Dinner was eaten separately. Xiao Zhan specially made a meal for Wang Yibo, a patient's meal of steamed egg custard with rice and side dishes, while he himself quickly ate a bowl of noodles. Wang Yibo scooped up a spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth, while Xiao Zhan sat across from him, looking at his phone as if chatting on WeChat, barely taking a few bites. Wang Yibo tapped the side of the bowl with his spoon and said, "Why are you constantly on your phone? Eat your meal first."
Usually, it was Xiao Zhan who said this to Wang Yibo. Xiao Zhan looked at the WeChat message he just sent, put down his phone, and said, "Hai ge is asking about today's situation. I'll explain to him and then help you request leave."
Wang Yibo nodded and asked, "Is everything okay? Did you leave the plane without completing the procedures? I didn't notice at the time."
"I completed most of it, just didn't wait for the pre-flight inspection" Xiao Zhan said, looking down at the new WeChat message, typing a thank-you message, and continued, "But I flew to the destination and came back with Yu Heng. It's not a big deal in special circumstances. Hai ge just wanted to know, but my main focus is to tell him that you need to rest later."
"Then" Wang Yibo glanced at Xiao Zhan's phone, "Has the leave been approved?"
"Definitely approved. Why wouldn't they approve leave during the heat period?" Xiao Zhan waited for a moment, but the leader didn't reply. He locked his phone screen and put it aside, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating his noodles, saying, "It's already arranged. When you resume work, just fill in the leave form. I'm flying to the capital tomorrow and will only be back in the evening. These few days, don't order takeout. I'll prepare the dishes and put them in the fridge. There are leftovers for rice, you can just heat it up in the microwave tomorrow."
Wang Yibo was about to ask Xiao Zhan where he was flying to tomorrow when he realized that Xiao Zhan had already arranged everything. He had never doubted Xiao Zhan's thoughtfulness and attentiveness, but today, he felt it more deeply, and even had a hint of admiration.
"Okay" Wang Yibo put down his spoon and drank water. Feeling a bit scattered in his thoughts, he found even Xiao Zhan eating noodles looked strangely good. Holding his water glass, he asked, "What time are you flying tomorrow? Will you have lunch at home?"
"I'm flying at 1:20, won't have lunch at home" Xiao Zhan replied without lifting his head. He continued, "By the way, Yibo, I forgot to tell you. My mom called at noon and asked us to go home for dinner on Saturday. My aunt's family is also coming, and they'll probably bring Xuan Xuan along. We didn't go for the hundredth-day celebration before, although we gave a red envelope, it's not quite right, so I want to buy a gift as a gesture."
Naturally, Wang Yibo nodded and asked, "Sure, what do you want to buy?"
"Just a longevity lock, a little bracelet, something like that. He's still a baby, so we can only give these things" Xiao Zhan said, "These few days, you will not be working, so go to a jewelry store and pick out something decent. As long as it looks good."
"Ah? I'll pick?" Wang Yibo put down the water glass, thought for a moment, and said, "Then, which brand should we buy? Gold or silver? Uh, do you have a budget? I'll choose based on the price..."
"Yibo" Xiao Zhan interrupted him, chuckling, "It's just a hundredth-day gift for our nephew, no need for a budget. Xuan Xuan is my nephew and your nephew. When he learns to recognize people in the future, he'll have to call you 'xiao-shen' ( – aunt in regional dialect). Don't treat him like someone else's child, okay?"
"Call me..." Wang Yibo was momentarily speechless. Xiao Zhan looked at him with an open gaze, simply stating the fact, but he himself felt restless. He took a tissue to wipe his mouth and said, "Alright, then I'll go see him tomorrow. I'm done eating, I'll go get my phone." He stood up after speaking.
Xiao Zhan noticed that there was still half a bowl of steamed egg custard left and called out to Wang Yibo, "Aren't you going to finish it? Eat the eggs, you didn't eat much for lunch."
Wang Yibo hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm not very hungry, I'm already full."
Xiao Zhan asked if he was still feeling unwell, but Wang Yibo shook his head and said it was just a lack of appetite. Xiao Zhan watched him walk into the bedroom and couldn't help but sigh. He, too, had lost his appetite.
He had anticipated that Wang Yibo might lose his appetite, so he deliberately made a light and easy-to-digest steamed egg custard, just a small bowl, and a small bowl of rice that was less than half of his usual portion. Yet, Wang Yibo still couldn't finish it.
After putting down his chopsticks, Xiao Zhan stood up to clean the dishes. The light in the kitchen was a soft yellow.
In his heart, he genuinely hoped that Wang Yibo would turn into an Alpha, not for any other reason but because he felt sorry for the suffering Wang Yibo had to endure as an Omega.
The success rate of AA pairing was extremely low, but the problem could be solved through artificial insemination. Why wasn't there any method to suppress the Omega's heat? Whenever he thought about this, he understood all of Wang Yibo's paranoid behavior. He was right. The world was inherently unfair to Alphas and Omegas. Even though more and more Alphas learned to respect Omegas, even though society became more accepting of Omega's needs, the physiological inequality could never be balanced. Why should the fortunate Alphas advise the Omegas to accept their fate?
