Chapter 63
Lin Lan’s hometown lies deep in the mountains. In the past, it was isolated due to poor transportation and economic underdevelopment, making life challenging.
But with new roads, things have changed drastically.
Two years ago, an investor noticed the area’s potential for tourism. They purchased several scenic spots in town to develop, adding some promotional efforts to attract visitors. Over the last six months, these tourist spots have gradually opened, drawing a steady stream of tourists.
The growth in tourism has brought significant benefits to the locals. Many found jobs in the scenic areas, and those close by, with the means to do so, opened restaurants and guesthouses. With visitors coming in, any business could thrive.
Lin Xiaoran’s uncle and aunt took the chance to renovate their home into a cozy guesthouse with a charming, boutique feel, aiming to open right after the new year.
Their guesthouse sits in an ideal location, with easy access to all the nearby attractions. Built by a clear, shallow river, guests can open the windows to see local women washing clothes by the water, and, looking further, see lush green mountains beneath a sky of blue and white clouds. Any photo taken here looks like a painting.
Currently, Lin Xiaoran is staying here.
This year, not only Lin Lan and Lin Xiaoran returned for the holiday, but his two other uncles and their families also came back, making the old Lin family house too small to fit everyone. The younger generation moved into the guesthouse early to make room.
This arrangement works well, as the younger crowd and the older generation don’t mix as easily. The elders gather around to reminisce about hard times and past memories, while these nostalgic stories don’t exactly excite the younger ones. Having separate accommodations actually allows everyone to enjoy their time more.
However, Lin Xiaoran always seemed a bit detached. It wasn’t because he felt unfamiliar with relatives he rarely saw, since staying in touch these days is easy. He and his cousins had long since connected on WeChat and QQ, staying in contact regularly.
It was just that…
Cough, cough… After a while of working on his assignments at the desk by the window, he started coughing again.
Strangely enough, he’d had a mild fever that had gone away, but the cough stubbornly lingered, unaffected by the days of medication.
He set down his pen, looking out the window for a long time before lowering his eyes with a soft sigh and picking up the pen to continue his assignments.
Then there was a knock on the door. His little cousin, about ten years old, peeked in and called to him, “Xiaoran-ge, Sister Juan and Big Brother want to play cards. They sent me to get you.”
Lin Xiaoran turned and shook his head, “I’ll pass. Let them play.”
Disappointed, his cousin opened the door wider, walked over to his desk, and noticed the stack of assignments. With a pout, she asked, “Xiaoran-ge, are you doing homework again? You have that much? Can’t you finish it after the New Year? I haven’t even started mine yet!”
Amused by her innocence, Lin Xiaoran smiled and explained patiently, “I’m in my last year of high school. School starts again right after the New Year.”
“Ah? That’s rough!” She was shocked.
Lin Xiaoran nodded. “So go have fun without me.”
Now understanding, she left him alone, closed the door, and dashed downstairs, calling out, “Xiaoran-ge isn’t coming. You guys play without him!”
Just then, Lin Lan came over, snacking on sunflower seeds and chatting with a few of her nieces and nephews. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but frown slightly, noticing something different about her son these days.
“Xiaoran is in his last year and needs to focus on his studies for the college entrance exams. We should let him be,” she said. “Auntie, come play with us instead.”
Seeing her family looking hopeful, Lin Lan agreed and took her son’s place. But she couldn’t shake the worry she felt about Lin Xiaoran.
Ever since he’d unexpectedly returned from the Gu family’s place before the New Year, something had seemed off.
But if asked what exactly was wrong, she couldn’t quite say.
After all, no one else seemed to notice anything unusual. Xiaoran ate and slept as he should and spent his days quietly studying in his room.
The elders praised his maturity, diligence, and excellent grades, admiring his dedication.
This was how they’d spent past New Year’s, too.
So, was she just overthinking?
Lin Lan spent the afternoon half-heartedly playing cards. After dinner, she couldn’t resist going to Lin Xiaoran’s room, not to pry but just to sit and chat casually.
“You probably don’t know this, but your uncle got envious of how well the other guesthouses were doing during the holiday. He’s rushing to open his own place. This afternoon, he had your cousin put it up online, so it’ll be available starting tomorrow.”
“That fast?” Lin Xiaoran, reclining on his bed with a book, was a bit surprised.
“Exactly! I told him he should wait for an auspicious day, but your uncle insists that timing isn’t a big deal. He says all these young people are out traveling for the New Year, and the other guesthouses are fully booked. If he doesn’t open up now, it’s like losing money and letting down people who can’t find a place to stay.”
“But most people book accommodations in advance. Putting it online now probably won’t attract any last-minute guests,” Lin Xiaoran replied realistically.
