Qi Yang thought that his pheromone imbalance could never be cured. That was before he met him.
At least, that was always what Qi Yang had believed.
Morning sunlight is always at odds with sleep, illuminating the entire room and casting its light upon the person still in bed, urging him to wake up earlier and accept the reality that he needed to start his day.
The alarm clock that Qi Yang had set the night before rang precisely on time. As someone who struggled immensely to get out of bed, he had anticipated his own morning sluggishness, setting a total of five alarms in one go.
With them ringing one after another, surely at least one would manage to wake him up.
And true to form, just as the third ring began to sound, he stirred. His face scrunched up into a disgruntled frown, as if silently protesting the alarm clock that had dared to disturb his slumber. Even if it made him look a bit childish, Qi Yang was simply a childish person at heart.
Qi Yang rubbed his eyes, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling with zero intention of actually getting up.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains and spilled across Qi Yang’s face. His naturally fair skin was bathed in the warm morning light, making his entire person feel cozy and warm.
Qi Yang was this close to pulling the blanket back over his head and going right back to sleep, but today was a special day. It absolutely did not allow him the luxury of lingering in bed.
Today was the first day of the new term. As a school renowned for its cutthroat, hyper-competitive atmosphere, Qi Yang had no choice but to join the rat race. To cement his ruling status as the top-ranked student in his grade, he had never once let up on his relentless drive.
He had crammed past exam papers far too hard last night, resulting in staying up way too late and leaving him utterly devoid of energy this early in the morning.
Qi Yang’s current state could only be described as abysmal. He had a chronic habit of dozing off, something that had plagued him since the eighth grade with still no solution in sight.
Gritting his teeth, he managed a difficult sit-up, then sat frozen on the edge of the bed for a moment as his brain struggled to reboot. Although the startup process was bumpy and nearly crashed altogether, Qi Yang’s stubborn fighting spirit pulled him through.
He changed into his school uniform and prepared to wash up. The moment he stepped out of his bedroom, however, he sensed something was amiss.
Facing the quiet, immaculate living room that looked just like a pristine model home, he called out, “Mom?” while trying to scan the space for any trace of recent life.
His voice was loud enough to echo through the entire house, but no one answered.
He instantly realized what had happened. Catching sight of a sticky note on the dining table, his mood plummeted straight to the bottom. He had considered the possibility, but never thought it would happen so soon.
Qi Yang’s face was a mask of bewilderment, the desolation in his eyes impossible to conceal. He walked over to the dining table and picked up the note.
The handwriting belonged to Pei Yi, who was Qi Yang’s mother. The script was gentle, but the message it conveyed was anything else.
“Yangyang, the kids at the lab ran into some trouble, so your dad and I have to head back for a bit. I know you are very sensible and will not mind that your parents could only stay for a single day before leaving, right?
We have deposited some allowance onto your card. If it is not enough, remember to tell Mom.”
Mom who loves you
Qi Yang did not know what kind of emotion to feel toward this scrap of paper. Sometimes, he wished he could just act out, fail exams on purpose, become a thorn in the teachers’ side, and be the kind of student constantly summoned to the office for disciplinary lectures.
That way, he could see his parents more often.
But reality refused to grant such wishes.
Qi Yang would not do that, nor could he.
He had bound himself with countless invisible chains. The persona of the obedient child he projected to his parents had long since become deeply ingrained in the minds of everyone around him.
Before outsiders, he always maintained an energetic, innocent, yet strictly studious image, even though Qi Yang himself always felt that this was not the real him.
Yet, having worn the mask for so long, he had long forgotten what the child of the past looked like, let alone what his true personality should have been.
He picked up his phone, saw the money transferred to his card, dismissed the notification, and checked the screen. Aside from messages sent by a live-streaming platform, not a single person had messaged him.
Sometimes, Qi Yang felt that living was rather pointless.
He turned off his phone and stopped dwelling on it. He had already learned how to comfort himself.
He reasoned that he was not the only one whose parents were not around. Many others were in the exact same boat. Someday, he would see his mom and dad come back.
When he went to the bathroom to wash up, glancing up at the mirror, he realized his eye rims were bright red and terribly swollen, with tears swirling in the corners of his eyes.
“Why am I being so useless? It is just a business trip, what is there to cry about?”
He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water over his eyes. Only after the urge to cry finally subsided did he stop.
He sprayed himself with scent neutralizer. Inhaling its familiar aroma, his mood seemed to improve slightly, though he still was not particularly happy.
After tidying himself up, he looked at his polished reflection in the mirror, wearing a bitter-sweet, half-laughing expression, while a complex tangle of emotions churned inside his chest.
Today was the first day of senior year. The custom at Capital First High School was to give freshmen and sophomores a month and a half of summer break, but because senior year was a critical milestone, they only got one week.
When the schedule came out, the senior students grumbled with mild discontent, but everyone collectively remembered that they would be taking the college entrance examination just a year from now.
Even so, everyone tacitly avoided bringing up the complicated reality of school starting, preferring to enjoy what remained of their brief, wonderful holiday life.
Once Qi Yang had finished everything, he glanced at the empty apartment as he headed out the door and muttered to himself.
“I wonder when this model home will actually feel lived-in?”
Then, casting a look at the neighbor’s front door across the hall, he added.
