PM Chapter 63

最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶

Chapter 63

 

Yuanjiang, the surname Zheng, the family business.

He An wasn’t stupid. He got on his knees to pick up the picture and read the words for a while. He quickly realized that throughout the year, their small inn couldn’t possibly be able to take in several guests from Yuanjiang. Is it possible for such a coincidence to happen?

Yan Ning is not a typical guest.

He was there for him.

When he realized this, all the subtle touches that he had been getting before made sense.

So it makes sense that Yan Ning doesn’t like to travel—he just wants to hang out with them at the Olive Inn, and it doesn’t matter whatever the activity is. It also makes sense that Linglan, who doesn’t usually get close to strangers, wouldn’t move when she saw Yan Ning—but he was still happy when Linglan hugged him up his pants—and it makes sense that Yan Ning was “a stranger” to him, but he still took really good care of him.

It looks like they are related after all.

He An held the picture in his hand and turned to face Yan Ning, hoping to get confirmation. Yan Ning felt no guilt about his identity being revealed. He maintained his kind, loving gaze as he smiled warmly and looked him in the eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Sorry for keeping this from you for days.

He An felt weaker and less confident as he calmed down, and he wasn’t sure how to speak without being disrespectful. After giving it some thought, he lowered his head and timidly asked, “Is he… is Feiluan alright now?”

Yan Ning’s face became more serious as he said, “He’s not doing so well.”

“What’s going on with him?”

“He has been living with you for six months. A month ago, he went back to Yuanjiang. He kept it a secret from everyone, even me. He called the hospital and said he wanted to have surgery to get rid of his glands.”

“Is he insane?!”

The sudden adrenaline in He An’s body made his eyes and voice tremble.

What was Zheng Feiluan thinking?

Yang Ning spoke helplessly, “He was given anesthesia when he went into the operating room. Hongming yanked him off the operating table, then he was placed under house arrest with restraints and prohibited from leaving the house. Hongming said that the scalpel would have really cut through his skin if he was even one step late.” 

He An looked more pale than before.

“Feiluan learned from Hongming. Their personalities are very similar, and neither of them wants to give up. Hongming will not let them remove his glands. He wants him to take you back to Yuanjiang and keep you in the house as a treatment to keep him from getting distracted. This way, he can keep being Jiusheng’s heir. Feiluan was younger and more stubborn than Hongming, and he promised to get rid of his glands in any way he could before going back to Luotan Town to be with you.”

“The phone… Uncle Yan, I’ll call him!” As his anxiety levels rose, He An’s voice became noticeably higher, “What if he gets rid of his glands? That won’t solve anything!”

“Go for it.” Yan Ning nodded and said, “He’s as stiff as metal right now, and no one can get through to him. I doubt anyone else can convince him to back out of it but you.”

⋮

　　The Zheng family’s home is in the suburbs of Yuanjiang.

Mama Xu took a tray and went upstairs. When she opened the door, she saw what was going on inside and sighed as she always does——

Zheng Feiluan sat slumped on the couch, his beard disheveled, his face contorted into a depressed expression, and his eyes half closed and lost in thought. He was dressed in a damp, wrinkled bathrobe that was loosely wrapped around his waist. His entire body looked like a plaster sculpture and he stayed still for a long time. He only wore a thin rope pendant around his neck and held it up to his nose, smelling it in a trance.

When Mama Xu walked in, she put the tray on the coffee table with the gauze, alcohol cotton, and wound cream.

“Young master, it’s time to change the dressing.”

Zheng Feiluan ignored it, still caught up in his own world.

She had to convince him, “Today I didn’t take the wound cream the master gave me. I got the bottle that the young madam had sent. You should use some of it, and don’t disappoint the young madam.”

Young Madam.

The words made Zheng Feiluan wake up from his half-dead state. He then put out his hand and placed it on the sofa’s armrest.

Mama Xu then leans down and splits open his bathrobe sleeves for him. She cleans his wounds carefully while muttering, “Young master, you’re living this day by day like a sad TV show, and your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys might all give up. Mama Xu may be old and have weak bones, but she knows that this behavior isn’t ideal right now… With that much determination, you won’t stop, even if the young madam runs away a hundred times…”

“……”

Zheng Feiluan groaned, averted his gaze, and withdrew his hand in contempt.

