After firmly declining his brother’s invitation to start a fight and hanging up the phone, Zhong Lin spent the afternoon in a daze. Had his brother really become this scheming over just a few years? Weren’t they in real estate?
And what kind of person had he married, exactly? And he was even daring to have an affair? This wasn’t just messing around; this was playing with fire.
The pyromaniac teenager was not very productive that afternoon and worked until late into the night. By the time everyone else had left, Zhong Lin, inspired, decided to work through the night and managed to complete a draft by morning. His assistant had come back from sleeping at home just as he was finishing up.
“Siri, forward client feedback to my email. And don’t take on any big projects for me in the next month,” Zhong Lin instructed his assistant while hailing a taxi. He wasn’t keen on driving himself these days, especially after the accident, and fatigue from a night without sleep made it even more unwise. After all, it was a car accident that had caused his concussion; he had to be extra careful.
Famished, Zhong Lin stopped halfway home to buy a couple of buns to quell his hunger before continuing on. Once home, he flopped onto his bed, overwhelmed by fatigue. Though his heart was willing to stay up, his body could no longer keep up. After lamenting about the ravages of time, Zhong Lin wrapped himself in his blanket and slept until evening. As he slowly woke, he felt something heavy on him, which startled him into full consciousness.
The formidable sanda fighter had him firmly enveloped in his arms, his hot breath tickling the fine hairs on Zhong Lin’s face, causing him to shiver. The curtains weren’t fully drawn, allowing a sliver of light to illuminate their intertwined gazes, and neither spoke for a moment.
Zhong Lin’s heart pounded erratically, feeling like a deer caught in the gaze of a salivating wolf, fixated on him. Damn alpha sensitive periods, why did they have to be so terrifying!
“Wife.” Zhuang Yi was the first to break the silence, sounding a bit embarrassed and somewhat aggrieved. He rarely entered Zhong Lin’s room, but this time he just couldn’t help himself. Last night, Zhong Lin hadn’t come home, and Zhuang Yi had curled up on the couch all night waiting in vain. It wasn’t until morning that Zhong Lin returned, looking exhausted. As he changed his shoes at the entryway, head bowed, he walked straight to his room. Before Zhuang Yi could get up from the couch, Zhong Lin had disappeared.
Concerned, Zhuang Yi got up and cautiously knocked on Zhong Lin’s door, which was ajar. Peeking inside, he found Zhong Lin already asleep under the covers.
His wife looked so adorable sleeping; why had he never noticed before? But where had his wife been last night?
The thought that had been tormenting Zhuang Yi since yesterday resurfaced. Had his wife been swept off by someone else? This notion sent a surge of anger through Zhuang Yi, his eyes reddening. He approached cautiously and gently lifted the collar of Zhong Lin’s shirt, relieved to find the gland area smooth and unmarked.
At least, at least…
Unfortunately, Zhuang Yi underestimated the allure of the omega’s gland. Enthralled, his fingers clung to Zhong Lin’s smooth skin, unwilling to let go. The scent on the hoodie was fading, insufficient to quench his thirst, and his inner desires flared uncontrollably. Zhuang Yi quietly climbed onto Zhong Lin’s bed, convincing himself that he was merely committing an error all alphas might make.
Thinking thus, Zhuang Yi didn’t let go and even boldly pulled Zhong Lin into his embrace.
“Get out!” Zhong Lin, believing he was justified, tried to sound stern but his voice came out muffled and weak. Buried in Zhuang Yi’s muscular chest, his defiance melted away under the pressure of the sanda champion. His voice softened, “Why are you in my room, huh?” The tail of his sentence carried an unintentional whine.
“Wife, you didn’t come home last night, I was worried about you.” Zhuang Yi mumbled, his frustration peaking. He had struggled for hours to mask the lingering scent of pork buns with his pheromones, and it had been exhausting to avoid waking his soundly sleeping wife. A weak alpha whose pheromones had no effect on him, clearly lower in status, was daring to meddle in his marriage—absurd, delusional, utterly oblivious to danger.
Zhong Lin pulled away from Zhuang Yi’s embrace, feeling it was necessary to have a serious talk with his spouse. He really didn’t want to keep guessing and making assumptions. But as he was about to speak, he hesitated, afraid that revealing his memory loss would give Zhuang Yi an opportunity to exploit him. This suspicious alpha, a dramatic crier yet physically dominant, might just cast him in some melodramatic love saga, forcing him into signing some disgraceful and unfair treaties.
In his dreams!
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Zhuang Yi ignored Zhong Lin’s rolling eyes and focused on his brilliant plan. He had purchased an emotional course, spending a day listening and taking notes, and had devised a ten-step strategy to win someone back. He would type a line, take a sniff from the hoodie, disgustingly obsessed.
The first step in his ten-step plan was to analyze needs and cater to them. Essentially, solve problems for his wife, become an indispensable advisor.
Yesterday, when he tackled Zhong Lin to the carpet, Zhuang Yi cushioned his wife’s head to avoid injury and accidentally felt a smooth, bald patch. His wife had been balding, which explained the constant wearing of hats.
Could this be why his wife fancied the flashy blue-haired Pei Jue? Because of envy for someone else’s lush, styleable hair? Zhuang Yi’s expression became grave.
Scientific research shows that bald patches are mainly caused by prolonged mental stress, shock, grief, or excessive mental exertion. Noticing neither his wife’s discomfort nor emotional changes, Zhuang Yi blamed himself—he might even be the cause of his wife’s balding. During their marriage, had he ever paid attention to whether Zhong Lin had headaches or fevers?
Resolved to change and perform better, Zhuang Yi was confident that curing his wife’s balding could defeat his rival, perhaps even eliminating the need to dye his hair.
Zhuang Yi had stayed up late into the night reading medical texts, even rousing a familiar doctor to explain the causes and comprehensive treatment of balding for two hours.
Now was the time to shine. Zhuang Yi held his wife and began to show off his newfound knowledge. Freshly awake, Zhong Lin was initially startled but soon felt overwhelmed. Their pheromones were highly compatible; Zhong Lin’s limbs weakened, though his mind stayed clear as he was forced to listen to an earful of herbal health remedies, including ingredients like Banxia and Danggui.
Zhong Lin didn’t understand why Zhuang Yi suddenly started discussing various traditional medicines with him. Maybe his arranged spouse really had a mental issue.
“In conclusion, when blood circulation to the top of the head is poor, hair loss occurs, and in severe cases, bald patches form. To prevent hair loss, keep the scalp clean and dry, eat vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, breathe fresh air, and relax to reduce hair loss. However, if bald patches appear, you must seek medical treatment immediately to prevent further damage.”
“I’ve booked an appointment with the best doctor. Let’s go see him tomorrow.” Zhuang Yi reached towards Zhong Lin’s head, intending to massage the scalp to stimulate blood flow, not realizing he was touching a tiger’s rear instead.
Zhong Lin’s face grew increasingly grim as he listened. Faced with Zhuang Yi’s bright-eyed, eager for praise look, Zhong Lin mustered all his strength and kicked the sanda champion off the bed, “Get out!”
Zhong Lin’s face flushed with anger. He had intended to tell Zhuang Yi about his car accident and resulting head injury, but now he didn’t want to give Zhuang Yi even the satisfaction of a fart.
His wife’s pride was too great, refusing medical treatment even for balding. Zhuang Yi, pushed out of the fragrant room, still tried to reason as the door slammed shut behind him, leaving him on the verge of tears.
Seeking advice, how should he handle this? His wife’s pride was too strong, refusing proper medical treatment even for balding. He couldn’t possibly disdain his wife, but he was really troubled.
