After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 77

The two remained silent for a while. Shen Jin awkwardly rubbed his nose, lowering his head to cover up his embarrassment. 

He thought he could bluff his way through as usual, but Gu Yu turned around, took out a box of unopened external medication from the first aid kit, rolled up Shen Jin’s sleeve, and said, “I’ll explain to you why I didn’t reply to your messages today, and after that, I need you to tell me your real thoughts, okay?”

Phlebitis typically resolves in two days, but applying some medicine could reduce the inflammation. As the cool sensation of the medication touched Shen Jin’s skin, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why don’t I remember having this in the kit… when did you buy it?”

Gu Yu seemed familiar with this kind of inflammation and had prepared in advance. 

With his head down, Gu Yu gently spread the medicine over the angry purple-red mark on Shen Jin’s arm without even lifting his eyelids. “Don’t change the subject.”

“…” Busted, Shen Jin guiltily shifted his shoulder. “Our bond is practically brotherly; we don’t need to be so serious about everything, right?”

“We definitely do,” Gu Yu lightly pinched his wrist, signaling for him to stay still. “Otherwise, some people with poor judgment will always choose to bottle up their grievances—this time, it’s an inflamed arm from an IV. Next time, will it be giving birth without telling me?”

Shen Jin jokingly said that he’d make sure to send out a wedding invitation to “Little Strawberry” when that happened. But after locking eyes with Gu Yu for a brief moment, he settled down, staying still and watching him quietly.

The soft light fell on Gu Yu’s gentle profile, and for a moment, Shen Jin was reminded of the past.

Ignoring Shen Jin seemed to be something Gu Yu had grown accustomed to since his teenage years. Back then, even when Shen Jin was just eager to know which high school Gu Yu planned to attend after his middle school exams, Gu Yu would give him the silent treatment for days and only leave behind a single sentence: “Mind your own business.”

Although Shen Jin now firmly believed in Gu Yu’s feelings for him, he couldn’t deny the strong sense of disappointment he had felt as he sat at the clinic, slumped over the chair’s armrest, scrolling through their chat history with no response from Gu Yu.

“So…” Shen Jin clenched the yogurt ball in his hand and asked, “What was the reason you ignored me today?”

Gu Yu’s hand paused noticeably. After hesitating for a few seconds, he began to explain.

It turned out that everything was just a misunderstanding.

Under the dim light, Gu Yu’s voice sounded low: “I saw that you booked a ticket to head back to District F alone on New Year’s Eve, so I assumed that something came up with your parents and they asked you to go back—or maybe it was simply because you couldn’t say no. I thought you were planning to clean up that mess again without even discussing it with me.”

Shen Jin froze for a few seconds, not expecting that answer.

But on second thought, it wasn’t surprising that Gu Yu would make such an assumption from his perspective.

Shen Jin licked his lips hesitantly. “So… were you waiting for me to tell you myself? But the messages I sent seemed like I was just rambling, so you got upset and didn’t reply?”

“Mm…” Gu Yu’s eyelashes fluttered, and he didn’t deny it. “I was mad that you were too soft-hearted and mad at myself for not being able to help. I admit it, I spiraled into my own thoughts again. When I get stuck in that mindset, I don’t even consider how you feel. I just clam up and stop talking.”

Even someone as calm as Gu Yu, an alpha, spoke more quietly at this point.

They both had the same misunderstanding, but unlike Gu Yu, Shen Jin always prioritized Gu Yu’s feelings, not wanting to make things difficult for him. He would even reassure him that it was fine to miss home and want to go back—because to Shen Jin, Gu Yu’s feelings were the most important thing.

Gu Yu guessed that he had probably made Shen Jin sad again, and knowing him, Shen Jin would even make excuses for him on top of that sadness.

Sure enough, after hearing him out, Shen Jin anxiously touched his cheek, eyes full of concern. “Why do you always get angry with yourself? What do you mean you didn’t help me?”

Shen Jin sounded completely reasonable: “We only went a few hours without talking—I’ve already told you before, we just have different personalities and ways of handling things. I know Little Strawberry has already tried his best to change for me.”

“Besides, you didn’t ignore me. If you truly didn’t care, you wouldn’t have asked if I’d gone to the clinic, right?”

Gu Yu knew this guy would respond like that.

He stared at the marks on Shen Jin’s arm, his chest heavy with emotion. “But I don’t want you to just understand me and lecture me. I just want to know—were you hurt?”

