After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 22

The amusement park grew increasingly lively, especially along the park trails, where the crowd outside the fences was packed.

 

Gu Yu waited for quite a while at the exit before seeing Shen Jin. Dressed in silver armor with a silver spear and dragon horns, his red clothes fluttered, making him look very professional as he interacted with the visitors, indicating this wasn’t his first time doing a part-time job like this.

 

Strangely, whenever Shen Jin saw him, he would dodge eye contact and turn away, giving a bright smile to a group of female college students nearby, who immediately drowned him in a sea of screams, making it hard for Gu Yu to focus his phone camera on him.

 

“…?” Gu Yu waved his hand in confusion, trying to get Shen Jin’s attention, but the latter continued to ignore him, even turning his back to greet other visitors.

 

Perhaps Shen Jin was wary of his photography skills, afraid of ending up with embarrassing photos?

 

“…Petty, vengeful, disobedient.” Gu Yu could only walk along the outskirts of the crowd, occasionally pressing the camera shutter. Thankfully, he was tall enough to keep Shen Jin within his frame.

 

He thought, Qin Zhu might have deleted the photos, but what photos of Shen Jin couldn’t he get? He could take several gigabytes’ worth now, but of course, he wouldn’t let Qin Zhu see them.

 

The only problem was, Shen Jin never made eye contact with him. Throughout the 40-plus-minute park tour, Gu Yu pondered the only possible reason for this: had gaming caused Shen Jin to become nearsighted? Perhaps he should feed him more seafood and fruit next time to help protect his eyesight.

 

He suspected that at this rate, he could indeed write a book titled “The Rabbit Raising Handbook (Fattening Up for Slaughter Edition).” When the park tour ended, Shen Jin, as an NPC, needed to continue roaming the park and taking photos with visitors. Gu Yu walked nearby, waiting for Shen Jin to have a moment so he could pass him two mooncakes.

 

After all, it was a festival, and even if they couldn’t reunite at home, the ritual needed to be maintained.

 

Seeing the food, Shen Jin finally looked at him and asked, “Why is the packaging black… Is it the five-nut flavor? Room 302 is loyal to their tastes; don’t try to poison me.”

 

“At most, it’s poisoned. It’s not five-nut.” Gu Yu replied blandly, handing over the mooncakes. Shen Jin reluctantly took a bite, his eyes lighting up as expected. “Wow, this is delicious.”

 

Shen Jin quickly pocketed the other mooncake. “Got any more? Sell me one, I’ll bring it back for the others.”

 

But after checking the price on the packaging, Shen Jin’s face changed. “Damn, my kids don’t deserve this. Supermarket bulk snacks suit them better.”

 

Despite his words, Shen Jin pulled out his phone and tried to transfer 100 yuan to buy it.

 

Gu Yu didn’t accept the money, saying, “I bought several kinds, I’ll give them all to you when we get back. I found them too greasy, all packaging premium. Consider it recycling.”

 

“?” Shen Jin almost poked him with his silver spear. “Then why did you buy so many?”

 

Suppressing a smile, Gu Yu looked at Shen Jin’s chin. “Because I didn’t know which flavor I would like. Turns out none were good.”

 

Shen Jin muttered, “Young Master Gu has high standards… This black truffle flavor is quite good.”

 

“If you like it, take them all. Saves me the trouble of figuring out how to deal with them.” Gu Yu started to speak, but was interrupted by a clear female voice beside him. “Excuse me… Are you two a couple? Can we take a photo together?”

 

A question mark popped up in Gu Yu’s mind. Before he could respond, the surrounding voices erupted.

 

“Wow, the little general is blushing! Is he really your boyfriend?”

 

“I knew it! I saw him feeding you mooncakes earlier, so sweet!”

 

“No wonder he’s been nearby taking photos without playing. Are you both alphas? Is that right?”

 

Gu Yu wasn’t used to handling such situations and thought Shen Jin would explain, but his focus seemed off.

