After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 64

Shen Jin furrowed his brow, lowering his head as he said stubbornly, “No, I’ll definitely recover before your birthday.”

Gu Yu noticed his pale lips and, while feeling concerned, pretended to be mildly annoyed. “Do you think I’m the kind of Alpha who only has their mind on sleeping with you?”

Unfortunately, Shen Jin instinctively grabbed his clothes and asked, “You… you’re not?”

“…” Gu Yu was genuinely frustrated this time and gave Shen Jin a gentle push on the forehead. “Aren’t we supposed to be practicing for the online tournament, Coach Shen? We’ve already lost time this weekend. If you don’t sleep, how will you have the energy to scold the team?”

“The top laner had an exam, so it wasn’t entirely wasted,” Shen Jin said, rubbing the spot on his forehead where Gu Yu had poked him. Before long, exhaustion washed over him, and his eyelids drooped as his voice became muddled. “Then, I’ll sleep for a while… and, of course… while I’m sleeping, you can do whatever cruel things you want—”

He collapsed into Gu Yu’s arms like a little rabbit who suddenly fell asleep while munching on grass.

Gu Yu gently lowered his arm, tucked Shen Jin in, and couldn’t help but ask softly, “Should I add extra celery to the stir-fried meat later? Is that cruel enough, Senior?”

Even in his sleep, the mention of “celery” made Shen Jin frown in agony, and the corners of his mouth turned downward—Gu Yu chuckled in satisfaction. Then, leaning down, he kissed Shen Jin’s forehead, soothing the little frown of displeasure.

The past seven years seemed to take on a new meaning as Gu Yu sat by the bed, quietly watching Shen Jin. A light smile unconsciously appeared on his lips, and gradually, he found the courage to think of the people he had once been too afraid to remember.

The ones who gave him life, the ones who raised him, the ones who had hoped to live through that fateful winter to see him grow another year older—but now, as he counted the time, it had been almost eight years since they left.

When his muba passed away, Gu Yu had felt like he’d fallen into endless darkness. He drifted through school, unable to find any reason to see the light in life again—until he met Shen Jin, unaware of what the future held.

At 14, Gu Yu often brought his homework to the cemetery, sitting beside the cold gravestone to complete it for his muba. But the sky was too dark at the time, so dark that he could never clearly see the words on his homework, only the blurred ink smudged by his tears.

On the next page of the test paper, there was a bright red perfect score—but no more loving smile to reward it.

Back then, he was so naive, yet he had already heard people say that one should live for oneself. That was supposed to be an inspiring statement, but Gu Yu found himself too weak—too weak to even accomplish such a simple task.

He had once tried so hard, just to grow taller, study diligently, and eat properly. Everything he did was only to bring a little more happiness to his muba while he was still in this world—nothing more.

After his muba passed away, Gu Yu didn’t know what purpose remained for him to continue living. Day after day, he stared at books in silence, without even the courage to grieve for his loved one.

It was in that state of self-destruction and despair that he met Shen Jin. Countless times, he had ignored the coldness and hurt he inflicted on Shen Jin.

“Dad… after you left, every night before I fell asleep, I’d think… it’d be nice if I never had to wake up again.”

In the warm winter breeze, Gu Yu brushed aside the strands of hair on Shen Jin’s forehead, not quite sure who he was speaking to. “But then I met this clingy guy. He talks a lot, constantly noisy in front of me. He’s not even obedient when he sleeps, always restless, and he loves to sleep in late—I can’t afford to not wake up. I have to wake up every day to make him breakfast. Otherwise, he’ll definitely latch onto me.”

The afternoon sunlight fell like feathers across Gu Yu’s face. He brushed the back of his hand against Shen Jin’s pale skin and continued to listen to the wind. “So I’ve realized… I will not be like my father.”

The gentle breeze, soft like the voice of that person, seemed to answer him.

It was as if, for the first time, Gu Yu understood that nothing could fill the pain of losing a loved one—not even Shen Jin. But Shen Jin could help him realize that he was ready to face anything.

No matter how much pain life brought, Shen Jin would always be within reach, standing by his side.

The wind stopped, and Gu Yu closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

In a few decades, they would reunite. He thought, “When the time comes, I’ll introduce my most beloved person to you.”

Then, he opened his eyes, gazing at Shen Jin with a faint smile on his lips.

“Senior.” He bent down again, deliberately whispering in Shen Jin’s ear, “For your health, how about we have celery stir-fried with garlic sprouts and okra mixed with bitter melon for dinner?”

Shen Jin had been sleeping peacefully, but now his brow furrowed again, unable to form a coherent response.

