Chapter 36
The wind picked up, and the tender green blades of grass swayed, making a soft rustling sound.
Oz, attracted by a butterfly hovering at the tip of his nose, suddenly did a carp flip from the lawn and chased after the butterfly, running far away.
Amidst the green grass and the gentle breeze, the Alpha strode toward him with his two long, straight legs, his posture elegant and composed.
Bai Yan’s thoughts were in a turmoil. In his panic, that inexplicable, strange feeling vanished without a trace.
The young man suppressed his chaotic thoughts, smoothed the hem of his shirt in a concealing gesture, and slowly stood up. “Mr. Pei, is it over?”
Pei Tingyu grunted coolly, his gaze absentmindedly fixed on the distance.
Did it go well? What was the result of President Jiang’s inspection?
The words he had been pondering for a long time were stuck in his throat. Bai Yan lowered his head, his eyes wandering. He hesitated and bit his lip, unable to speak.
Perhaps because he was too afraid to face the result, he didn’t even have the courage to ask.
The two of them stood in silence on the lawn, specks of light moving over them.
The wind grew stronger, sweeping directly over the two of them on the lawn.
The young man’s hair was quickly blown into a mess, as if countless pale yellow butterflies had landed on his head, their wings fluttering, dancing incessantly.
After a long time, or perhaps not long at all, Pei Tingyu broke the silence.
The man’s low, magnetic voice was as gentle as ever, but it held a hint of hesitation, as if he had been considering it for a long time and had finally made a decision.
“Yanyan, can you go somewhere with me? I have something I want to give you.”
Go where? Give what?
The divorce papers.
Bai Yan’s heart sank. As expected, they couldn’t fool President Jiang.
The young man sullenly kicked at a non-existent stone at his feet, his two lashes trembling slightly as they slowly covered his eyelids. “Okay.”
Bai Yan kept his head down as he walked beside Pei Tingyu.
It wasn’t until they stopped in front of the second-floor study that he realized where Mr. Pei had taken him.
This was the study where he and Mr. Pei had signed the marriage agreement on the day he had just moved into Yǎyuán.
Alright, signing the divorce papers here—isn’t that a fitting end?
Be content, Bai Yan, be content. This is a lesson the children of the orphanage must remember. Have you forgotten?
He was already lucky enough to have met Mr. Pei and to have lived at Yǎyuán.
Besides, Mr. Pei had also supported Huixin Orphanage. That kindness alone was enough for him to work for the Pei Corporation for free for a hundred years.
He just hoped that their short marriage wouldn’t affect Mr. Pei.
A faint, bitter scent of jasmine floated in the room, made inconspicuous by the scent-blocker.
Bai Yan felt a bitter sense of relief. At least I didn’t throw away my old suitcase. I’ll need it to move my luggage back to the school later.
But, even though the reasons were more than sufficient, why was there still an uncontrollable sadness and reluctance welling up in his heart?
It’s so sad.
Am I going to experience the pain of losing my family again?
The Alpha seemed to have something on his mind and was silent the whole way. Only after the young man was seated did he open a drawer, take something out, and place it in front of Bai Yan.
Bai Yan’s heart sank to the bottom. He looked up listlessly and was suddenly stunned.
Lying before him was not a divorce agreement, but the Alpha’s exclusive bite inhibitor.
“Mr. Pei,” the young man looked up in astonishment, a faint shimmer of moisture in his eyes. “You…”
For a high-level Alpha, a bite inhibitor was no different from a shackle. It was a testament to their pain, and also their privacy.
Except during their ruts, most Alphas would only be willing to show this shackle to their most intimate partners.
Pei Tingyu calmly lowered his gaze, his eyes beneath his long, thick lashes as black as ink.
The man’s low, magnetic, and calm voice sounded in the Omega’s ear. “According to the research institute’s regulations, Alphas undergoing treatment for pheromone disorders must wear a bite inhibitor during the experiment.”
“For married Alphas, the bite inhibitor needs to have their partner’s fingerprint recorded.”
“Bai Yan, can you record your fingerprint on this bite inhibitor?”