 

“We’re not both alphas… sorry.” Shen Jin replied. “Do you want a photo together? I’ll call him.”

 

Gu Yu frowned lightly, thinking: If you call me for a photo, I might not come.

 

He silently moved closer to Shen Jin, allowing a group of cute girls to take their photos, and said, “For your job’s sake, this is an exception.”

 

“Got it.” Shen Jin casually placed his hand on Gu Yu’s shoulder and asked, “Look how happy they are. Do you think if we pretended to be a couple, we could become internet celebrities and go viral in Southeast Asia, even make it to the Western market? I have a livestream channel ready for a performance.”

 

Gu Yu stared at him, saying, “Don’t perform for others randomly.”

 

Actually, the last time Shen Jin panted in front of Song Yizhi, it had already made him quite uncomfortable. This guy had no omega awareness, and his two roommates’ antics didn’t help. At this rate, something might go wrong, impacting his plan to fatten up and slaughter later.

 

Shen Jin chuckled and released him. “Got it, just kidding. With your pheromones suppressing me, I’m afraid I’d get too wet to handle it.”

 

Gu Yu tightened Shen Jin’s sleeve, thinking he should stay away: “If you know your body can’t handle it, take better care.”

 

Before Shen Jin could respond, Gu Yu turned away. “I’ll walk around nearby. You get on with your work.”

 

Quickening his pace, Gu Yu realized that whenever Shen Jin teased him, he not only verbally showed concern but also envisioned Shen Jin crying out on the first thrust. How was he different from those alphas who reacted to anything?

 

To distract himself, he left Shen Jin’s area and went to the lakeside, where he received a few balloons from children, wandered around half a circle, and bought Shen Jin the heaviest “short sword” he found. He didn’t want Shen Jin to feel left out when others had things he didn’t, leading to sulking and loss of appetite for bunny food… no, for meals.

 

He didn’t know how long had passed before the sky finally darkened.

 

Just as he was about to text Xu Tingyun and Qin Zhu for dinner plans, a drop of water fell on his screen, followed by a sudden downpour that threw the surroundings into chaos.

 

“Damn, it’s raining?!”

 

“I told you the weather forecast said it would rain! Did you bring an umbrella?”

 

“No! Stop talking and hurry, let’s go to the haunted house—”

 

Darkness suddenly enveloped the area as the previously scattered clouds gathered densely. The late summer storm came without warning, giving people no time to react.

 

The amusement park was instantly filled with the sounds of people shouting and raindrops hitting the ground, as everyone scrambled to find shelter. In the chaotic crowd, Gu Yu was just about to quicken his pace when a sudden thunderclap stopped him in his tracks.

 

*

 

The sky was completely dark, and overlapping announcements echoed throughout the park. Waves of staff members hurried to various locations to evacuate the crowds. In the midst of the chaos, Shen Jin quickly grabbed an umbrella handed to him, but suddenly realized that Gu Yu was nowhere to be seen.

 

What’s going on?

 

He distinctly remembered Gu Yu taking pictures nearby, yet now he couldn’t find him anywhere. His heartbeat quickened immediately.

 

How could he be gone?

 

Wasn’t he supposed to be taking pictures of me? Where did he go?!

 

Shen Jin’s heart pounded wildly, a thunderclap echoing in his ears, making his hands and feet go cold with anxiety.

 

He snapped out of it and quickly pulled out his phone to make a call, but Gu Yu’s phone couldn’t be reached. Xu Tingyun and Qin Zhu also responded, “You two aren’t together?”

 

“No, damn it.” Shen Jin hurriedly prepared to hang up. “I’m going to find him—”

 

“Where are you going to look?” Xu Tingyun stopped him quickly. “He’ll find somewhere to take shelter from the rain. He’ll contact us once he gets a signal or charges his phone.”

