To Marry My Little Chestnut - Chapter 20

Yu Yan stood before the bedroom door, hesitating for a moment before suddenly straightening his back. “Please come in.”

Considering you brought your own pillow.

He quickly scurried into the blankets, intentionally leaving a gap in the middle by sleeping a bit toward the left side, lying down obediently.

Zheng Tingyang did not ask why he was dressed that way. After placing his pillow, he turned and went back to the kitchen. Yu Yan lay on the bed, trying hard to pretend his eyes were closed, but his phone was buzzing with a barrage of messages from Xiang Qian. He quickly turned it off and shrank into the duvet.

He vaguely heard sounds coming from the hallway. As the other person drew closer, the footsteps stopped by his bedside, and finally, a cup of honey water was placed down.

The doctor had prescribed many medications today, all to be taken before sleep. After the sweet honey water went down, Yu Yan felt as though he was being swirled into a daze by the sweetness. Zheng Tingyang stroked his head and praised him for being good and taking all his medicine.

The night light was quiet, blooming with a yellow glow in the corner like a sunset unseen on a rainy day.

The mattress beside him dipped slightly. Zheng Tingyang carried a faint scent of shower gel that drifted into his nose. Clearly, it did not have the pheromone effect of soothing his emotions, yet he still found it pleasant and sweet.

However, the sweetness made his head spin. He wanted to talk to Zheng Tingyang about packing himself up to go along on the Beijing trip, but as he turned over, he felt a thin layer of sweat on his gland. The medication likely contained ingredients to soothe the area.

Just as he lay down, sinking into the soft, large bed, and before he could even hug his moon-shaped pillow at a comfortable angle, he felt like a soft shelled shrimp, losing most of his consciousness.

“Mm, Tingyang?” he hummed. His body curled slightly as he called out with a hint of grievance.

He did not want to close his eyes; he did not want to sleep. He had not even begged the man to take him on the business trip yet. But his eyelids were disobedient. Before falling into a deep slumber, his fingertips only managed to hook onto the sleeve of the man’s pajamas. “Don’t leave.”

“Little Fish.” Zheng Tingyang turned on his side. His palm rustled through the blankets as he watched the sleeping figure beside him, his breathing gradually becoming slow and even.

He reached out with a very light motion to hold Yu Yan’s waist, pulling him into his embrace. He smoothed out the faint frown Yu Yan had before sleeping and curled his lips to give a light kiss. “I am here. I will not leave.”

“Why are you wearing my shirt again?” Zheng Tingyang asked, his voice low and raspy. His fingertips traced the contours of Yu Yan’s face. “Is your heat cycle here?”

His hand slipped familiarly under the covers, stroking that rounded curve. The child growing sturdily beneath the belly seemed to wake up, kicking from the inside, a very slight fetal movement, bumping against his palm once or twice.

“Don’t Omegas only have a heat cycle once a month?” Zheng Tingyang held the sleeping Yu Yan in his arms, unwillingly using his nose to touch the back of his neck, sniffing the shower gel scent that was identical to his own.

Even the heat of the gland on the back of the neck was something he could barely capture with his nose. He could not smell it. He could not smell anything at all.

The man’s teeth grazed the back of his neck, greedily hoping to catch even half a scent. Just a little would be enough.

“Why can’t I smell it?” Zheng Tingyang clenched his hand into a loose fist, his forearm locking Yu Yan firmly in a cage like embrace. His voice was hoarse and carried a slight tremor. “Why?”

What would it take to truly possess Yu Yan? Even if he could just taste a tiny bit of his scent, it would be fine. He was so unreconciled!

Yu Yan slept deeply in his arms, being held tightly and kissed. When he felt out of breath, it was like a pink dreamscape; he subconsciously used his hand to push away whatever was blocking his breathing, letting out soft, muddled moans.

Sharing a bed and a pillow; this was not the first time for Zheng Tingyang. Every night after he fed Yu Yan the pre sleep milk, the little person on the bed would lose consciousness, immersed in a comfortable dream fantasy.

The ingredients in those medications could significantly reduce the discomfort of the gland during pregnancy; the raw materials were high concentration Alpha pheromones. Zheng Tingyang kissed the back of his neck, greedily sniffing the shower gel scent on him, unable to control himself. He had endured for too, too long.

“Tingyang.”

“Little Fish.” The man’s tender tone seemed to spread across the entire Pacific. He tried to bite the gland from behind. Lacking pheromones himself, he only left shallow teeth marks that vanished in an instant. “I will be gentle. I will not wake you up, okay?”

“I will take that as a yes.” He held Yu Yan intimately from behind, burying his chin in Yu Yan’s neck and shoulder, his chest pressing tightly against Yu Yan’s back.

Holding Little Fish was like holding a cat that would not run away. It filled one’s heart with an impulse to tear him apart and torment him, thoughts that would run rampant in his mind until he broke through the unbearable threshold time and again. He had to be close, he had to take, before he could find even a slight reprieve.

