Chapter 21
Bidding farewell to the scorching summer sun, they welcomed the golden autumn of September.
The sun was shining, the breeze gentle, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus flowers.
Today was the first day of university for freshmen, and Fang Xiu had entrusted Yan Weiqiu to Jiang Yuebai’s care.
Before school started, Fang Xiu handed Yan Weiqiu a key, saying sentimentally, “This is the house Auntie Jiang and I bought for you and Xiaobai near the university. We figured you’re both grown up now, and living in the dorms might be inconvenient, so we wanted you to move out and live together. I’d feel more at ease with Xiaobai taking care of you.”
“No, no way.” Yan Weiqiu shook his head vigorously. “I want to live in the dorms.”
In his current situation, how could he live with Jiang Yuebai? He was trying to avoid him, not get closer.
Fang Xiu didn’t say anything, just handed him the key, saying he could go over and stay for a couple of days on weekends.
“Although Xiaobai is an Alpha, he knows his boundaries. I feel at ease leaving you in his care.”
Yan Weiqiu: “I can take care of myself.”
This was Yan Weiqiu’s first time living in a dorm, and he might not even go home once a month. How could Fang Xiu be at ease? She knew the two boys were having a little disagreement, but she was busy with work these few days and couldn’t accompany her son to complete the enrollment procedures, so she could only ask Xiaobai to take care of him.
Yan Weiqiu sat on his suitcase under an umbrella, letting Jiang Yuebai push him.
Since differentiating into an Omega, he felt even weaker than before.
The late summer sun was still scorching, and he felt listless and drained.
Jiang Yuebai crouched in front of him, looking at his listless expression, and said heartfeltly, “Are you feeling unwell? Or are you tired? Do you want to take a break?”
Yan Weiqiu leaned against the suitcase handle and nodded. “I feel like I’m going to be dried up by the sun. It’s so hot.”
Jiang Yuebai pushed him into the shade, handed him a small fan, and said, “Wait for me here. I’ll go fill out the enrollment forms.”
“Okay.” Yan Weiqiu waved at him weakly.
The line for new student registration was long, and Yan Weiqiu watched as Jiang Yuebai gradually disappeared into the crowd.
When he reappeared, he was slightly sweaty, looking less composed than before.
Yan Weiqiu handed him his water bottle and wiped the sweat off his face, smiling faintly. “You’ve worked hard.”
Jiang Yuebai froze for a moment, then tilted his head closer to Yan Weiqiu, making it easier for him to wipe his sweat.
Yan Weiqiu: “…”
Their eyes met, and Yan Weiqiu’s heart trembled slightly.
Too close. He could even clearly see the reflection of himself in Jiang Yuebai’s pupils.
He casually wiped Jiang Yuebai’s sweat and then discreetly created some distance between them.
“All done.”
The Alpha dorms were separate from the Beta and Omega dorms.
Only on the first day of school and graduation day were Alphas allowed to temporarily enter the Beta and Omega dorm buildings.
Jiang Yuebai registered his name with the dorm supervisor and then carried Yan Weiqiu’s luggage upstairs.
Yan Weiqiu held the small fan and gripped the handrail, slowly climbing the stairs step by step.
It was already late when they arrived at the dorm, and the other three roommates were already there.
Their dorm was mixed, with both Betas and Omegas.
The three roommates froze when they saw Jiang Yuebai walking in front.
It wasn’t until Yan Weiqiu peeked out from behind Jiang Yuebai and greeted them, “Hello everyone,” that they reacted.
Jiang Yuebai just nodded at them, then took a towel from the suitcase and wiped the desk and chair under Yan Weiqiu’s bed, had him sit down, took out a carton of milk from the suitcase, opened it, and placed it in front of him, before starting to clean and unpack his luggage.
Yan Weiqiu wasn’t surprised; he leaned against the desk, blowing the small fan at himself, and watching short videos on his phone.
“High-end ingredients require the simplest cooking methods…”
Hearing the sound of the video, Jiang Yuebai leaned closer for a look and saw him staring intently at the dish on screen. He teased, “Wipe your mouth, you’re drooling.”
Yan Weiqiu instinctively wiped his mouth.
Yan Weiqiu: “???”
“Are you hungry?” Jiang Yuebai was about to pat his head but stopped himself, remembering his hands were dirty.
Yan Weiqiu glared at him and snorted. “I’m going to have crab roe noodles later.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yuebai responded, opening his suitcase and neatly arranging his belongings.
Yan Weiqiu looked at his busy figure, a sense of melancholy washing over him.
After making the bed and unpacking, Jiang Yuebai finally left, returning to his own dorm to unpack his luggage.
The three roommates were silent for a while, only speaking after they were sure Jiang Yuebai had left. One of them asked Yan Weiqiu hesitantly, “Was that your boyfriend?”
Yan Weiqiu froze for a moment, then denied, “No.”
He had stood Jiang Yuebai up on the trip and the confession, and their relationship had returned to an ambiguous stage. Neither of them had taken the initiative to clarify things.
“Is he your brother then?”
