Chapter 9

Chapter 9

October is the rainy season around here, with more rainy days than sunny ones. Yesterday was overcast, and it started raining early this morning. Perfect weather for sleeping in.

Since he'd gone to bed so late the night before, Su Xingze didn't get up from the hospital bed until noon. He yawned several times, his vision blurry as he scanned the ward.

Lu Xingwen wasn't there.

Last night, he'd waited until three in the morning before Lu Xingwen finally came out of the bathroom, giving off a bone-chilling cold, while the air around him felt strangely warm.

Maybe it was his imagination, but the air last night seemed to carry a scorching summer heat. It left his mouth dry, his face flushed, and made him desperately thirsty.

It's much better now. That feeling's completely gone.

Su Xingze drank a glass of warm milk and sent a message to Lu Xingwen.

Xingchen: [Xiaolu, where'd you go?]

Xingchen: [Cat peeking out.jpg]

Lu: [Grabbing you lunch.]

Lu: [Patting head.jpg]

Xingchen: [The crab roe and shrimp soup dumplings from Yuqing Street?]

Lu: [Yeah, and the yam and pork soup from Wusui Street.]

Xingchen: [You know me so well!]

Lu: [Of course.]

Xingchen: [Waiting.jpg]

Everything was too perfect—so perfect it felt unreal.

Lu Xingwen put down his phone and took a bite of the cake beside him. A wave of emptiness washed over him. The fork snapped in his hand, the broken end digging into his palm. Only when the pain hit did he feel reassured enough to take another bite.

Assistant Xu, who was driving, broke out in a cold sweat. Being an assistant was getting tougher by the day. This morning, the boss said he wanted to buy a fridge for the office—one that could keep cake fresh for ten days without going bad, preserving its original texture.

Good lord! Cream that doesn't go bad for ten days? That'd take alien tech.

Seeing his pained expression, the boss seemed to realize he was asking for too much. So he asked, dead serious: "Can you still eat cake if it's gone bad?"

Was this the same boss who'd founded a company at seventeen and built a business empire by twenty-two?

The boss who could shut down opponents with a single sentence was now asking if spoiled cake was edible?

If it's gone bad, of course you can't eat it! That's a no-brainer!

Assistant Xu wanted to cry but couldn't. He felt his high-paying job was on the line, and he also worried his boss might get food poisoning.

But his boss didn't seem to care and quickly moved on. He took half the cake with him and put the rest in the big fridge he'd just bought, carefully arranging it inside.

Later, he got it. The boss would eat it even if it went bad, so there was no point stressing over it. That was the boss's business style—never hesitating when faced with a decision.

As they neared the hospital, Assistant Xu asked carefully: "Boss, are today's and tomorrow's meetings also video calls?"

"Yeah." Lu Xingwen had just finished the half cake and replied: "You go back and keep an eye on them. I'll pop in with questions anytime."

Everyone at Xingze knew how ruthless and demanding Boss Lu could be. Back in the day, when meetings were held in the big conference room, people sitting far away never got called on. Now with video meetings and pop quizzes, everyone had an equal shot at being picked.

That would terrify half the office! Assistant Xu hurried back to spread the word.

While waiting for his food, Su Xingze got several calls. He hadn't planned to answer, but they were too annoying, so he finally picked up.

The person on the other end was furious: "Su Xingze! What do you mean? You skipped Ying Ying's birthday, deleted me, and even called the cops? Do you know the cops are investigating me for attempted fraud?!"

"Oh." Su Xingze was busy picking out fruit.

Yang Ye, who was on the run, raged: "Fuck, you bitch, what's your deal? Those things were gifts you wanted to give Ying Ying. What's that got to do with me? Why should I pay you back!"

Su Xingze: "If you hadn't talked me into buying them, would I have spent all that money? You talk too much. Either go turn yourself in and reform, or pay me back."

"I never pegged you as this kind of person! Burning bridges! Serves you right for not getting the person you like! Serves you right that Ying Ying doesn't want you!" Yang Ye used the most venomous words: "You think Ying Ying is nice to you because he actually likes you? He just crooks his finger and you come running like a dog. You're just his plaything!"

Su Xingze wasn't angry at all. He had no clue who Ying Ying was, and he didn't remember being some lovesick fool either. He laughed: "Don't get so worked up, okay? Just quietly scrape together the money and I won't hire a lawyer to press charges. If you beg me, I might even write you a letter of forgiveness."

"Fuck! Bitch! Bitch! You're out of your mind, I'll never beg you! Once I find you, I'll kill you!" Yang Ye was hysterical, like a raging beast.

"Idiot, go take more meds." Su Xingze hung up, his ears ringing from all the yelling.

Yang Ye was a Beta, so pheromones didn't affect him and he was physically stronger than an Omega. That's why he'd never taken Su Xingze seriously.

Of course, he didn't know Su Xingze had been the school bully back in middle school. Fighting was his specialty—he'd beaten up at least eighty, maybe a hundred, Betas and Alphas.

What he hated most were Betas and Alphas who scammed people and looked down on Omegas. He was all about fighting for justice and doing good.

He was someone that several Yang Yes combined wouldn't dare mess with.

