最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 38
“He An?”
Zheng Feiluan anxiously stretched out his hand to pull He An, but was slapped back hard.
Holding Linglan in his arms, He An stumbled back three or four steps until his back hit a pillar with a “thud.”. He hurriedly turned and looked around, but all the guests had left, and Dai Xiao and Cheng Xiu didn’t know what time they would be back. The inn was empty, and there was no one who could help him.
Realizing that he was alone and vulnerable, his face instantly turned pale.
He can’t show his timidity at all, especially at times like this. He An forced himself to calm down and said loudly, “Please, please leave! This is our home!”
“Don’t be nervous… He An, don’t be nervous.”
Zheng Feiluan was scared of agitating him, so he didn’t dare take another step closer. He just stood there, gently squeezing his hands, and comforted him in a warm voice, “I just came to see you and the child…if you’re doing okay.”
He An shook his head, the cautiousness in his eyes not diminishing at all.
He didn’t believe a single word and just said, “Get out.”
“You resent me, don’t you?” Zheng Feiluan said, “I admit that I was responsible for all your suffering before. From now on, we—”
“Get out!” again.
Zheng Feiluan had no choice.
He has been in a high position for a long time and rarely bows to others. At this time, he had to lower his head, “He An, I apologize, from the bottom of my heart. Don’t resist me like this. Let’s sit down and talk about it calmly, okay?”
“No.” He An strongly said and still shook his head.
Zheng Feiluan was taken aback and didn’t quite understand why He An was resistant. After a few moments, he thought he understood He An’s concerns and said softly, “It’s just the two of us here, which makes you feel unsafe, right? It doesn’t matter; let’s go outside and find a small teahouse with a lot of people. You and the child will be safe, no one can hurt you.”
He An clenched his teeth and shook his head firmly.
What else could they talk about?
Wasn’t everything that needed to be discussed and signed already settled in that coffee shop?
He had begged for an inch of mercy in the past, but Zheng Feiluan coldly rejected every request. Not allowing him to speak up or object, and telling him that everything was final.
Two winters have passed. He has chewed up and swallowed up all the trauma, and begun to live a peaceful life. How could Zheng Feiluan come to him without saying a word and say that he wanted to talk?
No, there’s nothing more to talk about.
It’s all over.
Linglan hadn’t woken up yet, so she grunted lightly in He An’s arms and scratched the hem of his coat.
She was still young, but she was the precious connection between the two of them. A small and quiet movement broke the long and embarrassing encounter. Zheng Feiluan’s heart trembled, and his eyes couldn’t help but fall on her.
But this gentle glance made He An think of some dark possibility.
With a look of fear on his face, he hurriedly turned sideways, blocking Linglan’s face securely, while his eyes were fixed on Zheng Feiluan, paying attention to his every expression and movement, wary that he would suddenly do something.
“You think…” Zheng Feiluan was shocked and felt a chill running through his body, “He An, how could I possibly… how could I…”
She’s my own daughter!
He was completely clueless about what to say to stop He An from thinking in that awful direction.
⋮
How could his reunion with He An turn out this way?
From the airport to the train, from the train to the rental car, to the stone arch of Luotan Town slowly welcoming him with a picturesque view; he thought they would have a joyous reunion.
The blooming flowers, the shade under the old stone bridge, the plants floating by the water, the waterlilies keeping up with the waves, and fishes swimming to the ripples. Everything here is filled with pleasant views, like an opening scene of a drama film getting ready to tell a heartwarming story.
—A story of a broken mirror and the process of mending it back together.
An omega, who lives in a small southern town, welcomes an unexpected visitor—the alpha he loves so much. Whom once relied on his power and did many hurtful things to the omega, but now has sincerely repented and is willing to accept, support, and compensate him. The omega granted his wishes, said goodbye to the people at the inn where he lived, putting an end to his transient life under the care of others, and followed the alpha back home.
A significant amount of room charges was paid to Dai Xiao by Zheng Feiluan on behalf of He An, in a decent and professional way. Thus, settling all debts and leaving no debts owed to each other.
