Chapter 32: I came to find you
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Sang Tong’s home was in a residential area not far from the hospital where he worked. It was a two-story small building with a creamy white coat of paint. Flowers and plants adorned the balcony. The entire street had similar houses and balconies, but Sang Tong’s house was distinctive with its windows covered in iron mesh, appearing somewhat out of place.
By the time Song Youji arrived, it was already dark. Sang Tong’s house had no lights on, but the neighboring house’s lights were on. A man’s head poked out of the second-floor window, observing Song Youji and staring at the dark windows of Sang Tong’s house.
Standing at the door, Song Youji could already smell a faint scent of rosemary, indicating a strong presence of pheromones inside. He knocked on the door twice and called Sang Tong’s name softly.
After about six or seven minutes, the door was opened from the inside. Sang Tong’s face was flushed, his steps unsteady, and he looked as if he had just emerged from water, damp and wet.
“Come in.”
Song Youji locked the door behind him, took out suppressants from his bag, and asked, “Injection or oral?”
Sang Tong laid on the sofa, covering his eyes with his arm, curled up due to discomfort. He surrendered and said, “Either is fine.”
Song Youji chose oral suppressants. After a few minutes, they took effect, and Sang Tong’s breathing became much steadier. The scent of pheromones in the room dissipated, leaving Sang Tong limp on the sofa, still covering his eyes.
“Do you want some water?” Song Youji asked.
He had sensed an unusual atmosphere between them, specifically Sang Tong’s awkwardness in facing him.
Seeing Sang Tong not responding, Song Youji poured a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table. He then sat next to Sang Tong, wanting to say something but unsure how to start.
It was Sang Tong who broke the silence first. He chuckled self-mockingly, “Sorry for disturbing you so late.”
“It’s not even eight o’clock; it’s not considered late,” Song Youji said, using his hand to pull at Sang Tong’s arm. “If you feel sorry, you should move your hand and look at me.”
“…”
“Sang Tong, you’re a doctor. You should know that an Omega’s heat is a normal physiological phenomenon. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about it.”
Sang Tong, lying lifelessly on the sofa, heard him say this. His lips moved, and a tear slid down his cheek. He removed his arm, revealing eyes that were red and moist with tears.
He bit his lip, with a tearful voice, saying, “I don’t want you to see me like this.”
Since their acquaintance, Sang Tong had always been in a protective role towards Song Youji. Initially treating him like a younger brother, as feelings changed, he fell in love with Song Youji and wanted to protect and cherish him even more. At that time, Sang Tong thought that he had to differentiate into an Alpha, or at least a Beta, to stay by Song Youji’s side and protect him.
Never did he imagine that he would become an Omega, turning into the more common receiving end in dual-gender relationships. Sang Tong felt as if the sky had fallen.
Being strong-willed with a high sense of self-esteem, turning into an Omega was a fatal blow to him. In this state, he had lost the qualification to stay by Song Youji’s side. Thus, he chose to escape.
Reuniting with Song Youji made him both happy and afraid. Happy because they had a chance to continue their past, but afraid because it meant letting Song Youji see him in such a miserable state during his heat – which was happening now.
“This feeling is truly worse than death,” Sang Tong said.
Song Youji’s heart tightened suddenly. He leaned in and held Sang Tong’s hand, saying, “Don’t think like that! Why do you believe that differentiating into an Omega is a bad thing? Omega, regardless of having slightly weaker physical attributes than AB, may excel in mental strength and creativity, possessing extraordinary talents in fields like art design and research. Achievements may not necessarily be inferior to Alphas. Equal rights policies have only been implemented for decades, and the number of top Omegas and Alphas in various fields is already equal…”
Song Youji has used this set of rhetoric to persuade many Omegas who feel sorry for themselves about their identities, but he quickly realized that it was useless for Sang Tong. In terms of medical skills, he was already an unmatched figure in Xiaoman City. If given a larger and better platform, he might go even further.
Unlike others, Sang Tong did not despair or give up on life just because he became an Omega.
So why was he like this now?
“Sang Tong, did you encounter something? Can I help you?” Song Youji lowered his eyes, gazing at Sang Tong with tender concern.
Hearing this, Sang Tong smiled faintly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was like a fleeting and fragile bubble. He trembled slightly as he spoke, “You can’t help me.”
If Song Youji knew, he might think that Sang Tong was being presumptuous, disturbing himself without reason.
