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When he was sixteen years old, Wei Ying presented as an omega.
He hadn’t thought much of it, since secondary genders didn’t matter to him. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Madam Yu, who had been furious with him since the very moment his scent had begun to grow sweeter.
And so, ever since the day he had first presented, Wei Ying had been forced to take suppressants to hide his status as an omega. Everyone except Jiang Fengmian, Madam Yu, and his two siblings believed that he was a beta. But although his natural scent had been easily blocked by the suppressants, his troubles, unfortunately, hadn’t ended there.
Sometimes, more often than he wanted to admit, Wei Ying would feel an overwhelmingly strong need to do certain things. His skin had been itching for relief all day, and somehow he had instinctively known that he needed to gather and hoard soft blankets and pillows into a pile and lay among them, so he had done just that.
It had made him feel safe and cared for in a way that nothing else could, and Wei Ying had felt fully relaxed for the first time in months, all the tension of having to pretend to be someone he was not for every waking hour of the day melting away.
But Madam Yu had caught him red-handed. She had yelled and screamed about how he needed to control these urges, and that if he ever gave in to temptation and displayed his secondary gender again she would hand him over to Jin Guangshan without a second thought.
Wei Ying had been helpless as he watched her throw away all the blankets he had collected, leaving him with nothing but a single thin and uncomfortable one that was doused in an overpoweringly bitter scent, making him not want to go anywhere near it.
After that, Wei Ying didn’t attempt to build a nest again.
Luckily the urges became easier to control over time. Sure, he would sometimes be in physical pain for days whenever he was made to kneel for hours on end as punishment, and any marks he received from Zidian never seemed to fade or stop stinging.
But being uncomfortable was just part of life, everyone got punished every now and then. So Wei Ying never said a thing. So what if he could never settle down and get comfortable? And so what if his body felt as if it was constantly screaming for help, for relief? Wei Ying was the first disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, he was expected to handle difficult situations no matter what.
Then came the invitation for him to go to the Cloud Recesses along with Jiang Cheng. Wei Ying had been ecstatic at the opportunity. Only alphas and betas were ever invited to study at the Cloud Recesses, but since everyone believed him to be a beta, it only made sense for him to get an invite as well. Wei Ying happily accepted, glad to get the opportunity to get away from Madam Yu’s scrutiny for a few months.
From the moment he walked through the gates, Wei Ying could tell that the Cloud Recesses was very different from Lotus Pier. The air felt lighter and cleaner and lacked the thick, overwhelming scent of pheromone blockers that often filled the air in and around his room at home. It felt nice, and Wei Ying immediately felt more at ease than he had in a long time.
He still received his fair share of punishment, of course. Wei Ying was simply destined to bend the rules until they shattered and broke. At least his punishments in the Cloud Recesses were never as harsh as they had been in Lotus Pier. He was mostly made to kneel and “reflect” (as if!) over his actions, or better yet- sit with Lan Zhan and copy the rules for hours on end.
Lan Zhan had such a uniquely comforting scent that Wei Ying could never get enough of. He had never experienced anything like it before, and he’d do everything in his power to be close to him, invading his personal space whenever he could. Lan Zhan would tense up any time he did so, but Wei Ying just couldn’t help himself. Being close to him reminded him of that feeling from many months earlier, when he had secretly managed to build a small nest and relax in it for a short moment before he was found out. It was strange how the two were connected, but Wei Ying never gave it much thought.
“Lan Zhan!”
Lan Zhan remained quiet, not even looking Wei Ying’s way. How rude!
“Lan Zhan, I have a question!” Wei Ying tried again. This time Lan Zhan looked up at him, his expression neutral as always. He didn’t make a sound, but Wei Ying still took it as Lan Zhan telling him to speak his mind.
“Why do you only punish your disciples by copying rules and kneeling? Wouldn’t it be more effective with physical punishments, like beatings or whippings?”
Lan Zhan gave him a strange look that Wei Ying had a hard time reading.
“Only alphas receive physical punishments,” Lan Zhan said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Wei Ying tilted his head to the side in confusion. In Lotus Pier anyone could be punished by getting whipped, although most often that level of punishment was reserved for Wei Ying any time he didn’t know when to shut up. But perhaps things were different here in the Cloud Recesses.
“Why is that? Do you think that we betas and omegas are so weak that we can’t handle it like you big, strong alphas?” Wei Ying had meant for his question to be teasing, wanting to rile Lan Zhan up a bit, but Lan Zhan’s brows only furrowed deeper.
