Chapter 18

Nan Yayin felt like she had slept for a long time, and she felt hot and uncomfortable until ice blocks were placed in her arms to cool her down, which made her feel much better.

He was in a daze and couldn't remember what had happened. He opened his eyes a crack and saw a beautiful tuft of black hair. The room was dark, and the only light coming from the dim sunlight outside was on.

Nan Ya Yin realized he was holding something, and he told himself to let go, but his subconscious made him hold on tighter and tighter.

He smelled the familiar scent of cream and realized the intense reluctance and longing he felt. He should remember who it was, but he couldn't recall it at all.

Nan Ya Yin hugged the neck tightly, rubbed it back and forth, then gently licked it. As if that wasn't enough, she took a bite, but didn't taste the sweetness of the cream.

Qiao Yan held him from noon until evening, only letting out a sigh of relief after feeling his breathing stabilize. He sat down in a chair and rested for a while, feeling somewhat sleepy after a day's journey on Da Han Xing, until he felt a dampness on his neck and woke up with a start.

"Awake?" Qiao Yan patted him, but the response he got was for Qiao Yan to rub his head against his shoulder a couple more times.

"Nan Yayin?" Qiao Yan called him again.

Seeing that she would probably continue calling if she didn't hear a response, Nan Yayin replied rather reluctantly, "Mm."

"Are you feeling better?" Qiao Yan asked him again.

"Um."

"Want some water?" Qiao Yan touched his hair with her free hand; it wasn't wet anymore. She then pressed it against his forehead. "It's not hot anymore. You sweated a lot just now. Do you want some water?"

Qiao Yan's words only made Nan Ya Yin feel incredibly thirsty. He nestled against her, his voice still hoarse, "Yes."

The next second he felt himself being lifted up, and the feeling of being airborne made him hug her neck even tighter.

Qiao Yan walked out of the study and carried the person to her room. This is the downside of living alone; if she had prepared an extra guest room, she wouldn't have had to move the person to her own room.

She pulled away from his hands, placed him on the bed, and was about to turn and leave when she heard the person lying on the bed say, "Where are you going?"

"Go downstairs and get some water," Qiao Yan said before leaving.

Before Nan Yayin could say anything to stop him, he heard the door close. He looked around in alarm at the unfamiliar layout.

Should he be on the sofa or in that locked room on the roof? The room smelled faintly of cream, even the bed he was lying on smelled that way.

The taste of cream comforted him, but it also made him sad. Why did she leave? Would she ever come back?

Nan Yayin tried to get out of bed, but having just finished a passionate encounter, he was too weak to stand up and fell forward onto the floor.

Just as Qiao Yan was about to return to her room, she heard a thud. She quickly opened the door and saw Nan Yayin lying on the ground, looking up at her in confusion.

"What happened?" Qiao Yan put down the water and picked the person up. "How did you fall?"

"Where did you go?" he asked again.

Qiao Yan looked at those eyes that quickly filled with tears, "Weren't you thirsty? I'll go get some water."

"Pour water?"

"Yes, pour some water." Qiao Yan was worried that he might have gone crazy from the fever. "Have some water."

Qiao Yan put him back on the bed, but Nan Ya Yin struggled and clung to her back, refusing to get down.

"Let me go so I can drink water," Qiao Yan urged him.

Nan Yayin wouldn't let go, saying, "I don't want to drink water! I don't want to drink water! If I drink water you have to leave, I won't drink water!"

"I'm not leaving." Qiao Yan patted his back. "You drink water, I'm not leaving."

"You're lying to me, you'll definitely leave!" Nan Yayin shouted hoarsely, as if Qiao Yan would disappear in the next second.

"I'll just sit here and watch you drink water, I'm not going anywhere." Qiao Yan patted her hand on the back. "Let go of me, okay?"

Nan Ya Yin held her for a while longer, pulling her down and bending her over repeatedly. He buried his face in her neck and said, "No."

The tremor from her voice made Qiao Yan feel a slight itch. She sighed and pulled the person onto her lap again, at least that way she would feel more comfortable.

"I won't leave, okay?" Qiao Yan knew that her pheromones had affected him. During special periods, he would always have an inexplicable dependence on Alphas. She patted his back like she was coaxing a child.

Nan Yayin didn't speak, but wiped her tears hard on her clothes and accused, "You just left. You left without even waiting for me to say don't go. I don't believe you."

Qiao Yan recalled that she didn't want to delay things, even though she hadn't been upstairs for a minute after pouring the water.

"Okay, I'll take you with me next time I do something." Qiao Yan picked up a water glass from the table. "Drinking water makes you sweat and cry."

Nan Yayin wanted to drink water, but didn't want to let go. After hesitating for a long time, Qiao Yan held her mouth with a water glass, and she was finally able to drink her first sip of water today.

He had barely finished drinking when he tried to deny it in a hoarse voice, saying, "I didn't cry."

Qiao Yan looked at the water droplets that hadn't been wiped from the corners of his eyes. Did he know that the two of them were so close that he could see everything clearly? But this time, Qiao Yan didn't argue with the facts anymore. "Okay, I'm the one crying."

After speaking, Nan Yayin shrank back to her seat and asked in a low voice, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you for many days."

