No Plans Made

Class F classroom.

Zhao Shu stuffed his phone back into the desk drawer.

Beside him, Lin Zuwen tilted his head and asked how many copies of the English Weekly had been handed out over the past few days.

The classroom door suddenly swung open.

Zhou Tong and Liang Wenjin from Class C swaggered in.

The moment they saw Zhao Shu, they couldn’t help bursting into strange laughter.

Zhou Tong raised his arm and mimed drawing a bow.

Liang Wenjin cooperated immediately, pretending to be struck by an arrow and clutching one eye dramatically.

Zhao Shu watched their little performance with a blank expression.

Then asked if they were mentally disabled.

Liang Wenjin grinned and leaned closer.

He invited Zhao Shu to go to “Xishen” tonight for a drink.

“To celebrate Lin Zuwen successfully completing his differentiation and returning to school healthy.”

Zhao Shu rejected the idea without even thinking.

“Not going.”

“Basketball team training tonight.”

Liang Wenjin frowned.

“Doesn’t training end at 6:30? Leaving a bit early should be fine, right?”

Zhao Shu replied flatly,

“Who told you it’s fine?”

“The autumn tournament starts in a few days.”

“If Sun Mi goes crazy he’ll twist my head off.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt movement beside him.

Zhao Shu instinctively turned his head.

Lin Zuwen was sitting next to him, hugging a stack of English newspapers.

Half of his slightly flushed forehead peeked out from behind the messy pile.

He widened his eyes slowly.

Then looked at Zhao Shu and asked quietly,

“I organized the gathering… you really can’t come?”

Zhao Shu paused.

This time he didn’t answer immediately.

“Is it because of your fiancé?”

Liang Wenjin suddenly asked.

“I heard that lately after training you’ve been secretly meeting him alone until eight or nine before going home.”

Zhao Shu raised an eyebrow.

Before he could respond, Lin Zuwen froze.

He looked a little lost as he put the newspapers down.

“Ah Shu?”

Zhou Tong widened his eyes dramatically.

“No way, Zhao Shu—don’t tell me you actually—”

“No.”

The answer came sharply.

Zhao Shu reached into the drawer and casually pulled out the English Weekly he had rushed to grab earlier.

He straightened it.

Then turned and handed it to Lin Zuwen.

His expression was calm.

“You guys are imagining too much.”

The appearance of an “Aphrodite’s Eye” pair was no small matter.

Right now the news had only spread from the Lin family, so it was still technically rumor.

But if confirmed, it would definitely occupy the front page of the Jiangcheng Evening News tomorrow.

Still, everyone understood something.

The Zhao and Wu families had already publicly announced their marriage alliance.

For the Lin family to release this rumor now—

It was probably true.

The students of Hongtie Middle School, who were closest to the source of this explosive gossip, were practically holding their breath.

They were waiting to watch a dramatic soap opera unfold.

But to their disappointment—

They saw nothing.

The conversation between Zhao Shu and Wu Qie ended with Teacher Wu’s casual read-but-no-reply.

No one—

Including Zhao Shu himself—

Knew whether Wu Qie actually cared.

The chat window remained Zhao Shu’s one-man monologue.

And the entire day passed without the two of them speaking.

It was as if nothing special had happened.

Life continued as usual.

Their next meeting was during evening basketball practice.

Teacher Wu sat by the court as always, acting as the team’s technical advisor.

When he commented on Zhao Shu’s performance, the sentences were neither too long nor too short.

His tone was calm.

There was not a trace of personal emotion.

At this point, those hoping to see drama almost gave up.

Some even started guessing that the engaged couple had already argued somewhere out of sight.

Maybe they were currently in a cold war.

Just a very special kind of cold war.

Only Zhao Shu knew—

That probably wasn’t the case.

Because after practice ended and the team dispersed, everyone rushed toward the showers.

Zhao Shu deliberately moved slowly.

He pretended the sports drink bottle cap wouldn’t open.

He fiddled with it for ages.

Until he was the last one left.

Once the curious teammates who had been watching him and Wu Qie finally left—

He looked around the basketball court.

Just as expected.

