Chapter 8: Apology
Watching the caring silhouette of the alpha, Nan Yi turned on his heel towards the study.
The door to He Yu Shen's study was ajar, but no one was inside.
His expression tensed for a moment before he hurriedly descended the stairs.
The butler had just escorted Nan Zhai Min back and looked up as he heard footsteps on the staircase.
"Mr. Nan," he greeted politely.
The anxious-faced man swiftly brushed past him.
The butler, puzzled, followed at a distance.
The omega, covered in alpha pheromones and wearing slippers, dashed towards the villa's main door. As dusk settled, the headlights of a distant car were already on.
The figure ahead stumbled momentarily, nearly falling. One of his slippers came off, but he didn't seem to care, not even bothering to pick it up, as he continued running towards the gate.
The butler picked up the fallen white bunny slipper, frowning slightly.
It felt soft to touch, clearly not something from the villa.
Outside the main gate, Nan Yi stood, transfixed, staring at the distant tail lights that disappeared around a bend.
It wasn't until the butler approached that he called out to him.
Butler: "Mr. Nan, please put on your slippers."
Nan Yi shifted slightly, bending down to slip into the soft slippers he had bought for a good price earlier today.
After placing down the shoes, the butler stood up and looked towards the corner, "If you miss your father too much, Mr. Nan, you can go see him."
Nan Yi's gaze darkened.
Having said that, the butler pulled out his phone, displaying the memo page, and handed it to Nan Yi.
He stared at the offered phone, motionless for a moment. Just when the butler thought he had nothing to say and was about to retract his hand,
Omega reached out, gently accepting the phone and began to type, his head bowed.
The butler patiently waited beside him.
[Has he asked about me?]
Omega's cool gaze held a trace of anticipation. Butler, now referred to as Guan Jing, seemed somewhat uneasy.
[I understand. Thank you for picking up my shoes and the phone.]
From the look on the butler's face, Nan Yi got the answer he was seeking. He didn't linger any longer, but typed another message and handed the phone back to the man in front of him.
The butler hesitated for a moment before taking it, "It's what I should do, no need for thanks."
As he spoke, the Omega wearing little bunny slippers had already walked past him into the house. His slender silhouette, even the coat fluttering in the evening breeze, seemed a tad too oversized.
Perhaps in the darkness of the night, such a fragile figure seemed somewhat melancholic. The butler felt an inexplicable sympathy for Omega.
Nan Yi walked through the living room and slowly ascended the stairs. The atmosphere in the bedroom was tense, with Alpha sitting on the bed emitting a palpable aura.
Hesitating for a moment, he tentatively stepped in.
"Go apologize to Xiao Jing," He Yu Shen said with a furrowed brow, looking at the indifferent-faced Omega and feeling a bit irritable, his body slightly overheating.
Nan Yi stood at a distance from He Yu Shen, silently meeting his gaze.
Realizing that Omega wouldn't speak, He Yu Shen's irritation grew, especially in the face of those indifferent eyes.
He rose abruptly, walking straight to Nan Yi, grabbed his hand, and led him towards the door.
"If you won't speak, you should at least know sign language. Go apologize."
Nan Yi was forcibly pulled by him, his hand imprisoned by He Yu Shen's broad palm, unable to break free.
The man, always rough with him, knocked gently and gentlemanly on Song Jing's door, with Nan Yi standing beside him, held firmly.
"Is that you, Brother Shen? Please come in."
A joyful voice belonging to an omega echoed from within the room. The sheer excitement was palpable even just from the tone.
He Yushen opened the door. The smiling person on the bed froze momentarily when he saw Nan Yi trailing behind.
Song Jing's smile strained at the corners, slightly insincere. "Brother Shen? Is Mr. Nan here for me?"
"I brought him to apologize to you."
The omega on the bed seemed momentarily taken aback, then revealed a smug smile, looking towards Nan Yi.
Nan Yi met the gaze, his lips pressed tightly, standing quietly.
Seeing him stand there impassively, He Yushen's face grew stern.
"Are you deaf?"
A deep and chilling voice echoed above. Yet, Nan Yi remained unmoving.
Having replaced his younger brother in the He household, Nan Yi could silently endure He Yushen's brusqueness and cold remarks, since he had deceived him.
However, for Song Jing to exploit his muteness and He Yushen's disdain to frame him, and then to expect him to apologize to such a lowly person, Nan Yi couldn't do it.
Perhaps it was his arrival in the He household that obstructed Song Jing's subtle designs on He Yushen, leading him to target Nan Yi in such a manner.
But that wasn't his concern. If Song Jing was genuinely capable, then the incident of He Yushen proposing to his younger brother, Nan Zhi, would never have occurred.
"Can't you hear me speak?"
Nan Yi's indifference infuriated He Yushen. He gripped Nan Yi's face tightly, forcing him to look up.
Pain flickered in those aloof eyes, and only then did He Yushen feel a pang of satisfaction, disdainfully tossing him aside.
Stumbling, Nan Yi managed to steady himself after a few steps.
"Brother Shen, it's okay if he doesn't apologize," the person on the bed offered understandingly. "Besides, Mr. Nan can't speak."
Red marks from the grip marred both of Nan Yi's cheeks. After regaining his balance, he acted as if he were invisible, turning his gaze towards a window, lost in thought.
"You should stay home and rest for a few days since your foot is injured." The tone was different from when he addressed himself.
Although still quite monotone, there was a hint of concern.
"Alright," came the response.
Even in the summer, the air-conditioned room felt slightly chilly at night. Nan Yi wrapped his arms around himself, eyes fixed on the darkness outside.
"Then, you should rest well." After speaking, Heyu Shen glanced at the daydreaming Nanyi, noting an added hint of confusion and... loneliness in those indifferent eyes.
He furrowed his brows, moving forward to grasp the omega's arm. Noticing the reddened mark encircling the delicate wrist, he hesitated, softening his grip.
Nan Yi snapped back to reality, emotionlessly following the alpha. Seeing him so unusually docile, He Yu Shen slowed his steps.
Once back in the bedroom, He Yu Shen headed to the bathroom to freshen up while Nan Yi obediently sat by the bed.
His hair had dried naturally, soft and fluffy with a few strands sticking up.
When He Yu Shen emerged, the first thing he saw was the messy hair atop Nan Yi's head, with the omega sitting dazedly like a befuddled child.
A hint of amusement played on his lips as he approached and took a seat beside the omega, playfully tousling his hair.
"Want to know why Nan Zhai Min sought me out?"
The deep, seductive voice resonated overhead. Startled, Nan Yi looked up.
He Yu Shen met the bright eyes, raised an eyebrow, and gently pressed the omega beneath him.
The omega frowned but didn't resist.
"Nan Zhai Min wanted a piece of land to the north. As for you..." He Yu Shen paused, gazing at the earnest face below, twirling a strand of Nan Yi's hair. "He told me to... have my way with you."
Disbelief filled Nan Yi's eyes, and tears threatened to spill as he stared at the nonchalant alpha.
"To think, you're worth just a plot of land," He Yu Shen remarked, his slender finger tracing Nan Yi's rosy lips.
"A mere project of a few million, not a bad trade for a subpar omega like you."
"Behave, and perhaps I might keep you around longer." While He Yu Shen was furious about Nan Yi and the Nan family's deceit, Nan Yi's scent was tolerable.
Besides, this mute, abandoned by his birth father, was both pitiable and no threat. Clean and unassuming.
He might prove useful during sensitive periods, He Yu Shen thought.