“Smell,” Ren Shuhan turned his head to the side, burying his face in his hair, taking a deep breath. “Feel free.”
Jiang Qingyue raised his hand and lightly brushed his slender fingers against his shoulder. His cheeks turned red, his eyes filled with a bewildered gaze, and he softly murmured a polite thank you. His nose even nuzzled against his neck.
Ren Shuhan really wanted to bite him.
Teenage boys’ minds were already extremely chaotic, and an ABO setting made all these hidden impulses tangible, further fueling the fire. Ren Shuhan was now holding the person he liked, smelling the familiar scent that permeated his body because of him, but he couldn’t taste it. It was like someone with an insatiable sweet tooth having a dollop of honey put on their lips but not being allowed to lick it.
“Can I take a bite?”
Ren Shuhan sighed, his voice tinged with longing as he nuzzled into Jiang Qingyue’s hair, occasionally brushing through the strands and making contact with his skin. Whenever that happened, Jiang Qingyue would go weak and had to rely on his arm around his waist to steady himself.
But there was still a trace of strange rationality left in his mind: “You can’t… you can’t drive while intoxicated…”
Ren Shuhan burst into laughter, still holding Jiang Qingyue’s head against his, “Baby, I’m the one riding the bike. You just sit down.”
Jiang Qingyue’s legs turned weak from the low, deep laughter echoing in his ears, but he still shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy.
Her memories were already fuzzy, and now his mind was blank.
“Can you still hold on?” Ren Shuhan had no choice but to release his hold on him and let him sit on the back seat. Thankfully, as soon as he sat down, he immediately held onto Ren Shuhan’s waist tightly, gripping him tightly. “You won’t fall off, right?”
Jiang Qingyue shook his head and nuzzled against his back, causing Ren Shuhan’s waist to feel a bit ticklish, even his back was getting sweaty.
“Hold on tightly and don’t let go,” Ren Shuhan playfully tapped his nose and pushed the bicycle out of the shed.
On the way back, Ren Shuhan rode slowly to ensure Jiang Qingyue wouldn’t fall off. The cool evening breeze blew, and Jiang Qingyue gradually sobered up. He became even shyer but was still reluctant to let go of Ren Shuhan’s waist, leaning against his back.
Once they arrived home, Ren Shuhan thought he was still drunk and carried him off the back seat. He left the bicycle on the lawn and carried his wife into the house.
Jiang Qingyue didn’t know how to start a conversation, but fortunately, there were no other people in the house where Ren Shuhan lived. After he placed him on the living room sofa, he sat up straight and observed her surroundings.
The house wasn’t very big, just a small detached villa, but it was decorated very warmly, giving him a homely feeling, different from the one in the Song family’s house. He didn’t know that Ren Shuhan had instructed Wen Xin to redecorate the place in advance, following his aesthetic from the previous world. Usually, the only people who would come were the staff that came to tidy up when he went to school, making it convenient for them to have their own world.
Luckily, Ren Shuhan was well-prepared, even if he didn’t expect to bring Jiang Qingyue back to his home on the second day of knowing each other. Opportunities are always reserved for the prepared.
He went to get slippers for Jiang Qingyue and also brought new pajamas and toiletries. Everything was complete, including underwear, all in the sizes he estimated after their meeting yesterday. He placed everything in Jiang Qingyue’s arms all at once, making Jiang Qingyue feel even more embarrassed.
“Can you wash yourself?” Ren Shuhan squatted in front of him, asking expectantly. He wanted to put his hand on his knee but hesitated.
He couldn’t rush things. His wife was still young.
Jiang Qingyue nodded and carried the clothes to the bedroom on the second floor.
Ren Shuhan followed closely behind him, almost sticking to his back, making him walk unsteadily. Jiang Qingyue even said, “The room on the right is mine, and the one on the left is yours. Of course, if you want to share a room with me, I would be more than happy.”
Jiang Qingyue’s head spun for a moment, so he opened the door on the right.
“Ah, I went the wrong way…”
He entered the room and immediately noticed the signs of life. It was evident that someone had stayed here last night. Ren Shuhan was accustomed to not letting anyone tidy up his things, so there were new clothes and several pairs of new shoes thrown at the corner of the bed. There was also a pile of exercise books spread out on the table…
Huh? Exercise books? So many exercise books!
