Chapter 111

Chapter 111

The black mist led Meng Shijiu for a while before stopping in a secluded spot and gradually dissipating without warning.

Meng Shijiu glanced around but didn’t see Jue Ning’s presence.

Cui Suifu followed behind him, his pace unhurried.

“Although I don’t have proof,” Meng Shijiu shot him an annoyed look, “Jue Ning’s rut probably has something to do with you, doesn’t it?”

“I’m being wronged,” Cui Suifu chuckled softly, leaning in from behind to wrap his arms around him, deliberately twisting his words. “I’m a decent Alpha. I only have those kinds of feelings for someone I like.”

“Unlike some people,” he shifted the topic, seizing the chance to bad-mouth others, “who knows if they just run into an Omega on the street and fall into a rut.”

Meng Shijiu couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He took out his terminal and sent a message to Jue Ning.

The signal was finally working now.

Suddenly, his neck felt warm.

Cui Suifu, dissatisfied, nipped at the soft flesh on the back of his neck. He didn’t bite hard, but the sensation was unmistakable. The warm breath and the faint scrape of teeth made Meng Shijiu’s hand pause.

“…Let go.”

“No.”

Meng Shijiu lowered his head and continued typing, his tone calm. “Just you wait.”

As soon as he sent the message, Cui Suifu released him, nudging his head forward and deftly brushing aside the stray hairs to expose the back of his neck, offering it to Meng Shijiu’s lips.

Meng Shijiu: “…What are you doing?”

Cui Suifu: “Didn’t you tell me to wait?”

Cui Suifu encouraged: “Baby, bite me.”

Meng Shijiu immediately kicked him.

The kick landed squarely on Cui Suifu’s shin.

Cui Suifu only let out a muffled grunt, not moving an inch.

Meng Shijiu instinctively sensed trouble. In the next moment, his waist tightened as Cui Suifu’s hand gripped firmly around his lower back, lifting him up.

In an instant, he was pressed tightly against the Alpha’s chest, crashing into a burning, solid embrace.

“Not biting?” The Alpha leaned down, his nose brushing against Meng Shijiu’s rapidly fluttering eyelashes. His knee pushed insistently between Meng Shijiu’s legs as he chuckled softly and drew closer. “Then I will.”

The fingers gripping his waist tightened abruptly, digging deep into his flesh and rubbing roughly against his waistline. Instantly, waves of fine, unbearable shivers shot from the small of his back up his spine.

Meng Shijiu couldn’t help but close his eyes, tilting his neck back. The sharp canine teeth eagerly scraped over his lower lip before the tongue forced its way between his teeth.

Meng Shijiu’s hands pressed against his chest, his knuckles turning white, but he gradually lost strength in the deepening kiss. Eventually, his hands slid weakly downward, only to be caught firmly by Cui Suifu.

Cui Suifu pulled back slightly, his heavy breath fanning over Meng Shijiu’s flushed lips.

As Meng Shijiu tried to speak, Cui Suifu shamelessly slipped his tongue back in, making the words fragmented and indecent: “…Next time… mmm… don’t be so sudden.”

His originally clear voice had grown hoarse, like snow being crushed and melting.

Suddenly.

A faint, crisp sound of leather and a metal buckle unfastening came from around the corner.

Meng Shijiu instantly looked up.

A figure slowly appeared by the emergency exit door.

Xie Zehuan had just removed the black glove from his right hand when he suddenly came across the two of them. He paused mid-step.

The light from the corridor ceiling lamp fell on the side of his face.

He neither spoke nor approached, standing there as the warm air around them gradually cooled.

“Am I interrupting?”

He spoke, his voice carrying a faint, wind-chilled rasp, betraying no emotion.

But his gaze had already lightly swept over the delicate face hidden against the tall Alpha’s chest, flushed with desire.

The damp, slightly swollen corner of his lips bore a crimson hue that could only be brought out by being sucked and cherished. His heavy, wet lashes couldn’t lift, and his misty eyes looked somewhat dazed in his direction, still holding the lingering, rippling emerald glow.

But there was only time for that one glance.

Cui Suifu’s hand had already risen first, his palm completely covering half of Meng Shijiu’s face as he pressed him firmly against his shoulder.

That face, flushed with passion, along with all its expressions, was hidden in the shadows.

Only then did Xie Zehuan’s gaze slowly shift upward, landing on the Alpha who held the other tightly in his arms.

This unfriendly-looking Alpha before him was neither the mysterious “boyfriend” of Meng Shijiu that Song Qingxiao had mentioned, nor the Alpha who had stood beside Meng Shijiu last night, completely ignoring Xie Zehuan.

Meng Shijiu’s cheek was pressed forcefully against Cui Suifu’s chest, blocking his view.

All he could see was darkness, unable to see Xie Zehuan’s face. He could only hear the other’s slightly cold voice clearly, neither the hoarseness from their first meeting when he had clung to him for a hug, nor the impeccably polite demeanor from their second encounter.

As if he didn’t recognize him.

Xie Zehuan: “Is any place suitable for your trysts?”

Footsteps echoed clearly in the empty corridor, approaching step by step before passing by and leaving.

—Almost.

“Crash—Boom—”

An ear-piercing sound of cracking came from above.

The entire decorative wall collapsed without warning, crashing down like a waterfall.

Cui Suifu reacted swiftly. At the first unusual sound, he tightened his grip around Meng Shijiu’s waist, leaping backward with him in his arms.

The lights went out one after another.

Dust filled the air.

Cui Suifu steadied himself several meters away.

Meng Shijiu frowned, looking up at the ceiling. The break at the load-bearing point of the collapse was clean and even.

On the other side of the corridor, Xie Zehuan straightened up from the wreckage.

