Delicate, Yet Shamelessly Freeloading [Quick Transmigration] Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Alpha with Pheromone Disorder (18)

---

Shui Que had no experience going on outings. In the apocalypse, mutated plants and animals were everywhere, and only the vanguard teams collecting supplies could leave the base.

 

Because of this, his deepest childhood memory was of an old plastic slide in front of an aging apartment building, its paint peeling away.

 

The slide was short, and the ladder wasn’t very high. Before the wind could blow for even two seconds, he would already be at the bottom, providing only a fleeting moment of amusement.

 

Finding playmates of the same age was even rarer.

 

Children were incredibly precious in the post-apocalyptic world. At least before he moved into the research institute, the only other child he could play with was the neighbor’s kid next door.

 

So the experience of playing together with peers like this was entirely new to him.

 

He was a little too excited.

 

Chen Jian gave him his small folding stool, and Shui Que sat beside Lu Fengchi, chattering non-stop—one moment asking if the fish liked this bait, the next wondering why the fish hadn’t taken the hook yet, and then starting to think about the best way to cook the fish once they caught one.

 

Lu Fengchi explained that most of the fish in the lake were species that had been regularly stocked when the estate was in operation. There were crucian carp, common carp, grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and tilapia.

 

Shui Que immediately asked if they could catch a tilapia since it had fewer bones, and he liked eating it.

 

Even though the water remained calm for half an hour, with Shui Que’s eager eyes on him, Lu Fengchi had no choice but to promise—whether he could do it or not, he had to say yes.

 

He sat there for over an hour before he finally got a bite. Luckily, when he pulled it up, it really was a tilapia.

 

Excitedly, he turned around to share the news, only to find the small folding stool empty.

 

Looking around, he spotted Shui Que sitting under a large sun umbrella, completely surrounded by people.

 

Lu Fengchi immediately set down his fishing rod, tossed the fish into a bucket, and strode over.

 

As he got closer, he overheard their conversation.

 

“This plum is quite sour. Do you want one too?” Shui Que asked shyly.

 

Someone quickly responded, “Yes, yes! I love sour things—the more sour, the better!”

 

Like a magician with a bottomless bag, Shui Que rummaged through his backpack again, while the others eagerly watched him, as if his backpack held not just ordinary snacks but priceless treasures.

 

“Got it!” Shui Que pulled out a bar of chocolate, raising it in his hand. “Does anyone like chocolate? It’s very sweet.”

 

Immediately, a chorus of voices chimed in:

 

“I don’t like any other snacks, but I love chocolate!”

 

“Let me try some! I love sweet things.”

 

“I haven’t gotten any snacks from Classmate Song yet…”

 

Shui Que couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt genuinely happy.

It seemed like everyone had arrived too early and was starving—whenever someone mentioned they hadn’t had breakfast, they turned to him for snacks.

 

Thanks to the snacks he brought from home, he was unusually popular today.

 

Lu Fengchi furrowed his brows. In the golden sunlight, his sharp features became even more defined. He shook the water off his hands and fixed his gaze on the group of people acting like starving ghosts.

 

Qingyue Villa had long been informed that the young master of the Lu family would be bringing his classmates over for the day, so breakfast had been specially prepared for them.

 

These guys had already eaten their fill—so why were they still eyeing Shui Que’s snacks?

 

Could they even finish all the food they were asking for?

 

Lu Fengchi strode up to Shui Que and sat down heavily beside him, exuding an oppressive presence, like storm clouds gathering overhead.

 

The others instantly fell silent, barely daring to breathe.

 

Although they often called him “Brother Lu” in an attempt to get close, in truth, none of them were particularly familiar with him. Lu Fengchi was a lone wolf, rarely forming close friendships.

 

The only one who could speak to him freely was Chen Jian—after all, the Chen and Lu families had been family friends for generations.

 

This time, it was also Lu Fengchi who had asked Chen Jian to randomly invite a few more classmates from their class.

 

“You want some too?” Shui Que blinked slowly.

 

He hadn’t noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere. He reached into his bag again but felt nothing—his snacks had already been handed out one by one. All that was left was half a soda cracker he hadn’t finished eating that morning.

 

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he took it out, about to explain that he was out of snacks but could bring more for Lu Fengchi on Monday at school.

 

However, Lu Fengchi’s eyes lit up, all his hostility vanishing in an instant. He leaned in and bit off the half-cracker from Shui Que’s hand.

 

“Tastes good,” he said.

 

In reality, he had chewed and swallowed it in just two or three bites—he barely even registered the taste.

 

Had none of them eaten breakfast? Shui Que found their hunger pitiful.

