Normal people topped up monthly for electricity, but this was the first time Qiu Sui had encountered an annual top-up.
Ten thousand wasn’t a small sum. Even if the other party said there was no need to pay it back, he couldn’t accept it with a clear conscience.
Qiu Sui regretted not stopping Shen Zhixiao earlier. Even transferring back half would have been better than nothing.
He pondered bitterly for a moment. Not keen on facing Shen Zhixiao again, he decided to see if he could run into Wen Heng on the way to class and discuss the mistaken payment directly.
At eleven that night, Qiu Sui sent the two group assignments he’d rushed out to their respective group chats for the members to review. If anything needed fixing, they could point it out for everyone to revise together.
The group was full of night owls who popped up almost instantly, flooding the screen with emojis and assuring him to relax—they’d handle the rest.
Qiu Sui had been glued to his keyboard nonstop since the afternoon, his finger joints aching terribly. Too lazy to type, he just replied with emojis.
With the assignments sorted, Qiu Sui finally relaxed.
He shut his laptop, grabbed his pajamas, and headed for a shower. After washing away the day’s exhaustion, he slipped under the covers like a cat burrowing into its nest, rolled around comfortably a couple times, then poked his head and one hand out lazily from the blankets.
He picked up his phone to share his “victories” with Qiao Keren and Qiu Shun, then started scrolling through an unfinished comic.
But though his eyes fixed on the panels, his mind wandered uncontrollably, replaying his afternoon conversation with Shen Zhixiao.
‘I don’t know why you misunderstood, but actually…’
Actually what?
Actually, I just want to be friends with you, plain and simple?
Qiu Sui puzzled over the words that had been cut off, recalling Shen Zhixiao’s expression in the phone screen’s blue-light reflection. But he hadn’t seen it clearly enough to read the nuances.
According to the original plot, didn’t Shen Zhixiao hate him? So why was he now proactively trying to befriend him—and so friendly, too?
This didn’t match the story’s trajectory at all.
Could it be the butterfly effect from me not obsessively pursuing him like in the book, so he doesn’t hate me like he did originally?
Or… Qiu Sui shook his head skeptically, quickly shoving aside these distracting thoughts that ruined his relaxation and refocusing on his phone screen.
.
To track down Wen Heng more easily, Qiu Sui turned to the Campus Wall again the next day and got his class schedule.
It overlapped with Shen Zhixiao’s by a whopping ninety percent.
Qiu Sui skimmed it and sadly discovered that the two classes where Wen Heng diverged from Shen Zhixiao happened to clash exactly with his own.
Not wanting to drag this out, he planned to head to Wen Heng’s department classroom on a day with no classes for him, call the guy out before class to talk.
He hadn’t expected, upon reaching the fifth floor, to spot Wen Heng from afar at the classroom door, leaning on the railing and chatting animatedly with an Omega.
Qiu Sui swallowed the embarrassment of wanting to delete the guy from his contacts and approached to greet Wen Heng anyway.
Wen Heng, mid-flirt, looked surprised to see Qiu Sui. He didn’t seem to mind the WeChat delete, though—he just grinned brightly at him, one arm around his Omega boyfriend. “You taking class here too?”
The Omega eyed him curiously too, smiling politely in greeting.
With a stranger present, Qiu Sui felt awkward, standing stiffly as he pulled out his phone. “Uh, yeah. Shen Zhixiao mentioned over the weekend that you overpaid the dorm electricity bill…”
Wen Heng’s smile froze midway through the explanation. He barely kept from blurting out a slow repeat: “Dorm electricity bill?”
Interrupted, Qiu Sui blinked in confusion and nodded.
Wen Heng thought for a second without missing a beat, accepting the premise smoothly. He looked at the earnest Beta. “Right, the electricity bill. What’s up?”
Qiu Sui pressed on awkwardly. “He said no need to pay it back, but ten thousand’s no small amount. I figured we should discuss it…”
“Oh, right, I topped up ten thousand.” Wen Heng cut in again before he finished, lying straight-faced to Qiu Sui under his boyfriend’s shocked stare. “But Shen Zhixiao already transferred it back to me. Why don’t you talk to him about it?”
Before Qiu Sui could stop him, Wen Heng turned and bellowed into the classroom: “Shen Zhixiao!” No response. Undeterred amid the hallway stares, he added shamelessly: “Qiu Sui’s here for you!”
