Chapter 46: Class Schedule

Back at the hotel, Qiu Sui clutched his phone, utterly puzzled that the Alpha hadn’t shown up.

Given how clingy the guy had been before, shouldn’t he have stuck close by now, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Could he have seen through the plan and lost his nerve?

Qiu Sui propped himself up at the desk, staring at the silent message log on his phone, his face full of frustration.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhixiao asked, emerging from the bathroom after washing up. He noticed something off and approached with a steamy warmth, concern in his voice.

Qiu Sui caught a glimpse of the shadow blocking the light and instinctively sat up straight, quickly exiting the messages app. He stared fixedly at the screen, feigning nonchalance. “Nothing…”

Shen Zhixiao sat down on the chair in front of him—whether he believed it or not, Qiu Sui wasn’t sure. Only then did he notice Shen Zhixiao was dressed, not in a bathrobe like the night before.

He let out a quiet breath, finally letting his gaze shift openly toward Shen Zhixiao.

The Alpha was towel-drying his damp bangs from his forehead. Sensing the look, he lifted his eyelids to meet Qiu Sui’s eyes and gave a soft smile, the curve of his lips perfectly captivating.

Qiu Sui swallowed, hastily averting his gaze. Then Shen Zhixiao’s voice came: “Want to use the shower now? There’s still some steam in there.”

He pretended to be absorbed in his phone and gave a curt “oh,” replying casually, “I’ll go later.”

The Alpha across from him hummed lowly and reached to organize the shopping bags on the desk.

They were all things Qiu Sui had bought while shopping—he didn’t have much desire for stuff himself; most were for Shen Zhixiao.

Qiu Sui listened to the rustling of the bags as he chatted in the small group with Qiao Keren.

The other guy had been bored today and wanted to flip through Qiu Sui’s photo album, but after rummaging through the carry-on for ages, he hadn’t found the pastries.

Qiu Sui thought back and realized he’d forgotten to pack the album with them. Feeling guilty, he sent a string of kneeling emojis.

Qiao Keren magnanimously said it was fine, just remember to bring it next time.

As they chatted, the sounds from across the table suddenly stopped. The silence made Qiu Sui glance over instinctively—and he locked eyes with a pair of pitch-black ones.

He nearly jumped, his grip tightening on the phone.

Shen Zhixiao’s gaze flicked subtly to Qiu Sui’s screen, then he raised a brow naturally, sliding the item in his hand toward Qiu Sui. With harmlessly curved eyes, he said, “If you’re not in a rush to wash up, want to try this dessert? The cheesecake shells are pretty good.”

Qiu Sui’s heart was still racing from that sudden eye contact.

It wasn’t that he was overly sensitive—anyone would startle if someone went quiet and then looked up without warning into a pair of eyes like that. And Shen Zhixiao’s were so dark, with whites visible below the iris, giving them an especially fierce look on their own.

Qiu Sui followed his gesture downward to the fluffy-looking dessert, hesitating for a beat.

He wasn’t big on sweets, so his taste for desserts and pastries was meh—like how he preferred tart fruit teas over purely sweet milk teas.

But that day, Qiu Sui had sent Shen Zhixiao a whole bag of pastries, leading the Alpha to misjudge his preferences.

Qiu Sui stared down the cheesecake shells for two seconds, feeling awkward about rejecting the gesture. He set his phone aside, picked up a fork, and took a bite.

Shen Zhixiao left the dessert with him and headed to the bathroom to blow-dry his hair. Qiu Sui relaxed once he turned away, grabbed a glass, poured water, and chugged half.

He eyed the remaining three pieces, wrestling for a few seconds before trying another.

Tasty, sure, but a bit too sweet for me, Qiu Sui thought, finishing the other half of the water.

Shen Zhixiao came back to find two pieces left and didn’t pry, just thoughtfully noted that the steam in the shower had cleared.

Only then did Qiu Sui grab his clothes and head in to wash up. Unlike Shen Zhixiao, he blow-dried his hair inside before coming out.

Having steamed himself too long, his skin had a flushed heat.

