Chapter 2: 2 – late night tryst

A persistent ring, combined with the harsh rays of sunlight pouring through the window, caused a black-haired youth to grumble under his breath. He slipped a hand under his pillow, dragged his phone out and ended its unbearable cries with a quick swipe of his finger. Glancing at the date, reading: Sunday January 3rd, 2021, he was reminded of his doctor’s appointment at ten. 

He remained motionless for two heartbeats before he reluctantly got up. With a small yawn, he sauntered towards the bathroom to freshen himself awake, and after ten-or-so minutes of getting ready, he stepped out of his room and into the aglow corridor outside.

 

 

 

 

“Ah, A-LinA form of endearment before someone's name/a nickname., you’re finally here.”

Upon entering an all too familiar consultation room, Ying Lin raised his head. He first met a pair of eyes which were slightly droopy at their corners—giving the woman a tender demeanour to compliment her natural elegance—then her warm voice entered his ears, asking, “Have you had breakfast?”

The woman tucked a side of her hair behind the base of an ear, further exposing her familial visage as she gestured for him to take a seat.

Ying Lin pursed his lips, guilty as charged, and mumbled, “...I haven’t, Yu-jieJiejie/Jie - elder sister..”

Ying Yunru sighed exasperatedly. She then swirled her swivel chair around, grabbed a plastic bag from the desk behind and shoved it into his arms. “Thank god I know my little brother well enough and bought extra steamed buns. You probably woke up 20 minutes before our appointment, didn’t you?”

“...” Ying Lin simply lowered his head and tore the paper wrapping from a black sesame bun, too lazy to make an effort to deny her scarily accurate guesses—must be an older sister’s keen instincts, he supposed.

Smiling fondly, Ying Yunru waved a nonchalant hand. “Tch, can’t change your bad habits.” Then she casted her attention onto her computer and clicked on a file, turning the screen slightly to face him, she began, “These are the results from your examination last week. I’ll be honest A-Lin, there’s not much improvement with your body’s constitution. In order to make sure your heat isn’t unbearable and that your pheromone concentration regulates, you still need to find an alpha with preferably over 80% compatibility.” 

“Mn, I know.” Ying Lin wiped his hand with the tissue she handed over, and observing her worried face, he shook his head. “Yu-jie, disregarding the problems with my pheromones, I’m healthy elsewhere.”

“A-Lin, you say that but…”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

He knew why she felt distressed and so could only offer little words of comfort. When he was younger, an incident right before his omega presentation had occurred. Ever since then, his body’s pheromone levels were constantly unstable and fluctuating. 

It wasn’t an uncommon case for an omega to face difficulties with their heats; however, Ying Lin’s situation was quite odd. His first heat had been excruciating, so much so he had collapsed many times from being too overwhelmed, and his newly presented pheromones were so concentrated that even his family almost couldn’t bear its pressure.

A different doctor back then suggested that he should allow a familiar alpha to calm his pheromones with theirs, and as Ying Yunru was his most comfortable person, she had stepped up determinedly. But it didn’t end too well, his feverish state only worsened.

Usually close relatives, especially that of direct siblings, wouldn’t have such a strong reaction of aversion. Additionally, growing up in the same household would further help soothe an omega’s distress to some extent because both parties were familiar with each other’s scents.

Anxiously, the doctor had run some tests, and as it turned out, Ying Lin’s body would reject the pheromones of an alpha who had less than 80% compatibility with his. Perhaps it was a psychological shadow left on the boy by the incident, however, the doctor didn’t pry too much as he was well aware that he may cause the boy further affliction.

The doctor did consult with his parents and older sister, saying that his body became as such because of its natural defence mechanism, and that it’d take a lot of patience to slowly cure. Preferably, Ying Lin had to get the help of an alpha he absolutely trusted and would allow into his comfort zone—and if he couldn’t, he would constantly need to take suppressants and control his strong pheromones with a scent blocker.

‘That shouldn’t be a long-term solution,’ the doctor said. ‘An omega constantly suppressing their heat only stops it from occurring, however, it would constantly accumulate regardless. So when his heat is accidentally triggered, and without a suitable alpha, he may most likely have to suffer through a heat more excruciating than before.’

Recalling that doctor’s solemn words, Ying Yunru’s expression darkened. Somberly, she mused, ‘If that were to happen, A-Lin’s flare-up could be temporarily controlled by the hospital’s fast-acting suppressants…but that would only lead to the same half-hearted cure.’

Desperate to help her brother, she had studied very diligently to earn her doctorate, and since it had always been her passion to help others, it wasn’t her loss nor was she forcing herself. Despite many clinical trials and examinations, it was the same conclusion each time: her little brother had to be naturally cured with the help of a well-matched alpha.

