MOFB Chapter 62

Jiang Heng could no longer remember the last time he cried. It seemed that he hadn’t cried since he could remember, after all, crying required someone to care. Crying for oneself was pointless and only exhausting.

When he cried, it was silent, with tears rolling down his cheeks. The temperature inside the car was set very high, so even though the tears were warm, they felt much cooler than the car’s temperature when they touched his skin, giving a chill.

The tears rolled down his cheeks to his chin, completely wetting Shen Huaizhi’s neck. Jiang Heng clung tightly to the back of Shen Huaizhi’s shirt. Perhaps to help Jiang Heng warm up his down jacket, Shen Huaizhi wore a thin coat, making it easy for Jiang Heng to grip. At first, Jiang Heng could maintain a bit of composure, but eventually, he couldn’t see anything clearly or remember anything. Even his hands shaking uncontrollably while gripping the other person.

Due to the emotional fluctuation, the previously masked sweet scent of pheromones spread in the car. Unlike before, having experienced several temporary marks, Shen Huaizhi could clearly sense his Omega’s emotions through the pheromones. Amid the familiar sweet rose scent, he detected a great sadness from Jiang Heng that he had never seen before.

This sadness also affected the Alpha’s emotions. Jiang Heng felt Shen Huaizhi’s hand slip under his down jacket, pressing gently and slowly patting his back.

At the same time, the strong scent of melting snow spread throughout the car, soothing him. It wrapped around him more gently than ever before, as if it wanted to envelop him completely. Normally, an Alpha’s pheromones are highly aggressive, even during a marking, they carry a strong desire for possession, as if to devour the Omega whole. But at this moment, they were incredibly gentle.

Jiang Heng’s tears flowed even more fiercely, and his hands, which had been trembling, now weakly pounded Shen Huaizhi’s back. There wasn’t much strength in them; it was merely a silent release. He still didn’t say a word.

However, many scenes flashed through his mind.

When he was young, before Xie An and Jiang Jin divorced, in little Jiang Heng’s eyes, they still loved each other very much. Though they were both very busy, their eyes were always full of each other. Little Jiang Heng didn’t understand what love was, but he felt that it was great for his parents to be like this.

Xie An would lean on Jiang Jin’s shoulder and tell little Jiang Heng stories.

Then, they divorced.

Jiang Heng couldn’t clearly remember what the weather was like when Xie An took him away. He only felt sadness because he knew that from then on, he no longer had a father. His mother told him that his father would become someone else’s father, and only she would be his mother.

At that time, there was probably despair and sadness in Xie An’s eyes. But young Jiang Heng couldn’t understand it and didn’t sense much hatred from Xie An. On the contrary, he was the only one harboring resentment.

Later, others mocked him for not having a father, calling him an orphan. He began to protect himself, and he believed he could protect Xie An as well.

Those memories of growing up flashed through Jiang Heng’s mind like a revolving lantern: Xie An speaking to him gently each time, promising that she could spend time with him once her experiment was done, and looking at him with loving eyes.

In the end, it came to the day he differentiated. He had a premonition about it, and since it was a significant event in his life, he told Xie An. He thought she wouldn’t come to see him, just like many times before when he was sick. He would tell her, and she would be worried, but she’d say she couldn’t leave and would ask the auntie to make sure he took his medicine. Jiang Heng wouldn’t take the medicine; he would endure it on his own.

He never needed the medicine.

But this time, Xie An hurried back and even rarely scolded him for not saying something sooner. After all, there are noticeable physical changes before differentiation, but Jiang Heng didn’t pay much attention to it at first.

Over the years, he had endured all kinds of discomfort and pain. Such minor discomfort didn’t matter to him at all.

But Jiang Heng never thought that his differentiation would cause any trouble, or that it would hurt so much that he would pass out. When he woke up in the hospital, he saw Xie An secretly crying.

Later, he found out that he was different from other Omegas. The nurses referred to him as defective. Indeed, an Omega who couldn’t sense Alpha pheromones was considered defective.

But Xie An never said anything about it. On the contrary, she was more distressed and anxious than Jiang Heng. During that time, she even stopped doing her experiments to find a treatment for Jiang Heng. At least, that was how it seemed to Jiang Heng at the time.

