The Marked Alpha Is Extremely Hard to Coax - Chapter 40

Jiang Yunbian rarely drank alcohol. Some concerns were things he wanted to keep to himself, afraid that he would spill his heart when drunk and unload his troubles on someone.

 

But in reality, when he was truly drunk, he was the quiet type. Zhou Die held him close, wrapping him gently in his coat.

 

The pub owner came out, looking at the two young people with an unreadable expression. “You two…”

 

Zhou Die’s fingers lightly brushed the back of Jiang Yunbian’s head, massaging his soft hair. “Sorry for the trouble.”

 

“No trouble at all.” The owner looked him over and then chuckled softly. “Young couples always argue like this. If you’re worried, you should hold on to him and clear things up. Don’t let him get upset and come out drinking alone.”

 

But this boy looked like he had a good temperament and was quite indulgent with the little drunkard. How did they end up arguing?

 

Realizing it was a misunderstanding, Zhou Die didn’t argue back. “Alright, you’re right, sister.”

 

Calling her “sister” sweetened the owner’s mood. She smiled and went inside to get a blanket. “Take him back.”

 

Zhou Die used the blanket to wrap around Jiang Yunbian, covering his head and upper body, then tied it into a makeshift bow.

 

He led Jiang Yunbian along for quite a while. When Jiang Yunbian, feeling dazed, suddenly squatted down, Zhou Die, sensing his fatigue, looked back and noticed the blanket was red.

 

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Little Red Riding Hood, take a few more steps. The car will be here soon.”

 

Jiang Yunbian grumbled from the ground. “Where are you taking me?”

 

Feeling too soft, Zhou Die bent down and picked him up.

 

Jiang Yunbian rested in his arms, and the cold between them was long since warmed away.

 

Looking at his ears slowly turning red, Zhou Die’s voice was gentle. “Do you want to go back to the dorm?”

 

Jiang Yunbian sniffed for a long time before confirming he wasn’t asleep. “I want to go to the riverside.”

 

Going to the riverside in the dead of winter was something only Jiang Yunbian would do.

 

When they reached the riverside, Jiang Yunbian seemed to abandon any concern for his image, sitting on the ground with his white coat. Zhou Die didn’t have a chance to help him with anything.

 

Jiang Yunbian sighed quietly, and just as he was about to press his temples with his fingertips, someone touched his forehead. “Does your head hurt a lot?”

 

“It hurts,” he said softly, closing his eyes and frowning.

 

Alcohol makes people more honest. Zhou Die pulled him closer and wrapped the blanket tighter. “Do you need pheromones?”

 

Leaning on Zhou Die’s shoulder seemed to relieve him a lot. After a moment, he muttered, “Yes.”

 

The cedar scent gently filled his nose, gradually soothing the throbbing pain caused by his emotions or alcohol. Jiang Yunbian felt drowsy and didn’t know where he was.

 

He only felt that the person he was leaning against was very warm and comforting.

 

Zhou Die had never waited for sunrise at the riverside in winter, but he had never imagined he would be hugging Jiang Yunbian and enjoying the breeze in such weather.

 

Not knowing whether to be happy or resentful.

 

The Alpha’s eyelashes were long, like butterfly wings resting. Zhou Die wanted to touch them but feared disturbing his sleep.

 

After a night of cold wind and drinking, he had tortured himself enough.

 

Finally, his fingers fell to Jiang Yunbian’s face, lightly brushing his cheek with the cold tips of his fingers.

 

It wasn’t swollen but still red.

 

Zhou Die’s eyes, reflecting the coolness, gazed far across the water.

 

Someone really dared to do this to this face.

 

“Jiang Yunbian.”

 

The person in his arms didn’t respond, probably asleep.

 

Zhou Die leaned down and gently rubbed the tip of his hair, rephrasing his tone. “I’m not saying this with any ulterior motive, nor am I taking advantage of you.”

 

Well, maybe not entirely, maybe there’s one percent of scheming.

 

He originally hoped Jiang Yunbian would forget tonight’s events when drunk, but then he realized this was an excellent opportunity.

 

Even if he was a little shaken by the emotion, Zhou Die secretly hoped he would remember.

 

“I just want to tell you that I’ve always liked you.”

 

After saying this, he fell silent for a moment.

 

Then he added, “I wanted to be a gentleman, but I found out that didn’t work.”

 

“Or you can think of me as taking advantage of you.”

