Chapter 15: Help

Chapter 15: Helping Out

Having an Alpha in the room didn’t affect Cai Gu much. Even when Jiang Yu’s blood-scented pheromones saturated the entire space, he remained completely unaware.

As night deepened, Jiang Yu, who had been lying on the floor, sat up with one knee bent. He looked down at Cai Gu, who was curled up on his side in bed.

The Beta had his back to him, his slender waist so narrow it seemed barely a handful, while his full hips stretched the thin fabric taut without a single wrinkle. One leg was draped over a bolster pillow, revealing firm, alluring thigh.

Jiang Yu ran his hand through his hair in irritation. His fangs ached terribly, and there was a knot of fire twisting in his chest, making it impossible for him to sleep. He desperately needed an outlet.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him.

Jiang Yu tilted his head and blamed everything on Cai Gu. If only he had let him sleep in the bed, he wouldn’t be suffering from insomnia now.

Watching Cai Gu sleep soundly made him feel increasingly resentful. Without a shred of guilt, Jiang Yu slapped Cai Gu’s buttock sharply, producing a crisp sound.

In his slumber, Cai Gu seemed to register a faint pain, but he merely buried his head deeper into the pillow, dismissing it as an illusion.

Jiang Yu pursed his lips, displeasure written all over his face. His hand gripped the Beta’s muscular thigh, fingers sinking into the fleshy thigh, and he shook it vigorously. “Wake up, right now. Don’t you dare sleep. Get up.”

Under Jiang Yu’s relentless harassment, Cai Gu finally jolted awake, his round eyes wide with alarm. “Is it an earthquake?!”

“What earthquake?” Jiang Yu frowned, his hand still resting on Cai Gu’s thigh as he looked up, not feeling guilty at all for waking him. “I feel terrible. I can’t sleep at all.”

Cai Gu knelt up in bed. Once he confirmed there was no shaking, his racing heart had barely calmed for a few seconds before Jiang Yu’s words sent it skyrocketing again.

He propped himself up with one hand and anxiously placed the other on Jiang Yu’s forehead. “Did you catch a cold? Does your head hurt?”

Cai Gu leaned forward, the strap of his tank top slipping off his shoulder and revealing part of his smooth, firm chest, which shifted with his movements.

Jiang Yu grabbed the blanket in agitation, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I’m just really irritated.”

Seeing him like this, a thought crossed Cai Gu’s mind. “Are you in your rut? Did you bring any suppressants?”

Every Alpha had a rut period. During this time, they became irritable and aggressive. Typically, a mated Alpha would rely on their Omega to get through it, while unmated Alphas had to depend on suppressants. And as they aged, the effects of the rut grew stronger.

Jiang Yu stared back with his messy red hair, his striking features full of aggression. “I don’t know.”

Cai Gu could see something was off. He let out a worried sigh. “Alright, sit here for a moment. I’ll make a call and have someone send some suppressants.”

He withdrew his hand, then crawled across the bed to grab his phone from the nightstand. The movement caused his already flimsy tank top strap to finally snap, revealing an enticing side view.

The fire inside Jiang Yu found an outlet. In one swift motion, he climbed onto Cai Gu’s bed and pinned him against the headboard, his gaze burning as his red eyes reflected Cai Gu’s image. “You help me instead.”

Cai Gu was stunned by the request. His eyes instinctively dropped, and he was immediately taken aback. Swallowing hard, he quickly refused. “No, I can’t. I’m a Beta, how can I help you? Besides, I’m married—yes, I have a husband. I can’t do this. Be good, stay put, and I’ll have someone bring suppressants right away.”

“No, I don’t want that.” Jiang Yu buried his face in Cai Gu’s shoulder, whining in frustration, showing a rare vulnerable side. “I want you to help me.”

His hand wrapped around Cai Gu’s wrist. The Alpha’s strength was greater than Cai Gu had imagined; he tugged at Cai Gu, refusing to let him escape.

His biology test score was in the single digits—and his grip only hurt himself instead. He looked up at Cai Gu with a confused expression.

Seeing the normally bratty boy now looking so obedient, Cai Gu’s heart melted. After all, he was still just a kid.

He let out a resigned sigh. “Take your hand away. I’ll help you.”

Cai Gu’s palm was broad, warm, and callused. His movements were slow, just like the man himself—slow-witted but somehow captivating.

Jiang Yu wrapped his arms around the slender waist he had been craving. His hot breath brushed Cai Gu’s cheek, making him silently turn his head away.

The boy’s body temperature was too high. Even in the air-conditioned room, Cai Gu felt as if he were holding a furnace that was about to burn him alive.

The other acted like a dog, rubbing his face against Cai Gu’s neck.

Cai Gu was exasperated but didn’t stop him. He began helping Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu squinted, hooking one finger under Cai Gu’s fallen tank top strap. He licked his lower lip, contemplating whether to sneak a bite, when the phone on the pillow suddenly vibrated.

“Huo Qizhou?”

Jiang Yu read the name aloud and immediately felt Cai Gu’s body stiffen, his movements slowing down. Cai Gu’s first thought was that Huo Qizhou was sending him compensation money. He lifted a finger. “Give me the phone. Be good.”

