Chapter 42 The King of Bread
"Auntie is probably very busy with work. If possible, she would definitely like to come and pick you up as soon as possible."
Mu Yan gently patted Shang Qiyue's back. If it was something that Shang Qiyue would remember even after growing up, it must have been very disappointing for him at the time.
“She’s not busy,” Shang Qiyue said. “She doesn’t have a job either.”
Seeing Mu Yan's slightly stunned expression, Shang Qiyue realized he had spoken out of turn.
He must be out of his mind to tell Mu Yan all this. Did he expect Mu Yan, who had such a miserable childhood, to comfort him?
Shang Qiyue avoided Mu Yan's gaze, wanting to say something to change the subject.
But out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Mu Yan was still looking at him intently with calm eyes.
"What's wrong?" Shang Qiyue didn't avoid his eyes this time. "Say what you want to say, I won't be angry."
Mu Yan seemed to ponder for a moment, only a few dozen seconds, but Shang Qiyue felt a little impatient waiting.
"I don't know if I... can comment on your private affairs, but I think... I think what Auntie did was wrong. If I have children in the future, I won't treat them like that."
Mu Yan did not think he was just whining.
He always knew that suffering cannot be compared.
He was poor, and he had wondered before if children who grew up in the city always had enough to eat and wear, and if they had no worries at all. But in the end, there were people in the world for whom even health was a luxury. Did their existence mean he was no longer suffering?
Although now, thanks to Shang Qiyue, his situation doesn't seem so difficult anymore.
He whispered his promise to Shang Qiyue again, saying that he would definitely go home early, as soon as he got off work.
Shang Qiyue looked at him, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Okay. I understand.
Mu Yan walked to his side: "Would you like to sit for a while longer, or should I help you to the bed?"
Shang Qiyue shook his head slightly. Mu Yan reached out to help him, but was pulled into his arms.
Mu Yan, knowing that he was not in good health, dared not struggle, nor dared to continue sitting on his lap, and was in a dilemma.
Fortunately, Shang Qiyue only kissed his cheek and did not continue to pull him with the same force as before.
"Let me help you to bed," Mu Yan said, her face flushed, avoiding Shang Qiyue's gaze.
"I just suddenly wanted to kiss you." Shang Qiyue spoke almost at the same time as him, even though Mu Yan didn't ask him that question.
Mu Yan also gave him a light peck on the cheek: "I want to kiss you too, sir... Shall I help you to bed now?"
Shang Qiyue seemed to have been switched on; he glanced at Mu Yan, and then quietly let Mu Yan help him up.
He wasn't used to leaning his weight on Mu Yan, so when he finally reached the bedside in the bedroom, he was completely exhausted and almost collapsed onto the bed.
Mu Yan let out a soft gasp, and Shang Qiyue took the opportunity to pull him onto the bed.
"You have to go to work tomorrow... and you have to take your mother to dialysis the day after tomorrow," Shang Qiyue murmured.
During his susceptible period, Shang Qiyue resembled the usual Shang Qiyue by seven parts, but the remaining three parts were childish, making Mu Yan feel completely unable to understand him.
So even though he had just promised Mu Yan that he didn't need to take time off to accompany him, Mu Yan still felt a little uneasy.
“I…I don’t have to go, sir…I’ll go for dialysis a little earlier and come back before you wake up.” Mu Yan’s voice grew softer and softer.
Shang Qiyue interrupted him: "So you have to stay with me all day today."
Mu Yan softly responded with an "okay," snuggling closer to him. Shang Qiyue contentedly ran his fingers through Mu Yan's hair. Mu Yan's hair was softer than most people's; he didn't know if it was natural or due to some kind of shampoo.
During the difficult and vulnerable period, everything related to Mu Yan made him feel as if he could temporarily escape from the furnace.
Mu Yan's soft hair, his body slightly cooler than his own, and the smell of bread on him.
"Baby."
"Why do I like you so much?"
Mu Yan was held in his arms for the entire afternoon, listening to him say those sweet, mushy things all afternoon.
He responded to every word Shang Qiyue said: I like you too, I like you very much, I only like you.
There were a few moments when he would actually take those words seriously.
If there is no love, it would be too painful to spend the whole year simply selling one's body and dignity.
If only he loved Shang Qiyue.
If Shang Qiyue loved him, that would be wonderful.
Even if it's just a tiny bit, the size of a fingernail, or even just a fondness for stray kittens on the street.
