Chapter 42

Chapter 42

His usually unsteady legs stood remarkably straight this time. Li Yang wished he could vanish into the ground, but under Ying Xi’s gentle, slightly teasing gaze, he managed to blurt out:

"Seriously, it wasn’t on purpose. If I wanted to kiss you, I’d just do it directly. I wouldn’t go through such a roundabout way."

Ying Xi paused, then smiled, resting his right arm on the armrest. He leaned his cheek casually on his hand, his gaze tenderly fixed on Li Yang.

"So, when does Yangyang want to kiss me?"

The husky voice brought up a topic that could make him lose control at any moment. Li Yang deeply regretted uttering those words.

His gaze darted to those attractive lips, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. For the first time, he felt a shame so intense he wished his soul could leave his body right then and there.

"I’m going to shower." Li Yang clenched his jaw, struggling to keep his voice steady as he spoke, then turned and fled into the bathroom.

His entire body burned, as if thrown into a furnace. The heat kept rising, threatening to consume all his rationality.

With a soft thud, Li Yang shut the door a little too firmly. His throat dry, he turned on the shower.

Splashing water on his face helped him calm down slightly, but the embarrassing moment kept replaying in his head.

"Lingdang, your mom’s shy," Ying Xi said lazily, lifting the black cat in his arms and listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom.

Lingdang meowed twice in response, then turned her attention to the TV.

After his shower, Li Yang lingered in the bathroom for a full ten minutes before cautiously cracking open the door.

He didn’t know why he was hesitating. His heart pounded wildly. After confirming the bedroom was empty, he hunched his shoulders and tiptoed inside.

The moment Li Yang was listening intently for any movement, Ying Xi’s voice suddenly called out, "Yangyang, dinner’s ready."

He reflexively answered, "Coming."

Li Yang looked down at himself, then realized something.

Since when had he gotten used to Ying Xi calling him "Yangyang" in such a tender, intimate tone?

The thought fled as quickly as it came. Li Yang pulled the door open and hurried to the living room.

Two dishes and a soup were set on the table, a delicious smell filling the air.

All his awkwardness and shyness melted away in the warm atmosphere.

Sitting down, Li Yang picked up his chopsticks and tried some, his eyes lighting up.

"Good?" Ying Xi noticed his expression and chuckled.

"Really good." Li Yang, still holding his chopsticks, lifted his thumb in praise.

If takeout tasted this good, the real restaurant must be even better.

"Glad to hear it." Ying Xi smiled. "Next time, we’ll go to the restaurant together."

Their thoughts aligned perfectly. Li Yang couldn’t help but look up.

Sometimes, he genuinely wondered if Ying Xi was somehow connected to his brain, able to sense his every thought instantly.

After eating their fill, the two sat on the sofa with Lingdang curled between them, watching *Tom and Jerry* for half an hour.

Only when snow began falling outside did Li Yang remember it was time to sleep.

He yawned and, seeing Ying Xi showed no signs of going to bed, stood up first. "Let’s sleep."

Li Yang entered the bedroom ahead of him. When he lay down, there was no sound from outside.

Why hadn’t Ying Xi come in yet?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Li Yang immediately got up and turned off the light.

The room was plunged into darkness, though a strip of light from the living room seeped under the door.

Li Yang felt his heart pounding. All sleepiness he’d felt earlier had completely disappeared.

Ying Xi seemed to notice the bedroom light going out. After a moment, footsteps sounded.

As they got closer, Li Yang inexplicably yanked the covers up, wrapping himself entirely.

*Click.* The bedroom door opened. The footsteps were so light they were almost inaudible.

The other side of the bed soon dipped, then fell still.

Time ticked by. The temperature under the covers became suffocating, and Li Yang soon found himself needing air. He kicked off the covers.

The other side of the bed was blocked by a stuffed animal, making it impossible to see. Li Yang grabbed it and peeked under it.

The boy lying on his side, resting his head on his hand, seemed to have anticipated this. Even in the dim light, the smile on his face was clearly visible.

Li Yang hadn’t expected him to be watching. He let out a soft yelp and pushed the stuffed animal into Ying Xi’s face.

