I Like Your Pheromones Ch 26: Gossip

After those words left his mouth, Duan Jiayan clearly saw the smirk of Qiao Nan widen by a couple degrees.

The fishy scent of metal rust in the air tumbled through the air, scraping past the tip of Duan Jiayan’s nose.

Qian Nan’s voice trembled slightly, unnatural zealotry flowing from within his pupils.

He was excited.

“Are you angry? A’Ye.”

Standing behind the turn of a corner, Lu Xingci’s gaze darkened.

The boy’s irises weren’t pinned on something far away. The drizzle of rain flitted past him, however, the temperature in his stare was even colder than the rain.

After Duan Jiayan had left, Qiao Nan was met with an awkward atmosphere and brought up the fact that there were some misunderstandings between him and Duan Jiayan. He had wanted to use this chance to reconcile.

After he said that, Qian Nan stood up and left right away. Lu Xingci thought it was strange, so he trailed him.

“Because of me, you’ve become unhappy.” Qian Nan’s gaze was fixedly stuck on Duan Jiayan’s face, with a tone that suggested something indecent: “You’re still so cute when you’re angry.”

Lu Xingci, still expressionless, narrowed his eyes.

A desire for destruction that he had never felt before rose from the depths of his heart. The Alpha pheromones that have been suppressed to the extreme were brewing violently.

He was just about to step forward.

Duan Jiayan looked at Qiao Nan and suddenly laughed.

As if he suddenly thought of something, his lips curled and he responded lazily: “Qiao Nan, you seem to have gotten uglier.”

Lu Xingci’s steps slowed to a stop.

Duan Jiayan stood there languidly, his view falling on Qiao Nan, then sweeping up and down: “I heard that Fu Middle doesn’t even allow students weekends to rest to improve their retention rate. You must be under a lot of pressure, right? Your hairline has moved up. I can clearly tell you’ve been studying very arduously.”

Qiao Nan froze.

Duan Jiayan paused for a moment, then continued with a light tone: “Even so, in the last Ning City Entrance Examination, it seems that Lu Xingci still scored first city-wide, right? All your hair may be falling out because of how hard you study while that guy got the top score so easily, still having numerous sisters lining up to confess to him.”

Duan Jiayan watched Qiao Nan’s reactions as he spoke, watching as he frowned, viciousness flashing in his gaze, that pair of light apricot pupils gradually being infected by anger. Duan Jiayan couldn’t help but ‘tch’ to himself.

I’m sorry, class president. I still had to use you as an example to teach him a lesson.

But I’m praising you anyway, so it doesn’t seem like you’re suffering that big of a loss.

“Do you know what a commanding presence is? This is what it is.” Duan Jiayan looked at him, slowly continuing: “As for you… When you look in the mirror, the mirror sees your face and is almost frightened into cracking. Instead of coming to bother me when you have time, why don’t you worry more about where you should go get a hair transplant.”

After he finished, he turned around to leave.

A light chuckle came from behind him.

“A’Ye, you’ve really grown up.” Qiao Nan said warmly with a smile: “You used to only know how to rush into a fistfight, but now you’ve learned to talk back to me.”

Duan Jiayan, with his back to Qiao Nan, could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer.

Qiao Nan followed and caught up with him.

Standing in Qiao Nan’s blindspot, Duan Jiayan’s lips tightened into a line. He closed his eyes and was about to turn around.

Suddenly, he smelled a familiar scent.

The smell of cool grass, bringing along with it the chilliness of the sea.

When Duan Jiayan turned back, he was just in time to see Qiao Nan’s collar being gripped from behind with great strength. The person pulling on his collar was extremely strong, making him stagger backward a few paces.

An Alpha’s suppression of another Alpha was often straightforward and barbarous. Although that attack was not aimed at Duan Jiayan, he was still hit with tension and his heart could all but thump.

Realizing who was behind him, Qiao Nan’s pupils tightened and his face paled.

Lu Xingci raised his eyebrow slightly and he spoke in a hushed tone: “You still dare to continue following him?”

Seeing that he didn’t say anything, Lu Xingci pulled him closer. Just as Qiao Nan threatened Duan Jiayan before, he also used all his pheromones to weigh down Qiao Nan’s backbone—

Qiao Nan could only feel as if there were a thousand pounds of weight on his back. With that pressurized atmosphere hitting him, he was almost forced onto his knees.

Lu Xingci watched his reaction, and chuckled quietly: “Why don’t you try following him again?”

Although there was a smile on his face, there was no emotion in his eyes.

“…”

He suddenly loosened his grip and with a swing of his arm, Qiao Nan was tossed, landing a few strides away. This alleyway was very quiet. For Qiao Nan to stand stably, the sound of his shoes scraping against the ground was messy and clearly heard.

Incomparably cutting a sorry figure.

Seeing Qiao Nan regain his footing with his head down and not moving from his spot, Duan Jiayan relaxed.

