The countdown to the college entrance examination was posted in front of the walls of Class 10. As the numbers slowly decreased, the days seemed to go by faster and faster.

    The teachers of each subject assigned mountains of winter vacation homework, and the last vacation of the third year of high school was only for a measly ten days.

    In the evening, Lu Xingci came back from school just in time to see old lady Lu return from Jingshan Hutong for the weekend.

    Seeing him come back, the old lady called him over. Jiang Yao also got up with a smile: “You’re back at last, grandma has been waiting for you at home all afternoon.”

  The old lady watched him come over and made a visual observation: “I haven’t seen you for half a month, has our Xingci grown taller again?”

    Jiang Yao also looked at him: “He seems to be a little taller, I can only look up to see him now.”

    The old lady nodded with satisfaction, and asked him again: “How many days is this holiday?”

    “Ten days.” Lu Xingci answered, then looking at the elegant clothing on her body, he said: “You look good in this color and it complements your complexion.”

    “You and your mother, both said the same.” The old lady smiled, and then frowned slightly: “This holiday is too short, the Lantern Festival….”

    “It’s always like this in the third year of high school. I heard someone say that their child’s school is only closed for a week.” Jiang Yao said, then whispered to the housekeeping aunty next to her: “Go and inform Mr. Lu, ask him to come down for dinner.”

    Lu Xingci heard her words and raised his head: “Dad is home so early?”

    “Just a little free time today. You definitely won’t see him in a few days.” Jiang Yao said with a smile, “Your father and your grandmother were waiting for you to come back for dinner.”

   It was rare for the family to be gathered together at the dinner table, but it was inevitable at the time of this year’s college entrance examination.

    Lu Hongchuan was the first to say: “It’s better to work hard at the present time. When you think about this in the future, you won’t have any regrets for yourself.”

    “I’m not to worried, having taken so many exams since childhood, which time did you not work hard?”

    “I don’t usually see dad very often, and as soon as I meet him, he talks to me about the college entrance examination.” Lu Xing joked half-truthfully: “It gives me quite a bit of stress.”

When the old lady heard this, she looked at Lu Hongchuan: “You are in such a hurry, why don’t you take the college entrance examination yourself?”

    Lu Hongchuan was speechless, and Jiang Yao smiled to even up the field: “Whatever you do in the test, just try your best.”

    “That won’t work either.” Lu Xingci said: “Dad said that if I do well in the test, he will buy a house near the university and give it to me. If I want to move out of the university, I still have to do better in the test.”

    Lu Hongchuan glanced at him, and smiled: “I wanted to ask you last time, are you planning to move out alone?”

    Lu Xingci looked at him for a few seconds, and smiled.

    Jiang Yao saw that their father and son tacit understanding, and took the initiative to bring up the topic: “How is Jiayan’s review coming along?”

    Lu Xingci: “He should be able to perform well, he did good enough in the model test.”

    Jiang Yao: “There is hardly any time left, you help him so that he doesn’t have too much pressure. If he really doesn’t perform well, our family can…”

    Lu Xingci interrupted her: “It’s okay, he should be able to pass the test by himself “

    Jiang Yao nodded.

    “Oh” After hearing this, Mrs. Lu said to herself, “Why did I accidentally forget…”

    After dinner, the older Mrs. Lu looked for Lu Xingci alone and handed him a small box: “I went to Daguan Temple a few days ago to ask for a piece of jade for you, I heard that it is very spiritual.”

    Daguan Temple was an old temple in Ningcheng, and every New Year’s Eve, a large number of people would line up at the foot of the mountain, just to burn the New Year’s Eve’s morning incense.

    Lu Xingci weighed the small box in his hand: “What does this piece of jade guarantee?”

    “Guarantees that everything will go well, and the name will come out on the gold list. You take the college entrance examination well, I’m giving you the best wishes.” The old lady said: “It was time to go and I got anxious, so I forgot to ask for one for that child.”

    Lu Xingci accepted the old lady’s jade and smiled, “Thank you, grandma.”

    After returning to his room, he put the box by the desk.

    Lu Xingci took two test papers from his homework. In the time between writing the questions, he inadvertently glanced at the box where the jade was placed, and his thoughts took a turn.

    He didn’t believe in these things. Mrs. Lu had asked for jade and worshipped Buddha for him before, and he always made sure to thank the old lady, but he didn’t really care about it.

    But thinking of Duan Jiayan, he seemed to understand the old lady’s thoughts somewhat.

    Because now, he suddenly wanted to ask for a blessing for the other party.

    Compared with Ningcheng, the winter in Haicheng was warmer.

    Duan Jiayan stayed in Haicheng for a week, and when he came back, walking in the cold winter night in Ningcheng, he suddenly felt a little cold.

