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Sòng ZiChēn was having mixed feelings seeing his long lost friend standing at his front gate. For one – there was a very visible bump on said friend’s stomach. Questions were running through SòngZiChēn’s mind – Who in the world had managed to bond with the XiǎoXīngChén of the Bright Moon and Cool Breeze[1]? Sòng ZiChēn first met Xiǎo XīngChén when he was travelling for a nighthunt. The latter had just came down from the mountain. He was a student of the legendary immortal BàoShān SanRen and had not seen the world beyond the mountain before. It was the first time ZiChēn had seen an Omega who cultivates – it was very rare to find Omega cultivators in the cultivating world runned by Alphas and Betas. But there he was – XiǎoXīngChén innocently standing among the Alpha and Beta cultivators talking away, totally oblivious to the lustful gazes directed at him. He was like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves and SòngZiChēn – being the gentleman Alpha he is – had to do something before… “Hey!!!” A loud thud was heard when a man was thrown to the ground. Sòng ZiChēn looked up to find Xiǎo XīngChén standing with his sword drawn – his eyes cold as he glared at the man who was struggling to get on his feet. Said man had his cronies surrounding him as they gave XīngChén death glares and some even yell curses at him. “Apologize.” Xiǎo XīngChén said calmly. “You lowly Omega, how dare yo-” Before the man could finish his words, he felt a gush of wind and tree right next to him was sliced in half. Before anyone could react Xiǎo XīngChén was already casually sheathing his sword as the tree tumbled onto the ground. “One shall not improperly touch an Omega unless consent is given.” Xiǎo XīngChén said. “Isn’t that the rule of the world?” Looking at all the men glaring at him, XīngChén begun to look flustered, thinking he might’ve overdone things. “He’s right.” Sòng ZiChēn stepped in. “It’s not right to overstep your boundaries as Alphas.” Xiǎo XīngChén’s face lit up at the reassurance. He turned and smiled at the man, giving a small bow. “My name is Xiǎo XīngChén, a disciple of BàoShān SanRen. And how do I address this young master?” “Sòng Lán. Courtesy name: ZiChēn.” Ever since then, they had become best of friends. Sòng Lán came from a strict temple upbringing and hence behaves respectfully towards everyone no matter their hierarchy. He was not like most Alphas who would behave disgustingly towards Omegas, and Xiǎo XīngChén was truly grateful for that. They would nighthunt together and talk about their dreams of having a place where everyone could cultivate without facing discrimination. It was really an eye-opener for Xiǎo XīngChén after coming down the mountains and meeting various characters along the way – things really were much simpler back in the mountains. All the Alphas back there were courteous and treated the Omegas with respect. Despite being in a platonic friendship, that didn’t stop others from spreading rumors about Sòng Lán and this ‘exquisite’ Omega-cultivator from the mountains. It also didn’t take long for them to notice that Xiǎo XīngChén was ‘unmarked’ and hence suitors kept pouring in courtship gifts to which XīngChén had to politely decline. To make matters worse, Sòng Lán’s own family kept pressuring him to take in XīngChén as his Omega to curb off all the other suitors; but both of them felt that it was against their principle to form a bond out of convenience. “Sorry ZiChēn, it must be troubling for you and your family.” XīngChén told him one day. He had been living in the BáiXuě temple’s guesthouse after coming down the mountain. The Sòng family had been generous in allowing him to stay and XīngChén would help out the household – constantly assisting them with missions such as exorcism and vanquishing monsters and whatnots. Back then, both of them did not understand the gravity of being an unmarked Omega in the cultivating world. It was only when Xiǎo XīngChén had turned down yet another suitor that the problems started to happen. Hexes and curses were laid nearby the temple grounds and one day the temple was mysteriously burnt down and almost all its residents were murdered. That time, Xiǎo XīngChén was off alone for a nighthunt mission in another district. He came back to find Sòng Lán kneeling in front of the burnt down temple – his eyes were gouged out. “Leave!” Sòng Lán had screamed. “From now on, we won’t have to meet again.” “I’m sorry…but can I come in?” Xiǎo XīngChén’s voice broke Sòng Lán out of his reverie. The moonlight illuminated XīngChén’s face – the bloodstained bandages over his eyes, his pale face, and chapped lips. He must have been dehydrated trying to find his way here. Sòng Lán quickly guided the man into the house and closed the gate behind them. BáiXuě temple had burnt down years ago and rebuilding it was no easy task. Sòng Lán watched as his friend made his way through the burnt down rubble of what was once the main temple. Having no sight, Xiǎo XīngChén had to walk very slowly to avoid tripping over. “XīngChén, where have you been?” Came Sòng Lán’s voice. XīngChén was silent for a while before opening his mouth to speak. “I’ll tell you all about it later. I’m sorry to impose, truly. But I…” “XīngChén, no. I’m the one who should be sorry.” No one spoke after that until they reached a much more habitable room amongst the burnt up rubble – it was the guestroom that XīngChén used to stay in.
Sòng Lán and Xiǎo XīngChén knew who had ordered the massacre – it was Jīn GuāngShàn from the esteemed Jīn family who had heard rumors of Xiǎo XīngChén and had wanted to add him into his Omega-harem. The rejection was a blow to his ego which led to the massacre of BáiXuě temple. However, there was no proof to link the crime back to him – the man had ways to keep his tracks squeaky clean by ordering someone else to do the dirty work – one of his subjects were of an elite group of assassins known as 【ChéngMěi】. No one had seen these elite assassins before and there were various rumors surrounding it – one of it being that 【ChéngMěi】 was actually a codename for a person. But seeing the scale of massacre, everyone almost agreed that it was impossible for it to be the work of a mere person. 【ChéngMěi】was of course never written in any records of the Jīn family even though it was an open secret. Hence, all the other cultivator sects stayed silent about it. Sòng Lán watched as Xiǎo XīngChén gobbled up the Mántou he laid out for him along with some water. The light from the only candle was barely enough to illuminate the entire room but enough for Sòng Lán to examine his friend – the mark on his neck was barely covered by the flimsy scarf, the bandages around his eyes bloodied. He also noticed that XīngChén’s scent was different now – he used to smell faintly of peach blossoms. Even though back then, XīngChén used to consume suppressants to hide the scent but Sòng Lán was still able to pick up the faint scent from standing close to him. This time though, the peach blossom scent was somehow mixed in with a sort of milky-candied scent which Sòng Lán was not quite able to put his finger on. XīngChén gave a sigh of relief after finishing his third bowl of water. He placed the bowl on the table. “ZiChēn, I…” XīngChén opened his mouth to speak, but the words were stuck. He shook his head, “I…” “XīngChén, where have you been this whole time?” Unable to contain himself anymore, Sòng Lán cut in. “I…when I woke up, they told me you were gone. And…” He placed a hand underneath his own eyes. “These eyes were yours. Why did you-” “ZiChēn, please.” XīngChén’s voice was firm. “The past is the past. I gave you those eyes out of my own will. It’s – ” Before XīngChén could continue, Sòng Lán had suddenly wrapped him into a tight hug. “ZiChēn, please let go.” “I’m sorry…” Sòng ZiChēn made no move to let go. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have…” “ZiChēn, you really need to let go.” XīngChén patted the man’s back. He was feeling nauseous from the scent of another Alpha who was not his bond, but ZiChēn was oblivious to that. Suddenly, XīngChén shoved the man away and dashed out of the door, almost tripping from the tall wooden threshold. He vomited onto the grass as Sòng ZiChēn watched worriedly. ZiChēn had almost forgotten about that bump underneath the thick layers of robes after the emotional meeting. “XīngChén, who’s the father?” “About that…” Xiǎo XīngChén had left the mountain without his eyesight – having given them up for his best friend. He struggled at first in the newfound state of constant darkness but had slowly adapted to it. After travelling for a while, he settled down in the outskirts of Yi City in an abandoned coffin house that he found. He took a new identity as someone who was unaffiliated with the cultivation world lest it would bring about unwanted attention. He had given up on cultivating, hid his sword - Shuāng Huá and had settled down to his newfound life. He learnt how to grow vegetables – earning a small but sustainable revenue. Despite being blind, his looks still stood out and hence he still had to fend off harassments from those uncouth Alphas. Some of them would suggest him to marry them and forget about vegetable selling as they would ‘take care’ of him all of which Xiǎo XīngChén declined…politely at first, but in the end he had to use force to get the message across loud and clear. Xiǎo XīngChén had begun to enjoy this peaceful way of living. The people at the marketplace treated him well. Some old Omega ladies would give him tips on how to properly care for his crops; though sometimes XīngChén would be able to sense the hidden motive behind their kindness. More of than not, they would drop hints about their single Alpha or Beta sons and XīngChén would usually laugh it off to avoid things from getting too awkward than it already was. The peacefully mundane cycle was broken one day when Xiǎo XīngChén stumbled upon an unconscious man while on his way to the market. XīngChén was able to tell from the thick stench of blood that the man was severely injured. He had with him a cart-load of vegetables which he had to leave behind as he carried the man home, praying that his cart along with the goods would still be there by the time he finished tending to