Mama Xu quickly stopped and tried to console him, but he talked instead, “Quit babbling, Mama Xu. Please stop talking, ugh.”

The wound on Zheng Feiluan’s wrist is so bad that it hasn’t healed yet. It looks particularly alarming because a ring of pink, soft flesh that has just grown out is uneven and is slightly oozing with blood.

New wounds conceal old wounds, and no matter how good the medicine is, it will ultimately leave scars.

The wound cream purchased from the pharmacy in the small town is slightly less effective. No matter how expensive Zheng Hongming’s medicine is, it will be useless if the young master refuses to take it.

⋮

　　Just as she was about to finish bandaging the wound, the landline by her side rang.

Mama Xu was very happy when she saw the caller ID and said, “Young Master, it’s the Madam calling. It’s been days since the last call, so it must be good news! Perhaps… perhaps the young madam has agreed to go home?”

Looking at the blinking call light, Zheng Feiluan remained confused, and just sat there frozen for a while.

“Hurry, hurry, and pick it up!”

Mama Xu urged him from the sidelines, desperate to press it for him.

Of course, Zheng Feiluan hoped that He An would agree to come back—he thought about it when he woke up and when he went to sleep. But he didn’t want to do it right now—relying on Yan Ning to help him get someone to come back was quite a contrast from what he had planned.

He should get his omega back on his own, even if it makes him look bad.

After staring blankly into space for a while, Zheng Feiluan finally picked up the phone and hoarsely spoke, “Dad.”

But the person on the other end didn’t respond for a long time.

The receiver picked up only a few muted sounds, like a sleepy child babbling, repressed breathing, and the chirping of cicadas on a summer night.

This unexpected atmosphere caused Zheng Feiluan to realize something. He quickly sat up straight, and in a second, his whole body beamed like a ray of sunlight breaking into the night, brightening the ceiling and casting a halo around his lifeless being. He was filled with energy and optimism, as if the gloomy world around him had gone away.

“He An?” His tone suddenly changed, and the hand gripping the phone trembled uncontrollably.

“Yes, it’s me.”

Zheng Feiluan smiled with delight, “He An, why did you think of calling me? How have you been lately…”

“Are you crazy?!”

He wasn’t expecting the other end to yell at him, “Uncle Yan said you plan to have surgery to snip off your glands. Tell me, Zheng Feiluan. Is it true?!”

After being taken aback by his words, Zheng Feiluan lowered his head and smiled, saying, “Yes, it’s true. It’s a shame I was so close but missed it.”

“What were you thinking? He An asked.

Zheng Feiluan asked, “Remember when I said I would stay in Luotan Town for a whole year? It’s been only six months, and we still haven’t made plans to go home together. What choice do I have? He An, after the surgery has treated my mate-seeking disorder, I’ll go back to the Olive Inn with you, and we can enjoy the remaining six months together in peace…”

“Then what?” He An asked softly, “Even if I forgive you and all feelings and desires are gone, can we… have a platonic relationship in the future?”

Zheng Feiluan was once again taken aback and smiled again. “He An, I don’t even have the right mind to think about that. How about you consider that first?”

“…Don’t talk over me, it’s not funny at all.”

Even though he was already crying, He An kept his expression straight. He clenched his jaw and spoke, “Feiluan, you’re completely clueless about how it feels to live with pheromone disorders! I’ve been through it, and I know that it’s better for someone else not to have to go through this kind of unbearable pain! I’m already an omega with disabilities. You’re in good health, so why not give it some thought before making such a big choice?”

“Zheng Feiluan, if you dare to undergo the surgery, I won’t ever forgive you.”

“He An…”

Leaning back, slumping, and staring at the ceiling, Zheng Feiluan’s eyes went from bright to dark until he fell into a deathly silence. At that moment, he slammed his fist against the sofa armrest, causing Mama Xu to shake and drop the alcohol cotton.

