Chapter 51: Ambiguous Tenderness

Zhu Zhixi woke up once in the middle of the night. The room was very dark, and everything in his vision seemed to be covered by a huge black veil, hazy and dim.

But in this chaotic dimness, he actually met Fu Rangyi’s open eyes, bright and deep, staring straight at him.

Zhu Zhixi was startled, thinking he was dreaming. He closed his eyes and opened them again. Fu Rangyi’s expression seemed to have softened a little.

He groggily leaned over, rubbed his face against his, and then buried his face in the crook of Fu Rangyi’s neck.

“Can’t sleep…” he said, his hand subconsciously touching Fu Rangyi’s lower back.

He didn’t know if it was a dream, but Fu Rangyi answered him and even hugged him. His voice was very low. “No.”

“Are you… not used to the bed?” Zhu Zhixi was too drowsy. After barely asking the question, his consciousness blurred again.

He felt Fu Rangyi kiss the top of his head. His hand was on his back, gently and softly caressing down from the back of his head, to his nape, and then down his spine, stroking slowly and methodically. This soothing action caused his consciousness to sink deeper. Soon, Zhu Zhixi hugged his waist and fell asleep again.

He didn’t know what time Fu Rangyi went to sleep, but when he woke up again after nine in the morning, Fu Rangyi was sleeping soundly, holding him from behind, his face buried in the crook of his neck, his arms wrapped around Zhu Zhixi, his breathing steady.

Waking up quietly in his arms, Zhu Zhixi’s gaze fell on that arm. He reached out and carefully slipped his hand into the sleeve of the pajama robe, gently caressing the scars on his forearm.

I forgot to kiss them when we were doing it yesterday.

With that thought, his body felt a little sore. So he very carefully moved out of Fu Rangyi’s arms, using his own pillow as a substitute and stuffing it into his embrace. But as soon as he got out of bed, he squatted down. His legs were weak. His lower abdomen also ached faintly.

He tiptoed into the bathroom and found that Fu Rangyi had actually cleaned it up spotless, without a single trace of their “crime” to be seen. Except for a missing bath bomb from the niche in the wall.

Closing the door, Zhu Zhixi untied his bathrobe, wanting to check himself.

“It’s not torn, right…” But no matter what position he was in, he couldn’t see clearly. He could only see the bruises on his hip bones and the kiss marks on his body. Forget it.

It’s probably fine. Even if it’s not, it’s okay. I’m a strong, brave, and resilient Beta.

Leaning on the sink, he groggily brushed his teeth. When he washed his face, he was blinded by the flashing light of the countdown.

[33 days 20 hours 10 minutes 09 seconds]

It was 28 hours more than yesterday.

33 days.

Zhu Zhixi let out a long sigh.

When on earth will it disappear?

He really wanted to stay with Fu Rangyi forever, to tell him he liked and loved him very loudly, to chase after him, to say it over and over again, without being timid because of the fear of suddenly leaving.

He didn’t want to be the bad guy who was forced to abandon the doggy doctor.

When he came out, Zhu Zhixi grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge in the bathroom, twisted it open, and took a few sips, his eyes always on the bed. Fu Rangyi was still hugging his pillow.

How can he be so cute?

Zhu Zhixi lay on the edge of the bed, quietly staring for a long time. When Fu Rangyi finally released his arms and turned to lie on his back, he lifted the covers, slithered in like a little snake, kissed his high-bridged nose, then his lips and chin, calling his name softly.

“You’re still not awake?”

Looks like you weren’t as effortless as you seemed. You must be a little tired, right?

Zhu Zhixi tilted his head, and mischievous thoughts bubbled up in his mind. He blinked, lowered his head, his hand fumbling at Fu Rangyi’s waist, slowly untying the belt. He also slipped down, cat-like, into the warm quilt.

He was a complete blank slate when it came to this. All his experience came from this one-on-one physiology teacher. He could only recall the “course material” and try to replicate it. Before he could do anything to the other person, he himself was already blushing and his heart was pounding from the stuffiness.

The temperature under the covers was very high, but he had just drunk ice water, so his mouth was cool. At the very first step, Professor Fu’s long legs moved, and his knee almost hit his head.

“Don’t move…” Zhu Zhixi’s command was muffled.

I know it’s cold, but you’re a big iceberg anyway.

An ice cube held in the mouth will eventually melt.

After working hard for a long time, there was no technique, only pure emotion.

But before long, he found that emotion… seemed to be enough?

Or maybe I’m just too talented.

