After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 81

The wind turned Shen Jin’s cheeks and knuckles red. Gu Yu, after watching Shen Jin withdraw his hand for a few seconds, couldn’t help but feel his determination falter. He stepped forward anxiously and asked, “You don’t want to?”

Shen Jin snapped back to reality, still wearing that teasing smile, and raised an eyebrow at him. “You haven’t even reached the legal age, and you want to make a lifetime commitment with me? I don’t feel like going to jail just yet.”

“But…” Gu Yu wanted to say more, but Shen Jin quickly pulled out the hand he had been rubbing in his coat pocket and grabbed his. “Alright, let’s go back. Let’s not disturb the old man playing chess downstairs—looks like he’s losing again.”

Gu Yu’s eyes darkened for a moment, but in the end, he didn’t insist. He followed Shen Jin out of the woods.

*

On the way back, Gu Yu took a picture of the scenery outside the car window and sent it to his cousin, telling her not to come. That’s when she realized her unreliable younger brother had tricked her. She sent seven or eight voice messages, cursing him. Gu Yu hadn’t finished listening when a video call popped up. He was about to risk his life and hang up, but Shen Jin, who was dozing off beside him, leaned against him and asked, “Who is it? Pick it up.”

Gu Yu sighed, “My cousin. Even Jiang Lan and Tao Yan are bossed around by her like dogs. I wouldn’t recommend answering.”

It sounded like his cousin was the real troublemaker from the old Tobacco Factory District.

“Just Jiang Lan and Tao Yan?” Shen Jin, leaning against Gu Yu’s chest, murmured. “You must be one of her poor little dogs too, right?”

“…”

Gu Yu looked away, and Shen Jin chuckled groggily. “But not Song Yizhi, right? Such a cute, soft omega—your cousin must like him.”

Shen Jin wasn’t wrong. An omega during their cycle is naturally sensitive. Sensing something was off, Gu Yu hurried to hang up, but Shen Jin, unhappy, grabbed his wrist and pressed the green button.

The call connected, and a strikingly beautiful face appeared on the screen. The girl had jet-black hair, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with emotion. Her eyebrows and nose exuded confidence, making her even more stunning than Gu Yu. She was a beauty who could make people forget the world.

“Gu Qingqing.” Gu Yu summoned the courage to look at his cousin and got straight to the point, “I’m an adult now. You don’t need to control these things.”

“Stop talking crap,” Gu Qingqing’s commanding voice starkly contrasted with her refined appearance. “Get your ass back here.”

But halfway through, she noticed the person beside Gu Yu. “Who’s that?”

After observing Shen Jin for a moment, she sneered, “Hmph, looks like a sick stray cat from downstairs. Not that cute, either.”

Gu Yu was about to speak, but Shen Jin, suddenly wide awake and furious, grabbed Gu Yu’s shoulder and faced the camera. “I’m not cute enough?”

Gu Qingqing leaned closer to the camera, scrutinizing him for a few seconds before saying, “So you’re Shen Jin, huh?”

Since Shen Jin had already met Gu Yu’s family before, he had no reservations. He glared at the camera and said, “Yes, I’m Shen Jin. Just remember me—because Gu Yu isn’t coming back, and he definitely won’t like that Song guy.”

“If I’m a sick cat, then that Song is no better than a sewer rat.”

“You—” Gu Qingqing had never encountered anyone who spoke to her like that. The screen shook, and Gu Yu knew Shen Jin was in discomfort from his heat, drowsy and pained, making him even more concerned. “Are you still in pain? I brought medicine…”

Shen Jin straightened up and lowered his head, his voice softening. “I spoke like that to your cousin, shouldn’t you be mad at me?”

But Gu Yu frowned. “I asked if you’re in pain.”

The little bunny in his arms had wanted to avoid the topic, but after hearing his question, he paused, and in a very soft voice, he murmured, “Mm, it’s okay…”

On the other end of the call, Gu Qingqing’s brow furrowed just like Gu Yu’s. “Am I just here to play the villain in your little runaway love story?”

Gu Yu placed the phone on the front seat and, in full view of the camera, fed Shen Jin his medicine. “When have you ever been the good guy?”

The driver was surprised. “Are you two eloping on New Year’s? You still gotta pay the fare, you know!”

Gu Yu quickly reassured the driver. Gu Qingqing, however, was still staring at the screen, puzzled. “What’s wrong with him?”

