Chapter 27
Coincidentally, it was the weekend, so there was no evening self-study. After school, Lin Xiaoran packed up and went to the bike shed with Gu Yang to get their bicycles.
As soon as they stepped out of the classroom, they ran into Chen Hongqiang and a few others.
“Yang Ge, are you leaving already?” Chen Hongqiang was taken aback. He had thought it was a rare occasion for Gu Yang to come to school, especially after clearing up the misunderstanding. He wanted to gather his brothers for a good time.
But seeing Gu Yang with Lin Xiaoran, he changed his mind about inviting them. He felt that pulling Gu Yang away at this moment would spoil the atmosphere.
Gu Yang didn’t seem to catch his drift and greeted them with a smile. “Yes, someone is treating us today. I’ll be off.”
With that, he walked downstairs side by side with Lin Xiaoran.
Jiang Tao couldn’t help poking Chen Hongqiang. “Hey, weren’t we supposed to invite Yang Ge for dinner? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Chen Hongqiang glanced at him, unenthusiastically saying, “Then why didn’t you? Weren’t you the one who kept insisting that it’s all your fault Yang Ge got into trouble? You’ve been talking about treating him to dinner since this morning, but now that you see him, you’re not saying anything?”
“I…” Jiang Tao scratched his head awkwardly. “I didn’t dare. I was afraid Lin Xueshen would get mad at me because of what happened to Yang Ge. How could I ask Gu Yang out in front of him?”
“So can I?” Chen Hongqiang teased, putting his arm around Jiang Tao. “Alright, Yang Ge is on a date with his boyfriend. Let’s not ruin it. Since Gu Yang isn’t going, you treat us, and it’s the same thing. Let’s go.”
The group then walked downstairs with their arms around each other.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoran and Gu Yang had already left the school and were heading straight for Tianjun Peak.
Lin Xiaoran’s neighborhood was newly built in recent years. Although the surroundings were well-planned, it lacked the hustle and bustle of urban life. For unfamiliar visitors, finding a place to eat nearby was not easy.
Lin Xiaoran was quite familiar with the area. He led Gu Yang out through the back gate of the community and walked a couple of hundred meters to the side, turning into an inconspicuous alley. After a few steps, the atmosphere became lively.
It was similar to the food street behind Seven Middle School, with various shops and snacks available.
The nearby residents seemed to like this place, as it had a large flow of people.
Lin Xiaoran navigated through the crowd with Gu Yang and walked to the innermost part, entering an inconspicuous restaurant.
The owner recognized Lin Xiaoran and greeted him with a smile, “Ranran, it’s been a while. Are you feeling stressed about your third year of high school?”
Lin Xiaoran didn’t like to talk much and didn’t explain. He nodded and began ordering.
He frequented this restaurant, and since they were both guys, they didn’t pay much attention to etiquette during meals. Besides, they were both hungry, so he ordered a few of the restaurant’s best dishes on his own.
Gu Yang wasn’t picky about food to begin with, and the food here was already delicious, so it suited his taste.
After finishing their meal, it was already dark outside.
Lin Xiaoran still had to return home, worried that Gu Yang might have an episode of post-marking syndrome later and would need to be escorted home if he stayed out too late. As soon as they left the restaurant, Lin Xiaoran said goodbye to Gu Yang and prepared to leave.
However, Gu Yang’s post-marking syndrome still acted up. He felt uncomfortable seeing Lin Xiaoran about to leave alone after he got on his bike.
“Forget it, I’ll take you.” Gu Yang held onto the handlebars and looked at Lin Xiaoran with a somewhat helpless smile.
He knew his worries were unfounded. Not to mention that the security here was already very good, and the likelihood of anything happening was almost nonexistent. Even if Lin Xiaoran got into a fight, it was unlikely that anyone could do anything to him.
Gu Yang also realized that his concern seemed unrelated to whether Lin Xiaoran encountered any accidents. He just felt like it wasn’t right to let Lin Xiaoran go alone.
Lin Xiaoran looked up, his clear eyes staring at Gu Yang. He pursed his lips lightly and handed the bike over to Gu Yang, obediently sitting in the back.
