—

A slight sting. Wen Ran's fingers twitched. He slowly opened his eyes. Under warm yellow light, a nurse was pulling the IV needle from the back of his hand.

'Awake? How do you feel?' The nurse pressed a cotton swab to his skin to stop the bleeding with one hand, picked up a thermometer gun with the other and held it near his forehead. Checked the reading. 'Fever's down.'

Wen Ran turned his head to look at the other side of the bed. Empty. He asked, voice hoarse: 'Where's Gu Yunchi?'

'Sorry, I can't disclose that.'

He struggled to pull his left hand out from under the blanket. The burn from yesterday had already been treated. He pressed the cotton swab down himself and said thanks.

'Hungry? I'll have someone bring food over.'

'No, no need, I'll... I'll eat at home.'

'After a Permanent Mark, the body will have some discomfort. We recommend resting until evening before discharge.'

Wen Ran looked a little lost. 'Permanent Mark?'

'Yes.' Unaware that the high schooler in front of her had never taken a physiology class, the nurse just nodded and picked up a small medical paper bag from the cart. 'Inside is contraceptive pills. One a day, for three days straight. In case one falls on the floor or something, I put in two extras — don't take more than that.'

He had no concept of Permanent Mark, but he knew what contraceptive pills were. Wen Ran said 'okay,' and when he saw the nurse open the bag, he understood what she meant and reached out to take it.

He didn't even see the color or shape of the pill clearly before putting it in his mouth, taking the water the nurse handed him, and swallowing.

The pill probably wasn't bitter, but his whole mouth was bitter. His stomach churned with some discomfort. Wen Ran figured this was probably one of the side effects of a Permanent Mark.

Watching him finish the pill, the nurse straightened up. 'I'll step out then. Clean clothes are on the bed for you.'

'Okay, thanks.'

After the nurse left, Wen Ran picked up the clothes and put them on slowly. When his feet hit the floor he could barely stand. The back of his neck was swollen and aching. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while. His throat felt off, so he picked up the water cup and took a sip. When the bitter taste filled his mouth again, the nausea got stronger. Wen Ran clamped a hand over his mouth and limped into the bathroom, throwing up everything in his stomach.

Crouched on the floor for a long time, catching his breath, Wen Ran stood, splashed cold water on his face, zipped his jacket all the way up, took the pills, found his Neck Ring by the sofa and put it on, then walked out of the room.

Surprisingly, he ran into Lu Heyang on the corridor, on the phone. Seeing him come out, Lu Heyang hung up. 'The nurse said you're leaving now.'

'Yeah.' A moment of silence. Wen Ran asked without much hope: 'How is he?'

'Last night he pressed the intercom himself and called the doctor.' Lu Heyang said. 'After that he fell into a coma. He was transferred to a private Hospital. Grandpa Gu won't allow anyone to visit.'

Wen Ran's hand unconsciously went to rub the back of his other hand again, stopping hard when he touched the burn. He said: 'Have the doctor draw some of my blood. It might be useful.'

Seeming to have had this intention already, but still slightly surprised that Wen Ran would volunteer, Lu Heyang paused, then nodded. 'Come with me.'

After two vials of blood were drawn, the nurse helped Wen Ran stop the bleeding and put his Neck Ring back on. Then Wen Ran followed Lu Heyang into the elevator.

'Don't carry too much weight. You've already done what you could.' Lu Heyang watched the elevator doors. 'Some things were bound to happen. When something gets in everywhere, there's always a gap you can't cover.'

'Did they catch anyone?'

'Caught a batch, but it's far from enough.' Lu Heyang tilted his head slightly to look at him. 'Several families, countless operations. Uprooting it all takes time.'

Wen Ran's throat moved. 'There are a few things I want to tell Grandpa Gu. When would he be willing to see me? A few minutes is enough.'

'Once Yunchi's condition improves a little, I'll ask for you.'

'Thank you.' Wen Ran picked at his palm, couldn't help asking again, 'Is he in danger?'

'Depends on how these next two days go.' The doors opened. Lu Heyang gestured for Wen Ran to step out first. 'If anything happens, I'll let you know.'

'Okay, okay, thanks.'

Walking out of the Hospital, getting in the car. The driver's seat held the driver who usually picked him up. His Backpack and Mobile Phone left at the hotel had been recovered and placed in the back seat. Wen Ran said goodbye to Lu Heyang. The car door closed.

