Gege, you...

When Ning Chunchi arrived home, orange sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the furniture in warm hues and softening the cool decor into something strangely cozy.

He stood quietly in the entryway, taking in the scene.

It had been a long time since he had been home to see the sunset on a workday.

Hearing him come in, Jiang Yumiao hurriedly set down his spatula and ran out of the kitchen.

"You're home!"

Ning Chunchi turned toward his voice, his pupils widening slightly.

The Omega stood smiling at him in an apron. The clothes beneath it... were still the white T-shirt Ning Chunchi had worn last night. It hung loosely on Jiang Yumiao now, its neckline slightly askew, revealing a stretch of delicate collarbone.

Ning Chunchi murmured an acknowledgment, suddenly feeling even hungrier.

Jiang Yumiao watched him change his shoes. "Give me a minute. There's just one more dish, and it'll be ready soon." With that, he jogged back into the kitchen to check on the food.

Ning Chunchi followed him, leaning against the kitchen doorway as he watched Jiang Yumiao bustle about, both hands busy.

When Jiang Yumiao noticed the second male lead standing in the doorway, staring at him, he immediately grew nervous. Even his movements at the stove became clumsy.

He finally finished cooking and plated the dish, only for Ning Chunchi to suddenly step inside.

"It's smoky in here, and you haven't changed yet," Jiang Yumiao said. "Don't let the smell get on your clothes."

Ning Chunchi simply watched him with an expressionless face, making Jiang Yumiao's skin prickle.

The Alpha's presence was too imposing when he wasn't smiling, so Jiang Yumiao hurried to carry the dish out, hoping to use the excuse to escape the kitchen and put a little distance between himself and the second male lead.

As they passed each other, Ning Chunchi suddenly stopped him.

Holding the plate, Jiang Yumiao stared straight ahead, afraid to move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a slender hand lift a lock of his hair.

His gaze followed that hand involuntarily as it brought the lock of hair to the second male lead's lips.

Ning Chunchi lowered his eyes and bowed his head, pressing a gentle kiss to the Omega's long hair.

For that instant, Jiang Yumiao actually felt there was something reverent about Ning Chunchi's gesture.

He heard Ning Chunchi say-

"Thank you."

Jiang Yumiao worked slowly, and there were some ingredients he still didn't know how to prepare. He had looked things up as he cooked, and even after sacrificing his afternoon nap, he still hadn't managed to have dinner ready the moment the second male lead came home.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, and the skyscrapers in City A's central business district lit up, announcing the start of nightlife in this international metropolis.

Looking at the eight dishes and one dessert on the table, Ning Chunchi felt the ripples in his heart threatening to swell into raging waves, waiting only for the right moment to engulf the person before him.

"So many dishes. You must have spent ages cooking."

Jiang Yumiao smiled, without saying how long he had spent preparing them. "Not too long. I didn't dare make much of each dish, since I didn't want leftovers going to waste. When we played that question-and-answer game, you said you liked fish, so I made squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, fish head with chopped chilies, and that sea bass braised with cherry tomatoes. Try them!"

As he named each dish, Ning Chunchi tasted it, showering him with all kinds of praise after every bite until Jiang Yumiao felt positively giddy. He was practically a master chef! He could stop writing novels and become a cook instead.

Every so often, Ning Chunchi also wore that gentle, refined smile Jiang Yumiao loved most, his gaze intent, his eyes filled with nothing but him.

The sight nearly stole Jiang Yumiao's soul. With the second male lead's face to feast his eyes on, he ate an extra bowl of rice.

Even though he had deliberately reduced the portions, there were still so many dishes that the two of them had some left over. Jiang Yumiao put them in the fridge, saving them for his lunch the next day after the second male lead went to work.

As soon as he finished, he saw that Ning Chunchi had already started clearing the dishes and was preparing to wash them.

Jiang Yumiao hurried over to take over, but Ning Chunchi stopped him with a look.

"You've already worked hard enough today. How could I make the chef clean up afterward?"

Jiang Yumiao looked at those hands, now smeared with grease, with an aching heart. "The dishes were pretty oily today. They'll be hard to wash. Let me do it."

