Chapter 18: A Spiritual Entity

Qin Wen was having trouble distinguishing the passage of time. For a pregnant Omega, a pheromone attack was practically “fatal.” If it weren’t for Chi Han temporarily marking him, the child might have… Qin Wen’s pale fingers clenched tightly. Qin Shu!

He could tolerate Qin Shu’s long-term humiliation and oppression, but daring to let a stranger Alpha come to harm him was crossing the line!

With trembling fingers, Qin Wen unlocked his phone screen. Only seven minutes had passed.

But just then, the scent of cedar surged in. Qin Wen turned his head with difficulty, and the half-closed door was violently pulled open.

Chi Han, being a top-level Alpha, couldn’t be fooled by even the slightest trace of unfamiliar pheromones. His face was extremely grim, but his actions were gentle as he leaned down to embrace Qin Wen. “Let’s go, we…”

“Give me some pheromones,” Qin Wen’s voice was slightly urgent, his voice hoarse, and his thin lips brushed against Chi Han’s neck, revealing a hint of grievance. “It hurts…”

Chi Han maintained the embrace, biting into Qin Wen’s gland.

Perhaps it was psychological, but as the pheromones flowed in, Qin Wen gradually calmed down. The black mist before his eyes dissipated, his breathing steadied from its previous rapid pace, and his tense body suddenly relaxed, falling into Chi Han’s arms, feeling much better.

“What happened?” The minty scent shifted from chaotic to calm, indicating Qin Wen’s condition was improving. Chi Han needed to know the cause and effect of such an incident.

“I’m not sure…” Qin Wen originally didn’t want to say anything. Although Qin Yaosheng hadn’t given him any real power, he was well-versed in the Qin family affairs over the years, and a little scheming wasn’t a problem. But at this moment, Chi Han’s aura was too intimidating and oppressive. Although it wasn’t directed at him, due to the Omega’s instinctive “submission” to their Alpha, Qin Wen blurted out, “It might be Qin Shu.”

With just that one answer, it was clear it was Qin Shu.

“He’s your brother,” Chi Han said, picking up Qin Wen. “An Alpha about to differentiate…” The man’s voice abruptly stopped, as if suppressing a raging fire, unwilling to let Qin Wen see it. He gently stroked the young man’s back, changing the topic, “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No need,” Qin Wen didn’t hide his genuine aversion, “I’m fine now.”

Recalling the doctor’s previous advice, Chi Han didn’t want to force it. Besides, even if they went to the hospital, the medications and medical equipment wouldn’t be as effective as himself. He was Qin Wen’s Alpha, a bond and connection etched in their genes. He could feel that Qin Wen was comfortable at the moment.

“What do you need me to do?” Chi Han lowered his head, his glassy eyes softening as he took in Qin Wen’s entire figure. “What can I do to make you feel more comfortable?”

Qin Wen’s lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

But Chi Han didn’t give him the chance. The man freed a hand to pinch Qin Wen’s chin, forcing him to look at him. The surface threat was more of an urgency. “Speak.”

Qin Wen’s eyes reddened, and after a moment, he finally spoke, “Can you… stay here with me?” He had just been attacked by a stranger Alpha’s pheromones, a terrifying experience for any ordinary Omega, let alone one who was pregnant. His emotions were more sensitive, and ever since Chi Han appeared, he had been holding back tears.

“Of course.” Chi Han adjusted his position, letting Qin Wen rest on his shoulder. He had never been this close to anyone before, but at this moment, with the Omega’s fragile gland so close to his lips, he felt that this embrace was meant to hold Qin Wen, and no one else was qualified. Chi Han pulled a blanket over Qin Wen. “Is this okay?”

Qin Wen slowly blinked, a sign of absolute relaxation, and hoarsely said, “Yes.”

The glasses were thin, with a very fine pale gold chain attached. Few men could pull off such a luxurious color, which even had a hint of femininity, but Qin Wen could. When he wore glasses, he looked particularly refined and elegant. It was said that when he had just come of age, he even received a confession from a stranger Omega. Indeed, he was a rare “smart person” among Omegas, calm and self-possessed, not crying or making a fuss even in such a situation.

“Before we got married, I saw your photos,” Chi Han suddenly said. Qin Wen’s head tilted slightly towards him, indicating he was listening. Chi Han continued, “From elementary school to university, Grandpa was worried I’d judge people superficially, and I remember you didn’t wear glasses before university.”

Qin Wen was still immersed in the embarrassment of “only finding out about such an embarrassing thing now,” and was momentarily stunned. “Glasses? Around the time I graduated high school, there was a flu outbreak, with ninety percent of the cases being Omegas.” Seeing Chi Han nod, Qin Wen chose a less sharp way to put it, “Nearsightedness was a sequela of the high fever, but it’s not severe, just over two hundred degrees.”

“Fever?” Chi Han immediately caught the key point. “But I remember timely treatment shouldn’t leave any sequelae.” Unless the constitution was particularly poor, and those who were that weak usually couldn’t survive the high fever.

Qin Wen fell silent.

Chi Han had a vague answer in his heart, feeling a chill. His pheromones weren’t warm at all, yet there were times he didn’t want to hear the truth. But then Chi Han hugged Qin Wen tighter, his breath so close it brushed against the other’s face. He gently shook Qin Wen. “Tell me, how did it happen?”

