Chapter 52: Separation Anxiety

The first words out of Xiao Yu’s mouth made Zhu Zhixi’s heart sink.

“It’s over. I don’t think he’s recovered much at all.”

Xiao Yu himself seemed a little speechless about this sudden family reunion, raising a hand to pat his own head.

“His wings haven’t come out either,” Fu Rangyi said.

“I made him retract his wings,” Liang Yi’en explained. “Feathers were falling all over the place. Not only was it impossible to sweep them all up, but it also attracted the puppies to pounce on the feathers. I spent half the day cleaning.” And it ruined one of my shirts, poking two big holes right through the back.

Hearing this, Xiao Yu lowered his head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Liang Yi’en patted his head.

Fu Rangyi stared at him. “Aren’t you going to take him to the hospital to get checked out?”

“For what?” Zhu Zhixi tilted his head up. “Shedding?”

Fu Rangyi was silent for a few seconds. “I meant the amnesia.”

“The hospital won’t be able to figure it out. He’s not human.”

“He’s in human form now, and he’s an Alpha.” Fu Rangyi sensed another pheromone besides Liang Yi’en’s—a scent of myrrh and frankincense, giving the feeling of sitting in front of a stained-glass window in a church, surrounded by burning incense.

In the small room, three Alphas’ pheromones clashed noticeably. The only one who was cheerfully oblivious was the Beta who couldn’t smell a thing.

“We took him for a check-up the last time he turned back into a human. It was useless,” Liang Yi’en sighed and said to Xiao Yu, “Quick, look at Senior Zhixi’s countdown. What on earth is it? Can you find a way to get rid of it?”

Zhu Zhixi nodded quickly, came to the bedside and sat down like a devout believer seeking a fortune-teller, and held out his hand. “You can see it, right?” Fu Rangyi also walked over, standing close beside him at the edge of the bed.

Xiao Yu stared silently for a while, extended his index finger, and then glanced up at Fu Rangyi. In the end, he just pointed at the center of Zhu Zhixi’s palm from a distance.

After a moment, a pale golden light suddenly bloomed between his palm and fingertip, spreading out like a cloud of mist, somewhat dazzling.

“So magical!” Zhu Zhixi tugged on Fu Rangyi’s hand. “Quick, help me record a video!”

But Fu Rangyi had clearly crashed again. Seeing a supernatural phenomenon for the second time, the great professor was still having a little trouble accepting it.

“I’ll film it for you,” Liang Yi’en said, but just as he took out his phone, the light dissipated.

Xiao Yu rubbed his temples and said, “This is not your countdown.”

Zhu Zhixi was so excited he almost jumped up. “Really? If you’re lying, you’ll turn into a puppy!” Wait, no, he can already turn into a puppy. He can also turn into a big white rat.

Liang Yi’en: “Then whose time is this countdown counting?”

Xiao Yu answered calmly, “Time of death.”

Zhu Zhixi wilted again and was pulled into an embrace by Fu Rangyi, whose brain had briefly reconnected.

“There’s a puppy’s soul in your body, just like mine, but it’s very weak,” Xiao Yu looked at Zhu Zhixi. “This isn’t your countdown; it should be that little puppy’s.”

“Right, it’s that little white dog!” Zhu Zhixi said. “I wanted to save him.”

Xiao Yu nodded. “I guess, something happened that caused his lifespan countdown to accidentally connect to you.”

Zhu Zhixi nodded. He, the little white dog, and Xiao Yu had all appeared on the same rainy night. Thinking back now, he seemed to have had a dream while he was unconscious, a dream with many angel-like people flying around.

Perhaps it wasn’t a dream at all, but what his soul experienced after it left his body? This was too fantastic.

Fu Rangyi frowned. “So what exactly are you?”

“I’m not human,” Xiao Yu looked at him, speechless. “My memories are still fragmented, but I remember I used to work at the small animal registration office, so I can see this countdown.”

“Registration office?” Fu Rangyi blinked. “You’re also part of the system?”

Zhu Zhixi wanted to laugh. “You can even find common ground in this?”

Xiao Yu seemed to find it too troublesome to explain. He thought for a moment and said to them, “Have you ever noticed? Many pets don’t want to stay at home before they die. They’ll slip out, find a place to hide, and don’t want their owners to watch them pass away.”

The three of them nodded in unison.

Xiao Yu: “Then have you ever wondered why small animals all know they’re about to die?”

