My Alpha
Shao Wei's voice was very soft, blending in with the chill of the spring breeze, but it was like a stone thrown into the center of a calm lake, creating ripples in Si Qi's heart.
We'll leave when the flowers by the lake are in bloom.
This wasn't a rejection, nor a retreat, but a gentle yet resolute choice, honed after enduring adversity. He chose to confront the pain of the past, to give his body and soul time to truly heal, and before truly saying goodbye, to a land that had borne so much pain and change for them, to perform a solemn, hopeful ceremony.
Si Qi stared blankly at Shao Wei's profile, his soft features outlined by the sunlight, and his calm yet powerful ice-blue eyes, gazing out at the lake and mountains. In an instant, all the anxiety and restlessness caused by the delay in his plans vanished. In its place, he felt a deeper understanding and love, as profound as the earth.
His Shao Wei was never a fragile person who needed to be swept along. He had his own pace and resilience.
"Okay." Si Qi heard his own voice ring out, hoarse but extremely firm. He reached out his hand, tightly grasped Shao Wei's slightly cold fingers, and used his body temperature to warm him, "Wait until the flowers bloom. Let's see all the flowers before we leave."
From that day on, time seemed to be given a new meaning. It was no longer an anxious wait, but a wait full of anticipation.
Si Qi completely let go of any urgency about leaving. He stopped frequently checking his route, stopped studying maps of the unfamiliar country, and even locked his brand-new ID card back in the deepest part of his suitcase. His entire world shrank to this lakeside sanatorium and the person beside him who needed his utmost patience and tenderness to protect.
Their pace of life has become extremely slow, but it is full of the down-to-earth feeling of fireworks.
Si Qi began to truly learn how to make coffee. He acquired a simple set of utensils and followed the instructions over and over again, starting with a burnt and bitter brew, and finally finally becoming drinkable. He would carefully offer it to Shao Wei each time, like a student awaiting praise. Shao Wei took it, sipping it in small sips. Though he never commented, he always finished it. Sometimes, Si Qi would take a sip himself and frown at the bitterness, and even the faintest smile would flicker across Shao Wei's icy blue eyes.
On sunny days, Si Qi would support Shao Wei as they strolled slowly along the lakeside. They wouldn't stray far, instead finding a dry rock to sit on by the lake near the sanatorium, where they would spend the entire afternoon gazing at the lake. Si Qi would point out the birds swimming on the thawed surface of the lake, or the snow gradually melting on the distant mountaintops, and engage in meaningless chatter. Shao Wei would mostly listen quietly, occasionally offering a brief, one-word or two-word response.
Sometimes, Shao Wei brought a collection of poetry. He read slowly, often taking a long time to turn a page. Si Qi sat beside him, processing the final documents, which arrived via encrypted channels, regarding the complete divestiture of Si Group's shares and assets. He did it decisively, without any regrets, as if he were abandoning not billions of dollars but a heavy burden. Occasionally, when he looked up and saw Shao Wei's quiet profile, his heart would be filled with a calming sense of fulfillment.
The days flowed by like flowing water. Shao Wei's health continued to improve at a noticeable rate. His face regained a healthy glow, and his arms were no longer so alarmingly thin. Although his glandular area still occasionally ached on rainy days, and his pheromone levels remained low, his entire spirit was refreshed. The lingering sense of fragility that seemed poised to shatter at any moment gradually faded, replaced by an inner, resilient calm.
Siqi's pheromone guidance never ceased, but it was no longer a quick treatment, but a daily routine filled with tenderness. Their pheromones became increasingly harmonious and compatible as they intermingled day after day, the chilly cedarwood and the warm sandalwood seeming to merge into one, indistinguishable from each other.
During this time, "Zero" sent a coded message, asking if he needed any assistance and reassuring the security of the perimeter. Si Qi replied with only four words: "I'll leave when the flowers bloom."
Spring is deepening.
The frozen soil by the lake had softened at some point, and tender green shoots were sprouting from beneath the withered grass. Dots of young leaves were also appearing on the bare branches.
The first flower that Shao Wei noticed was a bunch of inconspicuous purple flowers growing in the corner of the wall in the backyard of the sanatorium. They were blooming timidly in the remaining snow and were called "Ice Flowers".
He pulled Siqi's sleeve and pointed silently. Siqi followed his gaze, and at that moment, he saw a color brighter than flowers in Shao Wei's icy blue eyes.
It seemed like a signal.
Soon after, more colors began to impatiently decorate the world.
Bright yellow forsythia flowers covered the lakeside slopes, their branches drooping softly toward the surface, as if absorbing the spring water. Then came the pure white snowflakes, clustered like snow covering the branches. Pink mountain cherry blossoms and deep red crabapple trees also burst into bloom, huddled together in a lively atmosphere.
Si Qi knew very little about flowers and plants, so Shao Wei became his guide. He remained quiet, but he would point to a flower and name it, a name Si Qi had never heard before, sometimes briefly adding a brief description of its characteristics. Si Qi would take careful note, looking at the flowers as if they were treasures bestowed upon him by Shao Wei.
