The dim lighting inside the cabin made one feel sleepy. The low oxygen content in the cramped space, coupled with the constant vibration of the airframe, caused Jiang Chu to drift off to sleep right after boarding the plane, sleeping rather uncomfortably the entire way.
It was only when the announcement chimed that there was half an hour left before landing that Jiang Chu propped up his aching neck and sat up. He stared unblinkingly at the flight manual in the seat pocket for half a minute before fully waking up.
Looking outside through the small window, the setting sun formed a fiery red line on the horizon, its orange-yellow light and shadow bleeding outward. The entire cabin was dyed in the glow of the sunset, which lingered faintly on the mountain peaks, releasing its final rays of radiance. Gazing down from above, emerald-green forests and winding rivers spread out to form a picturesque landscape.
Jiang Chu raised his phone to snap a photo of the sunset scenery. Just as he was about to pull down the window shade, he felt as though a gaze was fixed on him from behind.
Jiang Chu slowly turned his head and met Du Jinchen’s gaze. The other person hurriedly and somewhat flusteredly looked away. Slowly lowering his hand, Jiang Chu asked in a low voice, “Would you like to take a photo too?”
Du Jinchen hadn’t originally intended to take pictures. Earlier, Jiang Chu had been sleeping very soundly; when the in-flight meal was distributed, the flight attendant noticed he was asleep and stuck a sticky note on the seat in front, reading that passengers could call if needed.
Du Jinchen had meant to wake Jiang Chu gently, but he had been so captivated by Jiang Chu under the sunset that he couldn’t tear his eyes away. The warm sun spilled softly across Jiang Chu’s face, his long eyelashes fluttering in the light and shadow, and his cool, hazel-toned eyes tinged with an amber hue. It seemed as though the light itself was favoring Jiang Chu, casting the most beautiful filter over him.
Caught red-handed in the act of stealing a glance, Du Jinchen sheepishly pulled back his gaze, took out his camera, and followed Jiang Chu’s lead to smooth things over. “Yes.”
“Then you can lean over and take it,” Jiang Chu shifted his body backward, making as much room as possible for Du Jinchen to shoot. “It should look better if you take it closer.”
Carefully avoiding getting Du Jinchen in his frame, Jiang Chu turned his head to look at the scenery outside the window. Du Jinchen raised his camera and feigned taking a few pictures, though strands of pinkish-purple hair drifted into his lens, tempting him to shift the camera over to Jiang Chu’s profile.
The exquisite facial features looked exceptionally superior even through the lens, and the contour of his profile appeared even more three-dimensional under the sunset’s projection. His cheeks seemed brushed with a layer of orange-yellow blush, making him look like a mischievous little sprite who had accidentally wandered into the frame.
Du Jinchen’s fingertip hovered over the shutter button. With just one gentle press, the sprite in the sunset would be permanently captured in the frame.
He wanted so badly to take the photo, but taking pictures without asking was impolite.
Hesitating for only a second, Du Jinchen shifted the camera away, snapped a few more landscape shots, and put the camera away.
“Thank you,” Du Jinchen nodded to Jiang Chu in gratitude. “The scenery is very beautiful.”
Jiang Chu shook his head slightly, raised his hand to pull down the window shade, and cut off the sunlight from outside.
The plane landed on schedule at Yunxiang Airport. After gathering his belongings and stepping off the aircraft, Du Jinchen found an airport shuttle bus already waiting below. He checked the time on his phone, stepped forward, and boarded the bus.
The seats on the bus were already full, so Du Jinchen grabbed an overhead hand ring and stood still. Once again, Jiang Chu’s figure appeared before his eyes.
Jiang Chu was standing slightly ahead and to the side of Du Jinchen with a backpack on, holding onto an interior handrail with one hand while his other hand hung down by his side, his gaze lowered as if deep in thought. Having likely never ridden such a crowded bus before, Jiang Chu shrank back entirely against the doorway.
For some reason, Jiang Chu always easily reminded Du Jinchen of the little cat at his home—tiny, always curled up obediently in a corner, leaving Du Jinchen completely helpless whenever it looked up at him with a pair of innocent, watery eyes.
Riding the crowded bus was no more comfortable than the flight. Inside the cabin, passengers were packed tightly together, making physical contact inevitable. Seeing Jiang Chu frown in deep discomfort, Du Jinchen sighed inwardly, took two steps forward to position himself behind Jiang Chu, and isolated him from the crowd, leaving a small pocket of space for him.