Huh?
Gu Yang didn’t expect him to be so obedient. It seemed like Lin Xiaoran really disliked his post-marking syndrome these past few days, feeling it was troublesome.
He thought he would insist on sending Lin Xiaoran himself, and he was sure Lin Xiaoran would be unhappy about it.
“Hurry up!” Lin Xiaoran snapped impatiently, giving Gu Yang a cold look.
It was completely different from his obedient appearance just now.
Gu Yang chuckled, coming back to his senses. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why is it that every time I catch a glimpse of some Omega traits in you, you immediately snap out of it?”
“None of your business!” Lin Xiaoran gave him a disdainful look. “Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Gu Yang mounted the bike, took Lin Xiaoran, and they left the food street, heading towards Gu’s house.
At this moment, a hint of confusion flashed in the Omega’s eyes sitting behind him. Lin Xiaoran noticed that although he complained about Gu Yang’s post-marking syndrome, when Gu Yang insisted on taking him home, he didn’t dislike it. Instead, he felt a sense of joy from being protected and cared for.
Is an Omega’s dependence on an Alpha really so obvious after being marked?
It seems more severe than last time.
Last time, he would instinctively think of turning to Gu Yang when faced with something, but this time, he seemed to want to stay with Gu Yang a little longer, even though it was subtle.
No wonder Omegas, once formally marked by Alphas, can only be with that Alpha for life.
Is it because they can’t resist this physiological reaction?
He pondered, and the Alpha in front of him spoke, interrupting his thoughts, “Shall we discuss something?”
“Go ahead,” he replied casually.
“In a moment, I’ll wait at the entrance. Bring Bai Tang out for me to see,” Gu Yang said.
Lin Xiaoran was momentarily stunned, then his lips curved slightly, and he softly replied, “Okay.”
It wasn’t far from Lin Xiaoran’s house to Gu Yang’s, only about a twenty-minute bike ride.
Gu Yang didn’t want to be seen by his family, especially since he was still technically on the run from home. If his family saw him appearing at the doorstep, they might think he wanted to return home. So, instead of heading directly home, they rode along the shady road beside Donghu Lake. A hundred meters away from Gu’s house, he stopped.
Lin Xiaoran understood his intentions and hopped off the bike, saying, “Wait here for a moment,” before running off.
Shortly after, he returned from inside with a small white creature in his arms.
With his head lowered, Gu Yang gently scratched the little one’s head with his slender white fingers, his lips forming a gentle yet affectionate smile. The little creature seemed to enjoy the scratching, closing its eyes and purring softly while kneading its soft paws against him.
The bright streetlight on Linshady Road cast long shadows of the two figures as they approached. Gu Yang leaned against his bike, watching them draw nearer. The curve of his lips was noticeably higher than usual, and his gaze shifted from the little creature to Lin Xiaoran’s face.
He had always known that Lin Xiaoran was exceptionally good-looking, even among Omegas.
He looked even more beautiful when he smiled.
Especially now, with that rarely seen gentle and affectionate smile.
He appeared lovely and tender.
Lin Xiaoran approached with the little creature in his arms, only to find Gu Yang completely unresponsive. Puzzled, he looked up and met Gu Yang’s peach blossom eyes, which were fixed on his face without blinking, just like during the day. His smile turned into that of a fool again.
To his annoyance, he found himself feeling nervous for no reason, his heart thumping loudly.
Darn it!
He frowned and directly pushed the little creature onto Gu Yang’s face, saying coldly, “Look at your son!”
Uh…
Gu Yang snapped out of his daze, feeling extremely embarrassed.
He had caught himself daydreaming about Lin Xiaoran twice today.
Even though both he and Lin Xiaoran knew it was due to the post-marking syndrome, Gu Yang still felt embarrassed.
No matter how you looked at it, he was acting smitten towards an Omega, and not for the first time.
Fortunately, there was the little creature.
“Meow~ Meow~”
The little creature hadn’t seen Gu Yang for several days, and now that it saw him, it showed rare enthusiasm, meowing excitedly at him and licking his fingers, seeming extremely happy.