'I'm very sorry, but after this I probably won't be able to drive you anymore. Director Gu gave orders for us to pull back.'

Wen Ran looked back through the rear window. No bodyguard car following. He wasn't sad or scared. He nodded. 'Thank you. You've worked hard this whole time.'

The driver sighed softly. 'Don't mention it. You're welcome.'

Back home, Aunt Fang wasn't there. Wen Ran went and got himself a bowl of congee. He'd probably thrown up the contraceptive pill at the Hospital too. He planned to eat something to fill his stomach, let it digest, then take another one.

The congee tasted bitter too. Wen Ran's mind kept drifting, thinking about Gu Yunchi nonstop, until the sound of the door opening interrupted him. Chen Shuhui was back.

Wen Ran glanced at her and went back to his congee. Chen Shuhui, before she'd even reached the dining table, sensed something was off. 'You've been Permanently Marked by Gu Yunchi?'

Too tired to deal with it, Wen Ran put down his spoon, grabbed his Backpack and stood. 'I don't know.'

'You don't know? You're covered in his Pheromone right now. You'll get pregnant!' Chen Shuhui grabbed him. 'Or are you planning to gamble on a kid to secure your position?'

'Even if I get pregnant, the baby won't survive two months in me.' Wen Ran pulled free. 'They gave me contraceptive pills.'

Chen Shuhui stared at him, her face unreadable. 'So you said you were leaving, but the moment you heard something happened to Gu Yunchi, you rushed to save him. Is that it.'

'Because you used my Pheromone to hurt people.' Wen Ran said. 'You induced Gu Yunchi's Susceptibility Period, then locked me in a room I couldn't get out of. The key card — wasn't that from you?'

'How could I possibly scheme against Gu Yunchi at a time like this? Who knew yesterday would turn out like that.'

'Last time I went for a checkup they drew blood. The Pheromone was probably extracted from that. Was that doctor yours, or Gu Chongze's?' Wen Ran looked at her. 'If he can make someone else the mastermind, one day he might pin it on you too.'

His stomach started acting up again. Before Chen Shuhui could say anything, Wen Ran hurried upstairs, shut the door, ran into the bathroom and threw up again.

Dizzy, nauseous — probably because his Gland was artificial, so the discomfort was stronger. Wen Ran took off his jacket and hung it on the chair back. He was exhausted. Just wanted to shower and sleep.

Steam filled the Bathroom. Wen Ran roughly blew his hair dry, walked out, dug the contraceptive pills out of his jacket pocket. The paper bag was a little crumpled. He took one out, put it in his mouth, washed it down with water, then collapsed on the bed, shivering, and fell into a heavy sleep.

When he woke again it was evening, the sky almost dark. Wen Ran stared out the window at the jacaranda tree that only had leaves left, rustling in the cold wind. Like some creature that hadn't left its burrow in ages, he realized with a delay that it was almost late autumn.

A faint Pheromone lingered at his nose — Gu Yunchi's, radiating from his own Gland. Wen Ran touched the back of his neck. He'd carefully avoided the Gland when showering. The bite wound there had formed a thin scab now, and the swelling had gone down a lot.

He picked up his Mobile Phone. No messages from strangers, just Tao Susu and Song Shuangang asking why he hadn't come to class. Wen Ran replied that he was sick and needed to rest for a few days, then got up from the bed, turned on the light, put on his jacket, and sat at his desk.

Not hungry, not uncomfortable. Wen Ran bent his head and laid out the parts one by one, picked up the soldering pen, racing against the clock to keep working on the model. Today's wind blew into the bedroom, swirled around the room with a clatter, then slipped out through the cracks. Cold — but it also blew away the nasty smell of melting solder.

A long time later, a light knock on the door. Aunt Fang asked: 'Ranran, are you up? I made dinner. Have a bite.'

Everything he put in his mouth seemed to only taste bitter, but Wen Ran still stopped what he was doing, rubbed his sore eyes, and said: 'Okay.'

While he ate, Aunt Fang sat beside him watching, worried. 'You look so listless. Is something wrong? Also, I heard Wen Rui was taken away for investigation. What happened? How could it come to this...'

Probably because Wen Rui had nothing to do with this at all, they felt safe pushing him out to reduce the Wen Family's suspicion.

'It's fine.' Wen Ran reassured her. 'He'll be back soon.'

'Madam also arranged a few bodyguards at the door.' Anyone could tell it wasn't for protection. Aunt Fang asked, 'Are they watching you?'

