Chapter 4

Evening, back in his room, Wen Ran stood at his door and compared for a second - confirmed his bedroom wasn't even as big as Gu Yunchi's Residence's entryway. The villa had clearly been decorated by a designer hired specifically to Gu Yunchi's taste: cool but comfortable, not feeling empty or cold despite the sheer size.

After a shower and another hour of problem sets, Wen Ran went downstairs for water and ran right into Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui coming back together. Neither of them looked good - clearly another fight. Wen Rui walked over, shoved Wen Ran aside, and poured himself a glass. Wen Ran thought about it, then poured another cup and brought it to Chen Shuhui.

"Leave it there." Chen Shuhui sat on the sofa scrolling through messages on her Mobile Phone. Wen Ran set the cup on the coffee table and was about to leave when Chen Shuhui, still typing, asked, "How was it at Gu Yunchi's Residence today?"

"Learned a lot," Wen Ran said.

Chen Shuhui looked up at him.

He had to come clean: "Not great."

"With that dead-fish look on your face, it'd be weird if it was." Chen Shuhui glanced at Wen Rui again - half complaint, half self-mockery - "Not a single useful one in the bunch."

She said that and got up to go upstairs. Wen Rui unhurriedly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Expecting you to handle Gu Yunchi - I don't know what they were thinking."

Not sure who "they" meant in his mouth. The whole thing had been forcing a square peg into a round hole from the start. Wen Ran asked, "Why don't you handle him, then?"

Like himself - suffering through implanting an artificial Gland, carrying the Wen Family's designs on Boqing Group's resources and shares, becoming an omega with a high match rate to Gu Yunchi, ignoring the guy's disgust and coldness, playing the clueless, servile fool. Wen Ran didn't think Wen Rui could pull off that kind of miserable gig.

And honestly, it was never about whether he could do it. He'd never had a choice. Rather than reading the Wen Family stamping him as Wen Ran as some kind of obsession with their dead little son, it was more like foresight. Everything felt like a script that had already been written.

"I couldn't pull off something like that. But I'd love to see how you handle Gu Yunchi." Wen Rui tossed the cigarette butt into the trash and went upstairs.

How to handle him. The reality was he couldn't handle him at all.

Fourth day at Gu Yunchi's Residence, and Wen Ran still hadn't gotten so much as a look or a word from him. If not for BDH-339 and the teacher still talking to him, he'd basically be air at Gu Yunchi's Residence - air that only ever said "morning" and "goodbye, sorry to bother you today."

Even BDH-339 couldn't help pushing him: "Is it possible you're actually an NPC? How are your daily quests and lines this fixed - why not try some other topics? You can't keep going like this forever!"

"If I turned into a donkey right in front of him, he still wouldn't notice me." Wen Ran had made peace with it. "Let's just leave it for now."

A few seconds of quiet. BDH-339 asked, "Can you really turn into a donkey?"

"..."

Morning tutoring ended, and Gu Yunchi didn't even eat lunch before heading straight back to his room. He seemed off today - kind of listless during class - and his expression when he was listless looked extra annoyed, which had Wen Ran on edge the whole morning.

After lunch, Wen Ran and the teacher sat on the sofa resting and reading. A few minutes later, two doctors walked into the living room carrying medicine boxes. The teacher looked completely used to it and said, "He's in his room." The doctors nodded and went upstairs with BDH-339.

For the afternoon tutoring, only Wen Ran was left. The teacher finished the lesson and left first: "Yunchi probably won't be able to do class today, so use the rest of the time to study and do problems on your own. If you have any questions, ask me next Monday."

"Okay, take care, teacher."

He'd studied alone for almost an hour when his mind started drifting - thinking about Gu Yunchi. Was Gu Yunchi bottling up some illness from being in a bad mood? If so, he himself really wouldn't survive tonight. While his thoughts spiraled, the door got knocked lightly a few times and swung open. BDH-339 stood there with juice: "Good afternoon. Care for a refreshing summer beverage?"

It floated over to Wen Ran. Wen Ran took the juice, hesitated, then asked, "Is he not feeling well?"

