Chapter 86: Scar

Chapter 86 Scars

The steam from the hot bathwater rose between them, forming a hazy mist. Ying Mingche could clearly see the teasing amusement in Yuan Shiyuan’s eyes, along with his damp eyelashes and the corners of his eyes.

“Have you really forgiven me?” The question echoed in Ying Mingche’s mind as he held Yuan Shiyuan in his arms.

He never considered himself a good person—his surface warmth was nothing but a meticulously maintained facade, concealing a heart that never offered genuine sincerity or true emotion.

His only miscalculation he’d ever made was letting Yuan Shiyuan see his true nature.

Even though Yuan Shiyuan had said he was forgiven and acted as though it didn’t matter, in his heart of hearts, Ying Mingche still couldn’t believe that anyone could accept the real him—with all his flaws and inherent shortcomings.

The Alpha behind him suddenly fell silent; the only sound was the soft lapping of water. Yuan Shiyuan was curled up in the Alpha’s embrace, his skin flushed pink from the warm bath.

He suddenly lifted his wet face and asked, “When you came into the room, didn’t you smell something?”

There was no way Ying Mingche hadn’t noticed his scent, but until now, Ying Mingche had commented on his favoritism, his petty attempts to get attention—yet he hadn’t mentioned the scent at all.

“You mean your Omega scent?”

Ying Mingche didn’t hear Yuan Shiyuan’s reply but felt him stir slightly in his arms, as if about to sit up.

“It makes no difference.” A large hand pressed against the back of Yuan Shiyuan’s head, pressing him back to rest on his shoulder. He carefully rubbed Yuan Shiyuan’s back with a towel. “What difference does it make whether you’re an Alpha or an Omega?”

“You’re still you.”

The bathwater lapped softly, but the Alpha’s voice was exceptionally clear. Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t expected this response and froze for a moment.

Ying Mingche was indifferent to gender—neither was Ying Mingxi. Was it because they were born into a dual-Alpha family? So gender meant nothing to them…

As Yuan Shiyuan was lost in thought, footsteps sounded outside—Ying Mingxi had returned.

Ying Mingxi set the milk tea on the table, naturally taking over from his brother. He lifted the damp Yuan Shiyuan out of the tub and wrapped him in a large towel, methodically drying him.

Ying Mingche rose easily. Having bathed twice, his skin was wrinkled from the water. But being close to Yuan Shiyuan made him feel not the slightest discomfort—instead, he was utterly content.

“Let me blow-dry your hair,” Ying Mingche offered eagerly.

“Can you handle it?” Yuan Shiyuan glanced at him lazily, clearly doubtful.

“Don’t underestimate me. I practiced.” Ying Mingche picked up the hairdryer, carefully lifting a strand of wet hair. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Yuan Shiyuan was surprised. “You practiced that?”

“I bought a few wigs and practiced in my free time.” Ying Mingche deftly worked through the strands, sounding proud. “I’m pretty good, right?”

“Not bad,” Yuan Shiyuan said offhandedly. As he reached for the milk tea, Ying Mingxi inserted the straw first and brought it to his lips.

Yuan Shiyuan was taken aback by Ying Mingxi’s thoughtfulness but accepted the care from both brothers naturally.

That night, Yuan Shiyuan had initially planned to return to his own room, but he couldn’t resist the twins’ joint efforts to persuade him to stay.

With one brother on each side, coaxing him gently and caring for him meticulously, he felt completely relaxed, too comfortable to even lift a finger.

Without much hesitation, Yuan Shiyuan agreed to stay the night in the twins’ suite.

But when he actually got into bed, with two arms wrapping around his waist and chest, pulling him into the narrow space between them, he couldn’t help stiffening momentarily.

Yuan Shiyuan looked from side to side, only to be met with two nearly identical faces.

He finally gave up, lying silently on his back and staring at the ceiling, saying incredulously, “We’re sleeping like this?”

“Why not?” Ying Mingche said matter-of-factly. He hugged Yuan Shiyuan from the side, inhaling the scent of his pink hair and the hollow of his neck. “You smell so good.”

Though Ying Mingxi didn’t speak, the strength in his embrace was no less firm.

