Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Doctor, when can I be discharged? The college entrance exam is coming up soon, and I need to get back to studying."

Otherwise, he wouldn't get into Zecheng University!

Actually, Su Xingze had only just woken up, but he felt like he was perfectly fine.

He vaguely remembered that he was about to go find Lu Xingwen to study together at the self-study room, but for some reason, he suddenly tripped over his own feet and landed headfirst.

It was actually a pretty bad fall, because it hurt so much at the time that he couldn't even speak. He must have blacked out from hitting his head.

Now his head didn't hurt, and there was no swelling on his forehead either.

See, he'd said it—no way a person could die from a fall. You'd have to be seriously dumb for that.

Su Xingze blinked his lashes, a glimmer of light flickering deep in his eyes. When he smiled, two little fangs would show. His smile was incredibly infectious—anyone who saw it would feel their mood lift. He had two round dimples, perfectly placed.

He was seventeen this year, almost eighteen, with less than six months until the college entrance exam. He had to hit the books, and fast.

He'd promised Lu Xingwen he'd go to the same university as him—go to school together, go home together, experience college life together.

Thinking about that, Su Xingze smiled again and hugged his poor, pitiful, helpless self.

Man, what bad luck. How does someone end up in the hospital from just a fall?

"...Ow, that hurts." His hand brushed against something rough on the back of his neck, and he couldn't help but furrow his brows.

Su Xingze felt it with his hand—it was covered with gauze. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the size and condition of the wound.

It hurt like hell, sticky with blood. His neck was injured?

But he'd clearly landed face-first. How the hell did the back of his neck get hurt?

The doctor who had left came back with equipment, watching the Omega who'd hit his head laugh and cry at the same time, doing all kinds of weird stuff. He added a few more exam forms to the pile.

The Omega was barefoot, hugging his knees, curled up at the head of the bed. His injuries weren't bad—just some scrapes. The main thing was he'd hit his head, with a swollen bump on the back of his skull. He needed proper rest. And now, he was touching the most injured part—his scent gland.

The doctor's eyes went dark. He added two more gland exam forms.

"Better not touch that. You were in a car accident, and your gland is damaged. You need to rest for three months. Here's my phone—try to contact your family first." The doctor examined his gland and waited by the bed for him to make the call. The patient had lost his memory and had a bump on the back of his head. The most important thing was that he couldn't be upset.

"Car accident? Didn't I just take a big fall, landing on my face?"

The doctor gave him a complicated look. After the phone number was dialed, Su Xingze finally snapped out of it: "...Gland? Doctor, did I present?"

The doctor glanced at the chart: "You presented as an Omega when you were seventeen."

So he'd just presented?

He'd presented as an Omega at seventeen! Two Betas could actually have an Omega kid? That's wild!

He wondered what Lu Xingwen had turned out to be.

Su Xingze called Lu Xingwen directly.

The phone rang for a long time before the person on the other end finally picked up. He said happily, "Come get me." I've got a secret to tell.

There was silence on the other end for a long time. The voice that should've been familiar now carried a wariness and maturity Su Xingze had never heard before. It said, "I'm busy."

The words came out stiff, like he was talking to a complete stranger.

They'd promised to be brothers for life, and now he was ready to cut him off?!

Su Xingze demanded, "Why aren't you coming?"

On the other end, Lu Xingwen held his forehead, silent for a few seconds before saying, "Besides using me, do you have any other purpose?"

After all, he'd been messed with just two days ago. He'd watched his own Omega confess to another guy right in front of him, only to be asked at the end: "Are you happy?"

How the hell could he be happy? He wanted nothing more than to strangle the person who'd taken over his childhood friend's body.

"I—uh, my... head, it hurts." Before he could reply, a sharp pain made Su Xingze clutch his head and collapse onto the bed, curling into a ball.

The doctor was saying something beside him. Su Xingze could barely hear it, but he could feel a bunch of people trying to save him.

