Archive of Our Own ^beta

26 days until my heat comes, Shen Jiu thought as he looked at the calendar .

To some omegas, the heat period was a time they dreaded. It was just unbearable, messy, and painful, especially for omegas who could not seek comfort from alphas. Thanks to modern medicine most omegas were able to suppress the majority of their heat symptoms and go through their usual daily activities.

Not for Shen Jiu. His heat was always terrible. He became overly sensitive to pheromones. Going out in public and being exposed to the multiple pheromones would drive him into some form of sensory overload and make him nauseous. His body would be writhing in pain and on worse days, he could barely make it out of bed.

Fortunately when Shen Jiu started working at Cang Qiong Corporation, his supervisor at the time was very fond of him, enough that Shen Jiu was granted three-day leave every month during his heat. Of course, Shen Jiu did provide the necessary medical records from his doctor to prove that the medicines didn’t work well for him.

Now that he was the manager, he decided to introduce a company policy granting omegas and alphas with similar medical issues the same three-day leave for their ruts and heats as well. The junior staff, especially the omegas all sang praises to this new policy. CEO Yue Qi was so proud of him, saying Shen Jiu cared so much about the young employees.

Haha. If only Yue Qi knew Shen Jiu had been lying.

That was right. While Shen Jiu indeed suffered from terrible heats when he first presented as an omega, the symptoms actually already went away after he graduated from university. Shen Jiu supposed it had something to do with him finally escaping his abusive foster family, but since then other than some cramps and discomfort, the heat didn’t really bother him that much.

So why did he continue pretending like the medicines didn’t work? Simple. He wanted his holidays. Having to work with these idiots was stressful, so why would he miss the chance to have his me-time at home?

“Xiao Jiu, would you mind coming over?”

Like having to watch over this newbie. This man looked like he was only a couple years younger than Shen Jiu and he was to be the assistant manager of a different department, why did Shen Jiu have to look after him?

“This is Liu Qingge, the new assistant manager of the business development team. Since Miss Wu is on her maternity leave, can you show him the ropes for the first couple of weeks?” Yue Qi said. “You know how things work here the best.”

The sad reality about the corporate world was that hard work would not give you the reward or recognition that you want. Being an excellent and hard worker meant you would just be handed more work. However, Cang Qiong Corporation offered one of the highest salaries in the market, so as much as Shen Jiu loathed smelling even the nasty air freshener they used, he had to grit his teeth and do whatever task Yue Qi handed to him. “Follow me, Assistant Manager Liu.”

Liu Qingge was someone Shen Jiu often saw depicted as the perfect male lead in romance stories. He was an alpha born from a prestigious family. Tall and good-looking, with broad shoulders and a beauty mark under his eye.

The only thing he lacked was intelligence.

“Accounts? Do I have to know this?” Liu Qingge frowned when he looked at the stack of documents.

Shen Jiu wanted to scream. How did this man even make it through university? Did his father buy his high school diploma? Even if he was admitted because of his sports achievement, shouldn’t he at least be capable of doing more if he was coming in as an assistant manager? The chairman wasn’t surnamed Liu, right?

“You don’t have to know everything in detail, but you have to at least be aware of these,” Shen Jiu said while containing his anger inside. Lord, he needed some sweets after this.

“Numbers are too complicated for me,” Liu Qingge said.

“I’m sure you will learn in no time,” Shen Jiu said and piled up more stacks of old files for good measure. “Read through all of these and summarize them. Then you can come to me.”

Liu Qingge nodded. “By the way, CEO Yue said you will bring me out for lunch too. Should I wait in front of your office later?”

Damn you Yue Qi!

By the end of the month, Shen Jiu was already drained. What should have taken two weeks, turned into three because getting everything to penetrate Liu Qingge’s thick skull was harder than he expected. Not to mention Shen Jiu had to clean up the mess whenever Liu Qingge made mistakes.

Mistakes were part of the learning process. It was natural.

As natural as shitting. 

Wiping someone else’s shit did not feel good, for obvious reasons.

