CH 17

His woollen sweater was fluffy. He arched his body in Xia Jingtian’s arms and curled into a flat, thin and weak glutinous rice ball. 

Xia Jingtian sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed, holding Yan Yi on his lap and taking his hand. 

Through the thin woollen sweater, he could see his distinctively tall shoulder blades, and the crooked neckline revealed deep collarbones. His wrists were slender and he wore a ring on his ring finger. Because he was incredibly thin, the ring could be easily removed, it struggled to slip from his finger and then it dropped to the floor. 

“Is it a wedding ring…” Xia Jingtian caressed Yan Yi comfortingly as he hugged him. He bent down to pick up the ring and examined it in his hand. 

It had exquisite and expensive workmanship, the design simple yet extravagant, unlike what the little rabbit would choose. It must be what Lu Shangjin picked out. Old scratches were left on the ring’s surface, but it was wiped clean. 

He had already been tossed out the house, why was he still wearing it?  

Xia Jingtian kissed his weak closed eyelids and touched the clean, fragile glands at the back of his neck. The omega he had been secretly in love with for a long time was sleeping hazily in his arms, as soft as a puddle of sweet syrup. For Yan Yi to dependably immerse himself in the soothing pheromones released by him, it made the alpha extremely gratified. 

However, he didn’t want to become Lu Shangjin in Yan Yi’s subconscious. He wanted him to know that lions were a hundred times stronger than peregrine falcons. 

He held Yan Yi’s thin hand and slipped the ring back on. But on the light white circle on the skin that had worn the ring for several years, he saw a line of words, “everlasting love.”

The position of his heart was pulled. Immediately after, like blood cooling down, the enthusiasm in his chest suddenly faded. 

Xia Jingtian stared at the minuscule flowery tattoo. After many years, the edges had become unclear. He rigidly put the ring back on Yan Yi’s finger and raised his head with no other choice, closing his eyes. 

Lu Shangjin was really no ordinary person. Which part of this lovable, soft and beautiful little lop-eared rabbit did he not like?

Xia Jingtian suddenly laughed, then looked at the cute sleeping Yan Yi in his arms and sighed. 

If he were Lu Shangjin, and there was such an omega who wormed his way into his arms and weakly acted coquettish, how could he bear not to love him? 

Xia Jingtian accompanied Yan Yi for three hours. For these three hours, Yan Yi was curled up and slept quietly. He thought about putting Yan Yi down and heading out, but Yan Yi hugged him tightly, murmuring don’t go. 

“Don’t be scared,” Xia Jingtian caressed his neck and shoulders patiently, then slowly put him under the quilt. 

However, Yan Yi crawled up and searched for him in a panic. The smell of highly compatible baby’s breath flowers made Yan Yi addicted and reluctant for him to leave, he whispered pleadingly, “Cold…hug a little more…”

Xia Jingtian’s breathing gradually turned short, the hand patting Yan Yi became out of rhythm. He soothingly spoke in a lowered voice and moved Yan Yi’s hand away, lifting the quilt up to cover Yan Yi’s tender and clean glands, then hurriedly ran to the bathroom and locked the door dead shut. 

At the moment of relaxing, a thick concentration of courting pheromones exploded in the bathroom, the smell of baby’s breath permeated every corner and filled the air vents. His lower body swelled with pain, causing a huge protrusion to push out against his dark blue jeans. 

Cold sweat dripped from the tip of his hair onto his collar. He leaned against the door and fished out an inhibitor from his pocket. He bit off the sealed opening of the needle, then stuck it in the back of his neck and pushed the medical solution inside.  

He was in a rut, and there was a fragrant and soft omega outside the door. The omega did not have the ability to resist at all, Xia Jingtian could even force him to open his legs and accept his entry and marking. 

It was rare for him to use inhibitors to control his rut, but only for Yan Yi. For alphas of this status, omegas would be sent to their door whenever they are in a rut, using their mouths or their lower region to relieve the alpha, and he didn’t need to restrain at all. 

Ten minutes later, Xia Jingtian’s state became calmer. He took a shower, then received a call. 

“Huh, it’s Lu ge, you must’ve been busy lately.” Xia Jingtian looked in the mirror and felt if there was any stubble on his chin he needed to shave, “Where is the lop-eared rabbit omega I want? I’ve already prepared the money.” 

There was a brief silence on the phone, the hoarse voice sounding a little tired, “Hand Yan Yi over.” 

Xia Jingtian raised his eyebrows, he held the sink and sneered, “Yan Yi? Oh, are you talking about sao-zi1? What does that have to do with me? How would I know.” 

“You lost sao-zi? Impressive.” He dug into the wound again. 

