BDBE 11

Chapter 11 Illness

The next morning, Shen Wanchao woke up with a low-grade fever. 

He huddled in the corner of the sofa, wearing soft pajamas, a thermometer between his fingers. His head was spinning, and he couldn’t make out whether the mercury pointer indicated 37 or 38. Regardless of the number, he had a fever. 

A hand snatched the thermometer away while simultaneously placing a cup of warm milk and a slice of golden-brown toast in his hand. 

“I’ve called in sick for you. I’ll take you to the hospital later,” Zhou Hui patiently said. 

Shen Wanchao gave a perfunctory “Hmm”. Whether it was because of the fever or his anger, he couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge the man before him. 

Zhou Mingchen stood across the coffee table, his face filled with worry. He wanted to do or say something to show his concern, but upon seeing Zhou Hui’s smooth and efficient movements – even handing a washcloth to Shen Wanchao in the blink of an eye – he realized that going over there would only cause trouble. 

So he could only awkwardly say, “I’ll bring your homework back for you tonight.” 

Shen Wanchao paused: “…”

Wow! Thank you. 

Half an hour later, the three of them finished getting ready and got into the car together. 

Someone had reminded him earlier, and Shen Wanchao had wrapped a scarf tightly around his neck. 

The fever made his head feel heavy, and he was spaced out the whole way. The two Zhous, one big and one small, were sensible enough not to disturb him, allowing him to take the time to rest. 

Zhou Hui first dropped Zhou Mingchen off near the school, then turned towards the hospital. 

“Xiao Chao, we’re here. It’s time to wake up.” 

Shen Wanchao frowned slightly, and it took him a moment to realize that Zhou Hui was calling him. 

He gradually regained his senses when he opened his eyes and saw the buildings outside the car window.

Zhou Hui had actually brought him here for treatment. 

But it made sense. 

This private hospital belonged to a mutual friend, who worked there. Shen Wanchao had been receiving treatment there for many years. 

In the brief moment of surprise, Zhou Hui had already come to the passenger side and opened the car door for Shen Wanchao. 

Shen Wanchao wouldn’t have minded such details before, but now, with his changed status and because of what happened last night, he noticed Zhou Hui’s thoughtfulness in every gesture. 

Was he like this to everyone? 

Shen Wanchao’s heart dropped. 

The two entered the hospital, and a nurse greeted them, saying they would be taken for tests first, and then they could see the doctor after the results were available. 

Shen Wanchao was taken to have his blood drawn, while Zhou Hui waited aside. A moment later, a person in a white coat, with an outstanding demeanor, walked over. 

The man was their friend, Qi Xiao. Broad-shouldered and with straight legs, he was tall and slender. His white lab coat was open, and he moved languidly, yawning as he walked. His hair was disheveled, as if he had just woken up. 

Zhou Hui took two steps forward, and only when they were closer did it become clear that Qi Xiao was only a head shorter than him. As an Omega, Qi Xiao’s height was exceptional. 

Zhou Hui pointed at his chest and said, “White coat unbuttoned? Do you think this is a catwalk?” 

Qi Xiao rolled his eyes: “I’m the director, the highest-ranking person here. Who dares to criticize me?” 

“Deputy Director,” Zhou Hui added coldly. 

Qi Xiao’s eye twitched: “Say one more word and I’ll kick you out!” 

Okay, since he needed something from him, Zhou Hui decided to call it a day. 

Qi Xiao glanced at Shen Wanchao in the examination room, yawned, and said, “It’s just a fever, is it really necessary to come all the way here?” 

Zhou Hui remained expressionless: “I want to add an extra test, DNA.” 

Qi Xiao’s expression finally became a little serious, but quickly turned playful again: “Oh? Is that your illegitimate child inside?” 

Zhou Hui glanced at him and solemnly declared: “Don’t talk nonsense. I adhere to Omega ethics and won’t even look at other Omegas twice when I’m out. Except for you. Every time I look at you, I hope my gaze can kill you.” 

Qi Xiao chuckled: “I’m an Omega after all. It’s embarrassing for you to keep looking at me. What if Xiao Wan finds out? I’ll go and tell him.” 

It was just a joke; Qi Xiao was always this unreliable. But Zhou Hui suddenly lost his joking mood, sighed, and said, “Whatever.” 

Feeling that his friend’s mood wasn’t quite right, Qi Xiao pouted and stopped teasing. 

After a moment of silence, Zhou Hui spoke again: “It’s not about checking my DNA, it’s about checking his and Xiao Wan’s.” 

Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow while carefully looking at the person in the room through the glass. Suddenly, as if he had realized something, he exclaimed, “He’s Xiao Wan’s illegitimate child? No wonder he looks so much like him! Wait a minute, how could Xiao Wan have gotten pregnant without any of us knowing? Or maybe they were switched at birth? Ah! Could it be him and another Omega… After all, the probability of pregnancy between Omegas isn’t zero…” 

Qi Xiao looked like he’d stumbled upon some shocking gossip, and he covered his mouth in surprise. 

