My husband

The hospital lights were particularly glaring at three in the morning. Si Qi sat on a hard chair beside the bed, his back straight, his eyes fixed on the sleeping Shao Wei. The liquid in the IV drip slowly dripped down. Shao Wei's wrist, wrapped in thick gauze, looked particularly fragile against the white sheets.

Si Qi gently touched Shao Wei's fingertips, which were icy cold, not like a living being. He remembered what the doctor had said: "Long-term use of inhibitors and antidepressants has pushed your body to its limit. An Alpha's body isn't meant to suppress its instincts like this."

Siqi picked up the copy of "Silent River" on the bedside table and turned to page 56. Next to the line "I want to be the silent confession in your life," there was an almost invisible pencil mark, as if it had been touched countless times and had become blurred.

Shao Wei frowned slightly in his sleep, his breathing becoming rapid. Si Qi put down the poetry collection and reached out to smooth the wrinkles between his brows. When he was about to withdraw his hand, Shao Wei suddenly and unconsciously grasped his index finger. The force was as light as a feather, but it made Si Qi's heart ache.

He just let Shao Wei hold him and sat there motionless until dawn.

At six in the morning, when the nurse came to change the dressing, Shao Wei woke up. He opened his eyes and was visibly startled when he saw Si Qi. Then he realized that he was holding the other's fingers and immediately let go.

"Sorry." Shao Wei's voice was hoarse and dry.

Si Qi poured a glass of water and handed it to him: "No need to apologize."

Shao Wei sipped his drink, his eyelashes drooping, casting a shadow on his pale face. The sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, gilding him with a layer of gold, making him look so transparent that he seemed as if he would disappear in the next second.

"I'll get you something to eat." Si Qi stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders. "The doctor said you can eat solid food today."

Shao Wei nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the water glass. When Si Qi reached the door, he suddenly asked, "Why... are you still here?"

Si Qi turned around, the sunlight shining from behind him, casting a long shadow on the floor: "I told you, I want to pursue you."

The hospital cafeteria wasn't open yet, so Si Qi drove straight home. In the kitchen, he dug out the blueberries and flour he'd bought yesterday and clumsily began making pancakes according to the recipe on his phone. When the housekeeper heard the commotion and rushed over, he saw this scene: the young president of the Si Group, the feared top-tier Alpha in the business world, frowning over the burnt pancakes, the counter covered in flour and spilled blueberry jam.

"Sir, do you need help?" the butler asked cautiously.

Si Qi didn't even raise his head: "No need."

Half an hour later, he returned to the hospital with a box of blueberry muffins of strange shapes and different shades of color. When he opened the door of the ward, Shao Wei was leaning against the bedside reading a book. The sunlight shone on him, adding a touch of redness to his pale skin.

"It might not look very good." Si Qi placed the box on the bedside table, "but it should be edible."

Shao Wei looked at the burnt muffins, then looked up at Si Qi's flour-stained cuffs, an unfathomable emotion flashing in his eyes. He picked up a piece, took a small bite, and chewed slowly.

"How is it?" Si Qi asked, with a rare hint of nervousness in his voice.

Shao Wei swallowed the pancake and said softly, "It's too sweet."

"I put honey in it, and the recipe says—"

"I like it." Shao Wei interrupted him and took another bite. "Thank you."

Si Qi watched him finish the pancake and pick up a second. The sunlight caught Shao Wei's eyelashes, casting a tiny shadow on his cheek. For a moment, Si Qi thought he saw the corner of Shao Wei's mouth curl slightly upward.

When the doctor came to check on the ward, Si Qi was asked to leave. He stood in the corridor, looking at Shao Wei through the small window on the door. He remained calm and restrained when answering the doctor's questions, but when the doctor examined his wrist, his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Mr. Si." A strange voice came from behind.

Si Qi turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a neat suit standing there, followed by two men in white coats.

"I'm the legal advisor of the Shaw family." The man handed over a business card. "Mr. Shao sent me to check on Commissioner Shao and bring a psychological assessment team to examine him."

Si Qi didn't take the business card, his eyes turned cold: "What psychological assessment?"

"Given Mr. Shao's repeated acts of self-harm, the family believes it's necessary to assess whether his mental state is suitable for continuing to manage Shaw Enterprises." The lawyer pushed his glasses. "At the same time, discussions regarding Omega conversion surgery also need to be put on the agenda—"

He couldn't finish his words. Siqi's pheromones suddenly erupted, and the oppressive feeling of a top-tier Alpha shocked everyone in the corridor. The lawyer took two steps back, his face pale, and the two psychiatrists leaned against the wall.

