Chapter 20
In this relationship, Lin Song’an always felt that he was innocent, even the one being hurt.
When he first approached Tan Ning, he intended to date him seriously. He thought pursuing Tan Ning would be a long-term project, but with a few tactics, Tan Ning half-heartedly agreed. Their relationship progressed so quickly that Lin Song’an believed he’d met his destined one. However, it wasn’t long before his obedient little cat suddenly turned cold.
Then became a heartless little cat.
Now, the little cat wouldn’t even admit he was one.
Lin Song’an didn’t know where things had gone wrong. Clearly, the one who wore his oversized shirt and seduced him in the bedroom was Tan Ning.
They had been broken up for a long time. Lin Song’an often felt a pang in his liver from being angered by Tan Ning, regretting as he watched Tan Ning’s cold back exiting the car. But he was unwilling to let things end like that—he couldn’t bear it.
He could only remind Tan Ning repeatedly, poking at his heart over and over, trying to make him recall those initial warm moments.
“I’ve always just wanted to be in a relationship with you,” Lin Song’an said, enunciating each word. “I know you remember.”
Tan Ning’s mind buzzed into blankness. The blood drained from his face, his pupils dilated, and he shook his head slightly, refusing to admit it, looking panic-stricken.
Lin Song’an still pinched his chin. “Don’t pretend you don’t understand.”
Tan Ning quickly regained his composure, avoiding eye contact, but his tone was even more stubborn than Lin Song’an’s: “I don’t understand.”
Lin Song’an was truly angry now. Even as a beta, Tan Ning could feel the oppressive atmosphere in the air that made it hard to breathe, as if Lin Song’an might twist his neck and throw him into some desolate place if he dared to deny it again.
The two were at an impasse.
Ultimately, Lin Song’an compromised. “I’ll give you one last chance.”
Tan Ning said, “Let’s end this relationship.”
Tan Ning didn’t care at all about the chance Lin Song’an was giving him.
Lin Song’an laughed in anger, both self-mocking and helpless. He looked at Tan Ning’s amber eyes, pale cheeks, and lips reddened from his biting. Back then, in the secluded corner of Lin Qi’s house, Tan Ning had the same look, easily stealing his soul.
He was always helpless against Tan Ning, and finally could only threaten harshly, “Don’t even think about it, Tan Ning. We’ll just keep dragging it out like this.”
While Lin Song’an wasn’t paying attention, Tan Ning tried to open the car door and slip away, but Lin Song’an was quicker, grabbing his hand and twisting it hard against his chest. “Scared now?”
Lin Song’an buried his face in the side of Tan Ning’s neck and bit down forcefully, making Tan Ning shrink back entirely. When Tan Ning stopped struggling and slumped in defeat, Lin Song’an released him, locked the car door, and said, “Let’s go.”
After starting the car, Lin Song’an returned to his relaxed demeanor, as if he hadn’t been the one who was just furious enough to swallow Tan Ning alive. Tan Ning extended his hand from his sleeve, hopelessly fiddling with the car door lock.
He knew Lin Song’an was watching him from the corner of his eye, but he continued fiddling.
Just like a naughty little cat insisting on knocking a water cup off the dining table, pawing at it incessantly.
He knew exactly how to make Lin Song’an angry.
Even though it was still hot, Tan Ning was wearing long sleeves—a gray, thin, oversized sweatshirt without a hood.
Lin Song’an had always disliked Tan Ning’s dressing style, even changing Tan Ning’s WeChat nickname to “Little stray cat wearing a sack” right in front of him.
But Tan Ning insisted on going against Lin Song’an. The more meticulous Lin Song’an dressed, the more casual he became. The more Lin Song’an wore suits and ties, the more loose and sloppy Tan was, as if he could only feel comfortable by being at the opposite extreme from Lin Song’an.
Now he was pressed against the car door, intent on escaping.
Lin Song’an snorted coldly. He had been extremely angry just moments ago, but looking at Tan Ning curled up like a ball, his mood inexplicably softened.
He thought: I’m really bewitched.
The car slowly drove from the parking lot exit onto the road. Lin Song’an had just set up the navigation when his phone rang.
He casually tapped the car’s touchscreen to answer.
It was his mother.
Fang Jin asked, “Have you returned to school?”
“Yes, I’m on the way.”
“What are you going back to school early for? Didn’t I tell you to stay at home these few days? Your rut period nearly took half your life; you only got better after taking sedatives. The doctor said you need to rest for a few days.”
Lin Song’an glanced at Tan Ning from the corner of his eye, afraid that his male dignity would be damaged in front of him. He immediately said, “It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound. It’s just a rut period.”
“How is it exaggerated? Come back home tomorrow.”
Lin Song’an was stunned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much. It’s about your pheromone test results. I consulted an expert from the U.S., and they said that medication can’t solve it for now. So I wanted to talk to you about what I mentioned before. I’ve already found matches for you in domestic and international databases—”
Before his mother could finish, the call disconnected. Lin Song’an covered the screen with his hand, quietly pressed ‘hang up,’ then smiled awkwardly at Tan Ning. “Hmm, why did the signal suddenly cut off?”
Tan Ning turned his face away, leaning toward the car window.
