Jiang Heng rarely smiled like this. He was handsome, the kind of aggressive handsomeness that made his usual smiles look less gentle. But now, his bright and radiant smile was unexpectedly striking.
The man couldn’t help but glance at him a couple more times.
In just those few seconds of distraction, Jiang Heng grabbed the man’s collar.
Jiang Heng’s expression changed, and he flashed a smirk at the man. Realizing something, the man instinctively tried to run towards the door.
In that moment of realization, he noticed that the staff who had been standing there were now gone, as if they had been specifically cleared out for these few people. At what should have been the busiest time, no new customers had come in.
The man felt a cold sweat break out on his palms and glanced at the Omega he had forced over earlier.
That Omega was huddled by the door, being tended to by two Alphas who were focusing on him, with no time or inclination to look his way.
Even if they did, they wouldn’t think to save him.
In that instant, the man’s expression showed a hint of panic. He stepped back a few paces until he was against the wall. Despite the Omega in front of him, there was still an Alpha behind him—an Alpha who had beaten him up earlier in the morning, and a formidable Alpha at that.
Desperately, he shook his head, saying, “No, let’s talk this out.” As he spoke, the scent of red wine pheromones subtly spread through the air.
He Ci and Chen Xingchi, who had been comforting the Omega, changed expressions. Although the pheromone wasn’t very strong, it still affected them to some extent, given that they were still immature Alphas and couldn’t withstand the pressure released by a full-grown Alpha. The Omega’s face went pale instantly.
Jiang Heng, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected and just raised his eyebrows at the man.
The man didn’t have time to think deeply before he met the slightly cold expression on Shen Huaizhi’s face behind Jiang Heng. Even a young Alpha just standing there emitted a sense of pressure.
It was the inherent advantage of top-tier Alphas.
The man couldn’t help but recall the few blows he had received earlier that morning. In those few seconds, he thought, well, being beaten by an Omega is better than being beaten by an Alpha. No matter what, an Omega doesn’t have much strength…
But the next second, before he could even retract his pheromones, a sharp pain shot up from above his abdomen.
Jiang Heng, having fought for years, knew exactly where to strike for the most pain while avoiding leaving marks.
He grinned a bit wickedly, twisted his neck to loosen up, and mumbled softly, “It’s been a while since I beat someone up, so my hands are a bit rusty.”
As he spoke, he gave another kick, adding apologetically, “Please bear with it.”
Man: …
With new and old injuries combined, he couldn’t even think about responding with “I can’t bear it” at this point.
He didn’t expect an Omega to be so ruthless, not even giving him a chance to cry out in pain.
Meanwhile, Jiang Heng continued to ramble, “I’m not saying, Uncle, but one should have self-awareness and not hanker after other people’s Alphas.”
“Even between Alphas, there’s a difference.”
He kept in mind the three places Shen Huaizhi had hit him in the morning, targeting those areas without aggravating his old injuries. It had been a long time since he had this kind of outlet, and Jiang Heng surprisingly found it quite satisfying, though he didn’t want to beat him too badly—it would be hard to judge the injuries later.
He knew when to stop.
By the end, the man could only helplessly lean against the wall, completely unlike his earlier confident demeanor.
Jiang Heng even squatted down to admire his handiwork, grinning with a hint of mockery.
Shen Huaizhi couldn’t help but laugh, handing Jiang Heng a tissue. “Wipe your hands.”
“Are your hands sore?”
The man, unable to speak due to the pain: “…”
He Ci, unable to watch any longer, leaned in to remind them, “Don’t go too far, okay? At least knock him out before provoking him further. What if you make him faint from anger?”
Chen Xingchi glanced at the man on the ground and felt a bit of empathy for the pain. Jiang Heng had been too harsh; he started to seriously reflect on whether he had ever offended Jiang Heng with his words.
“Uh… thank you.” The Omega, who had been huddled in the back, sighed in relief seeing the man in such a state.
