The Marked Alpha Is Extremely Hard to Coax - Chapter 24

Jiang Yunbian couldn’t understand why some people were so unreasonable. Even after being warned, Zhou Die kept coming closer—wasn’t this just asking for trouble?

 

The door behind him trembled slightly, and Zhou Die’s voice made Jiang Yunbian momentarily feel as if he were leaning against him.

 

He suppressed the urge to drag Zhou Die away and said in a deep voice, “Are you out of your mind?”

 

“Jiang Yunbian, the one with the poor memory is you,” Zhou Die said, looking at the door handle. “Do you even know what an Enigma is?”

 

“I don’t care who you are, just don’t provoke me.” Jiang Yunbian closed his eyes, trying to ignore the calming cedar scent already beginning to soothe him.

 

“An Alpha that has experienced a Reverse reaction might seem no different to others, but to me…” Zhou Die pondered for a moment and found a suitable analogy, “It’s just a small marshmallow.”

 

Jiang Yunbian was thoroughly provoked. He threw open the door and yanked Zhou Die’s collar, pulling him close. “Who the hell do you think you’re looking down on?”

 

Zhou Die’s long eyelashes cast a significant shadow when lowered, and his light-colored pupils, after gathering all the light, appeared somewhat dangerous.

 

If Jiang Yunbian had been in his right mind, he would have sensed that Zhou Die’s gentleness and patience were all a facade, meant to lure him into opening the door.

 

But he didn’t realize that resisting Zhou Die’s pheromones had drained all his rationality.

 

Zhou Die calmly restrained his weak right hand, using his index and middle fingers to slightly adjust his school uniform, revealing his collarbone. “Come on, bite.”

 

It was a tone without inflection.

 

“You…” Jiang Yunbian’s breathing grew rapid as he struggled with his remaining sanity, but Zhou Die forcibly guided his hand to the side of his neck.

 

Others would have been thrown to the ground by Jiang Yunbian long ago, but Zhou Die’s pheromones acted like an invisible lock, restraining every inappropriate thought Jiang Yunbian had.

 

Zhou Die guided his fingertips to the second vertebra on his neck, then moved them down a bit.

 

This was Jiang Yunbian’s first time roughly touching someone’s gland like this. Perhaps because his body temperature was too hot and Zhou Die’s neck was cooler than expected, it felt unexpectedly delicate and soft.

 

Zhou Die noticed Jiang Yunbian’s momentary astonishment and panic.

 

“Remember, it’s here.”

 

“Damn it!” Jiang Yunbian immediately pressed Zhou Die against the door, his eyes red. “Zhou Die, you brought this on yourself!”

 

Zhou Die leaned in calmly, lowering his gaze with an order. “Bite.”

 

When Jiang Yunbian’s lips touched Zhou Die’s skin, his neck felt like it was being lashed, the pain reaching his core, causing his limbs to go numb instantly.

 

“Mm!” His teeth only grazed the collarbone, and he stepped back two paces.

 

All the hairs on his body stood up instantly, the heat turning into a burning pain, making even his physiological responses reprimand the Alpha who dared to overstep.

 

In Jiang Yunbian’s mind, a single thought formed—prohibition of overstepping.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s calves went weak, and Zhou Die held him close.

 

Zhou Die’s slender fingers pinched his neck as if petting a cat, sighing, “Got it? Little marshmallow.”

 

As a high-ranking Alpha, Jiang Yunbian had never experienced what it meant to be suppressed by rank. Today, he learned that pheromones could really make someone unable to lift their head.

 

The comforting feeling wasn’t pleasant, and he bit his lip. “…Is this how it will be for the rest of my life?”

 

“I won’t use pheromone suppression on you.” Zhou Die, feeling Jiang Yunbian’s heat subside a little, nonchalantly pulled out the note from his pocket. “I just want you to know that you won’t hurt me.”

 

Jiang Yunbian, soothed by the pheromones, didn’t notice the small action and leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

 

After regaining composure, he looked at Zhou Die. “What’s my current state? Do I have to depend on your blood for the rest of my life?”

 

“No need. Only during the first three heats will your reactions be stronger. If all goes well, you’ll get through it.” Zhou Die took out the suppressant. “Do you need it?”

 

Jiang Yunbian raised his hand but found himself as weak as if he had just pulled a ton of weight or run ten kilometers. He could only lean against the wall. “Wait.”