Shen Jin’s hand twitched, but Gu Yu immediately pressed down on his wrist to stop him. “I also hope that when you’re angry, you can just let yourself be angry. Don’t ever hold back just for my sake.”

Shen Jin paused, momentarily only able to smell the faint medicinal scent emanating from his own skin.

He instinctively wanted to comfort Gu Yu by saying it was no big deal, but the warmth of Gu Yu’s palm seeped into that medicinal scent, causing Shen Jin to swallow his words.

Perhaps only with Gu Yu could he have the complete freedom not to suppress his own feelings.

He didn’t have to think about being the older brother who should shoulder more responsibility, didn’t need to worry if having Gu Yu comfort him over trivial matters was too much, and he certainly didn’t need to fear Gu Yu thinking he was being unreasonable.

So, this time, he squeezed his hand and looked into Gu Yu’s eyes.

*

Under the light, Gu Yu was also watching Shen Jin, waiting for him to respond.

The person in front of him stared at the floor for a while, and then, as if finally feeling wronged, he said, “So, you weren’t too busy or distracted to read my messages—you ignored me on purpose?”

Gu Yu’s movements froze, knowing he had no room for denial.

He barely managed a half-nod before Shen Jin, in his frustration, interrupted: “I’ve told you before how hurtful that is—and yet you still did it and tried to excuse it as unintentional.”

His tone was harsh, the situation more serious than Gu Yu had anticipated.

Usually, Shen Jin treated him like a little rabbit doting on its favorite plush toy, wanting to hide him away in a soft, safe place. Any slight breeze would have him clinging to Gu Yu, soothing him. Now that Shen Jin was actually scolding him, Gu Yu found himself unprepared.

Gu Yu’s palms were sweaty as he tried to explain, “…Making excuses is just a natural reaction—I didn’t do it on purpose.”

But that did nothing to comfort Shen Jin. He yanked his hand away. “So, are you talking back or just refusing to admit you’re wrong?”

As he stepped a few inches away from Gu Yu, he added, “Since you don’t like me texting you, fine. I won’t bother you with messages anymore, happy now?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Gu Yu tightened his grip, instinctively wanting to pull the slender arm back, but Shen Jin raised his other hand to stop him, brushing his face as he did. “…Don’t touch me.”

“…” Gu Yu was a bit dazed. “…Why are you touching my face?”

Shen Jin looked at him, confused: “Who the hell touched your face?”

A few seconds later, Shen Jin realized and kicked Gu Yu’s knee: “Forgot what it feels like to get smacked? Better watch out or your insurance might run out.”

Gu Yu’s brain worked for a moment before he managed to figure out that the earlier touch on his face was supposed to be a slap.

But the omega’s hand had only left behind a sweet, milky scent on his cheek, and the sensation had been cool and gentle—nothing painful.

Unable to resist, Gu Yu lowered his head and started rubbing Shen Jin’s smaller hand, asking, “Haven’t eaten?”

Shen Jin’s breathing quickened as he raised his hand to slap Gu Yu’s face lightly again, growling through clenched teeth: “What do you know? The point of a slap isn’t how much it hurts; it’s—it’s about insulting someone’s dignity.”

“Oh,” Gu Yu replied seriously, holding Shen Jin’s palm again. “But it seems like your slap wasn’t quite insulting enough… Want to try again?”

“…Do you have some weird kink I don’t know about?” Shen Jin instantly threw his hand aside. “I’m not in the mood to hit you right now. If you like it, go punish yourself by drinking three shots.”

With that, he sulked like an angry rabbit, not only ignoring Gu Yu but also moving far away to lie down. Every time Gu Yu tried to come over and pet his head, Shen Jin would immediately shift to another corner, turning his back on him. Even the usual fluffy little tail that he always kept tidy seemed to have hidden itself in anger.

Gu Yu offered him the sweet treats that the little rabbit liked best, but Shen Jin showed no reaction. Whether Gu Yu tried soft apologies or stronger hugs, Shen Jin pushed him away, refusing to talk.

It wasn’t until Shen Jin’s stomach growled from hunger and he furiously threw aside the yogurt ball Gu Yu had

As he turned and walked into the kitchen, Shen Jin’s voice became urgent, “I’m not eating anything you make!”

