I never imagined Ji Songmin had gone this far off the deep end.
“Quite lively in here. What are you all discussing?”
With that one sentence, the entire room fell into dead silence.
Seeing no one answer, Ji Yueting let out a low chuckle not loud, but enough to send shivers down everyone’s spine.
Shen Xingfeng, the alpha who had spoken earlier, along with the few who had eagerly chimed in not long ago, all turned pale in an instant, too afraid to utter another word.
When had Ji Yueting arrived?
Had he heard everything they’d said?
For a moment, everyone’s expressions shifted uneasily. The only one completely out of the loop was Yan Chi.
The man who had slammed the table just minutes ago pursed his lips nervously, his voice hoarse as he finally asked, “What are you doing here?”
It was the first time he’d ever done something like this how could Ji Yueting have shown up right then?
Ji Yueting stood behind him, a broad hand resting against the back of the chair as he leaned down and asked, “Am I not allowed to come?”
“No,” Yan Chi turned his head away as the warm breath brushed against his skin. “You didn’t tell them, and you didn’t tell me either. I thought you weren’t coming.”
Ji Yueting didn’t argue, only glancing at Yan Chi’s flushed ear in the dim light. “Sorry, I had a meeting during the day and forgot to tell you. That’s on me.”
Liu Muqing, who was standing extremely close to the scene, widened his eyes in disbelief.
This was the “friend” Yan Chi had mentioned?
Were they really just “friends”? Was he sure they hadn’t forgotten to add the prefix “boy” before it?
When Ji Yueting looked down at someone, his gaze was sharp and piercing. He swept it coldly over Shen Xingfeng. “If I hadn’t come, I would’ve missed quite a lot.”
The hierarchical suppression of an alpha’s pheromones was ingrained in one’s very bones. Shen Xingfeng’s rank was far inferior to Ji Yueting’s, and just being glanced at sent a chill down his spine. He immediately denied everything. “Brother Ji, I didn’t mean it like that. You’ve misunderstood.”
“Calling me ‘brother’? Are we that close?” Ji Yueting’s mockery was blunt and cutting.
Among adults, especially those who moved in social circles like theirs, tact and subtlety were paramount always leaving room for future encounters. But Ji Yueting clearly had no intention of playing by those rules right now.
Shen Xingfeng was on the verge of breaking into a cold sweat. “President Ji, I had too much to drink earlier.”
Ji Yueting didn’t respond, only calling over a waiter.
“Sir, how may I assist you?” the uniformed waiter asked respectfully.
The head waiter had already warned them in this entire room, no one was to be provoked, least of all the man standing before him.
Glancing briefly at the array of drinks on the table, Ji Yueting said, “Bring a few more bottles.”
The waiter understood immediately, knowing exactly what kind of alcohol he meant.
No one in the room dared to speak, each keeping their eyes downcast and their thoughts to themselves, praying the fire wouldn’t spread to them.
The waiter moved quickly, returning in minutes with several bottles freshly retrieved from the wine cellar. Headed by vodka, there was a mix of reds and whites, each one exorbitantly priced.
“Sir, would you like these to be.”
“Leave them on the table,” Ji Yueting tilted his chin slightly, his gaze fixed on Shen Xingfeng. “Since I arrived late, let me treat everyone. Will you honor me with your presence, President Shen?”
On the other side, Shen Xingfeng’s face darkened like the bottom of a burnt pot.
Damn it, why hadn’t he noticed Yan Chi was still here?!
He was the one who had been badmouthing others behind their backs earlier, and now Ji Yueting was standing right in front of him. How could he afford to offend him again? Haihui couldn’t withstand another round of turmoil otherwise, his father, Old Shen, would surely strip him of all his authority.
“Mr. Ji, you’re too kind. Since you’re treating, I naturally wouldn’t refuse.” After a moment of weighing his options, Shen Xingfeng forced a smile. To show respect, he immediately opened a new bottle, filled a glass, and downed it in one gulp without even letting it breathe. “This one’s to you. I spoke out of turn after drinking just now my apologies. I hope you’ll be magnanimous, Mr. Ji.”
“Of course,” Ji Yueting replied with a slight curve of his lips.
Shen Xingfeng was just about to relax.
“Since you’re willing to honor me with your presence, then finish them all,” Ji Yueting said, looking down at him.
At those words, Shen Xingfeng froze completely.
Before he could react, Ji Yueting turned to another alpha who had been chattering nonstop before entering the room. “You record it. Not a single bottle should be missed. Send the recording to Changying’s collaboration email when you’re done.”
The man was stunned.
