Chapter 36: Where Did They Go?
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The room had a small window without a protective railing. The scenery outside was beautiful, with a clear blue sky and lush trees blending together. When looking outside, one would feel a sense of tranquility.
As the sky gradually darkened, the tall trees turned into vague shadows. The wind rustled through, causing the shadows to sway, accompanied by distant bird calls separated by the window.
Sitting with his legs bent on the edge of the bed, Shen Yao, in front of the television, played a colorful screen. However, his gaze did not rest on it. Instead, he lowered his eyes and stared at his own fingers. He simply enjoyed thinking about things while listening to the noisy voices from the television or daydreaming.
He deceived Jian Ran, claiming to be experiencing pseudo-heat, so throughout the day, they did not disturb him except when bringing him lunch and afternoon tea.
Shen Yao truly disliked overly noisy spaces. This undisturbed tranquility suited him perfectly. Without a cellphone, he sat quietly, watching the outside world, counting how many birds flew by, allowing himself to calmly spend an afternoon.
“Knock, knock.”
The rhythmic knocking sound caught his attention, and Shen Yao lifted his face slightly. Estimating the time, he waited until the person outside had completely left before opening the door.
Outside the door, a tray was placed with dinner, pajamas, clean clothes, and slippers, all in his size.
He took a shower, changed into pajamas, and searched for a series of movies. Shen Yao hadn’t brought sleeping pills with him, and in this completely unfamiliar environment, he shouldn’t have been able to fall asleep.
However, when the movie reached the third part, his eyelids began to tremble with drowsiness, and he eventually fell into a deep sleep.
Although he should have entered a deep sleep state, Shen Yao’s experience felt more like sleep paralysis. His limbs were unable to move, and his eyes couldn’t open. His consciousness would intermittently awaken, only to suddenly plummet back down.
Shen Yao unconsciously furrowed his brow. In a hazy state, it felt as if he had fallen into a dream, hearing some noises around him.
He wanted to flip over and confirm, but it was as if there was a heavy stone pressing down on him, preventing him from even moving his fingers.
Jian Ran anxiously withdrew the needle that had been inserted into Shen Yao’s gland, successfully extracting the pheromones. Quietly and cautiously, he left the room.
When he emerged, his back was covered in a layer of cold sweat.
Entering the laboratory, Jian Ran saw Yan Zhixing waiting for him inside.
The first time he questioned what to do with that omega, Yan Zhixing had a cold expression and insisted on his own way, clearly not intending to take responsibility for the omega’s well-being.
Jian Ran didn’t know why Yan Zhixing had a change of heart or where he found some conscience, but he still breathed a sigh of relief.
Since they weren’t planning to be together, this was the best solution. Shen Yao’s pheromones would become Yan Zhixing’s medication, and Yan Zhixing would do the same in return.
This dependency syndrome would have a much smaller impact on them.
“Are you really not going to administer anesthesia?” Jian Ran changed into a fresh pair of disposable gloves and double-checked, “It’s going to be very painful.”
“No need.” Yan Zhixing turned around, exposing his gland in the neck to Jian Ran’s hands. He succinctly stated, “Just like this.”
The gland was the most vulnerable area on an omega and an alpha’s body. Jian Ran wasn’t lying; the moment that long needle pierced in, the pain followed suit.
Yan Zhixing tensed his back. The pain felt like it was going to pierce through his gland, causing cold sweat to form on his forehead.
The pain persisted for ten minutes, initially confined to the gland but eventually spreading throughout his entire body. His shoulders and spine felt as if they were being shattered forcibly.
Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, and when the needle was finally pulled out, the pain was instantly alleviated, leaving no trace of the needle puncture on the gland.
However, his consciousness remained entangled in that sensation of pain. Yan Zhixing breathed evenly, tasting the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
He lifted his gaze and asked Jian Ran, “Is it over?”
“Yes!”
Jian Ran joined the two syringes together, his face filled with excitement. A living and rare case was right before him, and he would be the first to develop targeted medication for it.
He couldn’t wait any longer and immediately opened his computer, inputting various data and carefully selecting a list of researchers.
Yan Zhixing opened the door to the laboratory and walked out alone. It was already early morning, and the corridor was empty, with the sound of footsteps echoing loudly.
Based on the current situation, it was true that Shen Yao was also influenced by his pheromones, but not as severely as Yan Zhixing.