Why wasn’t Ying Xi asleep?!

Realizing how rude his action was, Li Yang quickly pulled the toy back and turned away, mumbling, "Sorry, let’s sleep. Goodnight. Get some sleep."

Staying still would have been fine, but the moment he turned, the intensity of the gaze behind him became impossible to ignore.

Li Yang suddenly remembered the moment he’d accidentally fallen into Ying Xi’s arms, his lips grazing his cheek. He absently pressed a finger to his lips.

What was he doing?

Li Yang shook his head hard, squeezed his eyes shut, and forced himself to relax and sleep.

The curtains hadn’t been drawn. Light from outside filtered through the glass, casting faint illumination into the room.

The boy on the right side of the bed, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, soon fell asleep.

On the left, Ying Xi remained on his side, watching Li Yang for a long time before finally closing his eyes, as if satisfied, and falling asleep.

***

A warm body pressed against his back. Li Yang opened his eyes quietly.

He was familiar with the routine by now. Without hesitation, he edged forward—only to find himself at the very edge of the bed.

He hadn’t crossed the line. Ying Xi was the one who had moved over to his side.

Li Yang turned around and indeed saw Ying Xi in the spot where the stuffed animal had been.

"Morning." Ying Xi, awakened by his movement, met his startled gaze and glanced down apologetically. "Sorry, I must have moved over unconsciously in my sleep."

"It's fine." Li Yang quickly waved his hand. "Now we're tied."

He had crossed the line twice, Ying Xi once—he still owed one more.

If this continued, the line down the middle of the bed would cease to exist.

Li Yang lowered his eyes, thoughtfully. "Maybe we should sleep in separate beds?"

He ruffled his bangs awkwardly and murmured, "I'm restless when I sleep, always ending up on your side. It's not good."

Everything would be fine when he lay down, but the moment he opened his eyes, he'd somehow end up in Ying Xi's arms. Li Yang feared that one day, he might wake up with his lips pressed right against Ying Xi's.

He abruptly smacked his forehead, forcing his runaway thoughts to stop.

"Separate beds?" Ying Xi repeated softly, his tone unreadable, his expression unreadable and intense.

Then Li Yang heard the sincerity in his voice, "No, Yangyang."

"I can't sleep without you."

The playful tone paired with that seemingly aloof yet now smiling face left Li Yang completely flustered, barely able to collect himself.

"You…" He flusteredly averted his gaze and cleared his throat. "Don’t say things that could be misunderstood."

They slept on a bed with a boundary, yet Ying Xi made it sound like they were intimately sharing a bed.

Li Yang got up to wash up, leaving Ying Xi with the sight of his hurried retreat.

Once the door closed, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, lost in his thoughts.

Truthfully, Li Yang wasn’t worried about Ying Xi doing anything to him—he was worried about what *he* might do to Ying Xi in his sleep.

He dunked his face in cold water, the icy shock bringing him fully alert.

After breakfast, the two took turns greeting Lingdang before heading out.

The car's warmth made Li Yang drowsy. His eyes grew heavy, and his head nodded forward several times.

Ying Xi shifted to the middle seat and wordlessly motioned for him to lean on his shoulder.

Li Yang hesitated for two seconds before yielding with a sigh, resting against him. As sleep took him, he mumbled, "Thanks… Just for a little while… Wake me up, okay?"

His voice faded until he was fast asleep.

Ying Xi looked down. From his angle, he could see his long lashes resting softly, followed by the curve of his nose and lips with a healthy flush.

He reached out, patiently smoothing the messy bangs back into place.

The driver stopped at a red light and, glancing in the rearview mirror at the tender scene, chuckled. "Young Master, are you and Classmate Li together now?"

He didn’t know much about their relationship, but he knew they hadn’t been officially together before.

Now, they looked just like any couple.

Ying Xi paused, a faint smile curling his lips. "Not yet. I’m working on making it official."

The driver was stunned, unable to believe they weren’t officially together despite how close they seemed.

He said nothing more and focused on driving.

Li Yang dreamed of his childhood again.

He rolled endlessly in the snow until his clothes were covered in it, then happily crouched to shape the snow with his hands, red from the cold, until he finally formed a perfect snowball.

