Parting

Thinking of the first meeting Shang Sui had once described, Shi Qi belatedly realized that it might not have been a story, but a reality that had truly happened.

Summer, a sea of flowers, the balcony where the easel was placed — everything in the dream matched Shang Sui's account.

But why had Shang Sui only mentioned it lightly as a story, never formally bringing it up?

He had been diagnosed with Gland Atrophy Syndrome in Qi Jiang, unaware he had ever known an Alpha.

According to the memories in the dream, he had always snuck out to see Shang Sui; Shi An and the others didn't know, so they wouldn't have thought to contact Shang Sui.

After losing his memory, he lost his phone and changed his number; naturally, Shang Sui couldn't reach him.

If that was really the case, could Shang Sui have thought… that he didn't want to see him anymore?

Given Shang Sui's personality, it was indeed possible he would stop bothering him.

But in the dream, they seemed very close. If it was just a temporary loss of contact, would Shang Sui have simply chosen to give up?

Jiang Yoning knocked on the door outside: 'Xiao Qi, Shang Sui, are you awake? It's about time to head out for dinner.'

Shi Qi answered.

His mind was full of questions. Shang Sui's phone lit up just then, and Shi Qi asked casually, 'Who is it?'

'Shen Qianyu,' Shang Sui glanced at the message. 'He's on annual leave, also in Qi Jiang, asking when I'm free to meet up.'

Thinking of Shen Qianyu and Jiang Yan's emotional entanglement, Shang Sui added, 'He hardly ever took vacations before. He's probably at his wit's end this time, so he came out to relax.'

Back at Ningshan Hospital, Shen Qianyu had pointed out that Shi Qi's Gland Atrophy Syndrome caused his memory loss, so Shi Qi hadn't had a chance to ask about the other man's relationship status. Interested, he leaned in. 'How are things with him and Jiang Yan?'

'Seems not great,' Shang Sui gestured for him to look at Jiang Yan's social media feed. 'Jiang Yan has vanished from the face of the earth.'

Jiang Yan was the fun-loving type, often updating his feed with various photos: deep-sea fishing, diving, skydiving, racing competitions, attending all sorts of parties.

For the past ten-plus days, Jiang Yan's feed had been dead silent.

Shi Qi checked the date; the last update happened to be the day before Shen Qianyu's Sensitivity Period.

Shi Qi said from the heart, 'Is he even alive?'

Shang Sui: 'Probably. Shen Qianyu would notify me if he committed a crime.'

Shi Qi: '…'

You two are truly as close as brothers.

Shang Sui: 'Besides, Shen Qianyu is soft-hearted. More likely than a mutual destruction born of unrequited love, Jiang Yan is probably being held captive by him.'

Shi Qi: '?'

Do you have some misunderstanding about what 'soft-hearted' means?

'If that really happened, Jiang Yan could easily deal with him — just have his family apply pressure. Overall, it could be considered voluntary.'

Shang Sui said a string of outrageous things with a straight face. Shi Qi got swept along for a moment and briefly felt that captivity didn't seem like such a big deal.

But Shen Qianyu had quite the professional integrity; Shang Sui still didn't know he had Gland Atrophy Syndrome.

Thinking of this, Shi Qi asked himself again in his heart: Could everything in the dream just be an illusion brought on by the medication?

A voice quickly refuted: No.

Scenes that vivid, emotions that alive, the beat of his heart and the fireworks merging into one — it was a moment of happiness joyful enough to make him forget all worries. It didn't feel like a fabricated dream.

His medication period was one week; his memories would fully recover in about a month.

Unclear what had ultimately happened, and not knowing if bringing it up rashly would make Shang Sui sad, Shi Qi temporarily kept the matter to himself.

He would tell Shang Sui once he remembered more and had a clearer idea.

The mere possibility of having been separated for six years left Shi Qi with complicated feelings. Going downstairs, he grabbed Shang Sui's hand first.

Shang Sui thought Shi Qi just wanted to hold hands, but soon he smelled the clear, pure fragrance of Lily of the Valley, as if a soft spray of blossoms had twined around his wrist.

Through physical contact, Shi Qi had left a little of his Pheromone on him.

Shang Sui asked knowingly, 'What did you just do sneakily?'

'Making a mark,' thinking of the situation in the dream, Shi Qi said coolly, 'so you don't get lost.'

Once marked, you're mine.

If I lost you once before, I won't lose you a second time.

