Chapter Text
His parents were dead.
His parents were dead, and the only thing keeping him from breaking down was the hand tightly holding his, ground him.
He was crying, he felt like his world had just come to an end. Had it not been for Zhou Zishu’s hand clasping his when he got the news from their shifu, Wen Kexing had no idea how he would have handled it.
He fell to his knees, and thankfully enough, A-Shu went with him, his arms wrapping around his shoulders, one hand on Wen Kexing’s head, stroking it with such tenderness that it helped Wen Kexing be aware that he wasn’t alone.
His parents might be gone, but he had Zhou Zishu.
“You’ll always have me, shidi.” Zhou Zishu confirmed his worries without any prompting and Wen Kexing knew he could trust him.
He cried for what felt like hours. The whole time, Zhou Zishu barely moved, only changing their positions whenever Wen Kexing began to feel stiffness settle in his own bones. When he was done crying, he was exhausted, so Zhou Zishu helped him stand and took him to his room, letting Wen Kexing lean on him even when he wasn’t strong enough to carry him.
“A-Shu?” Wen Kexing whispered as Zhou Zishu covered him, getting him ready for bed.
“Hm?” Zhou Zishu looked at Wen Kexing, kneeling by his bed.
“Stay?” Wen Kexing averted his gaze, knowing that he was probably being too annoying, Zhou Zishu had better things to do than babysit him. Yet, he didn’t want to be alone. His parents were dead and all he wanted was to be held until the pain went away.
“Of course,” Zhou Zishu smiled, stroking some of Wen Kexing’s hair out of his eyes. “Scoot over.”
Wen Kexing did as told, and Zhou Zishu laid beside him, pulling him closer for a hug.
“Now rest, A-Xing. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Wen Kexing nodded and closed his eyes, but not before letting Zhou Zishu’s calming scent wash over himself.
Soon enough, he was asleep.
The following months were tough.
Wen Kexing missed his mother and her soft hugs and kisses. He missed his father and his kind smile and words. His shifu had had to convince him that his parents’ deaths weren’t his fault. But he hadn’t been with them! Maybe if he’d been with them…maybe they’d still be here. Or maybe he’d be with them…
(He knew they were killed because of the hairpin he had on his hair at all times, the key to the Glazed Armory. It made sense, then, that had he been with his parents, he could have saved them by giving them the hairpin. Shifu and A-Shu didn’t know about that, though. That was a secret he would take to his grave.)
As hard as it was to live with the knowledge that his parents were gone forever, he at least had Zhou Zishu, Qin Huaizhang and his shidis, who always tried to make him smile, to make him happy.
And slowly, but surely, he started to get better.
The pain of losing his parents hurt less.
The guilt faded, fueling his anger at the people behind his parents’ deaths.
Wen Kexing learned that he could count on his sect, on the people who loved and cared for him.
People constantly said that hate was a strong word, but Wen Kexing hated Jiuxiao.
He was a nice shidi, of course. He had always been nice to Wen Kexing and he would always try to help him around the Manor.
However, he stole all of Zhou Zishu’s attention and Wen Kexing couldn’t handle it.
The first time Wen Kexing was overcome with jealousy, he had marched right up to where A-Shu and Jiuxiao had been playing together, pushed Jiuxiao to the ground and stated: “A-Shu is mine! One day he’ll marry me and give me babies and you should find someone else to play with!”
He then grabbed Zhou Zishu by the hand and started pulling him away. In hindsight, Wen Kexing would notice that he had only been able to pull Zhou Zishu along with him because the boy had been too flabbergasted to react. Jiuxiao had also been so stunned that he remained on the floor until they were out of sight.
It was only when they reached the training area, where some disciples were training amongst themselves, that Zhou Zishu dug his heels in and made Wen Kexing stop, forcing the boy to let go of his hand and look at him.
“What was that about?” Zhou Zishu demanded to know, even though he was sensible enough to whisper it. The last thing he wanted was to draw unwanted attention to Wen Kexing.
“A-Xiao shouldn’t be monopolizing A-Shu! He should know his place.” Wen Kexing pouted and crossed his arms, but Zhou Zishu shook his head.
“A-Xing, as the Head Disciple, I have to have strong connections to all my shidis. You’ve seen me play and train with others, haven’t you?” He waited for Wen Kexing to nod before continuing. “Why is it different with Jiuxiao?”
