TIMO - Chapter 76

Chapter 76

It was a statement as direct as could be.

Even if Fu Zhao hadn’t understood before, she had to understand now.

The words seemed to drift in on the wind, tickling the heart that was floating in mid-air.

Then, countless flowers exploded upon her heart, their soft, fluttering petals settling deep inside her.

Her mind was a mess, but her heart was filled with joy.

She knew with perfect clarity what she should say in response, but as the words reached her lips, the flower petals that had exploded in her heart seemed to have reached them too.

And so, she stood frozen, blankly uttering a single sentence,

“Are you... proposing to me right now?”

Groups of people gathered and dispersed around them, coming and going, passing them by.

A gentle breeze swept past, the crowd surged, and all the surrounding sounds seemed to quiet down. The air, tinged with a faint fragrance, held nothing but Shi Nan.

“Proposing…”

Shi Nan repeated the word, gazing at her steadily, the corners of her brows curving down. “I suppose you could call it that.”

“What I mean is, I’m ready to be your wife at any time. Of course, you can also refuse me. After all, I know this is all happening a bit too fast.”

“I just…” She smoothed her wind-tousled hair, nodded toward Shen Caiwei who had already gotten in the car, and lightly bit her lower lip. “I heard today that Shen Caiwei also got married, and the thought just suddenly came to me. You don’t have to overthink it.”

Fu Zhao lowered her lashes, her hands in her pockets. “I’m not overthinking it.”

“I’m just… not ready for that yet.”

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to marry you. It’s just that everything is happening so fast it feels a little unreal. It’s like we got together in the blink of an eye, and in another blink, everyone around us is talking about us getting married…”

“It’s all happening so naturally… I’m a little scared.”

In that instant, she suddenly realized that the regrets of her past life all seemed to be getting rectified. This should have been a good thing, yet a voice deep inside her kept reminding her that things weren’t supposed to go this smoothly.

Was it because of the shadow of her past life?

Fu Zhao thought in a daze.

“Scared of what?”

Shi Nan let go of the suitcase and stepped closer. Her gaze met Fu Zhao’s as she gently hugged her.

Warmth spread from her waist, a hot palm pressed against her side. From this angle, she could see Shi Nan’s fluffy, natural hair and her fair ears, tinged with pink.

A simple hug, yet more effective than any words of comfort.

Fu Zhao wrapped her arms around Shi Nan and, mimicking Shen Caiwei’s earlier gesture, nuzzled against Shi Nan’s shoulder. The comfortable sensation eased much of the anxiety that had suddenly surged up. Her voice softened considerably.

“It’s nothing.”

“I guess it’s a common psychological thing. When everything is going your way, you can’t help but be afraid that it will all come to an abrupt halt, that it will all disappear in a single moment.”

“I’m probably just overthinking it.”

Shi Nan stirred in her arms, the hand on her waist tightening. Her voice was scattered by the surrounding wind. “If you’re afraid that this is all happening too fast, then we’ll slow down.”

“I’m a very patient person.” She gently patted Fu Zhao’s back. “Even if it’s a year or two, or three years or ten, I can wait.”

“As long as I know what’s in your heart, the minor details don’t matter.”

“We have all the time in the world, anyway.”

Fu Zhao listened quietly to her words, the unease in her heart greatly soothed. She banished the complicated thoughts from her mind and rubbed her chin against Shi Nan’s shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“But let’s not wait a year or two, or three or ten. That feels too long for me, too. Maybe, just as Kong Weiyan said, we don’t need to get tangled up in so many twists and turns. Entering a state of blissful happiness early is also a good thing.”

“Once you start overthinking other things, it becomes too much of a waste of time.”

Warmth, mixed with a soft, long breath, curled by her ear, and a gentle voice floated up.

“Then let’s not waste any more time.”

“Let’s start with that book. You need to speed up your studies.”

The hug instantly stiffened.

What a way to ruin the mood. It was all Kong Weiyan’s fault.

Fu Zhao pressed her lips together and released Shi Nan, thinking that she would have to call Kong Weiyan later and warn her not to do this kind of thing again. She maintained a calm and composed expression and changed the subject.

“Let’s go. It’s time to head back.”

“What’s wrong?” Shi Nan asked, feigning ignorance, even squeezing Fu Zhao’s fingertips. “Isn’t this something you’re supposed to be prepared for? I’m just worried that when the time comes, you won’t know how…”

Fu Zhao fell silent, just turning back to look at Shi Nan quietly, the tips of her ears flushing red, as always.