Gu Yang had actually missed the little creature a bit. Although there were people at home taking care of it, after all, he had picked it up from outside, and as it gradually improved and turned into this “forgetful” little thing, he did feel a bit nostalgic after not seeing it for a few days.
So, he played with the little creature for a while, easing the slight awkwardness between him and Lin Xiaoran.
Lin Xiaoran leaned against a nearby tree, watching them without urging. When Gu Yang finally handed the little creature back to him, he spoke up, “You can take the bike and ride off. Tomorrow, help me ride it to school.” With that said, he intended to take the little creature and leave. However, he suddenly caught sight of someone approaching not far behind Gu Yang. It was Gu Xiuyuan.
Lin Xiaoran’s mouth opened slightly, wanting to warn Gu Yang, but Gu Yang had already pushed the bike and turned his head, colliding head-on with Gu Xiuyuan.
The father and son unexpectedly met without any warning, locking eyes for a moment, both seemingly caught off guard.
After a brief silence, Gu Xiuyuan visibly smiled, seemingly in a good mood.
But before he could say anything, Gu Yang had already mounted his bike, tossing a “I’m leaving” to Lin Xiaoran, then rode off swiftly past Gu Xiuyuan.
Gu Xiuyuan clearly hadn’t expected this outcome.
Did Gu Yang appearing here mean he had decided to come back home?
Why did he… just leave like that?
Lin Xiaoran hadn’t expected this turn of events either.
Gu Yang could just leave like that, but what was he supposed to do?
Sure enough, Gu Xiuyuan turned to him and asked, “Ranran, what’s going on?”
Sigh…
Lin Xiaoran sighed helplessly, holding up Bai Tang for Gu Xiuyuan to see. “He wanted Bai Tang, so I brought him out to see.”
“Then, didn’t you… try to persuade him to come back?” Gu Xiuyuan looked at him with concern.
Lin Xiaoran shook his head. “No. He’s not mad at me.”
“…,” Gu Xiuyuan was left speechless.
Lin Xiaoran glanced at him and added, unusually talkative, “If I were misunderstood by my mom like that, I would be angry too. But, my mom would definitely apologize to me.” With that said, he walked away with Bai Tang in his arms.
Leaving Gu Xiuyuan standing alone by the lake, lost in thought, not knowing what to do.
Back in his room, Lin Xiaoran thought for a moment before sending a message to Gu Yang: How are you?
Although Gu Yang seemed unchanged these past few days, Lin Xiaoran knew he cared, or else he wouldn’t have clashed with Gu Xiuyuan like that.
Encountering Gu Xiuyuan suddenly tonight, Lin Xiaoran wondered if it had affected him.
Gu Yang replied after a while: I’m fine. By the way, remember to bring me some clothes tomorrow, and also, lend me your old notes.
Lin Xiaoran smiled lightly as he read the message, then tossed his phone aside and began working on his homework.
No evening self-study tonight, but homework still needed to be done.
After finishing his homework, he went to Gu Yang’s room, grabbed a few pieces of clothing from the wardrobe, packed them into a bag, then took a shower and went to bed.
The next morning, because Gu Yang had taken the bike, he woke up a bit earlier than usual, had breakfast ten minutes earlier than usual, and set off for school a bit earlier than usual, intending to walk.
But as he walked out of Linshady Road, he spotted Gu Yang pushing his bike at the intersection.
The morning sun cast a golden veil over him from the east, soft and hazy.
Lin Xiaoran’s eyelashes trembled as he stared at him, stunned.
Gu Yang, at the intersection, felt his gaze and turned his head, smiling gently when his eyes landed on Lin Xiaoran, his eyes curved, dimming the sunlight that fell on him.
“You finally came out. I’ve been standing here for ten minutes,” Gu Yang chuckled and waved at him.
Lin Xiaoran snapped out of his trance, hurried over, and sat on the rear seat of the bike. His mouth moved but couldn’t help saying, “You didn’t have to come.”
Gu Yang laughed, “Isn’t that a good thing? If you feel bad, let’s have breakfast.” With that, he mounted the bike and rode towards the school.
