Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The endlessly suggestive remark made Li Yang quickly withdraw his hand. He glanced at Ying Xi, whose earnest face betrayed no hint of jest, and coughed lightly.

His gaze drifted elsewhere. "It's... alright."

"Not going to touch anymore?" Ying Xi leaned in again, lowering his head until the cat ears nearly brushed against Li Yang’s cheek.

"I'm done." Li Yang leaned back, taking a moment to steady himself before placing the cat tail back into its box, shoving aside his jumbled thoughts.

He exhaled slowly and turned to meet Ying Xi’s gentle expression, his feelings growing strangely tangled. It wasn’t until he picked up his phone that he realized what he had been about to do.

—He wanted to take a picture of Ying Xi.

Photographing someone was intimate, something done to revisit later when he wanted to see it again.

As Li Yang frowned in hesitation, Ying Xi had already keenly guessed his thoughts.

"Yangyang, want to take a picture?"

The lanky teen straightened up, adjusted the cat ears to ensure they weren’t crooked, then carefully smoothed his hair. Under Li Yang’s watchful gaze, he curled his hands into little fists, mimicking a cat’s paws, and gave a disarming smile.

All reason left him. His heart felt like it had been yanked into some uncontrollable space, hammering so violently he could taste it.

By the time Li Yang snapped back to reality, his hand had already lifted the phone, snapping three quick photos of the scene before him.

Ying Xi swiftly offered different expressions and poses for each.

The first was a smile. The second, a soundless "meow." The third had his hands posed even more exaggeratedly.

It was only natural to keep these one-of-a-kind shots as keepsakes.

Li Yang pressed his lips together, fighting back a smile, but found it impossible.

Flipping through the photos, he looked up at Ying Xi and blinked slowly.

Neither spoke. The wordless moment wasn’t as awkward as one might expect—instead, it felt warm.

Li Yang tilted his head slightly. His dark eyes shimmered under the bright light, glistening with unshed moisture that made him look innocent. His flawless, fair skin sparked an irresistible urge to leave a mark on him.

The boy with pink cat ears suddenly lowered his lashes, masking the storm in his eyes. The faint smile on his profile was enough to set hearts racing uncontrollably.

As a lover, Ying Xi was exceptional.

He was far more attentive and considerate than anyone could imagine. Sometimes, he even picked up on emotions Li Yang himself hadn’t noticed.

Li Yang mused distractedly who would get to stay by his side for a lifetime. The idea left him oddly unsettled, and upon closer inspection, he realized it was sadness.

"Then I’ll put these away," Ying Xi said, interrupting Li Yang’s unfinished thoughts.

He nodded hastily, self-consciously scratching the back of his neck before beating a stiff retreat to his bedroom, completely oblivious to how obviously nervous he’d been the entire time.

Ying Xi gave a quiet chuckle.

That aloof, indifferent facade was just an illusion. Once you stepped into Li Yang’s world, you’d find him utterly captivating and cute—enough to make you want to know more.

Lingdang, curled beneath a plush toy, slinked out lazily at the sound of movement. After stretching, it leaped onto the bed, tail raised high, yowling persistently at Li Yang.

"Oh, you’re still here?" Li Yang picked it up, gently scratching its chin. He’d thought it had been sent back, but it must have slipped into the bedroom instead.

Lingdang butted its head against his chest, silent except for its upright black tail.

Li Yang’s gaze fell on its ears, and he reached out to poke one.

A cat’s ears were sensitive, and most disliked being touched—but Lingdang didn’t resist. Instead, it stood up, pressing its ear against Li Yang’s finger, egging him on.

"Why are you inviting me to touch your ears like your dad does?" Li Yang let slip before he could stop himself.

But unlike before, he could now easily brush it off without dwelling. Smiling, he pinched Lingdang’s ear.

The texture was far better than the store-bought cat ears—real fur, after all.

Lingdang kept up a steady stream of meows, its big blue eyes blinking. "Meow?"

"No, it’s ‘mom,’" Li Yang corrected softly, lying back on the bed as he lifted Lingdang, burying his face in its fur with a loving face-rub. "Lingdang, how are you this cute? Do you even know you’re the most adorable little cat?"

Lingdang raised a plush paw, kneading his hair without protest, clearly enjoying the attention.

Ying Xi pushed the door open just as Lingdang turned its head, wearing a downright smug look.

This cat was downright supernatural.

Ying Xi’s eyes grew shadowed. For a moment, he genuinely contemplated trading places with it.

"Yangyang." The boy leaned against the doorframe in black loungewear, arms crossed, his long legs impossible to ignore.

His voice was low. "You can nuzzle me too."