The phone was taken back by the doctor, who spoke rapidly: "Family, come to Zecheng First People's Hospital right now. The patient's condition is unstable—he needs his family here."

The person on the other end finally panicked, replying, "I'm on my way. Do everything you can to save him!"

Ugh, so dizzy.

Something weird felt like it was growing out of his brain. What... was this?

-

When fragmented memories came flooding in, Su Xingze thought he'd been possessed by a ghost.

How could he not remember any of this? He'd woken up from a nap and was twenty-two.

In those five years he'd completely missed, it seemed like a lot had happened.

He couldn't remember the details, but he could recall a few big things.

The biggest one was probably that he was married—to Lu Xingwen, his childhood friend, three years ago.

Back in high school, on a summer day under an osmanthus tree, Lu Xingwen had joked around with Su Xingze. They were both seventeen then—young and full of life.

That day, they'd planned to go eat hotpot. On the way, they stopped under a tree that smelled amazing. Lu Xingwen said, half-joking, "Chen Chen, I want to be with you forever. Marry me."

At the time, Su Xingze was walking side by side with Lu Xingwen. The wind ruffled their hair, and golden osmanthus petals fell like stars onto their heads.

Startled by his sudden move, Su Xingze couldn't snap out of it for a long time.

"Sorry, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously, I'm just messing with you." Lu Xingwen smiled and walked ahead, reaching up to brush the osmanthus petals from his head: "Come on, I'll treat you to hotpot."

Su Xingze was dazed the whole way. Even after finishing the meal, he was still lost in thought, his chest feeling strangely itchy—an indescribable sensation.

They took the same route back, passing the osmanthus tree again.

The fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, yellow blossoms falling from the sky like a yellow spring rain.

That day, Lu Xingwen seemed especially serious. His gaze was firm and gentle, his eyes brewing with a storm of emotion. But more than that, there was a fearful avoidance and panic—he couldn't even look Su Xingze in the eyes.

Su Xingze laughed and reached out to pat him: "Hey, what are you afraid of? We're ride-or-die brothers. If I present as an Omega, I'll definitely let you have first dibs."

That day, Lu Xingwen's eyes shimmered, seeing the most beautiful sight of his life.

Later, one of them presented as an Omega and the other as an Alpha. So marrying Lu Xingwen wasn't surprising to Su Xingze at all. It was just sudden, with five blank years in between, so it took him a moment to process.

The second major event: his biological father, apparently egged on by his stepmother, had kicked him out of the house and cut ties with him.

Because his stepmom wanted to leave every last bit of the family's assets to her own son.

Su Xingze had known this day would come the moment his stepmom married into the family—he just hadn't expected it to come this soon.

Sure, he'd lost his home, but there was a silver lining.

He actually got into Zecheng University! Okay, sure, it took a year of retaking the entrance exam.

But who cares about that!

Waking up from a nap to find out he got into his dream school? That was freaking awesome!

Hahahahaha.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Su Xingze was sitting on the hospital bed cracking up when a nurse walked in, took one look at him, and nearly bolted out to grab a doctor for more tests.

"Hey, sis," Su Xingze called out, clearing his throat. "Has my family gotten here yet?"

Before he blacked out, he'd heard Lu Xingwen say he'd come.

But he was taking forever—was he stuck in traffic?

The nurse nodded. "Not yet. I'll give him another call to speed things up."

"Okay, thanks, sis." His smile showed off two little fangs, giving him a lively, mischievous look.

After checking his vitals, the nurse shut the door behind her and clutched her chest, heart pounding. How could an Omega have a smile that pretty! Those dimples were sweeter than honey!

But that family member of his didn't seem the least bit worried—she'd called him multiple times and he was still on the road.

Rude. So rude!

Once the nurse was gone, Su Xingze whipped out his phone to order takeout. He was starving.

The doctor said the blood clot behind his head would absorb on its own, and once it was gone, his memory might come back. He needed two weeks of bed rest at home, and his family would get the follow-up care instructions.