Yuan Shiyuan: “…”

Sharing a bed with two teammates was one thing, but being sandwiched between twin brothers… The scene was utterly bizarre, tinged with an indescribable absurdity.

It felt somewhat indecent.

Like the opening of a pornographic film, right before things got heated.

But after a long day, Yuan Shiyuan was genuinely tired. He yawned and swatted Ying Mingche’s face away drowsily. “Alright, I’m going to sleep.”

After a moment’s thought, he decided Ying Mingxi seemed more trustworthy. He turned slightly, offering his back to the brother who seemed safer.

Seeing Yuan Shiyuan turn away from him, Ying Mingxi’s gentle expression stiffened in the shadows. Ying Mingche, however, shot a triumphant glance his way, with a victorious smile, before leaning down to secretly kiss the ends of Yuan Shiyuan’s hair.

The soft glow of the bedside lamp made Yuan Shiyuan’s already swollen lips appear even more moist.

Ying Mingche’s gaze fixed on them, his Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably. He leaned in cautiously, voice filled with tentative longing. “Can I kiss you?”

As if afraid of being rejected, he added urgently, “I’ve been studying lately—I know how to make you feel good.”

“I’ll make you feel good,” he emphasized again.

Yuan Shiyuan opened his eyes and gave him a lazy glance.

Taking it as silent permission, Ying Mingche tentatively pressed his lips forward.

The moment their lips met, his mind went blank. Everything he’d learned flew out the window, leaving only primal instinct.

His tongue pushed past Yuan Shiyuan’s lips, plunging aggressively into the warm, wet mouth. Noticing the other Alpha’s gaze, he stirred with deliberate provocation, openly tangling with Yuan Shiyuan’s swollen tongue, sucking and drawing out wet, audible sounds.

Yuan Shiyuan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

*Feel good? Hardly.*

Ying Mingche’s studying had clearly been wasted. His clumsy, frantic movements screamed inexperience.

But since the Alpha seemed pleased with himself, Yuan Shiyuan didn’t bother pointing it out. He just hoped Ying Mingche would get it out of his system quickly so they could all sleep peacefully.

Then, a scorching, tangible gaze suddenly burned into him from behind.

Even as his tongue was still being sucked and nibbled, Yuan Shiyuan instinctively turned his head and met a pair of bottomless eyes. Ying Mingxi gave him an exceedingly gentle, almost indulgent smile.

At the same time, the arm Ying Mingxi had draped across Yuan Shiyuan’s chest tightened abruptly, pulling him firmly into his embrace.

Turning back, Yuan Shiyuan saw an identical face, this one consumed with urgency.

“…”

*So weird.*

Yuan Shiyuan shoved Ying Mingche back, clearing his throat awkwardly, "Alright, that's enough."

Ying Mingche was clearly still reeling from the kiss, his thin lips still glistening with moisture. He fixed his gaze on Yuan Shiyuan’s swollen lips—caused by him—the sensation of warmth and softness flooding his mind once more, making his breath quicken and his body stiffen uncontrollably.

Without a word, Ying Mingche embraced Yuan Shiyuan from behind again, his damp lips nuzzling against Yuan Shiyuan’s neck, leaving behind a damp warmth.

Meanwhile, Ying Mingxi, facing Yuan Shiyuan, was carefully dabbing at the moisture from his lips with a tissue, as if putting on the finishing touches.

The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by heavy breathing and the soft rustle of clothing.

It felt even stranger.

Yuan Shiyuan was the first to break the unsettling calm. He turned to look at Ying Mingche and asked, "By the way, how did you get the room key?"

Ying Mingche nuzzled contentedly against Yuan Shiyuan’s neck. "We look identical and have each other’s electronic IDs. Is it really that hard to get a room key?"

All Ying Mingche had to do was pretend to be Ying Mingxi, claim he’d lost his key, and use the ID to get a replacement—pretty straightforward.

Yuan Shiyuan: "…"

Is that how you did it?

Looked like Ying Mingche had practice with this.

After exchanging a few more words with the brothers, Yuan Shiyuan, overcome by exhaustion, fell into a deep sleep.

Morning.

Ying Mingxi awoke abruptly, startled by intense, strange sensations.

An overwhelming sense of comfort and a familiar, sweet fragrance gradually overwhelming his senses.