When he heard Liu Qingge’s unmistakable voice looking for him, Shen Jiu closed his eyes and laid his head on his desk to feign sleep. He wished for a meteor to strike the earth so the whole company could be destroyed in the process. Including Liu Qingge and himself too. Why did humans have to eat and pay rent?

“What’s wrong with him?” Liu Qingge asked.

“Oh, I think it’s close to his heat cycle. Manager Shen is an omega but medicines don’t really work well with him, so he always feels unwell around this time,” Ning Yingying, his assistant replied.

“I see. I shouldn’t bother him then,” Liu Qingge said.

Good , Shen Jiu thought. At least he still had some common sense.

“If you have anything to ask him, better do it before Thursday. When his heat cycle comes, Manager Shen usually has to take three days off,” Ning Yingying said.

Unfortunately Liu Qingge must have stolen those two brain cells from Ning Yingying. Could she not see that Shen Jiu just wanted to find a deep hole and bury himself in right now?

At least his awaited three-day holiday was finally coming soon. Shen Jiu busied himself with settling all the work that had been delayed from training new staff before clocking out. He stopped by the bakery to buy an ungodly amount of sweet pastries. His eyes lingered at the pharmacy across the street.

Should he get an emergency suppressant shot just in case? The normal pills should be fine, right?

Shen Jiu paid for his purchase and walked over to the pharmacy. There was no such thing as being too careful. He had been quite stressed recently.

“Welcome to Qian Cao Pharmacy, how can I help you?”

“I need heat suppressants, the injection-” Shen Jiu paused when he saw a familiar face at the pharmacy counter. “Liu Qingge?”

Liu Qingge looked surprised as well. “Shen Jiu. What are you doing here?”

Shen Jiu glanced at the items on the counter. There were just some bottles of vitamins and protein powders, as well as other common items for muscle training and injury. He knew Liu Qingge was athletic, he didn’t think Liu Qingge was this passionate about working out. Though, seeing how the shirt was fitting on his body… he definitely had a nice and toned-

Stop it, Shen Jiu! Don’t let your hormones ever fool you into thinking this brute is hot! 

The pharmacist came back with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry sir, the heat suppressant you’re looking for is out of stock.”

Shen Jiu noticed Liu Qingge’s expression had changed. He looked disturbed. What, did he have any problem with Shen Jiu being an omega? Wasn’t he already aware of that? “... I’ll be leaving first then.”

“Wait!” Liu Qingge suddenly stopped him. “Are you okay with this?”

Huh. What did he mean by that? What was Shen Jiu supposed to do then, yell at the innocent pharmacist to conjure the suppressant out of thin air? “It can’t be helped. I’ll make do with the pills at home.”

“Ning Yingying said medicines don’t work well with you,” Liu Qingge frowned.

Dear lord, what sin did Shen Jiu commit to be surrounded by these people. Why couldn’t he get some peace alone. “I’ll manage somehow. Thank you for your concern, Assistant Manager Liu.”

His entire week sucked, but at least his long-awaited three-day vacation was finally coming. That night Shen Jiu put on a facial mask and bundled himself in front of the TV with plenty of snacks to catch up on his favorite shows. He already missed the last two episodes of Housewives of Huanhua because of the piled up work.

He woke up the following day feeling slightly feverish. It was close to noon. His heat already started. Shen Jiu took a long bath to cool off his body before laying back in bed and scrolling the food delivery app on his phone. He normally didn’t like ordering out but on days like these, he just had no will to cook or even move an inch, actually.

The doorbell rang barely ten minutes after he placed his order. Shen Jiu frowned. That was fast. The restaurant was about fifteen minutes from his house.

He opened the door and was shocked to see Liu Qingge standing there.

“What are you doing here?!” How the hell did Liu Qingge even know where Shen Jiu lived?

Liu Qingge was blushing. “I’m going to help you through your heat. Isn’t it painful?”

“Huh?”

“My sister told me that omegas who cannot tolerate the medicine can only bear the pain or be comforted by an alpha. I know you’ve been stressed recently because of me,” Liu Qingge said.

