An Yao’S Observation Diary Chapter 2
bySaturday, March 15th, Cloudy
He had been burning with a fever for three full days, only managing to cool down this morning.
During this time, I canceled all appointments, locked the Clinic doors, and stayed by his side day and night. The girls who received the news were incredibly surprised—after all, for the past three years, I had guarded the Clinic even during the New Year, as if I intended to stay in this small place until the end of time.
“Brother Lin, you didn’t secretly run off to date some pretty Omega, did you?” they teased playfully in the work group. “Is she good-looking? Is she a fiery little pepper or a soft, sweet soup dumpling? When are you bringing her to meet us?”
I sent a grumpy smiling emoji. “Stop watching so many TV dramas.”
After sending the message, I turned off my phone screen and sighed again, looking at the young man sleeping soundly on the bed. The curtains were open, and the midday sun gently fell on his face through the window, outlining his delicate features. Long eyelashes, a high nose, paired with pale lips, formed a gentle and handsome face.
There was indeed a pretty omega, but he was a huge headache.
I sighed, reaching out to check the temperature on his forehead. The fever had finally subsided, and the stitches on his back showed no signs of inflammation or pus. He should be ready for the removal of the sutures after a bit more recovery time.
I was about to get up and fetch a basin of warm water when I suddenly heard a faint rustling sound. I saw the young man’s brow furrowed, unconsciously clutching the bedsheet beneath him, his eyelids trembling violently, as if trapped in a nightmare. I wanted to step closer to check, but the next second, my gaze met a pair of light gray eyes.
“You…” He seemed to want to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth, it triggered a violent fit of coughing, so heart-wrenching it sounded as if he was trying to cough up his internal organs.
I was alarmed. “Don’t be afraid, it’s very…”
Before I could finish, the young man struggled to sit up, causing blood to instantly seep through the gauze covering his wound.
“Don’t move!” I rushed forward to support his shoulder. “Your wound is tearing open.”
The young man leaned weakly against my arm, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His hazy gray eyes were filled with panic, and the stray hair on his forehead was plastered to his face with cold sweat, making him look disheveled.
I carefully smoothed his sweat-dampened hair behind his ear, then went to pour a glass of warm water.
“Drink some water first. We can talk later.”
The young man first looked at me, then at the glass of water. As if finally making up his mind, he took it. He drank very slowly, swallowing in small sips like a cat. It took him half a glass of water to finally calm down. He transformed from the edge of an explosion into a soft, fluffy bundle, looking incredibly docile.
“Don’t be scared. There are no bad people here,” I said softly. “It’s safe.”
The young man didn’t reply, but silently reached for the back of his neck. When his fingertips pressed against the gauze, his pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief.
My heart tightened. Fearing he couldn’t handle the shock, I quickly explained in a gentle voice, “Your injuries were severe when you were brought in. I performed emergency Debridement and used the best Regeneration Serum. Although the situation isn’t ideal right now, if you persist with treatment, perhaps in the future…”
I trailed off mid-sentence, falling silent. In reality, the Gland is a fragile organ. Surviving such severe damage was already a miracle; hoping for a full recovery was simply wishful thinking.
Unexpectedly, the young man didn’t scream or show any signs of sadness. He simply lowered his eyes and said a very serious “Thank you.”
I waved my hand, feeling a bit embarrassed. “No need, no need. I actually didn’t help you much…”
“You did,” he insisted. “It was very important.”
“It’s very important to me.”
After he said that, we both fell into a mutual silence, broken only by the chirping of birds outside the window.
I felt inexplicably awkward.
I cleared my throat lightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Um… I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet. My name is Lin Qingyan, and I’m a small doctor at the Clinic.”
“I found you behind the Clinic late that night.”
“What is your name?” I asked gently. “Do you mind telling me?”
The young man nodded. He had changed out of the blood-stained, dirty clothes from that night and was wearing the loungewear I provided, nestled in a soft white blanket, looking strangely obedient. “…My name is An Yao.”
“An Yao.” I smiled. “That’s a beautiful name. It suits you well.”
“Is it?” An Yao replied softly, then lowered his head again, his fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of the blanket.
The atmosphere solidified once more.
But this was normal, I thought. After all, anyone waking up in a strange environment would be wary. The fact that An Yao hadn’t immediately jumped up and punched me, a seemingly suspicious stranger, meant his temper was quite good.
It was better now to let An Yao process the current situation on his own. As for why he was covered in injuries on a rainy night, and why he had fallen into such a state—those many questions could be discussed later.
There was plenty of time anyway.
