Susceptibility

Chi Li had been bullied until he was dazed. His last shred of reason told him, "Not here. Let's go back..."

Si Jinyan picked Chi Li up in his arms and carried him back to the hospital room.

Luckily, it was nighttime and there were not many people in the hospital. Still, given Si Jinyan's status, passersby slowed down to take a few extra looks.

Chi Li did not know whether to get down or stay where he was. He only wanted to dig a hole and hide in it, so in the end, he could only bury his face fiercely in Si Jinyan's chest.

After returning to the room, Chi Li was so exhausted that he fell asleep twice. When he woke, he found that Si Jinyan had no intention of resting yet.

The sandalwood-scented pheromones in the air had not calmed down. If anything, they seemed to be growing more intense.

Realizing something, Chi Li froze. He grabbed Si Jinyan's shoulders, wanting him to stop first, and asked tremblingly, "Has your susceptibility period arrived?"

Si Jinyan paused at that. Because of his pheromone disorder, he had gone through susceptibility periods almost every day for a while. "Probably."

For a moment, Chi Li panicked. Thinking of something, he nearly cried as he asked, "But I'm really tired now. When will you be better?"

A trace of amusement suddenly appeared in Si Jinyan's eyes. He gently kissed Chi Li's forehead. "We'll rest soon."

At that moment, Chi Li thought that if he really were an Omega, he would definitely hate creatures like Alphas.

When Chi Li woke again, he had already returned to Si Jinyan's residence.

Si Jinyan was holding him. They had just arrived home.

Remembering something, Chi Li warily looked himself over. His clothes were still perfectly in place, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His entire body ached with discomfort as he asked Si Jinyan, "Are you feeling better?"

Si Jinyan carried Chi Li directly toward the bedroom. "No. I'll feel more at ease at home."

An Alpha's susceptibility period generally lasted about a week.

After saying that, Si Jinyan kissed Chi Li's cheek again. "You've worked hard."

For some reason, Chi Li's head felt fuzzy too. Aside from the aches, his whole body was weak and limp, too hot to muster any energy. Yet whenever he got close to Si Jinyan, the discomfort eased somewhat.

Since he could not avoid it, he could only enjoy it, Chi Li thought.

A few days later, Si Jinyan's condition had improved significantly. He had basically made it through his susceptibility period.

Yet Chi Li remained listless. Si Jinyan worked in the study, and Chi Li followed him there. Si Jinyan did not make him leave. After several times, Chi Li stopped announcing himself. Whenever he saw Si Jinyan in the study, he would silently sit on the small sofa beside him.

Chi Li lounged on the sofa, lazily looking through his Neural Computer.

During that time, Qiu Rui called to report to Si Jinyan about the political marriage.

Si Jinyan had no intention of avoiding Chi Li or making him leave, so Chi Li openly pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.

Qiu Rui roughly said that the Emperor had already finalized the political marriage. The Royal Family was even preparing to send the princess's dowry to the Marshal's Residence, and he asked what Si Jinyan planned to do now.

Si Jinyan had never stated his position on the matter. His silence meant he was unwilling, but the Emperor's attitude was resolute, as though he had decided Si Jinyan would not dare slight him.

Si Jinyan was silent for a moment before saying, "If a political marriage can make them behave themselves, then let it happen."

Qiu Rui replied, "Understood."

Chi Li's heart sank. He had thought Si Jinyan would refuse, but on second thought, Si Jinyan's position truly left him caught in a dilemma.

Combined with what had happened before, this call undoubtedly confirmed that the Emperor did not trust Si Jinyan. There really was a rift between them.

Chi Li noted this down while absentmindedly listening to Qiu Rui.

Qiu Rui continued reporting matters related to the political marriage. As Chi Li listened, an indescribable sour ache inexplicably filled his chest.

After the call ended, Si Jinyan noticed Chi Li from the corner of his eye.

In truth, Si Jinyan did not care about the political marriage. To him, it was merely a political matter, a chess piece.

He knew the Emperor's intention in demanding that he marry was nothing more than fearing his disloyalty and wanting to place another shackle on him. Since the new Emperor had taken the throne, he had not trusted Si Jinyan, and Si Jinyan had made no small number of sacrifices.

Seeing Si Jinyan looking at him, Chi Li leaned against the sofa and blinked at him. After helping Si Jinyan through his susceptibility period, he often felt weak all over and mentally drained, always sleepy. Yet there was still some time before his next Omega disguise injection.

