Chapter 70 Do You Still Need Me?

Chapter 70: Do You Still Need Me?

The surgery lasted five hours.

Afterward, Lin Yunshu was transferred to the intensive care unit.

As the doctor had explained, modern medicine's technique for prosthetic gland replacement was quite mature, and Lin Yunshu's surgery was a complete success.

“He might sleep for a while,” the doctor said, removing his mask, and addressed Zhou Yu. “That’s normal; he should wake up naturally by tomorrow morning… Are you alright?”

The alpha before him looked utterly distraught, prompting the doctor to ask with concern, “The surgery was successful. You don’t need to worry.”

“I know,” Zhou Yu forced a smile. “I know. Thank you.”

“It’s my job,” the doctor replied. “We’ll continue to monitor his condition closely. Family members should provide good care and companionship. Caregiving is demanding work, so if possible, I’d recommend hiring a couple of nursing staff—”

“No need!” Zhou Yu interrupted abruptly.

The doctor was startled, his words faltering.

“Sorry…” Zhou Yu composed himself. “No nurses. I’ll take care of him myself.”

The doctor observed Zhou Yu, noting his erratic state and emotional turmoil, as if he had suffered a severe shock.

But then again, anyone would find it difficult to accept their partner having their alpha gland removed.

“Alright, alright. Taking care of him yourself is certainly best,” the doctor said sympathetically, patting Zhou Yu’s shoulder reassuringly. “After all, no one can replace the companionship of family.”

Zhou Yu nodded and politely asked, “May I go see him now?”

“Of course,” the doctor smiled. “Just don’t disturb the patient.”

He gestured to a nurse. “Please take him.”

Zhou Yu nodded to both of them. “Thank you.”

·

In the patient room, Lin Yunshu lay quietly in bed.

Fresh from surgery, he was still connected to monitors, with an oxygen mask covering half his face.

Zhou Yu quietly pushed the door open, approached silently, and carefully closed the door, making no sound throughout.

The steady beeping of the monitoring equipment soothed Zhou Yu’s restless heart.

He sat by the bed, gazing down at Lin Yunshu’s sleeping eyes.

A specially designed cervical collar was wrapped around Lin Yunshu’s neck to protect the gland wound, but its stiff material might be uncomfortable.

Zhou Yu noticed a red mark on Lin Yunshu’s neck.

His heart ached intensely. He gently touched Lin Yunshu’s fingers, then enveloped his entire hand in his palm.

Lin Yunshu’s body temperature was low and wouldn't warm up.

Zhou Yu grew increasingly distressed, feeling as if a heavy wall was pressing down on him, bending him over bit by bit.

He lowered his head, silently burying his face in Lin Yunshu’s palm.

Lin Yunshu woke up the next morning.

Zhou Yu had fallen asleep by the bed, and when the hand in his grasp was pulled away, he jolted awake instantly. Looking up, he saw Lin Yunshu tucking his hand back under the covers.

Zhou Yu felt a sudden, sharp pang in his heart.

He grabbed Lin Yunshu’s hand again, holding it tightly. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing?” Lin Yunshu frowned, then coughed softly.

He hadn’t had water for nearly twenty hours, and his throat was extremely dry. He instinctively touched his neck, immediately noticing the unusual sensation there.

“Don’t move!” Zhou Yu said anxiously.

He carefully pulled Lin Yunshu’s hand away and held it. “It’s a protective collar. You just had a prosthetic gland replacement surgery.”

“Prosthetic gland?” Lin Yunshu was surprised.

“Yes,” Zhou Yu helped him sit up and gave him a small sip of warm water. “Better now? Do you still feel like coughing?”

Lin Yunshu shook his head. “I’m fine.”

His face was pale, drained of color from the surgery’s impact. His hand instinctively rested on Zhou Yu’s forearm.

Zhou Yu felt Lin Yunshu’s shoulder, how much thinner he had become in just a few days. His shoulder blade pressed painfully into Zhou Yu’s palm.

He let Lin Yunshu rest against him and held his hand again.

“The situation was a bit critical yesterday,” Zhou Yu carefully chose his words. “The doctor said a prosthetic gland replacement was the best option for you, so I signed the authorization forms.”

He spoke cautiously, as if worried Lin Yunshu would blame him for making the decision without consulting him.

“I understand,” Lin Yunshu rubbed his temples, his mind clearer now. “This surgery was always going to happen. It was just moved forward a bit. It’s not your fault.”

Zhou Yu lowered his head. “I’m so sorry.”

“I said it’s not your fault,” Lin Yunshu attempted to withdraw his hand.

Zhou Yu only tightened his grip.

“Zhou Yu,” Lin Yunshu said helplessly. “Let go.”

“Why?”

Zhou Yu’s eyes widened, his face full of panic. “You said it wasn’t my fault, so why can’t I hold your hand?!”

Lin Yunshu: “…”

He sighed, feeling unexpectedly amused. “My hand’s asleep. Did you sleep on it yesterday?”

“I…” Zhou Yu’s eyes darted away, and he reluctantly released Lin Yunshu’s hand, rubbing his arm instead. “I didn’t notice. Maybe…”

He scratched his nose, changing the subject. “Still numb?”

Lin Yunshu shook his head. “Much better.”

The patient room door opened, and the doctor came in with nurses.

The next morning, Zhou Yu's eyes were puffy from worry, while Lin Yunshu, completely exhausted after the surgery, had to lean against him.

But the doctor was as energetic as ever.

"How are you doing?" he asked Lin Yunshu with a smile. "Do you feel any discomfort now?"