Zhu Zhixi had a sudden realization and clapped his hands. “Because of the countdown! They can see it themselves!”

“Correct,” Xiao Yu nodded. “We use this method to notify them in advance, giving them time to say goodbye to their friends, family, and owners. When the countdown is about to end, we will take their souls away from here and go up to register.” He pointed to the sky.

Everything added up.

Liang Yi’en: “Since this is the little white dog’s… then why can Professor Fu affect this countdown?”

Xiao Yu looked at Fu Rangyi, then lowered his head to stare at Zhu Zhixi’s palm, and shook his head. “I don’t know, but there must be some kind of connection.”

Fu Rangyi, however, felt that none of this was important. He only cared about one thing. “Since this is your job, you should also have the ability to reset the mistaken countdown, right?”

“My abilities and memories have only partially recovered. It’s not enough yet.”

Hearing this, Liang Yi’en face-planted onto the quilt. His back seemed to be inscribed with the words ‘a long and arduous road ahead.’

“Also, to reset it, we need to find that little puppy, not just its body, but its soul as well,” Xiao Yu looked at the two of them. “Before the countdown ends.”

“What if we can’t find it?” Fu Rangyi asked. “On the day it hits zero, what will happen?”

Xiao Yu was silent for a moment, then chose to be honest. “The moment it hits zero, the soul will completely detach from the body, which is what you call death. As for a situation of being wrongly bound like this, in my current memory, this should be the first time, so I can’t give you a definite answer.”

After speaking, he stared at Fu Rangyi, shivered for no reason, and then frantically leaned against Liang Yi’en, trying to burrow into his embrace, completely forgetting that he was currently in an adult’s body.

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao Yu glanced at a certain person again. “The things he’s thinking in his head right now are so scary.”

Zhu Zhixi looked at Fu Rangyi, patted his back, and then pulled himself together. “It’s okay, we can definitely find the little dog! At least now we’ve figured out what’s going on, and we can make a plan, right? This is already very good, friends.”

“Next steps: one, find the puppy; two, help Xiao Yu recover his energy; three, switch the countdown back. Perfect!”

As he spoke, he held out the back of his hand. “Let’s have a cheer for the Save Xiao Zhu Squad!”

Just as Liang Yi’en was about to extend his hand, he suddenly realized something and also took away Xiao Yu’s already extended hand. “Professor, you first.”

Fu Rangyi didn’t say anything, but his hand already covered his wife’s hand.

Xiao Yu’s mind was full of Fu Rangyi’s dark, crawling inner voice. He glanced at Liang Yi’en again. He didn’t want to put his hand down, nor did he want Liang Yi’en to.

After hesitating for two seconds, a snow-white feather suddenly appeared out of thin air, floated down, and landed on the back of Fu Rangyi’s hand. Only then did Xiao Yu place his hand on top, and also grabbed Liang Yi’en’s hand and placed it on the back of his own.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

Since they were already here and had extra hands, Zhu Zhixi decided to stay and help bathe the small animals at the shelter.

Xiao Yu brought over several airline crates. Liang Yi’en opened the cages and said to Zhu Zhixi, “These few have already been confirmed for adoption. Let’s wash and dry them first. Their new owners will come to pick them up later.”

“That’s great! You’re going to have homes,” Zhu Zhixi squatted down and patted their heads. One of the puppies met his gaze, and Zhu Zhixi was inexplicably reminded of Fu Rangyi.

Will staying here remind him of his past experiences at the orphanage? Will he feel uncomfortable? With that thought, Zhu Zhixi looked up towards the courtyard.

Fu Rangyi was standing in the front yard, holding his phone in one hand, seemingly on a call with someone. His other hand was holding a plush toy, playing tug-of-war with a lively black pastoral dog. He stood there like a metasequoia tree, tall, straight, and unmoving.

“What did I tell you.”

Hearing Liang Yi’en’s words, Zhu Zhixi turned his head. “Huh? What did you say?”

“I had a feeling when I saw that contract. You would definitely turn a fake act into a real one, but I didn’t expect it to be so fast,” Liang Yi’en glanced at him. “Senior, you really have no self-control.”

Zhu Zhixi said with a grin, “You’re amazing. Why don’t you become a fortune-teller? Team up with Xiao Yu. He can tell you what he reads from their minds, and you two can do a double act fortune-telling. You’ll definitely make a fortune.”

