Near afternoon.
The dark clouds dispersed, sunlight emerged.
The ground, moistened by a night of torrential rain, had nearly dried after only a few hours under the blazing sun, the air filled with the fresh clarity after rain and the warm breath of sunlight.
Yet there was one beam of brilliant sunlight that simply could not squeeze into a small room.
Even though the dark curtains covering the entire floor-to-ceiling window had, at some point, opened a narrow gap, the sunlight impatiently tried to force its way in and peek inside.
But before long, it was mercilessly closed again by a large, well-defined hand.
This time not even a crack was left for the eagerly waiting sunlight outside, restoring the room to a stillness where not even a ray of light was allowed to intrude.
Only then did the man turn around, bend down, and kiss the forehead of his sleeping lover.
Very lightly.
Like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water after rain, ripples spreading and then quickly disappearing back into calm.
He did not dare disturb the person who was fast asleep.
Gu Heng’s brows softened. With helplessness mixed with fond indulgence, he looked at the peacefully sleeping Zuo Shihuan, lips pressed into a smile full of love.
How could he possibly have the nerve to wake Zuo Shihuan?
After all, although Zuo Shihuan looked very good-tempered, he was unexpectedly prone to terrible waking temper.
Last night.
After doing it four or five times in a row.
Zuo Shihuan, exhausted to the point of half-sleep and half-wakefulness, looked dazed. Even when Gu Heng lifted his leg, pressed his back against the headboard, and forcefully and wantonly kneaded that fair, smooth, tender skin one couldn’t get enough of, he was still extremely obedient, compliantly making muddled, shameful actions he would never do when fully awake.
Even when Zuo Shihuan was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, his scattered light brown eyes full of hazy spring desire, he would still, time after time, in response to Gu Heng’s seeking of love and kisses, offer no resistance at all, letting himself be taken and entwined.
As if it had become a conditioned reflex.
As long as Gu Heng asked for him, he would give himself completely, without holding anything back.
Even if he was drowsy with exhaustion, his light brown eyes would still glisten with springlike moisture. He would lift his lids slightly, see that it was Gu Heng, then trustingly close his eyes again, still wrapping his arms around Gu Heng’s neck, following instinct to respond to the kisses and affection given to him.
It was simply… unbearably arousing in his emotional openness.
Gu Heng, overwhelmed with excitement, nearly went for several more rounds.
If it hadn’t been for seeing that Zuo Shihuan was truly too exhausted, and being unable to bear tormenting him further, Gu Heng would barely have managed to call a halt and let him go.
Otherwise, it might really have gone on until dawn.
Only, after it ended, when Gu Heng wanted to carry Zuo Shihuan to the bathroom to clean up the traces left afterward, even a slightly larger movement touching Zuo Shihuan’s body made him, eyes tightly shut, let out waves of impatient muffled hums.
Having experienced it once before, Gu Heng knew exactly what was going on.
Zuo Shihuan hated being moved while asleep, hated being taken out of his original comfortable, warm environment, and was especially dissatisfied with being woken up.
And that person was always specifically Gu Heng.
This gave Gu Heng quite a headache. Previously, letting Zuo Shihuan sleep for a while in the bathroom was fine, he was there watching, so nothing would happen.
But Gu Heng had carefully checked in advance the precautions for Alpha-Alpha intimacy. He was extremely worried about harming Zuo Shihuan and had looked up a great deal of related information regarding post-event cleanup.
Especially since under normal Alpha-to-Alpha dynamics, even getting slightly too close, let alone doing intimate things, would cause their released pheromones to repel and clash with each other.
Unless one Alpha completely suppressed the other.
Just like male animals fighting to mark territory, the losing Alpha is forced to submit to the victorious one.
But this kind of forced suppression through pheromone hierarchy would cause the weaker Alpha to experience physical discomfort, fear, mental fatigue, and in severe cases, even vomiting and convulsions serious enough to require hospitalization.
Gu Heng had anticipated this kind of situation in advance, so even when things between him and Zuo Shihuan had progressed to the most intimate and intense point, he kept watching Zuo Shihuan’s expression and physical condition at all times.