"Listen carefully," Si Qi said, his voice as low as the roar of a wild animal. "Shao Wei is my Alpha mate. Anyone who dares to touch him will become an enemy of the entire Si family. Now, get out of this hospital."

The lawyer wanted to say something, but was frightened by Si Qi's eyes. As soon as they left, the door of the ward opened. The doctor came out and saw Si Qi's gloomy expression. He wisely chose to leave in silence.

Si Qi adjusted his breathing and restrained his pheromones before walking into the ward. Shao Wei sat by the bed, his hands on his knees, his gaze fixed on the distance.

"Did you hear that?" Si Qi asked.

Shao Wei nodded gently: "You don't have to do this."

"I want this." Si Qi walked up to him, squatted down, and looked him straight in the eye. "Shao Wei, look at me. I want you to understand that from now on, no one can force you to do anything. Including me."

Shao Wei's eyes widened slightly, as if he had heard something incredible. His fingertips trembled slightly on his knees, and Si Qi reached out to cover them.

"Why... suddenly change?" Shao Wei's voice was very soft.

Si Qi picked up the poetry book beside his bed and turned to page 56: "Because I want to understand your silent confession."

Shao Wei's breathing stopped for a moment, and a faint blush appeared on his pale face. He looked away, but Si Qi saw his eyelashes trembling rapidly.

That afternoon, Si Qi had to go to the company to handle some urgent matters. He arranged for his most trusted bodyguard to guard outside the ward to ensure that no one would disturb the Shao family. Before leaving, he put the poetry collection into Shao Wei's bag.

"Page 89," he said. "I want you to read it to me when I get back."

Shao Wei didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either. When Si Qi closed the door, he saw Shao Wei reaching for the book.

Halfway through the company meeting, Si Qi received a call from the hospital. His heart sank, and he picked up the phone immediately.

"Mr. Si, Mr. Shao has requested to be discharged," the nurse said. "The doctor thinks he needs 24 hours of observation, but he's very persistent."

Si Qi breathed a sigh of relief: "Give him the phone."

After a moment, Shao Wei's cold voice came: "I'm fine."

"Wait for me half an hour and I'll come to pick you up." Si Qi said.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds: "...Okay."

This simple response warmed Si Qi's heart. This was the first time in six months that Committee Member Shao had submitted to his arrangements—not out of obligation, but out of choice.

When Si Qi returned to the hospital, Shao Wei had already changed into casual clothes and was waiting by the bed. Sunlight slanted in through the window, casting a soft glow on him. He held the poetry book in his hand. When he heard the door open, he looked up, his eyes no longer as empty as before.

"Page 89." Si Qi closed the door and walked up to him. "Are you ready?"

Shao Wei took a deep breath, turned the pages, and read softly: "When you finally looked at me, all the waiting became meaningful. I was no longer an isolated island, but became part of your continent..."

His voice was soft, but every word was clear. Si Qi sat beside him, looking closely at his profile—the sunlight gilded his long eyelashes, which trembled slightly with each blink.

After reading the poem, Shao Wei closed the book but did not look up. Si Qi reached out and lifted his chin, and found that his eyes were slightly red.

"This is the third poetry collection you've given me," Si Qi said. "I haven't read the first two. When we get back, I want you to read each one to me."

Shao Wei's eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly dimmed: "You don't have to force yourself..."

"I'm not forcing myself." Si Qi interrupted him. "I just want to understand you, Shao Wei. All of you."

During the discharge process, the doctor called Si Qi aside and said, "Mr. Shao's condition is more complicated than we imagined. In addition to his depression, he also has glandular abnormalities—long-term use of potent inhibitors has led to endocrine disorders. If he continues to suppress his Alpha instincts like this, it could cause permanent damage."

Si Qi frowned: "What do you mean?"

"He needs release, and a normal Alpha physiological cycle." The doctor hesitated, "including the susceptible period. The ideal way is to experience it naturally with a partner, rather than relying on drugs to suppress it."

On the way back, Shao Wei kept looking out the window. Si Qi would occasionally glance at him in the rearview mirror and notice his fingers unconsciously stroking the cover of his poetry collection.

