After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 62
Gu Yu gently touched Shen Jin’s reddened neck and face, forgetting about the trembling in his own hands. He asked softly, “That day when you got caught in the rain and returned late, was that when you ran into the alpha you mentioned?”
Shen Jin paused for a moment, but instead of blaming Gu Yu, he boasted, “…Yeah, but I was awesome. I beat them up and got away.”
But Gu Yu’s heart trembled. He didn’t praise Shen Jin for his bravery; instead, he bent down, wrapped his arms around him, and said in a low voice, “Have I made too many mistakes…senior?”
He felt Shen Jin lift his hand, probably to comfort him, but this time, Gu Yu pressed him tighter, cutting him off. “I know you’re going to say you’ve made your own mistakes too, and you’ll try to comfort me by saying everything’s fine now that we’ve cleared things up. I don’t want to hear that.”
Before Shen Jin could respond, Gu Yu gently wiped his soft, tear-stained cheek and continued, “The severe cold that turned into pneumonia, and the aftereffects you’ve had since… It all started with that rainstorm, didn’t it?”
Shen Jin hesitated for a while before quietly saying, “If I had known, I shouldn’t have asked to meet you at school. It made you get caught in the rain too. I should’ve gone to your place instead.”
Gu Yu frowned, staring intently at Shen Jin. “So no matter how much I hurt you, you can always find an excuse for me, right?”
Shen Jin stayed silent for a long time before softly admitting, “If I didn’t have that ability… how could I have managed to keep liking you all this time?”
Gu Yu took a deep breath. He was both angry and helpless. He decided to bring up one of the things he regretted the most from the past: “Then… back when I was cold to you in the infirmary and told you to stop pretending, were you able to forgive me for that too?”
Clearly, this was something Shen Jin remembered vividly. His eyes reddened with stubbornness as he seriously responded, “That’s nothing… At the time, I just thought, which guy would cry over such a small injury like mine? I was being overly dramatic. It was normal for you to think I was faking it.”
Shen Jin had likely spent years comforting himself with such thoughts.
Gu Yu tried to control his breathing, but his heart felt like it was being crushed. He pulled Shen Jin’s hand closer, holding him tightly, his voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, senior… I had no idea… that I’d made you develop this kind of ability.”
His apology had come far too late. Shen Jin quietly allowed Gu Yu to hold him, and for the first time, he didn’t think, “It’s all my fault.” Instead, he asked, “So… you won’t treat me like that anymore in the future, right, Gu Yu?”
“Mm.” Gu Yu’s strong brows softened as he pressed through the sting in his eyes. “I promise, I’ll protect you well from now on. I won’t let you encounter any bad people again. I won’t just treat you well, but I’ll make sure you understand exactly how much I like you. Does that sound good?”
He had never made such a solemn promise before, and he was certain he would never let pride get in the way like it had when he was younger.
Shen Jin lowered his head for a long while, not saying anything.
It wasn’t until Gu Yu, red-eyed and hesitant, kissed him on the forehead that Shen Jin’s breath hitched. Finally, he clutched Gu Yu’s shirt, burying his face in his chest, and began to haltingly reveal all the hurt and sadness he had carried for so long.
Gu Yu held him quietly, listening to him cry and speak in broken sentences. He gently patted Shen Jin’s back, repeatedly kissing his hair, offering apologies and reassurances again and again.
The two of them remained like that, talking quietly for a long time, until sunlight filled the room. Shen Jin gradually calmed down, exhausted from crying, and lay in Gu Yu’s arms, feeling tired yet satisfied. “I want to sleep now, Gu Yu… But you have to always like me and never leave.”
“Mm, I won’t leave.” This time, Gu Yu didn’t hold back his words. He softly coaxed, “I like you, Shen Jin. You can sleep now; I’ll stay right here. I won’t go anywhere.”
The room fell into a peaceful silence. Gu Yu rested his chin gently on Shen Jin’s head, noticing how his lips curled slightly as he drifted off, already asleep within seconds.
Even though Shen Jin’s face was still pale, and there were tears on his cheeks, Gu Yu’s heart ached for him. Carefully, he carried Shen Jin to the center of the bed and tucked the soft blankets around him.
