Chapter 28

Chapter 28

What Lu Yunyan regretted the most was trying to give An Nuo the cold shoulder some time ago, which unfortunately backfired and led to the tragedy of An Nuo wanting to sleep in separate rooms.

Unexpectedly, after experiencing an irregular heat cycle, An Nuo suggested they sleep together again.

Naturally, Lu Yunyan learned from his last lesson and didn’t waste words, agreeing readily.

At the time, he thought he could take advantage of the situation again, at least to resume that interrupted kiss.

But once they were lying in bed, he realized this was a personally tailored torment just for him.

When Lu Yunyan finished washing up and got into bed, An Nuo was already curled up under the covers.

He wore somewhat childish cartoon penguin pajamas, lying on his side hugging the blanket, one smooth foot exposed.

Half of his face was hidden under the covers, his eyes hazy and unfocused, lacking spirit.

Yet strangely alluring.

Like a little elf lost in the human world, caught by a ruthless hunter and coaxed into coming home.

Lu Yunyan decided to be that ruthless hunter.

After getting into bed, he thought he must first reclaim that interrupted kiss.

So every move was deliberate, heading straight for the target.

Not a single unnecessary word was spoken either; he reached out to pull down the covers, only the corners of his mouth uncontrollably lifting as he leaned in.

But just as their lips were about to meet, An Nuo seemed to come to his senses, placing a hand on Lu Yunyan’s chest. The pressure wasn’t heavy, but it clearly meant to keep his distance.

Lu Yunyan had to stop.

Before he could ask An Nuo what was wrong, An Nuo said, "No."

"..."

"You can’t move around recklessly, you can’t kiss me randomly, you can’t stimulate me in any way."

"..."

Given the special circumstances, An Nuo’s request was reasonable, and Lu Yunyan truly had no right to refuse.

"Not even one kiss?"

An Nuo blinked, his tired, unfocused eyes revealing a hint of cunning and smugness never seen before.

An Nuo didn’t answer, just kept his hand on Lu Yunyan’s chest, pushing him away.

With one final, forceful push, he pinned Lu Yunyan down on the bed, then climbed on top of him.

Lu Yunyan’s eyelids twitched, clearly not expecting An Nuo to take this step, surprise and excitement bubbling up.

But he kept his voice calm, "...What are you planning to do?"

An Nuo was very pleased with his performance, secretly proud as he answered: Planning revenge!

How many times had Lu Yunyan teased and bullied him before?

Probably too many to count.

But this was the perfect opportunity—his special condition meant Lu Yunyan wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

It was finally his turn to use Lu Yunyan as a healing pack.

Sitting on top of Lu Yunyan, looking down at him, An Nuo asked, "Do you want to kiss me?"

His skin, slightly warmer than usual, rubbed against Lu Yunyan’s body. From Lu Yunyan’s perspective, An Nuo’s messy hair was disheveled, his loose pajamas askew, his tone like that of a strangely proud little parrot, yet his eyes held a clear innocence.

He looked both foolish and clever.

How could he be so adorable?

Lu Yunyan found it refreshing; an occasional bold new trick only deepened his affection for An Nuo.

His throat dry, Lu Yunyan answered honestly, "Yes, I want to kiss you."

An Nuo hummed, "I won’t let you... Serves you right for being a bad guy and always bullying me before."

But after saying that, it was An Nuo who leaned down, almost touching Lu Yunyan’s face.

Nose to nose.

Lu Yunyan thought An Nuo was teasing him on purpose, but the next second, An Nuo really kissed him.

Their cool, soft lips met. An Nuo’s initiative was a bit clumsy but firm, imitating Lu Yunyan’s usual mischievous ways—giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Caught off guard, Lu Yunyan’s heartbeat raced, his breathing grew rapid, but as soon as his hands touched An Nuo’s slender waist, they were slapped away.

An Nuo quickly put distance between them.

"I told you not to move recklessly, put your hands back... Don’t touch me casually!"

"..."

