Chapter 41

[?]

[Where did that voice come from? Wasn’t I watching a beautiful big sister?]

[What’s going on? I feel like someone punched me. Am I hallucinating?]

[Why did the beautiful big sister make a man’s voice with such a pretty face?]

[Aaaaaahhh!! It’s Fish Fish Teacher!!!]

[Yu Xi?!]

[No way, who did you say?! Yu Xi?!]

Yu Xi sat down with a bold posture, and his short skirt unexpectedly revealed a glimpse of something—a pair of safety shorts with extremely exaggerated colors.

To avoid the risk of “wardrobe malfunctions” or netizens screenshotting and spreading rumors about invisible safety shorts, Guan Zifan had simply made Yu Xi wear a flashy pair.

“Look clearly now, it’s me!” Yu Xi picked up Yi Chen’s phone, lit up the screensaver, found the same angle in front of the camera, and struck the same pose. “Say it again—who does this Yi Chen belong to? What am I to Yi Chen? His girlfriend?”

[Cough, did someone actually say that?]

[Not girlfriend, it’s boyfriend.]

[Then why are you cross-dressing?]

“What else could it be?” Yi Chen intimately draped an arm around Yu Xi’s shoulder and leisurely looked toward the camera.

They didn’t need to say anything; naturally, fans and netizens would fill in the blanks with their imaginations.

[Don’t tell me it’s because he lost a bet and had to cross-dress? It trended, so he’s fulfilling the promise while giving back to the fans?]

[Fish Fish Teacher and Teacher Yi Chen know how to give back!!!]

[Damn those paparazzi! We could’ve enjoyed the fanservice nicely, but now there’s no surprise left because of all the speculation!]

“It’s the same now.” Yi Chen wrapped an arm around Yu Xi’s waist, pulling him closer.

The T-shirt was very short, and when he sat down, a small section of his waist was exposed. Yi Chen’s warm palm touched the softest spot there, and Yu Xi’s entire body stiffened.

“Relax, baby.” Yi Chen soothed Yu Xi. “Don’t be nervous.”

Before the stream, they had seriously discussed the process and plan.

The stream would last about twenty minutes: first Yu Xi’s hot dance to dispel rumors, then chatting with fans, including some physical contact as fan service.

The actions couldn’t be too exaggerated or deliberate—subtle hints of ambiguity and possessiveness were key.

Yu Xi knew this segment was coming and what moves it involved, but when Yi Chen’s palm rested on his waist, that bit of shyness was unavoidable. His ears turned uncontrollably red.

The fans under the microscope naturally noticed this detail. The chat exploded with discussions and screams—Yi Chen in love, Yi Chen’s girlfriend—all that nonsense was drowned out as “cross-dressing sugar” shot to the top of the trends.

“My relationship with Fish Fish Teacher doesn’t need questioning.” Yi Chen’s tone was casual. “He looks so pretty in a little skirt. What’s wrong with setting it as my screensaver?”

“But who set it, really? Not going to give the fans an answer? Baby?”

Yi Chen kept calling him “baby.” Yu Xi kept telling himself it was just a meme, playing along with the netizens, part of the stream script, acting. But when that soft, slightly puzzled “baby” sounded in his ear, Yu Xi couldn’t help but want to pull away.

Stop calling me that.

Past scenes inevitably flooded his mind—every afternoon, every night, every day, Yi Chen had called him that.

Yu Xi didn’t respond for a long time. Yi Chen called again: “Baby?”

Yu Xi struggled to stand, but Yi Chen didn’t let go. His other hand pressed down on Yu Xi’s leg, and he leaned close to his ear, whispering so only they could hear: “Don’t move. Come here and block for me a bit.”

Yu Xi froze and saw that Yi Chen was having a reaction. Unfortunately, the camera was positioned just right to catch it. Manually adjusting it now would look too suspicious.

Whatever Yi Chen meant, right now they were in this together.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and directly sat on Yi Chen’s lap.

Yi Chen: “!”

Chat: [Aaaaaahhh!!!]

Yu Xi: “…”

The moment he sat down, Yu Xi regretted it.

In that instant, he clearly felt something pressing against him. It was uncomfortable.

And at the same exact moment, as if the heavens were playing a joke, a sharp pain suddenly stabbed Yu Xi’s nape. His body went numb like he’d been electrocuted, strength draining away in an instant.

—The precursor heat was coming.

Yu Xi knew precursor heat was irregular, but he hadn’t expected it to be this irregular, striking at the weirdest times.

Just before collapsing, Yu Xi draped an arm over Yi Chen’s shoulder and forcibly held himself up. Yi Chen felt it too and supported his waist, keeping the stream viewers from noticing anything off.

The stinging pain in his nape intensified, his mind going blank. Pheromones leaked from the back of his neck. The collar was low for effect, and he’d only used a thin invisible barrier patch—one that could block casual daily leaks but not the torrent during precursor heat.

In an instant, the gardenia sweet fragrance filled the room.

Yi Chen was clearly affected; the pressure against Yu Xi became even more obvious, throbbing against two layers of fabric.

But Yi Chen’s expression didn’t change at all. He calmly interacted with the stream.

The stream was only twenty minutes. Right on time, Yi Chen ended it, clicked offline, and shut down the computer.

Yu Xi collapsed onto Yi Chen like a taut rope suddenly released. His forehead rested on Yi Chen’s shoulder, chest heaving dramatically, breaths scorching hot.

“Get up a bit. I’ll help you.” In this position, Yi Chen couldn’t move well.

Yu Xi gripped Yi Chen’s hand and struggled to stand, but as soon as he did, something felt wrong.

