Chapter 28: Hand Over the Confession
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An Lan’s heart skipped a beat; he only recently learned that alphas had sensitive hearing. However, he always thought Gu Liyu was someone living in a different world, indifferent to everything around him. He didn’t expect that every time he chatted with Little Qiao… Gu Liyu heard it all?
Quickly recalling, did he ever gossip about Gu Liyu?
Gu Liyu lifted his eyes, coincidentally meeting An Lan’s contemplative expression. He said, “No need to think about it. You and your desk mate hardly ever discuss me.”
His straightforwardness made An Lan even more embarrassed.
Two bowls of stir-fried noodles were served, evenly mixed with sauce, a layer of brown color, sprinkled with green onions and peanuts, making it appetizing.
Gu Liyu lowered his head, took a couple of bites, then sipped the soup. Around them were people rushing to work or school. Occasionally, a student rode a bike past Gu Liyu; the bell “ding-a-ling” sounded. When a student nearly tilted onto him, Gu Liyu extended his arm and skillfully pressed the person back.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Then Gu Liyu continued to eat his noodles.
“How is it? The taste is good, right?” An Lan asked with a smile.
“Yeah, the scallion oil is fragrant, and the peanuts are crispy.”
“If I knew you liked it, I would have asked Auntie to add another spoonful for you.” An Lan said with a smiling face.
Getting approval from Gu Liyu for something he liked made An Lan quite happy.
Looking at the time, because Gu Liyu was with him, An Lan didn’t stay in bed this morning, so they still had plenty of time for breakfast.
“Wait for me, I’ll go to the stall next door and buy two sesame rice balls, one for you and one for me.”
“Okay.” Gu Liyu nodded.
Watching him eat soup, An Lan had a sense of superiority, as if he had adopted the school grass.
He went to the stall that sold fried sesame ball dumplings, waiting for them to puff up in the oil. At the same time, he sent a message to Qiao Chuluo.
An Lan: [Urgent help needed! Send me a 20 yuan red envelope!]
Qiao Chuluo: [What do you need the red envelope for? To hire a mistress? If you don’t explain, no money!]
An Lan: [To adopt the school grass.]
Qiao Chuluo: [You’re lying!]
An Lan: [Not lying. The school grass is sitting less than ten meters away, having soup and stir-fried noodles.]
Qiao Chuluo: [You want to date the school grass for 20 yuan? Don’t embarrass us; I’ll give you 25 yuan!]
After receiving the red envelope, An Lan came back with sesame ball dumplings, handing one to Gu Liyu.
“Let it cool before eating; they’re just fried, it might be hot.”
“Thank you.”
When Gu Liyu finished his soup, he picked up the sesame ball dumpling, took a bite, made a soft crispy sound, and then the sesame ball collapsed.
An Lan, drinking soup and observing his expression, clearly saw that when the sesame ball dumpling collapsed, Gu Liyu paused. He took another bite, glanced slightly inside the dumpling, and then nodded.
An Lan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, don’t look, there’s no filling inside. It won’t collapse if there’s filling.”
This side of Gu Liyu made An Lan find him a bit cute. Suddenly, he wanted to take Gu Liyu to try all the things he usually ate. Maybe they weren’t as refined and beautiful, but each had its own characteristics. The myriad of worldly experiences was hidden in these street snacks.
After finishing the sesame ball dumpling, Gu Liyu said, “Sesame and glutinous rice together are very fragrant.”
“Right, it’s still delicious without filling.”
“Yeah.” Gu Liyu nodded.
An Lan handed him a napkin. “It’s about time; today is Bald Qiang’s morning self-study. We can’t be late.”
He went to the auntie who made the stir-fried noodles and paid the bill.
The auntie leaned over and said, “An Lan, the student who ate with you looks unfamiliar. Is he your classmate?”
“Yes.”
“He must be an alpha, right? So handsome.”