What gave Liu Qingge the idea that he should come and ‘help’ then?!

“CEO Yue said the average alphas can’t handle you. I don’t have the experience, but I’m confident in my stamina at least,” Liu Qingge added.

Of course it’s fucking Yue Qi making unnecessary comments. What did he even mean by saying that the average alphas couldn’t handle Shen Jiu? Whatever, Shen Jiu would have a word with him once he returned to the office. For now, he should kick out this unwelcome guest.

Liu Qingge frowned. “How is your condition? You don’t look too terrible at least… are you really-”

… Or not. Most omegas in heat would not be able to resist an alpha like Liu Qingge coming right at their door. The fact that Shen Jiu was still standing straight instead of pouncing at Liu Qingge during his first day of heat was already considered quite a feat.

If he truly was experiencing the unbearable, painful heat symptoms, of course. Shen Jiu began weighing his options.

Alright. Screw this. Shen Jiu tugged on Liu Qingge’s sleeve and made the most pitiful expression. “Come in. The house is a bit messy, since… I’ve just been laying down trying to nest all day, I didn’t think anyone would come…”

Liu Qingge entered and made himself comfortable on the sofa. He frowned. “The scent is very faint-”

“Must be the ventilation,” Shen Jiu quickly said and climbed on Liu Qingge’s lap. “More importantly… aren’t you going to help me?”

Liu Qingge was surprisingly bold. He voiced no further question and started kissing Shen Jiu instead. The world was unfair, because Shen Jiu knew someone like Liu Qingge wouldn’t even know what a lip balm was, yet his lips were so soft. His hands rubbing circles on Shen Jiu’s back were warm and it took little time before Shen Jiu could feel the bulge forming and rubbing against his own hard-on.

“Are all omegas like you?” Liu Qingge exhaled.

“What do you mean?”

“Do they become like this… when they’re in heat?”

Shen Jiu hummed. “Why would you ask that? Have you not seen any omega in heat before?”

Liu Qingge’s hands moved to his waist, then further down to massage his plump rear. “I don’t know. I have met many people, but nobody is as pretty as you.”

Shen Jiu did not expect that Liu Qingge of all people could actually make his heart skip a beat, even for a second. A whine escaped his lips as Liu Qingge unbuttoned his pajamas and attended to the pert pink buds on his chest. Shen Jiu drove his fists into Liu Qingge's hair and shuddered each time a warm tongue swirled around his nipples. He didn't know he could be this sensitive either.

His hips automatically started moving, desperately chasing the friction. Shen Jiu could feel himself getting wet. Despite Liu Qingge's clumsiness, the pheromone he exuded was surprisingly working well to arouse Shen Jiu even more.

Shen Jiu couldn't remember the last time he had ever felt comfortable with an alpha's pheromone this much. He must be really pent up.

Liu Qingge lifted him and carried him all the way to the bed, where he proceeded to loosen Shen Jiu before thrusting into him with all his might.

The walls were thin but for the first time ever Shen Jiu couldn't be bothered to care about his neighbors. All he could focus on was the pleasure of being filled to the brim by an alpha, of being enveloped by Liu Qingge's scent. 

In hindsight, perhaps he should have cared more.

Not only did he let himself get fucked by an alpha with no protection, during his heat. The following day, Shen Jiu woke up to a bonding mark on his nape, much to his own horror.

He wondered if the paid leave was really worth the horror that was to come.

“Congratulations, I heard you two bonded!”

Qi Qingqi from the human resource department had a cake and confetti already prepared the morning Shen Jiu returned to the office. Apparently during his absence, Liu Qingge already had the news spread to the entire company. Yue Qi was crying silently in the background while other junior staff congratulated the two of them.

Shen Jiu wanted nothing more but to maim each and every one of them. Starting with Liu Qingge, of course.

“Now that you finally have an alpha you’re bonded to, you no longer have to suffer those painful heats alone,” Qi Qingqi said and patted his back. “I guess you don’t need those monthly medical leaves anymore, right?”