the man’s wounds. Xiǎo XīngChén had assumed that the man was an Omega like him as well as the man had a milk-candy scent which XīngChén had managed to pick up. Those sweetish scents were usually exclusive to Omegas and hence Xiǎo XīngChén did not think much about it. At first the man was wary of him but Xiǎo XīngChén had managed to convince the man that he meant no harm by offering him a candy which he had gotten as a gift from one of the stall owners at the marketplace. The ‘peace offering’ proved to be good as the stranger soon warmed up to him. It took days for the man to finally be able to walk again. All this while, Xiǎo XīngChén did not go to the marketplace and had stayed back to care for the wounded stranger. “Anyway, how may I address you?” Asked XīngChén one day. There was a long pause. “Yáng…Mián Yáng.” “Pft…”XīngChén was unable to contain his laughter. “A sheep? Hahahahahahahaha.” “What’s so funny?!” The man had pouted. He then begun to tell a sob-story of how his name had come to be. By then, XīngChén was silent and sympathetic towards him. He subconsciously reached out his hand and pat Mián Yáng on the head. Apparently Mián Yáng parents named him after a soothsayer said that he would need to have a ‘gentler’ name to curb his harsh life. His parents died soon after and he was wandering the streets ever since then. “You can call me Ah Yáng.” He told XīngChén. “Alright.” XīngChén smiled. ‘Mián Yáng’ was amused at how this gullible blind man had swallowed the lies he had just spun out a moment ago – well half-lies anyway. But they say, you got to mix some truth into the lies to make them believable. “Which reminds me, you still have not told me your name.” “Ah, it’s XīngChén, Xiǎo XīngChén.” He had thought of no reason to lie. For one – he was far away from any cultivator sect-controlled area. And moreover, no one would link the vegetable seller Xiǎo XīngChén to the cultivator Xiǎo XīngChén. Ah Yáng’s eyes widened slightly at the name. His mouth curved upwards into a smirk, however Xiǎo XīngChén was unable to see that. The tingling suspicion he had in him for the past few days was finally resolved. No wonder he looks familiar. Hmm…but not even using a fake name? How dumb could this person be? He thought. He remembered meeting Xiǎo XīngChén only once in the past. Back then he was still the notorious delinquent from Kuí Zhōu known as Xuē Yáng and also a guest cultivator for the Jīn family. Their first meeting wasn’t really pleasant with Xuē Yáng destroying a stall because the dessert they made wasn’t sweet enough. Then he was caught by the busybody – Sòng ZiChēn and his best friend – Xiǎo XīngChén. Xuē Yáng did not like the way Sòng ZiChēn had looked at him back then. Hmph, that holier than thou attitude is sickening. Xuē Yáng had thought. One day I’m gonna gouge those eyes out. Xuē Yáng was true to his words. Sòng Lán sat there, patiently listening to his friend telling him a story. He begun from when he first left the mountain, slowly narrating about how he settled into a commoner’s life. Xiǎo XīngChén was really bad at telling stories as he dragged on and on about his daily mundane life, seemingly trying to avoid answering the question. At one point, XīngChén was putting too much emphasis on some irrelevant characters that ZiChēn almost thought the story was finally getting somewhere but alas it was not. Sòng Lán was frankly getting tired from the story and had almost wanted to shake XīngChén and yell at him. ‘So who is the father?!’ but deciding that interrupting was rude, Sòng Lán let his friend continue on. Though he really really did not want to know how pigs gave birth…or how the wine shop owner tried to court him with a cart-load of wine. It made Sòng Lán almost think, so is he the father? Oh…no he isn’t. And on it goes. The mystery deepens. Sòng Lán remained with his stoic expression as the questions in his mind remained unanswered. “…and then one day, I met a man.” Sòng Lán noticed that the tone of XīngChén’s voice had gotten softer. And was that sadness in his voice? “He was injured and I took him back with me.” After the man had recovered, Xiǎo XīngChén went back to selling vegetables at the market. Ah Yáng followed him to the market as well. He usually stood there observing the people and would sometimes help out by counting the money For months, the younger man had noticed that some of the customers would haggle shamelessly for a perfectly fine lettuce – claiming that it’s yellowish on the edge…or finding a ‘defect’ that was totally not there. Xiǎo XīngChén was unable to see and hence had yield to their demands. It had been going on for a long time that one day the notorious delinquent from Kuí Zhōu decided that he would not take it anymore. “The lettuce is perfectly fine.” He would smile sweetly but his eyes showed a certain threat which had gotten the message across. “Or do you mean to say that you are too blind to even differentiate the colors? Perhaps you should get your eyes checked then?” “Ah Yáng! Manners!”Xiǎo XīngChén scolded. “What?! She’s being unreasonable here!” Feeling wronged, Xuē Yáng argued back. “Don’t you see that they are bullying you?! They’ve been doing it for months already, you dumbass!” “But that’s still not the way to talk to your elders.” Xiǎo XīngChén reasoned. “Hmph, if she’s an elder, then she should be acting like one! Shamelessly bullying the young.” Xuē Yáng spat. “Ugh, I’m tired of this. I’m going back!” With that he left. “Wa-wait!” Xiǎo XīngChén wanted to follow behind but he was occupied by customers. It was already noon when Xiǎo XīngChén managed to finish selling off the vegetables. With the coin pouch adequately full, he went on to get some groceries. He passed by a candy stall and had gotten some TángHúLu - a candied mountain hawthorn - as ‘peace offering’ for his housemate. The candy stall owner was being very nice today – offering him some free samples to try. Xiǎo XīngChén happily accepted the offer while getting a few other candies as well before he headed on his way home, pushing the cart along with the groceries with him. XīngChén was feeling worried for Ah Yáng who had left just like that. It’s dangerous for an Omega to walk around alone. He had thought, truly concerned for the younger man’s safety. He quickened his pace when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest. What is this? A heat? But I’ve been taking my suppressants daily! He felt his breath quickened as his body temperature rose up. The grip on the cart loosened and the groceries on it slid down onto the ground. “Hehehehe. Told you it would work.” XīngChén recognized the voice having just heard it moments ago – it was that candy stall owner! “You!” XīngChén fell on his knees. “Why…” his voice came out weak. “Hmph. You snotty little Omega prancing around like you are something.” Said another voice – it sounded awfully familiar but XīngChén was unable to figure out who. “Rejecting our gifts and humiliating us! Who do you think you are? You are just a mere defective Omega whose only use is to breed!” Xiǎo XīngChén felt a hand touch his shoulder as he instinctively slapped it away. However the drug they had given him was too strong as he soon succumbed to it. Coughing and wheezing for air. No…no….He felt utterly disgusted when the men surrounded him – omitting their Alpha scent – it was nauseating for XīngChén. “Help…” He muttered weakly. “The fuck do you think you are doing?!” An icy voice cut off the disgusting chortles. The men turned to find this ‘Omega’ standing next to a tree glaring at them. “Oh another one for us to play with?” One of the Alpha males grinned as he tried to step closer to the ‘Omega’ but suddenly froze. Realizing that the man standing there was most definitely not an Omega – despite the deceiving scent he omitted. The ‘Omega’ flashed a smile, canine teeth showing. “Now then, where do I begin?” His voice childlike but had a certain malice in it. “Wait, so he’s an Omega?” Sòng Lán asked. Xiǎo XīngChén shook his head. “That was what I had thought at first. He had this milky-candy scent on him.” He bit his lips. “But I was wrong.” Sòng Lán had begun to piece the puzzle together when he mentioned about the scent – it was the scent that was mixed in with XīngChén’s original peach-blossom. His mind began playing out scenarios of what could’ve happened – did XīngChén get deceived and raped? Thinking about it had made Sòng Lán’s blood boil. However he did not say anything and allowed his friend to continue his story. “He..help…”Xiǎo XīngChén was in a daze. He felt himself being lifted up and placed onto a hard surface. He felt like he was being transported on something with wheels. Then the familiar milky-candy scent invaded his nose. “Don’t worry. Your savior is here.” It was Ah Yáng’s voice – with that childish tone trying to mask the anger and concern. “Ah Yáng? Run…”XīngChén’s head was burning up. “Danger…” “Har?” There was no reply. Xiǎo XīngChén had probably fallen unconscious again. To say that he was not affected by the Omega’s drug induced heat was an understatement. He was already drenching in sweat and trying to hold his breath as much as he could throughout the journey of transporting Xiǎo XīngChén home. XīngChén’s scent was intoxicating, almost destroying his self-restrain. But he held on to it, biting his own lips to draw blood as a means to distract himself. They finally reached the coffin house as Xuē Yáng picked up the taller man gently and placed him onto the bed. “Ah…Yáng?” Xiǎo XīngChén shivered as he felt his robes being removed and a kiss landed on his neck. There were times he almost felt the teeth grazing his neck, but it was never deep enough to draw blood. Xuē Yáng felt like he was about to go insane having to restrain himself from biting into that soft neck – marking the man, claiming that Omega as his. But his mind had screamed for him not to – he did not understand why. “Shh…” He cooed as he removed the last piece of clothing from the man squirming underneath him. “No…”Xiǎo XīngChén protested. “It’s alright. It’s alright.” Xuē Yáng’s voice was gentle. “I won’t hurt you.” Sòng Lán was getting more impatient every passing moment as he listened to how his friend described this ‘Mián Yáng’ person. He squinted his eyes. That’s most definitely a fake name…how could he not see that?