"Yeah, old problem. Happens every now and then - dizzy, fever, irritable."

Wen Ran asked carefully, "Is it a Susceptibility Period?"

"Nope, way milder than a Susceptibility Period. Just a regular flare-up." BDH-339 said, "Doctors can't really do much, just give him some Inhibitor and meds to take the edge off. Mostly he has to tough it out on his own."

That word "tough" really amped up the severity. Seeing Wen Ran spooked, BDH-339 pushed its luck: "Want to go check on him? He's passed out in bed right now, no one's with him. Kind of lonely."

"Did the doctors leave?"

"Yeah. Unless something special comes up, they basically just let him rest quietly."

Wen Ran said, "Then I probably shouldn't go bother him."

"What if he wants water, or needs his sweat wiped?" BDH-339 set down the tray and showed off its stiff mechanical arm. "My hands aren't soft or flexible enough. Last time I fed him water I accidentally spilled it on his face and got screamed at to death."

At that point, Wen Ran had no choice but to close his book. Led by BDH-339, he went to outside Gu Yunchi's door. He opened the door anxiously. What met his eyes was pitch black - the Pheromone concentration in the room should have been high, but Wen Ran couldn't sense any of it. All he could smell was a faint fragrance.

Without a sound, BDH-339 behind him ghost-quietly shut the door. The light got even dimmer. Wen Ran carefully made his way around the partition - the room was too big to navigate by feel, only by sight. The light leaking through the gap in the curtains fell on the foot of the bed: dark gray sheets, Gu Yunchi lying there without moving.

He only heard breathing once he reached the bedside - not very steady, a little heavy. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark. Wen Ran leaned down to look. Gu Yunchi was lying on his front, his pale side face and messy hair resting on the pillow. Close enough, Wen Ran could almost feel the heat radiating off him.

Because of an accident years ago, Gu Yunchi's Pheromone had become especially precious, and he was especially picky about omega Pheromones - infinitely close to feeling nothing, basically immune. Worse, he could only get an omega pregnant if their match rate was over 95%. As Gu Peiwen's most beloved and valued only grandson, Gu Yunchi naturally couldn't escape the duty of carrying on the family line. The Gu Family had been searching for a high-compatibility omega for him - that was everything Wen Ran knew.

The rest - how the Wen Family had discovered this secret the Gu Family was hiding, how they'd gotten their hands on Gu Yunchi's Pheromone report - Wen Ran had no idea. He'd only learned today that Gu Yunchi's body had this kind of issue. S-Class physiques were naturally superior, even Susceptibility Periods were rare for them, yet he had to get sick like this every few days. Wasn't that just rotten luck?

Medicine and a water cup sat on the bedside table. Wen Ran thought for a few seconds, his wrist trembling slightly, and reached his hand into Gu Yunchi's blanket.

Got it - Wen Ran was the one who got grabbed. That burning-hot palm suddenly clamped down on his arm with shocking force. Before Wen Ran could react, in the dimness he met Gu Yunchi's open eyes. His scalp instantly went numb.

Racing to explain himself before Gu Yunchi could form the horrifying thought that he was trying to climb into bed while sick, Wen Ran blurted out, "No... I was trying to help you take off your Wristband. It should feel better without it."

Gu Yunchi irritably flung his hand off, shifted sleeping positions, turned onto his other side, and tossed the removed Wristband onto the blanket. Without the Wristband's restraint, Pheromone spread even more wantonly. Wen Ran still couldn't smell a thing, but weirdly felt his own Gland faintly heating up - probably just nerves.

"Want some water?" Wen Ran remembered BDH-339's instructions and asked softly. "Want me to wipe your sweat?"

No answer, and he couldn't push it. Even Gu Yunchi's breathing radiated impatience. Wen Ran shut his mouth. His Gland really did seem to be heating up. He wanted to touch it, but when his hand went up he remembered he was still wearing the Neck Ring - couldn't reach the Gland. His fingertip accidentally touched some touch button on the Neck Ring, though, and it beeped.

Wen Ran froze on the spot. He stood there watching for nearly a minute. Nothing terrible happened - instead, he heard Gu Yunchi's breathing go light and even, as if he'd peacefully fallen asleep.

