最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 76
Dark clouds covered the sky in the evening, and streetlights were turning on one by one along the long street outside the First Affiliated Hospital of Yuanjiang University.
On top of the lamppost, a few crows huddled in the chilly wind, their bleak shrieks echoing through the air.
A lot of people were gathered in the emergency hall. Paramedics would occasionally bring very sick patients who were still conscious to the hospital. Their loved ones were either so distraught that they couldn’t show any emotion at all, or they were sobbing uncontrollably and covering their faces with cloth. Everyone’s heart was filled with a deep, intense pain that was similar but not the same. It was hard to get rid of, and the hall turned into an ocean of darkness.
In the corner of the second floor, Zheng Feiluan sat alone on a bench and looked down at the hall on the first floor with sad eyes. After a long time, he lifted his head to stare at the operating room door. When he noticed the red light was still on, he slowly dropped his head again.
It has been three and a half hours, and there is still no news from inside.
He can still clearly remember the chaos that unfolded in the afternoon at Yuanjiang University’s library. He An went inside to get some books, and Zheng Feiluan took Linglan to the small pond downstairs to wait. Linglan enjoyed watching the red carp in the pond, so he bought pineapple bread and taught her to tear it into pieces and toss it to the carp. After about ten minutes of waiting, he heard a frantic scream over his head.
It wasn’t He An’s voice.
But Zheng Feiluan’s hunch was spot on, and his immediate thought was that He An was in danger.
He took Linglan with him and strode quickly toward the library, yelling for the attention of the security guard stationed at the entrance but unaware of what was happening.
Following the source of the noise, he found a crowd, which led him to the psychology department reading area. Before he even reached the library, the security guard had effortlessly taken a girl down. She stood there with a very calm expression, showing no signs of fear. The fact that she was carrying a copper hairpin with a bloody tip pointing downward and dripping blood was very different from how calm she seemed.
When she saw Zheng Feiluan walk in, her expression changed.
She gave a warm smile.
Realizing something was wrong made Zheng Feiluan’s heart drop. He looked over to the gap between the two rows of bookshelves where he was standing and found He An laying on the ground, breathing weakly. Blood oozed from a two-inch wound on the back of his neck, soaking his white sweater red.
Zheng Feiluan’s thoughts were nearly empty.
He trusted the bodyguard with Linglan out of his last remaining paternal instinct, hoping she wouldn’t see his wounds.
What came after was a scene straight out of a jigsaw puzzle.
Sirens echoed as the ambulance and police cars pulled up, their red and blue lights flashing together. They put handcuffs on the girl who did it and took her to the police car. When she saw the cops, the calm mask on her face crumbled, and she nervously bent her body to hide. Meanwhile, He An was taken by paramedics to the closest hospital.
Luckily, Yuanjiang University’s First Affiliated Hospital was close by. Just twenty-five minutes following the incident, he was escorted to the operation room. Thankfully, the head doctor of the department that specializes in pheromones, Ji Changhai, was on duty today and came racing over as soon as he heard the news.
“The situation is complicated right now.”
After the first diagnosis, Ji Changhai told Zheng Feiluan, “The patient’s micro-artificial glands is fully ruptured, and it is unlikely to have worked at all. It has to be extracted as quickly as possible. Even though it’s not likely, pieces could still run into blood vessels, which raises some risks. The artificial glands did a good job of shielding most of the damage, but the other side was severe, so the native glands are still injured.”
“How bad is it?” Zheng Feiluan asked with worry in his voice.
Ji Changhai responded, “The omega glands are a very delicate and weak organ. One thing about it is that it’s unstable when it gets hurt. Although it usually heals in a couple of days after being bit by an alpha’s canine teeth, even a little wound may impair its ability to do its job. We will certainly do our best to save your omega, Mr. Zheng, but we have no control over the outcome, so please prepare yourself emotionally.”
“…I appreciate your help. Do what you think is best.”
Zheng Feiluan sighed deeply and bowed to Ji Changhai.
The operating room door was closed, and the red light was turned on. He sat on a bench in the corner and waited for three and a half hours.