Five seconds later, someone emerged.
Under all those eyes, Qiu Sui couldn’t even flee. He stared at Wen Heng in horror.
Wen Heng just clapped his shoulder with a hearty laugh. “No need to thank me. Me and my boyfriend are heading out.”
“…”
Nuts!
Seeing Shen Zhixiao stride toward him, Qiu Sui ducked his head, inwardly raging impotently at Wen Heng.
Shen Zhixiao called out “Qiu Sui” from afar, his voice clear and bright. Up close, he chuckled with genuine delight. “I never imagined you’d come find me on your own.”
By now, the onlookers had lost interest and looked away, but Qiu Sui still felt spotlit, standing rigid like thorns pricked his back.
As Shen Zhixiao drew nearer, he instinctively backed up until his spine hit the railing, fingers gripping it tight—like he needed the support to stand straight in front of him.
To seem natural, Qiu Sui lifted his gaze just a bit—to Shen Zhixiao’s chin, where it stuck. He didn’t dare go higher, to that handsome face, especially not those eyes.
Even having braced himself mentally for running into Shen Zhixiao, feeling the Alpha’s eager attention up close left Qiu Sui fumbling for words like he’d forgotten how to speak.
He tugged at his lips, paused a few seconds, then forced out a hollow voice and cut to the chase. “About the electricity bill—Wen Heng overpaid way too much. I should transfer some back to you…”
“You’re here to see me… just for that?”
The delight in Shen Zhixiao’s brows dimmed slightly, his smile turning less genuine at Qiu Sui’s words—but Qiu Sui didn’t see.
His gaze drifted, unbidden, to the Pheromone Control Ring hugging Shen Zhixiao’s throat, quivering faintly with his speech.
Qiu Sui’s mind flashed inappropriately to Qiao Keren’s comment on the first day of school, and he flinched, snapping his eyes back to the chin.
Before he could reply, Shen Zhixiao’s once-light tone turned low. “If it’s just about the bill, then forget it.”
Qiu Sui shifted uncomfortably and jumped in. “I can return half…”
“No need, Qiu Sui.”
Shen Zhixiao eyed the Beta’s stubbornly lowered head. He’d rarely spoken face-to-face with him like this; his smile dimmed. “It was our mistake overpaying. When we came to your dorm, we only planned to negotiate returning a tenth anyway. You wouldn’t have been wrong not to pay back. And we’ve been friends before, right? I don’t want it like this.”
That indescribable atmosphere washed over Qiu Sui again. He’d cut ties with incompatible classmates before, but never a situation like this.
He had no clue how to handle it, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
Shen Zhixiao glanced at his watch as time ticked on, unwilling to let go. He softened his stance, coaxing gently. “Or, if you don’t mind, let me take you out to eat.”
“That’ll settle it.” He leaned down to Qiu Sui’s level, voice dropping like a question. “Okay, Qiu Sui?”
The sudden closeness made Qiu Sui reflexively flick up his eyelids. His eyes rolled up for half a second, catching Shen Zhixiao’s pleading expression—and for an instant, meeting those pitch-black eyes.
He blinked frantically, mumbled an “ah,” and jerked his gaze away. His heart raced with nerves—done for—but then he realized his body wasn’t locking up like expected.
His fingers inched along the railing slowly; he felt perfectly clear-headed.
Qiu Sui’s lashes fluttered in trepidation. Realizing something off, he sneaked another peek at Shen Zhixiao’s face—only to meet those deep eyes head-on and hastily retreat.
Heart still pounding, but just normal tension. Hands and feet moved freely.
No full-body freeze, no blank mind.
Qiu Sui zoned out mid-conversation, stunned and suspicious.
Am I… free from the plot’s control now?
Uncertain, he straightened a bit, testing another glance—only for Shen Zhixiao, who’d been watching, to catch him red-handed.
Qiu Sui’s mind blanked with a buzz, head dropping in panic. Nerves firing, he nearly wanted to burrow into a crack in the floor—but he just stood there, rigid.
Shen Zhixiao eyed the flustered Beta without calling it out, chuckling as he asked again. “So, how about it?”
The mortified Qiu Sui let out a curt “mm.” A bold idea bubbled up, demanding he hold off responding.
This test could mean freely navigating campus from now on. Qiu Sui’s breathing shallowed.
