Chapter 12 Calm as Still Water

Chapter 12: A Heart Untroubled as Still Water

On Friday afternoon, Fu Rangyi was in his office helping two students revise their thesis proposals while also discussing progress with the master's student he was supervising.

As the workday neared its end, the students still hadn’t left. A colleague from the neighboring office stopped by to chat, and soon enough, the conversation turned to Fu Rangyi.

"Teacher Fu, the wedding candies you gave us last time were so delicious, and the packaging was beautiful. My kid loved them. I searched online but couldn’t find the same brand—what was it called?"

At the mention of "wedding candies," the students immediately exchanged glances and perked up their little ears.

Fu Rangyi smiled faintly and replied gently, "Sorry, I’m not too sure. My wife took care of that."

A lie.

Zhu Zhixi knew nothing about the wedding candies. They were just something Fu Rangyi had Li Jiao arrange on short notice.

But as soon as he said it, the other two teachers immediately started teasing him.

"Ah, marriage really changes a person. How wonderful."

"Well, they’re newlyweds after all. But Teacher Fu kept it completely hidden—there wasn’t even a hint before, and then suddenly, married!"

"Exactly! It was so abrupt. When I saw your post on WeChat, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke! You should bring your wife around sometime—let’s all have a meal together and get to know each other."

Fu Rangyi remained unfazed. "He’s rather shy and doesn’t handle crowds well, so we haven’t even held a wedding yet."

The idea nearly made Fu Rangyi laugh.

"Really? That shy? Or is Teacher Fu trying to keep his treasure hidden away?"

"Regardless, next time we have a gathering, Teacher Fu, you *have* to bring your spouse. Otherwise, we won’t take no for an answer."

Fu Rangyi smiled politely but didn’t actually commit. Once the two teachers left together, he swiveled his chair to face his student—only to find her gripping her phone, typing away.

"Have you finished revising the sections I mentioned?" Fu Rangyi asked.

Startled by his voice, the student flinched, and her phone slipped from her hand—only to be caught by Fu Rangyi.

He set it down on the desk, placing it over her thesis proposal.

"Thank you, Teacher."

"No problem. Be careful."

*Take your incriminating evidence with you.*

Everyone knew Fu Rangyi’s nature—gentle, kind, occasionally even joking—so even when caught, she wasn’t afraid. Instead, she grinned cheekily.

"Teacher Fu, what kind of wedding candies did Mrs. Fu buy? They were so good—can we have some too?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Even the graduate student chimed in: "Teacher, I want some wedding candies too! And I’d love to meet Mrs. Fu—will she come to the next lab gathering?"

The students bandied about "Mrs. Fu" left and right, making his head ache.

Fu Rangyi went quiet for a moment before raising his eyes to the girl who had first asked the question.

He asked softly, "You're so witty and eloquent when chatting, typing with both hands isn’t even enough, yet when it comes to the thesis proposal, why do you struggle so much?"

Hearing this, the student's eyes widened, exchanging a glance with another classmate standing behind the teacher.

What’s wrong with Teacher Fu today? Isn’t he the kindest, most patient advisor in the whole department?

No idea. Who pissed him off?

The office fell silent instantly. Everyone went about their own tasks, not daring to ask further. The wedding candy discussion stopped there.

Fu Rangyi shook his mouse, opening the 3D model sent by the graduate student to discuss the details.

"Regarding the lead element tracing of this bronze statue, Professor Zhu Min’s team published a paper last year using isotopic analysis. I’ll send it to you—you can take a look."

As he spoke, he opened his email, only to find ten unread messages.

For someone with notification-clearing OCD, this was extremely rare and unbearable.

So, Fu Rangyi clicked [Mark All as Read], but the moment he saw the neatly lined-up identical sender names, his temple throbbed, and he closed the mailbox directly.

The graduate student beside him stayed silent, just watching his expression.

"I’ll send it to you later." Fu Rangyi glanced at his watch, opened a drawer, took out a box of allergy medicine, and stood up to leave. "I have something to attend to today, so I’ll head out first. You should all grab an early dinner too."

When it came to work, Fu Rangyi was exceptionally diligent.

Even without classes, he spent most of his time working overtime on research, almost never leaving right at quitting time. Unlike advisors who were always MIA, his students were quite fortunate—they didn’t need to chase him down according to a schedule.