 

Zhou Die gently took his hand and helped him with the injection.

 

Leaning against the door, Jiang Yunbian gradually realized how much of a fool he had been.

 

He had been overwhelmed by Zhou Die’s physiological superiority and had been absurdly afraid of losing control.

 

What was the difference between him and a kitten in front of a lion?

 

In Zhou Die’s presence, he didn’t even have the qualification to lose control.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s face was grim as Zhou Die finished stopping the bleeding and stepped back.

 

“Jiang Yunbian, I’m sorry.”

 

Jiang Yunbian, his emotions tangled, lifted his gaze to Zhou Die’s lowered eyes.

 

He had been the only one throwing a tantrum, and now Zhou Die had to apologize… what a mess.

 

He finally found his voice. “Are you some kind of apology machine? If you like saying sorry so much, you should just change your name to Zhou Sorry.”

 

“It’s related to me that you’re like this.” Zhou Die didn’t take Jiang Yunbian’s anger to heart and said seriously, “I will take responsibility for your physical condition as much as I can, so I hope you can tell me directly if anything happens in the future. Don’t go see a doctor alone or avoid it.”

 

Jiang Yunbian had a moment of wanting to tell him, “I’ve beaten people before and was classified as a Level 2 Dangerous Alpha,” but the words were held back.

 

After the heat subsided, Jiang Yunbian lifted his chin, regaining his usual nonchalance. “Yeah, I overestimated myself.”

 

His tone wasn’t heavy, but Zhou Die noticed a change in the Alpha’s emotions.

 

If previously he had been hiding his sharpness, trying to control himself, now he was bristling with defensiveness, clearly warning against further probing.

 

Zhou Die’s hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a candy. Looking down, he couldn’t help but smile.

 

Jiang Yunbian was somewhat puzzled by his reaction. “What are you laughing at?”

 

“Do you want a candy?” Zhou Die opened his palm, his tone carrying a hint of flirtation. “Little Yunbian candy.”

 

Jiang Yunbian looked at the light blue mint candy and couldn’t help but smile. “Zhou Die, that’s enough.”

 

*

 

Xu Zhan was originally worried about what happened between Jiang Yunbian and Zhou Die. However, when he came back in the afternoon, the two were acting like nothing had happened, sitting as front and back desk partners, with Jiang Yunbian still asking Zhou Die math questions.

 

Zhou Die didn’t look up, simply writing down the equations according to Jiang Yunbian’s approach.

 

Xu Zhan rubbed his eyes, seeing them seriously discussing interval ranges as if he had seen a ghost in the morning. “You two…”

 

Jiang Yunbian gave him a threatening glance.

 

Xu Zhan quickly corrected himself. “You’re really diligent.”

 

Damn, the world of high-ranking Alphas is really hard to understand.

 

Before class, the class monitor hurriedly ran to the podium and quickly opened a PowerPoint presentation.

 

“Everyone, give me five minutes! I need to discuss something.”

 

Zhou Die stopped writing and looked at the girl on the podium shouting for quiet.

 

The classroom was still noisy, with several boys discussing playing basketball that evening, some getting water, eating snacks, and copying homework—just chaotic.

 

Zhou Die’s pen spun around his fingers, and the front desk, which had been discussing whether intervals could be negative, suddenly stood up and walked to the girl, tapping the desk with a book.

 

It wasn’t hard, but the classroom instantly fell silent.

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t act arrogantly; he calmly asked, “Can’t you hear? I told you to be quiet.”

 

Zhou Die didn’t pay much attention to others, but the group discussing basketball next to him sat down obediently.

 

After Jiang Yunbian took control of the situation, he didn’t show any sign of triumph. Instead, he expressionlessly snatched a candy from Xu Zhan’s desk.

 

Xu Zhan said, “Brother Jiang, although you look really cool maintaining order, your action of stealing my candy really hurts my feelings.”

 

The class monitor smiled and opened the PowerPoint. “We just received a notice. The school sports meet will be next Thursday and Friday. The project registration forms will be passed around. Everyone, sign up enthusiastically. And here are two proposed class uniform designs.”

 

Jiang Yunbian looked at it for a while and poked Xu Zhan. “What’s this about class uniforms?”

 

“They’ve been discussing it since school started. You’re just too busy to know.”