Shi Nan sighed softly, leaned in closer to Fu Zhao, and pinched her cheek. “If you don’t want to study it, then don’t.”

“Then let’s go back first-”

She tugged on Fu Zhao, about to leave, but was pulled back the next second. She met a pair of clear, amber eyes, followed by a fair face flushing crimson, and a stammered voice.

“I’ll study it.”

Now it was Shi Nan’s turn to be stunned. When she came to her senses, she let out a “pfft” of laughter, but managed to stifle it when she met Fu Zhao’s earnest “puppy-dog eyes.”

She thought for a moment, an idea suddenly popping into her head. She raised a hand to ruffle Fu Zhao’s hair, smoothing the puppy’s fur, and her words were not the least bit perfunctory.

“Okay, okay, we’ll study it.”

And so, during those three days on RT Planet, Kong Weiyan, having heard from Shi Nan that Fu Zhao planned to study seriously, sent over a digital version.

And so, Fu Zhao had no choice but to bite the bullet and start studying.

In any case, she had nothing to do while she was alone on RT Planet. Shi Nan had to work during the day and would only come back in the evening.

It was the perfect time to take a look.

Back when she had just differentiated into an Alpha, she had only skimmed through the section on “knowledge of the three dynamics,” focused only on learning to control her pheromones so she could go out and see Shi Nan.

So she hadn’t studied it very seriously.

This was the kind of knowledge one was supposed to learn in high school.

Unfortunately… back then, her mind was filled with the thought that Betas shouldn’t have to learn these things, so she hadn’t paid much attention.

In summary, she ought to study up-for whatever reason.

Fu Zhao mentally prepared herself, sat down in the courtyard of Shi Nan’s villa, and took a light breath to calm herself before swiping to the first page.

Chapter 1: Temporary Marking and Permanent Marking.

Temporary marking is a transient mark. After the injection of Alpha pheromones, the temporary mark within the Omega’s gland will disappear over time. A permanent mark is irreversible, unless the Omega undergoes a medical procedure to remove the gland, but gland removal has irreversible side effects on an Omega’s body.

Both marking methods have a mitigating effect on an Alpha’s susceptibility period and an Omega’s heat.

…

Completely different from its sensational title, the book’s contents were purely theoretical text. This made Fu Zhao breathe a sigh of relief, and she felt inclined to continue reading.

Learning some necessary physiological knowledge was, after all, useful.

For example, this temporary marking and permanent marking.

The difference was huge.

She still needed to figure out the bigger difference between temporary and permanent marking-the practical difference.

With that in mind, she turned to the second page. But before she could continue reading in peace, the doorbell rang, interrupting her train of thought.

Fu Zhao locked the tablet and checked the monitor-the blonde Shen Caiwei stood outside the door, beaming, enthusiastically waving both hands.

“Fu Zhao! I came to hang out with you.”

Shen Caiwei?

Why would she come looking for her?

Although Fu Zhao was puzzled, she still put down the tablet, opened the door, and walked out. “You came to hang out with me?”

“What’s there for the two of us to do for fun?”

Shen Caiwei casually slung an arm around her shoulder and said with a grin, “I figured Shi Nan is busy every day, and I was worried you’d be bored all by yourself, so I thought I’d show you around.”

“Aren’t you busy?” Fu Zhao asked offhandedly. Clearly, being a double-award winning actress should be the busiest profession. How could she have time to take her out?

Shen Caiwei waved her hand lazily, her tone relaxed. “Ever since I got married, I haven’t taken any roles. I’m basically in a state of semi-retirement, so I have plenty of time.”

“Semi-retirement?”

Fu Zhao was taken aback. She had never paid much attention to Shen Caiwei’s affairs and was surprised to learn that after getting married, Shen Caiwei had chosen to semi-retire.

“Then what do you do every day?”

Shen Caiwei looked up at her and cleared her throat. “Of course I spend time with my wife. Wherever she goes, I go…”

“Oh, right, you and Shi Nan aren’t married yet.” Shen Caiwei had another realization and added on her own, “So you might not know this yet, but an Omega who has been permanently marked finds it very difficult to be away from their Alpha for long, whether it’s during their frequent heats or just in general…”

“When they’re by their Alpha’s side, an Omega feels more secure. It’s the same for Alphas-they just want to be all clingy with their Omega every day, stuck together.”

“After a permanent marking, the AO pheromones fuse, which enhances their mutual dependency. Many married AOs become anxious and restless if they’re separated, and can even experience uncontrolled susceptibility periods and heats.”

