Elaine's Flowers

"Where did all this pink stuff come from?" Yumian scratched his cheek awkwardly. "And next time, don't stand in front of me. You're obviously so weak..."

Shi Sheng shook his head and pressed the voice device.

"Yumian, hurt, Elaine, will, be sad."

Yumian froze. He wanted to say his big brother would never be sad. Nothing in this world could possibly stir that heart forged in slaughter.

But then he remembered the sight of Elaine holding the injured Shi Sheng, and for the first time, Yumian began to doubt himself.

Just as he was thinking about it, his wristband suddenly chimed. Yumian answered without much concern.

Lanreese's anxious voice came through. "Yumian, I've been trying to contact you all night! Are you okay?"

They had grown up together, after all. Yumian was about to answer when a familiar inner voice suddenly reached him.

[He's putting on such a good act. If I didn't know about his scheme, I'd be shipping him with Yumian.]

Yumian paused, then said to the person on the other end, "I'm fine. I'm at home."

"That's good." Lanreese seemed to let out a breath of relief, his tone eager. "Are you free these next couple of days? I'll come keep you company. I'll bring that bottle of wine you liked before."

[Wine... Don't tell me?!]

Yumian glanced at Shi Sheng from the corner of his eye. The other boy was hugging a pillow and gazing out the window in profile, seemingly unwilling to interrupt his call, yet not a single thought was missing.

[I remember this should be... after the banquet. Although Noah successfully got close to the Crown Prince, he was still far from becoming the Crown Prince Consort.]

[Because Yumian was such a popular candidate, Noah urged Lanreese to propose to Yumian just to be safe.]

[Lanreese was completely out of his mind too. He'd do anything for Noah.]

[And to stop Yumian from refusing, Noah even had Lanreese drug the wine!]

[It was because of this that Yumian had no choice but to get engaged to Lanreese, but their relationship became terrible. Meanwhile, Noah bewitched Izel, and gradually Yumian became estranged from everyone.]

[That was why, in the end, he drugged Noah at the banquet, only to be turned against and married off to an old man...]

[Oh no, could it happen soon?!]

Listening to Shi Sheng's thoughts, Yumian's heart was in turmoil as well.

By now, he believed what Shi Sheng was thinking very much.

But what had he just heard? Lanreese was going to drug him?

Ha. How ridiculous. How absurd!

Yumian, rebellious to the bone, immediately said into the wristband, "Got it. Find a time and come over."

Shi Sheng abruptly turned his head. He wanted to say something, but had no reason to speak.

Seeing how anxious he looked, Yumian felt an unfamiliar emotion rise in his heart for some reason. He could not explain what it was.

The butler's voice interrupted both of their thoughts. "Madam, Young Master, someone from the Shi family has arrived."

Shi Sheng hurriedly tried to get out of bed, but Yumian pressed him back down with one hand.

"What are you in such a hurry for? You're injured." Yumian tilted his head toward the butler. "Let them in. Do you expect an injured person to go out and greet them?"

The butler wiped away his sweat and went out to bring them in.

Shi Sheng's mother came in with Ji Sui and immediately rushed to the bedside. "My child!"

Yumian stepped aside and said to Shi Sheng, "Since your mother is here, I'll be leaving."

After saying that, he nodded to Mother Shi and sauntered out.

Ji Sui listened to Yumian's unusually easygoing tone with some surprise, his feelings complicated.

He had heard all about the notorious young demon. Why did he seem to get along rather well with Shi Sheng?

Ji Sui narrowed his eyes unwillingly.

Mother Shi, however, did not notice any of this. She merely grabbed Shi Sheng's hand and examined him from head to toe. When she saw the thick bandages around his neck, her eyes immediately reddened again.

"What did the doctor say? How did you get hurt so badly... Your gland, is your gland all right?"

Shi Sheng stopped Mother Shi's hand as she tried to inspect his gland and signed, "I'm fine. It only looks scary. It's all been treated."

After a pause, he signed again, "My gland is fine too."

Only the anti-bite collar around his neck had been damaged and lost somewhere. Shi Sheng found it a little regrettable.

Mother Shi looked at him for a while before choking out, "Why would you do something so reckless? The young master of the Carlos family has plenty of guards. Why would he need you?"

Shi Sheng pressed his lips together, just about to speak when Ji Sui's hypocritical voice sounded beside him.

"Auntie, don't blame Xiao... Yi."

Because the butler was still nearby, he changed the form of address that had nearly slipped out. "He had no choice either. How much suffering must an Omega endure in the Carlos family? It's only natural for him to take this chance to curry favor."

He paused, then smiled. "Besides, Xiao Yi has always been like this. He has such a pure heart. It's normal for him to be a little stubborn."

Mother Shi's expression changed, as though she had remembered something. Her face became somewhat unpleasant.

Shi Sheng picked up the voice device and pressed it toward Ji Sui. "Please, leave."

"Auntie, look at Xiao Yi." Ji Sui smiled. "Still such a childish temper. He can't take a single word."