“Did not someone move in? How come I have never even caught a glimpse of them? The lights stay on every single night, though.”
Qi Yang never would have guessed that he had not stepped outside more than a handful of times all week, and his rare outings had all been spent waiting at the airport for his parents to land, sharing a meal, and returning home by three in the morning.
Only for the two of them to rush off again on the earliest flight the very next morning.
In other words, his outings did not exceed ten times total, and most of those were just grabbing food deliveries at mealtimes.
Qi Yang’s home was located right inside the Capital First High School residential zone. The property had been purchased in the first place because it was close to Qi Yang’s middle and high schools. Buying a place in a distant villa district would have made the commute far too long.
Thus, the young master of the Qi family had no choice but to endure living alone in this place.
Out of habit, Qi Yang waved goodbye to the security camera as he stepped out.
The camera had been installed by his parents right after he moved in, out of fear that he might be in danger living alone, giving them peace of mind.
Consequently, Qi Yang had developed the habit of saying goodbye to the camera, hoping that his parents might check the footage and whisper a take care on your way from the other end.
There was a commercial street right beside the school featuring a long-standing breakfast shop.
Business at the entrance was exceptionally brisk, with plenty of students in school uniforms streaming in and out, though Qi Yang did not spot any familiar faces.
Qi Yang had been buying breakfast from this very shop since middle school. It was ideally situated at the fork between two schools. To the left was his former middle school, and to the right was his current school, Capital First High School.
Qi Yang was in the same grade as the shop owner’s son, and they had even been in the same class back in middle school, making him one of the few people Qi Yang considered a genuine friend.
Qi Yang also had another obnoxious acquaintance, though calling him a friend was a stretch, as their families simply had close business ties. The other family was deeply involved in commerce and maintained close partnerships with the Qi family, allowing Qi Yang, as the eldest young master of the Qi household, to easily cross paths with him.
Word had it that this guy ran bullying rings at Capital First High School. Qi Yang held him in utter contempt and therefore kept his distance, only exchanging greetings when they ran into each other. After all, the guy was his family’s precious only child. Failing to give him basic courtesy would make things complicated back home.
The elderly proprietress came out of the shop carrying a fresh tray of steamed buns. Spotting Qi Yang, she cheerfully called him over for breakfast.
“Bao, come get your breakfast?”
Qi Yang nodded, walking over with familiar ease to greet her.
“Did Wang Rui leave already? How come he did not wait for me?”
The proprietress carried the steamer inside, set down her work, and came over to attend to Qi Yang.
“Wang Rui said the student union had matters to handle. With freshmen starting today, the vice president has his hands a bit full, you know.”
With that, she handed the packaged buns and soy milk to Qi Yang.
“The usual, right? I have already packed it up, just waiting for you to show up.”
Smiling brightly, Qi Yang paid as he replied, “You really know me best. I will be heading off then.”
Bidding farewell to the proprietress, Qi Yang took out a bun and began eating it slowly, savoring every bite. Despite being a wealthy young master, he carried no airs whatsoever. After all, when he already had to fake his entire personality, what was the point of putting on airs?
A trace of warmth began to blossom deep inside Qi Yang’s heart. These were the few people who had genuinely cared for him close to home all these years. He felt extremely fortunate to have met Wang Rui. Otherwise, none of this would have followed, and Qi Yang might never have learned what it felt like to receive special care.
Ahead, Qi Yang noticed the moral education director stationed at the school gates inspecting student appearances, turning away a fair number of rule-breakers. Thanks to the group chat’s prompt updates, Qi Yang had prepared his student ID and everything else well in advance.
Watching the stream of students being intercepted at the gate, he found it amusing, wondering if people really broke the rules on day one.
Lowering his head to finish his bun, he walked across the crosswalk amidst a bustling stream of traffic. Numerous bicycles and electric scooters sped past on either side, ridden mostly by students heading to First High.
Suddenly, Qi Yang heard the sharp ring of a bicycle bell. When he turned his head, a bike zoomed past at breakneck speed, nearly clipping him. Fortunately, Qi Yang possessed fast reflexes and spun around quickly, his schoolbag flying up behind him. That split-second reaction saved him from getting hit, but the rider did not even stop, merely glancing back at him before pedaling away. Qi Yang found the face vaguely familiar, though he could not quite place who it was.
Just as Qi Yang was about to mentally curse the guy for hoping he could not find his school ID, he patted his pocket, only to find his student ID missing.
He distinctly remembered tucking it into his pocket, but it was nowhere to be found now. Turning back to look, he spotted it lying on the ground a short distance away. It must have flown out when he spun away from the bike.
Just as he stepped forward to pick it up, a handsome young man caught his eye, bending down to retrieve the ID card before he could even read the photo.
Qi Yang stepped forward, swallowed the last bite of his bun, composed himself, and reached out to retrieve his student ID.
“My ID card, thank you.”
The young man raised his eyes. He possessed clean, well-defined features and fair skin, and for some reason, Qi Yang felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
The guy placed the student ID right into Qi Yang’s hand. Qi Yang carefully appraised this youthful stranger, who was not wearing a school uniform.
He must be a senior, right?
Qi Yang was not naturally outgoing. In fact, he suffered from severe internal social anxiety. Yet driven by burning curiosity, he asked anyway, “Have I seen you somewhere before? You look awfully familiar.”