There weren't many assignments from the university over vacation, so it was very leisurely. The two of them watched a movie on the computer and, by the afternoon, Xiao Zhan once again lay down, feeling sleepy. When he got up in the evening, Wang Yibo had already washed all the dishes and blindly pulled up some recipes on his phone. Xiao Zhan hurried to his side and took over the heavy responsibilities of head chef.
In the evening, He Yan returned from work around 8pm. Xiao Zhan was watching TV with Wang Yibo in the living room, so when he heard the door open, he immediately got up and walked over.
"Ge, have you eaten?"
He Yan took off his coat, "Not yet, are there any homecooked leftovers?"
"Yes, I'll warm them up for you."
Wang Yibo turned the TV off and came over, "Xuezhang, I'll do it."
Xiao Zhan had been the one to ask He Yan, so naturally, someone else couldn't do it in his place, "I will. You go up to rest first."
"I'm not tired."
"Do as you're told. Go to the room and wait for me."
Abnormally, Wang Zhe, who has always been so obedient, continued to argue, "I want to stay here......"
Xiao Zhan felt helpless. "There's something on my mind I want to talk to your Ge about."
"I can't listen?"
If you listen, how would it be a surprise? Xiao Zhan could only do his best to persuade him, "Not right now, I'll tell you later."
Wang Yibo frowned slightly. It looked as if he had something to say, but, in the end, he just answered softly, "Okay."
Xiao Zhan watched his desolate back as he went up the stairs. He thought that something seemed off with the silly dog lately, he was smiling a lot less and talking a lot less and he always looked sad and depressed.
*Ding!* The sound of the microwave interrupted his train of thought.
Xiao Zhan brought the specially-saved leftover dishes and rice to the table, then he took a set of tableware to He Yan. Afterwards, he sat across from him, doing nothing else but calmly looking across at the other, reflecting on how to open his mouth to begin.
He Yan said, "......Frankly speaking, Zhan , when your face is so blank for so long, it really feels like you might hit me at any second......"
Xiao Zhan 's mouth twitched slightly and the handsome, charming face beneath the iceberg thawed a bit, "Do I look that scary? My expression always scares Wang Yibo so much."
"No, you're very good-looking, really. You just seem a bit fierce when you aren't smiling."
"Then I'll smile more often." Xiao Zhan drew back the corners of his mouth to show a smile he believed expressed kindness.
He Yan's hair stood on end. "......or maybe don't. Say, what's up, why didn't you take your boyfriend on a date night? Why'd you want to be here to watch me eat?"
Xiao Zhan replied, "Ge, I want to ask you for advice about something."
After consulting for over half an hour, the plan was finalized. When He Yan was almost done eating, he put down his chopsticks and said, "I didn't expect you to be spoiling him. I originally thought he was the more proactive one between the two of you."
"Him taking the initiative?" Xiao Zhan was annoyed to hear him mention this. "I'm so fucking eager for him to take the initiative. Who knows where all the energy he showed when confessing to me disappeared to."
After saying that, he realized that he'd used foul language, "Sorry, I have a bad temper. I don't actually blame him. I just wish that he wouldn't shrink back. I won't eat him."
He Yan, "It's okay, you can be more casual. In fact, although A-Zhe is basically too kindhearted, he has always been very optimistic. I've seen that he's been a bit moody recently. By all sense, chasing after you ought to make him so happy he flies off into the sky, are you two having a fight?"
Xiao Zhan thought back, "No. I did get really angry with him when I asked him to mark me a while ago, but we've reconciled since then."
He Yan was stunned. "He's already marked you?"
"Just a temporary mark."
"Oh! For a moment, I thought I'd lost my sense of smell." He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "If it was a completed mark, you ought to have a hint of his scent."
"That isn't quite true. His pheromone is so weak. I'm also worried if he can even mark me. If it weren't for this reason, I probably would've been with him already."
Xiao Zhan still remembered the momentary heart tug he'd felt when Wang Yibo had confessed to him for the first time. If Wang Yibo'salpha traits had appeared strong enough at that time, he probably would've agreed to give it a try.
When He Yan heard this, he puffed out a laugh, "Zhan , you better remember your words just now."
Xiao Zhan : "?"
"Never mind, you'll figure it out eventually." He Yan winked cryptically and changed the topic, "What we just talked about, I'll take you for a look tomorrow."
Xiao Zhan nodded, "Thanks, Ge."
After chatting with He Yan, Xiao Zhan cleaned up the kitchen, then went upstairs and returned to their room. However, he found that the bedroom door hadn't been closed and that the lights were off.
Wang Yibo hadn't laid down. He was standing quietly by the window. When he saw him arrive, he turned and said lowly, "Xuezhang."