 

But then again, Lu Fengchi often drank his leftover milk tea. Shui Que was used to it and didn’t say anything.

 

Maybe this was just one of Lu Fengchi’s quirks.

 

Did leftovers taste better?

 

Shui Que shook his head.

 

Because of this, Shui Que often found himself struggling whenever he wanted to advance their storyline. No matter what he did—making Lu Fengchi go out in the pouring rain to buy him milk tea, insisting he finish off his leftovers as part of some “clean plate” campaign, or sneaking him dog noises to mimic during class—Lu Fengchi always accepted everything calmly.

 

Shui Que felt utterly defeated.

 

How could someone not be bothered by any of this at all?

 

System 77 bit his handkerchief in frustration.

 

Was there something wrong with this Lu guy? He seemed to be enjoying it way too much!

 

Qingyue Villa wasn’t just a lake. It was nestled between mountains and the sea. To the east, the estate owned an orchard on the mountainside. To the west, a short drive led to a rocky coastal cliff—too rugged to be developed into a tourist attraction.

 

Inside the estate, there were all sorts of entertainment facilities, including board games, karaoke, arcade games, and live-action CS matches. At the foot of the mountain, there was a riverside area for barbecues. At the peak, an observatory catered to astronomy enthusiasts. There were even vacation lodges for rent.

 

It was a favorite spot for the wealthy young heirs of Haicheng. If they didn’t want to travel far during weekends and holidays, Qingyue Villa was the perfect getaway.

 

Shui Que, having never experienced anything like this before, looked utterly fascinated.

 

The others found it endearing.

 

His background had been well protected by Song Qin—few details had ever leaked out. Even if anyone had heard something, they had been silenced.

 

The rich kids in their class had no idea that Shui Que was from the Song family. They assumed he was some poor relative of a nouveau riche family, sent over from a small county near Haicheng.

 

A pretty little country bumpkin.

 

After a full morning of fun, they had used up most of their energy and were ready for lunch.

 

Qingyue Estate had a special dining area reserved for VIP guests. Lu Fengchi had booked a table at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, ordering all of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

 

Continuing forward from the lakeside where they had been fishing earlier, they arrived at a spot near a dense bamboo grove. Along the shore, two or three pavilions had been built over the water. Each pavilion was furnished with two large Baxian tables, a touch of refined elegance amidst the picturesque scenery of mountains, lake, and the soft melody of bamboo flutes.

 

There were designated boatmen available to ferry people across, but one could also choose to take a bridge spanning the water, leading directly to the central pavilion in the lake.

 

Lu Fengchi remained at the lakeside, grilling fish, while the others went ahead.

 

After fishing for half the day, the only catch was the tilapia from the very beginning. Since the food had yet to arrive and Shui Que complained of hunger, Lu Fengchi decided to make use of the nearby barbecue facilities. He cleaned the fish and started grilling it.

 

Shui Que squatted nearby, watching with curiosity. His skin was fair, and before long, the heat from the fire flushed his face red. Lu Fengchi told him to move back a little.

 

Shui Que coughed as the black smoke from the charcoal grill choked him. His cloud-patterned eight-cornered hat had already been reduced to a makeshift fan in his hand, waving up and down to disperse the smoke. He asked, “How do you even know how to do this?”

 

“There’s a lot more I can do,” Lu Fengchi replied, his gaze lowered as he expertly sprinkled cumin and a bit of chili powder over the fish. The light glinted off the bone stud in his ear, sharp and cold. His hands moved with practiced ease—completely at odds with the rebellious aura he usually carried.

 

At first, Shui Que was fascinated by the grilling process, but the longer he watched, the hungrier he became. Eventually, he had to look away and sit on a small folding stool, scrolling through his phone to distract himself.

 

Ever since Xie Xiangxun had made that inappropriate remark, he had stopped pretending altogether.

 

Every morning, noon, and night, he never missed taking a photo to check in.

 

Yesterday, 8:10 AM.

 

Xiang Xun: Shui Shui, good morning.

 

[The other party transferred 200,000 yuan to you.]

 

[Attached: A photo of abs.]

 

Yesterday, 12:30 PM.

 

Xiang Xun: Good afternoon, eat more for lunch.

 

[The other party transferred 300,000 yuan to you.]

 

[Attached: A photo of a fitness meal.]

 

Yesterday, 9:00 PM.

 

Xiang Xun: Just finished working overtime. I kind of miss you.

 

[The other party transferred 520,000 yuan to you.]

 

[Attached: A full-body mirror photo inside a private elevator, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.]

 

Shui Que didn’t reply.