 

Zhou Die himself laughed at that and lightly brushed Jiang Yunbian’s cheek with his fingertips, then slightly turned his head.

 

The Alpha’s lips were right there.

 

“Zhou Die.”

 

The mint scent tainted by alcohol seeped out.

 

Zhou Die pulled away.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s eyes were still a bit unfocused. After a while, he turned his head, finally seeing the person in front of him clearly.

 

“You…” Jiang Yunbian struggled to find his voice, coughed a bit, and then, after the effects of the wind and alcohol wore off, he came to his senses. “Did you just say you like me?”

 

Zhou Die watched him quietly for a long time, seemingly trying to gauge Jiang Yunbian’s level of sobriety.

 

Some things he hadn’t planned to say so soon, but since he had, he hoped Jiang Yunbian would seriously understand what he was trying to express.

 

“Yes, it’s not the kind of liking friends have. It’s the kind where I want to treat you as a lover, to kiss you.”

 

“……”

 

The chaos in Jiang Yunbian’s mind suddenly stopped. He felt a fire igniting from his earlobes, spreading through his entire body.

 

Zhou Die’s confession hit him like a clean, direct arrow, leaving him at a loss.

 

“You… how could you like me…” He stammered, “Is it because of the pheromones affecting you…”

 

“If you don’t like me, you can just say so,” Zhou Die’s hand supported his chin, not looking at his flustered attempts to find excuses, with a touch of disappointed resentment. “Enigma isn’t influenced by pheromones, don’t use such a cliché excuse to brush me off.”

 

“Cough.” Jiang Yunbian’s voice went hoarse, and he choked on his saliva. “Cough, cough, cough…”

 

Zhou Die’s hand slightly leaned forward but pulled back just before touching his back.

 

“If you hate me, you wouldn’t want me to touch you. Are you alright?”

 

Jiang Yunbian, while coughing, felt that Zhou Die was cunning.

 

Taking advantage, advancing by retreating, yet… he still couldn’t handle him.

 

Zhou Die liked him.

 

Tonight, nothing was more shocking to Jiang Yunbian than this revelation.

 

“Jiang Yunbian,” Zhou Die whispered after a moment, leaning closer to him. “So, what’s your answer?”

 

“……What answer? Why aren’t you embarrassed to confess?” Jiang Yunbian was so taken aback by Zhou Die’s proactive confession that he couldn’t even tell who said they liked him.

 

“Actually, I’m very shy and trying to hold it in,” Zhou Die asked again, “What about you? Do you want us to stop being friends and keep our distance, or do you want to take some time to process and maintain things as they are?”

 

“Are you offering customer service solutions here?” Jiang Yunbian was truly at a loss, retreating more and more. “I’m not in a good state right now. My thinking is different from usual, so I’m bound to regret whatever answer I give.”

 

Zhou Die looked at him patiently, his eyes clearly showing a composed smile.

 

But what he said was, “I’m quite impatient. I can wait for your answer, but once feelings are confessed, they’re hard to hide away.”

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t understand his meaning for a while. “What do you want to do?”

 

“I want to say it again.”

 

“……No.”

 

“I like you, seriously.”

 

“……”

 

*

 

When they returned to the dormitory, Jiang Yunbian was still a bit dazed.

 

Zhou Die helped him wash his face and made sure he was settled before quietly saying, “I’ll head back now.”

 

He had promised Mrs. Zhou he would return and had no intention of breaking that promise.

 

The bedridden Jiang Yunbian murmured a slow “mm” in response.

 

It wasn’t until the dormitory door closed that Jiang Yunbian sat up abruptly.

 

He had lost count of how many times he had been confessed to by girls or Omegas. If he had to count seriously, he remembered very few sincere confessions, while he still had some vague memory of crying out loud after being rejected.

 

But Zhou Die was the first to catch him off guard and make him flustered and panicked.

 

So much so that he still couldn’t calm down.

 

What was Zhou Die thinking?

 

How did he end up confessing!

 

Jiang Yunbian grabbed his hair and rubbed it for a while, trying to piece together everything that happened last night in his mind.

 

The cultural evening, the fight, the hospital, the drinking, the confession.

 

It was really quite a show.

 

His mind was still a muddled mess, and he was utterly exhausted. The series of events had piled up, and although it should have made his mood hit rock bottom, every time he closed his eyes, his mind replayed—

 

“I like you, seriously.”

 

Zhou Die must have embedded some chip into his brain! Or maybe he put some other device in there!

