Forced Into Marriage with My Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 5

“I smell lemongrass…”

After a three-hour nap, Yan Huaijin sat up, rubbing his slightly dry eyes. He threw off the covers, swung his long legs over the side of the bed, and slipped into his slippers.

He lingered there for a few minutes, mentally rebooting, before heading to the bathroom to splash his face.

The cool water instantly cleared the lingering drowsiness from his mind. After drying his face, Yan Huaijin leaned closer to the mirror, examining his cheeks.

His skin looked clean and bright, with no sign of fever or flushing. It seemed the alcohol had finally been fully metabolized.

He patted his face dry, then stepped out of the bathroom, his bangs still damp from the wash.

Clearing his dry throat, he twisted open the bedroom door and headed downstairs for a glass of warm water.

“Look at this one,” Yan Rulan said, her voice laced with amusement. She had a photo album open on her lap, her well-manicured fingertip pointing to a picture of a chubby toddler in the upper right corner. “He looks so pitiful, crying with his face tilted up. His eyelashes are all clumped together from the tears.”

Jiang Yunkai, sitting beside her, leaned in with curiosity. “Why was Xiao Jin crying when you took this photo?”

“Ah, it’s funny how things work out,” Yan Rulan began.

Yan Rulan covered her mouth with a smile, as if she’d been waiting for Jiang Yunkai to ask that very question. She eagerly shared, “I asked him why he was crying back then, and he told me he wanted to talk to a big brother. But just as he’d grabbed the brother’s sleeve, the person brushed his hand away. He came home and cried his heart out, insisting that the big brother hated him. Later, when we found out a new neighbor had moved in, and Xiao Jin pointed him out, I realized the ‘big brother’ he was talking about was you.”

As Yan Rulan spoke, Jiang Yunkai vaguely recalled the incident.

That year, his family had just moved to the Southern District. He was young, unfamiliar with the area, and while his parents were inside supervising the workers, he stood by the front door, running back and forth with the men to help unload boxes from the truck.

As he watched, he felt a tug at his sleeve, as if caught on a hook. Jiang Yunkai turned and saw a fair, chubby face, round as a glutinous rice cake, beaming up at him. The child called him “big brother” in a voice that sounded naturally sweet and clingy.

Jiang Yunkai was never good with words, let alone handling such a clingy, sticky-sweet child he’d never met. He froze, unsure of how to react.

After a tense standoff, Jiang Yunkai remained silent, his neck stiff. He turned half-away, avoiding the other boy’s gaze, and gently brushed off the small hand clinging to his clothes. All that remained were a few creases in the fabric where it had been gripped.

Yan Huaijin’s smile froze. He looked down at his hand, which had been so ruthlessly dismissed, and his curved lips flattened, then downturned. He pouted, his soft cheeks puffing out, before turning and running away without a backward glance.

Jiang Yunkai opened his mouth to call after him, but he realized with a jolt that he didn’t even know the boy’s name. He could only watch him run off.

Their first meeting was far from pleasant.

Only now did Jiang Yunkai learn that his cold treatment had sent Yan Huaijin home to cry himself to sleep. He felt a twinge of regret for how he’d acted.

“Mom, stop making things up about a photo!” Yan Huaijin burst into the room, his ears flushed red with embarrassment. He held a half-finished glass of water, his face burning.

He shot a glance at the photo of his younger self, mouth open in a wail, and his face grew even hotter. He raised his voice, reiterating his point, “I wasn’t that fragile and prone to crying as a kid! And I have absolutely no memory of anything you’re saying. This is pure slander! It’s all fake!”

“You child,” Yan Rulan said, looking at Yan Huaijin with disapproval. “How can you say your mother is talking nonsense? You were only four years old back then. It’s perfectly normal not to remember such small things.”

Jiang Yunkai, as oblivious to social cues and the general atmosphere as ever, offered Yan Huaijin a sincere apology: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“Enough, enough!” Yan Huaijin felt utterly mortified. He raised a hand to cover his ears, only to realize he was still clutching his quilt. He struggled desperately to maintain his composure. “My mother is talking nonsense. Don’t believe a word she says.”

Jiang Yunkai nodded, lowering his gaze in silence. Yan Huaijin couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He then issued a completely toothless “warning” to Yan Rulan, forbidding her from sharing any more of his childhood embarrassments with Jiang Yunkai. With the remaining half-glass of water in hand, he stomped back up the stairs to his second-floor bedroom.

Alone in his room, he quickly calmed down, the lingering awkwardness from earlier fading away.

He slowly finished the rest of the water, set the glass on his nightstand, and planned to find a large suitcase in the walk-in closet to pack his things before dinner.

But as he stood up, his phone suddenly erupted into a loud ringtone, filling the room.

Yan Huaijin bent over and snatched up the phone that had been lying next to his pillow since he woke up. Glancing at the caller’s name, he rubbed his forehead in a headache before answering with a resigned sigh.

“Hello, Sister Cheng.”