They should really invest in a time machine in their next project, so Shen Jiu could go back to the time before he met Liu Qingge and kick his stinky balls. 

He even had the audacity to look shy when he came to join them at the office that morning. Why the fuck are you blushing when just two days ago you were balls-deep inside me, you imbecile?

“What are your plans after this?” Qi Qingqi asked.

Arson , Shen Jiu thought.

“Marriage,” Liu Qingge answered.

Marriage your mother! “Assistant Manager Liu, can we have a talk with just the two of us?” Shen Jiu smiled sweetly.

“Oh, I will leave you two lovebirds to talk. Don’t forget to invite us on the important day,” Qi Qingqi winked before walking away.

Yeah, fuck her too. Who gave her the highest position in the human resource department? Right, it was Shen Jiu who recommended her to Yue Qi. He should go even further back in time and slap his past self who trusted that devilish woman. Shen Jiu hurriedly dragged Liu Qingge to the rooftop, where they could have a more private conversation.

For a start. “What do you mean by marriage?!”

Liu Qingge rubbed his head. Why was he even doing that, to check if it was still empty? “We’re bonded now. Shouldn’t we get married?”

“We barely know each other,” Shen Jiu hissed.

“I will not go back on my words. We’ve mated and bonded, we’re compatible with each other. You like me and I feel the same,” Liu Qingge said. 

“What are you even say一” Shen Jiu paused. Something about Liu Qingge’s words…

Did he actually show up to Shen Jiu’s house that day under the assumption that Shen Jiu was already attracted to him? Who gave him that stupid idea?

“It’s time for the morning meeting, let’s go,” Liu Qingge reminded him.

Since when were you so diligent, you meathead? Shen Jiu rolled his eyes.

He decided to have another conversation with Liu Qingge later.

Well, at least that was his original plan. Shen Jiu had almost forgotten that the week after his heat was always the busiest time of the month, because all the work that he missed during his leave would pile up. In the end he spent the entire week swamped with paperwork and emails.

Liu Qingge, that asshat, somehow managed to bring in more big clients. Which was good for the company, but not good for Shen Jiu’s sanity. He could barely read the documents when he first came in, how did he bring in the big dough that even the previous manager wasn’t able to get last time?

“I heard Assistant Manager Liu is very motivated now,” Qi Qingqi said while dumping another stack of documents on Shen Jiu’s desk. She winked. “He said he needs to be a dependable man, since he might be a father anytime soon.”

Dependable my ass. A father, what father?! Shen Jiu had never…

Oh shit. Shen Jiu did not take the morning after pills. He hadn’t had time to meet up with any alphas since working in Cang Qiong Corporation, so he never had to worry about getting pregnant. How many days had passed since they slept together?

Shen Jiu made another trip to the pharmacy that evening to purchase a pregnancy test. He was not pregnant, fortunately.

He was, unfortunately, slated for a lunch meeting at the Liu family house on Sunday. No big deal, he could just appear as the worst son-in-law candidate. The Liu family was a very wealthy, traditional family. Not-impressing them should be as easy as breathing. Shen Jiu had received the stink eye from snobbish privileged clients simply from the fact that he was not a young master like them.

He forgot to take into account that Liu Qingge had to develop that personality and taste from someone or somewhere.

“You are so beautiful. How did my son manage to meet someone as pretty as you?” Madam Liu repeated for the fifth time that day while sitting next to Shen Jiu and caressing his hair.

Of course Shen Jiu was confident with his looks. However, Liu Mingyan was sitting right there and she looked way more stunning than most fashion models Shen Jiu had seen. Madam Liu acted as if she had never been in close proximity to an attractive omega. With how good-looking her entire family was, shouldn’t she be ‘immune’ to someone like Shen Jiu?

“Madam, you’re praising me too much. I’m quite literally dressed in a thrift store outfit now,” Shen Jiu smiled awkwardly.