The moment he noticed even the slightest hint of discomfort on Zuo Shihuan’s face, Gu Heng was ready to stop at any time.
Fortunately, the entire process was perfectly in sync.
None of the situations Gu Heng had worried about occurred.
Only Gu Heng himself had an accident midway. The gland at the back of his neck, where he had injected a blocker, still couldn’t restrain his own overly intense Alpha pheromones from breaking through the medication’s suppression, and just like that, his Alpha pheromones were released.
The first moment Gu Heng noticed, he did everything he could to restrain the release of his Alpha pheromones, not wanting to hurt Zuo Shihuan, trying his best to prevent his Alpha pheromones from erupting.
Otherwise, once an Alpha of his rank lost control and released pheromones, they would sweep through and dominate an entire enclosed space, filling it with nothing but his overbearing and tyrannical Alpha scent.
Compared to being discovered by Zuo Shihuan as an Alpha in his true identity, Gu Heng was more worried that his so-called top-tier Alpha pheromones might have even the slightest possibility of harming Zuo Shihuan.
If possible, he would rather be a real Beta, a Beta who would not let Zuo Shihuan get hurt, rather than be an Alpha who stood as a barrier between him and Zuo Shihuan…
An Alpha who could never be with another Alpha.
Just as Gu Heng was trembling in fear and silently praying, Zuo Shihuan’s dullness saved him.
Not only did Zuo Shihuan fail to notice that an unusual Alpha pheromone had suddenly appeared in the room, he also had not the slightest physical discomfort. On the contrary…
He adapted to it very well.
The elegant apple wine Alpha pheromone that should have been incompatible with the strong liquor whiskey Alpha pheromone, two kinds of pheromones that looked utterly irreconcilable, blended so harmoniously in the air, as if forming another kind of beautiful, harmonious symphony.
The gentle and refined apple wine pheromone gradually merged into the cold and frenzied whiskey, as if in the same gentle, subtle way it soothed the same frenzy and unease within Gu Heng’s heart.
In the end, even the out-of-control pheromones calmed down.
It shocked Gu Heng beyond belief.
One had to know that his excessively high-level Alpha pheromones were a pressure even high-level S-class Omegas could hardly endure or soothe.
The Empire had long searched for a highly compatible Omega for him, yet none had ever matched. Omegas with over 30% compatibility were extremely rare, and those exceeding 50% compatibility did not exist at all.
The higher the level of the Alpha, the harder it was to find a compatible Omega.
To achieve the effect of soothing the susceptible period of an Alpha at Gu Heng’s level, the Omega’s compatibility would have to reach at least 65%. Otherwise, it would not even be as effective as the pheromone inhibitors produced by the Empire.
But for Gu Heng, even if he found a highly compatible Omega, he would rather inject inhibitors himself and endure it alone.
Because he extremely detested and rejected this kind of twisted relationship bound by pheromone compatibility, just like his biological parents, whose compatibility was extremely high yet who were cold and hostile toward each other.
That was why Gu Heng was so shocked.
He had once prayed that Zuo Shihuan would not be too disgusted by his pheromones, and that alone would have been enough to make him grateful to heaven and earth, yet he never imagined that the dull Zuo Shihuan…
Not only did they not reject them, but adapted to them very well.
Even Zuo Shihuan himself, in his dullness, did not understand just how unbelievably abnormal the mutual compatibility and fusion of their Alpha pheromones would appear to outsiders.
This was a good thing.
Yet Gu Heng could not completely set his mind at ease.
Even afterward, he urgently took out a bottle of high-concentration blocker and injected it into the gland at the back of his neck that had once again begun to swell, thoroughly suppressing his violent and irritable Alpha pheromones.
Sitting at the bedside.
Gu Heng’s gaze was deep and complicated as he looked at the sleeping Zuo Shihuan for a long… long time…
Until—
Gu Heng suddenly let out a long breath, slapped his thigh, and prepared to get up, planning to carry the exhausted, sleeping Zuo Shihuan to the bathroom in the master bedroom to wash up.
