This Alpha Is So Devoted to His Wife - Chapter 33

“In the future, don’t stay in the lab so late. The institute’s security system has been under malicious attack for the past few days. Tonight, all the electronic lock passwords were changed and then the power was cut. You already have night blindness; if something were to happen, how am I supposed to explain it to your Dad?”

In the office, Big Dad (Da Bà) watched Lu Xinghe crouch in front of Duan Yuluo, applying an ice pack to his cheek. Perhaps because of Lu Xinghe’s serious expression, Big Dad didn’t quite know what to say for a moment.

Adolescent matters are, after all, normal.

As for the shattered glass door, he could only attribute it to the burgeoning hero-saves-the-beauty complex of youth.

Duan Yuluo felt the ice pack was too cold on his face and instinctively tried to dodge it, only to have Lu Xinghe press down on his head. It was possible Lu Xinghe had pressed the exact spot he’d hit, causing Duan Yuluo to gasp sharply.

Lu Xinghe immediately stopped. He lowered his head, saw Duan Yuluo frown, and removed the hand pressing his head. “Did you hit your head, too, just now?” He nervously rushed to check Duan Yuluo’s head.

He was checking if there was any red spot on his scalp.

Duan Yuluo raised his hand and pointed to a spot for him. “I hit it here. It hurts a bit when you press it.”

Lu Xinghe brushed aside the hair and, indeed, saw a spot of redness on the scalp. Uncertain if it was swollen, he lightly pressed it. “Does it hurt like this?”

“Just a little. It doesn’t hurt if you don’t press it.”

Lu Xinghe looked distressed. He turned to Duan Yuluo’s Big Dad. “Uncle Duan, do you think we should get a CT scan?”

Big Dad Duan Yizhou said, “…” and let out a helpless laugh, walking over to his son to help examine him.

“There’s no need to be so dramatic. I just bumped it, and it wasn’t very hard.” Duan Yuluo felt a surge of embarrassment seeing Lu Xinghe make such a fuss even in front of his Big Dad. He pulled Big Dad’s hand down. “It’s fine, Big Dad, it doesn’t hurt.”

Big Dad chuckled. “But Xingxing thinks you’re hurting. Are you sure you don’t want to go for a quick scan?”

Duan Yuluo quickly waved his hands. “No need. Let’s not waste medical resources. Just putting an ice pack on it will be fine. Bumps and scrapes are normal.”

“How are they normal! They are absolutely not allowed to be normal!”

Duan Yuluo was startled by the exaggerated voice booming above his head. He looked at Lu Xinghe. “You need to calm down. I just accidentally bumped a desk; it’s not a broken bone. Stop being so jumpy all the time.”

Saying this, he took Lu Xinghe’s hand and guided the ice pack with it to the top of his own head. Then, looking up at him, he asked, “Could you just help me hold the ice pack like this and try not to worry, okay?”

Lu Xinghe’s brows were still furrowed, but his heart softened a little when he met Duan Yuluo’s upturned gaze. “But I still think we should—”

“Brother Xingxing (Xingxing Gēgē).”

Lu Xinghe’s expression instantly froze.

Duan Yuluo placed both hands over Lu Xinghe’s hand, which was holding the ice pack on his head, and looked directly at him. “If you worry like this again and it messes up my plans, I won’t tell you anything in the future. I won’t say a word, even if it hurts me to death. Are you still going to fuss? Can you be quiet now?”

Lu Xinghe immediately clamped his mouth shut, shook his head earnestly, and then nodded earnestly.

Big Dad watched, fully understanding the dynamic. He cleared his throat. “So, did you make any progress today?”

Hearing Big Dad mention this, Duan Yuluo shook his head. “I found that the data from the artificial simulation is different every time. It doesn’t have much reference value.”

“Exactly. That’s why this research has been shelved and not continued—it’s not because the technology isn’t advanced enough, but because there are too many variables, especially issues of patient privacy and safety.”

Duan Yuluo voiced his own idea. “Big Dad, what if I volunteer to be the subject? Can we try that?”

Big Dad thought for a moment. “Cub (Zǎizǎi), if you want to try, we’d have to remove the super-memory chip and reimplant it. That carries a certain risk.”

