The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi

Chapter 33

Xiao Zhan's brows furrowed uncontrollably, and for a moment, Wang Yibo thought he was about to cry, but then he heard him say, "I drank too much yesterday."

"Mm," Wang Yibo nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to say I don't remember what happened," Xiao Zhan pressed his temples before lowering his hand. He slouched, in a defeated posture, and said, "I remember, although I might still have forgotten some things. I'm really sorry. I know you have a strong aversion to Alphas, that you couldn't possibly like me, or anyone else. That's why I didn't plan on telling you, to spare you the trouble. I thought it would be enough if you were willing to live with me, even just as family. I can be there for you, protect you, and help you live free from the restrictions of Omega gender. That would have been enough for me. I never intended to cross any boundaries with you."

He spoke almost like a confession, a mix of venting and crumbling.

Wang Yibo thought, What Xiao Zhan feared most was probably his affection being misunderstood as desire. If Wang Yibo misunderstood, his sincerity would become scheming.

"Alcohol really is something you can't mess with, right?" he said self-deprecatingly, looking at Wang Yibo. Wang Yibo remained silent and shook his head. Xiao Zhan chuckled and cleared his throat, his eyes slightly reddened. "Yesterday, were you very scared?"

Wang Yibo shook his head again, and Xiao Zhan took it as reassurance, but still smiled. He reached out to pat Wang Yibo's head, "You don't have to do this. It's my fault. Yibo, don't forgive those who hurt you."

No matter who they are, no matter what reasons they have. Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo, forgetting that just two hours ago, he had hoped for Wang Yibo's forgiveness. From now on, he began to worry that after Wang Yibo left him, he would be bullied by others.

"I haven't forgiven you," Wang Yibo pulled Xiao Zhan's hand down. "I've never blamed you."

"Xiao Zhan," he looked at Xiao Zhan, leaning in to hug him. "I'm not afraid at all, not even a bit."

Xiao Zhan clearly wasn't prepared for the embrace, even recoiling slightly with his hands motionless. Wang Yibo clicked his tongue and, under Xiao Zhan's bewildered gaze, got up, straddling his lap. Xiao Zhan's eyes widened in surprise. "Yibo?"

"Yesterday's events, you did forget some of them, and they were quite important," Wang Yibo raised his hand to wrap around Xiao Zhan's neck, pulling him closer. Xiao Zhan's rapid breath brushed against his lips as he lowered his gaze and chuckled, "I guess you don't like me that much, otherwise how could you forget even when you said you likes me?"

"Huh?" Xiao Zhan became even more bewildered, the proximity too close, his heartbeat too fast. He was afraid he might accidentally kiss Wang Yibo if he opened his mouth.

"You still don't remember? What should we do then?" Wang Yibo reached Xiao Zhan's earlobe, giving it a gentle tug. "Why don't you say it again? I'll give you another chance. Tell me, what are your thoughts about me?"

"I..." Xiao Zhan had never felt so confused in his life. His words were clumsy, and he didn't know where to put his hands. The heat from Wang Yibo's grip on his earlobe continued to rise, turning red as if dripping blood, faintly stinging. It felt like that was the gate detaining his affection, the lock rusted, and inserting the key would only cause pain.

After hesitating for a while, Xiao Zhan still couldn't ascertain Wang Yibo's intentions. Wang Yibo grew impatient and scoffed, "Are you going to say it or not? If you don't, I'll just assume you were being a scoundrel yesterday. In that case, get dressed and leave, let's get a divorce."

"Don't!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed, hugging Wang Yibo. "Don't divorce."

Wang Yibo asked, "You inexplicably kissed me and you still don't want a divorce? What kind of relationship are we in? You're not saying anything—"

"I like you," Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo, suddenly seeing him as he was many years ago—the distant, bright summer, when he, a small boy, stood on tiptoe, unable to reach the airplane model on the shelf. He felt his heart skip a beat, walking over to stand beside him, little did he know he would later want to walk into his heart, walking alongside him for so many years.

"I like you." This marked the seventh summer since he met Wang Yibo. "I want to be your real husband. But do you want that?"

"I want to," Wang Yibo lowered his head to kiss Xiao Zhan, a gentle and quick kiss. Before Xiao Zhan could react, Wang Yibo lifted his head and said, "I like you too."

He took off the diamond ring from his ring finger and waved it in front of Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan's pupils followed the movement of the ring, looking somewhat amusing. Wang Yibo smiled, took Xiao Zhan's hand, and placed the diamond ring in his palm, asking, "Do you want to put it on for me again?"

Xiao Zhan felt like it wasn't real, as if he wanted to slap himself to check if he was dreaming. Picking up the diamond ring, he stared into Wang Yibo's eyes, confirming several times before holding his hand.

Still, he had doubts, but they were just right. He made up for what he hadn't had the chance to say a year ago, "Will you marry me?"

"Mmm," Wang Yibo lifted his ring finger slightly.

When Xiao Zhan put the ring on Wang Yibo, his hands were trembling. It was then that he realized how happy he would be to marry Wang Yibo.

"You're married to me," Xiao Zhan laughed, looking a bit silly. Holding Wang Yibo's hand, he said, "You can't back out."

"I won't back out," Wang Yibo looked at his hand, then at Xiao Zhan, leaning closer and saying, "How can I back out? Don't you plan to mark me?"

His breath carried a faint fig-like sweetness, making him instinctively hold Wang Yibo tighter. Wang Yibo seemed genuinely unafraid of him now, forgetting his previous resistance to being marked, and asked Xiao Zhan at such close proximity, "My heat is in a few days, are you still going to make me use suppressants?"

"Huh?" Xiao Zhan felt a bit overwhelmed. They had just confirmed their relationship, and now they were talking about this. After a few thoughts of "Isn't this inappropriate?" popped into his head, he remembered that he and Wang Yibo were already married. They could skip those innocent stages of building affection and get straight to the point.

But he was really feeling a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, it's up to you. I'm definitely... uh... what I mean is, you need to think about it. Don't be impulsive."

Wang Yibo patiently listened to Xiao Zhan, but the more Xiao Zhan talked, the stranger it felt, so he just closed his mouth. Wang Yibo asked him, "Not going to say more?"

Xiao Zhan responded with a simple "Hmm."

"We young people tend to be impulsive," Wang Yibo said with a smile as he got off Xiao Zhan and walked towards the living room.Xiao Zhan asked him what he was looking for, but Wang Yibo didn't answer.

Instead, he squatted down in front of the TV cabinet and started rummaging through a drawer. It was the drawer where medicine was kept, and Xiao Zhan, puzzled, asked again, "What are you looking for? That's where the medicine is kept."

"I know, just stay put," Wang Yibo replied. After searching for about two minutes, he stood up with a few boxes in hand and walked back.

Xiao Zhan finally saw that Wang Yibo was holding suppressants. Before he could ask, Wang Yibo was in front of him, tossing all the suppressants into the trash can.

Xiao Zhan was dumbfounded and said, "It's not necessary. Even if I mark you, you still need to use them for work."

Wang Yibo shrugged and said, "People have to be impulsive once or twice in their lives."Xiao Zhan had no words. Wang Yibo looked at the suppressants lying in the trash can, suddenly enlightened.

The shackles that had bound him since adulthood were thrown away along with the suppressants.Confidently, Wang Yibo said, "It's impulsive only if you bet wrong. If you bet right, it's bravery. With you, I can't possibly bet wrong."