Xiǎo XīngChén begun describing how their daily-life was like. At some point, Sòng Lán was able to detect the genuine happiness in his friend’s voice. He realized that XīngChén must have really liked this person. However from the way XīngChén described this ‘Mián Yáng’, Sòng Lán decided he probably would not be able to get along with ‘Mián Yáng’ at all. He most definitely is a delinquent, isn’t he?! What do you even see in him?! What’s with that smile on your face when talking about him trying to steal candy from a child? What’s so funny about it?!
Yet Sòng Lán’s face remained stoic as ever as he hummed in acknowledgement, cracking open a peanut shell and eating it. Not knowing how much time had passed, Xiǎo XīngChén woke up with a terrible headache. He tried to move but his movement was restricted by a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He was able to feel the body warmth of the person holding onto him and felt the person’s breath on his neck – a slow-steady rhythm. Then that milky-candy scent… XīngChén felt his stomach sink as he struggled to break free. “Wha-?” Came the person’s groggy voice. “Oh…You are awake.” Xiǎo XīngChén felt the arms around his waist tightened as the man snuggled closer and took a whiff off him. XīngChén’s heart was beating fast as a shiver crawled up his spine. “Yo-you…are an Alpha!” “Mm-hmm.” The person replied nonchalantly. “Was it fun?” Xiǎo XīngChén’s voice was icy-cold. “Lying to me?” There was a long pause. Then came the kid-like voice. “Why of course it is.” Xiǎo XīngChén felt a pang in his heart. “Let go of me!” He struggled but the man’s grip was firm. In the midst of struggling, Xiǎo XīngChén felt some sort of liquid leaking down his inner-thigh. He froze. “Wh-why…” His shoulders were trembling. “XīngChén?” The voice came out gentler than usual. It was rid of the childishness it usually had. The grip around XīngChén’s waist loosened as the man picked up the scent of something coppery in the air. Blood was streaming out and staining the white bandages around XīngChén’s eyes. “Oi! XīngChén!” The voice sounded panicky now. XīngChén elbowed the man as he stumbled forward – falling off the bed. He felt more liquid streaming down his thigh. “Why did you lie to me?” He asked, voice calm but with a certain coldness that could pierce one’s soul. Xuē Yáng rolled his eyes. How dumb can this Omega be? He can’t even tell? He gave a long sigh. “Xiǎo XīngChén. Does it ache?” The man did not reply, not understanding the Alpha’s question. Xuē Yáng made a move to get off the bed as he kneeled down next to the Omega. “Do you know that if an Alpha really were to ‘mark’ their Omega, you would most definitely not even be able to move so vigorously without any pain.” Saying this, his hand slid down XīngChén’s back. Alarmed, the taller man turned and grabbed the hand. “What are you doing?!” “Xiǎo XīngChén you better remember.” The man was getting impatiently. “What exactly happened?” Xiǎo XīngChén felt a throb in his head. “I…” He tried remembering but could only get bits and pieces of the event that happened that afternoon.
“Shh…don’t be scared.” The Alpha’s voice next to XīngChén’s ear made him shudder.
“No…I…don’t…Ngh…”XīngChén felt his lips being muffled by something warm and wet. Without his sight, his other senses were much more enhanced. He was able to hear the slurping sound of wet-lips and feel the touches which made his body shudder.
The Alpha pulled away. “I won’t mark you.” A promise was whispered into XīngChén’s ear.
Then XīngChén felt both his legs being held up closed together and something hot slid in between his thighs. “Wha-?” Before he could finish saying anything, XīngChén felt fingers wrapping around his own member as the Alpha begun stroking it. “Ngh…” He felt the hot thing glide past his already wet hole – using the liquid as lubricant – but not penetrating him. The Alpha begun moving in rhythm while stroking the Omega’s member.
XīngChén moaned into the sensation, the hole at his back twitched – begging to be filled. “What’s wrong?” The Alpha asked – his voice deeper than usual, lust-filled. “Do you want it inside?”
XīngChén bit his lips as he turned his face away, not replying the man. However the stroking on his member felt so good, and the teasing on his already wet hole felt ecstatic to his body. A moan slipped his mouth.
“I will not put it in until you beg me to.” Said the Alpha as he continued his movement, pressing XīngChén’s thighs closer together for more pleasure.
“Ngh…Ahh…”XīngChén felt his body convulsed as he orgasmed – spilling pearly white liquid into the Alpha’s hands. His body went limp after that, losing consciousness yet again.
Xiǎo XīngChén felt his cheeks burning as he recalled some parts of the ‘action’ that took place. “I…we…didn’t?” “It was tempting really. But no.” Xuē Yáng sighed. “Knowing you, you’d probably kill me and then kill yourself.” He said nonchalantly as he reached out a hand to touch the Omega’s bloodied bandages. “And to think I had just replaced it moments ago.” He muttered, the childlikeness in his voice apparent again. “So how are you going to thank me, hmm?” His hands made way to untie the bandages. XīngChén allowed him. “After all, I did save you from those disgusting pigs.” He lamented. “But you treat me like the monster here! I feel so sad…” He made sobbing noises. “How could you?!” “I…I’m sorry. I…” XīngChén was flustered. “But…you shouldn’t….” “Shouldn’t what?” Xuē Yáng raised a brow as he leaned in closer. “Help you ‘relieve’ yourself?” “Ah!” XīngChén was shocked as he covered his ears. “Please don’t say it!” His face flushed red as his breath quickened. “Don’t…that sort of embarrassing…” Xuē Yáng yanked one of his hands away. “Tsk, what’s so embarrassing about this? It’s natural.” He smirked, showing canine-teeth. “XīngChén, if you ever need to-” XīngChén cut him off. “No! It won’t happen again!” He looked like he was about to cry again with the way his lips quivered. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you for now.” The Alpha chuckled. “But really. You should stop taking all those suppressants. It’s not good for your body.” Saying this, he stood up and exited the room. Xiǎo XīngChén understood that as well. The suppressants were not meant to be used long-term as it would have side-effects. One of the side-effects which XīngChén had experienced that afternoon – once someone used another type of medicine to ‘disrupt’ it, the heat that he would experience would be devastating. It would be the same if XīngChén were to stop using his suppressants – the first few heats that would come would wreck his body. So the only way was to gradually adjust one’s body to adept to the occasional heat. “He didn’t mark you?” Sòng Lán was surprised at the twist the story took. He had the impression that this ‘Mián Yáng’ person was uncultured from the way XīngChén described him – constantly making low-class jokes and whatnot. To think that he did not take advantage of XīngChén when he was at his most vulnerable state was simply...surprising. Xiǎo XīngChén shook his head. “Well…not at the start.” He bit his lower lips. “ZiChēn, I’m dumb, aren’t I?” Sòng Lán did not reply. “He was very kind…”XīngChén subconsciously showed a melancholic smile as he continued his story. A sort of ‘deal’ was formed between the Alpha and Omega living under the same roof. Xuē Yáng offered to help XīngChén get used to living without depending on heat-suppressants. XīngChén thought he was probably mad for agreeing to something shameless like this. But he trusted Ah Yáng. “Ngh…ha…Ah Yáng…”XīngChén’s wanton moans filled the room. His fingers digging into the bed beneath him as he enjoyed the blowjob being given to him at the moment. Xuē Yáng pulled away, licking his lips. “I won’t be able to restrain myself if you keep calling out so sweetly.” He warned, heart beating fast as he watched the Omega’s lust-filled