The two of them only managed a few hours of sleep before Li Zi had to get up for class.
The moment she moved, Li Zhenting woke up. He instinctively grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse. "Where are you going?"
"I have to go to class. It’s a full day today. I’ll bring lunch back at noon, so you get some rest, okay?" Li Zi covered his eyes with her hand as he tried to open them, coaxing him softly.
"…Mm."
Li Zhenting slowly released his grip, his response tinged with a sense of loss.
Perhaps it was because his mind wasn't fully clear yet that he allowed himself to be so dependent. But he knew very well that Li Zi’s academic pressure was immense; he shouldn't be a burden.
He cracked his eyes open just a sliver, watching his lover briskly dress herself, wash up, and head out the door. Likely afraid of disturbing his sleep, she closed the door with extreme care.
Unfortunately, her good intentions had little effect. Almost the moment her figure left his sight, the last of Li Zhenting’s sleepiness vanished.
In that instant, he felt a sudden, reckless urge to rush out and follow her.
Upon realizing what he was thinking, Li Zhenting felt a wave of self-loathing for his own weakness. He shifted across the bed to the side where Li Zi had slept and buried his face in her pillow, nuzzling it. That familiar scent was his only remaining solace.
His phone had died long ago. Neither of them had noticed or thought to charge it last night, and even now, though he was wide awake, Li Zhenting had no intention of turning it on. He was unconsciously placing himself in an isolated space, waiting only for that one specific person to enter.
***
Liu Yan knew that Yu Tianwu had been quite unhappy with him lately.
Previously, he had been busy with his new job, leaving early and returning late. When he did get back, he only had time for a few words with her before collapsing into sleep from exhaustion. Later, when things finally improved and Yu Tianwu had planned a string of dates for them, he had to return to Xi’an Street because of Li Zhenting’s situation.
Although Yu Tianwu had expressed understanding over the phone and hadn't thrown a tantrum, he sensitively detected that something was off.
"Tianwu, I’m home. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll go buy the ingredients," he messaged her.
Yu Tianwu was busy with something and didn't reply for a long time.
He typed again: "I was too busy a while ago and didn't spend enough time with you. Don't be angry. Things will be better from now on."
"I’ll try my best to manage my time better in the future."
Half an hour later, Yu Tianwu finally replied.
"Waaaaah, Brother Yan, you’re finally back!"
"It’s okay, I understand you."
"Okay!"
"Love you! Heart-fingers.gif"
The woman’s reply was as enthusiastic as ever, so Liu Yan relaxed and continued asking what she wanted for dinner.
Taking advantage of the lively conversation at the table, Yu Tianwu surreptitiously replied to Liu Yan: "I love anything Brother Yan makes~"
An involuntary smile touched her lips.
"Tianwu, what are you looking at? Hurry up and serve some food for Xiao An. He can't reach the dish in front of you." Her mother looked up from the conversation, frowned at her phone usage, and reminded her.
Yu Tianwu wiped the expression from her face, stuffed her phone into her pocket, and looked up. "Sorry, Uncle Zhang. There was something at school, I was just replying to a message."
She quickly reached out, picked up some vegetables with her chopsticks, and placed them in the bowl of the boy sitting across from her. "Here, Xiao An, eat more."
The boy looked at her, his face flushing red.
Yu Tianwu’s mother was very pleased with the scene. She sighed, "Look at these two children, what a perfect match."
Sitting at the table with them were Wang Jie, a famous director her parents frequently collaborated with, and his Omega son, Wang Jingan.
This dinner was clearly a matchmaking session.
Yu Tianwu hadn't wanted to come, but her mother had threatened to revoke her right to live alone if she didn't behave. She had no choice but to attend.
*How tedious,* she thought. *This kind of life.*
A perfect smile was plastered on her face, but her heart was filled with weariness.
She had hoped to slip away as soon as the meal was over, but the adults issued another command: "Tianwu, take Xiao An out for a stroll today. He rarely comes to Zhennan City. Remember to send him home tonight."
In that moment, she had the urge to snap, but the sudden memory of her father’s terrifying temper made her endure it.
"Alright, Mother."
***
Liu Yan received a message from Yu Tianwu saying she had an urgent matter and couldn't come back for dinner.
He felt a slight pang of disappointment, but if there was truly something urgent, there was nothing to be done.
It was very late when he lay in bed, preparing to sleep. Yu Tianwu finally returned under the cover of night, looking exhausted.
She headed straight for the bedroom. Seeing that Liu Yan had left a light on for her, she threw herself onto him aggrievedly. "Brother Yan, I missed you so much."
"Acting like a spoiled child again? You’re an Alpha, you know," Liu Yan said, stroking her hair.
"Brother Yan, you’re still the best." She inhaled the familiar scent of his body wash, finding it exceptionally pleasant. After being subjected to the pungent incense of grand hotels and the clashing scents of three different high-end perfumes at the dinner table, this simple, fresh scent felt like it was rescuing her tortured nose.
"Alright, go take a shower. I’ll wait for you."
"Mm-hmm."
Before sleeping, Yu Tianwu exchanged a goodnight kiss with Liu Yan as usual. After their intimacy, she suddenly remembered the date she had broken and felt a wave of guilt.
"Brother Yan, you must have eaten alone tonight."
"I’m sorry. I didn't mean to stand you up." Her mood dipped as she rested her chin on Liu Yan’s collarbone. "How about... I let you mark me?"