Lu Xingci took a step forward, the Alpha aggression on him not yet faded. Seeing him approach, Duan Jiayan shrank back reflexively. His subconscious action was caught in Lu Xingci’s eyes.

“What are you avoiding?” Lu Xingci raised his eyebrow.

“…” Duan Jiayan: “I’ve never seen a man as handsome as you. I was affected by your handsomeness.”

Warmth gradually resurfaced in Lu Xingci’s eyes. He lowered his head and looked at his phone, which had been vibrating non-stop.

Chen Yue asked him why he had left for so long. He also asked if he caught up to Duan Jiayan and had there been an accident.

He replied that it’s all alright and then raised his eyes to ask: “Are you still planning to eat rice balls? Or do you want to go back?”

“I’ll eat some rice balls.” Duan Jiayan answered.

“Okay,” Lu Xingci put away his phone: “Then let’s go together.”

–

When they were buying the rice balls, Duan Jiayan pondered whether to pick bacon or shrimp for the filling. Next to him, a boy who was younger from a glance asked Lu Xingci for his Wechat id.

He was an Omega.

Lu Xingci gave the boy a smile and shook his head.

The number of attractive people around Duan Jiayan wasn’t small. He himself was considered good-looking as well. However, there was only one such person who could go out for a meal and still attract beauties. Lu Xingci really is the only one.

Duan Jiayan finished placing an order for his rice balls. He hesitated: “How much did you hear?” 

Lu Xingci’s gaze remained on his face for a moment, then he quietly answered: “Nothing much.”

“Do you have anything you want to ask?”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t.”

“Then the answer is no.”

“Your attitude makes me feel like you are defending me.” Duan Jiayan was disgusted by this thought and responded honestly: “I’m a little bit at a loss what to do.”

Lu Xingci received the rice balls handed to him by the shopkeeper’s wife. He turned back unhurriedly to face Duan Jiayan: “I’m not. How would I dare to do so? Do I look like I have a death wish?”

Duan Jiayan: “So you even heard that.”

Lu Xingci: “…”

Duan Jiayan: “I’m making a wild guess. You heard the whole thing, didn’t you?”

After a moment’s silence, Lu Xingci frowned: “Can you tell me about it?”

Duan Jiayan looked at him and wondered why he would ask that even when he knew perfectly well his request would be rejected under these circumstances.

Lu Xingci asked again: “Can you tell me? I want to hear about it.”

Duan Jiayan turned his head to avoid that gaze: “Dream about it.”

When they returned to the classroom, the moment Song Yi saw Duan Jiayan walk in the door, he jumped up and down like a frenzied cat: “Xiao-Duan!!!!! My Xiao-Duan!!!! I shouldn’t have left you to go to the cafeteria!!!!”

Duan Jiayan: “…”

Duan Jiayan reached out and flicked his forehead: “Speak properly.”

Song Yi quickly pulled him and spoke in a quiet voice: “Do you know who I saw? I saw Qiao Nan, that loser!”

Duan Jiayan: “I did too.”

Song Yi: “You two met? He didn’t do anything to you, did he? What is he plotting?”

The more he said, the angrier he got: “——Dammit! I’ll kill him.”

Even Duan Jiayan was lost as to where Song Yi’s thoughts went, so he gave a wide sweep: “Nothing happened. He just said some things to me. Lu Xingci was there too.”

Song Yi knew Duan Jiayan very well. The more indifferent he acted, the less likely he was fine and unaffected. Moreover, Qiao Nan specifically came over from Fu Middle so there was no way he only sought out Duan Jiayan to chatter about their past: “He must have heard that you became an Omega, so that’s why he only came to find you now…”

Song Yi couldn’t get the rest of his point out from his mouth but Duan Jiayan understood what he meant.

Since he turned into an Omega, he could be marked. If he were permanently marked by Qiao Nan, no matter how reluctant he was, he would become Qiao Nan’s property.

“It’s useless for him to find me.” Duan Jiayan curved his mouth and laughed: “If he dares to come over again, I’ll beat him back where he came from.”

“No. Even though Qiao Nan doesn’t want to be forced, he hasn’t done anything this time. Don’t take the initiative to fight him the moment you see him. Otherwise, what was reasonable would still become unreasonable.” Seeing Duan Jiayan’s expression, Song Yi knew that he didn’t take Qiao Nan seriously at all: “You’re going into estrus soon, right? It’s too dangerous. Anyway, whatever you plan to do during this time, you have to wait for me or let Shen Chilie know so he can pay more attention too.”

The matter regarding Qiao Nan was special. There were not many people who knew about it at the time. Shen Chilie was not aware of it either,

“Don’t tell him.” Duan Jiayan shook his head: “If he learns about it, he would probably beat up Qiao Nan directly. We won’t even be able to hold him back.”

Song Yi agreed that this was sensible, so he could only make up his mind to keep a tighter watch on Duan Jiayan.

