To Marry My Little Chestnut - Chapter 2

Inside the bedroom, the “soft chestnut” hid under the quilt. He tried to reach inside his pajamas, only to realize that the onesie Zheng Tingyang had picked for him was easy to put on but difficult to take off. The buttons of the lamb fleece onesie were located near the thighs; his pregnant belly blocked his reach, and hidden under the covers, he couldn’t find the leg zippers.

It was so hot.

The concentration of pheromones in the bedroom climbed, carried by the air conditioning until the scent permeated every corner of the walls.

Yu Yan bit the corner of the quilt, like a kitten nursing a security blanket, until it was soaking wet. His heart was anxious, and he wanted to cry. His throat felt tight with distress, and he buried his entire face in the covers, sobbing quietly.

His husband didn’t know how difficult his recent craving for pheromones had been; he had dressed him in pajamas that made it impossible to touch his own skin.

His body burned. It felt as if ants were feasting on his heart, and the overwhelming pregnancy pheromones were swamping his senses. He could endure it. His husband couldn’t smell his suffering; as long as he made it through the night, it would be as if nothing had happened.

During pregnancy, an Omega’s pheromone concentration rises as the baby grows. Normally, an Alpha providing soothing pheromones would relieve this discomfort, but he had no Alpha. The baby could only draw pheromones from his body as nourishment. The faster the baby grew, the more his body craved stabilization.

His husband was a Beta who couldn’t smell him. Perhaps in the two months they had been married, his husband didn’t even know he smelled of chestnuts.

It was the scent of sweet chestnuts drenched in sugar and honey, mixed with the light woody fragrance of cake and nuts. It smelled wonderful. Whenever he lost his appetite, he only had to catch a scent of himself to feel hungry.

He had only taken one bite of the late-night snack on the nightstand. After rustling around under the quilt for a while, his clothes were wet. The pajama material was soft, but his skin was softer and more sensitive; the friction now caused a stinging pain. Hearing footsteps outside, he abandoned the idea of going out to change.

There was no other reason; he simply didn’t want to trouble Zheng Tingyang. It was difficult to speak of such things: telling another person that he wanted to be marked, wanted to form a bond, and wanted to be possessed by his husband. To have made a mess of his clothes while handling it himself was even more shameful.

Yu Yan lay in bed, regretting that he hadn’t brought one of Zheng Tingyang’s shirts inside to smell. Even if there were no pheromones, the scent of shower gel would have been good. If it belonged to him, it was good.

Yu Yan buried his head in the pillow. The air conditioning was warm, drying the thin layer of sweat on his forehead. Since becoming pregnant, he had never had a “conception dream” about the baby. Instead, he mostly dreamed of his high school days, of the Zheng Tingyang who was not yet “President Zheng.”

Exhausted after relieving himself twice, his arms ached. As the sweat dissipated, a grogginess set in. The lychee drink helped him fall into a deeper, sweeter sleep. Yu Yan hoped for a good dream. It would be even better if it were a dream about the baby; he wanted to discuss things with the little one and ask it to stop tossing him around so much.

He didn’t want to lose face in front of the other expectant father. He rubbed his nose against the soft quilt and stroked the curve of his belly, whispering, “Goodnight, baby. I hope I dream of you today.”

Twenty minutes later, Zheng Tingyang finished his shower. The smell of smoke and alcohol was gone. He didn’t knock, certain that the little person inside was already sound asleep. Pushing the door open, his gaze briefly flickered over the unfinished lychee drink. His expression darkened as he walked over to the bed and sat down to watch the Omega.

His wife was the same age as him, twenty-four. His wife had been born with a weak constitution, a small-framed Omega with skin as white as milk. His almond eyes slanted downward, making him look like a wronged kitten when he cried. He had a delicate nose and slightly plump lips. “Beautiful” wasn’t the best compliment for such an Omega; “sensual” was.

His appearance would ignite a desire for possession in anyone.

“Mm…” Yu Yan felt someone unbuttoning his clothes in his sleep. He pursed his lips, trying to wake up, his voice a soft mumble. His cheeks were flushed crimson. It was hard to tell if it was a lingering heat or just the warmth of his skin.