Zhou Hui: “…” 

This guy becoming a doctor is a huge loss to the screenwriting industry. 

Checking DNA was nothing serious, so Qi Xiao naturally agreed. 

Soon, the other test results came back, and Zhou Hui took Shen Wanchao to Qi Xiao’s office. 

When Shen Wanchao saw Qi Xiao, he glanced at him again. 

Qi Xiao keenly caught his gaze and smiled gently like he would at a child: “Little friend, do you think this brother is handsome?” 

Shen Wanchao: “…” 

Better not look. 

He silently lowered his head. 

“These tiles are so white!” 

Zhou Hui slapped the examination report onto Qi Xiao’s face, forcibly turning his head to look straight. “Dr. Qi, please look at the report.” 

Qi Xiao groaned, “Ouch! This is medical malpractice! I’ll call security if you’re not careful.” 

Zhou Hui: “…” 

Shen Wanchao: Hey, there’s a crack in this tile! 

No one paid any attention to Dr. Qi’s performance. 

Jokes aside, Qi Xiao was quite serious when looking at the report. 

In less than half a minute, Qi Xiao gave a preliminary diagnosis: “The fever is because his first heat is approaching.” 

The room fell silent. 

Zhou Hui glanced down at Shen Wanchao sitting in the chair.

Shen Wanchao, on the other hand, was caught off guard by the term “first heat.” 

“18 years old, that’s about right.” Qi Xiao was oblivious to the change in the atmosphere in the room and continued, “Don’t worry about it, the fever will break on its own within 24 hours. Afterwards, just make sure to keep warm, avoid getting chilled, and don’t do strenuous exercise.” 

He paused, glanced at Zhou Hui, and said meaningfully, “Also, don’t get too close to Alphas.” 

After the initial surprise subsided, Shen Wanchao was still a little incredulous. Even though he had seen his face return to its 18-year-old form in the mirror that day, it still didn’t have the same impact as the words “first heat” that he was experiencing now.

At this moment, Shen Wanchao felt a more tangible sense of reality. He knew that he was truly back to being 18. 

He couldn’t help but touch the glands on the side of his neck. 

His first heat was also in the summer of his 18th year. 

It was a perfectly normal physiological change, yet the overlapping timing gave Shen Wanchao the feeling that he was about to relive everything that happened when he was 18. 

This feeling made him uncomfortable. 

A warm hand pressed on Shen Wanchao’s shoulder, abruptly bringing him back to reality. 

Shen Wanchao looked up along the arm and saw Zhou Hui, now 37 years old. The calm that comes with age, unaffected by outside storms, was evident in his eyes.

Shen Wanchao saw his own reflection in those eyes, and his heart suddenly calmed. 

It was alright. Even if he really had to relive it all, he wasn’t a true 18-year-old; he wouldn’t be hurt by such trivial matters again. 

“Hey, hey, hey.” Qi Xiao tapped the table, interrupting their tender exchange. “Did you hear what I said? This period is crucial. Don’t catch a cold, don’t get injured, and don’t do anything you shouldn’t. Otherwise, if your glands are damaged, it will affect your future life and fertility, and you’ll have a lot to cry about.” 

Shen Wanchao suddenly realized something from his words and couldn’t wait to ask, “If I take good care of myself, my glands won’t be damaged?” 

Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow: “Of course.”

Shen Wanchao couldn’t hide his excitement. No one understood the inconvenience caused by damaged glands better than him: difficulty conceiving, irregular heat cycles, frequent headaches and dizziness, and getting a fever and illness from the slightest chill… 

Other things could be overcome, but the most troublesome thing was the irregular heat cycles. A normal Omega’s heat cycle usually occurred every three to four months. They lasted three to seven days each time, and varied from person to person but very regular. His heat cycles were sometimes less than once a month, sometimes lasting a whole year without any desire. They would sometimes last a day or two, sometimes intermittently for more than half a month. The most annoying thing was that he would think it was over, only to have it return the next day when he went to work, which was frustrating.

Shen Wanchao even considered removing his glands altogether, but this was no minor surgery. He couldn’t take several months off to recuperate at home, and various complex factors would not only potentially harm Shen Wanchao’s own health but would also inevitably affect Zhou Hui. Doctors, including Qi Xiao, dared not perform the surgery, so they had to abandon the idea. 

His physical condition returning to that of an 18-year-old actually gave him a chance to recover. How could he not be happy? 

“Alright,” Qi Xiao gestured with his chin towards Zhou Hui, “The family can leave now. I’ll have a private chat with the patient.” 

