Yellow Bird

The basketball court inside Hongtie High School.

The place had originally been filled with conversation and the faint noise of a phone call, but now it had suddenly gone quiet, as if the signal had vanished and the world had been muted.

Only a short distance away, Wu Qie watched Pei Qingyu.

The latter had been speaking on the phone just a moment ago, yet now he had abruptly fallen silent.

The young Alpha held the phone to his ear with a slightly puzzled expression, as if checking whether the call had been cut off.

He glanced at the screen.

Everything looked normal, and the call was still connected, yet there was no sound coming from the other end.

Pei Qingyu raised an eyebrow, confused.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Qie asked.

“Who is it?”

As he spoke, he leaned closer without the slightest sense of being an outsider and glanced at the screen.

The caller ID showed the contact name clearly written: Zhao Shu.

Wu Qie blinked.

He wasn’t particularly surprised.

“Are you guys playing basketball?”

The voice coming through the phone sounded faint since the call wasn’t on speaker.

The gym was quiet.

Wu Qie could hear it clearly.

He couldn’t tell what Zhao Shu meant by asking that question, and while he was still thinking about it, Zhao Shu spoke again in a completely calm tone.

“Pei Qingyu, give the phone to him.”

The phone was actually right between the two of them.

When both of their names were mentioned in the same sentence, the two people looked up at the same time.

Their eyes met briefly.

Wu Qie looked baffled.

He genuinely couldn’t figure out why Zhao Shu wanted him to take the call.

If Zhao Shu had something to say, couldn’t he just send a message on WeChat?

Pei Qingyu, however, was more surprised than confused.

Because he could tell Zhao Shu was unhappy.

Although Zhao Shu and Pei Qingyu didn’t exactly get along well, and Zhao Shu had even deliberately transferred to Class F to avoid being in the same class as him when they were first assigned classes, the truth was that the two of them had practically grown up together since childhood.

Their relationship wasn’t exactly good.

But they knew each other’s personalities extremely well, whether they wanted to or not.

Zhao Shu usually acted loud and reckless, like a brainless idiot who preferred fists over thinking.

But when he was truly unhappy, the atmosphere felt exactly like this.

His tone sounded calm and steady.

His words were measured.

And only at times like this did Zhao Shu resemble his older brother, Zhao Guipu.

Zhao Guipu had been forced to take over the Zhao family at seventeen.

He went from being treated like a naive rich kid to becoming someone who held influence across both the underworld and legitimate circles in Jiangcheng and the surrounding region.

That kind of status didn’t come without ability.

Among their circle of rich young masters, they usually joked and messed around.

But the moment someone mentioned the name “Brother Guipu,” the entire room would go silent instantly.

The name carried more authority than their own parents.

Right now, the atmosphere felt exactly like that.

Pei Qingyu found it somewhat amusing.

He had been away from school for over half a month and had only heard vague rumors about the chaos that had happened recently.

He truly had no idea how far things had progressed between Zhao Shu and Wu Qie, the two people who were supposedly engaged.

Last time he checked, Zhao Shu looked at Teacher Wu like he had a personal vendetta against him.

And now he was already calling to interrogate him about where he was?

Like a dog guarding its food.

Pei Qingyu didn’t think too much about it.

Seeing that the black-haired Beta in front of him still looked completely clueless, he smiled faintly and slid his finger across the phone.

Then he turned on the speaker.

Wu Qie had no idea what Pei Qingyu was thinking.

Seeing the call on speaker, he simply said “Ah” and spoke innocently toward the phone.

“Zhao Shu? What’s up?”

Silence filled the phone again.

Pei Qingyu wondered happily if Zhao Shu was already so angry that he was clenching his fists.

After a moment, Zhao Shu’s voice came through again, lowered and restrained.

“I told you I had something to do today and couldn’t practice with you. Didn’t you know?”

“…?”

Wu Qie looked even more confused.

“You never told me. How was I supposed to know?”

