The car window was opened, and the scent of pheromones inside the car had been completely replaced by the smell of suppressant. The ambiguous atmosphere that lingered just moments ago had disappeared.
Shen Huaizhi placed Jiang Heng’s suppressant back in his bag, then turned to glance at Jiang Heng, furrowing his brows slightly.
The omega, who had just been comforted by pheromones, leaned against the car window in silence, elbows on knees, lost in thought.
After a moment of silence, Shen Huaizhi spoke, “I’ll take you to my place.”
Jiang Heng was momentarily puzzled, and his expression tightened. “Whose place?”
He had been feeling too uncomfortable and hadn’t heard Shen Huaizhi and the driver discussing the change of route.
Shen Huaizhi raised an eyebrow. “My place.”
“No, Captain.” Jiang Heng hesitated and finally tore his gaze away from the window. “Why are you taking me home just like that?”
His eyes landed on Shen Huaizhi’s face, and he blinked shyly. “You’re quite shy about it.”
“Captain, you know I’m a bit delicate, introverted, and especially shy…” Jiang Heng continued, causing the driver’s hands to tremble, almost losing grip on the steering wheel.
As Jiang Heng spoke, he lowered his head, lightly and intensively drumming his knees. “How can I bring myself to go to your place?”
In TV dramas, it’s usually alpha knees that are hit, but he couldn’t bear to do that. What if he accidentally hurt Shen Huaizhi?
Shen Huaizhi’s eyelid twitched, trying to ignore Jiang Heng’s words. “Can’t climb stairs?”
“My place has an elevator, no need to climb stairs.”
With a calm tone, Jiang Heng momentarily couldn’t tell if Shen Huaizhi was joking or serious.
If it was a joke, it was quite rare.
Jiang Heng smiled, “Captain, you care so much about me.”
Shen Huaizhi responded with a sound of agreement.
This time, it was Jiang Heng’s turn to be stunned.
He hadn’t expected Shen Huaizhi to actually admit it.
There was a moment of silence.
Suddenly, Jiang Heng became quiet, and Shen Huaizhi chuckled lightly, “Let’s not go.”
He had originally thought that Jiang Heng’s symptoms couldn’t be alleviated, and his home was closer than where Jiang Heng lived. Unexpectedly, a little pheromone reassurance was all that was needed, and it was likely that Jiang Heng was feeling so uncomfortable because of being with him.
When two alphas with a high pheromone match were close, it could be quite uncomfortable if things got intense.
Jiang Heng, unlike Shen Huaizhi, had a bit better self-control as an alpha. Omegas, even ones like Jiang Heng, were naturally more sensitive, and even in his case, he could easily be affected.
Jiang Heng had already endured quite well.
Shen Huaizhi lowered his eyes, lost in thought, and flexed his fingers. He instructed the driver, “Let’s go back to the previous residential area.”
Jiang Heng sighed, “Captain, I can manage on my own.”
“I can’t leave Captain now. Wherever Captain goes, I go. If Captain goes home, I’ll go home with him. I’m so delicate; I definitely can’t stay alone,” Jiang Heng declared. Seeing no reaction from Shen Huaizhi, he quickly pressed his temples and leaned against the car window. “I can’t do it; my head is spinning, and I feel terrible. How can I go home alone? Do you have the heart to let me go home alone and faint? I’m about to collapse; I can’t sit up. I’m so fragile…”
The driver’s hands trembled again, almost losing control of the steering wheel.
Shen Huaizhi responded with a hesitant expression.
“I’ll take you home, then I’ll leave,” Shen Huaizhi finally said.
Jiang Heng’s complexion had improved significantly compared to before going to the hospital; he didn’t look like someone suffering from motion sickness anymore.
While still pressing his temples, Jiang Heng weakly called out, “Captain, you’re so kind.”
Shen Huaizhi remained silent.
Once they arrived at the residential area where Jiang Heng lived, as soon as the two got out of the car, the driver probably demonstrated the fastest driving speed of his lifetime, leaving the two in a cloud of exhaust.
There weren’t many people downstairs in the residential area at this time. It was the weekend, and it was noon, so no one would be so bored as to sit downstairs in the sun.
Jiang Heng glanced at Shen Huaizhi, but he still didn’t feel embarrassed enough to pretend to collapse into the other’s arms.
He felt such behavior wasn’t suitable for him. Even if he was a soft omega, he shouldn’t just collapse after a car ride.
However, Shen Huaizhi’s embrace did feel quite comfortable.
“Captain, I’ll go back first,” Jiang Heng took a few steps forward. Seeing Shen Huaizhi standing still, fiddling with his phone, Jiang Heng turned back.
“Thank you, Captain, for accompanying me back,” he said unusually sincerely. Shen Huaizhi looked up at him with a slightly puzzled expression, and Jiang Heng continued, “If you hadn’t followed me back, I wouldn’t have known what might have happened.”
It was quite sincere indeed.
In the recent situation, although Jiang Heng could ensure his safe return home, without Shen Huaizhi’s pheromone reassurance, he might have felt uncomfortable with his whole body heating up, possibly needing to crawl through the door.
Another injection of suppressant, and who knows, he might have to lie in bed for several days.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of losing face.
Well, it was quite embarrassing, and Jiang Heng did care about preserving his dignity.