expression. Said Omega had his mouth opened slightly, panting for air. There was a slight disappointment in his face when the Alpha stopped suddenly. He subconsciously jerked his hips. “Ah Yáng…I…” Xuē Yáng covered his lips with his own, unable to contain himself anymore. His hands roaming all over the taller man’s body, toying on sensitive spots. XīngChén moaned into the kiss. How many times had they done this already? Five? Or was it seven? Xuē Yáng was always there to help him go through his heat phase. That dizzying milky-candy scent was like a drug to XīngChén as he found himself more and more drawn towards this man. It wasn’t just carnal attraction, but XīngChén genuinely like this man. From the way he made him laugh and even to the annoying childish attitude, XīngChén had loved them all. They do say that love is blind and XīngChén was unable to deny his heart anymore. “Ah Yáng…should we get married?” XīngChén’s voice came out meek, still lightheaded from the kiss and the way Xuē Yáng toyed with his sensitive spots. Xuē Yáng’s movement halted abruptly as his eyes widened. There was an uncomfortable pause. XīngChén felt his heart sunk. Was I the only one who felt this way? He felt like wanting to kill himself for saying such an embarrassing thing. Suddenly, Xuē Yáng held him in an embrace. “You’d better not regret this.” XīngChén noticed that Xuē Yáng’s voice had trembled a little – unlike his usual confident tone. “Even if you beg me to let you go, I would not.” The Alpha smiled as he gingerly laid the man down, a hand moved to clear out the hair that was covering the neck. “Ah Yáng, wait!” “Oh? Regretting already?” The voice sounded cold but there was disappointment hidden beneath it. “No…I…” XīngChén turned his face away. “Shouldn’t we do the ritual first? The….wedding…I mean. Ah…” Xuē Yáng’s eyes widened as a blush crawled up his face. “Pft!!! Hahahahaha!” He could not contain himself. Though XīngChén did strike him as someone who’s ‘traditional’ in that sense, but he really did not expect that. XīngChén squirmed beneath him, wanting to hide away from the embarrassment. “Let’s forget this.” “No.” Xuē Yáng leaned down and kissed him on the neck. “Of course not. Tomorrow I’ll go to the tailor. And who does Xiǎo XīngXīng[7] wants to invite to the wedding hmm? Or do you want it to be just the two of us?” “Wh-who are you calling Xiǎo XīngXīng?!” XīngChén felt his skin crawl at the nickname – little star. “It…it would be fine if it’s just the two of us. We could just have a small ceremony, and …” “Alright, alright.” Xuē Yáng kissed the man on his cheek. “I’ll go to the tailor the first thing in the morning. But first…we must resolve this.” Saying this, his hand went back to the task he was doing before being interrupted. XīngChén’s moans were much sweeter that night and Xuē Yáng had to give himself a pat on the back for having the willpower to endure this torture. Sòng Lán almost choked on the peanuts that he had brought out to munch on. He quickly drank some tea to wash it down. His face still stoic as ever, but his brows were twitching as he stared straight at XīngChén. His mind still could not grasp the concept of XīngChén actually marrying anyone. To him, Xiǎo XīngChén was like the bright moon and cool breeze– beautiful yet untouchable – just like the title that was given to him. “Ah…ZiChēn, do you have anything sweet to eat?” XīngChén asked suddenly, breaking out from the story-telling. “Sorry…but I’m feeling a little…” “I’ll go look in the kitchen.” With that, he left the Omega alone in the room. With Sòng Lán gone, XīngChén gave a sigh as he let his hand touch the bump beneath the clothes – slowly feeling the life inside. “Why…” He said to no-one. “Why must you be…?” He did not continue anymore, just took in a deep breath as he listened to the cicadas in the garden. “Who are you exactly?” The sword in Xiǎo XīngChén’s hand was trembling as he spat out the question. The air was filled with the smell of blood. There was a pause. Then the man spoke – voice retaining that cheerfulness. “Why, I’m your husband, of course.” “Shut up!” XīngChén’ swung the sword – missing the man who agilely dodged. “Xiǎo XīngChén!” The man roared. “Stop overusing spiritual energy! It’s not good for the child!” Xiǎo XīngChén laughed coldly. He felt nauseous suddenly as pain shot up from his stomach. He fell on his knees, the sword dropping to the side. Xuē Yáng tried to approach him but was stopped when XīngChén screamed at him. “Do not touch me!” He was panting, cold sweat begun to drip down his forehead. “XīngChén, please do not be stubborn!” Xuē Yáng’s voice was panicky – filled with concern. “Then tell me who you are.” Xiǎo XīngChén said coldly, enduring the pain. “And was what the man said true?” He pointed at the body that laid a few feet away from himself. Blood was streaming out of the dead body and seeping into the ground. Xuē Yáng did not reply, merely glared at the body of his enemy. That disgusting Cháng Píng. Tsk…should’ve cleaned up the trash when I had the chance. He scolded himself. It was totally a miscalculation on Xuē Yáng’s part – he did not think that there was a chance that someone would find him here. With the news of his death announced by the new leader of Jīn family – Jīn GuāngYào – an Omega who had managed to become leader of a cultivation sect after the previous sect leader had disgracefully passed away in the bosoms of prostitutes. It was totally unheard of for Omegas to lead a cultivation sect – but Jīn GuāngYào had not one, but two Alphas in his favour which probably smoothened the process. More so when the two Alphas happened to be cultivation sect leaders as well. “Xiǎo XīngChén, didn’t you say ‘the past is the past’ and that since life is adequate right now, one shouldn’t-” “This is different.” XīngChén’s voice was cold. “Killing off an entire clan-” “What is the difference?!” Xuē Yáng clenched his fists. XīngChén did not reply. Xuē Yáng continued. “Do you remember when you asked me what happened to the little finger on my left hand?” Xiǎo XīngChén turned towards the man, still silent. Of course he remembered the story the man told him…up to the point where he lost his finger. XīngChén recalled hugging the man tightly as he comforted him with words such as, “One should not dwell in the past.” “The culprit was Chang Ci'an from the Yuè Yáng Chang Clan.” Xuē Yáng looked at XīngChén, trying to read his expression. “And that body over there was Cháng Píng – his son.” He sighed, “I really should’ve cut out the roots when I had the chance.” “That’s just wrong.” XīngChén spoke after a long while of silence. “It’s just not right. You could’ve cut off one of his fingers, or even his whole arm!” He shook his head. “Why do you have to kill his entire clan?!” He paused suddenly as his brain finally registered something. He had definitely heard about the Yuè Yáng Chang Clan before. The Chang family from the Yuè Yáng Chang Clan was wiped out within one night…and the murderer was a group of assassins known as 【ChéngMěi】. The color on XīngChén’s face drained at the discovery. “ChéngMěi…” He felt his chest hurt all of a sudden. “It was…you all along. The one who…wiped out BáiXuě temple…” He placed a hand over his mouth as his entire body shook. “Wh-why…” “Oh? That. That was merely under orders.” Xuē Yáng replied nonchalantly. “However, I do find that disgustingly self-righteous Sòng ZiChēn annoying though.” “You!” XīngChén roared as he grabbed his sword and swung again at the younger man who easily dodged it. “You are really….disgusting.” XīngChén spat, unable to contain his emotions as blood-tears overflowed, dying the bandages a thick layer of red. “Oh?” Xuē Yáng’s expression turned cold. “Are you sure you are in any position to call me disgusting?” He walked towards XīngChén and easily disarmed him. Milky candy scent wafted into the air as XīngChén felt his heart racing fast.
No...No...