If it were true that deepening the marking would worsen Shen Yao’s condition and make it similar to his own, Yan Zhixing could only minimize the frequency of marking and urge Jian Ran to develop the medication as soon as possible.
As Yan Zhixing passed by Shen Yao’s room, his footsteps faltered.
He had no intention of falling in love or getting married in his entire life, but if Shen Yao turned out to be like him, unable to sense the scent of any other alpha, they would be unable to establish instinctual compatibility with other alphas.
Such an omega could only interact normally with alphas and would find it difficult to progress any further.
Would Shen Yao also spend his entire life without falling in love or marrying another alpha?
Shen Yao woke up struggling in the morning, feeling as if the heavy stone weighing on his heart had finally dissipated. His heart was racing, and he couldn’t distinguish whether last night was a dream or reality.
He hadn’t drawn the curtains when he went to sleep last night, and the light from outside shone through the window, forming an elusive spot of light in front of Shen Yao.
The TV was still playing automatically. After he had slept for a while, the movie restarted from the first part.
Shen Yao turned off the TV, and the room immediately fell into silence, with only the vibrant chirping of birds audible.
He changed his clothes and finished washing up, then pushed the door open to walk outside. The fact that he was able to sleep through the night like that made Shen Yao feel quite peculiar.
Shen Yao hadn’t had the chance to observe the surroundings of the building properly amidst all the hurried events from yesterday.
In the middle of what seemed like an indentation, Shen Yao walked to the edge of the glass railing. He was now standing on a high floor, but he didn’t feel any dizziness when looking down.
Here, Shen Yao couldn’t see a single person. It felt like a secretive base where unknown experiments were being conducted.
As he calmly looked down, Shen Yao heard the sound of a door opening. Following the direction of the sound, he saw Yan Zhixing, dressed in a suit, walking out of a room at the end of the corridor.
Their gazes met in the air, and Yan Zhixing walked toward him.
Shen Yao’s hand rested on the railing, and his gaze inadvertently slid across Yan Zhixing’s cheek. He sighed in regret within his heart.
Because he didn’t hit him hard enough, there was no trace of the fingerprints left.
“I didn’t mean to hit you last night,” Shen Yao got straight to the point. His gaze lowered, and he genuinely seemed apologetic, “Hiss—”
He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but as he parted his lips, he furrowed his brow and took a light breath. His distinct lips slightly opened, revealing a noticeable injury on his tongue.
Yan Zhixing saw it clearly. Yesterday, he had bitten it himself.
“But you kissed too forcefully last night. You kept squeezing my waist and wouldn’t let go after biting. I couldn’t breathe properly,” Shen Yao recounted the details of yesterday, his expression innocent and somewhat aggrieved. “Although I wanted to kiss you at the time… You looked like someone who had never kissed before, and I was genuinely scared. So I couldn’t help but hit you… Are you angry?”
Shen Yao never made such affected gestures in front of him, and Yan Zhixing knew it was intentional. Shen Yao deliberately spoke those words to remind him of the passionate moments when he held onto the omega and wouldn’t let go.
He succeeded; forgetting memories was not an easy task. Yan Zhixing’s gaze lowered, and Shen Yao’s lips were naturally a beautiful color that turned peachy pink after being kissed.
Yan Zhixing remembered even this small detail very clearly. When he looked up again, he collided with Shen Yao’s slightly curved eyes.
He didn’t answer Shen Yao’s question but asked calmly, “Do you need to go back to the country? I can send you back.”
“I’m not going back,” Shen Yao didn’t even hesitate after a brief moment of contemplation. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly confessed, “The marking this time seems to have a profound effect on me… I feel anxious when I’m away from you.”
He looked at Yan Zhixing and whispered softly, “During this time, I want to stay by your side.”
The marking was gradually deepening, and its effects were taking hold on Yan Zhixing as well. His Adam’s apple rolled imperceptibly.
After the first marking had no impact, it was only after several subsequent markings, tightly connecting them, that Shen Yao had a tremendous attraction to him.
Shen Yao said he wanted to be by his side at all times, and Yan Zhixing wanted to bind Shen Yao to himself at all times.
The rays of the sunrise filtered through the tree cracks, and Shen Yao raised his hand to shield his eyes uncomfortably. The buildings also reflected the sunlight, and Shen Yao asked, “Where exactly is this?”
“It’s a laboratory,” Yan Zhixing replied without turning around, his tone neither warm nor cold. “Didn’t Jian Ran tell you that my pheromone levels are unstable?”
