Shen Huaizhi’s words instantly made Jiang Heng feel the urge to block him. He truly didn’t expect Shen Huaizhi to act like this, blatantly peeking at his phone screen without shame. It seems that after people start dating, they develop some bad habits, and Shen Huaizhi’s habits might have been bad from the start.
Jiang Heng gritted his teeth, feeling an unexpected itchiness in his teeth. After thinking for a while, he didn’t reply to Shen Huaizhi. He had initially thought of sending a message to say he had woken up, but now he decided to leave it.
Perhaps realizing that he might have been too harsh, Shen Huaizhi sent a new message, changing the topic to something more normal.
[Shen Huaizhi: Have you had dinner?]
Jiang Heng glanced at the message, his fingertips lingering on the screen for a moment, but in the end, he resisted the urge to reply. He could even imagine Shen Huaizhi smiling at his phone screen.
Probably after noticing his lack of response, it didn’t take long for another message to come through.
[Shen Huaizhi: Sorry]
Unexpectedly, Shen Huaizhi actually admitted his mistake. Jiang Heng switched the interface back from the Baidu search results for “how to improve grades in the short term” to the messaging app. He was in the middle of typing a reply when another message popped up.
[Shen Huaizhi: I shouldn’t have been so honest.]
Jiang Heng: .
Jiang Heng’s face was expressionless. He inexplicably remembered the moment when Shen Huaizhi teased him with his tongue, and his ears gradually felt hot.
[Waterworks Wang Hang: Squad leader, do you really want to be on the blacklist?]
As soon as the message was sent, the other party directly sent him a voice message, without a moment of hesitation.
Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment, then immediately answered the call.
“Jiang Heng.” The Alpha’s voice came through the phone, slightly lower than usual, with a hint of unrestrained laughter.
Jiang Heng took a few seconds to respond. “Stop laughing.”
The other end laughed even more unrestrainedly. “So domineering?” Shen Huaizhi’s mood indeed seemed very good.
Without hesitation, Jiang Heng replied, “Yes, just like that.”
After saying that, he found himself smiling at the phone screen, not knowing exactly what he was laughing at. It seemed that talking to this person could make him feel cheerful.
“Okay.” Shen Huaizhi responded, seemingly following Jiang Heng’s lead and deliberately restraining himself a bit. “Are you having dinner?”
“Not yet, just got up, feeling a bit sleepy.” Jiang Heng yawned as he spoke, then sluggishly made his way to the kitchen.
The housekeeper had left him some food. After sleeping for a whole day without eating anything, he was indeed quite hungry now. He reheated the food and said to Shen Huaizhi, “I’m about to eat now.”
“Leader, what are you doing?”
“Doing the exam papers,” Shen Huaizhi replied, and then the sound of flipping papers came from his end, as if to confirm his words.
Jiang Heng responded, “Isn’t it troublesome to have the voice chat on?”
“Yeah, it’s quite troublesome,” Shen Huaizhi fell silent for a moment, listening to the sounds of Jiang Heng handling the food on his end, his expression softened, “So, do you want to do a video call?”
Jiang Heng was taken aback for a moment. He had just woken up, hadn’t washed his face, and hadn’t changed his clothes.
But before he could decline, Shen Huaizhi called him again, “Jiang Heng.” His voice seemed to carry a hint of coaxing, making Jiang Heng slow down his movements of eating.
Jiang Heng pursed his lips, his face stiff, and after a moment of silence, he reluctantly replied, “Okay.”
Why is he so clingy?
Even more clingy than this Omega. He thought so, but when he finished eating quickly, Jiang Heng intentionally muted the microphone again. Then he hurriedly took a shower, changed his clothes, made sure his appearance was okay, and then turned the microphone back on.
“I accidentally touched the microphone just now. I was wondering why you suddenly went silent,” he lied with his eyes wide open.
Shen Huaizhi seemed to believe him and chuckled softly, “Okay.” Just as he finished, a video call request popped up directly, and Shen Huaizhi seemed slightly stunned.
The lighting on Jiang Heng’s side was slightly dim, as if he was in the bedroom, and you could vaguely see a corner of the bed in the background.
When he saw Jiang Heng in the camera, Jiang Heng suddenly smiled broadly, very ostentatiously.
Shen Huaizhi’s heart suddenly softened. Although they had met before and even had intimate contact, seeing Jiang Heng unexpectedly in the video still surprised him a bit.
