Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The fleeting thought vanished as Li Yang shook his head, stating calmly, "He saw it. He didn’t react as strongly as you did."

"No way! You’re genuinely adorable. Can I take a photo with you?" Wen Yun fumbled for his phone, excitement making him trip over his words. "Just one!"

Li Yang suspected Wen Yun’s idea of "adorable" was closer to "dense." He raised a hand to cover his face, refusing the photo and urging Wen Yun to stop complimenting him.

"Then can I pinch your cheek?" Wen Yun blinked, looking utterly pathetic.

Faced with such hopeful eyes, Li Yang found it hard to refuse. He tilted his head slightly and conceded, "Fine, just one pinch."

Unintentional cuteness was always the most irresistible.

Wen Yun nearly shrieked. He reached out and gave a gentle squeeze, his eyes lighting up at the soft, tender feel.

"Did you hear what I said earlier? About me being an Omega? What do you think of me?"

"Romantically, I don’t like you," Li Yang straightened up and stated bluntly. "But as a friend, I do."

Touched by his words, Wen Yun pocketed his phone, only to feel a sudden chill down his spine. He turned his head and saw Ying Xi, whose expression and gaze oozed menace.

He must have heard the "Omega" question—twice.

Wen Yun expected Ying Xi to be jealous and instinctively stepped back, ready to explain. But Ying Xi silently wedged himself between them.

He looked at Li Yang, his tone softening. "I want a pinch too."

Li Yang: "No. You already pinched me last night."

Ying Xi nodded. "Alright."

Wen Yun froze. "Huh? Last night?"

Besides living together, what other situation would involve someone pinching another’s face at night?

Realizing his slip-up, Li Yang quickly clarified before Wen Yun could overthink it. "I dreamed about him pinching me last night."

Ying Xi seized the opportunity. "Dreams don’t count."

Li Yang sighed. He’d dug his own grave. Whatever—it was just a pinch.

He leaned slightly closer, his long lashes fluttering as he instructed, "Then you can only pinch once."

His soft words brushed against Ying Xi’s heart like feathers, sending a tingling sensation through his entire body.

Instead of pinching his cheek, Ying Xi carefully pinched the corner of Li Yang’s mouth.

It was so quick that Li Yang barely registered the cool touch of fingers before it was gone.

He blinked uncertainly. "That’s it?"

Ying Xi’s gaze darkened, his fingertips still seemingly retaining the soft sensation from the touch. "Yes, that’s it."

He wanted to pinch more.

Li Yang continued walking, noticing He Shi standing not far away, staring at them dumbfounded, his fingers twitching.

This time, he didn’t linger and quickly entered the classroom.

"Li Yang, you got bangs! So cute," He Shi praised with a smile as he returned to his seat. "Seriously adorable."

"Thanks." Being called cute twice in a row, Li Yang genuinely didn’t see anything cute about himself.

Cuteness should describe kittens like Lingdang.

Lingdang had been sent back to Li Xu yesterday. If he wanted to see her, he’d have to go back to the Ying family estate.

Li Yang turned his head, intending to ask Ying Xi—

Only to find the boy resting his head on his arms on the desk, watching him with a smiling side profile for who knew how long.

That look, begging for affection, was so much like Lingdang when she wanted to be petted.

Li Yang was momentarily lost in thought, his hand on the desk slowly lifting.

He snapped back to reality, his pupils dilating as he faced the wall, realizing how much he had changed these past few days.

Ying Xi was the one who unilaterally liked him, so why did it feel like he liked Ying Xi just as much?

Li Yang felt a sudden dread and frantically grabbed a book to block Ying Xi’s face.

This hazy state was the easiest way to fall without realizing it.

He couldn’t let this continue.

"Is my face ugly?" Ying Xi’s vision was now obscured by a towering stack of books, his eyes downcast.

Li Yang: "No."

He rarely offered explanations, but this time, he added, "If your face were ugly, there’d be no attractive people in the world."