Their daily walks became a flower-hunting adventure. Si Qi had a camera at the ready, but he didn't often capture the scenery. Instead, he focused on Shao Wei, who bent down to smell the flowers, or the moment his fingertips touched the petals. When Shao Wei noticed, he'd frown slightly and look over. Si Qi would smile, put down the camera, walk over, and naturally take his hand.
The sun is warm and the spring breeze is blowing, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers and the moist scent of lake water.
Shao Wei, wearing the slightly loose-fitting, light-colored sweater Si Qi had bought him, sat on a bench by the lake, watching Si Qi clumsily attempt to weave a wreath out of willow branches. The sun shone on him, warm and drowsy. His face was rosy, and at the corners of his lips there was a gentle, almost unnoticed curve.
Si Qi finally finished weaving a crooked, barely recognizable ring, dotted with a few small wildflowers. He took it to Shao Wei, somewhat embarrassed, like a child presenting a treasure.
Shao Wei opened his eyes, looked at the ugly wreath, then looked at Si Qi's expectant yet embarrassed face, and a faint smile spread across his icy blue eyes. He lowered his head slightly.
Siqi's heart skipped a beat, and she carefully placed the wreath on his soft hair.
Purple ice flowers, tender yellow winter jasmine, pure white snowdrops… the colors reflected his light hair and ice-blue eyes, creating a breathtaking, fragile, yet vibrant beauty.
Si Qi was stunned, his heart seemed to be filled with something, swelling and aching. He slowly squatted down, looked up at Shao Wei, and said in a low and gentle voice: "Shao Wei."
Shao Wei tilted his head slightly, wearing a garland, with a questioning look in his eyes.
"If you don't like the new name, we can change it." Si Qi looked at him and said seriously, "Or, just use Shao Wei, that's also good. It's just a change of place, a change of way of life. What's important is you, not the name."
Shao Wei looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then slowly raised his hand, gently touched the petals in his hair with his fingertips, and then slowly lowered it to cover the back of Si Qi's hand on his knees.
His palms were still slightly cold, but filled with firm strength.
"That's it," he said softly, looking at the lakeside in the distance where flowers were in full bloom. "It's pretty good."
Si Qi held his hand with his backhand and nodded heavily: "Okay."
When the flowers are in full bloom, the lakeside is like an overturned palette, dazzling and gorgeous. It's time for them to leave.
The night before their departure, there was no grand farewell, only a peaceful silence. Si Qi carefully checked all their belongings one last time. They had very little, mostly just everyday clothes and supplies they'd acquired over the past few months, along with the document bag containing their new identity.
Shao Wei sat in a chair by the window, looking at the silvery lake under the moonlight and the outlines of the dark mountains in the distance, and remained silent for a long time.
Si Qi walked over, gently hugged him from behind, rested his chin on the top of his head, and smelled the faint, cold cedar scent belonging to Shao Wei, which had now completely blended with his own sandalwood, becoming indistinguishable from each other.
"Do you miss this place?" Si Qi asked in a low voice.
Shao Wei shook his head slightly, leaned back into Si Qi's warm embrace, and said softly, "Just a look."
Remember this lake, remember everything that happened this winter and spring, and then say goodbye.
The next morning, before daybreak, an unassuming black car quietly drove into the sanatorium. The driver was Zero, who remained silent, nodding only to Siqi.
Without any extra farewells, Si Qi carried his simple luggage and carefully protected Shao Wei as he got into the back seat of the car.
The car slowly drove out of the sanatorium and passed the quiet lakeside. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, covering the lake and the blooming flowers like a veil, making them hazy and beautiful.
Shao Wei leaned against the car window, quietly watching the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery passing by. His ice-blue eyes were calm, as if he was just looking at a scenery that had nothing to do with him.
Si Qi held his hand without saying anything.
When the car finally drove onto the main road out of the mountains, leaving the lake and mountains completely behind, the first ray of golden sunlight jumped out from the horizon, penetrated the morning mist, and illuminated the road ahead.
Shao Wei suddenly shook Si Qi's hand very lightly.
Si Qi turned his head to look at him.
Shao Wei was also looking at him, the morning light dancing on his long eyelashes. His icy blue eyes were crystal clear, reflecting Si Qi's figure. He spoke very slowly, but very clearly, his first words after leaving:
"Let's go."
Go see new scenery and live a new life.
Si Qi's heart was instantly filled with a huge current of warmth and hope. He shook Shao Wei's hand tightly, interlocking their fingers.
"Um."
The car accelerated and merged into the morning traffic, speeding towards the distance, towards a new, unknown but full of infinite possibilities future.
The crematorium of this period burned away all the coldness and arrogance of the past. When the residual heat dissipated, what was left was the warmth that was lost and regained in the hands, and the road leading to spring, full of flowers.
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