Chapter 50: Secret in the Mirror / "I Will Always Be Behind You."
Eight years old?
Shen Zhuo felt he had a vague recollection.
Back then, his dad told him the military base was fun, and took him to play there, but then suddenly got an assignment.
Although Jiang Yuening had already retired, the logistics and medical support team was truly short-handed, so he had called him.
Jiang Yuening didn't hesitate, just told him to wait obediently.
But after two hours, Jiang Yuening still hadn't shown up.
At that time, he was very scared, and wanted to leave to go find him.
But as he walked, he got lost.
Then he encountered a young man in military uniform, though he was still very young.
His face was icy cold, but his palm was warm.
He was covered in bandages, but his waist didn't bend at all.
He even asked the young man.
Asked why he was injured, his parents must be very worried.
The young man only replied to him:
"I don't have parents."
"What about friends?"
"None either."
"Then..." The little omega bit his lip, thinking he was the one who made this young man look so sad.
"How about you let me be your family and friend from now on?"
The promises of an 8-year-old child were like thin paper.
The clear vows written on it would soon be crumpled into a discarded little paper ball and tossed into the corner of memory.
The 8-year-old Shen Zhuo was still a very cheerful child.
The first thing he wanted to do was comfort this young man, who looked so cold and stern, but seemed like he was about to cry.
The young man agreed, saying "Okay."
Then what?
Then the young man sent him to the logistics medical department.
After Jiang Yuening finished his work, he took him back home.
He never went to the military base again.
Nor did he ever see the young man again.
"Back then, I just wanted a family and friends."
Du Xun smiled, "When you were 11 years old, attending etiquette classes at the palace, I saw you again."
"But you didn't see me."
"At the time, you were learning the violin, the sunlight shining on you, as if you were glowing."
"That's when I thought, if I were to get married, you would be my wife."
Du Xun's expression dimmed slightly at this point.
"But later I found out about your engagement with Feng Ming."
"Since you weren't forced into it, I won't enter your life again."
The man's speech pace was not fast.
There was not a single trace of complaint.
Even though everything he had prepared all these years had turned out to be an illusion.
He had never thought of forcibly possessing him, never planned to compel the young man to do anything.
All his affection was just a unilateral promise the alpha had made in his heart for the young man.
Nothing more.
Du Xun: "I hope you can do everything you want to do."
"If you could find happiness before meeting me, I'm willing to never cross paths with you."
Shen Zhuo was stunned for a moment, his eyes shimmering.
Right.
In his previous life, he had never met Du Xun.
If he hadn't proposed marriage that day, Du Xun really wouldn't have approached him...
The alpha reached up to caress the young man's fuzzy hair, his love overflowing intensely.
Du Xun's love was not a shackle.
If Shen Zhuo hadn't stopped him from registering their marriage back then,
Du Xun would have been alone for the rest of his life.
The alpha smiled:
"I'm glad, Baimeng has finally welcomed its master."
He softly asked, "Do you still like it here?"
Shen Zhuo listened quietly, then finally gave a simple "Mn."
"I like it."
From his childhood until now, the only tumultuous period was that time after reincarnation when he was engaged to Feng Ming.
He had never experienced such intense emotions before.
Therefore, he also didn't know how to respond in a timely manner.
Du Xun didn't need superficial, insincere sweet words.
Nor could he say those things.
Finally, the omega looked up.
His ebony eyes seriously gazed into Du Xun's eyes.
"From now on, I will always be by your side, as family, friend, and... lover."
The young man slowly caressed his beating heart.
Solemn, as if taking an oath before the gods: "You've taken 99 steps towards me."
"The last step is now mine."
—
The candlelight flickered.
The sheer curtains drifted in the wind.
The dining table, the sofa, the bathroom, the coffee table, the bed...
Scattered clothing, potent pheromones.
The most primal desires.
The deepest love.
Perhaps only in this way could they clearly sense each other's existence.
Shen Zhuo looked at his reflection in the mirror, his tear-reddened eyes like fresh blood.
Or perhaps crushed sunset glow.
Disheveled.
"I've taken the contraceptive, so..." The omega gripped the man's obviously veined arm tightly.
"It will hurt you." The alpha suppressed his urge, trying to be as gentle as possible.
Not during his heat, he was afraid his omega would be in pain.
"It's okay..." The omega's sobbing whimpers were intermittent, panting, with only a sliver of rationality left,
"Du Xun..."
The man slowly stopped.
The concentration of rosemary pheromones in the air exploded.
The omega arched his slender neck, tears flowing down his face in a daze.
The lush color was not just on his lips.
Du Xun lowered his head, leaving tender, heartfelt kisses on that most vulnerable neck.
【The last step need not be taken by you.】
【A hundred steps, a thousand steps.】
【I will keep walking towards you forever.】
Extravagant and licentious.
Shen Zhuo lay on the bed, his fingers too soft to move even a bit.
The only word that kept surfacing in his mind was this.
The next moment, a warm, large hand had already caressed his waist.
Massaging his back with just the right amount of pressure.
"Are you tired?"
Last time, Du Xun had been mindful of his injuries, though the pheromones had helped ease the pain, he still didn't dare to be too forceful.
This time it was the omega who had deliberately provoked him.
Although he was careful not to knot during this non-heat period, as that would not be good for that area,
He had still let go of some strength.
Shen Zhuo tried to turn over.
But after a few attempts, his body felt like it had fallen apart.
Only an S5 alpha could reduce the functioning of an S5 omega's body to this state.
Only his eyes and mouth could move.
The man, however, seemed to have gained some benefits:
"Today I'll take care of you."
