After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 88

Gu Yu lightly replied with an “okay,” but when Qin Zhu and Xu Tingyun offered to lend him some money, Gu Yu declined. “I can still scrape together this amount; no need to worry, seniors. You should keep your money for yourselves to grow taller.”  

Although Qin Zhu criticized him bitterly for his lack of respect, Gu Yu remained fearless. “Alright, I’m going to sleep with my 37-degree boyfriend. If you don’t sleep soon, the bed will get colder.”  

With no other options to avoid further embarrassment, even Qin Zhu’s subtle grumbles ceased, and the night finally ended quietly.

*

The surgery was scheduled for mid to late this month. Gu Yu thought Shen Jin would be at least a little nervous, but Shen Jin saw right through him: “It’s Little Strawberry who’s scared, right? Your big brother has never chickened out in serious matters.”  

The lecture hall was noisy before class, and Gu Yu’s skeptical voice was almost drowned out.  

Since they got together, Shen Jin seemed to have mutated. Normally, even a slight bump during play would make him act like he was hurt, yet somehow he had the confidence to claim he wasn’t scared of surgery.  

He was quite self-assured: “Even if something happens, just remember I prefer pears over apples when offering incense.”  

Gu Yu pursed his lips, already immune to this: “Mm, Friday’s Valentine’s Day. Besides apples, what else do you want to eat, senior? I’ll take you for a nice meal before we walk the road together.”  

This class was an introduction to computer applications, and Gu Yu had come along as “study support,” using it as preparation for his upcoming exams.  

But Shen Jin wasn’t appreciative and, instead, became serious: “I don’t want anything. I don’t really care about holidays. As long as you celebrate my birthday with me every year, that’s enough.”  

No sooner had he said this than a kid from the sports department in the row behind chimed in, “Shen-ge, back when you made us bring you cigarettes and milk tea on Arbor Day, you didn’t say that!”  

Shen Jin quickly waved his hand to signal them to stop, but Gu Yu’s skeptical gaze had already fixed on him. “…Seems like your university life was quite colorful before I arrived, senior?”  

Gu Yu ignored him after that. It took Shen Jin shaking his arm at least 99 times before Gu Yu finally softened a bit.  

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Jin immediately leaned in like a flash of lightning and grazed Gu Yu’s ear, saying, “That was all just playing games with them. Qin Zhu and Old Xu were involved too. Don’t be jealous, okay?”  

“…I wouldn’t dare be jealous,” Gu Yu said coolly.  

Shen Jin could only turn his head seriously: “Going out to eat is too wasteful. I plan to cook myself and surprise you.”  

Gu Yu responded rationally, “You cook? I’m well aware of what’s more appropriate for Valentine’s Day—spending a bit more money or losing my young, vibrant life.”  

Though Shen Jin had done a lot of household chores since he was young, he had no talent for cooking. Still, he pressed two fingers to Gu Yu’s side as a threat, “I’ve researched a few new dishes. Whether you like it or not, you’re eating them.”  

In the past, even though he didn’t have much money, he wasn’t really worried about it. But now, knowing that Gu Yu’s money came from hard work tutoring and delivering food, he didn’t want to spend a single penny of it. In fact, he secretly planned to save up for the surgery himself to ease Gu Yu’s burden.  

“And I’ve also decided what I want as a gift,” Shen Jin continued before Gu Yu could speak. “Next week, a new skin for the Twilight Lord is coming out. You can buy it for me.”  

The people in the back started to hoot, sounding like they were reliving some tragic past: “What the hell, special treatment for your precious boyfriend?”  

“Isn’t the new Lord skin just 6 yuan?”  

“You’re even cooking for him? What the hell possessed you, Shen?”  

Cigarettes and milk tea cost way more than that skin, but Shen Jin, confident as ever, shook his head and criticized them: “Art design is priceless. What do you guys, sports students, know about that?”  

Everyone protested, “Oh, so the gaming major dares speak loudly now?” Amid the commotion, Yan Ze walked in. He waved a greeting and set down a cup of milk tea in front of Shen Jin: “Here, drink it while it’s hot. Carry me to the next rank later; I’m getting sick from losing so much.”  

Before Shen Jin could respond, Yan Ze sat down comfortably, saying, “Yet another season of a 1.9-meter-tall, handsome sportsman climbing to Grandmaster rank and charming all the omegas—just two matches away. You better not say you can’t carry me.”  