Then, a suffocating sensation surged over him.

It felt as though his mouth and nose were pressed shut, or as if he were drowning—torrents of liquid flooding his nasal passages and throat. Ying Mingxi felt like coughing, but choked instead, no sound came out.

The fragrance between his lips grew denser and richer.

Finally, Ying Mingxi’s eyes flew open.

The curtains weren’t fully drawn, and in the faint light seeping through, he saw Yuan Shiyuan lying prone, asleep, his cheek pressed into the soft pillow, fingers gripping lightly the edge.

His fingers twitched slightly before slowly relaxing. He was sleeping deeply, his cheeks unusually flushed, eyelashes wet and sticking together, his swollen lips slightly parted as soft moans escaped intermittently.

On the other side of Yuan Shiyuan, where Ying Mingche should have been, was now empty.

Ying Mingche was gone, yet the waves of pleasure transmitted through their psychic connection continued to intensify rapidly.

Ying Mingxi’s breathing grew more ragged. Closing his eyes, even just lying beside Yuan Shiyuan, he could vividly feel as if his tongue were being lightly nibbled rhythmically.

He had kissed Yuan Shiyuan before, and this sensation was similar but noticeably different.

No matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t steady his breath.

Finally, he slowly shifted his gaze downward, toward the area of the blanket covering Yuan Shiyuan’s lower body.

The once-smooth blanket was now oddly bulging, and from beneath it came muted, slick noises.

Ying Mingxi’s expression darkened. He abruptly reached out and yanked the covers back.

A rich, dense fragrance, mingled with pheromones, filled the room, making him dizzy for a moment.

Yuan Shiyuan remained in his sleeping position, face down, so deeply asleep that he didn’t notice the Alpha’s silent approach.

To keep Yuan Shiyuan from shifting positions, the Alpha’s large hand gripped his pale skin firmly, leaving faint marks, while soft flesh bulged between his fingers.

Ying Mingche buried his face in it, inhaling Yuan Shiyuan’s enticing scent. Even as sweat drenched his face and made it hard to breathe, he showed no intention of pulling away.

Instead, he eagerly lapped up the trickles of sweat.

Only the bridge of his nose remained visible before disappearing again, reappearing moments later red and glistening with moisture.

With the slightest movement of his lips, Ying Mingche made soft, wet noises. Even with his mouth and nose pressed tightly, almost suffocating, he wouldn't give up the chance to explore fully.

Ying Mingxi stared blankly.

Suddenly, two identical faces met each other’s gaze in the dim light.

Not only did the Alpha not stop upon noticing Ying Mingxi’s stare, he intensified his actions.

He even maliciously pried Yuan Shiyuan’s wet, reddened lips further apart, exposing them to Ying Mingxi’s view—a deliberate provocation, a show of dominance as he deepened the kiss.

Ying Mingxi’s breath hitched.

He calmly averted his gaze, though a sickly flush spread across his refined features.

After a moment of restraint, his eyes involuntarily returned to Yuan Shiyuan’s sleeping face, flushed a vivid pink, lips slightly parted, tongue resting against his teeth, trembling with each breath.

"Mm…"

As Yuan Shiyuan’s muffled moans slipped out, Ying Mingxi finally leaned in, his grip gentle yet firm as he laced his fingers together with Yuan Shiyuan’s hand clutching the pillow.

Then, bending down, he captured those slightly parted, moist lips.

His tongue slipped past the seam, mapping every inch of the inner mouth, not missing a single crease. As if competing, the wet sounds grew louder.

Their tongues tangled fervently, stirring the wet, red cavity. Droplets of saliva, too much to swallow, trickled from the corners of Yuan Shiyuan’s mouth, only to be eagerly lapped up—not a drop wasted.

"Mmm… ah!"

Yuan Shiyuan’s brow furrowed, his muffled moans mixing with sobs. In his sleep, he twisted unconsciously, inadvertently pressing himself deeper into the Alpha’s mouth, inviting a more fervent kiss.

Fortunately, he was a heavy sleeper. The commotion didn’t rouse him; instead, the pleasure of the kiss lulled him into an even deeper slumber.

He came several times in his sleep, completely unaware.

