Chapter 54

Yu Xi and Yi Chen had such strong CP vibes together that the flashes hadn’t stopped since they went on stage. Once the segment ended and they left the stage, the moment Yu Xi stepped onto the stairs, his legs went weak. His nape felt as if it had been scorched by flames, burning intensely. His vision seemed shrouded in a layer of cloth, suddenly turning a hazy gray-white.

A familiar sensation surged over him instantly.

Yu Xi’s heart sank with a thud.

Even with the pheromone-blocking spray and Scent Blocker, there were too many people at the venue—inevitably some Alphas or Omegas. If it acted up right here, it would cause a scene.

Yi Chen noticed Yu Xi’s abnormality first. With quick reflexes, he grabbed Yu Xi’s arm and, just as the pheromones began leaking widely from his nape, swiftly pulled him into a bathroom stall. He shut the door tightly and locked it from the inside.

The bathroom had a classical Chinese decor, looking quite luxurious and clean. The staff had lit aromatherapy candles, and the stall was spacious enough that even with two people squeezed inside, it didn’t feel crowded.

Yu Xi clutched his nape and tilted his head back.

Pheromones overflowed from between his fingers, filling the entire stall with a sweet gardenia scent.

“What are you standing there for?” Yu Xi’s breathing grew rapid.

Yi Chen didn’t rush to give a temporary mark.

He pinched Yu Xi’s nape, rubbing the bite mark on the gland, and asked, “Bitten by a dog?”

“What do you think?” Under the intense pain, Yu Xi found breathing harder and harder. He gasped several times just to get those few words out completely.

Yi Chen still didn’t move.

Though the gardenia-scented pheromones had him on the verge of losing control—his breathing quickened, his heart raced—Yi Chen could be a real bastard when he wanted to be.

Yu Xi was always so dishonest in his normal state.

Only in a situation like this was there a slight chance to pry open his mouth.

There were too many things he wanted to ask.

He stroked Yu Xi’s gland, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the scar that had once bled.

“You…”

The words had barely started when Yu Xi suddenly wrapped his arms around Yi Chen’s neck, yanked him down forcefully, lifted his chin, and kissed him directly.

“Dog thing.” Yu Xi lightly nipped Yi Chen’s lip.

Even with his mind a bit foggy now, Yu Xi still knew Yi Chen well.

This dog thing wasn’t making a move because he was holding back for something big.

There were some relationships he didn’t know how to handle, some things he didn’t know how to think about, some questions he didn’t know how to answer.

He relied on instinct, acted on instinct—licking, nipping lightly. Once he felt Yi Chen’s arms tightening around him and heard his trembling breaths, Yu Xi pressed him toward his nape. “Mark me.”

–

“Huh? Weird, where are Teacher Yu Xi and Teacher Yi Chen?”

The banquet was about to start, and Wu Zhiqi couldn’t find them anywhere. As more people took their seats, she grew anxious. “Lele, shall we go look for them?”

“Sure.” Fu Le couldn’t refuse at all and could only pretend to be equally worried as he split up with Wu Zhiqi to search.

Fu Le checked a few spots without finding them and decided to use the bathroom before heading back to his seat around the right time.

His footsteps halted.

Yi Chen stood guard at the door.

The Temporary Mark process left behind pheromones, so to avoid affecting other Alphas or Omegas, they’d just contacted emergency cleanup staff. The stall was currently undergoing pheromone ventilation.

Yu Xi had just been marked and needed a moment to calm down.

Hearing footsteps approaching from nearby, Yi Chen looked up and saw Fu Le. He gave him a slight smile.

Fu Le shuddered all over.

He had gone from initially wanting to get close to Yi Chen for resources to now being outright afraid.

Yi Chen’s gaze seemed to pierce through his facade straight to his core, making Fu Le break out in chills.

Fu Le avoided Yi Chen’s eyes and called out timidly, “Brother Yi Chen.”

“What are you doing here?” Yi Chen at least kept up a surface-level civility.

Not long ago, Assistant Wu had sent him an investigation report on Fu Le.

As expected, another case of faking innocence and playing a persona—cute on the outside, rotten within.

But Yi Chen had no intention of tearing into him right now.

Fu Le forced a smile. “The banquet’s about to start. We couldn’t find you or Brother Yu Xi anywhere. Sister Zhiqi and I were worried sick and searched everywhere.”

“Got it,” Yi Chen said. “We’ll head over soon. You go back first.”

Fu Le nodded and walked toward the banquet hall.

He didn’t go far, though. He stopped behind a pillar ahead.

Yi Chen’s demeanor clearly showed he was covering for Yu Xi on something.

The door was shut, no one around, faint footsteps audible from inside, and professional equipment at the door—something had definitely happened in there.

Fu Le hid behind the pillar, concealing himself, and kept a close eye on the situation.

He saw Yu Xi emerge from the bathroom stall. His face looked off, the corners of his eyes red, his condition poor—limbs weak, needing Yi Chen’s support to barely walk.

After he came out, staff emerged from the stall too and spoke with Yu Xi and Yi Chen outside. Yu Xi looked serious. Fu Le strained to hear their conversation, but it was too far; he only caught vague keywords like “Omega” and “pheromones.”

Fu Le: “!”

Known fact: Yu Xi was an Alpha.

So, had Yu Xi gotten involved with an Omega here?

–

The banquet content was utterly routine. The host went on stage to hype up the atmosphere, people socialized at the tables or just ate, but the food didn’t suit Yu Xi’s taste. He had no interest in pointless socializing or eating, so he boredly scrolled his phone.

His phone vibrated—a new message in the group chat.

The latest episode schedule for Weekend Go Where was confirmed.

[Director: Theme for episode four is set! @everyone]

[Director: Back to Campus]

[Director: This time, we’re heading to B University campus to attend classes with college students.]

[Director: Here’s the major list, everyone pick a major.]

[Director: [Image]]

[Wu Zhiqi: !]

[Wu Zhiqi: I get to take classes at B University too?!]

[Wu Zhiqi: Taking classes with hot college guys (just kidding)]

[Fang Peng: Zhiqi, aren’t you at the banquet? How are you replying so fast?]

[Wu Zhiqi: It’s so boring. I see Teacher Yu Xi and Teacher Yi Chen on their phones too.]

[Wu Zhiqi: @Yu Xi @Yi Chen, what major classes are you picking?]

[Yu Xi: Any detailed course schedules? Wanna prep ahead, don’t wanna expose my bad student side.]

[Director: Still negotiating. We’ll coordinate further based on your major picks.]

[Director: Everyone post your choices in the group tonight. @everyone]

“Teacher Yu Xi, Teacher Yi Chen.” Wu Zhiqi sneaked over quietly and crouched behind their chairs, whispering, “You haven’t answered yet. What are you picking?”

“No idea.” Yi Chen told the truth.

“No idea?” Wu Zhiqi was puzzled. “When you took the gaokao, wasn’t there a major you wanted but didn’t get into? No regrets?”

Yi Chen: “I never took the gaokao.”

A returnee who’d graduated high school and gone abroad stated the fact.

Wu Zhiqi: “…”

Wu Zhiqi: “Teacher Yu Xi, what was your gaokao ranking?”

“No clue.”

Wu Zhiqi: “?”

“You wouldn’t forget that, right? It’s the gaokao—the gaokao!”

Yu Xi: “It showed as an asterisk when I checked scores, no specifics. Then my phone blew up with calls, and I forgot to ask.”

Wu Zhiqi: “…”

She shouldn’t have asked.