Chapter 16 That’s Just Couple’s Playfulness

Chapter 16 That’s Just a Couple’s Quirk

Lin Yunshu slept straight through until the next afternoon.

His heat had mostly passed, leaving only a pervasive ache, as if his bones had been crushed.

Unlike other Omegas, Lin Yunshu’s heat cycles typically lasted only two or three days. When he first differentiated, it was three days, but as his pheromone levels declined over time, it shortened to just one.

In many cases, his pheromones would even become suppressed, leading to a persistent high fever and an inability to naturally complete his heat. He often had to go to the hospital for artificial pheromone infusion to induce the heat and reduce the fever.

Because of this, he took one day off every month. But since his heat was so short—much shorter than the typical four or five days for most Omegas—no one ever suspected that his absences were due to his heat cycle.

No one ever questioned his status as a Beta, either.

This time, however, had been the most intense heat he’d experienced in a full year. His pheromones had been fully unleashed, and he’d even received a temporary mark.

Lin Yunshu, his mind still groggy, squeezed his eyes shut tightly before forcing them open again.

The boiling heat inside him had subsided, but the back of his neck stung faintly—a lingering reminder of Zhou Yu’s canines piercing it.

His body felt uncomfortable, but the discomfort was limited to the surface.

Lin Yunshu could feel distinctly that, as the Alpha’s pheromones merged with his own, the chronic pain deep within that had tormented him for so long had eased slightly.

Once again, he was startled by the perfect compatibility rate of their fated match.

The bedroom door opened, and Zhou Yu entered quietly. The moment their eyes met, a smile spread across his face.

“You’re awake?”

His voice was uncommonly gentle. So gentle that it made Lin Yunshu break out in goosebumps.

What was wrong with Zhou Yu? Hadn’t he been angry just yesterday? When he’d held him down, it felt like he wanted to tear him in half. So why was he smiling like this now?

Lin Yunshu was thoroughly unsettled by Zhou Yu’s smile.

“You…”

He frowned as soon as he spoke, realizing how hoarse his voice was.

“Don’t talk yet,” Zhou Yu hurried to the bedside and touched his forehead. “You still have a bit of a fever. Here, have some water.”

Lin Yunshu indeed felt dizzy, his throat parched. He tried to sit up, but the moment he pushed against the bed, a searing pain overwhelmed him, and he collapsed back down.

“Jesus, don’t move!” Zhou Yu exclaimed.

In the time it took to fetch water, Lin Yunshu had almost tumbled off the bed.

Zhou Yu rushed back, set the cup down hastily on the nightstand, and carefully lifted Lin Yunshu into his arms.

Lin Yunshu’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat from the pain, feeling as though every bone in his body had broken.

Panting shallowly in Zhou Yu’s embrace, he asked, voice trembling, “Did… did I break something?”

Zhou Yu fell into an odd silence.

Gradually, Lin Yunshu felt the other man’s chest begin to shake.

He lifted his head with effort and saw a mocking grin spread across Zhou Yu’s face.

Lin Yunshu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a faint blush crept up to the tips of his ears. He quickly averted his gaze, embarrassed.

“Do you want something to eat?” Zhou Yu asked.

Lin Yunshu shook his head. “No, thank you.”

He had just woken up, and his stomach felt too unsettled to handle any food.

Zhou Yu assumed he was still recovering and didn’t insist. Instead, he brought the cup to Lin Yunshu’s lips. “Then at least drink some water.”

“Thank you.”

Lin Yunshu didn’t let him feed it to him, reaching out to take the cup himself.

His hands were still trembling, but he insisted on doing it himself, slowly sipping the warm water.

Zhou Yu’s gaze darkened slightly. Lin Yunshu’s distant politeness helped him regain some of his composure.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Last night, I used too much force. I might have been a bit too—”

“Cough!”

Lin Yunshu choked on the water, bending over as he covered his mouth and coughed his lungs out. “Cough—cough—!”

Zhou Yu immediately fell silent, leaning in to hold his shoulders. “What’s wrong?!”