“I can’t find him.” Lu Shangjin was only probing him, he could only rely on Yan Yi’s pheromones to pinpoint his location, but now he wasn’t able to determine his whereabouts. However, he heard that the darling pearl of the Xia family from Hong Ye had come to Chang Hui city. 

“Don’t make me look for your ge,” Lu Shangjin said hoarsely.  

Because Yan Yi’s glands had become dormant, the amount of pheromones he could release was already too low. Moreover, this place had been shrouded by Xia Jingtian’s pheromones and Yan Yi’s pheromones had been concealed tightly by the mountain lion’s M2 ones. 

Lu Shangjin intended to hang up. He had made thirteen calls to Yan Yi, but the line was unexpectedly constantly busy. 

Xia Jingtian single-handedly fiddled with the butterfly knife hanging on his key, casually swinging the blade between his fingers for two rounds then slotting it back into its sheath, “Ge, just look for my dad. Who can touch your wife? Probably got mad and went back to his family’s house, ge.” 

The phone hung up. 

The young master of the Xia family in Hong Ye was spoiled and held in the palm of the hand of the whole family. Being arrogant and domineering had become a habit deep in his bones. When he was still in school, he was already defying every law. In fact, he was twenty-two this year and was only in his third year of university. Yan Yi asked him about his age, but he subconsciously concealed the truth by two years. He didn’t expect that he would still be considered a child.  

Xia Jingtian held his breath, wanting to find Lu Shangjin for a fight and beat him up for all the wrongs Yan Yi had suffered. 

He dried himself off. Just as he was about to go out of the bathroom, someone from his family called. 

“Hello, ge.” Xia Jingtian was a little more honest. He kept away his butterfly knife and leaned against the door to wipe his hair. 

It sounded like his brother was at a wine party, the accompanying omegas delicately called out director Xia. The low quality perfume-like pheromones almost smoked Xia Jingtian’s eyes through the phone line. 

Xia Pingtian crossed his legs and leaned against the sofa, the obedient omega in his arms poured a glass of wine for director Xia. He drank from the omega’s hand, “Baobei, I heard you went to Chang Hui city to play?” 

His brother’s voice was similar to his, without close attention, it was difficult to tell them apart. 

Xia Jingtian coughed, “Ah, who did you hear it from?” 

Xia Pingtian smiled, “Your teacher in charge,” his tone suddenly turned stern, “If you don’t feel like studying anymore, then get the fuck back here and inherit the family property! I’ve said it before. You even made me find a lop-eared rabbit omega for you. You have such a good eye to even dig out the Lu family’s wife? Do you want to fucking die or do you not want to live anymore?”  

“Leave me alone. He’s not well.” Xia Jingtian opened a crack in the door and glanced at Yan Yi sleeping in the quilt without the comfort of soothing pheromones, growing more and more restless in his sleep. The hand covered in cold sweat clung tightly onto the covers. 

“Okay baobei, hurry back, isn’t he just a lop-eared rabbit omega? Ge will catch another one for you, there are more of those things.” Xia Pingtian crushed his cigarette butt, “There are dutch rabbits, teacup rabbits, rex rabbits, Totoro, whatever you want, ge will find one for you.”  

Xia Jingtian walked to the bedside and touched Yan Yi’s face that had a restless and painful expression. He released some soothing pheromones once more and stroked his little rabbit ears, watching him gradually calm down. 

He lowered his voice and said angrily, “Lu ge doesn’t care about him at all.” 

Xia Pingtian felt that his little brother was completely hopeless, “Are you next to him? Whether Lu Shangjin cared or not, that’s his wife, what’s the point of being together? What’s more, these rabbits are very coquettish, they can have false pregnancies even if you touch them casually.” 

In a split second, Xia Jingtian didn’t know whether he was being insulted or Yan Yi was the one being insulted. He cursed in a low voice, “Bullshit,” then hung up the phone. 

But whatever his brother said, he listened. 

“False…false pregnancy?” Xia Jingtian froze as he stared at Yan Yi’s face. He looked down and searched for the keywords. 

When a rabbit’s back is touched while it is unconscious, it would mistake it for mating, thus leading to false pregnancy. The onset of labour behaviours would appear, but no bunnies would reproduce.  

“……” Xia Jingtian was silent for a long time, then sent a message to his schoolmate who was studying medicine, “Will lop-eared rabbit omegas have false pregnancies?” 

His schoolmate replied with a voice message really quickly.

Rabbit omegas would show early signs of false pregnancies, and there would be a slight bulge in the lower abdomen in about three days. I suggest going to the hospital to deal with it immediately, otherwise it would cause damage to the omega’s mind and body. Did you make someone have a false pregnancy?

