After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 20

The call rang a few times before Song Yizhi’s face appeared on the screen. He looked just like Shen Jin remembered—his features weren’t particularly refined, but his demeanor was clean and he looked very delicate.

 

Song Yizhi was sitting with his knees drawn up, wearing a slightly oversized black long-sleeve T-shirt that slipped off one shoulder, revealing half of it.

 

Gu Yu averted his gaze, while Shen Jin seemed rather intimate: “Yizhi, do you still remember me?”

 

The surprise on Song Yizhi’s face vanished quickly as he replied, “Senior Shen Jin? How come you’re with Brother Gu Yu—”

 

His expression was pure and curious: “Is it something to do with school—”

 

Shen Jin interrupted him: “What senior Shen Jin?”

 

With an unlit cigarette between his lips, exuding a rebellious air, he directly clarified his identity to Song Yizhi: “Listen, don’t call me senior anymore. You have to call me sister-in-law.”

 

As men, this title was odd, but given the circumstances, it made sense.

 

In an instant, the atmosphere of the video call changed.

 

Song Yizhi’s pupils visibly dilated, and Gu Yu raised his head suddenly, full of questions. Shen Jin, however, saw no issue with it. He even snuggled closer to Gu Yu’s burning embrace and reminded Song Yizhi: “It’s too cold, wear more clothes.”

 

Although there was past enmity between them, Shen Jin didn’t think Song Yizhi’s feelings for Gu Yu were wrong—just overly persistent. Exposing his legs like that in the cold could lead to rheumatism.

 

“…Thank you…sister-in-law,” Song Yizhi put his legs down, his voice pure.

 

The atmosphere was awkward for a few seconds before Song Yizhi looked at the camera and smiled gently, asking: “Are you really together? I heard rumors from others before, but I thought they were just gossip. After all, Brother Gu Yu used to dislike senior the most…Did I say something wrong?”

 

Gu Yu seemed a bit anxious, and Shen Jin instantly became alert: Damn, trying to cover up? What kind of bad things have you been saying about me to your friends, not showering for ten days or not paying after scanning codes? Afraid I’ll find out?

 

Unacceptable.

 

So Shen Jin didn’t give Gu Yu a chance to explain, immediately responding to Song Yizhi: “Just because he didn’t like me back then doesn’t mean he can’t now.”

 

To provoke Gu Yu, he added: “This guy got drunk as soon as he started college and cried about missing me for a whole year, almost kneeling in front of my dorm. So I had no choice but to accept him.”

 

Mimicking Song Yizhi’s tone, he said: “Oh…did I say something wrong? He just punished me all night last night, wanting me to give him some face in front of others.”

 

Gu Yu’s breath hitched, and he immediately lowered his head to grab Shen Jin’s chin, trying to stop his nonsense, but Shen Jin resisted and wouldn’t back down: “Yizhi, how about I invite you to the scene next time he proposes, to watch him kneel and kowtow?”

 

The more he spoke, the more he got into it, and Gu Yu couldn’t refute it. Enraged, he scratched Shen Jin’s waist as punishment, but didn’t realize how ticklish Shen Jin was.

 

Shen Jin resisted for a few seconds before gasping and laughing, squirming and pleading: “No…stop, my stomach hurts…”

 

Gu Yu suddenly realized and couldn’t tell if Shen Jin was acting or being serious.

 

His face flushed as he realized he was pressing Shen Jin’s abdomen, even maliciously trying to exert force. Overcome with shame, he quickly withdrew his trembling hand.

 

For a moment, he seemed to forget the video call was still on, only remembering the warm and soft feeling of Shen Jin’s relaxed abdominal muscles.

 

Though both were men, an omega’s body was different from an alpha’s. To protect the delicate reproductive cavity inside, this softness was innate, and no alpha would dislike it after touching it.

 

Gu Yu had thought he wouldn’t succumb to his alpha instincts, but his wildly beating heart now told him he would not only succumb but enjoy it immensely, just like he enjoyed Shen Jin’s softness and helpless struggles now.

 

Song Yizhi, witnessing this scene, finally moved his smiling lips: “You two really get along well… Sister-in-law seems much softer and more delicate than before. I can’t do that. Just moved four or five boxes yesterday, felt bad asking for help.”

 

Shen Jin listened intermittently, still a bit out of breath.

 

On screen, his cheeks were flushed pink from Gu Yu’s earlier teasing, and his beautiful almond-shaped eyes rarely showed weakness. His flushed lips looked pitiful.

