Chapter 54

During the dozen or so steps Han Jian took toward her, Lu Qingmo felt as though the refined shirt he wore had faded away, transforming into a youthful white T-shirt. His legs, too, seemed healthy again, as if they were back in an ordinary class break, with Han Jian waiting for her to finish her lesson.

The multimedia lecture hall no longer looked like its newly renovated self, either. When they stepped onto the podium, they could hear the wooden floorboards creak beneath their feet. They had once conducted countless diplomatic simulations on that very stage. After each exercise, Han Jian would smile at Lu Qingmo and say, “That concludes my questions. Thank you for your answers, my dear diplomat.”

Perhaps they could have become colleagues in the same profession, if only Han Jian’s leg had not ended up like this.

“I came over as soon as class ended, but unfortunately, I only caught the last little bit.” Han Jian stopped in front of Lu Qingmo. “Everyone has been looking forward to this speech for a long time.”

She didn’t know whom he meant by “everyone”—the dean, the students, or someone else.

“It was just a chance to share a little experience.” Lu Qingmo avoided his eyes. “I didn’t speak particularly well.”

“If Alliance diplomats don’t speak well, then no one could possibly do better than you.” Han Jian looked at Lu Qingmo. “Last time, everything was so rushed that we didn’t get a chance to talk much.”

He paused, then asked, “Work must be exhausting, right?”

Lu Qingmo’s grip on her bag tightened little by little. “It’s all right.”

Once again, they failed to exchange more than a few words, and silence fell between them. One quietly watched the other, while the other avoided meeting his gaze. There were so many things they could have said, yet none of them could be spoken.

Blood mixed with mud. Pleas shouted hoarse in the throat on a rainy night.

That night she had always been unwilling to remember, unwilling even to think about, had actually happened a long time ago.

So long ago that the sharp edges of their youthful ambition had all been worn away, and the courage of their reckless youth had been completely extinguished. All that remained was the distance of one meter between them when they met again, along with the awkwardness and silence that filled it.

“I have another class next period, so I should head to the classroom.” Han Jian glanced at his watch. “What about you?”

“I have a meeting.”

“Take care on your way.”

“Mm.”

The first swimming lesson of the new semester was shared by Classes One and Two. The two classes had nearly identical schedules for physical education, and all the sports assessments had to be completed within a month. Their results would be used as part of their physical education scores for early university recruitment.

It was rare for Gu Yunchi to show up at school that afternoon, but his expression was terrible. Even his deskmate, Lu Heyang, looked unusually gloomy as a result.

“Someone who didn’t know them would think they’d had a fight.” After returning with Xu Ze from the office, where they had submitted some documents, He Wei glanced toward the back door of Class Two and made this observation.

Only after hearing him say that did Xu Ze realize that Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi hadn’t actually fought.

“So they didn’t fight,” Xu Ze said.

“What would those two even fight about?” He Wei sat down and leaned toward Xu Ze, draping an arm across his back. “Anyway, I know you won’t tell anyone, so I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

“In half a month, it’ll be Grandpa Gu’s birthday banquet. They’ll probably arrange Gu Yunchi’s engagement then.”

Xu Ze froze for a moment. “An engagement already?” They had only just started their final year of high school.

“Of course, they won’t hold a proper engagement ceremony yet. They’ll just have that omega come out and meet the Gu family first. But Grandpa Gu is the most influential person in the entire family. Introducing the omega personally at his birthday banquet is practically the same as announcing an engagement.”

“So soon.” Xu Ze couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. It just seemed too soon.

He had thought Gu Yunchi would be the least constrained of the three of them, whether because of his family background, his personality, or anything else. Yet, after just one summer vacation, the person who had seemed freest was the first to have shackles fastened around him. It was difficult to see coming.

Or perhaps he was simply too inexperienced to understand. In families like Lu Heyang’s, power had always stood above familial affection. The elders were not merely elders; they were also symbols of another kind of authority.

“That omega also goes to the preparatory school. I heard his family’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy. If his compatibility with Yunchi weren’t so high, the Gu family would never have agreed to this marriage alliance. But there’s nothing they can do about it, considering Yunchi’s constitution is so…” He Wei trailed off and stopped himself. “Ah, forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. We have swimming class soon. Let’s warm up.”

Recently, He Wei had become obsessed with arm wrestling Xu Ze. Although he had never won even once, that didn’t stop him from challenging Xu Ze every single day.

He held out his hand, and Xu Ze clasped it.

Xu Ze had rarely touched other people’s hands. Among the alphas, the only ones whose hands he had probably held were Lu Heyang’s and He Wei’s. Both had beautiful, smooth hands with elegant fingers, the sort that belonged to people who had been pampered all their lives and had never endured the slightest hardship.

With his elbow propped on the table, He Wei watched their clasped hands intently, while Xu Ze seemed to have his mind somewhere else. Their joined fists slowly tilted to the right. He Wei’s eyes lit up, and his expression grew excited, but Xu Ze came back to his senses, applied more pressure through his wrist, and pushed He Wei’s arm down to the left, pinning it against the table.

“It’s fine. Losing to a boxer isn’t embarrassing.” He Wei consoled himself this way every time. He took Xu Ze’s hand and examined the calluses on his palm. “Xiao Ze, let me ask you something. If you and Heyang weren’t on pretty good terms, would you still arm-wrestle me every day?”

He thought Xu Ze would at least hesitate, but Xu Ze paused for only half a second before answering, “Probably not.”

“At least you said ‘probably.’ Thank you for being considerate.” He Wei smiled.

“Xu Ze.”

The classroom was a little noisy. He Wei didn’t hear anything, but Xu Ze immediately turned his head and saw Lu Heyang standing at the back door.