"Don’t overthink it. I kissed you not because you wanted to kiss me... but because I wanted to kiss you, so I did."

An Nuo declared clearly and seriously.

"So tonight, everything is up to me. I call the shots, and you’re not allowed to act recklessly!"

What a smooth little combo.

Even if An Nuo had just learned this from somewhere, it was enough to make Lu Yunyan lose control.

But judging by An Nuo’s reaction, there was none of his usual shyness or nervousness. He was natural and serious, as if this was all his genuine intention.

Lu Yunyan felt like that strangely proud little parrot had jumped into his heart, nuzzling and pecking around wildly.

His gaze fixed intently on An Nuo, all sorts of messy ideas suddenly flooding his mind.

The little beauty’s slender figure, bold posture, and the distance between them, plus the view from below—it would be perfect to change into a satin slip nightgown. An Nuo would definitely look stunning in it.

Can’t forget that.

Must buy it for him next time.

"Did you hear me?"

The misled little elf was determined to fight back against the ruthless hunter.

"Anyway, you must listen to me tonight... otherwise, next time you're kicked out, we'll continue sleeping in separate beds."

Lu Yunyan was patient; he knew there would be opportunities later, so he agreed readily enough for now.

"Got it, understood. I'll listen to you tonight."

Only then was An Nuo satisfied: "That's more like it."

After making sure Lu Yunyan wouldn't misbehave and that both his hands were properly placed, An Nuo kissed him again.

Light and soft, yet completely haphazard—doing whatever came to mind, pecking randomly.

For Lu Yunyan, it was truly unbearable, like scratching an itch through a boot—not only did it fail to bring relief, but it left him even more frustrated.

What was worse, just when he thought it was his turn to take the lead, An Nuo suddenly stopped all movement.

He slid his entire body downward, found a comfortable spot in Lu Yunyan's arms, and then settled down softly, ready to sleep.

Lu Yunyan: ?

That's it? It's over?

After getting him all worked up like that, An Nuo just left him hanging and went to sleep?

Lu Yunyan couldn't believe it, nor was he willing to accept it. Though he had gotten the kiss, it only whetted his appetite without satisfying him at all.

He reached out and poked An Nuo's side: "...Are you going to sleep?"

His hand was swatted away mercilessly by An Nuo again.

An Nuo's voice carried a hint of obvious exhaustion and huskiness: "Don't bother me, I'm going to sleep. I'm so tired..."

"..."

Earlier in the afternoon, when he had just woken up, he had felt an intense craving for Lu Yunyan.

He even thought about having children with Lu Yunyan.

It was completely crazy.

But no matter what his body wanted, the most important prerequisite was having enough stamina.

Unfortunately, An Nuo didn't have it.

The longer he stayed awake, the more his energy waned, and naturally, those desires faded as well.

His body wouldn't overexert him; when it was time to sleep and recover, he needed to get a good rest.

So, after kissing a few times as he pleased, sniffing Lu Yunyan's pheromones, and finding a comfortable spot in Lu Yunyan's arms, An Nuo was content and dropped right off to sleep.

Leaving Lu Yunyan alone in turmoil.

Even when he heard the steady breathing rhythm from the person in his arms, he still couldn't believe that An Nuo had really fallen asleep.

And the more unsatisfied he felt, the more he longed for it, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

But what could he do?

Could Lu Yunyan really wake An Nuo up and demand his due?

In the end, Lu Yunyan had no choice but to face reality. He let out a helpless sigh, accepted his role as a body pillow, and had to tough it out through the night.

...

The next morning, An Nuo woke up naturally.

Having slept a lot the previous day, he felt refreshed upon waking. It was almost 9 a.m., and the first thing he did was take his medicine.

After checking his temperature, his fever had subsided.

Many of the uncomfortable symptoms had also eased significantly. Feeling that he was on the mend, An Nuo finally relaxed.

"It's good that you're recovering. Stay home and rest today. I'll stay with you."

