After Transmigrating into an ABO World with My Rival - Chapter 39

It was unclear whether it was due to the chill or the emotional turbulence, but that night, Chen Yanzhi came down with a high fever. In his dazed state, he clung to Fu Tingyue and cried, mumbling things like “I like you” and “Do not leave me.”

Fu Tingyue was heartbroken. He held Chen Yanzhi close by the bedside to soothe him while the family doctor prepared a fever-reducing injection.

Chen Yanzhi was clearly lost in another nightmare. His eyes remained shut as he wept. Fu Tingyue cupped his face and called out softly, “Baby, we will not be parted. Open your eyes and look at me, okay?”

In his dream, Chen Yanzhi was sprinting through a thick fog, unable to find Fu Tingyue anywhere. He was terrified. Just as he tried to chase a shadow ahead, a sharp sting in his backside jolted him awake. He found himself staring into Fu Tingyue’s eyes, which were filled with worry.

Ignoring the sting of the injection, Chen Yanzhi panicked and threw his arms around Fu Tingyue’s neck, his body trembling slightly. Because the doctor was present, he was too embarrassed to sob out loud, so he forced himself to cry silently, tears streaming down his face.

It was terrifying; he had lost Fu Tingyue in the dream.

Seeing him awake, Fu Tingyue breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his head to kiss the top of Chen Yanzhi’s head. “It is over. It was just a dream. I am here.”

Though he was awake, Chen Yanzhi felt lightheaded and his body ached. He lifted his tear-stained face and looked at Fu Tingyue with a hint of grievance. “Why did you have to give me a shot?”

Fu Tingyue gently wiped the tear tracks from his face and explained softly, “Baby, you have a fever. You probably caught a cold during the day.”

Only then did Chen Yanzhi realize his head felt incredibly heavy and dull. He leaned into Fu Tingyue’s neck and muttered, “The shot hurts.”

Fu Tingyue felt guilty. “It is my fault for not taking better care of you. My Zhizhi is suffering.”

Chen Yanzhi shook his head. His burning eyelids flickered as he spoke in a thick, raspy voice. “It is not your fault. I am just lazy and do not exercise. I will work out properly from now on so I do not get sick.”

Hearing this, Fu Tingyue felt even more pained. “Alright, I will supervise your exercise in the future.”

After the injection, Chen Yanzhi broke into a sweat and the fever broke, but the doctor noted his tonsils were inflamed and he needed an IV drip. Fu Tingyue was worried the needle would startle him if he stayed asleep, so he had to wake him.

“Zhizhi, you need a drip. If it hurts, you can bite me,” Fu Tingyue said, rolling up his sleeve and offering his arm to Chen Yanzhi’s mouth.

Chen Yanzhi shook his head weakly. “I am not afraid of needles in my hand, only the ones in my butt.”

“Good boy,” Fu Tingyue praised as he helped Chen Yanzhi roll up his sleeve for the doctor.

Chen Yanzhi truly was not afraid of the hand needle. He remained silent throughout the process and even fell asleep in Fu Tingyue’s arms. Fu Tingyue tenderly wiped the sweat from his face, laid him down gently, and used warm water to clean his skin.

It was nearly dawn by the time the IV was finished. Without Fu Tingyue right beside him, Chen Yanzhi slept fitfully, his brow furrowed as he talked in his sleep. Fu Tingyue decided to skip work and stay home to care for him.

Because of the sudden illness, the travel plans with Lin Xubai had to be postponed. Upon hearing the news, Lin Xubai was extremely worried and brought many homemade treats to visit.

Lin Xubai followed the servant upstairs. As he entered the room, he saw Chen Yanzhi leaning against the bed, looking pale. He hurried to the bedside. “Yanzhi, are you alright? How did you suddenly fall so ill?”

Chen Yanzhi lacked energy. The recurring high fever from the night before had left him looking very frail, and with his throat aching, his voice was thin. “My health became quite poor after differentiating into an Omega. Coupled with a lack of exercise, I got sick just from the cold wind yesterday.”

“Omegas are prone to illness. You must take care of yourself; you can no longer be as reckless as a Beta,” Lin Xubai said. Realizing he was lecturing too much, he quickly added, “How are you now? Are you still in pain? Should we go to the hospital for a full check-up?”

Chen Yanzhi shook his head. “It is just a cold. No need for all that trouble. It is nothing major, just a sore throat and a heavy head.”

