Xiao Zai scrambled up into the bed, and lied face-first into the mussed sheets, smelling strongly of Chu Yun.

He gathered the sheets in his fists and inhaled deeply, hoping the crisp orchid and pine scent would cleanse his mind from Chu Hean’s cloying pheromones.

In time, the fog clouding his thoughts lifted, and his senses returned to normal, even though he was still feeling like a pot left too long on the fire.

There was no doubt in Xiao Zai’s mind that Chu Hean stumbling out into the springs wasn’t an accident. Whether it was Chu Hean who did it on purpose, or the result of someone else’s intervention, Xiao Zai wouldn’t know.

But most likely the people in the Prince of Jing’s estate wouldn’t see it that way.

He didn’t know how much time passed before Chu Yun’s return, but the sound of the door slamming shut announced his presence in dramatic fashion.

“Hean is sleeping,” Chu Yun said, walking up to Xiao Zai sitting up in bed and glaring at him. “My parents have been informed, but tomorrow a royal physician will have to come to the palace to check if Hean is still..,” he swallowed, and said, “ignorant of an alpha’s touch,” through gritted teeth.

“I didn’t lay a finger on him,” Xiao Zai said, returning Chu Yun’s glare.

“That doesn’t matter, my brother is a member of the royal family, so he’ll still have to go through an extremely invasive exam in order to make sure his virtue isn’t questioned in any future marriage arrangements.”

Chu Yun sat down at the other end of the bed with a sigh, and hid his face between his palms. “Hean is such a reserved person, he’ll be mortified once he returns to his senses tomorrow.”

Xiao Zai held his tongue. The Chu Hean who accosted him on the hot springs yesterday wasn’t what he’d call “reserved”. But Xiao Zai had never been in the presence of an omega in heat, so maybe that was what all of them were like.

“I’m sorry that he’ll have to go through that.” Xiao Zai meant his words, he was well aware of the many indignities omegas suffered, on account of seeing his dam experience them through the years. “I really am, but I did nothing, I was in the springs, bathing.”

Chu Yun turned sideways on the bed and gave him a pointed look. “Are you sure? Because like you said, Hean had no reason to be out during his heat. However, if an alpha sent out a powerful enough wave of pheromones, it would attract an omega in heat, even if they were several rooms away and behind locked doors.”

“Is that what he told you?”Xiao Zai asked, trying to keep his tone even.

“He was delirious and crying in pain! He wasn’t in any condition to say anything,” Chu Yun said, as if Xiao Zai was the one responsible for Chu Hean’s suffering.

“So you just assumed that was something I would do?”

Before Chu Yun had the chance to answer, Xiao Zai got up from the bed, gathering his wrinkled robes around himself. “I’m going to find somewhere else to sleep.”

Chu Yun shot up to his feet, and stepped in front of Xiao Zai’s path. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re staying right here where I can see you.”

Xiao Zai pushed him away none too gently. He was used to suffering humiliations in the royal palace, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stay here and listen to Chu Yun dish out abuse. All he wanted to do was leave for Zui immediately, preferably leaving Chu Yun behind.

“I won’t come close to your brother, I just can’t look at your face right now.”

Chu Yun’s mouth fell open in shock. Xiao Zai took the opportunity to walk past him, and left the room.

—

Chu Yun slept terribly, his sleep plagued by vague nightmares that made him wake up in the middle of the night with his heart racing.

In the morning he got dressed alone, without asking for any servants’ assistance. He wasn’t in the mood to see anyone, but before he could leave the room and go see how his brother was doing, a gentle knock sounded outside his door.

“Enter,” Chu Yun said, sliding the hairpin in place to secure his hair while he looked at his reflection in front of the vanity mirror.

His mother slipped inside the room quietly, closing the door behind her with a soft thud.

She walked towards Chu Yun, and took a seat on the floor behind him, meeting his eyes through the vanity’s gold mirror. “Oh, child, you look terrible.”

Chu Yun let out an amused snort. “Mother is being polite.”

She placed her small hands on his shoulders and squeezed. “Your brother is fine, the physician will be here to confirm it, but an omega knows these things. Nothing happened to him.”

A muscle jumped in Chu Yun’s jaw. “It was an unnecessarily close call.”

His mother smiled kindly. She pulled the hairpin out of Chu Yun’s haircrown and started redoing his high pony tail.

“I know how close the two of you are, and you know I love Hean as if he were my own…” Chu Yun sensed a but, and sure enough it came, “but I think he’s been spending far too much time with that old man up in the mountains.”

That was not what Chu Yun expected to hear. “He’s just focused on his studies.”

His mother gave him a pointed look through the mirror. “He can practice the guqin at home, he doesn’t need to be up there constantly.”

Chu Yun didn’t think Chu Hean showed an unusual interest in music lessons. He spent at most a week every month up there. Some of his master’s students lived at the academy.

“It’s a good environment for him. His master is an elderly beta man, and all the students are omegas like him,” Chu Yun said, unsure of where his mother was trying to get with this.

“Is it a good environment? That old man is blind as a bat, and I bet his hearing isn’t all there either. What kind of mischief can he get up there with all those other young people, without any kind of decent supervision.”

Chu Yun sighed. “I’ll have a talk with him before leaving, tell him to spend more time at home.” In truth, he wanted to do no such thing, and would probably just warn Chu Hean that his mother was becoming annoyed by his absences.

She tightening his pony tail with a sharp tug, making him wince. “What I’m trying to tell you is that your brother hasn’t been the cute little boy who trailed after you like a puppy in a long time. Soon enough he’ll come of age and be a man like you.”

Her keen eyes met Chu Yun’s through the mirror.

“Chu Hean is no longer a child, don’t expect him to act like one.”