After calling out a few times without hearing a response, Jian Song peeked out the doorway. He truly did not see Lu Yingchi anywhere. Since there was no reply, he assumed Lu Yingchi had left the floor or gone somewhere else. Jian Song felt torn, hesitating between whether to dash for it or stay put.
Gritting his teeth, he decided: forget it, I will just go for it! Anyway, since Lu Yingchi was not here, as long as he was fast enough, he could get dressed without another embarrassing scene like the one that had just occurred.
Jian Song took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, counted to three, and bolted toward the bedroom. He was still anxious when he opened the door, terrified of seeing Lu Yingchi inside, but he had worried for nothing. The room was empty, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Every second counted for Jian Song now. He hurried to his school bag, unzipped it, and pulled out his pants and underwear with the fastest speed he had ever possessed in his life, putting them on immediately.
Just as he finished pulling up his pants, the bedroom door opened. Lu Yingchi, thinking Jian Song was still in the bathroom, had not realized Jian Song had returned to the room. Because he had been dealing with a nosebleed, he had just gone downstairs to get a cold, wet towel to put against his nasal bridge. He was walking with his head tilted back and did not notice Jian Song in the room. Furthermore, because his nose was irritated, he could not smell Jian Song’s pheromones unless he was very close. For these reasons, Lu Yingchi remained unaware of Jian Song’s presence.
He felt his way to the bedside and sat down. Jian Song stood there nervously, not making a sound; he did not know why he stayed silent. Perhaps it was because of the awkwardness, and he did not know how to face Lu Yingchi yet. However, seeing Lu Yingchi holding his nose, Jian Song grew worried. After hesitating for a long time, he could not help but ask, “Lu Yingchi, what is wrong with your nose?”
Jian Song’s sudden voice startled Lu Yingchi. He turned his head wide eyed, staring at Jian Song. “Brother Jian, why are you here?”
Jian Song scratched his head, his ears turning red. “I saw you were not in the room, so I came out to get dressed. I am sorry for letting you see something so inappropriate.”
Jian Song truly never thought such a thing would happen to him; it was embarrassing and mortifying. Lu Yingchi took the towel away, saw it was no longer stained red, and spoke soothingly. “It is fine, Brother Jian. We are both men, both Alphas. It was just a glance; it does not matter.”
Seeing Jian Song’s red ears, Lu Yingchi began to comfort him considerately. He wanted Jian Song to understand that Alphas seeing each other’s bodies was nothing; it was completely normal. Therefore, Jian Song should be more relaxed about it.
Even if Jian Song played well with other Alphas, he would never look at their bodies, because he felt there should be a boundary even among good friends. But listening to Lu Yingchi, it seemed as if Jian Song was the one making a mountain out of a molehill. Listening to Lu Yingchi’s nonchalant tone, Jian Song even began to doubt himself. He frowned, still a bit uncertain. “I-is that so?”
Lu Yingchi acted as if it were a matter of course. “Yes, Brother Jian. Is this not how all Alphas get along?”
Several question marks appeared over Jian Song’s head. Then why is it not like this between me and Jiang Qi?
Lu Yingchi seemed to read Jian Song’s thoughts and immediately said, “Jiang Qi and you are not like this surely because you are not as close as we are. But you and I are different, right? We are already in a relationship where we have shared life and death, correct?”
Hearing the phrase shared life and death, Jian Song asked suspiciously, “When have you and I shared life and death?”
Lu Yingchi winked. “Just now. Were we not sharing life and death just a moment ago?”
Jian Song met Lu Yingchi’s eyes and instantly understood what he meant. If one looked at it the way Lu Yingchi described, they did indeed count as having shared life and death. Besides, Lu Yingchi had not seen everything; he had only seen his legs. Usually, when he played ball, he took off his shirt anyway.
Jian Song’s thoughts were led away by Lu Yingchi, and he began to feel that perhaps he really was being too dramatic. Lu Yingchi closely watched Jian Song’s expression; seeing his brows relax, he knew Jian Song had taken his words to heart.
Lu Yingchi laughed silently. He coughed a few times to interrupt Jian Song’s thinking and said, “Alright, Brother Jian, it is getting late. Let us get some sleep.”
Hearing Lu Yingchi’s intent to sleep in the same bed, Jian Song wanted to refuse, but he immediately reminded himself that they were both Alphas. Alphas would not do anything to each other, and it was already awkward enough. Besides, if he lived at school, he would be sleeping in the same room with those other Alphas anyway. Jian Song brainwashed himself, deciding that he should start getting used to the feeling of sleeping with other Alphas from now on.
As they lay in the same bed, Lu Yingchi suddenly asked, “Brother Jian, if you cannot go back to that home, where will you live in the future?”
Jian Song made a noise in his throat, blinking in the darkness. “The dormitory. I will tell the teacher tomorrow.”
The smile on Lu Yingchi’s face slowly faded. Jian Song meant he would be living in the dorms, which meant living with many other Alphas. Adding that to the fact that Jian Song had just brainwashed himself tonight, he would be walking out of the bathroom in his underwear or perhaps even without a shirt in the dorms. Wouldn’t that be a benefit for those other Alphas? The thought of his own actions tonight potentially providing welfare to other Alphas made Lu Yingchi narrow his eyes. He would not let such a thing happen.
Jian Song was exhausted today, and as soon as he touched the bed, he fell into a deep sleep. Lu Yingchi watched Jian Song’s profile, determined: he absolutely could not let that happen. He would have to live in the dorms too.