MWMM Chapter 37: Sickness, Better Left Untreated

by justmisty

That night, perhaps because the journey from Grandpa Shen’s house to the company in the morning was long and delayed him, Shen Ci arrived home quite late.

For some reason, as soon as he stepped inside, he caught a faint scent of air freshener in the air. The moment he entered, his brows furrowed slightly, and he even wondered if Yan Yuhe, who had recently recovered from a fever in his room, had come by again.

However, he hadn’t.

The living room was empty, an emptiness that felt almost stifling in its silence. Sister Song was busy in the kitchen, and when she heard the door open, she poked her head out and greeted Shen Ci with a respectful smile. “Mr. Shen, you’re back. Dinner is kept warm for you.”

Shen Ci gave a casual acknowledgment, yet his gaze swept across the entire villa, his expression showing a hint of displeasure. For quite some time, he couldn’t find any trace of that person with the scent of black tea and peach blossoms.

“Did you do a deep clean again today?” Shen Ci washed his hands, walked over to the dining table, and asked Sister Song, who was bringing out the dishes.

Sister Song nodded, offering an explanation, and winked with a teasing smile. “Yes, indeed. It was Madam who instructed us to do it. Sir, Madam is truly a hundred times thoughtful toward you.”

Shen Ci’s mood, which had been somewhat down, lifted a little at her words. However, the air was filled with the scent of air freshener, something he wasn’t exactly pleased about, so he still frowned slightly. “Has Madam eaten already?”

Sister Song replied, “She might have gotten a bit tired from the cleaning, so she ate and went back to her room.”

Shen Ci nodded to show he understood, then fell silent. As he continued eating quietly, he was already thinking of finding an excuse to go to his room and take a look at him later.

Yan Yuzhou sat alone in the corner of his room, his head lowered, remaining silent for a long time. He was still blaming himself inwardly, wondering why he hadn’t noticed Shen Ci’s abnormal state sooner. Ever since he’d entered the book’s world, how much had Shen Ci endured alone, indulging his whims and silently bearing the burden?

His vision was misty, and the painful sight of the report he’d found that morning in Shen Ci’s room kept flashing in his mind. He buried his face in his arms, sitting in the dark, not uttering a word.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Three calm, polite taps, with a steady and unhurried rhythm. Even the respectful Sister Song wouldn’t knock with such methodical precision.

It was Shen Ci.

Thinking of this, his heart began to pound wildly, accompanied by a surge of sorrow and sadness. It was as if the person standing outside was someone destined for him to eventually keep his distance from.

Perhaps not hearing the response he expected, the person outside knocked three more times. This time, the rhythm and sound carried a hint of impatience.

Yan Yuzhou knew that, in the end, he couldn’t avoid this meeting—hiding wasn’t a solution. So, he slowly got up from the corner, made his way to the door, opened it, and gathered his thoughts before meeting the pair of deep, concerned eyes waiting for him outside.

Not expecting Yan Yuzhou’s room to still be dark so early, Shen Ci frowned slightly at the doorway, hesitating a bit before asking, “Were you asleep?”

Yan Yuzhou adjusted his breathing, lifted his head, and lied, “Yes, I was asleep.”

“Was it the deep cleaning that wore you out?” Shen Ci could sense something in Yan Yuzhou’s brief reply, a slight nasal tone—as if he had a cold or had just been crying. His gaze lingered intently on Yan Yuzhou’s face, as if trying to see through his emotions.

“Mm.” Another curt response, Yan Yuzhou’s expression was distant, as if the person standing in front of him was someone irrelevant. In a cold tone, he asked, “It’s so late; do you need something?”

Shen Ci froze for a moment. He wanted to say, “I’ve been craving your scent, wanted to hold you, wanted to bite into you.” But facing Yan Yuzhou, he restrained the urge to enter the room.

After all, he could see it clearly—Yan Yuzhou’s face was full of sadness and exhaustion.

Perhaps it was because of the thorough cleaning these past few days that he truly seemed a bit worn out and exhausted.

“In the future, when no guests are coming, there’s no need for a full house cleaning,” Shen Ci said, looking at the fragile-looking young man in front of him. Unconsciously, he’d already reached the point where he was captivated solely by Yan Yuzhou’s pheromones.

Upon hearing this, a faint look of guilt crossed Yan Yuzhou’s face, as if he somewhat blamed himself. His tone carried a quiet firmness as he responded, each word landing with clarity, as though he was making a promise to both Shen Ci and himself, “Rest assured, there will never be any other omegas visiting the house in the future.”

Yes, if Yan Yuhe dared to come again, Yan Yuzhou would be the first to object. To think that Shen Ci was so uncomfortable, even hiding in his own room, refusing to come out—yet in the end, he didn’t say a single reproachful word. How much patience and grace must Mr. Shen possess, to avoid holding a grudge or arguing with someone like that?

Thinking of the sacrifices Shen Ci had made, Yan Yuzhou felt even worse. His eyes grew slightly moist as he reiterated, “Mr. Shen, I promise, there won’t be any smell in the house.”

Not even my own scent.

Shen Ci let out a light chuckle, with a hint of curiosity. “What’s going on with you today? Why are you acting so nervously?” Looking at Yan Yuzhou’s fragile and pitiful expression, an unexpected wave of tenderness washed over him. His arm instinctively lifted, as if he wanted to pat Yan Yuzhou’s head.

Unexpectedly, Yan Yuzhou dodged, moving away in one swift motion.

The atmosphere grew awkward all of a sudden.

In a flash, Shen Ci recalled the events of the previous night at his grandfather’s house. For no apparent reason, Yan Yuzhou had stood under cold water for a long time.

He had even rinsed away every trace of his own pheromone scent.

Shen Ci’s gaze darkened immediately. The corner of his mouth turned slightly downward as he pressed his lips together. Letting his arm fall back to his right side, he seemed to have grasped something.

This omega hated being close to him.

A sense of frustration filled his chest, accompanied by an inexplicable anger. Yet, when he saw Yan Yuzhou’s panicked expression, his impulse to lash out was forcefully suppressed.

Forget it; he couldn’t bring himself to blame him. Besides, their relationship had always been one bound by a mere contract.

“Mr. Shen, I’m going to sleep now.” Yan Yuzhou’s voice trembled, as if he was afraid.

Shen Ci let out a self-mocking laugh. So, once an omega’s heat was over, they no longer felt any need for the alpha who had temporarily marked them? Did it really come to the point of disgust?

Perhaps he, Shen Ci, was foolishly expecting too much from the start.

“All right. Sorry to disturb you.” His voice was once again calm and his eyes indifferent, Shen Ci looked at Yan Yuzhou’s face, filled with rejection, and felt a piercing ache somewhere in his heart.

He turned and walked away.

So, it turns out that the consequences of human emotions are clear: when they need each other, it’s exhilarating; when they pull away, it’s excruciating.

A sickness that might be better left untreated. This longing for an omega—better to be rid of it.

You can support the author on

SubscribeStar