But thinking about it now, Jiang Heng wondered if Xie An was crying because her experiment had failed or because she was heartbroken over the state she had caused her son to be in. Did she really love him?

All Jiang Heng knew was that the motherly love he had once treasured was gone. His heart felt like it had been submerged in ice water, never to be warmed again. It was as if a blunt knife was repeatedly cutting into his heart, causing immense pain.

The pain was more intense than ever, so painful that he couldn’t stop the tears. Jiang Jin mentioned something about the experiments Xie An was conducting, but Jiang Heng couldn’t quite understand it. He only knew that Xie An had truly treated him as a test subject.

He could no longer comfort himself or find excuses for Xie An. He recalled Jiang Jin softly explaining everything about those photos in the restaurant. The words written on the back of the photos, some already blurred. The past, which he barely remembered himself.

But Jiang Jin never really knew what he wanted.

“Jiang Heng.” Shen Huaizhi’s voice was very low. He leaned close to Jiang Heng’s ear, his lips almost touching the edge of Jiang Heng’s ear, and his breath wrapped around Jiang Heng’s ear. Shen Huaizhi seemed a bit helpless, probably facing such a situation for the first time. He could only pat Jiang Heng’s back again and again, softly calling Jiang Heng’s name.

If Jiang Heng had any remaining clarity, he would have noticed that Shen Huaizhi’s voice lacked its usual steadiness. Like his body, which Jiang Heng was leaning on, it was trembling slightly.

“Jiang Heng, Jiang Heng.” Shen Huaizhi called Jiang Heng’s name over and over, “I’m here.”

His voice was gentle and carried a comforting sense of security. He knew Jiang Heng needed an emotional outlet and could roughly guess what Jiang Jin had told him. Jiang Heng had learned what he wanted to know. But these were not things a seventeen-year-old should have to bear.

Jiang Heng was not strong at all, and Shen Huaizhi never wanted him to be strong. But at this moment, Shen Huaizhi understood that what he really wished for was that Jiang Heng would never need to be either strong or fragile.

At first, Jiang Heng cried silently. It was as if he couldn’t hear Shen Huaizhi calling him. Later, he gradually regained some clarity, but he was so exhausted from crying that he could only lie on Shen Huaizhi’s shoulder, trying to catch his breath.

Shen Huaizhi kissed Jiang Heng’s ear intermittently, silently comforting him. The unfamiliar tingling sensation on his ear made Jiang Heng shiver involuntarily. His hand, which had been resting on Shen Huaizhi’s back, began to move restlessly, slipping inside Shen Huaizhi’s open coat and resting on his lower back, separated by a sweater.

Shen Huaizhi was slightly taken aback, then felt a bit helpless and relieved. “Jiang Heng.”

Jiang Heng’s head was still buried in Shen Huaizhi’s shoulder. Only then did he feel a delayed sense of embarrassment and annoyance. This was probably the worst he’d ever cried in his life; his temples were throbbing, and the tears on his face had dried, but those on Shen Huaizhi hadn’t. His neck and collar were soaked, looking even more disheveled than Jiang Heng.

Shen Huaizhi had probably never experienced something like this in his life.

Jiang Heng, still nestled against him, felt a bit cold.

His muffled voice came out, “What?” tinged with the hoarseness of crying. It sounded truly heart-wrenching but also somewhat indifferent, as if dismissing the situation immediately after it happened.

Seeing him like this, Shen Huaizhi felt slightly relieved. At least Jiang Heng was still willing to communicate. Shen Huaizhi was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly and gently kissed his earlobe again. This time, Jiang Heng began to squirm, “Shen Huaizhi, don’t kiss there.”

Shen Huaizhi hummed in response but didn’t stop. He even gave a small bite, mumbling, “Why?”

Jiang Heng’s face was not only stiff but also completely red. His ears were more sensitive than his neck, and he couldn’t help but murmur softly, “Shen Huaizhi, are you a dog?”

Due to his congested voice, it didn’t really sound like a reprimand. Shen Huaizhi, smiling, said, “No, but we Alphas do like to bite.”

Jiang Heng was momentarily speechless, shocked by his unabashed shamelessness. However, the intense emotions he had felt earlier began to slightly improve. Shen Huaizhi’s pheromones continued to soothe him, making Jiang Heng relax significantly.

