Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Bai Chen: ???

Did he... kiss him?

He did, right???

It wasn't just a brief touch; he even lingered and caressed his lips slightly, clearly not an accidental brush. Moreover, with his vision blocked by fingers, the other senses became exceptionally acute.

Soft, slightly cool... every sensation was magnified many times over, clear and precise.

The Omega froze.

This... this was his first kiss!

His very first!

Just like that... it's gone?

He stood there, frozen, unable to regain his composure for a long moment.

The Alpha slowly released his hand.

Xie Yilin hoped that what he saw would not be disgust or rejection. Then, at a glance, he saw a dazed little sweet orange.

The stars in Bai Chen's eyes paused, staring at him blankly.

...Ten seconds passed.

Xie Yilin's eyes flashed with a smile.

He gently lifted his finger and grazed Bai Chen's nose.

Bai Chen: "..."

Not? Why does the other person look completely fine?

"Completely fine," Xie Yilin whispered, "Don't you like it?"

Bai Chen responded unconsciously, "No, not that..."

No, no, he doesn't really like it either.

It's just, just...

Bai Chen's face flushed red, stammering, "There's no camera, why... why did you suddenly do that..."

Xie Yilin paused, then softly asked, "Do you like it?"

Do you like it?

The question he had already asked once seemed to demand an answer, as if he wouldn't let it go otherwise. Bai Chen's face turned even redder, and he stammered, "It's, it's okay."

He pretended to be very experienced, deliberately putting on a calm expression, "Marking like this isn't bad, but next time tell me in advance."

Xie Yilin: ...

So, Bai Chen still thinks this is just a temporary mark?

Alpha suddenly became indecisive, unsure if he should continue advancing.

After Bai Chen said this, he quickly pushed Xie Yilin away, swiftly turned around, and burrowed into the covers, tightly wrapping himself up—head to toe, leaving no part exposed.

At the same time, he inwardly cursed himself: How careless! How careless!

How could he have forgotten? Xie Yilin is an Alpha too!

He, an Omega, living in close proximity with him, hugging and cuddling every day... Oh, how frustrating, and it was even his own initiative to hug and cuddle?

Now things were getting complicated, like stacking firewood in an old house; sooner or later, it would catch fire.

No, no, he had to set boundaries right away!

He made up his mind, pretending to be sleepy, and yawned widely: "Mm, so sleepy..."

"I'm going to sleep now, goodnight, Your Highness!"

Saying that, he wasted no time, closing his eyes immediately and feigning sleep.

...Pretending for a while, he actually fell asleep.

Thus, he didn't see that after he fell asleep, the flames in the Alpha's gray eyes did not diminish but grew even more intense.

He was determined to succeed.

***

After the fourth episode aired, it received unanimous praise from viewers ranging from eighty years old to fifteen.

"After watching the fourth episode, I immediately video-called my mom. I told her I love her, and she said she loves me too, sniff... sniff..."

"I've been so busy with work lately, but after watching the fourth episode, I immediately planned my annual leave and booked a trip to travel with my parents."

"I was still arguing with my mom yesterday, but today after watching the show, sniff... I’ve already apologized to her..."

"...I’ve already reserved a Mother's Day gift! Thank you, Chenchen!"

Many others also noticed Yilin Xie’s kindness.

"His Highness is just too perfect! He can stay at home or go out, he can make you weak in the knees, and he can even make your heart race, and... and he can cook!"

"Oh no, what should I do? I want to snatch Chenchen from him, but I also think His Highness is great? Forget it, I’ll just enjoy the couple!"

"Sniff, I feel the same way. We can’t compete with His Highness anyway, so let’s just be fans of their love and watch their fairy-tale romance!"

Meanwhile, Bai Chen was seeing off his mother.

The airport on Endor did not have direct flights to Cangxu, and the production team originally planned to find someone to accompany Bai Mom through the transfers—first-class, all expenses paid by the production team. But that would be too exhausting, so naturally, when Yilin Xie gave the order, Xiao Ling arranged for the royal ship to be dispatched again, specifically to send Bai Mom back.

Bai Yinyi thought this was too high-profile.

The royal ship was such a conspicuous target, drawing attention wherever it went. Her son had indeed married the Crown Prince, but Bai Yinyi was well aware that this marriage might not go as smoothly as everyone hoped.

