BDBE 48
Chapter 48 Misunderstanding
Shen Wanchao didn’t want Zhou Hui to continue being misunderstood by Zhou Ruolin.
But Zhou Hui didn’t think so. He had considered it on his way home and decided that maintaining the status quo was best for now.
“No need,” Zhou Hui said as he pulled Shen Wanchao closer. “I’ve managed to appease my dad for now. He’s too lazy to care about me anymore, so let’s leave it at that. We’ll find another opportunity later to apologize to him together.”
Shen Wanchao understood Zhou Hui’s concerns; now was indeed not the right time to reveal his identity.
Shen Wanchao’s expression darkened, and he suddenly asked, “Do you think I’ve truly returned to being 18, gaining twenty extra years, or will I wake up one day back to 37?”
Zhou Hui was silent for a moment. He lowered his head to kiss his forehead, “I don’t know. But regaining youth is something many people dream of, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“But if I really have to experience being 19, 20 again… then wouldn’t I…”
He couldn’t grow old with him anymore.
Shen Wanchao’s nose tingled, and his throat felt like it was filled with a bitter date.
If he really had to start reliving his life from 18, then one day he would watch Zhou Hui grow old and die before him, leaving him alone in this world…
He dared not continue thinking about it; a future without Zhou Hui was terrifying.
Zhou Hui understood what he hadn’t finished saying and hugged him even tighter.
Shen Wanchao buried his face in Zhou Hui’s chest, his mind filled with uncontrollable scenarios. The more he thought, the more heartbroken he became.
Why had he returned to being 18?
At 37, he already possessed everything he had ever pursued: a child of his own blood, a career he was willing to fight for, and a lifelong partner.
Money, fame, status, and the love of his family, he lacked nothing.
He was happy, and he had no regrets to return to his youth to make amends.
Why had Heaven granted him a second chance at youth?
But for him, this might not be a pleasant surprise; instead, it had taken away so much he once possessed.
Was it simply so that he could understand his son from the perspective of a peer and mend their relationship?
If so, would he be able to return to being 37 after completing his mission?
Zhou Hui sensed the sadness and worry in the person in his arms; even the subtle scent of mint carried a note of despondency.
He had to say something: “Don’t overthink it, go to sleep. I’ll stay here with you until you fall asleep.”
Shen Wanchao didn’t want Zhou Hui to leave either, so he nodded and buried his face even deeper into Zhou Hui’s chest.
“Mmm.”
…
Lin Anyi and Shen Wanchao’s rooms were both located in the northeast corner of the house. However, his room was at the end of the corridor, while Shen Wanchao’s room was closer to the living room.
Lin Anyi’s bedroom didn’t have a toilet; he had to use the restroom outside, which meant passing by Shen Wanchao’s room door.
He had just used the restroom and was about to return to his room when he saw Zhou Hui quietly enter Shen Wanchao’s.
The corridor was long, and Lin Anyi reflexively hid behind the wall when he saw Zhou Hui, so he wasn’t discovered.
After the guest room door closed again, Lin Anyi emerged from behind the wall.
Why was Zhou Hui going to Shen Wanchao’s room at 2:30 in the morning?
He even moved silently, obviously not wanting the other members of the household to see.
Lin Anyi unconsciously recalled the time at the lavender field.
Back then, Zhou Hui’s symptoms resembled those of someone entering their vulnerable period, which was why he locked himself in his room. Shen Wanchao, an Omega, went in to find him, and when he came out, he still carried a distinct scent of Alpha pheromones.
Last time, Lin Anyi could deceive himself into thinking that perhaps Shen Wanchao was genuinely worried about Zhou Hui and inevitably picked up some pheromones after entering the room.
But this time?
Lin Anyi could no longer find any excuse to deceive himself.
On the way back from the apartment during the day, Zhou Mingchen had told Lin Anyi that he and his two fathers were all only children, so he had never had any relatives of similar age growing up, until recently when he suddenly gained a uncle, Shen Chao, who was a generation older but the same age as him.
How likely was it that they were relatives who had never met or even heard of each other for over a decade?
Even if there really were relatives who hadn’t been in contact for over a decade, who would enter a relative’s child’s room in the middle of the night?
Unless they weren’t relatives.
Lin Anyi had no desire to sleep anymore and sat down on the sofa.
His face was extremely grim.
He had originally thought Uncle Zhou was a good person, but he never expected that the man would do something like having a high school student as a lover, and then shamelessly bring him home under the guise of being a relative.
Lin Anyi planned to sit in the living room and wait to see when Zhou Hui would come out of the room.
If he came out quickly, he could trust Uncle Zhou one more time.
On the opposite wall was a clock, and Lin Anyi stared at the working second hand. If the second hand had been sentient, it would have been so tense under his gaze that it would have run off-beat.
Time passed second by second, and the room remained silent.
Lin Anyi heart sank.
His anger had cooled, and now he was filled only with resentment towards Uncle Shen for entrusting such a terrible thing to him.