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During this time, Yan Ning hurried to the hospital, consoled the sobbing Linglan, and drove her back to Gardenia West Street. Zheng Feiluan was also informed personally by his current assistant, who had also come from the police station.
“That girl denied everything, saying she had no idea who Xie Yan was. When the cops questioned her housemates, they all swore that she was either Xie Yan’s most devoted fan or the leader of a fan club. She has never liked the Young Madam after the cheating scandal. As soon as she found out that the Young Madam had gone back to Yuanjiang University to study, she often cursed in the room, saying things like, “Why don’t you just die?” I say her intent is crystal clear.”
Zheng Feiluan furrowed his brows in exhaustion and said, “I understand. Let’s deal with her fairly. Make sure she doesn’t get away with it.”
“Then… how about the surrounding news?” The assistant cautiously checked with him, “You told us before that all news about Xie Yan should be dealt with a cold shoulder. That’s why the media isn’t talking about today’s violent assault for now. Some Yuanjiang University students talked about it with their friends, but not many…”
“Don’t hide it and expose it all.”
Zheng Feiluan spoke with a low voice.
During this time, Yan Ning hurried to the hospital, consoled the sobbing Linglan, and drove her back to Gardenia West Street. Zheng Feiluan was also informed personally by his current assistant, who had also come from the police station.
“That girl denied everything, saying she had no idea who Xie Yan was. When the cops questioned her housemates, they all swore that she was either Xie Yan’s most devoted fan or the leader of a fan club. She has never liked the Young Madam after the cheating scandal. As soon as she found out that the Young Madam had gone back to Yuanjiang University to study, she often cursed in the room, saying things like, “Why don’t you just die?” I say her intent is crystal clear.”
Zheng Feiluan furrowed his brows in exhaustion and said, “I understand. Let’s deal with her fairly. Make sure she doesn’t get away with it.”
“Then… how about the surrounding news?” The assistant cautiously checked with him, “You told us before that all news about Xie Yan should be dealt with confidentially. That’s why the media isn’t talking about today’s violent assault for now. Some Yuanjiang University students talked about it with their friends, but not many…”
“Expose it all, don’t hold back.”
Zheng Feiluan spoke with a low voice.
He wasn’t really interested in Xie Yan’s problems at that point. Hearing these two words made him queasy, but he knew this news had to be revealed.
“Don’t lie or make things sound worse than they are. Just let everyone know that the person who did this is Xie Yan’s diehard fan. Let the outsiders make judgments, and…” He looked at his assistant and told her in a serious voice, “Tell the reporter that Dr. Ji Changhai said that He An’s glands were severely damaged and would be hard to treat. It could… no, it will definitely hurt our compatibility一be as brutal as you can be; the more brutal, the better.”
“Yes, I understand, Mr. Zheng.”
The assistant jotted down the necessary information and hurriedly left the hospital to get in touch with the press.
When Zheng Feiluan saw the bright red light at the operating room door, his nervous heart calmed down slightly.
He needed this accident to make people think the worst about his relationship with He An and, at the very least, think that they were no longer compatible and had opposing morals and goals, even though they were physically together.
The more of that there is, the safer things will be for He An.
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Yuanjiang has particularly long winter nights. It is so dark outside the window, just after six o’clock, that you can’t make out the shapes of the houses.
Suddenly, at 6:08, the operating room’s red light turned off, and Zheng Feiluan’s once stiff muscles loosened up. He stood up and walked forward nervously. Not long after, Ji Changhai pushed open the door and stepped outside. Despite his obvious fatigue, he smiled reassuringly at Zheng Feiluan and said, “Don’t worry, the procedure went smoothly.”
“Then He An…”
“He has had his artificial glands removed, but his natural glands are still not fully healed. Unfortunately, he can’t regulate his pheromones right now and is feeling very weak. He should avoid any human interaction at all costs. The nurse took him to the room through the enclosed hallway. No need to be concerned, Mr. Zheng. The nurse will let you know as soon as possible after the ward has made preparations, and visiting is allowed.”
Ji Changhai continued, “Mr. Zheng, a successful operation is just the start. You are the one who decides at the end if the recovery that comes next is good or bad.”