“Betas struggle with healing from physical punishments, and omegas should never even be considered for them.” Lan Zhan recited before hesitating for a moment.
“Wei Ying, have you received physical punishments in Lotus Pier?”
Wei Ying suddenly felt stupid for bringing it up. His throat felt weirdly tight, his skin prickling uncomfortably from the strange, charged way Lan Zhan was looking at him.
“Duh!” he said, forcing his voice to remain light and playful. “Haven’t you noticed how annoying I am? It’s the only way for them to control me! Do you really think forcing me to copy rules for a few weeks is going to do anything but waste everyone's time? Besides, Lotus Pier and Cloud Recesses don’t have the same rules about such things, we treat the three secondary genders as equals,” Wei Ying said with pride.
At that, Lan Zhan’s gaze visibly darkened.
“I am well aware,” he said through gritted teeth. “But just because it is allowed in Lotus Pier, it doesn’t mean that it is right. Punishment shouldn’t lead to any permanent damage. That is why Cloud Recesses has banned all the cruel punishments that have been used to harm omegas in the past.”
“O-oh? What kind of punishments?” Wei Ying asked, hoping that his voice remained neutral and didn’t betray any of the unease he suddenly felt.
“Like forcing an omega to take suppressants and not giving them the chance to nest. And by forcing them to take the appearance of a beta or an alpha for one's own selfish wants and needs,” Lan Zhan said it so matter of factly, much like he did when he was quoting a specific rule, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Wei Ying’s hands had begun shaking. Was this not normal, what had been done to him? Or was it simply because Cloud Recesses had such different ideas of what an omega should be and do?
Yes, that must be it! It was simply a matter of cultural differences! Omegas from Lotus Pier were raised to be stronger, that was why Wei Ying could suppress his secondary gender without it being an issue! Besides, he was fine, and he had been ever since he had first presented.
“...Wei Ying?”
If Wei Ying didn’t know better he would have thought that Lan Zhan sounded worried. He had even put down his calligraphy brush, giving Wei Ying his full attention.
“Those are not seen as issues In Lotus Pier. We just do things differently there, omegas are just treated like everyone else.”
Wei Ying didn’t mention that he was in fact treated very differently to his peers for being an omega- and not in a good way. But he was the exception, every other omega in Yunmeng was treated with care. He was treated differently because he could take it, because he was the first disciple of the Jiang clan of Yunmeng. Because he was strong.
But the strange look on Lan Zhan’s face didn’t disappear, if anything it only bore into him even deeper. If he didn’t know better, Wei Ying would have thought that he was feeling worried about him. But that couldn’t be the case, Lan Zan didn’t care enough about him to be worried about his well being.
Lan Zhan’s scent had turned sour, and Wei Ying had to fight against his own instincts to not do something stupid like whine and move closer to him to nuzzle against his chest. That would be improper, he wasn’t supposed to act like that around anyone, no matter how badly he wanted to. So he forced the feeling down, instead moving to stand up.
“Anyway, my detention is over for today and I really need to get going! I’ll see you later, Lan Zhan.”
Wei Ying didn’t wait for a response before hurrying out of the library, suddenly desperate to put some distance between them.
But things only got worse from there. It was as if Lan Zhan had somehow flipped a switch in Wei Ying’s brain, making it harder for him to keep his emotions and actions in check. On more than one occasion he found himself considering sneaking into Lan Zhan’s personal quarters and stealing one of his spare robes to bring to his bed. Wei Ying’s bed was so impersonal, so neutral, having nothing but the bare necessities that a beta required. It needed something more, preferably Lan Zhan’s clothes, but Wei Ying couldn’t give in, not when he knew his inner omega was the cause of the turmoil in his head.
So he forced all his urges to the back of his mind, and did his best to go about with his everyday life.
Wei Ying had always been a good fighter, but he had almost exclusively fought other disciples from the Jiang clan. They had their unique set of codes and rules, their ways of fighting that he was familiar with and that he could read and dismantle in mere seconds. Both the Lans and the Nies followed similar codes, and were therefore easy to read. But Wei Ying quickly learned that certain members of the Jin clan of Lanling didn’t mind playing dirty.
Everything came crashing down because of Jin Zixun, who had somehow managed to get too close to Wei Ying while they were practicing their swordsmanship. Wei Ying quickly changed the angle of his sword, ready to push the alpha away, but before he could do so, Jin Zixun clamped a hand around the base of his neck, hissing into his ear.