Lin Xubai relaxed slightly, but seeing how much weight Chen Yanzhi had lost from his face, he couldn’t help but frown. “I brought many of your favorite desserts, but if your throat hurts, you should avoid sweets. I will make them for you again when you are better.”

“Thank you, Xiaobai,” Chen Yanzhi said, a weak smile appearing on his porcelain-white face. “I might not be able to go out with you for a while. Fu Tingyue won’t let me leave the house.”

Lin Xubai said hurriedly, “Who cares about playing when you are sick? We can go later. Just focus on recovering.”

“Okay, let’s go together another time.” Chen Yanzhi’s eyelids grew heavy; he was clearly sleepy.

Lin Xubai stepped forward to help him lie down. “Lie down and rest. Don’t worry about me. I will stay with you for a bit and then head back.”

Chen Yanzhi pulled the quilt up, leaving only his dull eyes visible. “Then I will sleep for a while. Stay longer and have dinner before you go.”

Lin Xubai agreed. “Alright, go to sleep.”

Before Lin Xubai could finish his sentence, Chen Yanzhi had succumbed to sleep. Concerned that Chen Yanzhi might have trouble breathing, Lin Xubai reached out to pull the quilt down a little. Seeing Chen Yanzhi’s beautiful yet haggard face, he couldn’t help but stare for a moment.

Chen Yanzhi was truly handsome—the kind of look that was stunning at first glance. His exquisite features on his well-defined face made him look like a doll. His thick, curled eyelashes and small mouth, which was pale from illness, added a touch of “sickly beauty.”

Lin Xubai had liked this face from the moment they met. As an art student himself, he had no resistance to beautiful things. Even though Chen Yanzhi was now an Omega, seeing this face still made his heart race. He leaned in uncontrollably.

“What are you doing?”

Fu Tingyue’s ice-cold voice came from behind, startling Lin Xubai so much that he fell to the floor, looking like a man with a guilty conscience.

Fu Tingyue ignored him. He walked to the bed and touched Chen Yanzhi’s forehead. Confirming there was no fever, he sighed in relief. He gently tucked the boy in and kissed his face before turning to face Lin Xubai, who was standing to the side with his head bowed.

He reminded him expressionlessly, “Mr. Lin, Zhizhi has now differentiated into an Omega. You had better extinguish those thoughts of yours, or you will not be allowed to associate with him anymore.”

Although Chen Yanzhi liked making friends, he usually forgot them as soon as the interaction was over. He couldn’t even remember names; next time he saw them, he would greet them as if they were close, while in reality, he had no idea who was who.

Half of this was thanks to Fu Tingyue. Especially after arriving in this world, fearing Chen Yanzhi would be snatched away by an Alpha, Fu Tingyue had done a lot of “clean-up” regarding his social circle. He hadn’t bothered with Lin Xubai before because Lin Xubai was an Omega and Chen Yanzhi had explicitly rejected him.

He had assumed Lin Xubai would give up once Chen Yanzhi became an Omega, yet the man actually tried to steal a kiss.

Fu Tingyue didn’t release any suppressive pheromones, but simply standing there made Lin Xubai feel breathless. Lin Xubai took a deep breath and bowed to Fu Tingyue. “I am sorry. I was just… possessed for a moment.”

He truly had been possessed. Seeing Chen Yanzhi’s face, he simply lost control for a second.

Fu Tingyue snorted coldly. “Zhizhi sincerely treats you as a friend; otherwise, you would not have the chance to be near him.”

Lin Xubai was stunned. He stole a quick glance at Fu Tingyue before lowering his head again. “I know. I also sincerely value Yanzhi as a friend. Just now was truly a lapse in judgment.”

Fu Tingyue ignored him. He sat by the bed and gently stroked Chen Yanzhi’s face, muttering to himself, “Our Zhizhi is so beautiful.”

Lin Xubai couldn’t stay any longer. As he turned to leave, Fu Tingyue suddenly spoke. “Zhizhi invited you for dinner.”

“I know. I am going out for some air.” Lin Xubai ran off, wishing he could vanish on the spot. Why had he tried to kiss him? And he had been caught red-handed by Fu Tingyue. How could he face them now?

Fu Tingyue watched Lin Xubai leave, his suppressed anger leaking out through his eyes. He could never let the man be alone with Chen Yanzhi again. If he hadn’t arrived in time, Lin Xubai would have kissed Chen Yanzhi’s face.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned and kissed Chen Yanzhi’s face several times.