Maybe it was because he couldn’t drink just anything these days, but he hadn’t even bought himself a drink. Gu Yu’s gaze became sharp enough to kill, though Yan Ze didn’t notice. “What’s up, scholar? Want some too?”  

Seeing Gu Yu remain silent, Yan Ze grew suspicious: “Come on, share it. You guys aren’t close enough to share a straw?”  

Yan Ze’s curiosity soon escalated to wondering whether they had kissed yet. Shen Jin wanted to silence him: “We’ve already had a second child. Want to send red envelopes for them?”  

The milk tea was packed with toppings, and Gu Yu, after grabbing it, inserted the straw for Shen Jin, saying, “Hurry up and drink. This is worth five times more than the Valentine’s Day gift senior asked from me.”  

Shen Jin, full of unspoken complaints, firmly rejected Yan Ze’s proposal.  

He gently massaged Gu Yu’s long fingers, coaxing him, “Alright, if you don’t agree, I won’t drink it, and I won’t help anyone rank up in the game unless you say so, okay? And I really do love the design of that new skin. I’ve already said that the value of art can’t be measured by money.”  

“…A screen full of light pollution textures counts as art?” Gu Yu said, unimpressed, but Shen Jin clung to him shamelessly. “All the Lord’s skins are dark, but this one’s light, which makes it match perfectly with his old rival, the Glowing Knight.”  

The Glowing Knight was Gu Yu’s most frequently used top lane champion, and after a few moments of silence under Shen Jin’s persistence, Gu Yu finally agreed. “Fine. But I have to supervise while you cook.”  

Yan Ze, curious, asked, “What kind of ‘fun’ is this now?” Gu Yu switched seats to sit next to Yan Ze, about to interrogate him to see if he still had any intentions toward Shen Jin. But Yan Ze, surprised, said first, “Why are you sitting so close? You falling for me too?”  

“…” Gu Yu frowned, and Yan Ze put his arm around him, saying, “I’ve wanted to tell you since the first time I saw you at the swimming pool: with a face like yours, I wouldn’t mind being double-A.”  

“…I’ve also wanted to say since the first time I saw you at the pool: are you not right in the head?” Gu Yu didn’t bother to push him away. “Don’t disturb my class.”  

Yan Ze lowered his voice, saying, “No one has ever turned down the school’s ‘prince’ like you.” Meanwhile, Shen Jin, having lost interest in what the two Alphas were doing, stayed out of it.  

After the second half of the class began, Yan Ze spent most of the time asking Gu Yu what ROM was and what linear data structures were.  

Finally, as class ended, Gu Yu marked the last section in Yan Ze’s notebook with such force that it seemed like he was carving with a knife: “…Normally, I wouldn’t believe it, but now I’m starting to think that brain supplements for teenagers might actually be necessary.”  

“Insulting me?” Yan Ze packed up his book. “Let’s change the location next time. How about a knife fight in the pool?”  

Gu Yu calmly closed his book. “You don’t have an omega, but I do. Why would I fight you?”  

Shen Jin, clearly amused, said he didn’t mind watching, which made Gu Yu grab him and leave in a hurry. The two of them held hands and walked down the tree-lined path, with the swim team trailing behind and occasionally teasing them as they all headed toward the nearest dining hall.  

As early spring approached, the daylight hours gradually increased, and the streetlights, nestled among the beams of the setting sun, flickered on early, creating an especially pleasant atmosphere.  

The breeze seemed to take him back to high school. One evening after self-study, Gu Yu “coincidentally” found himself walking alongside senior Shen Jin. Behind them, the voices of Shen Jin’s friends echoed just like back then. 

At that time, Gu Yu wanted to turn around and see what was going on, but Shen Jin punched him first, blaming him: “Why are you walking with me?” Shen Jin’s reddened ears were clearly visible in Gu Yu’s peripheral vision. Gu Yu didn’t retaliate, instead pretending to look around casually before “surprisedly” lowering his head and saying, “Oh, didn’t notice it was you, senior.” 

“…You!” Shen Jin almost jumped up. “Don’t think you’re something just because you’ve gotten taller! I can still beat you up when I have the time!” The teasing voices behind them grew even louder. Gu Yu couldn’t help but raise his hand and rub Shen Jin’s head. The childish satisfaction of being taller than him was undeniable. “You could beat me up right now, but unfortunately, you’re no match, senior.” 

