Chapter 43

Chapter 43

He stood dangerously close. If Ying Xi leaned forward just slightly, their lips would meet Li Yang’s forehead.

The air grew still, leaving only the sound of their increasingly rapid breaths in their ears.

After a long silence without a response, Li Yang looked up and met Ying Xi’s gaze.

The boy blinked innocently, his dark, luminous eyes holding unspoken invitation. His fair face appeared especially gentle and obedient at that moment.

Every flutter of his long, thick lashes felt like a feather brushing against the heart, sending waves of tingling warmth.

Ying Xi lifted his hand and cupped the face so close to his.

"No," he murmured, his voice slightly hoarse, his eyes dark. "I’m not wearing cologne."

Li Yang was slow to react and didn’t pay attention to his hand. "Must be my shampoo."

The cozy warmth left him drowsy, his mind sluggish. He didn’t immediately notice the unusual, intimate atmosphere and turned his head away, yawning as he shouldered open the door.

"Let’s go."

The biting air shocked Li Yang alert, and he suddenly recalled the look in Ying Xi’s eyes, pausing for a moment.

"Maybe I’ve been constantly tired lately, always feeling sleepy," Ying Xi said, closing the door behind them. "Let’s go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow. I can get tested with you."

He had remembered Li Yang’s earlier words. Li Yang nodded vaguely, his mind still drifting in and out of sleepiness. He adjusted the car seat and dozed off until they arrived at their destination.

When they reached the meeting spot, Wen Yun had already gone into the toy store, on a shopping spree.

He waved Li Yang and Ying Xi ahead to go on their date first, saying he’d catch up later.

Watching the figure squeezing through the crowded store, Li Yang couldn’t help but laugh softly. He turned to Ying Xi, his smile warm. "Well, let’s walk around then."

The area around the mall was lined with stalls. After walking halfway around, Li Yang and Ying Xi had already collected seven or eight different snacks.

Li Yang was too full to eat anything else and declined anything more.

Ying Xi handed him a cup of fruit tea and pointed toward the restroom, signaling he’d return shortly.

Li Yang nodded and took a sip of the tea to cut the grease.

His phone vibrated with a message.

"Yangyang, happy New Year’s Day." It was from Su Shaoning.

Seemingly surprised that Li Yang hadn’t blocked him, Su Shaoning sent another message: "Yangyang, you’ve still got me in your heart, don’t you?"

Li Yang thought, *No.*

It was just that when Li Yuyue had been harassing him, Su Shaoning hadn’t caused any trouble, so Li Yang had forgotten to block him.

"What is it?" Li Yang sat on a bench and typed quickly.

"It’s New Year’s Day. I wanted to see you," Su Shaoning replied. "It’s a day for family reunions. Without you by my side, I miss you so much."

Li Yang replied expressionlessly, "Really? When I was with you before, you never treated me well. What do you actually want? If you don’t say it, I’m blocking you."

"Don’t," Su Shaoning hurriedly said. "Please don’t block me. Actually, it’s nothing much… I just wanted to borrow some money. I’m in a bind right now, with some debts. Could you lend me 300,000 yuan (~$42,000)?"

He assumed that since Li Yang was with Ying Xi, he’d be rolling in cash.

After all, when Li Yang had left, the Ying family had offered generous terms.

Having anticipated his intentions, Li Yang remained unfazed.

He shifted his posture, resting his right hand holding the phone on the armrest while typing rapidly. His other hand held the milk tea as he took a sip, his eyes cold.

"No. But I can lend you three yuan (~$0.40)."

"How could you not have it?" Su Shaoning said. "Doesn’t Ying Xi like you? His family has so many businesses. 300,000 yuan is just chump change for them. There’s no way you don’t have it."

"You know that’s someone else’s money," Li Yang paused, his patience gone. "I don’t have money. Even if you ask me, I don’t have any. If you borrowed it, you should pay it back yourself."

After sending the message, he didn’t hesitate and immediately blocked Su Shaoning on WeChat.

Not long after, Su Shaoning, with nothing to lose, dropped all pretense and sent a message via SMS.

"You ungrateful brat. I always thought you seemed so well-behaved, but it was all an act. I’m your mother—is this how you treat me? If I don’t hold it against you, your father won’t let you off either. Instead of giving the money to him, you might as well give it to me."