The only drawback was that it was too hot and stuffy. His brain was deprived of oxygen. Zhu Zhixi was dizzy, and soon he was panting with his tongue out, wishing he could just throw off the covers entirely. He took a short break, lowered his head and gave a couple of kisses, and just as he was about to gather his courage to complete the practical lesson again, the covers were indeed thrown off.

“What are you doing…” Fu Rangyi was up, leaning against the headboard and looking at him.

His voice had a slight nasal tone, deep and very different from usual. He held the quilt with one hand, frowning and squinting, as if trying very hard to see clearly.

When he was truly awake and got a general idea, his first reaction was actually to reach for his glasses, but the glasses weren’t on the bedside table. He turned his face, met his gaze again, tilted his head slightly, and asked again.

“Zhu Zhixi, what are you doing?” This time his voice was a bit hoarse.

“Uh…” Zhu Zhixi was as startled as a little hamster forced to spit out its stored food from its cheek pouches. He looked up, blinking with an innocent expression. “This is… a Morning Call!”

Fu Rangyi wasn’t wearing his glasses, his vision was still blurry. He squinted and studied him for a while, nodded, and then suddenly let out a low laugh, wishing him good morning at the same time. “Morning.”

Strangely, Zhu Zhixi was captivated by this word, this smile, and was stunned for a few seconds. His rhythm was interrupted, and he didn’t even know if he should continue.

“But you don’t have to do these things,” Fu Rangyi reacted first, even reaching out to try and pull him up.

“Why?” Zhu Zhixi didn’t like seeing him so composed, so excessively calm, as if he could pull away at any moment and would never fall for him.

Am I the only one who’s so into this? I’m a Beta, for crying out loud. This doesn’t seem right.

He didn’t cooperate, and even lowered his head again, continuing right in front of him, indistinctly mimicking his words from last night. “Look at me…”

And then he heard the sound he loved to hear, a very low gasp.

“Zhu Zhixi…”

“You taught me,” Zhu Zhixi said shamelessly. “I’m just using the moves you used on me against you. It’s called ‘learning from the master to subdue the master,’ you fox spirit.”

“Compared to you, I’m probably just a little fox who’s just come down from the mountain.”

That being said, he actually couldn’t reach the level Fu Rangyi had last night. He was limited by basic physiological differences; after all, the size difference was there. Fu Rangyi could lift him with one hand, while he probably couldn’t move him an inch with both hands. So he used almost everything he could.

His eyes also darted upwards from time to time, seeing the side of Fu Rangyi’s neck and his ears gradually turning red, and also seeing him subconsciously tilt his head back.

Even his neck is so good-looking.

“You’re blushing,” he said in a spare moment, his hands not stopping.

Fu Rangyi didn’t say anything, just turned his face away. His breathing was heavy and nice to listen to. The way he didn’t dare to look at him and tried to regulate his breathing was also very cute.

He liked seeing Fu Rangyi immersed in it, caught in a whirlpool, not so calm and self-possessed, as if he particularly needed him.

“Professor Fu, you’re so handsome.” This sentence came out muffled, but Zhu Zhixi’s upturned eyes were extremely bright.

That shell of his, which he could retract at will, finally cracked, revealing the soft, pure core inside. This excited Zhu Zhixi. For some reason, doing these things to such a person gave him a strong sense of the forbidden.

Even though they were legally certified.

The winter sun passed through the curtains, and a narrow beam of golden light shone in, landing on Zhu Zhixi’s rising and falling back. His bathrobe had been rubbed around under the covers and was already half open, his shoulder half-exposed, and his lowered neck was smooth and slender.

Without glasses, his vision was a bit blurry, making the scene even more dreamlike.

Fu Rangyi was captivated. He only came back to his senses when he heard Zhu Zhixi cough. He reached for a tissue, pulled him up, and had him sit in his lap.

“Spit it here.”

This posture really, really looks like a husband helping to catch fruit pits, Zhu Zhixi thought.

He deliberately disobeyed. A moment later, he opened his mouth, said “ah” as if a doctor were checking his teeth, and shrugged with a grin. “It’s gone.”

Fu Rangyi was completely helpless against him.

Zhu Zhixi even leaned close to his ear and whispered, “This has your pheromones in it.”

Help me.

Fu Rangyi’s canine teeth began to ache again.

“You even know about that. I thought you really hadn’t taken any physiology classes.”

“Because that’s the content of the first lesson,” Zhu Zhixi smiled. “Even a poor English student knows how to spell ‘abandon’.”

There it was again. Zhu Zhixi’s strange analogies.