The black-haired Beta sat quietly in the corner.

Playing with his phone.

No sign of leaving.

As if waiting for someone.

Exactly the same as the previous eight days.

Zhao Shu gathered his things and went into the shower room.

The first group had already finished bathing.

A bunch of young Alphas wrapped in towels chatted loudly.

Complaining about each other’s pheromones being too strong.

Zhao Shu walked past them expressionlessly.

He picked a shower stall deeper inside and turned on the water.

Just as he stepped under the hot stream—

Someone knocked on the stall door.

A teammate stood outside and shouted,

“Liang Wenjin told us to kidnap you to Xishen after training.”

Zhao Shu paused while squeezing out body wash.

Then said lightly,

“Try it.”

His tone made it impossible to tell whether he was joking.

The guy outside instinctively shrank his neck.

Then a moment later he started banging on the door again.

“I heard you’ve been practicing extra with Teacher Wu after training.”

“Did you two schedule it again today?”

The moment those words came out—

The shower room exploded.

“Private coaching? No wonder your playing style changed.”

“During the third quarter today I thought I was facing an upgraded Teacher Wu!”

“I want Teacher Wu to train me too!”

Zhao Shu ignored them.

The chatter continued.

But suddenly the conversation shifted direction.

The teammate outside the stall—someone slightly closer to Zhao Shu’s social circle—dragged out his tone.

“Your skills improved, sure.”

“But practicing every day…”

“Aren’t you bored?”

Someone else immediately chimed in.

“Yeah, you even stopped going to gatherings.”

“I heard from Liang Wenjin you haven’t hung out for a week.”

“Today’s Lin Zuwen’s gathering, right?”

“Aren’t you two friends?”

“Plus now with this Aphrodite’s Eye thing, everyone’s watching you.”

“If you don’t go it’ll look suspicious.”

Then someone asked directly:

“Zhao Shu, do you seriously have zero interest in Lin Zuwen?”

“Our families practically try to engineer Alpha babies in test tubes.”

“An Omega appearing isn’t easy.”

“Even Xie Yi rushed over the moment he smelled the chance.”

“Lin Zuwen clearly likes you.”

“Don’t push him away.”

Zhao Shu listened silently.

He had already heard these same arguments countless times this past week.

All blaming him for being cold-hearted.

Saying Lin Zuwen’s pheromone disorder and second hospitalization happened because Zhao Shu forced him to change seats.

His ears were practically growing calluses.

“So if he likes me, I have to like him back?”

Zhao Shu turned off the water.

The stall suddenly fell silent.

He was beginning to feel annoyed.

Why was everyone acting like this was his responsibility?

Before he could think further—

The shower room quieted strangely.

Then suddenly someone in the corner laughed and blurted out:

“Holy shit.”

“Shu-ge… if you don’t like Lin Zuwen…”

“Don’t tell me you like Teacher Wu?!”

The statement hit like a missile.

Inside the shower stall—

Zhao Shu almost ripped the water valve off.

What kind of ridiculous statement was that?

What kind of ridiculous statement was that????

Him???

Wu Qie????

What????

He shoved the door open and walked out.

His hair still dripping.

His muscles still pumped from all the dunks and running earlier.

The tall Alpha cast a heavy shadow across the floor.

He looked even stronger than usual.

The nearest teammate swallowed nervously.

Did Zhao Shu get even taller again?

The teasing tone vanished from his face.

“So… so today… you’re still meeting Teacher Wu?”

Zhao Shu suddenly felt his irritation expand endlessly.

Before he could analyze it—

A scene flashed through his mind.

Wu Qie curled up quietly in the corner of the gym earlier.

Head lowered.

Playing on his phone.

The sky outside had already darkened.

Only the last rays of sunlight fell on his hair.

Under the golden light, his black hair seemed surrounded by a halo.

His long neck bent naturally.

There was nothing on it.

No pheromone patch.

No anti-bite collar.

He sat quietly.

When everyone else left—

He almost disappeared into the background.

…Did they make plans?

Zhao Shu’s expression stayed blank.

“No.”

His voice was steady.

He wasn’t lying.