This reprieve was no different from drinking poison to quench thirst. The person in his arms was fast asleep, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Usually, Yu Yan’s hands and feet were cold. While being held, he reached out in a daze, trying to push away the blanket covering him.

He was someone who was very afraid of pain. Due to chronic phlebitis since childhood, he was terrified of needles. He would tremble whenever any foreign object entered his body.

This dream was frighteningly long. Yu Yan dreamed too much. During the first five months, he often had fetal dreams, dreaming of a baby in his arms constantly babbling “Papa” at him. So, Yu Yan did not find his sleepiness strange; he thought it was a cute behavior of the baby wanting to see him early.

But today’s dream was different. It was scorching hot. He seemed trapped in a torture of ice and fire he could not wake from. A familiar pain made his body shake uncontrollably. In the dream, he was in one car accident after another, his body smashed to pieces, horrifying and terrifying. Finally, he did not even have the strength to crawl away.

In the dream, he could not stop his tears from the pain, sobbing and choking, holding his belly and begging everyone to save the baby inside him. No matter who wanted to hurt him, please do not hurt his baby.

Later, he saw the perpetrator of the accident clearly: it was Zheng Tingyang. Zheng Tingyang’s car was parked in the middle of the road, and he stood by the roadside watching him cry, saying he looked so beautiful when he cried. Like an executioner, he picked up Yu Yan’s broken body and threw it into a boiling hot pot, saying he wanted to wash him clean and then eat him.

Zheng Tingyang is not that kind of person. He would never treat me and the baby like that.

He screamed in pain, but he could not wake up. The heavy, uncomfortable feeling took half his life, and finally, he lost consciousness even within the dream. How could I be bullied like this even in my own dream? Yu Yan, oh Yu Yan, you really are a spineless person.

It was not until the next morning, when a faint savory aroma wafted into the living room, that he managed to open his eyes. He heard the occasional sound of walking, the sound of the refrigerator closing, and the noise of Zheng Tingyang handling a work call while beating eggs.

Yu Yan tried to get up normally, but when his feet hit the floor, his legs were weak. It was a weakness without any warning; he only avoided falling by grabbing the bedside. The fall completely cleared his half asleep mind.

“Tingyang? Tingyang,” he called out, but his throat was uncomfortable, raspy and deeper than usual.

Zheng Tingyang heard the noise. “Why did you get out of bed without calling me? What if you fell?” He arrived quickly, with a trace of worry in his seemingly calm brow. “Morning sickness?”

Yu Yan shook his head as he was helped back into the covers to put on his socks. “I think I have a fever.”

“Is that so?” Zheng Tingyang pressed his chin against Yu Yan’s forehead. “It is not hot. It is fine. Don’t scare yourself. The doctor said the most important thing for you is to relax. Giving yourself too much pressure is not good for the baby.” As he spoke, he leaned down intimately. “Good morning.”

Yu Yan’s mind was blank, unsure how to respond. But his mouth moved first, leaning in to give a soft kiss on the man’s cheek. “Good morning.”

The morning kiss had become a habit so quickly. Yu Yan was startled by his own subconscious action. How could his mouth move before his words? Little Fish, Little Fish, you never grow up. And even when you do, you have no backbone.

Zheng Tingyang massaged his waist and squeezed his legs. His hand paused. “The fabric of the shirt is not good. Sleeping in it will chafe your skin. Your legs are red.”

Yu Yan looked over blankly. They really were red. The shirt just barely covered the tops of his thighs, and the inner sides were slightly flushed. “They really are red,” he muttered.

“The cut of the shirt is very good. Do you like it?” Zheng Tingyang asked, pretending not to understand.

Yu Yan was left speechless by the question. He mumbled, unsure of how to answer, and told a random lie. “Mm. Pajamas get too hot after wearing them for a long time, so your shirt is bigger and more convenient. Mm.” He seemed to have convinced himself. “That is how it is.”

“Then I will have someone come over to take your measurements and make a few,” Zheng Tingyang said with a low laugh.

It sounded like teasing, but Yu Yan did not want to puncture his thin veil of dignity. He could not exactly say he just wanted to wear something cool yesterday solely to coax the man into taking him on the trip, right?

Zheng Tingyang said, “The masters in Beijing have good craftsmanship. While I am in meetings, you will be bored in the hotel, so it is a good time to get a few made. I did not want to make you travel, but I cannot skip this contract. It will just be a bit tiring for you. I have already packed the luggage this morning. After breakfast, take a look. Is there anything else you want to bring?”

Yu Yan realized belatedly: “Beijing?” His face lit up. “Are you taking me with you?”

Zheng Tingyang replied, “Of course.”

Yu Yan blinked. “!!”

Zheng Tingyang watched him as if he were being silly. “Lie down for a bit longer. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

Another domestic sound echoed in the living room, and even the air seemed to turn sweet. He quickly dug out his phone to message Xiang Qian, who had sent him a long string of messages after sobering up.

Xiang Qian: [Babe, is your backside okay? Are YOU okay? Is the kid still there? I drank too much yesterday. Why did I give you such a rotten idea?! Don’t wear too little!! Don’t expose yourself to Zheng Tingyang!! No way! This is absolutely forbidden!! Reply to me, Little Fish! HURRY!! Should I call the police?]

