MBBBA Chapter 33

By the time Wei Ning finally came downstairs to grab dinner, it was already evening. He was about to head back to the bedroom when Wei Mu stopped him, saying, “You were too quick earlier, and now you’re too slow!”

Wei Ning, exasperated, replied, “You sure worry about everything.”

From upstairs, Zhu Yu’s voice rang out, “Old Wei, where’s my food? I’m starving, you’re so slow!”

“Go on, then.” Wei Mu quickly let go of him.

Wei Ning rushed back upstairs, carrying the dinner tray. He set it up on a small table for Zhu Yu to eat in bed. Zhu Yu, exhausted from the day’s activities, was hungrily wolfing down his meal. As he ate, Wei Ning buttoned up his shirt, covering the plum blossom-like marks on his neck.

With his mouth full, Zhu Yu mumbled, “I want chicken legs, pork chops, and stir-fried beef too.” Although anything tasted good when hungry, the light porridge and small dishes weren’t satisfying.

Wei Ning calmly replied, “Once your rut is over, you can ask Zhang Jie for whatever you want.”

“But I want it now.” Zhu Yu insisted.

“Not now.” Wei Ning said firmly.

Zhu Yu gave him a look that screamed, You’re so heartless, but when it didn’t work, he switched tactics and tried to coax him, “Ning Gege, you worked me so hard, and you won’t even let me have a piece of meat?”

Wei Ning was entirely unaffected by Zhu Yu’s exaggerated tone. His expression didn’t change as he responded, “No.”

Zhu Yu dropped the act and said coldly, “Damn it, I have to ask for your permission just to eat a piece of meat? Wait until I have the strength to get out of bed, and I’ll go straight to Zhang Jie.”

Wei Ning said, “Everyone in the house knows that this week you’re only allowed to eat light food.”

Zhu Yu, frustrated, muttered, “…Damn it!”

Seeing how unhappy he was, Wei Ning frowned slightly and offered, “Are you still hungry? I can get you more.”

Zhu Yu waved him off, “I’m full, I’m full. You go eat your own dinner.” Without any meat, the food was less satisfying. He decided to save some room and sneak downstairs later for a midnight snack.

Wei Ning, equally exhausted from the day, took Zhu Yu at his word and went downstairs to eat his dinner. At the table, he overheard Wei Mu and Zhang Jie chatting about some articles they had seen on WeChat:

“Shocking! An Omega Overexerting During Rut, Ended Up with a Back Injury!”

“What’s Wrong with Alphas These Days?”

“Neglect It While You’re Young, Regret It When You’re Old: A Must-Read Cautionary Tale for AOs!”

Wei Ning put down his chopsticks, “I’m full. I’ll head back upstairs now.”

Wei Mu quickly said, “I’ll forward these articles to you!”

Wei Ning sped up his steps, his retreating figure looking a bit like he was fleeing.

Later that night, before bed, Zhu Yu’s rut flared up again. Remembering the titles of the articles his mother had sent him, Wei Ning subconsciously softened his actions.

Zhu Yu grumbled, “Didn’t you get enough at dinner?” He squirmed against the sheets, “Ugh, this is uncomfortable.”

Wei Ning’s gentle pace paused—Worry about old age when it comes—and he resumed with renewed intensity.

Zhu Yu opened his eyes and turned to look at the man beside him. Impressive. Wei Ning was sleeping more soundly than Simon. Zhu Yu quietly lifted the blanket, grabbed his phone for light, and carefully climbed out of bed. He tiptoed to the door, opened it, and sneaked out.

Wei Ning, who had been pretending to sleep, opened his eyes. He suspected Zhu Yu might be dissatisfied without any meat and had deliberately tested him. As expected, Zhu Yu took the bait.

Sitting up, Wei Ning listened to Zhu Yu’s footsteps descending the stairs, thinking about how to deal with him once he caught him in the act. Zhu Yu had been so fussy after they only did it once tonight, insisting on no more. Now, with evidence in hand, Wei Ning could insist on trying a new position.

Wei Ning got out of bed slowly, ready to catch Zhu Yu in the act. But before leaving, he noticed the box of “study material” DVDs still lying on the floor. He grimaced in disgust. These movies had cost him eight years. If he had known earlier that he didn’t find Zhu Yu’s body repulsive but rather… arousing, their relationship wouldn’t have deteriorated to the point it had before their body swap. Although their marriage was arranged, they had known each other through family business dealings, and Wei Ning had never disliked Zhu Yu as a person—only the idea of an arranged marriage.

Just as he was about to open the door, his phone lit up. To focus on taking care of Zhu Yu, Wei Ning had put his phone on silent mode for the past few days. Seeing that the call was from his secretary, he paused, closed the door, and answered.

“What is it?”

The secretary apologized, “Wei Zong, I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I’ve found something important. The medical records show that Madam purchased fourteen doses of inhibitors eight years ago and used them all the next day.”

Wei Ning nodded. It was indeed crucial information, though he already knew. If he hadn’t been prepared, he might have been shocked by this revelation.

“When did he buy them?” Wei Ning asked.

