Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 25

Xiang Nan was jolted awake by the piercing ring of his phone. He let out a frustrated sigh and flipped over, covering his ears with a pillow in the hope that the person on the other end would take the hint and hang up. However, the caller seemed exceptionally patient. The noisy ringing was relentless, cycling through its melody over and over again.

He reached out an arm and swiped blindly through the air with his eyes closed until he finally felt his phone on the nightstand. Squinting to confirm the caller, he resigned himself to his fate and answered.

“You had better have something important to say! It is four thirty in the morning! You,” he began to grumble with his eyes shut as soon as he put the phone to his ear, “what could you possibly have that cannot wait until,”

“Help me,” Le Xiao’s voice came through the other end, weak and sounding faint amidst the static. “My heat has started, and there are no suppressants at home.”

The heavy drowsiness and the irritation of being woken up vanished instantly. Xiang Nan’s eyes snapped open, and he immediately threw off the covers to start dressing.

“Where are you right now?” he asked while pulling up his zipper.

“At home, Ye Jiming’s house,” Le Xiao’s voice grew even smaller. “Hurry, please. Bring me a suppressant.”

“I will be there immediately,” Xiang Nan rushed out of his house at the fastest speed of his life. “Do not hang up. Keep the line open, do you hear me?”

A faint, almost imperceptible “Mhm” came from the other side, and then there was silence.

Xiang Nan did not dare to think too deeply. He started the car with practiced movements and sped out of the garage, racing toward Jing’an Zhou. The roads late at night were deserted, save for the occasional large truck or sanitation workers who had already begun their shifts. The warm yellow streetlights cast long, thin shadows of figures and cars, standing by the roadside as they watched the sedan fly past.

Xiang Nan drove the car as if it were a rocket. It took him only ten minutes to reach Jing’an Zhou without any obstacles. After parking by the road, he did not even have time to lock the car. He ran to Le Xiao’s front door in a few strides and pounded on it.

“Open up!” he shouted into the phone. “What is your house code?”

After a moment, the voice on the other end whispered, “Zero four one three zero nine zero two. I am in the third floor storage room.”

Xiang Nan sprinted all the way to the third floor, his footsteps thumping loudly on the stairs. He searched room by room until he finally found Le Xiao on the floor of the storage room.

Le Xiao was still in his pajamas, lying on the cold floor with his eyes closed. He looked as if he were asleep or perhaps had fainted from a lack of strength. His phone lay beside him, the screen still showing the call in progress.

Xiang Nan hurried forward to hold him. Upon touching him, he felt a scorching heat, as if he were touching a piece of glowing coal. Yet, despite being as hot as a branding iron, Le Xiao’s face was incredibly pale. Layers of cold sweat had soaked through his thin pajamas. The air was thick with the pungent scent of spicy mint, making even Xiang Nan, a fellow Omega, feel uncomfortable.

He quickly pulled a suppressant from his pocket and injected it into Le Xiao’s gland without hesitation. Afterward, he helped Le Xiao up from the floor, grabbed a coat, and tried to pull him toward the door. “You definitely have a high fever. I have to get you to the emergency room immediately.”

Le Xiao gave a dazed response and leaned most of his weight on Xiang Nan, allowing himself to be pulled into the car. The last shred of his consciousness crumbled the moment he got inside. As the car door closed and Xiang Nan floored the accelerator toward the hospital, Le Xiao fell into a deep coma.

The pungent smell of disinfectant rushed into his nose, stinging Le Xiao’s eyes. He struggled to open them to find an unfamiliar white ceiling. Sunlight filtered through the trees outside the window, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

He turned his head with some effort and saw Xiang Nan napping at the foot of the bed. Carefully, he moved his hand out from under the covers, making sure not to disturb the IV needle, and looked up at the steady drip of the fluid.

Not long after, the IV bag was empty. He reached for the nurse call button on the wall but could not get to it despite his efforts. He had no choice but to call out, “Xiang Nan?”

The sound of his own voice startled him. His usually clear and bright tone was now hideously hoarse. The sunny voice loved by millions of fans and praised by the media had become a raspy, aged sound. It felt as though a handful of sand had been shoved down his throat; every word felt like a dull knife cutting back and forth.