Wen Kexing’s lower lip trembled, but he held back his tears. “It’s true that everyone loves A-Shu and wants to be close to you, but Jiuxiao does it more often than the others! And A-Shu is too nice to deny us anything, so A-Xiao takes advantage of that!”
“Doesn’t A-Xing do the same?” Zhou Zishu asked instead, but he had a soft smile on his face.
Wen Kexing nodded, “Yes! And I do it because I want A-Shu to be all mine!”
Zhou Zishu couldn’t help but laugh at Wen Kexing’s honesty.
Truth was, they were still kids. Zhou Zishu had just turned eleven, and Wen Kexing was the second oldest of the disciples, and still, he was only nine. Jiuxiao was eight, only a couple of months younger than Wen Kexing. They couldn’t know what they would turn out to be (Alphas, Betas, Omegas), much less if they would be compatible at all, so Wen Kexing’s fantasies, while cute, made no reasonable sense.
However, Zhou Zishu didn’t have it in him to say so to Wen Kexing, not when the boy was almost crying because of that.
“Does A-Shu…” Wen Kexing started, considering his words. “Does A-Shu like A-Xiao like that?” He averted his gaze, knowing he wouldn’t be able to handle it if he saw pity in Zhou Zishu’s eyes.
“No,” Zhou Zishu answered calmly, and Wen Kexing finally looked up. “I haven’t thought about it yet, A-Xing. We’re all so young. We need to focus on training first. When we grow up, we can see what happens, okay?”
Wen Kexing was not convinced.
In his mind, even if Zhou Zishu said it wasn’t so, what if he fell in love with Jiuxiao because the younger boy kept pestering him and demanding his attention? What if Wen Kexing didn’t claim Zhou Zishu in front of everyone (by telling everyone A-Shu was his, because he was still too young to understand what claiming was) and then Zhou Zishu fell in love with someone else?
In the end, Wen Kexing would still stake claim to Zhou Zishu. Perhaps in a more subdued way until they grew up, but Wen Kexing was certain that Zhou Zishu was his soulmate, the one perfect match for him, and he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Zhou Zishu was fourteen when he had his first rut.
Last year, he had had classes with shifu on their secondary genders and what that would entail. He had been expecting to become an Alpha, as he would become the next Sect Leader of Four Seasons Manor (even though Qin Huaizhang was a Beta himself).
Considering some of his personality traits (and A-Xing’s insistence), Zhou Zishu was expecting to have his rut any time. Perhaps not as early as fourteen, but that meant he’d have time to grow into the proper, respectable Alpha he was meant to be.
He spent almost a full week locked in his room, being visited only by his shifu, who’d bring him food and water. By the end of it, he was exhausted. The odd desperation that had consumed him made him wary of himself. Although he hadn’t yearned for anyone while in rut, he had felt invincible. Zhou Zishu was scared he would lose control one day if he only let his Alpha side wander free.
The moment Zhou Zishu left his room, it was late afternoon. He could see the beautiful orange glow of the sun going down through the windows, the warmth of day giving way to the coolness of the evening. It felt nice, and Zhou Zishu sighed as he made his way to the kitchen, his feet taking him there before he could even understand why he was doing so.
“A-Shu!” Wen Kexing chirpily screamed and ran to him, jumping on Zhou Zishu’s arms, nose and cheek already rubbing against Zhou Zishu’s neck. A moment later, though, he put some distance between them, looking oddly at Zhou Zishu. “You smell different.” And as to prove his point, he pulled Zhou Zishu closer again and nosed at his neck. “You smell… better than before. I like it.”
Zhou Zishu blushed, feeling self-conscious of the change in scent. Now, his own senses seemed to have heightened, and he could smell every detail in Wen Kexing, how he smelt sweet from the baked goods he was preparing for dinner, or the spices in his fingertips from the food he had prepared throughout the day, or even the smell that was completely Wen Kexing, and it instantly brought some calmness to Zhou Zishu.
Without even noticing, Zhou Zishu started scent-marking Wen Kexing; he rubbed his wrists against Wen Kexing’s back and neck, his cheeks against Wen Kexing’s, and the boy was almost purring at the attention.
Had it not been for their shifu entering the kitchen, Zhou Zishu would have continued with the scenting, but as he smelt the man arriving, he let go of Wen Kexing, who huffed in annoyance, but he let go of Zhou Zishu too. They both turned to Qin Huaizhang and bowed in respect, and the man smiled at them.