Yan Weiqiu shook his head. “No, I’m an only child.”
“Can you introduce him to me?”
“Huh?” Yan Weiqiu looked at him in surprise.
“He’s not your brother or your boyfriend, and he’s willing to be your servant? Alphas like that are rare. If possible, please send me his WeChat ID.”
“The key is that he’s very handsome. Handsome, clean, and willing to be your servant? I’ve never seen an Alpha like that.”
This was the first time Yan Weiqiu had encountered someone trying to steal his… well, he wasn’t even his. He bit his straw and said softly, “He’s my childhood friend.”
“Then there’s no hope.”
“No wonder he looks at you like that.”
“I knew such a high-quality Alpha couldn’t be single.”
“Childhood friends? You guys are like a cultivation novel.”
“Speaking of which, why aren’t you two dating?”
“Mmm.” Yan Weiqiu smiled. “Maybe because he doesn’t like Omegas.”
…
…
A month into university, Yan Weiqiu gradually adapted to university life. Perhaps because Jiang Yuebai was there to take care of everything for him, living away from home for the first time wasn’t as difficult as he had imagined. It was even quite comfortable.
Jiang Yuebai waited for him to have meals together every day and often took him around the university to familiarize him with the surroundings.
They saw each other every day, even on days with a full schedule of classes.
Their relationship seemed to have returned to how it was before, back in their senior year of high school, as if the distance between them had disappeared.
But it hadn’t.
Especially every time Yan Weiqiu opened that small bottle of candy-like pills.
Today’s candy was strawberry-flavored.
Looking at the dwindling number of pills, Yan Weiqiu sighed softly. It should last for another month, right?
Beep beep—
A black car slowly stopped in front of him, and Yan Weiqiu opened the door and got in.
“Didn’t you say you had a dinner gathering with the basketball club members?”
There were many clubs at the university, but Yan Weiqiu just wanted to be a slacker and wasn’t interested in any of them.
Jiang Yuebai, on the other hand, hadn’t escaped the clutches of the senior students and had ended up joining the basketball club, though he rarely showed up.
Jiang Yuebai said indifferently, “It’s okay if I don’t go. It’s not an important gathering anyway.”
The president of the basketball club had a good relationship with Jiang Yuebai, and they seemed to have been friends for many years, which was why Jiang Yuebai had agreed to join.
Yan Weiqiu smiled faintly. “The president must have a headache dealing with you.”
“Let him.” Jiang Yuebai chuckled noncommittally. Joining the basketball club wasn’t his intention, and he was annoyed that it was taking away from the time he could spend with Xiaoqiu.
Jiang Yuebai: “Didn’t you say you wanted to have your first hot pot of autumn tonight?”
Yan Weiqiu: “I saw everyone posting about it on social media; I just wanted to join in on the fun. I was going to go with my roommates if you weren’t free.”
“That won’t do.” Jiang Yuebai turned to look at him, a smile in his eyes, and said casually, “Xiaoqiu’s first hot pot of autumn should be with me, of course.”
Although his tone was casual, Yan Weiqiu could hear the seriousness in his voice and even felt the faint lime scent in the car gradually intensifying, enveloping him possessively.
Yan Weiqiu looked at him in surprise, then quickly looked away.
He clutched his shirt tightly, trying to calm his restless heart.
The scent of pheromones grew stronger, filling the small car.
Just as he was trembling, about to open the bottle of pills and take another one, Jiang Yuebai suddenly asked, “Xiaoqiu, did you change your shower gel?”
Yan Weiqiu froze, his mind blank, his heart racing.
Did Jiang Yuebai smell his pheromones?
Yan Weiqiu’s face paled slightly, fear spreading through him. He looked down at the bottle of pills in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
He put the bottle back in his bag and smiled faintly. “Yes.”
He looked at Jiang Yuebai and asked tentatively, “It’s sweet orange. What do you think of the scent?”
“It smells good.” Jiang Yuebai didn’t notice anything unusual, just asking with a smile, “Why the sudden change? Don’t you like the old one anymore?”
Yan Weiqiu didn’t know how to describe his current feelings.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief but still clutched his shirt tightly, not completely relaxed. He said jokingly, “I’m obsessed with this scent recently, so I changed all my shower gel, shampoo, laundry detergent, even my perfume.”
“You like it that much?” Jiang Yuebai drawled, his voice slightly husky, with a hint of seduction. “Can I smell it?”
Yan Weiqiu’s heart pounded as he looked at him.
The car stopped.
Jiang Yuebai unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned towards him.
Yan Weiqiu instantly became stiff as a statue.
Jiang Yuebai unbuckled his seatbelt for him, sensing his stiffness and chuckling. “We’re here. Let’s go.”
Before Yan Weiqiu could relax, Jiang Yuebai leaned close to his neck and sniffed, smiling. “Mm, it smells good. I like this scent too.”
Yan Weiqiu: “…”
Unable to bear it any longer, he slapped him.
Jiang Yuebai quieted down.
Yan Weiqiu was satisfied.