When Chen Yanzhi woke up, Fu Tingyue was sitting by the bed handling work, his expression focused and serious. So handsome, Chen Yanzhi thought. He couldn’t help but stare until Fu Tingyue noticed he was awake and touched his forehead.

He stroked Chen Yanzhi’s cheek, his expression softening. “Do you feel better?”

Chen Yanzhi nodded and nuzzled into Fu Tingyue’s palm. “Just a bit of a sore throat.”

“Take it slow. You need to rest for a few days.” Fu Tingyue pulled Chen Yanzhi onto his lap, draping a nearby blanket over him. His heart ached at the sight of the boy’s thin face. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” Chen Yanzhi answered weakly. He leaned into Fu Tingyue’s chest and asked, “Did Xiaobai leave?”

Fu Tingyue said flatly, “No. He is downstairs.”

Chen Yanzhi looked up at him. “Why are you unhappy? Is it too much work?”

Fu Tingyue quickly leaned down to kiss him. “I am not unhappy. I just feel bad for you.”

Chen Yanzhi was becoming more perceptive or rather, he cared about Fu Tingyue more. As soon as a trace of negative emotion appeared, he noticed it.

Chen Yanzhi cupped Fu Tingyue’s face and kissed his chin, then his eyes and nose. His voice was still weak. “I am fine. I feel much better today, do not worry.”

Fu Tingyue tried to kiss his mouth, but Chen Yanzhi tilted his head back to avoid it. Seeing the disappointment in the man’s eyes, Chen Yanzhi explained with a cough, “I have a cold. I cannot kiss you or I will pass it on.”

Fu Tingyue tightened his grip on the boy’s waist and gently held his chin so he couldn’t dodge. “I am not worried about catching it. I can help share the burden so your cold gets better faster.”

Chen Yanzhi averted his eyes, avoiding Fu Tingyue’s gaze. His slender fingers gripped Fu Tingyue’s wrist as he whispered, “It really won’t do…”

Because of his illness, Chen Yanzhi was listless, and his refusal sounded soft and weak, almost like a deliberate temptation.

 

Fu Tingyue lowered his head to rest his forehead against Chen Yanzhi’s, a low chuckle escaping his throat. “It will. I really, really want to kiss you right now. I’ve heard that when someone has a cold, their mouth gets very warm. I’ve been curious about it for a long time.”

 

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanzhi’s resolve wavered instantly.

 

Is it really that warm? He flicked the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It did feel rather hot.

 

Fu Tingyue watched him intently, and seeing Chen Yanzhi’s flurry of tiny expressions, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Baby, what are you doing?”

 

“Hmm?” Chen Yanzhi met Fu Tingyue’s smiling eyes blankly and answered honestly, “I’m trying to see if it’s hot.”

 

Fu Tingyue couldn’t stop smiling. “Did you find out?”

 

Chen Yanzhi shook his head. “I can’t really tell.”

 

Fu Tingyue thought Chen Yanzhi was simply too adorable. He leaned in and gave the boy’s cheek a playful bite, leaving two distinct rows of teeth marks. “Silly, how could you test it yourself? Only I can test it to find out.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s heart was wavering under Fu Tingyue’s gaze, but he was still worried. “But I’ll pass it to you.”

 

“It’s fine. At worst, I’ll just have a cold along with you,” Fu Tingyue said, leaning in another fraction of an inch. Their lips brushed occasionally, making the restlessness grow.

 

Chen Yanzhi’s breathing gradually quickened, and his hands instinctively found their way around Fu Tingyue’s neck. Their mingled breaths became increasingly intimate.

 

He wasn’t sure who took the lead, but by the time Chen Yanzhi came to his senses, he was being held against Fu Tingyue’s chest. With one hand supporting the back of his head, Fu Tingyue kissed him until he was breathless and tears pricked his eyes.

 

Seeing Chen Yanzhi gasping for air, Fu Tingyue finally spared his poor tongue. He pecked at the boy’s red, swollen lips and said in a husky voice, “It really is hot. When I catch a cold someday, I’ll use my mouth to help you. It’ll definitely feel good.”

 

It took Chen Yanzhi a long while to recover. He lifted his watery eyes to look at Fu Tingyue, his breathing still unsteady. “Do you… want me to help you?”

 

Fu Tingyue was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “No. You’re this sick and I’m still thinking about that? How would I be any different from an animal?”

 

Chen Yanzhi let out an “oh.” “I thought you wanted me to help. Actually, if you want to…”

 

“I don’t.” Fu Tingyue pulled Chen Yanzhi close to his chest and carried him up to wash his face.

