The Strongest Alpha is Overwhelmingly Omega After Rebirth - Chapter 23

Ning Youji curled up on the sofa, every inch of his skin burning. His consciousness drifted as a familiar wave of heat surged up his spine, leaving his throat parched and dry.

Lin Yan hurriedly rummaged through the house for cold medicine. He patted Ning Youji’s cheek lightly. “Come on, wake up and take your medicine.”

Sensing someone approaching, Ning Youji reached out and roughly pulled Lin Yan into his embrace. Lin Yan’s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively struggled. “Ning Youji! Let go!”

However, remembering that Ning Youji was sick, he gradually stilled his movements. He felt the arm around his waist tighten. The heat from the youth’s breath brushed against his ear as Ning Youji asked in a tired voice, “Why are you back?”

Feeling guilty about how lonely he had felt after Ning Youji left the night before, Lin Yan dodged the question. “If I did not come back, what were you planning to do today?”

Ning Youji’s temples throbbed with pain. He tried to steady his breathing. “Then I would have just crouched at your door and waited for you.”

His voice grew softer until the last word was barely a whisper. Lin Yan froze; he had not expected such a response. If he was saying things like that, he must truly be quite ill.

“Get up. Your body is so hot,” Lin Yan said, pushing his thoughts aside and giving him a gentle shove. “Get up and take the medicine.”

Ning Youji did not move. His breathing grew heavier, and he murmured unconsciously, “It hurts. I do not want to move.”

“Of course it hurts,” Lin Yan muttered. Feeling the other’s temperature, he knew they would end up in the hospital if this continued. He lowered his voice as if coaxing a child. “If you get up and take the medicine, we will be all set, okay?”

He expected Ning Youji to resist, but the grip around his waist slowly loosened. As he climbed out of the embrace, Lin Yan realized the youth was already delirious from the fever.

Ning Youji’s throat was dry, tasting of iron. The pheromones lingering in the air felt like a blatant provocation to his senses. He looked at Lin Yan through half-closed eyes, his logic finally crumbling. He licked his parched lips. “…I want to bite.”

Lin Yan’s hand paused while popping the pills. He picked up the glass of water from the coffee table and, seeing Ning Youji’s pained expression, whispered, “Fine. I will let you bite, but only if you take the medicine first.”

His voice was low and sounded normal on the surface, but a closer listen revealed an underlying tenseness. He told himself he was just helping control the illness, yet when he heard Ning Youji’s request, his heart skipped a beat.

He helped Ning Youji up, and the youth cooperated, obediently swallowing the medicine. Just as Lin Yan tried to stand, Ning Youji grabbed his pajamas, his eyes reddened as he stared at him. He looked like a leopard staring at a rabbit that had wandered into its den.

Lin Yan stiffened, awkwardly shaking the empty glass. “I… I will go get you more water.”

Ning Youji did not let go. They remained in a deadlock until Lin Yan finally sighed in defeat. It was not like they were doing something scandalous, and he had promised.

A bite is just a bite.

He set the glass on the coffee table, sat on the sofa, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his pajamas in one fluid motion. As he did, the space became saturated with the Alpha’s pheromones, which began to drape over the Omega.

Ning Youji stared at the slender neck. As a final precaution, he asked, “Your family…”

“Oh,” Lin Yan tilted his head slightly. “My mom and the others went to where my dad is working to celebrate New Year’s Eve.”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, a large, dominant hand pulled him firmly into a possessive embrace. Lin Yan froze, not daring to move. He felt the youth’s hair brush against his neck like an electric current, leaving him tingling.

Lin Yan already struggled to control his pheromones, and under this stimulation, they began to leak out uncontrollably. The living room was lit only by a warm yellow wall lamp, creating an ambiguous atmosphere that made his face flush.

They were so close that Lin Yan could clearly feel the other’s heartbeat. Unable to take the tension, he urged, “Are you going to bite or not? Hurry up.”

Ning Youji did not answer. His lips moved slightly, his breath skimming over Lin Yan’s neck as he leaned into his ear. His voice was deep and heavy. “It will hurt.”

At such proximity, the Alpha’s pheromones were overwhelming. Lin Yan shut his eyes tightly. “Just do it. Stop stalling!”

Stimulated by the Alpha, the Omega’s glands were already working overtime. In his agitation, the scent poured out relentlessly. As the pheromones mingled, the sliver of rationality Ning Youji had regained was scattered once more.

Lin Yan grew impatient. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were swallowed by a sharp sting at the back of his neck. He shivered, instinctively trying to pull away. This movement seemed to trigger the Alpha, as a pair of large hands pulled him back even tighter.

For the first time, Lin Yan regretted their “mutual aid” agreement. He felt that if this happened a few more times, he might actually die in this Alpha’s arms.