"What are you talking about now? I’m not blaming you." Liu Yan gave her a playful flick on the forehead. "Besides, having your glands marked by an Alpha is very uncomfortable. I don't want you to suffer through that."
Though he didn't know where this sudden, intense guilt was coming from, Liu Yan naturally wouldn't take advantage of her. He was unwilling to force the person he loved.
"But won't Brother Yan be uncomfortable too? Usually, I’m the one biting you, and during your rut, I’m the one..." Yu Tianwu asked.
"I’m fine, don't worry," Liu Yan comforted her. "If it were purely painful, I wouldn't be a fool; I’d refuse you."
"Okay then..."
"I love Brother Yan the most!"
"Alright, and I love Tianwu the most."
Accepting Yu Tianwu’s constant expressions of love as usual, Liu Yan still felt a sense of contentment. He held his beloved in his arms, feeling that his life was incredibly full.
***
*Click.*
Li Zi returned to the hotel room with lunch she had bought from a nearby congee shop.
"I’m back."
She walked inside and saw Li Zhenting lying on the bed, maintaining the exact same posture he’d had when she left that morning.
"Are you still sleeping?" she asked, puzzled. She set the food on the table and moved to wake him.
Li Zhenting snapped out of his long daze just as Li Zi cupped his cheeks.
"What are you thinking about?" Li Zi asked with a smile. "Why do you look so blank?"
The gloom that had inexplicably hung over him all morning dissipated by half in that instant. Li Zhenting glared at her indignantly. "Who looks blank?"
"No one in particular. Just a certain little piglet lying in bed waiting for me to feed him," Li Zi teased, withdrawing her hands when she saw he still wasn't moving.
"?"
Speechless, Li Zhenting immediately rolled out of bed to stand up. However, he had overestimated his sleep-deprived body. The sudden movement caused his vision to go black and his head to spin; he nearly toppled forward.
Li Zi caught him quickly, pulling him into her arms. "Low blood pressure?"
Li Zhenting closed his eyes and shook his head miserably.
"Didn't you eat any breakfast?" she asked, frowning.
When the man in her arms didn't answer, she knew the truth and felt a surge of irritation. It wasn't directed at Li Zhenting, but at herself for not being more thorough.
"Then what were you doing all morning?" Her tone carried an unconscious hint of interrogation.
"Nothing..." Li Zhenting recovered from the dizziness and murmured in response to her question.
Seeing that Li Zhenting, who had finally regained a sliver of his old self, had reverted to a cautious, timid state, Li Zi immediately realized her tone was wrong. She softened her voice. "Alright, never mind that. Come eat. You’ll feel better once you have something in your stomach."
She pulled a T-shirt over him and led him to the table.
"Eat light for the next two days so you don't upset your stomach. In a few days, when you’re feeling better, we’ll go visit Boss Li’s shop. He mentions you all the time, saying he misses you dearly." She lifted the lids of the takeout containers and pushed the food toward him.
Li Zhenting pushed it back. "You eat too. You had class all morning; you must be hungry."
Li Zi sighed. Refusing to play the game of pushing food back and forth, she immediately opened the other containers and placed them between them. "Don't worry, I bought plenty. Let's eat together."
Only then did Li Zhenting pick up his chopsticks and begin to eat slowly.
Watching him eat as if he were chewing wax, Li Zi felt even more heartache. How could a perfectly healthy man have reached a point where even eating was a struggle?
After finishing, Li Zhenting took the initiative to clear the trash and set it outside the door. When he returned and looked at Li Zi, he suddenly didn't know what to say.
*Are you going back to class?*
Asking such a question felt too foolish.
"What does my baby plan to do this afternoon?" Li Zi didn't rush to leave. Instead, she leaned back lazily on the sofa to rest, asking the question as if in passing.
Li Zhenting’s face turned beet red instantly. "You... why are you calling me that again?"
It was one thing to hear it at night, but being called that suddenly during the day made his entire body flush with heat from embarrassment.
"What’s wrong? Can't I call you 'baby' anymore? You seemed so happy hearing it last night. Are you turning a cold shoulder now that it’s daylight?"
"Is there a problem with me calling my lover 'baby'?"
"Or does baby hate it when I call him that?"
Li Zhenting felt like he was losing his mind. Why had the usually cool and reserved Li Zi become like this? It was as if a switch had been flipped, and sweet nothings were just pouring out of her.
"I... I don't hate it." He was so stimulated by the repeated "baby" and "lover" that he felt like steam was about to come out of his ears.
Seeing that he truly couldn't take any more, Li Zi chuckled and ended her assault, beckoning him over. "Alright, alright. Don't just stand there like a fool. Come sit."
"Oh." Li Zhenting shuffled awkwardly to her side.
"If you have nothing to do, come to class with me. The remaining classes today are large lectures; there will be plenty of people."
She had sent him messages in the morning that went unreturned. When she came back, she saw his phone hadn't moved an inch, so she guessed he really had just lain there for half the day. She couldn't leave him alone in his current state.
"Huh? Me? Is that really okay?" Li Zhenting pointed at himself in surprise.
"It’s fine. If anyone asks, I’ll just say you’re family." She reached out and stroked the back of his neck, her fingers brushing casually past his scent gland.
Li Zhenting flinched sensitively, then blinked and looked at her. "Then... I’ll follow you."
***
