There is a vegetable market near Heping District. The place is not that good but the name is very grand——’Zhenhe Vegetable Market’. Those who don’t know might think it’s some famous historical site and scenic spot.
The vegetable market is older than Heping District. It doesn’t even have a proper entrance gate, just a rusty iron frame holding up a sign that looks like it might collapse at any moment.
The character ‘Market’ in Zhenhe Vegetable Market has been blown away by the wind, leaving behind just ‘Zhenhe Vegetables’, instantly losing its prestigious name.
Qin Cheng forced himself to focus on the sign, trying hard to ignore the warmth emanating from Jian Heng’s back.
But is this guy running a fever? Why is he so hot?
Jian Heng should be the kind of person who exercises regularly just to show off.
He has well-developed back muscles and clear muscle texture. Viewed from behind, his shoulders looked broad, not just slender, exuding a strong sense of power.
Moreover, this back not only looks good, but it’s also comfortable when you lie down with your face on it——more comfortable than a pillow.
Especially now that his back was burning. It’s like lying on a hot water bottle.
Qin Cheng found himself in a dilemma once again. If he asked Jian Heng if he had a fever, this Bking1逼王 (bī wáng): Bking, b王, or 逼王 is an Internet buzzword. It literally means ‘king of force’ which refers to a person who is very good at pretending or being pretentious, used to describe people who are good at pretending to be cool. It is mostly used in a teasing tone to describe a person who is cool in every move and radiates light. may want to be perfunctory again. Yet, not asking while they were embracing would make him appear too cold and heartless
As he hesitated, the scene of Jian Heng perfunctorily going for a run replayed in his mind. Qin Cheng suddenly stopped feeling conflicted. He relaxed and gently tapped Jian Heng’s abs with his fingers, his throat still somewhat dry. Then he asked: “Are you running a high fever? You feel really hot to the touch.”
“Then don’t touch it.” Jian Heng’s tone remained cold, but Qin Cheng sensed an inexplicable displeasure beneath his coldness.
What’s going on? Qin-ge cares about you with one sentence, and you take it the wrong way? Why are you so hard to please, kid?
Realizing he had brought this upon himself, Qin Cheng fell silent and resumed admiring the vegetable market he had been watching for eighteen years.
The original transparency of the high and old plastic ceiling cannot be seen clearly. It was stained with a dirty brown color.
The light from the overhead lamp was a blinding white, and one look at it dazzled his eyes. He hurriedly turned his head away.
As soon as they entered the vegetable market, Jian Heng, the ruthless bicycle pedaling machine, suddenly stopped the bike. Sitting behind him was a 1.85-meter-tall man whose long legs were firmly supported, hardly causing any sway in the bike.
Qin Cheng lifted his face from Jian Heng’s back, waited for a few seconds, and then suddenly had the urge to give him a slap on the back of his head.
Why don’t you say something? Why did you suddenly stop the bike? We’ve only known each other for two days, and now we’re acting like we can read each other’s minds2灵犀 (líng xī): (literally) rhinoceros horn, reputed to confer telepathic powers; magic horn―power of comprehension/understanding; (figurative) meeting of minds; sympathetic response; mutual sensitivity; tacit exchange of romantic feelings; according to ancient legend, rhino horns have white lines and are sensitive. It means a metaphor for understanding and emotional resonance.?
Qin Cheng admitted that he was completely defeated by Jian Heng in terms of keeping silent.
After waiting for a few more seconds, he instinctively tapped Jian Heng’s abs with his fingers again.
It feels quite good.
“Why stop——”
“Slap!”
“What the fuck?!”
Qin Cheng violently retracted his hand. Damn! The back of his hand was red. His rough skin and thick flesh ached.
Does Jian Heng have some kind of illness!
His rage comes up: “What’s wrong with you?”
Jian Heng turned his face sideways. His thin lips were pursed into a line, and his eyes were mocking.
Qin Cheng was very curious about where his emotions came from.
A few seconds later, Qin Cheng looked at Jian Heng’s profile with a speechless expression, his tone a little uncertain: “No, we are both Alphas. What’s wrong with me touching you a bit? It’s not like you’ll get pregnant.”
He and Tan Qi’s group of Alphas were more playful than this. He also hadn’t seen any of them scream and threaten violence just because someone touched their abs; acting like they were delicate maidens.
Jian Heng suddenly turned his shoulders halfway, and the distance between the two faces was instantly shortened. Qin Cheng subconsciously ducked back.