Chen Xingchi immediately turned to comfort him. “It’s alright, it’s alright. If you want to…”
Before he could say “go home,” he was glared at by He Ci.
Chen Xingchi quickly changed his tune. “No, you should wait here for a while. We might need your help later.”
The Omega looked a bit confused.
Upon hearing Chen Xingchi’s words, Shen Huaizhi, who had been paying little attention to them, finally glanced at the Omega, his expression somewhat indifferent.
Jiang Heng, however, smiled at the Omega, his previous fierceness now replaced with a gentler demeanor.
“There’s no need to thank us,” Shen Huaizhi said after a moment of silence, as if he had been considering it for a while. He addressed the Omega, “Wait here for a while, someone will come to handle it.”
“Just be a witness.”
“Sorry for the trouble.” The words were polite but carried a sense of detachment.
The Omega was taken aback and didn’t immediately understand what was meant, and Shen Huaizhi then grabbed Jiang Heng’s hand and started walking out.
“Class monitor, are we just leaving him there?” Once outside the villa, Jiang Heng was still a bit disoriented.
How come there’s no aftercare, just leaving directly?
Shen Huaizhi replied, “It’s a waste of time.”
Seeing Jiang Heng’s confusion, he explained, “I’ve already contacted the villa management and the police. They know how to handle it.”
If they stayed, they probably wouldn’t leave until well past midnight. The rest of the situation would be up to the Omega to explain.
If it weren’t for Jiang Heng, he actually wouldn’t want to get involved in other people’s affairs.
Chen Xingchi and He Ci followed behind, murmuring softly, “Class monitor is really two-faced.”
“Human nature is double standard.”
“Damn, this double standard is so thorough, such a poor Omega…”
“Well, you stay there and take care of him. You’re not a kid; can’t you come back with us without causing trouble?”
Chen Xingchi cleared his throat and stopped speaking. He didn’t want to stir up any trouble.
—
As March entered, the weather gradually warmed up, and the academic workload became heavier.
In April, the first and second-year high school students faced their midterm exams. On the day of the exam, Jiang Heng wore a bright red sweatshirt.
For this midterm exam, Chen Xingchi and Jiang Heng were in the same exam room. On the way to the exam room, Chen Xingchi stared at Jiang Heng’s sweatshirt for a while before finally saying, “Jiang Heng, you should definitely not wear such bright colors in the future.”
Jiang Heng was studying vocabulary from his English notebook. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why? Do you think your dad is too handsome?”
“It’s supposed to be good luck, all bright and fiery.”
Chen Xingchi hesitated, “No, didn’t you see how many Alphas were sneaking glances at you on the way? Class monitor will probably be so jealous he’ll turn the place upside down.”
The color, which had never been worn even during the New Year, now seemed a bit eye-catching, especially when paired with Jiang Heng’s face. It seemed particularly conspicuous.
It was also a bit less rebellious than before and looked somewhat… Omega-beautiful.
No wonder so many Alphas were looking at him.
No wonder people say that clothes make the man.
After Chen Xingchi spoke, he hesitated for a moment before reminding, “Uh… you and Class monitor should control yourselves a bit. This morning when I came up, I saw you two at the staircase, and you know…”
“You’re lucky that the dean wasn’t around at that time. Otherwise, you would’ve definitely been caught and made to write a reflection.”
Chen Xingchi felt a bit embarrassed himself after saying this. After all, he had never been in a relationship before.
Jiang Heng took a few seconds to process this.
“…Got it.” He hadn’t expected anyone to see them.
It was all Shen Huaizhi’s fault.
Since moving out of the Shen family home, their time alone together had decreased significantly. At school, Jiang Heng was fully focused on studying, and even when they video chatted at home, it was mostly about studies. Occasionally, they’d exchange a few warm words, and he’d end up falling asleep from exhaustion.
In the morning, Shen Huaizhi, under the guise of helping him relax, had gotten carried away…
Jiang Heng’s ears felt a bit warm. He simply shut up and entered the exam room.