Li Yang lifted his head from Lingdang’s fur, meeting Ying Xi’s playfully suggestive smirk. Goosebumps rose on his arms.

"You’re not a cat," Li Yang said. "Stop pretending."

"I can be." Ying Xi uncrossed his arms and strode forward, plucking up Lingdang. "Quit hogging mom. It’s bedtime."

Lingdang objected with a petulant "Mee-ow~"

It’s still early.

Drawing from past experience, Li Yang tried to follow his train of thought. "You’re not about to say you’ll get surgery to turn into a cat, are you?"

"I’ll just act like one." Still holding Lingdang, he immediately demonstrated with a wooden "Meow."

The imitation was so stiff and unnatural that Li Yang dissolved into giggles.

Bending over, he clutched the bed, rubbing his sore cheeks as he managed between laughs. "I’ve laughed too much tonight. I can’t take anymore."

Straightening up, he massaged his face with both hands and glanced at the wall clock. "It is pretty late. Bedtime. I’m sleeping in the bedroom tonight?"

Ying Xi, still holding Lingdang, stood frozen. After a pause, he extended his arms, offering the cat. "From now on, let’s sleep together as a family of three, Yangyang."

Lingdang: "Meow."

Wholeheartedly seconded.

Li Yang went still, then reached out to grasp Lingdang’s paw. "Okay."

He smiled, eyes crinkling. "But we still need a divider."

"Deal." Ying Xi nodded, wasting no time depositing Lingdang before returning to the living room to collect the stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets. He arranged two plush toys in the middle of the bed as a buffer.

"Let's set some ground rules first." Li Yang, mindful of past crossed boundaries, said, "If I cross the line, you push me back. If you cross the line, I'll push you over too."

"Okay." Ying Xi nodded assent.

Li Yang finished showering first. When he emerged wearing his off-white pajamas, Ying Xi was sitting in a rocking chair reading a book, with Lingdang rarely seen curled up in his lap.

The young man held the book in one hand while stroking the cat from neck to tail with the other; his knuckles pronounced with each movement.

Under the soft light, the veins on the back of his hand stood out in the soft light.

"Done showering?" Ying Xi turned his head, closed the book, set Lingdang aside, and stood up.

An unnameable tension spread through the air. Li Yang watched as Ying Xi approached, his spine straightening reflexively, his neck rigid—somehow, he couldn’t act naturally.

"Yeah," he answered hastily, his legs rooted in place. Only when Ying Xi walked past him did he break free from that odd trance.

The sound of the door closing behind him made Li Yang finally relax.

The room was quiet save for the sound of running water.

Li Yang stood there, bewildered, his palms slightly damp with sweat. Unable to figure it out, he attributed it to overthinking lately.

After washing his hands, he noticed his dried hair was a bit messy. He tidied it before the mirror, then returned to the room, lay down, pulled the covers over himself, and tried to sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep eluded him.

Soon, the sound of the door opening reached his ears, followed by footsteps. For some reason, Li Yang could sense the faint warmth radiating toward him, mingled with the clean fragrance of body wash.

In the darkness, his sense of smell heightened. He caught a faint, unfamiliar aroma—different from what he usually smelled.

It was like lemon, with a sharp, mouth-puckering tartness.

The hairdryer whirred to life. Li Yang opened his eyes uneasily, sat up, and tugged at his pajamas, sniffing carefully.

The scent grew stronger, but he couldn’t pinpoint its source. He lifted his arm, sniffed around, but still couldn’t figure it out.

By the time the room fell silent again, the lemon scent seemed to have vanished—or maybe it was just his imagination.

Under the light, the young man frowned slightly, suspicion glinting in his gaze. His hand still clutched his pajama collar, his delicate collarbones moving faintly with each breath.

Ying Xi set down the hairdryer and noticed his disquiet. "What’s wrong?"

"There’s a weird smell," Li Yang said offhandedly, glancing at Lingdang, who was sound asleep nearby. He leaned over and sniffed cautiously.

Nothing.

The scent was completely gone.

Li Yang’s frown deepened, oddly perturbed by this elusive fragrance.

"Maybe it’s just the shower gel or shampoo," Ying Xi’s calm voice smoothed his ruffled nerves. "I don’t smell anything. It’s fine."

Li Yang nodded and lay back down, gazing at the ceiling.

The bright light made his eyes burn with fatigue. Gradually, he drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, Ying Xi wore a black suit with pink cat ears and a swaying tail clipped to his waist. He pressed close, purring and meowing incessantly.

The bizarre contrast and jarring juxtaposition made Li Yang both resistant and excited in the dream, pushing at Ying Xi’s face repeatedly.

