Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 65
Upon hearing that Gu Nuan had an Alpha, the old doctor immediately explained the first method, “Have your Alpha come here for a compatibility test with you. Based on your compatibility, we will extract the Alpha’s blood, extract their pheromones, and create an injection for you, to be administered in your gland every month. If it works quickly, there’s a high chance of your gland recovering.”
The old doctor didn’t mention the cost; he believed the Gu family could afford it.
But Ji Mu, who was hearing about this therapy for the first time, asked, “What about the drawbacks?”
“If your gland reacts after the first injection, you will need to have that Alpha mark you as soon as possible.”
Gu Nuan widened his eyes, and his initial reaction was actually one of joy. He glanced at Ji Mu, almost wanting to burst into laughter, as if he was saying, “Is this even a drawback? It sounds like an advantage!”
Ji Mu: “…”
The old doctor found Gu Nuan amusing and chuckled before pushing his reading glasses up his nose and continuing, “After being marked, you will become highly dependent on that Alpha. Even if you don’t have a very high compatibility, you may experience frequent ‘nesting behavior.’ The Alpha must have enough patience and time to accompany you, preferably not leaving you alone for too long each day, or it may have the opposite effect and be detrimental to both of you.”
Most importantly, once marked, for the sake of stabilizing the gland, even if the two later part ways, the mark cannot be removed within three years, as it would harm the Omega itself.
Gu Nuan knew about Omega nesting behavior; he had learned about it in physiology class. A small number of Omega, after being marked, would become highly dependent on their Alpha due to their high compatibility within a short period.
“How long does he need to stay with me?”
“That depends on how long it takes for your gland to recover, possibly one or two months, up to a year, it’s hard to say for sure.”
Gu Nuan fell silent.
Considering Han Yang’s current profession, Gu Nuan knew this method was not suitable for him. Before Ji Mu could speak, Gu Nuan anxiously asked, “Is there another method?”
“We can use pheromone injections provided by the hospital. We will find the most suitable one for your personal situation. These are blood donations from anonymous Alpha donors and won’t lead to any personal disputes, and you won’t need to be marked.”
Because they didn’t know how long it would take for the patient’s gland to recover, there might be a shortage of injections. In that case, they might not even use pheromones from the same Alpha.
For this reason, the hospital had to weaken the presence of these pheromones, so they wouldn’t make the patient uncomfortable or interfere with their normal life.
This was the advantage.
As for the drawback, the old doctor explained it briefly.
“It takes a long time, and the effect is slow. It will take at least a year and a half because you won’t have the Alpha’s mark to help you, so the adaptation process will be very painful… What I mean is that each injection will be three times more painful than the gland injections you had before.”
Naturally, the price would be five times higher, making it more expensive, but the effect would undoubtedly be better than the gland injections Gu Nuan had received previously.
Seeing that Gu Nuan couldn’t respond immediately, the old doctor said, “The equipments won’t arrive until three months later. If you’ve made up your mind, contact me in advance. I’ll prepare the first injection according to your condition.”
…
After leaving the central hospital, Gu Nuan didn’t contact Han Yang as he usually would, nor did he inform Han Yang of the results of the examination. Faced with Han Yang’s messages, Gu Nuan just stared blankly at his phone and then put it away.
On the flight back home, he couldn’t make up his mind, and the decision weighed heavily on him.
“Dad, if my brother asks you, please don’t tell him first.”
Ji Mu replied, “Okay.”
In C City, Uncle Zhang was waiting for them at the airport. Gu Nuan got into the car without saying a word, looking visibly upset. Uncle Zhang thought he might be feeling carsick and opened the window slightly.
Gu Nuan took out the materials given by the old doctor from his backpack and read them repeatedly in frustration, hoping to find a suitable solution. But there was none; the old doctor had explained his options very clearly.
Gu Nuan knew deep down that if he asked Han Yang for help, Han Yang would undoubtedly agree. However, in return, Gu Nuan would become a burden to him.
Gu Nuan didn’t want their romantic relationship to become a source of stress for Han Yang. He silently imagined what it would feel like to experience three times the pain of the gland injections, and the thought alone sent shivers down his spine.
Gu Nuan involuntarily took a deep breath, biting his lower lip and furrowing his brow.
Seeing this, Ji Mu held his hand, squeezing it gently, and said with concern, “Xiao Nuan, there’s no rush.” While he said this, Ji Mu’s heart was in turmoil. He couldn’t bear to see Gu Nuan suffer, but at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to delay Han Yang.
He remembered the nurse’s kind reminder before leaving the central hospital, “For long-term injections like these, it’s best to undergo treatment in collaboration with your own Alpha.”
Gu Nuan lowered his head and put away the materials in his hand in frustration. Because he didn’t respond promptly to the messages, Han Yang called him.