So she firmly declined, and after much persuasion, Xiao Ling, on Bai Chen’s behalf, hired a commercial ship with excellent service.

The departure was scheduled for 8 PM.

Since they had chartered the entire ship, there was no need to rush. It was already 7 PM, and the three of them were still leisurely sitting in the VIP waiting area at the port.

Bai Mom had managed to get out of the house rarely, and she not only bought a lot of things but also brought many gifts for her friends at the nursing home. Bai Chen checked his mother’s luggage one last time to ensure nothing was forgotten.

He kept on talking like a housekeeper, "Mom, Auntie Song's perfume, Sister Zhang's handkerchief... Oh, and the local snacks, have you got them all?"

"Got it, got it." Bai Yinyi just smiled, as they were about to part, she thought her own son was perfect in every way. Looking at him, she couldn't help but glance at Xie Yilin beside him.

Xie Yilin's gaze was fixed solely on Bai Chen.

At this very moment, the three individuals had actually formed a closed loop with just their eyes.

Bai Yinyi noticed this and couldn't help but say, "Chen Chen, it just occurred to me that I seem to have forgotten something."

Bai Chen exclaimed, "What is it?"

Bai Yinyi said, "There's a little girl who just came this year. I have a good relationship with her. She likes stuffed toys. She said she likes a pony or a unicorn..."

"Is it Unicorn Lina?" Bai Chen reacted immediately, "I saw it in the port shopping area. I'll buy it for you."

Omega walked away quickly.As he left, the room seemed to become a little lonely, and the bright spring sunshine temporarily left. Xie Yilin's eyes followed him out, then fell back and looked at Mother Bai.

He said in a deep voice, "You're looking for me?"

"……yes."

Bai Yinyi felt somewhat uneasy in her heart—had she been discovered so quickly?

This guy is too clever. If Chen Chen gets the short end of the stick, what should we do?

After much contemplation, she decided to test the waters further.

Xie Yilin said earnestly, "Please go ahead."

Bai Yini smiled and said, "Last night, I talked with Chen for a long time and mentioned some things about his father. Did he tell you?"

This question seemed ordinary, but from Bai Yini's perspective, it carried different implications.

Xie Yilin paused slightly.

He replied calmly, "He didn't tell me."

Bai Yini raised an eyebrow.

"But," Xie Yilin continued, shifting gears, "I had someone retrieve the information."

Under Bai Yini's surprised gaze, he summoned a virtual screen, which displayed a personal resume.

At the top was a name.

Qiu Linxu.

This was Bai Chen's father's name.

The resume also included a small ID photo. The picture must have been taken when he was younger; the young Mr. Bai had a slight upward curve at the corners of his lips as he looked straight ahead.

Bai Yini's eyes welled up with tears.

It had been so long, so very long since she had seen her husband like this.

There were few family photos, and not many pictures in general. Moving from place to place over the years had led to the gradual loss of many items. What remained now, most vividly... was memory.

In her memory, her husband was just like this.

Bai Yini couldn't help but reach out to touch the photo on the screen.

Xie Yilin didn't hesitate and immediately transmitted the file to her.

At the same time, he whispered, "Major Qiu didn't sacrifice himself during a mission, did he?"

Bai Yini was taken aback.

...A few minutes later, Bai Chen returned with the limited-edition unicorn Lina.

His steps were quick, his demeanor hurried, fearing that something might happen between his mother and Xie Yilin due to a misunderstanding while he was away. However, when he rushed into the VIP room, he saw his mother smiling and telling Xie Yilin about her childhood antics.

Or rather, her embarrassing moments.

"When Chen Chen was little, he loved assembling mecha models. He would even sleep with them, refusing to let go. Once, he accidentally broke a model and spent the entire night holding it in one arm and the broken part in the other..."

"Another time, a kid at kindergarten argued with him, and he managed to make the kid cry. When he came home, he told me, 'What's so great about kindergarten? I've already won!'"

"...Mom!"

Bai Chen hurried over, handing the unicorn doll to her, flustered and at a loss, "What are you saying?"

Weren't they supposed to be at odds? How could they have become so friendly so quickly?

He looked at Xie Yilin suspiciously, only to see a clear smile and affection in his eyes, meeting his gaze naturally.

