Chapter 21
When Jiang Li finally stepped out of the shower, the warmth from the water still clung faintly to his skin.
The guest room carried the scent of damp lavender from the body wash, mixed with the cool sweetness of his rose-and-snow pheromones. The steam from the shower had opened his pores, causing the scent to trail softly through the ensuite bathroom and into the room beyond, leaving the entire space smelling faintly of him.
His gaze drifted toward the neatly folded clothes resting on the bed.
They were from Shen Yu.
A loose T-shirt and a pair of dark sweatpants.
For a moment, Jiang Li simply stared at them before a quiet smile slowly curved onto his lips. Kneeling beside the bed, he lifted the shirt slightly and buried his face against the fabric, inhaling softly.
Most of the scent had been washed away by detergent, clean and plain, but beneath it lingered the faintest trace of whiskey and rosewood. Just enough to prove that Shen Yu had once worn them.
That alone made Jiang Li's chest tighten strangely.
After changing into the shirt, he realized almost immediately that it was far too large for him. The soft fabric swallowed his slender frame entirely, the hem brushing against the middle of his thighs.
He looked down at the sweatpants afterward, then at his own waist.
A long silence followed.
With narrowed eyes, Jiang Li held the waistband against himself before quietly deciding there was no possible way they would stay up.
In the end, he abandoned the idea completely and left the room wearing only the oversized shirt.
The moment he stepped downstairs, warmth greeted him.
Not just from the heater humming softly through the penthouse, but from the rich scent of freshly cooked noodles drifting through the air. Outside, rain continued pouring heavily against the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sound muted but steady, while the coldness of approaching winter remained trapped beyond the glass.
For the first time that night, Jiang Li felt something loosen inside him.
It almost felt like home.
Though he knew better than to believe that it truly was.
Drawn by the scent of spices and broth, he followed the warmth into the kitchen.
And there, standing beneath the soft lighting, was Shen Yu.
The Alpha was chopping spring onions calmly while wearing a simple black T-shirt nearly identical to the one Jiang Li had on. His dark hair was still slightly damp from his own shower, and a white towel rested loosely around his neck.
At the faint sound of footsteps, Shen Yu lifted his gaze.
Those deep, dark eyes settled onto Jiang Li instantly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Jiang Li suddenly became painfully aware of the way Shen Yu was looking at him. It no longer felt like casual observation. The man's gaze moved over him slowly, deliberately, as though he were trying to see through every carefully hidden layer beneath the surface.
The intensity of it made Jiang Li's skin heat almost immediately.
He bit lightly against his lower lip, doing everything possible to stop himself from blushing under that stare.
Several tense seconds passed before Shen Yu finally spoke.
"Did the sweatpants not fit you?"
His voice was low and steady, but to Jiang Li, it felt dangerously unfair.
The sound alone made something inside him tremble—not fear, but something far more embarrassing.
Need.
Years ago, if someone had told Jiang Li he would react this way to another person's voice, he would have laughed without hesitation. Yet now, standing in Shen Yu's kitchen beneath that unwavering gaze, he felt something warm and aching bloom inside his chest so strongly it rivaled instinct itself.
For the first time since presenting as an omega, Jiang Li felt painfully, undeniably normal.
Afraid his voice would betray too much if he answered properly, he merely hummed softly before sitting on one of the high stools beside the counter.
And quietly watched Shen Yu cook.
The domesticity of the scene struck him harder than expected.
It was such a simple thing, yet it made his chest ache unbearably. Part of him wanted to preserve this exact moment forever because deep down, Jiang Li knew he might never experience something like this again.
Not with Shen Yu.
Not like this.
Taking a slow breath, he looked up again just as Shen Yu began placing the noodles into bowls.
"Can I sketch you?" Jiang Li asked quietly.
The question made Shen Yu pause.
For several seconds, the Alpha simply stared at him before letting out a faint sigh. To Jiang Li's surprise, he eventually nodded.