“… You said it!” Shen Jin immediately tried to fight back, but Gu Yu was too quick for him. The moonlight poured down as the two of them chased each other until they reached a fork in the road. Gu Yu only took a few harmless punches, a faint smile playing on his face. “My 80-year-old neighbor does cupping therapy better than that.” 

At that moment, Shen Jin rushed up angrily but almost tripped over the dark steps. Gu Yu quickly let go of his backpack and grabbed him — the tree shadows swayed violently, and when Shen Jin looked up, his eyes were filled with grievance. He pushed Gu Yu’s hand away with surprising force. 

He couldn’t quite remember how Shen Jin suddenly ran off, but the faint fragrance on Shen Jin’s skin stuck with him, so much so that he dreamt the same dream for several nights in a row. In the dream, Shen Jin was still sitting on top of him, raising his fists to punch him, while Gu Yu lay there, staring at Shen Jin’s flushed cheeks, his throat tight and burning.

The dream repeated itself — dirty, vile, and filthy.

When he woke up, Gu Yu was frustrated and ashamed, washing his pants. After that, whenever he saw his nemesis Shen Jin, he avoided him faster than anyone, leaving Shen Jin wondering if he’d seen a ghost.

“What are you thinking about?” Under the streetlight, Shen Jin looked up, first puzzled, then playful. “Oh—it’s normal for alphas to be a little dumb. If there are any details you don’t understand in class, you can ask me for help instead of pretending you know it all.” 

Gu Yu snapped out of his thoughts and tilted his head. “Are you really asking for humiliation, Shen-Jin-senior? I finished reading the Computer Level 2 content in the library when I was in eighth grade. I might not ace it, but I’ll definitely pass.” 

Shen Jin gritted his teeth and bumped his forehead against Gu Yu’s arm, looking like he wanted to ram into him with horns.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds as if it still remembered those youthful days of chasing. The two continued to walk under the most beautiful boulevard on campus, still bickering, but this time Gu Yu wasn’t going to let Shen Jin slip away. Instead, he confidently pulled Shen Jin to his side amidst the teasing of their friends, holding on until Shen Jin was too embarrassed to continue.

On Valentine’s Day, the entire university town was more lively than any other holiday. They both had classes in the afternoon, but as soon as Shen Jin reached the bend in the stairs, he could see Gu Yu waiting for him outside the building. 

Gu Yu held a scarf, half-covering a small bouquet, a mixture of shyness and worry that Shen Jin might catch a cold in the evening chill.

People nearby noticed the tall figure was Gu Yu and started teasing Shen Jin.

“Holy crap, he brought flowers?”

“Thinking about that pure alpha being corrupted by you makes me wish I were dead.”

“What’s going on? Meeting the in-laws without bringing some Maotai is just rude!”

Qin Zhu was the most obvious with his disgust. “It’s such an important day. Let me sponsor you a dozen oysters, son. Don’t embarrass your old man.” 

After giving everyone a punch, Shen Jin ran straight toward Gu Yu. The other stood proudly in place, refusing to move an inch, but when he wrapped the scarf around Shen Jin’s neck, his ears quietly turned red, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to hug him. “Cold?”

Even in the south, the cold air lingered. Shen Jin burrowed deeper into the alpha’s embrace. “Cold. My throat hurts.” 

Knowing another night of coughing was inevitable if they stayed out too long, Gu Yu quickly took his hand and led him away, while Shen Jin happily clutched the flower. “I kind of want to walk around campus twice to make sure everyone sees.”

“… I just picked it from a bush on the side of the road.” Gu Yu would rather admit to vandalizing greenery than admit when he had bought it, but Shen Jin wasn’t buying it. “Oh, so our young master personally plucked it with his own delicate hands? How touching~”

Gu Yu yanked Shen Jin’s wrist, but it didn’t stop Shen Jin from teasing him all the way home.

Back at their West Street apartment after buying groceries, Shen Jin finally quieted down. “You go entertain yourself. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.”

Gu Yu nodded and sat down at the dining table with a book, prompting Shen Jin to mutter, “Are you watching me because you’re afraid I’ll blow up the kitchen? Can’t you go do something else?”

“You’re overthinking it.” Gu Yu uncapped his pen. “I’m just solving mechanics problems to relax.”

“… You consider solving problems relaxing?” Shen Jin would have cursed anyone else by now. “Doing problems counts as relaxing?”