“Just submit already, you stupid beta!”
Jin Zixun had used his alpha voice, forcing Wei Ying into submission with merely the tone of his voice. Wei Ying stood frozen in his spot, unable to move a muscle. Nobody had ever done that to him before. Nobody had ever used his status as a beta- or rather an omega disguised as a beta- against him in order to force him to do something.
Wei Ying felt his sword get knocked out of his hands, officially declaring him defeated, and in the next second he was on the ground. His skin felt as if it was burning up from somewhere deep within, leaving him panicked and unable to breathe. He wanted to get back up, to pick his sword back up and keep fighting, but for once his body refused to cooperate, no matter how hard he tried. His legs were shaking so badly that he couldn’t even remain kneeling on the ground, and he collapsed into the grass.
His heart was pounding away in his chest, his mind filled with nothing but thoughts of running away and hiding away somewhere, making himself a safe and comfortable space somewhere where nobody could reach him, or touch him, or command him.
That overwhelming need was the only thing Wei Ying could focus on, until he noticed the comforting scent of sandalwood moving in closer, soon overpowering that of Jin Zixun.
“Wei Ying!-”
He didn’t give Lan Zhan the opportunity to finish before wrapping both arms around the alpha’s neck, pulling himself close and nuzzling his face into his chest until he couldn’t smell or feel anything other than Lan Zhan.
He was safe now, surely Lan Zhan would protect him. He smelled so strongly of warmth and security and Wei Ying never wanted to let him go.
Wei Ying was vaguely aware of the fact that he was being lifted and moved, away from the onslaught of dozens of other people’s scents. Normally Wei Ying would have kicked and yelled and fought tooth and nail until he was released, but not this time. Not when it was Lan Zhan who held him tightly in his arms, Lan Zhan who was comforting him, protecting him from another alpha. He was safe, finally he was safe.
Wei Ying could hear people talking around him, and suddenly Lan Zhan’s arms around him were gone, along with his overpowering scent. Wei Ying’s eyes flew open, his hands desperately flying out in an attempt to grab onto him and bring him back. Lan Zhan couldn’t leave him, not now!
Lan Zhan’s touch immediately returned, his arms hesitantly wrapping around Wei Ying’s waist. If he had been more coherent Wei Ying would have felt embarrassed about the way he clung to Lan Zhan for dear life, but right now he was the only one grounding him and stopping him from panicking.
Lan Zhan seemed to be talking to someone else, but Wei Ying didn’t know who. Or cared, for that matter. As long as he was in Lan Zhan’s arms he would be alright, nothing else mattered as long as Lan Zhan kept holding him close, allowing Wei Ying to nuzzle into his chest, mixing their scents together.
“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan asked. His voice was low and gentle, the opposite of what Jin Zixun’s had been. Wei Ying let out a small whine in response.
“My brother is going to bring you something to eat and drink. Would you like to build a nest in the meantime?”
Wei Ying frowned. Burrowing into a nest sounded so good right now, but he shouldn’t. He couldn’t . Because what if Madam Yu found out? She would be furious with him, and he didn’t want that.
“‘M not allowed to,” he mumbled against Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Lan Zhan tensed up beneath him, the grip around his waist tightening. It was dead silent for a long moment.
“I will help you,” Lan Zhan offered. “Wei Ying, please, you need to rest.”
Wei Ying shook his head half-heartedly. But he soon found himself being moved again, this time being gently placed on top of something soft. Lan Zhan’s scent was so strong here, that Wei Ying couldn’t help but bury his face into the sheets beneath him, taking in his scent.
He suddenly felt too aware of his surroundings- the thick, soft blanket that was placed over his body, and one of Lan Zhan’s spare robes that was neatly folded next to him on the bed. His hands had reached out to grab it before he even knew what he was doing, hugging the robe close to his chest.
More blankets were soon added around him, one by one, as if to form a protective barrier between Wei Ying and the rest of the world. Wei Ying couldn’t help but feel guilty about how much he basked in the care and attention. He had promised to never do this again, and yet here he was. Once Madam Yu found out, was she really going to hand him over to Jin Guangshan, to become part of his harem of young omegas? He couldn’t have that, he needed to get back up and away from Lan Zhan and his wonderful scent.
But Wei Ying’s body refused to cooperate with his barely-lucid mind, his arms giving in and collapsing under his own weight before he could even lift his upper body out of his new nest.
“Wei Ying, please get some rest,” Lan Zhan’s voice said somewhere next to him. Wei Ying let out an unintelligible mumble in response, not even sure of what he was trying to say himself.