At this moment, Shen Huaizhi put away his phone, as if he hadn’t heard what Jiang Heng said, and said to him, “Let’s go, upstairs.”
Jiang Heng stood still for a second.
Shen Huaizhi lowered his gaze and glanced at his legs. “I’ll take you upstairs.”
Jiang Heng’s feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, staying in place for several seconds before he made an effort not to burst into laughter.
Oh, he’s going to escort him upstairs.
Soft and delicate omega, escorted online.
Why was this thing so effective? Damn.
Jiang Heng hobbled a bit, following Shen Huaizhi’s steps. After walking only a few steps, Shen Huaizhi stepped back and positioned his hand on Jiang Heng’s lower back.
Jiang Heng tensed his expression.
Oh, he’s supporting me.
This was too effective.
Could he just carry me up?
No, that’s too hasty. Not so urgent. How could he be carried so easily?
Alphas don’t hold or carry each other.
What if he inadvertently heated himself up again?
As Jiang Heng thought about it, he accidentally stepped on two steps.
Shen Huaizhi stared at his back and chuckled silently.
This version of Jiang Heng was a bit more pleasing to the eye. The vulnerability he glimpsed in the car just now didn’t quite match the usual Jiang Heng.
So, Shen Huaizhi deliberately made a joke.
He usually didn’t joke much with others, feeling that his speech was often too serious. Unexpectedly, he had inadvertently twisted someone around with a joke.
Jiang Heng suddenly realized that something was off, and his back tensed.
Damn, he almost broke his own character.
Damn.
Could he still claim it was a mistake about his foot now?
Jiang Heng, with a strained face, slowed down as he ascended the stairs, quickly concocting reasons in his mind for accidentally climbing two flights with his injured leg. Just then, he heard Shen Huaizhi say, “We’re here.”
He snapped back to reality and looked at the floor.
Normally, he would dash up three floors, but today he hadn’t dashed, yet it seemed just as fast.
Jiang Heng squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Captain.”
Shen Huaizhi responded but showed no intention of following him to his apartment. Instead, he stood at the stairwell and advised, “Ordered takeout for you. Have it delivered to the stairwell, and leave your phone number.”
“Remember to come out and get it later.”
After a hospital visit, neither of them had eaten.
As Shen Huaizhi descended the stairs, Jiang Heng lingered at the stairwell for a while.
After half a minute, he touched his rapidly beating heart and pressed his cheek against the back of his hand.
The silhouette going down the stairs looked quite handsome.
So hot.
Radiating heat.
Back home, the housekeeper knew he had gone out today and didn’t prepare lunch for him. Nobody was at home.
Jiang Heng closed the door and silently touched his glands.
The needle marks on the glands had not faded yet, but maybe due to Shen Huaizhi’s pheromone reassurance, they didn’t hurt as much when touched.
Being marked by someone like Shen Huaizhi wasn’t really a loss.
Moreover, he quite liked him.
Jiang Heng with a wooden face then opened WeChat messages.
He had received several messages from He Cai.
Some messages were from Chen Xingchi. After the day of basketball, He Cai added him to a basketball group from One High School, filled with a bunch of alphas.
All the alphas in the group added him as a friend when they saw Jiang Heng had joined.
Chen Xingchi was also in the group.
Jiang Heng first opened He Cai’s messages.
【He Ci: ??? Have you all reached the point of marking each other?】
【He Ci: Have you returned from the hospital?】
【Water Worker Wang Xing: Back.】
【Water Worker Wang Xing: I’ll give you one minute to answer the question.】
He Ci indeed held his phone and replied within half a minute.
【He Ci: How do you want me to respond to that?】
【Water Worker Wang Xing: ?】
【He Ci: The feeling you have when you want to dominate Shen Huaizhi is the same feeling he has when he wants to mark you. You understand, right?】
【He Ci: Such a nuisance.】
【Water Worker Wang Xing: ?】
【He Ci: I’ve never encountered an omega I wanted to mark. Still a pure-hearted little alpha. How am I supposed to know under what circumstances one would want to mark the other? It’s all from books.】
【System Prompt: Message sent but rejected by the recipient.】
He Ci: ?
Jiang Heng expressionlessly blocked him and then opened the chat with Chen Xingchi.
【Chen Xingchi: Jiang Heng, did you and Captain leave?】
【Chen Xingchi: … I went to the surgery department but didn’t see you guys.】
【Chen Xingchi: Qaq I told Captain we’d leave together.】
【Chen Xingchi: Captain isn’t responding to my messages!】
Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow.
【Water Worker Wang Xing: Oh, he probably didn’t see it.】
【Water Worker Wang Xing: Qaq What’s wrong? I feel like beating you up when I see this.】
【Chen Xingchi: …】
What happened to the soft and delicate omega?
The author has something to say: Jiang Heng, are you sure he didn’t see it? Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution from August 13, 23:45:23, to August 14, 23:45:36!
Thank you to the little angels who dropped landmines: Fu Jincid, Xiaojin (1 each).
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Shen Luo skyr_ (15 bottles), Wen, Xiaojin (10 bottles each), Mo Jian (3 bottles), Egyptian Pyramid, Jiang Heng panting (2 bottles each), Nan Tangsanmu, Su Tang, Congxin’er (1 bottle each).
A big thank you to everyone for your support. I will continue to work hard!
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ❤️”