“He An, are you no longer willing to give me a chance?”

His voice was so dry and raspy that he could hardly say anything.

“You know full well how hard it is for me to deal with my disorder for six months, but you refuse to let me have surgery… He An, you want to break my plan so I never go back to Luotan Town again, is that it?”

“I…”

As He An tightly gripped Yan Ning’s cell phone, he felt a sudden stiffness in his fingers and moisture in his palm. In the middle of the morning, just as Zheng Feiluan was about to give up, he heard He An ask, “Did you get the package I sent you?”

“I got it.”

The package was sent to the 55th floor of Jinyuan, and his older brother brought it home first thing in the morning and gave it to him in person.

“…That’s a glass tube with my pheromone extract in it. You should be able to use it for six months.”

The moment Zheng Feiluan heard this, his eyes lit up.

Does that mean… he could go back and live there?

After a brief pause, He An continued, “Zheng Feiluan, you did something really wrong to me that night, but by the time I woke up in the hospital, you had already left, and you never even apologized.”

“I’m sorry.”

Zheng Feiluan quickly apologized.

He An didn’t accept this “sorry.” Instead, he replied in a soft voice, “It’s not sincere to just say ‘sorry’ over the phone for such a big mistake. Zheng Feiluan, would you be willing to come over and apologize in person?”

Yan Ning, who was standing by him, heard this and offered timely support, saying, “Feiluan, if Hongming bans you from leaving the house, just tell him that Luotan Town is a lovely place with breathtaking mountains and rivers and that you will never grow tired of living there for a few years. If you can’t live with He An, I’ll stay here on your behalf and focus on retirement instead of returning home.”

“Phew…”

All of Zheng Feiluan’s muscles relaxed.

His mood suddenly turned around, and he slid down the couch like a ball of quicksand as his body became exhausted, sluggish, and comfortable; it was as if he was on the verge of being executed and had been granted parole or a pie had fallen from the sky just before he starved to death.

“My dad seems to spoil you, He An.” He tilted his head, looked over to the side, and grinned lazily, “If you didn’t know, no one in my family has as much power as my dad. Now that he’s on your side, I’m worried I’ll spend the rest of my life on my knees.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?” He An furrowed his brow and said, “I’m not a member of your family. I still haven’t even made a decision about my future…”

Zheng Feiluan whispered under his breath, “Make the character more complex. There are only two characters out of eight total. What if I write it all for you in a few quick strokes…?”

He was practically drunk and talking gibberish as he lay on the couch, his brows wrinkled and his eyes gleaming with overwhelming happiness.

Mama Xu felt helpless, so she had to grab Zheng Feiluan’s hand, wave it around, and say, “Young master, don’t move around yet; the medicine hasn’t been applied.”

He An overheard it on the phone and asked, “Does your hand feel better?”

“Much better, almost back to normal.”

Zheng Feiluan’s nonsense caused Mama Xu’s eyelids to twitch.

“It’s not hurting anymore?”

“The pain has been gone for a long time. It’s only a minor cut. Nothing serio一argh!!!”

He gasped and jolted erratically, and then he got sober right away.

He put his elbows up to support his upper body and was about to ask Mama Xu what she was doing when she smiled and held his hand, “Young master, why are you trying to be so tough in front of the young madam? Look, I changed the dressing.”

Zheng Feiluan: “….”

He An: “….”

He An’s cheeks were hot, and he seemed to be a little embarrassed, “Let’s end this call. Take care of yourself first. Go to bed early after taking the medicine. I’ll… we’ll see you in a few days.”

After talking, he quickly hung up the phone before Zheng Feiluan could respond.

⋮

　　He An put down his phone and poked his puffy cheek with two fingers.

Ugh.

He exhaled very lightly.

Yan Ning couldn’t help but chuckle as he detected a hint of irritation in his face. He leaned in and offered He An a cup of tea. He poured the tea and said, “I hope you didn’t change your mind because of me.”

“Not at all.” He An shook his head and said, “Uncle Yan, I’m not scared of your remarks. Actually, I haven’t made up my mind for six months…”

“Why?” Yan Ning gave him his cup.