“I’m glad to see you out of your room,” Qin Huaizhang’s tender smile made Zhou Zishu feel a bit embarrassed, but the man’s attention was then turned to Wen Kexing. “How’s dinner coming along, A-Xing? Are you sure you don’t need help?”
The boy shook his head, a proud smile on his face. “It’s almost all done, shifu. Is everyone done with their training?”
As they talked, Zhou Zishu observed Wen Kexing.
Since the boy had come to Four Seasons Manor, he had been an exceptional disciple. As much as he liked to play and have fun, he also took his training very seriously. In the beginning, right after his parents passed away, Wen Kexing would exhaust himself daily, training until late at night, which often made him have fevers as his little body couldn’t take all the strain put on it.
Qin Huaizhang had always tried to go easy on Wen Kexing, but nothing they said or did was able to persuade Wen Kexing to slow down his training. By now, he barely needed any training, so he would wake up, cook everyone breakfast, cook them lunch, then train for a few hours, and then make them dinner.
Even with only a few hours of training every day, Wen Kexing proved himself to be incredible, as he would sometimes come up with different drills to do. Zhou Zishu knew some of these were from the Wen family, as Wen Kexing didn’t want to forget about his origins. However, Zhou Zishu also knew that some of those were created by Wen Kexing himself, which was impressive considering the boy was only twelve.
Aside from how good he was at martial arts already, Wen Kexing was also an amazing cook. He would often go to town with a hoard of disciples and splurge on all sorts of foods and spices. As his family were doctors, Wen Kexing knew what was better for them to eat to give them strength and help them develop their qi. Not only that, but everything he cooked tasted delicious.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Wen Kexing was perfecting his medical skills. Whenever anyone got sick or hurt, Wen Kexing would tag along with Qin Huaizhang and help heal whoever it was that needed assistance. He was outstanding, and Zhou Zishu was incredibly proud. Not that Zhou Zishu said such things, as he tried to be firm with his shidis, but Wen Kexing didn’t need anyone stroking his ego, as the boy was very self-confident, fully knowing his value.
In fact, sometimes he would be obnoxious when he boasted about himself. Zhou Zishu had tried more than once to make Wen Kexing humbler, though it never truly worked. The boy continued to be unapologetically proud of himself.
(As he should, but Zhou Zishu had to keep face, and saying such a thing to Wen Kexing would only fuel the boy’s big head.)
“A-Shu?” Zhou Zishu’s thoughts had to be interrupted as both his shifu and his shidi were looking at him, expectation clear in their faces.
“I apologize, I wasn’t paying attention,” he confessed, averting his gaze to the floor in shame. However, Qin Huaizhang and Wen Kexing chuckled, and Zhou Zishu looked up once again.
“You’re probably still feeling idle-minded due to your rut, it’s okay,” Qin Huaizhang reassured him. “I just asked if you’d like to dine with us or if you’d rather stay in your quarters?”
“Oh,” Zhou Zishu felt relief wash over him. His rut definitely made him a bit skittish. “I’ll eat with everyone.”
“Yay!” Wen Kexing celebrated, and Zhou Zishu couldn’t help the tender smile that graced his lips. “Better continue cooking, then!”
It wasn’t even a surprise when Wen Kexing presented as an Omega a little over a year later.
The boy had been saying he would marry Zhou Zishu since he came to live with them at Four Seasons Manor, so it was to be expected that he would end up presenting as the perfect match for Zhou Zishu.
Wen Kexing had noticed that A-Shu would often scent mark him, or even scent him whenever they were cuddling together.
Zhou Zishu himself hadn’t noticed he would do such things, as he would absent-mindedly stroke his wrists over Wen Kexing’s hair or neck when playfully pointing out he had done a good job, or when Wen Kexing came back from the town, many scents mingling with his own, and Zhou Zishu would check on him to make sure he was fine while also scent marking him.
Wen Kexing knew better, though, and he had never pointed it out to Zhou Zishu before, because he knew the Alpha would become self-conscious and would try to stop his instincts. Which Wen Kexing didn’t want to happen, because to him, this meant Zhou Zishu was recognizing him as his mate, even though he wasn’t fully aware of that.
Others had noticed as well, like Jiuxiao and their shifu, who would smile knowingly. Jiuxiao would even make Wen Kexing faces, teasing him for his crush on Zhou Zishu that was clearly reciprocated.
