Lu Yicheng: “……”
Jiang Yanbai: “……”
Shi You: “………………”
Shi You froze where he was, still clutching the curtain. His body stiffened slightly, and, a little flustered, he turned his eyes away.
The fabric of his lounge pants had ridden up from his movement, the folds pulling higher to reveal the smooth curve where his thigh met his hip, slim, clean lines without a trace of excess.
Just one glance was enough to make a person imagine what it would feel like to wrap their fingers around that leg and play with it idly.
Only, with an Alpha standing right beside him, one who was staring in a daze that fleeting thought instantly turned into an impulse to tug the hem of his pants back down.
Lu Yicheng’s expression darkened.
Shi You’s bare legs were pale and long; his toes, still in white socks, curled slightly against the floor. He took one step forward, then back, as if uncertain, the soft fabric of his socks creasing under his movements.
…This probably counted as breaking and entering, didn’t it?
He had only climbed over because he couldn’t get back the other way, he just wanted to return home through the front door.
Just as he was about to explain himself, Lu Yicheng suddenly strode forward, grabbed the blanket from the sofa, and wrapped it firmly around Shi You’s waist, covering those gleaming white legs.
The plush blanket was warm, carrying the faint, clean scent unique to Lu Yicheng, cool wood and cedar. Shi You lifted his gaze toward the tall Alpha, meeting a pair of dark, steady eyes like a deep, still pool.
The blanket couldn’t stay up by itself, so the man’s hand rested lightly at Shi You’s waist, holding it in place. His voice was low, detached, and slightly cold.
“Get out.”
Shi You’s long lashes trembled. He clutched the blanket tighter and obediently started to move toward the door.
But before he could take two steps, Lu Yicheng pressed him back.
“Not you,” Lu Yicheng said.
He turned his head toward the doorway, eyes narrowing on Jiang Yanbai. His voice was cool but carried a hint of irritation.
“You. Out.”
Jiang Yanbai: “……………”
Jiang Yanbai froze. For a moment, he felt completely doomed.
That wasn’t just a warning, it was a threat laced with Alpha pheromones. He hurriedly nodded, bowing slightly before retreating and closing the door behind him with exaggerated care.
Standing outside, he was still stunned.
Damn.
No wonder Lu Yicheng never went on blind dates, never met Omegas. Turns out, the one he was hiding away wasn’t an Omega at all but a Beta.
And Alphas were notoriously possessive. Jiang Yanbai felt cold sweat run down his back. He had just looked at his “sister-in-law’s” legs, was it too late to gouge his own eyes out now?
Inside, only Shi You and Lu Yicheng remained.
The carved wooden clock ticked rhythmically in the silence, each second marked by a distinct sound that seemed unusually loud.
Lu Yicheng’s gaze lowered, landing on Shi You’s ankle beneath the blanket. The delicate bone structure, the clean line of his tendon, it all looked fragile, almost too slender, encased in those soft white socks.
He frowned. “How did you get in?”
Shi You swallowed.
They weren’t nearly close enough for him to be climbing over balconies into the man’s home. Even if he had only meant to retrieve the curtain, it still looked… suspicious.
And considering all the strange things he’d done before, Lu Yicheng probably thought he was some kind of sneaky little pervert following him around.
“Speak,” Lu Yicheng said, tone light but commanding.
Shi You gave an awkward laugh. “The balcony.”
“The balcony?” Lu Yicheng leaned slightly to look toward it. “You climbed over the balcony?”
Oh, he was definitely angry now.
Jing Yue-jie had warned him to install anti-theft bars in case of noisy neighbors, seems like Lu Yicheng might be the one needing them instead.
Lu Yicheng’s brows drew together, his voice sharp. “Who told you to climb over?”
Shi You quickly explained, “My curtain blew onto your balcony and knocked over some of your plants and test tubes. I knocked, but you weren’t home, so I panicked and just climbed over.”
Lu Yicheng’s expression grew even more serious.
Shi You hung his head, resigned. Hopefully, this wasn’t bad enough to call the police.
