Chapter 11

“What exactly did you do to him?” Liao Ji blocked his way. “President Lu, you’re the one who called him here. Now you need to explain yourself before leaving.”

Lu Wei cast him a sidelong glance and offered a half-hearted explanation that didn’t sound like one at all: “He threw up.”

“Ah?” Liao Ji was baffled by Lu Wei’s explanation. “Threw up after drinking tea?”

Lu Wei frowned slightly, instinctively thinking, ‘You are who you surround yourself with.’

Being around Lin Si really seems to lower one’s IQ.

Faced with the choice of pressing Lu Wei further or checking on Lin Si, Liao Ji chose the latter.

Lin Si sat obediently wrapped in his down jacket. His hair, styled meticulously with wax, was still perfectly in place. His eyes were no longer as red as before, but his whole demeanor radiated confusion, like an exquisitely fragile, emotionless doll.

“What’s wrong?” Liao Ji approached him. “Feeling unwell? Tell me.”

Lin Si lowered his lashes. “I just felt like throwing up.”

“Why did you feel like that?” Liao Ji touched his forehead. “Something wrong with the tea? Or is it because you didn’t dress warmly enough and caught a cold?”

Lin Si shook his head. “No.” After a pause, he added, “I don’t know.”

“It’s fine. Let’s get it checked at the hospital,” Liao Ji suggested.

Lin Si’s drooping eyelids gave him an almost visible expression at last. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“It’s been nearly three months since your last visit,” Liao Ji pointed out. “A normal celebrity goes at least once a month for a check-up, and your case is special.”

Lin Si didn’t verbally refuse again but turned his head away, staring blankly at the thick heavy curtains.

They ended up going to Xiaoshan Hospital.

“It’s just a small blood draw, like last time,” Liao Ji reassured Lin Si, patting his shoulder.

“Mm.” Lin Si nodded as he sat in the chair, resembling a white flower blooming in the snow, its delicate edges softly outlined. He gave off a serene, almost idyllic impression, as if everything in life was just as it should be.

But beneath the shadow of his lowered head, the redness in his eyes and his unwillingness were still evident.

“If I’d known, I’d have brought you here after the New Year,” Liao Ji joked while patting his head. “At least then I could’ve told you that you’re a year older now, so no more crying.”

Lin Si’s private doctor, Li Jicheng, arrived, habitually hiding the needle behind his back. He crouched down to look at Lin Si and smiled. “You don’t flinch when you fall during dance practice, so how can you be scared of this little thing?”

“You have to be as quick as last time,” Lin Si said, his nose reddened. He closed his eyes, but tears fell uncontrollably, one after another.

“Of course.”

There was a knock on the door to their left. Li Jicheng paused, and Liao Ji, cautious, pulled the curtain shut behind him. “Who is it?”

When there was no answer, he got up to open the door, only to be surprised. “President Lu?”

“Why hasn’t the physical exam started yet?” Lu Wei asked.

Liao Ji blocked the doorway. “Lin Si doesn’t like nurses drawing his blood. Once this is done, we’ll head downstairs immediately.”

Lu Wei paid no attention to Liao Ji’s attempt to stop him and stepped forward.

When Liao Ji moved to block his path, Lu Wei paused for a moment, his gaze icy and imposing, silently exerting pressure with a cold, wordless threat.

Understanding his position, Liao Ji had no choice but to step aside.

Lu Wei pulled back the curtain, only to be greeted by the sight of Lin Si’s tear-streaked face. Lin Si, wide-eyed, stared right back at him.

“What’s going on?” Lu Wei asked as he approached Lin Si, misunderstanding the situation and glaring at Li Jicheng with a stern expression.

Li Jicheng was unjustly accused, and Liao Ji quickly stepped in to explain. “It’s not Dr. Li’s fault. Lin Si is just a bit afraid…” He paused and chose a phrase that wouldn’t embarrass Lin Si. “Lin Si gets needle-shy.”

Lu Wei didn’t show any hint of ridicule, but Lin Si, seated to his right, drooped his head in dejection and turned his face away, avoiding Lu Wei’s gaze.

“President Lu, could you step out for a moment? We haven’t finished drawing blood yet,” Liao Ji asked.

Lu Wei glanced at the back of Lin Si’s head before turning to leave, lifting the curtain as he went.

As he pushed open the door, an image flashed through Lu Wei’s mind: Lin Si wrapped in a black down jacket, one pale arm exposed, and the fleeting expression on Lin Si’s face when he turned away—a pouty, aggrieved look that Lu Wei hadn’t seen clearly but found oddly frustrating.

All the tears and sniffles… how exasperating.

———-

After heading downstairs, Duan Yang suggested that since the evening was free and they were already at the hospital, Lu Wei might as well get his own physical exam done.

While waiting for Lin Si to finish his comprehensive checkup, Lu Wei went to visit Lu Shaoming in the VIP ward.

