The parent-teacher conference at the First High School was scheduled for the Friday afternoon after the midterm exam results were released. Due to the recent suicide incident involving senior students, the conference would also include high school seniors.
On the day of the conference, the school was unusually lively because it was one of the rare sunny days recently. As soon as the lunch break ended, no one could stay in their seats.
Shen Huaizhi, being the class monitor, was called to the school gate to help direct parents, along with several other class committee members. The remaining committee members were responsible for distributing snacks to everyone’s seats—several packs of sunflower seeds, a bottle of water, and two oranges.
When they reached Jiang Heng’s seat, the committee member paused.
The boy was lying with his arm as a pillow, his eyebrows furrowed in sleep. His slender neck was slightly exposed, with the edge of the barrier tape visible. He was also wearing a school jacket over his uniform, which, as one could easily guess, belonged to the class monitor.
It was only at this moment that Jiang Heng seemed like an Omega.
He looked inexplicably fragile.
Students were not allowed to stay in the classroom during the conference, and as parents were about to arrive, Jiang Heng couldn’t continue sleeping.
The committee member hesitated for a moment, just as she was about to wake him up, Chen Xingchi, who had been on the phone at the back of the classroom, came over to stop her. He made a shushing gesture and whispered, “Let him sleep.”
The committee member looked at Jiang Heng and then at Chen Xingchi, torn. “But—”
Chen Xingchi shook his head, about to say something else, when the person who had been motionless on the desk turned his head.
Chen Xingchi took a deep breath, but before he could exhale, Jiang Heng lifted his head.
There was no trace of fatigue in his eyes.
“Is it clear yet?” Jiang Heng hadn’t really slept; he hadn’t napped in a long time and couldn’t sleep with all the noise in the classroom.
The committee member shook her head. “Not yet…”
While speaking, she instinctively took a step back.
After all, she had seen Jiang Heng lose his temper before. He was usually more temperate in front of the class monitor, but with the monitor absent, who knew what might happen if he was woken up now. She might end up being on the receiving end of his anger.
But the expected reproach didn’t come.
Jiang Heng simply placed the snacks on his jacket.
“That is for…” your parents… He couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Can I get a few more packs of sunflower seeds?” Jiang Heng lifted his eyelids, appearing to be completely unfazed by what the committee member had said, and smiled very friendly.
Seeing this, and knowing that a lot of snacks had been bought, the committee member, without hesitation, handed him a few more packs.
Jiang Heng tossed the newly acquired seeds and gestured to the committee member with a smile, “Thanks.”
His smile, with a hint of mischief, made the committee member blush.
“Mom, stop urging, our classmates are at the school gate to greet us. Yes, I’m going now—Jiang Heng, where are you going?”
Chen Xingchi, in the middle of his call, saw Jiang Heng heading outside with snacks and quietly said to his mom, “I’ll hang up now, I’ve arranged to play basketball with my classmates.”
It was a bit cooler outside the classroom.
As soon as Jiang Heng stepped outside, he zipped up his jacket. Hearing Chen Xingchi calling him, he opened a pack of sunflower seeds and stood there waiting.
In the morning, he had arranged with Chen Xingchi and a few boys from He Ci’s class to play basketball on the playground after the parent-teacher conference. Since Shen Huaizhi was likely occupied all afternoon, Jiang Heng hadn’t included him in the plan.
“Ask He Ci if they have come downstairs yet,” Jiang Heng said, munching on seeds while heading downstairs with Chen Xingchi.
Parents were already beginning to go upstairs. When they saw students coming downstairs, they couldn’t help but glance more. Jiang Heng, being tall, handsome, and upright, attracted even more attention.
“He Ci said they’ll come down right away,” Chen Xingchi replied and couldn’t help but add, “I just overheard those two aunts talking about introducing their Omega daughter to you.”
Parents spoke openly, and it was hard not to hear, even if one tried.
Jiang Heng glanced back and said slowly, “That won’t work. I’m with an Alpha already.”
Chen Xingchi: “…”
Chen Xingchi, feeling slightly resentful, said, “I just think, why do they only see you? I’m a live, handsome Alpha too—don’t they see me?”
