Chapter 31: Seizing the Opportunity

Chapter 31: Seizing the Opportunity

In the small living room, Wan Jun sat with her arms crossed on the couch. Xie Chu leaned against a nearby chair, winking at Ye Lincheng, who stood by the table.

He had clearly messaged someone, asking them not to come.

Yet not only did Ye Lincheng show up, he also staged a thief-catching performance here.

The living room was brightly lit, allowing Ye Lincheng to clearly see that Wan Jun and Xie Chu had similar facial structures and lips, almost as if they were molded from the same template.

The index finger slightly vexed, touched the tip of the nose and said, "Uncle, I'm sorry."

Knowing Wan Jun's temperament, Xie Chu quickly spoke, her fingers pinching her clothing, "Yes, the teacher asked me to tutor him. He's here for tutoring."

Ye Lincheng's gaze darkened slightly, not responding.

The atmosphere in the small living room was a bit tense.

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Wan Jun scoffed, her slender, light-colored eyes scanning the school uniform Ye Lincheng was holding, saying coldly,

"Is he the one? Your boyfriend?"

A casual remark, yet it exploded like a small bomb in the tense room, shattering the delicate calm.

Ye Lincheng's brows raised slightly, finding the situation eerily familiar.

Back in Lu Qingguo's office, the conversation felt similar. However, Wan Jun's expression was worse now. He turned to Xie Chu, whose face was also pale, "At that time, the police brought this school uniform to me, saying you, being underage, were intimately involved with an alpha in a hotel, so they came to warn your parents to be more vigilant."

Wan Jun pointed at the uniform dangling from Ye Lincheng's wrist, looking at Xie Chu with a hint of disappointment, "What did you promise me back then? You said you had broken up with him and stopped dating, didn't you?"

Ye Lincheng's pupils dilated, a look of shock in his eyes.

He had always thought that Xie Chu's words in Lu Qingguo's office were to use him as a shield. After the incident with Xue Jiaran, he assumed he was just a cover for Xue Jiaran's affair, which unfortunately reached Lu Qingguo's ears.

Yet, he never imagined that his school uniform would be the cause of it all.

And it took place in such a provocative setting – a hotel.

Ye Lincheng, with a hint of frustration, looked at Xie Chu. He wanted to understand the connection between Xie Chu and his school uniform. Moreover, the intimate act that Wan Jun mentioned earlier pricked him, causing a slight sting in his heart.

After all, he knew he wasn't that alpha.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of two pairs of eyes, Xie Chu couldn't hide any longer. He candidly explained everything to Wan Jun,

"It's not like that, Mom. I... I did sleep in the hotel that night, but I was alone. I didn't meet anyone. When I left in the morning, I found this uniform on the ground. I picked it up."

Xie Chu was perplexed about why Ye Lincheng's uniform was outside his room. As soon as he picked it up and opened the door, two police officers approached and took him for questioning.

With a skeptical frown, Wan Jun inquired, "Why were you in a hotel? And later, why did the police suggest you had a premature love affair and urged us to monitor you closely?"

The chair behind Xie Chu shifted back slightly. He bit his lower lip, unsure of how to respond.

He was initially supposed to stay with Xie Weizhou that night.

Wan Jun went back to her hometown for some work and asked Xie Weizhou to take care of Xie Chu after school. But shortly after Xie Chu went to his room and lay down, he heard footsteps outside, followed by the voice of Xue Jiaran,

"Brother, can I come to your room to study tonight?"

Given that Xie Weizhou had a late-night flight for a business trip, only Lin Meilin and Xue Jiaran would be left in the house. The more Xie Chu thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt, especially with the distant footsteps making him uneasy.

So, he seized the opportunity when Xue Jiaran was taking a shower and sneaked out. He booked a room in a hotel right across from the villa community and finally got a peaceful sleep.

Little did he know that as soon as he opened the door the next morning, he, along with Ye Lincheng's school uniform, would be taken to the police station.