Meng Shijiu murmured softly, "Someone tampered with it."

Cui Suifu heard him, "Done just now. Probably aimed at me."

Seeing the prince's unfazed expression, Meng Shijiu shot him a sidelong glance. "They'd dare to pull something here?"

*Here* being the Lottelance First Military Academy.

The arm wrapped around Meng Shijiu's waist tightened slightly.

Hurried footsteps and flashlight beams approached from both ends of the corridor. The distorted voice of security crackled over a loudspeaker: "Freeze! Do not move!"

Before the facility staff could arrive, Meng Shijiu looked up. Xie Zehuan's figure was no longer beside the wreckage.

The indifference and detachment he displayed now seemed more in line with Xie Zehuan's true character.

A bit strange.

Not dwelling on it, Meng Shijiu shook off his thoughts.

The incident hadn't affected his mood. He tapped open his terminal.

Jue Ning had sent two messages.

[Jue Ning]: "Babe, location."

[Jue Ning]: "[Location Share Requested]"

Just as Meng Shijiu was about to tap 'Agree', a hand shot out from beside him.

Cui Suifu decisively tapped 'Reject' for him.

Cui Suifu said warily, "That restless one."

He paused, his tone growing even deeper, as if grinding his teeth by Meng Shijiu's ear. "Calling you over during his rut. What a scheming bastard."

Meng Shijiu: "..."

*

The preliminary rounds ended quickly. Before they knew it, a week had passed, and school started at St. Maria's.

The first news Meng Shijiu heard when he got back to school was that Qian Chunyan had resigned as Student Council President.

However, when Meng Shijiu encountered the newly appointed Wen Qiuyu, he felt that nothing seemed to have changed much.

This person still wore the same detached, overworked expression, his gaze behind the lenses as weary as ever.

"Senior."

The last sliver of twilight fell upon the dusty piano lid.

Wen Qiuyu pushed open the half-closed door of the music classroom.

His senior wore a clean, light-colored sweater, his long hair loosely gathered at the back of his head, his features picturesque. In the light, the small patch of skin on his neck appeared as white as warm mutton-fat jade.

Hearing the door open, the person in the classroom didn't even glance sideways, his gaze fixed on the glass bowl on the piano stand, his fingers holding a pinch of fish food.

A betta fish inside swam closer, its tail swaying, its pearlescent colors shimmering in the water.

Ah, right. The senior liked the sea.

But betta fish were freshwater fish, weren't they?

Wen Qiuyu let out a faint smile. "Senior, why aren't you wearing your uniform today? You'll get demerits."

Meng Shijiu slowly straightened up, leaning back casually against the wall, stretching languidly.

"You learn fast," he said, arms crossed as he looked over. In the light, his lips were pale, yet still so beautiful it was hard to look away. "Why not learn something good?"

Wen Qiuyu approached, looking at the betta fish in the glass bowl.

The drab, old piano stand made the bowl and the fish seem jarringly new.

Wen Qiuyu asked, "Is this fish newly bought, Senior?"

"No." The thought made Meng Shijiu a little sad. "Won it in a raffle at the ice cream shop next door. First prize."

Wen Qiuyu had a vague premonition. "What was the grand prize?"

"Ice cream," Meng Shijiu added gravely. "New flavor. Limited edition."

"That's good too," Wen Qiuyu said, looking away. "Fish can live a long time."

Meng Shijiu sighed. "No time to raise it." Even if he took it back, Butler Lin would be the one raising it.

He looked at the fishbowl. "But its tail is really beautiful."

After all, it was first prize. The flowing tail resembled a piece of soft, rippling satin, lazily swaying in the water, shimmering with a delicate luster.

Wen Qiuyu looked at Meng Shijiu's profile, a faint, wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Senior, why not let me look after it?"

Meng Shijiu was surprised. "Can you?"

"I can," Wen Qiuyu replied.

Meng Shijiu: "Aren't you very busy?"

Wen Qiuyu: "I can steal moments of leisure."

Meng Shijiu thought for a moment, a slight curve appearing at the corners of his eyes. "Alright then."

"Won't you give it a name, Senior?"

Meng Shijiu: "Me?"

"After all, it's your fish." Wen Qiuyu paused slightly. His gaze behind the lenses looked over quietly, gently enveloping the person opposite like the twilight. "I'm still waiting for Senior to come often... to see it."

Dust motes danced silently in the thin light, the dust on the piano lid also edged with a soft, warm glow.

Meng Shijiu lowered his eyelashes, seeming to genuinely consider for a moment.

When he looked up again, he merely curved his lips slightly and waved his hand. "You name it. The fish is all yours. I'm off. Take your time."

The door closed softly, footsteps fading into the distance.

Only Wen Qiuyu remained before the fishbowl. In the shimmering water, that gleaming, pearlescent tail swam quietly in the deepening twilight.

Wen Qiuyu sighed.

Senior.

I didn't come here to see the fish.

*

The sky darkened quickly. Not long after Meng Shijiu walked out of the music classroom, the sky had already sunk low and heavy.

A streetlamp in the distance snapped on with a "click," stretching his shadow across the sidewalk tiles.

Meng Shijiu reached the front of Zhixing Building.

An autumn wind blew, and the leaves of the century-old dragon plum trees had already turned yellow.

The semester had just begun, but this was his first time coming here to take a look.

The lamplight fell on the branches of the dragon plum trees, making the dark bark look as if coated in a layer of frost.

He was just about to leave.

Suddenly, a voice drifted down from the tree, light and airy.

"Why not come up?"

Meng Shijiu looked up.

He locked eyes with a pair of peach blossom eyes.

It was Qian Chunyan.

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Author's note: Did the style shift feel a bit abrupt? [Heart]