The Alpha watched with cold eyes as his Omega trembled, slowly succumbing to the overwhelming pheromones Xuē Yáng emitted. It was the very first time he had ever used it to overpower Xiǎo XīngChén. XīngChén tried to hold his breath, to fight the dizzying feeling. “Sto-stop…” The taller man begged weakly however his body betrayed him. It was mortifying having his body not listening to him. “Shall I remind you what happened last night, hmm?” Xuē Yáng whispered in the man’s ear. XīngChén was unable to move his body no matter how he tried. “Who was the one begging this ‘disgusting person’…”He mimicked XīngChén’s voice down to the way he moaned. “Ngh…Lǎo Gōng[3]fill me up, please…Haa…” “N-no…”XīngChén cried out weakly. “No…” “You are back.” XīngChén turned towards the door as he heard footsteps approaching. But then the familiar scent caught his nose as he stood up, alarmed. “What are you doing here?!” He hissed. “I’m here for my wife, of course.” Said the person with an almost innocent tone. “Get away from me.” The Alpha’s scent was getting overwhelming as XīngChén bit his own lips – drawing blood to try to keep himself from getting swept in by that sweet scent. “Come back with me.” Xuē Yáng’s voice was stern – the childlikeness in his voice gone in that instance. It's been weeks since Xuē Yáng dragged XīngChén back with him. He held the Omega captive – binding him with a deity-binding-rope[4] and keeping him locked up in the house. He prepared food and ensured that his Omega was properly cared for, constantly reminding XīngChén about their unborn child when the Omega refused to eat. Being one who cared for life above everything else, XīngChén submitted and ate the food provided. However he protested in a different way by ignoring his captor completely. Unfortunately, Xuē Yáng was crafty as he knew which buttons to push to ensure his Omega yield to him. More often than not, XīngChén found himself moaning with pleasure beneath the Alpha who knew exactly where his sensitive spots were as he was forced off the edge of ecstasy over and over again. For the first time, XīngChén was glad that he was blind so that he would not be able to see how unsightly he had become. If he had a sword right now, he would kill himself…then again the little life-force inside him had prevented him from doing so. Then one day, Xuē Yáng announced that he would need to leave for a while. “I’ll be back within a day or two.” He said, kissing his Omega on the forehead gently. It almost gave XīngChén the illusion that they were back to the past, before the truth had shattered everything they once had. The man snuggled closer, twirling XingChen’s hair with his finger, “I’ve prepared everything for you in this room” He said with his childlike tone. “So be good and wait for me~” As if XīngChén would obediently comply. Once Xuē Yáng had left the place, the man made his escape. He was unable to find his sword to cut off the deity-binding-ropes bound around him but still he escaped the house, with his spiritual powers totally sealed off. He prayed to the Gods that no harm would come his way and the Gods were kind to him. XīngChén stumbled upon some rogue cultivators nighthunting in the area, and some of them took pity on him and had helped him remove the deity-binding-rope. He thanked the cultivators profusely but did not reveal his identity to them as he went on his way. Sòng ZiChēn was the last person he would ever want to run back to – but he was the only person XīngChén has. So off to BáiXuě temple he went, hoping that his estranged friend would still be there. The sound of swords clashing worried XīngChén. He was fearing for the life of his best friend…and despite constantly denying his feelings, he was also worried for his Ah Yáng. He felt his heartbeat stop when he heard the slushing of a blade slicing into flesh, accompanied by the loud thud of someone falling to the ground. Then the smell of blood reached his nose. “Chòu DàoShi[5]!” Xuē Yáng screamed. “Why the fuck do you want to steal my wife?!” Sòng ZiChēn felt his brows twitched. “Stop hurling baseless accusations, you delinquent!” Unable to contain his anger, the Dào Zhǎng[6] swung his sword down. In that moment, he noticed a smirk begun to form on the delinquent’s face as the younger man threw something into the air. It’s a trap! His heart screamed but he was unable to halt his movement. ZiChēn coughed suddenly as he inhaled something powdery in the air. “Corpse powder?!” He staggered backwards as his enemy swung at him. Thankfully he was quick enough to block it, however the distraction was enough for Xuē Yáng to send his sword flying over. “Stop!” Finally unable to contain himself, Xiǎo XīngChén let out a scream. It miraculously worked as the two Alphas turned to look at him. The Omega approached with quick steps. “Ah Yáng.” His voice was stern. “Handover the antidote to Sòng Dào Zhǎng.” “Tsk! But Xiǎo Xīng Xīng! He’s the one who attacked first!” The voice sounded whiny – like a kid throwing a tantrum, but Xiǎo XīngChén knew better. Though he had to admit that Xuē Yáng was right. Moments ago, upon seeing Xuē Yáng standing outside his doorway, Sòng ZiChēn had immediately launched the first attack. The Dào Zhǎng had probably overheard their last conversation and the way Xiǎo XīngChén screamed for the man to leave – and hence Sòng ZiChēn decided to take matters in his own hands the moment he saw the delinquent. Before Xiǎo XīngChén knew it, both Alphas were already fighting in the garden. Frustrated at not having his weapon with him, Xiǎo XīngChén could only stand by the side. Finally he could not take it anymore when he realized that the fight had gone too far and one or both of them would be severely injured…or worse, die. “Your ‘best friend’ Sòng ZiChēn is so mean!” Xuē Yáng complained. “I’m bleeding right now.” Xiǎo XīngChén gave a sigh. “Ah Yáng, please.” His tone was stern, “Handover the antidote to Sòng Dào Zhǎng right this instance.” Knowing the severity of how corpse powder affects one’s body, XīngChén knew he had to act fast. However, Xuē Yáng had a different impression on that. So you care more for this Chòu DàoShi than your own husband? Bitter jealousy and murderous intention flashed across Xuē Yáng’s eyes as he glared at Sòng ZiChēn. Sòng ZiChēn definitely felt it too as he ran and grabbed his sword to prepare for another attack.With a smirk on his face, Xuē Yáng took no time in launching the attack. “Both of you, stop!” Xiǎo XīngChén dashed in between the two Alphas and opened up his hands – using his own body as shield. Both Alphas were alarmed as they immediately halt their attack. Unfortunately ZiChēn was affected by the corpse powder, causing his body movement to slow down slightly. His eyes widened as the blade was inches away from cutting into his best friend. No. No. No. His mind screamed as he willed his movement to stop.But alas, it was too late as the blade pierced and cut into flesh. However it was not Xiǎo XīngChén’s flesh. The man had been perfectly shielded from harm’s way. Xuē Yáng looked up at his Omega, a blade protruded out of his stomach as a stream of blood dripped off the edge of the sword and onto the ground. He coughed and spat out more blood. “Xiǎo XīngChén, you dumbass! Do you have a death wish or something?!” As one who was used to pain, Xuē Yáng could still manage to speak. “Ah…Ah Yáng?” Xiǎo XīngChén’s heart froze. His entire body shook as he reached out for the man. ZiChēn pulled back his sword – opening up a gaping wound. Xuē Yáng’s feet went weak as he stumbled forward. “Ah Yáng!” Xiǎo XīngChén exclaimed as he held onto the man. Xuē Yáng did not reply. The wound was not that severe actually, he had gotten a lot worst before. However seeing the concern XīngChén had for him, the delinquent had decided to play along. Lying listlessly in the other’s arms. “Pa-pain…” He coughed weakly. ZiChēn who was standing by the side was able to see through the delinquent. He clenched onto his sword. “XīngChén!” He called out to his friend. Unfortunately Xiǎo XīngChén’s mind was in disarray over the event that had transpired. He held onto Xuē Yáng’s limp body tightly. Lips quivering, “ZiChēn, please…call the doctor!” Sòng ZiChēn felt his brows twitched when he caught a glimpse of the delinquent sneakily opening an eye to look at his surroundings. You delinquent, taking advantage of XīngChén’s blindness and fooling him over and over again! He wanted to scream out and stab the man – finishing his job. However looking at XīngChén’s mental state, ZiChēn decided that it was unwise for him to do so. Shedding off the blood from the sword, he sheathed the sword as he turned to walk away. “Wait…”XīngChén called out to him. The taller man turned as a bottle was hurled towards him – it was the antidote to the corpse-powder. “Be careful.” He warned XīngChén. Then he turned his gaze towards the injured man. “If you dare try anything on XīngChén…” He was not able to continue as the man had coughed weakly, mouthing the word ‘pain’ which totally gained XīngChén’s sympathy. “Alright. Alright. Please go, ZiChēn.” XīngChén begged. As soon as Sòng Lán left the place, a smirk begun to form on Xuē Yáng’s face. He slowly reached out a hand – with the intention to knockout XīngChén by hitting on some nerve points when suddenly, his hand froze. His eyes widened in horror as he looked at his Omega who had just paralyzed him temporarily by hitting his nerve points. XīngChén had with him an unreadable expression. Xuē Yáng could only watch as the Omega begun pulling out a rope – the deity-binding-rope which he had used to bind XīngChén – from underneath his sleeve and begun binding his hands. “XīngChén! What are you doing?!” “I could ask you the same.” The Omega was smiling. “What did you intend to do just now, Lǎo Gōng?” He emphasized the last two syllables in a mocking tone. It caused Xuē Yáng to shiver slightly. “Ah…XīngChén? I was…” “Mián Yáng, no. Xuē Yáng.” XīngChén begun. “Tell me, how did you find me?” There was a pause as the younger man did not seem to want to reply to his question. XīngChén sighed as his hand slid down to where the wound was. He was able to feel the wetness from the blood as Xuē Yáng’s body involuntarily twitched from the pain.