"I'm okay," Lin Yunshu said gratefully with a weak smile. "Just feeling weak... and my neck, the back of my neck hurts."

Zhou Yu immediately grew anxious. "Does it hurt? Why didn’t you say so earlier!"

"It's fine, it's fine," the doctor quickly reassured. "Try to relax. Post-surgical pain is completely normal, especially since the anesthesia has just worn off. Your husband isn't a robot—of course he'll feel some pain."

Lin Yunshu gave Zhou Yu a helpless look.

Zhou Yu looked around and realized everyone’s eyes were on him, making him realize how wound up he was.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his voice dropping. "I'll keep quiet."

The doctor put on gloves and approached. "Come on, let me take a look at your wound."

Zhou Yu then helped Lin Yunshu sit up, steadying him.

The doctor gently removed the neck brace from Lin Yunshu’s neck and peeled back the gauze to check the wound.

"Good," he nodded in satisfaction. "Looking better than expected—no redness, swelling, or signs of infection. You'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. If there are no complications, you can go home to recover."

"Thank you, Doctor," Lin Yunshu said with a smile.

Zhou Yu helped him put the neck brace back on and nodded as well. "Thank you."

"No problem," the doctor continued with instructions. "You might feel sleepy over the next couple of days, which is normal. But don’t stay cooped up in bed all the time just because you’re tired. Starting tomorrow, try to get up and move around a bit—it'll help you recover faster."

Lin Yunshu paid close attention. "Okay."

"As for your diet today, we'll keep an eye on it. Start with liquids tonight. If all goes well, you can gradually return to a normal diet over the next two days. Just remember to keep it light and nutritious. I can send you a recommended menu later."

"Okay—"

Before Lin Yunshu could respond, Zhou Yu immediately cut in, "Just send it to me! Please send it to me—I'll take care of his meals."

"Alright."

The doctor gave the unusual pair a curious look.

"Rest for now," he said, waving a hand. "Try to take it easy. If anything comes up, just press the call button."

"Understood."

Zhou Yu politely escorted the doctor out of the room.

When he returned to the ward, he saw Lin Yunshu starting to doze off again, eyelids fluttering.

Zhou Yu sat by the bed and pulled the blanket up for Lin Yunshu. "Want to get some more sleep?"

"Maybe that's for the best."

Lin Yunshu didn’t refuse. With Zhou Yu’s help, he lay back down, burying his face in the covers and closing his eyes.

The room fell silent again. Zhou Yu sat nearby, suddenly at a loss for what to do. He wanted to talk but was afraid of disturbing Lin Yunshu.

He knew Lin Yunshu wasn’t actually asleep, making the silence feel especially heavy.

Zhou Yu placed his hands on his knees, clenching and unclenching them over and over.

"Are you still in pain?" he asked.

"Not too bad," Lin Yunshu replied.

Zhou Yu stared at his pale lips. "Don't try to tough it out. It's fine to take some pain medication if you’re uncomfortable."

"Really, I don't need them. It’s just a little pain," Lin Yunshu sighed. "Shouldn't you go get some rest?"

"I'll stick around a while longer," Zhou Yu said.

"You’ve been with me all night," Lin Yunshu said softly. "Go back and get some real sleep. I’m fine now."

His tone was gentle, just as Zhou Yu remembered, yet Zhou Yu couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

He watched Lin Yunshu silently.

Lin Yunshu had a beautifully shaped nose, and his profile was particularly handsome—neither too soft nor too sharp, with just the right amount of gentleness.

Zhou Yu gazed at him for a long time, thinking that Lin Yunshu hadn’t changed much over the years, only gotten thinner and quieter.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of frustration—an inexplicable sense of defeat.

He had convinced himself these past few days that as long as Lin Yunshu needed him, nothing else mattered.

Even if Lin Yunshu only saw him as a pheromone source, so what? Even as just a container, he was the only one in the world who could provide Lin Yunshu with pheromones.

There wasn't anyone else.

Lin Yunshu needed him, and only him.

What more could he ask for?

As long as Lin Yunshu stayed by his side, it was enough.

But now, Zhou Yu didn’t know what to do.

The only link between them seemed severed. From now on, he was no longer the only person Lin Yunshu needed.

Zhou Yu’s heart felt uneasy, untethered.

He could only fix his gaze on Lin Yunshu, making sure he didn't slip away under his watch.

His intense gaze was unmistakable.

Even with his eyes closed, Lin Yunshu could feel the other’s gaze fixed on him. He endured it for a while, trying to block everything out and fall back asleep.

But it didn't work.

Zhou Yu’s presence was just too strong.

"How long are you going to keep staring at me like this?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Zhou Yu didn’t answer but suddenly released some pheromones.

Catching the familiar scent, Lin Yunshu’s brow twitched. He slowly opened his eyes, looking confused. "What’s wrong?"

Zhou Yu leaned down, locking eyes with him up close: "Can you still smell my pheromones?"

"Of course," Lin Yunshu chuckled softly. "I only had my gland replaced; it's not like I turned into a Beta."

But the difference was actually quite noticeable. After the artificial gland replacement, Lin Yunshu could clearly feel that he no longer experienced involuntary physiological reactions influenced by pheromones.

He could finally experience Zhou Yu's scent clearly and purely.

"You actually smell pretty good," he said.

"Really?" Zhou Yu's eyes lit up.

Lin Yunshu nodded with a smile.

"Then..." Zhou Yu hesitated briefly, giving him an anxious look—"do you still need me?"