Then he added with a hint of grievance, "I'm sorry. I was only so anxious because Xiao Yi was hurt."

Sure enough, Mother Shi looked at Shi Sheng disapprovingly. "How can you speak to your brother like that?"

Shi Sheng was just about to say something when the butler, Merico, suddenly spoke.

"Sir." Merico said with a smiling face, "My apologies, but your visiting time is over. Please leave."

Ji Sui froze. "We just arrived."

Merico said, "Madam Shi may of course stay. Your time, however, is over."

"What do you mean?" Ji Sui was somewhat angry. "I'm his cousin. I represent the Shi family."

Merico elegantly extended a white-gloved hand. "Yes, I know your identity. But everything in the Carlos family follows the family head's wishes. This is the family head's order."

Mother Shi hurriedly said, "Xiao Sui came with me. The Marshal told us to come this morning."

"Yes, I am aware." Merico continued smiling. "But the Marshal only summoned you, did he not? As for this gentleman, whether he may remain depends on whether our Madam agrees."

"After all, in the Carlos family, Madam's opinion matters most."

Both Mother Shi and Ji Sui looked astonished.

Shi Sheng was somewhat confused as well. He looked toward Merico, who kindly nodded at him.

Shi Sheng picked up the voice device. "Leave."

He did not want to see Ji Sui at all.

Ji Sui's expression darkened as Merico politely showed him out.

Mother Shi was silent for a while. When she spoke again, there was reproach in her tone. "Why weren't you taking your brother's side out there?"

Shi Sheng signed, "Mother, I only have one brother."

Mother Shi sighed. "As for what happened with Lowell, I already scolded Xiao Sui for you. He's had nothing since he was little. Just give in to him this time. You've always been sensible..."

Shi Sheng lowered his head and said nothing, his fingers brushing against the soft blanket.

"And your brother..." Mother Shi paused, carefully glancing toward the door. The butler had not returned. "I wonder where he is now, whether he's doing well. Has he still not contacted you?"

Shi Sheng shook his head.

Mother Shi said, "Why hasn't he even contacted you? You're blood brothers."

She sighed. "What a mess. If your brother had been there yesterday, he definitely wouldn't have acted recklessly. At least you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

When Shi Sheng did not respond, she carefully took his hand and said earnestly, "Since things have already come to this, focus on recovering. Now that you're living in someone else's home, the most important thing is not to cause trouble. As for your identity... you must be extremely careful. Luckily, you didn't lose too much blood yesterday. Otherwise, what if Carlos found out your blood type? Wouldn't a check expose everything?"

Shi Sheng felt as though his wound had started hurting again.

But he said nothing and merely nodded lightly.

Not long after, the butler returned and told Mother Shi that her time was up.

Mother Shi hesitated before asking once they were outside, "What time can I make an appointment for next time?"

Merico smiled. "That will require the family head's approval."

As for when he would ask, and when Elaine would agree, that was another matter.

Mother Shi thought the Carlos family was truly overbearing. She even needed approval just to visit her own son!

But she did not dare say anything.

After the Shi family's car drove away, Merico stood where he was for a while. He lowered his head, pulled up a recording, and sent it to Elaine.

He knew that once the family head heard that recording, no one from the Shi family would be able to set foot through the Carlos family's doors for quite some time.

After his mother left, Shi Sheng's wound began to ache on and off.

He had slept peacefully the night before, without feeling any pain at all, but now it hurt so much that he felt miserable.

Medical staff had been stationed outside the room the whole time. Shi Sheng took some medicine, but the pain still lingered faintly. Still, he was barely able to fall asleep.

In his drowsiness, he did not know how much time passed. When he woke again, he was surrounded by a warm, comforting feeling of pheromones.

He reacted at once and tried to sit up, only for a hand to gently press him back beneath the covers.

"Rest properly. You still can't move around carelessly with that wound."

Shi Sheng reached out and touched the voice device beside his pillow. "You're, back."

Elaine's military jacket was draped over a chair. Underneath, he wore only a black shirt, as if he had returned and not even had time to change.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" He pressed the back of his hand to Shi Sheng's forehead. His voice, deliberately softened, sounded gentler than usual. "When I came back, I saw you were in a lot of pain, so I released a little more pheromone."

Shi Sheng shook his head, his curious gaze landing on the table beside them.

A small bouquet of roses tied with a pale ribbon rested there. Their full petals had fallen perfectly into the sunlight streaming through the window, glowing with a clear, warm color.

Elaine reached over and picked up the flowers. He was not actually good at doing such things, so he could only try to make his tone sound less frightening.

"I passed by there again on my way back and remembered that you seemed to like them last time."

At that, the cold, stern Alpha lowered his eyes and gave a soft laugh. "I was afraid the doctor would scold me, so I only bought a small bouquet."

The warm colors of the setting sun covered half of Elaine's sharp features, but all Shi Sheng could see was the gentleness in the Alpha's eyes.

Elaine carefully placed the small bouquet of roses beside Shi Sheng's pillow.

"Can I put them here?"