Although the basement is underground, its facilities are excellent, with full air conditioning, water, and electricity. Even if someone were to actually live there, it would be very comfortable. There is even a vending machine, though it has been modified to be free.
Chen Xingchi and He Ci stood next to the vending machine, each holding a drink, enjoying the pleasures of the rich.
Chen Xingchi sighed, “Bro, don’t we look like two silly sons playing with their old father to make him smile?”
He Ci glanced at him, “You’re the silly son, I’m your grandpa.”
Chen Xingchi replied, “… I recorded that. I’m going to let Jiang Heng listen to it later.”
He Ci chuckled twice, took a sip of his cold drink, and sighed again, “Jiang Heng is in a bad mood.”
Having known Jiang Heng for so long, even though they didn’t meet often in the past, He Ci was still familiar with his personality.
This time, it was Chen Xingchi’s turn to glance at him, “Do you want to ask him why?”
He Ci was silent for a moment, then shook his head, “No.”
Chen Xingchi was about to say “me too,” when Jiang Heng’s voice interrupted them.
Even though they were in the same basement, they were quite far apart. Jiang Heng, standing on the basketball court, had already changed into workout clothes and was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Sons! Daddy’s here!”
Chen Xingchi and He Ci twitched their mouths: “…”
They didn’t know whether to admire the sheer size of the underground game city or to mock Jiang Heng.
After shouting, Jiang Heng looked at Shen Huaizhi, who was standing beside him. Like him, Shen Huaizhi had just changed into sportswear. It was the first time Jiang Heng had seen Shen Huaizhi in sportswear, and they were wearing the same black outfit. It made Shen Huaizhi appear even more upright, with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, exuding a rare youthful energy. Shen Huaizhi was also wearing a sports headband that pushed his bothersome bangs up, revealing a smooth forehead. Unexpectedly, this made Jiang Heng think Shen Huaizhi looked very handsome.
Although “handsome” might not be the best word to describe an Alpha, Shen Huaizhi’s looks had always exceeded full marks in Jiang Heng’s eyes. The change in appearance was no exception, and just looking at him made Jiang Heng’s heart skip a beat.
Noticing the gaze of the person beside him, Shen Huaizhi, feeling a bit uncomfortable, reached up to touch the sports headband and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Heng chuckled lightly, shook his head, and then looked over at He Ci and Chen Xingchi, who were leisurely walking toward them, drinks in hand. After trying out the arcade machines, all three of them were a bit tired, except for Shen Huaizhi, who seemed to play around by bullying anyone who bullied Jiang Heng.
After resting for a while, the three of them turned their attention to the basketball court.
Over the past few days during the New Year, He Ci and Chen Xingchi had been so bored visiting relatives with their parents that they almost fell ill. They hadn’t had the chance to play basketball since leaving school, so today, with the rare opportunity, they definitely wanted to give it a try.
At the moment, He Ci and Chen Xingchi were talking about something, seemingly not noticing Jiang Heng and the others. Jiang Heng withdrew his gaze and then glanced back at Shen Huaizhi’s face. After a moment, he grabbed Shen Huaizhi’s collar with one hand, took two steps back, leaned against the basketball hoop, and tilted his head up. Although the movement was quite hasty, the kiss on Shen Huaizhi’s lips was very light, almost reverent.
A kiss like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Shen Huaizhi seemed slightly stunned for a moment, then he smiled softly.
“Damn, that’s shameless,” Chen Xingchi muttered while drinking his beverage and glancing sideways.
He Ci coughed lightly, “Drink less, or you’ll feel uncomfortable playing ball later.”
While they were talking, they had already approached the basketball court.
Jiang Heng had let go of Shen Huaizhi’s collar and was leaning against the basketball hoop, looking at Shen Huaizhi with a half-smile.
Shen Huaizhi smiled helplessly, “Let’s go.”
There were only four of them in the basement, not enough for a proper team game, but they could still play two-on-two. For fairness, the unanimously acknowledged worst player, Chen Xingchi, was paired with the best player, Shen Huaizhi, while Jiang Heng and He Ci formed the other team.
With no referees or rules, everything was free-form.
After dividing into teams, the two sides engaged in a ceremonious round of trash talk.
Jiang Heng licked the corner of his mouth and tauntingly raised an eyebrow at Shen Huaizhi, “Class leader, don’t hold back.”
Shen Huaizhi chuckled softly, reached out, and slowly placed his index finger on the lips Jiang Heng had just kissed, “Okay.”
