Any other Omega would have gone weak in the knees at such a voice, but to Xie Ling, it hit like a bolt from the blue.
It was Qin Han! Qin Han had seen him with his face buried in the jacket!
Reason crashed back over him in an instant, and Xie Ling wished the ground would swallow him up.
It was all this damn instinct’s fault!
No, he had to calm down. He was too handsome to die, and he sure as hell couldn’t die because of Qin Han.
Using the jacket for cover, Xie Ling did some quick mental prep and schooled his expression into something nonchalant before lifting his head.
“Didn’t do anything.” Realizing his voice was a bit hoarse, Xie Ling cleared his throat. “Smelled something weird and wanted to check it out. Turns out it was just sweat stink on this jacket.”
“That’s my jacket,” Qin Han said, eyeing Xie Ling. “I always filter out sweat with my pheromones when I run.”
“Then you didn’t filter it well enough.”
Xie Ling tossed the jacket back to Qin Han carelessly and bent down to pick up Liu Fei’s jacket from the grass. When he straightened up, though, he saw a sight that left him breathless.
Qin Han had buried his face in the jacket—in exactly the same position he had!
Even the spot was identical!
Xie Ling couldn’t say why, but his ears suddenly burned hot.
He watched as Qin Han lifted his head. Because of the angle of the sunlight, Qin Han stood in a patch of shadow, his whole figure cloaked in darkness. There was no trace of his usual smile on his face, and his gaze held a profound depth.
Xie Ling couldn’t read that look at all; it just made his heart inexplicably race. He knew full well there was no sweat smell on Qin Han’s jacket. What if Qin Han kept pressing the issue?
As he stewed in his anxiety, Qin Han suddenly smiled. “Guess I didn’t filter it well enough. Sorry, didn’t mean to subject you to that nasty smell.”
There really was? Xie Ling let out a breath of relief, feeling like even a blind squirrel had found a nut for once. He must have been too lost in Qin Han’s pheromones earlier to notice.
“No big deal.” Xie Ling suddenly felt bolder. “Your Ling Bro’s got a big heart. Won’t hold you accountable for assaulting my nose.”
“You’re the best.” Qin Han played the bootlicker as always. “Oh, right—the PE teacher wants to see you.”
Xie Ling acknowledged it with an “oh” and headed toward the gym, Liu Fei’s jacket in hand.
Qin Han followed behind him, and that gaze—which had seemed so pure and bright just seconds ago—turned murky and deep once more.
If there had been a mirror handy, Xie Ling would have realized something. Even after he’d adjusted himself, the moment he’d pulled his face from Qin Han’s jacket, his expression had still been dazed and misty-eyed, the corners red.
Qin Han had originally come back to the track with the jacket as an excuse because he’d been worried Xie Ling might be anemic again. He hadn’t expected to walk in on that heart-stopping scene.
His earlier words had just been to play along with Xie Ling, but Qin Han was confident there was no sweat smell on his jacket. If anything, there was only the scent of his pheromones.
Could the “weird smell” Xie Ling mentioned actually be his pheromones? Alphas naturally repelled each other’s pheromones, sure—but if that was the case, why hadn’t Xie Ling just said he smelled Qin Han’s pheromones outright?
Even stranger: Qin Han prided himself on keeping his pheromones well-contained. Even if some lingered on the jacket, Xie Ling shouldn’t have picked it up so easily… unless…
That image flashed through his mind again: Xie Ling lifting his head from the jacket. And the nagging doubts about Xie Ling’s condition that had been buried in his heart these past couple days.
Qin Han suddenly realized a possibility. The thought sent his blood surging through his veins.
Was it possible? Qin Han stared hard at Xie Ling’s back. From his aura to that freakish athletic display on the basketball court the other day, it didn’t seem possible—but…
~~~
After PE class ended, Qin Han found a quiet corner and called his second brother, Qin Huai.
Qin Huai was currently stuck helping Old Madam Qin manage the family business at the company, but thanks to his personal interests, he owned a research institute specializing in ABO physiology—and he was something of an expert himself.
“Would an Alpha bury his face in another Alpha’s jacket to sniff it?” Qin Huai laughed. “What, you think someone would stick their nose in a pigsty for fun?”
“Second Bro,” Qin Han said darkly.
Qin Huai coughed, sobering up a bit. “A question with such an obvious answer doesn’t sound like you. Alphas naturally repel each other’s pheromones. If you smelled it on someone’s jacket, you’d chuck the thing in the trash at best—bury your face in it? That’s Omega behavior.”