“True, but your uncle doesn’t see it that way. He’s already dreaming of business booming from dawn tomorrow.”
Mother and son chatted a bit more, and Lin Lan eventually wished him a good night and left, still unable to figure out what was bothering her about Xiaoran.
As soon as she left, Lin Xiaoran set down his book and fell back onto his bed, closing his eyes. He’d been feeling strange for a few days—not only did his cough persist, but he also felt unusually drowsy, as if he could never sleep enough.
Tonight, though, he lay there for a long time without falling asleep. Suddenly, his body became restless, and the scent of his snow pear pheromone began to seep from his glands, filling the entire room.
It was his heat.
Throwing the blanket off his head, he got out of bed and took out a vial of Gu Yang’s pheromones from his bag.
Opening the box, he stared at the syringe, his normally clear eyes hazy with the effects of his heat, his thick eyelashes trembling slightly.
His fingers brushed lightly over the syringe, pressing just enough to release a hint of the cedarwood scent, which instantly made Lin Xiaoran shiver. His body reacted instinctively, releasing his pheromones in response.
His breathing grew uneven, and his hand holding the pheromone vial began to shake. He knew that if he didn’t inject it soon, he’d lose control, making even the injection impossible.
Gently pressing his fingers to his gland, he picked up the syringe, injecting it slowly. Gu Yang’s pheromones entered his body bit by bit, calming his restlessness.
“Mmm…” He couldn’t help tilting his head back, a soft sigh of relief escaping his throat.
Once the syringe was empty, he sank weakly onto the bed. His body was soothed, but there was still an emptiness within.
After an Omega is marked, they develop a strong dependence on the Alpha who marked them. Gu Yang used to hold him close after every marking, staying with him until he recovered.
But now, Gu Yang wasn’t here.
He could smell the lingering scent of Gu Yang’s pheromones on himself, but he couldn’t feel his warmth.
Turning, he buried his face in his pillow, images of Gu Yang filling his mind.
For days, he’d been trying to suppress these feelings, but now the longing surged back even more powerfully.
He couldn’t lie to himself—he missed Gu Yang!
Suddenly, he sat up and grabbed his phone from the desk, found Gu Yang’s number, and pressed the call button. But before it connected, he jolted, snapping out of it, and ended the call.
Staring at the failed call notification, he took a long breath, placed the phone back down, turned off the light, and lay back down, glancing out the window as he murmured softly, “Gu Yang…”
Meanwhile, Gu Yang was worried about where he’d stay the following night.
He’d left in a hurry, making no arrangements, figuring he’d find a place to stay along the way. But he hadn’t expected the New Year rush, with hotels and guesthouses fully booked.
He’d been lucky the past two nights, just barely finding a place to stay, but it looked like there’d be nothing available tomorrow.
Scrolling through his phone, he checked nearly every hotel in the area, but they were all booked.
Was he really going to sleep on the streets tomorrow?
Just as he was considering leaving early in the morning, he finally found a place—a guesthouse that seemed to have just opened.
He didn’t hesitate, booking it on the spot.
Returning to the main screen, he paused, staring at the profile photo of a young man with black hair on his phone for a while, murmuring softly, “Lin Xiaoran, what are you up to right now?”
Then he shook his head, pushing the thought away, tossed his phone aside, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
The next day…
Early in the morning, Lin Xiaoran finished getting ready and was about to go downstairs for breakfast when his little cousin burst into his room, her face glowing with excitement. “Xiaoran! Xiaoran! We have a guest in our family’s guesthouse, and he’s super handsome—like, really handsome! Come down with me and check him out!”
Lin Xiaoran wasn’t all that interested in some handsome guest, but he was genuinely surprised that someone would decide to travel on such short notice during the holiday season.
Dragged to the top of the stairs by his cousin, he heard his older cousin talking to the guest in an unusually sweet, welcoming voice, “Yes, we just opened, and you’re our first guest. I can give you a 20% discount and a membership card so you’ll get the same discount every time you stay with us. Also, since you’re our first customer, we’re giving you a free breakfast voucher. Normally, during our trial opening, we wouldn’t offer that, but we’re making an exception for you.”
Wow, so much enthusiasm.
Now, he really believed it was a handsome guy—his cousin never turned on the charm like that for anyone else.
Just then, the “handsome guy” spoke, his voice a relaxed drawl with a hint of a smile, “Thanks.”
In an instant, Lin Xiaoran’s pupils dilated, and his eyelashes trembled fiercely. Was he hearing things? It sounded exactly like Gu Yang’s voice.
No way.
But as his cousin pulled him to the stairway landing, he looked down and saw the guest finish his check-in, then turn around, only to meet Lin Xiaoran’s gaze at the top of the stairs.