The midterm exam wasn’t too difficult. After finishing the first exam, Jiang Heng roughly calculated and felt confident about the results.
Although Shen Huaizhi didn’t give him any practice questions, he had answered all the basic ones and had gotten all the points he could. It was looking solid.
However, by the afternoon, during the second half of the exams, something happened upstairs.
Their exam room was directly below a senior class. The invigilator was in the classroom, so all they could hear were the sounds of chaotic footsteps.
Then the school’s PA system went off.
A school official, possibly from a different grade, rushed into the classroom and turned off the PA system.
With the commotion, it was hard for anyone to focus on the exam. The invigilator, seeing everyone looking out the window, locked the doors and windows.
“Focus on your exams! We’ll have a parent-teacher meeting after this! Don’t get distracted by what’s happening outside; it’s none of your business!”
Hearing the words “parent-teacher meeting,” Jiang Heng, who had been concentrating on his exam, involuntarily looked up.
The blackboard in the classroom displayed the words “Countdown to College Entrance Exams” with no date.
But Jiang Heng knew that in just over two months, a date would be filled in there.
His thoughts were momentarily diverted, and he noticed that things outside seemed to be getting chaotic. The loudspeaker outside was broadcasting messages like “Calm down” and “Don’t be impulsive.”
Jiang Heng’s eyelids twitched, and it wasn’t until the invigilator tapped the lectern that his thoughts refocused.
It wasn’t until the end of the exam that the news spread.
A senior had almost jumped from a building due to poor mock exam results and discontent from his parents.
Fortunately, he was persuaded down.
Because of this incident, that afternoon all senior classes had a day off, but they still had to come back for class the next day.
The first and second-year students continued their exams, as their turn for pressure hadn’t arrived yet.
When Jiang Heng heard this news, he was still memorizing English vocabulary.
Chen Xingchi, drinking a bottle of ice-cold cola and burping, had the room smelling of cola, causing Jiang Heng to raise his eyebrows.
“Jiang Heng, which school do you plan to apply to?” Chen Xingchi changed the topic.
He immediately felt he might have said the wrong thing.
Why was Jiang Heng studying so hard? Wasn’t it to get closer to the class leader? This topic seemed like a taboo, something even the class leader probably wouldn’t dare to ask.
As expected, right after he spoke, Jiang Heng’s left hand, which had been hanging by his side, moved. He gave Chen Xingchi a look that was somewhat of a forced smile, slowly replying, “What, little son, are you planning to apply to the same school as me?”
There was no sign of dissatisfaction in his tone.
“Dad, whatever you say goes.” Chen Xingchi laughed nervously and didn’t dare to say more, thinking it would be a mixed AO duo if he annoyed Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng thought for a moment and said seriously, “I want to apply to B University. How about you join me? Starting today, let’s work hard and become the future pillars of our country.”
He didn’t look like he was joking, which startled Chen Xingchi.
B University was one of the top universities in the country. Even with its lowest historical cutoff score, Jiang Heng’s current grades were still a few hundred points short.
Before Chen Xingchi could respond, Shen Huaizhi came in with two bottles of water.
With the incident at school, all the homeroom teachers and class officials had been called to a meeting.
With Shen Huaizhi back, it was likely that the homeroom teacher would return soon.
“What are you talking about?” Shen Huaizhi handed a bottle of water to Jiang Heng and glanced at Chen Xingchi.
His eyes showed a hint of curiosity.
Chen Xingchi thought that the class leader must have overheard.
Jiang Heng, however, didn’t seem to care much and didn’t try to hide anything. “We were talking about which school I plan to apply to.”
Shen Huaizhi chuckled lightly. “Which one?”
“Probably B University. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll work as a janitor in the B University dormitory so I can still see you every day.” Jiang Heng sighed deeply, placed his vocabulary book aside, and collapsed weakly onto the desk.
