Chapter 134: You Care About Me

Chapter 134: You Feel Heartache for Me

The alpha who had messaged Song Yuqing was the very one Song Yuqing had dispatched to the hospital to care for Pei Huai after the incident.

Upon receiving the message, he couldn’t wait to share the news with Pei Huai.

Pei Huai was still wallowing in despair, having failed to win Song Yuqing back even after getting injured, when he suddenly heard his comrade speak.

"Brother Pei, your husband is coming to see you later with your child."

Pei Huai: "?"

Who? Who was coming to see him with a child?

Pei Huai’s disbelief was so palpable that the alpha felt a fresh wave of disdain. What a scumbag alpha—he didn’t even want his husband to visit him, did he?

If Song Yuqing happened to encounter Pei Huai’s husband during his visit, Song Yuqing would surely never want Pei Huai again.

Pei Huai: "Don't talk nonsense. He doesn’t want to see me."

If Song Yuqing had been willing to come, he would have ridden in the ambulance with Pei Huai.

Song Yuqing hadn’t come even when Pei Huai was most severely injured, so why would he come now?

He shouldn’t have said those things earlier. He didn’t want to break up; even if he felt insecure, he didn’t want to be apart from Song Yuqing.

After a brief moment of thought, Pei Huai sank back into his misery.

"It’s true, your husband is really coming," the alpha insisted. "Look, is this your husband’s contact number?"

Pei Huai glanced at it suspiciously. The string of numbers was so familiar that it left no doubt—this was indeed Song Yuqing’s contact.

"How did you get this?" Pei Huai narrowed his eyes dangerously, clearly suspicious of the alpha.

How dare he investigate Song Yuqing? He couldn’t risk leaving such a dangerous alpha near Song Yuqing.

As Pei Huai was contemplating how to silently eliminate the alpha, the alpha spoke again, "You were drunk and pointed at the number while telling me. I knew it couldn’t be wrong."

Pei Huai: "..."

Now that the suspicion was cleared, Pei Huai couldn’t help but ask, "What did he say? Is he really willing to come see me?"

The alpha felt even more contempt. This scumbag alpha seemed deeply affectionate to everyone, but he was just a player who didn’t deserve Song Yuqing at all.

But to help Song Yuqing get rid of Pei Huai, the alpha said, "Brother Pei, your husband loves you so much and is really worried about your injury. As soon as I mentioned you were pale, he said he’d bring your child to see you. He also asked me a lot of questions about you."

"When he heard you needed multiple stitches at the hospital, he was so worried he almost cried."

The alpha added, "Brother Pei, your husband treats you so well. You have family now—you should focus on building a good life together."

Pei Huai felt a sweet warmth in his heart. So Song Yuqing still cared about him after all. Song Yuqing was just cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and he truly did worry about him.

Song Yuqing really did feel heartache for him. The reason he didn’t follow him to the hospital was probably because he didn’t want to cry in front of him.

It all made sense now.

Pei Huai: "Did he really tell you we’re family?"

The alpha felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what. "Yeah, I called him ‘husband,’ and he didn’t correct me."

Pei Huai’s face was still pale, but it didn’t stop him from being energetic and even a bit arrogant. "My husband loves me. He’s just afraid of losing me, but he doesn't like to admit it."

"That’s just how he is—cold toward others and never says he loves me. But look, when I’m hurt, he gets really worried."

"If he were without me, he’d cry until he melts at night, buried in the blankets, holding our child and missing me. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache."

"He can’t live without me."

The alpha: "?"

Cry until he melts? Was his husband like a small snowman—a cold, icy little bundle who’d melt into a puddle of water if he cried?

Just as Song Yuqing reached the door, he overheard Pei Huai’s words.

Song Yuqing: "..."

88 said indignantly, "Qingqing, this is how Pei Huai spreads rumors about you behind your back! Today he says you’d cry yourself into a puddle over his injury, and tomorrow he’ll dare say you’d remain faithful to his memory."