“Yan Huaijin, are you causing trouble online again?! My team and I have been working our asses off to scrub those negative trending topics for you, barely having a moment to breathe. We finally get the scandals taken down, and the next thing I know, you’ve gone and stirred up another mess yourself! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

“Mind your words, mind your words, mind your words! I’ve set your nickname to those four characters, but you still can’t seem to take them to heart. What do I have to do? Tattoo them on your forehead for you to actually remember? I’m at my wit’s end with you!”

The voice on the other end continued to berate him at length, clearly furious.

Yan Huaijin silently pulled the phone away from his ear to spare his eardrums. Taking advantage of the fact that Cheng Xu wasn’t physically present to slap him, he retorted, “I didn’t do anything. Ye Chi was the one who liked all those posts. That was his personal action, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Don’t give me that crap!” Cheng Xu sneered over the line. “You and Ye Chi are clearly in cahoots, plotting together. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“That’s called being loyal,” Yan Huaijin said, rubbing his nose.

“That’s called stirring up trouble just to watch the chaos!” Cheng Xu was about to explode with frustration. “I must have been blind to end up with a handful like you. You’re even watching your own drama unfold! You two are out of control, acting recklessly just because you know President Ye has your backs.”

“We have our reasons,” Yan Huaijin countered. “That Alpha, Chen Jianya, is a complete scumbag with zero morals. He disgusted Xiao Chi and me the entire time we were on set.”

“If he’s a scumbag, then just avoid him! Don’t go looking for a fight every single time,” Cheng Xu snapped. “Chen Jianya has been in this industry for years. He has a solid foundation. You gain nothing by clashing with him. Have you never heard the saying, ‘The nail that sticks out gets hammered down’?”

Cheng Xu felt a wave of despair wash over her. The thought of Yan Huaijin and Ye Chi appearing on the same variety show as Chen Jianya next week made her vision go dark. She couldn’t even imagine how many scandals would erupt when the episode aired.

She couldn’t help but admire Yan Huaijin’s innate talent for chaos. He was a man who refused to be wronged or insulted, a true maverick in the own-game of the entertainment industry.

Such a temper was unwelcome in an industry where everyone was smooth and calculating. Yet, Yan Huaijin’s looks were so stunning that even among the most beautiful stars, his face was in a league of its own.

With looks so stunning that no one could call him ugly without lying, Yan Huaijin had managed to attract a core group of die-hard fans. These fans were willing to endure a barrage of online hate, as dense as a hail of bullets, just to support and follow him.

“Alright, alright, we’ll do what you say. We’ll stay far away from him. The drama’s wrapped anyway, so the only work we have left with him is that one episode next week. Sister Cheng, please don’t let it get to you. It’s not worth ruining your health over.”

Yan Huaijin’s words were surprisingly soothing. The fire in Cheng Xu’s heart died down a bit, and she finally issued a strict order: “You’d better keep your word. You and Ye Chi will finish recording Endless Laughter quietly, and you’re not to say a single word that could cause controversy.”

“You can count on it,” Yan Huaijin promised readily.

Reassured, Cheng Xu hung up the phone. Yan Huaijin pinched his earlobe, tossed his phone onto the bed as the screen went dark, and shuffled out of the bedroom in his slippers. He opened the door to the large walk-in closet at the end of the hallway.

Several unused suitcases, ranging from 20 to 28 inches, were stored against the wall.

Yan Huaijin roughly estimated what he needed to bring and, after a moment’s thought, chose the 24-inch medium-sized suitcase and laid it open on the floor.

First, he needed to pack the essential documents he rarely used but couldn’t live without.

Yan Huaijin rushed back to his bedroom, rummaged through the drawers for a while, and finally finished counting all the documents. He returned to the dressing room, crouched by the suitcase, and stuffed them all into the inner pocket.

With the critical items packed, the rest of the things didn’t require such meticulous care. Yan Huaijin opened several wardrobes one by one, spent quite a while picking and choosing, and selected a few sets of clothes and accessories he liked to wear, slowly filling the once-empty suitcase.

By the time he finished packing the necessary items at a slow pace, it was already close to evening.

Yan Huaijin dragged the suitcase to the first-floor living room, a slight sense of empty unreality rising in his heart.

He attributed this feeling of void, as if he couldn’t step on solid ground, to sleeping too long after drinking at lunch, and automatically avoided other factors.

At dinner time, the few of them didn’t drink again and had a very ordinary home-cooked meal in a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

After the meal, outside the Yan Family Villa.

Before leaving, Yan Rulan and the other two came out to see them off. Jiang Yunkai stood aside holding the suitcase handle, and Yan Huaijin gave each of them a reluctant hug.

With each hug, Yan Huaijin pressed his soft cheek against their shoulders, a gesture of deep affection.

“Alright, you should head back now,” he said. “We need to get in the car.”

“Right, no rush,” Yan Rulan replied, her voice laced with maternal worry as she offered a final piece of advice. “Don’t fight. If you have a disagreement, just talk it out, okay?”

A hint of helplessness flickered across Yan Huaijin’s face, but he nodded obediently. “We won’t fight.”

“Mom, don’t worry,” Jiang Yunkai added.