 

Jiang Yunbian sighed, looking up at the two sets of class uniforms: one was a blue basketball jersey, and the other was a light blue cartoon-themed design. Both looked quite cartoonish.

 

“The cartoon one is more expensive because it’s designed according to each person’s desired features. The jersey T is cheaper, but both will be ready before the sports meet,” the class monitor explained the pros and cons in detail.

 

A girl in the corner suddenly raised her hand: “Um, I’d like to share my thoughts.”

 

The class monitor let her come forward.

 

“Well, for the Q-version design, our class has two…” She glanced pointedly at a corner of the classroom, “How about making two versions? One with Jiang Yunbian in the middle, and one with Zhou Die. After all, they are the two biggest faces of our class.”

 

Zhou Die wasn’t very interested, but Jiang Yunbian’s expression darkened.

 

“I support it! I’m a fan of Jiang Ge, and here,” the sports committee member patted his chest, “Putting Jiang Ge on it is the best!”

 

Jiang Yunbian glanced at him: “Does it even matter?”

 

Xu Zhan chuckled softly, thinking it indeed does matter.

 

Last year, their class uniform had Jiang Yunbian’s name on the back, and as soon as someone walked past the playground, they would say, “Hey, that’s from Class 6.”

 

Whether it was stylish or not was secondary; it was indeed eye-catching, and some people even came to secretly swap uniforms!

 

Girls or Omegas with sweet scents were definitely alluring, and some boys had tasted the sweetness last year.

 

Jiang Yunbian was already popular, and this year with Zhou Die added, it only made it more so.

 

“I agree, anyway, we’re all the same size, so it’s fine if you two stand in the middle,” another boy quickly agreed.

 

Jiang Yunbian sneered: “You guys are really something.”

 

But he didn’t expect the students from Class 6 to be not just something but extremely quick about it.

 

The class uniforms arrived in a week, and Xu Zhan somehow got the task of personally delivering Jiang Yunbian and Zhou Die’s uniforms to dorm 707.

 

When Jiang Yunbian came back from evening study, he saw two packages on his desk.

 

When Zhou Die returned and saw the bags on Jiang Yunbian’s desk, he thought Jiang Yunbian was finally revealing his true nature and starting to cause trouble.

 

Jiang Yunbian shook out the clothes: “Just in time. Let’s check the sizes. Xu Zhan said this is just a prototype. If it doesn’t look good tomorrow when we display it in class, we can still change it.”

 

Zhou Die stood next to him, looking at his class uniform.

 

The girls in the class took care of the character design, so Zhou Die had no idea what his image would be.

 

Jiang Yunbian laid out the shirt; forty Q-version big heads covered the clothes, making it look crowded.

 

“Even the back has designs?” He couldn’t stand the paint smell and glanced at it before hanging it on the balcony.

 

Zhou Die squinted and noticed that the little character on Jiang Yunbian’s shirt had a pair of white cat ears.

 

*

 

Although Jiang Yunbian was famous, everyone in A6 knew he wasn’t particularly good at sports.

 

Especially running, he wasn’t at the bottom but definitely not outstanding.

 

“Jiang Ge, are you doing high jump again this year? You got the silver medal in high jump last year!” The sports committee member, Gao Zining, persistently tried to get him to participate.

 

Jiang Yunbian was annoyed: “Only sign up for high jump. If you dare to sign me up for more, I’ll twist your legs off.”

 

Gao Zining chuckled: “Got it.”

 

“Sports committee, we’re the only ones for the 4x100m women’s relay.” A few girls came over to sign up, “Have you found someone for the men’s team?”

 

“Old Zhang injured his leg and can’t sprint.” Gao Zining was also annoyed, struggled with his pen for a while, and suddenly looked at Zhou Die, “Zhou Ge, are you interested?”

 

Alpha bodies are generally strong; Jiang Yunbian hadn’t seen what Enigma was capable of yet. What if Zhou Die was as good as him?

 

Thinking this way, Jiang Yunbian was quite excited and leaned on Zhou Die’s desk.

 

“Back row, why don’t you give it a try?”

 

With curiosity in his eyes, Zhou Die looked at Jiang Yunbian for a moment before casually responding.

 

Gao Zining saw the opportunity and signed him up for 3000 meters and 200 meters as well. Zhou Die was easier to convince than expected, and the events were quickly finalized.