The winter sun was clear and bright. Gu Yu covered Shen Jin’s eyes with the sleeve of an unused shirt, ensuring the sunlight wouldn’t wake him. Then, he sat at the foot of the bed, rubbing his hands together to warm them before slipping them under the blanket to cradle Shen Jin’s cold legs and feet.
Though the heater was on, for someone like Shen Jin with poor circulation, warmth never seemed to reach his extremities. Gu Yu’s fingers traced the soft skin of Shen Jin’s legs and the sharp bones of his ankles, almost as if he were touching icicles hanging from the eaves.
His senior’s health had declined significantly. From now on, Gu Yu thought, he would have to take much better care of him. No more letting Shen Jin do any household chores, and having children was out of the question. Even if Shen Jin were to live longer than him, it would have to be after both of them reached 100. And if Gu Yu passed away first, he needed to leave behind enough to ensure Shen Jin could live freely in old age.
So when Shen Jin finally woke up around noon, the first thing Gu Yu asked was, “Senior, who do you think will die first, you or me?”
Shen Jin, still half-asleep, blinked in confusion. “…What?”
As if that weren’t odd enough, Gu Yu asked another question: “Is it okay if we don’t have kids?”
Shen Jin’s eyes were swollen and painful, making it hard to open them. He croaked, “…Who, who said they’re going to have kids with you?”
Still drowsy, but not forgetting to retort, Shen Jin muttered, “Are you a grade-schooler… You… You’ve only ever touched me with your hands. How could we have kids?”
Unexpectedly, Gu Yu nodded. “Good.”
…Good?
Shen Jin tried to turn over but was too weak. The outpouring of emotions had drained him. His throat felt parched and raw, and his chest ached as if rusty nails were digging into it, relentlessly prickling him.
All he could do was tug on Gu Yu’s sleeve and say, “I’m not feeling well, Gu Yu…”
Gu Yu hurriedly helped Shen Jin put on his coat, offering him a cup of warm water while saying, “I’ll apply something to your eyes to reduce the swelling in a bit. Once you feel a bit better, we’ll go down the mountain, rest for a couple of days, and I’ll take you to the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Military Medical University to see a specialist.”
In the past, Gu Yu had thought that Shen Jin just needed proper rest to recover, but now he realized that they wouldn’t have peace of mind until they’d consulted a few more hospitals. The Second Affiliated Hospital had the best respiratory department in the city, but Shen Jin hesitated, “Will it help? Won’t it cost a lot of money?”
Gu Yu, clearly irritated by this, pinched Shen Jin’s face in mock anger. “What money? The doctor might at most tell me to spend ten bucks on a strong rope to tie you up at home so you stop sneaking off into the mountains in the middle of the night to catch a cold.”
Shen Jin muttered as if wanting to retort, but Gu Yu cut him off by gently touching his face. “Thank you for giving me the chance to make it up to you… Your throat is sore, don’t talk. Be good, sit tight for a bit, and I’ll go get some medicine and an ice pack.”
Shen Jin paused, then hurriedly replied, “But, but it’s never been your fault. I was just venting when I cried—you don’t need to make up for anything…”
“Then can’t you at least let me take care of you?” Gu Yu said, hearing Shen Jin’s raspy voice. “Just sit quietly.”
Unable to see clearly, Shen Jin had no choice but to comply, clutching the blanket as he waited by the bedside.
Overnight, everything seemed to have changed. Shen Jin had finally poured out his grievances and understood Gu Yu’s feelings. Though their relationship had just begun, he now felt as if he had been with Gu Yu for seven years already.
In his youth, he had walked a long, dark road alone, but now, looking back, he realized Gu Yu had always been there, like a beacon of light, guiding him through the darkness and the storms.
It wasn’t a delusion. Shen Jin looked down at his own blurred hands, finally feeling a sense of closure. “You see,” he thought, “you always believed he was that light, and you weren’t wrong.”
Bathed in the warm sunlight, Shen Jin sighed in relief, resting his soft face on his knees as he quietly waited for Gu Yu’s footsteps.