Jiang Heng hesitated for a moment before asking, “Maybe it’s because their vision is more normal?”
Chen Xingchi: “……???”
Since it was a school-wide parent-teacher conference, there were many people on the playground.
The basketball court was already occupied, and it seemed unlikely that it would be vacated anytime soon. With the conference lasting so long and students not allowed to leave school, everyone had to crowd onto the playground.
Jiang Heng watched the people playing basketball for a while before suddenly speaking with a serious tone, “Chen Xingchi.”
Chen Xingchi, who had been focusing on texting He Ci to see how long it would take, tensed up when he suddenly heard Jiang Heng call his name.
Jiang Heng, not paying any mind to Chen Xingchi’s reaction, continued, “Tell me, what are our chances of successfully taking the court by force?”
Chen Xingchi looked at him with a terrified expression. Seeing that Jiang Heng was genuinely serious, he instinctively prepared to hold him back and advised him gently, “No, don’t be impulsive. Even though the class monitor isn’t here, we shouldn’t cause trouble. There are so many parents here today… What if you end up injuring someone and parents come after you?”
Chen Xingchi wasn’t worried about Jiang Heng getting beaten but rather about Jiang Heng causing injury. However, as soon as he said it, he felt he had made a mistake.
Other parents were present, but Jiang Heng’s parents weren’t.
Wasn’t that a disadvantage?
He was about to say something to make up for it when Jiang Heng lightly chuckled and, seemingly unconcerned, leaned against the wall to continue eating sunflower seeds. His expression, shaded by the trees, became somewhat unpredictable.
After a while, Jiang Heng casually brushed off the previous topic, saying, “Oh, I was just kidding.”
Since they didn’t have a court, the two of them stood around for a while and then decided to start a game.
As soon as they entered the game, He Ci and a few boys from their class arrived.
Chen Xingchi, seeing this, motioned towards them and said, “See? We’re not the only ones waiting in line.”
It seemed like the other group had been waiting for quite some time, with several boys in sportswear gathered by the court.
Chen Xingchi then complained, “If you hadn’t been so slow, we might have secured a spot already.”
He Ci clicked his tongue, kicked Chen Xingchi lightly, and then moved over to Jiang Heng, handing him a bottle of drink. “What are you playing?”
“My mom brought some snacks for you. She said after the parent-teacher meeting, you should come with me to get them.”
Jiang Heng had met He Ci’s mother when he was younger but hadn’t seen her since moving away. He was surprised she remembered him.
He acknowledged it with a nod, not even lifting his eyelids. His gaming skills had improved somewhat, but without Shen Huaizhi, he couldn’t carry the game by himself. Plus, he hadn’t played in a while, so he was fixated on the phone screen.
“Slow down with the drink.” Jiang Heng didn’t take the drink.
He Ci agreed and then went over to Chen Xingchi. “You’re playing support?”
“Why! I’m just being a support for Dad! Why don’t I get a drink?” As he finished speaking, He Ci opened a bottle of Coke, inserted a straw, and handed it to him.
Chen Xingchi shut up.
A few Alphas who came with He Ci couldn’t help but tease.
“He Ci, who are you babysitting here? An Omega and an Alpha.”
“Exactly, Chen Xingchi, you should cherish the Alpha who’s willing to be your babysitter. When you meet your Omega in the future, you’ll only have the role of a babysitter.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng finally lifted his gaze, glanced at He Ci and Chen Xingchi, and gave a strange smile without responding.
Chen Xingchi, feeling irritated, swore a few times, “Stop talking nonsense. I’m going to be someone who works hard for my Omega in the future. He Ci is just fulfilling his duty as an older brother.”
Jiang Heng replied, “Yes, my two foolish sons, please be patient.” Although he didn’t lift his head, showing no sincerity.
Chen Xingchi thought about it and didn’t argue further.
So be it if they were foolish sons.
After about ten minutes, Jiang Heng and Chen Xingchi finished their first game, which ended in a disastrous defeat. Since they couldn’t play basketball, they gathered together to continue gaming.
Because there were too many people to include everyone, Jiang Heng scanned everyone’s ranks and ended up kicking Chen Xingchi out of the game.