 

“Alright, everyone knows the class uniforms have arrived!” The class monitor went back to the podium and tapped the blackboard, and the classroom quickly quieted down.

 

Jiang Yunbian was about to review the morning’s problems when Xu Zhan called him up. He sighed and took out the class uniforms he had brought.

 

“The uniforms are okay, but they have a strong smell.” He straightforwardly gave his opinion, “If we decide on these, they need to be aired out for a few days.”

 

The class monitor nodded with a smile and then waved to Zhou Die: “Zhou Ge, come up, you two are the models for trying on the uniforms today!”

 

“I made two versions: one with Jiang Ge in the front and one with Zhou Ge in the front,” the class monitor said while helping them put on the clothes.

 

Jiang Yunbian and Zhou Die were both tall and well-built, standing there like perfect mannequins.

 

As soon as they put on the uniforms, the girls in the audience suddenly shouted.

 

Jiang Yunbian turned out the collar of the uniform and frowned: “Am I that striking?”

 

Xu Zhan looked for a while, and after carefully checking, told Jiang Yunbian, “You two are wearing them wrong!”

 

Jiang Yunbian looked at the collar: “No, the label is at the back, isn’t it?”

 

“No, Jiang Yunbian, look at the chest! You’re the white-eared cat, that’s Zhou Die!” Gao Zining laughed loudly from below, looking incredulous, “The one with the brown ears is you! You and Zhou Die swapped uniforms!”

 

Jiang Yunbian turned around and saw that the “dog-eared” version of himself was on Zhou Die’s chest.

 

Zhou Die lowered his eyes, thinking as expected.

 

When he saw the uniforms last night, he thought the white cat ears didn’t suit Jiang Yunbian.

 

Several girls in the audience were already taking pictures with their phones.

 

“This CP vibe is so strong, why don’t you two just wear them like this!”

 

“What a strange chemistry, how did they manage to swap uniforms!”

 

“So eerie, but I’m really shipping it…”

 

What strange things?

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t catch it all but realized he had worn the wrong uniform. He walked over to Zhou Die and patted him.

 

“Zhou Die, swap with me.”

 

Zhou Die looked back, and Jiang Yunbian bent down to lift the hem of the uniform. The school uniform was stuck to the class uniform, exposing a small section of his waist.

 

The girls with phones below screamed even more.

 

Zhou Die, watching the cameras quickly gather, had his gaze darken.

 

He took a step forward and grabbed Jiang Yunbian’s school uniform.

 

When his fingers brushed Jiang Yunbian’s abdomen, he made a surprised noise.

 

Zhou Die’s hand was a bit cold, and when he touched Jiang Yunbian’s waist, it made him feel a ticklish sensation.

 

“What, I…”

 

Before he could finish, Zhou Die yanked the class uniform off with a bit of roughness.

 

“Damn.” Jiang Yunbian’s hair was still a bit messy, looking at the noisy classroom and Zhou Die in front of him, “Is it necessary, it was just a mix-up.”

 

The light from above cast only half of Zhou Die’s silhouette in shadow, making Jiang Yunbian unable to clearly see his expression.

 

Zhou Die also took off the clothes and handed them to him. Before turning around, he slowly replied, “Is it really that important?”

 

The uniform, still carrying the scent of cedar, felt warm in Jiang Yunbian’s hands.

 

As he put on the uniform, Jiang Yunbian thought: Despite the strong smell of paint, it’s still so distinct. Tsk, as expected of Enigma.

 

Little Jiang with dog ears and little Zhou with cat ears were welcomed by the whole class. When Jiang Yunbian returned to his seat, he still couldn’t figure it out: “Cats are so cute, why did it have to be Zhou Die?”

 

Xu Zhan clicked his tongue and shook his head: “Jiang the school bully, you really lack taste.”

 

Jiang Yunbian: “…?”

 

*

 

The mood before the sports meet was always highly charged, especially on Wednesday.

 

The chemistry teacher, who was conducting experiments, had to stop: “Yes, yes, I know there’s a sports meet tomorrow, but you still need to remember the formulas!”

 

The students cheered loudly.

 

Jiang Yunbian wrote down the formulas in his notebook when his phone suddenly lit up from inside his desk.

 

He glanced at the podium, took out his phone, and saw a message from the band.

