A Drunken Confession

After all, his impression score in Gong He’s mind had already plummeted to negative numbers. He even suspected that in Gong He’s eyes, he was nothing more than a small mushroom hiding in a dark corner, appearing damp and frail.

Of course, this was merely his own malicious conjecture; in reality, it stemmed from his introverted and sensitive nature, where even the smallest matters would send him spiraling into internal turmoil, unable to forget them for a long time.

Following a week of rest, his body had largely recovered; however, he now had to wear a hat or carry a parasol whenever he left the house, endeavoring to remain in shaded areas and avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

Despite October drawing near, the sun’s scorching heat was still palpable, yet a subtle coolness already permeated the air.

In the early mornings and evenings, the breeze carried a distinct hint of autumn.

The school’s tree-lined avenues were carpeted with fallen leaves, and the foliage on the trees gradually began to yellow.

An Ran’s favorite season was fast approaching.

****

The Freshmen Welcome Gala was scheduled for seven o’clock this evening.

Though there was no sunlight at night, An Ran still wore his bucket hat; disliking crowded places, he found a secluded corner and settled down.

Surrounded by unfamiliar classmates, and having only attended one day of military training, many students still didn’t recognize him.

An Ran, for his part, breathed a sigh of relief; he disliked conversing with strangers, preferring to remain quietly by himself if no one approached him.

Having promised Fu Zao to take many photos to commemorate his splendid performance on stage, An Ran sat obediently, awaiting his class’s skit to begin.

Fu Zao: – Ran Ran, save me. [Scared Soybean emoji]

An Ran: – What’s wrong?

Fu Zao: – I’m practically dying from the heat; it’s so crowded backstage, packed with people, hot and stuffy. I’ve finished all my water and I’m parched. Could you bring me a bottle? [Pitiful Soybean emoji]

An Ran: – Okay, wait for me a bit, I’ll go buy you some water.

Fu Zao: – Thanks, baby. [Love You emoji]

The tuck shop was quite far from the auditorium; fortunately, there was a vending machine nearby.

An Ran, hurrying along, collided head-on with someone, stumbling back a step.

“Sorry.”

A deep, familiar voice resonated in his ear, and An Ran abruptly lifted his gaze for a quick look.

It was Gong He.

Perhaps due to his impending stage performance, Gong He’s face bore a faint trace of makeup.

Feeling a flicker of novelty, he stole another glance.

Gong He regarded him with an indifferent gaze, his voice tinged with coolness, “Are you going to stand here indefinitely?”

Noticing Gong He’s expression darken further, An Ran quickly averted his gaze, shuffling a step sideways.

He had, once again, blocked Gong He’s path.

An Ran: ‘So fierce QAQ’

He could easily imagine just how terrible Gong He’s mood must be.

When cast selections were decided by drawing lots, it could only be said that whoever drew the lot was simply unlucky.

Gong He was clearly the unfortunate soul who, unwilling to perform, had exhausted all his means and energy to avoid it.

If he had been the one to draw the lot for a stage performance, he would likely be even more ’emo’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term referring to feeling emotional, down, or depressed) than Gong He was now.

The backstage lounge was teeming with people, and lacking air conditioning, only a few old ceiling fans whirred overhead, emitting occasional creaks, making the atmosphere stuffy and hot.

An Ran carefully navigated through the crowd, clutching several bottles of mineral water and a small fan, squeezing his way to his class’s designated area.

Several classmates sat together, awaiting their turn to perform, still clad in their thick performance costumes, sweating profusely, their makeup already beginning to melt.

Fu Zao gazed at the small fan An Ran offered, grinning in surprise, “I’m saved, I was truly about to melt from the heat.”

An Ran distributed the bottles of water among his classmates.

A classmate asked with concern, “An Ran, your face is a bit red; is it too stuffy in here?”

Only then did Fu Zao notice An Ran’s somewhat unnatural complexion; he handed the small fan back to him, saying, “Ran Ran, you should go sit outside; it’s too hot here.”

An Ran subconsciously touched his own face. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but unsure how to articulate it, he simply mumbled a vague affirmation and returned to his seat in the auditorium.

No sooner had he sat down than the host announced Gong He’s class was about to perform.

The lights extinguished, plunging the venue into darkness, and the noisy chatter in the hall gradually subsided.

Suddenly, a beam of cool white light fell upon the stage, illuminating… Gong He’s figure.

He was dressed in a casual suit, a loosely tied necktie around his collar, standing languidly on the stage.

As the music began, his body swayed to the rhythm.

From the moment he appeared, a continuous wave of cheers erupted from the audience.

