Chapter 57: Petty

Fortunately, when he woke up the next morning, the red mark on his face had faded quite a bit, leaving only a small patch of pale red, like a mosquito bite.

It had still left a trace, so when they headed out in the morning, Qiu Sui pointed at his cheek and mercilessly revoked Shen Zhixiao’s permission to enter his dorm for the day.

Not being allowed into Qiu Sui’s dorm didn’t just mean no sleeping together at night—it also meant no kissing. The Alpha’s expression drooped instantly, but no matter how much the other man tried to act pitiful, Qiu Sui didn’t budge.

With Qiu Shun and Qiao Keren around, Shen Zhixiao kept things measured. He didn’t cling to Qiu Sui’s hand like usual, instead standing obediently by his side. Every gesture maintained a mature and steady poise, reverting to that gentle, composed demeanor from before—like a completely different person from the one who’d tugged at his hand and whined that morning. It made Qiu Sui itch to tease him.

But with Qiu Shun and Qiao Keren there, he didn’t dare make a move.

At the dinner table, Shen Zhixiao dominated the conversation. Besides Qiu Sui, no one else had come just to eat. Qiao Keren and Qiu Shun had originally wanted to observe him, but Shen Zhixiao volunteered all the details they were curious about.

His family business, living alone away from home, a younger brother studying abroad, his own high school stint abroad before transferring back—nothing too detailed, but impeccable nonetheless.

Shen Zhixiao didn’t monopolize the talk, though. When Qiu Sui chatted with Qiao Keren and Qiu Shun about other things, he’d quietly listen while clipping crabmeat for Qiu Sui. Only when the topic circled back to him did he smoothly pick it up again.

Ever since learning that Shen Zhixiao had fallen for his brother at first sight, Qiu Shun finally had an explanation for the man’s unusual reaction when they’d first bumped into each other. Maybe he’d just been struck by the coincidence of colliding with his crush’s little brother.

But both he and Qiu Sui felt a strange familiarity with the name Shen Zhixiao. Qiu Shun couldn’t help suspecting they’d had some brief encounter before.

Maybe online, or at a competition. Qiu Shun tried tracing his memories back to junior high, but without any specific clues, it was futile. He decided to dig for leads elsewhere.

Qiu Shun observed Shen Zhixiao’s micro-expressions throughout their talk, but found nothing off from start to finish.

Learning that Shen Zhixiao hadn’t participated in any competitions—and had been abroad even before high school—further lowered the odds they’d met. Qiu Shun started wondering if he and Qiu Sui had just seen the name somewhere before, same characters and all.

Even though Shen Zhixiao’s impression was decent for now, Qiu Shun still couldn’t relax.

The guy was too slick and sharp. His brother had no guile—he might not handle it.

Qiu Shun supported his brother dating an Alpha, but he couldn’t help worrying.

It was instinct. No matter how mild Alphas seemed, they could still harbor violence. The difference lay in whether they’d ever hurt those around them.

After the meal, they wandered the shopping district a few times and hung out at an indoor arcade for a bit.

Qiu Shun spent the entire afternoon watching Shen Zhixiao. While the man was paying, he pulled Qiu Sui aside for a rational breakdown, reminding him to pay close attention to Shen Zhixiao’s habits and details during their time together. If anything felt off or uncomfortable, address it right away.

Qiu Sui hadn’t noticed anything wrong in his time with Shen Zhixiao so far. Maybe it was his first relationship, and he was too lovesick to notice. But deep down, he didn’t want that to be the case.

He pressed his lips together, shifting his gaze from the Alpha’s back to meet Qiu Shun’s eyes. He gave a serious hum.

They spent some time off-campus before heading back to school. Qiu Sui was a bit distracted the whole way.

Back at the dorm, he fiddled with the little keychain trinket Shen Zhixiao had won for him at the arcade, sneaking glances at the Alpha carrying the shopping bags. When caught, he’d quickly look away.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhixiao noticed right away, leaning in close. His free hand wrapped caringly around Qiu Sui’s waist.

With Qiu Shun and Qiao Keren around all day, he hadn’t gotten physically close at all—the nearest was shoulder-to-shoulder. Now, feeling that body heat press in, half of Qiu Sui’s heart melted on the spot. He licked his lips and shook his head, saying it was nothing.

Shen Zhixiao didn’t seem convinced. The hand on his waist suddenly withdrew, leaving Qiu Sui a bit miffed. Then, in the next second, his head was ruffled.

“Really? But you’ve been sneaking peeks at me tons of times already, hmm?” Shen Zhixiao chuckled softly, his voice rumbling deep from his chest.

He usually only ruffled Qiu Sui’s hair after a kiss. Qiu Sui couldn’t help associating, his neck stiffening as his ears heated up inexplicably. He shook his head to dodge the hand, mumbling a defense: “Can’t I just look more if I think you look good…”

The Alpha’s hand was dodged, but the amusement in his eyes grew. His palm swiftly and lightly pinched Qiu Sui’s earlobe—too fast for him to react. Staring at his profile, Shen Zhixiao murmured with a laugh: “Feeling shy, baby?”

That spot burned hotter, the flush threatening to spread to his face. Qiu Sui instinctively covered it with his hand, annoyance flaring as he elbowed Shen Zhixiao, hissing through gritted teeth: “We’re outside—don’t call me that.”

