A Parting Gift and Denied Feelings

The youth’s nose nuzzled intimately against Shi Ji’s nape several times. Once again, the man was enveloped by the boy’s pheromones. The cloying, sweet scent of Iris tunneled into Shi Ji’s body without hesitation, as if it intended to dye his very blood with the same fragrance.

A wild thought struck Li Chen: If these pheromones were being emitted from Shi Ji’s own glands, would the feeling be even more different?

Or… if I made Shi Ji an Omega.

Li Chen’s expression darkened instantly at the thought. Shi Ji’s lips trembled, but he remained silent.

“Tell me.”

Li Chen’s voice was husky, his hot lips hovering near the back of Shi Ji’s neck. As he spoke, his soft lips brushed against the man’s exposed skin. Shi Ji felt entirely numb; even that slight touch made him shiver uncontrollably.

“Was it for me?”

The boy behind him was stubborn, as if he demanded an answer from Shi Ji’s own mouth. He gripped Shi Ji’s waist with both hands. Even through the silk of the pajamas, Shi Ji could feel the searing heat of his palms.

Shi Ji’s waist was sensitive, and Li Chen seemed to knead it twice on purpose. An electric sensation surged from Shi Ji’s brain down his spine. He bit his lower lip and let out a faint, muffled groan.

Li Chen’s sharp ears caught it. He took that groan as an answer. His hollow heart felt suddenly full, and he couldn’t stop a small smile from tugging at his lips.

“I know you hate me,” he continued, his hot breath enough to melt anyone. “But I still have to say thank you.”

Inside Li Chen’s chest, his heart hammered wildly. With Shi Ji leaning against him, it felt like the man’s spine was vibrating in sync with every beat.

Shi Ji opened his mouth to speak, but in the next second, Li Chen’s other hand reached around from behind. Bony fingers climbed up his neck, and a soft thumb pressed against Shi Ji’s Adam’s apple. The delicate, threatening touch forced Shi Ji to swallow his words.

As if his throat were being held in a vice, Shi Ji couldn’t make a sound.

Li Chen stared at Shi Ji’s profile, his gaze lingering on the man’s pale face. He could feel the tremors. The fine sweat on the man’s forehead was a silent announcement of Shi Ji’s fear of him.

He really is terrified.

Li Chen’s expression dimmed. The finger on Shi Ji’s Adam’s apple began to circle slowly, while his other hand stroked Shi Ji’s hair like one would soothe a nervous animal.

He wanted to comfort his cowardly, sensitive “Brother.”

Li Chen pinned Shi Ji’s head against his shoulder. His fingers slid down the skin of the neck, his rounded nails occasionally scratching Shi Ji’s chin. He watched the man’s fluttering lashes before placing a hand over Shi Ji’s eyes.

He heard a soft gasp. The curled lashes brushed against his palm, making Li Chen want to grab those mischievous lashes and rub them between his fingers.

“What… what do you actually want to say?”

Shi Ji’s world was dark. He could see nothing; all his senses were concentrated on his ears. Even Li Chen’s breathing became crystalline. He couldn’t keep his voice steady; the end of his sentence trailed off in a tiny tremor.

Li Chen blinked slowly, his misty-blue eyes filled entirely with Shi Ji.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he whispered, his voice like a holy, low chant.

Li Chen shifted, leaning his forehead against the back of Shi Ji’s head. Using the bone conduction to carry his voice, he whispered:

“How could I ever have the heart to kill you?”

“Brother.”

After the dorm reassignments, Li Chen moved out quickly. Shi Ji stayed at the school for another half-month, and now it was time for him to leave as well.

The day before his departure, the principal sycophantically organized a farewell party. The performances were hastily rehearsed by class teachers; due to the rush, every act was messy and juvenile.

At the end of the party, teachers went up one by one to give speeches. Each held a scripted draft, delivering boring, hollow parting words. Aside from exaggerating Shi Ji’s “achievements” to a ridiculous degree, there was nothing of value.

Shi Ji was seated in the center of the first row. Every teacher looked at him with admiration after finishing, inevitably adding: “Let us give the great Mr. Shi a round of applause!”

This forced spotlight made Shi Ji feel like the star animal in a zoo. Just blinking his eyes felt like it would draw a crowd.

The party made Shi Ji incredibly uncomfortable. He sat there absentmindedly, while the principal beside him was in high spirits. He leaned back in his chair, looking rejuvenated at the thought of Shi Ji finally leaving.

“Mr. Shi, it’s time for Class 2-3’s performance,” the principal whispered.

Shi Ji lifted his gaze to the stage but didn’t see Li Chen’s silhouette. Right. Given Li Chen’s personality, how could he possibly participate?

Thinking this, Shi Ji turned his head. Li Chen’s seat was easy to find. In an instant, his eyes met Li Chen’s.

The youth was staring at the stage expressionlessly. Shi Ji couldn’t tell if he was even watching. Shi Ji curled his lip slightly and awkwardly looked away.

The moment he turned back, Li Chen tilted his head toward Shi Ji. He gazed brazenly at the back of the man’s head, his hands clenched so tightly on his lap that his nails dug into his palms.