Yu Yan found the reply a bit strange. Zheng Tingyang was not some fierce beast; what was there to be afraid of?

The Great Prophet (Yu Yan): [I am fine! He agreed to take me on the business trip! Oh yeah! Cat spinning around JPG]

Xiang Qian: [Spineless…]

Yu Yan lay there for a while, but his limbs were still sore and weak, a localized fatigue for no reason. Especially the chafing at the tops of his thighs; most Omega skin is delicate and sensitive. His pheromones were more concentrated and pure, and having been raised carefully since childhood, even wearing cotton undergarments for too long would sometimes cause chafing.

It was the same when he secretly wore Zheng Tingyang’s shirt last time. But this time, why did it feel both familiar and yet strange? He even clearly felt that a certain place was painful; it must be swollen.

Was it because I ate something that caused internal heat? But I only had pumpkin porridge yesterday.

Yu Yan endured his weak legs and stayed in the bathroom for a long time. He changed into pajamas and wanted to see what happened to his backside. How can it be this uncomfortable?

Zheng Tingyang suddenly knocked on the door, interrupting his quest to find the truth behind the swelling. “Little Fish, are you feeling unwell again?”

“No.” Yu Yan quickly pulled up his pajama pants. “I will be out in a second.”

Zheng Tingyang pushed the door open after receiving permission. “I was worried you would be like yesterday.”

“Yesterday was an accident.” Yu Yan pursed his lips. He felt he was overthinking things. Perhaps it was because the next heat cycle was coming. Since getting pregnant, his body had undergone many changes. Maybe a bit of discomfort in the reproductive chamber a few days before a heat was just a side effect of carrying a baby?

Anyway, it was just a bit of leg weakness; it was no big deal. He had even made himself uncomfortable before, though never as clearly as this near the reproductive chamber.

During breakfast, Zheng Tingyang asked if he was uncomfortable. Yu Yan shook his head, only feeling very fatigued, as if he had been exercising all night. Right after breakfast, he did not even have time to look at the luggage before curling back up in the duvet for a date.

Zheng Tingyang packed everything, suspended the flower shop’s operations for a week, and dialed Zhou Jiangru’s number. “Does an Omega’s reproductive chamber swell after a heat?”

Zhou Jiangru was taken aback. “Yu Yan’s heat was not yesterday. You remembered wrong, didn’t you?”

Zheng Tingyang frowned slightly. The last time Yu Yan wore his shirt was during a heat, but not this time. Why did he wear it? He had also tormented him, though only for a short while. Seeing Yu Yan cry, he had stopped. But Yu Yan was still exhausted for the whole day.

Zhou Jiangru said, “It is not good if the time has not come yet. Yu Yan’s body is very poor; don’t act recklessly.”

Zheng Tingyang rubbed his brow. “Too late.”

Zhou Jiangru thought, “??”

Yu Yan slept soundly until late at night. The flower shop owner had sent him a message saying the shop was being renovated before the New Year and that he should rest at home with paid leave. He could not help but marvel. How could there be such a good boss in this world!

With the three thousand five hundred yuan salary in his account, he happily picked out some good fertilizers online, intending to let Zheng Tingyang take good care of the Bird of Paradise at home.

Zheng Tingyang noticed he was going to the bathroom more frequently in the evening. Yu Yan knew he could not hide it and confessed that his reproductive chamber felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Swollen?” Zheng Tingyang’s brow furrowed. “How did that happen?”

Yu Yan pursed his lips. “I don’t know either.”

Zheng Tingyang fiddled with his phone for a moment. “The doctor said it is normal. The fetus is pressing against the reproductive chamber. This happens before a heat cycle. It is fine.”

Yu Yan did not quite think it was strange, but how could the baby press down there? Yet he felt a doctor would not lie.

“I will apply some medicine for you.”

“I, I can do it myself!”

“It is not convenient with a big belly.” Zheng Tingyang’s tone brooked no refusal. After seeing clearly, he was still a bit startled. When he looked last night, it had not been swollen yet. “It is my fault,” he said.

Yu Yan wished he could cover his face with the duvet. How can this be Zheng Tingyang’s fault? The doctor said it was because his body was not good enough.

Just because his body was not good, why was it swollen there? His thighs were also chafed red. Someone might think he had done something to himself. This was not Tingyang’s fault.

After the medicine was applied, it was the second night of their living together. Yu Yan cautiously hooked Zheng Tingyang’s pinky finger from under the covers. The curtains were only halfway drawn, and the falling snow in the night sky was beautiful. He lay on his side, looking at the silhouette traced by the shadows.

Zheng Tingyang felt his gaze and turned his head, meeting those bright eyes. “Not sleeping?”

Yu Yan paused for two seconds and quickly shut his eyes tight. “I am sleeping.”

He heard Zheng Tingyang let out a light laugh, and then a large hand tightly clasped his small hand, like a warm abyss in the dark night that let him fall right in.

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