Why did it have to be Shen Chao? He was a good person, and he really liked him. How could he do such a thing…
The minute hand had already swept across the four numbers on the clock face. Lin Anyi was completely heartbroken and no longer held any hope. With mixed feelings, he got up and returned to his room.
However, he probably wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again after stumbling upon such a huge secret.
And the two culprits who were destined to keep him awake tonight were also still awake.
Shen Wanchao had calmed down. After exchanging a glance with Zhou Hui, he saw the reluctance in his expression. After hesitating for a moment, he suggested,
“How about we set an alarm for early morning? When it rings, you can get up and go back to your room before the children wake up?”
Zhou Hui smiled, “I like this idea.”
Shen Wanchao also convinced himself, feeling relieved. He put his arm around Zhou Hui’s neck, smelled the familiar ebony scent, and closed his eyes.
Not only did Zhou Hui miss him, but it had also been a very long time since he had slept in the arms of his lover.
Although Shen Wanchao often traveled for work, thanks to his irregular heat cycles and Zhou Hui’s extraordinary ability to act, the two were only separated for a maximum of half a month. Zhou Hui would always suddenly appear wherever Shen Wanchao was. On those occasions, they would be intimate until dawn, and then embrace each other and fall asleep until the afternoon.
Except for the last filming period, when Shen Wanchao was in a hurry to meet the deadline and specifically told Zhou Hui not to come, those few months were considerate of his anxiety, as his heat hadn’t even come once.
And Zhou Hui, because he wanted to hide his leg injury, didn’t visit Shen Wanchao even once.
Finally, after filming ended, Shen Wanchao had a huge fight with Zhou Hui on his first day home, and in a fit of pique, went to his parents’ house for a few days. One morning, he woke up looking like he was 18 years old and hurriedly went to Tao Yan’s house.
For such a long time, they hadn’t been able to spend any quality time together.
Until today, the two finally slept together again.
…
It seemed like he had only fallen asleep for a short while when Shen Wanchao felt the urge to use the restroom. He groggily pulled away from Zhou Hui’s embrace, got out of bed, and put on his shoes. When he came out of the restroom, Shen Wanchao glanced at the clock; it was a little past 4:20. Everyone else was still asleep, and the room was so quiet that you could hear the slight static of various appliances on standby.
Shen Wanchao returned to his room, but as soon as he stepped inside, he suddenly stopped at the doorway.
Zhou Hui had woken up sometime earlier and was sitting up against the headboard, his hair flattened on one side and sticking up in the other because he had been sleeping on his side. He was looking down, his high nose dividing his face into light and shadow. The eye hidden in the darkness was barely discernible, yet it conveyed an overwhelming sense of loneliness to Shen Wanchao.
Like a wounded wild beast abandoned by its pack, he huddled quietly in a corner, letting endless loneliness devour him.
Shen Wanchao’s heart ached. He gently closed the door and walked towards Zhou Hui.
“Why are you awake?” Shen Wanchao asked.
Zhou Hui had already recovered from his daze and smiled slightly. “I’m a light sleeper. I woke up when I felt you move.”
He calmly answered, but Shen Wanchao knew the truth was far more complex. A mentally healthy person would never show such anxiety upon waking up in the middle of the night to find their loved one not beside them.
Shen Wanchao sat down beside him and asked, “When did this start?”
Zhou Hui hugged him; he rested his chin on his shoulder, no longer pretending nothing had happened, and honestly replied, “This is the first time this has happened to me too.”
“Just now, I woke up and found you were gone, and the scene from the morning the mark suddenly disappeared crossed my mind, and I relived the emotions from that morning.”
As he spoke, Zhou Hui looked up and touched Shen Wanchao’s cheek: “But don’t worry, it only happened for a moment, I’m fine now.”
Shen Wanchao felt a pang of sadness.
The disappearance of a mark was a huge trauma for both Alphas and Omegas.
Most Alpha-Omega couples choose to have their marks removed during divorce. The mark removal surgery was a well-established technique, so the physical harm was secondary; the main issue was the psychological damage caused by the deprivation. Some people recover their health after bonding with a new partner, but others were left with irreparable permanent scars.
Their situation was special; the mark disappearance was not due to the removal surgery, but rather because Shen Wanchao’s physical condition suddenly changed.
But the difference between the two couldn’t be that significant; Zhou Hui must have gone through a painful withdrawal period.
That was why he now felt palpitations even when he woke up and found himself not beside him.
Shen Wanchao hugged Zhou Hui back, even though he desperately wanted to find a way to relieve Zhou Hui’s pain immediately and put it into practice, he didn’t mention marking him again once his glands matured.
Last time he said that, Zhou Hui didn’t give a definite answer.
It meant that Zhou Hui hadn’t fully felt his love and still had reservations.
So there was no need for him to say it again; he just needed to take action.
He would patiently stay by Zhou Hui’s side, and use concrete actions to tell him again and again that he loved him, no matter how many times he wanted confirmation.
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