Chapter 43

'Before the day of confession arrives, wait for me.'

Shi Qi's tone was especially firm. He locked eyes with Shang Sui, his words indistinguishable from a vow.

Shang Sui said nothing for a long time.

Shi Qi did not know that the waiting he spoke of had stretched across six years.

Even so...

'Alright,' Shang Sui said quietly, 'I'm willing to wait.'

Because of this moment, those long, lonely years seemed to gain meaning.

The corners of Shi Qi's lips lifted slightly. Pure, fervent affection shone in his eyes. He couldn't help confirming with him: 'So we're officially a couple now?'

He tentatively reached out, lightly touching the Alpha's neck—white as jade—as if familiarizing himself with a large new toy.

'Of course.'

Shang Sui smiled at him, as if in encouragement.

Shi Qi grew bolder, raising a hand to touch the face he had longed for. Shang Sui cooperatively nestled his cheek into his palm, nuzzling against it like a spoiled pet.

Where their skin touched, a tingling itch spread. Shi Qi's heart felt brushed by a feather, impossibly soft.

But Shang Sui lifted his eyelids at that moment, looking at him with an unwavering gaze.

He extended the tip of his tongue and, under Shi Qi's suddenly frozen gaze, licked the Omega's pale palm.

As if tearing off the layer of innocent pretense from moments ago, Shi Qi's ears were filled with a voice saturated with desire:

'But I waited so painfully, and only now have you finally come to my side.'

The heat rose to Shi Qi's ears. 'Then...'

'I want my reward for waiting.'

Before Shi Qi could react, Shang Sui pushed him.

Shi Qi was caught off guard, crashing into the wall behind along with the painting. Shang Sui had already slipped a palm behind his head, protecting him while caging him entirely against himself.

Pressed against the painting, Shi Qi felt the other person lower his head and couldn't help panicking: 'Wait, your painting—!'

'During my Susceptibility Period, I thought to myself—if you chose to unveil this painting, I'd pin you against it...'

Shang Sui's breath mingled with his. The last word was barely audible.

Shi Qi didn't catch it: 'Pin me against it to do what?'

Seeing Shang Sui say nothing, he guessed at the thing he wanted most right now: 'Kiss?'

Shang Sui paused, meeting those eyes that couldn't hide anything, and quickly realized why Shi Qi was looking at him with such expectation.

He laughed and agreed: 'Mm, a kiss.'

Shi Qi blinked.

He wanted to kiss. Shang Sui wanted to kiss.

Perfect.

Shi Qi leaned in: 'Then here's your reward.'

The words had barely fallen when he leaned forward and pecked Shang Sui's lips.

The lips pressed against his were extraordinarily soft, carrying a faint Pheromone fragrance. Shi Qi swallowed reflexively, already able to imagine the sweet taste inside his mouth.

After half a beat with no response from Shang Sui, Shi Qi licked his lips and urged quietly: 'Open your mouth.'

But Shang Sui deliberately leaned back: 'Is this a reward for you, or for me?'

'...'

His intention exposed, Shi Qi fell silent for a moment.

Seeing Shang Sui's amused gaze, he quickly realized he was teasing him. Heat flooding his face, he shot back, embarrassed and indignant: 'Don't you want to kiss me?'

Shang Sui met his eyes. The second half of the question went unsaid, but those large, bright cat eyes were full of threat: Say you don't want to, and you're dead.

Reading his implication, Shang Sui's smile deepened.

How can he be this cute.

He didn't answer, simply lowering his head to bite Shi Qi's lips.

Shi Qi instinctively parted his lips. Unlike the deliberate teasing from before, a nimble, soft tongue plunged in impatiently, tangling with his and refusing to let go.

Kissing Shang Sui was as wonderful as memory served. Electricity shot from lips and tongue down his spine and surged into his brain.

A beat late, Shi Qi realized—this person belonged to him from now on.

At the thought, he grew dizzy from the excess of happiness, and a sweet sound slipped unconsciously from his throat, like a little cat's soft murmurs.

The Alpha kissing him grew more excited by his reaction. Shang Sui's movements gradually became rougher, and he seized his neck.

Shi Qi's breathing quickly grew ragged, nearly unable to catch his breath.

'Mm...ngh...!'

The near-asphyxiation amplified every sensation. He could feel exactly how thoroughly he sucked his lips and tongue, grinding again and again until he was nearly melting.

While kissing, the Alpha's burning fingers found the spot of his gland and lightly scraped it.

Shi Qi shuddered all over. Shang Sui paused briefly, then covered that vulnerable patch of skin with his palm and kneaded harder.

How could such a sensitive gland withstand this kind of stimulation? Shi Qi's cheeks flushed, and even his neck took on a gorgeous hue:

'D-don't knead it like that.'

He turned his head away, his breath in disarray, but Shang Sui ignored his resistance and, having tasted the sweetness, chased after him to kiss him again.

Shi Qi's back was pressed against the vividly colored painting. Remembering not to damage it, he could only struggle to stay upright.

