Wu Shen rested his chin on his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips, his gaze fixed on me as if watching a little game. I was bewildered, my mind hazy, thinking I'd misheard, so I stammered, my voice trembling with disbelief:
"You… what did you just say? I… I didn't hear clearly."
He chuckled softly, his eyes a mix of teasing and scrutiny, observing me as if I were a naive little kitten confused and bewildered:
"I said… I don't belong in this world."
Even hearing him repeat it, I remained skeptical, my body stiffening. I wanted to speak, to ask, but the words were stuck in my throat. Everything around us suddenly fell silent, leaving only an eternal stillness.
He slowly rose and walked closer. His long, slender fingers gently grasped my hand. I was so surprised by Wu Shen's actions that I unconsciously recoiled. Wu Shen's lips curved into a deeper smile, his hand gripping mine tightly as he spoke, his voice tinged with confusion and panic:
"Hmm? Why are you so surprised? Why... why the expression?"
Just as he finished speaking, the door to the room was pushed open. My mother appeared, happily about to call out:
"Ah Xiang, my child..."
But her words choked when her eyes fell upon the scene before her: me curled up on the bed, Wu Shen still holding my hand, so close that anyone could easily misunderstand.
Wu Shen quickly changed to a polite, obedient smile, bowing:
"Hello, Auntie."
My mother paused, muttering, "Ah... um..."
Then Wu Shen let go of my hand, still maintaining his friendly smile:
"If you need to find A Xiang, then I'll excuse myself..."
Before he could finish, Wu Shen paused slightly because my mother's gaze was extremely strange... she glanced at me, her eyes shining brightly as if filled with stars, giving me a thumbs-up, clearly implying: "My son, well done!"
At first, I was a little confused, but then I understood her meaning and blushed, feeling both embarrassed and flustered by the misunderstanding. Wu Shen paused slightly, then tilted his head, his voice low:
"Auntie... what are you doing?"
She quickly cleared her throat, awkwardly:
"Ah... nothing, I just remembered something I still have to do. You two... continue talking." After saying that, she withdrew, kindly closing the door behind her.
The atmosphere immediately fell silent. I sighed, and after a moment of deliberation, I gently tugged at his sleeve, my voice barely a whisper:
"Um… can I ask you something?"
Wu Shen pulled a chair closer to the edge of the bed, his gaze slightly indifferent, no longer displaying the obedient expression from before, but rather a hint of emotion:
"Yes, ask."
I tried to remain calm, my hands gripping the edge of his shirt slightly due to tension:
"Where… exactly is this place? Why are there such incomprehensible words like Omega, Alpha?"
He looked up, his voice calm and slow:
"Oh, you want to ask that?"
I nodded, indicating that was correct…
Seeing this, he didn't ask any further questions but explained: "This is an ABO world, and the incomprehensible words you mentioned are the default genders in this world…"
He paused, looking directly at me:
"…You, here, are an omega."
Hearing this, I was a little confused and asked doubtfully, "My gender...is that omega?"
Wu Shen nodded as if confirming my words, then continued as a reminder, "You should be careful in the future because, being an omega, you could easily be controlled by the pheromones of alphas in dangerous situations."
Although I understood a little, I was still puzzled and asked, "Why...is that?"
He looked at my bewildered face and began a lengthy lecture, explaining the reasons and consequences if I were to suffer such a fate...
After hearing all that, I was truly a little tense, somewhat frightened, and panicked by the information I had heard.
Seeing my reaction, Wu Shen spoke up, trying to reassure me:
"But don't worry, you are now the eldest son of the Gu family, a family considered powerful. No one dares to touch you. Moreover, I am your fiancé in name only; that alone is enough to make anyone wary."
I was slightly stunned by Wu Shen's words and looked up at him with wide eyes. He looked at me, his voice softening a little:
"I will protect you. So live well, live for... Gu Yunxiang..."
I was slightly bewildered by Wu Shen's words; no one had ever said anything like that to me before. My eyes welled up, and my eyelids reddened. He paused for a moment, then reached out to wipe away a tear, his voice gentle:
"Be good, don't cry."
After a while, having comforted me, he stood up. I ran after him, a warmth unexpectedly rising in my heart. But as soon as I saw Wu Shen off and turned back… I bumped into his solid chest. Looking up, I met his familiar, deep eyes…
It was none other than Jing Yuan.