Meanwhile, He Ci and Chen Xingchi—
“If we lose, I’m your big brother.”
“Oh, then you might be disappointed. I doubt Shen Huaizhi can carry a dead weight.”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
As the two of them were about to continue their childish argument, Jiang Heng patted He Ci’s shoulder, signaling that the game was starting.
On the basketball court, for those who truly respect the sport, there is no concept of holding back.
Ever since starting his studies, Jiang Heng hadn’t touched a basketball much, and he had never played basketball with Shen Huaizhi, let alone as opponents.
Sports are the best way to release energy.
At this moment, he felt his nerves were in an excited state.
Facing off against a strong opponent always sparks a competitive spirit.
At the start, Chen Xingchi had the ball.
Jiang Heng turned sideways, intercepting from the side where Chen Xingchi was attempting to pass the ball, blocking his idea of passing it to someone else shortly after the game began.
Realizing that Jiang Heng intended to steal the ball from Chen Xingchi, He Ci took the initiative to act as a human barrier, trying to block Shen Huaizhi’s attack range.
Jiang Heng’s gaze was firmly fixed on the basketball in Chen Xingchi’s hands. Chen Xingchi, not panicking, met Jiang Heng’s eyes for a moment before tossing the ball over his head, “Class Leader!”
Shen Huaizhi reacted quickly, maneuvering around He Ci. By the time Jiang Heng attempted to intercept the ball, it was already in Shen Huaizhi’s hands.
Jiang Heng exclaimed, “Wow.”
Shen Huaizhi smiled and shook his head at him. The next second, he swiftly maneuvered past Jiang Heng. Before He Ci could rush over to block him, Shen Huaizhi was already at the backboard.
Simultaneously, Jiang Heng had also bypassed Chen Xingchi’s obstruction.
As Shen Huaizhi raised both hands, Jiang Heng lifted his right hand, using his left to block, preventing any fake moves from Shen Huaizhi. He smiled, “Class Leader, you’re pretty fast.”
Shen Huaizhi didn’t reply, only smiled again. The next moment, he withdrew his raised hands, dribbling with one hand. He moved quickly, and each time Jiang Heng tried to intercept, Shen Huaizhi anticipated it, sidestepping or using a fake move to evade.
Just within a few exchanges, everyone was sweating profusely.
The basement lights were on, and the entire basement was so quiet that only the sounds of the four boys playing basketball could be heard, occasionally interspersed with a few curses or exclamations.
After a short game, He Ci and Chen Xingchi collapsed on the ground.
Shen Huaizhi had someone bring down a dry towel for each of them. Even though it was winter and the basement had air conditioning, they were lightly dressed. Not drying off the sweat could easily lead to a cold.
Jiang Heng sat sideways near the two, drinking water.
“That last shot was amazing!” Chen Xingchi praised sincerely.
The first basket was scored by Jiang Heng. He had struggled with Shen Huaizhi for a while before finally snatching the ball away. Before Chen Xingchi could react, Jiang Heng had already moved beyond the three-point line and made a beautiful three-point shot.
Even Shen Huaizhi probably didn’t see it coming.
Jiang Heng chuckled, “Not bad, not bad.”
He accepted the compliment without any embarrassment.
After chatting with the two for a while, Jiang Heng draped a towel around his neck and stood up, heading towards Shen Huaizhi.
At that moment, Shen Huaizhi also had a dry towel around his neck. Because it was so hot, he had removed his sports headband and tossed it aside. There was still a bit of sweat on his forehead, and his hair was slightly damp. When Jiang Heng approached, Shen Huaizhi was running a hand through his hair. Compared to when it was tied back with the headband, this gesture was even more alluring.
Jiang Heng subconsciously swallowed.
“Why did you come over?” Shen Huaizhi, seeing his expression, couldn’t help but find it amusing and stopped running his hand through his hair. In an instant, he reverted to his usual self.
Jiang Heng slowly withdrew his lips that had just been dampened by water and thought for a moment. He reached out his hand towards Shen Huaizhi and said, “Let me feel if your hand is still cold.”
Shen Huaizhi didn’t hesitate much and extended his hand. It wasn’t particularly warm, but his palm had a slight hint of sweat, even though he had wiped it off just now, a new layer had formed since then.
The aftertaste of exercise had not yet completely dissipated, and even Shen Huaizhi’s spirit remained tense after intense exercise.
Playing basketball with Jiang Heng was a different feeling from playing with the others before.