The leftover cheesecake shells on the table were gone—Shen Zhixiao had polished them off. As Qiu Sui reached for his phone, the Alpha at the table slid the refilled glass toward him and asked carefully, “Not a fan of the shells?”

Qiu Sui was about to say they were okay, but then thought better and admitted honestly, “I’m generally meh on desserts.”

Shen Zhixiao nodded as if committing it to memory, tapping the rim of the glass. “Need more water? To cut the sweetness?”

The lingering sweetness in Qiu Sui’s mouth had mostly faded, but he thanked him and took a sip anyway, downing half before slipping under the covers.

He checked the time—past ten. Gotta get up early tomorrow, head back to school, and patrol once more. See if that Alpha bites.

Qiu Sui sighed inwardly. No way—that perverted Alpha’s been harassing me forever. Suddenly going quiet for a month? He’s definitely up to no good.

Shen Zhixiao didn’t know the details or that the creep had actually approached him, so his assumption made sense.

Qiu Sui buried his head in the hotel’s soft pillow, drowsiness hitting as fatigue crept into his voice. “Impossible…”

“But what if he doesn’t show tomorrow either?” The Alpha beside him seemed to prop himself up slightly, his breath brushing over. “Then we’ve wasted our time… Qiu Sui.”

Qiu Sui’s eyelids drooped as he murmured an alert “Hm?” The voice came fuzzy.

“Don’t get up early tomorrow. Sleep in… okay? Qiu Sui?”

Qiu Sui meant to hum in response, but exhaustion overtook him. Shen Zhixiao’s voice faded, and he slipped into deep sleep.

“Did you hear me?”

The Alpha leaned closer, his whisper barely audible. “Baby?”

No response. Shen Zhixiao flicked on the bedside lamp.

The warm light illuminated the bed. Qiu Sui’s eyes were tightly shut, long lashes casting faint shadows.

The Alpha’s breathing quickened with excitement. He reached out, brushing the soft lashes with his fingertip, his chest heaving with joy.

His finger trailed slowly down from Qiu Sui’s eye, ending at the slightly parted lips. He hooked the lower one, tugging it open slightly before letting it close again.

The sleeping man lay peacefully unaware.

Next second, Shen Zhixiao urgently wrapped an arm around Qiu Sui’s waist, yanking him close. Like a restless beast, he nuzzled against him frantically, inhaling deeply with unsteady, excited growls.

“Got to hold my baby again… mm… so fragrant… so good…”

“Not a Beta? Why does my baby smell this good… mm?”

Shen Zhixiao pressed their foreheads together, shedding his gentle facade. His eyes obsessed over the quiet Beta, body trembling with agitation, breaths ragged. “Can I kiss you… baby… mm?”

“If baby doesn’t answer, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Shen Zhixiao answered himself impatiently, hot breaths grinding against the Beta’s skin. He peppered feather-light kisses only on the nose tip and cheeks, wary of marks.

But a restless force surged inside, barely containing his urge to devour. Only when his lips met Qiu Sui’s did he unleash a storm of fervent licks and kisses.

Even asleep, Qiu Sui couldn’t handle the intense pressure. He trembled faintly, lashes fluttering as he gasped for air, head shifting slightly.

Shen Zhixiao paused, cradling his cheek in his palm, breathing heavily as he watched. Then, unable to hold back, he nipped the lip.

His tongue tip teased the seam, slipping easily into the warm mouth.

After so long, touching this spot again sent the Alpha’s nerves into frenzy.

Every exhale was scalding. Staring at the man in his arms, he couldn’t hold back, swirling wildly to tangle with the docile tongue.

Faint wet sounds rose in the quiet room, spurring him on. He suckled the lips endlessly, never satisfied.

The oblivious man in his arms was kneaded gently, kissed bit by bit—only heavier ones drawing soft hums. Then Shen Zhixiao’s palm would stroke Qiu Sui’s back repeatedly, like soothing a feline.

Unable to resist, he kissed the now-swollen lips again, pressing down on the cheek hard enough to dimple the skin. “Why won’t baby kiss me first, hm?”

