Chapter 64 Heat Cycle

Chapter 64: Running a Fever

He was like a stranded fish, desperately searching for water…

Kahn felt utterly disheartened, knowing the possibility was slim. Recalling his earlier behavior towards Bai Suizhi, he was overcome with even greater shame. What right did he have to blame Bai Suizhi?

None.

So he resolved to apologize the moment Bai Suizhi emerged from the bathroom. He’d claim he was merely in a bad mood or overly tired—any excuse would suffice, as long as it could restore their relationship to its former state.

As autumn settled in, the weather turned chilly. Kahn sneezed, feeling a slight dizziness. He shook his head and quickened his pace, vigorously rubbing his hair to dry it faster.

With a soft click, Bai Suizhi pushed the door open and stepped out. He seemed to have reached a profound understanding, his expression relaxed, radiating an oddly blissful aura.

Kahn’s prepared words caught in his throat. "What’s going on with you?" he managed to ask.

Bai Suizhi offered a cryptic smile. "I’ve figured it all out, but now isn’t the right time. I’ll tell you in a couple of days."

"What?" Kahn responded.

Bai Suizhi grinned shyly. "Don’t ask."

"Oh," Kahn said, then smoothly transitioned to his original apology. "I’m sorry. I was in a bad mood earlier and shouldn’t have taken it out on you."

Bai Suizhi nodded meaningfully. "I understand, I get it." Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he added urgently, "But you can’t give me the cold shoulder anymore!"

That was precisely Kahn’s objective. "Okay."

The next day, Bai Suizhi sought out Oliver, pulling him aside and discreetly glancing to see if Kahn, whom he had sent away, noticed his furtive actions.

Oliver hugged himself in alarm. "Bai-ge, what are you planning?"

Seeing that Kahn hadn’t noticed them, Bai Suizhi relaxed and solemnly declared to Oliver, "I’m going to confess to Kahn!"

Oliver gasped, "Seriously?!"

Bai Suizhi quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. "Keep it down! I want it to be a surprise."

Oliver, curious, asked, "What made you come to this decision?"

"Kahn got upset with me yesterday," Bai Suizhi replied.

Oliver looked puzzled. "...What does that have to do with anything?" He wondered if he’d missed a crucial part of the conversation.

"Of course it does!" Bai Suizhi explained. "Do you know why he was angry?"

Oliver shook his head. "No."

"Because during the morning exercises yesterday, I was talking to someone else and forgot to check his movements, which made him mess up the steps," Bai Suizhi elaborated.

Oliver’s expression turned skeptical. "I don’t think Kahn is the type to get angry over something like that."

Bai Suizhi patiently explained, "You don’t get it. Normally, he wouldn’t, but he cares about me way too much, so he got upset over such a small thing. Later, he also realized his emotions were off and apologized to me."

Oliver seemed on the verge of speaking but held back. Bai Suizhi, oblivious, continued, "Why do you think he cares so much about me?"

Oliver tried to play along. "Because you’re close?"

"No, no, no," Bai Suizhi corrected. "It’s because he..." A strangely shy smile spread across his face. "...likes me!"

"Kahn likes me!" he repeated, his tone utterly convinced.

Oliver felt something was amiss. The conclusion itself wasn’t wrong, but the reasoning seemed a bit… off.

"When do you think he started liking me?" Bai Suizhi asked.

The topic shifted so abruptly that Oliver almost couldn’t keep up. He thought hard, but before he could offer his opinion, Bai Suizhi answered his own question. "Maybe it was when we first met? I hit him with my car—well, not really, but he fainted, so I took him to the hospital. And guess what?"

Oliver asked flatly, "What?"

Bai Suizhi grew excited. "He kept insisting on coming home with me." The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Kahn had feelings for him from the very beginning. "Isn’t that love? We’ve been living together ever since, practically inseparable."

His expression suddenly turned regretful. "I’ve been so slow to realize it."

In over twenty years, Bai Suizhi had never experienced such an emotional roller coaster.

It was more thrilling than a roller coaster, more turbulent than white-water rafting.

Oliver hesitated, then finally blurted out, "Bro, aren’t you overthinking this?"

Bai Suizhi reacted as if someone had told him he was a hornless dragon, insisting firmly, "Impossible."

Well, a win’s a win, who cared how he’d reached the conclusion?

Oliver sighed in defeat. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

Bai Suizhi looked blank. "Do for what?"

Oliver was even more confused. "Aren’t you asking me to help you confess?"

"Did I say that?" Bai Suizhi asked.

Oliver thought back and realized he hadn’t. "Then why are you telling me all this?"

