Chapter 33: Poaching the Corner Part 2

Suppressants had no effect on him, and he still hadn’t shown any interest in dating an Omega. Every year, he endured his Susceptibility Periods on his own.

“Tell Dad not to worry.” Tan Jing smiled. “The person I like is an Omega.”

Noticing he said “the person I like” instead of the vague “I like,” Jiang He perked up instantly. “You’ve got someone in mind?”

Tan Jing neither confirmed nor denied it, just smiled and stood to head back to his room. “It’s late. You should rest early.”

Jiang He had wanted to press further, but she noticed the jade pendant swaying on his chest from the motion. She exclaimed in surprise, “That jade pendant…”

Tan Jing paused, sat back down, and even scooted closer for her to see better, his tone carrying a hint of showing off. “Pretty nice, right?”

“Very nice,” Jiang He said, amused to see him acting so childlike for once, though she was surprised too. “Didn’t you always complain that necklaces and stuff choked you? What made you change your mind?”

Then, thinking of something, she asked with a beaming smile, “Don’t tell me it’s from your crush?”

Tan Jing smiled. “He Siheng gave it to me.”

It was late, so he didn’t chat more with Jiang He. After urging her to rest, he headed back to his room.

The light in the opposite bedroom was still on.

Tan Jing stood by the window, gazing over for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

He really did like winter after all.

Over the weekend, He Siheng spent two days at home acting as a lobbyist.

It started because he hadn’t come home by midnight on Friday night and hadn’t told his family. This worried Lady Shu Qiu. Then, Saturday morning, when she saw the bandage on his hand, her first thought was that he’d gotten into a fight. She was so mad she threatened to freeze his bank card for three months.

He Siheng talked her into believing it was just his bad luck—he’d fallen onto broken glass—and barely got the “sentence” reduced from three months to two.

But then He Yunlang got fired up and suddenly insisted on taking him to the hospital for a pheromone test to see why he still hadn’t Differentiated.

He Siheng was genuinely startled and quickly pulled out excuses to dissuade him. “Dad, getting tested at the hospital won’t help. Differentiation is like growing up—some sprout early, some shoot up late. It’s just a matter of time; no need to rush.”

He Yunlang said worriedly, “Some people never grow at all their whole lives.”

He Siheng buttered him up at the right moment and countered confidently, “I’ve inherited your excellent genes. You think that’s possible?”

He Yunlang was somewhat convinced, but still hesitated. “What if… there’s a genetic mutation?”

“…”

Seeing He Yunlang still itching to drag him to the hospital, He Siheng quickly changed the subject. “Why are you suddenly so urgent about this?”

He Yunlang got angry just mentioning it. “It’s all that old coot Tan Cong. He’s already setting up blind dates for his son. A few days ago, the Zhao Family’s daughter went to Tan Jing’s birthday banquet. If those two families join forces, your dad and I are done for.”

He Siheng thought, As expected, it’s about the Tan Family again.

He comforted him. “Don’t worry, Dad. Those two families won’t tie the knot that easily.”

He Yunlang asked, “How do you know?”

“Tan Jing already has someone he likes,” He Siheng said confidently. “And is he the type to obediently follow arrangements? If he doesn’t want to, he definitely won’t agree.”

He Yunlang finally relaxed a bit, but then noticed something off. “Wait a sec, son. Since when do you know Tan Jing that well? You even know he has a crush? You two chat about this stuff? Your relationship’s gotten that good?”

“…We’re not that close.” He Siheng coughed awkwardly. “As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll win every battle. This is just to compete with him better.”

He Yunlang was duly fooled and gave him a thumbs-up in approval. “That’s my son! But why are you digging into his love life? Don’t tell me you’re… planning to poach his corner?”

Seeing He Yunlang had completely forgotten about the hospital checkup, He Siheng breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes darted as he went with the flow. “Yeah, exactly. I’m set on poaching his corner. With my charm, it’ll be a sure thing!”

He Yunlang suddenly hesitated. Stealing business was one thing, but stealing someone’s fiancée seemed a bit too ruthless.

“Son, about this…”

“Dad!” He Siheng said with high spirits. “Just wait for my good news! We’ll crush the Tan Family together under our feet!”

The temptation of “defeating the Tan Family” was too strong, and He Yunlang was subtly swayed by his enthusiasm. “Alright, Dad’s waiting for your good news!”

“Good!” He Siheng struck while the iron was hot and revealed his true aim. “Sponsor me a bit of ‘poaching fund,’ and I guarantee mission accomplished!”

He Yunlang agreed readily. “No problem!”

Monday, back to school.

During morning Chinese self-study, with no teacher around, He Siheng knocked on Tan Jing’s desk. When the other turned his sharp-profiled face toward him, he lowered his voice. “Wanna grab lunch today? My treat?”

The self-study reading was loud, and He Siheng’s voice was soft, so Tan Jing didn’t catch it clearly. He leaned his body toward him. “What’s today?”

He Siheng paused.

For some reason, when Tan Jing leaned in, all his nerves tensed up involuntarily.

Unlike the dependency period right after being Marked, this wasn’t his body instinctively recognizing his Alpha. It was some other indescribable… discomfort.

He looked up and saw the boy’s distinctly contoured side profile. His eyes unwittingly lingered: such long lashes, such a high nose bridge, that abstinence-yet-sexy mole on it—every feature irresistibly drew the gaze.

Since when was Tan Jing this good-looking?

He Siheng was baffled. Had this jerk secretly gone to one of those beauty salons moms frequented behind his back? Way too vain.

Tan Jing waited a while without a response and lifted his gaze.

The moment their eyes met, He Siheng jerked away like a cat that touched something hot. He cleared his throat forcefully. “Uh… what I meant was, last Friday I messed up your birthday banquet, ruined your blind date, and got blood on your clothes… Let me buy you dinner as compensation. Deal?”