The Marked Alpha Is Extremely Hard to Coax - Chapter 64

Wen Lin was called to the instructor’s office at 9 PM.

 

He had heard about the incident in the isolation room that afternoon. All the freshmen participating in military training knew that an Omega had lost control and was sent to the hospital.

 

Tang Ruo should have succeeded.

 

Wen Lin thought he was being called to learn about Tang Ruo’s condition as his partner, but he was surprised to find his father and Zhou Die already present when he entered.

 

Wen Lin’s fingertips trembled by the door, his heart sinking.

 

“Since Wen Lin is here, you should understand the situation clearly,” the school doctor said, patting Wen Lin’s shoulder before leaving.

 

Wen Lin stood stiffly behind the door, quickly analyzing the situation.

 

According to the normal course of events, shouldn’t Zhou Die have gone to the hospital with Tang Ruo? How could he be standing here so calmly?

 

And what was his father doing?

 

“Wen Lin.” Mr. Wen approached him and without saying a word, slapped him across the face.

 

A sharp buzzing sound filled Wen Lin’s ears as he was stunned by the slap, the searing pain spreading across half of his face, followed by intense humiliation.

 

He was actually slapped by his own father in front of Zhou Die?

 

Zhou Die raised an eyebrow slightly, also surprised by Mr. Wen’s decisiveness.

 

“Dad? What are you doing!” Wen Lin’s chest heaved violently, both anger and confusion swirling in his mind.

 

“You ask me what I’m doing? Tang Ruo said he wanted to skip military training during his estrus period, but you insisted he come, right?” Mr. Wen questioned angrily.

 

“I…” Wen Lin was instantly at a loss for words.

 

“Are you still unaware of Tang Ruo’s condition? If it hadn’t been for Zhou Die here today, he would have been in danger!”

 

Wen Lin’s heartbeat grew louder, and he couldn’t help but look towards Zhou Die.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Zhou Die smiled politely, briefly explaining the situation: “Tang Ruo asked me to mark him today, but I refused.”

 

Wen Lin felt as though he had been struck by a heavy blow to the back of the head, his mind foggy for a moment before he looked up at Zhou Die.

 

He actually managed to refrain from harming Tang Ruo?

 

Mr. Wen turned around, suppressing his anger: “Zhou Die even helped by spraying the blocking agent. Thanks to him, Tang Ruo was not in danger.”

 

Wen Lin’s pupils narrowed. Meeting Zhou Die’s gaze from this distance, he felt an overwhelming pressure on his shoulders.

 

Zhou Die’s mere glance rendered him speechless.

 

“A small effort,” Zhou Die said calmly, “but I think Wen Lin should pay more attention.”

 

“After all, most Alphas have trouble controlling themselves around an Omega in special periods. Don’t you think so, Wen Lin?”

 

A chill ran down Wen Lin’s spine, and even the slap from his father seemed less humiliating compared to Zhou Die’s light remark.

 

Wen Lin knew Jiang Yunbian disliked this side of him and wanted Zhou Die to be in a similar predicament, but the outcome was drastically different.

 

Zhou Die was showing Wen Lin through his actions that they were different.

 

He wouldn’t ignore Tang Ruo’s personal will to mark him just because the Omega was in a special period.

 

He would never disappoint Jiang Yunbian.

 

“The matter is clear now, so I’ll leave first,” Zhou Die said as he stood up.

 

“Alright, say hello to your grandfather for me.”

 

After Zhou Die left, Mr. Wen’s patience and smile vanished. He looked coldly at Wen Lin: “Tang Ruo is the only child in his family. You treated him like this after we went to so much trouble to settle things for you? And now you’re causing trouble again?”

 

Wen Lin’s thoughts were a mess, and he stammered a response: “I didn’t…”

 

Mr. Wen slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise: “Still saying you didn’t? Do you know who Zhou Die is? If he reports this to his grandfather, our family will be investigated!”

 

Wen Lin felt a sharp twist in his chest, his whole body going numb.

 

Wen Lin’s parents were politicians, and the incident he caused three years ago almost cost his father his job.

 

If Mr. Wen hadn’t negotiated compensation with Jiang Jing and if Jiang Yunbian hadn’t ended up in the hospital, Wen Lin would have already been placed on the high-risk Alpha list in the city’s juvenile detention center.

 

To handle various rumors and gossip, Mr. Wen hastened to arrange an Omega to silence others, and it took a lot of time for father and son to rectify that mistake.

 

Wen Lin had always known his parents’ limits and acted with restraint, while Tang Ruo knew his role and relied solely on Wen Lin for freedom, never betraying him.

 

But today, Zhou Die had leverage over him.

 

“If Zhou Die had been in trouble today, his family would investigate and dig up old accounts from three years ago. Do you think money could solve it this time?”

 

Wen Lin’s gaze wavered, all his struggles and arguments swallowed back.

 

“I didn’t mean to,” he said, his response weak and powerless.

 

“Now go to the hospital and take care of Tang Ruo. If I find out you’re involved in harming Omegas again, the Wen family will disown you.”

 

Wen Lin agreed in a deep voice. As he left the instructor’s office with his father, he saw someone turn around.

 

“And, you’re in the same class as that Jiang kid?”

 

Wen Lin felt a sour taste in his mouth and took a while to summon the courage to admit it.

 

“That’s also a potential danger. If it weren’t for his father trying to cling to our family, that incident back then wouldn’t have been so easily covered up,” Mr. Wen said, pressing his forehead. “Switch departments and avoid him.”

