In the afternoon, Rong Shu received news that Rong Fan had come to deliver something to him. After informing Shen Huaixiu, he left the dormitory.
When he arrived at the rear wall of the Federal No. 1 Middle School, he saw a black cat with a cloth bag on its back crouching on the wall. When it saw him, the black cat flicked its tail and jumped down. Rong Shu reached out to catch it and rubbed it affectionately. “Did you come by yourself?”
The little black cat wriggled out of his arms, leaping to the ground and instantly transforming into a beautiful young boy with cat ears on his head. His appearance bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Rong Shu, though he was shorter and had a more youthful look on his face.
“Brother, Dad sent me to bring you this but I think it was unnecessary. The scent of another Alpha is all over you. Did you two… do it? Did he mark you?” The black cat’s eyes sparkled, filled with gossip.
“Kids shouldn’t ask such things. Where’s Xuan Ming? Where did you hide him?” Rong Shu had barely finished speaking when a white fox, covered in leaves, rolled out of a nearby bush. It seemed that after hearing Rong Shu call its name, it made a point to come out and greet him.
As soon as Rong Fan saw Xuan Ming, he immediately pounced on the fox, hugging it tightly and rubbing his face against it, showing no interest in whether Rong Shu had been marked or not.
Rong Shu rolled his eyes, thinking about how, as one of the only two omegas in the Rong family, Rong Fan had raised the young master of the Xuan family like a pet since childhood. And the Xuan family’s young master’s motives were far from innocent. Rong Shu glanced at his foolish younger brother with a mix of amusement and pity, knowing that once they matured, they could form a bond right away. “Alright, you two should hurry back. Don’t wander too much on the road. Xuan Ming, make sure to keep him in line. Don’t indulge him in everything!”
“Brother, how can you try to drive a wedge between me and Xuan Ming? Xuan Ming, you won’t listen to him, will you?”
Rong Fan stroked the fox’s head and couldn’t help but snuggle up to it.
Rong Shu shook his head, took the items, and walked away, looking as if he couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
Not long after Rong Shu left, Shen Huaixiu heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he found Ma Jinyan standing outside the dormitory. Shen Huaixiu frowned slightly but said nothing.
“Is it convenient to come out for a chat?” Ma Jinyan looked at him. Even though he hid it well, there was still a hint of jealousy in his expression.
It was bad enough that Rong Shu and Shen Huaixiu were in the same class and sat together, but they even shared the same dormitory.
“No, it’s not convenient. If you have something to say, say it here.”
Shen Huaixiu’s tone was cold and unyielding, without the slightest hint that he found his response inappropriate.
Ma Jinyan sneered, “Aren’t you worried that what I’m about to say might be something he shouldn’t hear?”
The “he” clearly referred to Rong Shu.
Shen Huaixiu didn’t respond and simply moved to shut the door, signaling that if Ma Jinyan didn’t want to speak, he could leave.
Ma Jinyan, surprised by how immovable Shen Huaixiu was, quickly added, “Don’t you want to know about Xu Shu?”
“Not interested. Anything else?”
“…He’s not someone you can handle. If you don’t want trouble, I advise you to back off while you still can.”
“Who should back off?” Rong Shu’s voice suddenly came from behind, causing Ma Jinyan to freeze.
Rong Shu walked over and naturally stood beside Shen Huaixiu, looking at Ma Jinyan. “Did he tell you to back off?”
“He said I’m not good enough for you and that I should avoid trouble.” Shen Huaixiu earnestly reported, as if there was nothing wrong with doing so.
Ma Jinyan was almost driven mad by the scene unfolding before him, their casual intimacy clearly intentional.
“No one could be more suitable than you. Some people just say the grapes are sour because they can’t have them. Let’s not pay him any mind.”
Rong Shu finished speaking and pushed Shen Huaixiu into the dorm, without sparing Ma Jinyan another glance.
Unwilling to give up, Ma Jinyan called out from behind, “Xu Shu—”
“Bang” The door slammed shut in his face.
This scene was witnessed by Mu Ye, who was returning to the dormitory. “If you want to pursue someone, don’t resort to such low tactics. It’s pathetic.”
Ma Jinyan’s face turned dark as he looked at Mu Ye. “You can’t seriously be unaware of what it means for them to be together, can you?”
“I know. So what? If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and fight for him.”
Mu Ye scoffed and turned to leave.
Ma Jinyan took a step forward, “Mu Ye, you’re not as indifferent as you pretend to be. If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t be here.”
