I Suggest You Get a Check-up.
Even as a campus figure accustomed to being stared at, in that moment, Xi Zhiyu wanted nothing more than to pick up his meal tray and run.
Relying entirely on his powerful ability to shut out the world, he lightly tugged at the cuff of his school uniform, gesturing for Xie Yun to sit down.
Xie Yun had always been unrestrained, acting with a fiery momentum even in the entertainment industry. But when it concerned his childhood friend, he felt a belated sense of embarrassment.
After taking his seat, a look of sheepishness surfaced on his face, like a large pet that had made a mistake and was waiting to be questioned.
Yet, Xi Zhiyu’s tone was flat: “I didn’t see anything strange.”
Xie Yun: “Really?”
“Yeah. Just eat.”
One’s heart was in a chaotic mess; the other’s mind was in a muddle.
Meanwhile, the others who were secretly monitoring the forum’s “arranged marriage” protagonists kept their ears pricked while they moved their chopsticks and sipped their soup. This lunch was more than just flavorful it was absolutely spectacular.
This directly resulted in Xi Zhiyu spending the rest of the school day in a daze. On the surface, he was the same top student as always, but his heart felt like it was on a roller coaster, dreading to think how “rich” the posts on the campus forum must be.
Fortunately, at the end of the day, Xie Yun’s cousin and manager came to pick him up. Word was that there were “sasaeng” fans lurking outside the school, so he had to leave hurriedly through the back gate.
Xi Zhiyu breathed a sigh of relief. Carrying his backpack filled with signed photos, he rushed toward the Differentiation Clinic, no longer worried that his secret would be discovered.
But why exactly did Xie Yun transfer to South No. 1 High School?
This question kept popping up, taking root deep in his heart. After returning home, his mind couldn’t hold anything else; he nearly forgot the instructions Director Jonson had given him.
The next day.
Xi Zhiyu arrived at the classroom first to organize the test papers and assignments that were being handed in.
“Zhiyu!”
Yuan Zhoulu approached with a smile as bright as if he had won the lottery. “Morning!”
Xi Zhiyu curled his lips: “Morning.”
Yuan Zhoulu: “You left school so early yesterday. Were you in that much of a hurry to get home?”
Xi Zhiyu’s body stiffened. “Yeah, to go home and stay with Sugar and Pudding. The two little ones have sensitive stomachs.”
Yuan Zhoulu: “Ah, the babies need to be healthy. Should I come over to see them tonight?”
Xi Zhiyu nodded: “Sure.”
“By the way.”
Suddenly, Yuan Zhoulu leaned close to his ear, covering his mouth with the back of his hand to whisper: “The Omega that Peanut Boy likes is at our school.”
“I took only 0.0001 seconds to guess the name. Why don’t you give it a try?”
Xi Zhiyu’s face was clouded with a fog-like blankness.
Yun-zai has an Omega he likes, and he transferred to South No. 1 specifically for them. He had speculated this all along, but… why did he feel like there wasn’t such an Omega around them?
He had originally thought about asking for the reason behind the transfer, but the incident in the cafeteria had ruined his rhythm. He couldn’t find the right moment to bring it up.
Just then.
Xie Yun, wearing his school uniform with one hand casually tucked in his pocket, walked into the classroom through the back door with an expressionless face.
Immediately, he saw Xi Zhiyu looking like he was in a state of “system crash,” with a bothersome arm draped over his shoulder. It was Yuan Zhoulv, leaning in close and clearly up to no good.
“Pie-Pie.”
Xie Yun frowned, stepped forward, and grabbed Yuan Zhoulv’s wrist to pull his arm away. He said seriously, “Is this appropriate for an Alpha like you?”
Yuan Zhoulu reacted instantly: “Are you jealous?”
Xie Yun: “!”
Xi Zhiyu: “?”
As soon as Xi Zhiyu turned around, the slightly irritable Xie Yun noticed his gaze. His neck went stiff, and in an instant, he switched to “obedient mode.”
“Brother.”
The Alpha’s lips curled into a stiff arc, his tone acting spoiled. “Good morning.”