Lin Yunshu’s hands shook so badly he could barely hold the cup, spilling most of the water. His face flushed red from coughing, and he was gasping for air.

“Easy, easy.”

Zhou Yu took the cup from him, wiped his fingers clean, and gently rubbed his back.

“My fault, my fault,” he said guiltily. “I shouldn’t have said that…”

Lin Yunshu shook his head.

His vision blurred, tears wetting his lashes. Each cough tugged at the muscles in his lower back, sending tremors of pain wracking his body.

Zhou Yu wrapped his arms around him from behind, kneading his stiff back, waist, and arms. But when the coughing showed no sign of letting up, he began to panic.

“What’s going on? If this continues, we should go to the hospital.”

He reached for his phone to call for help, but Lin Yunshu grabbed his hand and stopped him.

Lin Yunshu focused on steadying his breathing, gradually calming down. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.

“Don’t use your sleeve; it’s not clean.”

Zhou Yu gently moved his hand aside and used a damp cloth to tenderly wipe his face.

Lin Yunshu breathed easier, hand pressed to his chest. Unable to sit upright comfortably, he adjusted himself into an uncomfortable sideways position.

"It's okay now..."

He let out a long sigh, Lin Yunshu feeling exhausted even before getting out of bed.

"Sorry." Zhou Yu pulled him closer, his heart aching.

Lin Yunshu shook his head, a faint smile slightly curling at his lips.

"I should be the one thanking you," he said. "If it weren't for your help, this heat period would have been really hard to get through. Thank you so much, sincerely."

His tone was sincere, yet polite. As if everything that happened last night was just mutual assistance.

If there was anything that went beyond friendship, it only existed within the confines of a contract.

Lin Yunshu regarded last night as an act of kindness based on a contractual agreement.

Zhou Yu felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

"There's no need for such formalities between us," he said. "Once we get the marriage certificate later, there will be plenty of times in the future I'll need you to act as a shield."

Lin Yunshu nodded seriously, looking at him with clear eyes. "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

"...Of course I believe you." Zhou Yu managed a slight smile.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Yunshu's face. "Thank you."

Zhou Yu turned his head away, unable to look into those overly clear eyes any longer.

His restless heart finally cooled down with reality, and he sighed silently. "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Zhou Yu paused for a moment, looking at Lin Yunshu's still unwell complexion. His heart ached and swelled, yet he couldn't help but soften.

"Don't panic when I tell you," he said gently.

Lin Yunshu was still running a low-grade fever and found it hard to focus. Hearing Zhou Yu's words, he slowly realized something was wrong.

"What exactly is it?"

"It's not a big deal," Zhou Yu said, trying to sound reassuring. "It's just that your brother is here."

"...?"

·

Thirty minutes later, Lin Yunshu walked out of the bedroom fully dressed and proper.

There was no trace of his earlier panic on his face, and he even refused Zhou Yu's help to steady him.

Apart from the faintly visible inhibitor patch under his collar and his pale complexion, there was no sign that he had just gone through a heat period.

Chen Shuyang had stayed up all night but eventually couldn't hold on and fell asleep.

He had moved a few chairs, blocking the doorway, and was lying awkwardly with his long legs bent, despite his discomfort, as if afraid someone might escape.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He patted his brother's shoulder.

Chen Shuyang grumbled irritably, turned over with difficulty, making the chairs creak loudly.

Lin Yunshu: "......"

Zhou Yu shrugged helplessly. "Your brother is stubborn."

Having fully understood what happened last night, Lin Yunshu smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I'll get him out of here right away."

"No need to rush," Zhou Yu said magnanimously. "We got to know each other last night and have a good relationship now."

A crack slightly appeared in Lin Yunshu's composed expression.

If they were really on good terms, would Chen Shuyang be sleeping in such a place, in such a defensive posture?

Clearly, he had issues with Zhou Yu.

Lin Yunshu couldn't bring himself to shatter Zhou Yu's confidence.