And not just any random alpha plucked from the streets, or from the myriad of professional helpers hospitals had, but an alpha Ying Lin would trust unconditionally. After much discussion, their family had decided to wait for him to come of age to find a suitable mate—after all, although they wanted him healthy, they prioritised his happiness first. 

Their son wouldn’t be him if he had to force himself to be with a partner he didn’t like, just for the sake of treating his illness.

“Yu-jie, frowning makes you look ugly.”

At that tactless reminder, Ying Yunru raised her eyes from her clenched fist and, observing her brother’s ever-frosty face, she seemed to discern a thread of concern and appreciation in those dark irises. 

Despite having a difficult time adapting to his omega traits, Ying Lin never once blamed them, rather, he only ever expressed his blatant gratitude with little actions—such as earlier, tacitly dragging Ying Yunru out from her spiral of negativity. 

A burst of pride welled in the depths of her chest, this was their family’s cherished and strong omega, a kind-hearted youthful teen.

“He’s right, Yunru. Your forehead’s already all wrinkly, wouldn’t want my mate to grow white hairs before I do, right?” 

Both siblings snapped their head towards the side room, where a burgundy-haired female just strode out of. Her voice was easy but it flowed with an undertone of exhaustion, it didn’t seem like she had come from a full night’s sleep at home, but more like she had been holed up overtime in the hospital.

Making her way over, a minty scent exuded from her figure from just having washed up, and she placed an itchy hand on Ying Lin’s head and ruffled his hair silly. “Morning you brat”—she glanced at the almost empty plastic bag by his side—”stole my breakfast, eh?”

Ying Lin ducked from her persistant hand and combed his fingers through his mussed hair, grumbling, “...I left the red bean ones for you, Ain-jie.” 

“You’re lucky he doesn’t have class today, Lorraine. Or else he would’ve held this against you,” Ying Yunru teased. She compared the headstrong yet petite female alpha to her brother’s taller frame and almost laughed aloud with how her height was barely an inch over her seated brother’s.

Lorraine clicked her tongue and rummaged through the bag for her breakfast. “Grudge or not, I wouldn’t live long enough to be held responsible if I don’t get some sugar into my system right now.”

She observed Ying Yunru’s unabashed stare and chided halfway through a mouthful, “Stop with your look of schadenfreude, I know you’d be the first person to support your brother in his plots. I bet if we both fell into a river, you’d make me swim to shore myself.”

Laughing at the slip of Lorraine’s american accent, Ying Yunru pinched her waist. “True, you are a good swimmer, after all.”

“...I rest my case, your honour. You’re lucky I’m hopelessly infatuated by you.”

Ying Lin slid the comical pair a glance, a small uplift to his lips. They both had met during their college years, and amidst the many stressful and disheartening days, they had stayed by each other’s side through it all. 

In all honesty, it had been Ying Yunru who was terribly smitten by Lorraine, and with her cunning nature, she had cornered the latter and forced them to communicate their feelings once and for all, tired of their constant tip-toeing. 

During the holidays, Lorraine always dropped by their house with a plethora of excuses spouting from her unruly mouth, but he knew she had just truly wanted to spend some time with her newfound mate. He didn’t mind though, he had met her a few times prior to their getting together and had truly seen how much she loved his sister.

Alpha and alpha relationships were uncommon, but given how advanced and open-minded their world was today, their bond wasn’t shunned uponed. Sure, they may have to work around some things and compromise, but those little problems were merely a drop in the ocean when one was awfully devoted to their partner.

Only female omegas could give birth to offspring, but that didn’t prevent them both from falling in love all the same. If they truly wanted to, they could adopt in the future or simply rely on the broad range of available technology.

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Ying Lin watched as his sister wiped the corner of Lorraine’s lips, and as she moved in for a kiss, he silently took his leave, not wanting to further be fed with dog food. 

Behind his receding back, a fond reminder called out to him, “A-Lin, take care of yourself!”

Lorraine added warmly, “My number’s always on hand if you can’t reach your sister, brat!”

He waved five flippant fingers to assure their mother hen hearts and showed himself out.

 

 

 

 

If his mother hen of a sister saw him right now, he was sure she’d go bald from all of her feathers falling out—whether it be from concern or excitement, Ying Lin didn’t know and didn’t want to know.

“You fight unexpectedly well, little thief.”

“...”

Ying-little thief-Lin, with one leg over a masked teen’s shoulder and another resting upon a toned thigh, went completely speechless.

Just a few seconds ago, he had this masked guy under control, pinning him down from above with a knee right against his chest. Ying Lin was no stranger to scuffles, having foolishly fought with equally as idiotic kids when he was younger; as he got older however, it had basically just been him subduing those with bad intentions.

He very rarely experienced nor allowed his opponent to have an inch over himself—not until his current dilemma.