 

Jiang Yunbian fumbled around a few times before finally turning on his phone.

 

Several missed calls and unread messages were from Zhou Die. Jiang Yunbian felt his face flush and buried half of it in his blanket.

 

Ji Heng had sent him three messages, all asking what was wrong. Jiang Yunbian felt a bit choked up and didn’t know what to say.

 

After replying to Xu Zhan and his sister, Jiang Yunbian was about to start a venting message to Xu Zhan with “I have a friend” when a sudden pain shot through his neck.

 

He gasped and opened the calendar, realizing his Heat had started early.

 

A sharp pain spread from his glands, and Jiang Yunbian belatedly realized his body was heating up. When he propped himself up on the bed, he realized his body was already overwhelmed.

 

Just sitting up made everything spin before his eyes.

 

He was burning up and felt a wave of nausea rising in his throat.

 

Jiang Yunbian got out of bed and threw up on the balcony first.

 

Drunkenness and Heats hit like clockwork. After vomiting, he had no strength left, relying entirely on his willpower to get back to the dorm.

 

He didn’t want someone to knock on his door early the next morning and find him lying on the balcony smelling of alcohol.

 

With his awareness scorched, Jiang Yunbian’s discomfort reached new heights.

 

Because of the special nature of the suppressant, Zhou Die had given him the suppressant early by two days. Now, there was nothing but the blocker in the dorm.

 

Jiang Yunbian found it hard to breathe when he turned over, struggling for just ten minutes before his consciousness began to waver.

 

When he regained consciousness, he heard someone talking on the phone beside him.

 

“I’ve given him the suppressant, yes, and he has a slight fever.”

 

“Is there any other way to alleviate this besides temporary marking?”

 

“Okay, thank you, doctor. Sorry for the trouble.”

 

When Jiang Yunbian groggily woke up again, he was back in bed with someone speaking softly beside him.

 

The burning sensation in his glands had mostly faded, and he drowsily lifted his gaze.

 

“……Zhou Die?”

 

His voice was very hoarse.

 

Zhou Die hung up the phone and gently stroked his cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s me. Are you still feeling very unwell?”

 

His fingertips were a bit cold, and Jiang Yunbian unconsciously leaned against them.

 

Zhou Die’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, allowing him to continue with the affectionate gesture, speaking softly, “You have a slight fever. The doctor said you really need my pheromones right now.”

 

His voice sounded muffled, and Jiang Yunbian didn’t hear it very clearly, but the scent of pheromones on his wrist was very comforting.

 

“……I feel very unwell.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Can I ask you… for a favor?”

 

Zhou Die waited quietly as Jiang Yunbian, in a daze, leaned against him, with his breath creating a damp mist in Zhou Die’s palm.

 

It felt a bit itchy.

 

“Come up here and let me hold you for a while,” Jiang Yunbian said.

 

Zhou Die was momentarily stunned, then realized what he meant when Jiang Yunbian pressed his chin against his fingers and repeated, “Come up here.”

 

“Don’t dawdle…” Jiang Yunbian furrowed his brow, gripping the blanket as if summoning the courage to release Zhou Die’s hand. “Hurry up.”

 

Zhou Die pursed his lips and finally took off his coat.

 

The single bed in the dormitory wasn’t spacious, and when Zhou Die lay down, Jiang Yunbian had to move close to the wall.

 

Fortunately, it was winter, so it wasn’t too hot. Jiang Yunbian still had a bit of remaining rationality struggling, but when the source of the cedar scent moved closer, his mind stopped working.

 

As soon as Zhou Die turned on his side, Jiang Yunbian snuggled into his arms with the blanket, wrapping his arms around Zhou Die’s back.

 

Jiang Yunbian felt like he was sinking into a cloud of cedar scent, with his entire body being soothed.

 

Zhou Die’s gaze was very deep. When Jiang Yunbian rubbed his shoulder, he almost pulled him in closer.

 

This was a patient, and he couldn’t be too rough.

 

After being a pillow for a while, Zhou Die let out a sigh.

 

He couldn’t blame Jiang Yunbian; he was the one who had turned the Alpha into this state and should bear the consequences himself.

 

Perhaps if he hadn’t rushed back, Jiang Yunbian would have had to lie on the table until morning and then go to the hospital the next day.

 

When Jiang Yunbian felt a bit better, Zhou Die helped him onto the pillow and quietly lay next to him, tucking him in.