Shen Huaizhi was indeed doing the exam papers, in the same study room as before, and the background hadn’t changed at all.
Jiang Heng thought for a moment, took out the New Year’s homework he had brought back from his backpack. He had slept all day today and hadn’t touched his homework at all.
Of course, he rarely touched it even on regular days.
“Leader, have you finished your New Year’s homework?” he asked, glancing at the dozens of absurd exam papers. On top was a math paper that looked like a cryptic message. He couldn’t even understand the first question. Damn it.
Is there any way to improve academic performance in the short term? Other than getting a brain transplant. Thinking of the answers on Baidu, Jiang Heng felt a bit itchy. He didn’t know which idiot answered it.
“I’m done,” Shen Huaizhi replied.
“Are you still human?” Jiang Heng stared at the camera expressionlessly for a while. Only Shen Huaizhi’s upper body and face could be seen in the camera.
“Alright,” Shen Huaizhi chuckled, “If you want to write, ask me if you don’t understand, and if you don’t feel like writing, just play something else.” He didn’t have any demands on Jiang Heng.
As long as he could be happy for a lifetime, as for the future, at least with his own abilities, he could definitely protect Jiang Heng for a lifetime. Jiang Heng’s expression stiffened, “Alright, you can do your work, and I’ll start on my homework.”
He had to finish the New Year’s homework this time. Having made this request, Shen Huaizhi didn’t refute him. This time was originally his time for doing exam papers. For a while, the two fell silent.
But for Jiang Heng, doing homework was really difficult. At first, he tried to look at the questions seriously, confirmed that he couldn’t do them, and then chose to do other questions. After giving up several questions in a row, Jiang Heng decided to give up on mathematics. He didn’t know which great saint invented mathematics.
Jiang Heng yawned lazily; it had been almost half an hour. After taking out the Chinese exam paper, Jiang Heng kept one hand under his chin, staring at Shen Huaizhi who was seriously doing his exam paper.
Although the lighting wasn’t too bright, Shen Huaizhi’s silhouette was still very clear in the camera. It wasn’t false that serious men were the most handsome. His eyes were downcast, his face devoid of the previous smile, appearing somewhat serious, his jawline tense.
As if sensing Jiang Heng’s unabashed gaze, Shen Huaizhi suddenly raised his eyelids. With a sudden eye contact through the video, Jiang Heng was slightly stunned, followed by an accelerating heartbeat. No matter how many times, he couldn’t quite bear the direct gaze of the other.
“Don’t stare,” Shen Huaizhi said in a low voice.
Jiang Heng responded with an “Oh,” saying, “What can’t I look at? It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”
Gripping his pen, Shen Huaizhi, upon hearing his words, raised his eyelids again, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, “There are plenty of things you haven’t seen.” He paused for a moment, “But if you keep looking at me like this, I can’t concentrate.”
After saying this, he seemed a bit helpless as he chuckled softly. Although he said that, his gaze still lingered on Jiang Heng, carrying a hint of tenderness.
“What haven’t I seen?” Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment, still not quite understanding. But before he could figure it out, Shen Huaizhi sighed, “Forget it, go ahead and look.”
“If you don’t look, it seems even harder for me to concentrate.” He somewhat regretted why he started the video call so early. Shen Huaizhi immediately diverted Jiang Heng’s thoughts.
Despite saying that, Jiang Heng still made a considerable effort to take out the papers for other subjects and looked at them for a while. After confirming that he couldn’t do any of the subjects, he settled down and began to doze off.
Propping his chin with one hand, his head bobbed slowly in his palm, looking like he might fall asleep at any moment. Shen Huaizhi looked up at him many times, confirming that he wouldn’t fall down from sleeping, and didn’t call out to him. Eventually, Jiang Heng became too sleepy to continue. He simply hugged his phone and went back to bed.
He didn’t know if he forgot to end the video call or intentionally left it open, but he fell asleep directly. Even in his sleep, he still held the phone in his hand, and the camera happened to be facing him. Shen Huaizhi stared at his sleeping face for a while, shaking his head with a helpless smile, feeling incredibly soft-hearted. Clearly, such an ostentatious person, but when sleeping, he appeared somewhat docile.