Bai Chen blushed instantly.

It was hard to say whether he was recalling the kiss from last night.

He hastily averted his gaze, deliberately sitting on the other side of Mother Bai, putting some distance between himself and Xie Yilin. Then he helped stuff the toys into the box, saying, "Mom? How did you start chatting with His Highness?"

"Oh..."

Mother Bai Bai Yini drew out her words with a smile. "His Highness is a nice young man, so we chatted a bit."

Bai Chen: ...Not good, this makes me even more anxious.

His eyes darted back and forth between Bai Yini and Xie Yilin, but both of them looked perfectly calm, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Bai Chen: It's one thing for Mom, but for His Highness too...

An hour passed quickly.

Xiao Ling came over to remind them that it was time to leave, taking over Bai Yini’s suitcase. The three of them stood up and walked toward the boarding gate. Soon, they stopped at the entrance, where Bai Yini paused and turned to hug her son once more.

"Take care of yourself."

After saying this, she looked at Xie Yilin and said softly, "Your Highness, I entrust Chen Chen to you."

Xie Yilin replied solemnly, "I will."

It was as if they had already signed some kind of agreement, one that Bai Chen knew nothing about.

And this...

This really felt like a family farewell. As if they were truly a newly married couple, seeing their mother off.

It was too real, blurring the lines.

Bai Chen was momentarily dazed as Bai Yinyi had already left.

He stood at the entrance, watching his mother's figure fade into the distance, unable to regain his composure for a long time.

Xie Yilin raised his hand to embrace him, his palm gently pressing on his shoulder, offering silent comfort.

On the way back, Bai Chen remained silent.

He stayed quiet until they returned to their residence, lying on the large bed, tossing and turning, only taking off his coat, his hair in disarray.

Xie Yilin entered the room from behind, catching sight of the Omega thrashing about on the bed.

His steps involuntarily slowed, and he approached, sitting down at the edge of the bed. His gray eyes reflected Bai Chen's messy head, and he asked, "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Just a bit unsettled for no reason.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his heart was no longer at peace.

Bai Chen finally stopped rolling, hugging a pillow tightly to his chest, rubbing it a couple of times, and pouting, "Did… did my mom say anything just now?"

After much deliberation, he decided to ask.

He really cared.

Xie Yilin didn't answer immediately.

The man paused slightly, as if contemplating how to respond to Bai Chen.

Bai Chen instantly tensed up — what happened? What is it?

After a long pause, Xie Yilin whispered, "Nothing... It's about your father."

About my father?

Bai Chen suddenly became uneasy and stammered, "Your Highness, I... I didn't mean to hide it from you!"

Last night, he had intended to mention it to Xie Yilin — just a brief mention. At that moment, he really wanted to talk about it because there was no one else he could confide in.

But then, something unexpected happened.

And he forgot all about it.

Now that Xie Yilin brought it up, he felt a growing unease in his chest.

Xie Yilin furrowed his brow slightly.

Bai Chen's reaction seemed a bit strange.

Could it be that what Bai Mother told him yesterday was different from what he just told himself?

But there was no reason for Bai Mother to do that.

His fingers stiffened, but he maintained his composure and said, "It's fine."

"But..." Bai Chen said, deeply troubled, "I should have told you earlier."

"It would have been better to handle it promptly. Well, it's probably not too late now, right?"

Timely handling?

Xie Yilin was certain he had heard a term he didn't understand again.

In his confusion, Bai Chen rolled forward on the large bed, coming to rest beside his legs. The Omega lifted his head, his small face glowing as if lit from within, his eyes sparkling brightly.

He cleared his throat and said rather sheepishly, "My mother told me that something happened to Dad back then..."

"Although it's been a long time, she's worried that someone might deliberately bring up that incident."

"She said I should discuss with you what we should do about it."

He blinked, looking at Xie Yilin earnestly, and asked, "Is it too late? Will it affect you?"

...So that's what he was worried about.

Worried that the events from Bai Dad's past might affect Xie Yilin now.

Xie Yilin paused.

At a time like this, Bai Chen was still thinking of him.

He suddenly lowered his gaze, fixing his eyes on Bai Chen's.

Their gazes met, one above the other, just as they had last night.

But in the daylight, nothing could be hidden. This time, Bai Chen saw clearly in those gray eyes an extremely complex emotion.