 

“When did I ever say I was going to make you anything?” Gu Yu responded sharply while washing his hands and peeling potatoes. He called out from the kitchen, “It’s not me cooking, the pots and pans volunteered for unpaid overtime without benefits.”

 

By the time he brought the food back to the living room, just as he expected, Shen Jin was still sprawled on the edge of the couch, refusing to move.

 

Gu Yu crouched down and held out a fry with ketchup to Shen Jin’s mouth, speaking sincerely, “Please, senior, just take one bite, okay?”

 

Given the situation, feeding him seemed like the best way to coax the little rabbit—sure enough, the little rabbit sniffed the aroma, reluctantly biting into the food, and chewed with a grunt, “Tastes awful… like chewing on a medicinal tree root.”

 

Gu Yu chuckled lightly and handed him a cup of warm milk, feeding him another two fries. “Then please wash it down with the milk, senior.”

 

The little rabbit seemed to acknowledge his effort somewhat, slowly chewing the food while sipping on the milk. Eventually, he even tried a good portion of the spaghetti under Gu Yu’s coaxing. Soon, Shen Jin was quietly drinking milk, clutching the carton Gu Yu had given him.

 

After wiping his hands with a wet wipe, Gu Yu pinched Shen Jin’s nape before sitting down to finish the rest of the pasta. But just as he picked up his chopsticks, Shen Jin suddenly tugged at his shoulder, “…What are you doing?”

 

Gu Yu looked up, “I’m hungry too… do you want more?”

 

“…But…” Shen Jin mumbled after a long pause, sounding frustrated, “I already ate from it.”

 

Realizing Shen Jin’s implication, Gu Yu tried not to laugh, “What, do you have a contagious disease you’re just now telling me about? We’ve already done far more ‘dangerous’ things together. Does it really matter now?”

 

The little rabbit instantly bristled, clearly angered, “…Do whatever you want, just don’t choke to death.”

 

Gu Yu’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he quickly finished the remaining pasta and got up to wash the dishes.

 

Shen Jin nonchalantly followed him to the kitchen door, leaning there and clicking his tongue, “Tsk, look at Young Master Gu’s current lifestyle—eating leftovers. A thousand years ago, this would’ve sparked a peasant uprising. How do you put up with it?”

 

“Uprising?” Gu Yu replied while washing the dishes. “The emperor warms my bed every night; I couldn’t bear to.”

 

“…” Shen Jin was so furious that he blurted out, “I only warm one thing! I’m just using you for the time being.”

 

Gu Yu licked his lips and murmured softly, “Doing that every day… you’re really like a rabbit.”

 

“What did you say?” Shen Jin leaned in closer but still couldn’t catch what Gu Yu had muttered. After pacing around for a bit, he finally said, “You reminded me. From now on, we’ll sleep separately. No messing around when I’m not in heat.”

 

Gu Yu didn’t argue and had braced himself to be banished to the couch for the night. But when he returned to the living room, he found that Shen Jin had already made a bed on the couch and was curled up inside it.

 

Seeing how accustomed Shen Jin was to sleeping on the couch, Gu Yu’s heart sank.

 

“Senior, don’t sleep here.” He leaned down and gently touched Shen Jin’s face, trying to wake him up. “Come back to the bedroom with me.”

 

Even half-asleep, Shen Jin still resisted, pushing him away, “No… You ignore me… I’m not sleeping with you…”

 

Frowning, Gu Yu sighed and forcefully pulled Shen Jin halfway up. No matter how Shen Jin struggled, Gu Yu didn’t let go. “You’re hopeless, Shen Jin… Even if we’re sleeping separately, shouldn’t it be your dumb Alpha who sleeps on the couch, not you?”

 

The person in his arms, still drowsy and unable to fight back, weakly nudged him with his knee, mumbling in disapproval, “But… the little strawberry worked all day… the couch is uncomfortable…”

 

Gu Yu knew exactly what this guy was thinking, so he ruffled Shen Jin’s hair in frustration. “So, you’ll sleep on it instead?”

 

Gu Yu had expected Shen Jin to at least retort, but to his surprise, the other person only let out a soft “Mm,” prompting Gu Yu, in a fit of annoyance, to scoop him up and carry him straight back to the bedroom.

 

*

 

In the bed, breathing intertwined, Shen Jin felt like he was lying next to some kind of large feline, always wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. After a while, the heat became almost overwhelming, so comfortable that he unconsciously wrapped his arms and legs around the other’s waist.

