Susceptibility

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

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

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

Chi Li did not know whether he should 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 hard against Si Jinyan's chest.

Back in the hospital room, Chi Li was so exhausted that he fell asleep twice. When he woke again, he discovered that Si Jinyan had no intention of resting.

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

Realizing something, Chi Li froze. He grabbed Si Jinyan's shoulder, wanting him to stop first, and asked shakily, "Has your susceptible period started?"

Si Jinyan paused at his words. Because of his pheromone disorder, Si Jinyan had gone through susceptible periods almost every day for some time. "It should have."

For a moment, Chi Li panicked. Thinking of something, he nearly burst into tears as he asked, "But I'm already so tired. When will you get better?"

A hint 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 was already back at 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 and felt uncomfortable as he asked Si Jinyan, "Are you feeling better?"

Si Jinyan carried Chi Li straight toward the bedroom. "No. We can be more at ease at home."

An alpha's susceptible 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 dizzy too. Other than the aches, his entire body was weak and limp, and he felt a little feverish. Yet whenever he was 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 greatly. He had basically gotten through his susceptible period.

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

Chi Li lay on the sofa, lazily looking through his light computer.

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

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 planning to send the princess's dowry to the Marshal's Residence, and he asked what Si Jinyan intended to do now.

Si Jinyan had never stated his position on the matter. His silence meant that he was unwilling, but the Emperor's attitude was resolute, as if he had decided Si Jinyan would not refuse to give him face.

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

Qiu Rui answered, "Understood."

Chi Li's heart skipped a beat. He had thought Si Jinyan would refuse, but on second thought, given Si Jinyan's position, he truly was caught in a difficult situation.

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

Chi Li memorized this matter while absentmindedly continuing to listen to Qiu Rui.

Qiu Rui was still reporting the details of the political marriage to Si Jinyan. As Chi Li listened, an indescribable ache suddenly filled his chest.

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

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

He knew the Emperor's purpose in ordering him to marry: the Emperor feared that he was not loyal and wanted to add another layer of shackles. Ever since the new Emperor took the throne, he had not trusted Si Jinyan, and Si Jinyan had made no small number of sacrifices.

Noticing that Si Jinyan was looking at him, Chi Li leaned against the sofa and blinked at him. After helping Si Jinyan through his susceptible period, he often felt weak all over and mentally drained, sleepy all the time. Yet it would still be a while before his next omega suppressant injection.

Chi Li thought it might have been caused by the exhaustion of helping Si Jinyan through his susceptible period.

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 tinged with languid weariness. "Sleepy."

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

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

Over the past week, afraid that Chi Li would feel unwell, Si Jinyan had continuously released soothing pheromones at intervals. With Si Jinyan's comfort, Chi Li truly felt much better. During the last few days of the susceptible 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 him and soothe him.

Si Jinyan walked over to the sofa, picked Chi Li up, and returned to the desk.

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

A moment later, Chi Li's head instead grew even heavier, as though it had been filled with lead. In his muddled consciousness, Si Jinyan's earlier words resurfaced.

A marriage contract with the Royal Family was for life. Especially for someone in Si Jinyan's current position, he could not break the engagement or get divorced.

Whether Si Jinyan married had nothing to do with Chi Li. He would leave sooner or later, but at this moment, Chi Li still felt a sour ache in his heart.

Perhaps it was because of their highly compatible pheromones, or perhaps because Si Jinyan had saved him and he did not want to see Si Jinyan marry someone else so easily.

Before he realized it, Chi Li had already asked, "Are you really going to agree to the political marriage?"

Si Jinyan's hand paused as he flipped through the documents. He stroked Chi Li's back soothingly but said nothing.

Chi Li knew he would not get an answer. That night, after Si Jinyan finished showering and stood by the bed changing out of his sleep 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 Si Jinyan's shoulder, and an inexplicable pain spread through his chest.

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, and 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 realized something was off with him, yet he still allowed the emotion to grow.

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

Si Jinyan's deep gaze seemed able to look straight into Chi Li's heart, and even Chi Li's heartbeat faltered for half a beat.

Held in place by Si Jinyan, Chi Li was seized by a panicked sense of having nowhere to hide. In the end, he could only lower his eyes to conceal the confusion within them. Even he himself did not know what was wrong with him. "I know."

Si Jinyan released Chi Li. 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 again, Si Jinyan had already gone out.

Looking at the empty room, Chi Li actually 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 as well.

While Chi Li was eating breakfast, a wave of heat and unease suddenly spread through his lower abdomen.

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

That evening, the butler went upstairs to call Chi Li down for dinner and discovered that the door was locked from the inside. No matter how he called out, there was no sound from within the room. The butler grew anxious, afraid that something had happened to Chi Li, and immediately called Si Jinyan.

Si Jinyan rammed the door open. 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 as though his entire body were burning. His mind was muddled, and he could barely breathe.

He had never experienced this kind of condition during an alpha's susceptible period.

His remaining 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.