It is unfortunate things don’t go as planned. When classes were about to be over, the English teacher called a few students whose grades had declined recently to the office to have a talk, one of whom was Song Yi.

Song Yi was exasperated when he received the note. On the contrary, Duan Jiayan apathetically let him head to the office.

How can that be allowed? First Middle had a big campus. The high school academic buildings were quite far away from the dormitory. If Qiao Nan intended to block the way, Duan Jiayan may just run into him on his way.

Song Yi had been weighed down by a sense of urgency when he suddenly remembered what Duan Jiayan said of Lu Xingci being with him before.

At that moment, he immediately turned around and gave Lu Xingci a glance.

In the next, he turned back.

Song Yi miserably found that he was unable to speak.

On one hand, he didn’t want to bother him. On the other hand, knowing Duan Jiayan’s personality, if Duan Jiayan found out that he requested Lu Xingci to protect him, then Duan Jiayan might just break his friendship with him there and then.

However, if he didn’t ask Lu Xingci for help, Song Yi would be worried. He looked back several times in the span of five minutes. Lu Xingci thought that the words “I have something to say” were scrawled all over his face by this point.

When Song Yi was chatting with Duan Jiayan, Lu Xingci heard more or less of the conversation. Seeing how Song Yi was in such a frantic state, he thought about it and shouted: “Duan Jiayan.”

“?” The person in question turned back to look at him.

“Recently, I…” Lu Xingci paused: “have been interested in living on campus. Can I visit your dormitory?”

Song Yi’s eyes almost lit up: “Yes, yes, yes! Class president, you want to live on campus? There are still two empty beds in our dorm room. Why don’t you ask Xiao-Duan to give you a tour? If you are satisfied, you can even move in tonight!”

Duan Jiayan had an expression full of doubt: “You? Want to live on campus?”

Lu Xingci continued with a straight face: “I… want to take a look at the dormitories.”

Duan Jiayan still thought he was talking nonsense: “You’re going to forgo living in your villa and instead come to school to sleep on a one-meter wide bed? Unless there is treasure buried in that bed, even dogs would know to sleep in a more comfortable dog house.”

“…” Lu Xingci: “I have lived in my current dog house for too long already. I am looking to change the environment.”

“Okay,” Duan Jiayan replied: “However, I’ve pretty much used up my blocker. I want to visit the pharmacy. Are you fine with waiting?”

“Yes,” Lu Xingci answered, glancing at his fair and pale neck: “I don’t have any other plans.”

When classes ended in the evening, Duan Jiayan saw Lu Xingci sending a few messages to his driver, as if asking his driver to pick him up a bit later.

There was a bag pharmacy across from First Middle, selling all kinds of daily necessities for Alphas and Omegas.

Duan Jiayan selected a scent blocker from the counter in front of him. There were all kinds of smells for this product and they were all packaged in different colors accordingly.

He deliberated as he mumbled to himself: “I don’t want the milk flavor. That one is Song Yi’s exclusive taste. My little friend still hasn’t weaned yet.”

Lu Xingci glanced at him and said nothing. 

Duan Jiayan’s gaze paused. He suddenly reached out and pulled a bottle of cyan scent blocker out from the choices. He said to Lu Xingci: “Look, it’s your son.”

When he saw that the bottle of blocker was lime-flavored, he was at a loss whether to cry or laugh: “How old are you?”

Duan Jiayan mimicked, asking the bottle in his hand: “You dad’s asking you a question. How old are you?”

After he played around enough, he put the lime-flavored blocker back while he told Lu Xingci: “Your son won’t do. This scent makes me very uncomfortable. The blood orange one is no good either, nor does the bergamot orange one… Why do you have so many godsons?”

“Does the smell offend you?”

That question was exactly what Duan Jiayan was waiting for. He brooked no delay in replying: “What does my shopping for scent blockers have anything to do with you?”

Glancing at his complacent face, Lu Xingci suddenly laughed. His voice was slightly hoarse and contained a hint at something immodest: “If you buy it and use it on yourself, when I help you, do you think I’ll be able to smell your scent?”

When he finished saying that, the hands of Omegas who were also picking blockers beside them shook. They looked at him and then at Duan Jiayan.

It was evident that they didn’t know the school grass had such a hidden side to him.

They didn’t know whether they should scream or be heartbroken.

After a moment’s silence, Duan Jiayan thought it made sense.

When they went to checkout, an Omega finally couldn’t hold it in and screamed into Holding Up First Middle’s Sky—

[It’s over, sisters! The school grass and the school bully seem to be together!]

[??? Why don’t you tell us that Brother Lu got together with you instead?]

[I don’t believe you! You liar!]

[I also don’t believe you! Brother Lu and Grandpa Duan? What kind of combination of domestic violence is this?!]

…

[They were doing 

PDA*

 in public! Not only were they choosing blockers together, but they also discussed the flavor. What’s the difference between this and picking condoms????]