Lin Xiaoran sat eating xiaolongbao, his cheeks puffed up from the food, blinking at Gu Yang.
Gu Yang kept his head down, his hair falling over his forehead, eyes focused intently on picking something. However, Lin Xiaoran noticed the faint bruise under his eye.
Always turning day into night, he definitely hasn’t been resting well, right?
“Oops, it’s gone,” Gu Yang finally picked out even the smallest bits of cilantro from inside, then handed the wontons back, saying, “These wontons are especially delicious. Give them a try.”
Lin Xiaoran withdrew his gaze, took the wontons, and ate one. The skin was thin, the filling generous, and the meat particularly fresh. They were indeed delicious.
Seeing him enjoy the food, Gu Yang smiled and began eating as well.
Before long, they finished everything. Gu Yang tidied up the trash while talking to Lin Xiaoran. “It’s already late. Are you going to school? Or heading home to change clothes?”
It was already past eight o’clock, well past the normal time to go to school.
Lin Xiaoran wasn’t in a hurry and instead asked Gu Yang, “What about you? What are you doing today?”
“Me?” Gu Yang chuckled. “Of course, I’m going to sleep. I haven’t slept all night.”
Understandable.
Lin Xiaoran nodded. “Then you should go sleep first.”
Gu Yang didn’t understand the meaning behind Lin Xiaoran’s suggestion to sleep first, but Lin Xiaoran didn’t explain further. After a quick tidy-up, he bid farewell to Gu Yang and left.
Feeling very tired, Gu Yang didn’t think much about it. After washing up, he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
The alleyway was bustling with activity in the early morning, with various shops opening their doors. The breakfast shops were particularly crowded, and many mischievous kids were running around, making it seem like a completely different place from last night.
Lin Xiaoran walked to the end of the alley, bent down to unlock his bicycle, and mounted it. Instead of leaving immediately, he took out his phone and called Chen Hongqiang.
“That night at the KTV, give me the contact information for the Omega that Gu Yang met.” He got straight to the point.
“Oh?” Chen Hongqiang, on the other end of the phone, was momentarily surprised that Lin Xiaoran was calling him, let alone asking about this matter. After a moment, he responded, “Uh, let me ask. I’ll send it to you right away.”
After hanging up, Lin Xiaoran returned to the main street while Chen Hongqiang’s message had already arrived: Du Yan, the class flower of Class 6 of the sophomore year, her phone number is…
Lin Xiaoran glanced at it and dialed Du Yan’s number.
“Hello.”
The phone was answered by a small voice, presumably belonging to a girl.
“Hello, I’m Lin Xiaoran.” Lin Xiaoran stopped his bike on the side of the road. “Would it be convenient for us to meet?”
There was silence on the other end for a while before the girl responded, “Are you… looking for me about Gu Yang’s matter?”
“Yeah, is that okay? You can choose a place near your home, and I’ll come to you.”
The girl didn’t speak, seemingly hesitant.
Lin Xiaoran didn’t urge her and waited quietly.
After a while, the girl finally spoke, “Okay, I’ll send you the address.”
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, Lin Xiaoran followed the address sent by Du Yan and found himself at a café next to a small community.
At this time of the morning, the café had just opened for business, and there were no customers. Lin Xiaoran immediately spotted the girl sitting at an outdoor table. She was wearing a light-colored dress, her hair cut to shoulder length, holding a cup of coffee quietly.
When she saw Lin Xiaoran, she quickly stood up, her delicate face showing various strange expressions for a moment, as if she wanted to smile but felt embarrassed, so her lips curved into a smile, but her eyes were full of confusion.
“Sit down.” Lin Xiaoran remained as composed as ever, even when meeting a girl for the first time.
Du Yan seemed to heave a sigh of relief and sat down, holding her coffee cup and not saying a word.
The waitress came over to greet Lin Xiaoran, who ordered a glass of water. Seeing that Du Yan was unlikely to initiate the conversation, he got straight to the point, “Why did you wrongly accuse Gu Yang? Is there something difficult to say?”