 

“Alright.”

 

*

 

Jiang Yunbian was lying in the dorm room, secretly playing with his phone. Xu Zhan was still asking about various morning gossip, and he hadn’t replied a word.

 

When the dorm door opened, his instinct was to hide the phone under his pillow. He relaxed when he saw it was Zhou Die.

 

“Back already?”

 

Zhou Die smiled lightly, leaning on the bed: “Yunbian.”

 

Jiang Yunbian looked at him for a moment, then kissed his lips, “Hmm?”

 

Zhou Die followed up: “Want to sneak out?”

 

Jiang Yunbian’s eyes brightened slightly: “Now?”

 

“You mentioned there’s a bar nearby with a performance by our school’s band, right? Let’s go enjoy the fun.”

 

Jiang Yunbian had only heard Zhou Die mention it briefly and hadn’t planned to go, but his sudden suggestion excited him a bit.

 

“Sure, change clothes.” Jiang Yunbian quickly opened his suitcase, found a casual outfit, and pulled out a mask.

 

After Zhou Die waited for him to change, he draped a jacket over his shoulders: “Put this on.”

 

Jiang Yunbian had intended to change himself, but seeing Zhou Die’s gaze, he understood and obediently put on the jacket.

 

“The sleeves are so long.” Jiang Yunbian was about to adjust the sleeves, but Zhou Die stopped him.

 

He followed the exposed fingertips at the wrist, “School bully, take me over the wall?”

 

“Alright.”

There were quite a few people out and about. Jiang Yunbian, familiar with the area, led his partner to the low wall at the back gate and leaped over it effortlessly.

 

The bus had just arrived at the station. Without a second thought, Jiang Yunbian took his boyfriend’s hand and boarded the bus, feeling a thrill as he watched the scenery outside the window disappear.

 

“Zhou Die, look at you. Even after starting college, you’re still up to mischief every day.”

 

Zhou Die accepted it calmly: “Jiang, you’re right.”

 

Jiang Yunbian chuckled softly: “Why do you indulge me so much?”

 

“I want to restrain you, keep you close, and control you,” Zhou Die answered seriously and gently, “but I know you wouldn’t like that.”

 

Jiang Yunbian understood what he meant. He gently zipped up his jacket to the top, raised his clear eyes to look at Zhou Die, and took a light sniff of his jacket under Zhou Die’s gaze.

 

“Maybe I like it.”

 

Zhou Die’s gaze darkened immediately.

 

Jiang Yunbian felt he was controlling his emotions, smiling softly: “But maybe it’s me who wants to control you tightly.”

 

Zhou Die tightened his grip on his hand.

 

“As long as you are mine, I’ll do whatever you say.”

 

When they arrived at the bar, Qu Ling had just taken the stage and noticed the two at the door immediately, giving them a cheerful wink.

 

“See, that senior is the one who invited me to join the band,” Jiang Yunbian led Zhou Die to a vacant seat and then remembered that Qu Ling knew about his Cross-Star affiliation.

 

He hadn’t told Zhou Die yet.

 

Zhou Die glanced casually and noticed the girl’s gaze was fixed on Jiang Yunbian, his expression slightly restrained.

 

Jiang Yunbian was still trying to figure out how to fully disclose his non-mainstream past, his expression quite troubled.

 

Zhou Die gently tapped his brow: “What’s wrong? Worried about being caught?”

 

Jiang Yunbian thought, am I that timid?

 

“Zhou Die, um, I need to confess something to you. You mustn’t laugh at me.”

 

Zhou Die became serious, looking at him: “Go ahead.”

 

“Well, when I was in middle school, I was a bit of a show-off…” Jiang Yunbian opened his Weibo, as if presenting evidence, “I was a little internet celebrity for a while.”

 

Zhou Die raised an eyebrow, looking at the Weibo account Jiang Yunbian had personally highlighted.

 

“It was short, just over a month, and I haven’t used it since,” Jiang Yunbian said nervously, “I’m not hiding it from you; I just felt it was embarrassing since I was so immature back then.”

 

Jiang Yunbian never realized that what he thought was embarrassing had accompanied Zhou Die through countless days and nights.

 

At that time, Zhou Die was separated from his mother and entered another world through the Zhou family. He was pursued by various voices.

 

No one easily accepted a child of unknown origin, and what awaited him at home was the news of his father’s passing.

 

He felt the world was shrouded in darkness with no choice and no way out, but looking back now, it was just a minor issue.

 

“Can I listen to it?” Zhou Die turned to a video, which was Jiang Yunbian’s first song, “At Least There’s You.”

 

“My sister was very nostalgic back then.” Jiang Yunbian handed him the headphones, “The singing wasn’t great, just, you know, listen and that’s it.”

 

Zhou Die put on one earphone, and Jiang Yunbian, feeling too embarrassed, turned his gaze to the stage.

 

The youthful, inexperienced tone echoed in his ears. As he looked at Jiang Yunbian up close, he suddenly realized that someone like him shouldn’t be confined to a narrow place.

 

Jiang Yunbian was the brightest star and deserved a vast night sky.

 

“Yunbian.” Zhou Die propped his chin on his hand, looking at him gently.

 

Jiang Yunbian responded with a soft “Hmm,” like a child awaiting a review, his nervousness evident.

 

“Thank you for always being with me.”

 

Author’s Note: “At Least There’s You” by Linda Lin.