When he liked Lu Chong, how much did Lu Chong like him back? And were Lu Chong's feelings for him truly those of an equal and genuine lover?
If he liked Shang Qiyue, he could at least get money, cure his mother's illness, give his brother a decent job, and allow the people he cared about to live a life they never dared to dream of before.
If Shang Qiyue doesn't bully him like he did in the office so often, that would be great. If he treats him so badly less often, that would be great.
If Shang Qiyue could put on an act in front of him more often, like he is now, that would be great.
If only I could be oblivious to the fact that Shang Qiyue inadvertently reveals his disdain for me, thinking I'm nothing more than a kitten or puppy.
Mu Yan inexplicably felt like crying.
Of course, Shang Qiyue, who was ill, could not guess what Mu Yan was thinking.
He could only feel that Mu Yan in his arms was well-behaved, warm when he felt cold, and cool when he felt hot, and would occasionally gently rub against his neck.
Shang Qiyue would occasionally feel a little embarrassed. After all, he was an adult. Holding another adult like this, not letting go and not letting him do anything, just being held like this, even the most good-tempered person would feel annoyed.
However, his objective physical sensations quickly overcame his already indifferent pride, making him feel more at ease pressing his entire body against Mu Yan, and so they remained like that until the sun set.
In the evening, Mu Yan ordered a few light and appetizing side dishes and a braised duck. Shang Qiyue had no appetite, but Mu Yan still managed to coax him into eating half a bowl of rice.
When Shang Qiyue was sick, he was a bit willful. After eating, he insisted on taking a bath for some reason. Mu Yan knew that people with fevers shouldn't take baths, so he gently persuaded him and carefully wiped his whole body.
"You tomorrow..." Just as Mu Yan was about to fall asleep, Shang Qiyue began to give her instructions like a child.
Even when woken up from the brink of sleep, Mu Yan remained completely calm and composed.
"I remember, I'll be back early tomorrow... I'll be the first one out of the office."
"You're treating me like a child," Shang Qiyue muttered. "I won't even see you if you're the last one to leave the office."
Mu Yan smiled gently, leaned over and kissed him: "I promise I'll come back soon, okay?"
Mu Yan did not leave the office first thing the next day. After all, he was just a junior employee. Even though he had been working for more than a year and had some seniority, he still didn't dare to leave on time after work.
He wasn't the type to pretend to stay until the end, but he was also too embarrassed to be among the first to leave. Today, he mustered up his courage and, as soon as three colleagues got up to leave, he immediately packed his things and left the office.
Zhou Jie, who had already left, came back to get her things and bumped into him. Just as Mu Yan's heart was pounding and he suspected that Zhou Jie was about to ask him why he left so early, Zhou Jie said to him, "See you tomorrow, go home and have dinner early."
"See you tomorrow, Sister Zhou. You should get some rest too."
The days are short in early spring. When Mu Yan got home, it was still quite early, but it was already almost dark.
The room was dimly lit, and the bedroom curtains were drawn tightly shut.
Mu Yan pushed open the door and saw Shang Qiyue nestled on the bed, holding several pieces of Mu Yan's clothes in his arms, with several other pieces piled up haphazardly beside the pillow, like some kind of large beast building a nest.
Hearing the door open, Shang Qiyue suddenly looked up. He hesitated for a moment, then frantically tried to hide the clothes in his arms, as if someone had stumbled upon some unspeakable secret.
Mu Yan turned her face away, unsure whether she should pretend she hadn't seen it.
Shang Qiyue rarely found himself in such a disheveled state. But even in this embarrassing situation, he didn't intend to throw away Mu Yan's clothes.
"Damn it, who told you to come home so late...?"
"I...I'm sorry," Mu Yan quickly apologized, "I've tried my best to get back..."
"Sir, would you mind taking your temperature first?"
"Don't measure it. If you measure it at 40 degrees, it'll drop to 36 degrees?"
Shang Qiyue's words were very inflammatory at this moment, but compared to his usual unpredictable manner, Mu Yan didn't find it difficult to deal with him.
Mu Yan did not insist further.
He reached out and pulled Shang Qiyue, along with the clothes in his arms, into his embrace. He gently pressed his face against Shang Qiyue's burning forehead and whispered, "How about this... will this... be better?"
Shang Qiyue's body visibly stiffened for a moment.
