Chapter 44
During the taxi ride to the hotel, Tan Ning was shrouded in a deep sense of foreboding. He felt so anxious he wanted to vomit, his limbs numb and tingling.
The taxi driver glanced back at his pale and exhausted passenger. “Are you alright, young man?”
Tan Ning shook his head. “I’m fine.”
But everything before his eyes was changing.
Ahead of him, the wide, neon-lit streets and intersecting overpasses of Ningjiang blurred and transformed into the gray, old cityscape of Xuan City. He wasn’t heading to a grand hotel but to that six-story building that had cast a lifelong shadow over him. The person sitting in front wasn’t a stranger but Yue Ying, seething with anger, on her way to catch someone in the act…
Is this how people are? Why does he always return to the memories he hates the most, becoming the person he despises?
Tan Ning covered his face with his hands.
They hit the second wave of evening rush hour, and the taxi became stuck less than a kilometer from the hotel, unable to move forward or back. Tan Ning grew increasingly anxious, unwilling to wait another second. After paying the fare, he pushed open the car door and dashed out.
Against the flow of people, he ran toward his destination without regard for anything else.
The evening wind howled past his ears.
It was bitterly cold, but his entire body felt hot. His heart was in a panic, and his eyes stung with unshed tears.
As he neared the hotel, he wasn’t paying attention and tripped over a brick. He fell forward heavily, hitting the ground hard. His elbow struck the unforgiving curb, sending a sharp pain through his entire body, causing him to curl up instinctively.
He recalled how, long ago when he and Lin Song’an had just started dating, Lin Song’an always found opportunities to hold his hand, insisting on holding it tightly even when crossing the street.
Lin Song’an would say that Tan Ning never watched where he was going. Tan Ning didn’t want to argue and would look down at their intertwined hands.
If he loosened his grip even slightly, Lin Song’an would hold on even tighter.
They enjoyed this silent tug-of-war, a playful game understood without words.
Habits can be terrifying things. Later, every time he crossed the street, he hoped Lin Song’an would be by his side.
The thought flashed by in an instant. Almost as soon as he fell, Tan Ning stood up without a word and continued running.
As tears streamed down his face in the wind, Tan Ning thought: Lin Song’an, it hurts so much. My arm hurts, my heart hurts—my whole body feels like it’s falling apart.
Lin Song’an, what should I do?
Finally standing at the entrance of the hotel, Tan Ning found himself too afraid to go in.
Ye Ling had sent him a message with the hotel’s room information: Hongguan Hotel, seventh floor, Room 7108.
Just as he was about to step inside, he overheard whispers nearby.
“They’ve sealed off the seventh floor.”
“Why?”
“I heard a level-nine alpha was induced into a rut, and his pheromones are overflowing. Any omegas in the nearby rooms have been evacuated.”
“How could there be a level-nine alpha?”
“There really is. I could feel it—the pheromones are incredibly strong. Just catching a whiff makes you feel like your throat is tightening; it’s super intense.”
“How could a level-nine alpha be induced into a rut?”
“I heard an omega with a high compatibility went into heat first.”
*
Tan Ning felt his mind go blank.
He lacked the courage to go inside, but he wasn’t willing to give up. Before leaving, Lin Song’an had told him to trust him.
He stumbled forward, forcing himself to move.
In the elevator up to the seventh floor, his hands trembled uncontrollably. He had to press the button for the seventh floor several times before it registered. Someone cautioned him, “Don’t go to the seventh floor.”
Tan Ning replied coldly, “I’m a beta.”
Level-nine pheromones, induced ruts—he couldn’t feel any of it.
When the elevator doors opened, he first saw a group of people going in and out of Room 7220 nearby, including doctors in white coats. He walked over and saw Fang Jin.
She stood beside a young man, her expression tense.
The boy’s face was as pale as paper, wrapped tightly in a blanket. His neck showed signs of a recent injection; his collar was still rumpled. Tear stains marked his face, making him look pitiful.
Tan Ning grasped the door frame, struggling to stay upright.
He knew who that person was—Yan Zhiyu.
Once, when Lin Song’an was asleep, Tan Ning had secretly opened Lin Song’an’s phone and seen the photos Fang Jin had sent of Yan Zhiyu.
Delicate and obedient—clearly the kind of child parents would adore, completely unlike himself: gloomy, silent, and unlikable.
He had quietly deleted the photos and contact information Fang Jin had sent, then placed the phone back where it was. He didn’t want Lin Song’an to have any opportunity to interact with Yan Zhiyu. But reality proved he’d overestimated himself.
His grandfather often said, “Betas should just muddle through life; that’s good enough.”
What made Tan Ning think he was different from other betas? What made him think that, with little effort and a mere gesture, he could secure Lin Song’an’s unwavering love?
He couldn’t see Lin Song’an in the crowd and didn’t have the courage to look for him.
Until Lin Yexun noticed him.
“Are you Tan Ning?” Lin Yexun walked over.
All eyes turned toward him; even Yan Zhiyu raised his tear-streaked face.
Tan Ning couldn’t bear Yan Zhiyu’s gaze.
Despite having eaten little, his stomach churned, bile rising in his throat.
Fang Jin saw him too. Her gaze shifted between Tan Ning and Lin Yexun, recalling scenes from many years ago. Her expression was complicated.
Lin Yexun addressed Tan Ning with noticeable warmth. “Here to see Song’an? He’s in Room 7108.”
Tan Ning didn’t remember whether he said “Thank you, Uncle” or how he followed the signs step by step to the door of Room 7108. His whole body felt weightless, disconnected.
Silence enveloped the corridor.
It seemed the guests had indeed been evacuated.