 

The rain was getting heavier, showing no signs of stopping. Shen Jin knew what Xu Tingyun was worried about but hung up the phone anyway. “I have an umbrella.”

 

He knew that under normal circumstances, Gu Yu would find somewhere to shelter from the rain and probably do some calculus problems. But this rainstorm was accompanied by thunder, making things uncertain.

 

With the sky flashing and thundering, Shen Jin couldn’t be at ease until he found Gu Yu.

 

Throughout the amusement park, only he and a few staff members were still running around. Mud splashed on his black pants, soaking his calves, but he couldn’t stop.

 

He shouldn’t have ignored Qin Zhu’s warning, thinking that the so-called storm would pass in two minutes. He failed to consider that late September weather could change rapidly.

 

Amid the familiar heavy rain, he gripped the umbrella handle tightly and walked quickly, his mind filled with memories: the first weakness he discovered about Gu Yu was his inexplicable fear of thunder and lightning.

 

*

 

The first time he discovered this was in his second year of high school when his relationship with his parents had inexplicably worsened. Since his parents paid little attention to him, he often stayed with his fellow omega brothers and didn’t go home, sometimes playing games in a black internet café, becoming quite rebellious.

 

Shen Jin, the notorious troublemaker of District F’s Fifth High School, became well-known during that period.

 

Fifth High School was a prestigious school in the district. By forming alliances, handling exams, and occasionally standing up for others, he could become a feared and respected campus bully.

 

In his youth, Shen Jin thought he looked cool in his untidy school uniform.

 

Gu Yu, whom he had listed as an enemy, naturally suffered a lot from him.

 

He would deliberately provoke Gu Yu in the crowd after school, calling him out for fights but never revealing the details, leaving others to guess wildly;

 

He would repeatedly snatch prize-winning bottle caps from Gu Yu’s hands, unapologetically confiscating them and sometimes shoving his own partially drunk bottle at Gu Yu as a form of humiliation;

 

Of course, he would also menace around the lower grade classrooms, scaring omegas and betas away from Gu Yu, making sure no one dared confess their feelings to him.

 

Gu Yu’s entire high school life was overshadowed by Shen Jin’s presence, forcing him to occasionally retort with a blank expression: “If you’re bored, sweep the floor for us. Stop hanging around our classroom door and do something useful for the school.”

 

They had countless confrontations, but their only “cooperation” happened during a PE class.

 

That day, the PE teacher, unusually not ill, let the students run a lap before allowing them free time. After playing basketball, Shen Jin went to the pool behind the grandstand to wash his face and overheard a conversation around the corner, sounding like an argument.

 

One of the voices was almost crying.

 

Shen Jin immediately became alert—he recognized the voice of Ruan Zhu from the infamous Class 17 downstairs, often mocked as “Eunuch Zhu” due to his high-pitched voice, a nickname Shen Jin had stopped people from using twice.

 

“Why haven’t you invited me to play basketball recently?” Ruan Zhu sounded as timid as ever. “Did I do something to upset you?”

 

Around the corner, the voice speaking to Ruan Zhu was also familiar to Shen Jin—the captain of the school basketball team and his classmate, Cheng Jie.

 

Shen Jin hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but Cheng Jie’s voice was too loud: “You damned sissy, do you like me?”

 

Shen Jin was stunned. Both were alphas, and it seemed Cheng Jie couldn’t accept such feelings. Ruan Zhu quickly denied it, “I-I don’t…”

 

“You don’t?” Cheng Jie’s voice roared, loud enough to scare anyone. “I saw you being isolated and kicked around, and I kindly brought you in, introduced you to my friends, and this is how you repay me? Now the entire team knows you like me!”

 

From what Shen Jin remembered, the only person who befriended Ruan Zhu was the bright and cheerful basketball team captain, Cheng Jie. So, Ruan Zhu immediately started crying harder, desperate to defend himself. But Cheng Jie didn’t give him a chance: “You idiot, still following me around? Do you have any shame? — Give me back the necklace I gave you for your birthday, damn it!”