By the time Lin Yan’s body went numb, the pain in his neck had mostly subsided. He asked tentatively, “Is that enough? If you bite too deep, the mark will not fade for a long time.”

Recalling that the last mark took a week to fade, he guessed this one might take half a month. This comment seemed to hit a nerve; the hand on his waist tightened further. Lin Yan’s spine went rigid from the pain.

“…”

He had been too naive to think he could reason with an Alpha in the middle of a heat cycle. He remained in that position for so long that his brain felt foggy before the person behind him finally let go.

The posture was far too intimate. Lin Yan tried to break free, but in the next second, the youth slumped against him, his head resting on Lin Yan’s shoulder. He seemed to be sniffing him, or perhaps acting spoiled. Lin Yan froze, unable to move for a moment. He eventually let out a soft chuckle.

Seriously, a sick Ning Youji is so clingy and cute.

Lin Yan let him hold him for a while before whispering his name. “Ning Youji?”

Realizing the grip on his waist was not loosening, he gave him a nudge. There was no response. Lin Yan heard his breathing become steady and smiled helplessly. He slowly slid down and wriggled out of Ning Youji’s arms.

He stood up and looked down. The youth’s long lashes rested against his skin, his brow slightly furrowed in discomfort. Lin Yan went to the bedroom and brought back his own quilt to cover him. He touched Ning Youji’s forehead; it was slightly better than before, but still very hot.

He remembered there were cooling patches in the medicine cabinet. He found some—pink ones for children, belonging to his sister Lin Xi. Regardless of the color, he tore one open and pressed it onto Ning Youji’s forehead.

The pink patch on Ning Youji’s forehead looked both strange and oddly endearing. Lin Yan could not help but laugh. He tapped the patch and teased, “You are the top scholar of High School Number 1, yet you are like a child when you are sick. You even need to be coaxed to take medicine.”

He poked Ning Youji’s cheek, his cool fingers lingering on the warm skin. “If people knew how clingy you are, all those Omegas who worship you would be heartbroken.”

He continued to poke the youth’s face, laughing softly. This was the first time he had seen Ning Youji so vulnerable. He glanced at the corner of his pajamas that Ning Youji had been clutching, and he could not stop himself from smiling.

Lin Yan propped his chin on his hand and stared. The more he looked, the more he realized how handsome the youth was. His features were more defined than a typical Alpha’s—high bridge of the nose, long lashes, and eyes that naturally commanded respect. Lin Yan had to admit, “The school idol title really is not just for show.”

He stood up and walked to the entryway to pick up the bundle of white flowers Ning Youji had dropped. They were snow-white, like the first snowfall of winter. Their fragrance was not as heavy as roses but was incredibly refreshing. Because they were tree blossoms, the scent was mixed with a faint woody note.

“You have good taste,” Lin Yan smiled to himself. He found a vase, arranged the flowers, and placed them in the center of the dining table. It was quite a pleasant sight.

The foggy morning gave way to a bright, sunny afternoon. The first ray of sunlight of the year streamed into the living room.

The light hit Ning Youji’s lashes, which fluttered before his eyes slowly opened. His throat was dry and painful. Suddenly, there was a loud crash—the sound of something ceramic shattering on the floor.

Ning Youji realized where he was. The quilt covering him smelled of the Omega’s floral scent. He tossed it aside and walked barefoot toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was a mess. Shards of a broken bowl lay on the floor, and Lin Yan was crouching there, staring blankly at the pieces. Ning Youji’s throat moved. “What are you doing?”

Lin Yan looked up, startled to see him at the door. “You are awake?” He wiped his hands on his clothes and stepped over the shards. He naturally reached out to check the youth’s temperature. “You still have a bit of a fever. Go back and lie down.”

“What were you doing?” Ning Youji did not move, his voice incredibly raspy.

Lin Yan scratched the skin under his eye, looking embarrassed. “I wanted to order takeout, but all the shops are closed for New Year’s Day. So, I thought I would cook some porridge myself.”

Ning Youji watched him as he continued.

“The porridge is finished, but it is a bit dry,” Lin Yan said awkwardly. “It is like rice but not quite, and like porridge but without the water. Do you know what I mean?”

Ning Youji’s dark eyes fixed on Lin Yan’s flustered expression. Finally, he asked, “Did you cook it for me?”

Hearing him say it so boldly, Lin Yan instinctively wanted to deny it, but seeing Ning Youji’s face, he could not bring himself to do so. He looked down and corrected him, “I cooked it for both of us. Do not get ahead of yourself.”

The “conceited” youth reached out and rubbed Lin Yan’s head, his voice raspy but carrying a hint of a laugh. “I like porridge without water.”