…

The next day, Yuan Shiyuan woke naturally.

Zhuang He, knowing he’d been busy the day before, had given him the day off to rest.

When he awoke, only one of the brothers remained—the other had likely left for work.

After being carried to wash up, Yuan Shiyuan noticed he was wearing a loose shirt he didn’t remember putting on.

He watched Ying Mingche sprawled on his chest, pretending to be Ying Mingxi, and lazily called his bluff: "Stop pretending."

Ying Mingche, with nothing better to do, had been impersonating his brother early in the morning, acting gentle and attentive while helping Yuan Shiyuan with his morning wash-up.

Ying Mingche immediately dropped the charade and clung to him insistently, utterly puzzled: "How did you even tell?"

Last night, in his foggy state, Yuan Shiyuan had struggled to distinguish between the identical twins.

So why could he recognize them right away now?

Ying Mingche was genuinely curious.

Yuan Shiyuan reached out and touched the end of Ying Mingche's eyebrow: "You have a tiny scar here."

He then asked curiously, "How did you get a scar in this spot?"

Ying Mingche was stunned; he hadn’t expected such a small scar to be noticed.

He tilted his head and nestled it into Yuan Shiyuan’s palm, replying casually, "Oh, when I was little, my parents were arguing and throwing things, and I got hit by a piece of a vase by mistake."

Seeing Yuan Shiyuan’s stunned expression, he leaned in with a smile, "Why that look? Do you feel bad for me?"

"It hurt so much back then—I was bleeding profusely, and no one even cared. How about you kiss it to make it better?"

"Give me a kiss, and the pain will go away."

His tone was flippant, as if he were just teasing without any real emotion.

"Stop it."

Even as he said this, Yuan Shiyuan reached out and embraced him, cupping his face gently before leaning down to place a very gentle kiss on the scar at the end of his eyebrow.

Ying Mingche, who hadn’t expected any response, froze in place. The smile faded from his face as he stared intently at Yuan Shiyuan, complex undercurrents swirling in his eyes.

He pulled Yuan Shiyuan close, his grip firm, his breathing ragged and uneven.

"How can you be this good?" Ying Mingche murmured to himself.

Yuan Shiyuan said with a light chuckle, "Took you long enough to realize how good I am."

Ying Mingche buried his face deeply in the curve of Yuan Shiyuan’s neck: "I know, I’ve always known how good you are."

He lifted his head and said earnestly, "No one in this world is better than you."

"Oh?" Yuan Shiyuan raised an eyebrow. "If I’m so good, why did you talk shit about me when we first met?"

He lightly flicked Ying Mingche’s forehead, pretending to be upset. "And I caught you, too."

Whenever Yuan Shiyuan brought this up, Ying Mingche knew he was in the wrong and didn’t dare speak up.

He studied Yuan Shiyuan’s expression and, seeing he wasn’t truly angry, took Yuan Shiyuan’s hand and gently kissed his fingertips.

"Can we drop this?"

"No, I love bringing up old stuff. What are you going to do about it?"

Ying Mingche truly was helpless against Yuan Shiyuan.

He suddenly pinned Yuan Shiyuan down onto the bed and began kissing his face. His kisses were simple—starting from the eyebrows, moving to the corners of the eyes, then the cheeks, the tip of the nose, the corners of the mouth, and finally landing tenderly on his soft lips.

"Keep talking, and I’ll kiss you," Ying Mingche threatened, though it wasn’t much of a threat. "Every time you mention it, I’ll kiss you once."

"Oh."

As expected, Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t fazed.

He even took the initiative, cupping Ying Mingche’s face and mimicking his actions—repeating the same sequence of kisses from the eyebrows all the way down, finally brushing against his lips.

"I’m so scared," Yuan Shiyuan said in a drawn-out tone after kissing him, his voice full of teasing.

Though Yuan Shiyuan’s kisses were gentle, the unexpected affection made Ying Mingche’s heart race wildly.

He collapsed awkwardly against Yuan Shiyuan’s chest, his ears and neck turning visibly pink.

Ying Mingche pressed his face against Yuan Shiyuan’s chest, trying to match the rhythm of his heartbeat.