Shen Yao softly acknowledged with a “Hmm” and didn’t inquire further.
Yan Zhixing led Shen Yao back to the Yan family’s estate. This was Shen Yao’s first time entering this mysterious family’s domain. The first thing he saw was a massive Chinese-style castle. Despite the wind and sun, the walls remained impeccable, emanating an inexplicable sense of solemnity.
Oppressive. That was Shen Yao’s initial impression upon stepping inside.
He silently followed behind Yan Zhixing. Yan Zhixing, with his blond hair and blue eyes, seemed somewhat out of place in this setting. The signet ring on Yan Zhixing’s finger felt heavy, yet his presence seemed to blend naturally with the surroundings.
The servants here didn’t address Yan Zhixing as “sir”; they referred to him as “master,” a title that carried ancient and feudal connotations.
Yan Zhixing suddenly stopped in his tracks, no longer leading Shen Yao forward. He called over Chen Shuang, who had been bowing his head all along, and asked the slightly bewildered Chen Shuang to take Shen Yao to his room.
It had been a week since Shen Yao followed Chen Shuang, and it was the second day that Guan Shu couldn’t reach Shen Yao.
Having finished all his tasks, Guan Shu descended the stairs. He impatiently rubbed his eyelids and took out his phone from his pocket to call Shen Yao again.
The familiar electronic tone on the phone persisted, indicating the call couldn’t go through.
Guan Shu couldn’t help but curse under his breath as he leaned against the railing behind him. Despite knowing that the call wouldn’t connect, he stubbornly dialed Shen Yao’s number over and over again.
He hadn’t contacted Shen Yao for five consecutive days. Starting from yesterday when he began calling and realized he couldn’t get through, the phone hadn’t stopped ringing. If it weren’t for the fear that Yan Zhixing might have thrown Shen Yao into the sea to feed the sharks, he wouldn’t have cared about Shen Yao now.
Exercising his personal authority, Guan Shu found Shen Yao’s record of leaving the country. What else could Shen Yao do by going abroad? He must have gone to find Yan Zhixing.
Shen Yao abandoned him just to go find Yan Zhixing.
This insignificant Yan Zhixing held more importance in Shen Yao’s heart than he did.
Wasn’t it just a transaction? Why did Shen Yao leave the country just because of a single sentence from Yan Zhixing? Even if he sent a message to Shen Yao, there was no guarantee that Shen Yao would come to see him, right?
“Shen Yao,” Guan Shu said through gritted teeth with a stern face, speaking to himself. “You better not be lying to me again…”
If it weren’t for his identity and the restrictions it imposed, he would have already been on a plane. But he couldn’t, and he could only contact Shen Yao through this useless method. Guan Shu was so agitated that he wished he could smash the phone.
He picked up the phone and disconnected the call in frustration. Just as he was about to redial, Guan Shu suddenly lifted his head. He heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching in disarray.
“Guan Shu!”
The lights downstairs had been broken for a while, and it was unclear where Xu Yibai had emerged from the shadows. He reached out to grab Guan Shu’s collar but was evaded by Guan Shu stepping back.
His hand grabbed nothing but air, and Xu Yibai clenched his fist. He breathed heavily, his eyes turning red as he stared at Guan Shu, his collar soaked with sweat. He demanded, “Where is Yao Yao? Where did you hide Yao Yao?!”
Guan Shu hadn’t seen Xu Yibai many times, but whenever he saw him, Xu Yibai always had a gentle demeanor. It was the first time he saw him like this.
Shen Yao should have liked Xu Yibai’s tenderness and thoughtfulness. Would Shen Yao still like him when he saw Xu Yibai in this state?
Guan Shu tugged at the corner of his mouth and said expressionlessly, “You’re asking me where he went? Isn’t he your boyfriend? Or do you think that I, his ex-boyfriend, understands him better than you do?”
Not long ago, he had portrayed himself and Shen Yao as a team, mentioning it in his words, warning him not to ruin someone else’s relationship.
But how come he didn’t even know where Shen Yao was?
“Yes, he is my boyfriend.”
Xu Yibai took out the phone he had obtained from Shen Yao’s house today and turned it on in front of Guan Shu, entering the password.
“He is my boyfriend, so why have you been calling him so many times?” Xu Yibai calmed down and directly asked, “Aren’t you his ex-boyfriend?”
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