That logic was perfectly sound.

Zhao Shu suddenly had nothing to say.

“You should’ve known afterward anyway.”

Even though he was somewhat in the wrong, Zhao Shu still sounded irritated.

“It’s already dark. Why didn’t you go back? Why are you still in the basketball gym?”

Wu Qie glanced down at the basketball he had just wiped clean and was about to put back into the storage basket.

Teacher Wu silently thought to himself that the question was a bit strange.

Why stay in a basketball gym?

To play basketball, obviously.

It couldn’t be to mop the floor.

Meanwhile, after listening for a while, Pei Qingyu had already figured out the situation from Zhao Shu’s questioning tone.

He could also hear the faint flavor of irrational jealousy.

He turned off the speaker again and put the phone back to his ear.

Noticing that the black-haired Beta in front of him was watching his face attentively as the phone moved, Pei Qingyu simply asked calmly into the phone,

“Zhao Shu, what exactly do you want to ask? I’m hungry. Can we not waste time?”

His voice was as cold as always.

Strangely enough, it gave off a sense of upright authority.

Wu Qie couldn’t hear exactly what Zhao Shu said in response, but judging by the noise, Zhao Shu probably cursed angrily.

Pei Qingyu remained completely indifferent.

After a while, Pei Qingyu tilted his head slightly and looked at Wu Qie for the first time with a faintly evaluating gaze.

“Teacher Wu,” he asked,

“Did you two make plans to practice basketball together every day?”

“…No.”

Yuanzhuang Private Club.

Inside the dim corridor, the lights were soft and faint.

Without stars outside, the night felt completely swallowed by darkness.

Only the half-open door to the terrace allowed the wind to blow in.

Zhao Shu leaned against the wall and felt that everything was way too quiet.

Because of that, he could hear every sound from the phone clearly.

Pei Qingyu had asked that Beta in his deadpan voice whether the two of them had agreed to practice basketball together every day.

And that damn Beta had answered clearly, without hesitation.

“No.”

Zhao Shu nearly ground his back teeth to dust.

His canine teeth even itched.

He knew perfectly well Wu Qie was just telling the truth.

But when Zhao Shu was annoyed, he had no interest in logic.

He gripped the phone tightly and snapped before Pei Qingyu could mock him.

“Why the hell are you wasting time asking all that nonsense?! Whether they made plans or not is none of your business! Just send him home already!”

“Send him where?”

“Home! Where else?” Zhao Shu snapped.

“Look at the time.”

“Does Teacher Wu have a curfew?”

Pei Qingyu’s voice on the other end sounded faintly amused.

“Hm?” Wu Qie’s voice suddenly came through.

“Not really. Weren’t we going to eat? Aren’t you hungry? I’m kind of hungry.”

Zhao Shu almost crushed his phone.

“Eat what? It’s this late and you’re still eating?”

“Chicken hot pot. Teacher Wu hasn’t even gotten paid yet,” Pei Qingyu said lightly.

“He’s hungry, so he’s not allowed to eat? If you miss dinner you’re not allowed to eat later? Since when did Second Young Master Zhao start living such a healthy lifestyle?”

Pei Qingyu chuckled softly.

Zhao Shu felt like the guy was being insufferably smug.

“I’m still at Yuanzhuang, damn it! What chicken hot pot are you talking about? Hurry up and get over here. Don’t eat!”

Zhao Shu shifted his stance, then frowned impatiently.

“Actually… just bring Wu Qie here too.”

“He’s not coming.”

“He hasn’t even said anything!”

“He’s right in front of me. He shook his head.”

Pei Qingyu said calmly.

“We’ll come after we eat. Stop rushing.”

Zhao Shu stared into the pitch-black corner for a moment.

Then he swallowed his pride and said,

“Send me the address for the chicken hot pot. I’m coming too.”

Silence answered him.

Zhao Shu frowned and kicked the slightly raised edge of the carpet irritably.

“I’m hungry too, okay?!”