 

When he realized the source of this warmth was Gu Yu, Shen Jin quickly snapped awake, attempting to push him away. But Gu Yu silently tightened his hold, refusing to let him go, pressing him even deeper into the embrace.

 

Shen Jin, now at a loss, found his body turning soft under Gu Yu’s grip. Even his attempts at cursing were swallowed up by Gu Yu’s quiet breathing, and slowly, Shen Jin found himself sinking deeper into the moment.

 

“Gu Yu…”

 

Shen Jin originally intended to reprimand him, hoping to force him to let go. But when he spoke, his voice lacked the sternness he had aimed for. Instead, it sounded more like a whiny, almost defeated plea.

 

Gu Yu lowered his voice, gently comforting him, “I’m here. Just let me hold you a little longer.”

 

Shen Jin’s eyelashes fluttered. In the end, he relaxed his grip, allowing Gu Yu to hold him close.

 

He leaned heavily against Gu Yu’s chest, like a ship navigating calm seas at night, with the weather forecast predicting no storms and the shoreline just a few hours away. Most of the passengers had already retired to their rooms, but Shen Jin stood alone on the deck, letting the gentle sea breeze wash over him. He could hear faint music in the distance and catch glimpses of twinkling lights along the shore, feeling safe and at peace.

 

Dim light filtered in around them. Gu Yu didn’t know how long he had been holding Shen Jin, but eventually, he mustered the courage to ask, “I made you sad again, didn’t I?”

 

The person in his arms, still soft and pliable, let out a low hum of affirmation.

 

Gu Yu continued, “I promise I’ll talk to you properly in the future. Today was the last time I’ll make this kind of mistake, okay?”

 

Shen Jin nodded and hummed again.

 

Gu Yu, listening to his soft breathing, couldn’t resist pulling him even closer. “Now do you understand that if I don’t talk to you for too long, you should get mad and punch me?”

 

Shen Jin obediently nodded once more, and Gu Yu, feeling relieved, was just about to kiss him when he heard Shen Jin reply, “30 days.”

 

“…30 days?” Gu Yu frowned, realizing what he meant. “30 days? If another Omega didn’t hear from their Alpha for 30 days, that Alpha would have been long forgotten.”

 

“I don’t care.” Shen Jin was stubborn, acting as if he was being tough. “If you don’t talk to me for more than 30 days, I’ll consider us broken up.”

 

Gu Yu felt a lump in his throat and quickly interrupted, “But from now on, not even a day or an hour will pass without talking, so you won’t get the chance to break up with me.”

 

He gently adjusted Shen Jin’s shoulders. “I think I’m allergic to the word ‘breakup.’ You’re not allowed to say it again.”

 

Shen Jin grumbled for a while before responding, “Then call it abandonment.”

 

Gu Yu asked, “Do you see me as a pet?”

 

“I see you as my grandson!” Shen Jin rubbed his sleepy eyes, the earlier sadness seemingly fading. “Just this once. Otherwise… I’ll really beat you up next time.”

 

“Okay, I’ll listen to whatever you say.” Gu Yu buried his face in Shen Jin’s neck, repeating his apologies. After a moment, he cautiously asked, “Does your arm still hurt?”

 

In the dim night, Shen Jin closed his eyes. He should have comforted his Alpha’s sensitive emotions and immature guilt, but instead, he learned how to express his own grievances, “Of course it still hurts. You almost made your fragile, sensitive Omega heartbroken and suicidal. Next time, don’t even ask if an inflamed vein hurts; you’ll have to burn some paper offerings if you want to talk to me.”

 

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Gu Yu into his arms, waiting for Gu Yu to either argue or tease him. But unexpectedly, Gu Yu just sniffed and fell silent.

 

Sensing something was wrong, Shen Jin snapped awake, releasing Gu Yu to check his expression. “…What’s wrong? You’re not crying, are you?”

 

The dim light flickered, and Gu Yu, who had been stunned, hastily covered his face with his arm, forgetting even to deny it.

 

“Oh no… the kid really can’t take a joke.” Shen Jin, now fully awake, rubbed Gu Yu’s back. “Are you really crying?”

 

Gu Yu stayed silent, burying his head deeper, unable to respond. Seeing this, Shen Jin could only pat his back while soothing him, “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean it.”

 

“Really, it wasn’t that