Chapter 18

When Lin Si woke up again, it was already noon.

He felt so hot that he climbed out of the mess of tangled blankets, using both hands and feet, stripped off the clothes and pants he hadn’t had time to take off last night, and burrowed back under the covers.

Two seconds later, he climbed out again, rummaged through the pocket of his jacket, and found his phone.

As soon as he unlocked it, he saw a notification from Bubble.

Y had asked, “Are you out of class?”

The message was sent close to midnight last night.

Lin Si flexed his fingers, opened the voice changer app, and then tapped the voice call button at the bottom of the chat window to call Y.

Beep…

Beep…

Beep…

Half a minute passed, and just as the page was about to close, the call was answered.

“Hmm?”

The voice on the other end was deep and slightly hoarse, like someone who had just woken up.

“Did I wake you up?” Lin Si instinctively lowered his voice to ask.

There was a faint rustling sound near the receiver. Y’s voice had already shifted to a more alert tone: “No.”

“Did I disturb your sleep?”

“Almost time to wake up anyway,” Y replied. “I’m off work today.”

Lin Si chuckled softly, relieved. “It’s Lunar New Year’s Eve; I’m off work too.”

“Mm.”

Before the call, Lin Si had thought he had a lot to say to Y, but now that he could hear Y’s voice, he suddenly ran out of words.

Through the faint hum of the call, he could almost hear Y breathing.

So close, as if right beside him, within reach.

“Have you eaten?” Y asked.

Lin Si’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he replied in a muffled voice, “Not yet. I don’t feel like getting up.”

“Eat something.”

“In a bit,” Lin Si murmured, wanting to keep listening to Y’s voice.

“Eat now.”

Lin Si pressed his lips together, half-exasperated and half-amused. This person was so rigid.

If he had to describe Y in a positive light, Lin Si thought Y was like a cello—deep and resonant, carrying a sense of seriousness and stillness. Yet, in many unintentional moments, there was a stubborn gentleness about him.

The bow pressed against the strings, singular yet filled with a kind of quiet devotion.

“Are you going to eat?” Lin Si asked. “You just woke up too.”

Y paused, as if caught off guard by a child’s sudden question, and hesitated to admit it.

“I will.”

Lin Si chuckled, rolling around under his blanket while clutching his phone. “Let’s chat a little more.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Y asked.

“Hmm… Can I ask something a bit personal?” Lin Si sought Y’s permission first.

Y replied, “I don’t mind.”

“You told me last time that you’re not a programmer. What do you do, then? Why are you working overtime every day?”

Y answered, “I run a company.”

“Even the boss works late?” Lin Si teased.

“Software industry, just starting out,” Y explained.

Lin Si made an envious sound. “Starting your own business, huh!”

Y paused for a moment before saying, “Not exactly. My mother provided the startup funds.”

“That still counts as starting a business! No wonder you’re so busy. The beginning stages are always tough,” Lin Si said, his words spilling out now that he had started talking.

“I used to really want to open a bookstore. Actually, I don’t like reading, but I feel so comfortable just being in a bookstore—whether watching movies or napping, it’s so relaxing. So, in my bookstore, I’d buy those soft tatami-style sofas. Oh, and I’d set up a café inside. I don’t like drinking coffee, but I love the smell of it…”

When he finally finished talking, Y asked, “Why did you say ‘used to want to’?”

Lin Si smiled wistfully. “I’m too busy now. That dream will probably have to wait until I retire. Besides, I’ve got a new plan—I want to buy a small villa and open a bed-and-breakfast nearby. It’d be more manageable that way. If I can handle it, then I’ll open a bookstore too.”

Y commented, “Being a dance teacher won’t earn you that much.”

“…”

Why is he so blunt!

Lin Si mentally calculated his savings. “I still think I have a shot. The problem is I wouldn’t be able to manage two businesses on my own. I just want a place to lounge around comfortably. But if I have to work late every night, I won’t bother opening them.”

Y said, “You have an Alpha. With two people, you’d manage.”

“That’s right…” Lin Si raised both eyebrows. “You’re right—I have an Alpha!”

“Mm.”

That soft “mm” from Y was barely audible, brushing against Lin Si’s ear like a feather, leaving a surprising tingle. It was as if someone lightly swept Lin Si’s heart with a feather.

Without thinking, Lin Si blurted, “Hey, would you want to open a bed-and-breakfast and a bookstore with me in the future?”

The only sound left was the faint hum of the call.

A whole five seconds of silence.

Disappointed, Lin Si pouted and flopped to the side like a deflated balloon. “Aren’t we basically dating at this point?”

“Would you be willing to meet me in person?”

The voice from the speaker suddenly turned cold and distant.

Lin Si froze, his gaze unconsciously dropping downward.

Meeting Y was out of the question. He didn’t even dare to tell Y who he really was.

The risk he was taking was his alone, but if things went wrong, the consequences wouldn’t just fall on him.

