The Sickly Omega Is No Longer Pretending to Be Good/Obedient - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Ringing the Bell – “You Are Not Allowed to Leave”

In the cold, pitch-black night, a pale shadow was cast into the room, illuminating Shen Qiudu’s curled-up body on the bed.

He was trapped in a silent dream, yet his brows were still tightly furrowed, as if recalling some unpleasant past event.

Shen Qiudu’s thin lips trembled slightly. He was lying on his side in one corner of the bed, tightly clutching a soft pillow in his arms.

As if dreaming of something terrifying, Shen Qiudu subconsciously hugged the pillow tighter, nestled his head into it, and took several deep breaths.

Only when the familiar scent enveloped his body again did Shen Qiudu’s brows slowly relax.

His messy hair lay on the soft quilt, revealing an unusually docile and innocent look. His fair skin showed no trace of the pallor from earlier when he had wielded the stick to hit someone.

Only the pillowcase in his arms was particularly conspicuous, clearly having been secretly tucked into Shen Qiudu’s embrace by Wen Jiangchu.

Thinking of Wen Jiangchu, Shen Qiudu’s dark eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he saw an empty room.

Recalling the moment before he lost consciousness, Shen Qiudu immediately became alert and sat up, looking around.

The room was quiet and silent. The person he had been hugging, Wen Jiangchu, had turned into the pillow in his arms that carried his scent. On the table, there was even the aromatherapy scent that Shen Qiudu had smelled in the car previously, used to aid sleep and adjust Shen Qiudu’s mood.

Shen Qiudu picked up the phone beside the bed, which showed the time: 12:48 AM.

Perhaps because he had slept too soundly, he felt no drowsiness now.

Shen Qiudu decided to go to the living room, and incidentally, check on Wen Jiangchu’s situation.

After all, he still didn’t know if Wen Jiangchu had taken the pill, and Shen Qiudu couldn’t be sure that the pill was definitely the antidote.

But it was definitely not because he was worried about him.

It was just fear that if Wen Jiangchu died, the clues about his parents would also be cut off.

Thinking this, Shen Qiudu had already opened the door.

There was no light or sound outside, as if everything had been paused. A hazy mist filled the sky outside the window, making the air thin and sticky, causing a suffocating unease.

Something was very wrong.

Usually at this hour, although it was late at night, the living room lights would always be on.

But now, even Uncle Liang’s bedroom was pitch black.

It was too quiet, so quiet it seemed to be hiding something.

Shen Qiudu lowered his voice and walked out, his footsteps light. He glanced sideways; the narrow corridor on the second floor seemed endless, with only the last room seeping out a faint light.

Shen Qiudu remembered that it was a messy study room.

Was Wen Jiangchu inside?

Shen Qiudu felt his way along the wall, guided by the faded moonlight, moving forward little by little, and soon arrived at the door of the study.

As soon as he stopped, a rustling sound came from inside the room, accompanied by a muffled groan that seemed to be fiercely suppressed.

Shen Qiudu frowned, putting his ear to the crack of the door, and vaguely guessed that it was a continuous sound of crying, deliberately covered up.

At this time and in this place, there would likely only be one person here.

That was Wen Jiangchu.

He gently knocked on the door, for the first time softening his voice to ask, “Wen Jiangchu?”

The sound inside the room immediately stopped, but there was no response to Shen Qiudu, only a prolonged silence, seemingly not wanting Shen Qiudu to enter.

But Shen Qiudu was inherently rebellious. He preferred to do what he was forbidden to do.

“Wen Jiangchu, I know it’s you.”

“What are you doing? Are you… crying?”

Hiding at the end of the corridor and secretly crying didn’t seem like Wen Jiangchu’s style.

Suddenly, Shen Qiudu recalled the medical report he had accidentally seen before. These details instantly connected.

He was eager to confirm. If Wen Jiangchu’s pheromone secret was fully exposed, he might also personally learn from him about being used as a carrier.

In the end, perhaps Shen Qiudu could even strike a deal with Wen Jiangchu.

But the person inside the room remained silent, and even the crying had subsided somewhat.

Shen Qiudu was not a person with a good temper. Seeing this, he directly pressed the handle, only to find the door was tightly locked. The next second, he heard a slight sigh of relief, as if relieved.

This made Shen Qiudu laugh in anger. “Wen Jiangchu, are you hiding from me?”

No one responded.

Shen Qiudu’s face darkened. He stood alone in the gloom, his eyes emotionless.

“Wen Jiangchu, I went and beat up the person who drugged you and found the antidote, and this is how you treat me?”