As soon as she finished, realization dawned on her. “Oh… omega heat. What a hassle. I wouldn’t want one even if they were free.”

Gu Yu didn’t have time to respond to his cousin, only regretting that he had brought Shen Jin out in the first place. He especially regretted asking such a serious question in front of their great-grandfather’s grave. But Shen Jin coolly replied, “Who wants to be given to you? You’re not even better looking than Gu Yu.”

To get back at her for calling him a hassle, Shen Jin studied the screen and sneered. “Are you even an alpha? You don’t look like one.”

Gu Qingqing’s pupils shrank in shock. “I don’t look like an alpha? And I’m not as good-looking as him?”

That struck a nerve. She suddenly disappeared from the screen, and half a minute later, she reappeared, having changed from her pajamas into a shirt and coat, with her hair down. “Go book an eye appointment right now. I’ll pay for it.”

Shen Jin didn’t even bother looking at her. “All of you have long hair. Tao Yan looks better.”

At that, Gu Qingqing nearly burst out of the screen to argue. “Are you insulting me?”

“Where are you? Throw away that crappy phone with its bad resolution. Come to F District right now and see me in person before you leave.”

Before they could reply, an older woman appeared on screen, carrying a cat. “Qingqing, play with it for a bit while I go grocery shopping. The store closes early today.”

It was Gu Qingqing’s housekeeper, Aunt Chen. Gu Yu politely greeted her. He was about to ask when his cousin had started keeping a cat, but Gu Qingqing’s face turned bright red as she tried to push Aunt Chen away. “What cat? Where did this cat come from? Why do I have to play with it?”

“Huh?” Aunt Chen was confused. “You were the one who found this sick little thing downstairs and took it to the vet. You said it was cute—”

Gu Qingqing’s face turned redder as she hurried Aunt Chen away, but the older woman kept talking as she left the room. “Your parents didn’t want to keep a cat at first.”

The little cat jumped into Gu Qingqing’s lap and meowed softly. She had no choice but to hold the cat with a cold, indifferent expression. “Ahem. I just felt sorry for the little creature.”

Gu Yu couldn’t believe it. “So, when you said Shen Jin looked like this cat, what did you mean?”

Suddenly, he realized his cousin might actually like Shen Jin—at least, his appearance.

Gu Qingqing was visibly at a loss for words. After a long pause, she stammered, “I, I’ve been speaking foreign languages for so long that I accidentally used the wrong metaphor.”

Gu Yu was even more frustrated than she was. He pulled Shen Jin tightly into his arms and declared, “He’s my omega.”

Shen Jin winced a little from the tight hold, while Gu Qingqing slapped the camera twice. “Do you think I’d be interested in some sickly omega with bad eyesight?”

She glared at Shen Jin, scrutinizing him again before quickly adding, “Just like that worthless cat. Not cute at all.”

“You—” Shen Jin, ready to explode, tried to break free from Gu Yu’s grip to grab the phone and curse her out. But Gu Qingqing raised her hand, about to hang up the call. “Forget it. I’m too lazy to argue with you two. Go on with your little elopement, I have to, uh… go out for something.”

Gu Yu held Shen Jin tighter and, with a casual hand on his thigh, asked calmly, “What do you have to do?”

This action made Gu Qingqing leap to her feet, and she furiously hung up. “Go throw the cat out!”

Shen Jin, still dazed, asked, “Wait, what does your cousin mean? Why did she hang up all of a sudden?”

He was baffled, still wondering as Gu Yu gently pulled him back into his arms and asked, “Want to take a nap? I’ll wake you when we get there.”

“But what about the cat? She can’t just throw it out if she doesn’t like it!”

Gu Yu didn’t seem too concerned about the cat and only said, “Don’t worry. Next time we video call her, the cat will still be there.”

He chuckled. “Either the cat will find its way back, or Aunt Chen will insist on bringing it back.”

“But the kitten is so small…”

Shen Jin, still worried, kept tugging at Gu Yu and asking about it until he finally grew too

 tired. Muttering under his breath, he drifted off to sleep on Gu Yu’s shoulder.

So he didn’t hear Gu Yu, still holding him, stroke his hair and softly tease, “You’re as cute as the kitten, too.”