“Me?” He frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”
Ji Changhai explained, “The following three to seven days are the rotating cycle of the two pheromones in the patient’s body, also known as the disorder period. He will throw up, feel dizzy, get headaches, can’t tell the difference between hot and cold, and be photophobic. This also hurts the glands, and the process of releasing hormones will be painful. This will be a really difficult time for him. You are his marked partner. No one else in the ward can ease his pain except you, so you’ll have to take turns being his partner, medicine, and caregiver… But don’t worry, the nurse will teach you in advance.”
He added politely.
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Later that night, Zheng Feiluan went to He An’s ward after learning how to be a trained caregiver.
The air was thick with the delicate scent of Lily of the Valley, a scent that was lighter and more pure than before—exactly like the one that Zheng Feiluan remembered—untainted by any other pheromone.
On the bedside, a warm, little nightlight reflected He An’s pale face. Zheng Feiluan approached the bed, sat down, warmed his hands, reached into the blanket, and softly held He An’s hand.
He An was still not conscious. He was sleeping soundly, his head tilted, and breathing slowly.
Even though this accident solved Zheng Feiluan’s pressing situation, he was frustrated about it.
He An was struck in the library, and four or five books were thrown all over the place. Although Zheng Feiluan gave it a lot of thought, he knew just about 70% of the reason he was there.
But reality was so devastating that He An couldn’t make a choice. He was pushed to be on the operating table two years ago, and the same thing happened two years later.
He An, would you be open to it?
Will you hate me when you wake up?
He put his head down and kissed the back of He An’s hand through the blanket.
It quickly got colder in Yuanjiang tonight, and thick clouds started to form. Soon, it will snow for the first time. When you feel better, He An, we’ll take Linglan to see the snow together. I’ll do my best to help you find the answer you missed, and I’ll personally offer it to your heart.
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As the night progressed, Zheng Feiluan grew tired of being by the patient’s side and was dozing off next to the bed when a great force suddenly hurt his clasped fingers.
He was startled awake and noticed that He An had tightened his jaw, looked pale, and had sweat trickling down his cheeks as he rose up from his sleep. It was clear he was in a lot of pain because he let out a few moans that sounded like sobs.
Zheng Feiluan got scared and quickly reached out to ring the bell for help, but He An looked like he was afraid he would run away. His weak and sick body all of a sudden became incredibly strong, and he couldn’t move.
“Please, don’t…”
He An mumbled and cried.
Zheng Feiluan listened closely and finally understood what he said, “Don’t leave, don’t leave me alone… It’s too cold here, Feiluan…”
He An wasn’t awake. He tightly closed his eyes and braced half of his body with his arms shaking. He moved like a sleepwalker and suddenly swooped over to pounce on Zheng Feiluan. He jumped on him so hard that he almost scratched Zheng Feiluan’s back.
“…He An?”
It shocked and confused Zheng Feiluan. Worried that He An would accidentally fall off the bed, he moved quickly to catch him.
“Feiluan, your behavior yesterday was not okay, it really wasn’t okay… Just this once, I swear I won’t cause problems again, so please, stay here and love me… I won’t cause any trouble, and I’ll be good… Just this once… Please…”
He An snuggled into him and leaned on his shoulder. His face was soaked with tears.
What’s happening?
Is he having a bad dream?
Zheng Feiluan had never seen He An beg for mercy in such a humble way. He thought it was a symptom of the disorder and felt like someone was cutting through his chest.
He comforted He An by patting his back over and over and saying, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m right here, okay? Getting you back was so hard for me. How can I stand to leave you now? I’m not going anywhere tonight, so don’t worry. I’ll stay with you until morning, alright?”
He An wouldn’t believe his promise, so he shook his head aggressively for a while while holding on to him, “Liar… once I let go, you’ll run away without looking back…”
He was terrified, like a child who had been ruthlessly left behind.
Run away…
Without looking back…
Zheng Feiluan held him, his movements stopped, and his face became pale.
How could he have forgotten He An like this?
He had seen him like this before, of course.
A few years back, during the heat cycle that gave birth to Linglan, he only spent three or four hours each day with He An and refused to give him more. From early morning until midnight, He An struggled with the agonizing, intense desire on his own.
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Translated and edited by janemoyu (08/06/24)
