CH 11

Translator: Abo Dammen

Trigger Warning: Death of animals (birds) 

Bai Tang bit his lip and stood at the cramped kitchen door. Jiang Yunshu’s “do what you want to do” made him feel difficult. Typically, he would be preparing breakfast at this time, followed by nonstop housework after breakfast.

Even if the alpha had been hospitalized for nearly a month, he would clean and replace the bed and quilt every day, hang the wet cloth to dry in the sun, maintain a spotless wine cabinet, and polish the stairs. This had been his daily routine for the past three years.

Expressionless and straightforward, like a programmed household robot.

Bai Tang shifted his weight to one foot and hobbled into the utility room. He then took out the broom, and cautiously began sweeping the floor.

When Jiang Yunshu turned his head and saw him, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Bai Tang, the housekeeping aunt will come in the afternoon. There’s no need for you to do any housework in the future.”

With an accompanied breeze, Bai Tang raised his head, and the hand that tightly grasped the handle of the broom turned white. He didn’t need to do the housework himself; Jiang Yunsu would simply keep him…?

But how could that be? Does he not intend to let him go, or does he have other plans for him? But the only thing he could do was housework… Or does he intend to treat him as a commodity to be traded with other alphas in exchange for their own omegas?

There was fear in Bai Tang’s eyes. No matter what it was, he couldn’t stand it.

Bai Tang’s back uncontrollably stretched taut. He said timidly, “Sir, I can do housework. Please let me do the housework…”

Bai Tang’s face was nearly emblazoned with the phrase “I’m thinking chaotic thoughts.” Jiang Yunshu was momentarily stunned and then consoled, “Bai Tang, I don’t mean anything else. We can discuss housework once your feet have recovered, okay?”

Bai Tang’s eyelashes quivered. He was overcome with grief and his throat felt sore, but he did not dare to speak. “Thank you, sir…”

“Go sit on the sofa for a while and just leave the broom in place. I’ll use it later.” Jiang Yunshu smiled lightly. “Thank you for helping me take it out, Bai Tang.”

“N-No need…” Bai Tang nearly choked on his own saliva. He held his breath and subconsciously shivered. “This is what I should do.”

Jiang Yunshu shook his head. “That’s not right, no one has the obligation to help others.“

▪︎•°°•▪︎ 

The rice cooker indicated that there was still more than a half-hour of cooking time left for the porridge. Jiang Yunshu calculated the time. He still had to study how to set the fixed time at night, he thought. He looked back at Bai Tang sitting on the sofa. His back was straightened away from the sofa’s backrest. His legs were straight, and he had his hands on his knees; he looked tense and exhausted.

“Djl Kjcu.” Aljcu Tecrte kjrtfv tlr tjcvr, mgbrrfv atf rboj, jcv rboais jrxfv, “Qbeiv sbe ilxf ab rla bc atf qjalb?”

Djl Kjcu’r gfoifzlnf afcrfcfrr lcmgfjrfv jr atf jiqtj’r oluegf mjwf lcab nlfk. Llr tfjga kjr rerqfcvfv lc wlvjlg ys j atlc atgfjv.

Lf ilrafcfv ab atf jiqtj’r kbgvr jcv atfc ibbxfv bearlvf. Ktf klcvbk kjr reggbecvfv ys nfufajalbc, jcv atf ifjnfr geraifv jr atfs wbnfv klat atf ygffhf. Ymmjrlbcjiis, j ofk ifjnfr ofii lc j yfjealoei jgm bcab atf ugjrr.

The omega’s pupils reflected the outside world as his frowning brows rose slightly.

Jiang Yunshu was relieved after observing his expression. “Wait for me.”

He went up to the second floor, took out a plaid sheet from the cabinet, and placed it on his arm. He removed a heavy coat from the closet and descended to Bai Tang’s position. “Come, put on a coat; it’s windy outside. You don’t want to catch a cold.” 

Bai Tang wanted to take it and wear it himself. Jiang Yunshu didn’t insist and handed it to him.

“Hold on to my shoulder.” Jiang Yunshu picked up Bai Tang with one hand and let the petite and thin omega sit on his right arm.

Bai Tang had no time to react and nearly lost his balance. He subconsciously grabbed a small piece of clothing on the alpha’s shoulder. Jiang Yunshu quickly grabbed his waist and supported it with the back of his left hand.

His vision instantly improved by several tens of centimeters, and all that Bai Tang felt was his eyes widening. He watched the alpha enter the kitchen and took out a plate of small sweet potatoes and quail eggs with his left hand. “The porridge will be ready in half an hour. I’m afraid you’ll be hungry, so eat some of this to pad your stomach.”

Such an alpha was too unfamiliar, too strange.

Bai Tang racked his brains for a few seconds. He didn’t know what to say, but he couldn’t remain silent because the alpha would get angry, so he probed, “Thank you, sir… but I can’t eat eggs.”

Jiang Yunshu walked. “You can’t eat eggs?”

He put the omega down on the grass, and the prickly sensation made Bai Tang shrink back. “Can you tell me why I didn’t let you eat meat before?”