“How does this collaboration sound? Is your company satisfied?”
The alpha stiffened all over, looking as if he’d been dead for three days.
If he really recorded this, not only would he fail to gain favor with Ji Yueting, but he’d also make a mortal enemy of Shen Xingfeng! Everyone knew Shen Xingfeng was extremely concerned with face. As long as the recording remained at Changying for a day, Shen Xingfeng would hold a grudge for a day. And if Shen Xingfeng held a grudge, wouldn’t he make trouble for him every single day?!
Yet this was Ji Yueting’s order he didn’t dare to refuse.
For a moment, he was trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Yan Chi watched coldly, inwardly marveling at Ji Yueting’s move. It seemed subtle, but it was truly ruthless worthy of the title “Mr. Ji.”
Right or wrong aside, Yan Chi, with his childlike temperament, simply felt a sense of vindication.
“M-Mr. Ji, this isn’t appropriate, I ” All the alpha’s words vanished the moment he met Ji Yueting’s gaze.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
“N-no, of course not,” the alpha stammered, quickly weighing the importance of Changying versus Haihui. Anyone with a brain could tell the difference. “I-I understand.”
Ji Yueting showed no intention of sitting down, merely watching. After a dazed moment, Shen Xingfeng steeled himself and began pouring wine into his glass. He had already drunk quite a bit earlier. If he finished everything on the table now. he’d be lucky to escape with his life.
The camera operated in the dim light, its flash glaringly bright, capturing everything clearly. Yet the person holding it couldn’t stop his hands from trembling.
To avoid getting involved, the remaining guests quickly excused themselves, claiming they had matters to attend to and needed to leave early.
Seeing that Ji Yueting didn’t stop them, the private room soon emptied out, leaving only a handful of people behind.
What had started as a class reunion had turned into something utterly bizarre. Even if Yan Chi had foreseen it, he couldn’t have imagined such a scene.
Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a light brush against his shoulder.
Through the thin fabric, it lasted only a brief moment.
Ji Yueting looked at him, the coldness in his eyes gone. “The tea has gone cold. Would you like to leave with me first?”
The way he said it had the same effect as “Would you like to run away with me?”
Liu Muqing beside them desperately covered her mouth, which threatened to drop open in excitement, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
Yan Chi couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He instinctively glanced at Liu Muqing, thinking it wouldn’t be right to leave her behind. But Liu Muqing didn’t mind at all, immediately waving at him to go ahead and not worry about her.
This class reunion was just too thrilling.
Seeing Liu Muqing’s reaction, Yan Chi didn’t care whether the tea was cold, hot, or boiling anymore. He simply followed Ji Yueting out of the private room in a daze. His mind wandered until they reached the ground floor, where the hot, exhilarating night breeze of summer washed over him, snapping him back to reality.
Ji Yueting paused, waiting for him just a step ahead.
“Won’t this affect Changying?” Yan Chi blurted out his concern.
Ji Yueting clarified for him, “No.”
Without asking further, Yan Chi trusted whatever Ji Yueting said.
The thought of Shen Xingfeng having to drink all that alcohol while being recorded made Yan Chi chuckle. “Ji Yueting, I just realized you can be quite wicked too. How did you come up with such a mean trick?”
“You’re only noticing now?” Ji Yueting replied. “I’ve never been a good person to begin with.”
Yan Chi took it as him teasing. “I really didn’t expect you to come. By the way, when did you arrive? Did you hear everything I said earlier? Looking back now, it all seems a bit childish.”
He had always been fiercely protective of those he considered “his own.” Yan Chi couldn’t stand others speaking ill of them, though in the past, his protectiveness was genuine. Today, however, the “shortcoming” he was defending… was rather long.
Come to think of it, someone with Ji Yueting’s unrestrained nature would never let himself be wronged without retaliation.
Lost in thought, Yan Chi felt a light flick on his forehead.
As a model student, he had never experienced a “knuckle rap” before though this one was more of a gentle tap than a proper flick.
Startled, he looked up, meeting Ji Yueting’s amused eyes with a hint of grievance.
“What are you overthinking, Teacher Xiao Chi? Nothing like that will happen,” Ji Yueting said, his eyes brimming with warmth. “Seeing you stand up for me and defend me made me really happy.”
Really?
“Really,” Ji Yueting emphasized, as if reading his mind, eager for Yan Chi to believe him. “No one has ever stood up for me before. You’re the first.”
Yan Chi felt a bit embarrassed by the gratitude and quickly changed the subject. “If you don’t mind, then it’s fine. I just don’t like people talking badly about my friends… So, where are you heading later? Going home?”