“So to avoid that kind of situation, I don’t travel around for long periods to attend interstellar events anymore. Usually, when I go out, it’s only for two or three days…”

As Shen Caiwei spoke, Fu Zhao’s steps halted. She froze in place, looking at Shen Caiwei with a deep frown.

Shen Caiwei grew flustered under her gaze and pulled her arm back. “What’s wrong?”

Fu Zhao was silent for a moment, then shook her head lightly. “It’s nothing.”

“Really?” Shen Caiwei asked suspiciously. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly realized what Fu Zhao might be struggling with. She thought it over and decided to keep her mouth shut. After all, it was the young couple’s business. If she meddled, she’d be the one in the wrong.

So, she decisively changed the subject. “By the way, there’s a really nice tavern up ahead. My treat for drinks and dinner~~”

Fu Zhao was still in a daze. When she heard Shen Caiwei mention “drinks,” she snapped back to reality, only to find a car had already stopped in front of her, and Shen Caiwei was even holding the door open for her.

She immediately waved her hands and turned to go back. “No thanks, I don’t drink, and I haven’t even changed my clothes…”

“Oh, it’s fine-”

Shen Caiwei enthusiastically pulled Fu Zhao into the car and lifted her chin. “It’s not some formal place. We’re just going for a meal. What you’re wearing is perfectly fine.”

“It’s okay if you don’t drink, either. We can just eat.”

With Shen Caiwei having said all that, and with Fu Zhao already pulled into the car, the word “no” that was on the tip of her tongue could no longer be spoken. She quickly sorted through the thoughts drifting in her mind and nodded lightly.

“Alright then, let’s go. I’ll give Shi Nan a call to let her know.”

“Woohoo!!” Shen Caiwei started the car, her eyebrows raised. “From now on, if anyone says I’m scared of my wife, I’ll tell them there’s someone in this world even more scared of their wife than I am.”

Fu Zhao was momentarily speechless, but she still silently called Shi Nan, ignoring Shen Caiwei’s winks and nudges from the driver’s seat.

She wasn’t scared of her wife.

It was just respect.

After all, when you go out, it’s only polite to let someone know where you’re going.

The place Shen Caiwei mentioned was indeed very quiet. They found a secluded corner where they could enjoy the view from the window, and they were mostly left undisturbed.

“See, I told you the atmosphere was good and the food was delicious. I used to come here often.” Shen Caiwei picked up the tablet on the table and ordered a few dishes. “I’ll order a few of their signature dishes for you to try. Is there anything you absolutely can’t eat?”

Fu Zhao looked around at the surroundings while shaking her head. “I don’t really have any dietary restrictions.”

“Oh, right…” She pursed her lips, her words tinged with a bit of embarrassment. “Nothing raw, cold, or spicy.”

“Huh?” Shen Caiwei was stunned for a few seconds before asking, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Are you sick? Should I not have brought you out to eat?” she muttered to herself. “What if something happens from the food? Wouldn’t Shi Nan skin me alive?”

“No,” Fu Zhao quickly denied, picking up her glass and taking a sip of water. “The doctor said my first susceptibility period is expected this month, so she told me to avoid raw, cold, and spicy foods, or else I might experience uncomfortable preliminary symptoms.”

Shen Caiwei nodded, staring at Fu Zhao with wide eyes for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.

Fu Zhao felt a little uncomfortable being stared at like that. She put down her glass, met Shen Caiwei’s gaze, and after a moment of hesitation, said resignedly, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Shen Caiwei quickly denied, waving her hands, yet she joked as if making casual conversation, “I just find it novel. After all, you don’t see many Alphas this old who haven’t experienced a susceptibility period.”

“And Alphas like you, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, are also a rare sight.”

Fu Zhao felt a little flustered under Shen Caiwei’s curious gaze. She paused, and just as she was about to say something, a gentle, deep male voice reached her ears.

“An Alpha who was supposed to have a delayed differentiation, but was influenced by other factors to differentiate early…”

“That’s also a rare sight.”

She followed the voice and saw a tall, slender male Alpha sitting at the table diagonally across from them. He had delicate features, and the soft bangs of his short hair rested on his forehead. He wore a gray hoodie under a suit jacket, giving him a gentle temperament, and he looked quite young.

The man in front of her must have been the one who just spoke, but how did he know about her situation?

The thought had barely formed in Fu Zhao’s mind, and before she could ask, Shen Caiwei cried out in surprise, providing the answer to her question.

“Sheng Yun, what are you doing here?”

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