 

He thought, this is bad. Letting Gu Yu touch him, he inadvertently revealed how deadly his weakness could be. A bad trade-off.

 

He could only lean against Gu Yu’s chest, panting and unable to speak. The only gain was a changed view of Song Yizhi: Song Yizhi just said…who’s soft and delicate? Me?

 

…Damn. He couldn’t help thinking: This guy might be a kindred spirit? Describing me like this from now on, not bad.

 

Upon seeing it this way, Song Yizhi seemed gentle, cute, and understanding. Back then, his aggressiveness could be seen as a fearless pursuit of love, but Gu Yu didn’t appreciate it.

 

The light cast a chaotic mix over the bedside scene. Gu Yu refused to admit his enjoyment, leaning over Shen Jin and asking sternly, “…You react like this just from a touch over your clothes?”

 

His chest heaved rapidly, but his tone was righteous.

 

Shen Jin, hearing this, deliberately stayed nestled in his arms, playing along, “If you’re any later, I won’t let you take it out.”

 

Gu Yu’s effort failed, and his ears quickly turned red from the stimulation.

 

He immediately lifted Shen Jin, shifting him to sit on the edge of his knees, keeping a bit of distance.

 

“?” Shen Jin, initially puzzled, quickly understood, his slightly watery eyes trembling: Damn, I really need to keep my mouth shut.

 

He coughed lightly and adjusted the angle of the phone screen, then turned to Song Yizhi to get to the point: “By the way, Yizhi, did you ask Gu Yu out for Mid-Autumn Festival?”

 

To dissuade this poor peach blossom, he forced a tone of displeasure to reveal his underlying question.

 

He thought, after witnessing this scene and hearing his doubts, Song Yizhi should give up on inviting someone else’s boyfriend. However, Song Yizhi’s response was different from what he imagined: “Yes, I called Brother Gu Yu because I see him as my own brother—Mid-Autumn Festival is about reunion. When I was little, my parents often traveled for work, leaving me behind, so I would go to Brother Gu Yu to share mooncakes, though he often gave me the five-nut ones and made me cry, even worse than he was to you just now.”

 

Then he asked, “I heard the newly opened Sunac Park is fun. Sister-in-law, would you like to join us? I’ll cover the tickets.”

 

Wait, what…what kind of sensible and understanding little cutie is this?

 

Shen Jin felt he understood: So I misunderstood all these years, he only sees Gu Yu as a brother?

 

He was dumbfounded, losing all his boyfriend momentum.

 

He turned to question Gu Yu, but this guy furrowed his brows and mercilessly corrected Song Yizhi: “The one who gave you five-nut mooncakes was Old Tao. You remember wrong; I’ve never given you anything.”

 

“I apologize for earlier. I didn’t hear clearly when you called and responded without thinking. We won’t be going out for Mid-Autumn. I have a date with him. I’ll delete you from my WeChat friends later, and there’s no need for you to contact me again. Because on any given day, I only want—only want to spend it with my lo—lo—lo…Brother Shen Jin.”

 

Calling him anything from wife to baby brother, indeed, his stubborn mouth wouldn’t give in.

 

Gu Yu couldn’t get the word “wife” out, his fingers curling with frustration. Shen Jin laughed as expected, satisfied with the term “brother”: “What, you really like calling me brother?”

 

Gu Yu’s throat burned, his face reddening as if he were being tortured, but Shen Jin didn’t care. He turned to the screen and said to Song Yizhi, “Yizhi, your brother Gu Yu suddenly…Anyway, we have urgent matters now—let’s connect another time, okay?”

 

Under the flickering light, Song Yizhi’s pupils finally shook violently, his mouth agape. Seeing this, Shen Jin immediately ended the video call, not giving the other side a chance to speak.

 

The night was thick and sticky, and as Gu Yu realized what Shen Jin was saying, his gaze trembled uncontrollably, his shock no less than Song Yizhi’s.

 

Shen Jin, however, bit the unlit cigarette, taking a stiff breath and summarizing nonchalantly, “Alright, if you want to delete him, do it. He probably doesn’t want to see us shameless lovebirds ever again.”

 

It was late. Shen Jin adjusted his expression and said, “Hurry up and sleep.” Gu Yu suddenly stood up, pushing Shen Jin onto the bed, haphazardly wrapping him in the blanket. Then he grabbed his phone, pillow, and blanket, urgently closing the bedroom door behind him, not forgetting to threaten, “I’m sleeping on the sofa. Remember to lock the door. Otherwise…you’ll face the consequences.”