“We’re going to the swimming pool,” Lu Heyang told him.

Xu Ze nodded, withdrew his hand from He Wei’s grasp, and picked up his schoolbag. Only then did He Wei turn around and realize that Lu Heyang was looking at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He Wei asked, bewildered. “Have you been corrupted by Gu Yunchi?”

On the way to the swimming pool, He Wei suddenly patted Gu Yunchi on the shoulder and pointed toward the equipment room. “Hey.”

Xu Ze turned to look as well. In the corridor outside the equipment room, an omega carrying a schoolbag was walking along. Xu Ze realized that he might be developing nearsightedness. He narrowed his eyes slightly but still couldn’t make out the omega’s profile. All he could tell was that the person had their head lowered and looked very fair and thin.

The change in the alpha pheromones in the air was unmistakable. He Wei promptly tapped Gu Yunchi’s wristband and raised its suppression setting. Then he advised him, “Murder is illegal. Don’t do anything rash. He’s innocent, too.”

“If I’m going to kill someone, I’ll kill you first.” Gu Yunchi shot him a cold look.

After swimming class ended, Xu Ze returned to the changing room. His performance in that day’s training ranked first among all the S-class students. The teacher simply told him to “keep it up” and readily let him leave early.

Xu Ze sat in the changing room for a while. Only when he heard the whistle signaling dismissal from the pool area did he stand up, take his clothes, and head to the shower stalls.

He had just hung up his clothes when someone knocked several times on the stall door. Lu Heyang’s voice came from outside. “You forgot your towel.”

Although Xu Ze could have simply reached over the top of the partition to take it, he still opened the door and said, “Thank you.”

The changing room and corridor were bustling with noise, but no one had entered the shower area yet, so it was temporarily quiet.

Xu Ze took hold of the towel, but Lu Heyang didn’t let go. Instead, he allowed Xu Ze’s pull to draw him one step closer, right into the cramped stall.

He closed the door behind him. Before Xu Ze had much time to react in surprise, Lu Heyang leaned forward and kissed him on the lips—a brief kiss, like a greeting. Lu Heyang was already straightening up to pull away when Xu Ze cautiously leaned forward and kissed him back. He always seemed to become bold at the most unexpected moments.

Xu Ze, whose kissing skills had still made no progress, kissed him for several minutes. During those minutes, the other alphas had quickly showered and left one after another. The surrounding commotion surged toward Lu Heyang and Xu Ze from every direction, then gradually faded away.

Finally, Lu Heyang pressed his hands against Xu Ze’s hipbones and pushed him back against the wall, gently reminding him, “Xu Ze, we’re in the swimming pool.”

Xu Ze stared at Lu Heyang without blinking for several seconds, then shifted his gaze away.

Since the start of the semester, he and Lu Heyang hadn’t had much time alone together. Lu Heyang had also stopped attending classes regularly this term. Sometimes he wouldn’t show up until the afternoon; sometimes he wouldn’t appear at school at all for an entire day. In He Wei’s words, he had “caught Gu Yunchi’s bad habits.” But Xu Ze knew that wasn’t the reason.

He didn’t even have time to feel nervous or anxious. All he could do was silently count down, estimating when the countdown timer would finally be stopped.

“Heyang, are you done?” He Wei called as he was about to leave the shower area.

“No. You guys go ahead. My driver will come pick me up.”

“Fine, then. What about Xu Ze?”

“He left early. He’s already gone.” Lu Heyang’s hand rested on Xu Ze’s waist as he answered calmly.

He Wei responded with an “Oh” and left.

Lu Heyang turned back to Xu Ze and told him, “I might not come to school every day this semester.”

Xu Ze showed no particular reaction. He gave a slight nod. “Okay.”

He didn’t ask why. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of confusion on his face. He simply accepted the reality calmly and obediently. Lu Heyang looked at Xu Ze’s face. There had been a time when Xu Ze would ask whether he was going abroad. Now, however, he didn’t ask a single question, as though he had already made all the preparations he needed and was merely waiting for Lu Heyang to wave goodbye.

Xu Ze’s approach to almost everything was simple. He never clung to people or demanded anything from them. He didn’t need anyone to explain themselves to him or take responsibility for their actions toward him.

Even if Lu Heyang had driven him somewhere, told him to get out halfway, and abandoned him by the roadside, Xu Ze would only silently watch the direction in which the car disappeared and wait there for a while. If Lu Heyang didn’t return, he would simply continue on his own. He wouldn’t run after the car, much less call Lu Heyang to ask, Why did you abandon me?

“I won’t be able to message or call you very often, either.” Lu Heyang spoke in a joking tone. “It wouldn’t be good if someone intercepted our communications.”

“Okay.” Xu Ze understood that Lu Heyang was probably hinting that he shouldn’t initiate messages or calls. Clutching the towel in his hand, he nodded again. “I won’t bother you.”

A few drops of water trickled down from Xu Ze’s temples. His face looked a little pale, and he began to regret the initiative he had taken just a few minutes earlier. He thought he might have done a lot of things that Lu Heyang simply didn’t need from him.

“Don’t interpret things like that. You’d get zero on a reading comprehension test.” Lu Heyang’s voice was even. He raised a hand, gripped the back of Xu Ze’s neck, and lifted his head so that those dark gray eyes had to meet his own. “That’s not what I meant.”

Xu Ze asked slowly, “Then what did you mean?”

It wasn’t a challenge or a rhetorical question, and there was no negative emotion behind it. Lu Heyang had said that Xu Ze had misunderstood, so Xu Ze simply wanted an answer to his zero-point interpretation. He wanted to understand exactly what Lu Heyang meant.

And if Lu Heyang didn’t want to answer, that would be fine, too.