No matter how much Chen Xingchi protested, Jiang Heng remained unmoved.
Out of the five people, only Jiang Heng was an Omega, and the rest were Alphas. Although Jiang Heng didn’t seem like an Omega, they still treated him with more consideration, agreeing that he should choose the hero first.
Without hesitation, Jiang Heng chose to play the jungler position.
He Ci couldn’t help but comment, “Why are you so attached to this hero?”
“What? Do you have any objections? Didn’t you see Dad’s glorious record of 6-2 just now?” Jiang Heng didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Without Shen Huaizhi present, his performance was already outstanding, especially with Chen Xingchi as a burden.
He Ci’s mouth twitched, about to say something, but then he heard Chen Xingchi exclaim, “Oh damn!”
“What’s wrong?” an Alpha asked.
Chen Xingchi, with a somewhat strange expression, moved closer to Jiang Heng. Seeing that Chen Xingchi wanted to talk to Jiang Heng, everyone else moved aside.
“My mom said, your mom is really beautiful…” Chen Xingchi lowered his voice intentionally. He wasn’t shocked, but Jiang Heng had mentioned before that his parents wouldn’t come, and Chen Xingchi had heard from He Ci that Jiang Heng’s mom was in some trouble.
It was the “trouble” that implied something serious.
Jiang Heng, slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow, “Is it the class monitor’s mom? She probably mistook someone.”
“That’s what I said. My mom said she saw a man and a woman sitting in front of her, and she said they weren’t a couple.”
Jiang Heng’s eyelids twitched.
Chen Xingchi continued to read his mom’s messages, looking even more puzzled. “My mom said the man is very handsome and looks quite a lot like the class monitor.”
Shen Huaizhi’s photo had been hanging on the school’s honor board for years. The honor board was right outside the classroom, so almost every parent knew who he was.
Jiang Heng’s eyelids twitched more intensely, and an unreliable thought suddenly crossed his mind. Memories from when he was drunk came flooding back as well.
But… it seemed unlikely, right? Even Jiang Heng wasn’t sure.
He stuffed his phone into his pocket, pushed past Chen Xingchi, and said, “I’m going to the classroom,” leaving behind a fleeting glimpse of his back as he rushed off.
The remaining people looked at each other, unsure who broke the silence first.
“So what about our game…?”
Someone sighed, “Jiang Heng’s AFK; I’ll do my best to lead you guys to victory.”
He Ci glanced at Chen Xingchi, “Why are you talking so much?”
Chen Xingchi looked a bit aggrieved, “I’m not. I’m just speaking the truth… That woman, could she really be Jiang Heng’s mom? Didn’t you say something happened to his mom?”
Upon hearing this, He Ci shook his head and fell silent for a moment, “Maybe… it really is Shen Huaizhi’s mom?”
—
As Jiang Heng went upstairs, he saw students in groups chatting and eating in the stairwell and corridor.
Wang Yong hadn’t arrived yet. In the corridor outside the classroom, some parents were talking to their children.
“How did your grades drop so much? What were you thinking?”
“I’m talking to you. Why are you looking elsewhere?”
Jiang Heng paused, stopping at the back door and looking into the classroom.
Most of the parents had already arrived. The report cards had been distributed to all the seats. Some parents were reviewing the report cards, others were whispering to each other, and some, who seemed uninterested, were playing on their phones, looking exhausted, likely forced to come.
What stood out the most were the man and woman sitting at Shen Huaizhi’s and his own seats.
The man was wearing a well-tailored suit, which was clearly quite expensive. From Jiang Heng’s perspective, all he could see was the man’s straight-backed posture, sitting upright, resembling Shen Huaizhi’s usual appearance in class.
The woman sitting next to him was in a light blue dress with a delicate makeup, her actual age hard to guess. She wore a thin necklace that accentuated her graceful and gentle demeanor. She was turned around, talking to the parents behind her, and smiled, her expression softening significantly.
Jiang Heng stood there in shock for a moment.
The memory of that day he was drunk came rushing back.
The person sitting in his seat could only be Shen Huaizhi’s mother.
In that instant, Jiang Heng’s mind went completely blank.