    He was in a trance when someone grabbed his hand.

    Boys have broad palms and slender knuckles. Touching Duan Jiayan’s cold skin, he paused, squeezed his fingers between Duan Jiayan’s fingers, and intertwined them.

    “I’m afraid you’ll get lost,” Lu Xingci looked down at him: “There are a lot of people here.”

    Since New Year’s Eve, Daguan Temple has held a temple fairs for several consecutive days. People came and went, hundreds of decorative lanterns hang high, and the whole street was brightly lit.

    Not long after the holiday, Duan Jiayan received news from Lu Xingci. The other party asked when he was coming back and wanted to invite him to the temple fair. Duan Jiayan was not very comfortable staying in Haicheng anyway. After spending some time with Fu Yuan, he returned to Ningcheng a few days earlier.

    “How did you spend the new year?” Duan Jiayan remembered something: “Did you play mahjong this year?”

    “I played for a day or two, I was writing questions the rest of the time. My mother didn’t let me near the mahjong table for fear of affecting my revision study.”

    “Even after working so hard, if you don’t get first rank in the province this year, I am willing to shed tears for you.” Duan Jiayan said, and asked casually: “In ancient times, wasn’t the champion in the examination called Zhongju?”

    Lu Xingci glanced at him with a smile. He simply laughed and said nothing.

    Duan Jiayan was puzzled: “What are you laughing at?”

    “In ancient times, wouldn’t you have your ears pulled everyday for not having common sense?” Lu Xingci said, then seemed to think of something: “But at that time, I recall that omegas could get married at the age of thirteen or fourteen.”

    He held Duan Jiayan’s hand a little tighter, with a teasing tone in his tone: “Little bride. Not bad.”

    “Brother Lu.” Duan Jiayan said sincerely: “I haven’t seen you for a while, your thoughts are getting more and more beastly.”

    Lu Xingci slightly smiled and said, “Is itreally?”

    He dragged him forward and said casually, “If you were really that young, I wouldn’t do anything like that. I’ll teach you some common sense first, at least you will know about Zhongju and Zhongjuhe. Being in the top spot is not a ‘concept’.”

    “…”

    Duan Jiayan looked around as he walked.

    He hadn’t been to a temple fair in many years, and with the people around him, the bland temple fair in his memory became more vibrant. The further he went, the more people there were.

    When the lush pine trees appeared in his field of vision, Lu Xingci stopped.

    A vigorous and lush evergreen pine spread out like a fleet of clouds. It snowed only last night, and the nightlights illuminated the pale snow on the tree canopy very clearly.

    During winter nights, there were barely even a few flying insects around. Duan Jiayan looked up and saw hundreds of wooden signs tied with red ropes hanging on the tree.

    “I checked, this is the most famous wishing tree in Ningcheng.” Lu Xingci looked at him sideways: “I heard that it is very effective.”

    Duan Jiayan cast his eyes under the tree.

    Many people were gathered there, busy making a wish. Looking at this picture, Duan Jiayan couldn’t help laughing: “You believe this? It’s better to believe in me.”

    He paused, and the smile in his eyes became more and more intense: “I am more economical than this tree, You don’t need to put up a sign, you say something nice, and I’ll see if I can make your wish come true.”

    “…”

    Seeing that Lu Xingci did not speak, Duan Jiayan tugged at his collar lightly, and asked in a flirtatious manner: “Little mute, what are your New Year’s resolutions?”

    Lu Xingci waited patiently for him to stop talking nonsense before opening his mouth: “I didn’t believe this at first, but I still want to ask for your good luck.”

    Duan Jiayan was taken aback: “For me?”

    Judging by the other party’s reaction, he suddenly realized: “You brought me here on purpose?”

    He originally thought that Lu Xingci just wanted to visit a temple fair.

    Lu Xingci glanced at the wooden sign swaying in the wind, and then looked at the bustling crowd. He also smiled: “I seems to be quite superstitious.”

    Duan Jiayan opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say anything.

    “Just write it as fun.” Lu Xingci said, and turned to him, “I’m going to buy two wish cards?”

    Duan Jiayan nodded.

    When he came back, Duan Jiayan took a wishing card from him. There were no words on this wishing card, and the seller had provided markers of various colors for tourists to write with.

    “How do you use this?” Duan Jiayan saw that people around him were burying their heads and writing: “Just write it casually?”

    “Write your expectations for the future on it, and hang it up later.”

    “Then I will write it down, hoping that Lu Xingci will reincarnate well in the next life and be my child bride.” Duan Jiayan happily smiled in amusement, seeing that Lu Xingci had finished writing, he leaned over curiously: “What did you write?”

    “I hope you get your ideal grades in the exam.” He didn’t pay heed to Duan Jiayan’s nonsense and closed the marker pen cap, then handed it to Duan Jiayan: “Write it.”