 

The two clearly began to struggle, with Cheng Jie dragging Ruan Zhu around the corner to the pool. Shen Jin saw Ruan Zhu’s neck scratched and his wrist red and swollen.

 

They all froze for a moment when they made eye contact.

 

Cheng Jie hesitated when he saw Shen Jin but didn’t think Shen Jin would intervene. He immediately pressed Ruan Zhu’s head under the water faucet: “Clear your head, you sissy.”

 

He held the silver chain he had yanked from Ruan Zhu’s neck in one hand and turned on the faucet with the other.

 

The water roared out, and Ruan Zhu offered no resistance. It seemed he was used to such treatment, never even thinking to fight back.

 

His voice was weak, pleading with Cheng Jie: “Cheng Jie…my necklace…please give it back…”

 

“Damn you!” Cheng Jie hesitated for a second, then his anger surged, and he grabbed Ruan Zhu’s hair, ready to slam his head against the edge of the pool, spewing more obscenities.

 

In the blinding sunlight, just as Ruan Zhu was about to hit the edge of the pool, Shen Jin stepped in and pulled Cheng Jie’s arm, separating the two.

 

“?!” Cheng Jie was clearly surprised by Shen Jin’s actions and furrowed his brow. “Shen Jin? I suggest you mind your own business.”

 

Even at a young age, Shen Jin had a sharp tongue: “Weren’t you minding someone else’s business when you helped him back then?”

 

Ruan Zhu was stunned, but quickly regained his senses and scrambled to grab the necklace from the pool, holding it with shaking hands.

 

Cheng Jie’s eyelids twitched furiously, and he nearly pressed his finger against Shen Jin’s nose: “You’re looking for trouble.”

 

Cheng Jie was not only the school basketball team captain but also a reserve player for the city team, connected with college students and young adults—Shen Jin knew all of this.

 

But he still stared at Cheng Jie with a look that said he was asking for trouble: “Do you plan to see me in jail or the hospital?”

 

The anger of youth couldn’t be controlled, and they immediately grabbed each other’s collars, fists raised. Just then, a cold voice rang out: “Move, you’re blocking my access to the water.”

 

Cheng Jie and Shen Jin were both feared at school, but this voice was indifferent, as if completely uninterested in their life-or-death struggle.

 

“I told you to move. Do you not understand human language?”

 

Both of them relaxed their grips and stepped aside—under the swaying trees stood Gu Yu, strands of hair damp with sweat, his face expressionless.

 

He walked between them, giving Shen Jin a sideways glance: “If you want to get expelled, make sure not to beg on Mingyue Street Phase Three. I don’t want to see you when I go out.”

 

Shen Jin felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak. Gu Yu then lazily shifted his gaze, scrutinizing Cheng Jie: “Those shoes were limited to 1000 pairs in the original country. Yours are fake.”

 

Cheng Jie’s breath caught in his throat, his face turning red and then white. Even Shen Jin was stunned, mouth agape. Gu Yu continued: “What? Did I say something wrong? My dad bought every color, but I didn’t want them, so he threw them all out. Yours are just too obviously fake for anyone to bother telling you.”

 

As the tree shadows swayed, Shen Jin thought: I’ll beg on Mingyue Street Phase Three and collect your corpse. That should be the end of our story.

 

The last line reflects Shen Jin’s dark humor and resigned attitude toward his and Gu Yu’s future, stemming from their constant conflict. By saying, “I’ll beg on Mingyue Street Phase Three and collect your corpse. That should be the end of our story,” Shen Jin sarcastically suggests that their animosity will ultimately lead to a tragic conclusion where they both end up in dire straits. In his exaggerated scenario, he imagines himself reduced to begging on the streets and finding Gu Yu dead, implying that their rivalry is so intense that it could only end in ruin for both of them.