Sitting next to a small table in the inquiry room, two yawning officers jotted down statements, "We received an emergency call claiming a student from Jia City First High School encountered inappropriate behavior from an alpha in a hotel. Was it you?"

The early morning call didn’t specify the room number, only mentioning a student from Jia City First High. Still, protocol demanded immediate action. The two officers had been patrolling the hotel for a while when they saw Xie Chu in a Jia City school uniform.

As they approached him, they detected an alpha's pheromones, which led them to bring him in for questioning.

A puzzled Xie Chu was about to explain when a young female officer beside him bagged Ye Lincheng's school uniform in a clear plastic bag, her face showing distaste, "These youngsters nowadays, ruining a perfectly good uniform with whatever they're doodling."

Xie Chu felt a sudden tension in his spine, his mind racing rapidly.

The uniform with the white, unattractive bird was unmistakable. Every time at the flag-raising ceremony, all eyes in the school were on it.

How did Ye Lincheng's uniform end up outside my room?

The short-haired officer gestured to the policewoman, "Send the uniform for pheromone testing to confirm the identity." He then continued his interrogation of Xie Chu,

"Do you know the person who assaulted you? Is this his uniform? What's your relationship with him?"

Xie Chu, who was sure he had slept peacefully the entire night, furrowed his brows. After a moment's thought, suspecting that perhaps Ye Lincheng had provoked someone into playing a prank, he replied earnestly, "Officer, you've got it all wrong. Nobody assaulted me."

The officer, visibly skeptical, quirked a lip, "Then where did this uniform drenched in alpha pheromones come from?"

Having served as a policeman for years, he was aware that egas, being the more vulnerable group, often chose to keep such incidents under wraps.

But since the station had received the report, it was their duty to thoroughly investigate. Especially given the gravity of the situation involving a minor ega – they couldn't afford to be negligent.

"You can't even clearly state who this belongs to or its origin. We've already contacted your guardians and school. This matter is escalating," he warned. Witnessing the unfolding situation, Xie Chu's frustration became palpable, "I wasn't assaulted."

The officer repeated his barrage of questions, "Then where did the alpha pheromones come from? Whose uniform is this? Why were you alone in a hotel?"

"Can't answer? Fine. We'll discuss this when your guardians and school authorities arrive. Additionally, we'll need to examine you for signs of any injuries and residues."

Xie Chu: "..."

Having been an exemplary student for over a decade, Xie Chu never imagined his first call to his parents by an authority would be under such circumstances.

Given the over-cautiousness of the officers, to avoid any misinterpretation of being victimized by Ye Lincheng, Xie Chu mustered up his courage and confessed,

"Look, officer, he... he's actually my boyfriend."

The officer blinked, momentarily taken aback.

Xie Chu earnestly explained, "Our school prohibits dating. We've been in a secret relationship. We met up last night and he accidentally left his uniform behind. It got late, so I stayed in the hotel. Truly, I haven't been harmed. Check the surveillance if you don't believe me. I slept alone all night."

Speaking of surveillance, another officer had just received the hotel's footage. The two of them fast-forwarded and scrutinized the video. Indeed, Xie Chu was seen entering and exiting alone, with no other person in sight.

The skeptical officer finally believed Xie Chu. He ordered the policewoman to retrieve Ye Lincheng's uniform from the evidence bag, fuming, "Who filed this false report? Is this how you waste the time of the police?"

Xie Chu, a bit embarrassed, hesitated and asked, "So... can I leave now?"

As he finished speaking and began to step out, Officer "Bursting Chestnut" slapped the table, yelling, "Hold it right there!" "Are you just leaving behind this school uniform of yours? Think confessing to young love lets you off the hook?" Still fuming from the earlier false alarm, the officer chose to vent his irritation on the young couple, baring his teeth and narrowing his eyes.

