Chapter 10

The smile on Zuo Nian’s face froze. His big eyes went wide with injured innocence.
“I just… bought some things, and the clerk gave me some tips.”
“What did you buy?”
Oh no. He was angry.
Fear curled in Zuo Nian’s stomach.
His words stumbled over themselves. “Just… the shirt, the socks, and… and…”
“And what?”
“…And a stick that… vibrates…”
Fixing him with a sharp stare, Duan Baisui said, “What are you holding in your hand?”
Obedient as ever, Zuo Nian opened his palm.
Lying in the center was a condom.
“Zuo Nian,” Duan Baisui said sternly.
“Ah?”
“Who told you to buy these things? Do you even know what they’re for?”
“I do…” His voice grew smaller, tinged with the threat of tears. “The clothes are for seducing you. This is for… contraception. And the vibrating stick… is for me… to, um, make things more exciting…”
“Don’t buy this kind of thing again,” Duan Baisui said. “There are a lot of things you don’t understand yet. And they’re not necessarily going to be used.”
His eyes reddened at once. “I know I don’t understand. That’s why I’m learning.”
He’d hoped for praise.
But none came.
“Or… do you actually see me the same way other people do?” he whispered.
Duan Baisui didn’t answer.
How did he see Zuo Nian?
He’d never considered him a fool.
But he hadn’t treated him as an equal either.
In his mind, Zuo Nian had always been like a child. From the very beginning, he’d never thought of him as a partner—just a kid to be humored.
He’d forgotten that Zuo Nian was twenty‑five. A grown man with a mind of his own.
Just like tonight.
If this had been an ordinary couple, it would have been nothing more than a bit of fun between spouses. But in their case, he’d sat there interrogating him like a naughty child.
What had Zuo Nian done wrong?
He was only trying to fulfill his role as a partner.
After a long, heavy silence, Zuo Nian turned away first. Pulling the blanket over himself, he said, “I’m sorry. Nian‑nian understands now.”
“Good night, Gege.”
He didn’t know how to argue, or throw a tantrum.
He’d always been like that. Even as a child, he’d swallowed the worst of grievances without a sound.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Duan Baisui watched his back, wondering whether he was crying.
After a long hesitation, he reached out and ruffled his hair. “I’m the one who should apologize. I’m sorry. I just… wasn’t ready yet.”
Turning back toward him, Zuo Nian’s lashes were wet. The pear‑blossom‑in‑the‑rain look in his eyes was enough to break anyone’s heart.
He rolled over and hugged Duan Baisui around the waist, his voice trembling. “It’s Nian‑nian’s fault. I shouldn’t have said that. You’re not like other people, Gege. You’ve never despised me. Wuwuwu… I’m terrible. How could I think of you that way?”
Burying his face against his waist, he cried soundlessly, each shuddering breath striking straight at Duan Baisui’s heart.
Maybe Alphas were just naturally presumptuous.
He’d thought that giving Zuo Nian a comfortable life was enough to count as “treating him well.”
But that wasn’t what a marriage was meant to be.
He suddenly remembered something Xu Yi had once said: “Sometimes, all I want is a hug from your father. But he always sees right through me and gives me a kiss instead. That’s why, no matter what the media say about him, I’ve always trusted him. Because I know he loves me.”
For the first time, Duan Baisui realized he’d been treating his Omega the wrong way.
Gently stroking his hair, he wrapped his arms around him.
It was the first time since their wedding that they’d held each other like this.
He could smell the scent of Zuo Nian’s shampoo in his hair, and faint traces of pheromones seeping out from beneath the suppression patches.
Green‑grape candy.
Sweet and a little tart.
When they’d married, they’d done a pheromone matching test.
Their compatibility was eighty percent.
Not sky‑high, but more than enough to sustain a long‑term bond without breeding hatred over time.
And yet in all this time, neither of them had ever released their pheromones to entice the other.
They lived under the same roof more like opposite‑sex siblings.
They cared and looked after one another—but when it came to taking that final step, something always held them back.
Exhausted from crying, Zuo Nian eventually fell asleep.
Carefully, Duan Baisui tucked him under the covers and slipped A‑Beibei into his arms.
Why had he made him cry?
The next morning, Zuo Nian woke up early.
His internal clock had been steady lately—time to get up and make breakfast for Duan Baisui.
After crying for so long the night before, his eyes were swollen and sore.