The Marked Alpha Is Extremely Hard to Coax - Chapter 67

When Jiang Yunbian returned to his dorm, he realized Zhou Die hadn’t replied to his messages.

 

Both of them had been late in the morning, but Zhou Die wasn’t in the self-reflection room or in the dorm, and hadn’t returned any messages?

 

This was a bit strange.

 

Jiang Yunbian took out the suppressants and felt his limbs aching as he lay on the bed. During this time, his advisor called him, saying he was feeling unwell, and the school doctor had come by to confirm his condition.

 

Half-asleep until noon, Jiang Yunbian only realized that Zhou Die hadn’t contacted him at all.

 

He felt a brief pang of emptiness in his chest. Just as he was about to go look for him, his phone rang again.

 

“Are you Jiang?” The advisor’s voice was a bit breathless. “Your mother has taken leave for you. It seems there’s something going on. You need to go to the main gate; a car is coming to pick you up.”

 

Jiang Yunbian immediately called his mother: “Mom, what happened? Is…”

 

“Nothing is wrong at home.” Ji Min knew what he was worried about. “It’s Zhou Die’s matter. His mother suddenly collapsed this morning.”

 

Jiang Yunbian was stunned for three seconds, disregarding his own discomfort, and quickly packed up his things and went downstairs.

 

The Zhou family had prepared a car for him, helped him with his luggage, and headed straight for the hospital.

 

“How is Aunt Wen? What happened? Is she at the hospital now?” Jiang Yunbian asked impatiently, pulling off his seatbelt, only to find his hands trembling.

 

If he was shaking, then how was Zhou Die?

 

The driver was frightened by his questioning and just shook his head, knowing nothing about the family situation.

 

When Jiang Yunbian arrived at the hospital, Mrs. Zhou was the one to meet him.

 

“Child, I’m sorry to have made you come all the way here.” Mrs. Zhou led him and looked back. “Wen Yue’s condition suddenly worsened this morning and she lost consciousness. Zhou Die lost control when he arrived.”

 

Zhou Die’s emotions had spiraled out of control, entering a heat suddenly. The hospital had forcibly isolated him, but in the confined space, he wouldn’t allow anyone to come near.

 

“I can’t manage…” Mrs. Zhou’s voice was rough. When she brought Jiang Yunbian to the door, she was very anxious. “Yunbian, I know there’s a risk, but as the person the child likes, I hope you can help me with this.”

 

Mrs. Zhou placed the suppressants in front of him: “Help him calm down, will you?”

 

Jiang Yunbian’s fingers twitched slightly as his gaze fell on the tightly sealed isolation room, a surge of panic rising from deep within him for the first time.

 

He had thought about the future, knowing that he would have to face this period when he was with Zhou Die. He had considered many ways to comfort an Enigma, but he had never imagined facing such a terrible situation.

 

Jiang Yunbian took a deep breath and picked up the suppressants: “I will.”

 

The nurse looked at him with concern: “There’s a safety device on the wall. If the Enigma shows any signs of aggression towards you, press it, and the hospital will initiate emergency sedation.”

 

Jiang Yunbian pushed open the door: “He won’t hurt me.”

 

There was a small room between the ward door and the isolation room. After Jiang Yunbian entered, the door behind him closed, and after confirming the seal, the second door in front of him slowly opened.

 

The scent of cedar was like a collapsed snow layer, heavily pressing down on Jiang Yunbian’s shoulders, instantly drawing out the heat he had just controlled that morning.

 

Jiang Yunbian felt his legs weaken uncontrollably, but he still held on, tightly gripping the syringe and stepping into Zhou Die’s realm.

 

Zhou Die sat at the edge of the bed, facing away from him.

 

Jiang Yunbian endured the abnormal heat and softly called his name: “Zhou Die.”

 

Zhou Die turned his head slightly, his eyes obscured by the light, but his voice was soft: “Go back. I can’t control myself.”

 

Jiang Yunbian’s eyes suddenly felt warm.

 

Zhou Die was facing immense psychological and physiological pressure, yet still urged him not to come closer.

 

Jiang Yunbian wanted to speak, but he found himself trembling all over, his voice quivering as he spoke.