Qin Han’s fingers tightened on his phone. “Could an Alpha get anemic from their susceptible period?”
“Alphas are built tough by nature. Susceptible periods just make them aggressive, irritable, possessive—no anemia there. You sure you’re not talking about an Omega?”
Qin Han had already suspected as much deep down; he just hadn’t been able to believe it, which was why he’d called Qin Huai. He thought back to the scent he’d caught on the basketball court that day. “But his pheromones are definitely Alpha.”
Qin Huai had been confused at first about what was up with his little brother, but that “he” suddenly clicked something into place. He chuckled. “That’s weird, then. Tell you what—my institute can run an investigation for you. Just get something with his pheromones on it, seal it in a bag, and bring it back.”
“Like what?”
“Best if it’s something close to the body, like underwear.”
Qin Han’s pupils flickered, and after a long pause, he replied, “Got it.”
Qin Huai let out a low chuckle but couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “This ‘he’ you’re talking about—is it Little Ling?”
Qin Han corrected him. “Don’t call him Little Ling.”
Oof, scary. Off-limits even to say it.
Back when Qin Han was still in middle school, Qin Huai had visited his school a few times and met Xie Ling. The two had hit it off easily despite the nearly ten-year age gap.
“Leave it to me,” Qin Huai said. He’d been bored and frustrated under their grandma’s thumb lately. “But I’m curious—if Little… if he really is an Omega, what are you gonna do?”
Qin Han paused for two seconds, his lips curving up higher and higher. In a voice soft and slow, he countered, “What do you think?”
~~~
The third period after lunch was art class. Afterward, Xie Ling stayed behind for a bit to chat with the art teacher about comics.
As he left the art room, someone bumped into him lightly from behind. He turned and saw red paint smeared on the side of his school uniform.
“Sorry,” said the culprit, Qin Han, who held a paintbrush and palette with an apologetic look. “Wasn’t on purpose.”
If it had been anyone else, Xie Ling would have just waved it off with a smile. But since it was Qin Han, he instinctively wanted to mess with him a little. “You wash it for me?”
“I’ll wash it for you.”
Their voices overlapped perfectly.
Xie Ling blinked.
Qin Han’s smile deepened. “I’ll take it home tonight and get it back to you tomorrow good as new.”
His attitude was so accommodating, and it really hadn’t been intentional, so Xie Ling couldn’t make a fuss without looking petty. Picking a fight required some class; throwing a tantrum here would just make him lose face.
“Fine, Young Master. Use your brain—by the time you get it home, the paint’ll be dry. I can just scrub it myself real quick.”
He turned to leave, but the hem of his shirt was suddenly tugged.
“The school bathrooms don’t have laundry detergent, and the hand soap’s probably run dry anyway.” Qin Han pulled at Xie Ling. “Let my family’s housekeeper wash it. She’ll get it pristine.”
What was wrong with this guy? Insisting on washing his clothes.
Xie Ling racked his near-perfect GPA brain for a second, then arched a brow with a grin. “What, scared I’ll ditch you at the cafeteria over a shirt?”
“You’re too magnanimous for that.” Qin Han’s over-the-top flattery flowed effortlessly. “I’d just feel bad, so…”
Qin Han gave the hem of Xie Ling’s shirt a gentle shake. “Pretty please?”
Xie Ling: “…”
Why did that shirt-shaking feel so… something?
Feeling a bit awkward, Xie Ling yanked his shirt free. “Fine, since you’re so sincere, I’ll give you a shot to prove yourself.”
Xie Ling had worn a jacket out that morning, and his basketball jersey from earlier was at school too, both stuffed in a bag. He swung by the classroom to grab it, then headed for the bathroom.
Qin Han trailed right behind him the whole way.
Xie Ling frowned. “Why are you following me?”
Qin Han smiled. “Just seeing if there’s anything I can help with.”
“Help how?” Xie Ling scoffed. “You gonna help me take it off?”
Qin Han didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
Xie Ling choked. “You got some scheme going on?”
He did—something pretty shady, too.
Qin Han chuckled lightly. “Kidding. Got paint on my hands in art class. Gonna wash up.”
He held out his palm for Xie Ling to see.
Sure enough, paint stains.
Xie Ling glanced and looked away. “Your jokes are as boring as you are.”
