He Siheng was so amused and annoyed by Tan Jing’s trap that he laughed in exasperation.
“You jerk.”
So he had been waiting for this!
He Siheng puffed out his cheeks, his face full of displeasure. “And here I gave you a ride. Is this how you repay kindness with enmity?”
Tan Jing kept a straight face. “One thing at a time. I can’t abuse my position.”
He Siheng clenched his fist tighter and tighter. “You really are…”
“I’m just messing with you,” Tan Jing said. Seeing him on the verge of exploding, he smiled and flicked his forehead. “School sports meet is open day these two days. Dress code doesn’t apply.”
The turn caught He Siheng off guard. He was stunned for a moment, and by the time he realized he’d been played, Tan Jing had already removed his armband and continued walking into the school.
Only then did He Siheng realize he’d been tricked. He cursed under his breath and chased after him. “Tan Jing, what’s wrong with you?!”
He broke into a run, and Tan Jing shifted from walking to running too, still turning his head with that punchable grin.
The autumn sun shone brightly, fragrant camphor trees flourished, and the morning breeze wove through the lush green leaves, softly brushing their hair tips. The boys chased each other with carefree abandon, like a lively youth movie come to life.
The first morning of the sports meet was mostly the opening ceremony. Just the assembly was a hassle, and the “Athletes’ March” played cheerfully over the broadcast. The campus buzzed with high schoolers’ excitement for the big event ahead.
Too much excitement was dangerous for Alphas and Omegas, though, because some people’s pheromones would leak out uncontrollably with heightened emotions.
To prevent a collective pheromone leak incident, the teachers repeatedly announced over the broadcast: “Alphas and Omegas, please be extra careful. Rein in your pheromones and spray your scent blockers frequently!”
So classrooms occasionally saw people madly spraying scent blockers at their glands.
He Siheng’s head ached from the barrage of scent blocker smells. He couldn’t help complaining inwardly: Were they spraying scent blockers or perfume? Couldn’t they use unscented ones like him?
He Siheng still presented as undifferentiated to others, so he couldn’t spray in public. He pocketed his scent blocker and headed to the bathroom to handle it.
When he reached the bathroom, he found Tan Jing had followed him. Tan Jing stopped upon entering—not to use the facilities, clearly. He was there for He Siheng.
He Siheng was baffled. “Why are you following me?”
Tan Jing’s gaze swept over his face, seeing nothing amiss. He drawled, “Isn’t a follower supposed to stick by your side everywhere?”
He Siheng was speechless. “…You’re pretty dedicated.”
No need to follow him to the bathroom, though.
The bathroom was empty at the moment. Thinking Tan Jing already knew about his differentiation, He Siheng didn’t bother hiding. He pulled out his scent blocker, lowered his head, and sprayed his gland.
But he had overlooked something far more important—this guy in front of him was an Alpha.
Tan Jing’s gaze fell on He Siheng’s slender, snow-white nape. The Omega’s gland hid just beneath that thin skin, exposed defenselessly before him.
Some time had passed since the last temporary mark, and the Alpha scent Tan Jing had left on He Siheng had faded.
Tan Jing’s eyes darkened slightly as his tongue swept over his sharp canines.
His gums suddenly itched.
He Siheng finished spraying and looked up, meeting Tan Jing’s gaze head-on. That look made his scalp tingle, as if he were prey about to be bitten and devoured.
He instinctively stepped back half a pace, fully alert. “You wanna fight?”
He was like a startled cat, fur bristling all over. Tan Jing almost laughed—Now he had his guard up.
Might as well tease him a bit, teach him a lesson.
Tan Jing kept a straight face and made up an excuse. “Your tie is crooked.”
He Siheng blinked, about to head to the sink to check the mirror and fix it, but Tan Jing suddenly stepped forward, blocking his path.
Tan Jing leisurely straightened He Siheng’s perfectly fine tie, subtly releasing a trace of pheromones. “Let me help.”
His proximity made He Siheng’s body instinctively freeze. The highly invasive, crisp scent invaded his nose, stiffening him completely.
A naturally oppressive Alpha—and one who had marked him before. He had zero resistance.
He Siheng’s gland at the nape of his neck grew faintly hot. His brain tensed, excited, even anticipating uncontrollably—
Wanting to be marked again.
Bullshit, wanting to be marked!
He Siheng held his breath hard, refusing to inhale any of Tan Jing’s scent.
He endured his weakening legs and gritted out a reminder. “Shouldn’t you spray your scent blocker too?”
Tan Jing acted like the reminder jogged his memory. He looked up with a smile. “Sorry, I’m a bit excited today.”
At such close range, He Siheng clearly saw the amusement in his eyes. The upturned corners carried a seductive curve, and even that ascetic beauty mark on his nose bridge gained a tempting edge.
He couldn’t tell if it was from holding his breath too long or something else, but He Siheng’s eyes widened slightly, his face and neck flushing red.
Suddenly, an irritated complaint came from outside. “Damn! Which Alpha is releasing pheromones in the bathroom—”
The complaint cut off abruptly.
Wang Yizhou barged in, yelling loudly.
Wang Yizhou bolted out as quietly as a chicken.