However, the heartbeat he heard was steady and calm, like a perfect clock, which only made his own frantic heartbeat seem raucous and glaring in comparison.

Unfair.

But even though it was unfair, and even though Yuan Shiyuan’s emotions were tranquil, the sound of his heartbeat still brought Ying Mingche a strange sense of contentment.

Gentle kisses, a soothing heartbeat…

An unfamiliar, overwhelming sense of happiness flooded through him, and all of it came from Yuan Shiyuan.

Yuan Shiyuan picked up his phone again and, seeing the message notification, suddenly remembered Bao Jin, whom he had forgotten once more!

Fortunately, this time Bao Jin didn’t grill him like he’d "caught him red-handed," asking where he was or what he was doing with whom. Instead, he simply sent one line:

Bao Jin: Rut, special situation,?

It was followed by a string of random characters, likely typed by accident.

So urgent?

Ying Mingche was beside him, feeding Yuan Shiyuan. His eyes skimmed the message, and he commented casually, "His rut has always been pretty severe—seems like it’s inherited from the previous generation? Don’t worry about him; he has a whole medical team on standby."

Yuan Shiyuan bit the straw of his soy milk and shot him a sidelong glance.

Ying Mingche immediately raised his hands in surrender: "I really wasn’t snooping; I just saw it by accident."

Yuan Shiyuan knew, of course.

His phone was lying on the table, without any privacy screen protector—it would’ve been strange if Ying Mingche hadn’t seen it.

Yuan Shiyuan swallowed a mouthful of soy milk and asked, "You also know his rut is severe?"

"Their family is always caught up in inheritance disputes, and their hormone imbalance is no secret."

Ying Mingche picked up a small soup dumpling, recalling how his brother had doted on Yuan Shiyuan, blew on it to cool it down, and then offered it to Yuan Shiyuan.

"Hormone imbalance… is it really that terrifying?" Yuan Shiyuan was more concerned about this.

Before Bao Jin, Yuan Shiyuan had never encountered anyone suffering from hormone imbalance.

Even around Bao Jin, he hadn’t experienced the terrifying aspects of the condition. Whether he was an Alpha or an Omega, Bao Jin’s pheromones had never harmed him.

"How to describe it? If I had to say… hormone imbalance is probably like experiencing dozens, or even hundreds, of ruts all at once?"

Ying Mingche clearly knew more about Alphas than Yuan Shiyuan did. He said, "Bao Jin really has remarkable self-control. During several outbreaks of his hormonal dysregulation syndrome, he managed to get it under control first, move to a safe location, and avoid his pheromones attacking others..."

Many Alphas can't even control their pheromones in public, yet Bao Jin, even amid hormonal dysregulation, strives to stay calm and restrain his pheromones—his self-control is truly not to be underestimated.

"But—"

Ying Mingche frowned and added, "He doesn't always manage to control it. Once, during a public event, he had a sudden outbreak, and his pheromones indiscriminately attacked everyone around... It was extremely aggressive, clearly a severe episode."

"There's still no complete cure for his condition; he can only rely on specially formulated medication to forcefully suppress it. But this kind of suppression will inevitably lead to a rebound effect—an even worse outbreak sooner or later."

Ying Mingche turned Yuan Shiyuan's face toward him and said seriously, "He will eventually completely lose control, and it's dangerous for you to be around him. Especially now that you're an Omega—if you were to see him when he loses control..."

He leaned close to Yuan Shiyuan's ear and lowered his voice.

"You'd probably get fucked stupid."

"...?!"

Yuan Shiyuan, who had been quietly sipping his soy milk, choked and coughed violently at Ying Mingche's sudden crude remark.

Ying Mingche laughed while patting his back, teasing him with a raised eyebrow. "What, did I say something wrong? Don’t underestimate an S-class Alpha during rut, let alone Bao Jin with his hormonal dysregulation... Hey, ow! I’m sorry, don’t hit me."

Though he said "don’t hit me," he still leaned in, letting Yuan Shiyuan get it out. Yuan Shiyuan initially just swatted his arm away, then punched his shoulder in retaliation.

Unexpectedly, Ying Mingche started faking it, exaggerating his cries of pain.

"Enough joking."