He considered every possibility, but he underestimated He An’s reaction.
“He An, please calm down and don’t be so hostile to me.” He said as calmly as possible, “I’m not sick and I’m awake now. I won’t hurt you and Linglan. I’m here just because…”
He paused, “Because I miss you so much.”
“You mean my pheromones, right?” He An asked softly.
…
No.
Besides the pheromones, and of course, you.
But Zheng Feiluan couldn’t deny it, because he really, really missed the scent of He An so much.
He An took his reluctant silence as a yes, he chuckled sarcastically, “Did you forget? I had surgery before I left. You personally selected the pheromones for me, with a 7% match, no less. So, whether or not you’re awake, I can’t help you because I don’t have the smell you like any—”
“You do.” Zheng Feiluan interrupted him.
How come you say you don’t?
A very faint scent, hidden under an unfamiliar and ordinary pheromone. It was very weak, just a whiff away from dissipating, but Zheng Feiluan could smell it.
To him, this is the most delicate smell in the world.
It was like a white butterfly in a thick fog, sometimes disappearing then reappearing, playing tricks on Zheng Feiluan mischievously, making his mouth dry. He couldn’t help but release a bit of alpha pheromones, and it took the bait. It fluttered again and again, until it gradually gained enough strength to break through the murky sky of Pheromone Type 3 and leaped happily towards Zheng Feiluan.
The sweet fragrance was pervasive, washing through Zheng Feiluan’s heart like a rainstorm.
It has also waited for too long, been lonely for too long, and coquettishly longed for its long-lost love of alpha pheromones. They are passionately fused and intertwined, crazy and intimate, just like a pair of lovers who will remain together until the end of time.
That’s what it smells like.
Lily of the Valley.
It never changed.
Zheng Feiluan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he had received reassurance: his omega was safe and sound, still waiting for him where he was.
But a few steps away, He An couldn’t even stand.
It’s like the weather suddenly changed; hot and cold alternated repeatedly. From hot as if trapped in a steamer to cold as if trapped in snow and ice. His complexion became worse; his lips were pale, but between breaths, sweat trickled down his temples.
The back of his neck throbbed, as if someone had grabbed a nerve and kept twisting it. The nerves spread throughout his whole body, and he felt very sensitive. The dizziness and nausea turned into a strong gust of wind that blew over him. In his violently spinning vision, the roof, railings, the swing, the sky, the flowers… and Zheng Feiluan’s upstanding figure were all turned into distorted shades of color.
He tried to endure it, but he could no longer resist the urge to throw up.
The sky rolled upside down, and the ground beneath his feet was cushiony and softer than cotton wool. He couldn’t balance himself, so he fell two steps from side to side. He stumbled, and the pillar behind him seemed to disappear, then he suddenly fell backwards.
“He An, what’s wrong?!”
Zheng Feiluan staggered as he rushed forward and held onto him at the moment he fell on his back.
They fell and stopped, waking up the sleeping Linglan.
The child was still sleepy and groggy at first, but when her nose twitched and she caught a whiff of Zheng Feiluan’s essence in the air, she suddenly became terrified—she remembered this scent.
Her innocent and young mind remembered all the fear that had been deeply embedded in her bones before she was born.
The owner of this scent wanted her to die.
She opened her dark eyes wide, and tears kept rolling in her eyes. But she didn’t dare to cry. She pursed her lips and held her breath, like a shivering lamb, desperately shrinking into He An’s shoulder.
But her omega dad has a lot to think about by himself.
Being held by Zheng Feiluan, the majestic alpha pheromone wrapped all over him. It triggered a great pain in He An’s body, dark and oppressive, choking him and making him lose consciousness.
His arms eventually lost strength, and the child in his arms seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. He struggled and slid down.
In his daze, he could feel his beloved baby slipping, but he couldn’t stop it.
⋮
When He An woke up, the small courtyard was bustling, and the blurred vision was full of people. Linglan’s cries rang through his ears, loud and clear, stabbing his heart like a knife.