 

The door slam echoed, jarring Shen Jin’s eardrums. He struggled to free his hand from the blanket, laughing so hard he almost convulsed: Excellent, at least he won this round. It seems even a straight-A student scoring six or seven hundred on exams isn’t always calm and composed.

 

This side of Gu Yu, Shen Jin had never seen nor managed before, but in the future…he’d probably see it often.

 

*

 

The next morning, Shen Jin crouched by the sofa, mischievously pinching Gu Yu’s hair, finding him still asleep.

 

Understanding his own guilt, he decided to mercifully make some breakfast. But Gu Yu groggily pulled him back, mumbling, “Don’t run away…”

 

“Who’s running?” Shen Jin, exasperated, guessed Gu Yu was still hung up on the abrupt departure the morning before. Unexpectedly, Gu Yu asked, “Can you pull a tail like this…? Does it hurt?”

 

“Thanks a lot.” Shen Jin scratched his chin, saying, “This is my wrist, not a tail.”

 

But Gu Yu was completely immersed in his dream: “It’s a tail… let me pull it again.”

 

You can’t touch a tiger’s butt, so why would a rabbit’s tail be any different?

 

Annoyed, Shen Jin leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Little Strawberry… don’t pull anymore, brother’s legs are weak.”

 

Knowing so many of Gu Yu’s weaknesses, of course, Shen Jin had to use them to his advantage, always bringing them up to annoy Gu Yu.

 

Sure enough, Gu Yu’s lips twitched as he opened his eyes, his ears turning red and his gaze filled with the helplessness of an alpha in a susceptible period, unable to control himself.

 

Shen Jin was very pleased: “Very cute. Next time, look at me with that shy gaze and call me brother.”

 

They tussled for at least ten minutes before hastily eating breakfast and rushing to school. Later, Gu Yu repeatedly emphasized, dozens of times, “I’m not cute,” which Shen Jin noted as another inadvertent discovery of a weak point.

 

*

 

Mid-Autumn Festival arrived quickly. As dawn barely broke, Shen Jin got up and headed to the amusement park with his roommates, preparing their work attire and makeup in advance.

 

“If the person in charge hadn’t given you two half-price tickets, I wouldn’t want to go,” Qin Zhu said. “It’s supposed to rain heavily today… what time will you be done?”

 

“The event starts at 1 PM, and if all goes well, the park will close at 10 PM,” Shen Jin replied casually. “It’s almost the end of September; how bad could the rain be? It’ll probably just rain for a few minutes. When we’re done, I’ll treat you all to barbecue.”

 

His two roommates praised his thoughtfulness as the three of them discussed their plans and walked toward the north gate to the subway station.

 

The sky was still not fully bright, and the usually empty school gate during the holidays had someone standing alone by the large flower bed, a familiar figure.

 

It looked like Gu Yu?

 

Shen Jin was a bit surprised and immediately jogged over, asking, “Why are you here so early?”

 

Even if he wanted to go to the amusement park to laugh at him, he could leave around noon.

 

Gu Yu licked his lips, looking at him as if he were an idiot: “Of course, you have to leave early to avoid the lines at a place like this. Anyway, we’ll be taking a taxi, so we can sleep on the way.”

 

The distance between Sunac Park and the university town spanned across the city, requiring four subway transfers midway. Gu Yu’s suggestion wasn’t unreasonable.

 

Shen Jin nodded and was about to continue toward the subway when Gu Yu added, “It’s too wasteful for me to take a taxi alone. You guys should join me.”

 

“…to reduce the Earth’s carbon emissions.”

 

Shen Jin was puzzled: wouldn’t taking the subway together achieve the same thing?

 

A yellow taxi pulled up by the roadside, presumably the one Gu Yu had called. Qin Zhu, being practical, got into the front passenger seat: “If you have any filial piety, let’s go quickly. I still want to sleep a bit, lest tomorrow’s headlines read ‘China’s Top Mid Laner Dies on a Roller Coaster.'”

 

Xu Tingyun chuckled and got in the car as well.

 

Shen Jin wanted to ask when Qin Zhu became China’s top mid laner, but Gu Yu grabbed him, shoved him into the back seat, buckled his seatbelt, and sat beside him without expression, saying, “Driver, please don’t drive too fast, thank you.”