"What did the doctor say?" Shao Wei suddenly asked at a red light.

Si Qi didn't hide it: "He said you need to stop taking the inhibitors."

Shao Wei's body stiffened noticeably: "Impossible."

"Why?"

"I'm an Alpha." Shao Wei's voice was very soft, "But when I'm with you... I don't want to be like an Alpha."

Si Qi understood what he meant. Alpha relationships are inherently fraught with contradictions, especially during their vulnerable phases—instincts can lead them to conquer and harm each other. Shao Wei chose to suppress his own instincts to avoid a confrontation with Si Qi.

"Next time you're susceptible," Si Qi held Shao Wei's hand, "we'll face it together, without medication. Trust me."

Shao Wei looked at him, his eyes full of disbelief: "You will... hate me like that."

"I will never hate you." Si Qi pulled his hand to his lips and kissed it gently, "No matter what you look like."

After returning home, Si Qi discovered several extra cardboard boxes in the study. The housekeeper explained that they were personal belongings that Shao Wei had ordered to be moved from the Shao family's old house.

"Mr. Shao said... he might live here for a long time." The butler looked at Si Qi's reaction cautiously.

Si Qi's mouth corners slightly raised: "That's exactly what I want."

He personally carried the boxes to the bedroom and opened them one by one in front of Shao Wei. Most of them were books, but there were also some seemingly ordinary small items that obviously had special meaning to Shao Wei - an old school badge, a half-used pen, and a few yellowed photos.

In the bottom box, there were more than a dozen notebooks neatly arranged. Si Qi picked up one and opened it, discovering it was Shao Wei's diary, dating back five years.

"Can I see it?" he asked.

Shao Wei stood by the window, his back to him, but Si Qi saw the tips of his ears were red. After a long moment, he nodded gently.

Si Qi flipped open the first page, which contained only one sentence: "I met Si Qi today. He was even more dazzling than the rumors said. I didn't dare to approach him, I could only watch from afar."

He continued to flip through the pages, each one brief and restrained, yet each word full of affection. All the feelings Shao Wei had never spoken out loud lay quietly within this diary.

"You never thought of telling me?" Si Qi closed the diary.

Shao Wei turned around, the sunlight shining through from behind him, making it hard to see his expression. "Tell you what? Tell you that another Alpha has such terrible thoughts about you?"

"Unbearable?" Si Qi walked up to him, "How can love be unbearable?"

"It's between Alphas." Shao Wei's voice trembled slightly. "We should have repelled each other and conquered each other, not... not..."

"Instead of falling in love?" Si Qi continued, holding his face in his hands. "Shao Wei, look at me. If love has rules, the first rule is that there are no rules."

Shao Wei's eyelashes trembled violently, and a glint of struggle flickered in his eyes. Si Qi slowly approached until their breaths blended.

"Next time you're susceptible," Si Qi whispered, "I want you to be completely yourself. No suppression, no disguise, let me see the real Shao Wei."

Shao Wei closed his eyes, a tear sliding down his cheek. Si Qi kissed it away, then gently pressed her lips against his. This kiss was gentle yet firm, unlike the rough, possessive touch of his vulnerable period, but a promise, a beginning.

That night, Si Qi was awakened by a soft sob. He opened his eyes and saw Shao Wei curled up on the other side of the bed, trembling all over. In the moonlight, the tear marks on his face were clearly visible.

"Are you having a nightmare?" Si Qi asked softly.

Shao Wei didn't answer, but his trembling only intensified. Si Qi, ignoring the Alpha's instinctive repulsion to another Alpha's proximity, reached out and pulled Shao Wei into his arms. Shao Wei froze for a moment, then, as if collapsing, buried his face in Si Qi's chest, tears streaming silently.

Si Qi gently stroked his back, feeling the man's gradually calming breathing in his arms. The two Alpha pheromones intertwined in the air, no longer in conflict, but blending in an unprecedented harmony.

"Go to sleep." Si Qi kissed the top of Shao Wei's head, "I'm here."

Outside the window, the moon quietly retreated into the clouds, as if reluctant to disturb this rare moment of tranquility. Si Qi knew that tomorrow would bring more challenges—obstruction from the Shao family, social prejudice, and all the difficulties two Alphas face together. But at this moment, holding this Alpha in his arms, who had finally let down his guard, made him feel that it was all worth it.

The pursuit of her husband has just begun, and he is ready to spend the rest of his life proving his love.