“Don’t laugh, I’m actually working part-time as a pet communicator now.”

“That’s all a scam!” Zhu Zhixi said.

“But Xiao Yu can really understand them,” Liang Yi’en said. “I have him read them, and after he’s done, I send it to the client. Whether it’s ‘meow meow meow’ or ‘woof woof woof,’ he can understand it all.”

Zhu Zhixi blinked. “Can I get a membership with you guys? To read my husband’s mind every day.”

“I won’t.” Xiao Yu appeared out of nowhere, suddenly squatting behind the two of them.

Zhu Zhixi turned his head and whispered to him, “I’m Xiao En’s best friend, you know what I mean.”

Xiao Yu paused for a moment and said, “…He’s very, very anxious right now.”

Zhu Zhixi didn’t understand. “Anxious?”

“That’s very normal,” Liang Yi’en cleared his throat. “Did you two… do that thing?”

Zhu Zhixi’s ears turned red, and he nodded. “So?”

As the only Alpha among the three who had diligently completed his physiology classes, Liang Yi’en sighed and continued to ask, “There probably wasn’t… a knot, right?”

Xiao Yu looked innocent. “What’s a knot?” Zhu Zhixi also blinked, looking at him.

Liang Yi’en’s face also turned red for some reason. His brain was smoking. He gestured with his hands for a long time, then pointed to a small dog not far away. “Like him. Wasn’t he breeding a while ago? During the breeding, they… they couldn’t get separated. You remember, right?”

The little dog that was pointed at whimpered, turned in a half-circle, lay down, and tucked its face into its tail.

Zhu Zhixi shook his head. “No, there wasn’t. It pulled out right away.”

Liang Yi’en was momentarily speechless, somewhat regretting bringing up this topic. Was he now squatting in front of a group of dogs and two people who knew nothing, publicly gossiping about his university professor’s sex life? Help me.

“What happens with a knot?” Xiao Yu asked again.

“Alphas have a very strong possessive desire for their partners and will want to mark them. Marking is divided into temporary and permanent types. Temporary is biting the gland and injecting pheromones, which you should know. As for permanent…” Liang Yi’en paused, then gestured again with a red face. “You have to get into the reproductive cavity, then form a knot, and then, you know, bite the neck at the same time…”

As he spoke, he continued, “If… an intimate relationship similar to a permanent marking occurs between two people, but there’s no actual knotting and marking, it’s like a person who really wants to eat sugar eating a sugar substitute instead. Not only will they not be satisfied, but their brain will retaliate by craving sugar intake even more. It’s the same principle.”

Xiao Yu nodded repeatedly. “His mind is full of this.” He also made a biting motion with his teeth.

Now Zhu Zhixi understood. “Teacher Xiao Liang, I get it. You’re saying that if you do it but don’t mark, the Alpha will become physiologically anxious and uneasy?” No wonder he couldn’t sleep last night.

Liang Yi’en nodded gravely.

Xiao Yu: “You really get it.”

Liang Yi’en: “…”

“Then what should I do?” Zhu Zhixi was a little dejected. “But I don’t have a gland or a reproductive cavity. He can’t mark me even if he wants to.”

Liang Yi’en patted his shoulder and comforted him, “A/B relationships are like this. Senior, you’ll get used to it. Maybe in a few days, Professor Fu will be fine and not so clingy.”

Actually, I like it when he’s clingy, Zhu Zhixi thought.

But he didn’t like making Fu Rangyi anxious. Besides the Alpha’s instinct, he knew better than anyone that Fu Rangyi himself was more prone to separation anxiety. Because for him, loss was the norm.

And on top of that, he was tied to a time bomb that he didn’t know if he could defuse.

Thinking of this, Zhu Zhixi suddenly stood up. “No, I have to go back.”

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Liang Yi’en asked. “I’m making beef stew today.”

“No thanks.” Zhu Zhixi waved his hand. “I’m going back right now to work overtime on making posters and ‘lost dog’ notices. I have to find that little white dog within a week.”

After he spoke, he ran to the front yard, hooked Fu Rangyi’s arm, and pulled him out. Before leaving, he turned back and waved to the two people in the house.

After leaving and walking down the street, he asked, “Who were you on the phone with for so long just now?”

Fu Rangyi: “Your sister-in-law.”

“Huh?” Zhu Zhixi immediately became alert and also let go of his hand. “How does he have your number? You didn’t even take a business card.”