He called Chen Shuyang several more times before the person on the chairs slowly woke up, his bones cracking as he stretched.

Lin Yunshu, alarmed, carefully patted his shoulder. "Chen Shuyang?"

Chen Shuyang froze for a moment, finally booted up. The moment he saw Lin Yunshu, he sprang to his feet, nearly hitting Lin Yunshu's chin.

Lin Yunshu staggered back, only to be steadied by Zhou Yu's hand on his lower back.

"You're too reckless," Zhou Yu said sternly. "Brother-in-law."

Lin Yunshu shuddered, hearing those three words as if he'd seen a ghost.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" he whispered.

"Weren't we supposed to cooperate?" Zhou Yu leaned close to his ear, smiling. "If we're putting on a show, we have to go all the way."

He had quickly adjusted his attitude.

Since Lin Yunshu wanted to talk about the contract instead of feelings, he would play along strictly by the contract.

He would follow the contract to the letter.

If he didn't squeeze 200% effectiveness out of those papers, he wouldn't be worthy of the surname Zhou.

Sure enough, Secretary Lin was taken aback for a moment. His beautiful eyes shifted as he complied with the contract, not denying the term "brother-in-law."

He looked at Chen Shuyang, grinned, and smiled.

Chen Shuyang: "???"

"Have you absolutely lost your mind?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

He hadn't slept all night, wondering how that bastard had forced himself on Lin Yunshu and whether Lin Yunshu had been injured while resisting.

It wasn't until the sun was high that he finally succumbed to sleep.

When Chen Shuyang finally woke up and saw Lin Yunshu, he was just about to go all out to demand an explanation on his behalf, but the two started exchanging whispers right in front of him.

Acting so intimate, as if no one else was there!

"Shuyang," Lin Yunshu took a deep breath, saying with a tone of finality, "Don’t be rude. From now on, you’re his brother-in-law."

Zhou Yu gave a warm smile.

Chen Shuyang: "..."

He nearly fainted on the spot.

"No... you, you, you!" He stammered, his blood boiling. "Are you insane or blind?"

Lin Yunshu replied gently, "Not insane."

"Then you must be blind." Chen Shuyang asserted, "Did he force you?!"

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He smiled even more forcefully, "I did it voluntarily."

"He definitely forced you!"

Chen Shuyang looked as if the sky had fallen, pointing a trembling finger at Zhou Yu. "How could you possibly be interested in someone like him!"

"Sorry to interrupt," Zhou Yu pointed at himself, "Someone like what?"

"Frivolous! Dissolute!"

The more Chen Shuyang spoke, the more upset he became. Remembering how Zhou Yu had boastfully flaunted last night that he had never been kicked out of Lin Yunshu’s bed, it made his heart ache with fury.

"And so smug!" he lamented. "What on earth do you see in him? Lin Yunshu, just because my parents keep pressing you to get married doesn’t mean you should rush into it with just anyone! This is your lifelong happiness we’re talking about!"

"Sorry to interrupt again," Zhou Yu raised his hand, "What do you mean by 'just anyone'?"

He gestured to himself, "I’m not that bad, am I? At the very least, I have good credentials and am fairly good-looking?"

He looked at Lin Yunshu, hoping for some validation.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He nodded, stepping in front of Zhou Yu, and said to his brother, "Isn’t he handsome?"

Chen Shuyang: "???"

He stared at Lin Yunshu in horror.

At that moment, Lin Yunshu stood between him and Zhou Yu, slightly shorter than Zhou Yu but protectively shielding the idiot behind him like a doting wife.

Out of his sight, that idiot was grinning from ear to ear.

"Lin Yunshu," Chen Shuyang said, heartbroken, "I refuse to believe you’re such a love-struck fool."

Lin Yunshu took a deep breath.

He reminded himself of the contract's terms a hundred times over, and admonished himself to endure it for the sake of his job and survival.

"How is this being a love-struck fool?" he tried to twist the meaning. "This is how partners should be. Zhou Yu treats me very well too."

