Soothing Pheromones

On the way back, Chi Li asked Geng Ji, "Will his leg recover?"

Geng Ji narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at him. "His leg was broken and had to be amputated. What do you think?"

Chi Li's hand at his side clenched slightly. He lowered his head and said nothing.

Geng Ji asked, "What are you going to do?"

Chi Li asked in return, "What do you mean, what am I going to do?"

"What if..." Geng Ji paused, then said, "How are you planning to repay Si Jinyan? He broke a leg protecting you."

At the mention of this, Chi Li's mood sank further. He would rather Si Jinyan had not rushed in back then, even if it meant he himself had lost a leg.

Chi Li did not want to owe anyone a favor, much less Si Jinyan.

At that point, Chi Li had not yet thought carefully about why.

Geng Ji asked, "If he can't find a wife and no one wants him anymore, will you take care of him?"

Chi Li found the question rather strange, but before he could examine what was so strange about it, he actually weighed the matter seriously.

Then Geng Ji shouted, "You hesitated! Si Jinyan really got the short end of the stick!"

Chi Li frowned, snapping back to his senses. The more he thought about it, the stranger that question seemed.

"Let's go see whether Si Jinyan is awake." Geng Ji abruptly changed the subject, his whole demeanor turning lazy again.

He laced his hands behind his head, his palms resting against the back of his skull. He walked with a careless slouch, looking nothing like a soldier and more like a handsome hoodlum.

As they neared a hospital room, several soldiers stood guard outside its door, while a few doctors came out from within.

Chi Li's heart instantly rose to his throat, and his steps halted.

Geng Ji smacked the back of his head. "Come on. Weren't you the one yelling that you wanted to see the Marshal?"

The soldiers on guard at the door saluted Geng Ji.

The doctors all left.

Chi Li walked in. Other than Si Jinyan, no one else was in the room.

Si Jinyan was already awake. He leaned against the headboard, though his complexion was still somewhat pale.

Geng Ji asked, "How do you feel?"

Si Jinyan's voice was slightly hoarse. "Not bad."

Geng Ji gave Chi Li another push between the shoulder blades. "What are you standing around for? Weren't you the one clamoring to come see him?"

Si Jinyan looked at Chi Li.

Chi Li could not help looking at Si Jinyan's leg.

He looked at Si Jinyan's face, then at his leg, then at his face again. He hesitated before saying, "Marshal, your leg..."

Si Jinyan noticed. "It doesn't hurt."

Si Jinyan looked as though he did not think much of it, which eased Chi Li's worry, but his heart still tightened as if someone had gripped it. He felt even more guilty. Did losing a leg really mean nothing to Si Jinyan?

Seeing that Chi Li was still weighed down, Si Jinyan said to Geng Ji, "If you have nothing to do, go out first."

Geng Ji still wanted to stay and watch the show. "You're in such a hurry to kick me out? Am I getting in your way?"

Si Jinyan shifted his gaze from Chi Li to Geng Ji. One eyebrow rose slightly, and his tone darkened. "Do you have something to do?"

Geng Ji looked at Si Jinyan's expression, his eyes darting around. Leaving is fine too, he thought. Then he grinned. "I'll get going, then. You two have a nice talk."

The sneaky look on Geng Ji's face made Si Jinyan feel that something was up.

After Geng Ji left, Si Jinyan saw that Chi Li was still standing far away and said, "Come closer."

Chi Li obediently walked over. Si Jinyan touched his hand and found it a little cold, so he tightened his grip slightly.

Si Jinyan asked, "Why haven't you changed clothes?"

Chi Li said gloomily, "I forgot. There wasn't time."

Si Jinyan asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I have."

Si Jinyan touched Chi Li's face again and said gently, "It's fine. Don't take it to heart."

Chi Li's gaze kept drifting toward Si Jinyan's leg. Suddenly, he felt that something was not quite right.

Si Jinyan pulled Chi Li over, intending to hold him and seat him beside himself.

Afraid of putting pressure on Si Jinyan, Chi Li tried to avoid him somewhat. He also grabbed Si Jinyan's hand to counter his strength and said weakly, "Marshal, your leg."