Li Yang wasn’t sure if he was laughing out of anger or what, but the corner of his lips curled as he flipped him off before blocking the number.

If Su Shaoning had at least pretended to be nice to him, he might’ve felt guilty now.

But from the very beginning, Su Shaoning had never been kind to him for long, so he felt no guilt.

Li Yang set his phone to reject all unknown calls and turned off friend requests on WeChat and other apps.

After finishing all this, he put down his phone. For some reason, he felt a weight in his chest, a restless gloom lingering, spreading like a shadow, tightly enveloping him.

"What's wrong?" Ying Xi, who had just come out of the restroom, noticed his odd expression and stopped in front of him, messing up his hair. "Is the fruit tea not good?"

Li Yang didn’t hold back. "No. Su Shaoning messaged me asking for money. I blocked him."

"Good job." Ying Xi cupped his face with both hands, gently stroking his cheeks, his tone full of praise.

Perhaps because he had just washed his hands, his fingers were still cold. Li Yang flinched slightly and tugged his wrists free.

His emotions were all over the place, a tangled, nameless urge spreading through him, leaving his arms weak and limp.

"Let's go," he muttered, standing up to chuck the empty boba cup before walking ahead.

Ying Xi followed quietly behind, watching his back with a gentle gaze until he caught sight of a huge cotton candy stand out of the corner of his eye. He quickly scanned the QR code to buy one.

The sweet scent drifted into his nose. Li Yang paused, thinking he had imagined it, then turned his head to see a pink cotton candy bigger than two heads put together.

"Here." Ying Xi handed it to him, smiling. "Looks amazing. Go on, try it."

Li Yang took a bite, the fluffy texture melting instantly on his tongue.

Lychee flavor—perfectly sweet, not too much.

The bitterness in his chest melted away with the sweetness. Li Yang turned back toward the cotton candy stall, ready to buy another one.

"It's really good. You gotta try one too."

"No need." Ying Xi caught his wrist, tugging him closer before leaning down to take a bite of the cotton candy.

Li Yang went still, his gaze inevitably landing on Ying Xi’s lips, watching as the pink cotton candy melted against them.

"I-Is it good?" Li Yang tightened his grip on the stick, his expression slightly flustered as he looked away.

Why did Ying Xi have to make eating cotton candy look so... hot?!

Ying Xi nodded with a smile, noticing the fair cheeks behind the cotton candy gradually turning pink, especially striking under the lights.

He reached for the stick, trying to move it away, but Li Yang held on tighter, unwilling to let this brief refuge disappear.

Only when the heat in his cheeks subsided did the boy lower his head slightly in relief, quickly finishing the cotton candy.

Just then, Wen Yun arrived carrying five mini plushies, breaking the blush-inducing atmosphere.

"These are your New Year gifts." He shoved one into each of their arms, adding with emphasis, "Matching set. I battled for an hour to snag these limited ones."

"Thanks." Li Yang clutched the blue plushie, examining its adorable design, finally understanding why Wen Yun had gone so crazy over them. "I got you something too, but it hasn’t arrived yet."

"A novel?" Wen Yun asked eagerly.

Li Yang nodded.

"Thanks, I love novels." Wen Yun turned to look at the stalls on either side, considering whether to get something to eat.

Out of the blue, Ying Xi suddenly spoke up, "I didn’t prepare a gift, so treat yourself."

His phone buzzed with a transfer. After a brief moment of shock, Wen Yun’s eyes lit up as he gave a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the cash, boss!"

The crowd was getting overwhelming. The spot where the three had been standing was relatively open at first, but as the sky darkened, people were squeezing past them.

Li Yang could barely breathe and slipped into the mall’s cinema.

Warmth washed over him, and he yawned, his eyes half-closed.

This was already Li Yang’s tenth yawn.

Something definitely wasn’t right—maybe it had to do with his pheromones. He might need to see a doctor.

"Wait, let me take a photo." After buying tickets and heading inside, Wen Yun held up his stuffed animal and movie ticket, handing his phone to Ying Xi. "Could you take a group photo for me?"

He stood beside Li Yang, beaming.