Xia Jingtian recalled that when he had sent Timothy Hay to Yan Yi in the hospital ward, he saw that he was suffering too much, so he couldn’t bear it and asked him to endure, holding and touching him. 

Xia Jingtian: ……I think so. 

His schoolmate sent an emoticon: You’re a scum.jpg

Schoolmate: Some would use external pressure methods to deal with rabbit omegas’ false pregnancies, but rabbits are easily frightened, they would be extremely scared if it’s too painful. And you also have to be tactful when you tell him, or he would be in a lot of agony. Why don’t you bring him to our hospital. 

Before Xia Jingtian could reply, Yan Yi slowly opened his eyes. He got up and felt around for the water by his bed, lazily taking a sip. 

When he saw Xia Jingtian, he was a little suspicious, his voice still carried the nasal sound of just waking up, “You haven’t left, the sky’s getting dark.” 

The sufficient amount of soothing pheromones allowed Yan Yi to regain a little spirit, supplying his energy. The omega whose glands were dormant could only rely on the supply of alphas’ pheromones to support his spirit. 

The pleasant scent of baby’s breath filled the air in the room. As Yan Yi sobered up after a while, he clutched onto his own clothes and hugged his knees with a frown. His ears drooped in distress, “Don’t give me your pheromones…you’re still young, there are so many omegas who are younger and more beautiful than me outside, what’s wrong with you? What on earth is so good about an old rabbit who’d been played by someone else for over ten years?”

He seemed to be asking himself as well.

Actually, his twenty-seventh birthday just passed, if it wasn’t for Lu Shangjin giving him the cold shoulder, he would feel that he was still young and good looking. He didn’t even trust the mirror, only believed Lu Shangjin. He doubted his charismatic abilities and appearance, only refusing to believe that Lu Shangjin was a heartless man. 

Xia Jingtian sat behind him and circled his arms around Yan Yi’s waist, burying his forehead in his shoulders. He apologized nervously, “I’m…sorry.” 

Yan Yi subconsciously protected his belly and turned around blankly, “W-what have you done again?” 

“I…” Xia Jingtian couldn’t think of a tactful explanation and how he could avoid letting Yan Yi get hurt even more. 

At this moment, Xia Jingtian’s phone rang again, his teacher in charge was urging him to go back and take the end of term exam. 

He intended to apply for an examination extension, but his phone was snatched away. Yan Yi’s calm voice spoke to the person on the line, “Hello teacher, he will go back, there’s no need for delay.”

Yan Yi hung up the phone for him, turning it around between his fingers. Xia Jingtian reached forward for it, but Yan Yi took it back. 

“Be good, go back to class.” Yan Yi drooped his eyes as he fiddled with his phone, the lock screen was a countdown to the final exam with only a few days left.

“You must’ve prepared for a long time,” Yan Yi asked, “Is it an important exam?”

Xia Jingtian refused to admit, “Not too difficult, just a general exam. I can take it again next year, I want to stay with you now.” 

Yan Yi gave a rare smile. 

The beautiful appearance of this youth was the same as Lu Shangjin when he was twenty years old. 

Eventually, it will change. Who didn’t firmly believe in the faith of marriage or love at the age of twenty? When Lu Shangjin carried him to the top of a coastal reef and sang to him, who would expect that he would become like this in ten years? 

“Really, go back to class.” Yan Yi hung his watery eyelashes and returned his phone to him, “I’ll go to the hospital when you leave.” 

——

2019-4-19 17:23 PM

——

In the Lu family cemetery. 

Lu Shangjin wore a black suit and stood in front of a tombstone. 

The picture on the tombstone was of an omega with a bright smile, about thirty years old, but the facial features were handsome and moved a person’s heart. 

His biological father was a chameleon omega, the partner of Lu Lin’s first marriage. 

A ferrari stopped outside the cemetery. From a discerning eye, one could tell it was the car of president Bi from Jin Feng group. 

Bi Ruijing wore a solemn black suit as well. Holding a bouquet of lilies, he walked to Lu Shangjin’s side. He put the flowers in front of the monument before lighting a cigarette. 

“Since three years ago, you haven’t sent uncle any flowers.” The wind was strong. Bi Ruijing flicked his hand to put off the fire. He inhaled the smoke and breathed out, “Fortunately I’d done it every year. What’s wrong, something on your mind?” 

The whites of Lu Shangjin’s eyes were bloodshot, but his cold breaths lingered, he had just become a little haggard. 

Instead of replying, he asked casually.

“The hamster omega that you’ve taken a liking to will be sent over in two days, still in good condition, if you asked for it a few days too late, it would be gone.” 

Bi Ruijing raised his straight sword eyebrows, obviously surprised and taken aback, he replied carefully.

“Hamster? What hamster?”

Footnotes