Oliver facepalmed, screaming internally: Bro, are you even dating yet?! This is putting the cart before the horse! Someone save me, I can’t deal with lovesick fools =_=

Bai Suizhi got serious. "Just kidding. I do have a confession plan."

Oliver reflexively asked, "What is it?"

"This Sunday is Kahn’s birthday. I want to confess to him then," Bai Suizhi said.

Oliver praised sincerely, "Wow, that’s a perfect day."

Bai Suizhi continued, "And I’ve seen in shows that people usually prepare flowers for confessions. Luckily, Kahn likes flowers too." He added, "He likes red roses."

Oliver understood the implication. "So where are you planning to get red roses?"

Bai Suizhi explained, "I met a vendor in District D who has connections with people on outside missions. They bring in outside goods to sell here—it’s a pretty smooth operation."

"Okay, fine," Oliver said. "But are you sure his business includes selling flowers?" He doubted any buyer other than Bai Suizhi would have the time or inclination for such things in these times.

Bai Suizhi shook his head. "I’m not planning to buy from him. I just want to use his connections to get outside the compound."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"I’ll sneak out with the group assigned to the planting area and check if any flowers are blooming there," Bai Suizhi said. "He told me there’s a flower field, but no one’s taking care of it, so I’m not sure how the flowers are doing." He sounded a bit worried.

For the first time, Oliver felt Bai Suizhi was being unreliable. "Isn’t that against protocol? And how did you convince that vendor to help you?"

"I did him a small favor," Bai Suizhi replied.

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I covered for him with the guards," Bai Suizhi admitted. Although he was the one who deliberately attracted the guards over...

Oliver was silent for a long moment before asking with difficulty, "You only decided to confess to Kahn yesterday, right?"

"Yeah," Bai Suizhi confirmed.

"Don’t tell me you finished all these preparations today?" Oliver pressed.

"No," Bai Suizhi said.

Oliver’s relief was cut short when Bai Suizhi added, "I started last night."

"??? You just confirmed Kahn likes you yesterday, and you started preparing right away?" Oliver exclaimed.

"It was a bit rushed, but the situation is special..." Bai Suizhi trailed off.

Oliver: Is that what I meant?!

Then, he asked wearily, "What can I do for you?"

Bai Suizhi got straight to the point. "If I find the flowers, I’ll leave them with you for safekeeping."

Oliver, now serving as a storage service, caught on immediately. "Got it, don’t let him find out, right?"

"Who doesn’t want to find out?"

"Ka... Kahn, why are you here?" Oliver caught himself just in time—that was close, he almost spoiled Bai Suizhi’s surprise.

Bai Suizhi guiltily rubbed the bridge of his nose and asked, "When did you get here?"

Kahn’s gaze shifted suspiciously between the two. "What were you talking about?"

The two stammered in sync, "N-nothing."

Kahn nonchalantly withdrew his gaze. "Oh, it’s almost time. Let’s head back."

In the days that followed, Kahn felt that Bai Suizhi was acting strangely, as if he was up to something.

He tried probing several times, but the man always dodged the question vaguely. Kahn couldn’t help but feel dejected, wondering if Bai Suizhi had seen through his unspoken feelings and was intentionally distancing himself.

On Saturday, Bai Suizhi suddenly said he needed to go back to Area A to get something. When Kahn asked what it was, he wouldn’t say, and this time he didn't even bother with an excuse, only vaguely saying, "Wait until tonight."

Kahn was heartbroken and secretly resolved to have it out with Bai Suizhi about it as soon as he returned. But he waited and waited until 10 p.m.

Kahn showered distractedly, his mind filled with thoughts of how to confront Bai Suizhi later.

Suddenly, water flowed over the gland on the back of his neck, sending an electric, paralyzing tingle through his body. The man couldn’t help but let out a soft groan, bracing himself against the wall with his palm to steady his trembling body. The cup he was using to pour water slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a sharp clatter.

Kahn was all too familiar with this feeling. He quickly calculated the timing in his mind and almost immediately identified the cause of his physical anomaly—his heat had arrived.

Due to his gland defect, Kahn’s heat cycles were infrequent, sometimes occurring every three months, sometimes only once every six months.

And it had been exactly six months since his last heat.

The realization sent a chill through his entire body, his face turning as pale as a sheet. Damn it, he had completely overlooked this critical issue. There were no omegas here—where was he supposed to find suppressants?

Flush after flush of heat surged through his body, tormenting him to the point of tears. His slender fingers scrambled frantically against the smooth wall but found nothing to hold onto. His beautiful eyes were already clouded with tears, his vision too blurred to make out anything.

A crippling helplessness enveloped him, and he couldn’t help but murmur: "Bai Suizhi... Bai Suizhi... Save me... I feel awful..."

He was like a stranded fish, desperately searching for water.