The Heart’s Resonance and a Fated Encounter

He should have seen it coming.

Li Chen wouldn’t have sought growth hormones from Jiang Mo for no reason. Either he needed them himself, or he intended to use them… on Shi Ji.

Shi Ji stared with wide eyes, paralyzed and limp on the bed. For a moment, it felt as though his body no longer belonged to him. He was completely drained of strength, yet his nerves seemed to have become several times more sensitive.

He could feel Li Chen’s breath falling on him, growing hotter and more searing. Every inch of skin Li Chen touched felt itchy and numb. Li Chen grasped his wrists, using a tie scattered at the head of the bed to bind his hands and secure them to the bedpost.

Then, the youth leaned down, his crow-feather lashes casting soft shadows. He drew close to Shi Ji’s face, kissing his lips with aching intimacy.

His kiss was no longer as violent or desperate as before; it was as gentle as a trickling stream flowing over Shi Ji’s mouth.

Li Chen meticulously licked the corners of Shi Ji’s mouth, tracing the beautiful shape of his lips inch by inch. His teeth lightly nibbled on the soft, full center of the man’s lip. He pried open Shi Ji’s slightly parted teeth, and the breath they exchanged was exceptionally lingering.

Chest to chest, their two hearts beat in unison, eventually reaching the same frequency. The powerless Shi Ji was pinned down firmly by Li Chen; even the air he inhaled seemed to be passed to him from Li Chen’s own lungs.

Shi Ji’s mind was a haze. His lips trembled, but he couldn’t utter a word. Li Chen cupped his face with both hands, holding him like a precious treasure. He pulled Shi Ji into his embrace, burying his head against the man’s chest. Through the thin fabric and the cage of his ribs, Shi Ji could clearly hear the thunderous sound of Li Chen’s heart.

“I don’t want suppressants right now,” Li Chen spoke, his voice low and raspy. The heat of his breath made Shi Ji shudder uncontrollably. He caressed the two protruding shoulder blades on Shi Ji’s back, his fingertips slowly kneading along their curves.

“Brother’s embrace and touch are enough to make me feel better.”

An Omega in heat is extremely insecure. Li Chen rested his chin atop Shi Ji’s head. Just by pressing against him like this, the agitation racing through his veins subsided significantly.

He gripped Shi Ji’s waist tightly, his burning hand slipping beneath the hem of the shirt that had been hiked up during the struggle. His fingertips lingered on Shi Ji’s sensitive abdomen. As he traced circles around the collarbone and chest, Shi Ji felt a wave of numbness wash over his spine. He couldn’t help but arch his back, a soft gasp escaping his throat.

Li Chen remained crouched over him, but suddenly, he stopped moving. Shi Ji, whose desire had been stoked by Li Chen’s touch, was left stranded on the edge of a precipice. He panted heavily and with great effort turned his head to look down at the youth hiding his face in Shi Ji’s chest.

Then, Shi Ji heard a faint sob, followed by the sensation of the fabric on his chest becoming wet. Only then did he realize…

Li Chen was crying.

“Y-you…” Shi Ji’s lips moved, but the drug hadn’t completely worn off. No matter what commands his brain sent, his lips remained largely unresponsive.

“What should I do, Brother?” Li Chen spoke suddenly, his voice trembling at the end. He looked up, his face streaked with tears as he gazed at Shi Ji. “I can’t leave you.”

He whimpered, looking utterly devastated. Large tears rolled from the corners of his eyes, which were rimmed with red. The intensity of his emotions forced him to breathe heavily. He touched Shi Ji with fingers wet with tears, and even the pheromones in the room took on a bitter edge.

He had suppressed these feelings for so long, and this chaotic surge of emotion finally exploded in his brother’s arms. Li Chen’s shoulders shook as he took Shi Ji’s limp hand and pressed his damp lips to the fingers, kissing them with solemn intensity.

Kneeling beside Shi Ji, Li Chen gripped his hand tightly. Tears splashed onto Shi Ji’s knuckles, wetting the prominent joints. He sniffled and continued in a low voice: “What am I supposed to do?”

“I need your touch.”

“I need to hear your voice.”

“I even need your comfort during my heat.”

He sobbed softly, nuzzling Shi Ji’s cool fingertips.

“I said before that I wanted to make it so you couldn’t live without me,” Li Chen choked out. “But the one who can’t live is actually me.”

“I am insanely jealous of anyone who gets near you.”

“I even want to kill them.”

He guided Shi Ji’s fingers into his mouth, making him feel the sharp edges of his canines—teeth with a bite force like an Alpha’s, which had bitten the back of Shi Ji’s neck countless times in a futile attempt to mark the blank Beta.

He had never cried this hard. His tongue flicked over Shi Ji’s palm. Li Chen closed his eyes, his nose pressing into the gaps between Shi Ji’s fingers, acting as devoutly as a believer blessed by a deity.

“I love you…” Li Chen murmured. “Please…”

Looking at him, Shi Ji felt a wave of complex emotions. Initially, he had been wary of this world and tried to push Li Chen away. But Li Chen had offered him his whole heart—was he really going to just throw it away?

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

A few seconds later, Li Chen felt a light tap on his cheek. The sensation was fleeting—if he hadn’t been paying attention, he might have thought it an illusion.

He frowned, then realized what was happening: Shi Ji, though still paralyzed, was struggling with all his might to curl his fingers and touch him.

Li Chen straightened up, staring at the slightly curved fingers. Then, his gaze shifted to Shi Ji’s trembling lips.

The reddened lips were moving as if trying to say something.

Li Chen leaned in quickly, tilting his head to press his ear right against Shi Ji’s mouth.

He heard a few intermittent, breathy sounds break through the air.

—I like you.