The next moment, an even larger, more flawless snowball appeared in his vision.

"For you." The voice that had once sounded childish was now slightly hoarse, as if his voice cracking. "Stop shaping it—your hands are red."

Li Yang opened his palms. Against the white snow, his fingers were indeed alarmingly red, as if they might split open any second.

"It’s too big. I can’t hold it," he declined politely.

"Then like this." The other boy placed the snowball on the ground and motioned for Li Yang to stack his smaller one on top. "We can make a snowman."

Li Yang carefully placed it.

The snowman lacked eyes and a mouth. He stood and walked to a nearby tree, picking up two dry branches before returning.

Then he finally saw the person who had been playing with him.

A child around ten years old, with delicate features but an expressionless face. His eyes and brows were as cold as the snow, his posture stood straight as a pine, his aura cool and striking.

Li Yang broke the branches and inserted them into the snowball, forming eyes and a mouth.

"What’s your name?" he heard the boy beside him ask. "I have to go home. Tell me my name."

Li Yang tilted his head and grinned. "We may not see each other again. If we do, I’ll tell you then."

The boy went still, then suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek hard. "We *will* meet. Unless you’re hiding from me."

Li Yang opened his eyes just as the car came to a stop.

He could still feel where he'd been pinched, and he instinctively touched his cheek.

"What’s wrong?" Ying Xi asked.

Realizing his position, Li Yang quickly sat up straight. The moment he looked at Ying Xi, the hazy dream image came into focus, overlapping with the face before him.

Li Yang froze, pressing fingers to his cheek. "Did we… meet when we were kids?"

"Kids?" The boy lowered his eyes in thought. "Probably not."

Li Yang couldn’t recall more details to confirm, so he let it go.

That dream must have been the original owner’s memory.

Why was he remembering things from the original owner’s childhood?

The car door opened, and a biting snow-laden wind rushed in. Li Yang tightened his scarf.

The bright red scarf stood out vividly against the white world, turning heads as they passed.

"Li Yang!" Wen Xinci came running up from a distance. "Morning! Fancy meeting you here!"

His gaze landed on Ying Xi, right behind him, and his smile instantly dropped. "You're here too?"

Ying Xi ignored him, took off his gloves, and reached out to adjust Li Yang's scarf bit by bit.

"Show-off." Wen Xinci sneered, not even trying to hide his disdain, his eyes burning with frustration at not being able to intervene.

"Good morning." Politely, Li Yang replied.

"What are your plans for New Year's Eve?" Hearing this, Wen Xinci eagerly asked.

"Too crowded. I’ll probably just stay in and watch TV," Li Yang answered.

Wen Xinci glanced at Ying Xi and dropped his voice to whisper, "Are you really living with that guy behind you?"

Li Yang paused mid-step. "Yeah, we live together."

He didn’t elaborate or explain further.

That flat, matter-of-fact reply struck Wen Xinci like a bolt of lightning, rooting him to the spot.

His face fell, and after a long moment, he asked regretfully, "Are you sure you’ll be happy with him?"

Li Yang tilted his head, genuinely curious. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

"It’s just their nature," Wen Xinci said coldly. "Go search it up online—how many Alphas can stay with a Beta long-term?"

He paused. "You don’t get it yet because Ying Xi hasn’t hit his rut. You haven’t truly seen an Alpha lose control. Neither Alphas nor Omegas can suppress their pheromones with inhibitors forever. That’ll lead to problems."

Li Yang’s expression remained indifferent, barely reacting to whether he took the words to heart.

A few seconds later, he quirked a smile and countered, "Then why did you say you liked me?"

"I’m not like those Alphas," Wen Xinci declared proudly. "I’m not into Alphas and would never be with one. That’s why we’d work."

A tall young man shouldered his way in between them, bumping Wen Xinci back.

"Thanks for the concern," he said calmly, clearly having overheard their conversation. "But I’ll never betray Li Yang."

"Easy to say," Wen Xinci muttered under his breath, though even he wouldn’t dare make such a bold claim.

Li Yang didn’t respond further. Once in the classroom, he dropped his head onto his desk and slept for ten minutes.