“Do you even realize how dangerous that was? What if you slipped and fell? Or hit your foot and got hurt?”
The low voice reached his ears, and Shi You blinked, looking up.
“No safety precautions at all, how could you do something that reckless?” Lu Yicheng continued, still clearly displeased. “If the plant rack fell, it fell. If the flowers broke, it’s fine. You could’ve just waited until I came home. Was it really worth risking that?”
“But those things are important to you,” Shi You said softly.
Lu Yicheng faltered.
Beta’s eyes were clear and bright, his dark hair brushing over his brows as he looked up at him earnestly. Behind him, the balcony had already been tidied, the fallen plants reset neatly in their places, their leaves swaying faintly in the breeze.
Lu Yicheng felt something twist in his chest. The anger ebbed, replaced by a reluctant exhale. “Did you get hurt?” he asked quietly.
Shi You kept looking at him.
“Stop staring,” Lu Yicheng muttered, then, noticing Shi You’s bare feet, he grabbed him by the arm and sat him down on the sofa before walking off.
When he returned, he had a pair of soft house slippers and a thick jacket in hand. He bent down, set the slippers before Shi You, and handed him the jacket.
Shi You took the jacket but didn’t put it on. He looked down at the slippers, pink, fluffy, with little cat ears. Cute.
So Lu Yicheng liked cute things?
“…They came as a pair. It was the only option left,” Lu Yicheng said stiffly, then cleared his throat. “Where are your clothes and shoes?”
“The air conditioner’s on at home, it’s warm,” Shi You said innocently. “So I didn’t wear any.”
Lu Yicheng: “Oh.”
Silence settled again.
Shi You draped the jacket over his lap instead of wearing it, and Lu Yicheng’s fingers twitched, fighting the urge to tell him to put it on before he caught a cold.
Finally, Shi You spoke. “Can I wear this?”
Lu Yicheng raised an eyebrow. “What else would you do with it?”
“I was just wondering if you have a cleanliness thing,” Shi You said. “Last time you wouldn’t take back the clothes I wore. Are you planning to give me this one too?”
Lu Yicheng: “……”
What was he even saying?
The young man on the sofa pressed his lips together; Lu Yicheng noticed he had a habit of biting them until they turned red.
“Put it on. I don’t have a cleanliness thing. Last time, I gave you those clothes,” Lu Yicheng cut in before Shi You could ask another question. “No reason. Just put it on.”
“Oh.” Shi You nodded and finally slipped his arms into the jacket.
The oversized baseball jacket enveloped him completely, wrapping him in Lu Yicheng’s faint cedar scent, warm and grounding.
The air in the room seemed to thicken slightly, carrying that scent through the space until it brushed softly across Shi You’s skin, leaving him surrounded by a comforting warmth.
For the first time, he felt what pheromones truly were, not the faint imitation of a store-bought spray, but something deep and enveloping, a quiet, steady sense of calm that made one’s heart go soft.
“Yicheng,” Shi You said earnestly, voice gentle, “You’re such a good person.”
Lu Yicheng: “……”
Was that… a good person card?
Either way, there was no need to keep him here anymore. “Go back now,” Lu Yicheng said.
Shi You hesitated. He hadn’t really had enough of staying here but if he lingered, wouldn’t that seem shameless? So he stood, pointed toward the curtain on the floor, and said, “I’ll just take my curtain.”
Lu Yicheng looked at the heavy fabric. “And you’re going to hang that where?”
“In the living room,” Shi You said, bending down to pick it up. He gave a polite little bow. “Thank you for the jacket.”
He turned to leave.
“Wait,” Lu Yicheng said suddenly.
Shi You stopped and looked back.
Lu Yicheng rubbed his chin, his dark eyes glinting. “Are you planning to seal your whole house shut?”
“Huh?”
“If you hang that thick thing, how will you get airflow?” he asked, sounding helpless. “You could switch to a sheer curtain, blocking light but still letting air through. After all, fungi and plants both need.. ”
He didn’t finish. Because before he could, Shi You had already darted in front of him, eyes wide and sparkling. “So you believe I’m a mushroom now?”