Ying Xi raised the phone toward himself.

All three were in the shot. He pressed his stuffed animal against the one in Li Yang’s hand and clicked the shutter.

The photo captured Ying Xi at the front with a faint smile, Li Yang in the middle glancing sideways at the camera, and Wen Yun at the end, holding three stuffed animals with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Thanks." Wen Yun took back his phone. "Can I put this on my feed?"

The other two nodded simultaneously.

Wen Yun posted it without filtering anyone. He noticed someone had instantly liked and commented, wondering who was that bored during the holidays.

Clicking in, he saw it was Wen Xinci—the guy who had pestered him for a whole day just to get his contact info.

"You three celebrating without me? Where are you? I’m flying over right now."

Typical. Should’ve known.

Wen Yun sent a fake address, but Wen Xinci immediately doubted it. "Trying to trick me? Who the hell spends New Year’s in bumfuck nowhere?"

Trying not to laugh, Wen Yun didn’t reply.

After taking their seats, the three realized they’d bought tickets for a horror movie.

The theater was packed, loud with chatter.

The film started soon after, and within minutes, jump scares sent the audience shrieking nonstop.

Li Yang expected to scream too, but instead, he lazily yawned again, totally unfazed.

Meanwhile, the couple sitting in front of him clung to each other tightly, mushing all over each other.

"Babe, why aren’t you scared? You’re such a badass."

"Don’t worry, none of this is real. I’ll protect you."

"Aww, babe, you’re my hero."

"......"

Li Yang's eyelid kept twitching, forcing him to press a hand to his eye as he sat with an indifferent expression.

The glow from the screen fell on his clean face, blurring his features slightly—only his eyes remained sharp, showing complete apathy toward his surroundings.

As the movie reached its climax, the couple in front shrieked and clung to each other, shaking.

When the scene calmed down, the two drew closer and closer until their lips met.

Li Yang’s eyes accidentally drifted from the screen to them, and he immediately turned his head away.

The sounds of kissing grew louder, drawing the attention of more people, who angrily shouted, "We’re here to watch the movie! If you wanna make out, do it outside!"

The couple, reluctant to part, glared at the speaker before standing up and leaving arm in arm.

Li Yang felt deeply uncomfortable, like everything felt wrong. He couldn’t take it, so he got up and headed to the restroom.

The moment he turned on the faucet, a foul smell hit him.

He paused, then quickly washed his hands. As he stepped out, he heard someone muttering.

"Who’s the Omega in heat? Their scent is so strong it’s impossible to hide. If you’re in heat, stay home or go to the hospital—why come out and ruin it for everyone?"

By now, Li Yang had grown used to occasionally noticing others’ pheromones, but this was different.

The scent was several times stronger, making his stomach churn and throat tighten until he leaned over a trash can, dry-heaving.

It felt like a chainsaw grinding in his gut, relentlessly tormenting his stomach lining. His eyes watered, and after a moment of recovery, he turned back to the restroom to wash up again.

When he returned to the theater, traces of wild pheromones hung in the air. He frowned, pursing his lips uncomfortably.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ying Xi’s worried voice came from beside him.

Li Yang didn’t recall ever telling him about his ability to detect others’ pheromones. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head and sat down.

"Yangyang." A warm body leaned in as Ying Xi whispered close to his ear, "Open your mouth."

Li Yang reflexively responded, "Hm?"

He felt a sweet-and-sour candy slipped into his mouth, instantly suppressing the nausea. He smiled in thanks.

The dim lighting made it impossible to see Ying Xi’s expression, but Li Yang could sense him moving even closer.

Suddenly, a pleasant scent enveloped him, effortlessly overpowering the jumble of pheromones in the air and easing his tension.

Unconsciously, Li Yang leaned toward the source of that scent—Ying Xi—until he was completely wrapped in it, unable to detect anything else. A weird, contented calm washed over him.

He didn’t notice the odd looks from others.

Wen Yun pinched his nose, identifying the overwhelming scent as Ying Xi’s.

Thanks to him, those who had been subconsciously releasing their own pheromones due to the movie’s tension quickly reined them in.

The pheromones soon dissipated, and the air returned to normal.

But Li Yang grew increasingly drowsy, barely processing the rest of the film.