Shen Huaizhi had been worried that Jiang Heng might be affected by the suicide incident, but it seemed that Jiang Heng hadn’t been too troubled by it. Jiang Heng always seemed to handle his mindset well in such situations.
Sometimes, Shen Huaizhi wanted to advise him not to work so hard, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. The path ahead was chosen by Jiang Heng himself, and he had no right to interfere.
After a moment of silence, Shen Huaizhi seemed a bit conflicted. “What about me? I don’t seem to be staying in the dormitory.”
Jiang Heng turned his head to look at him, resting his chin on his arm, his eyes showing a bit of confusion.
Seeing this expression, Shen Huaizhi’s eyes softened with a hint of a smile, masking his earlier concern. He spoke gently, “I’m planning to rent a place outside and live with my partner.”
Hearing this, Jiang Heng was momentarily stunned and felt a bit dejected. “Your partner might not even be able to get into that school.”
The nearby universities around B University were currently out of Jiang Heng’s reach with his grades. He might actually have to work as a janitor in the B University dormitory to be closer to Shen Huaizhi.
Shen Huaizhi thought for a moment, “It’s possible.”
“My partner is the top Omega at Yichong. They will definitely make it.”
He paused, then looked down at Jiang Heng, his eyes showing unmasked trust.
Hearing this, Jiang Heng smiled, buried his head in his arm, and stared at the ground in silence for a while. Then he mumbled, “Let’s make a deal. If I get too stressed in senior year and start feeling down, class leader, remember to stop me.”
Although he said it jokingly, Shen Huaizhi knew that Jiang Heng was genuinely worried.
It was clear that someone who never used to study now spent all day with books and papers. Shen Huaizhi’s affection for him was almost overflowing.
Luckily, such a wonderful person was always his.
Shen Huaizhi affectionately patted Jiang Heng on the top of his head.
He had just had his hair cut a few days ago, and it was even sharper than before, but his heart was as soft as ever.
The afternoon exams were over, and they were now just waiting for school to end. Soon, most of the class had gathered, chatting about the senior students.
Before school was about to end, Wang Yong, with a serious expression, entered the classroom.
“The teacher knows that you’re under a lot of pressure from studying,” Wang Yong sighed, looking at the students who were listless due to the exams. Of course, he didn’t include those who still seemed relaxed. If the students were stressed, then the teachers were stressed too.
Similar incidents happened every year before the college entrance exams. Fortunately, this student had been saved. For those who weren’t saved…
“In addition to studying, I hope you can also have some extracurricular activities. Therefore, starting next week, the school mandates that every day during the second-period break, all students must participate in outdoor exercise.”
“What’s this about?”
“This isn’t extracurricular activity, it’s forced exercise!”
“I was planning to review my notes during the break.”
“I was hoping to use the break to play on my phone!”
Wang Yong’s brow furrowed. “You, playing on your phone! Hand it over! Always playing! Playing, playing, playing! Even now, in senior year, you still can’t focus!”
His change of expression was remarkable.
“Also, be prepared for next week’s parent-teacher conference!”
Once Wang Yong left, everyone packed up and headed out of the classroom, grumbling about the school’s half-hearted remedial measures.
Jiang Heng stared down, pondering the term “parent-teacher conference.”
Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Shen Huaizhi frowned and turned to Chen Xingchi. “You and He Ci should go ahead.”
Chen Xingchi glanced at Jiang Heng’s expression and sighed. Although he wasn’t sure what was wrong, he vaguely remembered He Ci saying that Jiang Heng’s parents had never attended his parent-teacher conferences.
It was quite unusual; Chen Xingchi had never seen such disengaged parents.
Soon, most of the students had left the classroom. With another exam tomorrow, no one wanted to waste time staying behind.
Jiang Heng, who had spent some time contemplating how to handle the “parent-teacher conference,” started packing up his papers. Seeing Shen Huaizhi still seated, focused on studying his exam papers, Jiang Heng tapped him on the shoulder. “Class monitor, aren’t you heading back?”
Shen Huaizhi looked up. “Wait, why did Chen Xingchi leave without us?”
