Qiu Sui paused mid-reply on his phone to Qiao Keren upon hearing the words.
But he quickly realized he hadn’t left anything important with Shen Zhixiao—this was probably just a ploy to get him to open the door.
The alpha standing at the door hunched his back, head bowed low as he pressed quietly against the door panel, as if that might draw out a response from inside. Yet after a long dozens of seconds, all he got was the desolate whisper of wind in the corridor.
Shen Zhixiao tilted his head and coughed lowly twice, his knuckles whitening around the gift box.
His lips moved slowly beneath the mask, throat burning as he murmured hoarsely, “It’s fine if you don’t want to see me. I’ll just leave the box at the door for you, okay?”
Qiu Sui clutched his phone in silence behind the door. At those words, he watched a sliver of light under the door get blocked out. His brow twitched faintly.
What did the guy leave at the door?
Lunch?
Never mind that it was past 1 p.m. now—well beyond mealtime. If Qiu Sui remembered right, Shen Zhixiao had seen him grabbing cafeteria food back to the dorm at the end of class.
Before Qiu Sui could figure it out, Shen Zhixiao spoke again from outside, voice low.
After setting down the box, he didn’t stand back up. He stayed crouched by the door, his rough, raspy voice filtering even more clearly through the narrow gap beneath—enough to make Qiu Sui instinctively step back a couple paces.
“The box… has the perfume made from the pheromones I extracted last time. I only picked it up at noon today. There’s an extraction report and data records inside. I said I wanted you to smell my pheromone scent—I wasn’t trying to fool you, Xiao Sui. I…”
The alpha’s voice outside hitched briefly, rough with swallowed pain in his throat before he forced out the rest: “I never meant to keep hiding it from you. I planned to come clean once the perfume was ready…” But you already found out.
He’d thought confessing first might give him a slim chance at redemption compared to Qiu Sui uncovering it himself—but Shen Zhixiao knew it might not matter anyway.
The mistake had started the moment he lost control of himself. His fingertips traced the patterns on the gift box, eyes stinging hot.
If I’d just kept watching you from afar the whole time, maybe things wouldn’t have ended up like this.
We’d still be living together, ringing in the New Year, waiting for winter break. Everything would have gone smoothly…
Shen Zhixiao felt it all slipping away bit by bit. His breaths quickened against the door, hot tears suddenly spilling onto his trembling hand, scalding like boiling water.
His vision blurred. He couldn’t make a sound anymore.
Silence fell abruptly outside. Qiu Sui perked his ears in startled confusion but caught only faint wind.
He peered cautiously and saw the shadow still blocking the light under the door—Shen Zhixiao hadn’t left.
Not talking and not leaving? Playing the waiting game, hoping I’ll crack and open up out of curiosity?
What a schemer.
Qiu Sui cursed inwardly, glaring at the door gap. When the guy stayed perfectly still, he couldn’t hold back and kicked the back of the door hard.
The shadow under the door swayed—proof he was still there. Qiu Sui snapped irritably, “We’re broken up. What do I need your perfume for? Take your shit and get lost.”
Just some green tea-scented perfume. What’s so special? Counter shops have plenty. It’s not like green tea comes in Biluochun or Longjing varieties.
Green tea through and through—matches Shen Zhixiao perfectly.
Always playing the pitiful card.
Shen Zhixiao’s breath hitched at Qiu Sui’s response.
Vision blurry, he stared at the floor for a long moment before reacting. He rose slowly, gazing at the gift box on the ground. Without dejection, he sniffled, voice even more hoarse and muffled: “Sorry, Xiao Sui. If you don’t want the perfume, just toss it. I… won’t disturb your nap anymore…”
He shuffled away step by step, eyes lingering wistfully on the door, hoping against hope it might swing open—even if Qiu Sui came out swinging. But reality denied him.
Once he sensed Shen Zhixiao gone, Qiu Sui still didn’t touch the doorknob. He stood frozen for a bit, staring at that sliver of shadow under the door before dropping his gaze and crawling back into bed.
Qiu Sui left the gift box untouched by the door. On his way out for evening class, he strode past it like it was invisible.
The unopened box sat forlornly by the door, visible to anyone passing by.
That weekend, Qiu Sui bought theme park tickets and a hotel with Qiao Keren and his dormmates. He slung on his backpack and headed out Saturday morning.
Shen Zhixiao stood at the dorm building entrance, watching helplessly as the cab pulled away, leaving him behind. Anxiety gnawed at him as he called the driver at the school gate.
The theme park trip was Qiao Keren’s spur-of-the-moment idea from yesterday. Qiu Sui had skipped their last hiking outing, so his dormmates hadn’t properly met him yet. They figured a group outing would be fun and pooled plans for the park.