Xi Zhiyu laughed: “Morning, Yun-zai.”
Yuan Zhoulu raised an eyebrow as if he had completed his KPI for the day. Before returning to his seat, he didn’t forget to pull a prankish face, making Xie Yun clench his fists secretly in anger.
Xi Zhiyu didn’t notice the small interaction. He pulled out a new form and handed it to Xie Yun with a gentle, organized manner.
“This week is physical exam week for the third-year seniors. The new forms were just distributed. Yun-zai, take this first. I’ll tell you the precautions once I finish collecting the assignments.”
His eyes were always so gentle that Xie Yun’s heart trembled. He nodded obediently: “Okay, you go ahead and get busy, Brother.”
For the rest of the morning, besides explaining the physical exam details, Xi Zhiyu didn’t have much interaction with Xie Yun.
He noticed that no matter where or when, Xie Yun was the object of everyone’s gaze. The superstar, used to thousands of eyes on him, seemed to prefer keeping a low profile, mostly staying in the classroom during breaks.
Most of the time, Xie Yun would nap at his desk. He didn’t have any difficult questions to ask Xi Zhiyu.
But Xi Zhiyu noticed that Xie Yun would occasionally steal glances at him. Perhaps it was just boredom, or a lack of other entertainment and a lack of other new friends.
Additionally, the homeroom teacher had mentioned that except for major exams, Xie Yun would often take leave based on his work schedule; his attendance didn’t need to follow the normal procedures.
Thinking about these things, Xi Zhiyu’s mind was constantly filled with a single thought. His already busy life felt suffocating because of this transfer.
Yun-zai must really, really like that Omega.
After school in the afternoon, the two went to the top floor of the cafeteria to eat.
This time, Xi Zhiyu had reserved a stir-fry table, which was like a small private booth relatively more private and quiet.
Xi Zhiyu wasn’t in a hurry to move his chopsticks. “The auntie’s Osmanthus Fish is very good. The taste isn’t inferior to the local cuisine at that restaurant last time. Want to try it, Yun-zai?”
“Okay.”
Xie Yun’s eyes followed him closely. After hearing the suggestion, he obediently picked up a piece to taste. “It’s delicious.”
Xi Zhiyu’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “That’s good.”
Only then did he start eating. He didn’t know that his childhood friend who looked hungry enough to finish three bowls of rice actually had strict on-camera requirements as an actor. The dish was actually a bit too sweet for him.
The sugar level Xie Yun usually accepted wasn’t high, but he ate with gusto, thinking to himself that it was just a matter of two extra hours on the treadmill.
He was just that straightforward of an Alpha. In front of the Omega he secretly loved, he was all compliance and obedience.
However, because Xie Yun was so focused on eating, he didn’t sense the subtle shift in the air, nor did he know that Xi Zhiyu was hiding something on his mind.
Sitting face to face, Xi Zhiyu’s brain was like a slideshow on loop. He remembered the post he couldn’t help but look at on the forum last night.
South No. 1 Forum: Does Xie Yun transferring to our school mean the arranged marriage is real?!
He hadn’t dared to click on it to see the content. If he didn’t see it, he could pretend it didn’t exist.
He unconsciously pinched his straw, his lips pressed against the edge, taking a sip of juice. While chewing on the fruit pearls, he tried to dispel the strange thoughts.
But suddenly, his mind unhelpfully recalled that ambiguous dream where he kissed his childhood friend.
“…Cough!”
Xi Zhiyu suddenly choked. Xie Yun, who was paying attention to him every second, immediately grabbed a napkin and handed it over, his expression tense. “Brother, are you okay?!”
The two made eye contact.
In that instant, it felt as if the soil beneath his chest had split open and grown a beautiful little flower, making it impossible to hide any secrets.
“I’m fine,” Xi Zhiyu said after a moment of hesitation. “Can we continue yesterday’s topic?”
Xie Yun didn’t catch on. “Hmm?”
Xi Zhiyu asked without warning: “Yun-zai, you don’t want me to see your news on Weibo, right?”
Xie Yun’s pupils shriveled. This time, it was his turn to cough violently, as if an earthquake were happening. Panic flashed in Xi Zhiyu’s eyes; he even wanted to reach out to pat his back.