Until he suddenly woke up—only to find his hand actually resting against warm skin.

Opening his eyes, he saw his palm stuck to Ying Xi’s face, the stuffed toy between them mysteriously gone.

Li Yang snatched his hand away, his pulse hammering. He rubbed his chest and hastily looked around for the toy, spotting it by the bed.

He must have thrown it aside in his sleep, frustrated that it blocked him from touching Ying Xi’s face.

Luckily, Ying Xi was still asleep. Li Yang’s gaze lingered on his face.

Ying Xi lay on his side, expression serene yet severe, his lashes brushing his cheeks. Even in sleep, he looked cold and aloof.

Only when he smiled did his face soften into something warm.

Li Yang leaned against the bed, watching quietly, his spirits lifting inexplicably.

Through the gap in the curtains, the sky was just beginning to lighten. As Li Yang prepared to get up—

He looked down and realized Ying Xi had woken, his dark eyes fixed on him unblinkingly before crinkling into a smile, lips and all.

"Good morning, Yangyang."

The slightly hoarse voice was like a beautiful melody—first reaching his ears, then his heart, before making his skin prickle.

Since when had he started finding Ying Xi’s voice so enthralling, reacting so strongly to it?

Li Yang couldn’t help but wonder.

Ying Xi didn’t ask about the missing toy.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Li Yang blurted out, "Morning," and hurried to the bathroom to wash up.

Ying Xi followed soon after.

The once-spacious bathroom seemed to shrink around them with him inside.

Li Yang stood in front of the mirror brushing his teeth while Ying Xi stood beside him, relaxed and lazy.

Unable to resist, Li Yang peeked at him through the mirror, struck by the strangely married-couple rhythm of their movements.

I must be losing it, Li Yang thought seriously.

Breakfast was takeout ordered by Ying Xi—a place Li Yang had heard others had raved about for its great taste.

He ate quietly, jerking away when Ying Xi extended his hand to hand him something, his body bracing instinctively.

Ying Xi didn’t react, simply set down the warm milk and continued eating.

Li Yang scratched his cheek, struggling to calm his unexplained nervous energy.

After breakfast, they topped up Lingdang's food and water bowls before heading out together.

After just a few days of living together, the awkwardness between them had faded. From leaving the house to getting in the car, they moved in perfect, wordless synchronization.

The snow on the ground had nearly melted, leaving the air even colder.

As they got out of the car, Li Yang tugged his beanie on and went to zip up his jacket when Ying Xi wordlessly looped a scarf around his neck and secured it gently.

"Let’s go," Ying Xi said softly, leading the way as they set off.

Li Yang trailed behind Ying Xi, only his dark, gleaming eyes visible, walking slowly.

Upon reaching the classroom, a blast of warm air hit them.

The sight of cat ears and tails in various colors filled the room, assaulting his vision.

Li Yang took two steps back, rubbing his eyes, wondering if he'd walked into the wrong class.

Wen Yun was examining a cat tail when he noticed the gaze and looked up, waving at Li Yang’s shocked expression.

Ying Xi, however, remained unfazed, uninterested in the scene, and quickly took his seat.

Yet, from the moment he appeared, every eye tracked him.

“What’s going on?” Li Yang took off his hat and unwound his scarf, placing them aside.

“Ying Xi has a photo that blew up online.” Anticipating the question, Wen Yun took out his phone and brought up the photo with two million likes, pointing it out to Li Yang. “Here, this one.”

In the photo, Ying Xi wore pink cat ears, his expression cool and indifferent, lips pressed into a straight line, betraying no emotion—making for a jarring contrast.

It seemed to have been taken by Li Xu.

Checking the username confirmed it was indeed her, with the caption: “Never thought my son could have a cute side.”

The comments section had over a hundred thousand replies, most praising Ying Xi’s looks, though the word “cute” didn’t suit him, with tons of people thirsting over him.

“This is the main point.” Wen Yun swiped to the pinned comment and showed it to Li Yang.

“My son already has a partner. Thanks for the love, but they’re very happy together. Just counting down to their wedding—I’ll invite everyone to witness it~”

“That’s you, right?” Wen Yun whispered. “You’re already living with Ying Xi. Did you see him like this yesterday?”

Li Yang was momentarily speechless, only managing to finally croak out a weak “Yeah” after a long pause.

“Don't be embarrassed. I already guessed.” Wen Yun patted Li Yang’s shoulder knowingly. “But when did you two get together? That was quick—I didn’t expect it.”

Li Yang gave him the short version.

Wen Yun couldn’t hold back a string of curses. “Was your dad suddenly lost his damn mind? How could he do something like that? You should be careful—he might come up with other sketchy schemes.”