Meanwhile, the driver, who had gone to the restroom and bought himself a cup of milk tea, glanced at the car from the outside. The tinted windows prevented him from seeing anything, but he had a hunch that things weren’t quite over yet. Patting his round belly, he decided to get another cup of milk tea. It was just too damn good.

Inside the car, Jiang Heng had changed positions, now leaning back into Shen Huaizhi’s embrace. Having just cried, his eyes were red and swollen, still misty with tears, and his face streaked with tear marks. He looked like a rebellious teenager beaten down by the harsh realities of life, both pitiful and somewhat amusing.

Shen Huaizhi used both hands to massage Jiang Heng’s temples, his lips occasionally brushing the corners of Jiang Heng’s eyes. “Does it hurt?”

Jiang Heng pressed his lips together. “Shut up.” Even though he had held back his tears until he was in front of Shen Huaizhi, after crying, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Shen Huaizhi chuckled softly, as if he understood what Jiang Heng was thinking, and reassured him, “It’s not embarrassing.”

He preferred Jiang Heng to express his feelings rather than bottling them up. He just hoped that such incidents wouldn’t happen again in the future. Even when resolving the issues with Xie An, he didn’t want Jiang Heng to be this upset. He would rather Jiang Heng become a cold and unfeeling person, abandoning all the love he had for Xie An over the years.

Jiang Heng’s lips curved slightly into a smile, but it quickly faded. Even though he had vented his emotions and had been comforted, some things couldn’t be forgotten.

Noticing the change in Jiang Heng’s mood, Shen Huaizhi lightened the pressure on his temples and softened his voice. “Shall we go home?”

Jiang Heng closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. “Okay.”

No matter what, he still had Shen Huaizhi. This person, even at a time like this, was unwilling to poke at his wounds.

Shen Huaizhi lowered his head and kissed his eyelids again. “Then sleep. When you wake up, we’ll be home.”

Jiang Heng knew that when he said “home,” he meant the Shen family home.

–

Jiang Heng did fall asleep on the way, but it was a restless sleep filled with chaotic dreams. He dreamt of Jiang Jin asking for forgiveness and Xie An doing the same. When he woke up, he found himself lying in Shen Huaizhi’s bed, the sheets infused with Shen Huaizhi’s scent.

Jiang Heng furrowed his brows and stared at the ceiling for a long while. Then, in a rush, he jumped out of bed without even putting on his shoes. He was jolted awake by the incessant pleas for forgiveness in his dreams, and now, without any trace of grogginess, he instinctively sought comfort.

Shen Huaizhi was in the kitchen downstairs. Earlier, the housekeeper had been startled when Shen Huaizhi carried Jiang Heng in, but after hearing that Jiang Heng was just exhausted, she decided to cook some nourishing food for him. She even pulled Shen Huaizhi aside, warning him mysteriously that since both of them were still minors, they should be cautious.

The housekeeper had seen the tear stains on Shen Huaizhi’s clothes. She thought, despite Alphas’ aggressive tendencies, it wasn’t right to push an Omega to this extent. What if the Omega didn’t want to stay with him anymore? Even though the two had a marriage agreement, Omegas were highly sought after.

Shen Huaizhi, initially indifferent, understood the housekeeper’s misunderstanding but didn’t bother to explain much. He sent her away to do other tasks and started preparing dinner for Jiang Heng himself. Although they had returned around noon, Jiang Heng’s nap was likely to last until evening.

While preparing the ingredients, Shen Huaizhi received a call from his father. Due to his personality, Shen Huaizhi rarely asked his father for anything and only communicated for necessary matters, as both father and son were not talkative by nature.

When Shen Huaizhi had called his father earlier, Shen’s father had been abroad on vacation with Ruan Shu and his parents. At that moment, Ruan Shu was still sleeping soundly in his arms. Hearing his son’s request, Shen’s father’s headache vanished instantly. After listening to Shen Huaizhi’s request, he immediately set people to investigate, covering both the laboratory and the hospital. With his extensive network and deep-rooted connections, getting information was relatively simple, especially since it concerned his future daughter-in-law.

After Shen Huaizhi answered the call, Shen’s father’s voice came through.

“The laboratory is not easy to investigate,” Shen’s father’s voice was deep and commanding, even through the phone, carrying the authority of someone in power. “There are people behind the laboratory, and they’ve tied it to a hospital.”