Ying Mingche knew when to quit. He pulled Yuan Shiyuan onto his lap and wiped the bit of soy milk from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. His tone turned grave. "But I’m serious."

"Living with him is really dangerous."

Yuan Shiyuan sneered, "So living with you isn’t dangerous, is that it?"

Ying Mingche looked completely sincere. "Of course not. I’m an obedient Alpha."

Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t buying it.

Bao Jin’s hormonal dysregulation was indeed a ticking time bomb, but Yuan Shiyuan was quite satisfied with this direct Alpha roommate. If he had to change, he’d be reluctant.

Besides, Bao Jin had been good to him. If he switched roommates now, wouldn’t that hurt his friend’s feelings?

"His self-control is quite strong," Yuan Shiyuan thought for a moment and said. "I doubt the situation you described would happen."

Didn’t Ying Mingche say it himself? Bao Jin had a professional medical team supporting him.

Yuan Shiyuan had also witnessed Bao Jin’s rut a few times—each time, it was all bark, no bite, never seeing Bao Jin truly lose control.

Living with Bao Jin was probably still safe.

Just then, Yuan Shiyuan’s phone rang. He answered, "Dad?"

"I don’t have any schedule today, I’m resting, so I just woke up..." He paused, hearing the other person’s words. "This noon?"

"I should be free? I’ll check in a bit."

Yuan’s father had nothing else in mind for contacting Yuan Shiyuan—he just wanted to thank Jiang Hang in person.

When Yuan Xing’s surgery was suddenly moved up, Yuan Shiyuan was alone at the hospital, overwhelmed and lost. Fortunately, Jiang Hang was there to support him.

They had long intended to invite Jiang Hang for a meal and express their gratitude in person properly, but Yuan Shiyuan had been constantly busy, and his parents had frequent hospital follow-ups, making it hard to find a suitable time.

Yuan’s father had actually messaged Yuan Shiyuan the night before, but Yuan Shiyuan was occupied and didn’t have a free hand to check his phone.

It was now 9:30 in the morning. Was it insincere to invite Jiang Hang for lunch on such short notice?

Yuan Shiyuan nervously bit his straw, then hesitantly sent a message to Jiang Hang.

Yuan Shiyuan: Are you free at noon today?

Yuan Shiyuan was about to explain the situation and repeatedly assure him it wasn’t a last-minute invitation, but before he could finish his heartfelt message, Jiang Hang replied swiftly.

Jiang Hang: Yes.

Jiang Hang: I am.

Jiang Hang: I’m free.

The rapid succession of messages made Yuan Shiyuan’s head spin. Curious, he typed: Aren’t you going to ask what it’s for?

Jiang Hang: I’m free no matter what it is.

The eager, resolute reply made Yuan Shiyuan chuckle.

He typed: My parents want to take you out to eat and thank you properly in person. They’ve been meaning to do it for a while, but I didn’t notice the message until now.

Yuan Shiyuan: Where are you right now?

Jiang Hang: I’ll pick you up.

The next second, Jiang Hang’s phone rang.

The ringtone seemed especially loud in the quiet room.

Ying Mingche held Yuan Shiyuan on his lap, chin on his shoulder.

Seeing Jiang Hang’s caller ID, he said gloomily, "I suppose I can’t make a sound, can I? He mustn’t find out I’m here?"

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t even be bothered to glance at him. "Stop adding affair narrative to the scenario."

As soon as Yuan Shiyuan answered, he heard Jiang Hang’s slightly tense, a bit formal voice: "Where are you?"

"I’ll text you my location."

Just as Yuan Shiyuan was about to send the pin, he felt a hot, damp breath against his neck.

Yuan Shiyuan, already sensitive, instinctively jerked away, but accidentally brushed his scent gland against the Alpha’s hand—a light, unintentional touch.

"Ah...!"

An indescribable jolt of electricity shot through his body! A quick, choked gasp escaped Yuan Shiyuan’s throat. His knees squeezed together tight, trapping the Alpha’s hand between them, preventing it from pulling away.

His phone fell onto the carpet, skidding uselessly a couple of times.

There was dead silence from the other end of the line.

"Who’s with you?"

After a moment, Jiang Hang’s voice came through, suddenly deep and serious. He was sharp and suspicious. "I heard something."