Fu Rangyi glanced down, took his released hand, and forcefully linked it back into his own arm. Then he said, “I don’t know either. I just heard him ask if I had time to meet, and I said no. I was about to hang up.”

“Were about to?” Zhu Zhixi squinted. “Then why didn’t you?”

“Because I heard your brother’s voice,” Fu Rangyi raised an eyebrow. “They suddenly started arguing, so I listened for a while.”

“My brother??” What kind of development was this? Zhu Zhixi couldn’t figure it out. “He went to argue with someone on the first day of the New Year.”

“It seems he went over last night,” Fu Rangyi emotionlessly recited Zhu Zeran’s words. “I heard him say something like, ‘Who was it that came over to your place last night to cook you dumplings? Do you have any conscience?’ and so on.”

Zhu Zhixi couldn’t help but laugh, then snorted a couple of times. “He actually went looking for a fight during the New Year…”

But on second thought, he was a little puzzled. “But why is He Xueyao so persistent with you?” It didn’t seem like he was pursuing him. Could it be that he really sensed the aura of a fellow fox on Fu Rangyi?

Arriving at the car, Fu Rangyi said, “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

“You have the awareness of a married Alpha,” Zhu Zhixi moved a step closer, tilting his head up. “There’s no one around. Kiss me quick.”

Fu Rangyi lowered his head and lightly kissed his lips. As they separated, he said, “I’m afraid someone will wear out their own heels.”

Zhu Zhixi belatedly reacted. “Are you mocking me? You sarcastic ghost.”

“Is that considered mocking? I think you’re cute.”

As he spoke, he intended to walk to the driver’s seat, but he was grabbed by Zhu Zhixi, pulled and dragged into the back seat. Zhu Zhixi also squeezed in, closing the door with a bang, and shifted his butt again and again. The back seat was clearly spacious, yet Fu Rangyi was squeezed against the car window by him.

“What are you trying to do?” Fu Rangyi looked at him, a half-smile on his face.

Still asking. Zhu Zhixi suspected his composure was all an act. He really wanted to completely shatter this icy shell, drag out the real Fu Rangyi hidden inside, knead him, pinch him, rub him until static electricity sparked and little fuzzballs formed.

“Say something,” Fu Rangyi smiled, his head resting on the glass window tilted slightly, and he reached out to pinch his chin.

But Zhu Zhixi remained silent. He directly removed his wristband, threw it into the passenger seat, and suddenly pinned his chest and started kissing him. The kiss was so sudden that Fu Rangyi frowned and let out a muffled groan.

This seemed to excite a certain someone. He said intermittently, “I love… hearing the sound of your panting…”

Zhu Zhixi was like that kid in class who didn’t pay attention but was overly smart and got it with just one hint. This kiss was his casually written answer sheet.

A wet, soft tongue explored, tangling, even tentatively licking his sharp teeth. Round teeth lightly bit his lower lip and tongue.

His hand went up again, kneading behind his ear, his nape, soothing and provoking every gland. Pheromones spread rapidly. The small space of the car was filled with rapid panting. The lenses fogged up. A slanted beam of sunlight burned on the black leather seat.

Unfulfilled physiological desire was easily aroused. Subconsciously, Fu Rangyi reached out, controlled the back of his head, and pressed him into his embrace, holding him tightly, as if to devour his lips, his tongue, his entire person.

This was in a car, on a temporarily parked street. Someone could come at any time. A bit of reason returned. Fu Rangyi tried to let go, to separate, but just then, Zhu Zhixi suddenly cupped his face, lifted his head slightly, and pushed up his glasses with the tip of his nose, kissing the bridge of his nose.

He asked in a breathy voice, “Do you want to mark me?”

“An Alpha can’t mark a Beta.”

But Zhu Zhixi seemed not to hear, stubbornly taking off his coat, tugging at the loose purple high-neck knit sweater he was wearing, and turning his back to him.

He even proactively pulled down his collar, completely exposing the back of his neck to him. His other hand reached behind and pulled Fu Rangyi’s hand.

Then he said, “But you can mark me.”

Fu Rangyi froze. His heart suddenly beat extremely fast, faster than when they were kissing. All pretense shattered. As if possessed, he moved closer, closed his eyes, his nose rubbing against the back of Zhu Zhixi’s neck bit by bit.