Jiang Qingyue turned around to look at Ren Shuhan with clear eyes.
“…I was wrong, I lied,” Ren Shuhan confessed within a second, awkwardly closing the exercise books one by one, revealing the words “beginner difficulty” written on top. After all, he had discovered throughout the day that his scholar persona was difficult to maintain. “I didn’t stay up late playing games last night. I was studying on my own because I have amnesia. I forgot most of what I learned, so I have to start from scratch.”
Jiang Qingyue widened his eyes in surprise and then he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I swear this is the only lie I’ve told you,” Ren Shuhan tried to salvage the situation. “I really mean it.”
Jiang Qingyue pursed his lips and lowered his head. “The zoo is not closer than the hospital.”
Ren Shuhan: “…This is the second lie. I won’t lie anymore, I promise,”
He was finished. Will his wife hate him now?
Ren Shuhan leant against the door and looked out the window, feeling a bit panicked.
Jiang Qingyue extended his index finger and lightly tapped his chest, whispering softly, “That doesn’t count as lying. I really like it.”
After saying that, he shyly turned and went to his own room to take a shower, leaving Ren Shuhan alone, covering his chest and blushing.
Why! We’re already an old married couple, and I can still be teased by my wife?
It must be the effect of the pheromones…
In the evening, after Jiang Qingyue finished blow-drying his hair, his white and tender appearance no longer dripping with water, he brought his textbooks to Ren Shuhan’s bedroom and said, “Although I haven’t forgotten much, I’m not good at studying. We can catch up on our studies together.”
He looked so tempting while saying something cruel.
Ren Shuhan had no choice but to study with him all night.
Once they immersed themselves in the studies, the restless feeling of adolescence would gradually subside. For Ren Shuhan, revisiting what he had learned wasn’t tiring at all. Instead, he felt a sense of satisfaction when recalling things he used to excel at. After all, he had been a top student before. Now, if he were to take exams, it would feel like cheating.
It’s just…. if Jiang Qingyue had his previous memories, it would be great. He was impressed by how well he studied, and he had to go through the college entrance examination again. Fortunately, his hobby was studying.
Occasionally, when Jiang Qingyue was explaining a problem, Ren Shuhan would become distracted.
After Jiang Qingyue finished speaking, he realized that he hadn’t even looked at the problem. He was just silently staring at him. He covered her face with his hands and asked, “Do you understand?”
“Oh…” Almost, but it doesn’t matter. Ren Shuhan rested his chin on his hands, staring at Jiang Qingyue with slow blinks. “I’ll look at the answers myself so that I don’t slow down your progress.”
“It’s alright,” Jiang Qingyue shook his head, and his hair swayed against his cheeks. “This is the basics, so by explaining it to you, I can reinforce my memory.”
Ren Shuhan nodded and suddenly asked, “Why did you grow your hair long?”
“Huh?” Jiang Qingyue grasped the end of his hair. “Because… is it ugly?”
There was no reason why, and even Jiang Qingyue couldn’t articulate it. He just vaguely felt that he shouldn’t cut it off.
“How is that possible,” Ren Shuhan laughed. “It suits you very well.”
Currently, he hadn’t fully developed yet and still wore oversized school uniforms. It was even harder to determine his gender. However, in the world where he used to have stereotypical impressions of males and females, Ren Shuhan didn’t care whether Jiang Qingyue resembled a girl or not because he had liked him since he regained his memories. His sexual orientation had already become Jiang Qingyue himself.
In an ABO society, the first gender was of little importance, and Wen Xin, a female alpha, with her short hair and height of 1.8 meters, was popular among both men and women.
“Thank you,” Jiang Qingyue said, blushing slightly, as he continued working on his homework.
Not wanting to disturb him, Ren Shuhan refrained from further interaction and bid him good night before leaning in to inhale a few sweet breaths of his pheromones.
The sensation of Ren Shuhan’s breath tickling his neck made Jiang Qingyue’s neck feel itchy. He really wanted him to bite him. If only Ren Shuhan asked again, he probably wouldn’t refuse this time. Last time, he rejected him instinctively because he wasn’t in the right state of mind. But… Ren Shuhan didn’t ask again.
He was a little regretful.
Jiang Qingyue slept soundly that night.