It was as if Jiang Chu sensed it. Warm pheromones wrapped around his sides, and the scent gland at the back of his neck began to grow hot and feverish, subtly entangling with the Alpha scent lingering in the air. A cold and aloof aura intertwined with warm sunlight, blending cool arrogance with a touch of haughty pride.
Jiang Chu shifted his body to face Du Jinchen, attempting to pull back that clinging pheromone aura, but it seemed to be of no use. The faint scent of pheromones surged secretly through the air, as if it were about to merge with the Alpha’s pheromones in the next second.
Jiang Chu’s cheeks flushed slightly. He had never encountered this kind of pheromone loss of control before, and he raised a hand to cover his scent gland. “I don’t know what is wrong.”
Frowning deeply and fighting hard against the itching sensation in his canine teeth, Du Jinchen forced himself to ignore that pink scent gland and said in a low voice, “I already noticed your pheromone scent on the plane. Has your suppression patch worn off?”
Although he knew that others could not currently smell Jiang Chu’s pheromones, for Jiang Chu’s safety, Du Jinchen still released his own pheromones to envelop them both, cutting off any connection between Jiang Chu and the people around them.
That warm-sunlight pheromone suddenly intensified, filling the cramped space entirely with Du Jinchen’s scent. This made it even harder for Jiang Chu to breathe, turning his face and the tips of his ears bright red. The scent gland on the back of his neck grew hotter and hotter, even triggering a few physical reactions in his body.
Turning his head away in forbearance, Jiang Chu took a deep, heavy breath. “It probably has. Sorry for affecting you.”
Just as Jiang Chu felt he could no longer hold on, the bus finally came to a stop. The doors opened, and passengers poured out like a tide. With the surrounding air beginning to circulate, Jiang Chu took a deep breath of fresh air and hurried off the bus as well.
After retrieving his luggage, Du Jinchen did not see Jiang Chu’s figure again. Since the hotel pick-up had arrived, Du Jinchen had no choice but to put the thought out of his mind.
The first stop on Du Jinchen’s trip to Yunxiang City was mountain climbing. Yunxiang City boasted a very famous Taishan Mountain, and Du Jinchen had signed up for a hiking tour where fellow members of all genders and ages gathered to climb together.
One of the Alpha men in the group specified the hiking time and precautions for the next day in the chat group. After taking note of them, Du Jinchen set about organizing his hiking gear for the following day.
The next morning, Du Jinchen arrived early and waited for the others at the base of the mountain. The hiking tour members arrived one after another: an Alpha-Omega couple, a middle-aged Beta couple, a lively Beta, and a quiet Omega female university student.
There were also two male Alphas. One of them was the big guy who had spoken up in the group chat, while the other leaned lazily against a trekking pole, chewing gum with a disdainful look in his eyes as he grumbled irritably, “Why hasn’t that guy named Jiang Chu arrived yet? Fucking making me wait this long, what a pain.”
After exchanging greetings with the Alpha group leader, Du Jinchen heard the profanity tumbling from the other Alpha’s mouth, lifted his gaze, and shot him a cold look. “Stop swearing. There are women present.”
“Yeah, Xiaozhao,” Zhang Chengjun frowned, “There are still fifteen minutes left before the agreed climbing time. He’s not late yet.”
Zhang Chengjun happened to be staying at the same hotel as Jin Shao; if Zhang Chengjun hadn’t woken him up this morning, there was no way he would be seeing him here right now.
Jin Shao’s face was full of impatience. Lifting his eyelids to look off into the distance, he clearly remained unconvinced. Zhang Chengjun chose not to press him further, only shaking his head helplessly at Du Jinchen.
Du Jinchen pulled back his gaze, glanced down at his watch, and pulled his cuffs tighter. The dark navy windbreaker made his broad shoulders and long legs look even more striking. Bright orange straps dangled slightly from the zippers, fluttering in the breeze. A pair of sunglasses hung at his chest, and a hiking hat shadowed his brows and eyes, making his exposed facial features appear even sharper and more defined.
Lifting his gaze once more, a black-and-white figure appeared in his field of vision. The newcomer stepped onto the mountain steps amidst morning dew. A black hiking hat concealed most of his face, making it hard to see clearly, but his slender and upright silhouette made the black-and-white windbreaker look exceptionally good on him. Taking long, straight strides forward, he quickly approached.
Du Jinchen found the sight familiar, exceedingly familiar. The moment he heard the voice next, he guessed it instantly.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”
The cool, gentle voice drifted to everyone’s ears on the breeze. As the face beneath the hat was revealed, its pretty and exquisite features allowed Du Jinchen to instantly recognize him as the Omega he had encountered at the airport yesterday.
A bit of a coincidence.