Chapter 19
Irritation.
That was the only way Shen Yu could describe what he felt as he watched Kim Taehyun stare at Jiang Li.
Those dark eyes were the same as always—deep, unreadable, heavy enough to feel like an abyss pulling everything into it. Yet the longer Shen Yu watched that gaze settle on the omega beside him, the more a familiar unease crept beneath his skin.
And then he understood why.
It was the same look.
The same look Taehyun had once worn years ago, back when his attention had slowly begun shifting toward He Lian. Shen Yu remembered it now with uncomfortable clarity—that quiet intensity hidden beneath calm composure, the subtle possessiveness that only became obvious once it was already too late.
It had been the look of someone deciding they wanted something.
Someone preparing to take it.
Back then, Shen Yu had watched Taehyun steal away something he once believed would eventually become his.
So why… was he looking at Jiang Li that same way now?
Without realizing it, Shen Yu's hand tightened around Jiang Li's waist.
The emotion that surged through him was far too familiar, and that realization alone unsettled him more than he cared to admit. The anger, the irritation, the strange crushing pressure building in his chest—it was disturbingly similar to what he had once felt when He Lian drifted away from him.
Except this time, the person standing beside him was Jiang Li.
The thought surfaced suddenly, abrupt enough to make Shen Yu stiffen.
Something that belonged to him.
The moment that idea formed, Shen Yu let go of Jiang Li as though the contact had burned him.
Jiang Li immediately turned toward him, confusion flickering across his face. From the outside, however, Shen Yu revealed nothing. His expression remained unreadable, his dark eyes lowered silently toward the cement pathway beneath them.
"Taehyun…"
A soft voice interrupted the tension.
Warm vanilla bean and jasmine pheromones drifted through the cold air, wrapping around the atmosphere with effortless ease and softening the sharpness lingering between the three men. It was comforting in a way Jiang Li suddenly realized his own pheromones could never quite achieve.
The thought came uninvited, leaving the omega unexpectedly quiet.
He watched Shen Yu carefully, curious despite himself about how the Alpha would react.
Surprisingly, Shen Yu didn't turn.
Even after hearing He Lian's voice, he remained still, his gaze fixed downward as though lost somewhere far from the present moment.
By the time she reached Taehyun's side, she was holding the hand of a small boy no older than seven. The child clung to her quietly, wide hazel eyes slightly watery as he looked up at his father.
Beautiful eyes, Jiang Li thought absently.
"Sorry for disturbing you," He Lian said apologetically, smiling faintly as she glanced between them. "But this little one has been causing trouble."
Her expression softened as she looked at her husband.
"He wants his father."
Taehyun finally lifted his gaze toward her.
For a brief moment, the sharpness in his expression eased. He reached out naturally, brushing windblown strands of hair away from her face before sighing quietly.
Without another word, he bent down and lifted the small boy into his arms with practiced familiarity. The child immediately relaxed against him.
"Let's go back inside," Taehyun said calmly. "It's cold. I don't want you getting sick."
His voice remained deep and steady as always, but Jiang Li noticed something strange.
That grin Taehyun always wore around Shen Yu—or even around him—was gone.
Completely.
Jiang Li watched the couple silently. Just before disappearing down the walkway, He Lian glanced back once more. Her hazel eyes lingered briefly on Jiang Li, narrowing slightly with something that resembled curiosity before she turned away again.
After they disappeared from sight, Jiang Li shifted his attention back to Shen Yu.
The Alpha was still staring at the empty path they had left through, silent and unmoving.
"Shen Yu," Jiang Li said softly, "I'm cold. Can we go inside?"
At the sound of his voice, Shen Yu finally looked down at him. A low chuckle escaped him, though there was no humor in it.
"After standing out here this long," he said quietly, "you're only realizing now that you're cold?"
Jiang Li froze.
There was something different about Shen Yu's voice.
It wasn't warm—not even close—but neither was it the detached coldness Jiang Li had grown used to. The difference was subtle, buried beneath the man's usual composure, yet unmistakable enough to leave Jiang Li strangely unsettled.
His hands clenched quietly at his sides.
Up until now, it had been easier to ignore things—to ignore the touch at his waist, the lingering stares, the moments that made his heart react too quickly. Whenever those feelings surfaced, he would force himself to think of something else, anything that would stop him from blushing like an idiot.
But now that he noticed the change in Shen Yu's voice…
It became harder to pretend.
Jiang Li turned his face away slightly, unwilling to let Shen Yu see how much that small shift affected him.
He bit down lightly on his lip and inhaled slowly.
Then suddenly, warmth settled over his shoulders.
Jiang Li blinked in surprise.
Shen Yu's coat now rested around him, carrying the rich scent of whiskey and rosewood so strongly that it immediately surrounded him completely. The pheromones clung heavily to the fabric, intoxicating enough to make Jiang Li's knees weaken for a brief, embarrassing second.
Still, when he looked up, his honey-brown eyes remained unreadable.
"What is this for?" he asked quietly.
Shen Yu didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward a nearby cement bench surrounded by blooming dahlias and orchids, their fragrance thick in the cool night air. Yet even surrounded by flowers, Jiang Li could still smell Shen Yu's pheromones more strongly than anything else.
Stronger than before.
"Wear it for now," Shen Yu muttered as he sat down, his gaze lingering on the flowers ahead. "I don't feel like going back inside yet."
Jiang Li frowned faintly in confusion before suddenly remembering his own words.
I'm cold.
Realization slowly dawned on him.
For a moment, he simply stared at Shen Yu before a small smile tugged unexpectedly at his lips.
"Shen Yu…" he said carefully. "Are you jealous?"
The reaction was immediate.
Shen Yu froze.
And seeing that alone made Jiang Li's smile deepen slightly.
Because now he understood the change he had heard earlier in Shen Yu's voice.
Jealousy.
So this was the version Shen Yu preferred.
Not the overly affectionate omega who clung to him endlessly.
But this version.
The calmer one.
The one capable of walking away.
The night around them remained quiet, cold wind brushing softly past the flowers as they sat there in silence.
Neither of them realized it then, but within those lingering glances and restrained words, they had already begun unraveling each other far more deeply than either intended.