The heat had finally eased.
Lin Yue woke slowly, the burning inside his body reduced to a dull warmth. His limbs felt weak but no longer trembling, his breath steadier than it had been all night.
Then he noticed something wrong.
Very wrong.
The fur beneath him was damp.
His ears flattened instantly.
"…No… no no no…"
The moment full awareness hit him, shame crashed down harder than the fever ever had. His face flushed deep red as he realized what had happened—his omega heat had lost control, his body reacting without his consent.
He sat up too quickly.
And froze.
Feng Lihan was lying beside him.
Close. Too close.
Bare skin, strong shoulders, relaxed posture—as if he had been there all along. The scent hit Lin Yue at the same time: deep, grounding, like ancient forest trees after rain.
Alpha.
Dominant.
That smell alone explained everything.
Lin Yue's heat had calmed faster than usual not because it ended naturally—but because his omega instincts had recognized Feng Lihan as a powerful alpha and settled under that presence.
Realization burned hotter than the fever ever had.
His eyes darted down.
The evidence was undeniable.
Lin Yue's mind blanked.
"AAAAH—!"
He screamed, clutching the fur blanket to his chest, ears standing straight up.
"You—! What did you do to me?!" he shouted, voice shaking. "You took advantage of me! You— you—!"
Feng Lihan blinked.
Then laughed.
Not cruelly. Not mockingly.
Amused.
Genuinely amused.
Lin Yue stared at him in disbelief.
"Seriously?" Feng Lihan said, resting his head on one arm. "If I had taken advantage of you, you wouldn't be able to sit up—let alone shout."
Lin Yue's face went scarlet.
"…W-What?" he stammered.
He looked away instantly, mortified. "So… so you really didn't…?"
Feng Lihan exhaled, smile fading into something calmer, steadier.
"No," he said simply. "You weren't conscious. I'm not that kind of man."
Then, after a pause, he added dryly,
"Unfortunately."
Lin Yue's brain short-circuited.
"…Unfortunately?"
Feng Lihan turned his head slightly, eyes sharp but honest. "I wanted to. But wanting isn't permission."
Lin Yue's entire face burned.
His heart pounded so hard he thought Feng Lihan could hear it.
"Oh," he whispered.
Silence fell.
Heavy. Charged. Embarrassing.
Lin Yue slowly pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "…I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I thought… something happened."
Feng Lihan sat up then, finally serious.
"You were sick," he said. "I didn't know it was a fever, your body burning i don't understand anything. But I wasn't going to leave you. That's all."
Lin Yue risked a glance at him.
feng lihan expression was calm, steady—no mockery, no judgment.
Just quiet certainty.
"…Thank you," Lin Yue murmured.
Feng Lihan snorted softly. "Next time," he said, "tell me before your body tries to burn itself alive."
Lin Yue nodded, still blushing.
"…There won't be a next time," he muttered.
Feng Lihan smiled faintly.
Somehow, neither of them believed that.