 

He was stunned for a second, and when he looked up, he saw Zhou Die’s hand on the bedside clenching tightly.

 

Jiang Yunbian could barely hold himself together. He gritted his teeth, walked to Zhou Die’s side, and wrapped his arms around his waist.

 

“I want you to mark me, Zhou Die.” His heart ached, “Calm down, and everything will be alright.”

 

The minty scent mingled with the rich cedar, as Jiang Yunbian tightly held Zhou Die’s waist, as if to lock him into his own bones and blood.

 

Zhou Die’s hand gently rested on the back of Jiang Yunbian’s head, as gentle as ever: “I haven’t lost control. They’re lying to you. Go outside.”

 

Even in this special time, Jiang Yunbian could feel Zhou Die’s tensed muscles and the hoarse voice to the extreme.

 

How could he not have lost control?

 

“Zhou Die, I’m not afraid.” Jiang Yunbian kissed his cheek with increasing warmth, “I don’t want to leave you.”

 

The cold sensation on his cheek brought Zhou Die back from a state of confusion. He stiffened for a few seconds and then, belatedly, raised his hand to grip Jiang Yunbian’s chin.

 

“Are you… crying?” His voice finally had some fluctuation.

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t even know what was happening to his emotions, the chaos of the heat, the sudden incident… Seeing Zhou Die like this made his heart ache so much that breathing became difficult.

 

All the violent and gloomy negative emotions seemed to be washed away by this tear, and Zhou Die’s palm touched Jiang Yunbian’s face, gently wiping away the tears.

 

Someone was crying for him.

 

Jiang Yunbian, unable to tolerate his current state, desperately tried to stop his emotions, but Zhou Die’s touch only made him choke up more.

 

Closing his eyes, he saw scenes from when he stayed at Wen Yue’s home, a person who was so gentle, now in the operating room with an uncertain fate.

 

Jiang Yunbian couldn’t imagine the feeling of losing a loved one. He couldn’t empathize fully, but he was still very sad.

 

Zhou Die noticed that Jiang Yunbian’s tears wouldn’t stop. He sighed helplessly and then kissed his lips.

 

It was completely different from their previous kisses. The pheromones of both kinds intertwined in this special period, creating a new fragrance. But Jiang Yunbian was kissed gently by Zhou Die, without any inappropriate actions.

 

When he came back to his senses, Jiang Yunbian realized that Zhou Die’s face was wet from his tears.

 

He sniffed and used his fingertip to wipe the water from Zhou Die’s face: “I didn’t use to cry like this.”

 

He tried to turn around to find a tissue, but Zhou Die held his waist and pulled him back into his embrace.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s spine and chest lightly touched, and the sharp pain instantly settled in the back of his neck. He squinted to endure the pain, but felt Zhou Die’s hand at his waist loosening.

 

Zhou Die’s arm was exposed, with the syringe Jiang Yunbian brought still in his fingertips.

 

Zhou Die gave him a temporary mark to suppress his heat and handed over his control to Jiang Yunbian.

 

The Alpha adjusted his emotions carefully and injected him with the syringe.

 

At such a moment, Zhou Die was reluctant to use marking to ease even a little of the tension.

 

Soon, both of them fell silent.

 

Jiang Yunbian threw the syringe into the trash can, lay down on the bed tiredly, and breathed in the cedar scent that soothed him.

 

Zhou Die leaned against the head of the bed, his gaze still unfocused on a point, his eyes distorted.

 

Jiang Yunbian struggled to get up, lay down beside him, and reached out to hold the Enigma in his arms.

 

Zhou Die didn’t struggle and allowed Jiang Yunbian to hold him.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s eyes felt a bit sore, but he didn’t want to take even a moment to rub them, continuing to hold the person in his arms.

 

“When I was young, I was always with my mom. She was a particularly strong Omega.” Zhou Die had been with his mother since he could remember. He didn’t know who his father was, and his mother never mentioned him.

 

Life was tough when he was little. His mother was in poor health and had to work while taking care of him, but Zhou Die never heard her complain about anything.

 

Hearing Zhou Die casually talk about the past, Jiang Yunbian felt something stir deep inside him.