“If you do not tell me how you managed to find me. I will not follow you back.” “Tsk, as if you intended to follow me back in the first place.” Xuē Yáng rolled his eyes. “Hmph!” He flinched slightly as he felt a hand touching his chin, tilting it so that he was facing the Omega who smiled at him wearily. “Well, at first I really did intend to run away from you…” “Tsk! See! I knew it!” Xuē Yáng interrupted, displeased apparent in his voice. “You really are leaving me! Do you intend to stay with this Chòu DàoShi with our child?!” He gritted his teeth. “Ah Yáng…”XīngChén sighed, “Please listen.” The sternness in XīngChén’s voice worked and with that Xuē Yáng kept his mouth shut. “I did intend to give away our child to ZiChēn.” His voice was solemn. Xuē Yáng’s eyes widened in horror as the man continued, “And then I would find you and kill you and then myself.” The younger man was shocked at the severity of XīngChén’s words. “You hate me that much, huh?” Xuē Yáng finally spoke, his voice lost its usual confidence. XīngChén shook his head. “No. I...” He took a deep breath. “But I don’t think I can, not anymore.” He said. “The moment when ZiChēn’s blade cut into you, I…” He was trembling, “My heart stopped.” He clenched onto the man tightly, “I…don’t want to lose you.” Xuē Yáng noticed that the bandages could not hold the overflowing blood tears as the blood had rolled down the blind man’s cheeks. “The gods will punish me for this. But I…” “XīngChén, the doctor’s here.” ZiChēn’s declared. “Ah.” XīngChén stood up, carrying the injured man almost effortlessly. Though it did make the younger man screamed at him, “XīngChén! Stop straining yourself! You are with child!” His voice full of concern, “Let me down!”But XīngChén totally ignored him. “ZiChēn, where do I take him?” He asked. ZiChēn noticed the red deity-binding-rope securely tied onto the smaller man’s hands. He raised a brow. Something must’ve happened. He thought, thanking the heavens that XīngChén had probably grew wiser and knew how to take preventive measures to halt whatever evil plans the delinquent had probably plotted. His lips curled up slightly into somewhat of a smile as he looked at the screaming man in XīngChén’s arms. Xuē Yáng was practically hissing at ZiChēn. The hell with that smug look! The delinquent thought. “XīngChén, let go of me!” “Be quiet.” The Omega scolded. As expected, the wound wasn’t that severe. The delinquent was after all used to all sorts of pain and this level of injury was merely a scratch to him. XīngChén did not tell the rest of the story to ZiChēn – intentionally hiding out the whole chunk about Xuē Yáng’s identity as the assassin group responsible for the massacre of BáiXuě temple. “Thank you, ZiChēn.” XīngChén said. “We shall be taking our leave. I’m truly sorry to impose on you.” “XīngChén, no.”ZiChēn placed both hands on his friend’s shoulders. “Where are you touching, Chòu DàoShi!” Xuē Yáng glared at the DàoShi. “Ah Yáng! Do not be rude.” XīngChén scolded. “ZiChēn is my friend.” “Tsk…” The younger man crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes. “Stay, XīngChén.” ZiChēn said, glaring at the delinquent, “I don’t trust him to be able to raise a child properly.” “Chòu DàoShi! What did you say?!” Xuē Yáng spat. The aura in the room had turned murderous all of a sudden. XīngChén felt his head burning. “ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!” He raised his voice. After a moment, he turned towards his friend, “Thank you, ZiChēn. I truly appreciate this. But as you can see my husband doesn’t seem to agree with this.” Xuē Yáng felt a blush crawling up his cheeks when XīngChén openly admitted that he was his ‘husband’. He smiled – albeit smugly. His head was in the clouds and he was feeling particularly indulging. “Ah, but Yáng Yáng is willing to go wherever Xiǎo XīngXīng wants to go.” He said with his childish tone. “If Xiǎo XīngXīng wants to stay here, then Yáng Yáng would stay as well. ZiChēn raised a brow – totally surprised that for once this delinquent was agreeing with his suggestion. “No, it’s alright, ZiChēn.” XīngChén bowed slightly. “We do not want to impose further anymore.” He insisted. “Thank you for all you have done for us.” He said politely, smiling. “We'll be leaving, however do feel free to come visit.” The deity-binding-rope never left Xuē Yáng’s wrist – as a sort of compromise. It merely sealed off his spiritual power but still allowed him to go about daily activities...albeit slightly restrictive. After deciding to stay with him, XīngChén had a few rules set up for his Alpha. “I can’t change the past.” XīngChén said. “However you must still atone for what you have done.” But I’ll be here, we’ll both atone for this. An oath XīngChén had sworn to himself. If he can’t save the world, then he could at least save this man, guiding him back to the right path. It was a childish idea, really. But XīngChén believed he could really do it. At least on my watch, no one else would get hurt. He allowed himself to believe that, probably to lessen the guilt he had felt from not revealing Xuē Yáng’s identity to his best friend. XīngChén was already in too deep. The ‘Bright Moon and Cool Breeze’ no longer suited him anymore – for he had fallen, tainted by this man who had seduced him – his wolf in sheep's clothing.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Xuē Yáng furrowed his brows as he carefully poured the gooey substance into a tray. Sweet scent wafted into the air, seeping in through every corner in the small coffin house where he and his pregnant spouse was currently residing in.
And three…two…
Footsteps approaching the kitchen had the delinquent’s mouth curved up into a smile. “Good morning, Xiǎo XīngXīng[1]~” Xuē Yáng greeted with honeyed tone, not turning around. His eyes focused on the goo that was slowly hardening in the tray. A pair of arms circled around the delinquent’s waist. Xuē Yáng’s smile widened. Further into the pregnancy, his Omega seemed to have become clingier. Xuē Yáng quite liked this side of his spouse – the slightly childish Xiǎo XīngChén. The change happened shortly after they left BáiXuě temple. It started with Xiǎo XīngChén’s cravings for sweets all-of-a-sudden, and it slowly spiraled into something more and more bizarre. And before he knew it, the Omega had built a tiny nest for himself at the corner of their shared room. He kept Xuē Yáng’s unwashed clothes stuffed at his little corner and when Xuē Yáng tried to take his clothes for washing, he was greeted with an almost…feral Xiǎo XīngChén. Yes, feral. It left the Alpha totally bewildered as his clothing dwindled in numbers. The poor Alpha had to guard the last two sets of robes he had left, secretly washing it at the nearby stream when the Omega was taking his afternoon naps. Xiǎo XīngChén cradled against his Alpha’s neck, taking a sniff of that comforting Milky-candy scent. He let out a whimper, “Hungry…” His Alpha let out a chuckle. Tilting his head to the side, he gave Xiǎo XīngChén a chaste kiss on his forehead. “There’s some porridge in the pot.” “Mmm…did you put sugar?” “Of course~ but go easy there. The doctor says you shouldn’t be eating too much sweets.” “Hng…” Xiǎo XīngChén hummed, letting go of his spouse. He made his way to the pot, using his sense of smell. Without his sight to depend on, he had honed his other senses throughout the years. Preparing a bowl for himself, he brought the porridge to the table and sat down for breakfast while listening to the sounds going about in the kitchen. Ever since the previous candy stall owner mysteriously disappeared, Xuē Yáng had took it to himself to sell candies at the marketplace. It brought joy to the kids in the neighborhood and he earned an adequate income for the family expenses. Xuē Yáng quite enjoyed experimenting on different recipes to make new sweets. His Omega would then test them, giving him comments and feedback on the sweets he had come up with. Xuē Yáng cut the candies into tiny cubes as he skillfully wrapped them up with paper. Having