No answer from the sleeper. Shen Zhixiao punished with another deep kiss.

Thinking of not holding Qiu Sui to sleep starting tomorrow night, he clutched him tighter against his body, gaze darkening on the quivering lashes. He nearly gave in to stirring urges.

Baby… hope you’ll obediently choose me in a month…

Qiu Sui’s mouth opened and closed. That doesn’t add up…

No response. Shen Zhixiao hummed lowly again, pleading tone thick. “Hm?”

Qiu Sui’s lashes fluttered, avoiding the Alpha’s somewhat vulnerable gaze. Awkwardly, he muttered, “F-Fine… then lunch is on me…”

The Alpha’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, joy leaking through. “Sounds good.”

Qiu Sui meant a nearby spot, but Shen Zhixiao drove straight toward school. Unwilling to boss him around like a chauffeur, Qiu Sui ended up treating him to braised chicken rice at the East Canteen.

He remembered the Alpha going out of his way during military training to queue for it—figured he liked it.

Heading back to the dorm from the canteen, Qiu Sui scanned surroundings instinctively. Shen Zhixiao walked beside him, naturally draping an arm over his shoulder to steady him.

“See any suspects?” he asked caringly as Qiu Sui whipped his head back.

Shen Zhixiao’s hand lingered on his shoulder, but nothing felt off. Qiu Sui frowned lightly, mumbling dully, “Nope.”

“Maybe he got scared of getting caught and bailed. Those messages were just to freak you out,” the Alpha beside him suggested again.

Qiu Sui hummed depressedly, not fully buying it. “Maybe.”

Seeing his unhappy expression, Shen Zhixiao’s palm lightly patted his shoulder. Only then did Qiu Sui register the arm around him, a strange feeling rising in his chest.

“How about this?” Shen Zhixiao eyed his flushing cheeks seriously. “I’ll go out with you from now on. That way, even if he tries, he won’t get the chance.”

Qiu Sui blanked briefly. “But… our class schedules don’t match, right?”

He paused mid-sentence, realizing he hadn’t instinctively refused, and his expression turned awkward. “I mean, uh, forget it—that’d be too much trouble…”

“Indeed, our class schedules do differ quite a bit…” Shen Zhixiao said thoughtfully, as if he hadn’t heard the rest. “But I’ll try to accompany you whenever you head out or finish classes. At least that’s better than you going alone.”

With that, he lightly raised an eyebrow and joked, “Maybe the guy’s just the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong. He might back off the second he sees me.”

Qiu Sui felt a twinge of annoyance as he listened. Did he look that weak?

This damn biological reality.

Qiu Sui frowned resentfully, his expression brimming with grievance.

He shot a glance at the towering S-Rank Alpha beside him, a sly glint flickering in his eyes—like the prelude to mischief.

Shen Zhixiao was about to coax him a bit more when a sudden force slammed into his right arm, throwing his balance and making him stagger half a step to the right.

The culprit clutched his own arm after the “attack,” arching his brows at Shen Zhixiao as if to prove his point.

Shen Zhixiao steadied himself and couldn’t help chuckling. He reached out to grab him.

Qiu Sui dodged nimbly for several steps before his shoulders were caught. “I was wrong!” he begged in surrender. But Shen Zhixiao didn’t retaliate—he just beamed and prompted him to send over his class schedule.

Still riding the high of his playful teasing, Qiu Sui didn’t think twice. He obediently opened his gallery and forwarded the screenshot.

It only hit him belatedly that he hadn’t actually agreed to let Shen Zhixiao tag along everywhere—but before he could speak up, Shen Zhixiao called his name softly.

Shen held his phone, staring at Qiu Sui with burning intensity, his eyes swirling with something ambiguous.

Qiu Sui blinked in confusion. “What’s up?”

Shen Zhixiao turned the phone screen toward him, revealing the screenshot Qiu Sui had just sent. A subtle thrill laced his voice.

“You sent my class schedule by mistake.”

Excitement and anticipation gleamed between the Alpha’s brows as he fixed his gaze on the man before him, asking slowly, “Qiu Sui… why do you have my class schedule?”

“!”