But he withdrew his hand halfway, not daring to touch him, as if the kissing dream had left him with “sequelae.”
Finally, Xie Yun recovered. He gripped his water glass with a trembling hand, not daring to look directly at him. “I… I post a lot of narcissistic content.”
“My main page is a mess, and there’s work promotion. There’s nothing worth seeing.”
The youth had no confidence that a confession would succeed. His whole body felt hot, and even the courage to look at his sweetheart had vanished.
Xi Zhiyu’s eyelashes fluttered nervously. “I-Is that so?”
He was the type who never enjoyed surfing the web, so Xie Yun could never have guessed that the post containing a public confession had already been seen by him.
At this point, his curiosity about the Omega’s identity had swollen to a peak, almost bursting out of his mouth.
“Actually…”
But just then.
Xie Yun’s phone rang. Perhaps to escape the lingering awkwardness, the Alpha boy said “sorry” and quickly answered. “What is it?”
Xi Zhiyu: “…”
He caught a glimpse of the caller ID: Sister Jiang Jia. It seemed to be about work, so he naturally didn’t want to interrupt.
While Xi Zhiyu lowered his head to eat slowly, Xie Yun turned away to talk. He heard his manager cousin’s urgent tone on the other end: “How have the last two days been?”
“Good.”
Xie Yun stirred his straw, his voice cold and even carrying a hint of gravelly deepness. “Is there something important?”
Xi Zhiyu heard the change in tone and was surprised for a moment, but he didn’t look up. He couldn’t help but think.
When he talks to me, his voice sounds strangely… soft and ‘sweetened.’
On the other end, Jiang Jia was at her residence in the city, sighing deeply in front of her laptop. “I’ll tell you the first thing.”
“Kid, your household registration isn’t in South City. How is the studio supposed to use your exam records to block the rumors?”
The whole internet knew Xie Yun had transferred back to South No. 1. This sudden change was quite unexpected.
As his manager, Jiang Jia had indulged him enough, but since the public opinion was now tied to his public statement about having a “liked Omega,” things were getting wild. They had to find a way to silence the speculation.
Xie Yun was extremely protective and absolutely did not want Xi Zhiyu to be dragged into the limelight. The reason for the transfer that the PR team drafted couldn’t be just anything.
“Think of another reason. If you can’t, I’ll think of one for you.”
Xie Yun subconsciously glanced at his childhood friend, his throat bobbing. He lowered his voice. “What other reasons are there to choose from?”
Jiang Jia: “You’re sick.”
Xie Yun: “?”
All the “Peanut Shells” (fans) knew that whenever this incredibly strong Alpha boy got sick, he would cling to his family for care. Even a tiny health issue would be enough for Xie Yun to transfer back to South City.
Furthermore, “sasaengs” had already dug up that on the day he returned to the country, the first thing he did after landing was head toward the Chip Base to see his father.
“Whatever.”
Xie Yun wanted to hang up, but then he heard Jiang Jia’s tone turn serious. “And that brings me to the second urgent matter.”
Xie Yun froze. “What do you mean?”
“Your body is not quite normal.”
“How is it not normal?”
Across the table, Xi Zhiyu suddenly looked up. He saw Xie Yun staring into the distance, his brow furrowed, so focused that he seemed to have forgotten Xi Zhiyu was even there.
Before Xi Zhiyu could ask softly, he accidentally heard Jiang Jia’s voice suddenly rise in volume over the phone.
“We checked your bracelet the other day; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.”
“So, are you sure you don’t want to get a re-examination? After smelling an Omega’s pheromones, your gland reception value was zero. Are you sure there’s no problem with your body?”
Alpha bracelet, Omega pheromones, body issues…
Wait.
Could it be that she was talking about the day they met after he returned?
Xie Yun had smelled his Omega pheromones, but the high-end S-grade Alpha bracelet showed a reception value of zero?!
That was indeed extremely abnormal.
Xi Zhiyu suspected it might be related to his own illness. His heart tightened into a ball, and he completely forgot how to breathe.