Chapter 96: Xu Yibai’s Coat
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Yan Zhixing immediately withdrew his pheromones, then reached out to support the faltering Shen Yao.
He gazed at Shen Yao’s much paler face, patting his back gently to help him regain his composure. He calmly asked, “Are you okay?”
The force behind his whitened fingers revealed his feelings.
Yan Zhixing hadn’t anticipated that the negative experience would leave such a significant impact on Shen Yao. Even though he had lost his memory, the aversion seemed to be ingrained in his very bones.
After the dizziness from not smelling the sandalwood had finally subsided, Shen Yao’s expression was somewhat dazed, and the pulsating sensation in his temples started again.
Losing his memory also meant losing control of the correct situation, a feeling that frustrated Shen Yao. His entire nervous system tightened unnaturally. He didn’t have much trust in the Alpha in front of him to begin with; he had merely made a choice that seemed less awful between Xu Yibai and himself.
The words he had just spoken were all just empty words.
Even a professional con artist like him wouldn’t need much thought to say those things; they just rolled off the tongue.
Due to his body’s instinct, Shen Yao instinctively became alert. His face, however, showed no change, only a hint of bewilderment as he asked, “Why?”
“Did something unpleasant happen between us?”
Yan Zhixing didn’t say much; he simply handed over a simple file to Shen Yao, excluding the existence of Guan Shu inside. It contained all the details of their initial encounter.
He even confessed about his one-sided pheromone dependence on Shen Yao.
“Despite appearing to know me so well, how could you dare to tell me everything?” Shen Yao lowered his head, perusing the documents, with an obedient expression that seemed like he was joking, “Aren’t you afraid that I might hate you because of the past and find an opportunity to escape?”
Yan Zhixing calmly replied, “Because I understand you. Only by letting you know everything will you set aside all your suspicions, isn’t that right?”
Shen Yao pondered and asked, “So, are you protecting me out of guilt?”
“No.” Yan Zhixing denied this statement. He gazed at Shen Yao, his emotions showing in his eyes, “If it’s out of guilt, I would only compensate you.”
Before he could say more, the phone in his pocket rang.
Yan Zhixing was never one to waste time. As he answered the call, he used his eyes and gestures to signal Chen Shuang, indicating for him to take Shen Yao to his bedroom.
Shen Yao followed behind Chen Shuang, but just as he was about to reach the end of the corridor, he suddenly stopped and turned back, chasing after Yan Zhixing’s figure.
He grabbed onto the sleeve of Yan Zhixing’s clothes, looking up at him with a pleading expression, “I don’t want to be alone. I want to be with you.”
Yan Zhixing’s fingers, holding the phone, paused briefly. He responded with a soft “Mmm,” addressing both the caller on the phone and Shen Yao.
Upon opening the study door, the first thing that caught Shen Yao’s eye was the massive desk.
His footsteps involuntarily slowed down, and an image flashed before his eyes. His trembling fingers rested on the desk, and Yan Zhixing, who was behind him, tightly held his waist with possessiveness.
His canine teeth sank forcefully into his gland, completing an impromptu mark.
Yan Zhixing noticed the look in Shen Yao’s eyes as he placed them on the desk. He calmly asked, “Remembering something?”
Shen Yao averted his gaze and decisively gave an answer, “No.”
He pressed his head in pain, then lowered his hand and spoke slowly, “It’s just that this place seems familiar… It feels like I should remember something, but I can’t recall anything…”
“Is that so?” Yan Zhixing raised his hand to gently press Shen Yao’s head a few times. His technique wasn’t quite skilled, and he softly asked, “Do you need a doctor?”
Shen Yao shook his head, politely saying, “No, thank you. It won’t hurt in a few more minutes. I’ve gotten used to it during this time… this feeling of constantly trying to remember something but not being able to recall anything.”
***
Yan Zhixing had quite a few matters to attend to. He spent the entire afternoon in the study, and the sun, which had been hanging high in the sky, gradually descended from the mountain.
After reviewing a document, he habitually looked up towards the direction of the couch. Shen Yao, who had been sitting there earlier, was now lying down, sleeping peacefully.
Shen Yao was facing away from him in his sleep, inadvertently revealing the gland on his neck.
Although Yan Zhixing had a lot on his mind today, he couldn’t help but keep his gaze fixed on Shen Yao’s gland.
According to medical reports, an Omega could only undergo the cleansing process for their lifelong mark up to three times. The fourth time would pose a severe threat to their life.
And Shen Yao had already cleansed it three times.
The first time was when he graduated from high school. He willingly let Guan Shu mark him before running away. The second time was when he fell into Xu Yibai’s hands, and Guan Shu’s mark was definitely removed. The third time, Shen Yao removed Xu Yibai’s lifelong mark.
In other words, if he marked Shen Yao now, it would truly be forever.
Yan Zhixing was a bit uncertain. Were the words Shen Yao said about letting him mark him for life a test or were they because he had forgotten about the past, leaving him with an escape route in his eyes?
Due to his prior instruction, Chen Shuang didn’t knock on the office door. Instead, he gently pushed the door open and walked in.
In Chen Shuang’s arms was a receipt for a donation, dated a few months ago. Yan Zhixing had donated one hundred million US dollars to a charity foundation, but the receipt bore Shen Yao’s name.
“Didn’t you not believe in gods and Buddhas, sir?”
“I indeed do not believe.” Yan Zhixing folded the receipt and placed it in the drawer of his desk. “Shen Yao killed someone to save me. This isn’t the kind of blood he should have on his hands.”
Yan Zhixing’s path to power wasn’t exactly clean either; his hands were stained with blood that couldn’t be washed away. Whether it was going to heaven or descending to h*ll, to Yan Zhixing, it was merely death.
Yan Zhixing fell silent, and when Chen Shuang left, he gently closed the door without making a sound.
Yan Zhixing noticed Shen Yao’s eyebrows twitch slightly. He knew Shen Yao hadn’t fallen asleep. In such an unfamiliar environment, how could he let down his guard and sleep peacefully?
Shen Yao was a clever fox, smarter than anyone else. He didn’t trust anyone and had defenses set against everyone. So, when he appeared in front of Shen Yao, he was unreasonably kind.
He let Shen Yao know only what he wanted him to know. His conversation with Chen Shuang was deliberately spoken for Shen Yao to hear.
Now, with all these reasons combined, Shen Yao should finally be able to gradually let go of some suspicions, at the very least considering him as a somewhat reliable protector.
He gazed at Shen Yao’s sleeping face and slowly leaned in closer to him, wanting to give him a gentle kiss. As their lips were about to touch, Yan Zhixing’s movement suddenly halted, and his brows furrowed.
Yan Zhixing’s gaze fell upon the coat draped over Shen Yao. He caught a faint scent of pheromones on it – not his own, but a light floral fragrance.
Shen Yao’s eyelids trembled slightly, and at this moment, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Yan Zhixing, who was staring fixedly at his coat.
“Ah…”
Shen Yao’s voice was still somewhat hoarse, and he seemed to realize something, saying, “I grabbed this on my way out. It’s Xu Yibai’s coat.”
Yan Zhixing didn’t hesitate as he ordered, “Take it off.”
“Sure.”
Shen Yao was cooperative, taking off the oversized coat and tossing it into Yan Zhixing’s arms.
“I dislike the scent of your pheromones,” he said thoughtfully, offering a suggestion, “How about you wear Xu Yibai’s coat? After all, it seems like I quite enjoy his scent.”
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