But the clot didn't seem to be the worst of it. His doctor kept asking about his glands and insisted on discussing it with his family.

The doctor said no spicy or greasy food, so Su Xingze scrolled through his takeout options.

Seeing his old go-to spots were still open, he happily ordered for two, planning to share with Lu Xingwen.

His phone kept dinging with the same sound.

"Payment failed."

"Payment failed again."

Su Xingze thought: Is this for real? This can't be right.

He opened his wallet and saw his balance was down to double digits—he couldn't even afford takeout!

So broke. Was he, at twenty-two, really this broke?

Su Xingze set his phone down in despair.

He stared at the ceiling, trying to zone out and hypnotize himself: "I'm not hungry, I'm not hungry, I'm so not hungry."

Just then, the hospital room door chimed. Through the glass, he could vaguely make out a tall figure that looked exactly like it did five years ago.

Su Xingze held his breath and watched.

Twenty-two-year-old Lu Xingwen pushed open the hospital room door.

He looked exactly the same as he did at seventeen. Where Su Xingze had a smooth, roguish charm, Lu Xingwen's features were sharper and more rugged, and those peach blossom eyes were still just as gorgeous.

Su Xingze used to joke that Lu Xingwen could look at a dog with those eyes and make it feel loved.

He wore a black suit, tie perfectly knotted, not a wrinkle in sight—but underneath was a light-colored short-sleeved tee instead of a crisp white dress shirt.

Lu Xingwen hadn't even finished school yet. After class, he'd bolted to the company and sat through an afternoon of meetings, only wrapping up when Su Xingze's call came in.

The daily back-and-forth was exhausting. With less than six hours of sleep on average, his handsome face had a melancholic edge, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible distance in his gaze.

Gone was the warmth of seventeen.

The guy in the hospital bed didn't hit him up for money like usual. Instead, he just stared at him with those big, watery eyes, and Lu Xingwen wondered what new scheme he was cooking up.

Lu Xingwen got straight to the point: "Alright, how much do you want?"

He had the whole rich-guy look and attitude down pat.

Su Xingze thought his voice sounded cold: "I got into a car accident."

Hearing that, Lu Xingwen scanned his injuries, a dark shadow settling over his eyes. "I've told you before—as long as you take care of yourself, protect this body, you can have all the money you want."

Even if he used his money to buy Ying Ying gifts or patch up the Ying Corporation's cash flow problems, it didn't matter.

But if he wrecked his body, the person he was waiting for would never come back.

The more Lu Xingwen thought about it, the more worked up he got. He pulled a small clear bottle from his chest, shook a few white pills into his mouth, and rubbed his brow in pain.

He looked totally off—the tee underneath clashing with the suit—but thanks to that face, it somehow worked in a weird way.

Su Xingze's smile dropped. It wasn't that he didn't get what Lu Xingwen was saying—he just didn't want to believe it.

He didn't even think to ask what Lu Xingwen was popping, only remembering how cold his voice was.

When he was a kid, his mom said she'd always be with him, but she broke that promise, dying of illness when he was six.

Then his dad said he'd take care of him, never remarry, and raise Xingxing to adulthood. But he broke that promise too, kicking him out of the house with his stepmom.

In this whole wide world, Lu Xingwen was the only friend Su Xingze had left.

But now, was Lu Xingwen about to do the same?

His lips pressed together unconsciously, but he decided to let Lu Xingwen off the hook this once. He crossed his arms, sat up, and said in a cocky tone: "I want 500 billion. Hand it over."

Su Xingze held out his open palm—their usual way of joking around.

Hearing that number, Lu Xingwen went quiet, staring at the man in front of him. After a long pause, a burning pain shot through his stomach, and he sneered, "What else do you want?"

Ohh.

Wow, he was being pretty harsh!

Su Xingze turned over, no longer facing Lu Xingwen, and waved his hand dismissively. "You may leave. I'm tired."