He waited a few more minutes, confirmed Gu Yunchi was asleep, then picked up the thermometer from the nightstand and gently held it to his ear to take his temperature. Still had a fever. Wen Ran thought about it and decided to stay - take Gu Yunchi's temperature every hour.

He had an ulterior motive. BDH-339 seemed to be in close contact with Gu Peiwen's assistant and might report this too. Even if it was unnecessary, it was better than standing by coldly - between Gu Yunchi and Gu Peiwen, he had to please one of them.

All afternoon, Wen Ran sat leaning against the door, getting up on the dot to take Gu Yunchi's ear temperature. The last reading was almost back to normal. Wen Ran breathed a sigh of relief, sat back down, figured he'd rest a bit - but the moment he closed his eyes, he fell right asleep.

When he woke up, there was light in the room - the bedside lamp, judging by the brightness. Wen Ran checked his Mobile Phone. It was already 8 PM. Footsteps sounded in the room. Before he could get up off the floor, Gu Yunchi was already standing two meters away, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Wen Ran heard the first thing Gu Yunchi had said to him in four days: "Still not leaving?"

"Huh?" Just woken up, his reactions were slow. Wen Ran thought for a second, then said, "I was worried about you. You've been running a fever."

"What's it to you?"

"Because I'm tutoring at your place. I can't be that heartless." Wen Ran couldn't really make out his expression in the dark, so he just asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"None of your business." Gu Yunchi turned and walked toward the bathroom to shower. He raised his hand and pulled off his black T-shirt. His waist and back were exposed as the hem rose, the muscle lines in the light and shadow like an exceptionally skilled sketch.

"Wait!" Wen Ran panicked, scrambling to his feet. His upper body ached, his legs were numb - he winced in pain and said, "You... how can you just start taking your clothes off like that?"

Gu Yunchi looked back, impatience creeping in again: "This is my room."

"But I'm still here."

Gu Yunchi was blunt: "Then get out."

Outside the door, BDH-339 - who'd been missing most of the day - finally appeared, tone chipper: "Sorry to interrupt your lovely time together. If I'm hearing right, are you perhaps taking off clothes? Would you like me to open a bottle of fine red wine to help set the mood..."

"You get out too." Gu Yunchi said it toward the door.

"Got it!" BDH-339 immediately rolled away.

"You slept all afternoon, so make sure to eat something tonight. If you still can't do class tomorrow, please have the driver let me know and I won't come bother you." Wen Ran said it all in one fast breath, then opened the door and escaped.

He packed up his Backpack and went downstairs. BDH-339 came up to greet him: "Why are your ears so red? Not staying for dinner?"

"No, thanks." Wen Ran sat down to change his shoes. "Your young master's fever's broken. Remember to tell the chef to make food."

"Fever broke that fast? Before it always took overnight." BDH-339 put on a crying face. "Must be you took really good care of him, sob..."

"I just took his temperature a few times."

"Oh. Hmm? Wait, why am I suddenly picking up your Pheromone?" BDH-339 moved a little closer to Wen Ran. "Is your Neck Ring not on right?"

"It's on right... right?"

"Let me check." BDH-339 scanned Wen Ran's Neck Ring. "Huh, the setting's been lowered one notch. No wonder Pheromone's leaking. Good thing the concentration's low."

"Really..." Wen Ran remembered the touch from the afternoon - must've accidentally lowered it then. He felt along the side of the Neck Ring, reset it to the highest setting, then said, "I'm heading out. Goodbye."

"The driver hasn't arrived yet. Wait a bit longer?" BDH-339 followed Wen Ran to the door like a little tail, giggled a few times, and asked, "Were you really taking off clothes just now?"

"...No. Your young master was going to shower."

"So will you take your clothes off together in the future?"

Wen Ran: "Huh?"

"Will you kiss?" BDH-339 - whether genuinely innocent or faking it - kept going. "Will you have babies?"

Wen Ran stood there with his spirit shattered into pieces. After a long moment, he said to BDH-339, whose screen was displaying a drooling emoji: "Please don't say scary things like that ever again, okay?"