Eventually the weakness in his body ended up winning over his hesitant mind, and Wei Ying gave in and allowed himself to lull off to the most comfortable sleep he had experienced for over a year. For the first time since he had presented, he felt at peace, his body and mind both recognizing that he was safe, and able to finally calm down.
Everything was alright. Lan Zhan was watching over him.
When Wei Ying woke up, he had no idea how long he had been asleep. He must look a complete mess as he emerged from his nest, eyes half-lidded and hair standing on end. Once his eyes had adapted to the brightness of what seemed to be the midday sun, he was met with Lan Xichen’s gentle smile.
“Good morning!” he said gleefully, as if this was a completely normal occurrence, and Wei Ying hadn’t been exposed to be an omega mere hours earlier. “How did you sleep?”
“Good?” Wei Ying’s response came out more as a question, because he hadn’t had a good night's sleep in so long that he could barely remember what one felt like. He felt rested and strangely calm, still surrounded and covered by the combination of soft blankets and Lan Zhan’s scent.
Lan Zhan… Lan Zhan had been with him when he’d fallen asleep, but where was he now? Had he realized that it was all a mistake, that Wei Ying was a mistake, and left?
Lan Xichen must have noticed him looking around, searching for him, as he quickly cleared things up.
“Wangji will be back in just a moment, he had something important to discuss with uncle, so I’ve been watching over you while he’s been gone.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Wei Ying said, feeling embarrassed about the fact that Lan Xichen, a future clan leader , had been forced to waste his time and energy watching over Wei Ying, simply because he had been too weak and careless during practice. “I’m fine now, so I should probably leave.”
Wei Ying made an attempt to stand up, but his legs immediately gave out underneath him, causing him to tumble back into the nest. The nest Lan Zhan had built for him.
He could feel his inner omega dangerously close to the surface, threatening to break loose and wreak havoc by nuzzling into the nest and purring non-stop. It had been a while since he had last taken his suppressants, and being surrounded by an alpha’s scent for the last several hours had taken its toll on him. He needed his suppressants, and he needed them fast, or else there would undoubtedly be an incident.
“I have some medicine that I need to take,” Wei Ying said, looking at Lan Xichen. “They’re in my room, so I need to head back.” He chose not to mention the fact that he would definitely not be coming back once he left.
Lan Xichen shot him a pained smile.
“Your suppressants, I presume?”
Wei Ying tensed up. While he had assumed that Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen both had found out about his status as an omega, he hadn’t been completely certain until now. What would happen next? Would they report him? Would they contact uncle Jiang and Madam Yu and tell them what had happened, sealing Wei Ying’s fate forever?
Lan Xichen must have noticed the panic showing up on Wei Ying’s face, as he quickly continued.
“It’s all right, nothing bad is going to happen to you. Although you won’t be able to take any more suppressants.”
Wei Ying looked at him, confused.
“What do you mean? I need them.”
“It would be dangerous for you to keep taking them after the reaction you had today, as your body has already been pushed to its limit. Tell me, Wei Wuxian, when did you first start taking suppressants?”
Wei Ying shot Lan Xichen a suspicious glare. Why did he want to know? He had nothing to do with this, this was Wei Ying’s business and Wei Ying’s business alone. Allowing himself to be vulnerable and be taken care of had been a mistake, he’d just have to make his way back to his room on his own.
Wei Ying’s body was screaming at him to lie back down when he stood up on shaking legs. But he ignored it, he had gone through much worse, he could do this. He owed the Jiangs that much.
He ignored Lan Xichen calling out to him as he made a beeline toward the door. But before he could step outside, his path was blocked by another figure.
Lan Zhan had returned.
Suddenly his desire to return to the nest and never leave it again got ten times stronger.
“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, his voice gentle, as if he was talking to a spooked animal. “Please lay back down, it’s for your own good.”
Wei Ying wanted to tell him no, wanted to make it clear that he had no choice but to leave, but the urge to do as Lan Zhan said and snuggle back into the nest that Lan Zhan himself had built for him was stronger. So Wei Ying did as he was told, fluffing up the blankets until there was a small crater in the middle for him to sit in, while Lan Zhan took a seat at the very edge of the bed.
Neither he nor Lan Xichen spoke, both seemingly hesitant on how they should bring up the sensitive topic at hand once more without scaring him off again. Not that they needed to worry anymore now that Lan Zhan was back. Wei Ying didn’t know much about his omegan urges since he had suppressed them ever since presenting, but was certain that he would do anything Lan Zhan asked him to.