Gu Yu had his own take on the matter. “Math and physics, yes. Other subjects, no.” 

It was proof that even the most emotionless subjects have their devoted admirers. Shen Jin regretfully withdrew from this genuine love affair to prepare the food.

In the end, Gu Yu staying at the table instead of going to the study might have been the best decision he ever made. 

—He helped out when Shen Jin almost chopped his own hand off while cutting chicken wings. Otherwise, Shen Jin might have injured himself so badly that he couldn’t play games anymore.

Incidentally, Gu Yu opened the pot lid to let the steam out, preventing the chicken from absorbing too much rice wine flavor.

Most absurdly, when Shen Jin tried to pour water into the hot oil, Gu Yu stopped him just in time; otherwise, the fire might have shot up higher than Shen Jin.

“What were you thinking, pouring that much water into the oil?” Gu Yu was almost frantic. “You could burn down the house and cremate us both, saving the cost of a funeral.”

“No, I was about to turn off the heat with my left hand,” Shen Jin’s mouth pouted to a 90-degree angle. “I was just holding the water; I wasn’t going to pour it yet. I do have that much common sense. You’re the one who’s too tense.”

“… Oh.” Gu Yu finally let go, saying, “Who’s tense? Remember to add salt.”

Shen Jin protested, “Do I need you to remind me to open my mouth when I eat?” But Gu Yu slyly ignored him, going back to drawing his force diagrams at the table.

Shen Jin’s cooking wasn’t the best, but at least it was edible. Soon, the aroma filled the apartment, and Gu Yu couldn’t resist looking up and asking, “What are you cooking, senior?”

“Wait a moment,” Shen Jin called out while serving the food, looking proud as he sat down. “Time to eat—this is totally different from what you normally have.”

Seeing how confident he was, Gu Yu pulled out his phone and dialed 120 (emergency services), just in case.

Shen Jin pouted so hard his lips became a straight line. Gu Yu finally relented and scratched Shen Jin’s chin in apology before picking up his chopsticks and trying the closest dish — salt and pepper shrimp. 

It didn’t seem much different from the shrimp at any restaurant, but Gu Yu could taste a faint hint of star anise, something very familiar.

His chopsticks hovered in the air. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he was certain that Shen Jin wanted to make him happy.

“It tastes a lot like my grandma’s cooking,” Gu Yu tilted his head to glance at Shen Jin. “I’m not mistaken, right?”

Before him were fermented tofu-marinated pork, chestnut scallion chicken, golden tofu, and mustard greens with meatballs — all the dishes he loved as a child.

“She always liked using fermented tofu,” Gu Yu paused for a few seconds before realizing what Shen Jin’s “surprise” was. “But her methods were different from anyone else’s… Where did you learn this?”

Theoretically, besides her old lady coming in a dream to give some advice to a granddaughter-in-law she’s never met, there really wasn’t any other way.

After hearing this, Shen Jin proudly waved his hand, “I asked my cousin what you like. She said there were three notebooks in Grandma’s belongings. She took them as keepsakes, and inside there are lots of unique cooking insights. You must love them.”

Before Grandma passed away, every summer Gu Yu and his cousin were dropped off at Grandma’s house by their busy parents. There was endless snacks, TV to watch, and their biggest worry each day was probably losing to his cousin in the fight over the remote.

His cousin said that it was only in the few short years that Grandma was still alive that Gu Yu acted like an ordinary child.

Afterward, all he encountered were heavy nightmares, and she herself went abroad to pursue her artistic dreams. She only heard from Jiang Lan and Tao Yan that her little brother hadn’t smiled much since.

“…She showed them to you?” Gu Yu’s expression became serious. “If there’s one called hawthorn candy or pickled cabbage with sliding meat, make sure you don’t make it.”

“Why not?” Shen Jin hissed in defiance, “Is it too difficult? Are you afraid I’ll burn the bottom of the pot?”

But the more puzzled Shen Jin got, the more amused Gu Yu became. “Of course, because if you follow Grandma’s recipe, it’s so disgusting that she forced my cousin and me to finish it all.”

Shen Jin froze for a moment. He had never seen such an unrestrained smile on Gu Yu’s face.

He had originally been worried that his cooking skills wouldn’t be much of a surprise, but now he finally relaxed, though he couldn’t help but feel heartache: “If you like, I’ll cook for you often from now on. How about that?”