If they wanted him to review their papers, just knocking on his door worked.

He was also happy to spend time guiding students, never clocking out strictly on time.

This was the first time he’d left early. The students were all surprised, unable to resist wondering if their advisor had a date.

However, when Fu Rangyi struggled through the gridlocked traffic and got to the museum ten minutes early, he immediately regretted his decision.

He saw Zhu Zhixi chatting and laughing with an Alpha at the entrance.

Zhu Zhixi was dressed lightly—a mustard-green sweater layered under a dark brown short leather jacket; that was it for layers. He always cared more about looks than warmth, though the Fendi logo scarf around his neck was at least a concession to the late December chill.

Though it was already dark, he’d pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. He was slightly shorter than the other man, tilting his face up slightly when speaking, his round eyes sparkling, even brighter than his diamond earring.

The wind was so strong it blew his scarf open, but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for chatting outdoors.

Zhu Zhixi—naturally sociable, overly fond of physical contact, and way too trusting of people.

Zero principles, zero boundaries, zero self-control.

He signed the contract quickly, made promises like they were nothing, yet still acted like he wasn’t married in public.

The barrage of emails, harassing messages, and the gridlocked traffic had already had Fu Rangyi at his breaking point—and this scene was the last straw.

So, he double-parked across the street and marched right over.

Before he could even reach the steps, the overpowering pheromones made him scowl.

Did he bathe in that stuff?

Too bad the person standing opposite him was a Beta—like flirting with a brick wall.

A bizarre scent of eucalyptus leaves. Revolting.

Perhaps it was his foul mood that couldn’t stand others being happy, or perhaps it was pure spite, but Fu Rangyi deliberately played the role of the loving spouse, crushing the admirer’s hopes.

"You're already married?"

The shock on Zhou Ming’s face was hard to conceal. He hadn’t detected much of a scent from Zhu Zhixi—just faint hints of vetiver and oud, likely accidental.

Since Zhu Zhixi had never mentioned it, he naturally assumed he was single.

Yet now, Zhu Zhixi admitted breezily. "Yeah."

He even playfully linked arms with Fu Rangyi and grinned at Zhou Ming. "Just recently, not obvious, is it?"

The unexpected intimacy made Fu Rangyi stiffen momentarily. He glanced down at Zhu Zhixi’s hand.

His knuckles were red from the cold.

No clue why they were standing around talking in this freezing wind.

Dressing like this for a date? He deserves to freeze.

"Actually, his work is pretty related to the museum," Zhu Zhixi enthusiastically introduced. "He teaches prehistoric archaeology, specifically the Neolithic period, at S University's School of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage."

He smoothly recycled the info from the earlier survey, quite pleased with himself, flashing Fu Rangyi a grin and nudging his shoulder lightly, whispering, "Right, hubby?"

An unnameable feeling welled up in Fu Rangyi’s chest.

He glanced at the clearly crestfallen Alpha standing opposite them and nodded with a faint smile.

"Mhm."

"So, does that make the three of us kinda work-adjacent?" Zhu Zhixi remained as enthusiastic as ever. "We should do lunch sometime!"

Zhou Ming’s smile was tight, his words turning polite and distant. "Sure. I had no idea your husband was an expert—what a pleasant surprise. If I run into any specialized questions later, I can consult him directly."

Fu Rangyi’s smile remained slight, his tone gentle.

"You flatter me. I’m no expert, just happen to be researching this field, but I’d be happy to discuss it together."

With that, he reached out and hitched up Zhu Zhixi’s slipping scarf, putting it back into place.

"We really should have dinner together—we’ll need to rely on Curator Zhou’s help with his work matters in the future," Fu Rangyi said politely, pausing briefly. "But unfortunately, we have a family gathering today and can’t be late."

"Oh right, almost forgot."

Zhu Zhixi gave a half-hearted shrug, waving goodbye to Zhou Ming with a cheerful "See you next time" and a "Let’s chat on WeChat," before finally leaving.

Fu Rangyi, however, yanked his arm back unceremoniously, maintaining what Zhu Zhixi would call a ‘dangerously’ polite distance.

Back in the car, Fu Rangyi pulled up the GPS on his phone, but the navigation voice boomed at full blast, making both of them jump.

