Chapter 110: Has Nan Zhi Found Happiness?
The night he returned home, Nan Zhi had a dream, a terrifying nightmare.
In it, he dreamt of his past life where, following Nan Zhimin's wishes, he married He Yushen.
He Yushen married him, but without affection. They always treated each other courteously, behaving more like business partners, only feigning intimacy at public events.
He knew that all He Yushen wanted was an Omega with the title of 'Lady He', not caring who filled that role.
In his dream, it was a year after their wedding when he met Lin Qiuwu.
That evening, as usual, He Yushen took Nan Zhi to a charity event.
Coincidentally, his beloved elder brother was nearby and Nan Zhi decided to invite him to the event.
Nan Zhi would regret countless times for bringing Nan Yi to that function, but the fact that Nan Yi found happiness comforted him.
Despite having identical faces, both He Yushen and the radiant Alpha amidst the crowd fell for the somewhat compliant Nan Yi at first sight.
At that moment, Nan Zhi was oblivious to these developments. He unexpectedly found himself drawn to that shining star, to that Alpha named Lin Qiuwu.
Like a carousel of memories, all the events of his past life replayed in his mind.
Under He Yushen's strategic care, Nan Yi was smoothly brought to the mansion and eventually, the identical twins unwittingly swapped their identities.
And so, Nan Zhi, under the guise of Nan Yi, married the Alpha he cherished.
Unlike this life where Nan Yi married as a replacement, Lin Qiuwu, who couldn't wed his beloved Omega, vented all his frustrations on Nan Zhi.
Ultimately, on a stormy night, Nan Zhi, having no right as the legitimate spouse to confront him, was thrown out of the mansion after catching Lin Qiuwu with a lover at home.
Whether it was rain or tears blurring his vision, the last thing he remembered was the impact of a van.
With shattered legs and a pool of crimson blood around him, the driver fled the scene. His phone was smashed. He lay on the cold ground, concluding his 23-year life.
In that moment, he resented He Yushen for marrying without love, despised Nan Yi for winning Lin Qiuwu's affection, and loathed Lin Qiuwu for being passionately inconstant.
His unrequited love in the past life ended thusly, fading into unconsciousness amidst excruciating pain.
When Nan Zhi awoke, he was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. The pain of broken bones felt all too recent. His pupils dilated in despair in the pitch-black night.
One thought consumed him: he didn't want to die, especially not in such agony.
He remained motionless for ten minutes. As sensation returned, he groped his way out of bed. With trembling legs, he leaned against the wall, struggling into the bathroom.
Ever since his rebirth, he's had that dream countless times.
He didn't know when it would end, perhaps only when Lin Qiuwu finally showed affection towards him.
Nan Zhi often resented Lin Qiuwu. Why could he love Nan Yi and Yun Luo, yet not spare a sliver of affection for him?
Even a tiny bit would suffice; he never dared to ask for more.
Waking up and gripped by fear, on a whim, he sent Lin Qiuwu a message.
[Are you asleep? Yunjian misses you.]
Seconds after sending, he retracted it. At 3 a.m., the Alpha was surely asleep. And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't respond.
Placing his phone on the bedside table, he wrapped his arms around a peacefully sleeping Lin Yunjian. With the little Alpha by his side, his erratic heartbeat gradually settled, and he drifted back to sleep.
The next day, just as Nan Zhi predicted, there was no response from the Alpha regarding the retracted message.
When Lin Qiuwu didn't need him, Nan Zhi would spend every day at home with the young Alpha.
The leaves outside their rented apartment started turning yellow. Every day, Lin Yunjian would ask when he'd meet his father.
However, the child could only point to the phone's wallpaper and request to see "Dad", not yet capable of complex speech.
Each time, Nan Zhi would placate the young Alpha with promises. But the usually obedient Lin Yunjian began to show signs of distress.
One noon, when Lin Yunjian pointed at the phone insisting on meeting his father, after hearing another postponement, he broke into heart-wrenching sobs.
"Daddy, liar!"
Nearing two years old, Lin Yunjian's speech was becoming fluent. Somehow, he had picked up the word "liar" and used it on Nan Zhi.
"Daddy's not lying. I promise I'll take you to meet your Alpha father."
"Daddy... sob... sob..."
The little Alpha grumbled at his Omega father, rubbing against him. Nestling into Nan Zhi's embrace, his soft hands tightly clung to Nan Zhi's shoulders.
"Alright, alright. Don't cry, Yunjian. Daddy will make you your favorite little duckling buns."
"No! Liar... Daddy... no... um... no."
As Lin Yunjian sobbed until he hiccuped, Nan Zhi found him both adorable and pitiable.
That little alpha, not even two years old, couldn't see his alpha father.
Filled with guilt, Nan Zhi pondered for a few seconds, then said firmly, "No more tears. Daddy will take you to see your father right now."
Holding the young alpha tightly wrapped around him, he stood up and headed straight for the main door.
"Really... truly?"
Lin Yunjian, who had been deceived into taking walks several times before, ceased his tears, somewhat doubting Nan Zhi.
"I'm not lying. Why won't you believe Daddy?" Nan Zhi said affectionately, rubbing his cheek against Lin Yunjian's soft face.
The little one looked up directly into his eyes, almost blocking his view as he was about to descend the stairs.
With wide, unblinking eyes fixed on Nan Zhi, he had no choice but to halt.
"What is it, little tearful one?"
"Daddy, don't... don't... lie to Yunjian," he said with a childish, yet serious voice.
"Alright," Nan Zhi replied with a smile, and planted another kiss on the little tearful one's forehead.
"Now, be a good boy and rest on Daddy's shoulder. Daddy will carry you downstairs, alright?" coaxed Nan Zhi.
"Mhm," the little tearful one obediently buried his face in Nan Zhi's shoulder.
Once they left the apartment building, unlike previous times, Nan Zhi didn't deceive Lin Yunjian but hailed a cab straight to Lin Qiuwu's residence.
The upscale villa community was a place Nan Zhi could only enter because Lin Qiuwu allowed it during his sensitive periods.
Familiarly, he walked to Lin Qiuwu's house while Lin Yunjian curiously gazed at the garden flowers along the way.
As Nan Zhi paused, Lin Yunjian seemed to sense that Lin Qiuwu was in the house ahead and started wriggling restlessly in his arms.
"Dad..."
"Be good, Yunjian. Daddy will carry you inside."
"Hmm?"
The little one struggled fiercely, leaving Nan Zhi with no choice but to set him down.
Before Nan Zhi could even grab Lin Yunjian's hand, the teary-eyed boy was already eagerly tugging at his pant leg, pulling him towards the house.
On their way here, Nan Zhi had already sent Lin Qiuwu a message, notifying him of Lin Yunjian's impending visit.
As of now, his phone remained eerily silent.
Lin Qiuwu has always been indifferent to his messages, probably too disinterested even to read them.
"Young master?" Just as Lin Yunjian was pulling Nan Zhi into the living room, they were met face-to-face with the butler descending the staircase.
"Greetings, Mr. Nan. What brings you here with the young master unexpectedly? I thought the master had mentioned..."
"I'm aware!" Nan Zhi interrupted the butler sternly.