been restrained by the deity binding ropes, the delinquent still managed his day to day life with little difficulties. Xiǎo XīngChén ensured the ropes were bound on the delinquent only to subdue his spiritual energy and would not affect anything else. The former DàoShi[2]even sealed off the delinquent’s spiritual energy via nerve points as an extra precaution. If his friend – the current sect leader of the Jīn clan were to see Xuē Yáng right now, he would most definitely be laughing at the delinquent’s sorry state. “A tiger who has his teeth pulled out.” Jīn GuāngYáo would most definitely say to him. Speaking of which, Xuē Yáng was supposed to be meeting the man today. Xuē Yáng took a glance at his Omega silently eating his bowl of porridge – his gesture elegant as he brought the spoon slowly to his mouth. Xiǎo XīngChén blew at the porridge before carefully sipping it. Xuē Yáng found himself smiling as he watched the scene before him, it elicited an inexplicable warm feeling in his chest. After taking three spoons of the porridge, Xiǎo XīngChén stopped abruptly. His lips thinned into a line. Placing the spoon back into the bowl, he pushed it away. “What’s wrong?” Xuē Yáng sighed. “Is it not to your liking?” “En…baby wants some sticky-rice cakes.” Xuē Yáng rolled his eyes. You want some sticky-rice cakes. Don’t go blaming it on the baby. Though, he did not say it out loud. Knowing full well the consequences. Pregnant Xiǎo XīngChén was unpredictable and the last thing the Alpha wanted was to get on his wrong side. Xiǎo XīngChén was seven months into his pregnancy now and Xuē Yáng was doing his best to keep up with his Omega’s demands. “Be good and eat up~” Xuē Yáng cooed, voice sweet. “I’ll get my Xiǎo XīngXīng some after I get back.” He wrapped the final piece of candy, tossing it into a basket. Then, he walked towards the dining table and sat down next to his spouse who had his lips pouted – obviously displeased. “Let me feed you, hmm?” The delinquent scooped up some porridge and brought it to XīngChén’s mouth. The stubborn Omega turned his head away. “Come on, be good~” The delinquent cajoled. XīngChén raised up a hand to push him away. It wasn’t a hard push yet the porridge almost spilled out of the spoon. “Not hungry anymore.” Xiǎo XīngChén muttered. Xuē Yáng sighed. He put down the spoon and begun caressing the side of Xiǎo XīngChén’s face. “Alright, alright. I’ll get you something nicer after I get back, hmm?” His voice maintained the smoothness as he coaxed his stubborn spouse. “En…I also want some sweet and sour fish.” “Alright, alright.” Xuē Yáng made a mental note to catch a fish at the nearby stream on the way back from the marketplace. “Anything else?” He watched as Xiǎo XīngChén’s cheeks turned into a light shade of pink as a pair of hands reached out to caress Xuē Yáng’s face. A heavy scent of Peach Blossom occupied the room. The delinquent smirked, feeling his body temperature rising. Gosh, pregnancy had done wonders to his meek little Omega. The delinquent glanced out of the window to the dark sky.
There’s still time.
The delinquent brought XīngChén’s wrist to his mouth, planting soft kisses on it as he watched the Omega opening his mouth to let out soft moans. So sensitive. Pleased by the reaction, the Alpha continued his ministrations, closing in on his Omega to plant more kisses on his neck, teeth grazing on sensitive spots – just the way XīngChén likes it as the Omega let out a high pitch yelp. The scent of milky-candy and peach blossom mingled in the air, seeping through their little coffin house. Xuē Yáng yawned as he watched the hustle and bustle going about at the marketplace. Spring had given way to summer and it was starting to get a little warmer. He kept the candies shaded away from the sun. It would not sell well if they had melted. “Xiǎo Bái Yáng Nǎi Táng[3]” was written on a wooden plank that stood in front of the stall. It was beautifully handwritten by Xiǎo XīngChén. At first Xuē Yáng was doubtful that his spouse could write in his blind state, but he was quickly proven wrong. Xiǎo XīngChén’s handwriting was much like the Omega himself – neat and having this delicate touch. Sales was quite slow that morning, though it didn’t really bother Xuē Yáng – knowing that he could have the candies for himself later. Then again, he might need that little extra cash to purchase some rice that was about to run out.
Oh well…
Eyes caught sight of a familiar figure as Xuē Yáng raised a brow. Despite being clad in commoner clothes to blend in with the crowd, Xuē Yáng could never mistake that face. It was a face that acted like a mask – pleasantly handsome, yet Xuē Yáng could see right through it. “Sect leader~ it’s an honor to have you here.” XuēYáng greeted with a tinge of mockery in his tone. They were of the same species – he and Jīn GuāngYáo. Predators in their own rights. However, the Gods had been unkind to the sect leader. He was cursed with the body of an Omega in the world run by Alphas and Betas. Yet, the Omega had spat fate in the face as he rose in ranks, mocking the entire cultivation world when he became the first Omega to run a sect – a huge and influential sect no less. “It’s been a while, ChéngMěi.” Xuē Yáng’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Do not call me that.” It was a busy morning, so no one was paying attention to the duo. The smile plastered on Jīn GuāngYáo’s face never faltered as he took a glance at his friend’s shabby little stall. Yes, friend, despite that one-time Jīn GuāngYáo had tried to have Xuē Yáng killed. They still maintained this ‘friendship’ even from all the bad blood between them. “I see you are doing quite…alright.” A friendly statement, albeit his unconvincing tone. Xuē Yáng noticed the man’s brow had raised a little higher than usual, betraying that courteous act he was putting on earlier. Xuē Yáng snorted. Jīn GuāngYáo begun, “So, shall we go someplace private to discuss our matters?” “Mm-hmm~” Xuē Yáng hummed nonchalantly as he held out a hand. It was a wordless exchange of stares as JīnGuāngYáo gave a sigh, hand reaching into his sleeve to bring out the money pouch and handed the entire thing to Xuē Yáng. With a sweet tone and a dazzling smile, the delinquent said, “Thank you, dear customer. Hope you have a nice day~” Jīn GuāngYáo rolled his eyes, dropping all the fake courtesy act from moments ago. Xiǎo XīngChén laid about in his little ‘nest’, soothed by the scent from the fabric his Alpha used to wear. The clothes were piled up enough to make a comfy little bed in which the Omega was snugged in. It was his daily routine, lying about in his nest as he listened to the birds outside the window sing – caged up birds placed just outside their little house. Xuē Yáng had gotten him some songbirds when Xiǎo XīngChén told him about the birds back in BàoShān. “Every time I walk past the forest trail, they would sing to me.” Xiǎo XīngChén had explained to Xuē Yáng – or better known as Mián Yáng[4] back then. “How would you know that they are actually singing to you. Hmm?” Mián Yáng had said. “Maybe they were actually cursing at you.” He changed into a sharp pitch tone, “Look! That dummy is here again!” Switching his voice again, he continued, “A-ha! Let’s shit on him this time! Ready~” A string of laughter echoed the small coffin house as Xiǎo XīngChén struggled to catch his breath. Pressing onto his stomach, he took in a deep breathe, “Oh-…you…” And he lost it again, “Hahahahaha…” “What?” Mián Yáng pouted, acting seemingly innocent. “You don’t speak a bird’s language~ you wouldn’t know if they are actually mocking you.” Xiǎo XīngChén remembered laughing and laughing. It was unstoppable. Until Mián Yáng pulled him into a kiss to silence him. Feeling light-headed at having his breath robbed off him, Xiǎo XīngChén was flushed-face and panting when they finally broke the kiss. “LǎoPó,[5] let’s make a baby, hmm?” Voice husky against XīngChén’s ears. Things were much simpler back before Xiǎo XīngChén found out who Mián Yáng really was. At first, Xiǎo XīngChén was in denial – not wanting to acknowledge that his sweet husband who would never hurt a fly was actually a coldblooded assassin who wiped out clans. Thinking about it had made XīngChén’s heart throb. He shook off that piece of dark memory and focused on the positives in life. He had made his choice back in BáiXuě temple, so he had to live with it. For better or worse. His stomach growled. Xiǎo XīngChén groaned. That pot of porridge was not to his liking, so he had no appetite for any. Slowly, he made his way into the kitchen. Feeling his way around, he searched for ingredients to make something.
But what?
After gathering all the ingredients available in the small kitchen, the former DàoShi decided to make some red bean soup. It should not be too complicated to make, thought the Omega. An hour later, the Omega was sitting at the table enjoying his bowl of desserts. When he was about to go for a refill, a sharp pain shot through his stomach all of a sudden. He staggered but managed to regain his footing by holding onto the edge of the table.
Oh no…it has only been seven months!
