To Marry My Little Chestnut - Chapter 7

His slender, porcelain-white nape was exposed to the air. Just below the bone sat the patch of slightly reddened and swollen skin.

Yu Yan felt that the gland under his fingertips was no longer as swollen as it had been at the hospital, though the skin here remained significantly warmer than elsewhere.

His scent was sweet, like freshly roasted chestnuts coated in a layer of sugar frosting, or perhaps a hint of cream mixed with the rich aroma of cake. It felt as though one bite would reveal the soft, sandy texture of chestnut puree and tender sponge cake.

This was the first time Yu Yan had exposed his nape to another person; he nervously curled his fingers.

“Does this hurt?” A slightly rough fingertip pressed against his nape. The pressure was light, yet it felt as if it might bruise the delicate skin, leaving behind a trace of the man’s body heat. Yu Yan’s shoulders trembled, and he bit his lip, letting out a muffled hum from his nose.

“It does not hurt.”

“It is indeed warmer than other areas,” Zheng Tingyang said, lowering his head to gently blow on the gland.

As the cool air brushed against the heated gland, Yu Yan instinctively gripped the bedsheets. His breath hitched for a moment. He tried to swallow, but it felt as if something was sprouting from the depths of his heart. The urge to be cherished and possessed snared his logic like a rapidly weaving spiderweb.

His fingertips pinched the sheets lightly. With his soft hair brushing against his temples, his nerves immediately grew taut.

His breathing became steady and ethereal. Yu Yan sniffed and summoned the courage to remain calm, protesting in a small voice, “Do not blow on it. It is chilly.”

It was also ticklish.

Zheng Tingyang let out a light chuckle. “Very well.”

“Is it still swollen?” Yu Yan asked uncertainly.

He could feel Zheng Tingyang gazing at his gland. Since Zheng Tingyang was not an Alpha, a scentless Omega was likely no different from plain water to him. Yu Yan did not have much confidence in his own appeal.

His Omega instincts made him feel as though he were standing naked before this man. “What are you laughing at?”

Zheng Tingyang’s thumb slowly caressed the skin around the gland. “I think it is very cute.”

“This place is cute, and you are cute, too.”

Yu Yan dazed for a moment. He often felt that he and Zheng Tingyang would not finish this marriage with such polite distance. Perhaps the man liked him, after all.

Zheng Tingyang did not touch the gland again. Instead, he supported Yu Yan’s lower abdomen from behind and massaged his waist, preparing to help him request leave from the flower shop owner. He wanted Yu Yan to rest for at least a week; it would not be too late to go out once the hand injury healed.

Yu Yan was grateful to Zheng Tingyang for this. Unlike many Alphas, he was not overbearingly possessive and gave Yu Yan the utmost freedom and peace of mind. He arranged everything meticulously.

Yu Yan lay down happily, unable to resist saying, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” Zheng Tingyang replied.

Before he prepared to sleep, Zheng Tingyang showed no sign of leaving the bedroom. Yu Yan lay in bed, looking at him with confusion, as the man had never stayed with him since they were married. Was it a matter of boundaries?

Zheng Tingyang took a prenatal education book from the bedside drawer. “I will watch over you while you sleep tonight. Otherwise, if you move around in your sleep, the wound on your hand might burst open.”

“Is that alright?” he asked gently.

Yu Yan nodded gratefully. The flush from his low-grade fever had not yet faded, and his eyes crinkled into crescents. “Yes.”

Zheng Tingyang stayed by the bedside reading stories to him. The stories were short, and when they ended, Yu Yan still was not sleepy.

His flower shop owner had approved his leave. Yu Yan remarked on how rare it was to find such a compassionate boss.

Zheng Tingyang asked him, “Has the flower shop been very busy lately?”

“Christmas is coming soon,” Yu Yan replied. “Many of the lilies we have received lately are still in bud and need extra care to bloom.”

“Do you like working at the flower shop?”

“Of course,” Yu Yan yawned, squinting his eyes. “I do not have much experience or a professional background, so it is hard to find a suitable job. I was very lost back then. When the owner learned about my situation, he provided room and board, and the salary was enough to support me. Even if I had not married you, this job could have supported me and the baby. Besides, I love flowers.”

Speaking of this, Yu Yan felt he had met the best boss possible. After his night with Zheng Tingyang, he had nowhere to go after leaving the hotel. He wandered aimlessly, stayed in a hostel for two days, and struggled to find work because people looked down on him for being a delicate Omega who could not do much. The shop owner gave him his first job, which was easy and joyful.

A good mood was the most important thing during pregnancy.

Zheng Tingyang nodded. “It is good that you like it.” He patted Yu Yan’s hair. “Go to sleep.”

Yu Yan closed his eyes for a while but still could not fall asleep. Usually, when Zheng Tingyang came home from work, he would bring desserts for a late-night snack. Since there were none today, Yu Yan found himself wide awake.

“Cannot sleep?” Zheng Tingyang leaned down slightly, resting his chin against Yu Yan’s forehead to check his temperature. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

Yu Yan shook his head and obediently rubbed his head against the man’s chin, pulling the blanket up to hide half of his face. “The baby must be moving again.”

Zheng Tingyang paused, his eyes reflecting unconcealed concern. “Where does it hurt?”

“The baby says he is hungry.”

Yu Yan pulled the blanket up further to hide his blushing face.

Zheng Tingyang breathed a sigh of relief and said with helpless indulgence, “I will go make something. Let us have something warm tonight—mashed Chinese yam with red dates, alright?”