Shen Zhixiao watched as Qiu Sui got so worked up over his embarrassment that he forgot to watch the path, striding right past the dorm door. He stifled a laugh and pulled him back. Before Qiu Sui could bristle, he said warmly: “We’re at the dorm already.”

Qiu Sui had braced for some handsy move, his playful clawing stance freezing. He looked up and saw the A710 doorplate.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, dropping the issue of the pet name. He swiped the keycard hooked to the trinket to unlock the door.

Once inside, he dropped his backpack and saw Shen Zhixiao still standing outside with two shopping bags. Puzzled, he asked: “Why aren’t you coming in?”

Shen Zhixiao leaned against the doorframe, watching him eagerly. He paused for a beat, said nothing, just flashed a brilliant smile and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

At the mall, they’d both impulse-bought a ton of stuff—mostly fruit and snacks. But Shen Zhixiao didn’t eat much junk food, and even fruit in moderation.

Seeing him pile it all into his storage cabinet, Qiu Sui blinked in surprise. “You don’t eat any?”

Shen Zhixiao paused mid-stow, his expression uncharacteristically awkward: “I can’t eat too much.”

It turned out Shen Zhixiao had an easy-gain body type, with strict daily calorie limits. If he exceeded, he’d amp up his workouts at the off-campus private gym.

Take today: he’d head out soon for two hours, come back to shower and have dinner with him, then early morning gym again tomorrow.

While he slept in, the guy was out running the treadmill.

Qiu Sui roughly calculated based on Shen Zhixiao’s schedule and their hangout times. Nearly all his free time went to fitness. A chill ran through him.

Fine. Tell him not to work out, and he’d bulk up two pounds while the guy went iron-pumping like mad?!

Qiu Shun was right—Shen Zhixiao was one petty Alpha.

Qiu Sui had an epiphany. He washed his hands, opened a bag of chips, ate two, then paused. He lifted his sweater to check his abs, sighing in relief when they were still there.

Good thing he didn’t gain weight easily, but skipping workouts wasn’t an option. Forget full gym—Brazilian jiu-jitsu at least.

With that thought, Qiu Sui pulled out his phone to find an off-campus jiu-jitsu club and sign up.

The Alpha leaning on his shoulder blatantly peeked at his screen, even helping pick one. His warm breath tickled Qiu Sui’s neck as he spoke.

“This one’s good. It’s close to my gym.”

Qiu Sui checked the location: 2.7 km from school, minutes by cab. He agreed, then curiously tilted his head: “What’s the name of your gym?”

With the Pheromone Suppression Ring under Qiu Sui’s control, Shen Zhixiao couldn’t release his scent freely anymore.

He’d swapped Qiu Sui’s dorm shower gel and shampoo for his own matching ones. Now, nose pressed to the side of Qiu Sui’s neck, he inhaled deeply for several seconds, lost in it. Only when pinched did he snap out of it with a dazed “Hm?”

“No, there’s a property near my house I converted into a gym.”

Qiu Sui thought he’d misheard. That street was all Old Western Houses. It took him half a beat to stammer: “You turned the whole thing into a gym?”

Shen Zhixiao shook his head: “Just the first floor.”

A three-story Old Western House with one floor converted was still shocking.

Qiu Sui suddenly set down the chips seriously, meeting his eyes with a hint of uncertainty: “Your family… they won’t mind you with a… Beta, right?”

Shen Zhixiao’s lips brushed half against Qiu Sui’s neck, feeling the vibration of his words. His throat bobbed with temptation as he murmured distractedly: “No, and they’ve got my brother anyway.”

At lunch, when Shen Zhixiao first mentioned his brother, Qiu Sui had sensed a twinge of dislike. Now, it was even clearer.

He and Qiu Shun were close—no experience with family favoritism or sibling strife. He started wondering about Shen Zhixiao’s home life, about to ask caringly, when his neck was suddenly kissed.

He jolted, shoulders shaking. The wet heat on his vulnerable skin sent his scalp tingling. Stunned for half a second, he shoved at Shen Zhixiao’s head.

The other man, not done, gave his lips a reluctant lick before looking up with pitiful eyes.

Where was the proper guy from lunch with Qiu Shun and Qiao Keren? Feeling the burning on his neck, Qiu Sui’s hand slid slowly from the man’s cheek, finally pressing none too gently on his throat through the Neck Ring.

The sensitive spot touched, the Alpha winced in pain and admitted fault.

Only then did Qiu Sui release him, gently stroking the spot. Shen Zhixiao instinctively tilted his head, nuzzling submissively into his wrist.

The more Qiu Sui looked, the more off it felt. He withdrew his hand and pressed on: “You and your brother… not on good terms?”

Shen Zhixiao’s expression dimmed. He leaned back on Qiu Sui’s shoulder and gave a low hum, voice muffled: “From the moment my brother was born, everyone changed. I was unhappy when Mom was pregnant with him—Dad even kicked me out for the summer. I stayed at my aunt’s.”

“After that, I didn’t want to stay abroad, but Dad wouldn’t let me come back. He’d drag me back every time. Later he agreed, but Mom took my brother abroad instead. Probably because we can’t stand each other—didn’t trust us together…”

His lashes drooped vulnerably as he nuzzled the kissed spot on Qiu Sui’s neck, lips brushing faintly as he spoke softly: “If my brother differentiates into an Alpha too, they’d probably be thrilled…”