Si Jinyan's back was injured as well, yet Chi Li had been focused entirely on his leg. Si Jinyan sensed that something was off. Remembering Geng Ji's expression when he left, he frowned and asked, his tone lifting slightly, "What did Geng Ji tell you?"

The discordant feeling coming through the blanket covering Si Jinyan's leg grew stronger and stronger. At last, Chi Li caught hold of that strange, neglected feeling in his mind.

Chi Li said, "He said your leg was broken..."

Almost at the same time, Si Jinyan asked, "Geng Ji said my leg was broken?"

Chi Li froze, his eyes widening. He nodded earnestly.

Si Jinyan's face darkened, and his displeasure was plainly visible.

Chi Li realized it too. Geng Ji had actually played him!

Geng Ji had been having fun at his expense.

Damn it!

Si Jinyan said, "Teach him a lesson next time."

Chi Li felt that Si Jinyan was cursing Geng Ji in his heart too. Geng Ji had run off quickly, or Chi Li feared he would not have been able to stop himself from punching him.

Si Jinyan threw back the blanket, as though to reassure Chi Li, and showed him. "It wasn't broken. The bullet was removed."

Si Jinyan was not wearing pants, and a bandage was wrapped around his left thigh.

Chi Li saw it at a glance, along with Little Yan.

After one look, Chi Li made Si Jinyan cover himself with the blanket again, even tucking in its corners for him. "That's good. Keep the blanket on. Don't catch a chill."

Si Jinyan watched Chi Li's slightly flustered appearance, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly.

Other than the necessary bandage changes, Si Jinyan refused any other medical care.

Chi Li served Si Jinyan his meals. Si Jinyan could clearly eat by himself, but when he saw Chi Li holding chopsticks and a spoon, intending to feed him, he did not refuse. He opened his mouth and let Chi Li bring the food to him. With no other choice, Chi Li fed him bite by bite.

That night, when Chi Li saw that Si Jinyan could already get out of bed and walk around, he finally realized just how astonishing Si Jinyan's recovery ability was.

During the day, after confirming that Si Jinyan was all right, Chi Li began thinking back to that moment. Si Jinyan's speed had been abnormally fast.

Si Jinyan's physical examination reports were all classified. Only that leaked pheromone report had given the intelligence department an opening, because the research institute had been searching extensively for highly compatible omegas.

"What are you spacing out for?" Si Jinyan stood beside the bed, Little Yan looking straight at Chi Li with aggressive enthusiasm.

Si Jinyan's shamelessness kept breaking through Chi Li's limits.

There was only what went beyond Chi Li's limits; there was nothing Si Jinyan could not do.

He was far too energetic, and Chi Li's face reddened slightly.

When Chi Li helped Si Jinyan wash up and bathe, he saw that thing still showed no sign of calming down, still pointing directly at him. Chi Li finally could not help asking, "Marshal, is it really all right for your body to be like this all the time?"

Si Jinyan said, "Then come help me."

Chi Li said, "."

Chi Li had not expected Si Jinyan to be serious.

Later, blood seeped through Si Jinyan's bandage, but Si Jinyan still showed no intention of stopping. Chi Li panicked and tried to cover the wound for him, getting blood all over his hands.

Chi Li could not persuade Si Jinyan otherwise, so he could only cooperate as much as possible and let Si Jinyan move less. Si Jinyan seemed very pleased by Chi Li's initiative. Again and again, Chi Li thought it was time to rest, only for it not to end.

Chi Li fell asleep from exhaustion. In his dreams, his brows were tightly furrowed. Si Jinyan held him as he cleaned him up, then held him in bed for a while.

The hospital room lights had been turned off. Hazy moonlight streamed through the window, blurring the outlines of the furnishings.

Si Jinyan stared at Chi Li's face, releasing soothing pheromones as his thumb brushed over Chi Li's tightly furrowed brows.

Si Jinyan knew that what he had done then was not the judgment a steady person should have made, nor the action a half-modified human in a dangerous period should have taken.

At this moment, looking at Chi Li's quiet, peaceful face, listening to his steady breathing, feeling his heartbeat and the faint pheromones he unconsciously released, Si Jinyan felt that he would still make the same choice.

Only after Chi Li's breathing had completely settled did Si Jinyan go out and call a nurse to replace the blood-soaked bandage.