 

When the two of them went downstairs later, Lin Xubai kept his head down. Even when Chen Yanzhi spoke to him, he didn’t look up.

 

Chen Yanzhi assumed he was just uncomfortable around Fu Tingyue and didn’t say much. However, as soon as dinner was over, Lin Xubai made a hasty excuse to leave, seemingly desperate to get away.

 

Fu Tingyue instructed Jiang Tang to drive him home. Chen Yanzhi watched Lin Xubai’s flustered back with confusion. “What’s wrong with Xiaobai? Did something happen while I was asleep?”

 

Not just Lin Xubai—Fu Tingyue was acting strange too. Although he was usually cold to others, he rarely gave people the cold shoulder so overtly. This was the first time.

 

Fu Tingyue played with Chen Yanzhi’s fingers as if nothing were wrong, bringing them to his lips for a kiss before answering, “Maybe there’s an emergency at his home.”

 

Chen Yanzhi squeezed Fu Tingyue’s hand back, his brows knitting slightly. “Is everything really okay? You two are both acting weird.”

 

Faced with Chen Yanzhi’s questioning gaze, Fu Tingyue sighed helplessly. “I can’t hide anything from you.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s tone became anxious. “What actually happened?”

 

Fu Tingyue looked down at him and said slowly, “Lin Xubai tried to steal a kiss from you. I caught him right in the act.”

 

“What?” Chen Yanzhi thought for a moment that his high fever had caused a hallucination. He stared at Fu Tingyue in shock, unable to believe it was true.

 

“It’s true. If I had been a second later, he would have kissed you.” Fu Tingyue hugged Chen Yanzhi tighter, resting his chin on the boy’s shoulder and muttering gloomily, “How is it that even after differentiating into an Omega, you still attract both Alphas and Omegas? You’re just too charming.”

 

Chen Yanzhi recovered from his shock, but his eyes were still wide. “Wait… what’s even the point of an Omega-Omega relationship? It’s like two eunuchs trying to have a meal together!”

 

“Who knows? Maybe he just likes you that much,” Fu Tingyue said sourly.

 

Chen Yanzhi reacted belatedly. “Are you jealous?”

 

Fu Tingyue acted uncharacteristically childish, clinging to Chen Yanzhi. “Anyone would be jealous. My boyfriend was almost kissed by an old rival. I’m furious.”

 

Chen Yanzhi asked knowingly, “And then? Did you hit him?”

 

Fu Tingyue grumbled, “No. But I kissed you a lot.”

 

Chen Yanzhi couldn’t help but laugh. “You big baby.”

 

Fu Tingyue didn’t argue. He pressed Chen Yanzhi into another kiss until the resentment in his heart faded slightly.

 

Chen Yanzhi cupped Fu Tingyue’s face and kissed him back, his eyes misting over. “I’m sorry. I thought he didn’t like me anymore. I’ll keep a proper distance from him from now on.”

 

Fu Tingyue acted shamelessly. “It’ll take one more kiss to make me feel better.”

 

Chen Yanzhi gave him another kiss. Although he knew Fu Tingyue wasn’t actually that angry, he still wanted to coax him. He didn’t want Fu Tingyue to be unhappy because of an outsider.

 

Fu Tingyue held Chen Yanzhi’s face and noticed that he had lost some weight. He said heart-brokenly, “Get better soon. You’ve gotten thinner.”

 

Having taken his cold medicine, Chen Yanzhi couldn’t stop yawning. “I’m a bit sleepy. I want to nap for a while.”

 

Fu Tingyue leaned back against the sofa, letting Chen Yanzhi nestle in his arms. “Okay, go to sleep.”

 

Chen Yanzhi buried his face in Fu Tingyue’s neck, smelling the comforting rose-wine scent. He mumbled sleepily, “Don’t be unhappy. You’re the most important one.”

 

The last bit of Fu Tingyue’s displeasure vanished instantly. He kissed the top of Chen Yanzhi’s head and said softly, “I know.”

 

The drowsiness came on strong, and Chen Yanzhi soon fell fast asleep.

 

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in bed. Fu Tingyue was gone. Chen Yanzhi threw on a jacket and went straight to the study.

 

To his surprise, Fu Tingyue wasn’t there either. Did he go to the company?

 

Chen Yanzhi looked out the window. It was pitch black and very late; he shouldn’t have gone to the office. He was about to turn back to the bedroom to find his phone when Fu Tingyue appeared at the elevator with a tray.