His eyes glistened with tears, the corners reddened. Like a small cluster of Lily Of The Valley, ready to be plucked by anyone.

Shang Sui gave his lips one final suck, then the fingers that had been kneading his nape lifted to cup his face, his thumb pads stroking tenderly.

Shi Qi trembled involuntarily, but not from fear—more like some instinct buried in an Omega's genes.

Yet the culprit asked at that moment: 'Why are you trembling like this? Uncomfortable?'

'...No.'

Shi Qi couldn't bring himself to say his legs were too weak to stand. Seeing Shang Sui look his way, he forced himself to sound calm: 'Your kissing me is stimulating enough, you're kneading my gland, and you're also pressing your leg between mine.'

Shang Sui studied him for a moment, then suddenly pressed his knee upward.

Shi Qi's ears turned crimson. He struggled to escape his hold, but Shang Sui pinned him effortlessly: 'Like it or hate it?'

'Don't ask me that...!'

'No lying.'

Shi Qi was quiet for a moment: 'Like it.'

'And me kneading your gland?'

Shi Qi opened his mouth, caught between shame and difficulty.

He had just told Shang Sui not to knead his gland. If he told the truth, then he...

Shang Sui kissed his burning cheek. Though an intimate gesture, it carried an inexplicable threat: 'Baby, I don't want to use Mind Manipulation on you right now—tell me quickly.'

Shi Qi was horrified for a moment—he hadn't expected him to have this kind of move.

His gaze fell on the Alpha's well-defined fingers—long and pale, the knuckles faintly pink, combining strength and beauty.

Shi Qi swallowed subtly. The thought of being touched by those hands brought an indescribable hunger.

Unable to escape either way, he said in self-abandon: 'I like it, I like everything you do! Happy now!'

'I like you too,' Shang Sui said with a smile, pecking his earlobe as if soothing a bristling little animal.

'...'

'Then I'll try somewhere else.' He coaxed, 'Tell me to stop if it's uncomfortable—shall we try?'

Before Shi Qi could realize what this meant, Shang Sui's fingers moved downward.

Shi Qi's eyes went wide, his face red enough to bleed.

His legs clenched tight, no longer caring whether the painting would be damaged.

...

'G-gently, I can't stand...!'

'If you can't stand, then sit,' Shang Sui said. 'Sit on my hand.'

...

Just like the Angel imprisoned in the painting, he had nowhere to escape and could only go limp in Shang Sui's arms.

Shi Qi's tears slid down his cheeks and dripped past his pointed chin.

His entire body radiated a delicate, tempting pink, like a pitiable doll.

An indeterminate amount of time passed.

Shi Qi's eyes rolled back slightly. He could hold on no longer.

From the residual alcohol in his body, the hangover remedy, and the rollercoaster of stimulation after the confession, Shi Qi finally fainted.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the small red mole on the Angel's thigh.

-

When he opened his eyes again, Shi Qi was half-asleep, unsure where he was.

A dull ache came from deep within his body. He moved his legs and slowly realized why.

Shi Qi turned his head slightly, and in the morning light, made out the face of the person beside him. Last night's images flashed through his mind frame by frame.

Snowy night, the gathering, their mutual confession, then being pinned against the painting.

They had only just confirmed their relationship, and he and Shang Sui had already...

Gland Degeneration Syndrome made him different from most Omegas—usually only the simplest part was needed.

Although last night only hands were used, before this, Shi Qi had never tried to obtain pleasure in a similar way.

No wonder Lin Yan had been looking at Alphas' hands everywhere before—the highest praise being 'one look and you'd die from it.'

He had nearly actually died in Shang Sui's hands.

Shi Qi's face burned with embarrassment, especially when he accidentally glanced at Shang Sui's hand resting on the pillow.

The Alpha's fingers were slightly curled in a relaxed state, yet even so, they were clearly very long, with slender, powerful knuckles especially prominent.

Last night—was it the left hand or the right?

It seemed to be this one...?

Realizing he was staring at someone first thing in the morning with nothing but dirty thoughts in his head, Shi Qi quickly looked away and tried to get out of bed.

Before he had taken a few steps, a sudden tightness around his waist pulled him back into an embrace.

'Where are you going?'

Shang Sui leaned in from behind, speaking near his neck, his pleasant voice carrying the laziness of just having woken.

Seeing him not move, Shang Sui reached out to pinch his small earlobe. Compared to him, the Alpha's build was far larger—like a beast that would never be sated.

Shang Sui asked again: 'Where are you going, baby?'

Shi Qi opened his mouth, unsure how to face him, and simply said quietly with his back to him: 'I want to wash up.'

'I'll carry you.'

Having said that, Shang Sui didn't wait for his reaction. He got out of bed, walked to his side, and lifted Shi Qi with one arm.

Afraid he wouldn't sit steady, Shang Sui used his other hand to support his bottom. Shi Qi's rear felt as if it were on fire—if Shang Sui hadn't held him securely enough, he would have fallen straight down.

In his panic, he hastily wrapped his arms around Shang Sui's neck.