As the years went on, Wen Kexing realised Jiuxiao didn’t see Zhou Zishu the same way as Wen Kexing, so his jealousy abated a little. Not fully, as Wen Kexing still yearned for all of Zhou Zishu’s attention, and he would pout and whine whenever Zhou Zishu was spending too much time with his other shidis.
Everyone knew, however, of Wen Kexing’s feelings for Zhou Zishu, and they all respected it, as they knew they could always count on Wen Kexing to take care of Zhou Zishu, since Zhou Zishu was always the one taking care of everyone else.
So, at the tender age of twelve, Wen Kexing presented. He had his heat, and his shifu had to immobilize him during it because Wen Kexing became savage, fighting anyone who got on his way to find Zhou Zishu. Everyone understood then that their bond ran deeper than they thought it was. Even Zhou Zishu was stunned at how his own body reacted when he smelled Wen Kexing in his heat.
Fortunately, he had been trained to control himself and his urges, so he managed to hide in his own chambers with incense that would mask any pheromone within five meters from his room. As the other disciples presented, Zhou Zishu didn’t react the same to any other Omega; it was only Wen Kexing and his heats that made Zhou Zishu incredibly horny. Thankfully, it had never triggered his own rut.
After his first heat, Wen Kexing was even more enamoured with Zhou Zishu. Now, with his nose even more powerful to smells, he could tell how much they were compatible. Zhou Zishu’s smell was even more delicious than before his heat, and Wen Kexing would time and time again brush his wrist all over A-Shu. If Zhou Zishu noticed, he didn’t say anything.
Zhou Zishu had also noticed how compatible the two of them were after Wen Kexing’s heat. However, Zhou Zishu was his shixiong, he was supposed to be Wen Kexing and the other disciples’ protector. Whenever his thoughts strayed, Zhou Zishu forced himself to stop thinking of Wen Kexing as a potential mate, as he didn’t want to prey on his lovable shidi.
Even with Wen Kexing being very loud about his affections, and still claiming that they would one day marry, Zhou Zishu brushed it off as childish infatuation.
Because that was the only thing that made sense.
Wen Kexing had imprinted on him after losing all of his family. Zhou Zishu had been with him through thick and thin, had been there for him on his ups and downs, and Wen Kexing had mistaken the feeling one would have for their martial brother to one of romantic love.
Zhou Zishu only hoped Wen Kexing grew out of it before it was too late.
(He was well aware that he was scent marked Wen Kexing, and whenever he caught himself doing it, he would stop himself before the Omega smelled too much like him. He was also well aware of how his own heart beating faster whenever Wen Kexing smiled at him, which was utterly ridiculous because the Omega was always smiling at him.
Some days it was hard to function at all, as he watched Wen Kexing practice or cook or read or even clean the wounds of the younger shidis. Zhou Zishu knew Wen Kexing would be an amazing mother, just as he knew Wen Kexing was an exceptional martial artist.
Perhaps it would be wise to marry someone from his own sect, someone who had been raised to follow the same rules of the sect and who would help Zhou Zishu keep the sect safe. However, Zhou Zishu still believed he would be taking advantage of Wen Kexing, and he would rather die than use Wen Kexing like that.)
Wen Kexing walked through the streets of town with some off his shidis, reading the little piece of paper with everything they needed to buy. He was mindlessly humming the words to himself to check if he had forgotten to buy anything before they returned to Four Seasons Manor when he heard a soft crying in the distance.
Frowning, he turned in the direction of the sound, trying to understand if it was an animal in pain or a baby crying. With a movement of his hand, all his shidis stopped talking and turned to where he was looking, paying attention to any sounds and movements.
“Stay here,” he ordered. Although he was only thirteen, they all nodded and huddled together, just in case they needed to run and protect their shixiong.
Wen Kexing walked along houses and the crying grew slightly louder. It was only after he left the town, walking through the trees and bushes. It wasn’t a path he was following, and he worried about what he might find. He realised that it wasn’t an animal; had it been one, Wen Kexing would put it out of its misery and brought it along to feed his sect.
No, this was definitely the cry of a baby, and it grew louder and louder as he walked.
Pulling out his fan, the one he had been training himself to attack people with, he got ready to fight.
However, he suddenly noticed the crying was coming from a pile of leaves against a tree, no one else around. Wen Kexing ran to it and quickly started pulling leaves away until he was met with the sight of a baby wrapped in a purple blanket. He took the baby in his arms and started looking for any bruises or wounds, but she, as he had proved it was a girl, seemed heathy enough.