It was still early in the evening, and being summer, the sky outside remained bright at six or seven, the clouds clearly visible. Though the sun had set, a gentle crescent moon hung high in the sky.
“Didn’t you say you’d treat me to a meal, with the time and place up to me?” Ji Yueting asked.
“Yeah.” Yan Chi blinked, suddenly remembering. “Did you rush over right after work? Have you eaten yet?”
“I’ve been in meetings since morning and haven’t had anything to eat,” Ji Yueting said. “Do you have other plans? If not, can I use that privilege today?”
“Of course. Where would you like to go?” Yan Chi replied without hesitation.
Whether it was a high-end hotel, a private club, or the revolving Western restaurant atop Haijing’s tallest tower, Yan Chi thought he could arrange it all. Ji Yueting could just name his choice.
Money was never an issue for him.
However, Ji Yueting’s answer was none of those.
“Then, how about the wonton shop near First High School?”
Yan Chi thought he had misheard.
“It’s been years since I’ve been back. I don’t even know if it’s still open,” Ji Yueting said casually. “Back when I was in school, my family never let me eat out. I only heard people say their wontons were delicious but never got to try them. After graduating high school and going abroad, I never came back.”
“…” Yan Chi’s throat tightened, though he wasn’t sure which word had struck a chord. “Then let’s go try it today. The shop is still open old establishments don’t close that easily. And now, there’s no one to stop you. You can eat as much as you want.”
Over twenty minutes later, the two sat facing each other in the modestly sized wonton shop.
The owner hurried out from the kitchen and greeted them, “What would you two like to eat? Today’s bamboo shoots are especially fresh and delicious!”
“Then I’ll have a bowl of large wontons with bamboo shoot tips and fresh pork, just four will do, and another bowl.” Yan Chi glanced at Ji Yueting. “What would you like?”
Ji Yueting said, “The same as him.”
The owner wiped his hands on his apron, looking surprised. “Young man, you’re such a big guy and you’re only having four? That’s way too little, you won’t be full.”
Hearing this, Yan Chi smiled and gestured an “eight” with his fingers.
“Eight,” Ji Yueting added.
“Eight, ah, alright then. Look at you, leaving your sentence half-finished,” the owner chuckled and called out to the aunt wrapping wontons in the kitchen, “Two bowls of large wontons with bamboo shoot tips and fresh pork one with four, one with eight for here!”
The wonton shop was located near the school, bustling with students and teachers in the morning, and even in the evening, it never lacked customers. Yan Chi and Ji Yueting were lucky enough to find an empty table as soon as they entered. In no time, the stools around them were all taken.
Strangers of all kinds settled in, squeezing close together. The stools had no backs, just plain wooden benches, so it was inevitable to bump into others from time to time.
Yan Chi fetched two vinegar dishes and returned to find Ji Yueting had already broken apart two pairs of disposable chopsticks quite down-to-earth.
“Are you uncomfortable? It’s a bit crowded here, and the environment might not be the best.” Although Ji Yueting had suggested it himself, Yan Chi still felt a little guilty about settling a debt of gratitude with such a casual meal.
The kitchen worked quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the wontons were served.
Steaming hot mist blurred Ji Yueting’s features, making him look hazy. He took a bite. “It tastes really good. This is enough.”
The pork was fresh, the bamboo shoot tips finely chopped, and both were wrapped in chewy dough, soaked in hot broth so delicious it could make your eyebrows fall off.
Ji Yueting ate elegantly, looking no different from dining in a high-end restaurant. Yan Chi hadn’t been back much since graduation, and now that he was here again, he found it warm and comfortable. A few simple wontons were infinitely better than the so-called expensive dishes at the hotel earlier that evening.
Neither of them spoke while eating, only occasionally brushing hands when reaching for the vinegar or briefly meeting each other’s eyes when looking up.
“Your hands are still this cold even in summer?” Ji Yueting asked.
Yan Chi didn’t back down. “It’s because yours are too warm.”
“My fault,” Ji Yueting chuckled, then asked, “Did tonight upset you?”
“They were talking about you. If anyone should be upset, it’s you.”
“I’m not upset,” Ji Yueting looked at Yan Chi without hiding his gaze. “I was just worried you might be unhappy.”
In the evening, the shop had its air conditioning on, but with so many people, it couldn’t keep up. Unnoticed, a thin layer of sweat had already formed on Yan Chi’s back.
Ji Yueting seemed to be observing him constantly. The moment sweat beaded on Yan Chi’s forehead, a tissue was handed to him.