 

[The bar opens tonight, coming?]

 

[Coming.]

 

Why not make some money?

 

After sending the message, Jiang Yunbian turned around and noticed Zhou Die lying on his desk.

 

Tsk, the academic gods are always like this.

 

Jiang Yunbian tapped the desk, and Zhou Die lifted his eyelids to glance at him.

 

“Good buddy, I won’t be going back to the dorm tonight, can you cover for me?” Jiang Yunbian leaned in close and realized Zhou Die’s eyes were quite pretty.

 

They were a bit like amber, but deeper.

 

Zhou Die seemed to want to say something, frowned, changed his position, and then slowly responded with a hum.

 

Why does he seem a bit unhappy? Jiang Yunbian, belatedly, added a condition: “You cover for me, and I’ll bring you some candy when I get back.”

 

By the time Xu Zhan looked back, Jiang Yunbian had already left, and Zhou Die was still on his desk, unmoved.

 

“Tsk, the little rascal doesn’t care about home.” Xu Zhan first criticized Jiang Yunbian verbally and then asked Zhou Die, “Bro, are we going to eat?”

 

Zhou Die disliked being disturbed repeatedly, so he decided not to sleep, lazily leaning back in his chair with a tired look, appearing quite displeased.

 

He had a distant and high-profile aura, Xu Zhan thought secretly.

 

“No.”

 

When Zhou Die spoke, Xu Zhan immediately noticed something was off: “Bro, why is your voice so hoarse? Are you sick?”

 

*

 

When Jiang Yunbian arrived at the venue, he was stopped by a staff member and had to be greeted by the lead singer himself.

 

It had been two months since Jiang Yunbian last saw the lead singer, who had changed from his previous look to having medium-length hair and a scruffy beard.

 

“…Have you suffered a heartbreak?” He took the stage outfit, uncertainly concluded.

 

The lead singer looked at Jiang Yunbian’s increasingly attractive face with a hint of irritation and shoved him: “What do you know? Go up.”

 

Jiang Yunbian had a natural competitive edge in appearance, and his presence immediately caused whispers among the guests below, clearly surprised.

 

He didn’t mind much, sitting on stage tuning his guitar. When he started singing, the room fell silent.

 

Xiao Min, who was involved with the band, had also recently changed jobs and followed the band to a new venue.

 

Seeing Xiao Min secretly recording, the lead singer commented, “Jiang Yunbian’s voice is unique. I thought it was particularly clean and pure when I first heard it. Who knew he had a wild streak in him?”

 

Xiao Min nodded with a smile: “I heard he used to be in a band during middle school?”

 

“Yes. He had quite a dream back then, but something happened later, and they disbanded.”

 

Xiao Min was curious: “What happened between Xiao Jiang and his friends?”

 

“Don’t know, it was quite a commotion. I heard he even sent someone to the hospital.”

 

Xiao Min was taken aback, looking back at the person on stage.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s singing state was different from usual, with light falling like a hazy mist on his hair and shoulders, and his slender fingers strumming the strings so gently that it almost felt like you could sense the warmth of his fingertips.

 

He was right there, surrounded by light and shadow, as gentle as a flowing galaxy.

 

Such a person, who used to send friends to the hospital?

 

Xiao Min was still pondering when the lead singer didn’t seem to care much: “This guy doesn’t have any love life, yet his love songs are more and more enticing. If I had his voice, maybe I’d be someone’s dream sweet talker.”

 

After finishing work, Jiang Yunbian was changing clothes in the lounge when the lead singer grabbed him by the neck and ruffled his hair.

 

“What’s up?” He smelled alcohol and pushed the lead singer’s hand away, “What’s got you going?”

 

“You little rascal!” The lead singer, feeling satisfied, pointed at him with gritted teeth, “If I ever find out you’re playing the field or have let down any girl, you’re finished.”

 

Jiang Yunbian: “…You’re crazy.”

 

Night events usually lasted until two or three in the morning. After finishing his shift, Jiang Yunbian wouldn’t return to school. Instead, he would either go out for a late-night meal with the band or crash at the lead singer’s place.

 

Tonight was supposed to be the former, but after a late-night meal that lasted until five in the morning, a sudden downpour ruined the gathering, so Jiang Yunbian had to rest at the lead singer’s place.