As I thought this, I saw An Yao suddenly lean forward urgently. “Doctor… Doctor Lin!”
His throat hadn’t recovered, and coupled with his physical weakness, his voice was soft and weak. “I—I really am so grateful to you! Thank you for saving me!”
I was a little confused, wondering why the previously quiet An Yao was suddenly acting this way, but I instinctively replied, “You’re welcome.”
“You haven’t fully recovered yet,” I said. “How about you first…”
He still didn’t let go of the hem of my shirt, even tightening his grip slightly.
“Doctor Lin, I—I really don’t know how to repay you…” An Yao’s voice gradually dropped, tinged with a slight sob. “I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble…”
His eyes began to well up with moisture, forming a hazy lake that looked ready to pour down a continuous rain.
I immediately panicked, quickly pulling out a few tissues and handing them to him. “Why are you suddenly crying? Did I say something that made you uncomfortable?”
An Yao didn’t take them. Instead, he vigorously rubbed his face, leaving red marks all over it. I grabbed his hand, finally stopping this self-abusive behavior.
“Doctor Lin is very kind… it’s all my fault,” he said. “You shouldn’t have saved me… I’ll only drag you down if I live.”
An Yao lowered his head, tears dripping onto the blanket one after another, creating small damp spots.
I couldn’t help but frown. “What nonsense are you talking about? How could you drag me down? Have you murdered anyone? Have you set fires?”
An Yao shook his head.
“Then there you go,” I said. “Even if you eat three bowls of rice per meal, I can still afford to feed you.”
An Yao looked stunned. “I-is that so?”
“Of course,” I said. “If you can eat four bowls, that’s fine too. As long as you eat enough.”
Eating well means the body recovers quickly, and as a doctor, the best thing I can see is a patient with a good appetite.
“More than that, what I’m most worried about now is whether this will affect your reputation,” I sighed. “After all, I’m an Alpha. It wouldn’t be good if I caused people to gossip about you.”
An Yao’s attention drifted strangely. “…Are you an Alpha? Why can’t I smell your Pheromones?”
I pointed to the gauze wrapped around the back of his neck. “Gland Damage affects some sensory functions. It’s only the third day; your body hasn’t adapted yet. We’ll see how it recovers after a period of conditioning.”
He nodded lightly.
Seeing his obedient look, I suddenly felt overwhelmingly soft-hearted, and my voice softened considerably. “Actually, when I got up to leave just now, it wasn’t because I had an issue with you. I was just afraid you might feel uneasy, so I…”
“If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me anytime. If all else fails—”
I bent down, rummaging through a cabinet under An Yao’s curious gaze, and pulled out a dusty baseball bat. I took a few tissues and carefully wiped it clean, then abruptly shoved it into the omega’s hand. “If you think I have ill intentions, use this.”
I pointed to the back of my head. “Hit me right here. I’ll pass out regardless of my gender. It’s guaranteed to work.”
An Yao clearly hadn’t expected this kind of situation. He held the thick baseball bat awkwardly, his gray eyes wide and round. He looked down at the “weapon” in his hands, then up at me, his mouth opening and closing without uttering a single word.
“Go ahead and hit me. If I pass out, I deserve it,” I smiled. “You rest first. I’ll go prepare something to eat.”
An Yao suddenly snapped back to attention, struggling to get out of bed. “Let me do it…”
“Do what?” I pressed down on his shoulder. “Patients should lie down properly.”
“But I’m an omega. These are things I should be doing,” An Yao’s voice was very soft. “There’s no reason for an Alpha to cook.”
I frowned. “Well, I’d say there’s even less reason for a patient to cook.”
“Besides, omegas aren’t born to do these things,” I said. “What you want to do and what you don’t want to do should be decided by yourself. No one else has that right.”
An Yao’s eyes widened even further.
“But…” His lips moved. “But at least let me do something. Otherwise, I really don’t know how to repay you…”
“Your best repayment is to recover well,” I quickly interrupted him. “Understood?”
An Yao looked stunned, then nodded obediently after a moment.
I sighed—I felt like I was sighing away all the breath I had for this lifetime in these few days.
“Lie here obediently,” I instructed again, worriedly. “I’ll be quick.”
An Yao shrank back into the blanket, only showing his clean face. “Understood.”
I fled the bedroom, afraid that if I delayed even a second, this troublesome person would rush out, and the two of us would end up fighting in the kitchen over the right to cook dinner.
I was getting carried away with my thoughts. I rubbed my face, feeling a headache coming on. I should really spend less time watching short videos. Too much screen time really makes people silly.