 

But Jiang Yunbian clearly wasn’t satisfied with this distance.

 

Without physical contact, his longing couldn’t be alleviated. He pushed the blanket aside. “Where’s my pillow…”

 

Zhou Die smiled helplessly.

 

It seemed he had stopped seeing him as a person.

 

“Are you sure you want me to…” Zhou Die still felt the word was not quite right, so he chose, “lie down with you?”

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind his words and furrowed his brow. “Where’s the pillow!”

 

Heat, drunkenness, illness—three special conditions combined, Jiang Yunbian’s temper exploded.

 

The pillow was still filled with mint scent, and he had to endure a little heater pressing against him in various ways.

 

Endless.

 

Jiang Yunbian finally found a comfortable position, draping his calves over Zhou Die’s body, with his hand resting on his abdomen. In a soft, dream-like voice, he murmured into Zhou Die’s ear, “Why did you come back?”

 

It felt like feathers brushing against his ear.

 

Zhou Die turned his face to the side, while Jiang Yunbian kept his eyes downcast, as if half asleep.

 

“I was worried about you,” Zhou Die confessed honestly. “I couldn’t sleep well at home, kept thinking about you, so I came back.”

 

He used to make simple plans when making decisions, aiming to avoid deviations and stay focused. Although he hadn’t specifically planned the confession to Jiang Yunbian, he had never intended it to be so hasty.

 

Accidents always come one after another.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s breathing evened out. Just as Zhou Die thought he had fallen asleep, he heard him murmur back, “Worried about what…”

 

Such a problem child.

 

“Worried about you being down, worried about your discomfort, worried about how you, being an Alpha, would reject me.”

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t reply.

 

Zhou Die waited for a moment, then realized Jiang Yunbian had really fallen asleep. Even when he reached out to touch his eyelashes, there was no reaction.

 

He gently moved the hand resting on his abdomen to Jiang Yunbian’s side, then turned to pull him close.

 

The body of a teenage boy had no extra fat, fitting perfectly with Zhou Die’s embrace.

 

But as soon as he was held, Jiang Yunbian made a low sound of discomfort, causing Zhou Die’s fingers to loosen slightly.

 

Then the Alpha turned onto his side, presenting his smooth neck to Zhou Die.

 

If it were another Alpha, they might have already marked him.

 

But Zhou Die wasn’t an Alpha, and the person in front of him wasn’t an Omega.

 

As the Sunday morning light rose, Zhou Die’s drowsiness gradually climbed to his eyelids, and he gently closed his eyes.

 

Just as he was about to fall asleep, the Alpha in his arms suddenly twitched, as if having a troubling dream.

 

Zhou Die held back his impulse, but eventually gave in and lightly kissed the back of Jiang Yunbian’s neck.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s tense body immediately relaxed.

 

He rested his forehead on Jiang Yunbian’s back and whispered softly, “Don’t let it hurt, good night.”

 

*

 

When Jiang Yunbian opened his eyes, it felt like his whole body was bound by chains, his limbs firmly restrained.

 

He struggled uncomfortably for a moment, then felt a gentle touch on the back of his hand.

 

It felt like a child having a nightmare with a parent patting their back.

 

Jiang Yunbian blinked in surprise and realized there was someone lying beside him!

 

“Zhou Die?”

 

He sat up suddenly, his vision blurring, and he leaned on the blanket to steady himself.

 

Zhou Die also sat up groggily, eyes still closed, and reached out to touch his head. “Still feeling unwell?”

 

“No, why are you…” The latter part of his sentence got stuck in his throat as Jiang Yunbian remembered the fragmented details of last night.

 

Zhou Die had come back after going home and took care of him during his heat.

 

He had even dragged Zhou Die’s hand, craving his pheromones, half-demanding, half-pleading for him to stay beside him.

 

Jiang Yunbian was still coming to his senses when Zhou Die rested his forehead on his shoulder. “I’m so tired.”

 

He had rushed back around seven, and it was now only eleven in the morning. Four hours of sleep after staying up all night was clearly insufficient.

 

Even Enigma would get tired.

 

Jiang Yunbian remained still, feeling Zhou Die like a big cat lying on him, his breath drifting into the collar of his slightly askew pajamas…

 

Suddenly, it became too much to handle.

 

Guilt spread in his heart. He gently patted Zhou Die’s shoulder. “You… you can lie down a bit longer?”

 

Zhou Die didn’t move, just lifted his hand to Jiang Yunbian’s blanket, subtly claiming his space: “Want some mint.”