But An Nuo couldn't quite trust Lu Yunyan anymore.

The day before, when he was in a dire condition, Lu Yunyan knew what was important and behaved responsibly without crossing the line.

But now that he was feeling much better, it was hard to guarantee that Lu Yunyan wouldn't get handsy.

An Nuo gently refused: "...It's fine, I can be fine alone at home. There's no need to trouble you."

"What trouble? It's only right for me to stay and take care of you."

Even if Lu Yunyan was itching to make a move, he wouldn't rush it today.

He had already made up his mind to wait until An Nuo had fully recovered, and then, along with last night's debt, collect it all with interest.

It's fine.

He could bide his time.

Lu Yunyan pinched An Nuo's cheek, recalling the struggles of the previous night. He could endure a little longer; sooner or later, he would have the chance to have him completely.

"Let me tell you some great news. My dad is here."

An Nuo's attention shifted immediately: "...Huh?"

"He was very worried about you. He arrived about an hour ago. Seeing that you were still asleep, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast for you himself."

An Nuo was touched and honored.

Remembering that soft yet distinct rose and lychee scent, and the reassuring words Shi Yu had said to him, his spirits lifted completely.

"...Can I go see him?"

"Of course," Lu Yunyan laughed. "Seeing you up and about, able to run and jump, will put his mind at ease."

"...Then I'll really go."

Lu Yunyan chuckled softly: "Go ahead."

It was clear that An Nuo genuinely liked Shi Yu.

An Nuo got out of bed, quickly got ready, and without even checking the location on the tracking app, made his way to the main kitchen.

Luckily, Shi Yu was there.

In the semi-open kitchen, An Nuo saw Shi Yu's back from a distance.

Tall and well-built, with an elegant demeanor.

At this distance, it was impossible to catch a whiff of Shi Yu's scent, yet the sweet scent of rose and lychee seemed to rise to An Nuo’s nose. It was hard to describe how he felt in that moment—just remarkably good, warm and fuzzy.

It was no exaggeration to say that seeing Shi Yu made him feel much better than seeing Lu Yunyan.

Because Shi Yu came closest to his idea of a "mom," almost a perfect image.

And he was so gentle, even calling him "baby."

An Nuo just couldn’t help himself.

A little jumping, spinning urge rose in his heart, and An Nuo ran over to Shi Yu.

Of course, he didn't dare wrap his arms around Shi Yu from behind. The most intimacy he dared show was pressing his cheek against Shi Yu's back.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the comforting scent of rose and lychee—so gentle and soothing.

An Nuo smiled sweetly, his tone even sweeter: "Uncle Shi, you—"

But the sweetness cut short abruptly when, looking closer, he noticed another person standing beside Shi Yu.

Though he had only met him once, An Nuo recognized him.

Lu Yunyan's alpha father, Lu Xu.

His sweet smile instantly froze at the corners of his lips. The surprise made it hard for An Nuo to control his reaction.

In that moment, it was difficult to pretend—only real feelings showed through.

Especially the moment his eyes met Lu Xu's, An Nuo swallowed hard, his shock plain in his eyes.

When he came over, he had only seen Shi Yu and had completely missed Lu Xu there.

"..."

"An Nuo, you’re awake? Are you feeling better today?"

Even Shi Yu's soft, gentle words didn’t sink in. An Nuo looked serious, backing up several steps in a row before turning and running away.

He hadn't run far when he bumped into Lu Yunyan, who had followed him.

Lu Yunyan hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

An Nuo lunged into his arms but didn’t stay there, instead hiding behind him.

In a hushed, urgent tone, he questioned, "You... you didn't say... both your fathers are here!"

Shi Yu and Lu Xu also came out.

Shi Yu asked, "What's wrong with An Nuo?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Yunyan didn't sugarcoat it: "I told you Dad would scare him."

His tone carried clear annoyance.

Even more unexpectedly, after a two-second silence, Shi Yu also chimed in, "I told you not to come along."

Lu Xu: "..."