Even this indirect compliment made Ying Xi smile radiantly, no longer minding the books blocking their view.

"So adorable," a sarcastic voice echoed in the classroom. Jiang Su craned his neck, taunting He Shi beside him. "So adorable. See if he even acknowledges you."

"Go to the bathroom if you’ve got nothing better to do," He Shi said, still cheerful and not rising to the bait.

Jiang Su, too focused on smirking, hadn’t fully processed the insult. "Why the bathroom?"

He Shi smiled. "To eat what Young Master Jiang loves, of course."

Jiang Su paused, still confused, until one of his lackeys had enough and spelled it out in his ear.

His smirk vanished, face darkening with rage. "You asking to die?" Jiang Su snarled, grabbing He Shi’s collar. "Don’t think I don’t know you’re cozying up to that Beta Li Yang to avoid the arranged marriage. Let me tell you—not gonna happen."

He smirked. "You, He Shi, are stuck under me forever."

He Shi looked at him, and punched him.

The commotion ended quickly. He Shi didn’t want to waste time, and Jiang Su, though hit, didn’t push further.

"Boss, what’s up with you?" A crony waited for backup, but Jiang Su just backed off.

"Beneath me," Jiang Su rubbed his sore cheek.

If not for his father’s orders not to make trouble in class, he’d have made He Shi pay.

"Honestly, it's all Ying Xi's fault."

Thinking of this, Jiang Su couldn't control his anger. He shot a glance at Ying Xi and noticed him sitting beside Li Yang again, his eyes shifting restlessly.

These two must be up to something.

Watching Li Yang's calm profile and the smile on Ying Xi's lips, Jiang Su came up with a bold idea.

—No matter what their relationship was, he was dead set on meddling, to tear them apart so badly they couldn’t even be classmates.

As long as Ying Xi left this class, he would be the most powerful Alpha.

Jiang Su suddenly let out a foolish laugh.

He failed to control his volume, drawing the attention of most people around.

Among them, Li Yang looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Jiang Su endured it, clenching his jaw as he began plotting.

As the bell rang, the first ray of sunlight broke through the gloomy sky outside.

The sun emerged from behind the thick clouds, casting faint sunlight over the earth, brightening the mood.

Li Yang took off his hat, exhaled, and shook off all distractions, focusing on the lecture.

He soon realized Ying Xi wasn’t bad at academics—he just hated sitting through lectures.

Rather than paying attention to the class, Ying Xi preferred to keep his eyes glued to Li Yang.

"Stop looking at me," Li Yang whispered, recalling something. "Why did you hand in a blank exam last time?"

"I was out of it." During his rut, the suppressants left him bouncing between drowsy and wired, putting immense strain on him. Throughout the monthly exam, Ying Xi had zoned out the whole time.

"Then do you understand this?" Li Yang pointed at the blackboard.

Ying Xi nodded. "I already know this stuff."

Li Yang nodded too.

Of course. Given Ying Xi’s background, he probably had private tutors growing up. He’d estimated high school coursework was finished long ago.

Unlike Ying Xi, Li Yang had to work hard.

Five minutes later, without looking at Ying Xi, Li Yang reminded him, "Quit staring. You're distracting me."

"Okay." Ying Xi quickly looked away to the blackboard.

Yet Li Yang still couldn’t concentrate.

Only after class did it dawn on him—it wasn’t Ying Xi distracting him, but his own subconscious focus on Ying Xi.

"Let’s sit separately." Li Yang set down his pen, giving Ying Xi a serious look. "I can’t focus in class."

"Because of me?" Ying Xi paused.

Li Yang nodded, and the guy immediately grinned.

It was as if he had gotten his favorite candy, his smile turning surprisingly gentle.

Li Yang didn’t understand why admitting it was because of him made Ying Xi so happy.

Before he could react, Ying Xi leaned in and whispered, "Yangyang, you’re starting to care about me now. Does that mean one day you might like me too?"