    “…” Duan Jiayan compared himself to him, and felt that he was being a little too vicious in wishing.

    He was silent for a moment, then suddenly thought of something, he opened the cap and lowered his head to write.

    By the time Duan Jiayan finished writing, Lu Xingci had already hung his own wishing card on the tree. Duan Jiayan walked beside him, and also stretched out his hand to wrap the red rope around the branch.

    Seeing that Duan Jiayan was quite meticulous, Lu Xingci asked, “Can I have a look?”

    After receiving a positive answer, he stretched out his hand.

    Duan Jiayan had always written beautifully. Lu Xingci once thought he had good talent, but only when he asked, did he know that when he was a child, Fu Yuan forced him to take a calligraphy class for half a semester.

Although this guy later learned to skip classes, he still learned the basic physical structure.

    In neat handwriting, Duan Jiayan’s wish was written on the wooden sign.

    – People are slow-moving, but stars are already far ahead.

(TN: Lu Xingci’s name has ‘star’ in it, DJ is referring to that. I think.)

    “I didn’t know what to write, so I just wrote this.” Duan Jiayan saw him staring at him, and touched his nose saying vaguely, “After thinking about it, it seemed that this was the most appropriate one.”

    He didn’t say it clearly, but the two understood.

    They were each other’s future.

    “Are you going home tonight?” Without waiting for him to speak, Lu Xingci released the wishing card, and held his face with his palm, rubbing his cheek with his thumb: “Go to Nanshan apartment with me?”

    His movements were slow and suggestive.

    Duan Jiayan understood what he meant, and said quietly, “I’m not in estrus.”

    After the young boy tasted it once, it was hard not to be enamored by it.

    In this regard, Lu Xingci was stronger than him. The only few times he experienced it was during the estrus period. At that time, he basically had no ability to think, and the other party was good at using pheromones to induce him to submit. Every time he was half-unconcious.

    Lu Xingci was amused, and whispered in Duan Jiayan’s ear: “I didn’t say I wanted to sleep with you.”

    People around him were constantly coming and going, Duan Jiayan was caught off guard hearing such straightforward words. His heart beat fast, and he couldn’t help but let out a low sound.

    “I just wanted to hug you and talk to you for a while. I haven’t seen you for so long, and I don’t want to let you go back alone.”

He paused, his voice was slightly hoarse, and wrapped around Duan Jiayan’s reason like a net: “Even if you haven’t gone into estrus yet. It’s okay, I’ll help you slowly, it won’t hurt very much.”

    Duan Jiayan’s lips moved slightly, realizing what he was referring to.

    The two looked at each other for a moment.

    “Are you okay?” He asked again: “Go back with me.”

   He was standing very close.

    Duan Jiayan could clearly see the outline of his eyebrows and eyelids, and those dark eyes that stared at him quietly.

    The fingers that were originally placed on his cheek slid down, the palm of his hand gradually pressed against his neck, and he scratched his Adam’s apple urgingly.

    His thoughts seemed to stop for a moment.

    Involuntarily, Duan Jiayan nodded.

    Winter break was over quickly.

    Soon after the start of school, there was to be a physical examination for the college entrance processes.

    Students were asked not to eat breakfast in order for the blood tests. In the middle of the queue at the hospital, many people were idly playing with their mobile phones.

    “Can’t this physical examination be faster?” Zhou Xingchen had just finished a game, and he was completely bored: “I may die of hunger before the examination is over.”

    Duan Jiayan said casually: “Xiao Zhou, I think you are currently not hungry, but panicking from the bottom of your heart.”

    Zhou Xingchen looked at him amused: “What am I panicking about?”

    “Blood.” Duan Jiayan said calmly: “Imagine the needle puncturing your skin, and then being squeezed in slowly, the feeling of being bitten by ants for more than ten seconds, it still hurts a bit.”

    Zhou Xingchen was silent for a moment, he said suspiciously: “Can you say a few words less?”

    Duan Jiayan shrugged. He smiled and asked, “Do you want me to cover your eyes for you?”

    He’d just made Zhou Xingchen laugh, when someone blindfolded his eyes from behind and said naturally, “Are you hungry?”

    Duan Jiayan knew who was behind him. He reached out and pulled down the fingers that covered his eyes: “Don’t move, the teacher will see it later.”

    “Mr. Zhao is not here.” Lu Xingci didn’t pay much attention to it: “After the medical examination, go to eat something?”

    Chen Yue couldn’t stand it any longer: “Be restrained, brother. You don’t want to save your face, it doesn’t mean that everyone should see you losing face.”

    Lu Xingci turned his head and looked at him suspiciously: “Since when did you have the face to talk about faces like this?”

