AHDIBCB Chapter 47

Two breaths tangled together; in the intimacy of brushing ears and temples was a passion and urgency that could not be unraveled.

However, if this continued, things would become even more uncontrollable. Li Heng could only summon all his willpower to force himself to stay clear-headed. He let go of Yuan Yi, their foreheads pressed together.

His hand tucked Yuan Yi’s messy side hair behind his ear, while he tried to steady his breathing and said: “Before I leave later, I’ll lock the pheromones in the safe. Take them yourself when you need them. I’ll coax you to sleep before I go, so you won’t feel upset.”

Yuan Yi’s eyes were red. “You might need to use your mental power to influence me, otherwise I probably won’t fall asleep for a while.”

Even though the scent of cedar was all around, just thinking about being apart for a long time made him restless again.

Li Heng pulled him back into his arms. “Alright. Anything else you want to say to me?”

Yuan Yi thought for a moment. “I made a lot of beef jerky. Take it all with you.”

Li Heng: “…?”

A low, hoarse laugh reached Yuan Yi’s ears. He heard Li Heng say: “Afraid I won’t eat enough while I’m out? Anything else?”

Anything else?            

Yuan Yi tilted his head up. He felt like his brain wasn’t working properly anymore, with a kind of urge to stop thinking about anything at all and just throw all the problems to Li Heng to solve.

But since Li Heng had asked, there must still be something.

Yuan Yi racked his brains. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect the children well. I’ll also take good care of Dad and Mom.”

Li Heng kissed Yuan Yi’s forehead. “You have to take care of yourself too.”

After saying that, he picked him up in his arms. When the sealed cabin descended, he gently placed Yuan Yi onto the bed.

He covered Yuan Yi with the blanket, just about to use his mental power to soothe him to sleep. But Yuan Yi suddenly grabbed his hand. “Li Heng, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Li Heng’s breathing instantly lost its rhythm. He grabbed Yuan Yi’s hand and gently bit his fingertip, pretending to punish him, then let go. At this moment, Yuan Yi gradually began to feel drowsy.

Li Heng didn’t dare linger any longer. He went to the study to confirm that all the pheromones were properly stored, took a shower, gave Li Mian a few instructions, and then went to the second floor.

Professor Jian was pacing back and forth in the hallway, as if waiting for something. Li Heng softly called, “Mom.”

Professor Jian’s footsteps suddenly stopped, and she turned around. She didn’t ask when her son had come back, nor where he was going. She only asked one thing: “Can you come back before Xiao Yi gives birth?”

Li Heng said, “It won’t be that long. But during this period, he might have a hard time adjusting—sorry to trouble you to take care of him.”

Professor Jian said, “He’s my daughter-in-law and your child is my biological grandchild. You don’t need to worry about that. You just make sure you come home.”

Li Heng nodded. “Then I’m off. Mom, you take care too.”

Professor Jian wanted to say something more, but in the end said nothing—she only waved her hand.

Li Heng saw his mother smiling with reddened eyes, and he returned a smile. Then he turned back into the bedroom, but didn’t dare look at Yuan Yi again. He only took the beef jerky Yuan Yi had mentioned.

Winter Wolf and Snow Wolf had already been waiting in the rest cabin for a while. When they saw him finally return, they let out a sigh of relief.

Winter Wolf said, “If you stayed in there any longer, we would’ve thought you were entering rut again.”

Li Heng said, “It almost feels less painful than this. Go seal the passage off completely.”

Xuelang asked, “But what if we need it again in the future?”

Li Heng said, “If we need it, we’ll reopen it later. We can’t leave any hidden danger for Yuan Yi. Go do it.”

From then on, the passage that had been in use for many days was completely destroyed. At night, no one ever walked through it again.

•  

The next day, Yuan Yi woke up very late—just like when Li Heng had first appeared in the bedroom. When he got up, it was already close to noon. He looked at the blanket and pillow beside him and was silent for quite a while.