That kind of exhilarating feeling was something he rarely experienced.
Thinking of this, Shen Huaizhi looked at Jiang Heng with a gentler gaze.
Jiang Heng kept his head down, as if really studying the temperature of his hand. He even pinched Shen Huaizhi’s fingers. Jiang Heng’s palm was warm, and it was unexpectedly comfortable to press it against Shen Huaizhi’s palm.
After holding Shen Huaizhi’s hand for a moment, he slowly inserted his five fingers into Shen Huaizhi’s fingers. After doing this, he breathed a sigh of relief, and his breathing gradually calmed down, gradually emerging from the state of mental excitement just now.
The two quietly held hands for a while. After a long time, Jiang Heng sighed again and pulled Shen Huaizhi towards him, whispering softly, “Thank you.”
Shen Huaizhi seemed to react after a while to understand what he was saying. He gently shook his head, didn’t speak, just turned around slowly and tightened his grip on Jiang Heng’s hand.
Jiang Heng didn’t expect him to say anything.
He didn’t know what he was thanking him for.
Thank Shen Huaizhi for being willing to come into his world, thank him for doing so much for him, thank him for being able to like so many flaws in himself.
After Jiang Heng finished speaking, he glanced over at He Ci and Chen Xingchi lying there. They seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep in the basement.
After a while, Jiang Heng suddenly spoke again, “Class Leader, can I have a smoke?”
He had been thinking about it since seeing Jiang Jin that day. His mood had been too low before, so he hadn’t had the emotional energy to smoke.
It had been a long time since he had last smoked. Although there was no real reason to smoke now, he felt like fulfilling this long-standing desire.
Shen Huaizhi seemed momentarily surprised by his request. He probably hadn’t expected it from someone like him.
Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow, thinking that someone like Shen Huaizhi, who was such a good student, probably hadn’t learned to smoke. He was about to think Shen Huaizhi wouldn’t agree, but Shen Huaizhi thought for a moment and said, “What brand do you want?”
Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment. “There’s a selection? Then…,” he paused and smiled, “just something ordinary will do.”
Shen Huaizhi nodded and, still holding Jiang Heng’s hand, took out his phone to make a call to arrange for something to be brought down.
Not only did the aunt bring cigarettes, but she also brought them a cart of fruits and snacks.
Seeing the food, He Ci and Chen Xingchi, who had been lying on the ground, immediately got up and went to the cart, not feeling shy about picking out what they liked.
Seeing Jiang Heng with the box of cigarettes, He Ci raised an eyebrow. “Jiang Heng, a post-game smoke?”
Jiang Heng paused and glanced instinctively at Shen Huaizhi beside him, who was looking at him with a smile. He immediately shot He Ci a sharp look and was about to say something when he changed his mind and replied sternly, “Yes, a post-game smoke.”
Although he said so, there was a hint of threat in his tone.
Chen Xingchi chuckled unkindly.
Jiang Heng hadn’t smoked in a long time, especially since his differentiation. Concerned for his health as an Omega, he had refrained from it, knowing Omegas generally had weaker constitutions. He wasn’t sure if his body could handle the toxins from smoking after differentiation.
He never had a strong addiction to smoking, so quitting had been relatively easy for him. Unlike others who needed distractions, he relied solely on his willpower.
Despite not having smoked in a while, his body remembered the motions well. Leaning against the basketball hoop, one foot on the ball, the other half-bent, his posture leaned against the hoop. He deftly lit the cigarette, and holding it between his fingers, which were naturally elegant, made them unexpectedly graceful.
After lighting up, he tilted his head back and took a drag. After exhaling, he half-smiled at Shen Huaizhi, without a trace of the sadness from before. It was as if the experiences of the past few days had been a dream.
His posture was both relaxed and cool.
However, the next moment, Jiang Heng was choked by the smoke and started coughing violently.
Shen Huaizhi’s expression changed slightly. He immediately patted Jiang Heng’s back to help him catch his breath. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Jiang Heng’s voice, slightly hoarse from coughing, filled with frustration, “Damn it, can’t even try to look cool.”
“What a crappy cigarette, I’m done with it.”
The cigarette still burned between his fingertips.
Upon hearing Shen Huaizhi’s reply, he suppressed a smile. “Alright, I won’t smoke anymore,” he said.
Jiang Heng regained his breath and glanced at Shen Huaizhi, his tone slightly chilly. “Laugh if you want,” he muttered.
