Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 23 Falling Ill

“Pei An, wake up, Pei An,” Xie Yu gently shook Pei An through the blankets.

In his dream, the gentle father figure gradually dissipated, and Pei An reached out to grasp, only catching a gleam of light.

“Pei An?” Xie Yu tapped Pei An’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever.”

Pei An had skipped breakfast this morning, and Xie Yu thought he might be exhausted and asleep. However, by noon, Pei An was still in bed, which was unusual for someone as diligent as he was. Worried, Xie Yu couldn’t leave him alone.

“Pei An, you’ve got a fever, and your pheromones are going wild.” It wasn’t a good sign. 

Pei An was unresponsive, and his temperature was soaring. Xie Yu was increasingly concerned, not having any contacts for Pei An’s subordinates. Going to the welfare center would cost too much time, and he didn’t want Pei An to suffer alone.

“Pei An, please wake up,” Xie Yu shook him again, despite the rude awakening.

Pei An’s head felt heavy, and he tried to push away Xie Yu. He felt drowsy and disoriented.

“Xie Yu…” Pei An extended his arm, patting his own forehead. “It seems I have a fever.”

Xie Yu was distressed. Pei An’s health was usually robust, and falling ill was a rarity. This time, it was likely due to his heat and the stress he had been under. Pei An hadn’t properly recovered from his previous heat.

“Pei An, do you have any medication at home?” Xie Yu didn’t want to wait for Manzhu to arrive; it could take too long.

Pei An slowly shook his head. He rarely got sick and didn’t keep any medication at home. This fever was probably due to his heat, and he had been under a lot of pressure lately, so it had finally caught up with him.

“Pei An, you need to suppress your pheromones,” Xie Yu urged, pulling out a scent blocking spray he carried and quickly spraying it. He tried to contain Pei An’s potent scent, which was driving his instincts wild.

Despite his fever and sluggishness, Pei An, aware of the pheromone dilemma, began the process of retracting his scents.

As he did so, the heightened pheromones around Pei An began to dissipate. Xie Yu felt a sense of relief. Suppressing Pei An’s overpowering pheromones allowed him to regain control and contain his alpha instincts.

Xie Yu said, “I’ll go make some porridge for you. It’s better for you in this condition.”

Pei An agreed, resting his back against a pillow and not lying down again.

Manzhu, after receiving Pei An’s message, immediately grabbed a medical kit and rushed over. She was one of the few people Pei An had close ties with, and she was also a qualified doctor. She quickly deduced that Pei An’s fever was caused hishis heat, a severe form of preheatl syndrome. 

For both alphas and omegas, if they didn’t manage their estrous cycles properly and alleviate their symptoms, the next cycle would be even more unbearable. Pei An had consistently managed it by himself. At sixteen, he had presented as an omega, and at eighteen, he began experiencing estrous cycles twice a year. He endured each cycle in solitude within a containment cell in the base. Pei An would bring food to last him, but he would spend those agonizing days alone.

At first, Pei An didn’t find his heat cycle to be a significant issue. He would feel uncomfortable, fatigued, and have uncontrollable pheromone leakage. He would study in his containment cell during this time. However, as time passed, his condition became increasingly severe. During the previous heat cycle, Pei An had scratched the bedsheet and pillowcase in his cell. This time, due to immense work-related stress, Pei An had fallen ill before his heat cycle had even begun.

While Xie Yu was preparing porridge, Manzhu arrived. Manzhu, sensing a mixture of alpha and omega pheromones in the house, immediately used a pheromone suppressant. She had no time to check on Xie Yu’s reactions but hurried to Pei An’s room.

Manzhu first checked Pei An’s temperature. It was 38.7 degrees Celsius, explaining his listlessness.

“You’re not in heat yet, so suppressors would be a waste,” Manzhu said, “You’ll have to endure for now. Let me give you a fever-reducing shot first.”

Pei An obediently rolled up his sleeve and exposed his arm, asking, “Will I get better after the shot?”

Manzhu replied, “You wish!”

The fever-reducing shot went into Pei An’s arm, and he lowered his sleeve. “I understand,” he said.

Pei An wouldn’t joke about his health, so Manzhu’s instructions were gospel.

Manzhu then suggested, “You should ask Xie Yu to leave for this period. It’s not safe for him to be here.”

Pei An was adamant. “No, he must stay close to me.”

Manzhu questioned, “Are you afraid he’ll run away?”

Pei An replied earnestly, “Fan Wen and the 286th Legion might attack at any time. Xie Yu plays a crucial role. I can’t afford to lose him during a critical moment.”

Manzhu was taken aback but refrained from mentioning that Xie Yu’s high compatibility with Pei An’s pheromones could be a problem.

She asked Pei An, “Why do you push yourself so hard?”

Pei An smiled and said, “Because I’m the leader of our organization. If I want to keep our group strong and stable, I can’t show any signs of weakness.”

Manzhu said, “I understand.”

Among their group, Pei An was the most mature and thorough, as well as the one who worked the hardest. 

Manzhu warned him, “If you ever need assistance, contact us immediately. And if Xie Yu has any improper thoughts, we’ll take care of him.”

Pei An chuckled; he was convinced that Xie Yu was a gentleman. Even in his dazed state, Xie Yu hadn’t taken advantage of him. Pei An doubted Xie Yu would challenge him when he was fully alert.

After Manzhu left, Xie Yu continued to take care of Pei An. He prepared chicken congee, adding chicken shreds to the pot, as Pei An wasn’t a fan of plain congee. 

Pei An received the bowl and playfully said, “Xie Yu, you’re so considerate. If you were an omega, wouldn’t many alphas fight to marry you?”

Xie Yu laughed, “I guess that’s something we’ll never know unless I become an omega.”

Pei An continued to sip his chicken congee, thinking to himself. Alphas like Xie Yu were likely to attract the attention of omegas and betas. He wondered which omega or beta would ultimately capture Xie Yu’s heart.

Having finished a bowl of hot chicken congee, his discomfort eased, thanks to the fever-reducing shot taking effect. Pei An felt drowsy.

“Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you up when it’s time for dinner, and I’ll make you some soup,” Xie Yu reassured him.

Pei An nodded and burrowed under the covers. As he did so, his necklace, which Xie Yu had noticed earlier, once again caught Xie Yu’s eye. It seemed that Pei An truly cherished the item.

Xie Yu sat on the sofa in the living room, lost in thought, then finally decided to send a message to one of his subordinates.

【You didn’t touch that Starfire Stone I had locked in my room earlier, did you?】

The subordinate looked puzzled, replying, 【The Starfire Stone was in your room, and it’s locked. We couldn’t get in. Who would dare to touch it?】

Xie Yu then asked, 【Is it still there? I just thought I might use it as a gift.】

The subordinate was utterly shocked: “???”

He couldn’t decide whether to be astonished by the fact that Xie Yu wanted to use the Starfire Stone as a gift or by the notion that someone had managed to make their commander willing to part with such a valuable item.

The Starfire Stone in question was an exquisite piece, a pristine white stone as big as a fist, a true gem. It was a source of energy, but such high-quality Starfire Stones rarely reached the market, as wealthy individuals often purchased them to flaunt their status. The military had long sought to research Starfire Stones, but the origin of these stones remained a mystery. When Xie Yu saw this fist-sized Starfire Stone in the black market, he was thrilled and immediately placed a bid.

However, he was now considering giving it away as a gift.

The subordinate wanted to ask if their beloved commander had lost his mind. 

Xie Yu added, 【Oh, and please find a nice box to package the Starfire Stone.】

The subordinate couldn’t believe it.

Who was this mischievous person making their commander part with valuable items?