Li Mian floated over. “Brother Yi, why is your face so red?”

Yuan Yi asked, “Is it? Maybe it’s just too warm in the room.”

Li Mian said, “The air conditioning’s on. It’s not hot—the temperature’s the same as always. Are you running a fever? Huh? Nope, no fever. Ah, I know! It must be because Master left and you can’t adapt—this is called omega separation stress. Brother Yi, are you feeling a bit anxious?”

Yuan Yi said, “It’s okay.”

There was anxiety. But that was almost a normal emotional response inevitably produced when an omega is separated from their alpha during pregnancy—because of hormonal changes, it couldn’t be avoided.

He just didn’t expect that when collecting pheromones last night, he’d be affected that much.

He’d read before in books that under the influence of their alpha’s high-concentration pheromones, omegas might enter a state of extreme relaxation and completely let down their guard. Their personality might become different from usual, even abandoning all pretense and revealing their true nature.

But when he encountered Aminanka, he had also been under Li Heng’s high-concentration pheromones. At that time, nothing like that had happened, so he thought it wouldn’t happen this time either. Unexpectedly, he’d run into a low-probability situation.

Thinking about it, it was probably because the sealed chamber in the study was smaller, so the pheromone density was higher than in the hospital ward.

He had actually… with Li Heng…

Yuan Yi subconsciously touched his lips and asked Li Mian, “Did the general leave any message when he left?”

Li Mian said, “He did! He told me to always keep an eye on your mood. If you’re unhappy, I have to cheer you up. Also, to remind you to eat and rest on time—especially when you get stuck studying endlessly—I must remind you to balance work and rest. He also gave me one more task, but I can’t tell you what it is. I just have to carry it out. Brother Yi? Why are your ears turning red?”

Yuan Yi said, “They’re not. You saw wrong.”

Li Mian bit his index finger. “But Brother Yi, I’m a robot! I’m not dumb—I have data standards! You are blushing, and your ears are red too. How come your mouth is even more stubborn than a robot’s?”

“How come your mouth is even more nagging than a human’s?!”

Li Mian: “!!!” He’s been corrupted! Brother Yi has definitely been corrupted by his master!

This was a total critical hit! Li Mian’s head drooped all at once.

“Wuwuwuwu Brother Yi, you’re rejecting me. Just as I thought—ever since Master came, your heart and eyes are all full of him. I’m leaving, heartbroken.”

The small body floated toward the door—though it floated so slowly, it might not even make it a meter in a minute.

Yuan Yi quickly grabbed this little drama queen of a book boy back. “Alright, stop acting. Starting today, you’ve got to help me sprint. I’ve fallen behind in so many classes and have to catch up. Otherwise, when the term starts, I’ll have even more to do.”

There were only about ten days left before the semester began. If he was lucky, he could finish the new term properly. After winter break, he might welcome a new life.

Taking a break from school for a while would definitely be unavoidable, but before that, he’d try to study as much as possible.

Li Mian saw the heat slowly fade from Yuan Yi’s face and suddenly asked: “Brother Yi, yesterday, you and Master—did you do this and that, and then that and that?”

“…Li Mian, I think I need to give you a proper brainwash.”

“Brainwash? I don’t need brainwashing. Then why are you blushing? Plus, you were carried out by Master last night! The internet says that after two people do this and that, and then that and that again, the husband will carry the wife—who can’t even walk—back to bed. That’s exactly what you two did yesterday. Although it’s not the first time Master carried you, last night was the only time he did it while you were still conscious. So… Brother Yi, you’re blushing again! I guessed right, didn’t I! Hehehehe…”

Hehe what hehe?

But Yuan Yi thought again—why was he even being so serious with a robot? So he decided not to explain anything.

He decided to make himself as busy as possible. Productive busyness was the best way to overcome anxiety and unease.