The Omega sitting across from him froze for a moment, looking up at Lin Xiaoran with surprise flashing in her eyes.
As a student of Qi Zhong, she naturally knew that Qi Zhong now regarded Lin Xiaoran and Gu Yang as a couple. So when Lin Xiaoran suddenly called her and asked to meet, she didn’t find it strange.
But she thought Lin Xiaoran was coming to hold her accountable.
As a result, not only did Lin Xiaoran not do that, he even asked if there was something difficult to say.
This made her feel even more guilty.
Originally, Gu Yang was innocent, and she hadn’t involved him in this matter. She had heard from her classmates that Gu Yang hadn’t been to school these past few days, and she had been somewhat worried that it was because of this incident.
But now that the words were out, what should she do?
She held the cup tightly, lowered her head, and remained silent.
“Do you have any grudges with Gu Yang?” Lin Xiaoran asked.
Du Yan shook her head hurriedly. “No.”
!
“He had a falling out with his dad because of you, and he’s been away from home for several days now.”
“What?” Du Yan widened her eyes, looking at Lin Xiaoran in disbelief. “I… I…”
“I don’t know why you didn’t tell the truth, but if you didn’t intend to harm him, please help explain,” Lin Xiaoran’s voice was clear and sincere.
“But I’ve already given my statement at the police station. If I change it now…”
“The situation that night was chaotic, and you were in heat, so it’s normal for your thoughts to be confused and for you to say the wrong things. Or is there something else you’re concerned about?”
Du Yan lifted her head, meeting the dark, clear eyes of the boy opposite her. Those eyes were beautiful and transparent, seemingly devoid of emotion, yet Du Yan felt like he could see right through her.
This Lin Xiaoran seemed different from the aloof genius she had always thought him to be.
Before, she had thought that someone like Lin Xiaoran, who looked good, would be difficult to get along with, probably not even speaking much.
But she had misunderstood. Lin Xiaoran seemed to be quite understanding.
She sighed softly and nodded. “Actually, I don’t know how to face my parents.”
Her upbringing was strict, with her parents interfering in every aspect of her life, hardly giving her any freedom. She felt increasingly oppressed, and that night she finally exploded, having a big argument with her parents at home and running out in distress.
With a sense of abandon and a naive determination to make her parents regret it, she deliberately found a group of delinquents. Later, she was taken to the KTV by that group, and the delinquents inside the private room kept forcing her to drink alcohol, the Alpha’s pheromones assaulting her glands, inducing her into heat.
Originally resolute, she suddenly regretted and became scared, so she ran desperately and bumped into Gu Yang and his friends.
She didn’t want to recall what happened afterward.
In eighteen years of her life, she had never done anything so outrageous. After sobering up, she was terrified and didn’t know how others would see her, or how to face her parents.
When she was brought to the police station, she almost wanted to die.
But she didn’t dare.
Facing everyone’s gaze, she just wanted to escape her embarrassment at that moment and, without thinking, pulled Gu Yang out as a scapegoat.
Because of this, everyone’s attention shifted to the fact that the Omega was taken advantage of, they would sympathize with her first, and her parents wouldn’t blame her because she was hurt.
At that moment, she just impulsively involved Gu Yang to divert the attention.
In fact, she had been regretting it these past few days.
“Gu Yang is really good,” Du Yan said. “That night, because of my heat, I really had no shame. If it were any other Alpha with me at that time, what I said would definitely have happened. But Gu Yang didn’t touch me at all. Later at the police station, when the police asked him what happened in the private room, he didn’t say how… scary I was, just to save my face. But I…”
Du Yan looked at Lin Xiaoran, tears of guilt brimming in her big eyes. “I’m sorry. I regretted it when I came back, but I didn’t dare to say.”
Lin Xiaoran didn’t expect the situation to be so simple, merely the girl being afraid to tell the truth.
“Why didn’t you dare to say? Even if you did indeed recklessly involve yourself with those delinquents and then regretted it, trying to escape and regretting it later, is that really so shameful?”
Du Yan: “…”
She hesitated for a moment, looking at Lin Xiaoran.