Madam Liu glared at her son. “You hear that, Qingge? Next time bring A Jiu out to a nice place and get him some nicer clothes. Just because you have poor taste doesn’t mean your partner has to suffer.”

Oh no.

“A Jiu my dear, Qingge told me you’re an orphan. Worry no more, you are family now and we will take care of all your needs,” Madam Liu said. “Should we prepare Qingge’s room to also accommodate A Jiu now?”

Please no.

“I am not comfortable with that,” Shen Jiu quickly said. 

Madam Liu frowned. “Why dear, do you not like us?”

Just when Shen Jiu thought he was finally building the negative impression he much needed, Liu Mingyan quickly interfered. “Mother, how can you tell a newlywed couple to stay here with the family?”  

Madam Liu laughed. “Oh dear, how thoughtless of me. You’re right, Mingyan. Of course, they are young and healthy people with plenty of vigor. They should have their own space.”

That was not what Shen Jiu meant. He had to set everything straight.

“Let’s get you a house. I’m thinking the penthouse in the city center would fit the two of you nicely. It’s close to your workplace and has a lot of amenities.”

Okay, maybe he’d set it straight after seeing the penthouse. Nothing wrong with some window-shopping with the lovely ladies. 

Or not. This was not right.

Well, the hot tub was just the right size and the couch was perfectly cozy to Shen Jiu’s preference, but there was only one problem with the luxury penthouse. Liu Qingge was there, sharing the same king-sized bed and eating at the same marble dining table with Shen Jiu. Rightfully so, as everything was gifted to them by Liu Qingge’s parents.

“I didn’t know you like these kinds of shows,” Liu Qingge commented. He sat down and wrapped his arm around Shen Jiu’s shoulder.

He couldn’t even enjoy the Housewives of Huanhua despite having the brand-new high-resolution home theater set he had long dreamed of buying before. “What’s wrong with watching this?” Shen Jiu grumbled and had another handful of popcorn.

“Nothing. You’re making funny faces,” Liu Qingge said. He was clearly amused.

One month into their cohabitation, Shen Jiu had pretty much shown all his ‘ugly’ sides to Liu Qingge. He couldn’t cook anything more complicated than rice congee and fried egg. He nagged each time Liu Qingge folded the clothes the wrong way. He took too much time and space in the bathroom with all his skincare routine.

However, even though they had small arguments, Liu Qingge never seriously complained.

“I’m leaving for a business trip tomorrow and won’t be around for two days,” Liu Qingge said.

“Mm.”

Warm lips suddenly pressed against Shen Jiu’s cheek. He turned to look at Liu Qingge. “What are you doing?”

“You look like you want a kiss.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re the one who wants it.”

Liu Qingge hummed and leaned down for another kiss - this time, on the lips. “You’re right. I want it.”

Ugh. This infuriating man. As if Shen Jiu couldn’t read that expression on his face. How was he supposed to resist when Liu Qingge was letting out his alpha pheromones like this? He looped his arms around Liu Qingge’s neck.

“Just once. We need to work tomorrow.”

Liu Qingge, that brute, didn’t stop at one time. Shen Jiu woke up the next day with backaches.

He didn’t know when and how they somehow started this ‘routine’. The first time was just an unexpected situation. The second time they slept together he was just playing along to have a taste of the luxury life the Liu family had offered. The third and fourth, and all the other times following that…

Who cares? It was to their mutual benefits. As far as Shen Jiu considered, he wasn’t the only one enjoying this. Liu Qingge was the one who misunderstood everything and started this strange ‘relationship’ by announcing it to everyone without Shen Jiu’s permission. He was the one who marked Shen Jiu.

A small voice inside him kept whispering words of uncertainties but Shen Jiu pushed them away. The stress was almost getting to him, but it was nothing some donuts and cookies can’t fix, Shen Jiu thought. He headed to his favorite cafe after work.

And so - as if his life was not enough of a stupid drama, a young lady appeared bringing an envelope with her. She introduced herself as Qin Wanrong, heiress to a conglomerate that Shen Jiu had never heard of.