Li Heng had said he left ten vials for him, but in reality, he’d left thirty-three vials of high-concentration primary pheromones.

With that, what was there to worry about? All he had to do was focus on doing what he needed to do.

As for the future…

He only needed to live well in the present.

Yuan Yi once again immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge. And once someone truly gets busy, it’s easy to become so tired that you grow numb. At that point, time flies quickly—before he knew it, it was already the start of the new semester.

During this period, his lower belly had clearly grown larger. Probably because it was twins, it was more noticeable than a single pregnancy.

In September, the autumn heat was still going strong. Yuan Yi got off the aircraft holding a gel umbrella—this umbrella now belonged entirely to him, a gift from Li Heng. Shielding himself with it, he walked to the make-up exam room to finish the practical exam he hadn’t completed before the break.

The invigilating teacher, Guo Canling, had proctored his exam once before and was already aware of his ability. During the exam, she just sat off to the side, not being very strict. Seeing that he was almost finished with his stitching, this Teacher Guo said, “With your grades, getting placed in the experimental class is a sure thing. Once the score is released online, you’ll be able to start taking second-year classes normally next week. But honestly, how did you get your hands-on skills to this level? I’ve taught many students, and there have been some with exceptionally good suturing technique, but reaching your level—this is the first time I’ve seen it.”

Yuan Yi smiled and said, “It’s not as great as you’re saying. I studied fine arts, so maybe my hands are a bit more sensitive—maybe that gives me a slight edge in this area.”

Teacher Guo smiled and said, “So modest. Alright, are you ready to submit?”

Yuan Yi handed the bionic skin and flesh to Teacher Guo. She scored it manually, then let the automated proctor take a photo and assign a score as well.

Yuan Yi received a full score for this subject.

However, what surprised both the teachers and students at the medical school was that he actually did not choose the experimental class, but instead opted for the parallel class.

In response, the department head, Deng Wenjing, directly called him in to ask about the situation. “Are you worried that the coursework will be too intense? Or is there some other difficulty? If there’s anything you need help with, you can talk to your teachers.”

The school placed great importance on Yuan Yi’s situation. It wasn’t just because Yuan Yi carried the special bloodline of a “martyr,” but also because of the earlier incident with Aminanka— To some extent, the school bore some responsibility for that matter, but Yuan Yi hadn’t insisted on getting an explanation.

The school leadership was very grateful for that.

Additionally, Dr. Luo from the Military District General Hospital also had classmates teaching at Jihua University. Dr. Luo gave Yuan Yi extremely high praise, and after the teachers at the university learned about it, they naturally cherished his talent and hoped Yuan Yi could receive good educational resources at Jihua University.

Yuan Yi said, “The study hours for the experimental class are indeed a bit too long for me, and I am worried the pressure might be too much. If I start with it and then have to take a break next semester, I’m afraid I might fall behind. It’s better to try the parallel class first—
the pace there isn’t as fast. Even if I apply for temporary leave in the middle, I should still be able to catch up after returning.”

Moreover, Li Mian can also study the content of the experimental class, so there’s really no need for him to push himself that hard from the start. After all, when it comes to graduation, what matters is the overall grade, not whether a student came from the experimental class or the parallel class. As long as he can present an excellent final report, that’s enough.

Of course, there was another reason— and it was the most important reason: He wanted to enter the experimental class, but he didn’t want to be in the same class as Cao Yuran.

Director Deng thought about it and realized that Yuan Yi’s situation indeed couldn’t allow him to be too tired. She had also heard that Yuan Yi was pregnant with twins, so she could understand.

“Alright then, the teachers respect your decision. But if at any time you want to attend classes in the experimental class, you can adjust whenever.”

“Okay, thank you, Director.”

In the end, Yuan Yi went to Parallel Class Two. The parallel classes were mixed-format and didn’t have any ranking order, so each class was more or less the same.