Taking a slow, deep breath, he inwardly cursed Qin Shaoqing a thousand or so times in his heart.

Just an hour prior, he had been going about in his dorm room, painstakingly changing the plastic covers of his textbooks because he was unable to stand their unsightly creases.

Midway through the last book, the door to his room had slammed open uncivilly, and Qin Shaoqing—with an eager Xiao Yun in tow—had strode in like it was his home.

“Boss, I’m craving hotpot. Not the fancy kind from those overpriced restaurants outside, but shabby, ready-made seasonings paired with those MSG-ladened packets of instant noodles.”

Ying Lin hadn’t even flinched at their flamboyant arrival. He slipped the corner of a book’s cover into the plastic and asked, “So?”

“So we have to make it, what else? We just need the ingredients, a pot, and a portable gas stove, then boom! Sodium in a bowl served, and we’ll be one foot in the ICU.”

“...” So happy to court death, huh?

Thud—

Stoic-faced, Ying Lin had slapped his book shut rather carelessly. “With what eyes of yours did you see ingredients, a pot, and a stove here?”

Xiao Yun then stepped up and cleared his throat, smiling smugly, “This lowly one presents to you, my dear brothers, four instant noodle packets—extremely spicy, of course! Various leftover vegetables, credits to the cafeteria aunt, and a portable gas stove I borrowed from a good pal.”

With a gaze a proud father would use on his son, Qin Shaoqing ruffled Xiao Yun’s hair. “See, two out of the three simple things on our checklist—”

“—your checklist.”

“Ahem—our checklist, have already been crossed out! We just need a pot, but let’s not trouble our wallets and instead borrow one from our generous Old Wu.”

Xiao Yun added, “I asked around if there were any spare pots, but they were either being used or had been locked in the rooms because those students weren’t back yet.”

The ‘Old Wu’ in question was a carefree, middle-aged man who ran a tacky department store just outside the schoolgrounds. Frankly, students actually weren’t allowed to cook in their dorms lest they cause a fire hazard; so naturally, flammables like portable stoves and other cooking gadgets were strictly banned. 

Late midnight cravings were a common struggle the whole student body had to face, even the students on discipline duty had condoned and sinned. During their routine checks, they would come across certain mysterious heaps of clothes—that were very obviously hiding a few pots or even pans beneath—in the closets, but they’d turn a blind eye.

Other times they’d neglect looking above the air conditioner unit, which had the perfect width for a small stove or two to lay on, and tacitly agree that the room was absolutely unremarkable, void of any suspicious activity.

No one knew who started it or what gave the initiator the guts to do so, but somewhere down the line, the students would go chat up Old Wu from across the street during their lunch break. 

Perhaps the man's eyes had been filtered with the students’ pitiful light, because soon after, a tradition was birthed.

After a whole spiel of winks and makeshift code through various hand gestures, Old Wu would get them to note down their names in the book of sinners and lend a limited amount of his gadgets out. Of course, such a magnanimous act wasn’t without its conditions: one, the famous ‘once broken, considered sold’; two, if chipped, refer to condition one; three, if lost, refer to condition one.

In a nutshell, if anything happened to the devices he sponsored, the students would have to rightfully kowtow with their wallets, and if they failed to return them before the deadline, he won’t allow even a strand of your hair to be blown into his shop.

At the conclusion of their brilliant plot, Ying Lin had hummed noncommittally, “Then go find Old Wu yourself.”

“That, boss”—Qin Shaoqing scratched the back of his neck—”is where you come in. Ah, don’t give me that look! It’s not my fault my taste buds suddenly decided to go on a strike, either! The guards on the night shift just clocked-in, you see. So I’ll camp near the main booth, and Yunyun the side booth, and we’ll give you real-time updates, yeah?”

Outside, the expansive night sky was without its stars; curfew had already long passed, so the school gates were tightly secured with hefty locks. If a student wanted to sneak in and out at this hour, they would have to climb the back wall. But even then they would still have to risk the chances of being found, so it was especially crucial to rope one’s friends in.

Qin Shaoqing grovelled, knees on the cold floor and palms glued together, “If we get caught, I’ll shoulder the blame! So please, help this willful servant!”

With all that said, how could Ying Lin refuse his trouble-seeking friends? So with a simple roll of his eyes, the trio had sneaked out of the dorm, one towards the front gates, another towards the side, and one had skillfully hoisted himself over the wall.

Ying Lin had arrived at the said tacky store, gone in for five minutes tops, and had come out with a weighty bag in hand. Behind him, in a very non-threatening manner, Old Wu’s casual holler had followed, “Return it by Friday, you hear me?!”

He appeased the generous man with a thumbs up, already heading back the way he came.

Old Wu didn’t even have the chance to chastise his flimsy behaviour before another customer had brushed past the prior and strode in, long legs and all.

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