Qiao Yan wasn't sure if she would temporarily lose her memory during her special period, but she still replied, "I went to the Great Cold Star on a business trip. When I was about to come back, there was a sudden blizzard, so I didn't return on the agreed time."

“I looked at the books on your bookshelf, and they’re all children’s books,” Nan Ya Yin said with her eyes closed. “They’re about the moon and something, do you remember?”

Qiao Yan remembered this little story. She smiled and said, "I remember. I took you to the moon. There are carrots and wheat there. Although the grass doesn't taste good, the carrots are very sweet."

Nan Ya Yin chuckled twice and then felt sleepy, as if she were floating on the moon. Even Qiao Yan's voice seemed to come from the moon. She wanted to say something more, but she couldn't stay awake and fell asleep.

Noticing that the hand on her shoulder had loosened, Qiao Yan put her back on the bed. Only now did she finally have time to deal with things. She went to the bathroom and looked at herself. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were wrinkled. After washing up, she noticed that there were still a few faint teeth marks on her neck.

She didn't even realize when she was bitten.

Qiao Yan entered the guest room, where Nan Shuyin was playing with Xiao Lu.

"Sister!" Xiao Lu hadn't seen anyone all day. Xiao Lu told her something about heat, but she didn't understand. Her leg was broken, and she couldn't walk. Fortunately, Xiao Lu told her that Qiao Yan had returned.

"Have you eaten?" Qiao Yan patted her fluffy head. "Your brother is a little busy right now, but he'll be fine in two or three days."

"I've eaten. Xiao Lu's cooking is delicious." Nan Shuyin replied obediently. "Actually, my brother has also run away suddenly before, and then he comes back after a couple of days. He always hides in places that are impossible to find."

"You can't find him?" Qiao Yan squatted down to look her in the eye. "Was he injured?"

Nan Shuyin shook her head, then said mysteriously, "Actually, I know where he is. Sister is a good person, I'll secretly tell you, it's in my secret base."

Qiao Yan looked at her with a smile, "You're really amazing."

She asked Xiao Lu to take good care of Nan Shuyin these two days. For some reason, Xiao Lu turned around and said to her in a proper manner, "Master, I promise to complete the mission."

Great. Qiao Yan left the room, went downstairs to eat a quick bite before going back up. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the person was still asleep.

There's no need to move people around while sleeping, so Qiao Yan sat down on the single sofa near the bed and started working.

Nan Yayin started burning up again in the middle of the night. At this time, he regained most of his consciousness. Because of the inhibitors and pheromones, even though a new round of treatment had begun, he did not experience the same unbearable pain as before.

He remembered that he was holding Qiao Yan, but now she was gone. The loss and sadness were amplified to an unbearable degree during this special period. He opened his eyes and thought he was dreaming, but he was actually still on the roof of a dilapidated building in the old residential area. There happened to be a hidden attic in that place.

The attic space isn't large. Because it's unwanted and secluded, debt collectors often go there when they come to collect debts, and when Nanze is home. When his heat comes, he hides there beforehand, gets an injection of suppressants, and sleeps for a couple of days to recover.

The dream was so wonderful; he still had time to bake cakes, and Nan Shuyin could still go to school. He didn't want to wake up, but he struggled to open his eyes. Above him was an unfamiliar ceiling, and a soft, warm yellow light shone on him from the side.

Nan Yayin turned her head and saw Qiao Yan handling his work.

Hearing the sound next to her, Qiao Yan closed her terminal and walked over. "You're awake."

His flushed face looked like he was drunk. Qiao Yan touched his forehead and found it was burning hot again. Seeing tears sliding down his cheeks, he said, "I'm here. I didn't leave."

She skillfully lifted him off the bed, returned him to his original position, and held him close, letting him rest his head on her shoulder.

The soothing effect of the creamy pheromones was much better than before. Nan Ya Yin hadn't realized what was happening yet, but his drowsy and prone-to-day thinking mind was at least filtering out the sadness for now.

After leaning against him for a while, she realized what she was doing and gently nudged Qiao Yan, "What are you doing?"

This distance is dangerous; if he turns his head, his lips could brush against Qiao Yan's cheek. He has to push her away, but he doesn't really want to separate.

Qiao Yan was used to his inconsistent attitude. She hugged him and released some more pheromones. "You told me not to leave and to take you with me wherever I go."

"Huh?" Nan Ya Yin looked at her opening and closing mouth as she said something strange, but quickly said in embarrassment and indignation, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

“I’m not talking nonsense.” Qiao Yan patted his back. “You’re in a special situation right now, so it’s not surprising that you’re saying anything. Are you feeling unwell?”

Nan Yayin took a deep breath, but all she could smell was the scent of cream. Her hands, which had been resting on her shoulders, unconsciously wrapped around her again.

"Let me go," Nan Ya Yin said weakly.

Qiao Yan usually lets things take their course, but she felt herself being tightened by a pair of hands again, wondering who should let go of whom.

"Are you feeling very uncomfortable?" Qiao Yan ignored his previous question. She thought of Shu Juan's message. "Should we temporarily mark it? Would that make you feel better?"

Temporary markers will disappear quickly, but once a marker is in place, some closer contact is inevitable.

Upon hearing this, Nan Yayin propped herself up and sat up again, exclaiming, "What!"