ACBAM 35: Go Home

Around 10:30 in the evening, Su Shijin finally got off work.

The hospital had been especially busy today, with several unexpected surgeries added to the schedule. Su Shijin was the only one left seeing patients outside, he was so busy that he had to make do with a piece of bread in the office for lunch just to fill his stomach.

It wasn’t until the colleague on the night shift came in early to help out that Su Shijin managed to get off work just before eleven.

After taking a cab home, Su Shijin rummaged through the kitchen and found a packet of instant noodles, planning to have a quick bite to fill his stomach.

Su Shijin wasn’t much of a cook and instant noodles were the only thing he could reliably make, along with a nicely fried egg. Unlike Gu Weiyang, who seemed to be able to cook just about anything, and made everything taste amazing.

Thinking of Gu Weiyang, Su Shijin suddenly remembered that he had been so busy today he forgot to ask when he was getting discharged.

Last night before going to bed, Su Shijin had planned to ask him the next morning, but ended up sleeping through his alarm. He nearly missed his ride in the rush to get to work, barely made it to the hospital on time, and had been busy nonstop ever since. He was so busy he completely forgot about it.

Su Shijin rubbed his aching temples from the exhaustion, pulled out his phone, and glanced at WeChat.

The chat with Gu Weiyang was still sitting on their previous messages—he hadn’t sent anything today, so chances were he was still in the hospital. Otherwise, he probably would’ve said something.

An alpha’s susceptibility period usually lasted three to four days at most. Even if he needed to stay for observation, it should be over by tomorrow or the day after.

Su Shijin put the instant noodles into the boiling water, then took out his phone and sent Gu Weiyang a message: [Mr. Gu, do you know about when you’ll be discharged? If it’s later, I’ll need to head home for a bit tomorrow and might not have time to visit you.]

Work had been hectic these past few days, and Su Shijin hadn’t really had any time to rest during lunch breaks. On top of that, he had already taken two days off at the start of the week, so he hadn’t been able to find time to visit him.

But tomorrow was Saturday, and Su Shijin had previously promised his grandfather that he would bring Gu Weiyang home. He wasn’t sure if they would be able to make it in time.

Two minutes later, Su Shijin’s instant noodles were ready. He got up, poured them into a bowl, and carefully carried it over to the coffee table in the living room. Then he took out his phone and checked WeChat again.

There was still no reply.

At this hour, Su Shijin figured the chances of getting a reply were slim. Even if Gu Weiyang was awake, the hospital probably wouldn’t let him use his phone so he could rest.

Su Shijin put down his phone, turned on the TV, and switched to a variety show that was good to watch while eating. He started eating his noodles as he watched.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t eaten all day and was starving, or because it had just been too long since he last had instant noodles.

Su Shijin found the bowl of instant noodles especially delicious that night. He even drank quite a bit of the broth at the end, still feeling a little unsatisfied.

After cleaning up the dishes, he took a shower and then went to bed.

Before falling asleep, he glanced at his phone. After confirming that Gu Weiyang still hadn’t replied, he turned off the screen and went to sleep.

—

At two in the morning, Gu Weiyang’s gland was triggered by the lingering traces of Su Shijin’s scent, causing a bit of a reaction.

So, with the diligent work of his five-fingered companion and the faint scent of mint in the air, ten minutes later Gu Weiyang let out a low groan, staring at the ceiling in a mix of shock and daze, unable to believe it.

Wait a minute.

That fast?

Wasn’t it usually at least half an hour before anything happened?

Had the past few days of his susceptibility period drained his body that much, or did Su Shijin’s pheromones have some kind of accelerating effect?

Gu Weiyang sat up in a daze and glanced down.

Still full of energy—probably stirred up by that minty pheromone. After all, it was his first time doing something like this while smelling the scent of the person he secretly liked. Being a little fast was only natural.

Gu Weiyang quietly reassured himself, pulled up his pants, got out of bed, and changed the sheets and duvet cover that had been marked with his own scent.

Su Shijin had mentioned before that once he was discharged, he would move in. Now that he was out of the hospital and tomorrow was Saturday, it was the perfect time to help him move.

But Gu Weiyang couldn’t shake the feeling that he was forgetting something.