His voice was loud enough that Wu Qie heard it.

The Beta hesitated and said softly,

“But that’ll cost over a hundred more…”

Zhao Shu almost laughed from anger.

He knew many things about Wu Qie.

But one thing he definitely knew was that the guy was ridiculously stingy.

Through Pei Qingyu he shouted,

“Don’t be so damn cheap! I’ll pay! I’ll pay! Happy now?! I’m coming!”

After a few seconds of silence, Wu Qie finally said reluctantly,

“…Alright then.”

The call ended.

**

Zhao Shu waited for a long time but didn’t receive the location.

Growing impatient, he messaged the small golden retriever profile picture on WeChat.

No response.

After fiddling with his phone for a while, Zhao Shu suddenly realized something.

He had blocked Wu Qie.

Apparently it had happened earlier when Wu Qie kept pestering him about whether he had told Zhao Guipu about Lin Zuwen’s situation.

Zhao Shu had gotten annoyed, had a strange dream that night, and the next day—still irritated by that dream he didn’t even want to recall—Wu Qie showed up asking if he was sick.

So in a moment of anger, Zhao Shu blocked him.

And then forgot to unblock him.

“…”

No wonder their chat history recently looked like he was performing a one-man stand-up routine.

Speechless, Zhao Shu unblocked him.

He shamelessly sent a message.

[Accidentally hit the block button.]

Then immediately followed with another.

[Send the location.]

Thirty seconds later he happily received a location from the golden retriever profile picture.

It was a late-night chicken hot pot stall.

Average cost per person: 72 yuan.

And Wu Qie had still hesitated about going.

[Shu: Do your parents not give you pocket money? Why are you this stingy?]

[Wu Qie: You talk too much. If you don’t want to eat, don’t come.]

[Shu: Why wouldn’t I come? I’m hungry.]

Zhao Shu snorted.

He called the driver and forwarded the restaurant location.

Then he locked his phone.

After putting away his phone, Zhao Shu suddenly felt his heart beating faster.

His mood improved for no clear reason.

He couldn’t understand why a 72-yuan chicken hot pot excited him more than Yuanzhuang, where even a bottle of water cost 180 yuan.

He pushed open the private room door behind him.

Before even stepping inside, he lazily leaned against the doorway, ready to announce that he was leaving early.

Inside the room, the others were halfway through a game of pool.

Lin Zuwen was sitting quietly in the corner while Zhou Tong talked to him.

The two were standing very close.

Zhou Tong’s hand was even resting on Lin Zuwen’s wrist.

Zhao Shu glanced at it briefly.

Only briefly.

Then he looked away.

The moment he opened the door, the room fell silent for a few seconds.

Taking advantage of the pause, Zhao Shu said casually,

“I have something to do, so I’m heading out. Keep playing. Tonight’s bill is on—”

Before he finished speaking, a slender figure suddenly rushed toward him.

The scent of tequila-leaf pheromones filled the air.

The person who had just been in the corner of the room moved with the agility unique to an Omega and suddenly appeared in front of him.

Lin Zuwen threw his arms tightly around Zhao Shu’s waist.

“Zhao Shu.”

Lin Zuwen looked up at him.

His eyes were red, as if tears were about to spill.

His voice trembled.

“Are you going to abandon me again?”

Zhao Shu was completely caught off guard.

He lowered his head slightly and made a confused sound.

Lin Zuwen tightened his grip around his waist.

Tears dripped down and soaked into Zhao Shu’s clothes.

“Just now… Zhou Tong asked if I wanted to be with him,” Lin Zuwen said shakily.

“I was shocked, but he said something that made sense… He said you already have a fiancé… so we can’t possibly be together…”

His tears fell faster.

“I don’t even know why you suddenly have a fiancé. We met when you first presented. For the past three years we’ve been together all the time. The doctor said… the doctor said pheromones can change because of emotional factors.”

Lin Zuwen’s tequila-leaf pheromones existed because of Zhao Shu.