His warm breath tickled his skin, carrying the familiar scent of shower gel. Li Yang couldn’t tell if it was his own or Ying Xi’s.

His brain finally processed Ying Xi’s words. His face burned, and after struggling for words, he whispered, "...That’s not what I meant."

But he had an answer for why Ying Xi affected him so much.

—He cared about Ying Xi.

Looking back, from not knowing who Ying Xi was at first, to getting to know him, and eventually living together, Ying Xi had undeniably worked his way into his life.

Li Yang numbly dropped his face onto the desk, too exhausted to protest.

He didn’t want to face this undeniable truth and mumbled, "Switch seats with Wen Yun. I’ll sit with him."

Perhaps because of his words, Ying Xi was in high spirits, a slight smile playing on his lips as he swapped places with Wen Yun without protest.

"What’s going on? I’m back again?" Wen Yun sat down, completely confused.

"He was distracting me." Even Li Yang found his own words way too blunt.

"Got it, got it." Wen Yun kept nodding, burying himself in a novel.

Li Yang glanced at him, then straightened and asked, "Have you ever read transmigration novels?"

"Yeah." The moment novels were mentioned, Wen Yun wouldn't stop talking. "I’ve got all kinds here. What do you like? Romance? Heartwarming family stuff? Or horror?"

Before Li Yang could answer, Wen Yun glanced at Ying Xi, who was watching them from a distance, and hesitantly offered, "Romance?"

"No." Li Yang waved his hand, speaking seriously. "What do you think the odds are of someone actually transmigrating into a book?"

"For me..." Wen Yun propped his chin in his hand, thinking. "Zero. I don’t believe in transmigration. And those settings where people have the same name and appearance—I buy into parallel universes more."

Curious, he asked, "Do you want to transmigrate into a novel?"

"No." Li Yang shook his head.

The desk's imprint still reddened his cheek. His gaze was earnest, his thoughtful face like a perfect sculpture—flawless features, fair and clean skin.

Ying Xi rested his chin in his palm, observing Li Yang from various angles, his grin widening as he stared.

"Then why the sudden curiosity?" Wen Yun asked.

Li Yang tried hard to ignore the intense stare burning into his back and paused. "Do you think the world we’re in could be a novel?"

Wen Yun paused, then picked up a pen and gave Li Yang a light poke. "Feel that?"

"Yeah."

"Then that’s enough." Wen Yun set the pen down. "You can think clearly, you have breath, body heat—that proves you're real. Whether it’s a parallel world or a novel, as long as you're here, nothing else matters."

Li Yang went still.

From the very beginning, he hadn't cared about this world, just wanting to get back to reality.

After realizing he might never go back, he stopped caring altogether.

For him, the people and things in this world were, in a sense, all fake.

But Wen Yun's words woke him up.

There was no such thing as falsehood—this was the most real world.

The long-accumulated chaos in his mind cleared up considerably, and Li Yang didn’t overthink it.

When class ended at noon, the moment Li Yang put on his hat, Jiang Su popped up out of nowhere.

"Class president, where did you buy that hat? Send me the link."

His scheming was written all over his face, as if afraid others wouldn’t notice.

Li Yang barely glanced up. "No link."

Jiang Su: "I know you must have one. Let’s exchange contacts, and you can send it to me."

His gaze drifted upward, trying to identify the brand to keep the conversation going. When he spotted the familiar logo, he froze, stunned. "This brand is so expensive—how can you afford it?"

Li Yang paused slightly before asking, "How expensive?"

"You have to buy it with the scarf—150,000 in total." Jiang Su looked him up and down, his eyes clearly implying he couldn’t afford it.

Li Yang: "..."

The previously weightless hat on his head suddenly felt heavy. He was wearing that much money on his head.

"This must be a knockoff," Jiang Su seized the chance to mock.

Li Yang brushed past him and called out to Wen Yun, who was still lost in his book, to head to the cafeteria.