After a long while, she hesitantly asked, “Isn’t it shameful?”
“If you can recognize your mistake and correct it, why would it be shameful?” Lin Xiaoran countered.
His clear eyes looked at Du Yan steadfastly, without any evasion, carrying an undeniable conviction.
Du Yan knew that he truly believed what he said.
Suddenly, she felt much lighter in her heart and smiled slightly with pursed lips.
Yes, she did make a mistake, but once she realized it, she corrected it, didn’t she? Why should she feel ashamed? Why didn’t she dare to speak up?
These past few days, although she received her parents’ concern because of her lie, she had been feeling very oppressed and regretful. Lying didn’t make her life better; instead, it required one lie after another to cover it up.
Since it was so tiring, why not tell the truth?
That’s how it goes with psychological burdens. Once you figure it out, everything suddenly becomes clear. At that moment, she didn’t want to wait any longer and stood up to bid farewell to Lin Xiaoran. “I’m going to the police station now to clarify this matter and clear Gu Yang’s name.”
After saying that, she turned and left.
Lin Xiaoran took a sip of water and stood up to leave. Suddenly, Du Yan remembered something and turned back to him with a smile. “Lin, I used to think that Gu Yang was not worthy of you when you were together. Now, I think you two are a perfect match.”
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
His thin lips moved slightly, but he ultimately swallowed back the words of explanation. It was bothersome, and besides, Du Yan had already left. There was no point in saying anything now.
He decided not to say anything and turned to walk in another direction.
The morning had passed by quickly. When he rode his bike to school, it was already lunchtime.
He grabbed a quick meal at the cafeteria and returned to the classroom, intending to take a nap. However, he was summoned to the office by the class teacher.
As soon as he left, the class erupted into discussions, speculating why the academic genius had skipped class. Such a thing had never happened before. Was it related to the fact that the school bully hadn’t been coming to school these past few days?
This speculation wasn’t just limited to gossiping classmates; Zhao Tianhua was also a bit worried.
On the school forum, there were posts about Gu Yang and Lin Xiaoran dating one after another. Although the teachers didn’t participate, they were certainly aware of it.
But they didn’t see the need to intervene, so they turned a blind eye.
However, with Lin Xiaoran skipping classes and even missing evening self-study, and now not showing up for the entire morning, Zhao Tianhua couldn’t afford to be complacent.
Gu Yang was one thing; after all, he was academically average, and it would be best if he could improve. If not, the school wouldn’t suffer much loss. But Lin Xiaoran was different. The school was counting on him to bring back the top science honors, adding glory to the school’s reputation.
So when Lin Xiaoran started behaving abnormally, Zhao Tianhua couldn’t afford to be careless. He quickly called Lin Xiaoran to the office and expressed concern about his studies and life, subtly hinting at the impact of early romance on academics and advising caution.
Lin Xiaoran understood his meaning but didn’t say much. After all, it was bothersome to explain, and he knew what he needed to do.
Seeing that Lin Xiaoran seemed to have taken his words to heart, Zhao Tianhua felt somewhat relieved. But then Lin Xiaoran skipped evening self-study again.
After a whole day, with half of the morning classes skipped and now missing evening self-study, this was truly unprecedented.
Zhao Tianhua quickly picked up his phone to call Lin Lan, but before dialing, he stopped.
Forget it. Lin Lan was different from other parents; she didn’t care about her son’s studies at all. If he called to discuss this, she might just say, “They’re at that age, let them relax a bit, teacher, don’t worry about him, let him have some fun.”
Zhao Tianhua had been a teacher for many years, but it was the first time he had encountered such an unreliable mother. It might be better to talk to Lin Xiaoran directly tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoran’s bike had already stopped at the alley where he left in the morning. Instead of going in, he called Gu Yang.
“Come out,” he said concisely.
Two minutes later, Gu Yang came downstairs.
He must have just woken up after sleeping all day. His hair was a bit messy, and he looked even more lazy. With his hands in his pockets, he walked lazily to Lin Xiaoran, smiling. “Wow, the academic genius is skipping evening self-study now?”