"We've already contacted your family. Wait here until your father arrives to give you a proper lesson. Tch, high schoolers engaging in secret relationships... Such nonsense."

Thus, early in the morning, Wan Jun unexpectedly found out about his son's young romance.

Xie Chu glossed over the reason for staying at the hotel and briefly explained the situation. Wan Jun narrowed his eyes, carefully studying Xie Chu, trying to discern if his son was spouting more tall tales.

After all, his own flesh and blood had always been good at lying without blushing.

Once Xie Chu finished, he glanced at Ye Lin Cheng and found him gazing back with a complicated expression.

Xie Chu shot him an awkward smile that seemed to say, "Dad's cleaning up your mess."

Wan Jun grudgingly accepted this version, choosing not to pursue the matter of the school uniform. Instead, he asked, "Didn't I send you to stay at Xie Wei Zhou's place? Why did you come back alone? And what were you studying here for?"

Xie Chu, now lacking the momentum of his earlier confession, momentarily found himself at a loss for words.

He hadn't yet figured out how to broach the subject of Xue Jia Ran to Wan Jun.

He knew Wan Jun's temperament all too well. If he found out Xie Chu had repeatedly gone to Xie Wei Zhou's and caused subsequent events, Wan Jun would be furious enough to beat Xue Jia Ran black and blue.

Xie Chu remembered a doctor advising Wan Jun about his weak lungs – not only did he need to quit smoking, but he also had to avoid getting angry and maintain a stable mood. With the conflict already resolved, Xie Chu was even more determined to keep things under wraps.

As he pondered over how to navigate this predicament, Ye Lin Cheng, standing beside him, caught a glimpse of something in his eye. Seizing the moment, he quickly interjected,

"Uncle, about that... there was a misunderstanding earlier, but now we truly are in a secret relationship."

Author's Note: Chu:

Next update at noon.

Thank you to all the angels who've cast dominant votes or nourished me.

Special thanks to the angels dropping landmines: Cha Cha Cha Tai and Aston Fa, with 1 each.

Heartfelt gratitude to the angels who've provided sustenance:

I deeply appreciate all the support. Some are gone but not entirely forgotten...

After what felt like an endless stupor, Shi Yu bolted upright in bed.

He took deep, ragged breaths of fresh air, his chest heaving with each intake.

Confusion, bewilderment—emotions surged through him.

Where am I?

Immediately after, Shi Yu instinctively scanned his surroundings, only to become more lost.

A single-person dormitory?

Even if he had been rescued, he should be in a hospital room by now.

And his body… How is it that there's not a single injury?

With rising suspicion, Shi Yu's gaze swiftly swept across the room, finally resting on a mirror by the bed.

The reflection showed him as he appeared now, seemingly seventeen or eighteen, undeniably handsome.

His past self had been a dashing young man in his twenties, already well into his career.

But now, he looked unmistakably the age of a high school student…

This transformation left Shi Yu dumbfounded for a long while.

Please don’t tell me the surgery was a "success"…

A changed body, a different face—it went far beyond the realm of surgery. It was like magic.

He had become an entirely different person!

Could it be… he had traveled through time?

Aside from the oddly-placed mirror by the bed that seemed to defy feng shui principles, Shi Yu noticed three books beside it.

Picking one up, its title rendered him speechless.

"Novice Keeper's Essential Beast Rearing Manual."

"Postnatal Care for Pet Beasts"

"A Guide to Evaluating Beast-Eared Females of Different Species"

Shi Yu:

The first two titles sound normal, but what's the deal with the last one?

"Ahem."

Shi Yu's gaze turned serious, reaching out, but his arm stiffened shortly after.

Just as he intended to flip open the third book, curious about its contents, a sharp pain pierced through his brain, and memories flooded in like a tidal wave.

Frostfall City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Beast Keeper. Website closing soon, download the AiYue app for tales of Deceptive Omegas by the renowned author ZhiZhiZhi.

Beastmaster?