An Lan laughed, “Are all alphas handsome? Auntie, do you think I’m handsome?”
“You’re handsome too, both handsome and beautiful.” Auntie gave a look of understanding.
An Lan suddenly realized that Auntie misunderstood something, thinking they were in a romantic relationship.
“I’m not an omega,” An Lan said.
“That’s okay even if you’re not.” Auntie still had the expression of understanding.
“Alright. He’s just my classmate, not my boyfriend.” An Lan felt the need to clarify, as Gu Liyu was sitting nearby.
It wouldn’t be good if he overheard.
“If you say he’s not, then he’s not.” Auntie nodded, but her expression clearly showed disbelief.
Helplessly, An Lan paid the bill and said to Gu Liyu, “Let’s go.”
They rode their bikes, blending into the crowd heading to work or school.
They almost entered the classroom together, with Gu Liyu going in first and An Lan following.
After putting down his school bag, Gu Liyu took a water bottle and went to the water room.
Xu Xingran turned around and, leaning on his chin, tapped his fingers on the desk. “Classmate An Lan, what’s going on?”
An Lan, busy reviewing mock papers, didn’t understand Xu Xingran’s meaning. “What ‘what’s going on’?”
Xu Xingran closed his eyes, as if carefully discerning something. “Scallion oil, peanuts, sesame, glutinous rice… the smell on both of you is the same. Don’t tell me you got your breakfast on to Gu Liyu?”
An Lan was stunned. “Class Monitor, your nose is too sharp, isn’t it?”
“So, there is something going on, right?” Xu Xingran tapped his fingers on the desk again. “Hand over the confession.”
“I… I treated him to breakfast. Stir-fried noodles, meat patty soup, and sesame ball dumplings.”
“How did you end up treating Gu Liyu to breakfast?” Xu Xingran asked again.
“Because he helped me, and I promised to treat him to a meal.” An Lan didn’t mention the incident involving Li Zhennan, as Li Zhennan was sitting in the classroom.
“Oh, then next time I want to help you too.” Xu Xingran said seriously.
“To get a meal from me?” An Lan laughed.
“Yeah.”
“It’s easy for me to treat you. After the monthly exams, let’s go.” An Lan raised his chin.
“Then you treat me better.” Xu Xingran said again.
“Why?”
“In case, after the exams, I become your desk mate?”
Xu Xingran smiled and turned back.
But An Lan was choked by his own saliva. But thinking about it carefully, the chance of being desk mates with Xu Xingran was almost nonexistent.
According to the grades, Xu Xingran would definitely choose first. In other words, facing the empty classroom, Xu Xingran couldn’t predict where An Lan would choose to sit. On the contrary, An Lan had more freedom to choose a desk mate.
The weekend of this week arrived quickly, and the practice match at the Shooting Club was about to begin.
The name of the club An Lan belonged to was quite ordinary, called the “Above Cloud Club.”
When he went to the club to get his rifle, the coach, with a worried look, stopped him. “An Lan, are you sure you’re just going to the Observing Mountain and Sea Club for a practice match and coming back? They’re not trying to recruit you?”
An Lan shook his head. “Of course, I’ll come back. Their ten-meter moving target male team is full. Do you think I’ll go there to sit on the bench?”
“Maybe Observing Mountain and Sea just wants to monopolize the ten-meter moving target in our city? Recruit all capable players, and with no opponents, they can dominate.”
An Lan patted the coach’s back with a smile. “Observing Mountain and Sea has high-quality A-class players. I personally think it’s better to be their opponent than their teammate.”
“Being an opponent with a high-quality A-class player…” The coach smiled with lowered eyes. “In our Above Cloud Club, only you dare to say such things.”
An Lan’s expression remained calm, and he said in a very calm tone, “In fact, shooting is one of the sports where the differences in gender, muscle, and brain IQ are the smallest among various competitive sports. Hitting the target depends on mentality the most.”