“Did you like it?” Zhu Zhixi asked, cupping his face.

Fu Rangyi deliberately didn’t answer right away, beating around the bush. “This is probably the kind of good dream every Alpha high school student has.”

“You had dreams like this in high school? I find that so hard to believe.” You probably woke yourself up and cut yourself with a small knife the moment you had the slightest hint of such a dream, Zhu Zhixi thought. You poor little bitter melon.

Fu Rangyi actually thought about it carefully. “I really didn’t.” He hadn’t had many good dreams.

And there was no one to dream about. Unless he had met Zhu Zhixi in high school.

“So, did you like it or not?” Zhu Zhixi brought the topic back again.

Fu Rangyi rested both hands on his lower back, staring at his red, full lips. “What do you think?”

“What do I think? I think you have a stubborn mouth,” Zhu Zhixi said. “A certain someone wasn’t like this last night, saying ‘excellent,’ ‘very well done,’ ‘you’re amazing’ with every other word…” And calling him ‘baby’ this and ‘baby’ that.

How come he’s back to normal the moment he opens his eyes?

A very thin smile touched the corner of Fu Rangyi’s mouth. “You like to hear it?”

“Of course,” Zhu Zhixi was very honest.

Fu Rangyi kissed the tip of his nose and asked, “Like a child, you like to be praised.”

“You reacted well when I praised you too. Who doesn’t like to be praised?”

It’s not like he’s a masochist like Zhu Zeran who likes to be slapped.

Fu Rangyi was quiet for a moment, then became honest when he spoke again. “It felt very good just now.”

Hearing this, a small flower suddenly bloomed in Zhu Zhixi’s heart. He couldn’t help but smile, but just as his mouth spread into a grin, Fu Rangyi’s fingers suddenly slipped inside, startling him. “Mm, what are you doing!”

Fu Rangyi didn’t say anything, just touched his front teeth and the teeth next to them.

“It’s nothing.” He patted Zhu Zhixi’s lower back, moved him to the side, and went into the bathroom himself.

Zhu Zhixi belatedly realized and shouted, “Are you worried that I scraped you?”

Fu Rangyi, brushing his teeth, poked his head out. His hair was messy, and he squinted, making a muffled, questioning sound. “Hmm?”

Zhu Zhixi also climbed out of bed and ran barefoot to the bathroom door to question him. “I asked you if you liked it, and you touched my teeth. You wanted to say something sarcastic but held back, right?”

Fu Rangyi smiled with the toothbrush in his mouth, pinched Zhu Zhixi’s cheek, then bent down to wash his face seriously. After wiping his face, he looked down at Zhu Zhixi’s bare feet, directly picked him up, and sat him on the sink.

“What are you thinking?” He leaned in very close, his hands propped on the edge of the sink, and tilted his face up to kiss Zhu Zhixi’s lips. “I just thought your teeth were very cute and wanted to touch them.”

“Really?” Zhu Zhixi’s hands rested on the back of his neck, his wrists crossed.

Fu Rangyi nodded, rubbing the tip of his nose against his as he did so.

Zhu Zhixi smiled a little smugly, his front teeth showing again, but he was completely unaware, only focused on asking, “So what score are you giving my practical lesson homework? Can I pass? Professor.”

“Full marks. No passing needed.”

“Sweet talker.” Zhu Zhixi’s fingers restlessly touched the gland behind his neck, and he suddenly thought of how Fu Rangyi had stared at him last night, touching his nape and back just like this.

“You didn’t sleep well last night?” Zhu Zhixi kissed the bridge of his nose. “Are you not used to sleeping here?”

“No.”

It’s a bit of separation anxiety. It seems to have gotten worse after intimacy. It feels uncomfortable to close my eyes and not see him.

“The sound of the fireworks outside was too loud,” he said casually.

Zhu Zhixi believed him and even imagined it, thinking that Fu Rangyi was like a little puppy or kitten that always gets scared by the sound of firecrackers and fireworks during the New Year.

So cute.

So he kissed him in that position, deeper and deeper. The minty taste was cool and sweet. As they kissed, he started to hum.

Fu Rangyi tightened his arms and continued kissing as he picked him up. The koala obediently clung on, leaving the bathroom, walking to the bed, and being gently laid down.

Kissing while lying down is still more comfortable.

Just as he was thinking, a series of vibrations came. Zhu Zhixi was caught off guard and startled again, pushing Fu Rangyi slightly. “Is your wristband alarming again?”

Fu Rangyi looked up. “I’m not wearing it.”

“Huh?” Zhu Zhixi also became clear-headed.

