Little Pink Starfish

Su Liang woke up from a nightmare.

Of course, strictly speaking, what jolted him awake in a cold sweat, trembling all over, wasn’t just a simple nightmare—it was the fact that, once again, he had relived in his dreams every horrific thing that the “nameless” girl had experienced.

No matter how much he wanted to escape the negative effects of the psychic resonance, the terrifying memories had already taken root deep in his spiritual sea. Even though his body was weary and drowsy from sedatives, his mind simply could not relax.

Su Liang clutched tightly at the uniform in his arms. The moment he awoke, he had known that Lu Taipan had just been there beside him. The air in the hospital room still held faint traces of the man’s cold, dominant pheromones, and the uniform in Su Liang’s arms retained a faint warmth.

Yet, the moment he realized he was alone in the bed, an icy chill spread through him. The wounds that didn’t physically exist ached once more, as if his body had been plunged back into the cold nutrient fluid of the cultivation tank, gradually losing all warmth.

“Mr. Si—”

Su Liang trembled violently, fearfully sitting up from the bed. He subconsciously wanted to find Lu Taipan, but his knees gave out and he nearly collapsed—until a pair of strong arms suddenly reached out and pulled him into a warm, solid embrace.

“I’m here.”

Lu Taipan gently rubbed Su Liang’s back. It had only been a day, yet he felt the youth had grown even thinner—he could feel the bones beneath Su Liang’s skin through the hospital gown. A hidden pain once again spread through the Lord of the Snake’s Nest.

“Don’t be afraid.”

He carried Su Liang back onto the bed.

Spiritual power flowed out from him—the “Black Snake” slowly wrapped around the youth’s body. Normally, such spiritual power would only cause immense pressure and a suffocating sensation. But in this moment, with the Alpha’s subtle and intricate entanglement, Su Liang instead began to relax.

The damp, cold, and overpowering pheromones wrapped around him almost tangibly. Su Liang greedily inhaled the air tinged with Lu Taipan’s scent, finally feeling his heartbeat gradually slow and settle.

“Mr. Si, don’t leave me.”

Su Liang clung tightly to the Alpha before him, repeating those words over and over as his body curled in on itself.

“I won’t.”

Lu Taipan answered again and again, never wavering.

Unknowingly, their bodies became entwined.

It was an incredibly intimate posture—something Su Liang might have found shameful under normal circumstances. But after everything that had happened, he felt that only this kind of embrace, this kind of contact, could calm him down.

“Look at me, Liang.”

Su Liang heard Lu Taipan speak to him.

Obediently, under the Alpha’s command, he lifted his head in a daze, eyes dull and vacant.

“It’s all in the past now.”

Lu Taipan murmured.

Su Liang’s lips parted, his voice hoarse.

“I don’t know…” The youth looked fragile and lost. “I’ve always wanted to forget those things, but every time I close my eyes, it’s like I’m back in that ‘nameless’ memory.”

Having never experienced such brutal psychic resonance, Su Liang was completely at a loss.

“…I don’t want to be like this. But I can’t control it.”

“I know.”

Lu Taipan placed a hand on Su Liang’s back.

He kissed the corner of Su Liang’s eye and gently licked away the uncontrollable tears that had fallen.

“I can help you forget.”

Lu Taipan’s voice lowered.

Su Liang shook his head. “I can’t forget—”

His voice suddenly caught in his throat.

“How about now?”

The Alpha whispered hoarsely into his ear.

On the hospital bed, the youth’s body tensed all at once.

“Mr. Si?”

Su Liang gasped in surprise.

To ensure the patient’s sleep quality, the hospital room was dimly lit. Yet even in the near darkness, the Lord of the Snake’s Nest’s eyes glimmered faintly, like a predator’s. His expression was gentle, but that gaze sent shivers through Su Liang’s spine.

“Shhh—”

The Lord of the Snake’s Nest whispered softly.

*

The Beta medical officer returned to their residence.

They were still troubled by the advice they had given. Late at night, unable to sleep, the officer let out a frustrated sigh, sat up, and switched on the bedside reading lamp. They pulled up the digital screen and began reviewing the ancient Laya myths that the research staff had painstakingly translated.

They focused especially on the passages about the Flower of Laya, Sima, and Igura.

…

…the moon.

…so delicate, more refined than mutton fat jade.

…

A frenzied beast drank the nectar—honey continuously dripping from the heart of the flower.

Its sweetness brought it ecstatic joy,

Wellspring overflowing,

The newborn god Igura, his thick, towering serpent’s tail stirred ripples in the viscous water.

…

*

Meanwhile, in the hospital room—

Sweat rolled down from the tightly tensed muscles, drop by drop.

Veins bulged along Lu Taipan’s neck, yet he had maintained utmost restraint and control throughout.

In his arms, Su Liang’s eyes were dazed—though he was finally relaxed, his body still trembled slightly in the Alpha’s embrace.

“It’s okay now. Sleep.”

Lu Taipan calmed his breathing and gently spoke to Su Liang.

Only after confirming that Su Liang was no longer trapped in the torment of psychic fragments did the Lord of the Snake’s Nest finally ease his hold.

Hearing Lu Taipan’s voice, Su Liang’s lashes fluttered faintly.

“You’ll stay with me…”

He murmured, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

Lu Taipan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and the veins on his arms throbbed even more prominently in response to the youth’s plea.

After a long moment, a helpless sigh echoed through the hospital room.

“Yes. I’ll stay with you. Always.”

Only then did Su Liang close his eyes in contentment.

This time, there were no sedatives. Yet his breathing was far calmer than before, and his pale, delicate face no longer showed any trace of fear or panic.

But Lu Taipan, seeing the youth finally sleeping peacefully, looked utterly disheveled.