After who knows how long, Jiang Heng was in a daze, as if he heard someone whispering “Happy New Year” in his ear, with a gentle and tender voice. He struggled to open his eyes and responded before drifting back to sleep.
After New Year’s Day, the temperature dropped significantly. To ensure the students’ health, the school insisted on not using air conditioning in the classrooms, and even opened windows for ventilation to maintain air circulation.
On Chen Xingchi’s birthday, the sun came out, and the weather warmed up a bit, but it still got chilly at night. Jiang Heng was forced to wear a thick coat, standing among a group of casually dressed classmates, looking a bit out of place. Even a few female classmates had dressed lightly because they were going to KTV to sing after dinner.
He Qici couldn’t help but tease, “Jiang Heng, with your outfit, one would think you’re going to see penguins.”
Jiang Heng lifted his eyelids, resisting the urge to punch him in front of so many people. “Idiot, your dad has a boyfriend, but you don’t.”
“This is the warmth of love.”
Most of the people present were classmates from the class and mostly knew about his relationship with Shen Huaizhi, so he didn’t feel the need to hide it. It was He Qici who felt stung by his blunt display of affection, bluntly stating that single Alphas no longer had the right to exist.
Shen Huaizhi stood beside him, eyes downcast without much emotion on his face. Upon hearing the words, he reached out and held Jiang Heng’s hand. This action made Jiang Heng slightly stunned, but he quickly tightened his grip. Seeing the two of them like this, others couldn’t help but start to make a commotion.
“Can you two calm down? Just out of school and already like this? Isn’t your possessiveness a bit too much, class leader?”
“It was Jiang Heng who showed affection first! Right in front of us single dogs.”
“I’m not a single dog, don’t talk nonsense.”
Even Chen Xingchi and He Ci mingled among the group, and before they even reached the dining place, the atmosphere had already heated up. Each of them had their say, and Jiang Heng was already too lazy to bother with them, contentedly walking hand in hand with Shen Huaizhi, chatting at the back.
When they arrived at the venue, the topic shifted, and even Jiang Heng felt somewhat nostalgic. The place chosen for the treat was a relatively upscale hotel in the city. He invited many classmates, but privately asked for opinions from only a few, including Shen Huaizhi and their group.
Previously, they had only seen Chen Xingchi asking in the group chat about the suitability of various places, but unexpectedly, he ultimately chose a very expensive-looking hotel. Next to the hotel was a KTV, which made it convenient for activities after dinner.
“I didn’t expect Chen Xingchi to be so low-key usually,” Jiang Heng couldn’t help but remark, jokingly adding, “Should I refrain from bullying him in the future?”
Shen Huaizhi looked somewhat puzzled.
Jiang Heng explained with a smile, “What if one day a second-generation rich guy picks on me?”
The footsteps of Chen Xingchi, who was walking ahead, paused for a moment. Before he could speak, he heard Shen Huaizhi respond quite seriously, “It’s okay, your boyfriend is richer than him.”
Chen Xingchi: …
“This hotel belongs to my family. I’ll make them charge more later,” Jiang Heng blinked in surprise, realizing the true nature of the wealthy.
Chen Xingchi couldn’t help but turn around and say, “Dad! I came for the discount!”
“Feel free to bully him as long as you can give me a discount. No matter how much you bully him,” he said, directing his words at Jiang Heng.
Sometimes, saying these words to Jiang Heng was much more effective than saying them directly to Shen Huaizhi himself.
After saying that, Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow, “No need for that, today’s your birthday, after all, that’s the most important thing.”
Others immediately laughed, and He Ci also joked along, “Little brother, save it for next time.”
Chen Xingchi immediately retorted, “Who the hell is your little brother!”
“Is your birthday today like an eighteen-year-old’s coming-of-age celebration?”
Chen Xingchi’s momentum immediately faltered, “No.”
Jiang Heng glanced at him, “Then you’re indeed younger than He Ci. After all, you call me dad, so it wouldn’t be too much for you to call him brother.”
Chen Xingchi: …
He held back for a while, then remembered the gifts Jiang Heng and Shen Huaizhi gave him during the day, which balanced his feelings a bit. He asked curiously, “Dad, when is your birthday?”
As soon as he asked, even Shen Huaizhi looked at Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment, then smirked, “It’s still far away, next summer you can celebrate my birthday, Dad.”
He felt he became an adult quite early.