“Why can’t I take any more suppressants?” Wei Ying asked, his tone coming across as a lot more standoffish than he had anticipated. But the two alphas in the room didn’t seem bothered by it.
“You have taken them ever since you first presented, correct?” Lan Xichen asked. Wei Ying nodded, confirming his suspicions. From the corner of his eye he could see Lan Zhan’s body grow tense.
“Suppressing your natural needs and urges for so long without any breaks is dangerous,” Lan Xichen explained with a sad smile. “Have you ever gone through a heat? Or even built a nest?”
Wei Ying shook his head again, causing Lan Zhan to get up and begin pacing back and forth. The shift in his scent told Wei Ying that he was feeling distressed- but why?
“I don’t need to do any of that,” Wei Ying said, not coming across nearly as confident as he had hoped. “I wasn’t meant to be an omega, I’m much better off as a beta.”
“Have you perhaps been feeling worse during the last few weeks?” Lan Xichen asked, completely ignoring Wei Ying’s attempt at diminishing the seriousness of the situation.
And he had been. He had been slowly getting worse for months now. But there was nothing he could do about it, this was just what his life was going to be like. He didn’t have another choice. He would rather live his life in pain and discomfort as a beta, than beneath Jin Guangshan as an omega.
“That doesn’t matter, I need to keep taking my suppressants,” Wei Ying said again, getting more and more distressed by the second.
“Why is that?” Lan Xichen asked. Wei Ying could only blink at him. He was a future clan leader, so he had to know how the politics surrounding omegas and their value for their clan worked, right?
“Because otherwise I’ll be sent away, I wouldn’t get to stay in Lotus Pier anymore,” Wei Ying said matter of factly.
“Who told you that?” Lan Zhan said completely out of the blue, bringing Wei Ying’s attention back to him. He blinked a few times, trying to process the new mix of scents flowing from him. Lan Zhan was clearly angry, but his anger didn’t seem to be directed toward Wei Ying.
“Madam Yu. But she’s not lying, that’s just how it works. At least in Lotus Pier. When I presented I had two choices- I could either be handed over to Jin Guangshan and become one of his omegas, or I could take my suppressants and live my life as a beta.”
Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen exchanged a look, and Wei Ying was suddenly starting to grow nervous. That was how the politics surrounding omegas worked, it was completely normal. Omegas everywhere were used as bargaining chips for their clans. In fact, Wei Ying was lucky to have had the choice to remain in Lotus Pier and live his life as a beta.
…Right?
“I’m going to go speak to uncle, please excuse me for a moment,” Lan Xichen said, and before Wei Ying could protest, he was already out the door.
Why did he feel that Lan Qiren of all people needed to get involved? He couldn’t stand Wei Ying, and he’d probably send him back home to Lotus Pier as soon as he found out about Wei Ying’s lies.
Wei Ying swallowed thickly. He didn’t want to go back, especially not now that Madam Yu would find out that others knew that he was an omega.
“It’s going to be alright,” Lan Zhan said somewhere next to him. He had stopped his pacing, now standing completely still a few steps away from the bed. He looked as if he wanted to move closer, but remained frozen in his spot, looking more like a nervous animal than the powerful alpha that he was.
Wei Ying gave a humorless laugh.
“Sure. If you count me being sent off to become a part of Jin Guangshan’s harem as ‘alright’.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
Their eyes finally met, Lan Zhan’s filled with so much determination and barely suppressed fury that even just looking at him made Wei Ying’s heartbeat speed up. He really needed his suppressants, and fast, lest he end up doing something stupid.
“You don’t have any control over that,” Wei Ying said. “Madam Yu is going to do whatever she wants, no matter what you or anyone else tells her.”
“There is one way,” Lan Zhan began. He paused for a moment, as if he was searching for something in Wei Ying’s expression. Apparently he seemed to find it, as he eventually continued.
“You will be safe if you marry me.”
Wei Ying really needed to get his hearing checked, because there was no way that Lan Zhan had just suggested that Wei Ying marry him. Even just the thought of it was ridiculous. Someone like Lan Zhan, a powerful, handsome, and polite alpha who could have anyone he wanted would never settle for someone like Wei Ying- a broken omega and a liar. Not even out of pity.
“That’s not funny,” Wei Ying said, failing to find the humor in Lan Zhan toying with his emotions. Lan Zhan’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m being serious.”