*

After confirming that his cousin wouldn’t throw away the kitten, the two of them returned to the college town in the afternoon. Few stores were open on the street. Shen Jin dragged Gu Yu to their usual small supermarket, where they bought two large bags of snacks for the New Year. The lively music lifted their spirits, and to their surprise, the supermarket was having a New Year promotion. They even won first prize in a scratch-off game and got their entire purchase for free.

 

“I was just thinking of letting you scratch it. You have good luck.” Shen Jin complained, “Why did you let me do it?” But his eyebrows were raised in pride, and he couldn’t help but boast, “Of course, I’m awesome—totally nailed it!”

 

Gu Yu held the snacks in one hand and Shen Jin’s hand in the other, feeling like Shen Jin might just float away with happiness. They saw that the familiar fruit store next door was still open, and Shen Jin was immediately drawn to the strawberries at the entrance. “Can I apply for some extra funds to buy more fruit, Mr. Gu?”

 

“Approved,” Gu Yu said, letting go of his hand. “So you won’t wake up in the middle of the night and complain that I don’t give you good food.”

 

Shen Jin had done just that before. The last time he wanted to eat a whole grapefruit by himself, Gu Yu had merely suggested he not eat so much right before dinner. Later that night, Shen Jin had groggily but pitifully pinned him down, half-asleep, and took a few playful bites out of him as if he were the grapefruit.

 

Even though Gu Yu was convinced the next day that Shen Jin had done it on purpose, a fully awake Shen Jin denied it entirely, saying, “I couldn’t possibly do something so cute and whiny. Be thankful I didn’t uproot the whole grapefruit tree and throw it in your face.”

 

At the fruit stand, Shen Jin picked two inexpensive grapefruits and a bag of bright red strawberries. The familiar shopkeeper kindly warned him, “These strawberries are a variety shipped from the Northeast, pricier than what you usually buy. Want to take a look at the others?”

 

Shen Jin leaned in and joked, “It’s okay, Brother Lin. He loves strawberries. Besides, we just won a free checkout at the supermarket next door—your shop’s not going to let us down without a New Year’s event, right?”

 

To his surprise, there actually was one.

 

Raising an eyebrow, the shopkeeper said, “The prize wheel’s over there. Want me to take you? Let’s see how lucky you are.”

 

Shen Jin’s eyes lit up with excitement. He eagerly called out to Gu Yu, “I feel like my luck might still be holding! Help me film it—I’ll send it to our ‘sons’ later to show off. Who knows, maybe I’ll win again.”

 

But reality was harsh. Ninety percent of the wheel was labeled with “Thanks for playing” or “Spend 500 yuan, save 1 yuan.” Seeing Shen Jin’s look of disdain, Lin couldn’t help but defend himself, “What, you don’t think this is fair?”

 

Shen Jin approached reluctantly. “This is a rip-off, just like that game company that gives you a 500-dollar discount on a Rolls-Royce.” 

 

He didn’t expect to win with just a casual spin. But a few seconds later, the pointer stopped on “10% of the bill.” Shen Jin was stunned, then turned to Gu Yu, thrilled. “Did you get that on camera?”

 

Gu Yu, standing in the wind, smiled at him with a gentle, slightly boyish look. “Got it. Want to play it at our wedding?”

 

“Of course!” Shen Jin bounced over to him, hugging him excitedly. “I’ll even have it engraved on my tombstone, with a QR code so people can scan it and see the video!”

 

Gu Yu felt like his feet were about to leave the ground, so he quickly wrapped one arm around Shen Jin. “Careful, I don’t want you to actually break my back.”

 

Shen Jin obediently abandoned his plan of picking him up and turned back to Lin with a mischievous grin. “Brother Lin, I feel a little bad about this.”

 

“If you really feel bad, don’t use that 10% discount,” Lin shot back, unable to hide his annoyance. Shen Jin immediately scanned the code to pay the 9 yuan and said, “Thanks, that should at least cover a bowl of noodles.”

 

Before Lin could grab a knife to chase them, Shen Jin grabbed the bags and dragged Gu Yu out of the store. Back at the apartment, he sent the video to the dorm group chat, where his roommates predictably teased him: “What’s with the second half of the video? Are you two hugging?”

 

“So what? Got a problem with that?” Shen Jin challenged them. “You gonna report me to the police?”

