Lu Jingran didn’t say anything, just looked up at him.
Under his intense gaze, Zhou Le felt so nervous that his hand started to sweat.
“Milk tea can’t make me feel better.” Lu Jingran paused.
“People can.”
“…”
Zhou Le felt like he’d been burned by the words and withdrew the milk tea.
“Sorry,” Lu Jingran murmured, realizing he’d said something he shouldn’t have.
“No, no!” Zhou Le quickly replied, unsure what to say, “It’s… it’s my fault, really.”
“I’m sorry, class rep, I…”
Hearing these words stung like needles, and during this susceptible period, Lu Jingran struggled to control his emotions.
“Sorry,” he interrupted Zhou Le. “I have something to do. I’ll get going.”
“…Oh, okay.”
As Lu Jingran walked away, Zhou Le stayed where he was, watching his figure for a long, long time.
Though Alphas are often tall and imposing, there was something about his back view that looked lonely and quiet.
—
On his way home, Zhou Le couldn’t get Lu Jingran out of his head.
His expressions, his demeanor, his back as he walked away.
Later that evening, when Zhou Le went to Dr. Xiao Zhang to get medicine for his mom, the doctor noticed.
“What’s with that look?” Dr. Xiao Zhang asked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were here to buy poison.”
Zhou Le whispered, “It’s nothing.”
Xiao Zhang gave him a skeptical look.
Just then, a young woman entered—a female Omega.
The moment she walked in, Zhou Le picked up on her pheromone scent.
Her face was anxious, arms wrapped around herself. “Doctor, do you have any Omega suppressants or blockers? I think… I think I’m about to go into heat.”
Hearing that, Zhou Le unconsciously took a step back.
Dr. Xiao Zhang didn’t hesitate, quickly retrieving the medication. “The suppressant is 1000 yuan, and the blocker is 250. Pay by scan.”
The girl, desperate, paid immediately, took the medicine, and left.
Zhou Le was puzzled. “Why did you charge her so much?”
Especially for the suppressant—it was only 80 yuan, and he’d sold it for 1000. That was practically robbery!
Dr. Zhang replied, “What? That’s the standard price.”
“? Wasn’t the price cut recently? You sold the suppressant to me for 80 and the blocker for 40.”
Xiao Zhang chuckled. “That’s just for you—the price has been discounted.”
Zhou Le was baffled. “What do you mean?”
Realizing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Xiao Zhang showed Zhou Le the chat history between him and Lu Jingran.
Each transfer, each careful reminder, every roundabout inquiry about his health—all of it came flooding to him.
[Has his face looked a little better today?]
[Please get him the best medicine; I’ll cover the cost, thank you.]
[How is he doing today?]
[Thank you, please take extra care of him for me.]
[…]
Zhou Le’s hand almost couldn’t hold onto the phone.
He couldn’t imagine the emotions Lu Jingran must have been feeling when he did all these things. Just reading the cold text messages, he could feel the warmth and intensity radiating from the other’s heart.
“When… did this all start?” he asked, almost trembling.
Xiao Zhang replied, “Since a little over a month ago, I think.”
“To be honest, that Alpha really cares about you. Every night you went home, he was in his car down by your building, watching over you. Every night when I went home, I saw that car.”
Zhou Le’s throat tightened. “Every… every night?”
Xiao Zhang nodded, “As long as I was closing up at night, he was always there.”
“…”
Zhou Le’s eyes began to sting, and he wasn’t even sure how he made it home. Just climbing the stairs seemed to take everything out of him.
That night, he dreamed about Lu Jingran, watching him walk further and further away. Zhou Le ran after him, shouting desperately, but couldn’t catch up.
He jolted awake in the morning, heart racing, realizing it was just a dream.
Even so, the fear lingered. On his way to school, he kept looking around for Lu Jingran. Finally, around 7:00 AM, Lu Jingran appeared.
Seeing him, Zhou Le felt his heart settle, though it still raced in disarray.
Throughout the entire class, he kept glancing at the back of Lu Jingran.
After class, Zhou Le was asked to go to the office to help hand out papers, so he joined the other class officers, including Lu Jingran.
Everyone took a stack, and Zhou Le waited next to him to get his set.
He secretly looked at him as he walked over, handing him the last small stack. Zhou Le reached out to take it.
As he did, the back of the Alpha’s hand lightly brushed his palm.
Zhou Le’s vision wavered, and he quickly hid the small surge of nerves in his heart.
On his way back, he saw Liu Yanyan talking quietly with her friend in the hallway.
She greeted Zhou Le with a wave, and Zhou Le waved back.
Liu Yanyan’s smile faded as she noticed Zhou Le’s raised hand.
—
In the third period, just before dismissal, Zhou Le received a note from Liu Yanyan asking him to meet outside.
When he stepped out of the classroom, he didn’t see Lu Jingran, feeling a small pang of disappointment.
Liu Yanyan’s class was right by a reading corridor, usually crowded between classes, but for some reason, today it was quiet and empty.
Only Liu Yanyan sat there, with two cups of lemon fruit tea in front of her.
“You’re here?” she smiled as if she had wanted to talk for a long time.
“Try this; I bought it for you. It’s trendy right now and really good.”
Zhou Le sat down, looking at the tea. He suddenly remembered that he first met Liu Yanyan over a cup of milk tea she had intended to give to Lu Jingran.
He didn’t take a sip, only looked at her with a mixture of confusion and questioning.
Liu Yanyan smiled, “You really are adorable.”
Zhou Le was puzzled by the compliment.
“It’s no wonder Lu Jingran fell for you.”
Zhou Le froze.
Liu Yanyan studied his face, “Though I don’t think I’m any less than you, feelings are hard to predict and even harder to explain.”
Zhou Le stammered, “H-how do you know?”
It was impossible that Lu Jingran had told her, and Lin Xiaoxiao and Sheng Qian wouldn’t either, so why…
“That bracelet of yours—isn’t it from Lu Jingran?”
Zhou Le raised his hand.
She was referring to the red string bracelet that Lu Jingran had given him.
It was just… an ordinary red string, wasn’t it?
“A few days ago, I saw him at a banquet.”
“At the dinner table, one of the ladies mentioned making wishes at a temple, saying her child had been ill with no cure in sight until she visited the temple. Within days, the child recovered.”
Zhou Le thought for a moment, then said, “That temple is quite known for its efficacy.”
Liu Yanyan looked at him. “It’s very effective, indeed.”
“Because that woman climbed ten meters of steps, bowing at each one, kneeling at each stone, to reach the main hall and receive a blessed red string from the abbot.”
Zhou Le stiffened.
It felt like something had struck him hard.
Liu Yanyan continued, “That temple is famous in the suburbs. Many wealthy people go there to pray—for wealth, for children, for marriage, for peace.”
“But the abbot there is strange. No matter how much money is donated, if the supplicant doesn’t kneel up each step sincerely, he won’t bless a string. Even if they do it, if their heart isn’t in it, he won’t care.”
“After the banquet, I wanted to go myself, to pray for a chance with Lu Jingran.”
“But when I got there, I gave up. The stone steps were too rough. I only knelt once, and my knees were already red.”
“But I never imagined…” She laughed self-deprecatingly, “that Lu Jingran actually did it for you.”
…
Zhou Le’s heart pounded wildly, as if it was about to burst out of his chest.
He shot up, staring at Liu Yanyan, his chest heaving.
Then, like he’d lost his mind, he turned and sprinted back to class.
Lu Jingran! He had to see him now!