“Holy crap! Is that the legendary super handsome Alpha? What was his name again?”

“Gong He! I heard he was on the gala performance list and I’ve been waiting all night, finally I see him, ahhhhh!”

“Truly worthy of being called the most handsome Alpha in Liucheng No. 1 High! I think he could easily be promoted to the most handsome Alpha at Liuda University!”

The excited screams around him threatened to drown An Ran out.

Watching the dazzling figure on stage, An Ran’s heart skipped a beat, then began to pound fiercely.

Even though he was in a bustling venue, his world seemed to fall silent all at once; his gaze followed Gong He’s figure, and his heart felt as though it beat in sync with Gong He’s dance moves.

The only sound remaining was the frantic thumping of his own heart, like fireworks exploding.

An Ran suddenly understood what Fu Zao meant by ‘handsome is a feeling’.

Even after the performance ended, he still yearned for more, his gaze unwilling to leave Gong He.

The cheers and applause around him intertwined, deafening.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “He’s so handsome!”

Then another person followed up, “Handsome, can I add you on WeChat?”

Even after Gong He exited the stage, the audience’s emotions remained high, their enthusiasm showing no signs of fading.

“Gong He! Date me! Can you hear me?!”

“Our school actually has such a handsome Alpha?!”

“Hey! Does anyone have Gong He’s contact info? I’ll pay handsomely for Gong He’s WeChat ID!”

An Ran, nestled in the crowd, remained silent for a while.

Gong He’s WeChat ID?

He had lived in the same dorm as Gong He for half a month, yet he still didn’t have Gong He’s WeChat ID.

However, in just a few seconds, An Ran let go of the thought.

After all, he and Gong He lived under the same roof and had barely exchanged a few words; what good would adding him on WeChat do?

After the gala, Fu Zao invited An Ran and a few other classmates who had performed to get some late-night supper.

The area around the school was a commercial district, bustling with many street food stalls.

The group found the nearest street food stall, primarily because it had air conditioning.

While eating grilled skewers and drinking beer by the roadside in summer was enjoyable, the weather was too hot; air conditioning was far more practical.

Fu Zao ordered the spicy crayfish he wanted, while An Ran, merely along for the meal, ordered nothing, given his small appetite.

Other classmates successively ordered numerous grilled skewers and stir-fries.

An Ran, being shy, sat quietly beside Fu Zao. When someone suggested adding An Ran on WeChat, he paused for a few seconds before snapping back to reality, “Oh, oh, sure.”

Seeing his somewhat dazed expression, the other classmates couldn’t help but tease him.

“An Ran, are you an Omega?”

An Ran shook his head. The other classmates took him for a Beta, and he didn’t offer any further explanation.

Fu Zao poured himself a glass of beer, “Crayfish and ice-cold beer are simply a perfect match! So refreshing!”

An Ran was somewhat curious; the only alcoholic beverage he had ever tasted was fruit wine with a low alcohol content.

The only drinks available in the shop, besides soy milk, were beer and baijiu.

Fu Zao, with a mischievous grin, coaxed him, “Want to try some? It’s not bad.”

An Ran hesitated for a few seconds, so Fu Zao simply poured him a small half-glass of beer.

The ice-cold liquid flowed down his throat, a refreshingly pleasant sensation.

It was wonderfully invigorating.

After the military training, there would be a three-day holiday, and Fu Zao and An Ran were discussing whether to go home.

An Ran shook his head, “National Day (TL Note: A Chinese national holiday, usually celebrated on October 1st) is coming soon; I’ll be going home then anyway.”

Fu Zao: “You’re right. This year’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival fall together, so we’ll have about an eight-day long holiday. We can go back then.”

As the two planned their three-day post-military training holiday, they unconsciously drank a few more glasses.

An Ran didn’t usually drink much, but the crayfish the restaurant made was quite spicy, so he drank several more beers to alleviate the heat.

By the time they finished the crayfish, he was completely muddled, looking thoroughly drunk, with several empty beer bottles at his feet.

“You two can really drink, huh?”

An Ran was thoroughly tipsy, his entire face flushed.

He didn’t feel much himself, only a burning sensation in his mouth, a slight dizziness in his head, and the scene before his eyes incessantly spinning.

“I think I’m a little dizzy.”

“After drinking that much, how could you not be dizzy? Let’s head back to the dorm,” Fu Zao said with a helpless chuckle, supporting An Ran as they walked back to the dormitory.

The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, and An Ran felt much clearer.

Fu Zao stood at the entrance of Dorm A, waving to An Ran, “What number is this?”