After he finished changing into a fresh set of sheets and took a shower, he was about to head to the guest room to sleep when he realized he had forgotten his phone. When he finally found it and turned it on—

Gu Weiyang: !!!

Su Shijin had sent him a message!

He glanced at the time it was sent, then read it over and over again, his heart bubbling like a bottle of soda that had just been shaken.

Su Shijin had messaged him this late just to check on him.

Had he known earlier, he wouldn’t have acted up during the day. If he had just sent a message when he was discharged, wouldn’t the guy have been able to move back tonight?

Gu Weiyang suddenly felt a wave of regret. Was he under some kind of spell earlier today, acting like such a fool?

It was probably the aftereffects of his heat. Alphas are especially sensitive afterward, and his situation was unique. Aside from Su Shijin visiting him on the first day, he had to tough out the following days entirely on his own.

Without an omega’s pheromones, and with his nesting instincts suppressed in the hospital, by the time his heat ended, Gu Weiyang was unusually delicate and needy.

But now everything was fine. Just one sentence from Su Shijin had completely soothed him. Humming a tune, Gu Weiyang went back to the guest room and sent him a message: [I’ll come pick you up downstairs at your place tomorrow, and we can go to Grandpa’s together. Is that okay?]

The exhaustion from the day had Su Shijin falling asleep not long after closing his eyes, and he slept especially deeply—so much so that even the vibration of WeChat notifications didn’t wake him.

It wasn’t until 7 a.m. the next morning that his grandfather’s call woke him, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he reminded him not to forget his grandfather now that he had an alpha and to remember to come home today.

Su Shijin was still half-asleep at the time, mumbling in response, “Got it, mm, I’m not asleep, I’m awake, on my phone…”

Grandpa snapped in frustration, “You’re definitely not awake!”

“I’m awake, I’m awake, Grandpa, see you in a bit. Good night, good night.”

Grandpa was so furious at being told “good night” in the morning that his beard practically stood on end, and before he could say another word, the call ended with a beep.

Su Shijin curled up under the blanket, still holding his phone in his hand, and drifted back to sleep.

About an hour later, he groggily climbed out of bed, staring blankly at the sheets as his brain slowly booted up.

Just now, Grandpa had called to ask when he would be coming home… What did he say in response again? He couldn’t quite remember.

Once he came to, Su Shijin glanced at the time—eight o’clock. It was still early. He could grab some breakfast, pack up a few things, and still make it back in time for lunch at the old house.

His phone was full of unread WeChat notifications, and at the top of the list was Gu Weiyang.

Ever since he pinned Gu Weiyang that day, Su Shijin had never taken him down.

Now there was a little red “1” next to Gu Weiyang’s name. Su Shijin tapped it open and froze for a moment. Coming straight to pick him up at his place… did that mean he was already discharged?

Su Shijin shuffled toward the bathroom in his slippers, slowly typing a message to Gu Weiyang: [You’ve been discharged?]

Gu Weiyang replied quickly: [Yes, the tests came back clear. I can go home with you today.]

Su Shijin felt relieved.

[Su Shijin: Alright then, I’ll trouble you to come pick me up.]

[Gu Weiyang: Not a problem. Have you eaten? Want me to bring you breakfast?]

There really wasn’t much left to eat at Su Shijin’s place. He checked the fridge and even the frozen dumplings were gone. So he replied: [Sure. Have you eaten yet? If not, come on up and eat with me later.]

Gu Weiyang slowly put down the bun in his hand and typed one-handed on the screen: [Okay, then let’s eat together later. I’ll be there in about half an hour.]

Su Shijin used the time to wash up and change into a fresh set of clothes.

When Gu Weiyang arrived, he was carrying a lot of food. It was a takeout from the dim sum place he’d gone to last time with Tan Zhao.

Seeing Su Shijin, Gu Weiyang couldn’t hide his joy, “Good morning.”

Su Shijin opened the door with a faint smile and let him in. “Good morning.”

Gu Weiyang’s gaze fell on Su Shijin and, for a moment, he couldn’t look away.

The weather was getting warmer, and Su Shijin was wearing a white T-shirt with a light blue striped shirt over it today. The sleeves were loosely rolled up to his forearms, making him look just like a college student.

He looked almost the same as the first time they met years ago.

The day Su Shijin moved back in, he had specifically bought a pair of slippers that would fit Gu Weiyang and left them in the shoe cabinet—now they were finally coming in handy.