“You are awake?” Hearing him, Xiang Nan opened his eyes immediately. Noticing the empty IV bag, he turned to call the nurse for a replacement. “How do you feel right now? Are you still in pain?” he asked, grasping Le Xiao’s hand with concern.

Le Xiao shook his head. The fierce onset of his heat had been controlled, much like a wild beast being locked in a cage. The current discomfort felt more like the aftereffects of a fever; it was unpleasant but not unbearable.

Seeing that he was in decent spirits, Xiang Nan switched into a nagging mode.

“Look at you. How can you be so careless about your own affairs? You did not even know to buy suppressants in advance. Do you know how dangerous it was last night? The doctor said that if that injection had not been given in time, you would be looking at surgery right now! If you had damaged your glands or your brain, how could anyone bear the consequences?”

“The doctor arranged for an IV suppressant later, so it is basically under control now. You lay on that floor for so long that you also caught a cold, so they prescribed some medicine and kept you for overnight observation. The doctor will be back soon. If there are no problems, you can be discharged.”

Just then, several doctors entered. The middle-aged female doctor in the lead looked at Le Xiao and smiled. “You are awake?”

“Your pheromone levels became unstable because you did not inject suppressants in time. Combined with the cold and fever, it led to a coma. It is lucky your friend brought you here when he did, otherwise it would have been trouble.” She flipped through the medical records. “Do you have a permanent Alpha partner?”

Le Xiao gave a quiet “Mhm.”

“But there is no mark?” The doctor set down the records. “For an Omega who has just established a permanent partnership, the first few heats are quite difficult. It is best to have your partner by your side to soothe you. A temporary mark is much more effective than suppressants. If the relationship is long term, it is better to avoid suppressants as they are drugs and have an impact on the body. Passing through the heat naturally is best.”

She looked around the room. “Where is the Alpha? Did he not come?”

“He is away on business,” Le Xiao said with difficulty. Every word he spoke felt like a knife cutting through his heart and throat.

“Very well,” the doctor did not pry further. “You must pay more attention yourself. Take measures as soon as your heat begins. You can go home if there are no other issues. Remember to rest well. Keep your emotions stable over the next few days and avoid any extreme excitement or sadness, as these can affect your pheromone levels. Also, your friend mentioned your heat cycles are irregular? You should look into that and perhaps see a doctor for regulation to avoid affecting your hormone levels and fertility.”

Le Xiao nodded and gave a faint smile of thanks. Once the doctors left, Xiang Nan turned around with eyes as sharp as a hawk. “Away on business?”

Before Le Xiao could answer, he continued, “I wanted to ask you earlier, where is Ye Jiming? He was not home last night, he did not help buy suppressants, and he was not there to provide pheromones. Where is he? You were sent to the emergency room and there is no sign of him. How can he be so careless? Some might say he is busy with work, but others would think you are a newlywed widow.”

He spoke bluntly, clearly filled with bottled up complaints. “It is already the afternoon. You have been in the hospital for over ten hours and he has only called once.”

“He called?” Le Xiao asked.

“He called once this morning while you were sleeping, so I hung up.” Xiang Nan handed the phone to Le Xiao, looking suspicious. “Is he really away on business? Do not lie to me.”

“There are some issues with his company lately. He is very busy and has not been home for several nights,” Le Xiao explained softly. “I will call him back.”

The call went through quickly. Within seconds, Ye Jiming’s worried voice came through, “Xiao Xiao, what is wrong? You called in the middle of the night; did something happen?”

Hearing that familiar, gentle voice, a wave of bitterness hit Le Xiao’s nose, nearly bringing him to tears. He said in a very soft voice, “Nothing is wrong. I just had a nightmare and woke up startled.”

As soon as he said that, he could feel Xiang Nan’s gaze like a spotlight pinned on him.

“It is good that you are okay,” Ye Jiming sounded relieved, his voice even carrying a hint of a smile. “I thought something happened to you. I was in a meeting with the technical staff last night and left my phone in the office. I missed your call.”