Jiang Yu spun the phone in his hand. Just as Cai Gu was about to reach for it, he tossed it onto the mattress and panted heavily. “I remember your husband’s name isn’t that. How can you take another Alpha’s call?”

Jiang Yu, acting self-righteous, scolded him. “Don’t answer. I’m supervising on behalf of your husband.”

If not for the fact that he quickened his pace, Cai Gu might have actually been fooled. With the boy pressing down on his shoulder, he couldn’t move at all. He was so angry he wanted to pinch him.

An Alpha’s sharp sixth sense made Jiang Yu aware of the danger. His mind quickly turned, and he brought up his leg injury again. “Don’t push me, or my leg injury will get worse.”

Cai Gu’s movements did slow down, and with the phone call now ended, answering was no longer an option. He leaned back into the pillow, letting Jiang Yu stay close. After an indeterminate amount of time, Cai Gu pulled a few tissues from the bedside and wiped his hands clean.

The room was thick with Jiang Yu’s scent—distinct from pheromones, but even Cai Gu, a Beta, could detect it.

Jiang Yu propped himself up on his hands, panting as he watched Cai Gu. Compared to his own disheveled state, Cai Gu appeared much more composed and experienced.

Had he done this often for his husband?

Jiang Yu’s mind was a mess. The irritability from the rut was suppressed, and he gradually came back to his senses. He swallowed hard and stared at his prey like a hungry wolf.

His clothes were still in disarray, his shirt hem riding up, leaving him exposed right in front of Cai Gu, as if he wanted to dirty him further, to leave his scent all over him.

Cai Gu finished wiping his hands and turned to see Jiang Yu’s clothes rumpled and barely covering anything. He kindly pulled the hem down. “Don’t catch a cold. Cover your stomach.”

Jiang Yu searched Cai Gu’s eyes for any other emotion, but found nothing—only calmness and indifference, like nothing had happened.

When Jiang Yu kept staring, Cai Gu waved a hand in front of the boy's face. “What’s wrong? Still not feeling well?”

Jiang Yu refused to admit he was upset. Besides, an Alpha’s rut wasn’t so easily ended. As an S-class Alpha, his rut could last a whole week.

Jiang Yu buried his head under the blanket, his thoughts chaotic. He couldn’t understand why he had developed feelings for a Beta nearly forty years old.

On top of that, he had a husband! And he was a love-struck fool!

His mind a mess, Jiang Yu pretended not to have heard Cai Gu’s question and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

With half his blanket snatched away, Cai Gu was confused. He even began to wonder if Jiang Yu had lied about being in rut just to get into bed.

With a resigned sigh, Cai Gu took the other half of the blanket and turned away from Jiang Yu, falling fast asleep.

*

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting bamboo-leaf shadows on the table by the window.

Cai Gu was cleaning the security booth. He had bought pale yellow fabric to hang as a curtain, blocking out the sun.

Ever since that night when he helped him, Jiang Yu hadn’t come to see him again. Cai Gu figured it was because the kid was embarrassed.

For Cai Gu, that was a good thing. In about two weeks, Jiang Yu would probably forget him completely.

But by then, Jiang Yu's leg should be just about healed.

After hanging the curtains, Cai Gu stretched, his neatly tied side ponytail falling forward as he stretched. Once he was done, the phone on the table lit up with a notification.

Cai Gu opened the chat with his team leader.

[Team Leader]: Brother Cai, today we need to help the students move books. You're in charge of Building 1. I checked—Master Jiang has class in Building 4, so you won't run into him.

[Cai Gu]: Okay, I'll head over now ^^

Having been here for a while, Cai Gu was already familiar with the school buildings. He carefully avoided the blazing sun, staying in the shade as he walked toward the teaching building.

A delivery truck was parked at the base of the building. Cai Gu didn't waste any time. He bent down to load boxes onto a handcart and arranged them by class. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, braved the sun, and walked into the teaching building.

It was break time, and as soon as Cai Gu walked in, he drew the attention of many students.

The young Alphas made no effort to hide it, staring openly at his see-through shirt and the slight sway of his perky butt.

The entire teaching building seemed to freeze, everyone pausing their actions to watch Cai Gu, who had walked in with an innocent expression.

Cai Gu walked past the Alphas, unaware of just how tempting a mature body could be to young students.

"Let me help you." A student couldn't resist making the first move, deliberately brushing his hand past Cai Gu, fingers lightly touching his soft pectoral muscles.

"No need, no need." After dealing with the irritable Jiang Yu for so long, this was the first time Cai Gu had encountered such a nice student. But this was his job—how could he let a kid carry heavy things?

Cai Gu gave a shy smile, lifting a box of books onto the lectern with one hand, showing off his toned muscles.

The box hit the table with a sharp thud, like a slap in the face to that student. The other Alphas in the classroom couldn't help but laugh, all mocking the guy who had made the first move.

Though puzzled, Cai Gu smiled faintly and went along with it, completely unaware that the Alpha who had made the first move was now scowling, his expression dark and ugly.

Author's note:

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Jiang Yu's reading list:

"How to Be a Competent Male 'Homewrecker'"

"How to Get Ahead (in Love)"

"108 Ways to Persuade a Love-Obsessed Fool to Break Up"

"How to Get Used to Falling for an Older Beta"