Chapter 3 Stubbornness

Chapter 3: Stubborn

Qiao Zhimian gazed at the enormous, tightly packed bowl of rice before him, his delicate face clouding with worry and frustration.

His already reddened eyes seemed even more so than before.

He pouted, stealing a glance at the alpha, then fluttered his eyelashes towards his wheelchair nearby. His clear, bright eyes darted to the maid in front, seeking help with a meaningful blink.

The maid was instantly charmed, paused in confusion for a second, then understood. She reluctantly shook her head and made a small, apologetic gesture with her hand.

She believed Mr. Lian wouldn't allow it, and besides, it was truly for Young Master Qiao's own good.

He was far too thin and had barely eaten anything since yesterday's wedding.

Lian Yi continued eating his own remaining rice. With the keen senses of a top-tier alpha, he perfectly caught every one of the omega's subtle movements.

His calm, steady gaze fell upon the dejected figure, lingered for a silent moment, then shifted to the bowl of rice that had remained untouched for quite some time.

“Can you finish it?” he offered, giving him an out.

Qiao Zhimian abruptly looked up and met his eyes. As if afraid he might retract the offer, he quickly replied, “It’s too much…”

A faint smile touched Lian Yi’s eyes. He picked up the bowl, transferred half of the rice into his own, and set it back down.

“Eat,” he said, adding a couple of pieces of meat to the omega’s bowl.

With no excuse left, Qiao Zhimian sighed softly, obediently picked up his chopsticks, and put a few grains of rice into his mouth, chewing without enthusiasm.

“I think you,” he muttered, poking the bottom of his bowl, the grievances from last night resurfacing, “are too nosy…”

You don't like me, yet you care whether I'm thin or not, whether I eat or not.

You even remember my height and my weight from back in school…

Lian Yi didn't understand this seemingly random remark, assuming he was just complaining about being overly controlled.

He quickly finished the last of his meal in two big mouthfuls, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and took a tissue to wipe his mouth.

Calmly, he retorted, “Then what do you think a normal alpha husband should do when his omega wife is refusing to eat?”

The man raised an eyebrow, watching him without arguing, as if waiting for him to prove it by cleaning his plate.

Qiao Zhimian, with puffed-out cheeks, was stunned. His delicate brows furrowed as he recalled their earlier conversation, suddenly understanding something.

So, he’s just acting the part of a good husband, right?

He isn’t genuinely concerned about me.

The omega withdrew his gaze, opened his mouth slightly but said nothing more, as if coming to his senses in an instant.

Qiao Zhimian had always eaten slowly, even before his leg injury—not just slowly, but pickily. Pampered by his fathers and older brother at home, he’d developed the spoiled young master's habits.

Lian Yi, having finished eating, stayed seated with him. Based on his past understanding of this guy, if he got up now, Qiao Zhimian would definitely slip away.

He scrolled through his phone, reviewing the draft documents sent by his intern lawyer, marking a few points that needed revision.

By the time he finished, he noticed the omega had, at some point, gone quiet again.

He looked up and glanced over, seeing him frowning at the table full of dishes.

Lian Yi followed his gaze and realized that none of these were dishes he liked, especially the ones placed right in front of him—either the side dishes contained ingredients he avoided, or the main dishes simply didn’t suit his taste.

It was probably because the chef at their new home hadn’t yet learned his preferences and hadn’t been specifically reminded.

Hesitating for a moment, Lian Yi picked up the plate of yuxiang shredded pork and moved it closer to Qiao Zhimian. He picked out the wood ear mushrooms Qiao Zhimian disliked and transferred the carrots and shredded pork he liked to his bowl.

The omega’s brow finally smoothed, and his eating pace quickened slightly.

The man watched his cheeks bulge as he chewed, recalling their school days.

Back then, whenever he ate in the cafeteria, this guy would inevitably slip over with his tray and sit right next to him.

The cafeteria food wasn’t nearly as refined, and sitting beside him, he’d have that same finicky look, carefully selecting what to eat.