Bai Tang looked hesitant. He initially struggled and then stuttered, “It’s because…because… Sir, you said that after eating meat, the semen w-will have a flavor.“

Jiang Yunshu, who was spreading the sheets on the grass, stopped with a sardonic expression. “That was the reason?!” He snapped, his tone also ridiculous.

Bai Tang instantly shut his mouth out of fear, seemingly aware that the alpha was currently in a foul mood.

A moment of silence.

Jiang Yunshu took a deep breath, stifled the fire in his stomach, and stated in a baritone, “…I’m sorry, Bai Tang. You can eat meat now and also in the future.”

The plaid sheets were spread under the tree’s shade. Jiang Yunshu picked up Bai Tang once more and carried him beneath the tree. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, and when he released it, soft, iridescent lips protruded. “No, I’m good. Thank…”

Bai Tang’s words trailed off as his gaze suddenly fell to a certain place. His pupils shrank, and he suddenly wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck. Bai Tang trembled all over. His mouth was partially open,  and he let out a screech under his breath.

Jiang Yunshu’s eardrums throbbed sharply with shock. The omega in his arms arched into his arms like a small animal without shelter, and his damp eyes and nose repeatedly rubbed against his bare neck.

He suddenly froze. No one had ever been so close to him, ever.

He could clearly feel the omega’s soft arms; his body temperature was transmitted through his thin clothing. The omega’s nape was close at hand, then his senses were suddenly assaulted by a clear and sweet smell.

Jiang Yunshu was afflicted with vertigo. Up until this point, he lacked a precise understanding of the relationship between the two. He had previously viewed Bai Tang’s existence as comparable to that of Zhou An, but at this very moment, a thought arose and took root in his mind.

Bai Tang is his omega, and he was Bai Tang’s alpha.

The two of them had invisible chains around their necks, and shackled at each end of the chains was a piece of them.

Jiang Yunshu took time to regulate his thoughts. The body beneath his palm continued to tremble, so he mused, “What’s wrong?”

Bai Tang closed his eyes and wailed, “Little bird…hik, the little bird is d-dead…”

Jiang Yunshu wore a frown. He supported Bai Tang’s back and saw what Bai Tang was pertaining to.

Not far away, a sparrow’s corpse lay still. It appeared to have been dead for quite some time. Its body had long since decomposed and dried out. Its eye socket was devoid of eyeballs and was hollow.

Dr. Jiang was used to this sight, but for an average person, this scene was really horrifying and repulsive. He decided quickly and returned to the house with Bai Tang in his arms. He patted the omega’s trembling back, and his steady, commanding voice rang in Bai Tang’s ear, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. You can’t see it anymore. I’ll get rid of it later.”

What Jiang Yunshu didn’t know was that Bai Tang used to feed the birds on the branch in the room. Every morning, he would hang a small bucket full of rice grains and take it down at night.

For three years, Bai Tang’s happiest pastime was to lean against the window and watch a variety of birds peck at rice grains.

As time passed, the birds mastered the rules.

As soon as the door slammed shut, the car started and the alpha drove away, Bai Tang immediately searched the deep recesses of the cabinet for the small bucket, filled it with rice grains, and pulled back the curtain, at which point the sunlight passed through the dense branches and leaves, illuminating Bai Tang with a golden halo. Dozens of small sparrows were chirping and had been staring at him with their heads tilted while perched on the branches.

A very gentle and light smile appeared on Bai Tang’s cowering face after a long time.

Jiang Yunsu considered this house the same as a hotel. He did not return every day. Even though Bai Tang had been feeding the birds for nearly two months, he had yet to figure it out, as he awoke daily without drawing back the curtains or making the bed.

The fact that more and more birds were chirping each day, however, was irreversible. Every morning, the noise it made would cause Jiang Yunsu to awaken on the wrong side of the bed. The unfortunate party was the omega, who was incapable of even putting up a fight. 

Until one day, after Bai Tang finished cooking, he saw a group of people outside the garden. 

The smell of unfamiliar alphas forced him to remain indoors. He was leaning over the transparent window and saw that those people were holding a tool in their hands and spraying something on the trees.

Were they fertilizing big trees? Or was it to kill bugs?

Not even close. And Bai Tang will soon find out.

The following morning, Bai Tang stood at the door and confirmed Jiang Yunsu‘s departure. He turned around and walked towards the cabinet where the little red bucket was hidden. His bruised cheeks and the slight lameness of his left foot did not prevent his pace from quickening. He filled it with rice grains while humming off-key.

He pulled open the curtains, but not a single bird was on the branch. Only then did he realize that it was so quiet today that he couldn’t even hear a single bird call.

A foreboding premonition came to mind. Bai Tang murmured, “…Little birdies?”

He staggered along as he trotted down the stairs, almost rolling down several times. When he opened the door, the sunrays rushed in impatiently, and bits of golden light fell on Bai Tang’s face. Under the lustrous tree, he saw the densely packed sparrow corpses strewn in disorder, and the black eyes that had lost their aura stared directly at the individual standing at the door.

Bai Tang froze in place, and then he screamed, “Little birdies!!!”