The phone was picked up by Fu Rangyi. He glanced at the caller ID: “…Xiao En Baby.”

Those three words were almost ground out through his teeth.

“Give it, give it to me.” Zhu Zhixi took the phone, immediately answered it, rolled over to lie on his stomach on the bed, and in the first second, full of energy, wished him a Happy New Year. “Happy New Year, Xiao En! May you be prosperous! Did you receive the red envelope I sent you last night? Do you want to come to my house for dinner!”

Fu Rangyi was a little speechless. He had been wanting to bite his neck, holding back the whole time. Now, with those three words running rampant in his head, he lost it and directly pinned Zhu Zhixi’s shoulders from behind and bit down.

“Ah!” Zhu Zhixi cried out in pain. His hand went limp, and the phone fell onto the quilt.

The sharp canine teeth made two shallow marks, but no pheromones were injected. That would be too painful. Besides, it wouldn’t have any effect. Fu Rangyi still had his reason.

On the other end of the line, Liang Yi’en called his name several times. Fu Rangyi picked up the phone and held it to Zhu Zhixi’s ear. “Your Xiao En Baby is calling you.”

“What are you doing…” Zhu Zhixi clutched his neck. Hearing Liang Yi’en ask “Are you okay” on the other end, he cleared his throat, took a breath, and said, “I’m fine. Go on, I’m listening.”

“Senior, Xiao Yu is awake. He seems to have recovered some of his memory. Do you have time to come over now?”

“Yes!” Hearing this, Zhu Zhixi became spirited. This was a major event concerning his longevity enterprise. “I’ll be right over. Wait for me.”

Half an hour later, Liang Yi’en opened the gate to the courtyard. He was a little surprised to see the couple arriving together, carrying large and small bags, looking like newlyweds visiting relatives.

“Professor Fu, you came too.” Liang Yi’en gave a dry laugh. “Happy New Year.”

Such strong pheromones…

Help me. Give a normal Alpha a break, Professor. My head is about to split open.

He was already dead tired from the whole night’s ordeal.

However, a certain Beta carrying and continuously emitting top-tier pheromones was completely unaware and even hugged him enthusiastically. “Happy New Year!”

I can’t be happy at all, senior. Liang Yi’en gave a bitter smile, wanting to hug back, but suddenly felt a chill. Looking up, Professor Fu’s gaze was terrifyingly gloomy.

He withdrew his hand. “…Come in first, senior.”

“Is Xiao Yu really awake?” Zhu Zhixi walked ahead next to Liang Yi’en, elbowing him in the waist. “What did you two do last night?”

Liang Yi’en wanted to laugh.

Is turning the tables your special talent, senior?

“Just…” he had just said one word when he vaguely felt a chill on his back as well. Turning around, it was still Fu Rangyi.

Why is he following so closely?

“Never mind, that’s not important.” Liang Yi’en consciously kept his distance and rubbed his temples. “Anyway, he’s awake. Senior, if you want to ask anything, ask quickly. I’m afraid he’ll turn back into an animal again in a bit.”

The three of them walked from the front yard inwards. The puppies were barking one after another. Several times, Fu Rangyi almost stepped on his foot. Zhu Zhixi was a bit puzzled. He had felt something was strange on the way here. It felt like Fu Rangyi had become particularly clingy after waking up this morning, not leaving his side for a moment. He had not only “marked” him but also proactively held his hand whenever there was a red light.

“You stepped on me,” he said.

“Oh.” Fu Rangyi lowered his head. “Sorry.”

“Are you copying my walk?” Zhu Zhixi pressed closer and asked in a low voice. “You’ve been walking right next to me the whole way.”

After being exposed, Fu Rangyi turned his face away and also pulled back a little. But Zhu Zhixi immediately stuck to him again, pulling his arm as they entered the room together.

As soon as he entered, Zhu Zhixi saw Xiao Yu sitting on the bed, wearing Liang Yi’en’s fluffy pajamas, his long silver-white hair scattered, his expression dazed.

“It’s the adult version!” Zhu Zhixi pointed at him. “Do you still remember me? Great Angel.”

Xiao Yu turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and finally landing on Fu Rangyi.

“Dad…”

“…Who’s your dad?” Fu Rangyi wanted to wash his hands again.

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Author’s Note:

 The whole way out, Xiao Zhu basically had the words “I had New Year’s Eve sex last night” pasted on his forehead. Professor Fu is about to enter a new phase of separation anxiety after doing it, and the clingy Alpha (puppy) mode is automatically activated.