Zhou Hui reluctantly left the examination room. 

As soon as the door closed, Qi Xiao told Shen Wanchao, “Zhou Hui is getting suspicious.” 

Still immersed in excitement, Shen Wanchao regained his senses, but he didn’t look surprised. He calmly nodded, “It would be strange if he wasn’t suspicious.” 

After all, he looked exactly the same as he had twenty years ago. 

“He wants to check your DNA, do you want me to help you deal with it?” Qi Xiao asked. 

Shen Wanchao gave him a grateful smile, “Please.” 

Zhou Hui’s purpose in bringing him here for treatment wasn’t pure, but what he didn’t expect was that Sen Wanchao had gone to see Qi Xiao the day after he returned to his 18-year-old self to ask him to give him a full physical examination. 

In other words, Qi Xiao was on his side. 

At first, Qi Xiao was extremely surprised by his rejuvenation, and then he treated him as a rare experimental subject, vowing to find out the reason for his rejuvenation. 

Shen Wanchao was also curious about why he had suddenly become young, but he wasn’t a professional, and more concerned about whether his body would be affected than exploring the reason. 

After confirming with Qi Xiao that all his physical indicators were normal, Shen Wanchao finally felt relieved and continued with what he needed to do. 

“But how come you’re with Zhou Hui again?” Qi Xiao placed his chin on his hand and asked

Shen Wanchao’s face darkened. “Watch your words. I’m still a high school student, Uncle Qi.” 

Qi Xiao was annoyed by being called “uncle,” pinched his cheek, and said through gritted teeth, “What I mean is, you’ve regained your youth, are you planning to hang yourself on that crooked tree of Zhou Hui?” 

“Look at you now, full of youthful vigor, the mark is gone, the new identity is all set, you can just leave without even getting a divorce! It’s so carefree!” Qi Xiao became more and more excited as he spoke. 

Shen Wanchao shook his head: “How could I just leave? Xiao Chen is still in school.” 

“That brat is simple.” Qi Xiao shrugged, “Make him transfer schools and take him away.” 

Shen Wanchao paused, he wanted to retort: “He’s already in his second year of high school, a sudden transfer might affect his grades.” 

“With your family’s financial situation, do you still care about Xiao Chen’s college entrance exam scores?” Qi Xiao said. 

“But I’m a high school student myself now.” Shen Wanchao argued again. 

“Isn’t Tao Yan taking care of you? Besides, if he’s not good enough, there’s still me.” Qi Xiao retorted again. 

Shen Wanchao couldn’t find a way to argue for a moment, but his face clearly showed his disapproval. 

A glint flashed in Qi Xiao’s eyes: “You don’t plan to break up with Zhou Hui, am I right?” 

Shen Wanchao sighed: “You’re right, I haven’t thought about it yet.” 

Qi Xiao pinched his brow. He wished he could slap him awake: “Please, he cheated on you…” 

Shen Wanchao pursed his lips and shut his mouth. 

Seeing the atmosphere turn somber, Qi Xiao helplessly rubbed his shoulders and finally backed down, “It’s not right to just walk away. At least you should get the money you’re owed. Okay, I won’t try to persuade you anymore. Think it over carefully.” 

Shen Wanchao forced a smile: “I know you’re doing this for my own good.” 

“I’m not doing this for your own good,” Qi Xiao poked his forehead. “I’m waiting for you, little bird, to leave that crooked tree and run into my warm embrace. For you, I’m still single.” 

This time, Shen Wanchao was genuinely amused. He stood up and lifted Qi Xiao’s chin: “I’ll let you know first after the divorce.” 

“You said it, I will remember it!” 

Shen Wanchao knew Qi Xiao was just trying to make him happy. Everyone knew he was single in name only, but in reality, he was never short of someone in his bed. 

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shen Wanchao came out of the consultation room but didn’t see Zhou Hui. 

He took out his phone and found that Zhou Hui had sent him a message saying he had something to do and had gone out first. 

So Shen Wanchao walked out of the hospital and found where he had parked. 

Before even getting close, Shen Wanchao saw Zhou Hui standing by the car with another person. 

The two were talking, both looking serious. Shen Wanchao couldn’t hear their conversation because he was too far. 

After recognizing the other person, Shen Wanchao unconsciously stopped. 

However, the bespectacled, handsome man looked up and noticed Shen Wanchao. Zhou Hui, following the man’s gaze, also looked over. 

Now that he’d been discovered, Shen Wanchao had no choice but to walk over.

Zhou Hui went up to him and asked, “Are you leaving already? What did the doctor say?” 

Shen Wanchao simply replied, “Nothing.” 

Between these two sentences, the other person also stepped forward and introduced himself to Shen Wanchao: 

“Hello, my name is Han Zhen, I’m President Zhou’s secretary.”