That was the reassurance Yan Rulan had been waiting for. Her face lit up with a smile, and she finally let go of them, her earlier reluctance vanishing. “Alright then, go on.”

Jiang Yunkai and Yan Huaijin turned and walked out of the Yan Family Villa’s courtyard. As they crossed the main gate, their figures grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

Only after the rattling sound of the suitcase wheels faded and their figures disappeared around the corner did Yan Zhixing finally lower his gaze. He bowed his head slightly and followed his parents back into the house.

The vast, silent night sky was sprinkled with shimmering stars. Along the road, streetlights cast straight beams of light that zipped past the car’s privacy-tinted windows one by one, illuminating the path ahead and the bustling city beyond.

After arriving at the new house, the first thing Yan Huaijin did was find the walk-in closet. He laid his suitcases open on the floor and began transferring the clothes inside, one piece at a time, into the wardrobe.

Jiang Yunkai walked in and glanced at the packed suitcases. “Anything I can help with?”

Yan Huaijin paused, his hand still holding a garment, and followed Jiang’s gaze back to the suitcases. “Oh, no, I’m fine. I’ll just handle it myself. These are things I use often, so I want to put them away personally to remember where they are for next time. Besides, there isn’t that much stuff. I’ll be done in a minute.”

Jiang Yunkai hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t leave immediately. Watching Yan organize wasn’t boring at all, and he seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation.

“Do you have any favorite brands? The closet is looking a bit empty. We could have some of their new seasonal ready-to-wear sent over.”

Yan Huaijin tucked a shimmering, exquisitely crafted brooch into a drawer. Sensing Jiang’s friendly gesture, he took the opportunity to accept the offer. “I’ll send you a list of the brands I usually wear in a moment.”

He had distinct aesthetic preferences for the ready-to-wear lines of different brands. On closer inspection, the number of brands he favored was considerable, spanning everything from affordable luxury to high-end couture. Even his most ardent haters, who despised everything else about him, couldn’t deny his impeccable taste in fashion.

As the black suitcase, once brimming, was nearly unpacked, Yan Huaijin turned to Jiang Yunkai. “Go ahead and freshen up first. I’ll be right behind you. We’ve been all over the place today, and I’m exhausted. I want to get to bed early.”

Jiang Yunkai agreed, grabbed a set of pajamas, and disappeared into the bathroom.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the suitcase clicked shut, its contents completely emptied. Yan Huaijin wiped the fine beads of sweat from the tip of his nose, tucked the suitcase into an unobtrusive corner, and left the walk-in closet.

Just then, Jiang Yunkai emerged from the bathroom, his hair freshly dried and clad in pajamas. Seeing this, Yan Huaijin quickly grabbed the toiletries he’d brought from home and slipped into the bathroom to take his turn.

Twenty minutes later, the hairdryer’s hum filled the room for the second time.

As an actor, Yan Huaijin needed to maintain a certain look for the camera, so he kept his hair slightly longer than Jiang Yunkai’s.

After drying his hair, Yan Huaijin set out a few skincare products and a sheet mask, strictly following the routine Cheng Xu had laid out for him in preparation for next Wednesday’s recording.

His bangs were getting in the way, so he slipped a black elastic band from his wrist and tied up a small bun, exposing his clean forehead.

Tearing along the dotted line, he slapped the mask onto his face with blunt efficiency, smoothed out the air bubbles with his fingers, and stepped out of the bathroom.

Jiang Yunkai was sitting on the edge of the bed, not looking at his phone or anything else. When he saw Yan Huaijin enter wearing the mask, he abruptly stood up.

Yan Huaijin paused mid-stride toward the bed. “What is it?”

Jiang Yunkai swallowed hard. “I smell lemongrass. Your pheromones.”

“Oh.” Yan Huaijin touched the small, raised scent gland on the back of his neck a beat late. He hadn’t applied a suppressant patch there, and the fresh, sweet-tart scent of lemongrass began to waft from him.

Never applying a suppressant patch after a shower was a habit he’d cultivated over many years.

In other words, no Omega would want to ruin the post-shower freshness by sticking on a stuffy suppressant patch right before bed.

“Do you mind?” Yan Huaijin asked, showing his deep respect for Jiang Yunkai, his partner with whom he would be living under the same roof for the long term.

But before Jiang Yunkai could say a word, Yan Huaijin advocated for his own freedom. “We’re married, and there’s no one else at home. Only you can smell my pheromones, so do I still have to wear a suppressant patch? I don’t want to.”

Only you can smell it…

For the first time in over twenty years of being single, Jiang Yunkai inhaled such a high concentration of Omega pheromones. Combined with Yan Huaijin’s words, which sounded incredibly stimulating to an Alpha, his heart began to race.

As his adrenaline surged, Jiang Yunkai realized one thing—Yan Huaijin had no idea his words could be interpreted in such a suggestive way.

He meant it literally.

Suppressing the overwhelming surge of emotion that had nowhere to go, Jiang Yunkai feigned composure. “If you don’t want to wear it, then don’t. This is our home. Do whatever makes you comfortable.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Jiang Yunkai was so easygoing that Yan Huaijin’s thanks were completely sincere.

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