“Mom and Dad took Qin Shu on a trip, and the servants at home thought it wasn’t serious.” Qin Wen glossed over it in a few words.

Chi Han’s heart tightened, struggling to imagine how Qin Wen managed to endure it alone at that time. A newly adult child, and an Omega at that, during a flu outbreak that had every household on edge. Chi Han was directly isolated and protected, while Qin Wen endured a high fever alone at home, resulting in nearsightedness as a sequela. Top-level Alphas lacked empathy, but at this moment, Chi Han’s heart ached, filled with nothing but tenderness and anger. He had always thought Qin Yaosheng was unfit to be a father, but now he felt even calling him human was an overstatement.

These emotions surged layer by layer, almost instinctively. Chi Han turned his head and kissed Qin Wen’s cheek, very lightly and quickly, like a breeze or a feather, making one think it was an illusion.

Qin Wen: “???”

Chi Han: “…” Is this what Sun Kaining meant by “acting on impulse”?

“Ahem!” They both coughed simultaneously, as if someone had ignited a fuse in the air, and the atmosphere instantly became ambiguous.

Qin Wen, mentally exhausted, found this casual “flirting” completely alleviated his lingering fear and tension. After a few minutes, the weight on his shoulder increased, and Chi Han looked down to see that he had fallen asleep.

The room was filled with a rich scent of pheromones. Chi Han ensured Qin Wen was sleeping soundly, then quietly left.

“I heard from my bodyguard that he just lay down! Omegas are truly useless, and this guy still wants to compete with me.” Qin Shu lounged arrogantly on the sofa, treating the use of underhanded tactics against his Omega brother as a topic of conversation, chatting enthusiastically with the person opposite him.

Su Ling came down from upstairs, startled by what she heard. “Who are you talking about?”

Su Ling was the most typical Omega, obedient and family-oriented, valuing her Alpha’s orders above all else. Over the years, she had watched Qin Yaosheng treat his eldest son unfairly, but there was nothing she could do. As soon as Qin Yaosheng released a hint of pheromones, she was utterly powerless to resist.

“Alright, I’ll hang up now.” Knowing his mother cared for his brother, Qin Shu couldn’t be bothered to provoke her, mainly because her crying was endless and too annoying. “No one, just some news I saw.”

But Su Ling didn’t believe him. “Xiao Shu, Qin Wen is your brother. You can’t…”

“Enough!” Qin Yaosheng happened to come down from upstairs, his head aching from work, and just hearing the name “Qin Wen” made him angry. “What makes Qin Wen think he can compare to Xiao Shu?”

Qin Shu smugly agreed, “Exactly!” Then he rubbed his arms. “What’s going on? It’s suddenly cold.”

The cedar scent receded, replaced by a biting chill from the eternal snow peaks, enveloping the old Qin family house.

“Master!” The butler rushed in, flustered. “Mr. Chi, Mr. Chi is here!”

Qin Yaosheng’s eyebrows twitched. “Who?!”

“Ah—” A scream echoed into the sky, and Qin Shu’s expression changed instantly. He recognized it; it was his favorite bodyguard…

Chi Han recognized it too, the pheromones tinged with a bit of sweat. Just the thought of them touching Qin Wen made his heart surge with violence. Chi Han’s eyes narrowed, as if an invisible hand in the air lifted the Alpha, the man’s face turning blue and purple, suffocating. By the time Qin Yaosheng and the others heard the commotion and came out, Chi Han had already launched dozens of pheromone attacks on him in an instant!

The suppression between Alphas was absolute. The pheromone attack from a top-level Alpha was no easier than what Qin Wen had endured, and in Chi Han’s fury, it was even more painful and unbearable.

“Chi Han!” Qin Yaosheng shouted angrily, but when Chi Han glanced over, he shrank back in fear, cautiously asking, “What’s going on here?”

“This Alpha…” With each word Chi Han spoke, the color in his glassy eyes subtly changed, a sign of launching an attack. “Hurt my Omega.”

Just by standing there, he could torment a strong Alpha into a daze, foaming at the mouth, showing how terrifying his pheromone level was.

Sensing danger, Qin Shu immediately hid behind Qin Yaosheng, trembling. “How, how can you be sure it’s him?!”

“Shut up!” Qin Yaosheng finally understood what Qin Shu had done. Chi Han’s sensitivity to pheromones was hundreds of times greater than ordinary Alphas, meaning he couldn’t possibly mistake someone!

…

Qin Wen woke up quickly. He reached out to the side, finding it empty. Before he could feel disappointed, something furry nudged his hand. Startled, Qin Wen sat up abruptly, only to see a small creature beside him. Its tail was long and fluffy, its fur snow-white, about the size of his palm, with a red nose tip and pointed ears standing upright. It jumped lightly into his lap, as delicate as a model.

Is this… a fox? Qin Wen’s eyes showed affection. He didn’t know when Chi Han had bought it, but he couldn’t resist touching the little creature’s ears, finding the texture exquisite.

The “little fox” squinted its eyes in comfort. At the same time, back at the old house, Chi Han paused, his pheromones momentarily blocked, and the Alpha he had been tormenting fell to the ground.

No one noticed Chi Han’s reddened ears.

The pheromone entity shared a spiritual body with its owner.

Under everyone’s gaze, Chi Han raised his hand, gently pinching his earlobe.