He thought, if his kind and cheerful grandmother were still alive, maybe Uncle Lu and Gu Yu wouldn’t have gone through everything they did. Even if Gu Yu’s father was rude and cold, his treasures would still have been protected by her.

“What’s with that expression?” Gu Yu clearly guessed what he was thinking and said, “Grandma was nearly twenty years older than my grandpa. She lived a very happy life, and when she passed, it was in her old age—if she could see you by my side, she’d definitely be very happy.”

Shen Jin blinked and without a hint of shame said, “True. I’m soft, warm, gentle, pretty, and can cook and clean. How could she not be happy?”

After just one meal, Shen Jin acted as if he had taken on ten years of household chores. Gu Yu nodded in agreement, and when the last dish was finished, he asked, “I remember this tofu dish is quite hard to make… Did you research it for a long time?”

As the two of them cleaned up the dishes and returned to the kitchen, Shen Jin admitted, “Yeah, you should believe that a man with no money to give you holiday gifts will do anything to make you happy.”

“…You’re too impatient.” When the real “business” of Valentine’s Day was brought up, Gu Yu instinctively tensed up. But Shen Jin lowered his head with guilt, “It’s our first holiday together, but I couldn’t afford what you wanted…”

Seeing the little sad bunny so heartbroken, Gu Yu couldn’t help but smile mischievously, “It’s fine. Just remember to buy me a villa or some gold bricks next year to make up for it.”

Unexpectedly, Shen Jin nodded, “Okay, I’ll save up.”

As he said this, the little bunny’s ears drooped into a heap. After a long while, he pulled a tightly held bracelet out of his coat pocket, “I made this myself… The hair tie I gave you before got discolored after you wore it for a long time, so here’s a replacement.”

It was a bracelet in soft white and light purple, like the gentle colors of spring, clearly made with a lot of care.

It looked even more beautiful than the villa or gold bricks. Gu Yu paused, maintaining his composure as he extended his left wrist, “Wear it with me, no need to replace it.”

“Oh…” Shen Jin carefully helped him put it on, not realizing that Gu Yu’s pulse was racing faster than usual. Shen Jin sighed like he had just lost twenty ranked games in a row, “I was originally going to buy you that Lego race car you wanted…”

Gu Yu bit his lip and fiddled with his wrist, about to be overwhelmed with joy, but then he realized something was off in Shen Jin’s words: “Isn’t that Lego set only 800 yuan?”

Shen Jin snapped his head up, momentarily at a loss for how to recover Gu Yu’s “disappointment,” “I’ll wait until summer vacation… No, next month I’ll—”

Gu Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he suddenly realized he’d misplaced his concern. He hurriedly interrupted Shen Jin, “Stop. That’s not what I meant.”

Seeing Shen Jin’s confused expression, he grabbed his wrist and seriously reassured him that he preferred the handmade gifts Shen Jin made. He wasn’t interested in gold bricks or race cars; he just wanted to know why Shen Jin didn’t even have a few hundred yuan.

Although he didn’t care about fancy gifts, he was certain that if Shen Jin had the money, he’d buy him the Lego set without hesitation.

Shen Jin understood his intention but, without showing any sadness or complaint, just opened his mouth without saying a word. Gu Yu was too familiar with this reaction and quickly sensed something wrong, “…Let me see your phone. Do you really not have any money?”

Though they’d never meticulously discussed finances, for an omega, being penniless could be a serious risk.

“I have money… This is a lawful society, why are you so worried about this?” Shen Jin, being obedient, didn’t refuse when Gu Yu asked to check his phone.

Gu Yu scanned through a few payment apps and found, just as Shen Jin said, there were at least tens of thousands of yuan in his accounts, clearly not short of cash.

“Alright, go wash the dishes. I’m too delicate to touch water, so I won’t help you.” Shen Jin said this as he tried to run, but Gu Yu grabbed him back, “Answer me first. What are you planning to do with all that money?”

The guilty smile on Shen Jin’s face looked like a small thug caught by the police. Gu Yu already knew what was coming: “…Is this for your surgery? And it doesn’t look like it came from the card I gave you, right?”

The amount was already close to what the hospital had quoted, just a few hundred yuan short.

Shen Jin knew he shouldn’t have chosen such a clever and rational boyfriend. He closed his eyes in despair and immediately heard Gu Yu’s questioning, “Where did the money come from?”