Chi Li thought perhaps helping Si Jinyan through his susceptibility period had simply exhausted him too much.

Si Jinyan could tell that Chi Li was not in good spirits, so he asked, "Tired?"

Chi Li opened his arms toward Si Jinyan, his voice steeped in languid exhaustion. "Sleepy."

Si Jinyan asked, "Do you want to go back to the bedroom and sleep?"

Chi Li was too lazy to move. "Don't want to sleep."

Over the past week, worried that Chi Li would feel unwell, Si Jinyan had intermittently released soothing pheromones. With Si Jinyan's comfort, Chi Li did feel much better. During the last few days of the susceptibility period, Chi Li had once been so exhausted that he lacked even the strength to speak or move a finger. Whenever he felt bad, he would whimper softly, and Si Jinyan would hold and coax him.

Si Jinyan went to the sofa, picked Chi Li up, then returned to the desk.

Chi Li straddled Si Jinyan's lap, facing him. He leaned against Si Jinyan's shoulder, wrapped his arms around his waist, and breathed in the faint sandalwood-scented soothing pheromones.

After a while, Chi Li's head only grew heavier, as though filled with lead. In his muddled consciousness, Si Jinyan's earlier words surfaced again.

A marriage arrangement with the Royal Family was a lifelong matter. Especially for Si Jinyan, who stood where he did now, there could be no breaking the engagement, no divorce.

Whether Si Jinyan married had nothing to do with Chi Li. He would leave sooner or later. Yet at this moment, Chi Li felt a sour, swelling pain in his chest.

Perhaps it was because of their highly compatible pheromones. Perhaps it was because Si Jinyan had saved him, making him unwilling to watch Si Jinyan marry someone else so easily.

With that thought, Chi Li had already asked, "Are you really going to agree to the political marriage?"

Si Jinyan's hand paused over the documents. He soothingly stroked Chi Li's back but said nothing.

Chi Li knew he would not get an answer anyway. That night, after Si Jinyan finished bathing and stood by the bed changing out of his robe, Chi Li saw the wound on Si Jinyan's shoulder.

Si Jinyan's back was covered in scars, old and new accumulated over the years. Chi Li touched the fresh scar on his shoulder, and an inexplicable sadness spread through his heart.

Noticing Chi Li touching the mark on his shoulder, Si Jinyan took Chi Li's hand when he lay down. "What's wrong?"

Chi Li lowered his head, so Si Jinyan could only see the top of it. After a moment, Chi Li's muffled voice came. "I don't want you to get married."

Si Jinyan had noticed that Chi Li had been in a bad mood since that afternoon. Even Chi Li himself had sensed something wrong with his emotions, yet he still allowed them to grow.

Si Jinyan gently lifted Chi Li's chin and stared into his face, helplessness in his eyes. "Chi Li, this isn't something you should concern yourself with."

Si Jinyan's deep gaze seemed able to look straight into Chi Li's heart, making Chi Li's heartbeat skip half a beat.

Trapped by Si Jinyan, Chi Li felt a panicked urge to flee. In the end, he could only lower his eyes to hide the confusion in them. Even he did not know what was wrong with him. "I know."

Si Jinyan let Chi Li go. The moment Chi Li lowered his head, Si Jinyan sighed, gently wrapped an arm around him, and patted his back. "Sleep."

The next day, when Chi Li woke up, Si Jinyan had already gone out.

Looking at the empty room, Chi Li felt relieved that he did not have to face Si Jinyan. He had said too many things he should not have said yesterday, and his emotions had been wrong too.

While eating breakfast, Chi Li suddenly felt heat and unease spreading through his lower abdomen.

By the time Si Jinyan rushed back after receiving a call from the butler, it was already evening.

That night, the butler went upstairs to call Chi Li down for dinner, only to find the door locked from within. No matter how he called for Chi Li, there was no sound from inside. The butler panicked, afraid that something had happened to Chi Li, and immediately called Si Jinyan.

Si Jinyan forced open the door. The moment he entered, the pheromones rushing at him nearly drowned him.

Chi Li was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in the blanket. Yet even that could not stop his pheromones from leaking out. Chi Li only felt scorching hot all over, his consciousness blurred and his breathing difficult.

He had never experienced this condition during an Alpha's susceptibility period.

His last remaining sliver of reason told Chi Li that this was abnormal. He could not let Si Jinyan discover it. He could not let Si Jinyan discover the secret of his identity.