Gu Nuan forced himself to perk up and, as he answered the call, began speaking to Han Yang as warmly as usual. He casually mentioned the examination results, saying they were the same as before, reassuring Han Yang not to worry too much, and that they would discuss the specifics during the next follow-up appointment.
On the other end of the phone, Han Yang quickly reassured Gu Nuan, “I’ll accompany you to every gland injection, so don’t worry. It will definitely get better.”
“Okay.” Gu Nuan changed the subject, “Brother, are you busy today? How’s the filming going? Did you nail it in one take?”
“I’m in good shape today.” Since they started dating, Han Yang had become more talkative. He told Gu Nuan, “The movie I played a supporting role in is set to be released in early July. There will be a preview, and we can watch it together.”
“Sounds great!”
Han Yang liked to hear Gu Nuan’s excited voice; it made him feel like his heart was beating clearly.
He curled up his lips and smiled silently. Even in his costume for the play, he had never shown such a tender expression.
Coincidentally, He Yunchu’s manager passed by, feeling puzzled, and hurriedly asked He Yunchu, “Is there something good happening on set today? Han Yang is smiling so… so… strangely,” he struggled to find the right words, “Anyway, he’s smiling beautifully.”
He Yunchu was touching up his makeup and hummed, “You wouldn’t understand, being a single dog like you.”
“You’re talking as if you have a partner.” The manager handed a box of fruits to He Yunchu. “Dogs can’t peel fruits; here, do it yourself.”
He Yunchu was in the middle of applying lip balm, so he couldn’t speak.
At this moment, the crew was filming night scenes. With constant NGs from other cast members in their group, Han Yang, who had no scenes at this stage, had nearly twenty minutes of break time. He hid in a corner and told Gu Nuan about the little things he had noticed on set that day, giving this short time to Gu Nuan.
Someone passed by behind him, and Han Yang moved further inside.
“The movie hasn’t even been released yet, but I’ve already received several new audition opportunities privately. Thanks to the company and Director Xia Zhou Yu’s recommendation, although they’re not particularly important roles, I’ll take them seriously. Gu Nuan, I… I don’t know how to say it, but I’ve been genuinely happy lately.”
It seemed like everything was moving in a positive direction.
His efforts were adding up, allowing him to progress steadily.
Gu Nuan listened quietly, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn upwards. He was always proud of Han Yang.
“Gu Nuan.” Han Yang lowered his voice, “No matter how busy I am, I’ll find a way to see you.”
“Brother, if you’re really busy you don’t have to…..”
“But I want to see you, I really want to.”
This sentence was transmitted across 400 kilometers, and reached Gu Nuan’s slightly blushing ears.
In an instant, Gu Nuan felt speechless about his previous worries. Han Yang was working so hard for his dreams and still took the time to comfort him, while he was fretting over the pain of a needle.
He looked out of the window at the night scenery, and the bustling city outside the car seemed to have become silent inside. Gu Nuan held his own hand, clenching it into a fist. “Brother, you have to keep going! I’m your number one fan, and I’ll always support you!”
After saying this, Gu Nuan sneakily glanced at Ji Mu beside him and Uncle Zhang in the driver’s seat. He covered his phone and moved to a corner, speaking softly and quickly, “I miss you so much, to the point where I can’t sleep at night.”
Uncle Zhang: “Ahem.”
Ji Mu: “We’re not deaf.”
Gu Nuan chuckled awkwardly.
Ji Mu noticed every move Gu Nuan made. While he was concerned, Ji Mu also felt that he had witnessed Gu Nuan’s growth.
Gu Nuan wasn’t as reckless as he used to be when he was a child. Perhaps Ji Mu had already guessed Gu Nuan’s decision.
Sure enough, Gu Nuan came to a complete realization in less than ten minutes after hanging up the phone. The time elapsed from the call to his decision was short.
His tone regained its usual vigor, “Dad, do you think the hospital will have mint-flavored injections for me?”
“…We’ll ask when the time comes.”
Ji Mu didn’t have much to say about this; he respected Gu Nuan’s choice. As he was all grown up, Ji Mu wouldn’t make decisions for him like he did when he was a child.
But Ji Mu did advise Gu Nuan, “You should still tell Han Yang about this. You’re in a romantic relationship now, and you shouldn’t keep things from each other. Han Yang is reserved, so you should communicate more.”
Gu Nuan nodded, “I’ll find the right time to talk to him. We still have three months anyway. But Dad, my brother isn’t reserved anymore; he talks a lot now.” He then boasted, “It’s just that he talks more to me alone.”
Ji Mu: “…”
Ji Mu: “You’ve grown up, huh? You even know how to tease.” After saying this, he glanced at the back of Gu Nuan’s neck and couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Silly child.”