While he was trying to dodge, Jian Heng suddenly grabbed his chin and dragged him forward.
The tip of the two people’s noses collided, and the distance between their lips was less than a centimeter.
!
Qin Cheng’s pupils contracted as he raised his hand and forcefully pushed, losing his center of gravity and the whole person falling backward.
In his mind, he cursed: Is he crooked? Is he possessed? There’s a psycho here!
Fortunately, Jian Heng hadn’t gone so crazy to the point of wanting to kill him. Before his head hit the ground, Jian Heng grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
“You fucking…” This person must be sick! No need to go to the hospital, he confirmed the diagnosis!
“We are both Alphas,” Jian Heng let out a low sneer, smiling, yet not, “A kiss won’t get you pregnant.”
“…Fuck.” He was defeated. He couldn’t do anything to this lunatic.
“What to buy?” Jian Heng pedaled lightly and asked as if nothing had happened.
The bicycle carried the two people slowly to the vegetable stall in front.
Having been slapped in the face, Qin Cheng remembered not to lean forward. For a moment, he didn’t know where to put his hands.
“The third stall on the left,” Qin Cheng suppressed the anger in his chest and pointed, “The one wearing all red, that middle-aged DaMa3大妈 (dà mā): Chinese dama (lit. ‘big mother’) is a term for describing Chinese middle-aged women. Historically, “dama” had three meanings: an aunt, a married woman between 40 and 60 years old, and the first wife of a man who had multiple wives. The term had a positive connotation and was a term of endearment for modest housewives who may not have been familiar with the latest trends. over there.”
In front of him, Jian Heng seemed to stifle a laugh. His deep voice was barely audible amidst the hustle and bustle of the vegetable market.
Qin Cheng wasn’t sure if he was hearing things, after all, this person had just slapped him twice.
If he could laugh at his words, it meant there was no lingering grudge, so why did he slap him?
Oh, Qin Cheng had an epiphany.
Why would he speculate on the psychological world of a mentally ill patient?
The DaMa knew Qin Cheng. As soon as she saw him, she shouted loudly, her eyes darting back and forth between him and Jian Heng at least three times: “Hey, Xiao Cheng, buying groceries for your mother again?”
Qin Cheng let out an affirmative sound and moved his legs, which were no longer soft.
He got off the bike and stood in front of the stalls picking and choosing skillfully. Jian Heng on the side seemed to be very interested in the very uncool behavior of buying groceries. He propped the bike aside and stood next to him.
The DaMa was very experienced. While picking off wilted vegetable leaves, she asked Jian Heng: “Xiao Cheng’s new boyfriend?”
Qin Cheng crushed the celery stalk in his hand.
“DaMa, we are not—” Qin Cheng looked up, subconsciously glancing at Jian Heng.
After all, he is a mentally ill Alpha who could get crazy over touching his abs. DaMa’s words might trigger another episode, this stall is done for4给你扬了 (tān er gěi nǐ yáng le): T/N: According to netizens, this is an Internet buzzword. The full sentence should be 我骨灰给你扬了 (wǒ gǔ huī gěi nǐ yáng le), meaning ‘I’ll scatter your ashes for you’, or simply, ‘I’ll kill you’. This phrase comes from a popular TikTok user who was angry at someone and scolds 三天之内把你杀了，把你骨灰都给扬了 (sān tiān zhī nèi bǎ nǐ shā le, bǎ nǐ gǔ huī dōu gěi yáng le), meaning ‘I will kill you within three days and scatter your ashes’..
But Jian Heng just stood there expressionlessly, silently reaching out to pick up a green bean and looking at it——a cold and aloof figure in the vegetable market.
The DaMa winked at Qin Cheng, her expression saying, I understand everything. She uselessly lowered her voice and said: “This one is really handsome, even better looking than that little doll last time, just too muscular. But you are also tall and big, a perfect match.”
Qin Cheng thought to himself, can top Alphas not be muscular? Oh, that’s not right, why did she bring up the topic of mandarin ducks5鴛鴦 (yuān yāng): mandarin duck; (figurative) objects or people occurring in inseparable pairs; (figurative) affectionate couple; happily married couple. 
? Which of your eyes could see that two Alphas, both averaging 185 cm in height, as a good match? Cover that eye of yours, it’s no good.