His tooth marks were still there, and a trace of his pheromones remained.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He hugged Zhu Zhixi from behind, tilted his head, and bit down. The sharp canine teeth pierced skin and flesh. He felt the person in his arms tremble, groaning in pain, then gritting his teeth to endure it. The hand holding his tightened.

Pheromones were continuously injected into his flesh and blood, along with his anxiety, his fear, his twisted possessiveness, his heart-burning worries… Even though he knew there was no gland to receive it, even though he knew it would be very painful, he still did it.

Zhu Zhixi trembled in his arms, trembling so much it reminded him of last night. And so he changed from a beast back into a human, pulled away, nuzzled the crook of Zhu Zhixi’s neck, and held him, panting.

“Does it hurt a lot?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

Zhu Zhixi smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay.” He turned his face. His lips were a little pale, but he smiled as brightly as the sun, even tilting his head to look at him, joking, “You could star in a vampire movie. You’re pale and handsome, with sharp teeth.”

Fu Rangyi leaned against the car window, staring at him, and said flatly, “I’d rather not.”

Then I would probably be the pickiest vampire. Only wanting to drink one person’s blood, wanting to puke at the smell of any other. I’d have to suck this little unlucky fellow dry while he’s alive, and I can’t even die.

Zhu Zhixi moved closer, kissed away the small bead of blood on his lips, and asked curiously, “Is my blood fragrant and sweet now? It has your pheromones in it.”

Fu Rangyi pinched his cheek. “You’re full of them, inside and out.”

Zhu Zhixi nodded, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “Fu Rangyi, if you want to mark me, just mark me. Zhu Zhixi is very generous.”

---

Author’s Note:

—Mini Theater of Mind Reading—
 

(Disclaimer: This is just someone’s OS during an anxious period)
Professor Xiao Fu from others’ perspective—calm, quiet, clear-minded.
 

Fu Rangyi from Xiao Yu’s perspective:

 [So happy to see Xiao En Baby? Don’t you know the difference between A and B? So annoying. But what’s with Liang Yi’en’s neck? Was it chewed on by the fire hydrant?]

 [He, an A, can be bitten? Why can’t I mark Zhu Zhixi? I want to mark him, bite his neck. So annoying.]

 [The little rabbit teeth are so cute. I want to kiss him. Too many people here, can’t kiss. Annoying.]

 [You dare touch his palm, fire hydrant? Is it that hard to kill an angel? I could do it when he turns into a rat… Fine, that’s more like it. He has some sense. I won’t kill him.]

 [Time of death? Can you talk properly and not scare the rabbit? Good thing I caught him or he would have fallen… This countdown is so annoying.]

 [You can’t even tell a dog from a person? You can’t even do this little bit of work properly? Shouldn’t your higher-ups consider some reforms? Is it easier to get by in the system in heaven than in a university?]

 [Such a weak angel… Are you pretending to be weak to deceive Liang Yi’en? It looks like an act. So fake. Even my students are better at finding excuses to ask for leave.]

 [Find the dog, find the dog, find the dog. Find it quickly. Zhu Zhixi can’t die. He has to live a very, very long time. Even if he’s not with me, he has to live well.]

 [It can’t hit zero. I have to extend the countdown. 33 days is too short. Can we double it by doing it every day? 66 days. Minus the time we’re doing it, that should be enough to find the dog, right?]

 [I want to do it. All the way in, no room to spare. Make Zhu Zhixi cry. He’s so beautiful when he cries.]

 [Is my susceptible period coming again? This isn’t normal… The next susceptible period will definitely be terrifying.]

 [Stop blow-drying the puppy. Come and keep me company.]
[Why aren’t you coming into the yard? I want to hold you. Zhu Zhixi is soft and comfortable to hold, especially without clothes.]

 [Don’t you two know he has a husband?]

 [What are you talking about so happily? You’re not even coming to find me. I don’t want to play tug-of-war with this dog anymore. If you don’t come over, I’ll lock you in the car, strip all your clothes off… If you knew I was thinking this, you would definitely think I’m a pervert, right? You called me a pervert last night…]

 [What call? Annoying. Hm? Isn’t that the voice of the birth control committee member? I’ll listen for a while longer. I can tell Zhu Zhixi later to make him happy.]

 [You’re finally willing to leave Xiao En Baby and come find me?]

 [My teeth are so sore. I want to bite. After biting, I’ll carry the rabbit home and do it again. Twice. No, forget it, he can’t take it.]