Standing at the door of Room 7108, Tan Ning lacked the courage to push it open.
How had it come to this?
He felt suffocated. No words could adequately express his current emotions. Disgust, nausea, regret, pain—all combined weren’t enough. He wished he had never met Lin Song’an.
After a long while, footsteps sounded from inside, and Lin Song’an opened the door.
He didn’t look much better—his lips were pale, and his clothes were slightly disheveled.
Upon seeing Tan Ning, he paused. Just as he was about to speak, Tan Ning had already swung his fist, landing it hard on Lin Song’an’s jaw. Unprepared, Lin Song’an staggered back a step but didn’t dodge or retaliate.
Tan Ning completely broke down.
The indifferent facade he had maintained for over a decade crumbled entirely in the face of what he perceived as Lin Song’an’s betrayal.
“You’re disgusting, Lin Song’an. Is this how you want me to trust you? I’m so disappointed in you.”
“Ning Ning—”
Tan Ning lowered his head, sobbing uncontrollably. He punched and kicked Lin Song’an, venting all his anger. “I hate you! I hate all alphas and all omegas! I hate myself!”
He exhausted his strength, slowly squatting down and collapsing to the floor. Wiping his tears, he said, “It’s so disgusting. I don’t want to see you again. I can’t bear this. You know what my parents were like. How could I possibly endure this…”
By the end, Tan Ning didn’t even know what he was saying. His voice was hoarse. He wouldn’t let Lin Song’an say a word or touch him. He kept repeating, “I can’t bear this,” and looked around dazedly for something to support himself to stand up, but his body had no strength left.
Lin Song’an squatted down in front of him.
Though his smile was faint and his face pale, his eyes were filled with deep affection. “Little cat Tan, do you have so little faith in me?”
Tan Ning slowly lifted his head.
Lin Song’an reached out to tidy the messy hair on Tan Ning’s forehead. Tan Ning noticed his hand wrapped in bandages; his sleeve and shirt hem were stained with blood.
Tan Ning suddenly realized something. He gazed at Lin Song’an, eyes filled with panic and a glimmer of hope.
“Luckily, there was a glass lamp. I smashed it and held onto a shard to stay awake.”
Lin Song’an spoke casually, but Tan Ning’s heart trembled.
Stay awake? What did he mean?
Had he hurt himself?
Tan Ning looked down at Lin Song’an’s hand.
His entire palm was wrapped, with fresh blood seeping through.
In the forty minutes it took Tan Ning to arrive, Lin Song’an had been lured to the seventh floor by Ye Ling’s phone call. Before he could react, Ye Ling had tricked him into entering a room under the pretense that Yan Zhiyu needed to speak with him. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Yan Zhiyu’s panicked face.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Lin Song’an quickly regained his composure, but the pheromones in the room were rapidly intensifying.
Yan Zhiyu’s heat had triggered Lin Song’an’s rut period, rendering even the strongest suppressants ineffective.
The door was locked, the room’s phone line cut, and cell signals were jammed. Both of them were losing strength. In less than five minutes, they might succumb to their instincts.
Yan Zhiyu was crying.
Without hesitation, Lin Song’an grabbed the bedside lamp and smashed it. Frightened, Yan Zhiyu shrank to the foot of the bed. Lin Song’an took a step back and reassured him, “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
He turned and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind him.
He activated the shower’s ventilation system, trying to prevent his pheromones from affecting Yan Zhiyu.
By the time Fang Jin and Lin Yexun arrived, Lin Song’an was sitting beside the bathtub, on the verge of fainting. His right hand clutched a shard of glass, its sharp edge embedded in his palm, blood dripping profusely.
The glass shard was stained with blood.
His left hand held a watch with a blue dial; his fingertip rested on the face, reflexively rubbing it every few seconds, as if it were a talisman.
Later, several parents arrived in a hurry. Enraged, Yan Zhiyu’s father grabbed Ye Ling and slammed him against the wall, using considerable force. Ye Ling’s forehead bled. Those present wanted to intervene but didn’t dare. Ye Ling’s mother rushed forward but couldn’t shield her son. The scene was chaotic.
They placed the alpha and omega at opposite ends of the seventh floor. Lin Song’an drifted in and out of consciousness multiple times.
He was given a sedative, and his wound was bandaged.
Not long after, Tan Ning arrived.
Tears brimmed in Tan Ning’s eyes. He trembled as he reached out to hold Lin Song’an’s injured hand.
Lin Song’an, exhausted, sat on the floor. He buried his face in the crook of Tan Ning’s neck, taking a deep breath. Having just endured a harrowing ordeal, the scent of Tan Ning brought him a profound sense of peace.
He didn’t mind the mess, leaning into Tan Ning’s embrace, and said softly, almost playfully, “I lost a lot of blood, Ning Ning. It hurts so much.”
He glossed over everything, not mentioning Tan Ning’s earlier outburst.
Tears silently fell from Tan Ning’s eyes onto Lin Song’an’s cheek. He held Lin Song’an tightly, encircling him in his arms. For the first time in front of Lin Song’an, he sobbed uncontrollably until his voice was hoarse, fully exposing his vulnerability and reliance.
Lin Song’an glanced at his watch, giving a faint smile. “It’s past eight o’clock. Do you still want me, Ning Ning?”
Tan Ning held him even tighter. “I do.”
Lin Song’an raised his bandaged hand and said with a hint of playfulness, “What should I do? I’ll need you to help me wash up and eat.”
This time, Tan Ning didn’t hesitate and immediately replied, “Alright.”
IM SOBBINGGGGG let them be happy nowwwwww stop torturing them author ??????