The hazy moonlight outside the window dimly illuminated one half of his face, while the other half was hidden in the darkness. The contours of his face where the light and dark intersected appeared particularly strong and his eyes were shining dark green. The heaviness of the dim night light was set against a faint heart-wrenching scent.
Xiao Zhan once again was suddenly struck by the thought that Wang Yibo seemed different from what he had previously believed, not at all like his silly, obedient, gentle, loyal golden retriever. Yet, he still couldn't name what he seemed like.
He raised his hand and turned on the room's ceiling light with a click of the switch. Under the gentle indoor light, Wang Yibo changed back to his familiar appearance.
"What are you doing? Not turning the lights on." He walked over.
Wang Yibo took the rare initiative to pull him into an embrace. He bowed his head to look straight at him, eyes full of affection and longing, "Xuezhang......can I mark you again?"
"Why do you suddenly want to? Previously, you were so unwilling."
"I wasn't unwilling. ......May I? Even if it's just another temporary mark."
"You may not."
Wang Yibo'sexpression went rigid. "Why?"
"I'm finally almost in heat. Why would I still need your mark?" Xiao Zhan shot him a displeased glare.
It'd already been more than ten days since the last mark, so the effect was almost gone. The suppressant in his body had also almost completely lost effectiveness. He figured his heat would come in the next few days. If he was temporarily marked again right now, it was possible it could delay his heat again. Unexpectedly, he didn't want to delay any longer.
As soon as his firm words fell, Wang Yibo suddenly hugged him tightly. His head buried into his neck and his voice was both muffled and impatient as he spoke, "Give me some more time, okay? Xuezhang, I know I'm no good right now, but I'll work hard, so wait for me until then......"
Xiao Zhan gritted his teeth and said heartlessly, "No."
Last time in bed, he'd had to fucking force his own alpha to submit and he, the omega, had suffered.
Wang Yibo suddenly tightened his arms again, forcing the breath out of him. His body was shaking slightly.
Xiao Zhan was surprised. The silly dog isn't scared of doing it, right? By all reason, based on the size, shouldn't I be the one afraid over that part down there?
He had no choice but to bear the discomfort of the tight embrace and stroke Wang Yibo'sback in comfort. He made his tone as soft and gentle as he could to talk him round, "It's not that I don't want to wait for you, just that I don't think it's necessary anymore. Beyond that, you know I'm someone with limited patience and a short temper. No matter how you slice it, you have to face this sooner or later. Rather than drag it out, it's better that we quickly do it——"
"I don't want to," Wang Yibo interrupted him, then argued back again, "I don't want to face it."
Xiao Zhan was getting a little annoyed, but he suppressed his annoyance and said, "Don't throw a tantrum like a child."
"I'm not a child. I can take care of you and treat you very well. Just give me a little more time...... I'll become like an alpha, more mature and capable like my Ge, please, Xuezhang......."
Wang Yibo'svoice was nearly choked with emotion.
Xiao Zhan 's heart softened for a moment and he immediately dismissed his own annoyance. He didn't know what Wang Yibo was afraid of. Maybe this was some sort of anxiety similar to prenuptial phobia? After all, completing a mark basically meant that two people were bonded together for a lifetime and he was young, it was normal to be afraid when facing this kind of change.
Or maybe it was because of his own overbearingly fierce attitude when making Wang Yibo mark himself previously, scaring him and leaving psychological trauma. Xiao Zhan reflected upon his actions briefly.
Wang Yibo didn't speak up again, his shoulders still shaking slightly, waiting for his reply.
Xiao Zhan pressed against his chest and pushed him back a bit.
"If you're really going to treat me well, just listen to me. I don't want to delay. Like you just said, we aren't children anymore. Shouldn't we be a bit more firm and decisive like adults? Speaking seriously, if I have comment to make about how you are right now, it's that you're a little overly sensitive. If you can change that part, I'll definitely like you even more."
Although I already like you right now. Xiao Zhan didn't say that part aloud, because he wanted to provoke him a bit with the harsh words.
Wang Yibo went completely still for a moment, then it seemed like he lost all his strength. The arms wrapped around his waist fell away, leaving only his forehead leaning against his shoulder.
"If I changed, you might like me?"
If it weren't for the surrounding silence, he wouldn't have been able to hear his quiet, weak voice.
Xiao Zhan softened his tone as much as possible, "Mhm, I will, so listen to me, okay?"
After a long moment, Wang Yibo raised his head. Contrary to Xiao Zhan 's expectations, his expression was very calm, but under the light he'd turned on before, it was obvious that his previously bright eyes had gone so dark they seemed dead inside.
"Okay......"
Xiao Zhan was relieved and, to reward him, he kissed the uninjured corner of his mouth, "Good."
Why can't this obstructive injury just heal already? I really want to kiss him properly.