“But you actually agreed back then.” Wen Yun added, “I thought you of all people would say no.”

The words left Li Yang silent. He should have refused.

He had the chance to leave the city and start fresh elsewhere—he didn’t need Ying Xi’s help to escape his situation.

So why had he agreed?

—Because it was Ying Xi.

Some subconscious part of him whispered the answer.

Wen Yun asked, “If it were He Shi asking, would you have agreed?”

“No.” Li Yang answered firmly.

“Well, there you have it.” Wen Yun clapped his hands. “You agreed because of Ying Xi. You already liked him back then, didn’t you? Or at least were into him.”

Li Yang remained silent before shaking his head, his voice thick with confusion. “I don’t know.”

“It’s fine. Love's complicated like that.” Wen Yun laughed, motioning for Li Yang to relax.

Li Yang nodded and glanced toward the door.

Rather than questioning whether his feelings were real, he was more curious about something else—could he even like Ying Xi?

He was a Beta who couldn’t be marked.

An odd weight settled in his gut. Li Yang rubbed his temples, shutting down that train of thought.

The photo had sparked a trend—most people in the classroom had bought a set, their ears even flicking.

Once class ended, a crowd of people walked around with cat ears and swaying tails, making Li Yang feel like he had stumbled into some massive cosplay convention.

Thankfully they’d all gotten the right style.

“Hey, Wen Yun.” Li Yang had a sudden idea, and he leaned in, whispering, “Can you release some pheromones?”

“Why?” Wen Yun asked, puzzled.

Li Yang: “I want to run a little test.”

Wen Yun didn’t press further. “I’m a bottom-tier Omega—my scent's barely there. Here, I’m releasing them.”

Li Yang caught no scent.

He thought Wen Yun hadn’t done it until he saw the confusion in Wen Yun’s eyes—he couldn’t detect others’ pheromones again.

Weird.

With that in mind, Li Yang stood and walked over to He Shi, sitting down and asking him to release his pheromones as well.

He Shi, groggy, complied without question.

Someone nearby asked what he was doing, and He Shi apologized before withdrawing them. “I already did. What gives?”

He Shi was a high-grade Omega, his pheromones stronger than most, but Li Yang still smelled nothing.

“Nothing.” He confirmed. “Has anyone else been releasing pheromones lately?”

“Yeah, that asshole Jiang Su—always using his pheromones to pressure people.” He Shi nodded, swallowing a curse. “Him and his gang are so annoying—a pack of Alpha dickheads.”

So the peace he’d perceived was only because he couldn’t smell pheromones.

He was back to being a normal Beta.

Li Yang couldn’t tell if he should be relieved or worried. Worried this might happen again, he thanked He Shi and returned to his seat, lost in thought.

Why had this change occurred?

It wasn’t in the novel’s original setting—was it a glitch from crossing into this world?

“You’ve got He Shi’s pheromones on you.” Wen Yun, recoiling from the strong pheromones, sneezed and moved away from Li Yang. “Want to step outside for some air? Otherwise, if the guy behind you catches a whiff, he might go homicidal.”

Li Yang’s thoughts were scrambled. Instead of going outside, he went to the restroom and ducked his face under the icy tap.

The icy water sent shivers down his arms, so he hurriedly switched to warm water and rinsed again.

Footsteps echoed behind him. Li Yang swiped water from his eyes and lifted his gaze to see who'd entered.

"What's the matter?"

Jiang Su stood at the door, whistling. "What a coincidence, Class President. Here to wash your face too? Fate keeps bringing us together."

No matter what Jiang Su said or how he said it, it always carried a thick aura of stupidity.

Li Yang wasn't about to waste breath on him. Guessing he was here to start something, he glanced behind Jiang Su and remarked casually, "The Principal, is there still a chance for my class transfer request? Can you move me to an all-Beta class?"

Jiang Su froze, actually believing the Principal had arrived. The moment he turned around, Li Yang darted past him, deftly avoiding his outstretched hand and not giving him a chance to grab him.

"Why are you running?" Realizing he’d been tricked, Jiang Su didn’t get angry. Instead, he grinned and followed Li Yang.

"You think I’m here to cause trouble? You’re not an Omega—what would I even do with you in the bathroom, right?"

"I just want to be friends."

"You’ve been getting chummy with Ying Xi lately. Those school rumors can’t be true, can they?"

"As if Ying Xi would ever go for a Beta like you."

"Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?"

God, he was annoying.

Li Yang stopped impatiently, pinning Jiang Su with a glare. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate, as if stating an indisputable fact.

"It’s true. I like Ying Xi. I pursued him first, and he agreed. We're dating now."