu Baiyuan sat by the bed, holding Ling Sheng’s hand with one hand and his phone with the other.

As Lin Sheng’s breathing gradually calmed, Qu Baiyuan messaged Bai Ji on his phone, “What does it feel like to make a temporary mark?”

Bai Ji: “?! What are you up to?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re finally going to make a move on Lin Sheng?”

“His health isn’t very good. The doctor said he can’t use suppressants for a year.”

Bai Ji immediately called him, but Qu Baiyuan declined the call and sent another message, “I’m with him in the hospital for infusion.”

“What happened to him?”

“The doctor said it’s an acute heat reaction.”

“An acute heat reaction? Isn’t a bite enough? Why does he need an IV?”

He told Bai Ji the same thing as he told the doctor and didn’t reply to him anymore.

After a while, Bai Ji continued to send another message, unwilling to give up, “Ge, I admit that your absolute reverence for rationality is a talent, but this talent is really not suitable for love.”

Qu Baiyuan stared at his message for a moment, not like before when he would respond with lengthy theories to refute him, but just replied with, “I understand.”

Lin Sheng had finished the infusion by late night. Qu Baiyuan held his hand as they walked out. 

The small red spots on his neck had not disappeared yet, and Lin Sheng felt a bit itchy. He wanted to scratch but remembered the nurse’s warning not to, feeling very uncomfortable.

Qu Baiyuan covered it with his warm palm and gently rubbed it for him.

Walking out of the emergency hall together, Lin Sheng stopped at the door and said, “Take a taxi back by yourself,” he said firmly before turning and walking away.

Qu Baiyuan suddenly felt a wave of panic and rushed up from behind, embracing Lin Sheng, but he didn’t know what to say to detain him at this moment.

His confident composure was built upon an untested theory, and now it was on the verge of collapse. His arrogant and ridiculous theory finally revealed its huge flaw — it only worked because Lin Sheng was willing to cooperate. Once Lin Sheng refused to cooperate, the theory lost its foundation.

Lin Sheng imagined throwing Qu Baiyuan over his shoulder, and he said, “Let go of me.”

Qu Baiyuan didn’t release him. “Don’t be like this.”

“I’ll count to three, if you don’t let go, I’ll make a move,” Lin Sheng said. “One, two…”

“Three,” was interrupted by a kiss.

Qu Baiyuan wasn’t very good at kissing. He simply turned Lin Sheng’s shoulder and clumsily pressed his lips against his. Lin Sheng’s lips were soft and warm, making Qu Baiyuan both bold and afraid of hurting him after his clumsy attempt.

“I’m sorry,” Qu Baiyuan released his lips and pressed his face against Lin Sheng’s, honestly admitting his shallowness. “This is the first time I’ve liked someone, and I lack experience.”

The night breeze was slightly cool, and Lin Sheng, still feeling the high body temperature from the acute heat reaction, felt a bit cold. Qu Baiyuan’s warmth came through the thin fabric, giving him a comforting illusion of warmth.

Several passersby entering and exiting the hospital turned to look at them. Lin Sheng pushed him away somewhat embarrassedly and whispered, “I don’t want to forgive you today.”

“Then forgive me tomorrow,” Qu Baiyuan held his hand. “Let me take you home first.”

Lin Sheng was easy to coax. Just one sentence, “This is the first time I’ve liked someone,” was enough to calm him down. He followed Qu Baiyuan back into the car. The scent of milk hadn’t completely dissipated, and Lin Sheng opened the window to let the night breeze in.

Qu Baiyuan didn’t start the car immediately. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke with hesitation, “As far back as I can remember, my parents argued all the time. Everything breakable in the house was broken. There was never a peaceful day, so I went to boarding school at a very young age.”

Lin Sheng looked at him, and he held Lin Sheng’s hand, remaining silent for a while before continuing, “My dad said he and my mom had a 99% compatibility rate. They were initially together because of pheromones, but after marriage, they grew to hate each other more and more, to the point of no return… Despite this, they still had me.”

“Later, my mom fell in love with a Beta and divorced my dad when I was nine,” Qu Baiyuan spoke while stroking Lin Sheng’s hand, intertwining his fingers with his, “So I knew from a young age that pheromones aren’t very reliable. They affect our emotions, disrupt our judgment, and control our bodies. I don’t want to follow in their footsteps, so that’s why… I made you so upset.”

He paused here, raised one palm, and looked at Lin Sheng seriously. “I’m not trying to make excuses for myself. I just want to say that I like you regardless of pheromones, and I hope you feel the same. Can you understand?”

Lin Sheng didn’t fully understand, but he felt that Qu Baiyuan needed to be understood right now. He nodded, “Yeah.”

“I know I’m ridiculous, and this idea is very naive and far-fetched, which is why you were so angry.”

Lin Sheng wasn’t very good at thinking about such convoluted things. He only partly understood what Qu Baiyuan said, but he accurately received the message that Qu Baiyuan liked him, and that was enough. However, there was one thing he still cared about, “So you can’t give me pheromones anymore?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Qu Baiyuan replied. “I mean, if in the future your judgment is affected by pheromones, you need to know what you truly feel in your heart.”

Lin Sheng was a bit dizzy with his talk again, “What I feel in my heart?”

“Yeah, if you really like me,” Qu Baiyuan said calmly.

Lin Sheng couldn’t help but chuckle at his thick-skinned response, “So you want me to remember that I really like you?”

“Yes.”

“But if you marked me, then I’ll like you even more.”

Qu Baiyuan frowned, “If the effects of the mark wear off, you might not feel as strongly about me anymore.”

“It’s simple,” Lin Sheng said, “just don’t let it wear off, and if it does before, then mark me again.”

Qu Baiyuan looked at Lin Sheng, feeling for the first time that he disagreed with the other person’s viewpoint but couldn’t logically defeat it.

“Let’s go!”

Lin Sheng’s mood quickly improved, and he smiled sweetly at him again. Qu Baiyuan couldn’t resist leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

By the time they reached Lin Sheng’s home, it was late at night, and the lights in the hallway were out, leaving it pitch black. Qu Baiyuan escorted him upstairs and kissed him in the darkness.

The two of them hugged at the doorstep for a long time, until Lin Sheng’s grandfather called him. The sound of the phone rang through the hallway.

When Lin Dingnian heard the phone ringing outside the door, he went to open it and glanced strangely at Lin Sheng, “Did you forget your keys?”

“Yeah,” Lin Sheng’s heart thumped, “I forgot to bring them.”

There were faint footsteps in the hallway, Lin Dingnian looked outside and saw nothing in the darkness.

Lin Sheng closed the door, “I went to watch Chu Liang compete today.”

Lin Dingnian said, “come back earlier in the future.”

“Okay.”

Lin Sheng smelled like Qu Baiyuan, afraid his grandfather would notice, he quickly ran into his room.

He received a message on his phone, a photo taken by Qu Baiyuan from downstairs, asking him, “Which room are you in?”

Lin Sheng’s room happened to have a view downstairs. He turned on the light, stood by the window, and called Qu Baiyuan.

“Can you see me?” He waved.

“I see you,” Qu Baiyuan held the phone with one hand and put the other in his pocket, “I’m going back now.”

“Okay,” Lin Sheng asked him, “Will I see you tomorrow?”

Qu Baiyuan said, “You haven’t even finished your homework yet. Go to the library tomorrow.”

“Oh? Will you come with me?”

Qu Baiyuan chuckled lightly, “I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow morning.”