Mu Ye, who had already pushed open the dormitory door, turned back to look at him, with an expression as if he was staring at an idiot: “You’ve really been brainwashed by your family, haven’t you? The Omega from the Rong family is indeed outstanding, but that doesn’t mean you should give up your own will. Or is it that your family’s genes haven’t fully evolved yet, so you act purely on instinct rather than using your brain? If that’s the case, that’s kind of pitiful. But what does that have to do with me? Take care of yourself.”
Being directly called out for a genetic defect, Ma Jinyan’s face turned ugly, but he didn’t dare to argue with Mu Ye. After all, the Ma family and the Mu family weren’t on the same level.
However, in his heart, he couldn’t help but silently criticize. He’s just pretending to be above it all; if he didn’t care, why come here?
Rong Shu pushed Shen Huaixiu back into the dorm and shut the door. He tossed his things onto the bed, his peach blossom eyes wide as he asked, “What did he say to you just now?”
Shen Huaixiu, sitting on a chair, tilted his head up to look at Rong Shu. “He asked if I wanted to know about your past. Why would he know about you?”
Rong Shu had known Ma Jinyan’s appearance wouldn’t bring anything good.
But the fact that he was a Rong family Omega absolutely couldn’t be revealed through Ma Jinyan’s mouth.
The problem was, how should he explain it to Shen Huaixiu?
Seeing Rong Shu hesitate, Shen Huaixiu stood up, forcing Rong Shu to take a half-step back.
“Is there something I’m not supposed to know?”
“Of course not. It’s just that I haven’t figured out how to tell you yet. This might be a bit, um, shocking, but I hope you can accept what I’m about to say. Do you know about the Rong family Omegas?”
“Rong family Omegas can give birth to perfect-gened offspring.”
“Yes, exactly, that family. Well, I’m one of them. I’m not Xu Shu and I’m not an Alpha. I’m an Omega. Do you believe me?”
Rong Shu had never imagined that one day he would confess his true identity to someone like this. He was deeply worried that the other person might not believe him.
Shen Huaixiu looked at him, his dark eyes unreadable.
“Is it hard to believe?”
Rong Shu’s voice was dry as he spoke again as if afraid Shen Huaixiu would think he had been lying to him. He hurried to explain, “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to think I was trouble. You know, because of all those rumors, we…”
Before he could finish, Shen Huaixiu reached out and pulled the anxious boy into his arms. “No need to explain. It doesn’t matter to me who you are. Whether you’re an Alpha or an Omega, it’s all the same to me. Whether you’re Rong Shu or Xu Shu, it doesn’t change the fact that I like you. So don’t feel guilty, and I don’t think you’re trouble either. I was just surprised you confessed so obediently.”
If he were to say he had no doubts about Rong Shu’s identity before, that would be a lie.
But to him, Rong Shu was just Rong Shu. He liked him for who he was and his identity or gender didn’t matter. For Shen Huaixiu, whether someone was good or bad was irrelevant; what mattered was that he liked them.
Rong Shu’s anxious mood instantly eased with these words. He reached out and hugged Shen Huaixiu’s waist. “Of course, I’m obedient. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore.”
“That won’t happen.” Shen Huaixiu’s heart softened. He cupped Rong Shu’s face, planting a kiss on his forehead and rubbing his cat ears. “Did you get the things?”
“Mm, do you want to know what it is?” Rong Shu’s eyes glinted with mischief as he heard the question.
Shen Huaixiu sensed that the boy was up to something but still played along. “What is it?”
Rong Shu wrapped his arm around the Alpha’s neck. “It’s a strong suppressant but I don’t think I need it anymore. What do you think?”
In his dark eyes, there was an obvious expectation.
Shen Huaixiu knew very well what Rong Shu was anticipating. “Why don’t you need it anymore?”
Playing dumb, Rong Shu gently pulled, making the Alpha lean in closer. “Don’t you understand? As long as it’s you, I can let you bite me.”
Rong Shu’s boldness and straightforwardness were like a teasing string, provoking the most intense possessiveness within the Alpha. Shen Huaixiu lifted his chin and kissed him, helpless yet affectionate. “You really dare to say anything.”
“What’s wrong, don’t you like it?”
“I do.” He liked it immensely.
*
The next morning, Chen Jing saw Rong Shu and thought he looked lovesick but couldn’t help asking, “Is what was said on the forum yesterday true? Are you really together?”
Chen Jing gestured toward Shen Huaixiu’s empty seat.
Rong Shu raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious enough?”
Chen Jing hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward, but considering Rong Shu’s usual lack of modesty, he replied, “I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”
“Quick?” Rong Shu felt it was slow; if it were quick, he should have confessed to Shen Huaixiu on the very day they met.
The baby might even be born by now.
He could only blame himself for hesitating back then.