Time and time again, countless people had told him: You can’t fall in love. You can’t reveal anything about your relationship. You have to be responsible to your fans, to your team, and to the staff…

Those words, repeated over the years, had become both his shackle and an unbreakable rule he carried in his heart.

Lin Si hesitated and said, “Meeting in person… might not be a good idea…”

Silence fell between them again.

After a while, Y’s tone lifted slightly, carrying a hint of mockery, as if teasing a child. “You’re not entirely stupid.”

“Huh?” Lin Si blinked. “Why am I not entirely stupid?”

Y said, “I didn’t say you were stupid. I said you’re not entirely stupid.”

“How does that still sound like an insult?” Lin Si fussed over the wording for a moment. “You’re definitely calling me stupid.”

Y chuckled again.

Lin Si scratched his ear. “Stop laughing. My ears are itching.”

Y’s voice turned more serious. “We don’t trust each other. It’s hard to say we’re in a real relationship.”

Lin Si fidgeted with the edge of his cashmere blanket. “Actually…”

“Don’t force yourself to trade secrets for trust,” Y interrupted him.

Lin Si lowered his eyes, thinking for a long time, and finally said, “Someday, I’ll tell you everything. Really. We’ll have the chance to meet.”

Y replied slowly, “Mm, I—”

The call cut off abruptly.

Lin Si blinked, murmuring, “Hm?” as he pulled his phone away to check the screen. The call had indeed ended.

He tried calling back, but no one answered.

Five minutes later, Y sent a message: [Something urgent came up.]

Lin Si could only reply: [Don’t forget to eat.]

But Y didn’t even have time to respond with a simple “Mm.”

Meanwhile, in Xiaoshan Hospital.

The lights outside the operating room were blindingly bright, and more than twenty people stood at the door, visibly restless.

Among them, Lu Wei seemed the least concerned about the outcome of the surgery.

He stood apart from the crowd, isolated in a distant corner. Like the frosty rime hanging high on the trees outside the window, he kept himself removed—watching from afar, distant and solitary.

Fragments of hushed conversations drifted into his ears, snippets here and there.

He even caught faint traces of perfume and exposed pheromones emanating from some of the Omegas.

The mix of those scents with the sterile smell of disinfectant created a stench akin to a box of rotten bananas left untouched out for a month.

“Mr. Lu, would you like to rest for a while?”

Deng Tian, who had been nervously treading on eggshells for some time, stood half a meter behind Lu Wei, slightly to his side.

“Or should I fetch you a thicker coat?”

His voice wasn’t quiet, and many others overheard, prompting more murmurs from the crowd.

Before Lu Wei could tell him to leave, the light above the operating room went out. The crowd instinctively surged toward the door.

The lead surgeon pushed through them slowly and walked up to Lu Wei.

“The surgery was successful.”

Lu Wei gave a barely perceptible nod. The doctor added, “He needs to be moved to the thirteenth-floor ward.”

The thirteenth-floor ward was essentially the ICU. Being sent there meant that while the surgery had succeeded, Lu Shaoming’s condition hadn’t improved. The ten-hour operation had merely pulled a man clinging to the edge of a cliff back up, barely holding him from falling.

The sound of disappointment, loud and soft, filtered through the air, reaching Lu Wei’s ears. He turned around and swept his gaze across the crowd.

Most of them hoped Lu Shaoming would pass away on this cold Lunar New Year’s Eve.

Their impatience was written plainly on their faces. Lu Shaoming was already unconscious—any display of sorrow or reluctance at this point would be nothing but a wasted performance.

For them, knowing how much space they occupied in the will before the year ended seemed far more crucial than anything else. Braving the bitter winter wind to be here was a small price to pay.

Lu Shaoming lay on the stretcher, lifeless, as he was slowly wheeled out by the medical staff. His face was as devoid of vitality as the golden dawn redwoods shedding their leaves outside the hospital.

Deng Tian instinctively grabbed the edge of the stretcher, then followed it toward Lu Wei.

“Mr. Lu, let me escort Mr. Lu—”

“You’re no longer needed.” Lu Wei stepped aside, his gaze fixed on Lu Shaoming before lifting his eyes to Deng Tian. “After the New Year, go find Duan Yang. He’ll settle your wages for this period of time.”

“Mr. Lu…”

Lu Wei didn’t spare him another glance. He turned away, his lips pressed into a thin line, scanning the faces of those who had gathered, their wasted trip etched in their expressions. His gaze finally landed on a young man standing by the window, smoking.

The boy seemed to notice him too, curling his lips into a faint smirk before stubbing out his cigarette.

Lu Wei left without hesitation.

The streets on Lunar New Year’s Eve were nearly empty. From Xiaoshan Hospital to Lu Wei’s residence, it was about a half-hour drive. Yet, he circled the city a few times, letting the cold night air seep in, before finally heading home under the cover of darkness.

As he approached the parking lot, a thin figure suddenly darted in front of the car. Lu Wei slammed on the brakes, the force sending him slightly forward, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he came to a sharp stop.

T/n: New chapter is up 🥰. If you want to support me, buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading 🎇💁.