“Or are you simply looking down on my small favors?”

A few more muffled sobs could be heard inside the room. Shen Qiudu smirked, like a cat that had gotten a hold of a fish, grasping the handle of the fish.

“Ah, I should have known. Everything you said to me was fake.”

“After all, in front of Young Master Wen, I’m always expendable.”

“Look, just three days later, the novelty is gone. You won’t even open the door for me, keeping me locked out.”

“There’s no place for me in this house anymore. It looks like I have to leave this sad place—”

While saying this, Shen Qiudu, to complete his act, directly turned around and deliberately emphasized his footsteps, making a move to leave.

As expected, in less than three seconds, the door was pulled open with brute force from the inside.

Shen Qiudu, who had his back turned, hadn’t even fully recovered his senses before his entire body was embraced from behind. Strong arms, showing muscle, wrapped tightly around Shen Qiudu’s waist in a couple of moves, making him unable to move even an inch.

The hot skin pressed against his cold back, causing Shen Qiudu’s body to warm up as well, his breathing becoming heavier.

He wanted to turn around, but his shoulder was blocked by a head. Even if he tilted his head, he could only see the damp ends of Wen Jiangchu’s hair.

“You’re not… you’re not allowed to leave, Shen Qiudu, you are not allowed to leave…”

Wen Jiangchu’s voice, usually gentle, was now imbued with stubbornness and hoarseness.

Hearing no response from Shen Qiudu, Wen Jiangchu slowly increased his strength. Light shone through, but only Wen Jiangchu’s shadow was reflected on the floor.

The extreme difference in body size meant that Shen Qiudu was almost completely engulfed in Wen Jiangchu’s embrace, yet Shen Qiudu was not as wary as before.

Because he knew that the current Wen Jiangchu was nothing more than an abandoned dog with no one to rely on.

A continuous wetness was suddenly felt on his shoulder. Wavering drops of water hung on Shen Qiudu’s collarbone, finally sliding into his collar and seeping into his heart.

A sour smell rushed into his nasal cavity—these were Wen Jiangchu’s tears.

The deep cry and nasal voice made Shen Qiudu subconsciously swallow.

“Wen Jiangchu, will you still lock me outside the door in the future?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Jiangchu hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, Shen Qiudu made a move to leave again. Wen Jiangchu immediately stopped him, hastily shaking his head. “No! Never again…”

“Don’t go… Shen Qiudu.”

Shen Qiudu remained silent, taking Wen Jiangchu’s wrist and walking into the room, closing the door.

As soon as he stepped into the study, the distinct smell of tears caught Shen Qiudu off guard, making him feel a wave of sadness. A pile of tissues was heaped in one corner of the study, indicating he had been crying for a long time.

Shen Qiudu frowned, looking down at Wen Jiangchu, who was clinging to him like a koala. “Wen Jiangchu, don’t you have something to explain to me?”

“I remember someone saying… his pheromone was wheat.”

“How come I didn’t know wheat needed this much water?”

“What, is your wheat a new species? Developed by yourself?”

In the current world, pheromones are not only for scent and marking; they exist in the bl00d of every Alpha and Omega, influencing their way of thinking and behavior.

Therefore, many people you see on the surface might have a completely different personality in private. Such contrasts are very common in this world.

For example, a person who looks honest and inexperienced in dating might secretly be a heavy drinker and smoker, and even date ten people a month during his rut, simply because his pheromone is the full bloom of a peach blossom.

So, the moment he learned Wen Jiangchu’s pheromone was Dianthus, Shen Qiudu had anticipated the current scene.

Wen Jiangchu lowered his eyes. Having cried for so long, he could no longer maintain his usual composed demeanor in front of others. Instead, he became sensitive and clingy.

“I’m sorry, Qiudu, I… I lied to you.”

“My pheromone isn’t wheat, it’s Dianthus…”

As soon as he finished speaking, tears involuntarily welled up in Wen Jiangchu’s eyes again. He quickly wiped them away haphazardly and lowered his head in silence.

Shen Qiudu snorted, “Liar…”

“If you can lie to me about something like this, who knows if everything else you told me before was also fake?”

“No! Only this…”

“I was just afraid that Qiudu would despise me if he knew… After all, with my status and appearance, having a pheromone like this is like a huge stain on my life. No S-class Alpha wants a pheromone like Dianthus, which can’t control its tears…”

“And no Omega would like an Alpha who can’t control his tears during his rut…”

“My mother and others used to tell me it didn’t matter, that no matter what kind of pheromone, it wouldn’t stop them from loving me.”