The pheromones emanating from Mu Yan enveloped him completely, making him feel as blissful as if he had returned from purgatory to the clouds.
He smells so good.
His flesh feels so soft to the touch. I wish I could fatten him up a bit so he'd be even easier to hold.
Yan Yan smells so good.
The person in his arms paused for a couple of seconds.
Shang Qiyue then realized that he was almost delirious from the fever and had blurted out his thoughts in a daze.
"Maybe there's air freshener in Assistant Luo's car..." Mu Yan whispered, explaining for him.
"No," Shang Qiyue retorted defiantly.
"It's your pheromones."
Mu Yan was truly stunned.
"I...can you really smell my pheromones? But I'm a beta..."
Shang Qiyue was displeased: "Ask, ask, ask. What's the point of asking? What's wrong with beta? So what if I can smell it? The people at the research institute have been asking endless questions, why are you asking too?"
“Then I…” Mu Yan asked the question hesitantly, “Then sir, could you tell me what I smell like?”
"I was just a little curious, not that I didn't trust you, sir... When I was little, I wondered what my pheromones would smell like if I didn't differentiate into a beta. After all, pheromones are unique, like superpowers or something; I was always interested in them when I was little..."
Shang Qiyue mumbled something, and even though Mu Yan tried to listen, Shang Qiyue seemed to be deliberately not letting him hear it, speaking quickly and unclearly.
"Could you... say it again?"
"Only I can smell it, so even if I tell you, you can't tell anyone else," Shang Qiyue said fiercely.
Mu Yan was stunned, wondering why Shang Qiyue would say that.
Even if Mu Yan wanted to tell others, who would believe that a beta like him would have pheromones? And who would care whether a beta has pheromones or not?
Seeing him staring blankly, Shang Qiyue became displeased again: "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it that hard to do? Who else do you want to tell?"
Mu Yan was held in his arms, her cheek pressed against Shang Qiyue's burning neck, and she could clearly feel his hot breath on her ear.
"No, I didn't mean to tell anyone." Mu Yan was afraid he wouldn't tell, "I'm just a little confused..."
Shang Qiyue hugged him and gently patted his back soothingly: "So what do you want your pheromones to smell like?"
Mu Yan lowered his head, and the two lay face to face. This action made it seem as if he was snuggling into Shang Qiyue's arms.
“…Something more powerful.” Mu Yan said a little embarrassedly. He had momentarily forgotten how to say that word, as he rarely used adjectives to describe pheromones in his life.
What's that adjective that describes someone a bit like an alpha again...? Something more powerful... I guess you can't say that.
"A stronger pheromone... do you mean a sense of oppression? Do you want to differentiate into an alpha?" Shang Qiyue smiled. "Why would you want to differentiate into an alpha?"
Mu Yan smiled a little embarrassedly.
“Alpha… can go to military academy. Military academies provide food and lodging, as well as subsidies. Mom and brother will also be looked up to in the village.”
“I was just thinking about it,” Mu Yan quickly added, “Beta is pretty good too. If you like to travel, you can take your menstrual leave every month to travel.”
Shang Qiyue, unusually, did not respond immediately, as if he was thinking about something.
"Don't I smell like an alpha?" Mu Yan smiled. "Tell me, sir. There's nothing to regret. I'm just curious."
"It tastes like bread, not too sweet, but it smells very nice and fragrant, and it's not greasy at all. It's like it's freshly baked and brushed with butter."
Mu Yan smiled: "...Bread?"
As expected, bread is cheaper and more filling than expensive desserts. It's common and readily available. The taste isn't amazing, but it's hard to make it bad either.
"The bread tastes really good too." Shang Qiyue gently ruffled Mu Yan's hair.
Two people, whose combined age is almost fifty, are discussing the scent of a pheromone that doesn't exist in betas. Shang Qiyue even tries to coax him like a child because the scent of this pheromone doesn't smell like an alpha's pheromone.
Mu Yan blushed a little embarrassedly, but Shang Qiyue suddenly smiled and gently pinched his earlobe.
"The King of Bread"
[Author's Note]
Weibo posted animated GIFs of the character profile pictures; everyone can check them out there! [starry-eyed]
I've revised part of Chapter 37. Many readers felt Lin Guojun didn't receive any punishment, which was a misunderstanding on my part. My original intention was simply to lock him up and monitor him, giving him food to keep him from starving. He'll suffer more later in the story.
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