At this moment, Shen Huaixiu was waiting for his breakfast in the cafeteria when Jiang Huan, who was in front of him, asked softly, “So, Boss, are you really together with the school heartthrob?”
“Mm, yes, we are.” Shen Huaixiu’s straightforward acknowledgment surprised Jiang Huan, who was just testing the waters. Jiang Huan, who was initially just asking, was thrilled and blurted out his feelings. “So, does this mean our northern and southern schools have successfully formed an alliance?”
Wu Ping, standing nearby, quickly nudged Jiang Huan, who then realized what he had said and hurriedly corrected himself. “I didn’t mean it like that, Boss. I’m just a bit, no, very happy. I’m happy for you!”
“Got it, no need to explain.” Shen Huaixiu took the prepared breakfast and shook it slightly. “I’ve got my stuff, so I’ll be leaving now.”
Watching Shen Huaixiu leave, Jiang Huan couldn’t help but nudge Wu Ping. “Don’t you think, after the Boss started dating, he seems different?”
“Different how?” Wu Ping squinted, not understanding.
Jiang Huan glanced at him and complained, “I’m telling you something and you don’t get it.”
Wu Ping: “…”
Why does everyone else remain single, but Jiang Huan manages to stand out in a different way?
As Shen Huaixiu left the cafeteria, he happened to run into Mu Ye, who was coming in. The two exchanged a brief glance and quickly went their separate ways as if neither had noticed the other.
Rong Shu saw the breakfast in Shen Huaixiu’s hands and immediately smiled. “Thank you for bringing me breakfast.”
Chen Jing, who had heard everything from his seat, thought, It’s pure, unabashed flaunting!
The monthly test was in May.
Because the northern and southern schools had separate exams, they couldn’t be used for the evaluation after merging. Therefore, the first monthly test after the merger had to be held separately for the northern and southern schools.
Rong Shu was assigned to the first examination hall, while Shen Huaixiu was assigned to the last examination hall.
As they parted ways in the teaching building, Shen Huaixiu reminded him, “Don’t rush to turn in your paper. Make sure to check it thoroughly first.”
“Got it.”
Rong Shu held his hand, feeling reluctant to part. The thought of being separated for the entire day of exams made him even more unhappy.
Still, he waved goodbye obediently when Shen Huaixiu dropped him off at the exam room.
Upon entering the last exam room, Shen Huaixiu saw Ma Jinyan and Mu Ye, conveniently placed not far from each other.
Ma Jinyan frowned upon seeing him.
However, Shen Huaixiu didn’t give him even a glance.
After Shen Huaixiu sat down, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Rong Shu’s message about having lunch together. As he was typing a reply, the previously noisy classroom fell silent.
Then, he heard a voice call out, “Shen Huaixiu!”
Looking up, he saw a small Omega at the door, smiling and calling his name. The cat ears on top of his head stood up energetically and even shook slightly when Shen Huaixiu looked over.
He had just dropped Rong Shu off at the exam room and ran back, which explained his earlier good behavior—it was all part of his plan.
Walking over, Shen Huaixiu said, “Why aren’t you preparing for the exam and instead running over here?”
Rong Shu smoothed out Shen Huaixiu’s shirt, “I came to remind you about lunch. Just wait for me at the door. If I come out early, I’ll wait for you.”
Shen Huaixiu waved his phone, “You’ve already told me.”
Rong Shu feigned ignorance and smiled, “Oh? I forgot.”
Shen Huaixiu ruffled his cat ears, “Behave. Go back and prepare; the exam is starting soon.”
“Got it. Do well on your exam.” Rong Shu quickly wrapped his arms around Shen Huaixiu’s neck and, with no one in the hallway, gave him a quick kiss before letting go and walking away.
Shen Huaixiu felt a pleasant itch in his heart from the boy’s actions but could only shake his head and smile, finding it endearing.
Ma Jinyan watched Shen Huaixiu return, his black eyes turning red with jealousy.
After Shen Huaixiu sat down, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, Mu Ye turned to him and said, “Let me introduce myself. I’m Mu Ye from the Mu family. I’d like to ask, are you in a relationship with the person who was just here?”
Upon hearing this, Ma Jinyan immediately looked at Mu Ye, his mind racing with alarm.
“What does it have to do with you?”
Shen Huaixiu replied coldly, his tone frosty.
Mu Ye smiled slightly, “If you don’t answer, then it’s a no. In that case, let’s compete fairly. You wouldn’t mind if I pursued him, would you?”
Ma Jinyan instinctively looked at Shen Huaixiu.
The Alpha sitting there maintained a neutral expression, his thin lips curling into a cool, provocative smile: “He wouldn’t like you.”
Author’s note:
Rong Shu: I won’t like anyone else!