Hearing that, Lu Xinghe next to him couldn’t stand it. He anxiously grabbed Duan Yuluo’s shoulder. “No way! How much would it hurt to take it out? There’s no need to hurt your body for a competition. That’s not the purpose of our competition.”

Big Dad glanced at Lu Xinghe and nodded in agreement. “I agree with that. Our goal in competing isn’t to get a ranking or to prove the significance of what we’re doing; it’s more about the process of our research. There are many other methods. This one isn’t the most suitable. We still have time to think about it. Your family will support whatever you want to do, but something that compromises your safety and harms your body is unacceptable.”

Duan Yuluo hummed in acknowledgment and didn’t dwell on it further. “Okay, I understand.”

Thus, this approach was temporarily put aside.

But only temporarily.

It was nearly midnight when they got home.

Duan Yuluo and Big Dad kept their movements quiet in the foyer, afraid of waking up Dad and his sister, who were resting upstairs.

“Big Dad.”

In the entrance hall, Duan Yuluo called out to Big Dad, who was preparing to go upstairs.

Big Dad turned to look at Duan Yuluo. “What is it?”

“I actually still really want to try it,” Duan Yuluo said after a long hesitation, revealing his thoughts. “I know this research may not be something my age group can fully validate and complete, but I’ve been thinking, the super-memory chip is inherently safe. Integrating an AI voice is really just a matter of a program; it doesn’t require removal from the body. If the risk can be minimized, why can’t I try?”

“Someone has to take this step, and it’s a step that must be taken sooner or later. Why can’t that person be me?”

The faint light of the living room fell upon the slender but bamboo-straight figure of the young man. His expression was serious, and his eyes held a maturity unsuited for his age. He was still so young; this should have been his most carefree time.

“Cub, why do you think it has to be you?”

Duan Yuluo pondered for a moment, then looked at Big Dad and answered, “I feel that I should do this.”

Since childhood, he knew he was destined to bear a responsibility that his peers might not have. His older brother was already in the military, and the heavy responsibility of the family would likely fall on his shoulders in the near future. Everything he did now was an effort to build his own foundation.

“I know what you’re thinking. Grandpa has already left the heir position to you, and you feel you ought to do this, even if this competition isn’t about responsibility. But have you considered what would happen to your Dads if you had an accident because of this thing you’re doing?”

Duan Yuluo was stunned by Big Dad’s words.

He looked at Big Dad.

“Your Dads would be heartbroken. Your siblings would be heartbroken,” Big Dad walked over to Duan Yuluo, gently ruffled his hair, his eyes filled with love, and his tone soft. “And Lu Xinghe, who cares about you the most, would be even more heartbroken. Did you think about that?”

Duan Yuluo was instantly speechless. That sentence seemed to crack open a fissure in his heart, through which the scene of Lu Xinghe getting angry with him earlier crept in.

“If your Dad knew you were risking an unvalidated procedure for this competition, he would most likely ignore you, or he might get very angry with you. The deeper the love, the harsher the correction, Son, do you understand?”

The deeper the love, the harsher the correction.

It seemed…

He understood why Lu Xinghe had been so angry.

Night fell, and the time turned to 1:00 AM. The desk lamp in the study/bedroom was still on, and the slender figure of the young man was bent over the desk, typing on the keyboard, as if a rush of inspiration was pouring out.

Perhaps it was the long period of intense concentration, but the moment he relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Duan Yuluo leaned back in his chair, resting the back of his neck on the headrest. He closed his eyes to rest for a moment. About two minutes later, he opened his eyes and pulled open a nearby drawer.

Inside the drawer was a single folded paper heart, with characters faintly visible through the paper.

He stared at it blankly for a while, as if receiving a brief recharge. After looking at it, he gently closed the drawer.

Temporarily hiding the quickening heartbeat.

The next morning.

When Duan Yuluo walked into the classroom, he found Lu Xinghe sleeping face-down on his desk, with a book propped up in front of him.

This guy seemed to have grown taller again recently. The desk was a little cramped for those long legs, which were splayed out on either side of the desk. He was using his arms as a pillow, and Duan Yuluo wondered if that was comfortable.

He walked up to the desk and pressed the cold refrigerated lime juice bottle against the back of Lu Xinghe’s neck.

“!”