Pei Huai looked up and met Song Yuqing’s chilling gaze, immediately falling silent.

Song Yuqing walked in and said to the alpha caring for Pei Huai, "Please step outside for a moment. I need to talk to Pei Huai. Thank you."

The alpha was secretly delighted. Perfect—Pei Huai had been bragging about how much his husband loved him right in front of Song Yuqing, and now he’d been caught in his lies.

Die, scumbag alpha.

Before leaving, the alpha asked Song Yuqing if he should take out the box Song Yuqing had brought, since bringing a snake to visit a patient seemed rather unusual.

Song Yuqing: "No need."

After the alpha left, he considerately shut the door and stood guard outside.

Song Yuqing’s fingertips gently tapped the glass box containing Lan Balun. Lan Balun, thinking Song Yuqing was playing a game with him, slowly flicked his tongue and raised his upper body to approach Song Yuqing’s fingers.

Song Yuqing remained silent, making Pei Huai more anxious.

Finally, Pei Huai spoke first. "I'm sorry."

Song Yuqing didn’t even look up, his long, fine eyelashes casting slight shadows on his thin eyelids. His voice was cold. "What were you wrong about?"

"I shouldn’t have said I felt insecure. I’m not that insecure. Please don’t make me leave, okay?" Pei Huai spoke earnestly, word for word, without any of his earlier arrogance.

Even if it meant living in his imagination, as long as he could stay by Song Yuqing’s side and occasionally feel that Song Yuqing loved him, it would be enough.

Song Yuqing stared intently at Pei Huai, his amber eyes cool and lucid.

"That’s not what you were wrong about."

Pei Huai was stunned. Wasn't that what upset Song Yuqing?

How could that not be the mistake?

He kept recalling what Qi Zhengqing had told him: love isn't just about closeness or distance.

In an instant, Pei Huai’s heart pounded like a drum, the vibrations sending sharp pains through the area near his wound.

The truth arrived along with the approaching pain.

"Qingqing, is it because you like me a little that you don’t want to see me suffer?" Pei Huai grabbed Song Yuqing’s hand. "Today, I was in your plans from the start."

The more Pei Huai thought about it, the more convinced he became that he had uncovered the truth.

Tan Shu certainly wouldn’t want Song Yuqing to get hurt, but to make the Tan family complacent, they had to take action against Song Yuqing. That meant the bullet had to be aimed at Song Yuqing, so he, as Song Yuqing's protector, would take the hit.

However, the night before the incident, Song Yuqing had talked about separating and sending him away, all because he didn’t want Pei Huai to share the risk. Song Yuqing wanted to face Tan Shu alone and take the injury himself.

Song Yuqing had considered everything for his sake, yet he was still hung up on his insecurity.

He really was ridiculous.

"You care about me, so you pushed me away. You didn’t want me to get hurt."

Song Yuqing listened quietly as Pei Huai laid out his interpreted version of events, word by word.

"No," Song Yuqing replied, his pale lips parting feebly as he uttered the two words.

Pei Huai stared at Song Yuqing’s pale, delicate profile. "You’re lying."

Song Yuqing: "..."

He wasn’t lying.

What Tan Shu did today was completely unexpected by Song Yuqing. Although the plan was to gradually secure more authority from Tan Hongzhen, Tan Shu’s actions were entirely outside the plan.

Today’s incident was mostly Tan Shu acting on his own. Pei Huai didn’t necessarily take that bullet for him—Tan Shu was trying to kill Pei Huai.

Pei Huai: "You were angry that I got hurt today, weren’t you?"

Song Yuqing didn’t deny this. He could somewhat understand Ye Siling’s actions—things happened too quickly, and it was instinctual to shield him. But Pei Huai’s behavior was puzzling. As someone skilled in handling crises, Pei Huai should have been the most competent.