Shen Huaizhi shook his head when he saw Jiang Heng’s expression, unable to contain his laughter. He laughed softly while gently patting Jiang Heng’s back, his actions surprisingly tender.
Jiang Heng muttered to himself, “Damn it, Alpha is indeed Alpha. Even in this situation, he can still laugh. Making him laugh is really obedient.”
Jiang Heng was about to explode with anger.
—
The days of January passed quickly. Only two days remained until the end of the winter vacation. Since the day He Ci and Chen Xingchi visited the Chen family, Jiang Heng’s life had returned to normal. Every day was filled with studying and sleeping, with little time for any other entertainment.
Jiang Jin occasionally sent messages to Jiang Heng, asking him how his days had been lately. Jiang Heng barely read these messages and seldom replied. Jiang Jin continued sending them regardless.
Upon seeing his messages, Jiang Heng ruthlessly started working on his assignments. Although he often got stuck on difficult problems, fortunately, Shen Huaizhi was there to help.
As the weather grew colder, in the living room downstairs at the Shen residence, Jiang Heng secretly took off the blanket that Shen Huaizhi had draped over him earlier. He also slipped off the thick socks from his feet.
Due to the intense exercise that day, Jiang Heng had proudly caught a cold. Although he was mostly recovered by now, Shen Huaizhi still bundled him up like a bear, preferring to keep the air conditioning lower and insisting he wear more layers.
Jiang Heng’s feet were sweating, and he felt much more comfortable after removing his socks. He stretched lazily and then resumed focusing on his assignments.
–
The lunar New Year flew by quickly. There were only two days left until the end of the winter vacation. Since the day He Ci and Chen Xingchi visited the Shen family, Jiang Heng’s life had returned to normal. Every day was filled with studying and sleeping, with hardly any other entertainment activities.
Jiang Jin occasionally sent messages to Jiang Heng asking how his days had been lately. Jiang Heng barely read these messages and rarely replied. Jiang Jin continued sending them anyway.
Upon receiving Jiang Jin’s messages, Jiang Heng would grimly start working on his assignments. Although he diligently worked for almost a week, he always ended up stuck on some difficult problem. Fortunately, Shen Huaizhi was there to help.
As the weather grew colder, in the living room downstairs at the Shen residence, Jiang Heng secretly removed the blanket that Shen Huaizhi had draped over him earlier. He also slipped off his thick socks from his feet.
Due to the intense exercise from that day, Jiang Heng had proudly caught a cold. Although he was mostly recovered by now, Shen Huaizhi still bundled him up like a bear. He preferred to keep the air conditioning lower and insisted that Jiang Heng wear more layers.
Jiang Heng’s feet were sweating, and he felt much more comfortable after removing his socks. He stretched lazily and then resumed focusing on his assignments. As he worked, he couldn’t help but curse the teacher who had assigned him the homework. He had been diligently working on it for almost a week and still hadn’t finished.
Just as he was cursing in his mind, Shen Huaizhi came over carrying two plates of fruit. Seeing Jiang Heng had tossed the blanket again, he shook his head helplessly. “Have something to eat first,” he said.
Seeing him approach, Jiang Heng quickly hid his feet under the coffee table.
Shen Huaizhi’s gaze shifted but he didn’t expose Jiang Heng’s childish behavior. The grapes were all peeled, not sour at all. Jiang Heng stopped eating after finishing about half a bowl, glanced at his assignments, and sighed slightly. “Class Leader, are your parents coming back?” He remembered Shen Huaizhi mentioning earlier that his uncle and aunt were going on a two-week trip. Plus, school was starting soon, so they probably couldn’t stay here much longer.
After asking, Jiang Heng was already calculating whether the pocket money he had saved over the years would be enough to rent a new place outside of school. He then heard Shen Huaizhi chuckle, “Hmm, my dad has already returned to the office. My mom is still with my grandparents. She said she’ll be back in a few days.” Although Ruan Shu had said on the phone that maybe they shouldn’t come back right away to avoid making Jiang Heng uncomfortable continuing to stay there, Shen Huaizhi naturally didn’t agree with that.
Jiang Heng nodded, about to say something more, when his phone, placed on the sofa, rang. He was in the middle of picking up an apple slice with a toothpick when he heard the ringtone. He tilted his chin upwards, indicating for Shen Huaizhi to pass him the phone. Shen Huaizhi was already used to this and quite enjoyed the feeling of Jiang Heng giving him orders. However, as he glanced down to check the caller ID, his expression subtly changed.