He An grabbed the cup, thanked him, took a sip, and said, “Feiluan is by my side. I’m definitely moved in my heart, but I don’t want to admit it. There are times when I really want to end our relationship, but I just can’t. But I’d rather not dwell on it right now. You were right, I can’t afford to waste time. Feiluan woke up early and didn’t spend twenty years in a dead end like your Hongming, so I also have to get out of it.”

Yan Ning nodded and asked again, “I’d like to know one thing. Be honest with me, do you like Feiluan?”

After a short pause, He An said, “I do.”

Yan Ning laughed happily and said, “Two people trust each other and want to be sincere with each other. They’ll be able to work things out eventually.”

“I suppose…”

He An looked at Yan Ning seriously and said, “Uncle Yan, if… if Feiluan does something wrong again, I might not forgive him for a second time, but that won’t stop me from admiring you. Linglan is your granddaughter. If you want to see her, hold her, or stay with her, you are welcome here anytime.”

“…Thank you.”

Looking into He An’s clear eyes, Yan Ning noticed an unusual combination of resoluteness and fragility. There was a lot of similarity between them and him when he was twenty, but He An was far more open compared to him then.

⋮

　　Before the morning fog lifted, Yan Ning left Luotan Town very early the next morning.

He needs to catch the eight-thirty flight.

While Linglan slept, He An woke up early, made millet porridge, added pickles and stir-fried lotus root, served it to Yan Ning, and personally escorted him out of Luotan Town.

Near the town gate, a number of three-wheeled scooters, some of which were quite old and others less so, were patiently waiting for their turn to be picked up.

A low-profile SUV was one of them; it had its windows shut and was completely black inside. The driver is very careful. He just stands by the door and doesn’t talk or play with his phone. He stands with his back straight and his hands folded in front of him. He seems to work for an influential family.

When he saw Yan Ning, he hurried forward, grabbed the handle of the suitcase, and said, “Madam, the master sent me to take you home.”

He An smiled right away and said, “I was still not sure where to find a taxi. It looks like I don’t have to after all. Uncle Yan, please hurry up and get in the car.”

Yan Ning felt a little helpless, “I’ve said many times that I don’t need to be picked up. I can buy my own ticket and come back.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t book a special flight just to pick you up.” The driver quickly explained, smiling apologetically, “It’s the second young master who’s here in a rush and doesn’t want to delay for a minute. The master suggested that we return together since we had already gone on this trip, saving you the hassle of getting to the airport and fighting crowds.”

Second young master? Is… is he referring to Zheng Feiluan?

Is he here now?

He An stood on his toes and looked around, but no one was there.

“Where is he?” Yan Ning asked.

The driver walked around and approached the car, opening the back seat door and respectfully calling out, “Young Master.”

For a long time, no one moved.

It seemed like the person inside the car was mentally preparing something important, but they never showed up. After brewing alone for a while, he finally leaned down and stepped out of the car. 

⋮

　　From a distance, He An watched him, his expression surprisingly calm.

Zheng Feiluan has slimmed down a bit, but he’s still tall and muscular. He can see the obvious signs of fatigue, and his eye sockets are deep. It’s clear that the last month has not been good.

He was dressed in a black shirt with a pheromone isolation patch on the back of his neck. He couldn’t tell how many layers there were because they were so tight. He also wears a black rope around his neck that is tied with a clear glass tube and hangs over his chest like a necklace.

The liquid in the tube was a brilliant red color, almost like blood.

His left wrist was also wrapped in a wristband or bandage, most likely to keep others from seeing the wound.

Zheng Feiluan stood there, maintaining eye contact with He An while smiling softly.

“He An, I’m back.”

✕✕✕

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Hello everyone! Thank you for liking this work, but I would really appreciate it if you were patient with me. Just a quick note to let you know that I’m working full-time and will get this done eventually. I’m doing what I can to provide the best translation possible, so a slight consideration for freelance translators like me would be fantastic! Again, thanks for reading Perfect Match~! 😽🤎

Translated and edited by janemoyu (05/20/24)