Ying Xi held his arm, asking if he was alright.

As soon as they stepped out of the theater, Li Yang felt like a new person, taking a deep breath and smiling. "I'm fine. It was probably just too crowded earlier."

Ying Xi’s expression turned serious. "Let's go to the hospital and get checked."

"Don’t worry about it." Li Yang was sure he was fine—there was no urgent need for a visit now. "I'm really fine."

Seeing his certainty and noticing his complexion had improved, Ying Xi finally relaxed, though he kept holding Li Yang’s arm.

Li Yang acted like he didn’t notice.

Exiting the mall, the streets were packed, and the three of them almost got split up.

Li Yang grabbed Ying Xi’s shoulder with his left hand and tugged at Wen Yun’s jacket with his right. "Stick together so we don’t lose each other."

As the New Year countdown approached, the crowd got more and more hyped.

Wen Yun, swept up in the excitement, playfully nudged Li Yang with a stuffed animal. "You two stick together. I’ll go check out somewhere else—don’t wait for me. Go wherever you want."

"Okay!" Li Yang raised his voice to ensure he was heard.

Wen Yun gave a thumbs-up before disappearing into the crowd.

It was so packed they could barely move, leaving few places to go.

Eventually, Li Yang and Ying Xi let the crowd carry them toward the riverside, where they finally had some space.

*Boom.* Fireworks lit up the night sky, marking the official start of the New Year countdown.

Li Yang looked up, a slow smile spreading across his face. His dark, bright eyes reflected the dazzling fireworks, and soon, his eyes sparkled with happiness.

Not far away, the crowd cheered together in unison with the giant clock on the high-rise building.

"Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one."

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, Ying Xi." Li Yang’s bright voice cut through the noise.

Ying Xi turned his head.

The cold wind ruffled his companion’s hair, whose eyes, warm with a smile, held just him.

Without thinking, Ying Xi leaned closer until their shoulders touched, only pulling back when he was close enough. In a gentle voice, he said, "Happy New Year, Yangyang."

All gloom and discomfort vanished. Li Yang exhaled, a quiet, warm feeling spreading through his limbs.

Then he felt a cool touch on his finger. Looking down, he saw a ring now sat on his right middle finger—simple in design, engraved with the letters "YX."

He raised his hand, the silver ring shimmering beautifully under the light.

"When did you buy this?" he asked, bewildered, twisting it to get a better look.

"Not long ago," Ying Xi replied softly, hesitantly lifting his hand.

His movement was slow, his hand hovering mid-air before stopping, as if content just to gaze at Li Yang. But the moment his hand began to lower, Li Yang caught it.

Their fingers intertwined, their hands fitting perfectly together.

At this moment, they were so close that the world shrank to just the two of them.

Li Yang turned over Ying Xi's palm and saw a ring on his middle finger as well, engraved with his initials—"LY."

"I knew you couldn't possibly not have one," Li Yang murmured with a soft smile, his gaze lingering on the ring, spellbound.

Ying Xi stood frozen, his eyes blazing with uncontained joy.

He lowered his head slightly until just a breath apart remained between his forehead and Li Yang's.

Gazing at the boy's long, curled lashes, Ying Xi said slowly, savoring each word: "In the new year, I hope to stay with Yangyang forever."

Li Yang smiled gently, squeezing his hand. "Ying Xi, after graduation, let's be together."

"Really together."

The noise around them disappeared, leaving only the frantic beating of their hearts in their ears.

Ying Xi feared this might be an illusion, one that would shatter the moment he uttered his agreement. His lips trembled for a long while, too overwhelmed to speak.

"It's not a dream," Li Yang, now the one easily reading his thoughts, traced light circles on his hand with a finger and blinked playfully. "You can record it on your phone if you want."

Ying Xi's throat moved, his voice husky with emotion. "Okay. No backsies."

"Sure. Whoever goes back on their word is a puppy." Li Yang grinned, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Feeling too warm, he tried to loosen his grip, but Ying Xi only held on tighter.

The burning touch was a reminder—this was real.

He had taken one step closer to Li Yang.

Ying Xi's eyes grew serious. "Then it's settled."

Li Yang stared at the ring on his finger and replied softly, "Settled."