At this moment, An Lan’s phone rang. He took it out and saw Xu Xingran’s number.
An Lan answered the call, and Xu Xingran’s gentle voice sounded, “An Lan, are you ready? I’m already at the entrance.”
“Ready, I’m coming out now!”
An Lan had just hung up the phone, and the coach looked depressed. “Look! Look! Observing Mountain and Sea Club’s one of the three giants, Xu Xingran, came to pick you up! He definitely has ulterior motives for you!”
“Am I rich or beautiful? Why does he have ulterior motives for me…”
An Lan walked out of the Above Cloud Club’s gate with his gun on his back. There was a dark private car parked at the entrance. The door opened, and Xu Xingran walked out, waving to An Lan. “An Lan, over here.”
An Lan widened his eyes. Today, the class monitor was wearing a solid color T-shirt and dark blue sports pants. Wearing a sun hat, An Lan saw him so relaxed for the first time.
“Class Monitor?”
Xu Xingran took An Lan’s gun, put it in the trunk, then leaned against the car roof and motioned for An Lan to get in.
“Why do you look so surprised to see me picking you up? Didn’t we agree that I would pick you up today?”
“I’m not surprised that the class monitor is picking me up, but I’ve seen you in school uniform so much, I didn’t expect you to look so handsome in sportswear. Can I take a picture and send it to your fans?” An Lan joked.
“Sure. But you have to be in the picture too.”
After Xu Xingran finished speaking, he put his arm around An Lan, and the other hand held the phone, reaching in front of them.
An Lan hadn’t reacted yet, but he heard Xu Xingran whisper in his ear, “Eggplant.”
The shutter clicked.
“What? Did you take the picture so quickly? I haven’t posed yet!”
“What pose? Scissors hands?” Xu Xingran asked with a smile.
An Lan’s phone trembled, receiving the photo Xu Xingran sent. In the photo, An Lan widened his eyes in surprise, and Xu Xingran, with a strong smile, leaned on him. Because they had to be in the frame in the narrow back seat, Xu Xingran almost leaned over half, looking like he was about to kiss An Lan.
“This photo can’t be posted.” An Lan scratched his cheek.
If this was thrown into Qiao Chuluo’s omega group, it would definitely cause a stir—not just a stir, An Lan would be bombarded.
“What’s wrong? Your expression looks natural, much better than scissors hands.” Xu Xingran leaned over to take a look.
“It’s not… tsk… don’t you think it looks like you’re about to kiss me? Fortunately, I’m not an O, or I would be killed by your fan club.” An Lan patted his chest, exaggerating a post-crisis expression.
“Then… how about a real kiss?” Xu Xingran’s voice sounded in An Lan’s ear.
An Lan was startled, almost jumping up, his head almost hitting Xu Xingran’s chin.
“Class Monitor!”
“Haha, did I scare you? It’s fun.”
“Not fun at all.” An Lan was speechless, these boss Alphas didn’t know how terrifying their fan clubs were?
The car started moving, and An Lan asked, “Who’s participating in the practice match today? Besides me from Above Cloud Club, there should be no one else from other clubs, right?”
“For Observing Mountain and Sea, it’s me and Gu Liyu. The coach doesn’t allow Xiao Chen to compete with you, but Xiao Chen said he had already made an appointment with you, so Coach Lin only allows him to compete with you in the ten rapid-fire targets. Then there’s Ye Yun and Liu Qingyang from Junhe Club and Xie Huai, Xiao Nan from Jinxiu Tianxia Club. Plus two new members from our Observing Mountain and Sea Club, exactly eight people.”
An Lan thought for a moment and couldn’t help asking, “Ye Yun… is he the genius who led Junhe Club to the finals with a comeback in the team competition last year?”
“Yeah. He’s also the omega whose pheromones went out of control in the last quarter.”
