逆转 (Reverse) – 莲鹤夫人
Chapter 7
The alpha looked at a sheet of white paper with a grid on it that was in front of him for a long time before he finally picked it up. A sarcastic smirk tugged on his lips.
“What is this?” he spoke, “A…training plan?”
Across from him, the omega sat with an obvious air of unease. He still looked directly into the alpha’s eyes, releasing a subtle, comforting scent of pheromones, out of politeness.
“Yes. It’s a plan to help you with your rut. If there isn’t a cure yet and you want to feel less affected by it, I think it would be better to have a fairly steady… framework.”
The alpha’s beady eyes delicately traced over the exquisite features of the omega. Most omegas were androgynously beautiful, but he had clear, steady amber eyes and a calm, sincere look on his face. It made the softness that omegas normally had less noticeable.
After a brief pause, the alpha silently averted his eyes and returned them to the paper.
Neat handwriting, at least, he thought to himself.
The omega got even more anxious when the alpha didn’t say anything for a long time. There was a sense that everything was going to crumble. At first, he had believed that getting a divorce wouldn’t be too difficult if his husband could adjust to the routine quickly—but he had forgotten about one important detail. Alphas were naturally very independent and didn’t like being told what to do. While they could tolerate advice from higher-ranking individuals, omegas’ advice was nearly never considered. After some hesitation, he spoke.
“Sir, if you think this isn’t appropriate—”
“You don’t have to call me that,” the alpha said in a vague way.
“…I’m sorry?”
The alpha breathed out. His face was down, masking his emotions. The omega could only hear him, not see his eyes.
“I told you that I don’t owe you anything. That means I’ll no longer treat you as a decoration or a pet.”
The rest came out slowly, as if he had to force each word out of his mouth, “You don’t want money. Your family isn’t under immediate threat. From now on, you and I are equal in this house. Except for this study, everything is yours to use however you see fit. And you don’t have to call me “sir” all the time, in every line, in every word. Is that clear?”
The omega was stunned.
It was true—he didn’t want money. That wasn’t because he was privileged. He had some money saved up that he brought with him, and he had never taken a penny from his husband. Growing up in this world taught him that promises were never reliable and that contracts were full of loopholes, so he turned down the alpha’s possessions. And, besides, taking from someone softens your hands. If he took the money now and then something went wrong later, it would be a complicated and never-ending mess. It’s better to not take anything at all.
Of course… in the past, he had truly wanted to rely on him. He wanted to trust him.
But that was then.
He thought about it a lot, but eventually, he just said, “No, sir. I think that would be a little too comfortable, which is rude. I can’t possibly change the way I’ve been referring to you all these years…”
The alpha didn’t react. He stared at his supposedly humble wife for a long time, unable to describe what he was feeling. Finally, he pushed the paper forward and said calmly, “This afternoon, a professional team will come over. They’ll help you improve your plan.”
“Yes, sir.” The omega finally sighed with relief.
⋮
That afternoon, the omega finally had time to call his family while the beta specialists talked about the plan nearby.
He still wasn’t allowed to leave the house by himself, but he could talk to people again.
“Hello?” He anxiously paced the room. This sister, who was also an omega, was the family member he was closest to, and her marriage wasn’t as bad as his. He might get some answers to his questions from her.
“Jie[mfn]Jiějiě (姐姐) means older sister. Can also be used to address a slightly older female relative,or friend.[/mfn], it’s me. I want to ask you something.”
She was shocked to hear from him and said, “You can call now? Sure, go ahead and ask. I’m on my way to pick up the kids—excellent timing.”
After a moment of hesitation, the omega spoke more precisely, “Jie… do you know whether alphas, during rut… cry?”
He was only curious because of what had happened on the rooftop that day. Aside from betas, some alphas of the same type had stared at his husband in surprise. That raised a concern in his mind—was his husband’s reaction unusual, even among alphas in rut?
Choosing her words carefully, his cousin finally said, “Well… not necessarily.”
“Not necessarily?” The omega was alarmed. “So some alphas don’t cry?”
“Of course not.” she said casually, “Some do and some don’t. It’s fifty-fifty. Aside from that, they all become far too dependent on their omegas—they can’t work, can’t function, and can last for days. To be honest, it’s pretty similar to how omega heat used to be. Heh, I guess the tables have finally turned.”
The omega asked, “Where are you getting these numbers from?”
“My ladies’ gatherings, of course!” she said excitedly. “Everyone’s been catching up recently. Damn alphas—they should go through the same thing we did. I don’t feel bad for them at all.”
The omega’s mind was a jumble.
“Wait—some cry, some don’t… Then are there ones who cry hysterically? Like, to the point of almost passing out?”
Her tone quickly raised, “What kind of alpha would cry like that? And even if there was, their omega wouldn’t tell anyone. Who knows what terrible thing they did to make their alpha cry out like that during their rut?”
Omega: “……”
“Right. That makes sense… Thank you, Jie. Next time, I’ll come over and spend time with you and the kids… Oh, I have another thing here. I’m hanging up first!”
He abruptly ended the call and slumped onto his small bed, lost in thought as he stared at the pastel blue wallpaper.
…So, alphas kept their memories whether it was during rut or after it was over.
He let out a breath, and the corners of his lips curved up in a bitter smile.
Next thing he knew, another month had gone by.
And the alpha’s rut was rapidly approaching.
✕✕✕
Translated and edited by janemoyu (12/30/25)