Lu Yicheng: “……”
He was starting to think his own brain was catching whatever strange logic this kid had.
Shi You’s face was soft and close, filled with eager anticipation.
Lu Yicheng was caught off guard by how near he suddenly was; a faint, sweet scent brushed against his nose, subtle but real, and the tips of his ears flushed red.
Afraid the boy might come even closer, he cleared his throat, voice slightly rough. “…You’ll have to give me some proof. Words alone aren’t enough.”
He thought back to the last time they talked. “Show me some mycelium, and then I’ll believe you.”
“If I show you, will you really believe me?” Shi You asked.
It sounded absurd, but Lu Yicheng still nodded.
Shi You bit his lip, hesitating, his soft mouth curving slightly as he tugged on Lu Yicheng’s sleeve. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Then… I’ll show you. I don’t usually show anyone.”
Lu Yicheng: “.”
He didn’t even know what to expect, probably another one of the boy’s silly pranks.
But then he felt it.
A strange, electric tingle near his abdomen, like something cool and delicate was sliding along his skin.
The sensation crawled upward slowly, a faint itch spreading under his clothes. He felt his shirt shift slightly as something brushed across the line of his abs, tracing along the faint ridges and the veins just beneath his skin, strong, alive.
He looked down.
Wrapped around him were several fine, pale strands, slender, almost translucent, like living filaments of mycelium.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Please distract the translator from abandoning everything with coffee. (ง •̀_•́)ง
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · MushroomChapter 2 · Blocking The RoadChapter 3 · Pectoral MuscleChapter 4 · Delivering MealChapter 5 · CoatChapter 6 · NeighbourChapter 7 · CookiesChapter 8 · BalconyChapter 9 · MyceliumChapter 10 · Don’t PinchChapter 11 · Warmth and NourishmentChapter 12 · Speak without RestraintChapter 13 · On the bedChapter 14 · InterviewChapter 15 · InjuredChapter 16 · So WetChapter 17 · Drink WineChapter 18 · Play AgainChapter 19 · HostChapter 20 · RomanceChapter 21 · KissChapter 22 · What should Daddy do?Chapter 23 · Washing FeetsChapter 24 · MoodChapter 25 · No kissing allowedChapter 26 · Broken BridgeChapter 27 · Blind DateChapter 28 · Dinner PartyChapter 29 · FamilyChapter 30 · Heat Sensitivity PeriodChapter 31 · LickChapter 32 · AgainChapter 33 · BabyChapter 34 · SeminarChapter 35 · Matcha TroubleChapter 36 · SpankingChapter 37 · EroticChapter 38 · JealousyChapter 39 · Little Male ServantChapter 40 · I want…Chapter 41 · Deep ConnectionChapter 42 · ToothpasteChapter 43 · DifferentiationChapter 44 · A KissChapter 45 · The Taoist TempleChapter 46 · Chasing SomeoneChapter 47 · Feeding the MedicineChapter 48 · The MessageChapter 49 · Get DownChapter 50 · Soft WaistChapter 51 · HeatChapter 52 · Deep Within the ForestChapter 53 · SensitivityChapter 54 · The Little Perverted MushroomChapter 55 · Turn AroundChapter 56 · DisappearanceChapter 57 · Don’t NurtureChapter 58 · MadnessChapter 59 · The ReasonChapter 60 · Declaring OwnershipChapter 61 · I Love YouChapter 62 · KitchenChapter 63 · Sneaking into BedChapter 64 · AdulteryChapter 65 · The Muscle Show!Chapter 66 · Was It Fun?Chapter 67 · In Front of the MirrorChapter 68 · The LondonChapter 69 · Don’t Be SadChapter 70 · End of Main StoryChapter 71 · Extra 1Chapter 72 · Extra 2Chapter 73 · Extra 3Chapter 74 · Extra 4Chapter 75 · Extra 5