The best way to deal with this was to keep Song Youji far away. The farther, the better.
“Youji, you once said that no matter what gender you differentiate into, you’ll accept it calmly because it’s determined by genes and destiny. Whether it’s Omega or Beta, it doesn’t matter to you. But I can’t, Youji. I’m an Omega, destined not to be with the person I love.”
It turned out it was love troubles. Song Youji breathed a sigh of relief; luckily, it wasn’t what he had imagined.
“Is he an Omega too?” Emotion consultant Song Youji went online, drawing on his many years of work experience, preparing to counsel his good friend. “In my years working at the rescue association, I’ve met many Omegas. Although most people believe that AO pairings are the best, nowadays, whether it’s AA or OO, both are common. The existence of suppressants has solved the problem of AO’s heightened sensitivity during heats, and pheromones are no longer the sole criteria for finding a partner. Soul compatibility is the key.”
Song Youji spoke convincingly, and a smile gradually appeared on Sang Tong’s face. He held Song Youji’s wrist and answered the question, “No, he’s a Beta.”
“Beta, that’s even better. Yu Ran and Ao De are also in a BO relationship. But in relationships, you still have to consider character; you can’t find someone like Aud,” Song Youji frowned, full of worries for his friend’s future.
“I trust his character.”
Sang Tong had regained his strength. He sat up, letting go of Song Youji’s hand and pulling him onto the sofa. Their positions changed instantly.
Song Youji: “Sang Tong, what do you mean…”
“Youji, I like you.” Sang Tong spoke each word deliberately and seriously, “But it’s different from the usual BO relationship you understand. My liking for you is the kind where I want to hold you.”
“…”
Suddenly being confessed to by a friend left Song Youji’s mind blank. The only thought in his mind was: So Sang Tong wants to be a ‘1’ after all; no wonder he dislikes his Omega identity.
**
The neighbor across from Sang Tong had been observing his house for a long time. Being an Alpha, he had smelled the Omega pheromones from that side for quite a while. He had desired Sang Tong for some time now, and it seemed this time Doctor Sang didn’t have suppressants on hand.
He had already made up his mind. Once it was dark, he would break into Sang Tong’s house, take advantage of his unclear consciousness during the heat, and seize the opportunity. By then, Sang Tong wouldn’t be able to resist.
However, things went beyond the neighbor’s expectations. First, he saw a beautiful Beta entering Sang Tong’s room, and then a powerful Alpha arrived.
The Alpha stood at Sang Tong’s door, not entering, just staring at Sang Tong’s house. In the darkness, he looked like a ghost. The pheromones emanating from him were so strong that even across the street and the windows, they created a sense of pressure. The neighbor was too scared to even consider targeting Sang Tong again and quickly drew the curtains, refraining from peeking.
All night, Song Youji didn’t come out. Zhao Jiu stood outside the door for the entire night. To prevent himself from releasing pheromones due to anger, Zhao Jiu injected himself with suppressants, one after another.
The first-floor light stayed on until eleven, then the second-floor light came on. Two blurry and intimate figures appeared by the window, followed by the second-floor light going out.
In the pitch-dark night, like a huge stone pressing on Zhao Jiu’s heart, he looked up at the second-floor window. His neck was sore, but he refused to lower his head. Due to medication and fatigue, his eyes were a bloody red.
Song Youji. He silently repeated Song Youji’s name in his heart.
You better come out soon, or I won’t be able to hold back.
Zhao Jiu repeatedly imagined what might be happening inside, and each scenario felt like a knife stabbing into his heart. He tortured himself with uncontrollable thoughts.
Finally, the door was opened. In the moonlight, Song Youji walked out with a tired expression, sighed, locked the door, and turned to see Zhao Jiu.
“How did you find this place?”
The scent of rosemary wafted over, shattering Zhao Jiu’s last nerve.
“I came to find you,” he said calmly.
The author has something to say:
The reason Sang Tong and Song Youji can’t be together: Misunderstandings. (Just kidding.)
Nothing happened between them, just pure friendship. TAT.
Writing this kind of plot is really challenging. If it’s too heavy, people will criticize it; if it’s too light, it’s not satisfying enough. So, I’ll put a lid on both UJ and Z9, OrZ.
I’ll also put a lid on myself. Orz.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of After Differentiating into a Beta and Having Engagement Withdrawn right away or get access to early chapters of all the available BL novels translated by Lazy Girl T! Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Thank you for the triple update~