The soft wool sweater on his body was fluffy. Nestled in Xia Jingtian’s arms, Yan Yi burrowed slightly, curling into a small, flattened, frail rice ball.
Xia Jingtian sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, holding Yan Yi in the hollow of his legs, gently taking his hand.
Through the thin sweater, his sharply defined shoulder blades were visible. The crooked collar revealed deep, sunken collarbones. His wrists were slender, and on his ring finger was a ring. Because he had grown so thin, it slipped off easily during his struggling and fell to the floor.
“A wedding ring…” Xia Jingtian murmured as he held Yan Yi and soothed him, bending down to pick up the ring and examine it.
The craftsmanship was exquisite and expensive, the design simple yet elegant—definitely not something a little rabbit would pick. That meant Lu Shangjin had chosen it. The surface bore old scratches, but it had been carefully cleaned.
Even after being thrown out of the house, he was still wearing it.
Xia Jingtian kissed Yan Yi’s tightly shut eyelids, then touched the clean, fragile gland at the back of his neck. The omega he had secretly loved for so long lay drowsy in his arms, soft like melted sugar, immersed dependently in the soothing pheromones he released. To any alpha, it was deeply gratifying.
But he didn’t want to become Lu Shangjin in Yan Yi’s subconscious. He wanted him to know that a lion was a hundred times stronger than a peregrine falcon.
He lifted Yan Yi’s thin hand and slid the ring back on, only to notice a faint pale mark on the skin where it had been worn for years. Inside that mark was a line of words:
“everlasting love.”
His heart twitched sharply, then the warmth in his chest seemed to cool all at once.
Xia Jingtian stared at the delicate cursive tattoo for a long time. It had faded with age, its edges blurred. Stiffly, he put the ring back on Yan Yi’s finger, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.
Lu Shangjin really was something else. This obedient, soft, beautiful little lop-eared rabbit—what was there not to love?
Xia Jingtian suddenly laughed softly, then sighed as he looked at Yan Yi sleeping quietly in his arms.
If he were Lu Shangjin, how could he not love an omega like this—curling into his arms and softly seeking affection?
He stayed with Yan Yi for three hours. During that time, Yan Yi slept curled up and peaceful. When Xia Jingtian tried to put him down to step out for a moment, Yan Yi clung to him, murmuring for him not to leave.
“Don’t be afraid.” Xia Jingtian gently stroked his thin neck and shoulder blades, carefully laying him back under the covers.
But Yan Yi anxiously crawled toward him again. The high-compatibility pheromones, scented like baby’s breath, had become addictive. He murmured weakly, pleading:
“It’s cold… hold me a little longer…”
Xia Jingtian’s breathing grew uneven. His hand, patting Yan Yi’s back, lost its rhythm. He softly comforted him, pried Yan Yi’s hand away, pulled the blanket up to cover the fragile gland at the back of his neck, then hurried into the bathroom and locked the door.
The moment he let his guard down, a dense wave of mating pheromones exploded in the bathroom. The scent of baby’s breath filled every corner, every vent. His lower body throbbed painfully, straining against his dark blue jeans.
Cold sweat dripped from his hairline. Leaning against the door, his trembling hand fumbled a suppressant from his pocket. He bit open the seal and injected it into the back of his neck.
He was in heat—and right outside the door was a soft, highly compatible omega with no ability to resist. He could have forced him, made him spread his legs, claimed and marked him.
He rarely used suppressants. He only carried them as a precaution. Someone of his status never lacked omegas willing to relieve him—whether with their mouths or their bodies. He had never needed restraint.
Ten minutes later, he was mostly calm. He took a quick shower, then answered a call.
“Heh, Brother Lu, busy lately?” Xia Jingtian said, looking in the mirror and rubbing his chin. “Where’s that lop-eared rabbit omega I wanted? I’ve got the money ready.”
There was a pause on the other end. The voice that came back was low and hoarse with fatigue.
“Hand Yan Yi over.”
Xia Jingtian raised an eyebrow and leaned against the sink with a cold laugh. “Yan Yi? Oh, you mean sister-in-law? What’s that got to do with me? How would I know?”
“Lost your wife? Impressive,” he added mockingly.
“I can’t find him.” Lu Shangjin was only probing. He could usually locate Yan Yi through pheromones, but now he couldn’t determine his position. He had only heard that the young heir of the Xia family from Hongye had arrived in Changhui City.
“Don’t make me go to your brother,” Lu Shangjin said hoarsely.
Because Yan Yi’s gland was dormant, the pheromones he emitted were faint. And this place was saturated with Xia Jingtian’s scent—Yan Yi’s pheromones were completely masked by the M2 lion alpha’s.
Lu Shangjin was about to hang up. He had called Yan Yi thirteen times—all busy.
Xia Jingtian casually flipped open a butterfly knife attached to his keychain, spinning the blade between his fingers before snapping it shut again. “Brother, even if you go to my dad, who could touch your wife? Maybe she just went back to her parents’ place because you pissed her off.”
The call ended.
Xia Jingtian, the spoiled young master of the Hongye Xia family, had been raised like royalty. Arrogance was second nature to him. Though still technically a student, he was already untouchable. He was actually only twenty-two, a junior in college. When Yan Yi had asked his age, he had instinctively lied, adding two years—yet he was still treated like a child.
He held in his frustration, wanting to fight Lu Shangjin and repay all the suffering Yan Yi had endured.
After drying off, just as he was about to leave the bathroom, another call came—from home.
“Hello, brother.” Xia Jingtian straightened up a bit, putting away his knife and leaning against the door as he dried his hair.
On the other end, it sounded like a drinking party. Omegas with sugary voices called out “President Xia,” their cheap perfume-like pheromones practically wafting through the phone.
Xia Pingtian lounged on a sofa, legs crossed, an omega obediently pouring him a drink. He drank from the omega’s hand and said lazily, “Heard you went to Changhui City to have fun?”
His voice was nearly identical to Xia Jingtian’s—hard to distinguish.
Xia Jingtian cleared his throat. “Yeah… who told you that?”
“Your homeroom teacher.” His tone suddenly turned sharp. “If you don’t want to study, then get your ass back here and inherit the family business! And what’s this about asking me to find you a lop-eared rabbit omega? Nice taste—going after the Lu family’s daughter-in-law? Are you trying to die?”
“Stay out of it. He’s not well.” Xia Jingtian cracked the door open slightly, glancing at Yan Yi sleeping in the bed. Without soothing pheromones, he was restless even in sleep, his sweat-damp hand clutching the bedsheet tightly.
“Enough, just come back. It’s just a lop-eared rabbit omega—I’ll get you another one. Plenty of those around,” Xia Pingtian said, crushing his cigarette. “There are Dutch rabbits, teacup rabbits, Rex rabbits, chinchillas—whatever you want, I’ll find it.”
Xia Jingtian walked to the bed, gently touching Yan Yi’s tense, pained face. He released another wave of soothing pheromones, stroking his drooping rabbit ears, watching him gradually calm down.
Lowering his voice, he whispered, “Brother Lu doesn’t care about him at all.”
Xia Pingtian scoffed. “You’re beyond saving. You’re right next to him? Whether Lu Shangjin cares or not, that’s his wife—what are you meddling for? Besides, rabbits are promiscuous. Just pet them a bit and they’ll fake a pregnancy.”
For a moment, Xia Jingtian didn’t know whether he felt insulted himself or that Yan Yi had been insulted. He cursed under his breath, “Bullshit,” and hung up.
But his brother’s words stuck.
“F-fake pregnancy?” Xia Jingtian stared at Yan Yi, then searched it online.
Rabbits can mistake back petting for mating, leading to false pregnancy—showing signs of labor without actual offspring.
“…” He fell silent for a long moment, then messaged a high school classmate studying medicine:
“Can lop-eared rabbit omegas have false pregnancies?”
The reply came quickly as a voice message:
“Yeah. Early belly swelling in about three days. You should take them to a hospital quickly—it’s harmful otherwise. Why, did you cause it?”
Xia Jingtian recalled the time in the hospital when he had brought Yan Yi Timothy hay. Seeing him in too much discomfort, he had held him and stroked his back.
Xia Jingtian: “…Seems like it.”
His classmate sent a meme: You’re such a jerk.jpg
Then added: “Some people use external pressure to resolve it, but rabbits scare easily. If it hurts too much, they’ll panic. And be gentle when you tell him—otherwise it’ll hurt him emotionally. Or bring him to our hospital.”
Before Xia Jingtian could reply, Yan Yi slowly opened his eyes. He sat up, reached for the water by the bed, and lazily took a sip.
Seeing Xia Jingtian, he looked a little surprised, his voice still hoarse with sleep:
“You’re still here? It’s almost evening.”
The steady supply of soothing pheromones had restored some of his strength. Without his gland functioning, an omega could only rely on an alpha’s pheromones to sustain themselves.
The room was filled with the scent of baby’s breath. Yan Yi suddenly snapped to awareness, clutching his clothes, drawing up his knees, ears drooping in distress.
“Stop giving me your pheromones… you’re still young. There are so many younger, prettier omegas out there. What’s wrong with you? What’s so good about an old rabbit that’s been used for over ten years?”
He sounded like he was asking himself.
He had just turned twenty-seven. If Lu Shangjin hadn’t rejected him, he would have believed he was still young and beautiful. He didn’t even trust mirrors anymore—only Lu Shangjin. He doubted his own charm, but never doubted that Lu Shangjin was simply heartless.
Xia Jingtian sat behind him, wrapping his arms around Yan Yi’s waist, burying his forehead against his shoulder.
“I… I’m sorry,” he said nervously.
Yan Yi instinctively protected his abdomen, turning back in confusion. “What? What did you do now?”
“I…” Xia Jingtian couldn’t find a gentle way to explain without hurting him more.
Just then, his phone rang again—his homeroom teacher urging him to return for final exams.
He was about to request a delay when the phone was suddenly taken from his hand.
“Hello, teacher. He’ll go back. No need to postpone,” Yan Yi said calmly.
He hung up, twirling the phone in his fingers before Xia Jingtian could grab it back.
“Be good. Go back to class.” Yan Yi lowered his gaze, noticing the lock screen—a countdown to finals.
“You’ve been preparing for a long time, right?” he asked. “Important exam?”
Xia Jingtian refused to admit it. “It’s nothing. Just a regular test. I can take it next year. I just want to stay with you.”
Yan Yi smiled faintly.
The boy’s youthful sincerity… Lu Shangjin had been like that at twenty, too.
But people change.
Who, at twenty, doesn’t believe in eternal love? When Lu Shangjin once sang on the seaside rocks with him, who could have imagined what they’d become ten years later?
“Really. Go back to school,” Yan Yi said softly, lashes damp with tears. He returned the phone. “Once you leave, I’ll go to the hospital.”
———
2019-4-19 17:23 PM
———
Lu family cemetery.
Lu Shangjin stood before a gravestone in a black suit.
The omega in the photo smiled brightly, looking to be in his thirties—handsome and striking.
His biological father had been a chameleon omega, married to Lu Lin.
Outside the cemetery was a Ferrari—recognizable as belonging to Bi Ruiqing of Jinfeng Group.
Bi Ruiqing, also dressed in black, approached with a bouquet of lilies, placed them before the grave, and lit a cigarette.
“You stopped bringing flowers three years ago,” he said, cupping the flame against the wind. “Good thing I kept doing it. What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”
Lu Shangjin’s eyes were bloodshot, though his cold aura remained—just more worn.
He didn’t answer, only said casually:
“The hamster omega you wanted will be delivered in a few days. Still intact. If you’d asked any later, there’d be nothing left.”
Bi Ruiqing raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
“Hamster? What hamster?”