Chapter 8: Gentle

The room was small. Chi Han glanced around, placed his things by his feet, and turned to ask Qin Wen, “Is it because you don’t have enough money?”

Qin Wen was lost in thought, and upon hearing this, he was momentarily stunned. Only when he saw Chi Han slightly raise an eyebrow did he snap back to reality. “No, it’s not that. I just prefer smaller rooms, and besides, it’s just me living here.”

Chi Han acknowledged with a sound and then focused on the shoe cabinet. “Do you have slippers?”

Qin Wen’s brain momentarily froze. “Open the second shelf.” Wait, Chi Han had already brought the stuff up, and he still wanted to stay for a while?

The faint scent of mint filled the room, and this familiar environment made Chi Han unconsciously relax. He noticed a cashmere blanket messily piled on the sofa, and lush green plants on the windowsill. One of the water lilies looked quite wilted. Qin Wen probably didn’t understand the nature of this plant—it prefers coolness, and the room was too warm. Chi Han’s slender fingers touched the leaves of the water lily, and a flash of frost passed by. When Qin Wen came out of the room after putting things away, he saw that the water lily, which had drooped its stem in the morning, had lifted its flower head.

The living room was very quiet. Although this was Qin Wen’s home, the intertwined scents of cedar and mint made him feel as if he were still in Star City Garden.

When he was in Star City Garden, although he secretly felt happy, he lived a life of walking on thin ice.

“You…” Qin Wen spoke softly, “Are you staying for dinner?”

It was just a polite gesture. Chi Han would probably say something like, “No, I have to go back.” But to his surprise, the man was silent for two seconds and then nodded, “Sure.”

Sure… Qin Wen was stunned. He even began to doubt if he was muddled from illness.

Chi Han had been observing Qin Wen’s expression and asked, “Not welcome?” His voice was gentle, with a kind of allure. Qin Wen could feel his pheromones, clearly conveying a message: this person wanted to stay.

“Of course not…” The words of denial came out without thinking. No matter how much time passed, Qin Wen could never refuse Chi Han’s requests. It was just a meal, “Is plain noodles okay?”

Chi Han’s lips curved, his glassy eyes brightened, like the moon and stars dispersing the clouds in an instant, making Qin Wen’s heart skip a beat. He saw the man nod, “Of course.”

It wasn’t until he took out all the ingredients that Qin Wen felt like he had woken up from a dream. He glanced outside, and Chi Han was sitting on a wicker chair by the balcony, playing with the water lily. The man’s profile was handsome and delicate, with a touch of laziness.

They had never interacted like this before.

The unfamiliar experience gave Qin Wen a novel and uneasy thrill.

Pregnancy had rapidly diminished Qin Wen’s abilities, a flaw inherent in Omega genes. His mind was a mess, unable to comprehend why Chi Han had brought him home or why he stayed for dinner. In the past, at Star City Garden, he had to plead repeatedly for Chi Han to turn back even once.

Qin Wen turned to get some eggs, but his vision went black, and he uncontrollably fell to the ground.

The first thought that came to Qin Wen’s mind when the pain hit was that he was going to embarrass himself in front of Chi Han again.

The Alpha noticed that Qin Wen had been secretly watching him. While he was striking a pose, he heard a commotion. He moved swiftly, leaving a shadow in the air, and in the next second, he was at the kitchen door. Qin Wen’s eyes were unfocused, and he was about to prop himself up when someone scooped him up by the waist.

“Dizzy?” Chi Han’s expression was serious. He placed Qin Wen on the sofa, noticing the young man’s dazed look, a stark contrast to his previously elegant demeanor. After all, he was an Omega.

Qin Wen’s fingertips turned white as he tried not to touch his abdomen, worried Chi Han might notice something. His stomach didn’t hurt, so he probably hadn’t hurt the baby.

“I’m asking you, dizzy?” Chi Han pinched Qin Wen’s chin, his pheromones surging around him, yet without any aggression. It was more like he was waiting for Qin Wen’s confirmation to provide him with a continuous supply of pheromones.

It was too tempting. Qin Wen wasn’t sure when they would meet again after this separation, and the temporary mark on his gland was about to fade. But both he and the baby needed Chi Han’s pheromones, so this time Qin Wen didn’t hesitate much, “Yeah.”

Chi Han’s brows relaxed, seemingly wanting to do something else, but in the end, he just enveloped Qin Wen with his pheromones.

Qin Wen was so stimulated that his consciousness fragmented. In a daze, he grabbed Chi Han’s arm and whispered, “Sorry… can you make something to eat yourself, or… go out to eat, okay?”

“Okay.” Chi Han was exceptionally gentle as he covered Qin Wen with a blanket.

Even in his sleep, Qin Wen was restless, frowning and soon curling up.

Is it that uncomfortable? Chi Han watched without blinking, his pheromones becoming even more intense until Qin Wen gradually calmed down. Perhaps even Chi Han himself hadn’t realized that his concern for Qin Wen had reached a “crossing the line” level. Initially, it was his grandfather who forcibly arranged for him to marry Qin Wen. They hadn’t met, but he had seen a photo. Qin Wen was a unique Omega, with eyes behind thin lenses that were particularly clear and bright, not at all pretentious or delicate. Dressed in a suit, at first glance, he could be mistaken for an Alpha. Somehow, Chi Han agreed.

In their three-year marriage, Qin Wen had always been a dutiful “wife.” Chi Han often heard business partners complain about their Omegas at home, whether it was about intense emotions during pregnancy, or sulking over not receiving enough gifts, or some trivial matters. But Qin Wen was different; he was so worry-free that it was as if he didn’t exist.

Before meeting Qin Wen, Chi Han had a poor impression of Omegas, seeing them as pitiful creatures dependent on Alphas. As a top-level Alpha, he was no longer affected by Omega pheromones.

He had always firmly believed this.

Until Qin Wen completely withdrew from his life.

It was a bit unsettling, like a piece of his heart had been forcibly removed. It didn’t hurt or bleed, but Chi Han could feel it.

“Chi Han…” Qin Wen suddenly called out hoarsely.

Chi Han immediately leaned closer, “Hmm?”

His lips moved, but he didn’t say anything. Helplessly, Chi Han moved even closer and then understood. Qin Wen said, “Uncomfortable.”

Chi Han suddenly didn’t know what to do. His pheromones had already been released to the extreme. Beyond this gentle level, it would become oppressive, and Qin Wen wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Pregnant Omegas are prone to sleepiness. When Qin Wen woke up, it was already dark, but unusually, he didn’t feel dizzy or nauseous. The room was at a comfortable temperature, filled with the lingering scent of cedar. He lifted the blanket and sat up, seeing a box of hot porridge on the table with a note on top. It was written by Chi Han, the handwriting elegant and strong: “Plain porridge, remember to take your medicine after eating.”

Qin Wen felt his fingertips heat up, but he clutched the note tightly.