“You’re sweating. Wipe it off.”
Yan Chi’s ears burned hot. He wiped away the sweat and stood up to pay the bill.
Outside, he asked Ji Yueting, “Where to next?” Not far away was No. 1 High School. From the entrance of the wonton shop, a slight tilt of the head revealed the school buildings.
“How about taking a walk around the school? It’s been a long time since I’ve been back, and everything looks unfamiliar now,” Ji Yueting suggested, following his gaze.
Yan Chi had no objections and crossed the street with Ji Yueting, arriving at the school’s perimeter wall.
Their previous meetings had always been squeezed into tight schedules, mostly hurried glimpses amidst busy work. This kind of leisurely idleness, with nothing to do, was a first in months.
Between the walls were railings, and through the gaps, they could see the school playground bathed in warm orange light. Yan Chi calculated the time it was probably evening self-study, which explained why there were so few people outside.
“First High hasn’t changed much over the years. Only the library is newly built; everything else is pretty much the same as before.” Yan Chi had returned as an outstanding student representative just last year, so he was quite familiar with the place.
Ji Yueting’s interest in architecture was clearly not as great as his interest in people: “What did you like to do in high school?”
Yan Chi was taken aback. “Nothing in particular. If I had to say. probably reading, but just casual books. I never liked anything too serious.”
“I remember you were in Class Nine back then, which was a humanities class. But as far as I know, perfumers need knowledge of chemistry.” The night deepened, and Ji Yueting’s eyes were dark and deep.
Yan Chi hadn’t expected him to remember so clearly, even which class he was in. His mood swayed like a cat’s tail being gently teased, lifting slightly.
“It was humanities. Back then, we had just been divided into classes in our second year of high school. I liked reading, so without much thought, I chose pure humanities.” Yan Chi lowered his gaze and kicked away a small pebble in front of him. “You were a year ahead of me. By the time I was in my third year, you had already gone abroad, so you probably didn’t know about the new college entrance exam policy that came out later.”
Ji Yueting didn’t interrupt, listening quietly.
“One day, when I got home, my aunt suddenly asked me during dinner what I wanted to do in the future. I thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. That night, I realized I didn’t have any real goals.” Yan Chi slowly recalled. “After struggling with it for a few days, while reading, I came across an interview about perfumers and found it really interesting.”
Ji Yueting gently encouraged him: “So you changed your course selection after that?”
Yan Chi nodded. “My aunt supported me and helped me apply to the school for permission to commute. Whenever it was time for chemistry class, I’d carry my stool to another class to listen, then return to my own class after it ended.”
As he spoke, Ji Yueting automatically pictured the scene in his mind.
A young, slender Yan Chi, during class breaks, hurrying up and down the stairs with his stool, a chemistry textbook tucked under his arm, and a pencil case hanging from his wrist. If he accidentally bumped into someone along the way, he’d probably blush and apologize.
So cute.
Feeling a tickle in his heart, Ji Yueting, with nothing better to do, asked everything that came to mind: “So why did you find perfumers interesting?”
Yan Chi chuckled. “You sound just like those kids. They asked me the same thing, word for word.”
Ji Yueting, good-natured, didn’t mind being compared to a little kid. “Then I’ll trouble Teacher Xiao Chi to enlighten me.” When he called Yan Chi “teacher,” he never used the usual tone. Instead, it was lifted, like a hook, pulling people toward him.
“Because of pheromones.”
“Pheromones?”
“Yes, exactly.” Yan Chi’s eyes sparkled as he gestured with both hands. “I’m a beta, so I can’t naturally smell pheromones. Since I was little, I’ve been curious about how they’re combined, why they become a person’s unique signature, and what it would be like to take them apart and reassemble them. I find it fascinating.”
He spoke, glancing at Ji Yueting with a hint of smugness in the corners of his eyes and brows: “Coincidentally, I happen to have a bit of talent in this area.”
If any classmate or professor from RH or Glasgow had heard this, they would probably have coughed up blood in disbelief.
Calling Yan Chi’s abilities “a bit of talent”? That was an understatement of epic proportions.
It wasn’t easy to make someone usually so gentle show such an expression. Ji Yueting took advantage of the night’s cover to steal a glance. And then another.
“You’re the only one asking questions that doesn’t seem very fair.” A few months ago, Yan Chi would never have imagined himself speaking to Ji Yueting like this.
“You can ask me too. I’ll tell you everything.”
He had a lot he wanted to say, but once the words were out, he didn’t know where to begin. After some thought, Yan Chi finally asked, “Ji Yueting, are you really going to stay in the country for a long time?”