“You must be Shen Jiu. Break up with Liu Qingge and I’ll double the amount in the cheque.”

Suddenly coming out of nowhere and talking to him without introducing herself? Check. Bodyguards surrounding her and a black luxurious car? Check. Joining the table without invitation and throwing an envelope with an absurd amount of money at him like it was dirt? Check.

The only part that didn’t check was him. If Shen Jiu had to pick a role, he would rather say his personality was more fitting the villainous mother-in-law who would drench the main lead with water. Shen Jiu did not bother even looking at the content. He pushed the envelope back to the lady. “Is this all you’re offering?”

Qin Wanrong blinked. “Huh?”

Shen Jiu crossed his legs and smirked. “This measly amount can’t even cover my favorite shoes.” That was a lie, but Shen Jiu was curious about how much she was willing to offer.

“You!” Qin Wanrong shouted, ignoring the curious looks from other customers in the cafe. Her face was completely red. “Fine, I’ll double the amount. You better leave him or else…!”

Shen Jiu raised an eyebrow. “Or else what? Whatever amount you’re offering won’t be enough to tear us apart.” Damn, he almost wanted to puke hearing that line coming out of his own mouth.

She quickly scribbled more figures on the cheque. “Are you sure you want to decline this? With this you’ll be set for life. The likes of you are never fit for the prestigious Liu family anyway.”

She wasn’t wrong. How did someone like Liu Qingge have a fan anyway? Oh right, his face. Though, why wasn’t Liu Qingge married yet if he had someone this passionate chasing after him? The lady wasn’t lacking in appearance or money. Her personality could be brushed up perhaps, but it wasn’t as if Shen Jiu was a sweetheart either.

“Anyway, think about my offer again!” Qin Wanrong said and shoved the envelope into Shen Jiu’s pocket before he could protest. She walked away haughtily, followed by her bodyguards.

He looked at the crumpled envelope.

In an unexpected turn of events, he had been given the way out. The answer should be easy.

But for some reason Shen Jiu chose to leave the envelope in his jacket, untouched.

The evening that Liu Qingge returned, Shen Jiu was already digging his third bowl of ice cream. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that made him feel moody. Perhaps constantly having a certain brute breathing over his neck resulted in him feeling a little lonely. Which didn’t make sense, because Shen Jiu had been living on his own just fine for years prior.

Since when did he get so used to another alpha’s presence, that it almost felt like…

…. Like he missed him?

“Heavens, I feel nauseous,” Shen Jiu murmured.

“Are you okay?” Liu Qingge quickly rushed to his side. He placed his palm on Shen Jiu’s forehead. “Nauseous? Are you pregnant?”

“I’m not,” Shen Jiu said but made no effort to push Liu Qingge’s hand away. Also, touching someone’s forehead was no way to detect pregnancy. How did this fool live until now? “Was the trip okay?”

Liu Qingge nodded. “Did you miss me? I have some souvenirs for you.”

Shen Jiu pretended not to care when Liu Qingge leaned down to kiss his cheek.

Dear lord, the pheromones. The scent. He wanted nothing more than to grab Liu Qingge and inhale the dark earthy scent. Shen Jiu carefully set the ice cream bowl down, before he could bend the spoon from his strong grip. “Go shower and unpack first.”

“Right,” Liu Qingge said. He picked up the rest of the unwashed clothes in the laundry basket as well, knowing that Shen Jiu would otherwise nag about wasting water and electric bills from not filling the washer to its capacity.

A white envelope fell out from one of the clothes. Liu Qingge bent down to pick it up.

His eyes widened.

Shen Jiu frowned as he noticed that Liu Qingge had been standing still. “What’s wrong with you?”

Liu Qingge’s first curled up as he crumpled the envelope. “You. Did you accept the money?”

Shen Jiu froze. Shit. He forgot to dispose of the damned thing. More importantly, how did Liu Qingge know where the envelope came from?

“When that woman told me you took her money, I didn’t believe her,” Liu Qingge uttered.