 

When he woke up, it was already eleven in the morning, and the sky was still overcast with light rain.

 

Jiang Yunbian lazily pushed aside the empty bottles on the floor and grabbed his phone, only to see Xu Zhan had sent him three messages.

 

[Not coming back for the opening ceremony?]

 

[I don’t understand what the principal was thinking. Even though it’s just a light rain, running 3000 meters in it? I’m so damn jealous that a girl is running alongside her boyfriend with an umbrella. I’m so envious!]

 

[Hehe, I’m not envious anymore. You have a girlfriend, you can count down. Our Zhou Ge still won first place in the rain.]

 

The Third High School tends to have rain during the sports meet every year.

 

Jiang Yunbian watched the opening ceremony video from the class group chat. Zhou Die was holding the placard for Class 6 this time. He didn’t seem very happy, walking in front with a neutral expression in his school uniform jacket, while the group of students behind him acted arrogantly like a gang.

 

The opening ceremony had already been held on a cloudy day, and the 3000-meter race started with light rain. However, the school officials were convinced that the light rain wouldn’t affect anything and went ahead with the event.

 

After watching the video of Zhou Die winning the race in the rain, Jiang Yunbian sincerely sent him a congratulatory message.

 

Winning first place in the rain is quite impressive.

 

After putting away his phone, Jiang Yunbian moved the lead singer, who was sleeping messily, onto the bed.

 

“I don’t want to… Yuanyuan…” The lead singer mumbled incoherently while rubbing his neck, with Alpha pine resin scent pheromones wafting around.

 

Jiang Yunbian frowned and pushed his head back: “Yes, yes, I know.”

 

After tidying up the broken glass bottles and trash, he received a message from Xu Zhan:

 

[Bro, Zhou Die has a fever. Just as the principal was checking attendance, I told them you both went to the hospital.]

 

When Jiang Yunbian arrived at the hospital according to the address, he genuinely didn’t know whether to thank Xu Zhan or find an opportunity to give him a beating.

 

He could have gone directly back to school, but now he had to transfer between two buses to get to the hospital.

 

After sending several messages to Zhou Die with no reply, Jiang Yunbian decided to make a voice call.

 

“Xiao Jiang?” To his surprise, a female voice answered the phone.

 

Jiang Yunbian was taken aback and clarified: “Hello, I’m looking for Zhou Die.”

 

Mrs. Zhou gave him the room number, and Jiang Yunbian was somewhat surprised in the elevator to find that the Zhou family seemed more concerned about Zhou Die than he had imagined.

 

When he arrived on the third floor, he saw Mrs. Zhou waiting in front of the elevator.

 

“Xiao Jiang, over here.”

 

Jiang Yunbian had no choice but to approach awkwardly: “Hello, Auntie.”

 

“Xiao Die is asleep, so I answered the phone for him,” Mrs. Zhou said, her hair up and looking less stern than usual.

 

When she led him to the ward, the first person he saw was not Zhou Die, but Mr. Zhou, who was sneakily peeking into the ward from the door.

 

The usually stern and indifferent old man was now peering with concern, but he did not go inside.

 

Seeing Jiang Yunbian’s surprised expression, Mrs. Zhou chuckled softly: “Grandpa is not good at expressing his concern, just pretend you didn’t see him.”

 

Jiang Yunbian lowered his eyes, unsure of what expression to wear.

 

Mrs. Zhou checked the time: “You’re still at the sports meet at this hour? I didn’t expect you to come. You care about Xiao Die more than I thought.”

 

Jiang Yunbian thought to himself that was not true; he was just avoiding skipping class.

 

Mr. Zhou seemed to have finished his observation, his expression relaxing, and walked out with a calm demeanor.

 

Clearing his throat, Mr. Zhou said, “You and Xiao Die should go back to school later. I’ll send some consolation items to your class. We’ll leave now.”

 

After seeing the two enter the elevator, Jiang Yunbian stood for a moment, slowly digesting what he had just seen and heard.

 

The Zhou family dynamics were quite fascinating.

 

After a while, he pushed open the ward door.

 

When he entered, he exchanged a glance with Zhou Die. Jiang Yunbian, thinking Zhou Die was still asleep, awkwardly extended a greeting: “Hi.”

 

Zhou Die’s eyelids were thin, and when he looked at people without emotion, his aloofness was evident. He merely glanced at Jiang Yunbian and then looked away.