Shi An happened to pass by and, hearing Shi Qi's words, made an indescribable expression.

He rarely heard of an Omega marking an Alpha, but Shang Sui played along: 'Can we do this every day? Your Pheromone smells so good.'

'Depends on my mood.'

Though Shi Qi's expression was faint, Shi An knew him well enough to see he was actually quite pleased.

He couldn't help but glance at Shang Sui, who was smiling at Shi Qi and shaking their clasped hands as if acting cute.

Is this how he won Shi Qi over?

Really…

Shi An watched Shi Qi with concern the whole way. Jiang Yoning finally couldn't take it: 'Why do you look like you're watching a besotted emperor?'

'I'm watching your brother's soul get utterly captivated,' Shi An whispered. 'He's been staring at him since he woke up, like he can't get enough.'

'How long have they been together? How is he still so smitten?'

Jiang Yoning, used to it, even had the mind to tease: 'Then tell me, who did our family's fixation on looks come from?'

'Certainly not me,' Shi An fell silent for a moment. 'The heart is what matters most.'

'Right, right. You fell for Dad just because of his beautiful heart, and it had absolutely nothing to do with any of his external qualities.'

Shi An glared at her and said nothing more.

While Shi Qi was sleeping, Shi An had booked a restaurant in advance. From the semi-private room, they could see the small bridge and flowing water in the Courtyard.

Jiang Yoning's gaze swept over the floating flower lanterns on the water, and she suddenly remembered something: 'The last time I came to Qi Jiang, my memory is pretty tragic.'

'I was full of hope when I confessed to Li Zhao, but then she said she was going abroad, might not come back, and couldn't keep in touch with me.'

'Meeting me this once was to make it clear in person, then make a clean break.'

Jiang Li interjected: 'Was that during the Thousand Lantern Festival?'

Shi An remembered too: 'Yoning cried the whole way back that day; her eyes were swollen.'

Shi Qi caught the keyword: 'Thousand Lantern Festival?'

Even though he'd roughly judged it earlier, in this moment he felt a sense of 'so it really was.'

Before today, he hadn't known Qi Jiang had a Thousand Lantern Festival, nor that Jiang Yoning had met Li Zhao on the day of the festival.

The dream and reality corresponded one by one. Shi Qi could finally be certain: it was all a memory that had truly happened.

He instinctively looked beside him.

Shang Sui didn't speak, his eyes lowered slightly.

'You probably don't remember, after all…'

Jiang Yoning glanced imperceptibly at Shang Sui, unsure if the other knew Shi Qi had Gland Atrophy Syndrome, so she simply didn't continue.

She sighed in the end: 'Last time in Qi Jiang was really a heap of troubles.'

Shang Sui subtly tightened his grip on his chopsticks, his mind churning.

Perhaps he was part of the troubles Jiang Yoning mentioned.

'But, I told you not to speak so definitively,' Jiang Yoning, not noticing Shang Sui's abnormality, changed tack cheerfully. 'After going around in circles, Li Zhao ended up with me three years later anyway.'

'Oh, right. Her mentor's funeral arrangements are mostly done; she'll be coming next week too.'

Jiang Yoning could talk about Li Zhao for three days and nights. She went from Li Zhao's recent situation to the painters she admired, and the topic不知不觉 came around to Shang Sui.

Shi An seized the opportunity to ask: 'You're currently a teaching assistant at Meiyan Academy?'

Shang Sui nodded: 'Once Xiao Qi graduates, I probably won't stay at Meiyan Academy.'

As if knowing what Shi An was thinking, he added: 'Afterwards, wherever Xiao Qi wants to stay, I'm fine with it.'

Without needing to ask, Shang Sui had already adopted an attitude of following Shi Qi anywhere. Shi An was satisfied inwardly and asked casually: 'You grew up in the Capital City too?'

'No,' Shang Sui said, 'Haicheng.'

Shi An asked many more questions one after another, and Shang Sui answered them all.

Shi Qi interjected a word or two from time to time, preventing Shi An from asking too much and bringing up Shang Sui's Special Sensitivity Period right at the dinner table.

Whenever the situation looked bad, Jiang Li and Jiang Yoning would mediate. The meal could be considered harmonious.

Before parting, Shi An pulled Shi Qi aside: 'You're sleeping with me tonight.'

'?' Shi Qi found it strange. 'I'm grown up, why would I sleep with you?'

Shi An didn't speak, just stared at the two of them.