So it was Qin Wanrong herself. Shen Jiu didn’t think she would go all the way to contact Liu Qingge and let him know about her offer. Wasn’t this kind of deal supposed to be a secret? “I didn’t take it,” Shen Jiu quickly said.

“Why is it in your pocket?”

“I forgot to throw it away.”

“You? Someone as meticulous and neat as you, forgetting to throw things away?” Liu Qingge questioned.

Shen Jiu angrily tossed the spoon in his hand to the floor. “Are you implying that I’m the kind of shameless scum who’d take someone’s money while still living with you?”

Liu Qingge fell silent. He slowly picked up his wallet and phone. “I’m leaving for a bit. I need time to think and cool off.”

The door slammed shut as Liu Qingge left.

A painful silence filled the room. Shen Jiu found himself standing still and unable to utter a single word.

No. This was better. Wasn’t this his intention anyway? To break up with Liu Qingge and live a quiet, comfortable life? He never had plans to get married in the first place. Liu Qingge just happened to barge into his life uninvited. Shen Jiu could use the money offered by Qin Wanrong and get his own penthouse with a nice TV and high-end luxuries.

Liu Qingge could live just fine. He’d bounce back and find a different omega to marry. Someone who was not as nasty as Shen Jiu. He’d live his life as usual, going to work and coming home just like today. Except the one waiting for him would not be Shen Jiu, but a different person.

His gut twisted just from the mere image of it. Shen Jiu bit his lips.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, he couldn’t keep lying to himself.

He rushed out and spotted Liu Qingge at the pavement just outside their penthouse building. Clutching his fists, Shen Jiu dashed towards his target and proceeded to land a flying kick directly to Liu Qingge’s back.

Liu Qingge gawked as he barely evaded the attack. Damn this man for his reflex, Shen Jiu was going to pay him back for all those mornings he woke up with back aches.

“Fuck you! What ‘time to think’, when did you ever use your nonexistent brain, you jerk?!” Shen Jiu yelled.

The pedestrians around them had all stopped. The sight of a man attempting to fly-kick another man in the middle of daylight was probably quite unusual to them. Some high schoolers even took out their phones to record the scene but Shen Jiu couldn’t care less about his image now.

“From the beginning, you’ve never listened to what people say. You came into my life uninvited and marked me, how dare you try to leave as you please?”

“Shen Jiu-”

“I am a rotten person. So what? I’ve always been rotten from the beginning. I just thought you would accept my flaws despite everything,” Shen Jiu uttered.

His head was spinning and his body felt hot. Something was wrong. 

“Fuck you. Who asked you to… all I wanted was…”

Breathing was getting difficult. His vision began getting blurry. Shen Jiu could feel several people approaching him and suddenly grabbing his arms. Panic filled him as the scent of unfamiliar alphas and omegas suddenly hit him from several directions.

“Let go!” He screamed.

There were faint noises ringing in his ears. Some random voices were yelling about an omega in heat. Another yelled for an ambulance to be called. Shen Jiu felt a sudden prick on his arm and was immediately hit by a terrible wave of nausea. 

He heard Liu Qingge’s voice, shouting that normal medicines didn’t work well for him. Right, did he ever tell Liu Qingge that was a lie?

Though, why did this sensation almost remind him of the time when he was in high school?

Except that rather than the disgusting smell of Qiu Jianluo or his father, a soothing woody scent enveloped his whole being as the world turned dark.

He woke up to the white ceilings of a hospital. Liu Qingge was sitting by his side and talking to the doctor.

“... Just make sure he’s not stressed. Oh, it looks like he’s awake,” the doctor smiled. “I will leave the two of you to have some privacy first.”

Shen Jiu remained silent. He must have been unable to mask his anxiousness, seeing how Liu Qingge quickly wrapped his hands around Shen Jiu’s and released a calming pheromone. 

“Did I enter a heat?” Shen Jiu asked. It had been a long time since he ever experienced a heat that made him lose his mind like that. In fact Shen Jiu couldn’t even remember the last time he actually had his heat. Wasn’t it the one he spent with Liu Qingge?