Wen Ran said: 'Probably.'

For two nights straight, Wen Ran didn't sleep. He sat by the window assembling the model, single-minded. There was no clock in the room, but a countdown kept ringing in his ears — hurry up, hurry up, faster, faster.

Until early morning, Wen Ran finally put everything down, washed up quickly, swallowed a contraceptive pill, and crashed into bed, still dressed, to sleep.

For these three days he hadn't gone out, no one had come to the house, and he hadn't heard from Lu Heyang — meaning Gu Yunchi still hadn't woken up.

He scrolled through his call log and messages one more time, making sure he hadn't missed anything. Wen Ran turned off his Mobile Phone, stared blankly at the finally-finished model on the desk. After adjusting it a few times and confirming it was good, he took out a small, flat, transparent Model Box and a gift box from the drawer. He'd bought them a while back.

He set the model gently into the Model Box. His Mobile Phone buzzed. Wen Ran grabbed it immediately — a message from Tao Susu: Actually you're not sick, are you? Something happened, right? Anything I can help with?

Wen Ran sat still for a few seconds, typed a reply, then pulled out a sheet of white paper, uncapped his pen, and started writing.

At three in the morning, Wen Ran took the gift box with the model, pushed open the kitchen window, and dropped out. He crossed the small Garden behind the villa, dodged the pointed Fence, stepped onto a lamp post, and vaulted over the wall.

"You okay?" Tao Susu rushed over and grabbed his arm — then caught the thread of Alpha Pheromone on him that the Neck Ring couldn't cover. She froze. "You..."

Song Shuangang blinked too, then recovered fast. "Get in the car first."

"These past few days the Gu Family and Lu Family have been making big moves, but everything's been squashed, no word out. All I've heard is that Tang Feiyi went missing — they're searching for him now." Tao Susu leaned close to Wen Ran's ear and whispered, "The longer he's missing, the better it is for Gu Chongze, right?"

Wen Ran nodded.

The car pulled up to the Yueting gate. Wen Ran was bracing to be turned away this time, but Tao Susu just rolled down her window and showed her face. The guard smiled and greeted her. "Miss Tao, this late?"

"Yeah, got carried away hanging out with friends. Just crashing at my aunt's place nearby. Thanks, uncle."

"No, no, not at all!"

Driving in, Wen Ran directed Song Shuangang. When they reached Gu Yunchi's villa, he got out alone, ran to the front gate, and let himself in with a face scan.

"Xiao Ran?!" BDH-339 came charging out of the living room. "What are you doing here so late?"

"339, why didn't you reply to any of my texts?" Wen Ran was out of breath. He dropped to one knee to talk to it, pulling out the gift box. "I want to ask you for a favor."

"These past few days my permissions got revoked — I can't even reach the chairman's assistant anymore. That only happens when a confidentiality protocol kicks in. Did something happen to the young master?"

"He..."

"Why do you have the young master's Pheromone on you? Did he mark you?"

"339, listen to me." Wen Ran pressed his lips together. "He probably won't be back for a few days. There's something I want to ask you to pass along for me."

"No problem!"

He stayed less than five minutes — didn't even make it past the entryway — then left. BDH-339 walked him to the door, reluctant to let him go. "Xiao Ran, you said you're going out for a bit. When you come back, will you come see me again?"

Wen Ran looked down at it in the bleak autumn wind. "If I get the chance, I will."

"I'll wait for you," BDH-339 said. "I'll always be waiting."

"Thank you, 339." Wen Ran bent down and hugged the little robot with no body heat. The fridge magnet he'd given it was still stuck to its chest. "Goodbye," he said.

He stepped down off the porch, turned back and waved at BDH-339 once more, then walked out through the Garden and got in the car.

Back outside the Wen Family wall, Wen Ran handed a USB Drive to Song Shuangang. "I remember you said your grandfather and Grandpa Gu are friends. Could you do me a favor and give this to Grandpa Gu? I can't see him right now."

Song Shuangang took the USB Drive and nodded. "Got it. Don't worry."

Tao Susu asked, "All you needed us for was a ride to Gu Yunchi's Residence and to pass off the USB Drive? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else." He really shouldn't have troubled them. But Wen Ran had a selfish little wish — to see the only two friends he had left. "Thanks for coming out this late with me."

"Alright. Get some rest when you get back. Anything comes up, come straight to us, got it?"