In the cozy room, Gu Yu came over with a small ice pack and said with a bit of seriousness, “Ice won’t do much, but it’s better than nothing. It might be cold, so bear with it, okay?”
“Mhm.” Shen Jin came back to his senses, tugging on Gu Yu’s sleeve. Half-jokingly, he said, “Anyone who doesn’t know better might think Little Strawberry is about to perform some serious brain surgery on me.”
Gu Yu carefully pressed the cold pack to his swollen eyes and replied, “If you keep talking, you might lose your voice too—don’t forget you’ve got a competition at the end of the year, Coach Shen.”
That’s right, Shen Jin thought: he couldn’t afford to lose his voice; otherwise, how would he yell at Qin Zhu and Xu Tingyun during training?
He endured for a while but eventually started coughing. Gu Yu quickly moved the ice pack aside and said, “That’s enough for now. Here, eat some bread to fill your stomach, and then take your medicine.”
Shen Jin opened his slightly swollen eyes, taking bites of the bread from Gu Yu’s hand, obediently swallowing his medicine. After he had rested, Gu Yu handed him a scarf, hat, and gloves, helping him put everything on before saying, “The police have already called Song Yizhi in for questioning this morning. There will probably be further investigations, so for now, let’s check out of the hotel and head back to the university town.”
Shen Jin quietly put on his clothes, and as Gu Yu held his hand to guide him outside, Shen Jin asked, “Do you, Jiang Lan, and Tao Yan think I was too cruel to Yizhi?”
“No,” Gu Yu said firmly, gripping Shen Jin’s hand tightly. “Since childhood, he’s never liked anyone getting close to the three of us. We’ve always indulged him too much. It wasn’t your fault.”
It was clear Gu Yu felt some lingering sadness, but more than that, he seemed resigned and calm. “Tao Yan told me he’s already used his captain’s authority to remove Song Yizhi from the team. Now, you’re the only omega left in the Earth Defense Squad of Tobacco Factory Three.”
“…What?” Shen Jin was stunned. He hadn’t expected this little group of kids, who had formed a team as a joke, to have such a complete hierarchy. Gu Yu continued, “They asked me to tell you… from now on, you’ll have three younger brothers devoted to protecting you.”
“…You actually admit you’re a younger brother?” Shen Jin’s voice was almost gone, but looking at Gu Yu’s slightly reddened ears, he couldn’t help teasing him, “Aren’t you worried I’ll get spoiled?”
Gu Yu, leading Shen Jin down the stairs, didn’t even blink as he replied, “Even if you do get spoiled, the most you’d do is steal my minion wave and turret plates when I go home.”
Shen Jin laughed softly, his voice weak. “So, you’re saying you’ll let me take your minion wave and turret plates?”
“…” Gu Yu seemed to be struggling internally, and after a long pause, he reluctantly said, “Occasionally, yes.”
The cold mountain air made Shen Jin cough and laugh at the same time. With a smile, he whispered, “If you’re giving me your minions, even the Cowherd and Weaver Girl should be ashamed to celebrate Qixi in front of us.”
“…” Hearing Shen Jin’s coughing, Gu Yu paused to adjust his scarf before continuing to lead him down the stairs. “Let’s hurry. It’ll be warmer once we get in the car.”
Shen Jin pursed his lips, feeling the warmth of Gu Yu’s hand, and instinctively tightened his grip. “I’m sorry, Gu Yu. I said a lot of harsh things yesterday… And I left you out in that storm years ago—”
But Gu Yu pinched Shen Jin’s cheek gently, cutting off his apology. “I know you were just too upset and said things in anger. And as for that storm, it was my own fault.”
Shen Jin hurried to keep up with Gu Yu, his voice hoarse as he asked, “But… did you catch a cold back then? Was it bad? Is there something you didn’t tell me?”
Gu Yu knew what he was about to say might hurt Shen Jin’s pride in his supposedly strong body, but he still answered seriously, “If taking a hot shower counts as serious, then sure. So from now on, the only household chore you’re allowed to do is heating water for me. That’s your one and only job.”