Then he gestured toward the office upstairs.
The excitement that rushed through Jiang Li afterward was immediate enough that he forgot entirely about maintaining composure. He hurried upstairs, too focused on finding his sketchbook to pay attention to anything else in the penthouse.
Less than two minutes later, he returned.
By then, Shen Yu had already cleaned the kitchen counter and set out two bowls of steaming noodles alongside chopsticks.
Jiang Li sat down quickly and immediately began sketching while Shen Yu ate across from him.
And he realized, quietly, that he had never felt happier.
Outwardly, he remained calm and focused, his honey-brown eyes fixed carefully on the lines he was drawing. But inside, his heart beat so violently it almost hurt.
Ever since presenting as an omega, Jiang Li had struggled with eating properly. Whether it was rice, noodles, or anything else, he could rarely finish more than half a meal before losing his appetite entirely.
That was one of the reasons he remained so slender even at twenty-three.
Yet somehow, tonight was different.
Before he realized it, his bowl was empty.
Completely empty.
And embarrassingly enough, part of the reason was because he couldn't stop staring at Shen Yu.
Everything about the Alpha seemed unfairly perfect—even the simple act of eating.
Well… almost everything.
Jiang Li's heavy-lidded gaze lifted toward Shen Yu's slightly messy hair, still damp and falling carelessly over his forehead.
Not entirely perfect.
But somehow, that imperfection only made him more endearing.
The thought lingered warmly in Jiang Li's mind right up until exhaustion suddenly crashed over him without warning.
His vision blurred slowly, darkness creeping at the corners as sleep pulled him under. By the time his head lowered against the kitchen counter, his fingers were still loosely holding the pen.
Beside him sat an empty bowl of noodles.
Across the counter, Shen Yu frowned slightly as he noticed the omega's breathing gradually even out.
When he looked up properly and realized Jiang Li had fallen asleep, something unfamiliar settled quietly in his chest.
Today had been filled with strange moments.
Too many strange moments.
And the worst part was that Shen Yu could no longer deny how deeply those moments affected him.
The sight before him should have been ordinary.
An omega sleeping at his counter.
An unfinished sketch lying nearby.
Messy blond hair falling over closed eyes.
Slightly parted lips resting against folded arms because the surface beneath him was uncomfortable.
None of it should have mattered.
Yet warmth spread slowly through Shen Yu's chest as he looked at Jiang Li sleeping there peacefully.
It wasn't overwhelming.
Just… warm.
Like the quiet satisfaction of caring for something delicate and watching it relax completely within your presence.
Shen Yu exhaled softly and pushed a hand through his damp hair before standing.
Carefully, he lifted Jiang Li into his arms.
One hand supported the omega beneath his knees while the other rested against his back, bringing Jiang Li close enough for his pheromones to drift directly beneath Shen Yu's nose.
Rose kissed by winter.
The scent wrapped around him instantly.
Shen Yu's eyes darkened faintly before he shut them for a brief second and inhaled slowly, steadying himself.
Then he carried Jiang Li upstairs.
After placing him carefully onto the guest bed, Shen Yu pulled the blankets over him and stood there quietly for a moment longer than necessary.
His gaze eventually drifted toward the sleeping omega's face.
And despite himself, Shen Yu laughed softly under his breath.
Jiang Li truly was strange.
Or perhaps unpredictable was the better word.
Sometimes he was shy and easily flustered, blushing over the smallest things. Other times he became quiet, unreadable, and obedient to the point of seeming like a completely different person altogether.
And yet tonight, there had been something else.
Another side Shen Yu still couldn't fully understand.
It almost felt as though Jiang Li possessed different versions of himself for different situations—a ridiculous thought, and yet Shen Yu couldn't dismiss it entirely.
Because every version felt real.
And that was exactly what made him curious.
Were they all masks?
Or were all of them truly Jiang Li?