An Ran looked at him woozily, tilting his head in confusion, “Two?”

Fu Zao sighed lightly, “Can you get back by yourself? Do you remember which floor your dorm is on?”

He couldn’t enter the Dorm A building, so An Ran had to go in alone.

An Ran nodded emphatically, “I can, don’t worry.”

Fu Zao: ‘…’

Who would believe the drunken ramblings of a drunkard?

Just as he was fretting over how to get An Ran back to his dorm, he spotted Gong He not far away.

Fu Zao’s eyes lit up. He intercepted Gong He as he approached the dorm building, took An Ran’s hand, and pushed him towards Gong He, “Please, classmate.”

Gong He instinctively caught An Ran as he stumbled into him.

Fu Zao ran off so quickly that Gong He had no chance to refuse.

Gong He: ‘…’

He was an Alpha, after all; could people really trust him that much?

The hallway lights were dim.

It was late, and the entire dorm building had fallen silent.

Gong He looked helplessly at the restless An Ran in his arms, whispering, “Behave, mm?”

An Ran hugged his neck, burying his face in Gong He’s nape and taking a deep breath.

Gong He paused, veins bulging on the back of his hand, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

An Ran’s breath feathered against his neck, his soft lips occasionally brushing his skin, sniffing his neck like a small dog.

This was incredibly impolite behavior; in an Alpha’s eyes, it was tantamount to seduction.

But An Ran clearly had no such awareness.

Gong He’s cold voice carried a hint of suppressed irritation, “Are you a little dog? Or are you going to throw a drunken tantrum on me?”

An Ran, perhaps sensing the unapproachable aura around him, pouted aggrievedly, “You’re so fierce.”

Gong He let out a humorless laugh.

Taking advantage of him, and then acting wronged?

“Are there still supper stalls open this late?”

“They’re open no matter how late. Let’s go.”

Two people walked towards them. Gong He instinctively held An Ran tighter, one hand gripping the back of his head, making him bury his face in his neck.

The intimate gesture drew the attention of the passersby, who glanced at them in surprise but said nothing.

Gong He’s steps gradually stiffened; he could feel An Ran seemingly nipping him gently.

He held An Ran, standing in the empty stairwell, and took a deep breath.

After finally getting An Ran back to his dorm, An Ran clung to his neck, refusing to let go.

Gong He gripped his forearm, his voice cold, “Let go.”

An Ran: “No.”

Gong He pried his hands away, only for An Ran to wrap them around his waist instead.

An Ran rubbed his face against Gong He’s abdomen.

Gong He felt his temper rising from the friction, a surge of irritation spreading through his chest.

Unable to bear it any longer, he flipped An Ran over, pinning him beneath him, his voice tinged with aggression, “Do you really think I won’t do anything to you?”

An Ran should be grateful his rut (TL Note: A period of heightened sensitivity and strong pheromone release for an Alpha, similar to an Omega’s heat) hadn’t arrived yet.

Otherwise, Gong He wouldn’t care if they were at school or in a hotel.

An Ran was utterly drunk, completely oblivious to what he was doing, only feeling a bit wronged at being scolded.

“Your mint scent smells so good.”

Gong He froze completely, his pupils contracting sharply.

Not many people knew his pheromone scent; Lu Ye was one.

But Lu Ye wasn’t close to An Ran and wouldn’t possibly tell him.

Gong He’s deep gaze fixated on An Ran’s face, flushed from intoxication, his expression unreadable, “How do you know?”

An Ran’s mind was a blur; he couldn’t even clearly hear what Gong He was asking. He simply clung to him, like a kitten drawn to catnip, entangling himself to absorb Gong He’s pheromones.

Gong He lifted him up, feeling the smooth nape of his neck, then paused. An Ran didn’t have the slightly raised scent gland (TL Note: A gland on the back of the neck that releases pheromones in ABO dynamics) like other Omegas.

Moreover, he didn’t emit any pheromone scent himself.

If An Ran wasn’t an Omega, then how could he smell his pheromone scent?

An Ran squirmed uncomfortably, trying to push his hand away from his neck.

Gong He then pinched his chin, prying open his soft lips, and saw no canine teeth, the symbol of an Alpha.

A Beta couldn’t smell pheromones, unless An Ran was an exception.

An Ran gripped his hand and bit it gently.

The warm sensation made Gong He flinch, and he quickly pulled his hand away.

An Ran smacked his lips, then, holding Gong He’s hand, quietly leaned into his embrace and fell asleep.

Gong He gave him a long, deep look.

Finally, he withdrew his hand and closed An Ran’s dorm room door.