He wanted to brush it off, but under Gu Yu’s gradually pressing gaze, he couldn’t bear the pressure and mumbled a soft confession.

His boss in the online team was kind and agreed to advance some payments due to his difficult situation. The rest he made by selling a few RPG game accounts.

His accounts had been on the PVP leaderboards for years, with many exclusive titles and appearance rewards. Selling them for a decent price wasn’t a problem.

Gu Yu’s ears buzzed. He didn’t know if Shen Jin had lost his mind or if he himself had.

“I’ve already gathered enough for your surgery, and besides, the card I gave you wasn’t dirty money. It was for you to use freely, wasn’t it?”

To most people, game accounts might just be a bunch of virtual data, but all serious gamers know their significance—especially for someone as game-obsessed as Shen Jin. Back when he was broke, he didn’t even consider selling his accounts.

Shen Jin scratched his face nervously, “I know, but I didn’t think there would really be a chance to use it. It was money Uncle Lu should have gotten. You inherited it. You’re not even willing to spend it yourself, so how could I?”

Both of them were just students. It was fine for them to spend small amounts on each other usually, and Gu Yu had even been paying for his living and medical expenses recently. But this surgery cost tens of thousands; anyone with a conscience couldn’t just take that easily.

But Gu Yu grabbed his face as if to shake some sense into him, “Hmph, when I wrote ‘voluntarily gifted’ back then, you accepted it, didn’t you? Now that the new year’s over, you suddenly remember to refuse?”

Shen Jin’s cheeks were squished, making him look like a kitten stung by a bee, and his speech became muffled, “That was just to piss off your dad.”

“I just feel that using your money for everything isn’t right, especially since I can scrape the money together myself—I’m poor, but my dignity is intact.”

“How noble are you?” Gu Yu raised an eyebrow and said, “Selling those old accounts—didn’t it make you cry under the covers for three days and nights?”

 

Shen Jin tried to brush it off but was pushed against the fridge door. Gu Yu didn’t miss the chance to mock his “noble” character. “Fidgeting and hesitating—your mental state is more sensitive than your physical one. When you beat me up like a bully back then, why didn’t I notice you were so annoying, Shen Jin?”

 

“If I were the one needing surgery, you’d sell everything you own—your computer, your hard drives—and you wouldn’t even ask for the money back. I believe our relationship is like that. Don’t you, Shen Jin?”

 

Shen Jin panicked. “Of course! Forget about selling hard drives, I’d sell my blood and kidneys for you.”

 

From his tone, it was clear he was being sincere. Gu Yu gritted his teeth. “I think you’d be better off live-streaming some miracle medicine that boosts ranks in games. Someone like Yan Ze would definitely buy it by the crate.”

 

Shen Jin almost choked, already envisioning his miserable life in the years to come. In terms of arguments, he hadn’t won against Gu Yu since middle school.

 

The dishes weren’t even washed yet, and Gu Yu dragged him back to the living room, tossing him onto the sofa.

 

Shen Jin panicked. “I’m sorry! But I’m cold—can we at least not do it on the sofa?”

 

“What, you think I’d force myself on you?” Gu Yu was fuming, steam practically rising from his head. “You wish.”

 

“…” Shen Jin felt a mix of shame and frustration. “Who… who would even want that?”

 

Gu Yu tugged at his collar, trying to calm down, but in the end, he picked Shen Jin up and carried him to the bedroom, pinning him against the bed. “Don’t say ‘sorry’ again. If you do, I might get so mad that I really lose control and suppress you with my pheromones.”

 

“Really?” Shen Jin immediately wrapped his arms around Gu Yu’s neck, not hesitating in the slightest. “Sorry, sorry, sorry—”

 

Gu Yu took a deep breath, his anger dissipating as he pulled Shen Jin closer. “Alright, just don’t do something this stupid again. Can you buy those accounts back?”

 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Shen Jin answered quickly, seeing Gu Yu softening. “You don’t understand—yeah, selling the accounts stung a bit, but getting the actual money was exhilarating. Besides, my alt account is still in the same guild. Losing a few titles doesn’t stop me from playing.”

 

“Oh.” But Gu Yu still wasn’t satisfied. “I don’t care—use my money for the surgery. It’s because of me that you need it.”

 

Shen Jin winced. “Don’t make it sound like I’m getting rid of a baby.”