 

He wanted his pheromones.

 

Jiang Yunbian sighed and pulled the clingy cat back into the blanket.

 

Zhou Die half-opened his eyes, noticing Jiang Yunbian had grabbed a handful of his hair, then turned back, maintaining his back-to-Jiang Yunbian position before lying down again.

 

As expected, it was a semi-reluctant acceptance.

 

He hid a smile and placed his hand back on the Alpha’s waist.

 

Jiang Yunbian had initially felt a bit stiff, but thinking about how he had gone crazy last night and disturbed Zhou Die’s sleep in the morning… If the roles were reversed, and he had spent the whole night comforting Zhou Die, he probably would have set off firecrackers in the blanket to end it all.

 

Just asking for a bit of holding… wasn’t too much to ask, right?

 

Jiang Yunbian took out his phone and first sent a message to his sister.

 

The message was cautious, showing concern for his emotions.

 

In the winter blanket, their pheromones naturally merged together. After replying a couple of times, drowsiness began to creep up again.

 

When he woke up, it was already afternoon, and someone was knocking on the dorm door, which annoyed Jiang Yunbian a bit.

 

“Yunbian, I’m coming in!” Xu Zhan turned the key.

 

When Jiang Yunbian heard the sound of the door opening, he abruptly woke up, piling the blanket over Zhou Die and raising his hand to cover Zhou Die’s lips.

 

Zhou Die, with sleepy eyes and a hint of grievance, looked at him.

 

“Don’t make a sound!” Jiang Yunbian warned in a low voice.

 

Xu Zhan, concerned about Jiang Yunbian’s condition, had knocked on the door half an hour earlier with no response. Fearing something had happened, he had gone to the dormitory office to get a spare key card.

 

Seeing Jiang Yunbian sitting on the bed, Xu Zhan finally relaxed.

 

“Just let me know when you wake up. I thought you had drunk yourself unconscious and were lying on the floor.”

 

Jiang Yunbian realized how crowded the bed was. He had to shift to avoid touching Zhou Die’s feet.

 

“No, I was just sleeping too deeply,” he mumbled.

 

“Are you alright after last night?” Xu Zhan leaned against the bed. “I gave some vague excuses about your sister being unwell and you taking her home. Gao Zining still feels guilty, thinking it was because of his seat choice.”

 

Jiang Yunbian replied with a grunt, “It’s fine.”

 

“As for Jiang Ye, I checked on it. He only had some minor external injuries; his internal organs are fine. He probably won’t cause any trouble for you.”

 

Mentioning Jiang Ye, Jiang Yunbian sneered, “I’m not afraid of him causing trouble.”

 

“News of the fight last night has spread, even to Ning Gao’s side,” Xu Zhan said, touching his face lightly. “This morning, Wen Lin called me.”

 

Zhou Die’s gaze shifted to Jiang Yunbian’s face.

 

If he remembered correctly, Jiang Ye had mentioned Wen Lin last night.

 

Moreover, when Xu Zhan mentioned Wen Lin’s name, Zhou Die clearly felt Jiang Yunbian’s hand tighten.

 

Probably someone with a past grudge, Jiang Yunbian’s tone was indifferent as he replied, “So? What does he want to say?”

 

Seeing Jiang Yunbian’s expression, Xu Zhan knew he didn’t want to discuss it. “Nothing much. He just said he hadn’t mentioned the past to Jiang Ye and that Jiang Ye misunderstood you. He will clarify things later.”

 

Jiang Yunbian couldn’t help but laugh. His voice was a bit hoarse, with less contempt than usual, but the sarcasm was still evident.

 

“No need, I’m not close to him.”

 

“Alright, I won’t answer his calls again,” Xu Zhan said, sounding a bit guilty. Actually, Wen Lin had said more than that.

 

But Jiang Yunbian probably didn’t want to hear it.

 

As Xu Zhan was about to speak again, his gaze suddenly fell to the side of the bed.

 

“Jiang Yunbian.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Jiang Yunbian looked down at Xu Zhan, who had walked over to the side of his bed, his expression suspicious.

 

“There’s someone else in your bed?”

 

Jiang Yunbian then noticed that, despite his efforts to hide the person, Zhou Die’s shoes were still at the edge of his bed.

 

He turned his head to meet Zhou Die’s gaze.

 

Zhou Die’s expression was calm, as if he were just waiting for Jiang Yunbian’s explanation.