“Of course.” Bai Yan nodded hastily, sniffled his red nose, and suppressed the sour feeling in his heart.
The calloused tip of his index finger trembled as it slowly approached the metal sensor of the bite inhibitor, until it was completely covered.
With a drip, a cold, electronic voice came from the sensor. “Fingerprint recording complete.”
Pei Tingyu put the bite inhibitor away and said with difficulty, “I may need you to accompany me to the research institute later. Is that okay?”
I will properly treat my pheromone disorder. So, promise me, don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation again, even if it’s for me.
Can you?
“Of course.”
Bai Yan blinked blankly. Realizing something, he suddenly looked up and asked, “Mr. Pei, did today’s inspection go well?”
Pei Tingyu’s features relaxed, a look of confusion in his gentle gaze. “Very well. Why?”
“Nothing, nothing.” The young man’s face turned beet red, and he shook his head like a rattle drum.
Oh my god, oh my god, so it was all my misunderstanding!
I even prepared a speech to thank Mr. Pei for taking care of me.
Thank goodness I didn’t say it first, or it would have been too embarrassing. Bai Yan closed his eyes.
Though it was a ridiculous misunderstanding, the young man’s heart felt a sense of relief.
As if he knew what Bai Yan was thinking, a light chuckle escaped Pei Tingyu’s lips. “I told you, no need to worry. President Jiang was very satisfied.”
“For an Alpha of my danger level to get married, it probably solved a big problem for her.”
“Mr. Pei, please don’t joke with me.”
They both tacitly ignored the three-year limit.
Bai Yan let out a long sigh of relief, patting his chest. “It’s a good thing it was only President Jiang this time. If there were more people, I might have let it slip.”
Pei Tingyu was silent for a few seconds and said, “Next week is Qin Chudong’s parents’ wedding anniversary. Qin Chudong has invited us to attend.”
Bai Yan was stunned. Huh?
“Do I have to go too?” the young man’s voice suddenly dropped. He touched his face in embarrassment and asked hesitantly, “Is it the kind of banquet where you have to dance?”
“I’m not very good at dancing. Is there a crash course I can take in a few days?”
He had always had poor coordination since he was a child. Forget dancing, he was even clumsy at the school’s broadcast calisthenics.
Lin Yu often laughed at him, saying that even a robot couldn’t dance worse than him.
Fortunately, due to his health, he didn’t have to do the calisthenics for most of the semester.
Pei Tingyu keenly sensed the young man’s apprehension and comforted him softly, “The anniversary is just a small banquet. The guests are all familiar family and friends, and there won’t be any media.”
“This banquet is also not a formal one. You can think of it as…” Pei Tingyu hesitated for a rare moment, then added after a long pause, “a game.”
The man’s features were gentle, his low, magnetic voice filled with reassurance. “Of course, if you don’t want to go, we won’t go.”
He knew the young man disliked social occasions. For some necessary cocktail parties and banquets after their marriage, he had attended alone, wearing only his ring.
Only this time was special. He couldn’t make the decision on his own.
If Yanyan wanted to go, he would be by his side. If Yanyan didn’t want to, he would stay with Yanyan at Yǎyuán and apologize in person later.
“How could that be,” the young man shook his head and looked over seriously. “Since Mr. Qin has invited us, it would be too rude to refuse.”
A beautiful curve appeared on the young man’s soft lips, and he even comforted the Alpha in return. “As long as I don’t have to dance, I’m fine.”
“Good.” Pei Tingyu smiled gently, clearly pleased by the inclusive “we.”
He said it was fine, but for the next week, while his teacher was boasting about his study abroad experiences, Bai Yan’s mind would often wander to the banquet.
He even rehearsed in his dreams, mumbling in his sleep:
“Hello, uncle, auntie. I’m Bai Yan, Mr. Pei’s partner…”
“My husband… Pei Tingyu is my husband…”
Time flew by. Lin Yu seemed to be very busy with his studies recently. They would often only exchange a few words before he hung up.