In those three short words, Shi Ji had exhausted the last of his strength. Once the final syllable fell, he could only hang his mouth open, focusing on breathing.

The youth in front of him froze. He widened his eyes, staring at Shi Ji in disbelief.

“B-brother?” He blinked rapidly. “What did you… what did you just say?”

Li Chen quickly untied Shi Ji’s hands and gathered him into his arms, wanting him to repeat it. But the man lay limp in his embrace; speaking again seemed like a monumental task.

He suddenly regretted his lack of control in drugging Shi Ji.

Li Chen’s hands shook. “You said you liked me.”

He breathed heavily, his tears falling even faster now. “You said you liked me.”

Like a puppy that had received a reward, he licked Shi Ji’s face incessantly, unable to hide the sheer joy in his eyes. His heart felt as though it might explode from the pressure.

His brother said he liked him.

Li Chen took a deep breath, clutching Shi Ji as if trying to merge the man into his own body.

“You have to keep your promise.”

“You can never leave me.”

When Shi Ji woke up again, his body felt as if it were falling apart. The paralyzing effect of the Alpha growth hormone had worn off, and the muscle soreness had intensified several times over.

He blearily opened his eyes to see slivers of white light peeking through the window. Arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, and a burning chest was pressed against his back.

The youth’s head was bowed, his forehead resting against the nape of Shi Ji’s neck. His fluffy black hair brushed against the skin, and the tips poked at the spot that had nearly been bitten raw, sending a stinging pain through him.

He shifted instinctively. Li Chen’s lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the swollen red bite mark on the pale, slender neck—it was painfully conspicuous.

Li Chen blinked, then leaned in, his damp tongue licking the mark several times. The man in his arms stiffened instantly and jerked his head around, his dark eyes reflecting Li Chen’s own.

The corners of Shi Ji’s eyes were still red. Having just woken up, he looked slightly dazed, his hair a mess on the pillow. His lips were pressed together tightly in response to Li Chen’s actions.

Li Chen was inexplicably struck by how cute he looked. His grip on Shi Ji’s waist tightened. He curled his lips into a smile and nuzzled Shi Ji’s cheek affectionately, his nose nearing the man’s neck to catch the lingering scent of pheromones.

This was the strongest the scent had ever been; Shi Ji was completely enveloped in the fragrance of irises. He squinted one eye, leaning into Li Chen’s embrace like a lazy cat. Li Chen’s arms were so comfortable that Shi Ji didn’t want to break free.

“Brother.” The youth’s voice was still a bit raspy. He looked up at Shi Ji. “Can you say ‘I like you’ one more time?”

The hot breath grazed his ear. The memory of the previous night flooded back, making Shi Ji’s head feel hot. He raised a hand to lightly push Li Chen’s cheek away and shook his head. “When did I ever say I liked you?”

After a night of being unable to speak, Shi Ji’s throat felt as though it had been burned. Li Chen got up to bring him a glass of water, but just as Shi Ji reached for it, Li Chen playfully moved it away.

“Does Brother not remember?”

He arched a brow, the smile in his eyes deepening. Li Chen pointed to a spot on the bed. Shi Ji looked over blankly, seeing only a mess of crumpled sheets and a few dark stains on the duvet cover.

“You said it right here last night.”

Li Chen leaned in close. “Do you need me to help me remember?”

Shi Ji stared at him, his expression shifting through several complex stages. Then, as if he had been burned, he hurriedly looked away. “N-no need.”

Li Chen smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“So you do remember.”

“Then…” He hooked his finger into Shi Ji’s, his tone turning coaxing. “Can Brother say it again?”

Li Chen’s gaze was intense. Shi Ji was nearly blinded by those beautiful, sparkling eyes. He didn’t even understand himself why he had suddenly admitted to liking Li Chen—it was mostly because he couldn’t bear to let the youth’s passion go unrewarded.

Shi Ji bit his lower lip, remaining silent for a long time. He glanced down at the red marks covering his body and felt an overwhelming sense of shame.

Li Chen tilted his head, staring at him. Catching the flicker of avoidance in Shi Ji’s eyes, he let out a soft laugh. “Is Brother shy?”

He cupped Shi Ji’s face, examining the thin blush on the man’s cheeks. He felt as though his heart were being carried into the clouds by soft, white plumes.

“So cute,” Li Chen murmured. “I love this side of Brother, too.”

“I love you, I love you, I love you…”

The words that were so difficult for Shi Ji to say seemed to mean nothing to Li Chen; he was always blunt and direct about his feelings. The dog tail behind him was wagging so hard it practically looked like a propeller.

Shi Ji was stunned for a moment. Unable to withstand the youth’s passionate kisses, he raised a hand to block his face and stammered, “I… I get it.”

The heat in his cheeks became more pronounced. Shi Ji felt his heart was beating so happily it might jump out of his chest. He had to press a hand against his heart, terrified that Li Chen would hear its frantic rhythm.

Was he… was he really in a relationship with Li Chen now?

Dating?

With Li Chen?

…How did things develop so fast?!

Shi Ji frowned, turning the conclusion over in his mind. For a long time, he couldn’t reconcile the words “Shi Ji,” “Li Chen,” and “Dating.”

He had meticulously planned every step, yet he had never accounted for this one.

Could he really be with Li Chen?

And how would the novel continue to develop?

Shi Ji pondered this, looking at Li Chen. But seeing the youth’s bright, shining eyes, he swallowed the words he was about to say.

Forget it. He would take it one step at a time.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted the lingering intimacy.

Both Shi Ji and Li Chen turned their heads. After a pause, Shi Ji asked, “What is it?”

“Mr. Shi,” a maid’s voice called from outside.

“The gentleman in the guest room has woken up.”