When it was about time for Lin Si to be done, Lu Wei returned downstairs.

Li Jicheng’s office was mostly empty. Only Lin Si sat inside, his head lowered, engrossed in a game. He was busy tending to his virtual town, raising chickens and cows.

Hearing footsteps near the door, Lin Si assumed it was Liao Ji returning with the makeup remover. He tilted his tear-streaked face upward and said pitifully, “My hand hurts. Can I have an ice cream today?”

Lu Wei paused mid-step.

Lin Si froze for a moment, gripping his phone tightly. Then, in a small, awkward voice, he greeted, “…President Lu.”

“Are your test results out?” Lu Wei asked.

Lin Si was grateful that Lu Wei didn’t mock his earlier ‘my hand hurts’ remark. He pulled out his chair and sat on the edge of the desk, leaving the seat in the middle open for Lu Wei. “Dr. Li and Liao Ji went to check.”

“Hmm.”

Lin Si watched as Lu Wei ignored the chair he had deliberately left vacant and instead settled onto the sofa across the room, head lowered as he scrolled through his phone.

Being in the same room as Lu Wei made Lin Si uncomfortable. He quickly decided to issue a subtle invitation for him to leave. “Is there something you need, President Lu?”

“I’m here to hear your test results,” Lu Wei replied plainly.

Lin Si wasn’t keen on letting Lu Wei hear them. “That’s not necessary. The former… Old President Lu never stayed for my checkups,” he muttered. Worried Lu Wei might insist, he quickly added, “I’ll have Liao Ji send you a copy of the report.”

Lu Wei could have gone downstairs to complete his own physical exam, but the pheromone detection room was still being cleared of scents. He needed to wait for a short while, which was why he found himself here with Lin Si.

Lu Wei had only wanted to figure out why Lin Si had thrown up and to remind him to get regular checkups. He thought to himself that it was fortunate Lin Si had encountered him and not a reporter or paparazzo—otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous.

But now, with Lin Si’s tone subtly hinting at wanting him gone, Lu Wei couldn’t help but feel as though he was being overly persistent, as if he were determined to stay and hear the test results no matter what.

After a brief silence, Lu Wei stood up, ready to leave.

Just then, the sound of Li Jicheng and Liao Ji’s conversation grew closer, prompting Lu Wei to pause in his steps.

“Oh? President Lu?” Liao Ji noticed him. “Ah, you’re waiting for the pheromone detection room downstairs, right? It might take a few more minutes.”

Li Jicheng held Lin Si’s medical report in his hands. Seeing this, Lu Wei changed direction and went back to sit in the chair Lin Si had specifically left for him earlier.

“Lin Si’s test results,” Lu Wei prompted.

“President Lu… you want to hear them?” Li Jicheng hesitated, seeming a little uncomfortable. “Some details might be… quite personal.”

Lu Wei looked at him calmly. “Just say what can be shared.”

“Oh.” Li Jicheng sat down and began flipping through the first page of the report, going over points Lin Si needed to be mindful of.

“…I’ve been telling you all along not to push yourself too hard with dance practice. You need to take this seriously—your ankle injury is prone to relapse,” Li Jicheng said. “And sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep. You’re only nineteen. You need to get at least seven hours of sleep a day. I know this industry keeps you busy, but you have to take care of your body.”

“Mm.” Lin Si nodded fervently, like a child being scolded. “Yes, yes.”

Li Jicheng flipped to the next page, glanced up at Liao Ji, then back at the report, letting out a contemplative “hmm.”

“What is it?” Lin Si, sensing something serious, quickly closed his game and asked.

“We’ve identified the cause of your nausea and vomiting,” Li Jicheng said, tapping the desk lightly with the pen cap. He then turned to Lu Yan. “The rest… is a bit personal.”

Lu Wei ignored the implied suggestion. “Why was he vomiting?”

“Excessive use of pheromone suppressants,” Li Jicheng explained. “Lin Si has been using pheromone and scent suppressants since he was fifteen. The human body develops resistance over time. The previous President Lu’s directive was to increase the dosage slightly to ensure he could function normally at work. Over the years, the side effects have become more apparent.”

He continued, “Additionally, due to the side effects and his body’s natural biological responses, his sensitivity to pheromones and scents has become abnormally heightened. That’s why he can perceive scents that most people can’t.”

Lu Wei frowned. “I take suppressants and don’t experience these issues. Many other celebrities don’t either.”

“You’re an Alpha, President Lu,” Li Jicheng said with a faint, almost mocking smile. “Your physical constitution is inherently stronger than his. And—” he raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm, “Lin Si isn’t just any Omega. Isn’t that something you and the previous President Lu are already well aware of?”

Author’s Note:
President Lu: How could my wife be just any Omega? Isn’t that obvious?

T/n: New Chapter is up! Enjoy everyone❤️