“There are some shady characters in the hospital and also in the laboratory.”

Compared to Jiang Jin, the Shen family could find out much more in a few days. Shen’s father’s reference to “shady characters” was mysterious, as he often liked to speak cryptically.

Shen Huaizhi, calmly washing vegetables with little emotional fluctuation, asked, “By ‘shady characters,’ do you mean illegal research?”

Shen’s father hmmed without hesitation. He had high expectations for Shen Huaizhi, after all, he was the future sole heir of the Shen family. Protecting his own Omega was his responsibility, and even though this matter was significant, he needed to be involved.

“I don’t have enough evidence yet. I’ll send you all the data to your email.”

“My people are continuing to investigate.”

At this point, Shen’s father paused, unable to ignore the constant rustling noise coming from Shen Huaizhi’s end of the line, and asked, “What are you doing?”

Shen Huaizhi glanced at the vegetables in his hand, adjusted the phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, and didn’t hide anything, “Washing vegetables.”

Shen’s father remained strangely silent for a few seconds, then cleared his throat. “How is Jiang Heng?”

Although Shen Huaizhi could cook, he was usually busy with his studies. Even Ruan Shu had never tasted her son’s cooking.

“He’s sleeping,” Shen Huaizhi’s voice remained somewhat subdued, but there was a touch more gentleness than before.

His father uttered a sound of acknowledgment, not pressing further. Whatever help he could offer, he would provide, but the task of protecting his own Omega had to be left to his son to handle.

Finally, Shen Huaizhi added with a faint smile, “I hope you and mom are enjoying yourselves.”

“I know.”

After hanging up the phone, the smile on Shen Huaizhi’s lips faded away. He lowered his eyes, staring at the flowing water.

For a brief moment, an unsettling thought crossed his mind as an Alpha. There were even a few seconds where Shen Huai Zhi felt himself losing control, entertaining thoughts that didn’t quite align with legal means.

No Alpha could remain calm upon learning that their Omega had been hurt for such a long time. Even Shen Huaizhi couldn’t keep his composure.

The composure he displayed in front of Jiang Heng was completely shattered when he was alone, leaving only dark thoughts behind.

But he couldn’t go down that path.

Jiang Heng had only him to rely on, and only him to trust. The Alpha pheromones were wildly unstable in the kitchen, as if searching for an outlet to release.

After a while, they gradually calmed down.

Shen Huaizhi finished the last dish and was cleaning up the remaining garbage in the kitchen when he suddenly sensed the familiar scent approaching. Before he could turn around, Jiang Heng had already pressed himself against Shen Huaizhi’s back, like an extremely unsettled child waking up.

Shen Huaizhi paused for a moment.

Jiang Heng wrapped his arms around Shen Huaizhi’s waist from behind, finally finding a place to settle his unease.

“Shen Huaizhi,” Jiang Heng buried his head in the nape of Shen Huaizhi’s neck, greedily inhaling the Alpha’s pheromones.

Shen Huaizhi hummed softly, “Should we sit on the sofa for a while? It’s a bit dirty here.”

Jiang Heng’s eyelids trembled slightly. Despite the chilly feeling on his bare feet, he didn’t want to leave the warmth of Shen Huaizhi’s back. He shook his head, “Carry me then.”

There was a hint of laziness in his tone, as if he had just woken up, and a subtle hint of melancholy that was hard to discern.

Shen Huaizhi chuckled helplessly, “Alright, just wait a moment.”

He went to wash his hands. Once dried, he reached back to hold Jiang Heng’s leg to help him settle on his back. Jiang Heng’s height made this posture uncomfortable for both of them. Shen Huaizhi only then noticed Jiang Heng’s bare feet, now red from the cold, though Jiang Heng seemed oblivious.

It was only when Shen Huaizhi’s hand touched Jiang Heng’s foot that he couldn’t help but mutter, “Shen Huaizhi, are you a pervert?”

Touching someone else’s feet like that.

As he spoke, his toes curled involuntarily.

It looked not only cute but also flirtatious.

He leaned his whole body against Shen Huaizhi, his tone not particularly harsh as he seemed to convey a hint of dependency.

Hearing this, Shen Huaizhi’s eyes softened, “Didn’t you already ask this question before?”