Gu Weiyang changed into the slippers, his gaze falling to Su Shijin’s feet. “Your foot’s healed?”

Today, Su Shijin wasn’t in a wheelchair or using crutches. His foot had mostly healed.

Seeing Gu Weiyang’s concern, he rolled up the cuff of his pants a few times, revealing his left ankle. “The swelling’s gone down. I can put weight on it now and if I walk slowly without support, it’s fine.”

Gu Weiyang looked at the ankle that had been swollen like a steamed bun just a few days ago. It really had gone down quite a bit, and he felt relieved. “A few more days of rest and it should fully heal. Just be careful these next couple of days.”

As he spoke, Gu Weiyang began taking out the breakfast he had brought, setting each item on the table until more than half of it was covered.

“So much?” Su Shijin walked over to the table to help open the takeout boxes, and saw that while there were a lot of different kinds of dim sum, the portions weren’t large—like the shrimp dumplings, only two or three in a box.

“I wanted you to try everything, so I packed a few of each. I didn’t take much of anything. Later, once I know what you like, I’ll just bring those,” Gu Weiyang explained.

Su Shijin didn’t dwell on what that “later” was supposed to mean. After opening all the takeout boxes one by one, he went into the kitchen and came back with two bottles of milk, asking, “Is this okay to drink?”

Gu Weiyang, of course, had no objections.

The breakfast Gu Weiyang brought really did taste great. Su Shijin ate quite a bit, and only the leftovers were swept up by Gu Weiyang like a gust of wind.

After the meal, Su Shijin went to the cupboard and took out a box of tea. “Can we head to my grandpa’s now?”

“Sure,” Gu Weiyang said, eyeing the tea in his hands. “Is that for your grandpa?”

“Yeah.”

Su Shijin put the tea into a nice-looking paper bag and explained, “Grandpa likes tea. If we bring him some, maybe when we see him later, he’ll scold us a little less.”

Gu Weiyang couldn’t help but laugh. “What a coincidence—I brought tea too. If both of us show up with tea to win him over, do you think there’s a chance he won’t scold us at all?”

Su Shijin looked a little surprised. “You bought tea for my grandpa?”

“It’s my first time visiting with my newlywed partner so I gotta bring some kind of gift. I bought tea, liquor, and all that. The trunk’s full,” Gu Weiyang said.

Su Shijin thought for a moment. “If you keep a respectful attitude, Grandpa probably won’t be too angry. He’s just upset that I didn’t tell him about something as important as getting married. If he says anything harsh, you might have to bear with it.”

“What’s there to bear with? Your grandpa is my grandpa now. Even if he scolds me, I won’t get the slightest bit upset, don’t worry,” Gu Weiyang said confidently. When it came to winning over elders, he definitely knew what he was doing.

Su Shijin felt reassured. He figured it had already been a week so whatever anger Grandpa had should’ve mostly subsided by now. At most, he would just give them a bit of a scolding today, nothing too serious.

An hour later, Gu Weiyang drove Su Shijin back home.

Su Shijin’s family home was in a rural estate in the neighboring district, styled like a traditional Chinese garden—with pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing water. The surroundings were beautiful.

Gu Weiyang handed the car keys to the butler and asked them to bring in the things from the trunk, then followed Su Shijin around the corridor to the east study, where his grandfather was practicing calligraphy.

When Su Shijin stepped through the door, he obediently called out, “Grandpa.”

Grandpa didn’t respond.

Thinking he hadn’t heard and since older folks often had trouble hearing, Su Shijin raised his voice and called again, “Grandpa!”

Grandpa flinched at the shout, setting his brush down on the brush rest with a sharp thud. “What are you yelling for? I can hear just fine!”

He looked at Su Shijin and the nearby Gu Weiyang, his expression dark as he said with biting sarcasm, “What brings you here at this hour? Still dark out, isn’t it? Didn’t feel like sleeping in?”

Su Shijin: ?

“Grandpa, it’s daytime right now.”

Grandpa kept up his sarcastic tone. “Oh~ is that so? Well, that’s strange. When I was on the phone with someone this morning, for some reason, that someone kept saying ‘good night’ to me!”

“I figured maybe it’s just my old age—I must be going blind and can’t even tell day from night anymore!”