He’d even watch Lian Yi’s reactions, taking liberties by trading unwanted food into Lian Yi’s bowl and taking the dishes he liked.

.

After dinner, Lian Yi still had some work to finish. He entered the study and didn’t come out again.

The sound of his phone calls occasionally drifted out through the closed door.

At around ten o’clock at night, the lock abruptly clicked, and the door opened from the inside.

Qiao Zhimian, who had been waiting outside the study, stiffened and hastily tried to wheel away. But the wheelchair wasn’t quick to maneuver, and by the time he heard the noise, it was already too late to react.

Lian Yi looked at him, a bit surprised, and walked over to ask, “Is something wrong?”

Qiao Zhimian bit his lip, flustered and embarrassed. After gathering his composure, he lifted his head and looked at the man assertively. “Mr. Lian, according to our agreement, married couples normally sleep in the same bed.”

The term “Mr. Lian”—the omega had used it twice today.

It was an unusual way for him to address Lian Yi.

Lian Yi lowered his gaze, meeting the omega’s round, almond-shaped eyes, and readily accepted, “Alright.”

With that, he stepped around him and headed toward the bedroom.

Qiao Zhimian stood there stunned, clearly not expecting him to agree so readily.

He turned to look at the alpha’s tall, retreating figure and pursed his lips in frustration.

Then again, he’d been just as unresisting when they signed the agreement.

When Lian Yi finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom, he found the omega sitting in his wheelchair, lost in his thoughts.

The sound of water cutting off jolted Qiao Zhimian from his reverie.

He had been listening to the sound anxiously for a while, mostly feeling nervous.

Having to share a bed with the alpha he had liked for so many years—given his current situation, he wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or sad.

Lian Yi walked to the bedside and stood still. Seeing that the other still hadn’t moved, he asked, “Not tired yet?”

Qiao Zhimian clenched his hands on his lap, glanced at the man, then at the bed, feeling somewhat helpless.

He lowered his eyes, overwhelmed by insecurity and embarrassment, a pang of bitterness rising in his chest.

He had been so lost in his thoughts earlier that he forgot to get into bed ahead of time...

His legs... He looked quite awkward trying to climb onto the bed.

He didn’t want Lian Yi to see him in such an unsightly state.

Seeing that he remained silent, Lian Yi, guessing his thoughts, asked further, "Didn’t want to eat earlier, and now don’t want to sleep either?"

Qiao Zhimian detected a hint of teasing in the alpha’s words. He sniffled, his eyes growing warm and teary as he glared at him, "Yes, so what?"

Lian Yi gazed into the omega’s eyes, which shimmered like scattered diamonds, and frowned slightly. "You didn’t sleep last night either, did you?"

Yesterday’s events made Qiao Zhimian sad. He stopped paying attention to him, wheeled himself to the bedside, and hid his reddening eyes.

He began to move slowly, trying his best to get onto the bed with some dignity.

Lian Yi watched his struggling movements—his thin, lean body trembling faintly as he exerted himself, his wrists so slender they seemed unable to bear the weight of his entire body.

An inexplicable heavy, tight feeling filled his chest, accompanied by an indescribable ache.

Almost instinctively, without a second thought, he stepped forward, bent down, and supported the omega’s barely suspended buttocks, his large hand protecting the slender waist and back as he effortlessly lifted him.

Qiao Zhimian reflexively wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, startled by the sudden weightlessness. His pale, delicate face showed panic, and he clutched the collar of the man’s bathrobe, forgetting to let go.

Lian Yi carefully placed him sitting on the edge of the bed, his frown deepening and tightening more than ever before.

He was too light, so light it felt as though he could vanish at any moment.

He remembered it hadn’t been like this at all before.

During their school days, his summers were almost entirely filled with various charity activities, and the omega would follow him around like a little tail, going wherever he went.

He was going to volunteer as a teacher in a remote mountain village for a month.

The place only had muddy mountain paths; when it rained, it wasn’t a place fit for walking—full of potholes, where one step could sink in and become impossible to pull out.