 

But seeing Gu Yu’s hurt expression, Shen Jin could only nod and agree, reaching for his hand to change the subject, hoping to seem as pitiful as possible. “You said you’d force me—here I am, and we’re talking about surgery?”

 

Gu Yu’s fingers trembled, but he controlled himself, warning, “Just so you know, I’m still mad. So I won’t go easy on you.”

 

“Mm… got it.” Shen Jin obediently pulled him closer for a kiss. “I’ll try my best not to cry.”

 

The air from the heater was warm, and the scent of strawberry wine mixed with the trembling gaze of the little rabbit being teased. Their first Valentine’s Day together was spent in this way.

 

The night passed as usual. Later, Shen Jin was so exhausted he almost fainted, and when he came to, it was already past 11:30 PM.

 

He rubbed his eyes. His hair was still damp at the nape of his neck, and the pink on his face hadn’t entirely faded, making him look rather pitiful.

 

It took him a moment to realize that Gu Yu wasn’t by his side.

 

Still mad?

 

Shen Jin tried to get up and find him, but the pain kept him buried in his pillow, a wave of sadness washing over him.

 

So weak… typical me.

 

He grabbed his pajamas and began putting them on, but just as he was feeling sorry for himself, he heard Gu Yu’s footsteps, and he quickly curled back under the blanket.

 

Despite the overwhelming softness he felt from the pheromones, Shen Jin gathered his strength and grabbed Gu Yu’s hand first, demanding in a shaky voice, “Where did you go…”

 

But due to the pheromones, what was supposed to be a stern question came out in a soft, trembling voice. Gu Yu immediately leaned down to soothe him. “I figured you’d be waking up soon, so I went to get some warm water.”

 

“Oh…” Shen Jin was spared from a major breakdown under the covers. “I thought you were going to leave me after finishing with me…”

 

Gu Yu handed him the cup of water, his heart filled with the protective instincts of an alpha for his omega. Shen Jin, however, revealed his true nature: “Good thing you didn’t leave, or I’d have to break your legs.”

 

The tone of his threat didn’t match his pitiful appearance as he drank from the cup. Gu Yu couldn’t help but smile, despite feeling he’d already smiled more than enough today.

 

“If you break my legs, who’ll bring you water?” He reached over to tie Shen Jin’s scattered hair and suddenly asked, “There are only twenty minutes left until Valentine’s Day ends. Don’t you want any presents, Shen Jin?”

 

The little rabbit was busy drinking, momentarily confused.

 

He’d already received his Valentine’s Day gift—the in-game skin with the six-dollar special effects was such a great value that it could keep the game developers’ jobs safe for at least another week. He was genuinely happy with it.

 

But before he could ask, Gu Yu leaned in close, his dark eyes locked onto him, and suddenly kissed the corner of his lips.

 

The scent of fresh alcohol in Gu Yu’s pheromones made Shen Jin’s ears turn red instantly, and a lovely blush quickly spread across his cheeks.

 

Gu Yu looked a little surprised. “You turn red so quickly after just one kiss…”

 

“…Damn.” Shen Jin clenched his fists. “Keep talking, and I won’t let you kiss me again.”

 

His skin was so thin it always turned red at the slightest touch, and Gu Yu had the nerve to point it out—it was clearly on purpose.

 

What made it worse was that Gu Yu leaned in and kissed him again, taking his time. “Fine, I don’t need your permission to kiss you.”

 

They started playfully wrestling, and soon Shen Jin ended up at the edge of the bed, refusing to engage. Gu Yu stroked his back, half-soothing and half-teasing. “I prepared a gift for you. Want to see?”

 

Shen Jin peeked out with one eye and shook his head. Gu Yu leaned in even closer. “I know you’re the kind of guy who’d be happy with just a single flower or an in-game item, but I don’t want to take advantage of that to brush you off.”

 

“Who are you calling simple-minded?” Shen Jin’s claws immediately scratched at him. “Keep it up, and I’ll make sure you smoke two packs next time.”

 

“Do that, and I’ll jump off a building,” Gu Yu retorted while gently brushing Shen Jin’s forehead. “But you still secretly hope your alpha will do something special for you, don’t you?”

 

The light cast a soft glow in Gu Yu’s eyes. Shen Jin opened both eyes to look at him and, in the end, simply nuzzled his face against Gu Yu’s hand like a clingy little rabbit, without offering an answer.