I said I was going to the kitchen, but I instinctively walked into the bathroom when I passed it. The man in the mirror was handsome, with gentle eyes, wearing glasses perched on his nose. His light gray loungewear was loose, making him look like a fluffy teddy bear.
I smiled, and the man in the mirror smiled back. He looked gentle and harmless no matter how I viewed him.
Am I very ugly? I wondered. Why was An Yao so afraid of me when he woke up?
I couldn’t figure it out, so I gave up thinking and headed straight for the kitchen, tying on an apron to prepare the meal.
The knife blade hitting the cutting board made a faint, regular sound of fibers being chopped. I focused on the task at hand, when the corner of my eye suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
It was An Yao.
“Didn’t you promise me you’d lie down properly?” I quickly put down the kitchen knife and wiped my hands on the apron. “Don’t you know your stitches haven’t been removed yet? You should be resting properly.”
“I just… wanted to help you do something.” An Yao lowered his eyes, his fingers anxiously twisting the overly long cuff of his sleeve. “I don’t want to… I don’t want to…”
He mumbled something quietly that I didn’t catch.
“I won’t do anything else,” his voice grew smaller. “Just wash the vegetables, okay?”
I wanted to say something, but An Yao looked like he was about to cry again. He seemed to be made of water, always capable of producing a flood of tears that could easily drown me in sadness.
I instantly gave in. “Wash them, wash them.”
I casually handed him a few small white radishes. “Tell me immediately if you feel uncomfortable. And—after you finish washing these, go sit down properly and don’t do anything else, okay?”
His eyes seemed to light up. He nodded vigorously, taking the radishes as if they were precious treasures.
I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Is he really that happy? I thought. The girls at the Clinic would try to hide if they heard they had to do chores, but this one was eagerly rushing to work, looking utterly foolish.
An Yao finished washing and shook off the water, then reached for the kitchen knife, which I quickly intercepted.
“What did you just promise me?” I said. “Go rest. Stop working.”
The young man wilted. If he had ears, they would be drooping right now.
I couldn’t bear it and softened my tone. “Why are you so earnest? People need to learn how to be lazy.”
An Yao was silent for a moment. “I just… I just want to be useful.”
“I’ve already caused you so much trouble…” he whispered. “If I just sit here waiting to be fed and waited on, that would be too ungrateful.”
I sighed. “My dear, just pretend I have an addiction to serving people, and let me take care of you for a while, alright?”
An Yao was clearly stunned, a faint blush spreading across his face. Paired with his messy silver hair, he looked extra bewildered.
“O-okay,” he covered his face. “I understand…”
With that, he quickly walked toward the dining table, but he was slightly out of sync, bumping into the nearby cabinet halfway there.
“Watch where you’re going,” I said, trying to suppress a laugh. “Little one.”
An Yao’s movements became even more uncoordinated.
When I finished preparing the vegetables and turned around, I saw An Yao sitting obediently beside the dining table, his posture perfectly straight, looking more serious than a primary school student in class.
“Don’t be silly,” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Go sit on the sofa. There are cushions there; it’s more comfortable.”
An Yao quietly acknowledged me and obediently sat down on the sofa.
While stirring the food in the pan, I unconsciously glanced at An Yao in the living room. The young man was like a small animal exploring the world for the first time, full of curiosity about everything around him. His gaze first landed on the comical, chubby seal plush toy nearby. After hesitating for a long time, he timidly reached out and gently tugged the toy’s fluffy tail.
I suddenly felt a gentle bump in my chest, and the warmth that spread through me made me involuntarily curve my lips into a smile.
The steam rising from the pot gradually filled the kitchen, blurring my entire vision, yet An Yao’s figure remained so clear. I scrutinized him for a while, my gaze circling back to the gauze-wrapped back of his neck.
I had personally treated that wound, and I knew exactly what lay beneath the gauze: grotesque and twisted, with flesh exposed. Even though it was no longer bleeding, it was like a never-healing fissure, permanently etched onto this gentle young man, impossible to remove or avoid.
I suddenly felt a pang of heartache—no, it was anger. I was angry at the person who had brutally attacked An Yao, and I hated the culprit who had forced An Yao to flee desperately into the rainy night with severe injuries.
Who was that person? Why had An Yao ended up in this state?
I didn’t know, and An Yao hadn’t said.
Even though my mind was racing with questions, I couldn’t force him to answer. The sheer, lingering panic on An Yao’s face when he first woke up silently testified to his ordeal.
It wouldn’t be good if An Yao suffered a traumatic stupor, I thought. His body hadn’t recovered yet. If he was scared again, it would be even harder for him to heal.
Perhaps I should try a different approach.