He thought that perhaps the other party had come to attend Shen Huaizhi’s parent-teacher meeting, and since Shen Huaizhi’s father was also present, they had no place to sit and ended up sitting at his seat—
Before he could think much more, Ruan Shu, who had been talking to Chen Xingchi’s mother, turned her head and noticed Jiang Heng standing at the back door.
The boy was wearing a large school uniform, his expression somewhat faint, and it was hard to tell his mood. The sunlight made his skin appear even paler, and he looked both handsome and attractive.
He seemed even more handsome than the last time they met, and perhaps he had slimmed down a bit.
Ruan Shu wondered what kind of fortune her son had to catch the eye of such a good-looking Omega.
She smiled at the back door, discreetly kicked the chair where Shen’s dad was sitting, signaling him to look toward the back door. When Jiang Heng saw her, she waved at him.
“Xiao Heng! Over here!”
Chen Xingchi’s mother heard and immediately looked in the direction she was pointing, exclaiming, “Your son is really handsome, he’s an Alpha?”
Ruan Shu covered her mouth and laughed, “Oh no, he’s an Omega, but he’s handsome, right?”
“Ah, he doesn’t look at all like his dad, much more handsome than him.”
Shen’s dad twitched his mouth, feeling awkward but choosing to ignore it and continued staring at the blackboard, zoning out. The parent-teacher meeting was just too boring.
Chen Xingchi’s mother was taken aback but quickly reacted, “Handsome, really handsome, much more so than our little rascal.”
Ruan Shu modestly replied, “Oh, not really. At this age, boys are all handsome.”
“Only my son is exceptionally handsome.”
Chen Xingchi’s mother: “…” She had never seen anyone so shamelessly praise their own child.
Unable to resist, she sent Chen Xingchi a WeChat message: 【Your desk mate’s mom is so narcissistic】
【Chen Xingchi: ???】
Seeing that Ruan Shu had already noticed him, Jiang Heng felt awkward staying outside. The parent-teacher meeting hadn’t started yet, and students were still allowed in the classroom.
He hesitated for a moment at the door, then straightened his back and entered the classroom.
At that moment, Jiang Heng felt that many of the parents in the classroom were watching him.
It was similar to when, during a previous parent-teacher meeting, he was the only one who went up to receive the student’s report card on behalf of the whole class when the teacher called for parents to come up. Back then, all the parents’ attention had been focused on him as well.
Perhaps he had gotten used to it back then, and it didn’t feel like much. But now, being watched so intently by the parents, Jiang Heng was unusually nervous, even feeling a bit weak in the knees.
Fortunately, it was only a few steps to his seat.
His seat was inside, but Shen’s father was sitting outside, so he couldn’t just walk around; that would seem impolite.
Jiang Heng took a few deep breaths, and as he stood by Shen Huaizhi’s seat, he noticed Shen’s father’s gaze fixed steadily on him.
In that moment, Jiang Heng felt every nerve in his body tense up.
Although he had seen Ruan Shu when he was drunk, and felt oddly familiar with her, he had never met Shen’s father before this.
In his mind, Shen’s father was supposed to be a stern figure; otherwise, with Ruan Shu’s personality, she wouldn’t have raised someone like Shen Huaizhi.
Shen’s father did resemble Shen Huaizhi in some ways, but he seemed more mature, exuding an aura of authority. Just sitting there and looking at people gave off an impression of being seen through.
This was the pressure that a mature Alpha could bring.
Jiang Heng felt as though he could barely breathe.
He had never been this nervous before, feeling as if his blood had frozen and even a bit afraid to breathe.
What was this situation?
Meeting the parents, or something else?
He bit his lip and clenched his slightly trembling fingers.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Shen’s father’s desk visibly shake twice, and the previously upright Shen’s father suddenly lurched forward. Fortunately, he maintained his balance and didn’t collapse onto the desk.
Jiang Heng: …?
Ruan Shu had stepped on Shen’s father’s foot, still maintaining a gentle smile and looking at Jiang Heng with a kind expression.
Shen’s father twitched his mouth, cleared his throat, and reined in his earlier imposing demeanor. He adjusted the desk and his sitting position before seriously addressing Jiang Heng, “Hello, son-in-law.”
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