Yu Yan poked a finger out from under the blanket and hooked it around the man’s fingertip. His voice carried a warmth that seemed to travel through their touch. “Okay.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Zheng Tingyang’s movements stiffened for a split second as he stood up, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably. “It is no trouble.”

Before he left, he tucked a book of prenatal stories into Yu Yan’s hands, and Yu Yan began to read with great interest. A moment later, he heard the sound of a phone call from the living room.

Yu Yan thought that Zheng Tingyang was truly a wonderful husband. His own fainting spell had likely delayed the man’s work, yet he was still handling business late at night while willing to cook for him. At this rate, their married life would be very harmonious.

In the kitchen, Zheng Tingyang watched the bubbling yam in the pot while listening to the phone. He crunched a milk tablet in his mouth and clicked his tongue, closing the kitchen door firmly with one hand.

He seemed extremely dissatisfied with the person on the other end of the line. Frowning, he added some ginseng to the stew to replenish Yu Yan’s energy.

The person on the phone explained, “We have already taken the shop off the delivery platforms. Do you have any other instructions?”

Zheng Tingyang tied his apron. “The lilies.”

The person on the phone clearly did not follow. “What about the lilies?”

“He is pregnant. All the lilies in the shop must be removed. Do not stock any flowers with heavy fragrances.”

The scent of lilies could easily cause dizziness or nausea for someone who was pregnant. He had smelled a faint scent of lilies on Yu Yan today. Regardless of whether it contributed to his fainting spell, Zheng Tingyang preferred to be overly cautious.

The person on the line was the titular owner of the flower shop. He looked quite troubled. “But Director Zheng, would that not be too obvious? What kind of flower shop does not stock lilies?”

“Not just lilies. Do not stock any overly fragrant flowers. Bring in some soothing varieties. Also, take that cat for a bath in the next few days.”

The titular owner was at a loss. He had never seen such a strange assignment and could not understand why Director Zheng was doing all this. Five years ago, the Director had bought his shop and helped his son get into a prestigious primary school. The only requirement was to hire an Omega. Later, seeing the Omega was too hardworking, he was told to hire a college student to do the heavy lifting. Finally, fearing the Omega might be bored, a cat was brought in for entertainment. It was truly bizarre.

“It is too strange for a flower shop not to have flowers. How about I set up a shelf outside to keep them separate?”

Zheng Tingyang peeled a grape and said calmly, “How you justify the lie is your business.”

The invisible pressure traveled through the phone, leaving the shop owner with no choice but to agree.

By the time the mashed yam was ready, the little one in the bedroom had fallen asleep while reading the storybook. He did not wake him. Instead, he placed the snack bowl quietly on the bedside table and sat by the bed to tuck him in.

Driven by a private impulse, he reached under the blanket and gently hooked his thumb around Yu Yan’s, just as Yu Yan had done to him earlier.

“Baby, today was the first time you took my hand voluntarily.”

Though it was only for a moment, it had felt incredibly soft.

He leaned down and kissed Yu Yan’s sleeping cheek as if he were holding a precious treasure. “How much longer until you understand? I am afraid I will not be able to hold back much longer.”

On the same night, Haicheng was undergoing rapid economic development. From a high floor, one could look down at the neon lights and the approaching era of decadence.

When Yu Yan woke up, it was already dusk. Wearing his lamb pajamas, he went to the bathroom in a daze, then sat on the sofa wrapped in a plush blanket to clear his head. He rarely stayed up late, so yesterday’s fainting spell had likely drained his energy.

When he turned on his phone, Xiang Qian’s messages popped up like an unstoppable surprise box, filling the entire screen. Ning Yuan had also messaged him, saying that the shop had received many new plants. The owner had taken a sudden liking to potted plants and had replaced most of the fresh flowers with varieties like Kaffir lilies, gladiolus, and succulents.

While Xiang Qian was on the phone with him, Yu Yan was searching for ways to care for potted plants. He had little experience with them, and orchids seemed particularly delicate and required careful attention.

“What? There is actually a shop owner like that? He must love his wife too much. If he only stocks what his wife likes, how does he make a profit?”

Yu Yan bit his nail. “There is plenty of foot traffic near the university, and there are usually many delivery orders. But it is strange—whenever I am on shift, there are only two or three orders. I actually spend the whole day reading, playing with the cat, and daydreaming. Whenever A-Yuan tells me how busy the shop is, I find it hard to believe.”

As he spoke, he could not help but laugh. Ning Yuan had just sent him a crying emoji.

Xiang Qian remarked, “The guy who shares your shifts is living a hard life.”

Yu Yan sighed. “It is just like today. As soon as I took a break, the manager changed the shop. He told A-Yuan to handle all the lilies and other flowers within three days. With so many flowers, his hands must be shaking from all the packing. I must bring him some good food to help him recover when I go back to work.”

He ate a small bowl of porridge. The clock on the television was nearing 5:40 PM.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, and the streetlights had not yet turned on. Haicheng was bathed in a deep, cool blue. The news was playing on the screen. Yu Yan did not really understand the news, but Zheng Tingyang’s company was always featured. He could occasionally see his husband on television. He did not have to shyly avoid the man’s gaze as he did at home; he could simply watch him intently. Just doing so filled his heart with sweetness.

The news report began with topics he did not understand and something about the Guangmao Group’s stock value dropping by 24% overnight and a certain director being interrogated. The images flickered and switched, finally stopping at a press conference for the Changxing Group.

Zheng Tingyang’s face appeared on the screen.

Yu Yan held his phone and watched intently. He placed his palm on his protruding belly and whispered, “Baby, do you see? That is Father.”

“Father is very impressive, isn’t he?”

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