Two-day tickets—plenty of time to have a blast.
Shen Zhixiao had suggested this park once, but Qiu Sui had shot it down back then: too whimsical, didn’t match their vibes.
Qiu Sui wasn’t super hyped for a theme park, but it beat rotting in the dorm.
Qiao Keren’s dormmates were chatty, lively omegas—jokes flew nonstop, drawing unwitting laughs from Qiu Sui and easing his gloom a touch.
The park had no off-season, and December brought tons of events. Crowds were thick; they speedran a few hot rides. Qiu Sui started having fun, posing for group pics.
He stood out with the omegas. Staff betas kept mistaking his couple shots with Qiao Keren for real dates.
At first, Qiu Sui awkwardly clarified, but it just made things more awkward. Later, he shrugged it off—cooperating fully when staff directed him to drape an arm over Qiao Keren’s shoulder.
While washing the prints, Qiao Keren cracked up by the machine, whispering teasingly to Qiu Sui: “Can’t take any more pics with you, or my dormmates will think something’s up. I’d look like a two-timing scumbag omega.”
Qiu Sui, head down picking photos, snapped his eyes up at “two-timing?”
Qiao Keren realized his slip, clapping a hand over his mouth, cheeks flushing as his eyes sparkled sheepishly: “Oops, we’ll talk later…”
Qiu Sui’s curiosity burned, but he held back, guessing inwardly: Tennis Club alpha?
He puzzled over it, finally scanning to pay. “Does Qiu Shun know?”
“Probably… not?” Qiao Keren hadn’t told anyone yet—just got caught once on a dorm balcony video call.
If Qiu Shun doesn’t know, must be someone from the Tennis Club.
Qiu Sui pocketed the prints and turned, catching a glimpse of a tall figure in his peripheral—but when he looked squarely, only lamp-lit crowds and glowing shops.
“Hm? Wanna shop?” Qiao Keren asked, puzzled, taking the photos.
Qiu Sui blinked slowly and shook his head. “Let’s find your dormmates.”
The other omegas, unhappy with their shots, headed to the bathroom.
Qiao Keren admired the pics awhile before stashing them and rejoining for the parade.
By 6 p.m., the winter parade drew crowds; they nearly got separated squeezing in.
On the way back to the hotel, Qiao Keren pulled out the photos to share with Qiu Sui—only to find a few missing.
They’d been in his pocket before the parade. Must’ve jostled out; pocket wasn’t shallow.
“Photos can be saved online and reprinted. I’ll check.” From the passenger seat, Qiu Sui pulled out his phone and quickly found the lost ones.
Staff-directed poses with Qiao Keren—definitely couple-y at a glance, but their eyes were straightforward and earnest.
The themed hotel was minutes from the park. Their scenic room overlooked the light show across the way—not as dazzling as in-park, though.
Qiu Sui propped his chin, zoning out at the fireworks. He’d been spacing out a lot lately—brain fully blank.
But in the blankness, his thoughts drifted to the gift box left at his door for nearly two days.
He hadn’t touched it. Shen Zhixiao must know. Better take the eyesore away.
A doorbell chime snapped him back—the show had ended. He got up to answer.
Qiao Keren grinned at the door, two seafood noodle bowls in hand, winking: “Here to apologize with a peace offering.”
Qiu Sui let him in and shut the door. Qiao Keren set down the noodles and video-called Qiu Shun to come clean.
Qiu Sui had eaten at the park but the seafood aroma revived his hunger. He dug in, waiting for the excuses.
Qiao Keren cleared his throat awkwardly to the phone and Qiu Sui: “It’s a long story…”
“Shorten it.” Qiu Shun cut in from the phone, buried in finals work.
Qiao Keren swallowed his urge to start from high school: “We’re not official yet—just one step from going public… And you guys know him…”
He paused, hoping they’d guess.
Qiu Sui slurped noodles cluelessly, drawing a blank on Qiao Keren’s Tennis Club connections—until Qiu Shun said flatly over the line: “Lin Kai?”
Qiao Keren’s arched brows drooped. He and Qiu Sui gawked in unison.
“How’d you guess?”
“What?”
Qiu Sui nearly choked, then heard Qiu Shun: “He’s into you, isn’t he?”
Lin Kai likes Qiao Keren? Since when? Qiu Sui swallowed hard, cheeks bulging red.
![No Redemption for Dark Protagonists [Quick Transmigration]](https://i0.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/quickkk.jpg?resize=151,215 "No Redemption for Dark Protagonists [Quick Transmigration]")
