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This winter in Yaoqing City of Xianzhou province has never been as cold as the last season. This year however Yaoqing hit a bit of an extreme temperature and made its locals unavoidably prepare more basic necessities than before. This kind of winter usually affected foxians being more sensitive and right now Jiaoqiu was curled up with a warm, citrus-scented blanket in his arms. An omega like him who experienced the heat cycle on winter made him physically want to be pampered a bit more by his alpha.
Speaking of his alpha, Moze, Jiaoqiu's mate was preparing hot water to bathe the foxian omega's body after their heated overnight activities. Jiaoqiu stretched his slightly stiff body and a slight liquid flowed between his legs.
"Be careful."
Moze walked over to Jiaoqiu who was trying to stand up with the blanket wrapped around his slender body. Jiaoqiu smiled cutely and raised both hands asking to be carried. Moze chuckled a little at his sweetheart's behavior. His two muscular arms carried Jiaoqiu with bridal style to minimize the pain in Jiaoqiu's lower area. The foxian's sharp nose inhaled deeply of his strong and soothing alpha pheromone. While walking towards the bathroom, Jiaoqiu rubbed every scar that appeared on almost all of Moze's body.
Moze and Jiaoqiu were enjoying their weekend break. Moze had already claimed Jiaoqiu as his own and his soulmate, the visible mark on Jiaoqiu's nape was so beautiful that he could not help but drown his head to breathe in the addictive scent of sakura.
“Ah! Haha! Moze, that's ticklish!” Jiaoqiu tried to avoid the tight embrace of his alpha who were trying to inhale his pheromone scent deeper and deeper.
“Hm.” Moze nodded at that.
“Moze, next week my very first restaurant will have its soft launch. There won't be many people but Mayor Feixiao sent out advertisement slips all over the city, so there might be a lot of guests.” Jiaoqiu played with the blanket that the two of them were wearing, Moze rubbed Jiaoqiu's stomach from behind.
“I want you to come! Ah, no, but you must come!” Jiaoqiu turned his head to look at Moze who was also staring at the beautiful face of his omega.
“I'll try.”
Hearing that answer Jiaoqiu was slightly annoyed and kicked the blanket that wrapped their naked bodies in the cold of Yaoqing's current weather. Moze smiled faintly at Jiaoqiu's reaction, knowing that Jiaoqiu understood the uncertain condition of his job as a contract laborer. Even then, Moze was bound by a short contract and did not get a fixed guarantee. If the contract ended, Moze would be unemployed and look for another job, while his beloved was born into a family with a stable future. Cooking was Jiaoqiu's passion and he was so devoted to it that he even graduated from culinary school.
Sometimes the feeling of insecurity for his omega was overwhelming and the question of 'What is Jiaoqiu looking for from him' was always running through his mind. Moze didn't have anything that could fully support Omega's finances at the moment, he was still trying to save up and working to propose Jiaoqiu as soon as possible. Jiaoqiu who saw the look on Moze's face that seemed to be thinking about something quickly distracted him with a cute and sweet peck from him.
“I'm sleepy, hug me!” Said Jiaoqiu who began to lie down next to his alpha.
Moze saw Jiaoqiu trying to calm him down and immediately hugged Jiaoqiu's slender body tightly and they lay back down to enjoy the rest of their weekend.
Jiaoqiu was very understanding of Moze's condition and he never once complained about the situation between the two of them. If you keep ask the question of why Jiaoqiu didn't find a more established alpha than Moze, the answer is very simple, he loves Moze so much that his whole life is devoted to him. Jiaoqiu's family has never questioned their relationship because Jiaoqiu is an only child and they both love their beloved son so much that whatever Jiaoqiu's choice makes won't matter as long as it makes Jiaoqiu happy and doesn't make things difficult for him in the future.
2 days before the launch of his very first restaurant, he was very busy with some preparations and advertisements to smoothen the launch event. Jiaoqiu has already hired his first few employees and one of them is the twins from the Astral Express house (the orphanage), Caelus and Stelle. They both assisted Jiaoqiu in stocking some of the ingredients for the future as Jiaoqiu expected that there would be a lot of visitors coming.
Caelus was setting up the tables and chairs while Stelle was taking care of their first administration related to their main budget. Jiaoqiu had the funds to open the restaurant thanks to his own hard work in taking part in several research projects and new menu development projects with well-known chefs in Xianzhou. Remembering his boyfriend, Moze and Jiaoqiu hadn't seen each other face-to-face for almost a week. Well, that was because Moze was working in Luofu on a new project, it would be a lie if Jiaoqiu didn't miss his alpha, he missed the warm citrus-scented embrace that enveloped his entire body. Thinking about it sents, Jiaoqiu's face heated up instantly.