After washing the dishes and taking out the trash downstairs, Xiao Zhan prepared the next day's meal and put it in the refrigerator. It was already close to 9 o'clock when he walked out of the kitchen. In the meantime, Wang Yibo had taken a shower, hung the towel on the balcony, and hadn't come out of the bedroom since then.
Although he had reminded Wang Yibo to go to bed early today, it was impossible for him to fall asleep at this hour. Xiao Zhan thought for a moment and made a cup of honey milk in the kitchen. He walked to Wang Yibo's bedroom with the warm cup in his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Xiao Zhan pushed open the door, and Wang Yibo was leaning against the headboard, holding his phone horizontally. It was clear at a glance that he was playing King of Glory. Xiao Zhan placed the milk down and said, "I told you to rest early, but you're still playing games. Is it really that fun?"
"It's only 9 o'clock" Wang Yibo lifted his head and said, catching a glimpse of the steaming milk. Xiao Zhan rolled up his pajama sleeves, sat down at the edge of the bed, and Wang Yibo pursed his lips, lowering his head to continue playing.
Wang Yibo was wearing a pure white cotton pajama, with two buttons unfastened at the neckline, revealing his distinct collarbone. He lowered his head, focused on the game. Xiao Zhan didn't say anything more and quietly watched him.
Wang Yibo had broad and slender shoulders, a set of collarbones that were both flat and straight, and a typical clothes-hanger-like figure. Logically speaking, this partially unbuttoned attire was enough to stir his desire, but his feelings towards Wang Yibo were so complex—it involved both love and desire. Being in the same room with him, with the dim romantic lighting, not only did he not want to take off his clothes, but he also worried that he might catch a cold, so he reached out and helped him fasten the buttons.
"I've noticed that you haven't been eating less every day. Where does all that energy go?" Xiao Zhan looked at him and said, "You seem even thinner than last year."
Wang Yibo was taken aback by his words, and his combo was interrupted as a result. The enemy hero escaped with low health. He retreated to his own tower, replenishing his health while saying, "It has always been around 120, it hasn't changed. I don't gain weight, I've been like this since I was little." He glanced at Xiao Zhan and immediately lowered his head again, "You're the same."
"Me? I used to weigh over 140 when I was in the military" Xiao Zhan smiled and pinched his own arm, then shrugged, "I haven't exercised in a long time, my muscles are gone. I used to run several kilometers before breakfast, or else I couldn't eat." He looked at Wang Yibo, and the dim light cast a beautiful halo on the bed, he asked, "Compared to before, haven't I lost a lot of weight?"
"Uhm" Wang Yibo didn't even lift his head before answering.
Xiao Zhan thought about his previous appearance and looked at his hands—there were many small white marks on them, remnants of healed wounds, but his skin had turned several shades paler. At first glance, they looked like a pair of well-cared-for hands.
"So, do you think I looked better before?" Xiao Zhan didn't expect himself to be this childish at an age where he shouldn't be childish anymore.
Wang Yibo seemed to find the question strange and glanced at him before saying, "No, I think you look better now."
"Really?" Xiao Zhan still had some doubts. "Isn't it better to be more muscular?"
"Well..." Wang Yibo thought seriously for a moment and then said, "Actually, you look good no matter how you are. But personally, I don't like a very muscular look, and I'm not a fan of tanned skin either."
"That's just my personal preference. If you want to go to the gym and work out, it's okay. You won't end up looking overly exaggerated" he pushed away the crystal and set aside his phone, looking at Xiao Zhan's expression before adding, "It's also good for your health."
Xiao Zhan chuckled and shook his head. "I'll trust your aesthetic judgment." He sighed again. "I'm almost in my thirties, not at the age to flirt with young Omegas anymore. Why bother with all these things?"
But Wang Yibo didn't grasp the main point at all. He looked puzzled and said, "You used to flirt with young Omegas?"
Xiao Zhan was also taken aback. "I didn't. It's just an expression."
"Oh." Wang Yibo glanced at him and nodded.
"I really didn't." Xiao Zhan became anxious when he saw Wang Yibo's skeptical look. He sat up straight and said, "Didn't I tell you last time? I joined the military when I was eighteen. There weren't any Omegas flirting with me in the army."
"I know, I was just joking." Wang Yibo pretended to be relaxed and smiled. "Alphas are not off-limits either, right? AA relationships are quite common. Sister Huan's husband is an Alpha. It's normal for young people to be full of energy."
"I..." Xiao Zhan thought that he had dug his own grave. Helpless, he said, "Yibo, AA relationships are normal, but I don't have that inclination."
"You only like Omegas?" Wang Yibo teased and looked him up and down. "You won't like anyone who isn't an Omega?"
Xiao Zhan eased his expression and no longer felt embarrassed. He looked at Wang Yibo with complicated eyes. It seemed like he was thinking, and a few seconds later, he said, "Not necessarily."
It's just that the person I like differentiated into an Omega.
A/N:
I would like to express my gratitude for your votes and comments. Although this story may not have received as many views, I am truly thankful to those who have been reading it consistently. To the new readers, I want to mention that if you have read my previous works, you may have become accustomed to my writing style, which does not heavily feature explicit content. While the stories will eventually include such elements, it will take some time to develop the complex characters and their relationships. It is important to me that their intimate moments are built on a foundation of understanding and connection. Therefore, I kindly ask for your patience. However, if immediate explicit content is what you are seeking, I regret to inform you that this particular story may not align with your preferences.