Shang Sui understood Shi An didn't want him whisking Shi Qi away on the very first night, and chimed in appropriately: 'My parents will come to Qi Jiang for a vacation in a while. Would you like to meet them?'

Seeing Shi An nod, he agreed and naturally said goodbye: 'Then I'll head off first.'

Shi Qi followed up: 'I'll go with him.'

Since confirming they had been separated for six years, Shi Qi's feelings were complicated. Memory fragments flashed through his mind from time to time. The seemingly beautiful scenes juxtaposed with the fact of separation made him not want to be apart from Shang Sui again.

Shi An coughed.

Shi Qi pretended not to hear and made a move to grab Shang Sui's wrist.

'Xiao Qi,' Shi An looked at his reluctant expression and emphasized with a smile, 'Dad has something to tell you tonight.'

Shi Qi looked from one to the other. Shang Sui gave him a look, signaling him to listen to Shi An.

Since waking in the evening, Shi Qi had been acting especially clingy.

Usually, Shi Qi liked physical contact and enjoyed being with him at home, but that was limited to when they were alone. With others present, Shi Qi mostly acted reserved.

But now… Shi Qi seemed to have been suddenly stimulated.

Shang Sui found it odd, but had no leads for now, so he just filed it away.

Seeing Shi An's firm attitude, Shi Qi could only let go.

Before parting, he looked into Shang Sui's eyes: 'Bye. See you tomorrow.'

If possible, see you in my dreams.

'Xiao Qi.'

A voice suddenly came from behind. Shi Qi turned his head.

At the last moment, Shang Sui, disregarding the others' gazes, took a step forward and gave Shi Qi's cheek a brief, intimate peck.

Jiang Yoning beside them let out a 'wow,' excited: 'That's more like it!'

Shang Sui pressed his forehead against Shi Qi's and asked gently: 'Why are you looking at me like that?'

'…'

Shang Sui didn't seem to need a definite answer either. He took a step back, both a farewell and a promise:

'See you tomorrow.'

—

Back at the rented villa, Shi Qi's mind was filled with the scene from their farewell.

He had been caught off guard; his first reaction was to turn his head. Fortunately, Shi An's expression beside him changed a bit, but in the end he didn't say anything.

He couldn't help but touch his own cheek.

The soft sensation seemed to linger on his face. Shi Qi curved his eyes slightly.

After showering, Shi Qi lay by the bed, guessing what Shi An would say to him.

It had been a long time since he'd slept with Shi An. Right after being diagnosed with Gland Atrophy Syndrome, they often slept together. He couldn't sleep at all after returning from the hospital; lying beside Shi An made him feel secure and had briefly cured his insomnia.

When Shi An finished washing up and came to the bedside, seeing him lying silently on one side, he was somewhat amused: 'What are you doing lying so far away?'

'When you were little, didn't you always want me to stroke you before falling asleep?'

Shi Qi asked in surprise: 'How did you know?'

He had never mentioned it to Shi An.

Shi An reached over to turn off the light and lay down beside Shi Qi: 'Don't I know you?'

Thinking of Shi Qi's微妙 expression changes at dinner, Shi An asked in the dark: 'Does Shang Sui know you have Gland Atrophy Syndrome?'

Seeing Shi Qi remain silent, Shi An sighed: 'Why haven't you told him?'

'I want to find the right opportunity; I don't want to suddenly tell him,' Shi Qi said slowly. 'Bringing it up suddenly feels like forcing him, and forcing myself too.'

A Lifelong Mark was almost equivalent to marriage. Before Shang Sui appeared, he had already prepared to spend his life alone, never thinking about establishing an intimate relationship or considering marriage.

'Forcing him?' Shi An snorted coldly. 'If you haven't made up your mind, that's one thing. But does he not want to? More like he's getting a bargain.'

'If it weren't for needing an Alpha to help treat your condition, he wouldn't get to marry you so easily.'

Shi Qi retorted: 'Shang Sui isn't bad either, is he?'

He expected opposition, but Shi An went against the norm: 'Objectively speaking, he's indeed very good.'

Whether it was external qualities, personality, personal ability, or family background… from tonight's interaction, he was sure Shang Sui was quite excellent in every aspect.

'But you and Yoning are my treasures. Whoever you're with, I feel the other party is getting the better deal.' Thinking of how Jiang Yoning's eyes lit up when mentioning Li Zhao, Shi An fell silent for a moment. 'Jiang Yoning is one thing; I've seen her enjoying it since her teens, and she's an Alpha.'