Gu Yu laughed heartily for a moment before pinching Shen Jin’s cheek and standing up to head to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

*

Shen Jin slept deeply, and when he awoke, the sky had already turned completely dark, making him feel disoriented, as if time had slipped away, leaving him with only an empty, weightless sensation.

—Turns out there’s some truth to not napping for too long in the afternoon.

Shen Jin shook his head, trying to shake off the sense of being lost, but soon he caught the faint scent of strawberries.

“Gu Yu?” Shen Jin had barely lifted his head before he was wrapped in a warm embrace.

The hug was strong and comforting, so much so that even if an asteroid were to hit the Earth and plunge everything into darkness, Shen Jin felt he could still safely entrust himself to this embrace.

Gu Yu’s low voice brushed against his ear. “Waking up at 8 PM—do you feel like your day and night have flipped, like it’s the end of the world?”

Shen Jin buried his face in Gu Yu’s warm chest, embarrassed as he mumbled, “…A little.”

Gu Yu chuckled softly, tightening his arms around Shen Jin. “Then let’s stay like this a little longer.”

This hug easily dissolved the loneliness that came with the disorienting passage of time. Shen Jin stayed comfortably in Gu Yu’s arms for a while before he couldn’t resist asking, “I feel like you’re different from before… Gu Yu?”

Gu Yu paused, loosening the hug to look at him.

The two exchanged glances for only a few seconds before Gu Yu’s ears began to turn red. “What… what’s different?”

As Shen Jin got dressed, he said, “I can’t put my finger on it—did you grow taller?”

“…” Gu Yu helped him straighten his thick coat and grumbled, “Now that you’ve got me, you’re taking me for granted? Can’t even tell if I’ve grown taller?”

Shen Jin put on a pleading face, clearly about to throw himself into Gu Yu’s arms to playfully beg for forgiveness. But before he could, Gu Yu decisively turned away and said, “I just realized we’re definitely going to spend the rest of our lives together, that’s all…!”

Outside, the lights from countless homes shone like a warm, flowing river. Shen Jin opened his mouth in surprise but froze on the spot. When Gu Yu turned back and coldly asked if he was planning to starve, Shen Jin immediately leapt off the bed and into Gu Yu’s arms, clinging to him as he teased, “Even if I starve to death, I’d still list you as the beneficiary on my life insurance—you’d make a fortune~”

Gu Yu caught his weight, steadied himself, and carried Shen Jin out of the bedroom. “Make a fortune? I’d follow you to the afterlife just to feed you. Even the ox-headed and horse-faced guards would be jealous.”

“…Mmm, my little strawberry is the best.” Shen Jin nuzzled against Gu Yu’s neck, then answered seriously, “How about we donate our inheritance to the National Association for the Eradication of Celery?”

Gu Yu’s face lit up with silent laughter. “Alright… tonight, we’ll have your favorite shrimp dumplings and roast goose.”

Shen Jin swung his legs and pressed his entire body against Gu Yu, happy as if it were their first day of truly being in love.

Over the next two weeks, Gu Yu stayed by Shen Jin’s side, busy with training and competitions. Shen Jin was his usual lively self, jumping around and playfully teasing him. But at night, he would often be jolted awake by the same recurring nightmares. At first, Shen Jin didn’t want to disturb Gu Yu and would hide under the covers without making a sound. However, one night, Gu Yu caught him red-handed after coming out of the room next door. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice if you didn’t call me?”

Shen Jin, so different from his usual self, seemed completely lost and uneasy. With a shaky voice, he swallowed hard and said, “It’s just a dream… It’ll be fine soon.”

But Gu Yu ignored his words, wiping away the cold sweat from Shen Jin’s forehead and pulling him back into his embrace. He kept reassuring him, “I’m here. Let me stay with you, alright?”

After several hugs, Shen Jin finally stopped resisting. He let go of the ‘maturity’ he had clung to for over twenty years. Every time he had a nightmare, he would seek out Gu Yu for comfort, demanding to be held and soothed.

They sat side by side on the bed, Gu Yu holding the trembling little rabbit in his arms. The rabbit muttered, pushing his luck, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Your Omega has nightmares, and you’re risking sudden death from lack of sleep just to be with me. Are you dating me or serving a god?”

Gu Yu whispered in Shen Jin’s ear, “Well, let me tell you something. Even if I die suddenly because of my Omega, I’d be happy to. It’s none of your business.”

Shen Jin was stunned and squirmed in Gu Yu’s arms for a bit, but Gu Yu, having seen through him, simply patted his back, soothing the fear Shen Jin tried to hide until he fell asleep.

The competition went better than expected. Their team surpassed previous achievements and placed third in the online season. Shen Jin excitedly told Gu Yu that he would be receiving nearly fifteen thousand yuan in prize money.