Ignoring his joke, Lin Xiaoran got off the bike and gestured for Gu Yang to hold it while he sat on the back seat. “Let’s go, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“Now?” Gu Yang turned to him, looking back. “I have to go to work soon.”
Lin Xiaoran also looked at him, blinking his clear eyes. “But I’m hungry.”
Gu Yang: “…”
Did Lin Xiaoran just act cute? His voice was soft, sounding a bit cute.
Alright, the aftermath of being marked had come again. Gu Yang knew he couldn’t refuse.
As he mounted the bike, he noticed Lin Xiaoran’s slightly upturned water-red lips, a mischievous smile playing on them.
He paused for a moment, then understood. Lin Xiaoran did it on purpose, knowing he couldn’t refuse!
“I didn’t expect our academic genius to be so shameless, resorting to any means to achieve his goal.”
Lin Xiaoran shrugged, very casual.
Gu Yang chuckled. “I find this unfair. You should not be able to resist me either.” He looked back at Lin Xiaoran’s eyes with sincerity. “Shouldn’t you resist me?”
“No!” Lin Xiaoran refused straightforwardly, shattering Gu Yang’s fantasies in an instant.
Feeling annoyed, Gu Yang rode the bike, muttering, “This is so unfair! Why is the Alpha aftermath so severe? I should have avoided marking you last night.”
As Lin Xiaoran listened to his grumbling, his lips curled up a little more.
He was also puzzled. Why couldn’t Gu Yang refuse him because of a temporary marking?
He had his own aftermath, but it only made him slightly dependent on Gu Yang. It wouldn’t make him unable to refuse Gu Yang.
Were Alphas naturally like this?
“Oh, by the way, where are we going?” Gu Yang complained as he rode the bike onto the main road, suddenly remembering to ask Lin Xiaoran.
“Turn right,” Lin Xiaoran said.
They went through several streets, and the surroundings became increasingly unfamiliar to Gu Yang. He couldn’t help but ask, “Where are we going to eat?”
“We’re almost there,” Lin Xiaoran said, reaching out to pat Gu Yang’s shoulder. “Stop here for a moment; I’ll buy something.”
Gu Yang propped his foot on the ground to stop the bike. Lin Xiaoran had already jumped off the back and headed straight to a nearby shop.
Candied chestnuts?
Gu Yang glanced at the sign, a bit surprised. Didn’t Lin Xiaoran dislike sweets?
Soon, Lin Xiaoran came out holding a bag of hot candied chestnuts and handed it to Gu Yang. “Try some.”
Gu Yang didn’t hesitate to take it. He hadn’t eaten all day, and he was hungry now. He peeled one open and casually asked, “I thought you didn’t like sweets?”
“If it’s delicious, why not?” Lin Xiaoran said naturally, sitting on the back seat with the chestnuts in his hands and giving directions to Gu Yang, “Three hundred meters ahead, Tianjun Peak Community, go straight in.”
“Huh?” Gu Yang voiced his confusion. Weren’t they going to eat? Why were they going to a community?
But Lin Xiaoran remained silent, quietly eating the candied chestnuts.
Gu Yang wasn’t stupid; he quickly figured it out. This must be Lin Xiaoran’s home. But he couldn’t understand why Lin Xiaoran brought him here.
Although no one had lived in the house for a month, it was cleaned regularly by a cleaning service, so it was spotless.
After Lin Xiaoran pulled him into the house, he led him straight to his room, pushed the door open, and pointed inside. “There’s no bed in the guest room. You’ll sleep in my room.”
“Huh?” Gu Yang looked at the simple room, then at Lin Xiaoran. His amber eyes showed a hint of confusion before he burst into laughter. “You want me to stay at your house?”
Lin Xiaoran nodded, looking at him earnestly with clear eyes. “Gu Yang, I know you don’t want to go home now, but you can’t stay at the internet cafe forever. Aren’t you going to school? Stay here; you can go back to school tomorrow.”
Gu Yang’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he processed Lin Xiaoran’s words. Then, he smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll stay.”
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