 

But he still accepted every transfer honestly.

 

He feared that if he engaged too much, the other party would get too excited and really come all the way to Haicheng to catch him.

 

Shui Que treated it just like those NPCs in games that drop coins at fixed times every day—log in, collect the money, done in one smooth motion.

 

Maybe because it was the weekend, the other party woke up later than usual.

 

10:31 AM.

 

Xiang Xun: Good morning.

 

[The other party transferred 333,333 yuan to you.]

 

Xiang Xun: Anaerobic exercise burns more energy.

 

[Attached: A photo.]

 

This place was a bit far from the center of the villa, and the signal wasn’t great, so the image loaded slowly.

 

Curious, Shui Que tapped to enlarge it.

 

Beicheng was much farther north than Haicheng, so by this time, a thin layer of snow had already settled on the glass.

 

But the most eye-catching part of the image was the person in it.

 

The man had probably just come out of an indoor swimming pool. His dark blue-highlighted hair was still dripping wet, water droplets clinging to the sharp lines of his jaw. The rippling water trailed down his well-defined muscles, following the grooves of his obliques before falling away.

 

The water-streaked floor reflected his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his towering shadow big enough to completely engulf Shui Que.

 

Swimming in winter was no challenge for him at all.

 

Out of nowhere, a voice spoke coolly by his ear: “You like this kind of thing?”

 

Lu Fengchi, who had been warming himself by the fire, felt parched, his forehead slightly sweaty. When he turned around and saw what Shui Que was looking at, he couldn’t help but feel sour.

 

He looked just like a househusband who had caught his little wife secretly keeping a male model on the side.

 

But he didn’t ask much. He figured it was just some internet influencer flirting with Omegas on social media—a desperate, shameless Alpha. Nothing like himself, who was as pure as could be.

 

Still, he felt a little jealous and sneered, “Don’t look at Alphas like that. He’s all show and no substance. Might not even be able to get it up.”

 

Lu Fengchi took Shui Que’s hand and placed it on his own abdomen, muscles taut. “Feel this—this is the real deal. That guy’s abs are definitely fake.”

 

Harsh words cut deeper than winter’s cold, but fortunately, Xie Xiangxun would never know. Shui Que used his other hand to turn off the phone screen, then casually pinched Lu Fengchi’s abs in a half-hearted manner.

 

Under his touch, Lu Fengchi’s stomach tensed. Shui Que looked up to see him staring back intensely, something unreadable brewing in his eyes.

 

Sensing danger, Shui Que quickly let go. Lu Fengchi cleared his throat and acted as if nothing had happened, changing the subject.

 

“The fish is ready. Eat up.”

 

In the end, since they had to save room for lunch, most of the grilled fish ended up in Lu Fengchi’s stomach.

 

Afterward, they strolled leisurely toward the pavilion in the center of the lake, as if taking a walk to digest their meal.

 

The bridge was wooden, not far from the water’s surface. During summer floods, it was probably submerged. It showed signs of multiple reinforcements over the years, and each step made it creak underfoot, adding a certain charm.

 

The bridge was narrow, barely wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

 

A young man approached from the opposite direction, heading toward them.

 

As they passed each other, he turned his head and glanced at Shui Que.

 

Just as the three of them were about to move past one another, the young man suddenly patted Shui Que’s shoulder and laughed heartily.

 

“Song Shui Que… It really is you!”

 

He was an Alpha.

 

Lu Fengchi’s internal alarm bells rang, and he instinctively swapped positions with Shui Que.

 

The young man looked a bit surprised, his gaze flickering toward Lu Fengchi before speaking to Shui Que in an ambiguous tone: “Your… friend?”

 

Shui Que lifted his eyes to glance at him but quickly lowered them again, letting his eyelashes conceal his expression.

 

From the moment the young man called his name, his whole body had tensed, a faint shiver running through him.

 

This was exactly how Song Shui Que should react.

 

Digging through the depths of Song Shui Que’s memories, he unearthed a long history related to this person.

 

A bully with a record of countless misdeeds.

 

Water poured over his head, torn-up textbooks, desks covered in humiliating slurs.

 

And those predatory eyes sweeping over him, filled with disdain, as if he were nothing more than trash.

 

The young man took obvious pleasure in watching Shui Que’s timid, trembling state.

 

Had Song Shui Que always been this good-looking? He raised a brow in doubt, then thought idly—it was such a shame he hadn’t played with him more back then.

 

His lips curled into a chilling smile as he continued his seemingly friendly small talk.

 

“Long time no see, Shui Que.”

---

Huge shoutout to @candycorns2 on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.

---