Ning Chunchi chuckled. "If they're hard to wash, shouldn't that be all the more reason for me to do them? What do you take me for? Do you think I've never lifted a finger and know nothing about housework?"

Jiang Yumiao hesitated, then nodded honestly.

Ning Chunchi didn't argue. His smile only deepened as he said, "When we get back from the next stop, I'll cook for you too. I promise I'll make at least as many dishes as you did today."

Jiang Yumiao's eyes lit up with little stars. "Okay! I can't wait!"

He was surprised to discover that the second male lead could cook, but then he suddenly remembered his background, and a few of the stars in his eyes instantly went out.

Of course. Although Ning Chunchi was doing well now, as an illegitimate son, he probably hadn't grown up being pampered.

So had Ning Chunchi's childhood been like his own? Had there been no one to care about him either?

His eyes stinging, Jiang Yumiao gazed at Ning Chunchi's back as he cleared the dishes. The next second, he watched the second male lead stuff everything into the dishwasher.

Fuck! What a waste of sympathy.

After dinner, for once, Ning Chunchi didn't go to the study to work. Instead, he stayed in the living room and watched television with Jiang Yumiao.

Of course, his mind wasn't on the television.

As they watched, both their phones chimed at the same time. Director Yang had posted in the guests' group chat.

First, he sent a voice message, putting on a deliberate vocal fry. "Darlings, how's everyone's rest been?"

Yu He replied instantly, also with a voice message. "Bleurgh."

Director Yang: "..."

A minute later, he sent a long message. In short, the production team had already booked their flights, and they would leave early the morning after next to begin filming at their second stop. The location was Lanqing Town, a historic town in the central region, renowned throughout the country for its culture.

Jiang Yumiao had been staying at the second male lead's place for two days. At the thought of leaving so soon, his spirits couldn't help sinking.

Ning Chunchi sat in the armchair beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and his expression wasn't much better.

With so many cameras monitoring their lives on the livestreamed show, he and his Omega would have to keep a certain distance. The mere thought filled him with hostility.

He looked toward Jiang Yumiao, who was sprawled listlessly on the sofa.

Sure enough, the moment the Omega heard they had to film the show, he wilted.

Was he that reluctant to keep his distance from him?

Then he had better make it up to Jiang Yumiao properly in advance.

Still immersed in his low spirits, Jiang Yumiao suddenly heard Ning Chunchi say, "Come here."

Although puzzled, Jiang Yumiao obediently did as he was told, climbing off the sofa and shuffling over to Ning Chunchi.

Then, utterly unprepared, he found his wrist caught in Ning Chunchi's grip. A forceful downward tug pulled his entire body onto him.

Jiang Yumiao's eyes flew wide open. "What is it...?"

Ning Chunchi adjusted his position and settled Jiang Yumiao onto his lap.

They had been like this during the temporary marking too, but Jiang Yumiao hadn't been conscious then. Now he was completely awake!

Looking at Ning Chunchi's face from so close, Jiang Yumiao felt as though he could barely breathe.

Only after gathering Jiang Yumiao completely into his arms did Ning Chunchi feel truly satisfied.

His hand slid over Jiang Yumiao's back, sending a shiver through him, before finally coming to rest on the Omega's vulnerable nape.

Ning Chunchi's calm voice sounded beside Jiang Yumiao's ear. "The mark is gone."

Those words instantly sent a tingling rush through Jiang Yumiao's head, heat flooding his cheeks.

Did the second male lead mean what he thought he meant? Did Ning Chunchi want to mark him again?

But his heat was already over. Ning Chunchi no longer needed to stabilize him with his pheromones.

If he wanted to mark him even outside his heat, didn't that mean Ning Chunchi also felt something for him...

Thoughts surged through Jiang Yumiao's mind. With the corners of his eyes reddening, he gazed at the handsome Alpha before him for a while, then sat up straight in his arms.

Reaching toward his nape with slender fingers, Jiang Yumiao willingly swept aside the long hair covering his gland.

His clear voice was almost inaudible, with a faint tremor, yet when it reached Ning Chunchi's ears, it stirred up raging waves, leaving him barely able to control the pressure of his hand against the Omega's nape.

Jiang Yumiao said, "Gege, mark me."