"You guys heading home?" Wen Yun's voice came from behind them.

They turned to look.

"Oh wow." Noticing their intertwined hands, Wen Yun wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "From the looks of things, things have progressed between you two?"

This time, it was Li Yang—who normally so reserved—who nodded first.

Wen Yun was genuinely happy for them. "Congrats. That crowd was crazy—I'm sweating buckets and could barely move. Let's go home and sleep."

＊

Perhaps because of the earlier excitement, even after washing up, Li Yang felt too wired to sleep.

Sitting at the head of the bed, he watched as Ying Xi finished drying his hair and settled beside him, his heart full to bursting.

"Not sleeping?" Ying Xi glanced at him.

"Can't sleep. Gonna read something." Li Yang casually picked up the novel Wen Yun had lent him and cracked it open.

The over-the-top storyline just wound him up more.

Massaging his forehead, he checked his phone—3 a.m. He really should try to sleep.

Putting down the novel, he noticed that Ying Xi had somehow fallen asleep.

Under the light, his handsome sleeping face had an air of aloofness, normally unapproachable—yet now, he was just inches away.

Li Yang felt as if he were spellbound, drawn to lean closer.

His shadow fell over Ying Xi’s face.

Their breath mingled, the heat between them palpable.

Li Yang expected to feel disoriented, but the moment his lips touched Ying Xi’s, his mind remained perfectly clear.

He could even clearly sense the soft, cool lips giving way under his kiss.

Li Yang quickly straightened up, flustered and stiff-backed, trying to pretend nothing had happened, staring fixedly ahead—yet his face gradually flushed with a tell-tale flush.

At some point, a subtle yet distinct sweetness had filled the air around them.

Ying Xi slowly opened his eyes, wondering if he was imagining the scent.

Under the light, the boy leaning against the headboard had flushed cheeks, his eyes glistening with moisture, strikingly beautiful.

His posture was stiff, his back slightly hunched, lips pressed into a tight line, as if weighing some serious matter.

Ying Xi sat up. "Still not sleepy?"

He was about to suggest watching a movie together if Li Yang wasn’t tired, but before he could finish, the boy suddenly lay down, smothering his face with a pillow, motionless.

The unusual behavior, combined with the unmistakable pheromones, made Ying Xi lean down, studying the pillow covering Li Yang’s face.

The fresh, citrusy scent of lemon enveloped him, a blend of tart and sweet that ignited an irresistible urge.

"Yangyang?" Ying Xi reached out, giving the pillow a light tug—it met strong resistance. Li Yang wasn’t asleep.

"I’m asleep," came the muffled voice from beneath the pillow, clearly dodging the issue. "Turn off the lights and sleep."

Ying Xi couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Instead of leaving, he leaned in closer, his voice a teasing murmur. "Yangyang, I can smell your pheromones."

Li Yang hadn’t noticed any scent or sensation himself. Instinctively, he pulled the pillow away—only to meet Ying Xi’s face, now just inches away.

Their breaths mingled, warm against each other’s skin.

A shiver ran from his cheeks to his ears, then down his spine.

The unfamiliar feeling left Li Yang stunned, his gaze involuntarily dropping to Ying Xi’s lips.

Remembering his earlier stolen kiss, he awkwardly turned his head away, a hint of shyness in his eyes.

He shouldn’t have done that. What had possessed him?

Li Yang raised a hand to push Ying Xi away, but his wrist was caught and gently pinned beside his face.

The touch against his skin didn’t feel like fingers—more like a searing brand, leaving him frozen. He could only stare blankly into Ying Xi’s eyes, unsure how to react.

"You…" He opened his mouth, at a loss for words, instinctively trying to pull his wrist free. "Let go first. This position is… it’s a bit…"

Under that intense, amused gaze, Li Yang couldn’t bring himself to finish.

Ying Xi feigned ignorance. "A bit what?"

Li Yang forced out the words. "A bit dangerous."

This was beyond ambiguous—his brain couldn’t process it anymore, completely short-circuiting.

Ying Xi easily saw through his evasion. Gently tilting Li Yang’s head back to face him, he made sure their eyes met.

"Yangyang, did you do something to me while I was asleep?"