“Master, are you alright? Your face is flushed and pardon me but your pheromone scent shows that you are under a little bit of stress.” Stelle asked in a worried tone.
Ah, Jiaoqiu forgot that these twins were both dominant alpha. Stelle was born earlier than Caelus and Stelle's sensitive nature was definitely sharper than her younger brother who was busy rearranging a few more chairs and tables.
“I just miss my Alpha...”
“Hmm, an omega who is missing her alphas would be very prone to mood swings. Did he leave some of his clothes or pheromone scent with you?” Stelle asked.
“Yes, maybe it's because of the effect of my post-heat cycle running in Yaoqing winters, you know that omegas seem to be too weak on winters.”
“Hmn, right. If you're tired, you can rest early, let me and Caelus handle the rest of the work.” Said Stelle who picked up several sheets of paper documents she had just printed.
Jiaoqiu nodded and smiled, at least these two were very reliable and they both seemed so protective of him when Moze was working extra hours and away from the capital. Maybe it was the instinct of an alpha who wanted to guard and protect the omega from threats or something that made the omega uncomfortable. Jiaoqiu didn't mind it at all.
Having just stood up and walked for a few steps to the back room, Jiaoqiu felt his entire vision spin and blur. The last thing he heard was the voices of Caelus and Stelle shouting at him. His entire body felt heavy, especially his head, which felt painful. Jiaoqiu could not open his eyes but he heard the chaos and panic around him. Perhaps it was true, he seemed to be very exhausted..
At the same time, on the edge of the Luofu city border, Moze was carrying some cargo to be shipped to the central terminal. The white T-shirt he was wearing was wet from the sweat that had been pouring out. Luofu was also in the midst of winter but the temperature in Luofu was warmer than Yaoqing. Speaking of Yaoqing, Moze missed Jiaoqiu.
“Young man! Come here!”
A man with a thick white mustache and an old look called out Moze from inside the warehouse. Moze immediately approached him without further ado. The man appeared to take out a white envelope with a golden red stamp and handed it to Moze who looked confused.
“The boss gave you an extra bonus this month and he plans to keep workers like you in the company. I know I know, even if the position isn't that great or what today's young generation would expect, but at least you've managed to catch the boss's attention with your diligent hard work here.”
The old man laughed crisply and patted Moze's broad shoulders.
“Young man, your age is now perfectly suitable for having a partner and starting a family. This old man has a suggestion, you need to find a partner who can accept you for who you are and always accompany you in both good and bad times.”
“I already have a partner, I just happen to leave him at Yaoqing and work here.”
“Whoa, surely a handsome young man like you can find a partner, hahaha. How's it going? You never told your dating story to this old man, even though this old man already considers you as my own son, haish.”
Moze smiled slightly at the warehouse manager Boss's reaction, “He's very beautiful, a foxian, and also a hardworking omega.”
“You seem very fond of him, I'm glad to hear that, hahaha! I admire you even more, young man! Ah! Today's lunch is on me, no need to worry.”
Moze wanted to decline but was cut off by the sound of a ringing tone coming from his trouser pocket. The old man made a room for Moze to pick up the call. Seeing Jiaoqiu's name displayed on the screen made Moze immediately answer the call but the voice that answered this call was not Jiaoqiu.
“Uh, Hello Mister, my name is Caelus and I would like to apologize for contacting you through the boss's phone.”
Caelus? One of the Jiaoqiu's employees?
“Speak.”
“Can you come to Yaoqing now, Mister? Master Jiaoqiu was rushed to the Emergency Unit, we still can't conclude what happened to the boss yet, so maybe you can visit him right now because the omega desperately needs his alpha pheromone if they are in critical condition."
Moze's entire body went cold upon hearing that his omega was rushed to the hospital. Yesterday, he had still seen Jiaoqiu's cheerful face through video calls and he had excitedly told him all about the preparations for the opening of his first restaurant. His alpha instincts cursed him for being too ignorant to see the details of Jiaoqiu's condition who was probably exhausted at that time. Before leaving, he asked his warehouse boss for permission regarding his partner's critical condition, and the old man allowed Moze to go to Yaoqing for 2 days.
During the ride, he couldn't stop furrowing his brows and all he could think about was how Jiaoqiu was currently doing. An omega who had just undergone a post-heat cycle during winter and did not get enough pheromone from their alphas would be vulnerable to sickness and burnout. It may seem like an overstatement, but Jiaoqiu was a foxian omega who was very sensitive to cold and always needed the warmth of his alpha.