He needed to take her to the manor to have Qin Huaizhang check on her further, but he believed this baby to be one month old, if that. She was too small, her neck still to soft to be much older.
It pained Wen Kexing that this baby girl had been abandoned here. He wondered if her parents stashed her here while they hunted or looked for shelter, but he quickly dismissed this idea, as no one had come back for her yet, even with all the crying.
Before he knew it, he was pulling at his robes, leaving as much skin in the open as he could. Pulling the baby’s blanket, he pressed her little body to his, skin on skin, and that seemed to help the baby calm down a little, her cries turning into hiccups.
Wen Kexing scented her almost bald head, rubbing his own nose as softly as he could against her hair, leaving some of his own scent on her. She was probably starving, but he was too young to produce any milk – he knew that in special cases, Omegas could produce milk for babies in need, but it didn’t happen instantly, there needed to be a bond between the Omega and the child.
Making up his decision, Wen Kexing made his way back to where he had left his shidis. On the way back, he sang to the baby, rocking her lightly as he walked slowly, not wanting to jostle her from where she was lying on his chest. He didn’t even care that he was with his clothes partially open, as the baby and her blanket covered him pretty well.
And if anyone complained, he wouldn’t hesitate in slitting their throats with his fan.
His shidis were waiting apprehensively for him, and Wen Kexing was proud to notice they hadn’t moved since he had left. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had left them, but they hadn’t moved. They perked up as soon as they noticed him, but they had frowns on their faces.
“Wen-shixiong, is that…” One of them started, mouth agape.
“A baby?” Another whispered, awe in his eyes.
Wen Kexing nodded, a tender smile gracing his lips.
“She was abandoned. I couldn’t leave her,” He explained, and his shidis nodded, some confused, and some interested in the sight of a baby. “We need to buy her food and clothing. I’ll be responsible for that. Song Zhong, as the oldest, I’ll leave it to you to finish buying what we need to take back to the manor. We’ll meet here in one hour.” They all nodded and Wen Kexing handed Song Zhong the list of things he needed to purchase.
They went their separate ways. Wen Kexing didn’t know where to buy things for children this small, so he had to ask around for the shops where he would find milk and other things for babies. He also asked around if anyone knew whose baby this was, but apparently there hadn’t been a birth in town for over seven months, and although three people were pregnant, they had been seen recently, so this baby couldn’t be theirs.
It confirmed Wen Kexing’s doubts; she had been abandoned by someone who had come a long way just to leave her there to die. Or perhaps they had been hopeful someone would find her.
With that thought in mind, Wen Kexing promised he would never abandon her. If no one else wanted her, he would take care of her as if she was her own. He may be too young, but he didn’t have it in him to leave her.
Within the hour, Wen Kexing bought as many things as he could to take with him back to Four Seasons Manor, whilst still holding the baby against his body – although now he had something that he didn’t quite catch the name that helped him carry her, instead of him using his own arms.
His shidis helped as well, and they made their way to Four Seasons Manor, all of them chatting happily. Some of them were asking Wen Kexing all sorts of questions about babies and where they came from, and Wen Kexing was all too happy to answer them all.
“What will you call her?” One of the younger ones asked, and Wen Kexing had to put some thought into it. Names had to be carefully thought; he couldn’t just name her anything.
“I’ll have to think. Ask me again at dinner?” The young boy nodded, and they continued talking all their way back to the manor.
Zhou Zishu was the first to see them arrive, as he often would wait near the entrance to help them bring everything back. However, before he could say anything, he gasped when he saw Wen Kexing with a baby.
Wen Kexing noticed Zhou Zishu’s shocked expression, mouth hanging open and eyes wide, barely blinking. He noticed, too, how his smell thickened. It became sweet and inviting, but not in a sexual manner. It was the first time Wen Kexing had smelt him like that, and his feet faltered. Fortunately, Zhou Zishu was close enough that he ran to Wen Kexing to hold him so he wouldn’t stumble and fall.
“A-Xing,” Zhou Zishu managed to whisper, their eyes locked on each other. They stood there, staring at each other, and Wen Kexing didn’t even realize it.
“Yes, A-Shu?” Wen Kexing asked softly, hands gripping Zhou Zishu’s arms as the Alpha held him back by the arms.
“Whose… Who is this?” Zhou Zishu cleared his throat, finally putting some distance between them, but still touching Wen Kexing, unable to let go.