 

The three of them started bickering over video call, while Gu Yu quietly took off his apron and changed clothes to start cooking lunch. Qin Zhu couldn’t help but comment, “Tsk, what a waste of a top student, the future CEO Gu, turning into a personal servant under your thumb.”

 

It was just a joke, but Shen Jin paused for a moment before diverting the conversation. “How many loot boxes have you guys stockpiled for the New Year event?”

 

The period around Chinese New Year was always packed with in-game events. His roommates immediately launched into their tragic experiences with loot boxes. Shen Jin chimed in occasionally but soon excused himself: “Dad’s taking a break. I’ll send you red envelopes later tonight.”

 

Before his roommates could protest, he ended the call and went back to the bedroom to take off his coat.

 

His down jacket felt heavier than usual. Shen Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box that had been there since the morning, and his gaze lingered on it.

 

It was a rough wooden box, inside which was a jade comb passed down from his great-grandfather. He had originally planned to give it to Gu Yu today when they went back to District F.

 

In truth, it was Shen Jin himself who wanted to make a lifelong commitment. 

 

But for some reason, when Gu Yu said he wanted to build a home with him in the future, Shen Jin had tightly clutched the wooden box in his pocket, unable to respond.

 

Now, he just lay on the bed, holding the box, motionless. When Gu Yu called for him, he hurriedly stuffed the box back into his jacket pocket and changed into his pajamas before heading out.

 

“I was going to fry an egg for you earlier,” Gu Yu said as he pulled Shen Jin to sit down. “But when I cracked it open, it was a double yolk.”

 

It was a simple coincidence, but Gu Yu reached out and touched Shen Jin’s still-cold neck. “If I had known your luck was this good today, I would have taken you to buy a lottery ticket.”

 

In all his twenty years, Shen Jin had never had a day where his luck was better than today. He glanced at the food on the table and then looked at Gu Yu. “No rush. Luck has to be spent slowly. Next time, maybe I’ll win 50 million and use that Rolls-Royce coupon.”

 

But Gu Yu didn’t know that Shen Jin could tell a real double yolk egg didn’t look like that. 

 

Or rather, his good luck wasn’t real.

 

It was likely that the yolk had been swapped from another egg. Besides, the “scratch-off” prize in the supermarket was only intended for one person, and there had been a magnet behind the fruit shop’s prize wheel. Looking back, Shen Jin realized that all of this “luck” had been deliberately arranged by Gu Yu, who had conspired with the shopkeepers to make him feel lucky.

 

Just like the double-yolk egg on his plate, no matter how small, Gu Yu wanted Shen Jin to believe that the unlucky days of his past were over and that, starting this New Year, he was truly fortunate.

 

“Gu Yu…” Shen Jin took a bite of the egg and said, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to brush you off earlier, at my great-grandfather’s grave.”

 

Gu Yu frowned slightly, reminding him, “Didn’t I tell you to erase the words ‘I’m sorry’ from our conversations?”

 

Shen Jin shrank back a little, muttering, “Maybe not *completely* erase them… You said last time it was okay to say them when I stained the sheets…”

 

Seeing that Gu Yu was about to blush and get angry, Shen Jin quickly twirled his chopsticks and changed his tone, becoming serious again. “I… I really didn’t mean not to answer you earlier. It’s just that I…”

 

He hesitated for a moment, but before Gu Yu could ask, he continued, “I just feel… like maybe, just maybe, we won’t last very long, like your dad said.”

 

The more he spoke, the quieter his voice became. Gu Yu immediately gripped his chopsticks tightly. Sensing danger, Shen Jin tried to downplay it. “Only… a small chance.”

 

“Oh, really.” Gu Yu’s gaze didn’t meet his, and his voice turned noticeably colder. “Care to explain how you arrived at this ‘chance’?”

 

Shen Jin shrank deeper into his chair. He knew he shouldn’t keep talking, but still, he asked, “Are you planning to go to grad school…?”

 

It was a question Gu Yu clearly wasn’t expecting. “…Asking about grad school when we’re just freshmen—are you pushing me too hard, senior?”

 

But he had a clear plan. “Yes, I’ll go to grad school, but probably not a PhD. I want to use my technical knowledge as a

 

 foundation and go into business.”

 

“We might be long-distance for a few years, or maybe not. There are many factors to consider.”

 

He paused for a few seconds before continuing, “We’ll just have to see how things actually unfold at that time.”