“But I’ve been studying in school for so long. Everyone laughs at me behind my back when they hear my pheromone is Dianthus. I know all of this, but I can’t complain because it’s the truth.”

“I can only try my best to control my tears, but the longer I control them, the more tears there are. I can only secretly take medicine or constantly delay my rut.”

“I hid it from Qiudu because I was worried Qiudu would think I wasn’t strong enough, not brave enough. But the things I said about wanting to take care of and protect Qiudu are not lies, and neither is my heart. But I… I’m still afraid, afraid that Qiudu won’t believe me…”

More tears overflowed from Wen Jiangchu’s eyes, and his gasping became heavier.

As Shen Qiudu listened, his heart wavered for a few inches.

Although he knew that these words Wen Jiangchu was speaking were lies, meant to cover up the truth of using Shen Qiudu as a carrier.

Yet, in this environment, he couldn’t remain calm and unaffected.

The small study, the tightly pressed skin, the seemingly sincere words delivered with a choked voice, and the repeated calling of his name in his ear.

All of it became the culprit for deceiving Shen Qiudu.

Even he himself had become the sole accomplice.

Shen Qiudu took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Who said that?”

“Who said you aren’t strong enough, not brave enough?”

“Tears are a symbol of weakness, that’s what they all say.”

“And who are ‘they’? A bunch of lunatics. Do you listen to their nonsense?”

“Tears are not a symbol of weakness. That’s just their excuse for not being able to cry.”

“To be able to cry without reservation is a great fortune in itself.”

Because some people never even have the chance to cry out loud.

Shen Qiudu gestured for Wen Jiangchu to sit in the chair. He leaned against the table, meeting Wen Jiangchu’s eyes. He bent down, leaning closer to Wen Jiangchu’s eyes, gazing at the remaining tears in the corners of his eyes, and murmured, “Tears… are the purest amber, the embodiment of a hero.”

“Wen Jiangchu, whose words do you choose to listen to, mine or theirs?”

“Of course, Qiudu’s!”

Wen Jiangchu answered without hesitation. His broad palm covered Shen Qiudu’s cool hand, cautiously rubbing it.

Shen Qiudu chuckled softly, then suddenly heard Wen Jiangchu ask, “But Qiudu, I feel like… I’ve never seen you cry.”

“I can’t cry.”

He genuinely couldn’t. He didn’t know how to.

The only time he had cried was during the typhoon that year.

Now, a long, long time had passed.

Wen Jiangchu was silent for a moment. Before Shen Qiudu could react, he effortlessly lifted him into his lap, face to face.

“Wen Jiangchu, what are you doing?!”

Shen Qiudu was startled, instinctively bracing his hands against his chest, struggling to leave. But sitting on Wen Jiangchu’s knees, his feet couldn’t reach the ground, let alone escape.

Wen Jiangchu’s tears began to flow again, but this time, he wiped some away with a clean finger and carefully smeared it on Shen Qiudu’s cheek.

As if he, too, had cried.

“What… what are you doing?!”

His small body was no match for Wen Jiangchu’s slightly stronger hands. Shen Qiudu could only watch as Wen Jiangchu lowered his head and pulled him into an embrace again.

Their cheeks were pressed against each other. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whose heart was beating so violently.

“Actually, crying doesn’t feel good either. It dries up on your face, and it’s very uncomfortable.”

It had been a long time since Shen Qiudu had felt this way. He quieted down, obediently staying in Wen Jiangchu’s arms.

He knew Wen Jiangchu was comforting him, so he followed his words and said, “Alright.”

“Then, Wen Jiangchu, you can cry for me from now on.”

“The tears I can’t shed, the suffering I can’t speak of, let them all be yours.”

…

When Uncle Liang, along with the doctor and Xu Zhouye, rushed back and opened the study door, they saw that the study, which had always been in darkness, had its curtains opened for the first time.

The streetlights outside shone in. On the central chair, the two were sleeping soundly. Wen Jiangchu was holding Shen Qiudu tightly, and Shen Qiudu was resting comfortably with his legs dangling, his hand resting on Wen Jiangchu’s shoulder, his breathing steady.

“Young Master Xu, what you said… isn’t entirely accurate, is it?”

Xu Zhouye scanned the scene with cold eyes, his expression displeased. “But the outcome will never change.”

His gaze fell on Shen Qiudu, and then he left the room.

However, as he passed Shen Qiudu’s room, he subconsciously glanced at the trash can.

The second floor was quiet again, but on the desk in Shen Qiudu’s room, there was an extra photograph.

The outline was blurry, but it was clear that it was Shen Qiudu’s mother.