“Whether I’m a pervert or not, you should know best.”

As he spoke, he continued to hold Jiang Heng’s foot in his hand. His hand, though cold, was much warmer compared to Jiang Heng’s foot.

Jiang Heng’s expression blanked for a moment. He couldn’t help but curse silently, “Damn Alpha, shameless.”

Despite his annoyance, a hint of a smile couldn’t be completely concealed on his face. He rubbed against Shen Huaizhi’s neck, then hooked his right foot down from Shen Huaizhi’s palm, retracting it before hooking it around Shen Huaizhi’s waist.

A dangerously intimate position.

Jiang Heng had a look of triumph on his face, saying, “Alpha in front, don’t move! Now you’ve become a hostage under my belly! If you dare move, I’ll… Hiss! Shen Huaizhi!”

He never expected Shen Huaizhi to take advantage of this position, turning his head and bending down to kiss his left side.

Even through the sleeping pants, the unusual sensation couldn’t be ignored.

Shen Huaizhi, however, seemed completely unaware and asked him, “What’s wrong?”

With just that kiss, Jiang Heng instantly felt his waist go soft. He didn’t have the strength to wrap his legs around Shen Huaizhi’s waist anymore. His right leg almost gave out, but thankfully, Shen Huaizhi adjusted his right leg, helping him steady it.

Blushing, Jiang Heng murmured softly, “It’s nothing, you’re not human.”

Seeming not to hear clearly, Shen Huaizhi chuckled after a brief pause, “Well, not exactly. Stay here, I’ll go get your slippers.”

Compared to being improper, Omegas really couldn’t match up to Alphas naturally.

The smile on Jiang Heng’s face faded, and he remained silent, obediently sitting there.

When Shen Huaizhi returned, Jiang Heng was sipping hot water cautiously, probably afraid of catching a cold.

Shen Huaizhi crouched down to help him put on his slippers.

Jiang Heng lowered his eyes, the dim light in them earlier now brightened.

Shen Huaizhi’s breath caught, recalling the first time he met Jiang Heng, the bright enthusiasm on his face.

At that time, he thought he was meeting a stubborn boy.

After all, from the messages Jiang Heng sent him, there was definitely a lot of provocation.

Jiang Heng was indeed a bit stubborn, and he had some strange quirks. He liked to pretend to be a soft and weak Omega, even though his acting was clumsy, he was oddly fond of it.

Back then, Jiang Heng’s eyes were still bright.

Shen Huaizhi closed his eyes, suppressing the uneasy feelings that had surfaced again in his mind.

It was already after four in the afternoon, and the food would cool down if not eaten soon.

Seeing Shen Huaizhi about to leave again, Jiang Heng’s expression turned a bit anxious. He almost knocked over the cup of water in his hand and reached out to grab Shen Huaizhi’s hand.

“Shen Huaizhi, where are you going?”

Shen Huaizhi turned back and tapped his head gently, “To serve the dishes.”

Jiang Heng responded with an “Oh,” and didn’t stop him again.

Jiang Heng didn’t have much of an appetite, but unexpectedly ate quite a bit after knowing that Shen Huaizhi had cooked everything on the table. Towards the end, despite not having much appetite, he began to feel hungry.

Seeing him obediently eating, Shen Huaizhi felt a bit relieved.

Jiang Heng’s emotions seemed off.

But Shen Huaizhi had no other way. All he could do was try his best to stay by his side and comfort him.

After dinner, the two of them snuggled on the sofa to watch TV. Jiang Heng had slept for a long time earlier and wasn’t feeling sleepy now. He leaned against Shen Huaizhi’s shoulder, absentmindedly playing with his fingers. Shen Huaizhi was multitasking, using one hand to grade papers while his other hand was held by Jiang Heng, who was toying with it. The TV volume was loud, but it didn’t seem to affect Shen Huaizhi’s grading speed.

Jiang Heng stared at Shen Huaizhi’s papers for a while with a wooden expression before speaking up, “Shen Huaizhi.”

Shen Huaizhi, multitasking, responded absentmindedly, “Hmm?”

“Shen Huaizhi, are the papers I wrote prettier than mine?”

Shen Huaizhi sighed helplessly, “I’m writing your homework.”

Jiang Heng’s expression turned even more wooden, “Then are my papers prettier than me?”