    Chen Yue: “…”

    After the blood was drawn, there were other tests. For omegas and alphas, the physical examination was more complicated, since they had to check the condition of the glands.

    There were fewer omegas in the class, and the examination was completed soon. Duan Jiayan and Song Yi just came out of the examination room, when a boy opened the door of the alpha examination room next door.

    Seeing them, the boy twitched the corners of his mouth down: “Fuck, do you know how flamboyant they are? They took advantage of the opportunity to compare their size.”

Song Yi was not shy and boldly asked, “Really? Who is bigger then?”

When he was about to speak, he suddenly saw Duan Jiayan beside him, and he couldn’t help laughing twice.

    Duan Jiayan raised his eyebrows and smiled: “What do you want to say? You speak carefully.”

    They were making trouble when a nurse called out at the door of the omega examination room: “Which classmate is Duan Jiayan?”

    Duan Jiayan answered.

    “Please come here.”

When he entered the examination room, the nurse closed the door and left. Only him and a female doctor were left.

    The female doctor looked at him: “Classmate, do you know that you have a stress disorder?”

    Duan Jiayan nodded.

    “Your physical condition is very special.” The female doctor said softly: “Although your glands have grown better, stress disorder still affects your health more or less. It is very likely that you will not be able to wash off marks in the future. .”

    According to common practice, most omegas would choose to get married around the age of 20. If the marriage was unsatisfactory, they could get rid of the influence of the alpha by removing the mark.

    The advent of this operation was once regarded as one of the most humane innovations in modern medicine.

    But the omega in front of her did not have the right to make a second choice.

    Really, it’s was an unfortunate thing.

    The female doctor looked at him calmly, as if he didn’t realize the seriousness of the matter, and explained to him patiently: “You must choose an alpha carefully in the future. It’s best not to tell the alpha about your glands when you haven’t marked for life. It could be very unsafe.”

    The doctor handed his report forward: “Your medical examination results have been encrypted, and no one can view your electronic report without your permission. Pay more attention and be responsible for yourself.”

    “Okay,” Duan Jiayan took the report: “Excuse me.”

    Duan Jiayan pushed open the door of the medical examination room, and Lu Xingci, who was waiting at the door, heard the movement and looked sideways. “What’s wrong?”

    Zhou Xingchen took a step forward: “Are you okay? Song Yi said you were called in alone.”  

    Song Yi also asked, “What did she call to tell you?”

He handed over your report to Lu Xingci.

    “Lu-ge?” Seeing that Lu Xingci’s face wasn’t looking right, Chen Yue couldn’t help but look at Duan Jiayan: “What’s wrong with you?”

    Duan Jiayan opened his mouth, hesitating on whether or not he should say it directly.

    “It’s okay.” Lu Xingci suddenly said. He folded the report sheet and said to Chen Yue, “It’s the stress disorder.”

    Unlike the calm on the surface, Lu Xingci tightened his grip on the report sheet, hoping that the results on it would never be seen by anyone ever again.

    One mark could take hold of Duan Jiayan for a lifetime.

    “Then let’s do it a little later.” He whispered to Duan Jiayan at a volume that only the two of them could hear: “After graduating from university and starting work, we can think about this later.”

    Duan Jiayan suddenly turned his head when he heard this. He looked at him steadily.

    “What are you thinking?”

    Lu Xingci made an expression and met his eyes.

    “Whether you can wash the mark off or not, it doesn’t make any difference to me, I won’t think too much, and you don’t need to think too much either.” Duan Jiayan paused for a while, and his tone was uncertain: “Only talking about the marks after working, do you want me to worry? “

    “…”

    “No way.” The corners of his lips twitched, and his voice was a little threatening: “Just mark me while in university, don’t even try to run away.”

He voice raised slightly at the end as he finished speaking. Seemingly uncaring.

    He seems to have always been like this. On the surface, he looked condescending, but in fact, his words were sincere and calm. Before that step could be taken, all the trust has been delivered in advance.

    Lu Xingci’s eyes were fixed on the corner of his raised lips, and the emotion in his eyes gradually softened.

    He slowed down a little, and let Chen Yue and the others walk ahead, while he himself along with Duan Jiayan fell behind.    

 “Okay.” He stretched out his hand and clasped Duan Jiayan’s wrist: “Whenever you want, whenever you want.”

“I won’t make you anxious.”

    Duan Jiayan nodded in satisfaction as if he thought that his attitude was very good.

    Lu Xingci lowered his gaze slightly, and slipped his fingers down, wrapping his palm around the back of the omega’s relatively small hand.

    I will listen to you.

    And you will be mine.

Grammar Nazi’s are welcome, point out errors, if any, I’d be thankful. Btw, do you think I need an editor?

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