Stelle who had been waiting for Moze in front of the hospital ran hurriedly towards Moze who had just arrived at Yaoqing Hospital.
“This way, the doctor asked where the patient's alpha was.”
Moze followed Stelle from behind as he was not wearing a thick jacket in the cold Yaoqing weather. The scent that Moze most hated was the smell of a hospital full of medicines, it made his cautious instincts grow even stronger.
Stelle stopped at a door with the words ' Gynecologist' written on it, Moze's heart was pounding even harder.
“The doctor didn't go into detail because she said it was too personal and she suggested to call Master Jiaoqiu's partner. That's why Caelus immediately contacted you to come here soon. Please come in, I will return to the restaurant to take care of a few things and Caelus will accompany you here.”
Stelle left and Moze began to enter the room.
“Welcome, it looks like you're the one I've been waiting for. Please have a seat.” A doctor with a graceful yet stern appearance smiled faintly at Moze.
“What happened to my omega, doctor?”
“His condition is quite weak, but fortunately he was brought here as soon as possible for further examination. You see sir, your partner is currently pregnant at an early stage. Mr. Jiaoqiu's body is actually very fertile to bear a baby but because the weather conditions in Yaoqing are so extreme at the moment, his omega defense instincts are quite fragile, and desperately needs the scent of pheromone alpha to help him calm his mind and strengthen the immature fetus.”
Moze remained silent as the beta doctor continued her explanation.
“My primary diagnosis is that due to extreme fatigue and lack of alpha pheromone to help him stabilized, there are signs of stress as his blood vessels have swollen and his blood pressure condition is quite high. This could be very dangerous for his early fetal condition. I have noted down the prescriptions that Mr. Jiaoqiu will need in the future, he will be discharged in the evening but he still needs to go to the hospital for further outpatient treatment.”
Moze's body looked stiff and surprised at the doctor's explanation, after some advice and instructions to maintain Jiaoqiu's pregnancy from the doctor, Moze immediately walked out of the room and saw Caelus who was sitting on a chair. Without saying a word, he hurriedly handed a piece of paper to Caelus. Caelus received it with confusion and saw that there was an envelope and a doctor's letter for prescription medicine. Before he could ask, Moze's figure had disappeared in an instant. Caelus was even more confused.
Jiaoqiu had already been moved into the temporary hospitalization room. Caelus was surprised to see that his boss was able to sit up and eat some fruit provided by the nurse.
“Argh, my head is still very dizzy,” Jiaoqiu said while enjoying the sweet apple.
Jiaoqiu's ears and tail twitched slightly when she felt the citrus pheromone scent of Caelus. No, this was not Caelus' pheromone, but it was the pheromone of his alpha, Moze.
“Moze was here? Ah, I mean, my alpha was here?” Jiaoqiu asked.
Caelus didn't want to lie and answered, “Mr. Moze just gave me an envelope and a prescription for you. Oh, looks like I have to go down to get your medicine. The doctor said you can go home in the evening.”
Jiaoqiu tilted his head as he accepted the envelope. After Caelus left the room, he quickly opened this not-so-thick envelope. Inside this envelope contained a few small amounts of credit currency and scraps of paper with hasty writing.
“I'm so sorry... I hope you get someone better than me... I'm sorry...”
Jiaoqiu tore the paper quickly. His breathing sounded short, and his vision suddenly blurred again due to the tears he was holding back. Jiaoqiu was already quite tired of Moze's insecurities, how many times had he had to convince him that he accepted Moze as he was and always proud of all Moze's accomplishments, no matter how small it is. He immediately contacted Moze through his cell phone but only got an answer from the operator.
“I knew it, Shit- Ah, I'm sorry bun bun, Mama's kinda mad at your Daddy right now...”
Jiaoqiu let out a long sigh. The only way was to catch up with his alpha, after all, he didn't want to raise this child alone. This is their child who should be raised together. He didn't want his future child to experience the loss of one of the parental roles. Just imagining it made his heart ache. The door opened and Caelus entered with a medicine bag for Jiaoqiu.
“Caelus. I need your help.”
“Yes? Does anything hurt?”
“Take me to Luofu now.”
“E-eh? O-okay!”
Caelus did not dare to ask again as Jiaoqiu's tired and puffy face was probably the reason for Caelus's strong instinct to bring his boss together with his alpha who had suddenly disappeared into thin air when this pregnancy news should have been a joy.