 

Jiang Yunbian wasn’t sure how to start, but Zhou Die’s glance made him somewhat confused: “So the 3000-meter champion is too good to talk to people?”

 

Zhou Die frowned slightly, removed the remaining IV drip, and put on his jacket as if to leave.

 

Jiang Yunbian didn’t understand where his bad mood came from and blocked the door: “Zhou Die, we’re classmates after all. I came to visit you, and you can’t at least say a word?”

 

Zhou Die lifted his eyelids, his tone indifferent: “Did I call you here?”

 

Jiang Yunbian was taken aback.

 

Indeed, he came here on his own accord.

 

Sticking to his principle of not arguing with someone who was sick, Jiang Yunbian was about to leave with his umbrella when he noticed Zhou Die standing on the hospital’s first floor.

 

He held his pitch-black phone with a downturned mouth, looking isolated and helpless.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s intended sarcasm faded, and he sighed, holding the umbrella out to Zhou Die: “Let’s go, or you’ll really end up staying in the hospital.”

 

Zhou Die glanced at him, and from his expression, Jiang Yunbian read “If it wasn’t for the rain being so heavy, I wouldn’t bother with you.”

 

Taking charge, Jiang Yunbian firmly said: “So, are we going or not?”

 

In the car, the air conditioning was a bit low, so Jiang Yunbian adjusted his jacket sleeve to avoid pressing on the wound, with only his clean, slender fingertips visible.

 

Zhou Die stared out the window with a cold expression.

 

Enigma was particularly sensitive to other pheromones, and Jiang Yunbian, having been exposed to other Alpha’s scents overnight, was noticed by Enigma.

 

Unfortunately, one particular Alpha was completely unaware.

 

After the call ended, Jiang Yunbian leaned against the car window, gradually succumbing to drowsiness.

 

He shifted positions, half-awake and half-asleep throughout the ride, and woke up just as the car stopped.

 

The rain was still falling. Jiang Yunbian left the umbrella for Zhou Die and lightly ruffled his own hair: “You go ahead. I’ll be right back.”

 

Zhou Die looked at the umbrella in front of him: “Where are you going?”

 

Jiang Yunbian sensed a hint of reproach in those four words, but his sleepiness prevented him from discerning it clearly, so he casually replied: “Just getting something. I’ll be quick.”

 

With that, he dashed out into the rain.

 

It wasn’t time for school to end yet, so there weren’t many people around. Jiang Yunbian bought a bag of bread slices, a few cherry tomatoes, and eggs, and also got a bowl of plain congee from a restaurant.

 

When he returned to the dorm, he found a group of people waiting at the door, including Xu Zhaoruo.

 

“What’s going on? Guarding the door?” Jiang Yunbian asked Gao Zining, “Aren’t you supposed to be following the competition?”

 

Gao Zining shook his head: “I’m just worried about my classmate.”

 

“He’s talking nonsense.” He Ru from the next class chimed in: “Yesterday, some idiot from Class 12 was bragging that we’d definitely win first place in the 200 meters sprint and even bet on it, relying on Zhou Die. Now that Zhou Die’s sick, he’s panicking.”

 

Jiang Yunbian suddenly remembered that Zhou Die still had to run the 200 meters in the afternoon.

 

“Get out of here, stop bothering the patient.” Jiang Yunbian rolled his eyes, “You made a big claim, so you deal with the consequences. Don’t just block me here.”

 

Gao Zining was dejectedly driven away.

 

“I just came to check, as long as he’s okay,” Xu Zhaoruo said with a smile, “Good luck with the competition, you’re all key players.”

 

When Jiang Yunbian opened the door, he saw Zhou Die lying on the desk, still in his clothes and ready to sleep.

 

Jiang Yunbian remembered how he used to act when sick, refusing to move and sleeping wherever he lay.

 

He put the items he had bought on his desk and called Zhou Die: “Eat first before you sleep.”

 

Zhou Die lazily opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then turned his head without moving.

 

Jiang Yunbian suddenly understood why the girls in the class drew cat ears on his class uniform.

 

Lazy, arrogant, and with a bad temper, he was like a pampered cat.

 

But Jiang Yunbian was used to comforting his younger sister, so he naturally softened his tone and patted Zhou Die’s head: “Eat, then clean up before sleeping. Be good.”