However, the next morning, before they set out, Jiang Qingyue received a message from his older brother, Song Xishi, which dampened his mood:
“Why aren’t you at the hospital? Where did you go? Call me back.”
Jiang Qingyue nervously showed the message to Ren Shuhan.
“Don’t worry,” Ren Shuhan had a tinge of guilt in his voice. “He only called you this morning, which means they didn’t check on you last night. And we have nothing to fear. I’ll take care of it for you.”
Ren Shuhan replied to Song Xishi’s message: “Today, I’m going to the zoo with my classmates.”
Song Xishi called again, but Ren Shuhan hung up and replied, “Brother, I won’t attend Song Xici’s party today to avoid awkwardness. You guys have fun.”
After sending the message, Ren Shuhan pondered for a moment, wondering if his tone seemed somewhat hypocritical?
But Jiang Qingyue was already an outsider in the Song family, and considering his past conflicts with Song Xici, it would be inappropriate for him to attend.
As expected, Song Xishi understood and replied, “I understand. Be safe when you’re out.”
Jiang Qingyue was still anxious. “Is it really appropriate? What if my parents find it difficult to explain to the guests?”
If Jiang Qingyue had to make the decision himself, he would have liked to attend the party, even if it meant facing Song Xici’s hostility. However, Ren Shuhan saw things from an outsider’s perspective and understood it more clearly: the Song family didn’t really want him there, and even if the poor guy attended, no one would want him.
“Just a high school student who was kidnapped suddenly returning home. What’s the big deal with a party? Let’s go to the zoo,”
Ren Shuhan took him out and urged him not to overthink it.
Jiang Qingyue thought he had a point. He should give the Song family space to enjoy their reunion. He didn’t have a suitable position to be involved.
In fact, Song Xishi also found the situation peculiar:
Why did they plan a party?
Even though they had found their child, the family was still in chaos. Jiang Qingyue’s biological parents had just been arrested, and the case was still under investigation. Song Xishi’s parents were also elderly, and the sudden turn of events had taken a toll on them. It was hard to imagine they would have the energy or desire to host a party.
Furthermore, grand parties were usually held after high school graduation, not before? Besides, Song Xici wasn’t even an omega, so he didn’t need such a party.
However, the party had been planned in advance, and Song Xishi himself had suggested it…
Why? What was he thinking at that time?
Song Xishi reflected on the past few months, ever since his younger brother, Song Xici, was found. He had been acting foolishly, as had Song Xiyue. They would constantly tease and mock him, and although Song Xishi couldn’t reprimand Song Xiyue at the moment, since he had also tacitly allowed his behavior, it was absurd. It felt like he had been possessed. Recently, he didn’t know how to face his two younger brothers.
Was the Song family doomed = =?
This was one of the reasons why he didn’t insist on Song Xiyue attending the party.
If he didn’t come, there would be less awkwardness, which would benefit everyone.
However, Song Xici had a different mindset.
He was going crazy:
Why? Why hadn’t those two come?
The script had already been arranged. Did he have to perform by himself?
He asked Song Xishi several times, “Brother, when will Brother Xiyue and Brother Han come?” But Song Xishi seemed disinterested and told him that if they didn’t want to come, then let it be.
How could he just let it be? His little brothers were already yawning!
“Bro Xici, didn’t you say you had many ways?” one of his omega subordinates, who also liked Ren Shuhan, snidely remarked. “Why is Brother Han being so disrespectful? He didn’t even show up. It seemed like he was closer to Song Xiyue yesterday.”
Another subordinate chimed in, “Yeah, why is that? Didn’t Brother Han forget what Song Xiyue looked like just the other day?”
Why ask? It must be that Song Xiyue had used some despicable means. It just wasn’t written in the original story, making things more difficult for him. How infuriating…
Song Xici coldly glanced at them, suddenly coming up with a plan. He whispered to the omega who liked Ren Shuhan, “Do you know that Song Xiyue has changed his name? His classmates at Yi High School have no idea what he did in the past.”
If Ren Shuhan found out, would he still get close to Song Xiyue?
Lol maybe I’m some kind of NPC influenced by the protagonist in my thinking but I personally don’t find it all that weird that the Song family would hold a party to welcome back their lost son? I mean they’re rich, it’s not the weirdest thing rich people would do in novels….? Anyways, i hope we’re still going to get a glimpse of their date next chapter (੭ˊᵕˋ)੭
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