Yet this fool chose to use his body to block the bullet. How could Song Yuqing remain calm and give him a kind look?

"I panicked," Pei Huai blurted out, seeing Song Yuqing’s reluctance to speak.

"When it comes to you, my professional training seems useless." Pei Huai hung his head like a guilty dog that had done wrong but felt no regret.

"I’m not as calm as you. In that moment, I couldn’t assess how severe the injury would be if the bullet hit me."

Later, upon reflection, he could tell from Song Yuqing’s body language that Song Yuqing could have dodged without his help, likely only suffering an arm injury.

If he had been calmer, he might have seen through Tan Shu and Song Yuqing’s planned ruse.

But he couldn’t help it.

Song Yuqing’s tone was icy, showing no leniency despite Pei Huai shielding him and taking a bullet. "Then your professional skills are truly lacking."

Pei Huai: "What about you?"

Pei Huai’s large hand completely enclosed Song Yuqing’s. "You took action against Tan Shu because of me."

Pei Huai’s eyes were fervent as he stared expectantly at Song Yuqing.

"You do like me a little, don’t you?"

Taking action against Tan Shu for him was proof that Song Yuqing liked him.

Just like how his professional skills failed him when it came to Song Yuqing, Song Yuqing’s momentary loss of control was a genuine emotional display.

Song Yuqing didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Are you sure? Do you still want to stay by my side? Even if it’s dangerous, you don’t care? I’m offering you a chance to leave now."

Pei Huai raised an eyebrow. "Everything is dangerous. You could choke drinking water or get hit by a car walking down the street."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Pei Huai: "My fear before was because I thought you didn’t like me. I believed you only kept me around because I was useful to you."

"I was afraid that one day you’d find a more capable alpha and cast me aside. I was also afraid you’d go off with Qi Zhengqing and leave me behind."

Song Yuqing: "I won’t."

It was a firm answer. At some point, Song Yuqing’s relationship with these people had gone beyond mere utility. It was no longer about using emotions without giving anything in return.

He had formed bonds with everyone here and was completely rooted in this world.

Pei Huai: "Then I have nothing to fear. Just let me stay by your side and watch you achieve your goals."

"If one day I’m not strong enough to be good enough for you, will you let me go then?"

If he ever became truly unworthy of Song Yuqing, he would leave on his own, without needing Song Yuqing to say anything.

Pei Huai stared at Song Yuqing, speaking each word slowly and deliberately.

Song Yuqing frowned slightly. "Are you sick?"

Only someone sick would spout such nonsense about not being strong enough and waiting to be abandoned.

Pei Huai laughed again, bold and triumphant. "Of course, I’m this capable. You can only be my wife."

"Let me tell you, there aren’t many alphas in Xinzhou who can beat me. You have no choice but to pick me."

The beauty’s brows furrowed slightly, like a compassionate little Guanyin statue pulled down to the mortal world. Pei Huai instinctively reached out to lift Song Yuqing’s face, wanting to kiss him, but Song Yuqing avoided it.

"Let go." His pale lips parted slightly, emitting a faint, enticing fragrance.

Song Yuqing’s tone was cold, laced with irritation.

Pei Huai was already mesmerized. His thumb gently brushed Song Yuqing’s lips. How could anyone be so beautiful? His clear eyes were like glass beads.

He resembled a doll displayed in a shop window. Pei Huai had always been drawn to toys like robots as a child, never imagining he would become an irredeemably lustful alpha.

Time and again, he found himself bewitched by Song Yuqing’s face, always wanting to hold him carefully, to kiss and embrace him.

"Qingqing..."

"Am I not more capable than other alphas? Can I kiss you? Your lips are fragrant, you know?"

"You probably don’t know, but I have a brilliant way for you to find out if your lips are fragrant."

"We can exchange fluids to transfer the scent. Then you can smell me, and it’ll be your fragrance on me."

Author's Note:

Song Qingqing: ...