The secretary replied, “July 14, on his birthday.” He hesitated before adding, “Wei Zong, that day… you were out of town and didn’t make it home.”

In eight years, Wei Ning had only missed one night at home, and it just so happened that Zhu Yu went into heat that day.

The secretary continued, “That day was likely Madam’s first rut.” He had endured it by using fourteen doses of inhibitors, which must have been incredibly painful. The secretary swallowed this last thought.

For a moment, Wei Ning was speechless, and the secretary didn’t dare to say anything or hang up.

After half a minute, Wei Ning asked, “What was I doing at the time?”

“You had just graduated from college and were attending a reunion with your classmates.”

A class reunion—a trivial event, especially compared to an omega’s first rut in their early twenties.

Wei Ning couldn’t begin to imagine what Zhu Yu must have gone through that day.

The secretary continued, “I haven’t found any major setbacks in Madam’s life so far. It seems…” He hesitated briefly, “…that Madam was well-loved by his two fathers, had a talent for painting, gained a decent following online, and had his own career. Perhaps the most significant hardship he faced was that rut.”

As Wei Ning had suspected, the reason Zhu Yu took fourteen inhibitors was because of him. The things Wei Ning had said on their wedding night and his decision to stay out overnight less than two weeks later had inflicted deep wounds on Zhu Yu. Zhu Yu hadn’t argued with him but had silently endured, and for the next eight years, he never went into heat again.

Wei Ning’s throat tightened. The cocky Zhu Yu after the body swap, the flushed and begging Zhu Yu during the rut, the sneaky midnight meat thief Zhu Yu… His omega seemed lively, bold, and carefree, but beneath that exterior lay a proud, sensitive, and fragile heart.

Even though he had never stayed out overnight since that one time, he couldn’t undo the mistake of not coming home that night.

The secretary, hearing the heavy silence on the other end, sympathetically suggested, “Wei Zong, you can still make up for it. After all, Madam—let me just send it to you.”

Wei Ning ended the call and waited for a moment. When the secretary’s message came through, he opened the file titled N God’s Portfolio. As he began to review it, another message from the secretary arrived: “Wei Zong, Madam’s pen name is Ning Yu. You know what that means.”

The moment he saw the pen name, Wei Ning felt a pang in his heart. He focused on the portfolio and quickly noticed that it was divided into two periods: before and after 2011. Before 2011, N God’s works were vibrant, warm, and full of life, portraying the many facets of human nature with a longing and hope for love. After 2011, however, that youthful exuberance had vanished, replaced by a more wild and unrestrained imagination. While the works were more audacious and free-spirited, they also carried an undertone of worldly cynicism.

Unable to help himself, Wei Ning searched for Ning Yu’s pen name, looking for critiques from well-known artists to see if his interpretation was accurate. The first result on Baidu led him to a forum post titled, For those who say N God’s technique lacks emotion, take a look at his debut work—this is what you call lacking emotion?

The title was cut off, leaving Wei Ning feeling a bit unsatisfied, but he quickly clicked on the post when he saw it discussing N God’s emotional depth.

Poster 2019-08-31 01:10

For those who say N God’s technique lacks emotion, take a look at his debut work. This is what you call lacking emotion? It’s overflowing with subtlety, okay? [Image] [Image] [Image]

The first image wasn’t in the N God’s Portfolio, so Wei Ning quickly saved it before reading on. The picture was a portrait of a young man sitting casually on a simple sofa, with long legs crossed and an air of confident dominance. The commanding aura of an alpha was evident, yet his gaze was filled with warmth. His slightly extended hand seemed to be inviting a lover to sit in his lap.

I Am Alpha AF 2019-08-31 01:11

I haven’t seen the first image before. The alpha’s gaze is intense enough to melt me. What kind of domineering CEO A is this? Any omega would go weak at the knees. The most remarkable thing is how the exquisite technique and rich emotion work together. The slight smile at the corners of his mouth is so subtle, it’s clear that the artist poured genuine, passionate, yet restrained feelings into this work. I’m swooning. Just wow. Even though this might be one of N God’s earlier, more youthful works, it has everything it should. No more words—I’m weak at the knees…

Study Hard Or Die 2019-08-31 01:15

I beg N God to return to portrait art. While I love the illustrations and buy every book, betas and omegas want representation too. I beg for N God to show some love to all six genxders with an illustration—or better yet, an entire book.

Feng Yang Got Locked Up 2019-08-31 01:16

I dream of the day I make enough money to commission N God for a fan art of my OTP.

Study Hard Or Die 2019-08-31 01:17

Keep dreaming, do you even know how much one of N God’s pieces costs?

Also, to the first commenter, aren’t you an alpha? Why are your knees weak…?

Seeing that the post had devolved into fans praising N God’s work, Wei Ning closed it, but not before carefully examining the portrait he had saved.

How to put it? It wasn’t narcissism, but this portrait of an alpha looked remarkably like a twenty-year-old version of himself.

---

────୨ৎ────
Be my Patron ~ Buy me Ko-Fi
────୨ৎ────
✨Be a part of the story – support my translations✨
✨Buy me some Ko-FI | Paypal to support my effort✨
✨✨Advance chapter at Patreon✨✨