“Who is it?” Jiang Heng mumbled with a mouthful of apple, his voice slightly unclear.
Shen Huaizhi thought for a moment. “It’s your mom. Should I answer?”
These past few days, Xie An hadn’t contacted Jiang Heng at all. Jiang Heng was beginning to think it had been a long time since then, and that incident was also a long time ago.
After a while, Jiang Heng nodded slowly. “Yes, answer.”
Shen Huaizhi then answered the call and brought the phone to Jiang Heng’s ear.
Almost as soon as the call connected, Xie An’s voice came through urgently, as if she was somewhat anxious. “Where are you? Why is there no one at home?”
Jiang Heng lowered his eyes. Almost as soon as Xie An asked this, he realized that Xie An had come close to the city and was staying outside his school’s rented place. Earlier, after returning to the city, he had asked the aunt at home not to come temporarily, but her wages would still be paid as usual. This aunt was different from the previous one Xie An had dismissed. She seemed not to have received any instructions to monitor Jiang Heng. Upon hearing Jiang Heng’s instructions, she acted as if she had picked up a great deal, ensuring she wouldn’t mention anything to the employer.
Jiang Heng fell silent for a moment. “I’m outside. How did you come here?”
Hearing this, Xie An seemed relieved, her tone calming down. “When are you coming home?”
“I might stay at Shen Huaizhi’s house tonight.” Jiang Heng didn’t lie, but he also didn’t mention that he had been staying at Shen’s house these past few days.
If Xie An were paying attention, she would certainly notice that Jiang Heng hadn’t even brought his luggage back there; there was no sign that anyone had stayed there these past few days. But Xie An seemed not to have noticed or cared about these details. Her voice sounded urgent again. “How can that be? You’re both minors, you can’t…”
Jiang Heng opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to use that address. He just said softly, “No, if he dares to lay a hand on me, I’ll beat him up.”
After saying that, Shen Huaizhi chuckled and reached out to pick up the socks Jiang Heng had kicked off, helping him put them back on.
Jiang Heng: “…”
Originally, Jiang Heng’s low spirits, triggered by Xie An’s phone call and memories of those disgusting things, were somewhat diverted by Shen Huaizhi’s actions. As Shen Huaizhi grabbed his foot, Jiang Heng tried to kick him away.
In the back and forth struggle, they inevitably knocked against the coffee table, making some collision sounds.
“You’re an Omega, he’s an Alpha, there’s a natural restraint, Jiang Heng, you’ll end up at a disadvantage.” Xie An still sounded slow and concerned, as if she heard something unusual, pausing briefly. “Jiang Heng, what’s that sound over there?”
Because of Xie An’s interruption, Shen Huaizhi firmly held Jiang Heng’s ankle, leaving him no choice but to let the other put the thick socks back on him. “Nothing, just accidentally bumped into something.”
Xie An seemed to believe his words, paused for a moment, and continued, “It’s time for your follow-up appointment with the doctor. After you and mom finish the appointment, come back to the city, okay?”
Jiang Heng lowered his eyes, showing a resigned expression.
Xie An was so busy, how could she spare time to come to the city to see him? Even on the day he escaped from the distant city, Xie An’s only concern was the medical check-up. Why? Was it because she wanted to do something to him on that day? Actually, it wasn’t hard to guess at all.
If we go by what Jiang Jin said, Xie An’s experiment aims to transform him from an Omega into something akin to a Beta Omega. His susceptibility period would then likely be the failed part of the experiment, as a normal Beta doesn’t have such a thing as a susceptibility period.
Now, his susceptibility period is under control due to Shen Huaizhi’s impromptu marking.
What is Xie An’s next step? Will she continue her experiment? Has she ever considered that he is her son?
Realizing Jiang Heng’s silence on the other end, Xie An looked up at the ceiling.
A few days ago, Jiang Jin contacted her.
Jiang Jin advised her to turn herself in. If she cooperates with the investigation and reveals her accomplices, she could receive a reduced sentence.
Xie An didn’t know how Jiang Jin found out.
But how could she give up so easily? She had waited so many years painstakingly. Once successful, those tormented Alphas and Omegas would be grateful to her. They would have the right to choose love freely, rather than being controlled by beast-like desires.
She closed her eyes, adjusted her emotions. Although Jiang Heng couldn’t see her, she still managed to show a perfectly timed smile, her voice as gentle as ever: “Jiang Heng, do you know everything now?”
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️”