Jiang Su tried to follow. "Touched a sore spot, huh?"

Steady footsteps sounded behind him. He reflexively turned his head just as Ying Xi brushed past him, the logo on his scarf clearly visible.

Jiang Su: "..."

Though this confirmed the two were indeed involved, it only made him more irritated.

This collection was way out of Jiang Su’s league—his family would never give him that much allowance.

Ying Xi noticed his envious stare and gave him a sidelong look, tone icy. "Want it?"

For some reason, Jiang Su nodded frantically.

"You can dream about it." Ying Xi smiled faintly.

Jiang Su’s family couldn’t compare to Ying Xi’s. While he could technically afford it, his father would never give him that much spending money.

Hearing Ying Xi’s smug tone, he pointed at Li Yang resentfully. "Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on between you two!"

"What’s going on?" This time, Ying Xi seemed acting normal for once, his deep eyes lit up with excitement. Instead of leaving, he waited patiently for Jiang Su’s next words.

Jiang Su was speechless.

He’d forgotten Ying Xi was kind of messed up—exposing their relationship might just excite him.

Jiang Su’s face turned beet red before he finally blurted out, "Class president, I actually like you. I’m going to ask you out."

The classroom atmosphere shifted instantly, an invisible, heavy tension filling the air.

Jiang Su’s face twisted. He gagged, his complexion turning pale then red, and soon couldn’t take it anymore, waving his hands in defeat. "I was joking, joking! Stop releasing pheromones!"

Ying Xi didn’t speak, staring down at him with an indifferent expression, his dark eyes completely blank. Combined with his imposing figure, it made his skin crawl.

"Ying Xi." Li Yang’s low call came from nearby. "Aren’t you eating?"

"Coming." Ying Xi’s lips suddenly curved into a smile, all coldness vanishing as he hurried over quickly.

The lingering pressure in the air didn’t dissipate even after they left.

Because of Jiang Su, many around them realized Li Yang and Ying Xi’s relationship wasn’t simple, and the whole school was talking in no time.

Humiliated, Jiang Su kept muttering curses even during lunch.

Remembering something, he picked up his phone to notify Ying Xi’s parents.

The Ying family was so influential—they’d never accept a Beta. This was gonna be good.

The message sent successfully, and the reply came quickly: "I know. Thanks."

That’s it? This wasn’t how it was supposed to go!

Jiang Su glared at his phone screen, eyes bloodshot with rage, before lifting his head to glower at Li Yang.

Li Yang felt uneasy under his stare, turning away and thinking he had some eye infection, frowning as he averted his gaze.

After washing his hands in the restroom, Li Yang found Ying Xi gone—instead, Jiang Su was waiting there, itching to say something.

Li Yang didn’t give him the chance, walked faster without even looking up.

Jiang Su chased after him. "You and Ying Xi won’t work out. At most, he’s just playing with you."

"Oh." Li Yang shrugged it off.

Jiang Su: "...What do you mean, ‘oh’? He’s just messing with you—don’t you care?"

Li Yang thought of the properties and money at home. If Ying Xi really was just playing around, that might be better—in five years, he could get out clean.

Li Yang didn’t answer. Jiang Su grew more frantic by the second, his pheromones leaking from his anger.

"Stop following me." A pungent, nasty smell hit Li Yang, who immediately flinched back like it was radioactive.

He could smell pheromones again, which just confused him more about why he couldn’t before.

Jiang Su stuck even closer, babbling on nonstop, saying whatever he could to get under his skin.

Until they came face-to-face with Ying Xi, his face like ice.

The teenager held two cups of milk tea, the pink packaging looking ridiculous against his impassive face.

Jiang Su immediately turned to face the wall, rubbing his nose and staring at the ceiling, acting innocent—the whole act was pathetically obvious.

Ying Xi handed Li Yang the milk tea. "Was he harassing you?"

