While his right arm was disinfected, He Siheng stared fixedly at the needle. His face paled, and his fingers unconsciously gripped Tan Jing’s suit hem, crumpling the crisp fabric.
Just as the doctor was about to inject, He Siheng held his breath in tension. Then, a hand covered the back of his head.
Tan Jing stood beside him, cradled his head, and turned his face toward his chest, pressing it into his embrace.
“Relax your arm. It won’t hurt for long.”
The low, gentle voice fell softly atop He Siheng’s head, while the tip of his nose caught the unique warm grassy-woody scent of the young man.
The hand on his head patted lightly, full of soothing intent.
He Siheng unconsciously relaxed his arm muscles under the guidance, but at the moment of the injection, he still tensed up involuntarily. His other arm tightly hugged Tan Jing’s waist.
He was so nervous. He didn’t know how much time passed, but he clung tightly to Tan Jing until he heard the doctor tease with a laugh, “I’ve packed up my things. How long are you two little lovebirds going to hug?”
Only then did He Siheng come back to his senses. He quickly turned his face away from Tan Jing’s chest and immediately checked his arm, as if it hadn’t been a simple shot but a saw cutting into him.
His arm was still intact. He let out a deep sigh of relief.
It was only then that he realized he was still holding Tan Jing’s waist. He hurriedly let go.
Realizing he had hugged Tan Jing for so long, He Siheng’s ears inexplicably heated up, and he felt a bit guilty. He decided to play the victim first: “The shot’s done. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“You were hugging so tightly just now, and now you’re complaining?” Tan Jing looked at him with an almost-smile. “Is this the two faces of little brother Siheng?”
He Siheng: “…”
Knowing he was in the wrong, He Siheng fell completely silent.
After leaving the hospital, the two went to the police station to give statements.
Tan Wan was already there. She looked at He Siheng’s right hand, wrapped up like a rice dumpling, and felt heartbroken: “Aww, my poor little Siheng. How did you end up in such bad luck? You’re hurt so badly—it must hurt a lot, right?”
He Siheng waved his hand, putting on a brave front: “It’s just a minor injury. Doesn’t hurt at all. Wanwan Sis, you look so pretty today. Seeing you makes it hurt even less.”
Even at a time like this, he didn’t miss a chance to sweet-talk.
Tan Jing tugged at his lips in a silent, cold scoff.
Tan Wan was indeed only this gentle with He Siheng. At her core, she was still a decisive member of the Tan Family. Even without Tan Jing “threatening” her with her beloved car, she had no intention of letting Lu Xinshu off easily.
On the way to the police station, Tan Wan had already found the best lawyer. She rejected any apologies or compensation from the Lu Family and aimed for only one outcome: the harshest sentence for Lu Xinshu.
This lawyer was an expert in secondary gender crime and protection laws. He clearly pointed out that among the rights granted to Omegas by the state, there was a special psychological protection period, specifically for people like He Siheng whose genetic sequencing results didn’t match their Differentiation outcome.
Although He Siheng’s Omega identity wasn’t formally registered yet, within one year after Differentiation without registration, he could still enjoy Omega protection rights.
Thus, Lu Xinshu’s punishment could be fully judged as intent to assault an Omega. The preliminary estimate was a prison term of twenty years or more, plus a lifetime electronic ankle monitor.
Lu Xinshu was a D-Rank Alpha whose Gland would degenerate with age. A twenty-year sentence meant he would degenerate into sexual impotence during his imprisonment, leaving him without reproductive ability afterward.
The lifetime electronic ankle monitor wouldn’t just track and record his movements at all times to prevent him from approaching He Siheng again—it was also a permanent mark of shame. Everyone he met in the future would know he was a suspect who had intended to assault an Omega.
After finishing the statements and leaving the police station, Tan Wan and He Siheng were still chatting away, one calling him “little Siheng,” the other “Wanwan Sis.” One pretended to be gentle, the other acted cute, hiding their bad tempers flawlessly.
Tan Jing tsked and walked over, tossing the car keys to Tan Wan: “Your car is outside the guesthouse where it happened. I’ve sent you the address. The security there isn’t great, so you’d better go pick it up soon.”
“You just left my new car there like that?” Tan Wan dropped everything else upon hearing this. She told He Siheng to go home and rest well, then grabbed the keys and left.
He Siheng was still a bit puzzled: “Did Wanwan Sis buy another motorcycle?”
He recognized it as a motorcycle key and knew Tan Wan liked riding motorcycles, so he wasn’t surprised by that. What surprised him was…
“You rode a motorcycle to come get me?” He Siheng looked at Tan Jing as if seeing him for the first time. “You know how to ride a motorcycle? When did you learn?”
Damn it—he hadn’t learned to ride yet, and Tan Jing had beaten him to it!
Tan Jing saw right through his thoughts and curved his lips: “Call me brother, and I’ll teach you.”
“…” This guy was getting addicted to being the big brother.
He Siheng huffed coldly: “So what if you can ride a motorcycle.”
Tan Jing chuckled but didn’t push. He pulled out his phone to check the time. It was two minutes shy of midnight. It was too late for night snacks, so he opened a ride-hailing app to call a car home.
“Hey, Tan Jing.” He Siheng suddenly called out to him.
Tan Jing looked up.
The teenager extended his clenched fist in front of him and slowly opened his fingers. A translucent jade Peace Buckle lay in his palm.
He Siheng turned his face away awkwardly, glancing elsewhere, his tone stiff: “Just a random gift I bought. It’s not worth much. Wear it or not, up to you. Uh… happy birthday.”
He sped through “happy birthday” as if saying it fast would make it unheard, like he hadn’t said it at all.
But he had said it, and it was heard clearly.
Moonlight fell on his awkward face and into Tan Jing’s slightly stunned eyes, gradually melting into a pool of spring water.
He Siheng waited a long time without Tan Jing taking the jade pendant. Thinking he didn’t want it, he felt inexplicably disappointed: “If you don’t want it, then f—”
As he spoke and reached to take it back, Tan Jing grabbed his hand.
The young man’s slender fingers held his, cool fingertips pressing against the back of his hand while their palms clasped together—like an intimate hand-holding through the smooth jade.
Tan Jing’s dark hair stirred slightly in the wind. Those pitch-black, beautiful eyes pierced through the winter night breeze and looked straight at him.
For no reason, He Siheng’s heart skipped a beat. The breeze brushing his nose carried a faint, gentle grassy-woody fragrance, tender and lingering.
He heard Tan Jing ask softly, “Can I hug you?”