He’d been feeling unusually drowsy lately—getting enough sleep but always exhausted.

Rubbing his eyes, Li Yang checked his phone, Wen Xinci’s words rattling around in his head. He opened an app and searched:

*"Can Alphas and Betas really not be together?"*

The debate was heated, with over 300,000 posts.

The top post was by someone who’d broken up with their boyfriend of eight years.

*"The reason was simple—he cheated. Afterward, he blamed me for not helping him during his rut and got mad at me for being upset. Claimed I didn’t get him. But back then, he was the one begging and crying to be with me, promising we’d make it. And it only took eight years."*

Li Yang scrolled to the most upvoted reply: *"Eight years and still just a boyfriend? Eight years without a ring? Says it all."*

Plenty of comments backed this up.

*"We were engaged, supposed to marry next year. Didn’t see this coming."* The OP replied before disappearing.

The thread had over 50,000 replies, all arguing about how long such relationships could last.

One mentioned a couple who lasted fifteen years before the Alpha divorced the Beta for not being able to have children.

Others argued that many unconventional pairs might be quietly enduring without public acknowledgment, flying under the radar.

Li Yang’s finger paused scrolling at one comment:

*"Betas don’t have heats or ruts—no natural complications. But Alphas? However disciplined they are, their ruts won’t disappear unless they undergo surgery. And even if it were possible, how many Alphas would endure gland removal for love?"*

Wen Yun caught a glimpse of his screen and asked, "That bothering you?"

Li Yang locked his phone. "No."

His mind was made up—if Ying Xi ever stopped loving him, he’d leave.

He’d be fine on his own.

Wen Yun hesitated, then smiled. "I’ve got faith in you guys. I’m looking forward to your wedding in a few years."

"Why?" Li Yang pocketed his phone idly.

"You and Ying Xi just click differently," Wen Yun said, blinking. "Also, I think ruts are just a cop-out."

He grew serious. *"Real love overcomes everything. Those online stories? It all comes down to one thing—they just fell out of love."*

Li Yang blinked, then snorted. "You know a lot."

"Thanks to novels," Wen Yun grinned. "My mom says they’re useless, but I’ve proved they’re not. How else would I understand so much?"

Li Yang nodded, dropping his chin into his palm as he watched the unrelenting snow outside.

It didn’t stop until New Year’s Day.

Li Yang slept until 10:30 a.m., waking up alone with a neatly placed stuffed toy in the middle.

Once showered and dressed, he opened the bedroom door.

The dining table was set with three dishes, a soup, and two fat red envelopes.

"Did your mom come?" Li Yang guessed they were from Li Xu.

"Yeah." Ying Xi, in gray loungewear, waved a feather wand.

The moment the cat, Lingdang, spotted Li Yang, it abandoned the toy and trotted over, batting at his legs demanding up.

Li Yang bent down, swept Lingdang up into his arms as he yawned, still half-asleep.

Dressed in an off-white sweater, his eyes slightly red, he sat lazily with the cat, still bleary-eyed.

"Any plans today? Not spending time with your parents?"

"They said to spend it together," Ying Xi said, setting the toy aside. "No plans. You?"

"Wen Yun asked us to ring in the New Year with him." Li Yang gazed through the large window at the winter wonderland outside.

He squinted, shocked the snow hadn’t let up.

Ying Xi nodded in agreement, "Alright."

Outside the window, snowflakes fell thickly, while inside, the warmth from the heater enveloped them.

The two ate their meal at a leisurely pace, without conversation yet perfectly comfortable.

The only sound in the living room was the occasional crunching sound of Lingdang eating.

After the meal, Lingdang gnawed on a toy, lay sprawled on the floor playing.

Li Yang put on a scarf, rubbing his tired-looking eyes as he murmured softly, "I've been feeling a bit off lately."

"What's wrong?" Noticing him distractedly holding the scarf, Ying Xi swiftly reached out to adjust it properly. "Not sleeping well?"

A clean, subtle fragrance hung in the air. Unconsciously, Li Yang leaned closer to Ying Xi, sniffing lightly to trace the source of the scent.

"Are you wearing cologne? You smell really nice."