“It can’t just end like this, right? A-Shu… Can’t this engagement be cancelled? We’re ‘The Eye of Aphrodite.’ It’s something that might not appear even once in millions of people.”

His voice became faster and more desperate.

The room was completely silent.

Everyone present understood social etiquette well enough to avoid embarrassing confrontations.

But Lin Zuwen had essentially put a knife to his own throat to force Zhao Shu to respond.

All eyes turned toward Zhao Shu.

Zhao Shu himself looked confused.

Lin Zuwen was usually gentle and quiet.

This was the first time Zhao Shu had ever seen him cry so intensely.

For a moment he didn’t know how to react.

Seeing that the Omega was about to collapse, someone reminded Zhao Shu to hold him.

“Oh,” Zhao Shu said.

He lifted his hand and placed it on Lin Zuwen’s arm.

Then he didn’t help him stand.

Instead he pulled Lin Zuwen’s arms away from his waist.

The room fell silent again.

“There’s snot on my clothes,” Zhao Shu said.

Then he added,

“Stand properly. Otherwise how are we supposed to talk?”

The expressions around the room became strange.

Zhou Tong couldn’t help asking,

“Zhao Shu… did you mutate or something these past few days?”

Zhao Shu stepped back and looked at him with mild annoyance.

What nonsense was this guy talking about?

Who mutated?

“Zhou Tong.”

“…?”

“Shut up.”

Zhao Shu said calmly.

Then he looked back at Lin Zuwen, whose eyes were red like a rabbit’s.

“A-Shu… don’t go, okay?”

The scent of tequila-leaf pheromones surrounded him completely.

But unlike its usual sunlit freshness, the smell now felt like a plant soaked by heavy rain.

Every pore seemed filled with sadness and pleading.

This was the so-called Alpha-Omega “mortise-and-tenon fit.”

For a long time, Zhao Shu had rarely refused Lin Zuwen.

Sometimes because he was too lazy to refuse.

Sometimes because he didn’t care enough to argue.

Now he finally understood.

That indulgence came from the instinctive softness Alpha felt toward highly compatible Omegas.

But the irony was that by the time the truth became clear, Zhao Shu already had a proper fiancé.

A Beta.

Compatibility: zero.

They argued every day.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

The driver had probably arrived outside.

Zhao Shu took out the phone and told the driver to wait.

Lin Zuwen froze when he heard that.

Amid the tear-filled pheromones, Zhao Shu lowered his head slightly and said calmly,

“Stop crying.”

His gaze swept across the Omega’s trembling figure and finally stopped at the aquamarine anti-bite collar around Lin Zuwen’s neck.

For a moment, it felt as if the statue of the God of Love had collapsed before his eyes.

When Lin Zuwen stepped closer again, Zhao Shu extended his arm to block him.

“Lin Zuwen, we’re friends.”

He paused.

“Becoming each other’s ‘Eye of Aphrodite’ is a rare coincidence. But like you said, that doesn’t really matter.”

Lin Zuwen shook his head desperately.

Zhao Shu glanced at the time on his phone and typed a quick message to someone.

Then he said calmly,

“We’ll spend twenty minutes clearing this up.”

“After that, I have somewhere to be.”

The room fell silent again.

Behind him, the door closed.

Lin Zuwen’s crying was cut off from the cold wind in the corridor.

Outside the private room.

On the terrace.

In the darkness where no one should have been, a sharp click sounded.

A lighter sparked.

A small flame flickered in the night as tobacco ignited.

A tall man in a perfectly tailored suit stood there.

Even in his relaxed posture, the expensive fabric remained flawless, completely blocking the cold wind.

Zhao Guipu exhaled a thin stream of smoke.

It seemed he had watched enough of the young people’s drama in the corridor.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Behind him, the entire neon-lit city of Jiangcheng glowed with life.

A quiet scoff echoed in the darkness.

“Twenty minutes?”

“No one waits for you, kid.”