What Su Xingze didn't expect was Yang Ye calling again shortly after. He started with a threat: "Su Xingze, do you believe I'll tell Ying Ying? From now on, don't expect him to even glance your way!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared~" Su Xingze laughed heartily: "Both of you can get lost. Who cares if he looks at me? Seriously, birds of a feather flock together."

Yang Ye's chest heaved with rage: "I'm calling him right now. Just wait—when he calls you, let's see if you're still laughing!"

"Get lost, or I'll run you over with a forklift." Su Xingze hung up and immediately blocked the number.

Life's bland and boring, but every now and then, watching a clown or two perform is pretty entertaining.

Dr. Zhao always said that keeping a good attitude helps wounds heal faster.

Su Xingze strictly followed the doctor's orders, determined to recover and get discharged ASAP!

When Lu Xingwen came in with lunch, he happened to catch the last bit. His forehead was sweaty, his lips pale, and he looked even more haggard than yesterday. After setting down the food, he asked: "You want a forklift? I'll get you one—the latest model."

"Why would I buy that thing? It takes up space and it's useless." Then it clicked, and Su Xingze laughed: "I was just messing with him! You took that seriously?"

His hand touched Lu Xingwen's face and felt it was a bit hot. He wanted to reach up and check his forehead.

Lu Xingwen quickly stepped back, afraid his unruly little brother would act up again.

Su Xingze asked: "What's wrong? You feeling hot?"

Lu Xingwen shook his head, grabbing Su Xingze's hand before it could go any further, and said: "I was afraid the dumplings would get soggy, so I ran up from the underground garage. Worked up a bit of a sweat."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!" Su Xingze went to grab the bowls and chopsticks. By the time he came back, the food was already unpacked and laid out.

After eating five soup dumplings, Su Xingze still wasn't convinced. He stared at Lu Xingwen and asked: "Are you sure you're okay? Your face is so pale."

Lu Xingwen felt a bit dizzy, but he'd lived with this kind of pain for years and couldn't tell any difference. He shook his head and said, "I'm fine, you go ahead and eat."

A small, cute bun was held up and pressed right against his lips. Turning around, he saw his childhood friend smiling at him, eyes crinkling into crescents, showing off a pair of little fangs: "Try it, it tastes just like before!"

Lu Xingwen took a bite right from his hand, and before leaving, he deliberately licked Su Xingze's fingertip.

Unfortunately, the Omega was too dense to notice.

After feeding Lu Xingwen, Su Xingze continued squatting and eating buns, not even bothered by the spot that had just been licked. When he bit into a bun and the juices ran out, he'd suck hard a few times and lick it clean.

"I'll go handle work next door." Lu Xingwen looked away.

If this kept up, today's work would just pile onto tomorrow's.

Fortunately, after several encounters, his younger self wasn't so easily tempted.

The company had piled up a lot of things to handle over the past few days. After processing the electronic documents, Lu Xingwen arranged the time and content for the video conference.

Earlier, Chen Chen had said he wanted 500 billion yuan, and by next year, he'd put that money on a card as Chen Chen's birthday gift.

Lu Xingwen called Assistant Wang and instructed, "Help me look into someone."

"Who?"

"Yang Ye."

"No problem." Unlike Assistant Xu, who handled daily trivialities and routine documents, Assistant Wang was responsible for business and handling aftermath, good at using unconventional methods to deal with troublesome people and problems, since not everyone or everything could be reasoned with or swayed by emotion.

After finishing all the work, Lu Xingwen swayed, touched his forehead. Burning up. Hotter than normal.

He pressed a hand to his forehead and collapsed back onto the hospital bed.

Su Xingze was scrolling through messages and group chats on his phone.

He'd wanted to check out college life, but instead found a ton of study groups and a long string of messages from his thesis advisor telling him to pick a topic already.

Su Xingze loved mechanical engineering and had always wanted to study it. Somehow, he ended up in the performing arts department. Now in his senior year, he had to submit his thesis topic and proposal in November, with the defense next year.

Su Xingze scoured every group he could find but still only had a vague clue. He wanted to ask someone for help but realized he didn't have a single friend. He texted his advisor, but got no response.

That was annoying enough, but there was also some idiot calling him nonstop, relentless and having a blast. Blocking one number just led to another different one calling in.

Su Xingze simply muted his phone. He put all his focus into the thesis.

How could this be harder than high school math? What was he supposed to do with no clue at all?

Frustrated and scratching his head, he thought of Lu Xingwen next door. It had been a while—wondered if he was done with work yet? He'd go check; if he wasn't busy, he'd ask the little brainiac Xiaolu for help.

Su Xingze knocked, but no one answered. He pushed the door open and found Lu Xingwen asleep, so he tucked the blanket around him and tried to tiptoe out.

But he'd barely taken a step when the phone was snatched out of his hand.

He turned, and a huge figure pressed up against him, pulling him into a tight hug, breath hot at his ear.

Su Xingze felt that scorching heat from yesterday again—worse this time, like being fully exposed to the sun, his skin burning and itching.

The Alpha behind him had flushed cheeks, unsteady footing, and heat pouring off his whole body. He nuzzled into Su Xingze's shoulder, rubbing against him: "Chen Chen, you feel so good."

The moment he collapsed onto the hospital bed, Lu Xingwen knew he had a fever. He'd been waiting for Su Xingze to come to him, so he could take advantage openly and with a good excuse.

After all, at times like this, his childhood friend wouldn't say no.