At the bathroom, Qin Han went to the sink to wash his hands, planning to wait for Xie Ling to change and head back together.
But Xie Ling didn’t head for a stall. He just walked to the other side of the sinks and set down his bag.
Qin Han’s hand-washing slowed to a crawl.
He watched as Xie Ling lifted the hem of his school uniform and stripped off his shirt right in front of him.
In truth, when he thought about it carefully, this was the alpha-only restroom. For Xie Ling—who might very well be an alpha—to change clothes out in the open like this wasn’t all that strange.
Cool water flowed over Qin Han’s fingertips, yet he didn’t feel the slightest bit refreshed.
Xie Ling had his back turned to him as he rummaged through his bag for a fresh shirt. From Qin Han’s vantage point, he had a clear view of the boy’s bare back.
Xie Ling’s shoulders weren’t as broad as those of most other alphas, but they weren’t scrawny either. The muscles clinging to his shoulder blades formed elegant lines—clear evidence of regular workouts.
And lower down, that stretch of pale waist was even more…
Qin Han’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. The faucet continued to pour water over his hand with a steady rush, but he seemed to have lost all awareness. He just stood there, arm raised dumbly, his gaze growing darker and more intense by the second.
Right then, the sound of two alphas laughing and chatting drifted in from outside the restroom, drawing closer.
His body moved faster than his mind. By the time Qin Han snapped out of it, he had already shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Xie Ling’s still-bare upper body from behind.
The air went utterly still.
Xie Ling stared at the jacket that had suddenly appeared on him, utterly baffled. “What are you doing?”
“…Didn’t want you catching a chill.” In those few short seconds, Qin Han had already come up with his excuse. “No sunlight reaches in here—it’s pretty cold. I saw you hadn’t pulled out your spare clothes yet.”
“The jersey got snagged on the school badge on your jacket.” Xie Ling fiddled with it a couple more times before finally freeing the jersey. “As if I’d catch a chill that easily.”
He shrugged the jacket off his shoulders and shoved it back at Qin Han. Then he pulled on the jersey and tossed the paint-stained shirt his way, issuing a fierce warning. “Make sure you wash this spotless, like it’s brand new. Otherwise, tomorrow I’ll rip your uniform right off you.”
Qin Han paused for a beat. “At school? That might not be a good idea.”
Xie Ling had only said it offhand, but Qin Han’s reaction sparked something in him. He grinned cockily. “Scared?”
“There are too many people at school. I don’t want them seeing me with my clothes off.”
Qin Han lowered his eyelids slightly. “If you’re set on stripping me then, why don’t we head to the hotel across the street instead?”
Xie Ling: “…”
Like hell. This guy was absolutely doing it on purpose!
~~~
Roughly five days later, the test results came back.
After school that day, Qin Han headed straight to Qin Huai’s research institute. When he arrived, Qin Huai was still wrapping up an experiment, so Qin Han settled into the lounge next door to wait.
He tossed his backpack carelessly onto the floor and sank into the single-seater sofa. Propping his elbow on the armrest, he rested his chin in his hand. His long fingers raked through his slightly messy bangs while he chewed on a cigarette.
Amid the drifting haze of smoke, that impossibly handsome face flickered with impatience and agitation now and then.
That was the sight that greeted Qin Huai when he walked in. Gone was any trace of the poised elegance Qin Han showed the world outside. Instead, a decadent, restless energy radiated from him, coalescing into an almost tangible pressure.
“If our dear grandmother caught you looking like this, she’d charter a plane and ship you back to America tonight.” Qin Huai was still wearing his lab coat from the experiment. He shut the door behind him and dropped onto the sofa opposite Qin Han.
Qin Han stubbed out the cigarette butt—nearly burned to the filter—into the ashtray in front of him. He lifted his gaze. “Well?”
The phoenix eyes beneath his bangs gleamed with sharp intensity. His voice was still a little hoarse, likely from the smoke.
Qin Huai drawled, “We extracted pheromones from his school uniform. After—”
“Just the conclusion.”
Qin Huai arched a brow. He could practically see a restless black aura coiling around his little brother.
It was proof that Qin Han’s emotions were starting to slip out of his control—that he was feeling genuinely uneasy.
“He’s an omega.”
Qin Huai watched as Qin Han’s expression cracked bit by bit. Without missing a beat, he dropped the second bombshell. “A top-tier omega. Compatibility with you at over ninety-eight percent.”