He snatched the papers from Shen Huaizhi’s hand and said seriously, “Ghostwriting isn’t good.”

He indeed had no intention of writing the papers himself, but seeing them still reminded him of certain things. He had to study hard so that he wouldn’t be separated from Shen Huaizhi in the future. The gap between them right now was too great. It was almost impossible for them to attend the same school, but at least he could aim for a nearby one. Long-distance relationships weren’t reliable, and he didn’t like them either.

After pondering for a moment, he looked conflicted, “I think I’ll write them myself.”

Shen Huaizhi chuckled, “Sure, I’ll go get your homework.”

As Shen Huaizhi brought over a stack of papers, Jiang Heng felt like he had fallen into a trap of some sort. Although it was likely done to shift his attention, Shen Huaizhi’s move seemed a bit underhanded. Due to the Lunar New Year and Xie An’s matter, he had only done a tiny bit of homework. With just over a week left until the end of winter vacation and his speed of doing assignments, he would probably need to work non-stop to finish all of them.

It was highly probable that he wouldn’t have the energy to think about anything else.

Indeed, Alphas had dark hearts.

Jiang Heng glanced at Shen Huaizhi with an expressionless face, and Shen Huaizhi’s gaze fell gently on him, as if he hadn’t done anything at all, just simply wanted to help share the workload of his homework. Jiang Heng quickly averted his gaze again, responding coldly with a hum.

The smile in Shen Huaizhi’s eyes deepened slightly. Although he was just trying something out, it seemed to have worked a little.

At least Jiang Heng’s expression was much livelier than before.

The paper Shen Huai Zhi had been looking at earlier was a math test with several multiple-choice questions already answered. Jiang Heng had never been good at math and would get a headache just thinking about it, especially after crying so much in the morning, which made his headache worse. Seeing him look so resentful, Shen Huai Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ve marked off the questions you don’t need to do. Just focus on the ones without marks.”

Many things wouldn’t affect college entrance exams, so Jiang Heng didn’t need to do them.

Hearing this, Jiang Heng’s expression improved a lot. But as he continued to work, he started twirling his pen. Although he was determined, he often got distracted easily, especially in math. When he couldn’t understand a problem, he could space out for a while.

Seeing this, Shen Huai Zhi knew he was struggling again. He put down his own pen and leaned over to ask, “Which problem is giving you trouble?”

Jiang Heng blinked. They were sitting on the fluffy carpet in front of the sofa, where the heater was turned up higher than before, making the living room warm and cozy. Jiang Heng had turned sideways, both feet on Shen Huai Zhi’s lap, pointing at a proof question with his pen, “These two lines look the same. Why do I have to prove it?”

Shen Huai Zhi suppressed a smile and seemed to seriously consider it for a moment, “Probably because their relatives are a bit blind.”

Jiang Heng glanced at him and tapped his foot discontentedly, “Don’t slander someone’s relatives. It’s clearly the fault of the test setter.”

Shen Huai Zhi: “…”

Helplessly, he said, “Okay.”

He then took a blank sheet of paper and began explaining the steps to solve the problem to Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng held his head, sighed after a while, and said, “Do you think I might not be Xie An and Jiang Jin’s biological child?”

This question had troubled him for a long time.

Was it really possible that two wrongs made a right?

As he mentioned those two again, Shen Huaizhi’s smile faded slightly. Seeing his change in expression, Jiang Heng reached out and pinched Shen Huaizhi’s right cheek. Shen Huaizhi’s face was quite pinchable, with a nice texture to it, and he didn’t move, allowing Jiang Heng to do as he pleased.

After a while, Jiang Heng had enough of pinching and then hooked the corner of his lips, “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not that fragile.”

His emotional outburst was just temporary. Even without Jiang Jin and Xie An, he could still live well. He had Shen Huaizhi. He didn’t want Shen Huaizhi to worry too much.

Shen Huaizhi responded with a thoughtful “Probably biological. Intelligence doesn’t necessarily get inherited genetically.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

Damn it. He said he wasn’t that fragile, but was it obvious that he was upset? He was feeling so down, and here Shen Huaizhi was mocking his intelligence.

Shen Huaizhi, are you still human?

Oh right, Shen Huaizhi himself admitted he wasn’t human anymore, not even qualifying as a pervert.