 

Zhou Die, lying on his stomach, didn’t expect to be patted on the head and turned his face to look at Jiang Yunbian.

 

Jiang Yunbian felt awkward and quickly withdrew his hand.

 

…What kind of relationship do I have with Zhou Die that I’m patting his head and comforting him?

 

If someone treated him like this when he was sick, he would immediately jump up and fight.

 

But Zhou Die, in front of him, slowly sat up and looked at him.

 

Jiang Yunbian raised his hand and threatened: “Do you believe I’ll personally take a towel and clean you up?”

 

With Zhou Die’s temperament, he would definitely refuse.

 

“Hmm, the blue towel hanging outside is mine. Go ahead.”

 

Jiang Yunbian: “…” Did you burn your brain from the fever?

 

Zhou Die sat there, watching him calmly without saying anything or showing other expressions. When he was unwell, the aloofness seemed to fade, making him unexpectedly docile.

 

…It’s just wiping your body. Who’s afraid of whom?

 

Jiang Yunbian went out, washed the towel, and brought it back. Zhou Die was already sitting at the desk, having opened the congee.

 

He suddenly felt how foolish he was for being so serious; Zhou Die was probably just playing with him.

 

As he was about to put the towel back, Zhou Die asked: “Aren’t you going to wipe me?”

 

Zhou Die’s voice was hoarse, with a naturally docile quality when he was sick, sounding like a cat eagerly waiting for a can of food. Jiang Yunbian felt a bit like a pet being toyed with by a heartless owner.

 

He folded the towel and placed it in front of Zhou Die with a look of “I won’t tolerate any more nonsense”: “Do it yourself.”

 

Zhou Die’s gaze shifted from his eyes to his wrist, and with a touch of indifference, he took the towel and began wiping.

 

So difficult to please.

 

After mentally cursing him a little, Jiang Yunbian opened his wardrobe and decided to take a shower.

 

Zhou Die looked at his damp jacket and stared for a while: “Your jacket is wet.”

 

Jiang Yunbian paused: “I know.”

 

Zhou Die detected the lack of sincerity in his response and said: “You don’t.”

 

Jiang Yunbian felt a brief sense of guilt.

 

“Don’t you smell it?” Zhou Die tilted his head slightly, “There’s a scent of pheromones.”

 

Jiang Yunbian’s first reaction was that he wasn’t in his heat, and then he recalled being rubbed by the lead singer this morning.

 

“…Damn.” He raised his hand to smell, finding only a faint pine resin scent, not very strong if not scrutinized.

 

Why has his sensitivity to similar pheromones decreased?

 

Jiang Yunbian took off his jacket and sniffed the back of his neck,

 

A subtle hint of mint spread through the air, and Zhou Die let go of the towel, involuntarily brushing his front teeth with his tongue.

 

He was always so unguarded.

 

After his shower, Jiang Yunbian checked his wound, confirmed it was fine, and took out a small electric cooker from his suitcase.

 

He got some hot water, placed the medicine in front of Zhou Die: “Finish eating and then have a good sleep.”

 

Zhou Die put down his spoon and looked up: “I can’t sleep.”

 

“Who’s pointing a gun at your head to keep you awake?”

 

“I have to run the 200 meters.”

 

“Dude, you had a fever in the morning, not a sneeze.” Jiang Yunbian was exasperated, “And you’re going to run the 200 meters in the afternoon? Why don’t you go and fight with them?”

 

Zhou Die pursed his lips, looking like a scolded child, poking the congee with his spoon: “…They bet on me to win.”

 

Jiang Yunbian was silent.

 

In his memory, Zhou Die, the young master, always wore a cold expression at the start of the school year, with a “I’m a high mountain flower, you’re all insignificant” attitude, making everyone in the class only dare to speak in whispers.

 

But in reality, he lied to his mother to reassure her, saying he had many friends and even remembered the jokes of others when he was sick.

 

If the earlier head pat was instinctive, Jiang Yunbian now genuinely wanted to touch his hair.

 

If Zhou Die were an Omega, he would probably hit his heart.

 

“Too bad, no arguments allowed.” Jiang Yunbian took the class uniform off the bed, “If I see you on the field this afternoon, I’ll break your legs.”

 

Author’s note: V, V, tears from the old mother.