'What's there to be shy about?' Shang Sui found it amusing. He tightened his arm and lifted him up a bit. 'It's not like I didn't touch you last night.'

Only then did Shi Qi notice he was wearing only a Sleeping Robe.

The dark red silk robe was threaded with shimmering strands that rippled with movement. The collar was half-open, revealing a string of Butterfly tattoos at the collarbone and a broad expanse of firm, muscular chest.

Shi Qi stared for a good while, then secretly licked his lips.

He suddenly remembered something: 'Did you bathe me?'

'Yes,' Shang Sui said intimately, 'cleaning you up took quite a bit of effort.'

He hadn't expected Shi Qi to be so unable to endure, fainting so quickly—in the end, he could only hold him and take care of himself.

Now it seemed Shi Qi had no memory at all?

A bit of a pity, but perhaps it was better this way.

Shang Sui thought, utterly without conscience.

If Shi Qi knew what had been done while he was unconscious, he'd probably leap straight out of his arms.

He glanced, casually or not, at Shi Qi's straight, slender legs: 'Aren't your legs sore?'

Shi Qi said blankly: 'They seem pretty sore.'

Should they be sore?

Before Shi Qi could think this question through, he suddenly realized what helping bathe implied.

In other words, Shang Sui had seen him completely.

But he hadn't seen anything.

Shi Qi felt it was unfair and wanted to say 'you take yours off and let me see too,' but the words wouldn't come out thick-faced enough.

He was set on the wide washstand, and Shang Sui picked up his toothbrush and cup.

'Open your mouth.'

Shi Qi was a bit uncomfortable: 'I can do it myself.'

'I want to help you.'

Shang Sui saw him freeze for a moment. He obediently opened his mouth, and he first carefully brushed his teeth, then washed his face.

The warm towel covered his cheek, rubbing gently. Shi Qi's long lashes trembled slightly—he couldn't shake the feeling that Shang Sui was treating him like a toy doll.

Having been carried all the way here without slippers, he could only sit temporarily on the cool surface, waiting for the other person.

After helping him wash up, Shang Sui lazily tidied up nearby.

Shi Qi watched him brush his teeth and wash his face. Though an utterly ordinary scene, because of the change in their relationship, everything about him felt fresh and interesting to him.

Not friends.

Boyfriends.

At the thought, while happy, Shi Qi suddenly got a mischievous idea and deliberately brought up: 'I drank yesterday.'

'Mm, do you still feel unwell?'

'I wasn't lucid at the time.' Shi Qi glanced at his expression, pretending to be calm. 'I don't remember—what happened between us last night?'

Shang Sui finished washing up and shook the water from his hands.

He turned his face toward him, his voice gentle: 'Xiao Qi, are you joking with me?'

Thinking of being pinned against the Painting yesterday, begging for mercy repeatedly without being let go, Shi Qi—motivated by a desire for a small revenge on Shang Sui—slightly furrowed his brow and showed a look of surprise: 'I'm not joking.'

'If I said something to you, or did something, then I didn't mean to.'

Seeing Shang Sui's smile gradually fade, replaced by those captivating eyes fixed unblinkingly on him, Shi Qi felt tremendous pressure.

Don't be afraid.

Last night Shang Sui had bullied him—he'd just bully him back a little, nothing too extreme.

Having psyched himself up internally, Shi Qi boldly said: 'After all, our Compatibility Index is very high—I might have... been unable to control myself.'

'Just forget it all.'

'Forget?' Shang Sui repeated to himself. 'Think again?'

Shi Qi shook his head: 'I really can't remember. I blackout when I get drunk.'

But Shang Sui ignored the distance in his words and moved closer to him.

He pressed one hand on Shi Qi's knee, standing between his legs, while his other hand hooked under his chin, slowly stroking.

Shang Sui's body temperature was slightly lower than his, making Shi Qi feel as if he were entwined by a snake: 'Think carefully—what happened between us?'

The beautiful snake hissed by his ear: 'Don't forget, okay? Remember every bit of it, or I'll be angry.'

Shi Qi felt a chill down his spine under his gaze. Knowing he was asking for trouble, he still couldn't help lightly kicking him with his bare foot.

Feeling his resistance, Shang Sui's lips pursed, his expression falling.

Shi Qi found his pitiful reaction cute and was about to say 'I remember now.'

Shang Sui looked at him as if he were a heartless lover who denied everything, his voice carrying a plaintive note: 'You already had me—you have to take responsibility for me.'

'I had you??'

Shi Qi nearly choked. Thinking he hadn't even seen his body, he was baffled: 'What did I have of you? Didn't I just have two of your fingers?'

'...'

'...'

Shang Sui laughed softly.

'Wait,' Shi Qi began to break out in cold sweat, 'that—no, listen to me explain, I wasn't trying to toy with you! I was just making a little joke, to add some fun to the first day of our relationship...'

'Three.'

'What?'

'Xiao Qi is so forgetful—it was clearly three.' Shang Sui lifted the corner of his lips, asking coolly: 'Want me to help you remember?'

'You cried so pitifully last night.'