Du Xun lifted the young man, hanging his arms around his neck, carrying him to the bathroom.
He folded the towel into two layers and placed it on the counter, then set the young man down.
Squeezing toothpaste, filling the cup with water, he held it up to Shen Zhuo.
"Shall I?" The man asked softly.
Shen Zhuo's feet couldn't reach the ground.
He could only sway them back and forth aimlessly.
Then, he opened his mouth.
Du Xun kissed him, "Good boy."
In Du Xun's eyes, Shen Zhuo was not the top scorer in the entrance exam.
Not the only S5 in the Empire's history.
Not the most powerful omega.
He was just a delicate, budding little lotus.
An 18-year-old treasure he wanted to dote on.
The wife he had waited for so long.
Since Shen Zhuo could remember, this was the first time someone had helped him brush his teeth.
Du Xun's movements were very gentle, carefully brushing each tooth, then using a warm, damp cloth to wipe Shen Zhuo's face.
Throughout the process, Shen Zhuo just sat there.
He didn't even move his fingers.
Nor did he speak.
Shen Zhuo thought this way, he might make the Commander restrain himself a bit more in the future.
He never imagined the man would revel in it.
After finishing the grooming, Du Xun found a yellow teddy bear pajama set for the young man to wear.
Only then did he instruct for breakfast to be served.
Even the breakfast was fed to him bite by bite by the alpha.
Shen Zhuo had wanted to refuse.
But he couldn't find an appropriate moment.
Each time he opened his mouth, another bowl of warm porridge was delivered.
As if to fulfill that sentence "I'll take care of you today."
Du Xun didn't give Shen Zhuo any chance to refuse.
After a while, Shen Zhuo sighed.
Alright, no more resistance.
After resting in the morning, Shen Zhuo finally regained his strength.
Although his inner thighs were still aching, he could move now.
Recalling the conversation during dinner last night,
Now he felt something was off.
A sense that Du Xun had concealed some things.
"Wasn't your story yesterday incomplete."
Shen Zhuo leaned against the headboard, with a few pillows propping up his waist.
He flexed his limbs, then flipped to sit on top of Du Xun.
Grabbing his collar:
"Speak."
The omega's eyes were red, his lips lush, trying to look fierce but only managing to furrow his brows.
So adorable.
Du Xun supported his back with one hand, shaking his head.
"No, there's nothing."
"Really nothing?"
Shen Zhuo half-believed, using [Listening To The Heart].
【That's not considered anything.】
Sure enough, there was something.
But Du Xun didn't want to say it.
The hand grabbing the man's collar instead pressed against his chest.
"No matter what happens, you can tell me."
The beating of the heart, causing his palm to rise and fall slightly.
Shen Zhuo remembered he had said this sentence before.
The young man leaned down, gently kissing the alpha's warm lips.
"I'm not a fragile thing, I'm as strong as you are."
After the kiss, Du Xun changed the subject.
"Have you found the last gift?"
"Just the final one left."
The young man breathed lightly, mouth slightly open.
"Do you want to find it yourself, or shall I get it for you?"
Shen Zhuo sat up, "I'll find it myself."
"Then there's a hint, it's at a high place."
The man grabbed his arm just as he was about to leave.
"Oh right, the rooms at the innermost part of the top floor corridor are piled with miscellaneous items, they haven't been cleaned up, don't go in there."
Shen Zhuo nodded.
In the manor, An was presiding over the modification of the overall shape of the pine trees in the garden.
Seeing Shen Zhuo standing at the door in a teddy bear pajama set, he immediately strode over.
"wife, is there something you need to instruct?"
Shen Zhuo looked at the neatly trimmed pines in the garden, and asked:
"Where is the highest place here?"
An pointed to the gothic-style roof at the top of the large white building:
"There is a sunlit attic, fully made of glass, the view is great, the elevator can go directly to the top floor."
Shen Zhuo had only toured the manor in a general way so far.
He looked in the direction An indicated:
"Okay, I'll go by myself."
The changing green numbers in the elevator passed before his eyes, and as the elevator doors opened, Shen Zhuo's breathing slowed.
The fully transparent, semi-open glass house, where even the clouds in the sky could be seen clearly.
Shen Zhuo took a deep breath, walking out to the balcony.
The wind blowing in his face had a slightly saline, briny scent.
It was the sea.
Boundless, with seagulls gliding by, the lighthouse faintly visible in the distance.
Immediately after, he was drawn to the star decorations hanging on the glass ceiling.
Each star was cut from various gemstones.
The sunlight passing through the gems scattered fragmented rainbow spots on the floor, swaying lightly in the sea breeze.
Suddenly, Shen Zhuo spotted a velvet small box hanging among the many gems.
Suspended at a height he could reach with his hand.
Shen Zhuo took it down, the box bearing no markings.
But he seemed to know what was inside.
Suppressing his wildly beating heart.
He knew, opening it meant something.
The young man took a deep breath.
Opening it.
Paused for a moment.
There was nothing like what he had imagined inside.
Only a note, blown by the wind to the floor.
Shen Zhuo picked it up and unfolded it.
【As long as you turn around, I will always be behind you.】
The elegant, flowing handwriting was Du Xun's.
Shen Zhuo felt like he sensed something, his body abruptly stilling.
Stiff all over, he slowly turned around.
The familiar figure, within his line of sight.
The alpha, who had somehow followed him here, was smiling at him.
The original contents of the small box were grasped between his fingers.
Sparkling under the sunlight.
The man's gaze was tender and loving, his affection profound.
The tall alpha took a step forward.
Slowly, he went down on one knee -
************
AAAHHH SO CUTE 🥰
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