“She was abandoned,” Wen Kexing started, bringing a hand to the baby’s head. She had finally fallen asleep after he had fed her some of the milk he had purchased, and he didn’t want her to wake up. “She has no one, A-Shu, I couldn’t leave her.”
For some reason, the idea that Zhou Zishu might dislike the fact that Wen Kexing had brought a baby with him – a baby he planned to keep as his own, even if he raised her to think he was her brother if it came to it – made Wen Kexing bristle.
He loved Zhou Zishu, he truly wanted to mate him, marry him and have his children. But now Wen Kexing had someone who was completely dependant on him, someone he’d have to love perhaps even more than Zhou Zishu. However, if Zhou Zishu shamed him for this, Wen Kexing wouldn’t be able to live with this. If it came to it, Wen Kexing would run away with her.
“Of course not,” Zhou Zishu’s eyes softened, and he brought one of his hands to the baby’s head, stroking her so tenderly, as if she might break.
Wen Kexing finally felt himself relaxing. Having Zhou Zishu approve of Wen Kexing’s decision made him happy. Together, they entered the manor and soon their shifu was joining them to ask what had taken them so long to return, but the moment he saw a tiny bundle on Wen Kexing’s arms, it was obvious enough.
“A-Xing, please come with me.” Qin Huaizhang’s voice was sweet enough, but Wen Kexing couldn’t help but feel a bit distressed. Zhou Zishu, feeling his unease, stroked his hair before giving Wen Kexing a reassuring smile.
That was enough to give Wen Kexing strength to face their shifu.
Qin Huaizhang took Wen Kexing to his office, all the while Wen Kexing had the baby in his arms.
“Please, sit,” Qin Huaizhang motioned for Wen Kexing and then sat himself. Wen Kexing hesitated for a moment before sitting before his shifu. “Please tell me what happened when you were in town. Are you okay? Was there any fighting?”
Wen Kexing shook his head and explained to his shifu just what had happened, and by the end of it, Qin Huaizhang was nodding in understanding, his face showing clear relief that none of his disciples were hurt.
“A-Xing, it was a noble thing that you did,” his shifu started and Wen Kexing felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. He always felt a bit shy when Qin Huaizhang praised him. “I’ll raise her as my own, you don’t have to worry.”
Those words, however, broke Wen Kexing’s heart. Without even noticing, he brought the baby’s body closer to his.
“No,” he started, his voice weak. At Qin Huaizhang’s confused stare, Wen Kexing continued: “She’s mine. I found her.”
He couldn’t explain how or why he was suddenly so attached to this baby, but the moment he held her, a bond was created between them. Wen Kexing could see that it was true to the baby as well, even though he also couldn’t explain how he knew it.
Qin Huaizhang’s face softened, and he reached over to Wen Kexing, who quickly moved his body away from his shifu so he wouldn’t get to the baby. However, his shifu’s hand tenderly held Wen Kexing’s cheek, and, with a thumb, he cleaned the tears that Wen Kexing hadn’t even noticed were falling.
“It’s okay, A-Xing. There’s no need to cry. You’ve been here long enough; you know I can understand.” Wen Kexing nodded slowly, finally calming down now that his shifu wouldn’t take the baby away from him. “Would you mind a piece of advice?” Wen Kexing shook his head. “Instead of naming her Wen, choose a different family name, just so the two of you are never in danger.”
It made sense, Wen Kexing realised. After all, he was only thirteen; he knew people would say bad things about him and about the Four Seasons Manor if they thought one of their disciples had given birth at the tender age of thirteen. Not only that, but if they were ever attacked, having different names might be what saved their lives.
“I’ll name her Gu,” Wen Kexing started. It was his mother’s maiden name. That way, she would still be family, even if others weren’t aware of that. “Gu Xiang.”
That way, she’d be A-Xiang, just like he was A-Xing. Similar names, and yet, not the same.
Qin Huaizhang smiled and nodded, petting Wen Kexing’s hair before doing the same to the sleeping baby A-Xiang.
“I saw you bought her a cradle and other things.” His shifu said, standing up. Wen Kexing was quick to stand as well. “We’ll settle everything in your room, and she’ll stay with you. During your heats, you can change rooms, or I can bring A-Xiang to stay with me; whatever makes you more comfortable.”