Even though Zuo Shihuan had fallen asleep from exhaustion, he could not just let him sleep like this.
Gu Heng had read the precautions for intimacy between Alphas; post-event bodily cleaning was of utmost importance. Although intimacy between Alphas would not result in pregnancy, if residual bodily fluids were not cleaned properly, it might lead to fever or infection for the Alpha partner later.
However, another troublesome matter arose.
When Gu Heng tried to lift Zuo Shihuan, the latter, who absolutely refused to move, suddenly turned over, using both hands and feet to roll himself up in the blanket and hug it tightly.
With his back facing Gu Heng, it suddenly gave Gu Heng a familiar, ominous premonition.
Sure enough.
What followed was the fierce subconscious resistance of the sleeping Zuo Shihuan, clutching the blanket tightly, wriggling like a caterpillar with agile movements as he retreated toward the innermost corner of the bed.
As if he absolutely did not want to be disturbed or woken up.
It made Gu Heng’s forehead twitch, though he felt he could still handle Zuo Shihuan.
He quickly climbed onto the bed, intending to perform a separation surgery between the man and the blanket.
But sleeping Zuo Shihuan’s combat power was astonishing.
Several times Gu Heng nearly lost his temper as well, taking a few deep breaths before regaining patience, then using the high-speed agility of his top-tier Alpha.
Finally, he managed to take away the blanket that Zuo Shihuan was clutching so tightly.
Before the joy could even rise in Gu Heng’s eyes, Zuo Shihuan, whose warm blanket had been snatched away, kept his eyes closed and delivered a loud slap straight to Gu Heng’s chin.
Honestly speaking, Gu Heng felt it was quite painful.
Compared to that bit of pain, Gu Heng covered the throbbing corner of his mouth, looking helplessly at Zuo Shihuan, who, taking advantage of his momentary distraction from the pain, once again rolled up the warm, thick blanket…
He turned over and went back to sleep, not opening his eyes at all, brows tightly furrowed in annoyance, his red lips muttering up and down as if even in his dreams he was angrily cursing whichever bastard dared to disturb his sleep.
As for the b*stard who had been innocently slapped…
Gu Heng had an exceptional headache.
Although Zuo Shihuan, half-asleep and half-awake, was very muddled and alluring that he could be casually played with and kissed, trying to wake a completely sound-asleep Zuo Shihuan was an entirely different matter…
Zuo Shihuan’s temper upon being woken was something even Gu Heng did not dare to provoke lightly.
Having racked his brains and still unable to come up with any solution, Gu Heng could only let Zuo Shihuan continue hugging the blanket on the bed, while he himself fetched a bucket, water, and a towel, and simply gave Zuo Shihuan a basic post-event cleaning like that.
Afterwards.
The entire night, the blanket was snatched away.
Gu Heng was awakened halfway through by the cold.
Looking at Zuo Shihuan beside him, who was fast asleep and tightly hugging the blanket, he immediately, in helpless anger, reached out and wrapped an arm around Zuo Shihuan’s waist from behind, pulling him into his embrace for warmth.
The two of them slept like that, holding each other until dawn.
Until the next day.
By the time the noon sun was already shining on their backsides.
Upon waking from sleep, Gu Heng unexpectedly felt he had slept quite well, but when he saw that Zuo Shihuan beside him was still deeply asleep and not waking, he suddenly fell into silence.
Very tactfully, he got up and tightly drew the curtains together again, shutting out the brilliant sunlight from outside, before sitting by the bed and looking at the sleeping Zuo Shihuan with tightly closed eyes, falling into another kind of troubled hesitation.
Should he wake Zuo Shihuan?
Of course, Gu Heng had not forgotten how fierce Zuo Shihuan’s temper would be when woken, yet it was already past one in the afternoon. If he did not wake up soon, he would really sleep until nightfall.
But he did not think for long.
A glint moved in Gu Heng’s eyes. He pulled Zuo Shihuan, who had his back to him, back into his embrace again and gently placed a kiss on his forehead, then looked at the person sleeping in his arms.
Even for a moment, he was unwilling.
Even for a moment, he was unwilling to let his gaze leave Zuo Shihuan.