"Why’s your phone volume so high?" Zhu Zhixi fastened his seatbelt. "At first glance, I’d think you were using a grandpa phone."

And whose fault is it that I turned the volume all the way up? Wasn’t it because of your little ‘world’s happiest minute’ act?

Fu Rangyi said nothing, lowered the volume, and started the car.

Zhu Zhixi leaned back comfortably into the seat, just starting to feel warm again, when the driver suddenly cranked on the AC and rolled down the window. The freezing air came roaring in.

"Why open the window?" Zhu Zhixi rolled his window back up. "It's so cold. Are you getting back at me? Just because I teased you once?"

"I thought you weren’t afraid of the cold," Fu Rangyi replied flatly, ignoring his first question.

"How could I not be? I’m freezing to death. Good thing you got here fast."

As soon as Zhu Zhixi finished speaking, all the windows rolled back up together, as if voice-activated.

The car’s heater was also turned up, and before long, the temperature rose.

In the warm, dry space, he caught the scent of the car diffuser—wispy traces of sandalwood, Fu Rangyi’s favorite, the same as in their home.

Remembering what Fu Rangyi had said earlier, Zhu Zhixi felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure, even though he knew it was just him being polite to outsiders.

Might as well take what he could get.

"Earlier, you said I could consult you about work matters," Zhu Zhixi edged closer to the driver’s seat. "Was that for real?"

The moment he got closer, Fu Rangyi couldn’t help but frown.

Seeing his silence, Zhu Zhixi boldly extended a finger, poking his shoulder and making 'necessary' contact.

"Can I hire you as my professional consultant? It’s my first time putting together an antique exhibit—I really need an expert like you to guide me."

"No."

"What’s wrong with you?" Zhu Zhixi stopped putting on that voice. "You’re so good at pretending to be nice in front of others."

"Mhm, you’re right. So if you don’t understand something, just ask the Deputy Curator more."

Fu Rangyi turned the steering wheel, appearing cool and collected. "But I’d advise you to be more cautious around Alphas. Don’t act like a fool who knows nothing."

He expected Zhu Zhixi to snap back right away.

Instead, Zhu Zhixi went quiet for a couple of seconds before leaning back against the passenger seat, tilting his head against the window but keeping his eyes on Fu Rangyi.

"I know," he said softly. Whether it was from the cold wind or not, his words came out a little thick, like he had a stuffy nose.

"You know what?" Fu Rangyi raised an eyebrow.

"Zhou Ming has feelings for me," Zhu Zhixi said offhandedly, as if stating something unrelated to himself.

This surprised Fu Rangyi.

"Did you feel him sending pheromones your way?"

"Not really. Did you forget? I’m a Beta."

Zhou Ming wasn’t a top Alpha either—his pheromones weren’t overwhelmingly potent. In an open outdoor setting, they wouldn’t pack enough punch to make a Beta feel instinctive submission.

"What does his pheromone smell like?" Zhu Zhixi blinked at Fu Rangyi.

Fu Rangyi gave him an icy look, remaining silent, making it clear he wasn’t answering.

Zhu Zhixi noticed and understood—Fu Rangyi was a man of principles, and discussing someone else’s pheromones was an offense to him.

But he got a kick out of needling him. Pushing his buttons made him happy.

So he gave Fu Rangyi’s arm a tug, egging him on to answer.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Fu Rangyi used one hand to loosen the button at his collar, not looking at Zhu Zhixi.

"Don’t you ask every new friend you make? What, Curator Zhou doesn’t count?"

Zhu Zhixi stammered briefly.

Right.

"It slipped my mind until we were in the car." Zhu Zhixi muttered. "Just got a little curious all of a sudden."

Fu Rangyi stayed silent for a few seconds before turning to him at a red light. "Eucalyptus leaf."

It took Zhu Zhixi a moment to process before realization dawned. "Ah, so that’s the scent on me now."

Didn’t smell great.

Or maybe...

He almost thought, but quickly dismissed it as inappropriate.

Xiao En’s pheromones smell better.

Fu Rangyi offered no response, quietly driving through the intersection.

Fu Rangyi’s silence annoyed Zhu Zhixi, so after a brief pause, he went back to their earlier topic.

"Actually, you don’t always need pheromones to tell when someone likes you."