Jiaoqiu gave the address of a large package warehouse near the Luofu-Yaoqing border, it was not far away and only took about an hour to get there. Caelus tried to drive slowly so that his boss would not feel dizzy. He did not dare to release his pheromone because as far as he knew, a pregnant omega would feel threatened if they were covered in the scent of another alpha's pheromone. Jiaoqiu didn't realize he had been hugging his belly and rubbing it.
The warehouse was busy tonight, with many trucks coming in and out to deliver goods across Xianzhou.
“You, wait here.”
Caelus simply nodded and looked at Jiaoqiu who had already gotten out of the car with a thin jacket attached to his fragile body. Caelus only hoped that this couple would not start a fight in other people's areas.
Jiaoqiu walked into the small office located at the back of the warehouse. Jiaoqiu's appearance attracted the attention of the alpha workers here and the smell of their sweat was easily recognized by Jiaoqiu's sharp nose. He felt like want to throw up right now.
“Excuse me.”
Jiaoqiu knocked lightly on the door of the small office a few times, then an old man with a bushy white mustache came out and looked at Jiaoqiu strangely.
“Yes? Are you a customer who wants to pick up the main package? You can go to the reception to input the data-”
“No, no. I'm looking for someone.”
“And this person you're looking for...?”
“Moze.”
The old man's small eyes opened slightly at the youngster's name. This old man looked up and down the appearance of this foxian with such a graceful and gorgeous visual.
“I'm his partner, and I need to see him right now... hah....”
“Oh my, are you alright? Didn't Moze go to Yaoqing to see his partner who was taken to the hospital?” The old man said as he picked up a small chair for Jiaoqiu to sit on.
Jiaoqiu nodded and his head could only bow weakly. His condition had not stabilized and the cold weather pierced his skin and made it worse. He needs Moze right now.
“D-do you know w-where he is?”
“Jiaoqiu?”
Jiaoqiu's foxian ears moved quickly to catch the sound he had been searching for. With the emotions that had been building up all this time, he shouted at Moze who was not far away from him with some goods still held by Moze.
“You stupid, stupid alpha! What were you thinking all this time?! How dare you leave the two of us alone? Moze! I can't hate you so please come back... If you don't want this baby then I'll abort it right now! Moze... I'm sorry. Don't leave me- My head hurts... Hicc, HUAAAAAAA!!!”
Moze looked panicked and rushed over to Jiaoqiu to embrace him tightly, his gaze pleading towards his boss, and the encoded look given was of course clearly understood by the old man. He allowed his office to be used to settle the matter between the two of them. After all, this old man could not bear to see a pregnant omega chasing his alpha from Yaoqing to Luofu in the cold night weather of Xianzhou.
Inside the office, Jiaoqiu's crying still hadn't stopped and he kept hitting Moze's broad chest weakly. Jiaoqiu was tired, he wanted Moze to know that all his breath was only for Moze. Moze deserved everything.
“Honey...”
“Hiks... Auuuuughhh this really hurts... Moze...”
“I'm sorry baby... I'm sorry...”
“Why did you decide it upon yourself?! What's the point of communications then?! Moze!”
Jiaoqiu looked at Moze with an unbearable look of sadness, Moze couldn't bear to see his dearest suffer like this. He rubbed and kissed the side of Jiaoqiu's puffy eyes.
“I... I'm just afraid of being a terrible father to our child.”
“Look! You even acknowledge this baby-to-be as ‘our’ child! Moze, explain to me the other reason for that.”
“I have nothing, Jiaoqiu. I can't even give you a house for the two of us to live in yet, my current job isn't stable and I'll rarely accompany your pregnancy... I don't want to see you suffer...”
“But with you disappearing from my life, I will suffer more than you can imagine...”
Moze hugged Jiaoqiu tightly, his heart could not lie that his body and soul already belonged to this dear omega. He loved Jiaoqiu so much, he would do anything for Jiaoqiu.
“Hey, Moze...” Jiaoqiu said as he gently rubbed his alpha cheeks.
“Let's go through this together, hm?” Asked Jiaoqiu.
Jiaoqiu's voice was getting smaller due to the effects of sheer exhaustion. Moze kissed Jiaoqiu's lips deeply and rubbed Jiaoqiu's long ears gently.
“Hmn. I'm sorry, honey.”
“Shush... I'm tired, I want to go home.” Jiaoqiu replied by wrapping his arms around Moze's neck to ask to be carried as usual.
Moze smiled softly and once again gave his dearest omega a quick peck on the lips. Moze still had a lot to learn to build his confidence and Jiaoqiu would never leave Moze. Never.