Chen Xingchi listened attentively, as if contemplating for quite a while. After a moment, not far away, the lobby manager approached them, and only then did he slap his thigh, “Right! Squad leader seems to have a birthday in May! Since the squad leader is older, wouldn’t it be appropriate for you to call him brother?”
As soon as he said this, those who were originally laughing at Chen Xingchi’s timidity immediately looked at Jiang Heng and Shen Huaizhi with ambiguous smiles. This “brother” had a different implication compared to Chen Xingchi calling He Ci “brother”.
Even Jiang Heng himself was momentarily stunned. When he looked at Shen Huaizhi’s information before, he hadn’t deliberately noted the other’s birthday. Being reminded by Chen Xingchi, he vaguely remembered that Shen Huaizhi’s birthday was indeed in May.
Chen Xingchi wasn’t wrong in what he said, but Jiang Heng would absolutely not call him that. He subconsciously glanced at Shen Huaizhi, who was earnestly looking at him, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Seeing them exchange such tender gazes, the others couldn’t bear it. Who would have thought that an Alpha who used to be so cold and distant would, when in love, have eyes only for the other person?
Jiang Heng retracted his gaze, glaring somewhat fiercely at Chen Xingchi. His temper had improved a lot recently, but when he looked so fierce, it really seemed quite intimidating. “That’s going too far.”
He gritted his teeth a bit, and even the usually silent Shen Huaizhi chimed in, “Yeah, that’s too much.”
Seeing these two agreeing, the others wanted to say something more, but the lobby manager had already approached them, personally leading them to the private room they had reserved earlier.
The conversation was suddenly interrupted, and it wasn’t appropriate to continue anymore.
On the way, Jiang Heng noticed that although the lobby manager was talking to Chen Xingchi, his gaze occasionally fell on him and Shen Huaizhi. When they were about to enter the private room, Shen Huaizhi suddenly slowed down his pace. Everyone else continued following the person in front, but the two of them fell behind for a moment.
Jiang Heng was a bit puzzled, thinking he might have something on his mind, so he stopped and asked, “What’s wrong, squad leader?”
The lights in the hotel were very bright, and the chandelier overhead seemed to be studded with diamonds, giving off a dazzling glow. Jiang Heng squinted slightly at the brightness.
Shen Huaizhi shook his head and lightly squeezed Jiang Heng’s fingers. Although boys usually exercised regularly and had muscles, Jiang Heng was still quite slender, and his joints were somewhat prominent. Shen Huaizhi ran his fingers over each bone, causing Jiang Heng to feel a bit itchy, inexplicably recalling the scene of their kiss in the locker room.
Suddenly, even his throat felt itchy. It seemed like the temporary marking from before was quite apparent. A faint trace of the other’s pheromones still lingered on him, only masked by the scent neutralizer.
Jiang Heng lowered his head to look at their clasped hands. “Jiang Heng.” Shen Huaizhi suddenly called out to him, his voice lowering, “It shouldn’t be too much to call me ‘gege’ when there’s no one around.”
Unexpectedly, he was thinking about this. Jiang Heng was momentarily taken aback. The Alpha’s voice sounded somewhat coaxing. If Jiang Heng’s self-control wasn’t good, he almost would’ve blurted out the term when Shen Huaizhi said that.
He hesitated for a moment, his expression blank for an instant. “Forget about it.”
Seeing his somewhat hesitant posture, Shen Huaizhi knew Jiang Heng was feeling shy again, so he didn’t press him further. After all, they had already used the term before, but he still wanted to hear it again.
Of course, it would be even better if Jiang Heng could call him that more often in other places in the future.
As the two of them were facing each other and talking, Chen Xingchi suddenly noticed they were missing. He stood at the entrance of the private room, frantically waving at them, “Squad leader! Jiang Heng! Over here!”
With him shouting like that, any romantic atmosphere dissipated.
Shen Huaizhi smiled with a hint of regret, “Alright, I won’t think about it anymore.”
After saying that, he held Jiang Heng’s hand and walked towards the private room.
Because of Shen Huaizhi’s words, Jiang Heng was a bit absent-minded until all the dishes were served.
A group of students who usually suppressed themselves had finally found an opportunity to let loose, even ordering a crate of beer to liven things up.
After a while, the lights in the private room suddenly went out. When the hotel staff brought in the cake, they also kindly offered birthday wishes.