"Mm." Wen Ran got out of the car, climbed back over the wall, dropped into the Garden. Through the Fence, he waved at Tao Susu and Song Shuangang and smiled. "Goodbye."

Back inside through the kitchen window, he passed the dining room and saw a white plastic bag on the table — looked like it had pill boxes and bottles in it.

He figured Aunt Fang had bought them for some ailment. Wen Ran opened it up and found a bunch of supplements and ordinary meds — some finished, some with only a few pills left. Probably stuff Aunt Fang had sorted out of Chen Shuhui's room, ready to throw away.

Wen Ran was about to put it all back when the cap on one bottle came loose and the last two pills inside tumbled out.

The light was dim. Wen Ran stared down at those two pills — their shape, their color — for a good ten, fifteen seconds. He reached to pick them up, but his wrist was shaking so badly it took him several tries before he got them.

He put the bag back the way he'd found it and walked upstairs to his room, one step at a time.

He didn't fall asleep until dawn. A long sleep. He dreamed too — still the Orphanage from ten years ago, a cloudy evening.

"What's your name?"

"Little tree, just wait for me."

"Did you hear me, little tree?"

"Be good. Wait for me, okay?"

Li Qingwan looked at him with a grief that wouldn't let go, then turned to leave — like every time he'd dreamed this before.

But this time, Wen Ran opened his left hand and let go of the stone he'd been holding for eleven years. He grabbed the railing and shouted, "Mom!"

"Mom, mom!" The voice Wen Ran heard was his own eighteen-year-old self. "Mom!"

He kept shouting. Somewhere in it he started crying — almost tearing himself apart. "Mom, there's no time! Please, take me with you right now, please..."

Li Qingwan didn't turn around. Her thin, slight figure drifted further and further away, swallowed bit by bit by the yellow sand, until she was gone.

He woke gasping for air. A message chime cut through it. Wen Ran snatched up his phone like he'd known it was coming, blinking hard through the blur of tears to make out the words from an unknown number: Yunchi hasn't woken yet, but he's basically out of danger.

He sprang off the bed. Barefoot, Wen Ran yanked open his door and ran out. He didn't know where Gu Yunchi's private Hospital was. He didn't know if the guards at the gate would let him through. He just had this gut need to get there — and halfway down the stairs, he saw Chen Shuhui standing in the living room.

They hadn't seen each other in only a few days, but Chen Shuhui's face looked like it had a layer of ash over it — cold and dark.

Wen Ran stopped at the foot of the stairs. He heard her ask him, "Who are you planning to go find."

Wen Ran didn't answer.

"So you've heard too. Gu Yunchi is better."

"That's good," Wen Ran said. "I didn't kill him."

"You didn't just not kill him. You saved him." Chen Shuhui suddenly laughed. "If I'd known it would turn out like this, I never should have operated on you."

His heartbeat kicked up. Wen Ran heard himself ask, "I saved him?"

"The Hospital just released a report. All of Gu Yunchi's Gland and Pheromone indicators are back to normal." Chen Shuhui said it word by word. "It's not just the Susceptibility Period that's over. Every illness on him — all of it — is gone."

Wen Ran stood rooted to the spot, too stunned to come back to himself. Chen Shuhui stepped closer. "Do you know what else I heard?"

"Gu Yunchi was abroad recently — not for anything else. He was training. Pre-military-academy training." Chen Shuhui reached out and touched Wen Ran's face in a way that looked like pity but was pure mockery. "Did he tell you he was traveling? Right — in his eyes you're just a Wen Family person trying to climb the ladder. Why would he ever tell you everything?"

"The League prohibits military academy students from entering marriage while enrolled. Meaning the so-called wedding in four years — he'd already figured out how to handle that from the start. You were just a dose of medicine to cure him. Now you're completely useless dregs."

The sun was sinking. Streaks of late light came through the glass into the living room, lighting up all the dust floating in the air. It was so quiet he could hear birds outside beating their wings as they flew home.

Wen Ran stood there a long time, stunned. Then he laughed, sudden and soft. "So that's how it is. That's great, then."

Gu Yunchi had already made his own choice. And a healthy body was essential to that choice. Now he had one.

Why would Chen Shuhui think he'd crumble at the news? This was the one thing he'd prayed for, devout and true.

— Hope Gu Yunchi recovers soon.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm glad." Under Chen Shuhui's uncomprehending stare, Wen Ran smiled faintly — easy, released. "It's all over. Can I go now?"