Likewise, even in dreams, he hoped the person Zuo Shihuan dreamed of would be him, and that the first person he saw upon opening his eyes would be him.
If Zuo Shihuan was unwilling to wake, he was willing to keep watching him like this.
Gu Heng lowered his gaze, reaching out to brush away a golden-orange flower petal tangled in Zuo Shihuan’s hair, his fingers stroking the slightly swollen, alluring red lips, and the ambiguous red marks on the fair skin that the dark blue blanket could not conceal…
He held his hand.
In the end, Gu Heng lowered his head and kissed the back of Zuo Shihuan’s hand.
Always so perfect, clean, neat, with distinct knuckles and slender fingers, as if Zuo Shihuan had been born with hands meant to be pampered and used to play the piano.
But Gu Heng knew the real Zuo Shihuan had suffered greatly.
Even though this pair of hands looked so perfect and tidy on the surface, on the palm side, the fingertips, the joints, the center of the palm, there were rough, scattered scars, the palm lines broken and healed and extended again…
Just like Zuo Shihuan himself.
No matter how many hardships he had endured in those wasted, dim years of the past, he was always as strong and radiant as ever, like a blade of grass deeply rooted in the soil, yet ultimately growing so strong it made one’s heart ache, blooming into a beautiful and resilient flower that welcomed the dazzling sunrise.
Very beautiful.
So beautiful that he was deeply drawn in.
The only thing that made him feel regret was that in the past, he had lived under the same blue sky of the Federation as Zuo Shihuan, yet had never once encountered him.
He knew Zuo Shihuan did not need anyone’s sympathy or help, and could still tenaciously survive on his own.
But Gu Heng still regretted it.
Regretted not meeting Zuo Shihuan earlier.
Regretted not meeting that most fragile and helpless Zuo Shihuan back then, not helping him, instead remaining under the same blue sky while letting Zuo Shihuan endure illness and torment alone.
Even though at that time he did not know Zuo Shihuan.
And Zuo Shihuan did not know him.
On the streets of the Federation, they might have passed by each other like mere strangers.
This alone made Gu Heng feel incomparable regret and guilt. With heavy, deepened eyes, he could not help holding Zuo Shihuan’s hand and lowering his head to kiss those scars on his hand with heartache and tenderness.
If the gods could grant him a chance to make a wish.
He hoped he could return to the past.
Please let him return to the past and meet Zuo Shihuan earlier, meet the solitary Zuo Shihuan on the streets of the Federation.
***
But Zuo Shihuan did not need anyone to return to the past.
The present moment was the best.
After waking, the first person he saw the instant he opened his eyes was Gu Heng.
Zuo Shihuan blinked, his hazy vision gradually clearing. Seeing Gu Heng, he smiled sincerely from the bottom of his heart and said, “Good morning, Gu Heng.”
Gu Heng froze for a moment, his heart pounding as he was completely captivated by Zuo Shihuan’s smile, as if the whole world had suddenly brightened.
The restless, surging heartbeat and then an endless tenderness and love welled up in his heart, like long-suppressed emotions suddenly bursting out, without any premise or preparation.
Just like that.
He suddenly kissed the smiling Zuo Shihuan deeply.
Until the overly long, lingering, sweet morning kiss made Zuo Shihuan widen his eyes, his face gradually flushing red in embarrassment, struggling and letting out muffled sounds. When nervous, he forgot to breathe through his mouth while kissing.
Only then did Gu Heng finally release him, curling his lips into a sweet, triumphant smirk as he replied, “Morning.”
“Cough, cough, morning. Don’t kiss me the moment I open my eyes, you startled me.”
Zuo Shihuan hurried to breathe, only to be choked by the air and cough several times, the corners of his reddened eyes glistening with moist, pitiful tears.
“Alright, then can I now?”
“Can what?”
“Shihuan, one more time, okay?”
“Uh? …Mmm—”
All sounds of refusal were kissed back into his mouth again and again.
Falling into the soft bed.
The two embraced once more, fingers interlocked as they kissed, once again falling into the passionate movements of the morning.
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