When the official notice came, Shen Jin hugged Gu Yu so hard that it almost broke his ribs. Gu Yu gently hugged him back, congratulating him while saying, “No need to tell me the exact amount.”

“Why be so polite?” Shen Jin smiled up at him. “Your birthday is next week, and I’ve already ordered your gift. You’ll never guess what it is.”

Gu Yu grew wary, frowning, “…As long as it doesn’t involve blood.”

In a way, he was genuinely afraid Shen Jin would buy all kinds of random stuff. Shen Jin always seemed so confident, but in situations where pheromones could spiral out of control, these things weren’t something to take lightly.

“…What are you thinking?” Shen Jin playfully punched his chest. “Who said anything like that? I meant a regular birthday gift.”

“A regular gift?” Gu Yu thought for a moment, finding it easy to guess, “Shoes?”

Shen Jin fell silent, looking as if he wanted to punch Gu Yu again. “…You’ll see when the time comes.”

Gu Yu licked his lips, imagining the kind of shoes Shen Jin might have picked. He said, “There’s no need to spend so much. It’s just a birthday, nothing special.”

He knew that Shen Jin likely spent a good amount on the gift, and it pained him because he knew that the money came at the cost of Shen Jin’s health. Gu Yu didn’t want Shen Jin to waste it, hoping he would save it instead.

But Shen Jin wouldn’t listen. That second punch, which hadn’t landed before, finally struck Gu Yu’s shoulder as Shen Jin said, “I’m giving my Alpha a gift. That’s none of your business either.”

Just as Gu Yu was about to say more, his phone buzzed, interrupting him.

Shen Jin, naturally curious, asked, “Who is it?”

Gu Yu glanced at the screen, his throat tightening as he swallowed.

He hung up and said, “…No one. Probably just the assistant from the psychologist I booked for you.”

“Let’s go to the hospital’s second department first to check your lungs, then we’ll meet with the psychologist. How does that sound?”

Shen Jin blinked in confusion and said, “Sure—Saturday?”

The phone rang again, and Gu Yu immediately hung up once more. “Yeah, I’ll confirm the time later.”

“Why not confirm now?” Shen Jin asked, perplexed. “Isn’t it rude to hang up twice?”

Gu Yu slipped his hand into his pocket and secretly turned off his phone. “The second call wasn’t from her. It was flagged as spam. I hate answering calls. I’ll text her once I’ve figured out the details.”

Shen Jin couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. “You’re afraid of answering calls?”

“Mhm, I’ll apologize to her later.” Gu Yu pushed Shen Jin gently, changing the subject. “The new top lane champion has been out for almost a week. Can you teach me how to play, Coach Shen?”

At the mention of the new game character, Shen Jin’s interest was piqued. “The new champion has two ultimate forms. It’s tough to play.”

“If you don’t let your coach feel your abs, it’s going to be hard to teach you.”

Shen Jin playfully reached out as if to touch him, and Gu Yu blushed, quickly dodging. “I-I didn’t train my abs for you to touch.”

Shen Jin chuckled and asked, “Then who are they for? To make me cry longer?”

Seeing Gu Yu at a loss for words, Shen Jin, satisfied, let him off the hook and dragged him to the study to start the computer. “The new top laner isn’t that hard. Watch me play a couple of rounds, and you’ll get it.”

For the next hour, Gu Yu sat beside Shen Jin, watching him play. However, even though Shen Jin explained the gameplay, Gu Yu didn’t take in a single word.

Those two phone calls—one from his father, the other from his aunt—weren’t the first today.

The background music from the game played endlessly in his ears, adding to his turmoil.

Just as he struggled to pull his thoughts back and think of how to answer Shen Jin’s game-related questions, Shen Jin suddenly asked, “Were the calls just now from your family?”

Gu Yu froze slightly, trying to keep his expression neutral. “…Why would you ask that?”

“I’m not that clueless~” Shen Jin kept playing the game, his tone calm. “If you keep hanging up, I’m afraid they’ll drive over here to find you.”

After all, District F was only an hour’s drive from City C. What Shen Jin said was entirely possible.

When the game ended, Shen Jin set the mouse down, joking, “It’s fine, go ahead and call them back. Even if the worst-case scenario is them asking me to leave you, I won’t charge five million for it.”

Gu Yu immediately grabbed Shen Jin’s wrist. “It’s not what you think.”

Shen Jin looked up at him, trying to act a little spoiled. “Then what is it?”

But his spoiled act lasted less than two seconds before Shen Jin wrinkled his nose and said, “No, leaving you for five million is a bad deal. You’ll have to call them while holding me.”

Before Gu Yu could even wonder what that meant, Shen Jin moved his knee between Gu Yu’s legs and sat on his lap, falling into his arms. “I don’t believe you could ever refuse me when I’m like this.”