Zhou Yu’s brow twitched slightly.

Lin Yunshu rarely called him by his full name. During their school days, he called him "senior," and after they started working, he became his superior.

There always seemed to be a layer of social hierarchy between them—intimate yet distinctly separate.

So, even though he knew Lin Yunshu was only calling him that to pacify his brother, he couldn’t help but feel an embarrassingly strong flutter in his heart.

Chen Shuyang shook his head, his expression dazed and disbelieving.

"Chen Shuyang." Zhou Yu stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Lin Yunshu’s shoulder.

He wouldn’t let Lin Yunshu keep shielding him.

"I understand that, as a younger brother, you want to protect your older brother and feel like no one is good enough for him," he said seriously. "I feel the same way."

"However, you need to understand that your brother and I are already together, both in practice and legally."

He stopped smiling. Once the warmth he’d shown his "brother-in-law" faded, the authority of someone in power began to surface.

Even without intentionally exerting pressure, the commanding presence honed from years in the business world was enough to make a recent graduate like Chen Shuyang tremble inwardly.

"You can offer advice on your brother’s personal matters, but you have no right to interfere with his decisions, right?"

Out of respect for Chen Shuyang being Lin Yunshu’s brother, Zhou Yu’s tone remained quite polite, but his words carried an undeniable finality.

Chen Shuyang stared at him for a moment.

The pressure from a top-tier alpha was not to be underestimated. In Zhou Yu’s eyes, he saw immense ambition and determination, yet it wasn’t overly aggressive.

This was the demeanor of someone truly powerful, inside and out.

After being unconsciously subdued, Chen Shuyang actually calmed down.

His gaze toward Zhou Yu held a complex, unspoken meaning.

"Are you sure you’ll treat him well for the rest of your life?" he asked.

"Of course," Zhou Yu replied without hesitation.

"Swear that you’ll never betray him or make him sad."

"That day will never come," Zhou Yu said calmly.

Chen Shuyang lowered his eyes, gradually reining in his defiance. He turned to leave but turned back at the door.

He seemed to be trying hard to convince himself but still couldn’t suppress his anger. His fingers brushed against his pants seam several times before he gritted his teeth and pointed at Zhou Yu:

"Are you absolutely sure you didn’t force him?"

His defeated expression resembled a father reluctantly giving away his daughter in marriage, finding fault with the son-in-law no matter what.

Zhou Yu chuckled. "Legally, it was completely consensual."

He added mischievously, "But if you’re asking about other aspects, that’s just between a married coup— Mph!"

His mouth was suddenly covered by Lin Yunshu, who wore a horrified expression.

Zhou Yu laughed, utterly charmed by him.

Lin Yunshu tightened his grip even more.

Chen Shuyang: “???”

“What the hell—!”

“Enough!” Lin Yunshu had finally reached his limit and called over the bodyguard standing by the door. “Take him away!”

The bodyguard, who had been quietly observing the entire spectacle all evening, was suddenly summoned. His face still bore traces of lingering curiosity about the drama as he escorted the boss’s “brother-in-law” out under Lin Yunshu’s despairing gaze.

Lin Yunshu: “….”

The door closed again, and silence returned to the room.

Zhou Yu gently patted the back of Lin Yunshu’s hand—and only then did Lin Yunshu snap back to awareness, yanking his hand away as if scalded.

Zhou Yu’s face now bore faint red marks from where it had been covered. Embarrassed, Lin Yunshu hastily tried to smooth the skin. “Sorry about that…”

“No need to apologize,” Zhou Yu replied—actually seeming pleased. “Your brother-in-law is quite entertaining.”

“He doesn’t know any better. Please don’t take him seriously.”

“Of course not,” Zhou Yu said, admiringly. “I think he knows exactly what he’s talking about.”

Lin Yunshu: “?”

Author’s Note:

----------------------

Tyrannosaurus: Young man, I admire you.

Little brother-in-law: Idiot.

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P.S.: That’s it for today! More tomorrow! Finally back to daily updates!