He and Wu Qie had never actually made any agreement.

Meanwhile—

Wu Qie finished watching the NBA draft video for the year.

Three years ago he would immediately click “not interested” whenever basketball videos appeared.

But now he sat alone in a high school gym in China.

The lingering smell of sweat and young Alpha pheromones filled the air.

Strangely—

He felt calm.

The top draft picks entering powerful teams didn’t move him much.

What really stirred him were the second-round players.

The ones who barely made it.

When they signed with their desired teams—

Their relieved smiles shone brightly.

The championship chase had begun beneath their feet.

Most of them were Alphas.

A few Omegas too.

The passionate background music echoed through the empty gym.

Wu Qie realized the frantic dog in his chest had disappeared.

It had turned into a restless cat.

Soft.

Occasionally scratching.

The video ended.

Wu Qie reluctantly closed it.

He rubbed his tired eyes.

Only then did he notice that night had completely fallen outside.

His waist felt stiff from sitting too long.

He decided some exercise might help.

But—

The gym was empty.

Wu Qie blinked slowly.

Then picked up his phone again.

7:12 PM.

It had been almost half an hour since training ended.

He looked around blankly.

At that moment he heard footsteps behind him.

His eyes brightened.

He turned around.

“Why are you so late—”

The rest of the sentence stopped halfway.

The person standing there was only the janitor holding a mop.

The two stared at each other awkwardly.

“Oh.”

“Teacher Wu, you’re still here?”

“Are you using the gym tonight too? I can come back later.”

Wu Qie didn’t answer immediately.

Instead he looked past the janitor.

As if expecting someone.

After a moment he stood up.

The chair scraped slightly.

Then he smiled politely.

“Uncle Xiang.”

“Did everyone leave already?”

“Yeah.”

“I cleaned the showers and locker room.”

“Those kids left a long time ago.”

“They all went together.”

“Said something about a celebration party because an Omega appeared.”

“Tsk. Those Alpha boys.”

After the janitor finished speaking—

Wu Qie stood still for nearly ten seconds.

The bright gym lights still shone overhead.

When he came back to his senses—

He was alone.

The janitor had kindly left the lights on.

…Recently the rumors about the Wu–Zhao marriage alliance had spread everywhere.

Now with Zhao Shu possibly having Aphrodite’s Eye with Lin Zuwen—

The janitor probably thought he had accidentally said something awkward.

Wu Qie sighed softly.

Maybe because everyone had been repeating the same things all day—

A strange discomfort rose inside him.

For example—

If Zhao Shu had other plans tonight…

He could have said something earlier.

Even though they never officially agreed to practice.

Wu Qie didn’t want to overthink it.

He decided to message Zhao Shu.

Just to ask if he’d lost his mind again.

Why not say something if he wasn’t coming?

But when he finally found Zhao Shu’s chat—

The entire screen was Zhao Shu talking to himself.

Wu Qie had never replied.

Yet Zhao Shu seemed perfectly happy continuing the conversation.

Wu Qie sent a single message:

“.”

A huge red exclamation mark appeared beside it.

Wu Qie: “?”

He had been blocked.

When?

No idea.

He hadn’t done anything wrong.

Yet somehow he got left alone in the basketball gym and blocked.

Wu Qie stood there quietly for a moment.

Then slowly stood up.

Of course he wouldn’t call Zhao Shu to ask what the hell he was doing.

He’d wait for Zhao Shu to explain.

Practicing alone was fine anyway.

That was how it used to be.

Wu Qie picked up a basketball.

He tossed it lightly.

The heavy ball dropped back into his palm.

Standing at the edge of the court—

He looked at the hoop.

Jumped.

Released the ball.

“Eh.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Bang.”

The ball hit the rim.

Rolled around.

Missed.

Wu Qie returned to his usual expressionless face.

He picked up the ball again.

Just as he straightened—

The gym door creaked open.

Wu Qie turned around.

“What are you doing here?”

The young man’s voice was calm and cool.

Just like his expression.

Standing in the doorway—

Half hidden in darkness—

Holding a document folder—

It was Pei Qingyu.