Surprisingly, Fu Rangyi didn’t ignore him. "Like what?"

"Like... People give you puppy eyes when they’re into you. Their voice changes, too. Some blush right in front of you—it’s so obvious."

As he spoke, Zhu Zhixi kept his eyes fixed outside the window.

Fog gathered on the window. He lifted a finger, drew a tiny heart, then wiped it away.

Fu Rangyi said nothing.

The more time he spent with him, the clearer it became that Zhu Zhixi was nothing like he’d imagined.

He seemed naive, but his emotional perception was far from dull. On the contrary, he saw things clearly—he just hid his indifference behind politeness, sparing the other person’s feelings.

He clearly hated hurting people.

"Do people often show interest in you?" Fu Rangyi asked.

"Yeah," Zhu Zhixi was surprisingly candid. "Alphas, Betas, Omegas—mostly Alphas, honestly. But to me, they’re all the same since I can’t sense pheromones. Like a colorblind person seeing one color, no point distinguishing."

For once, his voice turned uncharacteristically cold—a side of him the cheerful, lively Zhu Zhixi never showed.

And for some reason, Fu Rangyi felt the same way—a shared weariness toward being liked, being pursued.

They fell silent simultaneously, then spoke almost in sync, their timing weirdly in sync.

"That’s why I’m comfortable with you." / "I envy you, honestly."

After the overlap, Zhu Zhixi turned to Fu Rangyi. "You envy me? Because my gender’s off the hook?"

Fu Rangyi didn’t answer, instead turning over his own words.

Driving through the dark, tree-lined road, he parked the car at the gate of the Fu family villa and honked, waiting for the butler to open the door. Under the deep blue night sky, the headlights shone straight onto the gunmetal-gray door, with dust motes swirling in the beams. The surroundings were utterly silent.

Soon, the gates slowly swung open on both sides, extending the reach of the headlights as Fu Rangyi drove into the garage.

After turning off the engine, he murmured, "Do you think it's easy because we can't possibly fall in love with each other?"

Author's Note:

——Mini Theater: Student Group Chat———

[OMG!! I just got some tea in Teacher Fu's office!]

[What what? Spill it quick!]

[Just now, Teacher Wang dropped by and said the wedding sweets Teacher Fu gave was delicious. Teacher Fu said it was from his sweetheart. Oh my god...]

[OMG I can't breathe ·JPG]

[Teacher Wang also asked Teacher Fu to bring his wife to the next department dinner. Teacher Fu smiled so gently.]

[Teacher, we like you, can we meet your wife?]

[After class, I saw Teacher Fu walking while glued to his phone. Is this even our Teacher Fu?]

[Read 4:32 PM] [You missed it—I even saw him watching cat clips! Must’ve been sent by Mrs. Fu. He didn’t use headphones and pressed it to his ear, standing still in the hallway with this ridiculously earnest look!]

[I’m so curious—what kind of person could tame a confirmed bachelor like Teacher Fu? And they even got married. Their dynamic must be *chef's kiss*.]

[Teacher Fu said his wife is really introverted. So surprising.]

[Huh? Did they just stare at each other when they were dating? Was it like a silent movie?]

[At least they probably never fought~]

[POV: You're done for.] [Why’d our gossip source suddenly disappear?]

[Help, I just got caught by Teacher Fu... almost dropped my phone, but luckily he caught it for me.]

[It’s fine, Teacher Fu wouldn’t get mad.]

[The weird thing is, he did get mad... He even got all snippy. Thought I was dreaming.]

[No way! Teacher Fu?!]

[Seriously! Bet you ¥50 it’s because we kept saying "Mrs. Fu." He didn’t like that.]

[Historic! Teacher’s inner Alpha came roaring out! Now I believe he’s a top Alpha—that Alpha instincts ah. Mrs. Fu is blessed...]

[Even the most composed person can’t stay calm around their spouse ()]

[Bet you ¥50 Teacher turns into a different person when he's in rut. Godspeed, Mrs. Fu... The more restrained an Alpha is, the scarier their rut gets.]

[Guys, Teacher Fu left early! Historic!]

[Is he dodging rush hour for a date?!?! Teacher, you've got it bad!]

[Cut him some slack—when an old tree blooms, everyone understands (Teacher, I defended you, go easy on my grades).]

[Sir, wait up...]