Omega was stunned.

This was the first time he vaguely felt something different.

The atmosphere had changed, the emotions had shifted... even Xie Yilin himself seemed different.

The Alpha wasn't as cold or as distant. Compared to their first meeting at his doorstep, there was now a clear gentleness in his eyes.

Like a deity on a snowy mountain, dormant in winter and awakened in spring. Then, he shed his former coldness—something, or someone, had pulled him down to earth.

From a god to a man.

He seemed more vibrant.

Bai Chen opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak.

At this moment, words seemed inadequate.

After a long pause, Xie Yilin said calmly, "I will take care of it."

Bai Yinyi had just discussed this matter with him.

He hadn't expected that the breakthrough they had been seeking for so long would finally appear at this moment. Nor had he anticipated that it would involve Bai Chen.

Perhaps, this was fate.

...Just like their encounter.

For the first time in his life, Xie Yilin felt that fate wasn't as detestable and hateful as he had once thought.

Bai Chen uttered an "Oh."

He could tell that the matter seemed to involve many people. Even Bai Mama was vague and didn't reveal much to him.

Xie Yilin reached out and pinched his cheek again.

Gently, with great care. He bent down, lowered his head, almost touching Omega, and whispered softly, “Don’t worry.”

He would eliminate all dangers, control every risk, not allowing any filth to touch Bai Chen.

He would make his Omega happy, joyful, and content, doing everything in his power to ensure nothing could disturb them.

He would present all the beauty before him.

Share glory and splendor with him, with the entire world.

...Xie Yilin couldn't help but want to get closer, even closer.

"...Knock knock!"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Startled, Bai Chen sprang up, leaping off the bed like a carp jumping over a dragon gate, barefoot, and hurriedly opened the door, “Who’s looking for me?”

Outside were Han Yunyun and Xin Yu.

They had just seen their elders off and returned, asking if Bai Chen and the others had eaten dinner and if they wanted to join them.

Bai Chen had already had dinner with Bai Mama, but he replied very decisively, “Sure.”

Then, mustering her courage, she turned to Prince Xie Yilin and asked, "Your Highness, are you going?"

Xie Yilin's eyes still held a hint of darkness.

He rose slowly, his tall and imposing figure impossible to ignore. In the slightly tense state of the Omega, he approached at a leisurely pace and said calmly, "Sure."

And his gaze remained fixed on Bai Chen.

Bai Chen hurriedly looked for his shoes.

He dared not meet Xie Yilin's eyes, feeling as if the Alpha's gaze could devour him at any moment.

The Omega darted out like a frightened rabbit.

As soon as they reached the courtyard, a staff member came over, informing them of a local cultural event that evening and asking if they wanted to join.

It wasn't part of the official shoot, but it might be released as a special feature, like the hot springs last time. Although Bai Chen didn't participate in the end, it was said that the online feedback was very positive.

Many fans were clamoring, wondering why Bai Chen hadn't joined.

So, the group headed to the local night market.

Weaving through the bustling crowd, at some point, Xie Yilin took Bai Chen's hand again.

In front of the camera, Bai Chen did not pull away, but his fingers felt a bit stiff.

As if frozen.

He couldn't quite articulate what he was feeling at that moment.

The Omega's brows furrowed with a hint of distress, as if he were entangled in an unsolvable puzzle, or like a kitten eager to paw at a ball of yarn, only to find itself ensnared and unable to free itself after a while.

His mind was a chaotic mess, thinking of nothing and yet everything at the same time.

At one moment, it was Xie Yilin’s focused gray eyes, and the next, the warm embrace during their hug... Eventually, Bai Chen pursed his lips and unconsciously released Xie Yilin’s hand.

He needed to think, to ponder without any distractions.

Xie Yilin’s hand felt empty.

It was hard not to notice, and the Alpha couldn’t help but glance sideways at Bai Chen. But all he saw was Bai Chen deliberately turning his head to stare at the red lanterns hanging over a street vendor’s stall.

The bright red lanterns were exquisite and beautiful, catching everyone’s eye.

Many people were looking, and Bai Chen, blending in among them, didn’t stand out much.

Xie Yilin frowned slightly.

...He suddenly realized that Bai Chen’s feelings might be different from what he had thought.