 

He had thought Zhou Die was a pampered young master, unaware of worldly hardships, carefree, but now he realized Zhou Die’s childhood wasn’t easy.

 

“When I was in kindergarten, one day after school, all the other kids were picked up by their parents, and I was left alone.”

 

That evening seemed to be a holiday or something; other parents had been waiting outside the gate for a long time, calling out the names of the children one by one.

 

Zhou Die’s agreed time with Wen Yue was six o’clock. He quietly watched the koi in the small garden, but when six o’clock came and Wen Yue still hadn’t arrived, Zhou Die’s heart sank.

 

At that time, a teacher came over with candy and joked with him: “Little kid, it’s okay, if your mom doesn’t come, the teacher will take you.”

 

“No.”

 

Zhou Die loved candy, but on that day, he didn’t take a single piece.

 

Jiang Yunbian had never felt as sad as he did now. Perhaps the teacher meant well, but the words “Mom won’t come” could stay with a child for a lifetime.

 

Fortunately, Wen Yue was only late due to working overtime and traffic; she arrived as promised.

 

“I didn’t have any emotions about it. She wanted to comfort me but said the wrong thing,” Zhou Die’s voice was very soft. After a pause, he added, “Maybe it was because I was so scared at the time that I resisted her words.”

 

Jiang Yunbian kissed his lips.

 

Zhou Die was probably thinking about whether his mother would come to pick him up.

 

“Zhou Die.” Jiang Yunbian held his head, fingers running through his hair, “She will come.”

 

You won’t be alone.

 

Zhou Die didn’t speak. Jiang Yunbian lightly tapped his hand: “Zhou Die.”

 

Enigma slowly raised his eyes, looking at him seriously: “Hmm?”

 

“We’ll be together for a lifetime.” The Alpha held his hand, serious and determined, “I promise you, no matter what, I will come to pick you up.”

 

Zhou Die looked at him for a long time before finally leaning up and kissing his lips: “I’ll hold you to that, Jiang Yunbian.”

 

“Definitely.”

 

*

 

Wen Yue woke up at eight in the evening. Because her condition was too dangerous, the hospital had forcibly removed her lifetime mark.

 

Wen Yue was originally a bit depressed, but when she saw Jiang Yunbian and Zhou Die at the door, with red-rimmed eyes, she suddenly came to her senses.

 

No matter how persistent she had been in the past, it was all over now. She couldn’t continue to make the living worry about her.

 

She looked at the exhausted Zhou Die and couldn’t help but cry, her emaciated hand embracing him: “Xiao Die, I’m sorry.”

 

Zhou Die gently kissed her fingertips, his voice tender and without a trace of resentment: “It’s good that you’re awake.”

 

The incident happened suddenly, and Zhou Die and Jiang Yunbian took a week off from military training. They took care of Wen Yue for three days before finally being sent home.

 

Mrs. Zhou knew that Zhou Die was worried, but seeing him, a grown man, standing in the hospital with Jiang Yunbian behind him, she promptly sent them both home.

 

When Jiang Yunbian got home and sat on the sofa, he realized how tense he was all over.

 

In the past few days, the heat was managed with just a couple of quick injections, and he’d been waking up and moving every time Zhou Die did.

 

He hadn’t even had a complete phone call with his mother.

 

Jiang Yunbian went to the balcony and called his mother.

 

“It’s fine. It was a major surgery, and now she’s gradually recovering.” Jiang Yunbian spoke softly, “It’s okay, I got a break, so don’t worry.”

 

Ji Min asked in detail and finally sighed in relief: “Alright, then you rest well. After the military training ends, go back to school.”

 

Jiang Yunbian agreed, hung up the phone, and sighed.

 

The sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped. Jiang Yunbian stretched and slowly walked to the bedroom.

 

Zhou Die came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, his hair still wet.

 

Jiang Yunbian yawned lazily, grabbed a change of clothes to take a shower, but Zhou Die stood at the bathroom door, his hand suddenly falling.

 

Jiang Yunbian was caught off guard by Zhou Die’s embrace, and their distance suddenly closed.

 

“Yunbian’er.” Zhou Die’s dark eyes focused on his profile.

 

Jiang Yunbian realized something, and his ears and cheeks slowly turned red.