“You’re really asking me to marry you?” Wei Ying asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
“I’ve already built you a nest and given you my personal belongings to keep you comfortable, is it really that difficult to believe I want to marry you?”
Wei Ying’s cheeks flushed red, and he quickly looked away. This was bad, Lan Zhan’s scent had grown stronger and even more irresistible than it had been before. It would be hard to even stay in the same room as him if he kept this up.
While Wei Ying had been busy thinking about anything and everything other than Lan Zhan, he hadn’t noticed the alpha getting closer to him before he felt his hands- large and warm and safe- rest on top of his own.
“Wei Ying,” he whispered. How Lan Zhan managed to make his name sound so soft and gentle, like it was the most precious set of words known to man, Wei Ying didn’t think he’d ever know. “I want you to be my omega. I want to take care of you and give you everything you desire or need. I want to protect you and keep you safe here in the Cloud Recesses, with me.”
Wei Ying could do nothing but stare at him, mouth open in shock. Lan Zhan wanted to be his alpha. Lan Zhan wanted him to become his omega . He didn’t look down on him because of his status, or even the fact that he had lied about it for the entire time they had known each other. He still wanted Wei Ying.
And by god, did Wei Ying want him back.
“Okay,” Wei Ying said, his voice breathless. Lan Zhan’s eyes widened.
“Okay?”
“I’ll marry you.”
When Lan Zhan’s arms wrapped around his back, bringing him in close and burrowing his face in the side of his neck, Wei Ying realized that there was no place in the world he would rather be.
Lan Qiren had been strangely calm once he and Lan Xichen returned to find Lan Zhan and Wei Ying snuggling in their shared nest. It had been difficult to sit up properly to have a conversation with them, as Wei Ying wanted nothing more than to stay in Lan Zhan’s arms forever and ever, away from the rest of the world and their prying eyes.
Lan Qiren looked tired as he watched Lan Zhan’s arms wrapped tightly around his omega, but thankfully he didn’t comment on it.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, the question clearly meant more for Lan Zhan than for Wei Ying. Lan Zhan nodded firmly.
“I am, uncle.”
Lan Qiren sighed and pinched the area between his brows.
“Very well. I will write a letter to Lotus Pier to explain the situation. And make it clear that Yu Ziyuan is not welcome to come to the wedding or any of the surrounding festivities due to her endangering an omega for her own benefit.”
Wei Ying didn’t protest. It had slowly begun to dawn on him just how much he had been forced to change and suffer just to keep his status as an omega hidden. But now he was free, and feeling better than ever with Lan Zhan by his side. The following weeks would be hard, as Wei Ying had never lived as an omega before and had no idea what to expect, but together they could handle anything.
One of the consequences of suppressing one's secondary gender and not once allowing it to shine through was that the new sensations and experiences that came with being an omega would be ten times stronger than they would have been if he had simply lived a normal life as an omega from the beginning.
Once Wei Ying had gotten the hang of building a nest he had refused to leave it for a week straight, requesting lots of pillows and at least half of Lan Zhan’s wardrobe before he finally felt sated. There was no place better to be than in his new nest, surrounded by his mate’s scent. Except for having said mate with him, or perhaps even inside him, of course.
Wei Ying’s first heat had been intense. A year of constantly suppressing one's heats was evidently terrible for an omega's body, and now Wei Ying had to live with the consequences.
Lan Zhan had barely managed to keep up with him, alternating between fingering Wei Ying open and using his tongue while they waited for his dick to get enough rest to form a knot once more. Wei Ying had lost count of how many times he had been locked on Lan Zhan’s knot, but no matter how many times Lan Zhan fucked him, it was never enough.
Wei Ying knew that he was an absolute mess, moaning and begging for more, nails clawing at Lan Zhan’s back and urging him to go harder and deeper. And Lan Zhan, the darling that he was, put up with it all, giving in to every one of Wei Ying’s whims even when it was physically possible for him to fulfill them. Wei Ying’s heart was so full of love that it felt like it was about to burst.
The wedding took place a mere few weeks later, Lan Qiren adamant that they tie the knot (quite literally) as soon as possible, to hide any potential mishaps (pregnancies) that might have happened during Wei Ying’s first heat.
But Wei Ying didn’t mind the rushed wedding. Not when he got to see Lan Zhan dressed in red, looking at Wei Ying with gentle and hopeful eyes, as if he couldn’t wait for a future with him. Wei Ying had never been happier, feeling both accepted and loved as he was welcomed into his new family with open arms.