Everyone clapped and sang “Happy Birthday”.
The private room was quite spacious, with only two candles symbolizing the age of seventeen lit, illuminating only a small area.
Just as they were halfway through the song, several boys in the front suddenly grabbed Chen Xingchi and pushed him towards the cake. They didn’t really intend to push him into the multi-layered cake; it was just a playful gesture to celebrate the birthday boy, but it caused quite a commotion.
The noise drowned out the singing.
The hotel staff had already left, giving the young people their space.
Jiang Heng had originally wanted to join in the fun. His leg even moved forward, but then he pulled back.
He turned his head to look at Shen Huaizhi standing beside him. The flickering candlelight outlined the Alpha’s profile, his brows furrowed as if he was attentively watching the commotion, a faint smile on his lips.
Suddenly, Jiang Heng remembered that Shen Huaizhi probably hadn’t participated in such chaotic gatherings before, judging by his personality.
Jiang Heng took a step back and reached out to hold Shen Huaizhi’s palm.
After they entered, the two of them let go of each other’s hands. It wouldn’t be appropriate to keep holding hands in front of so many people.
Sensing a tickle in his palm, Shen Huaizhi turned his head to look at him. Jiang Heng’s face carried a mischievous smile, seemingly with some malicious intent, “Gege, do you want to join in the fun?” His voice was light, and despite the noise in the private room, Shen Huaizhi still clearly heard his address.
For a moment, Shen Huaizhi didn’t know whether to focus on the term “gege” or the following sentence. This unusually ambiguous address made his breath hitch for a moment.
Some undesirable thoughts surfaced. Compared to now, he seemed to prefer hearing such terms when they were alone in other places. He restrained himself and suppressed these messy thoughts, “Sure.”
With Shen Huaizhi and Jiang Heng joining in, Chen Xingchi appeared even more helpless. Everyone, who initially just wanted to have some fun, became even more excited. Except for the birthday boy, everyone ended up with a bit of cake on them.
By the end, when the lights came back on, everyone couldn’t help but laugh as they looked at each other. The atmosphere was pleasant and joyful.
Even during dinner, the excitement didn’t die down.
He Jie was the first to raise a toast to Chen Xingchi, and his face also had a bit of cake on it, looking quite comical. “Little brother, let me wish you to find love next year!” He Jie clinked glasses with Chen Xingchi, and the others cheered, “Bottoms up! Bottoms up!”
Chen Xingchi was quite happy with the well-wishes and quickly finished his drink.
With the first one down, the others followed suit. Before they could finish a round of toasts, Chen Xingchi was already a bit tipsy.
When it was Jiang Heng’s turn, almost all the good wishes had been said. Jiang Heng pondered for a moment, “Then I wish my son to be born healthy and early.”
Others asked, “Be clear, is it for Chen Xingchi or someone else?”
Chen Xingchi raised his eyes, “I can’t give birth!”
Jiang Heng smirked, jokingly, “Well, you never know. With today’s technology, Alphas might be able to give birth one day.”
It was clearly a joke, but everyone’s gaze inexplicably landed on Shen Huaizhi, accompanied by ambiguous laughter.
He Jie, not holding back, said, “Understood, you’ve pampered him too much.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
Jiang Heng never expected that he would end up hurting himself. He subconsciously turned to look at Shen Huaizhi, who was looking at him with a faint smile, not bothering to refute what others said. He decided to go all out, “Stop thinking about it. This kind of Alpha has already been monopolized by me.”
After he finished speaking, he downed the contents of his glass in one gulp, looking a bit embarrassed and angry. Seeing this, the others smiled ambiguously. “Oh~ Oh~ We understand.” Jiang Heng gritted his teeth and glared at them.
Seeing him drink so decisively, Shen Huaizhi’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t speak up to stop him. Fortunately, Jiang Heng didn’t drink anymore after that. He wasn’t much of a drinker, and he couldn’t tolerate the bitterness and astringency of alcohol, unlike Shen Huaizhi.
Perhaps because it was the first time everyone had gathered with Shen Huaizhi, after they had gotten Chen Xingchi drunk, a few people dared to try to get Shen Huaizhi drunk as well. At first, everyone was a bit hesitant, afraid that he would get angry. But later, seeing that Shen Huaizhi accepted it all with a good temper, even Chen Xingchi joined in. Despite drinking so many glasses, he showed no signs of getting drunk.