Before he could correct her, the DaMa yelled at the top of her voice to the fish seller uncle next to her: “Nowadays, it is really open. Young people can make out on the street, hugging and kissing——”
“DaMa!” Qin Cheng interrupted her at the word kiss and pointed at Jian Heng very seriously, “He is an Alpha, not an Omega. He is my classmate, and we are not in a relationship.”
If the person next to him was Tan Qi, he could have kissed him right in front of her and said ‘Yes, this is my dear boyfriend’ without any shame.
But next to him was Jian Heng.
He didn’t know if it was due to the pheromone compatibility or if he was infected by Jian Heng’s mental illness. Seeing Jian Heng, who was also an Alpha, he couldn’t afford to joke about it at all.
Not only because of Jian Heng’s resistance but also because of the inexplicable obstacle in his heart.
The straight guy, Qin-ge, diagnosed this kind of psychology as him being extremely repulsed by Jian Heng, so he refrained from kissing him.
The DaMa made a sound of surprise, looking at Jian Heng with some regret in her eyes, muttering to herself: “I remember you even kissed at the door…”
Qin Cheng’s mental state was shaken. The corner of his mouth twitched abruptly as he picked up the potatoes in his hand and put them in her hand, directly skipping the topic: “DaMa, please weigh this quickly, my mom is in a hurry to cook.”
The kiss didn’t happen at all, okay? The two of them could be said to be just pretending to kiss each other.
The DaMa finally stopped talking and focused on selling things.
Qin Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and tilted his head. Jian Heng was looking at him. That scumbag’s expression of ‘no rejection, no explanation, no responsibility’ made Qin Cheng very speechless. He raised his hand and gave him a middle finger.
They rode back to the apartment. Jian Heng stopped the bike. Qin Cheng consciously carried the vegetables in one hand and the bike in the other, preparing to rush to the third floor in one breath.
Now that his legs are weak and his mouth is dry, he doesn’t want to stay any longer.
Jian Heng didn’t even say ‘I’ll help you’ or something politely. He followed indifferently, keeping a distance of three steps, dressed in all black like a ghost behind him.
Qin Cheng thought he was freaking awesome and suspected that he did it on purpose.
When he went downstairs, he didn’t walk very fast, and Jian Heng followed him three steps away. Now when he was going upstairs, he was running like his butt was on fire, and Jian Heng still followed him three steps away.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.
When Qin Cheng arrived at the door of his house, he took out the key and opened the door. When he inserted the key, he hesitated for a while——the two of them had to stay together. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know when they would get sick again.
He took a deep breath: “Jian——”
“Bang——”
…..
The sound of the door closing echoed in the dimly lit corridor as if mocking his naivety.
Qin Cheng turned around and saw the security door of 302 coldly slapped in front of him. It was the second time in two days that the door was slammed in front of his face.
Freaking awesome, the cold and heartless Bking really lives up to his reputation.
He pushed the door open and entered the house. Song Yingmei was cooking in the kitchen.
Qin Cheng walked over carrying potatoes and eggplants. He put the vegetables aside with a smile as he suppressed the mood of a car wheel running over him.
Song Yingmei saw him and chided him worriedly: “You’re still going out even though you’re not feeling well. I’ll go shopping for groceries tomorrow, and you’ll have a day off at home.”
“No need, Mom. Don’t delay class.” He had to stay close to Jian Heng and was forced to live a life of studying hard and going to class every day.
Qin Cheng took out the eggplant and washed it in water. The faucet spouted.
Song Yingmei couldn’t stand the sight of him wasting water, so she grabbed the eggplant and drove him out.
Qin Cheng was pushed to sit on the sofa in the living room. He looked at the time; it was less than six o’clock.
He thought for a while and sent a message to Tan Qi.
Earning Money to Support the Family: I may need to pigeon6鸽 (gē): pigeon; dove. From the slang phrase, 放鸽子 (fàng gē zi), lit. releasing pigeons; to stand someone up; failing to keep an appointment; doesn’t keep promise; In ancient times, people sent letters by pigeons. It is said that once upon a time, two people promised to write letters to each other. However, one of them released the pigeon without a letter; he failed to keep the appointment. Therefore, “放鸽子 (to release a pigeon)” means to stand sb. up, especially failing to keep an appointment. today. Please help me hang up the announcement.
Tan Qi’er: Bah, you scumbag.
Qin Cheng suddenly became unhappy. He’s a scumbag? What could he be counted as? The one across from him is the best among scum. Tan Qi should really be allowed to see it. His eyes were opened within two days of seeing it.