The skirt was wrong.

He hadn’t noticed yesterday due to unconsciousness, and earlier he’d been focused on the stream. Only now did Yu Xi realize the skirt was too short, too breezy—breezy enough to make his whole body heat up uncontrollably.

He saw Yi Chen leaning closer. He saw Yi Chen’s gaze.

Dark. Intense.

Different from the previous two precursor heats.

Yu Xi’s mind was a mess, full of pain and discomfort. He couldn’t describe what was different or how.

He only knew his brain kept screaming that the Alpha in front of him was very dangerous.

Reason told him to push Yi Chen away, endure it—endure and it would pass. Precursor heat ended quickly.

But his body wouldn’t move. Instead, it sought contact—arm against arm, clinging possessively, following as Yi Chen backed him into the corner step by step.

This was Yi Chen’s Dorm 224, arranged by the company for rest between shoots. It was the perfect spot for streaming—no worries about interruptions.

Of course, it was also perfect for relieving precursor heat.

His back hit the cold wall. Yi Chen’s palm cradled the back of his head, slowly lowering.

Yu Xi didn’t want Yi Chen to kiss him.

Yi Chen’s eyes said he couldn’t hold back.

Today, they would definitely do something more extreme than kissing.

But he also desperately, urgently, impatiently wanted Yi Chen to kiss him.

Instinct was always brutally honest.

His evasions, his feigned aloof rejections—all crumbled before instinct.

Breaths grew heavier, closer.

But just as their lips nearly touched, Yi Chen stopped.

“You’re not dodging?” Yi Chen’s tone held surprise.

“It’s not illegal. Why dodge?” Yu Xi seemed calm, but he avoided Yi Chen’s eyes, looking away. “It’s just a way to relieve precursor heat. It’s not… not the first time…”

Yi Chen’s gaze darkened. “This time, I might not hold back.”

If you can’t hold back, then don’t.

So much talk.

Yu Xi couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt too much—like countless bugs gnawing his brain. He couldn’t wait. He wrapped his arms around Yi Chen’s neck and kissed him straight on.

–

Yu Xi woke up.

He opened his eyes on the bed, body curling in bit by bit.

Yi Chen… had held back, but not completely.

The insides of his thighs hurt. He’d been a bit too forceful earlier.

The other half of the bed was empty. Yi Chen wasn’t in the room. Faint voices came from outside—two people talking.

It was Luo Qin, sounding utterly broken.

“That was the limited edition I bought for my sister!!”

“You promised you’d keep it safe for me!”

“How did you let him wear it?! And stream it!”

“You—you guys don’t play like that for fun!!!”

Yu Xi: “…”

So the women’s clothes in Yi Chen’s closet were the ones Luo Qin bought for his sister.

Yi Chen was prepared. He pulled out a box and shoved it toward Luo Qin.

Ten sets of master-customized women’s outfits, one-of-a-kind—only his sister had them.

Luo Qin took one look and instantly forgave Yi Chen.

“Right, I came this time for another thing too.”

Luo Qin pulled a small box from his medical kit. “I knew from the stream you’d be here. Yu Xi’s here too. The timing’s right—time to take a sample to check his differentiation progress. And I was coming to settle the debt anyway, so I brought it along.”

“Okay.”

Yi Chen got up and brought Yu Xi out.

As a professional doctor, Luo Qin didn’t ask why Yu Xi was wearing Yi Chen’s clothes, or why his legs trembled when he walked, or why his lips were swollen. He kept his mouth shut, gloved up, disinfected, and took a sample from the gland.

The precursor heat had just ended, so some pheromones lingered, the gardenia scent overflowing.

Yi Chen stayed by Yu Xi’s side, watching Luo Qin vigilantly.

Luo Qin got fed up with the staring. “I’m a Beta. I can’t smell anything.”

Yi Chen: “Still gotta watch.”

“I’m leaving. No need to see me out.” Sample taken, Luo Qin packed up quickly and left.

The room was left with just Yu Xi and Yi Chen again.

“I prepared food.” Yi Chen spoke.

“No dishes. I ain’t washing.” Yu Xi said.

Yi Chen pulled out disposable bowls and chopsticks, setting them in front of Yu Xi. “Dorm 224’s basic. Gotta save on water.”

Yi Chen had prepared low-calorie food. At this hour, it counted as their dinner.

No one spoke.

In truth, Yu Xi didn’t know what to say.

Though it had been precursor heat…

But the moment Yi Chen lifted his skirt, that barrier between them seemed to tear open a crack.

Maybe the pheromones, maybe the precursor heat, or maybe the exhilarating release of tearing down his heart’s defenses—Yu Xi clearly remembered every sensation, every thought, every initiative he took. The emptiness inside him amplified, grew, and at the peak of excitement, he examined himself through layer after layer.

Examined himself since reuniting with Yi Chen.

His panicked, clumsy performance was embarrassing even to him.

He couldn’t lie to himself anymore.

He had never… let go…

Dinner was simple. Right then, Guan Zifan messaged that he was coming to pick up Yu Xi. Time to change and go.

“I’m off.” This was the second time today Yu Xi was leaving Yi Chen’s place. “I’ll wash the clothes later and return them.”

He reached for the door, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed. He was pulled into a warm embrace.

Without warning, Yi Chen hugged Yu Xi tightly, lowered his head, and kissed his ear again and again.

It tickled, enough to make his whole body shiver, enough to make him want to turn and kiss back.

But Yi Chen quickly stopped. He just rested against Yu Xi’s ear, his soft breaths brushing like feathers.

“I get it.”

His voice was soft, gentle.

“Ah Yu.”