Seeing Jiang Heng occasionally glancing at him, Shen Huaizhi understood his intention and found it amusing. He explained aloud, “When I was very young, my dad taught me how to drink.” Children from families like theirs, no matter how outstanding, couldn’t avoid socializing, so they had to train their tolerance for alcohol to prevent being tripped up by others at the drinking table. But it might also be related to genetics; Shen Huaizhi’s alcohol tolerance had been good since he first learned to drink.
Hearing this, Jiang Heng relaxed. Although Shen Huaizhi could carry him home even if he got drunk, having a hangover was still uncomfortable.
Seeing that they couldn’t get Shen Huaizhi drunk, after a while, a few people started feeling dizzy themselves and gradually stopped trying to get him drunk.
Halfway through dinner, Jiang Heng’s phone rang. He had been eating quietly; this hotel was indeed a well-known upscale one, with expensive dishes but excellent taste. Jiang Heng glanced at the caller ID. When he saw the name, he immediately coldly placed the phone face down on the table.
Noticing his change in mood, Shen Huaizhi frowned slightly. They were sitting close together, and if he wasn’t mistaken, the caller seemed to be Jiang Jin, Jiang Heng’s father. But it seemed that the caller wasn’t ready to give up; the vibrating phone started ringing again after a while.
Jiang Heng’s expression turned colder, but even though he looked indifferent, he still picked up the phone and glanced at it. This time, he didn’t hang up immediately. Jiang Jin hadn’t contacted him for a long time, except for the fixed monthly allowance he provided to him and Xie An. He didn’t seem to be much involved in Jiang Heng and Xie An’s lives.
Lowering his eyes, Jiang Heng remembered the family of three he had seen at the supermarket earlier.
There was a moment when he envied them. Jiang Jin was indeed his nominal father, but no matter what, it couldn’t change the fact that he had cheated. His disgust and hatred towards him stemmed from this. But at the same time, he understood his inner desire for the word “dad”.
As he pondered, suddenly a hand covered his hand back. Jiang Heng was slightly stunned and turned his head to look. “If you want to answer, you can go out to take the call,” Shen Huaizhi whispered softly. “If you don’t want to, you can leave your phone with me?”
Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment, and the coldness in his emotions faded a bit. Slowly reaching out to hold Shen Huaizhi’s hand, he shook his head, then nodded. Shen Huaizhi couldn’t help but feel a bit amused, “So, do you want to answer or not?”
With someone by his side, it seemed that the internal conflict wasn’t as intense, and the feeling of longing wasn’t as strong either. In the past, Jiang Jin had called him, but he always hung up. After a few times, the other party wouldn’t call again.
After thinking for a while, Jiang Heng softly responded, “Yes and no.”
Shen Huaizhi wasn’t quite sure what had happened between Jiang Heng’s parents to lead to their divorce. But according to his mother Ruan Shu, Jiang Jin was a good man. After divorcing Xie An, he met his current Omega wife through introductions from people in their social circle. He didn’t want to judge Jiang Heng’s family matters, so he simply nodded along with Jiang Heng’s words. “Then think about it some more.”
This time, Jiang Heng couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless. He thought Shen Huaizhi would say something to comfort him. But then he realized if Shen Huaizhi did comfort him, he might soften a bit.
The phone rang again. Jiang Heng lowered his brows and eyes, pondering for a while. Eventually, he coldly went out to answer the call.
Perhaps it was because he had seen Jiang Jin’s new family members last time, he felt a bit uneasy in his heart. The corridor outside the private room was quiet. They were on the VIP floor, where only the wealthy and powerful could come. Chen Xingchi mentioned during dinner that they were able to dine here thanks to Shen Huaizhi’s connections.
Jiang Jin probably didn’t expect Jiang Heng to answer his call this time. When Jiang Heng picked up, Jiang Jin spoke a bit stutteringly, “Jiang Heng.”
Jiang Heng lowered his brows and eyes, his figure appearing somewhat lonely under the bright and dazzling lights. He didn’t respond.
Jiang Jin wasn’t in a hurry. “Didn’t expect… to… to get through. Dad’s a bit… happy.”
Thinking of that boy who looked a lot like Jiang Jin, Jiang Heng raised his eyelids. “What did you want to say?”