After provoking him, Shen Huaizhi’s mood actually improved quite a bit. What he feared was Jiang Heng losing his emotions. However, after provoking him, if Jiang Heng encountered a problem he couldn’t solve, he wouldn’t stare at Shen Huaizhi eagerly anymore. Instead, he would kick Shen Huaizhi’s thigh, push the test paper in front of him, point at it with his pen, and grit his teeth in silence.

Still, Shen Huaizhi patiently helped him solve the problems. Other than not getting a response, everything was fine.

The two of them sat in the living room writing homework for several hours straight.

In the end, Jiang Heng fell asleep leaning on Shen Huaizhi’s shoulder. Shen Huaizhi skillfully carried him back to his own bed. Before leaving, he leaned down and kissed the furrowed brows of Jiang Heng. After he left, the person who had been deeply asleep in bed slowly opened his eyes again. He reached up to touch his brows, where it seemed the lingering scent of Alpha still remained.

Jiang Heng blinked a few times, smiled after a while, rubbed the pillow twice, and then fell back asleep contentedly. However, without Shen Huaizhi by his side, he still couldn’t sleep peacefully enough. He dreamed again of Jiang Jin and Xie An taking turns asking him if he could forgive himself. This time in the dream, Jiang Heng shook his head and said he couldn’t.

The next day, Jiang Heng was awakened by noisy sounds downstairs. Judging from the noise, it wasn’t Shen Huaizhi. After all, Shen Huaizhi wasn’t usually so loud, nor did he tend to talk to himself. The voice seemed somewhat familiar.

Jiang Heng frowned, recalling his dream from last night, feeling as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. Sometimes he felt he might be a bit cold-hearted, but if he wasn’t, who would pity him? Flesh and blood relatives were nothing more than deoxyribonucleic… nucleic what?

Downstairs.

He Qian had the expression of Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden: “The living room of Shen Huaizhi’s house is almost as big as my entire home.”

Chen Xingchi nodded, “My mom has been eyeing this sofa for a long time. My dad absolutely refuses to buy it.”

He Qian: “…”

He Qian felt like he had been hit twice in a row.

The two wandered around the living room, and their gaze finally fell on the papers on the coffee table. With so many days off, Chen Xingchi hadn’t written a single word. He never liked doing homework and used to hurriedly copy it on the first day of school. This time was no different—ready to copy it when school started again.

Seeing the densely packed papers, Chen Xingchi exclaimed, “Is this Jiang Heng’s?”

“Damn, Jiang Heng, you’re so awesome, writing this fast?” He was just thinking if he could borrow it to copy, when he saw a few lines written underneath the papers. Chen Xingchi leaned in closer, and He Qian joined him.

“Shen Huaizhi, you pervert.”

Chen Xingchi read it out loud, not quietly.

He Qian and Chen Xingchi: “…”

Just these few words, written several times, sparked quite a drama in the somewhat messy minds of the two Alphas. Although the Shen family’s living room was indeed quite spacious, but… Shen Huaizhi was also too much of a pervert, wasn’t he?

Thinking this, the two glanced at each other, feeling uncomfortable even sitting on the sofa under Jiang Heng’s… uh, domain.

There was even a certain smell lingering in the air.

Coincidentally, at that moment, Shen Huaizhi came from the kitchen with two glasses of juice. He looked indifferent, whether he heard Chen Xingchi reading out loud just now or not, he glanced at them expressionlessly, “I’ll go upstairs and call him.”

It was only when talking about Jiang Heng that his expression softened slightly.

Just then, Shen Huaizhi, who had gone to the kitchen, returned with two glasses of juice. His expression was subdued, and it was unclear whether he had heard Chen Xingchi’s earlier exclamation. He glanced at the two without much expression, “I’ll go upstairs and call him.”

It was only when they brought up Jiang Heng that his expression softened a bit.

After Shen Huaizhi went upstairs, He Qian sighed, “Alphas are all no good.”

As he said this, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Heng.

Come to think of it, since the break, Jiang Heng hadn’t really been in touch with them much. He had thought Jiang Heng was enjoying a happy New Year in a distant city.

He Qian didn’t go home this year for the New Year, staying in the nearby city with his parents.

As a result, yesterday, he and Chen Xingchi suddenly received a message from the author: He Qian and Chen Xingchi: People do things