Just as he was thinking about it, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Qin Cheng stood up and opened the door without thinking much either, thinking it was the electricity bill collector.
As soon as the door opened a crack, someone pulled it open vigorously from the outside. The surging pheromones rushed toward his face as if they were free of charge. The energy that Qin Cheng had just stabilized came up in an instant.
Before he could react, Jian Heng’s hand reached over and hooked his neck, pulling him out.
Only then did Qin Cheng see the person in front of him clearly.
Jian Heng’s brows were furrowed, his eyes were red, and his thin lips were pursed into a thin line.
The sports coat was taken off, and underneath was a black T-shirt that was soaked with sweat, sticking to the skin and highlighting the contours of his muscles.
Jian Heng’s breathing was so heavy that it echoed in the corridor. He squeezed out a few words in a low and hoarse voice: “Let me take a bite.”
Before he finished speaking, his head was already close to Qin Cheng’s neck, and he opened his mouth to bite.
Qin Cheng’s shoulder suddenly sank down to avoid Jian Heng’s teeth. He turned to the side and his elbow fiercely hit Jian Heng’s chest, causing Jian Heng’s whole body to be knocked against the wall with a loud ‘bang’.
The top of the old building was even shaken enough to drop a lot of dust, blurring the eyes of the two people.
He knocks when he says he will, he bites when he says he will. Do you think Qin-ge has no temper?
“Xiao Cheng?” Song Yingmei’s voice came over. Qin Cheng’s heart tightened. He grabbed Jian Heng’s arm and dragged him towards 302. As he walked, he turned back and shouted: “Mom, Jian Heng’s computer is broken. I’m going to take a look at it for him. He’s taking a shower, don’t come in!”
…..
Jian Heng’s house.
Qin Cheng threw the person hanging on him on the sofa. Jian Heng’s hand hooked around his neck and never let go. The two of them were piled on top of each other on the sofa.
Jian Heng’s heartbeat was heavy and powerful, drumming the eardrums of the two people.
Qin Cheng’s arms were supporting himself so that he wasn’t completely pressing on him. The two faces were very close to each other, and their warm breaths mingled with each other.
Jian Heng tightened the arm that was hooked around his neck, but Qin Cheng did not lower his head. He held on with all his strength. There were two obvious veins protruding.
Jian Heng’s gaze was calm and oppressive, his eyes were red but he did not show weakness at all. Instead, the pheromones were mixed with a faint scent of blood, exposing the ruthlessness hidden deep inside.
If it were an Omega or a weaker Alpha here, they would probably already be on their knees.
Qin Cheng wouldn’t kneel, but he started panting due to the pheromones. He looked at Jian Heng’s face with a frown and couldn’t suppress the schadenfreude in his voice: “This classmate, didn’t you say that biting the glands is useless?”
The author has something to say:
Your pancake is lying on the edge of a kang7炕 (kàng): kang (a heatable brick bed). The kang is a traditional heated platform, 2 metres or more long, used for general living, working, entertaining and sleeping in the northern part of China, where the winter climate is cold. It is made of bricks or other forms of fired clay and more recently of concrete in some locations. The word kang means “to dry”. 
and laughed three times: This world is really fair! Chirp!
List of Idiom in Chapter 05
名勝古跡 (míng shèng gǔ jì): places of historic interest and scenic beauty; historical sites and scenic spots; historical sites and scenic spots.搖搖欲墜 (yáo yáo yù zhuì): lit. shaking or swaying as if about to collapse; tottering; on the verge of collapse; hang by a thread; be shaky and unsteady; tremble in the balance; describes something very dangerous, about to fall down soon, or unstable, about to collapse soon.
一言難盡 (yī yán nán jìn): (of complicated matters) to be hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly; there is a lot to say; it’s a long story.
喪心病狂 (sàng xīn bìng kuáng): frenzied; crazy; ridiculous; deranged; demented; berserk (idiom); frantic; perverse; unscrupulous; to lose one’s mind, as if one has gone crazy. Describing words and deeds as chaotic, cruel, and absurd to the extreme.
似笑非笑 (sì xiào fēi xiào): like a smile yet not a smile (idiom); wear a faint/slight smile; smile faintly; with a wry/forced/bitter smile; to give a faint or forced smile.
人高馬大 (rén gāo mǎ dà): lit. the person is as tall as a horse is large; (of a person) tall and big; tall and strong.
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