'I didn't expect you to be the same way when you're in love.'

Saying this, Shi An couldn't help but poke his forehead.

Shi Qi's eyes looked most like Shi An's, both slightly upturned with round, bright irises.

His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark. Realizing Shi An had been watching him, Shi Qi hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved closer.

Shi An smiled and reached out to pull him into an embrace.

Back when the Gland Atrophy Syndrome was diagnosed, Shi Qi was still a teenager much shorter than him; now they were almost the same height.

'Sleep, Xiao Qi.'

'If you want to let things take their course, we'll wait a little longer.'

Thinking he might recover more memories after falling asleep, Shi Qi closed his eyes with anticipation, nestled in Shi An's arms.

As if answering his hopes, not long after he fell asleep, a sky heavy with dark clouds appeared before Shi Qi's eyes.

He was growing more adept at falling into memory-dreams, and soon realized he had returned once more to the summer six years ago.

There was a sightseeing bus from their rented house into the mountains. In the dream, he watched the scenery outside the window all the way. Even though the sky was gloomy, his mood was light and cheerful.

His phone suddenly rang at that moment.

'I knocked for a while with no answer, then realized you weren't home. I asked Yoning, and she thought you were in your room.' On the other end of the line, a younger Shi An spoke hurriedly. 'Where are you? There's going to be a thunderstorm soon.'

Shi Qi hadn't expected Shi An and Jiang Li to return early. 'I went to see a friend.'

Shi An asked in surprise, 'You have a friend in Qi Jiang? You never mentioned it before.'

Fu Siyue's family was vacationing in Qi Jiang and had always wanted to see Shi Qi, but Shi Qi couldn't be bothered and had only met them once at a family gathering.

'I'll tell you later.'

Thinking he'd probably made a new friend in Qi Jiang, Shi An said, though still a bit uneasy, 'Then when will you be home?'

Shi Qi had checked the weather forecast before going out. There was a thunderstorm tonight.

Shang Sui disliked Thunderstorm Days. Originally, since Shi An and Jiang Li weren't home, he'd thought he could get Jiang Yoning to cover for him so he could sneak out and spend the night with Shang Sui. Now it seemed he'd have to go back obediently.

Shi Qi felt a bit dejected. Not wanting Shi An to worry, he gave a time the other could accept: 'Dinnertime.'

Shi An was indeed reassured. 'Have fun, Xiao Qi.'

'Don't get caught in the rain, come home early.'

The weather changed even faster than expected. As Shi Qi got off at the station, a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. The downpour was imminent.

He quickened his pace, walking along the path blooming with flowers.

It was clearly afternoon, but the sky was as gloomy as night.

Shi Qi saw his younger self, familiar with the route, crossing through the sea of Endless Summer flowers and climbing onto the balcony as the rain began to fall.

Unlike usual, Shang Sui wasn't painting on the balcony.

The Alpha sat on the bed, seemingly gloomy because of the sudden storm, quietly watching the scenery outside the window.

This scene made Shi Qi's heart clench, as if seeing a beautiful but withered plant.

The moment Shang Sui saw him, his eyes blinked, his gaze slowly shifting, as if dead wood meeting spring. His previously expressionless face gradually became animated.

Shang Sui got off the bed and walked toward him, step by step.

Since their confession during the Thousand Lantern Festival, Shi Qi knew he was a young master here on vacation, and the guards in the house were bodyguards arranged by his family. Shi Qi no longer needed to sneak around to find him; he could come in openly through the front door.

But climbing through the window had become a habit over the past month. Plus, sometimes when he appeared suddenly, Shang Sui would show a surprised expression, which Shi Qi found amusing, so he'd never used the front door.

'Were you waiting for me?' Realizing Shang Sui had been looking out the window, likely waiting for him. 'Why didn't you message me?'

Without waiting for Shang Sui to answer, Shi Qi said, 'But I can't stay overnight today. My family came back early—'

A sudden gust of wind swept down from above. The sturdy-looking easel trembled, then with a sound of unbearable strain, it snapped and fell straight toward Shi Qi!

At the critical moment, Shang Sui stepped in front of him, blocking the easel, while his other hand pulled Shi Qi inside.

The heavy walnut easel was shoved aside with force, falling from the second floor and landing with a dull thud in the garden.

Shi Qi instinctively looked back.

'Don't worry about it.'

Shang Sui spoke his first words.