On Monday, when classes started, Yuan Yi got to know quite a few new classmates. Everyone was fairly familiar with him, he had a good memory and a pleasant personality, so by the end of the morning, he had made a number of new friends.

The first class in the afternoon was a suturing class— Yes, he had already passed the suturing exam, but there was still more to learn.

This suturing class not only taught medical stitching techniques, but also the correct use of different closure glues for different types of wounds.

The medical closure glue technology was still in its infancy in the previous life, but here it was already quite mature, with many new developments. This was something he had to learn. Besides, the difficulty of his exam was already close to the experimental class level. Although he had passed the practical suturing exam, the parallel class still had suturing lessons in the second year. The experimental class reportedly had them too, only at a faster pace.

After class, an omega female student named Pan Ranuo, holding the suturing tools, complained, “These glues nowadays are so convenient—just stick them on and done! Why do we still have to learn suturing with thread? Who even uses thread suturing these days? It’s troublesome, leaves scars, and you have to remove the scars specially afterward. The most important thing is that I really suck at handiwork! Help! I’m so useless that I once managed to cut my own hand even making crafts. Can’t the heavens just cut me some slack?”

A beta male student named Guan Qizhou, who clearly had similar troubles, then asked Yuan Yi, “Yuan Yi, how do you practice suturing? The teachers have praised your suturing skills many times. Can you share any tips with us?”

Pan Ranuo nodded upon hearing this, “Yeah, Yuan Yi, please share!”

Yuan Yi said, “Actually, I don’t have any special tricks. Just practice a lot. You can start with beef, then chicken, fish, and finally fruit. Practice on different textures. Although human skin and flesh tissues are broadly similar, the feel varies. Some people have more muscle, others more fat. Practicing on varied samples improves your sensitivity to the force and your control, so in the future you can better meet different patients’ needs.”

Pan Ranuo said in surprise, “You can do that? I’ve only ever tried suturing on chicken.”

Yuan Yi replied, “Then you should try my method.”

Pan Ranuo said, “Alright, alright, after class this afternoon I’ll go buy some beef. But I really don’t understand why we even need to suture it. Isn’t glue good enough? Sigh~”

Yuan Yi said, “It’s probably to handle situations where there’s no glue available—like outdoors, on the battlefield, or special environments where the glue won’t work.”

Pan Ranuo laughed, “Military families really are different. As soon as they mention these things, they think of outdoors and battlefields.”

Not long after Pan Ranuo spoke, she felt the atmosphere in the class grow awkward, and only then did she remember that Li Heng had sacrificed himself.

The young girl quickly clasped her hands together, “I’m really sorry, Yuan Yi. My heart is rougher than tree bark, and sometimes I speak without thinking. Truly sorry.”

Yuan Yi said, “It’s okay. If you want to practice to the extreme, suturing jelly or tofu is fine. Although we definitely won’t need to suture food in practical exams, practicing on different materials helps a lot. Also, the angle at which you hold the needle, the angle of insertion, the distance from the wound edge, the spacing between stitches — all require good visual judgment. But I think you guys don’t have much problem with that. So really, it’s about practicing hand feeling and cultivating patience.”

Guan Qizhou said, “Then I’ll give it a try too. I’ve mostly practiced with chicken, sausage, and sheepskin before.”

Pan Ranuo said, “If I suddenly have an epiphany this time, I’ll treat Yuan Yi to a big meal!”

Yuan Yi said, “We’re classmates, no need for that.”

After saying this, he went to the restroom. Immediately, someone said to Pan Ranuo, “Do you really believe what he said? Suturing tofu? That stuff breaks as soon as you touch it, how could you suture it? I think he just doesn’t want to share.”

The speaker was Ruan Mingming, a beta girl.

Pan Ranuo replied, “No way? What does he gain from lying to us? Besides, with his skill, no one can really beat him anyway.”

Ruan Mingming said, “Are you stupid? We don’t just study one subject. If you waste all your time suturing tofu, he’s off studying other things. Who’s really losing out?”