He lifted his eyes excruciatingly slow, gaze crawling from Shen Zhixiao’s chin, over the curved lips, the straight nose, finally landing on those smiling eyes and brows.
The tension was excruciating—heart hammering—but not frantically. Movements free, fingers shifting on the rail. Success sparked a survivor’s glee.
No need to tense against control, his body relaxed like a cat arching for battle only to find it a false alarm.
Those bright peach-blossom eyes gleamed like sunlit glass shards under daylight, throwing off Shen Zhixiao’s composure for a beat.
He’d gotten his wish—Qiu Sui looking right at him—and joy surged, lips twitching up before he could stop them. But then the Beta spoke.
Freed from initial panic and reluctance, Qiu Sui no longer felt awkwardly burdened facing Shen Zhixiao. The bloated electricity balance gnawed at him; weighing the suggestion, he hesitantly agreed.
Meeting those deep eyes straight-on, the quickened heartbeat lingered stubbornly.
Not fully immune yet, Qiu Sui dipped his gaze a fraction and added mildly. “I’ll treat you to dinner. That’ll make us even.”
“…”
Shen Zhixiao’s joy shattered in seconds at the afterthought. His expression nearly cracked, a flash of darkness crossing his face, temple twitching.
Even?
Impossible.
His breathing quickened, inner fury boiling.
But he fixed on the faint curve of Qiu Sui’s lips, keeping his composure flawless. “Sure.”
Ever considerate, Shen Zhixiao added, “I’ll pick the place. I’m free tomorrow noon, the day after noon, or the evening after that. When works for you?”
Qiu Sui, basking in escape-from-control bliss, tested another eye flick—no issues.
Remembering their schedules, only the evening after next overlapped. He answered honestly. “I’m free the evening after next.”
Sensing off-campus plans, Qiu Sui relaxed—no risk of Qiu Shun spotting them and misunderstanding. He offered thoughtfully. “Anything you want. I’ve got plenty of pocket money.” I can afford it.
Shen Zhixiao stared at Qiu Sui’s cheeks puffing as he spoke, leaning sideways on the railing. Emotions rollercoastered, chest heaving rhythmically. He couldn’t help laughing softly. “Qiu Sui.”
Hearing Shen Zhixiao suddenly call his name, Qiu Sui’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively let out a “Hm?” and lifted his eyes to see Shen Zhixiao’s thin lips slowly curving.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re cute?” he asked, as if unable to hold back a laugh, his voice trailing off lightly.
The words sounded so strange that Qiu Sui’s tongue felt tied. He stammered an “Ah?”
He couldn’t see the connection to what came before, but thinking back to past experiences—even from kindergarten—he answered honestly, “Y-Yeah, I guess. Why?”
Shen Zhixiao could barely contain his urge to touch him right then. His dangling fingers twitched, but the next second, the preparatory bell echoed through the hallway.
He glanced at the time—two minutes until class. He had to shelve the impulse, pulled out his phone, and asked tentatively, “So, can we re-add each other on WeChat? It’d make it easier to stay in touch.”
Before Qiu Sui could respond, Shen Zhixiao promised with near-sincerity, “I’ll only message you when I need to. I won’t disturb you and your new friend.”
New… friend?!
Qiu Sui froze at those three words. He recalled their conversation at the dorm entrance the day before yesterday and blinked in confusion. Was he talking about Xiao Mu?
But what did Xiao Mu have to do with this?
Seeing no reaction from Qiu Sui, Shen Zhixiao’s lips pressed flat in disappointment, his tone unmistakably downcast. “Never mind, then. I’ll just wait at your dorm entrance…”
Qiu Sui hesitated, his fingers twitching. If it was just temporary contact—and no more messages after—re-adding him wasn’t a big deal. Besides, running into him now didn’t affect Qiu Sui anymore.
He hesitantly raised his phone. “Then I’ll scan you.”
Shen Zhixiao paused mid-motion to pocket his phone and quickly displayed the QR code.
They re-added each other on WeChat just a second before the bell rang. Shen Zhixiao’s smile lit up his eyes. Before heading off, he said warmly, “I’m off to class. See you Thursday night.”
Baby.
Qiu Sui’s emotions weren’t nearly as intense. He stared at the WeChat avatar—deleted for half a month and now back—and belatedly realized he’d probably made the wrong choice.
But noticing Shen Zhixiao looking at him, he quickly exited the screen, nodded at him, and politely replied, “Okay.”