Only then did Shi Qi notice the red tinge at the corners of his eyes, his expression dazed, as if not fully conscious.

'Your hand…'

When he pushed the easel aside, Shang Sui's arm was slashed open, a bloody wound with flesh turned outward. Yet he acted as if nothing was wrong, reaching for a clean towel from the side.

The soft cotton carried the dry scent of grass and wood. Wrapped in it, Shi Qi shook his head, trying to fling off the wet rainwater.

This childish little gesture made Shang Sui's gaze pause. As if feeling no pain, he gently and meticulously dried Shi Qi's hair.

Worried about his wound, Shi Qi couldn't help but look at his injured arm, soon catching the sweet scent of Pheromone in the blood.

Shang Sui had said he might be nearing his Differentiation, which was why he could smell Pheromones. A Beta was not sensitive to Pheromones; he would either differentiate into an Alpha or an Omega.

The usually faint Honey Flavor had become rich and sweet. The whole room seemed soaked in a honey jar, an invisible pressure making one unconsciously slow their breathing.

Such a high concentration of Pheromone clearly couldn't be caused by just a wound.

Shi Qi finally sensed something was off. 'Are you in your Sensitivity Period?'

Shang Sui didn't answer, but stopped moving. Shi Qi met his heavy gaze, and his heart gave a sudden leap.

The Alpha extended his arms, embracing him through the towel:

'I thought you wouldn't come.'

His Sensitivity Period was always irregular. He'd just endured one in early May and thought it wouldn't come again until later in the year, but this time it seemed to have been triggered early.

Before losing consciousness, his phone had been tossed into some forgotten corner.

Not letting him contact Shi Qi during his Sensitivity Period was probably the limit of what he could manage while still lucid.

The air carried the unique smell before a thunderstorm. Even in his muddled state, the sultry, humid weather made Shang Sui reflexively irritable.

Guessing Shi Qi most likely wouldn't appear today, he gazed idly at the balcony, imagining the cat-like少年 sitting there, looking up to meet his eyes.

He was lost in this fantasy until the sky darkened and a familiar sound suddenly came from outside the window.

'Because there was going to be a thunderstorm today, you came especially to see me?'

Whether it was the slightly hoarse voice by his ear or the breath falling on his neck, Shi Qi's body trembled slightly, letting out an incoherent sound of agreement.

'So thoughtful.' Unlike his usual somewhat aloof demeanor, Shang Sui wore a smile, his voice exceptionally soft. 'You're so good to me.'

As if not noticing his tension, Shang Sui leaned in instead, gently sniffing his scent.

No讨厌的雨水, no Pheromone, just the clean, unique scent of Shi Qi.

His teeth itched, eager to bite down, to leave his own mark on it.

Shi Qi looked at him blankly.

What was Shang Sui going to do?

The Alpha lowered his head, drawing close to his smooth neck—

Shi Qi instinctively stepped back, but Shang Sui tightened his arms. The arms that had just brushed away the rain now felt like a cage.

The overwhelming pressure made it impossible to move. The Alpha before him finally tore off his gentle disguise, revealing a dark, obsessive interior.

Was Shang Sui going to bite his neck?

But he hadn't even differentiated yet. His glands held no Pheromone; biting would be useless.

Cool strands of hair brushed against his neck, and a sharp pain suddenly shot through him.

Thinking of how Jiang Yoning would cling to him crying during her Sensitivity Period, Shang Sui was probably suffering too. Shi Qi let out a muffled groan.

If it were anyone else, he would have pushed them away without hesitation and given them a good kick.

But the thought that it was Shang Sui…

Shi Qi clenched his fingers into fists, thinking, fine, bite then, just endure it.

But he soon realized something was wrong.

Shang Sui hadn't even touched him, yet the pain at the back of his neck was intensifying.

The burning agony blanked Shi Qi's mind for a second. Even the sound of the door being broken open became indistinct; the bodyguard's urgent voice seemed filtered through frosted glass:

'Are you alright? We saw the easel fall!'

The Alpha, like a beast whose territory had been invaded, abruptly changed from the exceedingly gentle expression he'd shown Shi Qi moments before.

Shang Sui let out a low 'ah.' 'So noisy.'

His Pheromone broke free of all control, crashing down upon the bodyguards who had rushed in!

In the past, when he entered his Sensitivity Period, he wouldn't deliberately suppress his Pheromone. This time, however, as if waiting for something, he had hidden his abnormality to the greatest extent possible.