Panicking, the Omega tried to make his way out of the house to seek help, but the pain was too much that his legs gave way. Sweat was dripping down his forehead as he panted heavily. “Ah Yáng…” He called out weakly, clutching onto his stomach. The restaurant that Jīn GuāngYáo had chosen had a private room for discussion. Not feeling particularly hungry, the duo had ordered tea instead. “How much longer do you need?” The Jīn sect leader had asked in regards to the task he had assigned to his friend. It was for the restoration of the Stygian Tiger Seal - a powerful artifact that all clans were aiming for. It was told to be lost, destroyed but in reality the Lánlíng Jīn sect have it. Finding ways to restore it to its full glory. They had found Xuē Yáng for the task. “I do hope that you keep your end of the bargain.” Jīn GuāngYáo said in between sipping his tea. “Tsk, don't be so impatient. I'm working on it once I could find the time.” Xuē Yáng replied, tapping a finger on the table. “My Omega is currently pregnant and-” Xuē Yáng was suddenly cut off when flames burst out at the side of his waistband where he hung extra pouches and some amulets. The flames were harmless, taking with it only the yellow amulet paper that was reduced to dust in mere seconds. The delinquent’s eyes widened as he stood up immediately. “Fuck!” Cursing loudly, he was about to exit the place when the hilt of a sword stopped him in his tracks. Jīn GuāngYáo was holding up HènSheng and looking at XuēYáng, “Something happen back home?” Cold sweat dripped down Xiǎo XīngChén’s forehead. The pain was getting lesser as the moment passed. It has begun. A pregnant Omega’s body would secrete a sort of endorphin to ease the pain from childbirth. However, for a male Omega – their body was designed differently hence the child needed to be birthed via caesarean. So, it would be dangerous to the child if the endorphins were to kick in and the Omega falls unconscious. Xiǎo XīngChén would not allow that. “ShuāngHuá…” With whatever strength he had left, he summoned his sword to his side. Trembling hands held onto the sword as Xiǎo XīngChén tried to recall the childbirths that he had been brought to witness back in BàoShān. He remembered feeling so afraid back then and swore to never give birth. Hence why he rejected all the advances from the Alphas and kept himself single. Until this little ‘wolf’ invaded his life, disguised as a harmless sheep at first. Like a moth to a flame, Xiǎo XīngChén found himself more and more drawn towards the ‘wolf’. The fear of childbirth still haunts Xiǎo XīngChén, but he was willing to take the risk if it meant having to build a family with the man who stole his heart. Hence why the revelation of who his husband really was had shattered him that time. Xiǎo XīngChén had felt lost, angry at the betrayal…but never once did he regret bearing the man’s child. It was the proof of their love, unstained by the heap of lies that built their relationship. Lifting up his clothes, Xiǎo XīngChén aimed the tip of ShuāngHuá beneath his abdomen. His hands still shaky as the tip of the sword cut slightly in. Xiǎo XīngChén winced at the pain. His body was continuously producing endorphins and he knew he had to hurry. He cut in deeper, dragging the blade slightly to the side for an opening. Crimson liquid spilled out and the smell of copper drifted into the air. “Xiǎo XīngChén!” The grip on the sword loosened, falling onto the ground with a clank. “Ah Yáng…” XīngChén’s mouth curved upwards, feeling relieved. The bandages around his eyes were already bloodied. “Quick…call the mid-wife…” He gasped. Xuē Yáng felt his heart stop watching the scene before him. Fear. He had not felt that in a very long time, but somehow seeing Xiǎo XīngChén in this weakened state had stirred his memory of being small and helpless. “Move aside.” A voice said behind Xuē Yáng and a he was pushed out of the way. A figure zoomed past the delinquent and knelt down beside the birthing Omega. “Breath. It’s going to be alright.” Jīn GuāngYáo said in a calming voice. The sect leader then turned towards Xuē Yáng. “What are you standing there for?! Carry him into the bedroom and go boil the water!” The commands snapped Xuē Yáng out of his thoughts. He quickly did as he was told. The blood seeped into Xuē Yáng’s dark robes when carrying his Omega and he felt his heart ache looking at his Omega’s pale face. Gingerly, he placed Xiǎo XīngChén onto his ‘nest’ before staggering out of the room. His feet hit the tall wooden threshold as he made his way into the kitchen. Jīn GuāngYáo seemingly knew what he was doing, pulling out a pouch and opening it to reveal a set of surgical knives. He wasn’t a medic of course, but it was a common thing for Omegas to bring around when they needed to aid another Omega. “Chew on this. It helps” Medicinal herbs were shoved against Xiǎo XīngChén’s mouth as the birthing Omega complied. Looking at the Omega’s face, the Jīn sect leader realized the identity of this Omega. He most definitely had met him before and Jīn GuāngYáo never forgets a face. Aiyo! Damn bastard was hiding him here all along. It was the first time he had met his friend’s ‘wife’ as he was being very very secretive about it and Jīn GuāngYáo had never really bothered to dig deep. Nonetheless, this did not matter anyway. Getting the baby delivered safely was the top priority here. After what could be called the longest day of his life, the sound of a baby cries echoed throughout the coffin house. Xuē Yáng stared at the bundle in his arms, not knowing what to feel about this ‘strange potato’ that had caused his Xiǎo XīngXīng so much pain. The ‘strange potato’ had quite some weight despite being born before due. Xiǎo XīngChén’s face was as pale as a sheet but he was smiling. “Let me hold her.” The sect leader had gone off to clean his tools, leaving the couple in the room with their newborn. Xuē Yáng carefully handed the crying bundle over to his spouse. The child had stopped crying once held by Xiǎo XīngChén. Xiǎo XīngChén’s smile widened as he reached out a hand to caress the baby’s face. Gently tracing the outlook. “I shall name you Xiǎo HóngDòu[6].” “Eh? But LǎoPó~” XuēYáng pouted. “Xuē HóngDòu sounds weird. Let’s find-” “Who says the child would be surnamed after you?” Xiǎo XīngChén quickly cut in. “She’s following my surname –Xiǎo.” Xuē Yáng felt his brows twitched. “What did you say?!” In the meantime, Jīn GuāngYáo who had finished washing his tools entered the room to witness the scene unfold before him. Lips curled upwards, the sect leader watched in amusement as Xuē Yáng’s face contorted into something between anger and exasperation. The couple had not notice his presence yet. “But…but…LǎoPó…” Xuē Yáng resorted to using his pitiful tone. Jīn GuāngYáo was enjoying every bit of this. Blackmail material. He gleefully filed it into his mind. After an hour or so of squabbling, the Alpha finally gave in and accepted the name. The Jīn sect leader had left the place – having his own twins at home to look after. He needed to be back before nightfall. Xuē Yáng snuggled next to his Omega watching the Omega sleeping soundly with the baby still clutched in his arms. He then closed in to plant a kiss on Xiǎo XīngChén’s forehead before looking at the ‘strange potato’ that was his daughter. “You, be good for your dad. Hmm?” He reached out a finger to poke lightly at Xiǎo HóngDòu’s nose. The child crinkled her nose before yawning and falling back to sleep. There was a time where Xuē Yáng used to scoff at the idea of having a family of his own. The Jīn family had offered him Omegas to choose from – said he should start a family for himself. It was a tool to bind him closer to the family so that he would not stray or betray them. But alas, Xuē Yáng took no interest at all. He spent his life honing his skills, to become more powerful – so that he would not feel helplessness again. The first clan he had massacred was the YuèYáng Chang Clan using the codename 【ChéngMěi】- it was from an idiom 【Jūn Zǐ Chéng Rén Zhī Měi[7]】and so this assassin had helped the Jīn eradicate some ‘weeds’, working in the shadows. Though some of the things he had done were for his personal self – the YuèYáng Chang massacre was one of them. His deeds had become more and more prominent that there were traces linking back to the Jīn. So, they had to kill the ‘mad-dog’ that had been causing nuisance to the public. Jīn GuāngYáo was tasked to do the job, however by some fate the ‘mad-dog’ had survived. But that was all in the past. Xuē Yáng was glad that Xiǎo XīngChén had found him. Else he probably would not have survived. Xiǎo XīngChén was too good for the world, too naïve, too trusting…too dumb. To be so oblivious and allowing such a dangerous man like Xuē Yáng to stay by his side for so long. And even upon revelation, had chosen to forgive him. Once upon a time, a wolf had had disguised himself as a sheep and had befriended the Jade Rabbit[8], feeding the rabbit lies after lies. They became close. To the point where the rabbit could never be separated from the wolf. So, when the hunter had come for the wolf’s head – the Jade Rabbit had jumped in to stop the hunter. The lies had already been woven into a beautiful dream where the Rabbit did not want to wake up from anymore.