Shen Lin, on the other hand, had come to see him in person to apologize for losing his composure that day and grabbing him.
Bai Yan had never taken it to heart and didn’t want the junior to have any hang-ups over such a small matter, so he immediately said it was fine.
He didn’t know how much Shen Lin had taken in. When he left, he had a look of someone who wanted to say something but didn’t.
But the Alpha hadn’t contacted him since, so he guessed they would just be friends who liked each other’s social media posts from now on.
Soon, it was Friday.
Bai Yan originally only had two professional courses in the morning, but who knew the lab teacher would suddenly announce that they had to hand in their lab reports by the end of the week.
He didn’t want to be late for the evening’s banquet, so he skipped lunch and went straight to the lab building.
Fortunately, he had happened to try it out at Yǎyuán a few days ago and had a good feel for it. He finished the report in no time.
The young man turned off the machine, took off his lab coat, and before he could even call Uncle Zhao, he received a text from him.
[A-Yan, I’m so sorry. I have something to take care of at home this afternoon and can’t take you back. But Mr. Pei said he will pick you up and take you back to Yǎyuán.]
Bai Yan froze.
The young man had a slice of toast in his mouth. He quickly folded his lab coat and put it in his bag, then slowly replied, “Okay.”
He quickly opened his messaging app and, as expected, saw a red dot in the pinned chat box.
Tingyu: [At your school. Message me when you’re done with your experiment. No rush.]
Tingyu: [Photo] ×1
Tingyu: [Very beautiful.]
The photo Pei Tingyu had taken was of Haicheng University’s famous East Lake, not far from the lab building.
The calm surface of the lake shimmered, and the willows on the bank were graceful, their branches drooping down to touch the water, creating ripples.
The young man’s cheeks were puffed out with toast, but his eyes couldn’t help but show a smile.
He rested his elbow on the locker and with difficulty typed a line.
SaltedSnow: [Mr. Pei, my experiment is finished. I’ll be right there.]
Yan Xiaorui was halfway through her experiment when a small problem with the data arose.
She was just about to go to the corridor for some fresh air and a change of perspective when she saw the smiling, white-haired young man standing in front of the lockers.
The Alpha’s face was slightly red as she asked curiously, “Bai Yan, are you done with your experiment? Are you going out to play?”
“Not to play, but to go home.” A smile touched the young man’s lips, revealing the dimples at the corners of his mouth.
Thinking of something, he suddenly said, “By the way, class president, I just saw your cell slide…”
Hearing this, Yan Xiaorui slapped her forehead, her eyes shining. “Yes, yes, that’s the problem. I’ll go back and fix it now! Have a good weekend.”
Bai Yan said goodbye to the class president and walked out of the lab building.
The clouds had been thick this morning. Even with the sun, it wasn’t harsh. Bai Yan hadn’t brought an umbrella, only wearing a fisherman’s hat.
It was almost the weekend, and the road to East Lake was crowded with students in groups of three or five, their cheerful laughter carrying far.
The small-leaf banyan trees formed a dense canopy overhead. Only after walking out of the tree-lined avenue did Bai Yan realize that the thick clouds had mostly dispersed.
The brilliant sun shone down without any obstruction, landing on his skin with a slight stinging sensation.
The young man zipped his jacket up to his collar, pulled the brim of his hat down, and took out his glasses from his bag to put them on.
His phone hadn’t received any message notifications. It was still early, and the green cherry blossoms by the lake were in full bloom, so Bai Yan decided to walk slowly along the lakeside path.
After walking for a long time without seeing anyone, Bai Yan was just about to turn around and try his luck on the other side when he suddenly heard two Omegas beside him say.
“Look! The Alpha up ahead has such a good figure.”
“Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. Nice, nice. If his face is also good, he’s a total catch!”
Bai Yan glanced up nonchalantly and suddenly froze in place.
A familiar scent of orange blossom was carried to him by a gust of wind. The Alpha stood with his back to him, under a lush green cherry blossom tree.
But what stunned Bai Yan was not Pei Tingyu, but the beautiful Omega standing beside him, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, his face slightly flushed.