"It’s fine," Li Yang shrugged, "He said you’re just playing with me."

Ying Xi clenched his jaw, the cup in his hand crinkling slightly. "Doesn’t that piss you off?"

"Why would I be angry?" Li Yang said. He had never once thought that Ying Xi was just playing around with him.

Ying Xi suddenly laughed. "It's nothing. My feelings for you are real."

Li Yang quickly replied, "I know."

Every time he heard such words, it made him uncomfortable all over, and he just wanted to quickly change the subject.

The milk tea was perfectly sweet. Li Yang had never told Ying Xi his preferences, so he guessed it might have been remembered from the last time they ordered drinks. The realization gave him mixed feelings.

"Let's go. Ignore him," Li Yang said, stepping into the classroom first.

Ying Xi hummed in response, but before leaving, he cast a cold glance at Jiang Su, who was still dumbly facing the wall. "Are you that bored?"

Jiang Su stammered, "Ah, uh, no."

Ying Xi said with a cold smile. "If you're really that bored, maybe you should learn how to protect your heir status."

Jiang Su went pale. "What do you mean?"

He was the only child—was this implying someone might contest his inheritance...?

Jiang Su went rigid with shock and immediately pulled out his phone to make a call.

Before long, a roar so loud the whole school heard erupted. Soon, everyone knew the Jiang family had an illegitimate child.

From then on, Jiang Su was too busy to cause trouble—his mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of how to eliminate the illegitimate heir.

...

After school, Li Yang quickly dove into the car and told the driver to hurry.

Wen Yun happened to pass by, and Li Yang immediately ducked down, afraid of being noticed.

Not that it really mattered—most of school was already gossiping about his relationship with Ying Xi.

Eighty percent believed Ying Xi was just playing him, while twenty percent thought Li Yang was shamelessly throwing himself at Ying Xi.

Li Yang himself had no idea he even had what it took to seduce anyone.

"He can't see you," Ying Xi said with a smile, tapping the car window to indicate the tinted glass.

Li Yang let out a relieved breath, only to look up and meet the intense gaze of the young man.

The dim interior of the car made Ying Xi's eyes appear as calm as still water, but as his smile spread, ripples formed across the surface, effortlessly drawing Li Yang in.

His heart skipped a beat, and Li Yang quickly sat up straight, turning his back to Ying Xi.

He pressed his cheek to the window, focusing on the scenery outside to distract himself.

Neither spoke, but the silence between them wasn’t awkward—so natural that even the driver couldn’t help but glance curiously at them.

After dinner, Li Yang shut himself in the study.

The spacious room was divided into two areas—one for him, one for Ying Xi—separated by a bookshelf filled with books.

Li Yang lost himself in books, filling his mind with words to suppress the new feelings that made him uneasy.

Only when it got late did Ying Xi knock on the door, reminding him it was time to sleep.

Li Yang put the book down, quickly washed up, and lay down in bed, closing his eyes to sleep—avoiding any conversation with Ying Xi the entire time.

Whether it was due to the day’s events or something else, he had dozens of dreams that night.

Each dream changed before he could understand them, finally ending with one where he and Ying Xi were getting married.

It was terrifying.

Li Yang opened his eyes to find something furry and soft in his arms.

He reached out to touch it—it was the plush toy placed in the middle of the bed. Relieved, he sighed in relief.

Holding the toy meant he hadn’t crossed the boundary in his sleep.

The room was dark and silent, but another person’s breathing was alarmingly close.

Just as Li Yang was about to drift off again, he froze, acutely aware of the scorching warmth that didn’t belong to him.

Right behind him.

Li Yang bolted upright. Afraid to turn on the light in the dark and risk waking Ying Xi, he fumbled for his phone instead.

But the pitch-black room made it impossible to navigate. By the time he felt the warm breath against his skin, it was too late—his hand had landed squarely on Ying Xi’s face.

The next moment, an intense and dangerous gaze pierced through the darkness, locking onto him.