It seemed that because of Jiang Heng’s overly cold tone, Jiang Jin realized it and coughed lightly. “Do you have time before the New Year? Can you come out for a meal with Dad?”
After he finished speaking, Jiang Heng chuckled sarcastically, “No, where do you get the nerve to invite me for a meal?” His tone was sharp, and as he spoke, he leaned against the wall, gripping his hand tightly at his side, forcing himself to calm down. “Is it because of your mistress, who told you she met me at the supermarket?”
His words were too harsh, and after saying them, even Jiang Heng himself was stunned. He never thought he would be so sarcastic and cynical in front of his biological father. But then he remembered the bitter words exchanged between Xie An and Jiang Jin when he was young. Why could someone who was usually so gentle hurt someone he once loved so deeply? He also remembered the longing he felt after his parents’ divorce, watching other parents accompany their children with laughter and joy at parent-teacher meetings, while he sat alone, looking out the window with indifference.
Jiang Jin seemed to be stunned by his words, then smiled bitterly and explained, “She’s not a mistress.”
Jiang Heng mocked, “Your son looks about nine years old, right? You divorced my mom only nine years ago.”
“No, he’s eight,” Jiang Jin explained anxiously, his tone somewhat flustered.
Jiang Heng shook his head, feeling sarcastic, “There’s no need to lie to me like this. I’m not a child.”
“There’s no need to bother each other, and I won’t meet with you.”
With that, he didn’t wait for Jiang Jin to finish explaining further and hung up the phone directly.
He somewhat regretted why he had answered this call. Was it because he couldn’t accept it? No, it was because he was foolish.
When he returned to the private room, Chen Xingchi and the others were already playing rock-paper-scissors with chairs. The atmosphere in the room was too lively, and Jiang Heng forced a smile towards the person looking at him.
The person waved back at him, completely unaware that something was wrong.
When he returned to his seat, Jiang Heng hadn’t made any moves yet, but Shen Huaizhi took his hand first. It was as if he had been waiting for him to come back, and as if he had been worried about him, he couldn’t wait to comfort him.
This realization diminished many of the emotions Jiang Heng had just felt. He blinked, “Shen Huaizhi.”
Shen Huaizhi responded.
Jiang Heng had the urge to hug him, but with so many people around, although they weren’t looking at them directly, someone might suddenly turn around. But the body was always more honest than his brain. By the time he realized it, he had already reached out and hooked Shen Huaizhi’s neck, resting his head on his shoulder.
With both of them still holding hands, this posture seemed ambiguous and intimate. Alpha seemed to sense his emotions and gently patted his back. Because of this gesture, Jiang Heng felt even sadder.
It seemed like he couldn’t leave this person at all. He scooted forward a bit, bringing the two of them closer together, almost sticking to each other. The temperature inside the private room was high, and both of them had already taken off their outer jackets, leaving only thin inner shirts. When they were pressed against each other, they could even feel the warmth emanating from each other’s bodies.
The pheromone scent from the Alpha was faint, but it gradually made Jiang Heng feel more at ease. He buried his face in the shoulder of the other person for a while, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the realization that he felt like a cat sniffing catnip. Especially when they were hugging in front of so many people, he felt the urge to leave.
But just as he was about to have that thought, his head was gently pressed back onto Shen Huaizhi’s shoulder. Jiang Heng blinked, “Captain, I’m not happy right now.”
Shen Huaizhi murmured, “Then let’s hug a little longer.”
Although what he said was true, Jiang Heng wasn’t sure if he was seeking comfort or if Shen Huaizhi was taking advantage of the situation.
The other’s hand roamed up and down his back, seemingly comforting him but also carrying a hint of something else. Even though they were separated by clothes, Jiang Heng felt an inexplicable warmth. After thinking for a while, he stopped overthinking it.
After all, a delicate Omega like himself just wanted his Alpha to comfort him. What’s wrong with a hug? It’s good enough if he didn’t bury himself in his arms!
He abandoned his mental burden and quietly sought comfort, “Shen Huaizhi, I feel really uncomfortable.”
“Jiang Jin wants to see me. How shameless of him.”
He started speaking in a low voice, with a hint of negativity, but as he continued, he became more and more agitated, as if he wanted to punch and kick Jiang Jin.
