Chapter 46
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Shen Yu didn't think when it happened.
One moment he was standing there, trying to process the weight of what he had just seen, and the next his arms had already wrapped around Jiang Li's waist, pulling him close as if his body had made the decision long before his mind could catch up. The omega felt small in his hold—too small—and the realization made something tighten painfully in his chest.
His heart was beating too fast.
It slammed against his ribs with a force that made it hard to breathe, each thud loud enough that he could almost hear it echoing in his ears. He couldn't tell if it was panic or fear, or something deeper and far more unsettling. All he knew was that everything felt too sudden, too overwhelming, like the ground beneath him had shifted without warning.
But when he felt Jiang Li trembling in his arms, all those chaotic thoughts stilled just enough for something else to take over.
Instinct.