“Thank you, shifu.” Wen Kexing wanted to cry once again. His shifu was so kind, so wise, and Wen Kexing felt immense gratitude towards him.
Looking down at his daughter, Wen Kexing smiled, love filling his heart.
“How’s he?” Zhou Zishu asked the moment Wen Kexing left Qin Huaizhang’s rooms. Wen Kexing shook his head before nodding for Zhou Zishu to follow him.
Now, at fifteen, Wen Kexing had become the responsible for any illnesses in the Four Seasons Manor. What none of them had expected, though, was for their shifu to fall sick.
“I don’t know what else to do, A-Shu,” Wen Kexing commented as soon as they entered Wen Kexing’s rooms. Zhou Zishu sat by the table, serving two cups of tea while Wen Kexing went to A-Xiang’s cradle, but the girl was still on her afternoon nap.
“Should we reach out to other people? Other sects?” Zhou Zishu asked as Wen Kexing sat beside him. “Is there anyone you know who could save him?”
“Not that I know of. My parents were the last of their sects, and unfortunately they hadn’t had the time to teach me everything.” He grimaced but drank some of his tea; it wasn’t hot anymore, but he could barely taste it.
This situation they were in was horrifying. Zhou Zishu was ready to take charge of the sect, but Wen Kexing feared for what might come to happen after their shifu passes away.
They drank their tea in silence, each one lost in thoughts. It wasn’t until A-Xiang started making soft noises as if she was waking up that they moved again. Wen Kexing stood up and stayed by his daughter’s side until she blinked her eyes open. She smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back.
Since she had become part of his life, he could always count on her to smile, and that would be enough to ease the worries of his heart.
“Hungry?” Wen Kexing asked, and the girl sat up and made grabby hands for Wen Kexing to take her out of the cradle. Wen Kexing laughed happily as he took Gu Xiang out, bringing her and handing her to Zhou Zishu, who also smiled happily for the first time that day.
“Hello there, little flower,” Zhou Zishu said with a soft voice, giving many kisses to Gu Xiang’s cheeks and forehead, who in turn laughed happily. Meanwhile, Wen Kexing prepared some fruit for Gu Xiang, and by the time he returned to the table, sitting beside them, the girl was nuzzling Zhou Zishu, clearly scenting him.
They had never properly talked about it, but Zhou Zishu was the closest thing Gu Xiang had of a father. She called Wen Kexing ‘a-die’, while calling Zhou Zishu ‘Shu-ge’, but she would only scent Zhou Zishu the same way she would Wen Kexing. Also, whenever she was upset, tired or scared, she would only go to either Wen Kexing or Zhou Zishu. They were the only ones capable of calming her down.
However, it was clear to everyone who could see that Zhou Zishu was just as much of a parent to Gu Xiang as Wen Kexing was, but no one dared say anything, as Zhou Zishu still seemed to be in denial about his attraction to Wen Kexing.
“No fruit!” Gu Xiang whined, slapping the piece of fruit Wen Kexing tried to feed her. “Milk!” And, with that, she scrambled out of Zhou Zishu’s lap and went to Wen Kexing, pulling at his robes.
“A-Xiang, you’re too old to still be asking for milk, are you not?” Wen Kexing reprimanded her, but at her wobbly lower lip – which he knew fairly well it was all a ruse to soften him and make him cave to her wishes – he could only sigh. “Okay, but no more today.”
He started opening his robes, and he noticed Zhou Zishu turned his face away from him. Wen Kexing couldn’t care less about who saw him feeding his own daughter, but Zhou Zishu should have been used to it by now.
A week or so after he had found Gu Xiang, he started to lactate, which hadn’t been all that unexpected, if he said so, and since then they hadn’t needed to buy any more milk. For the last couple of months, Wen Kexing had been trying to have the girl stop relying on his milk and getting more solids, but he knew it was her way of bonding with him, and regardless of the fact that she had in fact lowered her consumption of milk, his breasts didn’t decrease the amount of milk it produced.
In his mind, then, he decided that it wasn’t all that bad that Gu Xiang was almost two and hadn’t let go of breastfeeding yet.
“Oh, A-Shu, don’t be a prude.” Wen Kexing mocked the Alpha after Gu Xiang latched on his nipple.
“I understand that there’s nothing wrong in feeding your own daughter,” Zhou Zishu said, and Wen Kexing watched in delight as his ears turned red. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I should give you some privacy. It’s simple common sense.”