Lu Xinghe was so startled that he practically sprang up from the desk, his chair scraping against the floor with a sharp, grating sound that drew the curiosity of many classmates.

Duan Yuluo quickly grabbed Lu Xinghe, preventing him from falling backward. Meeting Lu Xinghe’s stunned and fearful gaze, Lu Xinghe’s posture was quite funny—he was half-crouching with the chair wedged between his long legs to steady himself. Duan Yuluo burst out laughing:

“What are you doing? Isn’t your reaction a little exaggerated?”

Lu Xinghe stared at Duan Yuluo, who was laughing, the fright still in his eyes. He instinctively swallowed, pursed his lips, righted his chair, and stood up, feigning calm. “…You, you scared me.”

Duan Yuluo laughed, holding up the lime juice bottle. “This thing scared you?”

“I was dreaming,” Lu Xinghe took the chilled lime juice, twisted the cap, and tilted his head back to gulp down the entire bottle, the sourness helping him calm down and clear his head a bit.

The dream he had last night almost left him utterly sleepless from desire. He’d wanted to catch up on sleep before class started, and then Duan Yuluo arrived.

“Dreaming about what? A nightmare?” Duan Yuluo saw Lu Xinghe’s shirt tail sticking up and reached out to pat it down. It was possible his hand brushed Lu Xinghe’s rear as he did so, because he saw Lu Xinghe instantly spring up.

Like he’d been poked with a needle.

Lu Xinghe ‘pfft’ crushed the empty drink bottle in his hand and looked at Duan Yuluo in alarm. “Did you touch my butt?”

Duan Yuluo: “…?” He said with amusement, “Who touched your butt? I just saw your shirt was sticking up and wanted to pat it down for you.”

“You could have told me, but don’t touch it,” Lu Xinghe took a deep breath, feeling agitated all over. It was mainly the dream from last night that had made him… He walked to the nearby trash can and tossed the bottle in.

Just as he turned around, he felt a hand rest on his lower back.

His body suddenly froze.

Damn it, that hand had electricity.

He couldn’t help but recall the dream from the previous night, where a sweaty hand had trembled just like this as it wrapped around his waist, holding him as he cried like a kitten, and even…

“Why? I feel like you’re acting weird.” Duan Yuluo walked up to Lu Xinghe and, as he always did, draped his arm over his back, leaning in curiously to ask, “Is there something you can’t tell me?”

Lu Xinghe had never come to school to sleep so early. What was he doing last night?

Lu Xinghe’s hand, which was hanging at his side, suddenly clenched, as if warning himself, and then relaxed. He forced a calm smile and looked at Duan Yuluo. “It’s nothing. I just went to bed a bit late last night, so I might not have fully recovered my energy. I’ll be fine later. Thank you for the lime juice.”

Duan Yuluo: “…?” That kind of polite talk? From Lu Xinghe? What game was he playing now?

He laughed out loud, stood on his toes, and raised a hand to press down the tuft of hair sticking up on Lu Xinghe’s head. “Brother Xingxing, what are you up to?”

— Brother Xingxing, wuwuwu, can we stop…

— The roses that were crushed last night…

Lu Xinghe dared not move. If one looked closely, one could see his back muscles trembling from the tension, and his hands were starting to sweat.

He lowered his gaze to Duan Yuluo’s tiptoes and felt the gentle pressure on his head, light as a kitten. His eyes traveled upwards, landing on Duan Yuluo’s smiling face.

They were so close, within arm’s reach, that he could faintly smell the scent of the Ram Rose pheromone.

And that whisper of ‘Brother Xingxing’ in his ear—it was like opening a switch that shouldn’t have been opened.

The kitten was calling him Gēgē (Brother) again.

Could his heart possibly beat any faster?

He was young; letting his imagination run wild and having dreams like that would genuinely be the death of him.

“Why haven’t you grown taller yet?” Lu Xinghe gently pressed down on Duan Yuluo’s head. “Little guy, I’ll bring you milk tomorrow. You won’t need to stand on your toes next semester.”

With that, he turned and headed for the restroom.

Time to wash his face and cool down.

Duan Yuluo: “…” He turned to the side, his gaze lingering on Lu Xinghe’s retreating back. What was wrong with this guy? Why was he so irritating today?

He actually called him short?!

Grounding him for ten minutes.