 

Fu Tingyue looked nervous the moment he saw him. “Why are you out of bed?”

 

“I couldn’t find you,” Chen Yanzhi said, his voice sounding a bit aggrieved.

 

Fu Tingyue quickly led him back into the room. “I was worried you’d be hungry when you woke up, so I went to make you something to eat. Sorry, I thought you’d sleep a bit longer.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s mood brightened as soon as he saw what was on the tray. “What did you make? It smells so good.”

 

Fu Tingyue sat him down on the sofa and placed the tray on the coffee table. “Seafood noodles. The doctor said you need a light diet for the next couple of days.”

 

Chen Yanzhi leaned in and took a deep breath, looking up at Fu Tingyue with a smile. “I wasn’t hungry at all, but I am now just from the smell.”

 

Fu Tingyue draped a blanket over him and touched his face to confirm the fever hadn’t returned. “Should I feed you, or do you want to eat yourself?”

 

“I’ll eat myself.” Chen Yanzhi picked up his chopsticks and popped a piece of shrimp into his mouth, looking perfectly content. “So delicious. Your cooking is getting better and better.”

 

Fu Tingyue stroked his soft hair and said tenderly, “It’s a bit hot, so eat slowly. If it’s not enough, I’ll get you more.”

 

Chen Yanzhi picked up a shrimp and offered it to Fu Tingyue. “You take a bite.”

 

Fu Tingyue ate it, but when Chen Yanzhi tried to feed him again, he stopped him. “Don’t worry about me. I just ate. You eat quickly before it gets cold.”

 

Even though Chen Yanzhi was hungry, his cold hadn’t fully cleared, and he lost his appetite after a few bites. Fu Tingyue had a servant clear the tray, cuddled with Chen Yanzhi for a while, supervised him taking his medicine, and then helped him wash up and tucked him back into bed. Only then did he sit by the bedside to handle his work.

 

Since Chen Yanzhi had slept so much during the day, he wasn’t sleepy at all. He poked his face out from under the covers and stared at Fu Tingyue. “How much longer will you be busy?”

 

Fu Tingyue paused and turned to kiss Chen Yanzhi’s eyes. “I have a video conference after I finish this, about half an hour. Are you bored?”

 

Chen Yanzhi shook his head. “No. I just think you’re so busy and tired every day.”

 

“I have to earn more money to take good care of you. I don’t want you to suffer with me.” Fu Tingyue turned fully to look at Chen Yanzhi, his expression serious. “Zhizhi, if any unexpected situations arise in the future, don’t be afraid. We will always be together. I won’t let you suffer, okay?”

 

Chen Yanzhi grew tense immediately. “What is it? What happened?”

 

Fu Tingyue shook his head and squeezed the boy’s earlobe to soothe him. “Nothing is happening now. I’m just telling you in advance.”

 

Chen Yanzhi’s mind worked lightning-fast. His eyes lit up as he asked, “Do you want to start your own company?”

 

Yesterday, Fu Tingyue mentioned he was done with work and ready to travel, yet today he was swamped again. No matter how much work a company had, it shouldn’t be like this every day. Combined with Fu Tingyue’s previous comment about not wanting to rely on others forever, he figured it out instantly.

 

“Baby, why are you so smart?” Fu Tingyue said happily. “I wanted to wait until things were stable to tell you, but you guessed it right away.”

 

Chen Yanzhi couldn’t help but feel proud. “Of course. You know me, and I know you just as well.”

 

“Yes, our Zhizhi is very smart.” Seeing that he couldn’t sleep, Fu Tingyue pulled him into his arms and kissed him for a while.

 

Chen Yanzhi said breathlessly, “Let me down, your meeting is starting.”

 

“It’s fine. They won’t see you,” Fu Tingyue said, starting the video call.

 

Chen Yanzhi stole a peek. Jiang Tang was there, along with a few people he didn’t recognize all fresh faces, likely Fu Tingyue’s trusted inner circle.

 

Chen Yanzhi had no interest in business, but since it concerned Fu Tingyue, he listened in for a bit. He gathered that Fu Tingyue’s new company was focused on Artificial Intelligence.

 

He wanted to listen more to see if he could help, but he soon lost interest and started playing with Fu Tingyue’s hand. Since his back was to the camera, the people on the screen couldn’t see his face; they only saw a round back of a head and heard a gentle, pleasant voice. This drove the others wild with curiosity, and as soon as the meeting ended, they began bombarding Jiang Tang with messages.