“Um, my mom is looking for similar cases,” Lin Song’an tried to cover up. “She’s been wanting to find a way to solve my frequent susceptibility periods.”
Tan Ning responded with a noncommittal “Oh,” appearing indifferent.
Lin Song’an guessed he wasn’t interested in these matters, so he shut his mouth, feeling a bit awkward, and sent a message to his mom, saying he had something urgent and would call back later.
Lin Song’an actually knew the methods to solve his frequent susceptibility periods. Shortly after his differentiation, Fang Jin had told him, “You and your father are both high-level alphas. Your rut periods are more frequent than ordinary people, and currently, there’s no medication to treat it. If you’re lucky, in the future, you’ll meet an omega you like and have a high compatibility with. After forming a complete bond, your susceptibility period issues can greatly improve.”
Sixteen-year-old Lin Song’an furrowed his brows.
Fang Jin asked him, “Song’an, aren’t you curious about how high the compatibility needs to be? Your father and I are at—”
Lin Song’an stood up and left, leaving behind, “I’m not curious.”
*
After the car got on the highway, Tan Ning began to sleep. Lin Song’an deliberately teased him, refusing to let him sleep, calling his name now and then, or tickling him. Tan Ning huffed and turned over.
“You’re treating me like a free driver, huh.”
“Weren’t you the one who insisted on coming?” Tan Ning slapped away his hand and said impatiently, “Pay me back for the ticket.”
“Alright,” Lin Song’an agreed readily. “I’ll pay.”
After a while, he started to tease Tan Ning again, sliding his hand under Tan Ning’s clothes. “Since I’m paying for the ticket, I won’t pay the two thousand yuan for tonight.”
Tan Ning had already closed his eyes and ignored him.
Lin Song’an appeared proud and aloof, with impeccable background and looks, deserving of the admiration and praise he received at school. But in private, he was so thick-skinned that Tan Ning was left speechless. Tan Ning couldn’t understand how, after he’d said such hurtful things, Lin Song’an could still act as if nothing had happened.
He didn’t know how thick Lin Song’an’s skin was or how many more rounds he could endure.
Lin Song’an squeezed Tan Ning’s palm and adjusted the air conditioning to a warmer setting.
After half an hour, Tan Ning was awakened by intermittent braking. Opening his eyes, he found that traffic ahead was jammed, completely at a standstill. The cars around them weren’t moving at all.
Just as he was wondering about the cause, the navigation system suddenly announced: “An accident occurred 500 meters ahead. Estimated time to pass is fifteen minutes.”
An accident.
Tan Ning’s face instantly turned ashen.
At first, Lin Song’an didn’t notice. It wasn’t until he heard Tan Ning’s rapid breathing and saw him restless, legs tightly pressed together, that he asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?”
Tan Ning shook his head.
“What happened? Tell me.” Lin Song’an grasped Tan Ning’s hand.
Tan Ning still shook his head, his gaze becoming unfocused.
“Are you car sick?”
From a distance came the sound of an ambulance.
Tan Ning buried his head, biting his lips hard.
Growing impatient, Lin Song’an directly grabbed Tan Ning’s shoulders and pressed him against the seat. “You—”
Lin Song’an suddenly froze.
Tan Ning’s eyes were red, tears shimmering in his eyes.
He tried hard to lift his chin, desperately trying to appear as if he wasn’t crying, but Lin Song’an could tell at a glance that he was.
Tan Ning never shed tears.
Even the first time, during Lin Song’an’s rut period, when Lin Song’an bit his nape until it bled and caused him extreme pain, he didn’t cry.
Tan Ning always seemed like a person without emotions, no matter how Lin Song’an treated him, no matter how his family or classmates treated him.
But now, he was crying.
Not knowing the reason, Lin Song’an gently cupped Tan Ning’s cheek. “Tell me, Ning Ning, even if it’s just a little.”
Tan Ning avoided his gaze, curling up as he always did, shrinking into the gap between the seat and the car door. Lin Song’an pried at him, forcing him to face him.
“Am I so unworthy of your trust?”
Tan Ning froze.
The traffic began to move slowly.
The cars behind honked, urging Lin Song’an to move forward. Tan Ning suddenly looked at Lin Song’an, the panic and vulnerability in his eyes evident.
The honking continued; the car in front had moved several meters ahead. If they went forward…
Lin Song’an covered Tan Ning’s ears with both hands, looking into his eyes as gently as when they first fell in love.
Tan Ning thought, is Lin Song’an worthy of trust?
But besides him, who else could Tan Ning trust?
For the first time in their confrontations, Tan Ning took the initiative to admit defeat. Holding back his sobs, his voice trembled as he said, “Don’t drive forward.”
This was the first time Tan Ning showed weakness.
Lin Song’an didn’t ask anything and immediately said, “Okay.”
Coincidentally, there was a side road nearby. Lin Song’an didn’t care where it led; he turned on the signal, changed direction, and drove onto it, heading south toward an unfamiliar city.
After exiting the highway, Lin Song’an parked by the roadside, unbuckled his seatbelt, and leaned over. He held Tan Ning tightly in his arms, his palm rubbing Tan Ning’s back with such force it was as if he wanted to meld him into his heart.
“It’s okay now, Ning Ning. Don’t be afraid; it’s okay.”