Zheng Tingyang leaned down, his nose very close to Yu Yan’s lips, catching the faint sweetness of the drink. He reached out and lightly patted Yu Yan’s chest to soothe his unease.

“Your clothes are wet. I will help you change. Go back to sleep,” he coaxed in a low voice.

Yu Yan did not wake up. He was having a nightmare, his brow furrowed slightly, yet he couldn’t break free in the pheromone-heavy room. Eventually, under the rhythmic patting of Zheng Tingyang’s palm, he fell into a deeper slumber.

Zheng Tingyang took off the soft lamb pajamas. His dark eyes reflected Yu Yan’s protruding belly as he leaned down to deal with the sweat-soaked clothing. There was no scent, which was different from how it should have been. Even when he touched the tender skin of the legs, there was only the smell of shower gel: a very faint soapy scent of camellia.

Zheng Tingyang knew this was absolutely not the scent of Yu Yan’s pheromones. His wife’s scent should be sweeter and more alluring.

“Wuu…” Yu Yan’s leg felt a slight pain from the contact, and he couldn’t help but whimper in his dream. His wife was a very delicate Omega, sensitive to pain; even a little bit would make his eyes turn red.

Zheng Tingyang felt troubled. He believed he was only one step away from being driven mad by Yu Yan. If he could truly smell Yu Yan’s scent and experience the pleasure of marking his wife, the child might not survive. Before entering the bedroom, he had followed the doctor’s orders and taken two sedatives, but the effect was poor.

The sedatives must be expired, he thought. He wanted him. He wanted to torment him. This thought had circled his mind for years, even though his wife was carrying his child, even though Yu Yan was legally his. This was far from enough.

Zheng Tingyang sat in the bedroom until midnight. He cleaned Yu Yan’s damp legs and the areas reddened by the friction of the sleep pants, then changed him into a fresh pair of identical pajamas. Finally, he knelt by the bed and stroked the pregnant belly, threatening the little thing inside: “Do not be trouble again.”

At five months, the belly was curved like half a ball. The doctor said the baby would grow rapidly after six months. He kissed Yu Yan’s lips, lingering as he locked their fingers together. In his sleep, Yu Yan instinctively sucked on his lips, causing Zheng Tingyang’s Adam’s apple to tighten. His entire body tensed; the cold shower had been for nothing.

The greedy man kissed away the pregnant Omega’s dreams. His hot breath brushed against the fine pores of Yu Yan’s cheeks until the other man’s face turned red from a lack of air. Only then did he let go.

If he could smoke in this room, he would have sat there watching Yu Yan, or perhaps watched the surveillance footage of Yu Yan’s private activities from the afternoon. Otherwise, nothing could suppress the beast in his chest that was about to break out of its cage.

A sliver of sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains the next morning, falling onto Yu Yan’s thin eyelids. He woke up with a heavy head and couldn’t help but knock on his temple. Like an old television showing static, a little knock might bring the picture back.

He sat on the bed dazed, only to realize it was already 9:00 AM. He had woken up late. His drowsiness was becoming more severe. Even though he had gone to bed early and was very tired, he had nightmares. In his dreams, someone was pressing down on him, biting him, trying to suffocate him. The pain felt real, yet he was so sweaty and exhausted that he couldn’t wake up. His sleep quality had worsened.

The first three months had been fine. After the Yu family went bankrupt, he found a job at a flower shop. When he discovered he was pregnant, he had no intention of terminating it. He loved children. Since he was young, his father had taught him that Omegas needed to reproduce. His father was not a good man; he had abandoned him to go abroad. Therefore, Yu Yan wanted to be a good father and give the baby plenty of love.

For the first three months, the little one had been incredibly well-behaved. There was no morning sickness or drowsiness; he could even do heavy lifting at the flower shop. It was only after getting married and moving into Zheng Tingyang’s house that he became more tired as his belly grew. It was likely just a reaction to the baby growing larger; it seemed his body was still too weak.

Yu Yan patted his belly and smiled. “Good morning, little guy.” The curve of his belly wasn’t very large yet and could be hidden by loose pajamas, but because he was thin, he decided he should eat more starting today.

He had only taken two bites of the egg custard his husband made yesterday. Speaking of which…

He turned his head. The dessert and egg custard on the nightstand were gone, replaced by a glass of honey water that was still warm. Yu Yan patted his face. “It’s not that I slept poorly; I didn’t even know someone came in.”

