EN Chapter 4

Shang Jingyan was still in a sour mood. Chi Sui didn’t like him, and while Chi Yang was clearly to blame, Shang Jingyan couldn’t absolve himself either. He had lost control and slept with Chi Sui without his consent.

On the way home, Shang Jingyan clutched the priceless obsidian necklace in his hand, fuming silently. One moment he was angry at himself for letting Chi Sui slip away to someone else, and the next, furious at his own lapse in self-control.

The moment he got home, Shang Jingyan headed straight to the master bedroom wardrobe, but the curled-up omega he’d once found hiding there was nowhere to be seen.

Knocking on the door to the guest room, he received no response. Entering, he saw Chi Sui not in bed but seated at the desk, drawing and writing. The warm orange glow of the desk lamp illuminated his small head, the strands of his hair curling adorably under the weight of his headphones. Shang Jingyan couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

As he was about to quietly back out, Chi Sui noticed the sound and turned to look at him.

“Why didn’t you knock?” Chi Sui snapped, feigning calmness to take control of the situation. Flustered, he quickly hid the shirt he was clutching in his arms. He had been thinking about Shang Jingyan constantly over the past few days and couldn’t resist sneaking one of his shirts from the wardrobe.

“I’ll knock louder next time.” Shang Jingyan suppressed the urge to scoop Chi Sui up into his arms. He hadn’t realized he could be so clingy.

As he approached, Chi Sui caught a faint, familiar scent—one that made his eyes widen in disbelief. It was Chi An’an’s pheromones. Instinctively, Chi Sui became guarded. So Shang Jingyan is no different from Shang Lin.

I’ve just fallen from one trap into another. The thought stung, especially since Chi Sui had spent the past few days regretting how cold he had been toward Shang Jingyan and yearning for the warmth of his embrace. He had let himself sink into the illusion of Shang Jingyan’s focused, caring gaze, believing it was love. Turns out I was fooled again.

Silent tears began to fall down Chi Sui’s cheeks. Shang Jingyan panicked, unsure of what to do. Forgetting all propriety, he moved to hold and comfort Chi Sui, only to be shoved away.

“Do you enjoy lying to me?” Chi Sui’s voice trembled with hurt. “What’s so valuable about me? You want my money? Fine, take it! Just let me go. I’ll give you everything, just leave me alone. Why do you have to torment me like this?” He tried to flee, but Shang Jingyan caught him around the waist.

The detested scent of rum lingered. Struggling fiercely, Chi Sui bit down hard on Shang Jingyan’s neck, the metallic taste of blood spreading through his lips. Shang Jingyan didn’t dodge or push him away, letting Chi Sui vent his frustration however he pleased.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, baby,” Shang Jingyan murmured, his heart aching as he held Chi Sui tightly despite the punches and scratches. Once Chi Sui was exhausted, his tears spent, Shang Jingyan sat him down on his lap, cradling him gently. Tilting his head up to look into the omega’s tear-streaked eyes, he spoke softly, “Your money is yours, and my money is yours too. Will you give me a monthly allowance?”

“No! You’re a liar!” Chi Sui sniffled, annoyed at how ugly he looked when crying and how Shang Jingyan was staring at him with such deep affection. He’s worse than Shang Lin.

“I won’t lie to you,” Shang Jingyan promised earnestly. “I’ll prove it to you. I’ve reclaimed your shares, hired professional managers for the company, and even retrieved all the gifts meant for you. Everything that’s yours, I’ll make sure you have it. And what’s mine will be yours too. Just stop crying, okay?” He reached out with the necklace in hand, intending to place it around Chi Sui’s neck, only to frown as he noticed the lingering scent of rum.

“This is dirty now. We’ll buy a new one.”

Chi Sui froze, realizing he had misunderstood Shang Jingyan. Embarrassed, he stopped him from throwing the necklace away. “This was Shang Lin’s gift to Chi An’an.”

“Does he deserve it?” Shang Jingyan snorted, visibly annoyed. “This is mine. I got it for you. During a mission in the desert, I met a Middle Eastern merchant who told me it was an ancient Chinese talisman for protection. This rare obsidian cost me quite a bit of military equipment to trade for.”

“You didn’t even know me back then. Why would you give this to me?” Chi Sui clutched the necklace, something Chi An’an had flaunted countless times. His chest tightened with mixed feelings.

“I thought we were engaged. Don’t you remember? After your parents’ funeral, I made a promise to you.”

The memory came rushing back to Chi Sui—crying behind the curtains, being found twice. Once two weeks ago, and once eight years ago. Back then, Shang Jingyan had been less mature, frowning as he told Chi Sui, “I’ll marry you, little kitten. Don’t worry.”

During those chaotic years, Chi Sui had deliberately tried to forget those painful times.

“I sent you so many gifts, but none reached you. I didn’t know my sister-in-law and nephew were so greedy,” Shang Jingyan said, his brows furrowing in frustration. “I even thought you didn’t like me and figured marrying Shang Lin might be fine. It wasn’t until Chi Yang started rushing to secure a prenup that I realized something was wrong.”

“I’m such an idiot. My wife almost got snatched away. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it,” Shang Jingyan grumbled, his expression fierce before softening so as not to scare Chi Sui. He caught Chi Sui’s cold, sockless feet and held them in his palms to warm them.

Flustered, Chi Sui tried to pull away, but Shang Jingyan easily scooped him up, carried him to the wardrobe, and retrieved a pair of socks. Sitting down, he carefully put them on Chi Sui, one foot at a time.

Chi Sui felt tears welling up again. For years, no one had cared whether he ate enough, dressed warmly, studied well, or was in good health. He thought no one ever would. Yet here was someone who had cared about him all along.

“You’re robbing the cradle,” Chi Sui muttered with a red face, trying to sound indignant. “I’m only 18.” But his voice came out sweet, like a spoiled child.

“I am robbing the cradle,” Shang Jingyan replied gently. “Don’t run away anymore. Marry me and give me a chance. Try to like me, okay?” His tone was softer than Chi Sui had ever heard before.

Many people were terrified of Shang Jingyan, but Chi Sui wasn’t. Though Shang Jingyan was ten years older, often bossy and controlling, he also spoiled Chi Sui endlessly. Chi Sui liked being taken care of. Sometimes, he’d deliberately act out just to make Shang Jingyan personally fetch him for meals or coax him to sleep. He didn’t feel safe unless Shang Jingyan held him tightly.

On the eve of their wedding, Chi Sui sneaked off to get a tattoo, wanting to secretly ink Shang Jingyan’s name onto his body. But before the stencil was even complete, he was caught.

“What’s this? A good baby sticker?” Shang Jingyan teased as he brought Chi Sui back home. Sitting face to face with him on his lap, he tilted his head and kissed him deeply.

Chi Sui tugged at Shang Jingyan’s still-damp hair, smirking at how his proud general quickly lost his composure. The fluffy pajamas Chi Sui wore were gradually pushed up, and the uniform-clad man leaned in, pressing closer. The cool metal buttons of Shang Jingyan’s uniform made Chi Sui’s skin tingle, his pheromones spilling uncontrollably into the air.

You don’t need to tattoo me onto your body. I’m already yours.