Caught off guard, the youngest bodyguard's knees trembled, and he suddenly knelt on the floor.

Alphas could suppress other genders. To avoid being affected by Pheromones, the bodyguards Yu Wan sent were all Betas. In theory, they should feel Pheromones only minimally, yet they were still pressed down, unable to lift their heads.

Shang Sui found them a nuisance and coldly commanded, 'Get out!'

Several bodyguards moved uncontrollably, retreating mechanically like marionettes.

The young bodyguard, facing his失控 scene for the first time, couldn't help but show fear in his eyes.

The sensation of being Mind Manipulated chilled one to the bone. Annoyed by the disturbance, Shang Sui's control was especially粗暴, as if carving commands overriding personal will directly into their brains.

How could such an illogical existence exist?

He was practically a monster.

But the person in his embrace trembled and grabbed his wrist at that moment, saying in a模糊 voice, 'Shang Sui, it hurts…'

The Alpha, who had been in a失控 state, froze, then looked down upon hearing this.

The bizarre control dissipated without warning, and their limbs regained the right to move. The most experienced team leader seized the opportunity and immediately rushed forward.

Before coming upstairs, he had brought a sedative just in case. He hadn't expected it would actually come in handy.

Quick as lightning, he jabbed the sedative into the back of Shang Sui's neck. Expecting to be attacked, even prepared to be injured, Shang Sui remained motionless from start to finish.

He belatedly realized Shang Sui's attention was entirely on the少年 in his arms.

'What's wrong? Where does it hurt…?'

The rapidly acting sedative made Shang Sui dizzy. He didn't have time to ask clearly.

The last image he saw before losing consciousness was Shi Qi covering the back of his neck, his face slightly扭曲 from pain.

Seeing Shang Sui had fallen unconscious, the bodyguards looked at Shi Qi's stunned face.

They followed Shang Sui's orders completely, with one exception: no one could be allowed to detect Shang Sui's abnormality.

Not even this special小朋友 close to Shang Sui.

'We're sorry. Please leave as soon as possible.'

'What's wrong with him?' Beads of cold sweat formed on Shi Qi's forehead, but he persisted. 'Why did you do that? Is it because of his Sensitivity Period?'

As he grew older, Shang Sui's Sensitivity Period had gradually stabilized. Today, however, it had爆发一反常态, even showing strong aggression.

If Shang Sui lost control, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The Special Sensitivity Period and Mind Manipulation were both secrets. Taking advantage of Shi Qi's half-understanding, the bodyguard避重就轻 repeated, 'Your presence here will continue to刺激 him. Please leave quickly.'

Outside, the thunderstorm raged. As he spoke, the bodyguard contacted a driver for Shi Qi.

Seeing Shi Qi still covering his neck, with blood on the towel, he frowned. 'Are you injured? Should we take you to the hospital?'

A wave of unbearable pain came from his glands, as if being bitten by thousands of ants. Shi Qi forced himself to stay alert. 'N-no, it's fine. Just take me home.'

'It's not my blood, it's his.' Shi Qi reminded them before leaving. 'Remember to put medicine on his arm.'

The others present were busy dealing with Shang Sui's situation. A simple sedative would only work for a short time. If Shang Sui woke up again, who knew how he would react.

They had to notify Yu Wan and contact doctors and more security personnel as soon as possible.

The bodyguards were swamped and could only agree. 'Alright. If there are any problems, please be sure to contact us.'

An Alpha's Sensitivity Period usually lasted three to four days. He'd come find Shang Sui again in a few days.

Besides, he wasn't feeling quite right himself…

Shi Qi held his aching neck and followed the driver to the car.

The driver took him all the way to his doorstep, leaving only after confirming someone was there to receive him at the villa.

Almost the moment Shi Qi raised his hand to knock, Shi An yanked the door open.

The moment he saw him, Shi An exclaimed in shock and agitation, 'Where have you been? Shi Qi!'

'Your phone kept going to voicemail! Jiang Li and Jiang Yoning both went out looking for you. I was so worried I was about to call the police!'

Only then did Shi Qi realize he'd accidentally lost his phone in the earlier chaos.

Seeing his pallor, Shi An quickly pulled him inside, cupping his face to examine him. 'Your face is so red. What happened?'

'I…'

Shi Qi opened his mouth, but an unprecedented wave of intense pain shot from his glands.

His vision went black, and he fell completely unconscious.