Every step had to be chosen carefully.

The omega had never endured hardship, and his shoes weren’t slip-resistant. Back then, he fell three or four times in the mud—a tender-skinned child tumbling around until he was covered in filth, his fair face dotted with mud.

Even with tears welling in his eyes from the pain, he stubbornly insisted on following, refusing to give up.

When he fell behind, he would cry pitifully, wiping his tears with muddy hands, unknowingly turning his face into a muddy mess, with mud even clinging to his eyelashes.

Eventually, Lian Yi had no choice. Feeling both sorry and exasperated, he carried his backpack on his back, went back, and carried the omega in his arms, walking the seemingly endless muddy path.

Back then, he was thin and small, but nothing this extreme.

Qiao Zhimian didn’t know what the alpha was thinking. He sat on the edge of the bed while the other crouched before him, holding his foot with a thoughtful expression.

Could it be that he found his disability disgusting?

At this thought, Qiao Zhimian pursed his lips, grabbed behind his own knees, and tried to pull his foot out of the man’s hand.

Feeling the tug, Lian Yi snapped back to reality, his eyes clearing. He paused for a moment, then swiftly helped him take off his shoes.

Qiao Zhimian was slightly surprised, but before he could react, he was tucked into the blankets, legs and all.

Lian Yi tucked in the edges of the blankets for him, stood up straight, and said, "I’ll get another quilt."

With that, he headed to the walk-in closet.

The omega lying in bed looked somewhat dejected.

.

The bedroom, with the lights off, was exceptionally quiet. With vision limited, hearing became especially sharp.

Lian Yi lay flat with his eyes closed, listening to the rustling sounds of the omega moving around, as if tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

He too felt wide awake—he had never lain beside an omega before.

The faint, pleasant scent of white roses lingered around him.

The pheromones were soft and delicate, not as flamboyant or alluring as red roses, but rather gentle and pure, like freshly fallen snow.

Qiao Zhimian slowly opened his eyes. Having adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the alpha’s handsome, blurred outline.

Even if they shared a bed but dreamed different dreams, even if it was fake, it was fine.

He stubbornly thought, at least for this one year, let him fully experience what it’s like to be in a 'loving' marriage with him.

Qiao Zhimian pressed a hand over his racing heart. To ensure he could still sleep tonight, he swallowed his grief, took one last deep look at the man, turned over, and let his tears silently soak into the pillow.

The rustling ceased. After a while, Lian Yi turned his head to look at the person beside him.

Curled up into a small ball, almost entirely buried under the blankets, only the top of his fluffy head visible.

His breathing was light and shallow, making him appear particularly fragile and vulnerable.

Are all omegas like this? Probably not.

When did he become like this? Was it because of his legs?

He didn’t know what exactly had happened to Qiao Zhimian over the past year.

When Qiao Baichen forced him to return to the country, he was filled with resentment.

Even though someone had given him a heads-up just before his return, the moment he saw him in a wheelchair, he felt an indescribable emotion.

Everyone said the Qiao family’s young master was sensible, well-behaved, reserved, and polite.

But only he knew how headstrong and stubborn he could truly be.

When he first entered university, due to his good family background, top grades, and status as a top-tier alpha, many omegas flocked to express their interest in him.

At the time, he was full of passion and ambition, wholly dedicated to the path of law and politics, and turned down many people.

Later, growing weary of the attention, he publicly declared that he had no plans to find an omega partner for the time being.

Somehow, word spread that he disliked omegas for being delicate, and he didn’t bother to explain, as it conveniently warded off many admirers.

He spent his freshman year in peace, until Qiao Zhimian appeared during his sophomore year.

A more persistent and stubborn little brat than anyone else.

Even when he hit a wall, he wouldn’t turn back; no matter how many times he was rejected, he never got angry. He openly followed him around, calling him "senior" every day.

Gradually, he grew accustomed to it and tacitly accepted this little follower.

Author's Note: