On his way home from work, Lu Shangjin picked up a strawberry tiramisu for Yan Yi.
This morning when he left, the little bunny was still fast asleep. Lu Shangjin couldn’t bear to wake him, so he just quietly kissed his forehead and lips, then poured a glass of water and placed it on the bedside table, within easy reach.
Usually, as soon as he heard Lu Shangjin’s footsteps, Yan Yi would run down to the entryway to wait for him, excitedly wrapping his arms around his waist and saying, “Welcome home.”
Lu Shangjin glanced at the empty rooms. The nanny was busy in the kitchen; she opened the door, wiping her hands as she replied, “Yan Yan’s been in his bedroom all day and hasn’t come out.”
The smile on Lu Shangjin’s face faded slightly. He had no heart to change clothes, so he hurried upstairs and knocked on the tightly closed bedroom door.
The sound of a chair scraping came from inside, but no one answered.
Lu Shangjin knocked again, impatiently rolling up his shirt sleeves. “Yan Yan, why did you lock the door? Come out and eat.”
Through the bedroom door, Yan Yi’s voice sounded sulky: “Eat by yourself. I’m not hungry.”
It was obvious just by the tone that he was throwing another tantrum.
Lu Shangjin found a paperclip, straightened it out, inserted it into the keyhole, and wiggled it open. He pushed the bedroom door slightly and walked inside.
Yan Yi was sitting huddled by the full-length mirror, head bowed in silence. Hearing the door open, he frowned and turned around. “I told you I’m not hungry. Why did you just barge into my room again?”
Lu Shangjin locked the door, set the items in his hands on the bookshelf, and without a word, picked Yan Yi up from the chair, sat down on the edge of the bed, and had him sit on his lap.
“Throwing another tantrum,” Lu Shangjin murmured, leaning down to kiss his ear. “You’re still in a bad mood even after looking in the mirror? You’re such a cute little one.”
Yan Yi remained silent in his arms, impatiently swatting away the little rabbit ears so he wouldn’t let him kiss him.
Lu Shangjin coaxed him gently for quite a while before Yan Yi finally asked casually, “What gives you the right not to mark me?”
If an Alpha doesn’t leave a mark after making love to an Omega, it means that Alpha doesn’t want to take responsibility, doesn’t want to form emotional ties or connections with the Omega, doesn’t want to be restricted by the mark, and doesn’t want to build a family with the Omega.
Lu Shangjin still remembered similar questions. When Yan Yi was twenty-four, his mark had been erased. Since then, he’d only asked Lu Shangjin to mark him again when he occasionally lost control of his emotions.
Only now did Lu Shangjin realize that this was what Yan Yi had longed for most at the time.
If he had known sooner just how much the mark meant to Yan Yi, he would have marked him—even if it meant expending more energy to protect him.
Now that Yan Yi had been given the chance to relive his childhood and grow up again, he should have the opportunity to make a choice based on his own heart.
Yan Yi should have the right to decide whether to love or leave, rather than being driven by high-level dependency to become an Alpha’s vassal and personal possession.
Yan Yi sensed Lu Shangjin’s hesitation and felt he had been fobbed off and deceived by an Alpha’s lust.
He struggles to break free from Lu Shangjin’s embrace: “Let go. Love or no love, I don’t give a damn.”
“Who taught you to talk like that? Who do you think you are?” Lu Shangjin wrapped his arm tightly around him, forcefully turning the little rabbit to face him.
Lu Shangjin placed a box of sweets and a small bouquet of roses from the bookshelf into his hands, cupped his face, and wiped the corner of his eye with his thumb.
“I don’t want it…” The rabbit’s ears drooped. Though he said he didn’t want it, he clutched the gift tightly.
Lu Shangjin’s nose brushed lightly against Yan Yi’s cheek, and his broad, strong hand cupped the one holding the dessert box.
“I promise you, if you’re still willing to let me mark you when you turn twenty-seven, I won’t hesitate.” Lu Shangjin tightened his arms, pulling the little rabbit close to his chest. “Until then, you can mark me.”
Lu Shangjin lifted Yan Yi, who had stopped struggling, a little higher. “Once you’ve bitten me, I’ll be yours forever.”
It’s not as though an Alpha’s gland can be marked. Marking is a one-way act from Alpha to Omega; an Alpha’s gland simply lacks the structure to receive a mark and form a badge.
But what else could Lu Shangjin do to comfort his little bunny?
He set Yan Yi down by the bed, knelt on one knee, and lowered his head of his own accord, exposing his Alpha gland before Yan Yi.
This gesture was no different from a wild beast baring its belly, exposing its throat, and offering its most vulnerable part with unconditional, absolute trust.
Yan Yi gently stroked Lu Shangjin’s gland, the sweet scent of narcissus filling his fingertips.
He leaned down to kiss it, seeming hesitant.
“It’s okay, baby. Go ahead and bite. Just don’t bite too hard—if you do, I won’t be able to take care of you.”
Before he could finish, Yan Yi bit down hard on his gland. Though an omega lacks sharp canine teeth, in that instant, Lu Shangjin’s entire body went numb, as if a trap had suddenly snapped shut around his neck.
An alpha’s gland is used for mating and combat. When bitten, there wasn’t a shred of the satisfaction or comfort that comes with establishing a bond—only instinctive rage and resistance.
“……” Lu Shangjin gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain radiating from his gland. As soon as Yan Yi released his grip, he collapsed to his knees, one hand braced against the bedframe and the other pressed against his gland, the pain making his vision blur.
No marking had formed on the gland; only two rows of small rabbit teeth marks remained. Fortunately, rabbits have weak bite strength, and Yan Yi’s bite wasn’t meant to kill him, so there was no bleeding.
This sharp, stabbing pain was comparable to suddenly stubbing your little toe on the leg of a sofa while walking, or being kicked in a sensitive spot.
He glanced back at the little rabbit, who was sitting unharmed on the edge of the bed, awkwardly rubbing his fingertips as he watched him.
“Ouch…” Lu Shangjin clutched the gland and took a moment to catch his breath, then simply sat down on the floor and reached out to touch Yan Yi’s cheek. “Feeling any better now?”
Yan Yi looked at the bite mark on Lu Shangjin’s neck and nodded slightly.
Lu Shangjin tilted his head back and pinched Yan Yi’s cheek, smiling wryly. “Let’s go. We’re going downstairs to eat.”
“Wait a sec…” Yan Yi followed him as he stood up, helping him remove the tie he hadn’t had time to loosen and hanging it in the closet, his gaze glancing sheepishly at Lu Shangjin’s gland.
Lu Shangjin thought he was feeling sorry for him, and a secret joy welled up inside him—he’d even be willing to let the little bunny take a few more bites.
But to his surprise, Yan Yi ran off to grab a marker and drew a tiny “Rabbit-ski” on Lu Shangjin’s neck, leaving it as a mark of ownership.
He patted Lu Shangjin on the shoulder. “Don’t wipe it off. I want everyone to know you’re my Alpha.”
Lu Shangjin laughed in exasperation, pinned Yan Yi to the bed, and kissed him fiercely until the little bunny was gasping for air and begging for mercy before he finally let go.
“You little drama queen…” Lu Shangjin pinned Yan Yi’s wrists behind his back, gazing into the pale eyes of the man beneath him. “I’m organizing a jewelry exhibition next month. All you have to do is stand next to me, and everyone will know I’m your Alpha.”
Yan Yi’s eyes lit up. “Are you going to show them the little bunny?”
“…I can let some acquaintances see it…” Lu Shangjin really didn’t want to see #LuShangjinRabbit on the trending list.
“Hmm, then I’ll have to keep a memento.” Yan Yi pulled out his phone and snapped a selfie with Lu Shangjin’s gland, playfully poking his cheek with a peace sign.
Lu Shangjin turned around, wrapped his arms around Yan Yi from behind, and smiled at the front-facing camera.
The vain little bunny even turned on a filter. Lu Shangjin swiped through the options and took a bunch of photos—intimate shots of them holding hands and kissing.
“I love you.” Yan Yi nestled into his embrace, looked up, and kissed Lu Shangjin’s chin. “Darling.”
“Darling…” Lu Shangjin savored the word, his heart melting so much it felt like it could be molded into any shape.
Lu Shangjin rested his chin on Yan Yi’s shoulder and asked, somewhat wistfully, “Will you still like me when you’re twenty-seven?”
“I will.” Yan Yi’s eyes crinkled.
Lu Shangjin smiled as if comforted, then kissed his ear. “Wash your hands. Let’s eat.”
Yan Yi happily ran out to wash his hands. Lu Shangjin sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the photo of the two of them on Yan Yi’s phone, lost in thought for a moment.
He forced a smile identical to the one in the photo, then nervously slipped his hand into his pocket, clutching the wedding ring that matched the one on his left ring finger. The sweat on his fingertips made the ring feel slippery and warm.
As Yan Yi’s biological age grew year by year and his fragmented memories began to piece themselves back together, Lu Shangjin’s inner anxiety grew ever more intense.
He longed to mark Yan Yi, to build a family with him, and to ensure that Yan Yi would still love him deeply once his memories returned.
But the once reckless, selfish, and cold-hearted teenager had grown up; he finally understood that respect runs deeper than possession.
Would Yan Yi still be willing to wear his ring?
On the day of the jewelry exhibition, celebrities from all walks of life were invited to attend. A dozen black-clad bodyguards cleared a path, and a Phantom sliced through the crowd. In an instant, every camera lens turned toward the custom-designed flying eagle emblem on the car’s front.
Especially when Lu Shangjin appeared with Yan Yi, it wasn’t just the reporters who were in an uproar.
Most people knew that Lu Shangjin indeed had a secret wife living in a golden house, but had never seen her face.
Up until now, the only person who had ever accompanied Lu Shangjin was a bodyguard nicknamed “Lop-Eared Rabbit,” who handled every situation with ease.
At the long table in the venue, Yuan Mi attended as an Academy Award-winning actor. Amid the business-related small talk and mutual flattery, he took a glass of red wine and found a quiet corner to rest.
Through the glass curtain wall, he saw Lu Shangjin walk into the venue with his arm around Yan Yi’s waist.
Yuan Mi’s gaze was sharp; he could tell that Yan Yi hadn’t been marked.
But this was different from a lover kept close by whom he refused to mark. An omega brought along specifically for an occasion like this was tantamount to publicly acknowledging their partnership to the world.
Yet the Omega brought to such an occasion had no mark on his glands; Yuan Mi could instead see that Lu Shangjin was desperately pursuing him.
That didn’t fit Lu Shangjin’s character.
He gave Yan Yi a chance to leave.