"What holds you back from showing that side of you, Bai Tingfeng?"
Bai Tingfeng avoided Shen Yuan's gaze, "Shen Yuan, please stop it."
"Fine, I will not force you to divulge whatever you keep from me. You are not obligated to do so since we are spouses on paper. But I need you to know that there will come a time when you use that ugly and unkind side of yours. What happened earlier was a very close call. You and I both know that. What do you think if those terrorists reached the shopping center and that hooded maggot did what he promised, using the civilians as his meat shield while holding Yanyan hostage and taking all—"
"Shen Yuan, I already get your point. Just forget whatever I asked you, and know that I will support whatever your decision is about the offer to join the Hunter Association. Good night," Bai Tingfeng snappily stood up from the bed and walked out the door. However, before he could reach the knob, Shen Yuan stopped him with his outstretched hands.
"Are you willing to cut the wrist of the stranger to free from the grasp of that bastard and then jump forward to save Yanyan?"
"Shen Yuan!" Bai Tingfeng whispered-slash-shouted at the omega. "I can't understand! Why are you so adamant about this topic? Yanyan was safe, and that is the most important thing!"
"Because the thought of losing Yanyan scares me!" Those words just came out of Shen Yuan's mouth for some reason. It was weird to some extent that he felt so attached to the child when, in reality, he wasn't his fox spirit cub. Calling and treating the kid like it was his own felt so right.
Shen Yuan's sight flowed to the wide California king bed where Bai Shengyan was sleeping, and because of this simple action, the alpha before him also looked at the child.
One alpha and omega are the perfect image of loving parents; the two didn't know that. If there is something that Bai Tingfeng and Shen Yuan agreed at this warring stage of their relationship, then it is their mutual wish to keep the five-year-old safe.
"Just imagine what will happen if we lose. The two of us will be riddled with regrets. I will regret the years I didn't spend time with Yanyan. And you, you will regret for failing to save our little boy. The efforts you exerted as a father will all amount to nothing once we lost-"
Bai Tingfeng's eyes redden, and mists started to cloud his vision. If anger was the prevailing emotion he had earlier, then now, that is no longer the case. It was a mesh of all sorts of heartbreaking emotions.
He looked at the omega, and for the first time, he saw the excruciating pain reflected in his eyes. Bai Tingfeng knew because of the incident that Shen Yuan really loved their son. There is no use in comparing his love with Shen Yuan's because they only want what is best for their child. Therefore, he could imagine how painful it must be to voice out the unspeakable fate of their son if they are only a second late.
"Shen Yuan, stop saying those words. You are also hurting yourself if you continue."
But no one could stop the omega. Shen Yuan just shook his head and carried on in a way that seemed he didn't notice the tears cascading down his cheeks.
Shen Yuan, the celestial fox spirit, was lost in his own supposed trap to wake up the sleeping dark side of Bai Tingfeng. The emotions simply came rushing to him. He just kept on uttering the words that he didn't know if they made any sense. All he knows is that it was so painful in his chest that he felt scared for the first time.
This is the first time that he felt so human.
"With no one to blame. We will turn each other and subject each other to hate that won't leave us even until we die. And then we—"
Shen Yuan was then silenced by something warm and soft on his lips. The familiar lavender scent assaulted his nostrils, paralyzing his mind and making his world come to a full stop.
Not knowing what to do, he blinked his eyes to remove the obstructing tears in his eyes. And there he saw the handsome man's eyes shut, flexing his long and perfectly curved eyelashes.
"Bai Tingfeng's face was too close! Just what on earth is happening." he was panicking by instinct. Of course, he knew what was going on. It's just that the wisdom he fostered for thousands of years as a fox spirit flew out to the gutter by this sudden kiss.
Bai Tingfeng moved his lips like it was the most natural thing to do. It was dizzying and maddening, yet it was the most satisfying thing he ever felt.
Shen Yuan felt his knees weakening by the minute, so he did the most courageous thing he could do today.
He gathered the last string of strength in his arms and pushed the alpha male away from him.
His legs wobbled, but thankfully or not, Bai Tingfeng held him on the arm to stabilize himself.
"Are you okay?" asked the handsome Bai Tingfeng. His cheeks were stained with red blush, and he was partially gasping.
Shen Yuan looked at the man with utter disbelief. "What the hell was that? You ask me if I am okay as if this is just casual. Are you serious?! What do you think you just did? Standing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"
Now that everything has calmed down, Bai Tingfeng looks like he was also shocked at the sudden turn of events. "I- Your emotion is getting uncontrollable, and you seem so out of it, so to wake you up, I used my pheromones and my…"
Bai Tingfeng saw the unimpressed look on Shen Yuan's face, so he immediately closed his mouth to think of a more acceptable reason for his actions, although what he first said was really the main reason he suddenly kissed Shen Yuan.
"And I am also afraid you will wake up Yanyan if you continue crying loudly."
Little did Bai Tingfeng know Shen Yuan already accepted his first reason. He could easily let it go and forget the accident if he let the matter end with his awkward reasoning. However, the last reason he made up pushed him to the edge of danger by unwittingly triggering the word "crybaby" on Shen Yuan.
He really should be careful when dealing with the flustered fox spirit and that is the lesson he will continue to learn as he deals with Shen Yuan from now on.
"Oh, is that it?" Shen Yuan smiled evilly, revealing the dimple on his right cheek. The sides of his eyes, cheeks, and lips are still cherry red, giving him the slight illusion of a terrifying clown abomination. "You really are the father of the year, huh? Then You will never make a sound from now on, okay?"
"What are you planning, Shen Yuan," Bai Tingfeng asked, nervous of what is playing in the omega's mind.
And after that question, the smile vanished into the thin air.
Pak!
Shen Yuan's palm suddenly hit Bai Tingfeng's biceps. "You should learn by now that you must never be merciful to your enemy! Goddamn it! If Haichong can no longer teach you that, let me engrave it to your muscles until you know it by heart! Ha!"
Pak!
The muffled sounds of flesh clashing were barely heard in the master's bedroom for quite a while. Thankfully, Yanyan was tired the entire day. He slept uninterrupted and was ignorant of what happened between his parents.