He found himself sitting on a bench, surrounded by a multitude of snow hydrangeas. About three or four meters away, Zheng Feiluan was looking at him with deep eyes; his face was extremely pale, and his thin lips were tightly closed.
In front of him was a man as big as a mountain.
It’s Dai Xiao.
Only then did he feel relieved.
With Dai Xiao’s fatherly support, Linglan vented her grievances. The tears that she had tried to hold back now doubled in number, and she burst out crying. While she was clinging onto Dai Xiao, her face was covered in tears and snot, and she had her butt pointing towards Zheng Feiluan, refusing to show her face.
On the other side of the inn, Cheng Xiu was guiding the new girls into the rooms, with a trolley bag on his left hand and a box of dumplings on his right.
This group of girls loves gossip. When they saw two alphas and one omega with a baby in the yard, it was clear there was something going on. The plot seemed to be quite thrilling. They all stood tippy-toed and eagerly extended their necks to watch, trying to figure out what the relationship was between those two tall and elegant alphas.
Girl A: “They’re fighting, right?”
Girl B: “It looks like it.”
Girl C: “They are both so handsome. Who’s winning?”
“What fight?!” Cheng Xiu’s head throbbed when he heard it. He pointed at Zheng Feiluan and said, “See that one in a suit? He runs a hotel chain in the city, and he’s working with our boss Dai… See, it’s a completely normal and friendly business chitchat!”
The girls gave him a doubtful look.
Cheng Xiu didn’t care whether they believed him or not, with all his might, he pushed them all into the room.
⋮
Before they met, Zheng Feiluan was already hostile to Dai Xiao. Now that he sees Linglan clinging to him for comfort, he’s so jealous that he nearly snapped.
He clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, and he was breathing heavily.
Dai Xiao was no weakling either. The word “weak” was never in his vocabulary. He stepped forward unwaveringly with his long legs, hardened his muscles, and started to challenge him while carrying Linglan.
The two alpha fathers’ pheromones were at war and having an invisible fight in the small courtyard. Linglan flinched, then she burst into tears. The cry was frightening, and the volume was even higher than before.
Zheng Feiluan: “….”
Dai Xiao: “….”
Zheng Feiluan felt sorry for the child; his eyes softened, he kept his anger under control, and he quickly withdrew the aggressive pheromones. Dai Xiao refused to make others uncomfortable and gave up the confrontation as well.
The tiger and the wolf both took a step back, and the little lamb was out of danger. It finally cried a little less, and it started to hiccup and whimper.
He An endured the uncomfortable dizziness and removed the hand pressing his chest. He stood up slowly while holding onto the bench, took a step forward, and crossed Dai Xiao’s protection.
“He An?”
Dai Xiao was afraid that he would fall and get hurt, so he immediately reached out to help him, but he pushed him back gently and said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
He An took another step forward and looked up at Zheng Feiluan. Facing the dangerous visitor with unclear intentions, his tone was awfully calm, “Mr. Zheng, you said you wanted to talk, right? Okay, we’ll talk.”
Does he not know Zheng Feiluan yet?
He’s unavoidable.
Master Zheng stooped down to take a luxurious day off to come in person. No matter what the purpose was, he would definitely not give up. There are more than a dozen guests staying in Olive Inn, as well as his beloved daughter and friends. Everyone shouldn’t be disturbed and should continue to live their peaceful small town life.
They went through the trouble because of him, so he had to deal with it himself.
Zheng Feiluan frowned and asked insecurely, “What did you call me just now?”
Mr. Zheng?
In the past, when you called me, you were even reluctant to address me by my last name.
He An ignored him and just said, “Follow me.”
He walked to the door of the inn without looking away. As he walked by, Zheng Feiluan once again caught a whiff of Lily of the Valley.
It’s too weak, like the last spark of a flame struggling to stay lit on a melted candle wick.
There’s still enough candle wax to hold it together. But no matter how careful you are, a simple puff of wind will be enough to destroy it.
✕✕✕
Translated and edited by janemoyu (10/18/23)