Shen Huaizhi’s gaze fell on Jiang Heng’s phone, which he had been holding onto.
Before Shen Huaizhi could speak, Jiang Heng noticed his look, and his expression became a bit conflicted. The smile at the corner of his mouth faded as he hesitated. “I want to call Jiang Jin.”
It wasn’t exactly forgiveness. It was just that he wanted someone to attend his parent-teacher conference.
After saying this, Shen Huaizhi smiled helplessly and stood up to give him some space.
Though it was April and the weather was warming up, the temperature difference between day and night was still significant. It was already past six in the afternoon and a bit chilly.
As soon as Shen Huaizhi stepped outside, he was hit by the cold wind.
In the classroom, Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment, his finger lingering on the phone screen before dialing the long-saved number.
The call connected quickly.
Jiang Jin’s voice came through with a hint of surprise. “Xingxing!”
Jiang Heng hummed in response, lowering his gaze to stare at Shen Huaizhi’s test paper. After a while, he realized something was off.
On Shen Huaizhi’s test paper, it was all—his own name?
Jiang Heng: …
So, the person who had just been sitting here, looking so earnest about studying, had actually been writing his own name the whole time. He really didn’t know what to say.
“What’s wrong, Xingxing?”
Jiang Heng blinked, the conflicted expression on his face fading somewhat. “Our school has a parent-teacher conference next week. If you have time…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Jin interrupted, “I’m still on a business trip abroad. I might not make it back in time next week, you…”
Jiang Jin trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
What else could be said?
Who else could come?
Jiang Heng also wanted to ask if Jiang Jin could catch a flight back in a few days, or if he wasn’t too busy to answer the phone now.
But he thought about it and decided it wasn’t necessary to ask.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth. “It’s okay, I’ll hang up now.”
“I’m sorry, Xingxing.”
Jiang Heng said nothing.
Jiang Jin sighed again, sounding a bit guilty. “Before you hang up, have you seen your mother?”
Jiang Heng bit his lip, staring blankly at Shen Huaizhi’s test paper, not really hearing what Jiang Jin said next. After a moment, he hung up the phone without waiting to see if Jiang Jin had finished speaking.
He had learned about Xie An’s situation in March.
Xie An’s case was quite significant, involving a hospital, a laboratory, and some individuals with dubious intentions.
But to avoid causing chaos among those who advocate for AO equality, the case hadn’t made the news, and even the media dared not report it.
Jiang Heng hadn’t visited Xie An. He had only heard from Shen Huaizhi that Xie An would likely spend his whole life in there.
After ending the call, Jiang Heng exhaled deeply.
After a while, he slammed his hand on the desk, making it wobble.
The noise of the desk and chair colliding was particularly jarring in the empty classroom.
Jiang Heng thought he would never trust Jiang Jin again.
With the test paper already in his hand, ready to be thrown, Jiang Heng hesitated, then put the paper down.
Forget it, he still needed to study.
If he threw it away today, he’d have to get it copied tomorrow.
Such a hassle.
He looked down at Shen Huaizhi’s test paper covered in his name, muttering softly, “Damn.”
He felt a bit dazed, a bit powerless.
“It’s okay, Jiang Heng.” A cool body suddenly pressed against his back.
Jiang Heng froze for a few seconds.
Until the familiar scent began to soothe his turbulent emotions.
Shen Huaizhi embraced him tightly, pressing closely against him.
Jiang Heng even felt like Shen Huaizhi was trying to merge him into his bones, holding him so tightly that his arms ached a little, but it didn’t really hurt.
Gentle kisses fell on his temple, filled with comforting warmth.
Jiang Heng shook his head and said nothing.
Shen Huaizhi also held him in silence.
The sky grew dark, leaving only the classroom lights on.
Some people slowly walked out of the classroom, while others hurried outside the school.
In the empty classroom, some leaned against others for warmth.
1You 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! ❤️” -TL: Ysiad