Suddenly, Jiang Mo, sitting nearby, turned to look at Li Chen and tilted his head curiously.

“Your brother must be a very good person,” Jiang Mo whispered.

Li Chen didn’t answer. He measured the shortened distance between himself and Jiang Mo, then silently slid several inches away.

“Why do you say that?” he asked coolly.

Jiang Mo rubbed his chin. “I heard others say he’s the one who funded the construction of this school. He’s donated a lot of money to poor schools in private…”

Li Chen listened silently, making no reaction until Jiang Mo finished.

“So I’m pretty envious. You have such a good brother.” Jiang Mo smiled. “He must be very good to you, too.”

Li Chen glanced at the naive expression on the boy’s face and sneered. Maybe Shi Ji is good to everyone else. But I am always the exception.

“You must really like your brother!” Jiang Mo blurted out.

The noisy music in the hall couldn’t drown out those words. Li Chen’s eyes widened in shock, staring fixedly at Jiang Mo.

Startled by the look, Jiang Mo rubbed the back of his neck. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

Li Chen looked away, frowning unnaturally. “No.” Then he couldn’t help but add: “How did you… see that?”

That I ‘like’ Shi Ji… Li Chen’s voice trailed off.

“Well…” Jiang Mo looked confused. “Last time I called him ‘Brother,’ you looked so angry. Your eyes were terrifying. I thought you were going to punch me.”

He laughed it off. “So I figured, if you didn’t like your brother, why would you have such a big reaction—”

Before Jiang Mo could finish, Li Chen suddenly “scooted” up, standing so abruptly that his chair fell backward with a loud thud.

“I do not like Shi Ji!!”

He lost control of his volume, nearly shouting. Jiang Mo stared at him in a daze. Luckily, the party was winding down, and the cacophony of voices and music easily swallowed Li Chen’s outburst. No one else noticed his agitation.

Like? How could I possibly like Shi Ji?! Shi Ji is so wicked, so annoying… I could never like Shi Ji in this lifetime!

Li Chen took several deep breaths, then picked up his chair with visible irritation, intending to leave. He strode toward the auditorium doors, but just as he was about to exit, Shi Ji’s voice came from behind.

“Wait! Li Chen!”

As if possessed, Li Chen’s feet stopped automatically upon hearing his name.

Shi Ji was breathing slightly hard as he looked at the boy’s straight back. “Remember to go to the dorm supervisor later to pick up something. It’s for you.”

Li Chen knit his brows and turned his head. In the next second, someone draped an arm over his shoulder. The impact forced Li Chen a step forward. He turned his head to see Jiang Mo.

“You’re leaving and didn’t tell me!” Jiang Mo complained. Then he noticed Shi Ji. He turned and his lips moved. “Bro—”

Just as the short syllable escaped his lips, Jiang Mo’s tone took a sharp, controlled turn. When he spoke again, it was just: “…Hello.”

After saying it, he nervously glanced at Li Chen’s expression. Seeing no reaction, Jiang Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi Ji watched this, feeling exasperated. You are the Attacker protagonist! An Alpha who’s afraid of an Omega… what kind of Alpha are you?!

Shi Ji felt like crying. He really couldn’t figure out where the romance between these two went wrong.

“Oh,” Li Chen replied flatly.

The crowd was noisy, but Shi Ji felt only an endless awkwardness between himself and Li Chen. He blinked, not knowing what to say. Ever since that night Li Chen promised not to kill him, Shi Ji felt their relationship had become even more strained.

Just then, the principal ran over to urge him, saying the car was waiting at the gate. Shi Ji nodded and walked past Li Chen, accompanied by the principal.

His gaze stayed glued to Li Chen’s face until he was out of sight. The youth never looked back at him once.

Shi Ji sighed and left the auditorium.

As the crowd thinned out, only students helping with the equipment remained. Jiang Mo watched Li Chen, who stood rooted to the spot. After Mr. Shi left, the boy kept staring at the door.

The look in his eyes was turbulent, with a loneliness Li Chen himself hadn’t noticed.

“I told you, you like your brother,” Jiang Mo said softly, shaking his head with a smile.

Li Chen snapped out of it, lowered his lashes, and walked out without a word.

At the dorm, Li Chen remembered Shi Ji’s words and picked up the item left for him. It was a large delivery box—about the size of half a suitcase. Jiang Mo followed him, curious.

“Your brother left this for you?” he asked, eyeing the box.

Li Chen ignored him and ripped the tape open. When the contents were revealed, Li Chen’s eyes widened. The box was packed to the brim with high-end suppression patches and inhibitors. He was momentarily speechless.

“Whoa,” Jiang Mo was also shocked. He reached in and pulled out an inhibitor. “These are imported.”

He looked at Li Chen with envy. “Before I came to school, my parents didn’t prepare anything like this for me.”

Jiang Mo nudged Li Chen’s arm. “Your brother really is good to you. Say…” Jiang Mo blinked mischievously. “How about you let him be my brother, too?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Chen snatched the inhibitor back, resealed the box, and clutched it tightly to his chest.

As he headed upstairs, Jiang Mo only heard him mutter:

“No.”