“It does not matter,” Le Xiao asked quietly, “are you coming home tonight?”

“I am coming home,” the voice on the other end sounded happy. “I am getting off work on time today.”

“Okay.”

Once he hung up, before Le Xiao could catch his breath, he was met with Xiang Nan’s stormy interrogation. “A nightmare? Woke up startled? You are unbelievable. Such a major thing and you do not tell him a word?”

Le Xiao put down his phone and remained silent with his head bowed for a long time. It was only when Xiang Nan looked like he was about to burst with anxiety that Le Xiao spoke in a low voice, “Forget it. I will not tell him.”

He looked up into Xiang Nan’s eyes. “Do not tell him either. It is not necessary. From now on, none of it is necessary.”

Xiang Nan was confused by these words. He instinctively wanted to ask what he meant by “not necessary,” but seeing Le Xiao’s pale, bloodless face and his despondent expression, he sullenly shut his mouth.

By the time the discharge procedures were finished, it was the evening rush hour. It was past dinner time when they arrived home. Xiang Nan supported Le Xiao by the arm and walked him all the way to the front door.

“You are back?” Ye Jiming, who was working on the sofa, heard the noise and walked toward the door. Seeing the two standing together, he froze for a moment and asked with a smile, “Did you go out to play today?”

“To play? Can you use your head?” Xiang Nan cursed silently in his mind while wearing a speechless, fake smile.

“Yes,” Le Xiao replied softly without saying more.

“Come wash your hands and eat. It is all ready,” Ye Jiming did not notice anything unusual and asked with a smile, “Xiang Nan, would you like to stay and eat with us?”

Xiang Nan gave a hollow laugh. “No, I have things to do. I am leaving.” He turned to leave, not forgetting to give Ye Jiming a look of utter frustration before he went.

Ye Jiming was baffled by the glare. He watched Xiang Nan leave with a confused expression, then turned and pulled Le Xiao into an embrace.

“I have not seen you in so long.” His embrace was as warm and soft as ever, and he held Le Xiao with enough strength that it felt as though he wanted to embed him into his own body. He rested his head lightly on Le Xiao’s shoulder and turned to sniff his gland. The fresh scent of mint rushed into his nose like a remedy for his fatigue.

“The scent of your pheromones is so strong,” he said with a smile.

Le Xiao said nothing, quietly allowing himself to be held without responding. Tucked in Ye Jiming’s embrace and hidden from his sight, Le Xiao’s eyes lowered. He felt as though he had no strength left, and his eyelids finally closed heavily.

The aftereffects of the terrifying night were still at work. His brain throbbed as if a nerve were jumping constantly, yet his heart felt as though it had been dead for a long time. If he were not aware that he was still alive, he would hardly believe the heart in his chest was still beating.

Perhaps that heart really would not beat anymore. What was currently pumping blood was likely just the debris that had been crushed into dust. Even the blood being pumped seemed stale, like plasma that had been sitting in a blood bank for years, carrying an indescribable fishy and bitter taste as it flowed slowly through his body to provide the bare minimum of physiological function.

If he did not know he was breathing, Le Xiao would truly feel dead.

Perhaps all of this was a mistake. From their sudden meeting to their absurd marriage, it was all a mistake. He felt like a student writing furiously in an exam room, working through one scratch paper after another, only to realize at the very end that the question itself was riddled with errors. How could there ever be a correct answer?

Unfortunately, he had been working hard like a fool and only realized the truth at the very last step. The used scratch paper could never be made pristine again, and a heart broken into fragments could never be restored.

Yet, when he buried his face in Ye Jiming’s chest, the scent of cedar inevitably washed over him. It was like a clear spring nourishing parched land, physiologically washing away the dust that covered him. Every nerve and blood vessel felt as though it were soaking in a hot spring, warm and comfortable. Even his headache was greatly relieved.

Even his own pheromones were inevitably affected, their concentration rising as the boiling chemicals surged through his body, nearly escaping his control. Feeling the changes in his body, Le Xiao had never wished so much that he were a Beta who was unaffected by pheromones.

My heart is already dead, but my body is still loving you based on instinct.

I truly loathe myself.

Support