Wen Kexing reached out with the hand that wasn’t holding Gu Xiang to his lap and squeezed Zhou Zishu’s hand. That made the Alpha turn to look at him.
“A-Shu, don’t you think we should talk about mating?” Zhou Zishu bristled, and Wen Kexing didn’t know if he cried or hit him with a pan. “I’m serious, A-Shu. Shifu is dying, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to care for him, and it would be best if Siji Manor had a mated master.”
Zhou Zishu shook his head. “This nonsense that an unmated Alpha with power is reckless needs to stop. Have you ever seen me lose control, A-Xing? In all the years we’ve known each other, haven’t I proven I’m trustworthy?” Wen Kexing flinched at the words.
“I know all that, A-Shu, I just…” At this, he pouted slightly. “I fear what the other sects might do to us if you’re unmated. They might think we’re an easy target—” Zhou Zishu interrupted him.
“If it happens, we’ll fight. We’re strong and we know each other. We don’t need to fear what others might say.”
“It’s not only that, A-Shu, but what about us? What about me?” He waved a hand to him and Gu Xiang, who had stopped what she was doing and was just watching the two argue, apprehension heavy in the air. “I’ve been in love with you all my life, A-Shu, and I’m not that young anymore. I’m ready to be your mate, to help you with the disciples. I know I have a daughter, but—”
“Wen Kexing! I’m not saying it again. I’m not mating you!” Zhou Zishu raised his voice, startling Gu Xiang, who started crying. Wen Kexing looked furiously at Zhou Zishu, who seemed guilty. “I’m sorry A-Xiang.” He tried to sound softer, but the little girl was seeking comfort in Wen Kexing’s neck, crying and scenting him.
“You should probably leave.” Wen Kexing said, and Zhou Zishu noted that the Omega was avoiding his gaze, jaw clenched.
It hadn’t been his intention to break Wen Kexing’s heart, and had things been different, they might have ended up mating. But Zhou Zishu couldn’t bring himself to do it. He somehow felt like he’d be corrupting Wen Kexing if they mated, and Wen Kexing was far too dear to him for Zhou Zishu to tarnish him.
“A-Xing…” Zhou Zishu started, but he didn’t know what else to say. He wasn’t going to apologize for standing up for what he believed in. With a sigh, Zhou Zishu walked out of Wen Kexing’s room.
The start of a new year brought the disciples of Four Seasons Manor great sorrow as their shifu finally passed away. Zhou Zishu had become the new master of the sect a month prior to that, but they had all known that Zhou Zishu would only truly become their leader once Qin Huaizhang died.
When it happened, no one was happy.
Qin Huaizhang’s death could only be considered a bad omen, because as soon as word went out about it, the sect suddenly started to suffer attacks. Zhou Zishu was unable to tell where these people were from, which sects had been threatening theirs. And while no one died, nor had any major injuries, Zhou Zishu worried that Wen Kexing might have been right.
Perhaps they were just waiting for Zhou Zishu to snap so a war could start. Maybe if Zhou Zishu had a mate, they would stop their attempts of annihilating Four Seasons Manor.
Nevertheless, Zhou Zishu would not accept Wen Kexing as his mate, he could not. It would be improper to use his shidi like that, even with Wen Kexing shamelessly flirting with him and declaring his love loud and clear. Zhou Zishu still didn’t want to force himself on the Omega, claim him for the rest of their lives. Wen Kexing should probably get to know new people, other Alphas, and while the idea made Zhou Zishu blind with rage, he knew it was the best option.
Besides, if Zhou Zishu couldn’t take care of the sect, protect its disciples and still train them as he should be doing, how would it be fair to Wen Kexing to have a weak Alpha as his mate? Wen Kexing was a remarkable Omega, he deserved only the best, most outstanding Alpha, and Zhou Zishu had to prove himself worthy of him before making a hasty decision.
Deep down, he knew he loved Wen Kexing; since Wen Kexing’s first heat, Zhou Zishu had to stay away in order not to lose his resolve and mate with Wen Kexing. Later, seeing him with A-Xiang, Zhou Zishu had dreamt, had let himself imagine what it would be like to mate him, to raise children with him.
None of that would be possible with Zhou Zishu being the Master of the Four Seasons Sect, though. And Wen Kexing deserved only the best in the world, and Zhou Zishu wouldn’t be able to provide such things to him.
As a last resort, Zhou Zishu went to his cousin, Jin Wang. As a prince, he would be able to help.