An Lan was stunned, “Him? I still don’t understand why his pheromones would go out of control. Before the competition, all players underwent pheromone detection, and it was confirmed that all omega and alpha players used suppressants and blockers correctly. How could he suddenly fall into a special state?”
“I can tell you. The reason for his pheromone outburst is similar to yours.”
“Because of Eve’s Apple?” An Lan was surprised, “There’s a drug test before the competition. How did he bring such drugs into the shooting range? And as a high-quality omega, he is naturally sensitive to Eve’s Apple. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to use this drug before or during the competition.”
“So… this is a scheme against Ye Yun, aimed at ruining him. The goal is to let Ye Yun fall from grace, to have him forcibly marked by numerous alphas in front of everyone.”
An Lan’s heart turned icy; he never thought that someone’s malice could be this intense.
Just a rejection, and they wanted to destroy a person.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Xingran spoke, “This matter is somewhat of an open secret in the upper-class alpha families. I’m telling you now to make you aware and guarded against the complexities of human nature.”
“What?”
“Ye Yun’s family is quite famous. The more genetically privileged alpha families are, the more challenging it is for them to prosper in terms of descendants. This can be considered a restriction imposed by evolution on humans. However, the existence of high-quality Omegas makes breeding offspring easier. Ye Yun comes from a distinguished alpha family, but he is the only omega in that family, and a very high-quality one at that. Whether he wants it or not, this makes him the object of pursuit by numerous alphas.”
An Lan wrinkled his brows. “But I heard that Ye Yun is quite independent. Although he is an omega, he is more outstanding than many alphas. For example, in the ten-meter moving target, in the finals of last season, his preliminary results surpassed both you and Gu Liyu.”
If he hadn’t withdrawn from the competition, who knows who would have won the final championship.
Also, Ye Yun was Qiao Chuluo’s idol.
“Yeah, he’s that amazing. So, this time, you can experience his mindset in the practice match. There’s an alpha chasing him closely, but he rejected him. This alpha bought Eve’s Apple from the black market and injected it into the mineral water Ye Yun drank. He wanted Ye Yun to go into heat in front of everyone. It’s okay for Ye Yun to enter a special period, but think about the concentration of pheromones catalyzed by drugs, enough to drive the alphas at the scene crazy.”
“Moreover… the more outstanding the alpha, the more obvious the sensitivity. Class Monitor… you and Gu Liyu are really amazing.” An Lan showed a sincere expression of admiration.
“How are we amazing?” Xu Xingran asked with a smile.
“You guys controlled your instincts and were not affected by Ye Yun’s pheromones, still performing steadily in the finals.”
Xu Xingran looked at An Lan with a somewhat profound gaze.
“I’m not as perfect as you think, An Lan. I didn’t control my instincts but had other pheromones to save me.”
“Other pheromones?”
“I grew up in a family with strict access control, undergoing training to resist being attracted to omega pheromones. The essence of this training is not to forcefully refuse omega pheromones; the most common method is to divert your attention, deceive your brain into thinking—I don’t feel the omega’s pheromones.”
An Lan was silent for a moment, recalling that when he and Little Qiao were suppressed by Li Zhennan’s pheromones, Gu Liyu said the same thing.
“But Ye Yun’s pheromones are really attractive; I lost my reason and couldn’t shift my attention. How can I divert my attention?” Xu Xingran showed a helpless expression.
An Lan subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling tense as well. He vividly remembered the uncomfortable feeling of being suppressed by Li Zhennan’s pheromones. Alphas are naturally attracted to omega pheromones, not to mention the increased concentration of pheromones from a high-quality omega.
“Class Monitor… what happened next? Because of the inhibitor?”
Xu Xingran lowered his eyes and noticed An Lan’s clenched fist. His fingers reached under An Lan’s fist, patiently opening his fingers.
“Indeed, someone sent me inhibitors. But what really saved me wasn’t the inhibitor but another type of pheromone’s scent that attracted my brain, allowing it to break free from Ye Yun’s pheromones.”
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