Zheng Tingyang had been very good to him after the marriage, maintaining perfect boundaries. They treated each other with mutual respect. The man would carefully research recipes for him and buy desserts or make drinks before bed. No matter how much or how little he ate, Zheng Tingyang never complained. He was a gentle gentleman, truly beyond reproach. Yu Yan thought that such a gentlemanly man would surely knock before entering.

He must have knocked for a long time while I slept like a little pig. I didn’t even know when the honey water was placed there. At this thought, he pinched his own cheek, warning himself not to sleep so soundly next time so people wouldn’t laugh at him.

The estrus period was mostly over, but his gland was still hot and slightly swollen. He touched the back of his neck and secretly took a scent-blocking sticker from his coat to apply it.

“Oh? You aren’t working today?” Yu Yan yawned as he opened the bedroom door and saw someone in the living room.

The man was dressed meticulously. The high-end shirt accentuated the muscles beneath, making him look tall and powerful. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Wearing a Rolex on his wrist, he stood in the living room trimming the nearly withered flower branches in a vase. Noticing the door open, he turned his head slightly to look.

“I have a meeting in the afternoon.” As he spoke, he trimmed most of the stem from a rose and deftly removed a wilted leaf. “Porridge or noodles?”

Before Yu Yan could speak, Zheng Tingyang walked over and picked him up, carrying him to the sofa to put his socks back on. Finding that reminders were useless, he had switched to a hands-on approach. Yu Yan felt ashamed of his forgetfulness.

“Ning Yuan has class today and wants me to cover for him at the shop. He brought me breakfast. I didn’t know you were home, so I already agreed to eat with him.”

Zheng Tingyang lowered his gaze, carefully putting on Yu Yan’s socks and tucking in his inner pants. “Why not rest for a few more days?”

“It’s boring at home, and I am already better. My gland isn’t uncomfortable anymore.” As he spoke, he instinctively leaned forward to show the man his gland.

“Remember to tell the owner you will need a leave of absence in two months. It won’t be convenient when you’re further along.”

Yu Yan nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Zheng Tingyang chose a high-neck sweater and overalls for him, paired with a newly bought cashmere beanie and gloves. He looked like a soft, white mochi ball. However, while changing, Yu Yan stared at himself in the mirror. His pregnant belly just barely hid the tops of his thighs.

Last night, he had handled things through his pajamas. He had rubbed for a while, but he didn’t expect the redness to be so obvious. There were several round, pale pink spots on the base of his thighs that looked exactly like hickeys. It was enough to make his face burn.

He instinctively tried to cover them, but Zheng Tingyang saw them while helping him change. The man’s gaze swept over them indifferently. “Do you know how those got there?”

Yu Yan felt a sense of concern in his tone. He was too embarrassed to say he had rubbed them against his pajamas. He knew his skin bruised and marked easily, but he hadn’t expected the pajamas to leave such a mark after just a few rubs. He could only force himself to lie: “I must have accidentally bumped into something.”

Zheng Tingyang pressed on a spot. “Does it hurt?”

Yu Yan shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt. If I hadn’t looked in the mirror, I wouldn’t have known it was red. I will be more careful next time.”

Zheng Tingyang knelt on the floor and slowly pulled up Yu Yan’s pants. A gentle smile touched his eyes, and a faint sound of amusement came from his throat. “Good.”

Yu Yan smiled as he adjusted his overalls. He turned around, muttering about bringing some meat for the kitten at the shop, and went to the fridge. “Ning Yuan often feeds that kitten; it practically lives in the shop now.”

“An Alpha with that much compassion is rare,” Zheng Tingyang said, following him to the fridge. He took the meat out first so Yu Yan wouldn’t have to touch anything cold, then packed it into his bag.

“Yes.” Yu Yan thought of the big, fat cat and couldn’t help but laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly. “It’s very cute.”

The man stood behind him, the coldness in his eyes gradually narrowing. “You have a good relationship with your colleague.”

Yu Yan thought he was talking about the kitten and nodded. “That’s right.”

He sat on the sofa and finished his soy milk breakfast, preparing to head out. He didn’t notice the dark, cold look in the eyes behind him.

A storm was coming.

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