In that moment, everything went still.
Across the short staircase, they both froze, staring at each other.
Gu Yang couldn’t tell if it was reality or a dream—why was the person he missed the most standing there right in front of him?
Was he so lost in longing that he’d started hallucinating?
No.
Gu Yang’s nose picked up on a familiar scent. That faint trace of pheromones—it was coming from Lin Xiaoran. If this was just a fantasy, he wouldn’t be able to pick up on something so real.
So, it really was Lin Xiaoran.
Surprise and joy flooded Gu Yang’s amber eyes. “Xiaoran!” he called out, rushing up the stairs to stand in front of him.
Lin Xiaoran looked up at him, blinking his dark, expressive eyes. His rosy lips pressed together, still unsure. “Gu Yang?”
“Yangyang?” Lin Lan, who had come over to call the kids for breakfast, spotted Gu Yang and looked at him in shock. “Yangyang, what are you doing here?”
Gu Yang quickly stepped back down to greet her. “Auntie Lin, I just decided to go traveling. I didn’t expect to run into you all. What a coincidence!”
Yes, what a coincidence indeed.
Before he’d left, he didn’t know where he’d end up, nor did he have any idea where Lin Xiaoran would be. And yet, here they were.
But what did such a twist of fate matter to them now?
Just as quickly as joy had overwhelmed him, a pang of sadness washed over Gu Yang.
His face betrayed none of it.
Finally recovering from his shock, Lin Xiaoran knew now that the man downstairs was really Gu Yang.
He reminded himself that they’d broken up, and it wasn’t appropriate to get close. Gu Yang probably thought the same way, which is why they hadn’t contacted each other in days.
Yet he couldn’t deny the happiness he felt seeing Gu Yang again.
But the realization that Gu Yang was spending the holiday season alone hurt him even more.
“Yangyang, really, out here alone over the New Year?” Lin Lan shook her head. “Listen to your auntie, stay here with us. We’ll go back together after the holiday.” Lin Lan didn’t leave him room to refuse. Her traditional mindset didn’t sit well with the idea of Gu Yang, just a young man, spending the holiday alone. She immediately insisted he stay.
Gu Yang felt it might not be appropriate, though. After all, staying under the same roof with Lin Xiaoran…he couldn’t guarantee he’d be able to hide his feelings from Lin Lan.
But before he could say anything, Lin Lan leaned closer and whispered, “Yangyang, actually, you came just in time. I’ve been worried about Xiaoran these past few days.”
“What’s wrong with Xiaoran?” Gu Yang’s heart sank, and he asked urgently.
Lin Lan shook her head. “I’m not sure, but he seems troubled and unusually down. I asked him about it, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. Yangyang, you’re close with him—please, try to talk to him, help him open up, okay?”
Gu Yang glanced back at Lin Xiaoran, who had just started coming down the stairs. Leaning against the banister, with his head down and his dark bangs hiding his eyes, only his delicate jawline and pointed chin were visible.
He looked thinner.
Was it because of their breakup that he’d lost weight, feeling hurt and empty?
Gu Yang’s heart clenched. Lin Lan had already taken his arm with one hand and pulled Lin Xiaoran with the other, “It’s settled, then. Yangyang, since you’re here early, you haven’t had breakfast, right? Let’s all go eat together.”
She started leading the two of them toward the backyard.
Gu Yang couldn’t help but glance back at Lin Xiaoran, who was also looking at him.
A while ago, when they were still together, whenever their eyes met, it would send warmth and sweetness through them both, and they’d feel inseparable.
But now, all that was left were unspoken regrets and suppressed emotions.
“Hmm?” Lin Lan suddenly noticed something and leaned closer to Lin Xiaoran, sniffing the air. “Xiaoran, were you in heat last night?”
The two quickly looked away from each other. Lin Xiaoran nodded, “Yes.”
“Oh, really?” She sniffed him again. “Is this the pheromone I picked out for you? I remember I got you a lime scent, but this one… it’s cedar?”
Lin Lan didn’t know what Gu Yang’s pheromones smelled like; she was just curious why Lin Xiaoran’s scent wasn’t what she’d chosen for him.
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
He was annoyed with himself for forgetting to use a suppressor and had no idea how he’d explain it to Lin Lan.
Gu Yang realized Lin Xiaoran had used his pheromones during his heat, and a bittersweet feeling filled his heart. He quickly stepped in to cover for him, smiling at Lin Lan, “Auntie Lin, you have a sharp nose to tell the scents apart! I can hardly tell them myself. Maybe the supplier mixed them up. I remember Xiaoran saying you bought a bunch, so maybe one or two got switched around.”