After saying that, he was done talking, lay back down into the covers, and prepared to sleep.

What senior in high school actually gets to sleep? At most, he got six hours a day, and Su Xingze hadn't gotten a full night's sleep in ages.

But about ten minutes later, he threw off the covers and sat up, blinking hard as he looked at Lu Xingwen, who had been sitting silently by the bed this whole time. He clenched his fist and gave his shoulder a hard punch. "Get out. You're pissing me off so much I can't sleep."

"Fine." Lu Xingwen said, totally indifferent, like a soulless zombie, giving off this rotten vibe.

Halfway to the door, he stumbled.

He shook his head—he'd taken too many pills when he got worked up earlier, so now he was dizzy and couldn't stand straight.

The door closed quietly behind him.

Su Xingze curled up, yanking at his clothes over and over, as if his clothes were the real reason he was upset.

Outside, the sun was bright, slanting through the window and leaving golden patches on the floor.

Half of him was in the sunlight, the other half in shadow.

Everyone says marriage is the death of love. At first, Su Xingze didn't buy it. He thought this relationship meant he and Lu Xingwen could stay together forever.

Turns out even friendship doesn't last.

He wrapped his arms around himself, reached back and felt along the injured gland, bit by bit.

They'd been married three years, and Lu Xingwen had never once marked him—not even a hint of pheromone left behind.

Su Xingze dug himself deeper under the covers.

So what if it was Lu Xingwen?

He just... didn't care at all!

==========Author's Note:==========

Happy launch!

This is my first time writing a purely emotional story, hope you guys like it.

Also, shoutout to my friend's story, "Can You Teach Me?" Book number: 10246856

Xu Zhuyi recently started learning to play video games.

But he's hopeless at games and can't figure them out. After getting annoyed, he went downstairs for a walk and found a boy in rough shape on the roadside.

The boy, Tang Wanzong, looked really pitiful. Someone had beaten him up, his clothes were filthy, he had fresh cuts on his forehead, and he had nowhere to go.

But he seemed pretty good at gaming.

Xu Zhuyi immediately decided, "I'll let you stay with me, and you teach me to play, okay?"

Tang Wanzong looked at him silently for a while, then nodded. "...Okay."

They moved in together, and Tang Wanzong was obedient and a bit spacey, waiting like a faithful little puppy every day for Xu Zhuyi to come home, teaching him games, and calling him "big brother."

Xu Zhuyi's heart melted. He really liked him and took him in as a little brother.

Two weeks later, Xu Zhuyi received a weird phone call.

"Give us Zone! If you don't, we're calling the police!!"

Zone? Who's that?

He had no idea what was going on.

Then that night, his little brother was taken away.

Xu Zhuyi watched as his brother kept looking back while getting into the van.

After the car drove off, he pulled out his phone and searched "Zone."

First glance—Zone, Tang Wanzong, League of Legends pro player, starting mid-laner for Woof, 19 years old.

Second glance—His brother's clean-cut official photo was displayed right in the middle of the screen.

*

The kid he'd found on the street was actually an LPL star. Rumor had it he wasn't some sweet, clueless guy—he was a weirdo who loved tilting his opponents and had a playstyle that scared people.

Xu Zhuyi was shocked and guilty. Though reluctant, he felt they were from two different worlds, so he didn't contact Tang Wanzong again and told him not to reach out either.

He just occasionally checked whether Woof won or lost that day.

One day, he was coming home from work as usual when he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure downstairs.

Xu Zhuyi frowned, speaking with a hint of helplessness, "Didn't I tell you not to look for me?"

This time, Tang Wanzong wasn't dirty, just with his nose and ears red from the cold, standing not far away, gazing at him timidly, afraid to approach.

Carefully and pitifully, he said, "We won today, so the team has a day off."

"...Brother, please don't chase me away, okay?"

If you like it, go check it out—it's quite fun!