Hearing this, Shen Huaizhi couldn’t help but smile, but he still felt heartbroken for Jiang Heng. He didn’t know how Jiang Heng had been living all this time. From Ruan Shu’s words, he knew Xie An was very busy, and Jiang Jin was very busy too. It seemed like no one was taking care of their son.
Perhaps he was too excited, and all the previous sadness turned into excitement. After breaking free from the hug, Jiang Heng started drinking from the glass of wine he hadn’t finished.
Before Shen Huaizhi could stop him, he had already downed a full glass. After finishing his own glass, he went to drink the one in front of Shen Huaizhi. As he drank, he muttered to himself.
Listening for a while, Shen Huaizhi found it somewhat amusing. He had never known that Jiang Heng’s way of venting his emotions was like this – fierce yet cute.
After drinking two glasses, Jiang Heng seemed to be getting tipsy. It might also be because alcohol temporarily numbed his nerves. Even the usually bitter and harsh taste of the alcohol now seemed enjoyable.
There were still a few bottles of beer left in the crate, and Jiang Heng went over and brought them all over by himself.
“Jiang Heng,” Shen Huaizhi reached out to stop him from opening another bottle. He couldn’t let Jiang Heng keep drinking like this; he would inevitably get drunk, especially if he was using alcohol to drown his sorrows.
But as soon as he called out, Jiang Heng looked up at him. Perhaps because of the alcohol, Jiang Heng’s usually not-so-reddish face had a slight flush. Although his expression was somewhat fierce, there was a hint of mistiness in his eyes.
Shen Huaizhi’s heart softened instantly. But Jiang Heng, not knowing any better, leaned closer, almost touching Shen Huaizhi’s chin with his head, rubbing against his shoulder blade, and lightly brushing his lips against Shen Huaizhi’s chin.
This light touch stunned Shen Huaizhi for a moment, but he soon realized that, after just three drinks, Jiang Heng was already intoxicated.
Realizing this, Shen Huaizhi couldn’t help but feel a little amused. This person had such poor alcohol tolerance, just a moment ago he seemed so spirited, as if he wanted to drown his sorrows. But now, looking at him, it seemed he had already forgotten about his worries before even drinking.
Shen Huaizhi found himself at a loss whether to laugh or worry. Seeing Jiang Heng busy with the bottle opener again, Shen Huaizhi rarely felt a headache.
Drunk people were hard to deal with, especially when the drunk person was someone he liked. It wasn’t easy to use forceful means to make the other person pass out.
He also had no experience dealing with drunk people and didn’t know what Jiang Heng might do when drunk.
“Jiang Heng,” Shen Huaizhi thought for a moment, then squatted down in front of Jiang Heng. He put his hands on Jiang Heng’s arms, trying to coax him gently, “Do you still remember who I am?”
Jiang Heng paused for a moment, lowered his eyelids to look at him, his gaze less scattered than before. After a moment of thought, he lowered his head and smiled mockingly, “Silly Shen Huaizhi, are you stupid?”
Shen Huaizhi was taken aback.
Seeing Jiang Heng’s appearance, he even found it somewhat cute. Shen Huaizhi felt like there was no hope for himself.
He chuckled softly, as long as Jiang Heng remembered him, it was good.
But after Jiang Heng finished speaking, he bent down again. Midway through, he probably felt a bit tired. He paused for a moment, muttered something dissatisfiedly, too quietly for Shen Huaizhi to hear clearly, but he vaguely caught the word “chair”, probably complaining that the chair was too high.
Shen Huaizhi didn’t know what the drunk person wanted to do at this moment, so he could only tilt his head and watch him. He squatted too low, which made Jiang Heng very unhappy.
Jiang Heng bent down, trying to reach the side of Shen Huaizhi’s face. His eyelids trembled, and his gaze seemed unfocused as he stared at Shen Huaizhi’s face for a while. Then, he lightly pecked Shen Huaizhi’s lips.
But he was drunk, his vision couldn’t focus completely, and the kiss landed slightly off, at the corner of Shen Huaizhi’s lips. Jiang Heng himself noticed this and felt somewhat dissatisfied. He broke free from Shen Huaizhi’s hands resting on his arms without much effort, then weakly lifted his hands and finally managed to hold Shen Huaizhi’s head.
He muttered, “Shen Huaizhi, why aren’t you kissing me yet?” After saying that, he kissed Shen Huaizhi himself.
Author’s note: Just kidding about not having kids.
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Enjoy reading ❤️”