Guan Qizhou said, “I don’t think he’s that kind of person. If he didn’t want to share, he could just say he has no tips. We’d still have to practice anyway. I’m planning to try his method.”

Ruan Mingming listened, full of resentment.

She hadn’t seen Luo Chuanxin all summer. They had already agreed to be in a relationship, but Luo suddenly said he wanted to break up.

When she asked why, Luo initially refused to say, then finally told her never to provoke Yuan Yi.

She guessed for sure that Yuan Yi had done something that made Luo Chuanxin say that to her. She originally thought she would see him after school started to ask clearly, but now that school had begun, she still hadn’t seen him. When she went to ask Luo Chuanxin’s teacher, she found out that Luo Chuanxin had dropped out. But she didn’t even know where he was living or the exact reason why.

Right now, she couldn’t get in touch with him at all, only remembering that for a period of time he had been in a daze and had even said he wanted to transfer departments.

Transfer to which department? Give up such a promising future? It must be that Yuan Yi secretly did something shameful.

Ruan Mingming felt upset just thinking about it. After class, she went outside to buy a drink. At that moment, someone suddenly asked her, “Classmate, are you in the same class as Yuan Yi?”

Ruan Mingming, now hearing the name “Yuan Yi” made her feel uneasy, replied impatiently, “Yes, but it’s best not to ask me about him.”

The person asking smiled and said, “Then I can tell you where Luo Chuanxin is.”

•  

The next morning, as soon as Yuan Yi arrived at the teaching building’s entrance, he saw about ten people in military uniforms standing there. But these people weren’t his usual protective detail, so he stayed cautious and continued inside.

Unexpectedly, before he even entered the classroom, he heard a voice he might not be too fond of recently.

“You don’t need to be so nervous. I’m just slowly getting used to being here.”

Cao Yuran was being carefully supported by an alpha in dark military uniform. The alpha, upon hearing this, gently touched Cao Yuran’s cheek, looking quite worried.

This alpha was Luo Qizheng, whose photo Yuan Yi had seen online.

Not as high-ranking as Li Heng, not as handsome as Li Heng, and not as high in official rank as Li Heng.

But this man seemed to treat Cao Yuran well—not only did he escort his wife to school, but he also sent over a bunch of food.

It seemed like everyone got a share. And each person also received an expensive pen.

No matter how advanced technology becomes, medical students still need pens because they have to write and draw many things. Although electronic paper is available, the medium feels different.

Cao Yuran had already changed into loose maternity clothes. For some reason, they were exactly the same design as those Ji Lan had made for him.

He brought over a gift box containing the same food and pen as given to the other students. He smiled and said, “Yuan Yi, long time no see. I officially transferred to this class as well. My husband was worried that the pressure in the experimental class would be too much for me and not good for the baby, so he arranged for me to transfer to Class 2. Here, this is for you—our pregnancies are about the same, so we can help each other if there’s any problem.”

At this moment, Luo Qizheng also came over. He put one arm around Cao Yuran’s shoulder and reached out a hand toward Yuan Yi.

“Hello, I’m Luo Qizheng. My wife has often mentioned you before, saying that a particularly talented medical prodigy has come to Jihua University Medical School.”

Yuan Yi looked at the hand but didn’t shake it. Instead, he smiled and said, “Nice to meet you. But sorry, my husband isn’t around, and any alpha approaching me makes me uncomfortable. So I’ll skip the handshake. Also, I’m not a prodigy; your wife Cao Yuran is. Thank you both for the gifts, but I’m afraid I can’t accept them.”

Cao Yuran asked, “Why not?”

Yuan Yi smiled and said, “Because these say ‘Respectfully presented by Luo Qizheng and Cao Yuran to all Clinical Class 2 students.’ But since you’re here, I plan to apply to return to the experimental class starting tomorrow.”