Liu Qingge shook his head. “You were in deep stress and the hormonal imbalance caused you to have heat-like symptoms. They couldn’t administer the usual suppressant to you because of your current state, so we had to get you warded and supervised for a couple days until we’re sure you’re okay.”

Ironic. The lies he made up had become reality. He was back to the pitiful state he was before, plagued with stress and unable to tolerate normal medications.

Liu Qingge held his hands tighter. “I’m sorry.”

Shen Jiu blinked. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I didn’t make myself clear. I was angry. Not because I thought you were a horrible person who’d leave me over money,” Liu Qingge admitted. “I was angry at myself. If you were willing to leave me for that small change, I must be a terrible alpha.”

Wow. Actually, Shen Jiu would like to record that and play that back to Qin Wanrong just so he could see her face once she heard that.

“And I am a terrible alpha. I’m not as good at my job as you. I talked big about wanting to support you and our child, but I still can’t give everything you deserve without the support of my family’s money. I don’t listen well. I had to rely on you to remind me of things and manage the finances,” Liu Qingge said.

Shen Jiu’s lips trembled. “That’s because you’re an idiot. But that’s fine. I don’t need you to be perfect.”

Liu Qingge smiled. “You said all you wanted was for me to accept your flaws, but it looks like you already accepted mine."

They were in no way perfect.

But at that moment, Shen Jiu thought that they were truly perfect for each other. He closed his eyes and savored the warmth of Liu Qingge’s gentle embrace.

“I’m going to ask you properly this time. Be mine, Shen Jiu,” Liu Qingge whispered.

I’m already yours, silly.

Shen Jiu chuckled. Tears were threatening to pool in his eyes but he refused to ruin the moment. “When can I go home?”

“As soon as we confirm you and our baby are healthy,” Liu Qingge replied and kissed the top of his head.

Shen Jiu looked at him pointedly. He did notice Liu Qingge mentioning their child before but he thought he was just referring to any point in the future. “Our baby?”

Liu Qingge’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you still don’t know?”

Impossible. Shen Jiu’s jaw dropped. “I can’t be pregnant. I’ve checked!” 

“... When did you check?”

“....”

It was at that moment that Shen Jiu realized how love must have truly fogged his brain and caused his IQ to drop.

Of course there was no way the pregnancy test could detect anything after only a few days!

“Congratulations on your wedding!” 

The image of Qi Qingqi walking into the office with a cake and Ning Yingying with the party popper was almost like a deja vu. Except that this time, it was no longer a surprise to Shen Jiu.

“Who knew Manager Shen would be the first among the managers of his peers to get married. Moreover, a shotgun wedding,” Qi Qingqi giggled.

“It’s not a shotgun wedding. We were planning to get married regardless,” Liu Qingge quickly said, but he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “The baby just happened to be a happy accident.”

Shen Jiu noticed Yue Qi looking depressed at the corner. Was he stressed thinking about having to find a temporary replacement, perhaps?

“Is Manager Shen going to quit and be a fulltime housewife now?” The department intern, Ming Fan, asked.

“Too bad for you I’m only going to take maternity leave. Assistant Manager Gongyi will take over my job for the time being,” Shen Jiu smirked.

Frankly if given the choice Shen Jiu would indeed prefer to quit his job altogether. However, out of spite he decided to continue working for as long as he could. He worked so hard to get to his position and to enforce policies for his own convenience, why should he resign?

“Oh, but you do know the company’s policy about maternity leave, right? It’s only 120 days max and you get an allowance instead of a salary,” Qi Qingqi reminded him. “Of course, there’s always a choice to work from home, but I doubt you can finish anything with a newborn in your lap.”

Shen Jiu’s smile cracked. He already knew maternity leave wouldn’t be a relaxing time anyway with a newborn baby in hand, but a pay cut?

Liu Qingge slipped his arm around Shen Jiu’s waist. “Can I still call you for help from time to time while you’re on leave?”

“You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“What?!”