Chapter 73
In the bathroom, the air was thick with steam.
The small space was filled with the scents of rock candy pear and snow pine, swirling together in a gentle mix.
Hot water poured from the showerhead, cascading down over both of them, running along their bodies before finally merging into one stream.
The air was saturated with Gu Yang’s pheromones, blending with the mist, making Lin Xiaoran feel as though he was drifting into a dream. His body no longer felt like his own, as though he were drowning, with the Alpha beside him being his only lifeline.
Time passed without either of them keeping track. By the time they were done, Gu Yang was completely content, while Lin Xiaoran was so weak that he couldn’t even keep his eyes open. After being carried to the bed, he fell into a deep, quiet sleep.
Gu Yang, still feeling satisfied, had the energy to tidy up the mess left in the bathroom. Their clothes were scattered all over the floor, soaked through with water, so he tossed them straight into the washing machine, effectively erasing any trace of what had happened.
Finally, he returned to the bed, ready to hold his Omega and sleep. But his gaze fell on the black box on the bookshelf, which caught his attention.
He walked over, reached for the box, and opened it. Inside was a simple maple leaf pendant, quietly lying there. It was a gift that Gu Yang had given to Lin Xiaoran earlier.
He had thought it would be perfect for Lin Xiaoran when he bought it, but there had never been an opportunity for Lin Xiaoran to wear it. He had always felt a little regretful about that.
Now, his exhausted Omega lay peacefully under the covers, the glow of warmth still lingering on his face, though his lips were a little swollen from the kisses. He looked beautiful and soft, his appearance tender and inviting.
Gu Yang leaned over and gently poked Lin Xiaoran’s cheek.
No response.
He then brushed through the thick eyelashes.
Still no response.
He kissed his lips.
Nothing.
Well, it seemed Lin Xiaoran was deeply asleep.
Gu Yang smiled in satisfaction. He carefully took the pendant out of the box and, with the utmost gentleness, lifted Lin Xiaoran’s head, making sure not to disturb him. Slowly, he fastened the necklace around his neck.
It was just as Gu Yang had imagined—a small maple leaf hanging perfectly against Lin Xiaoran’s delicate collarbone, looking incredibly attractive.
However, there was a faint reddish mark on the collarbone, a reminder of the love marks Gu Yang had just left there.
Gu Yang couldn’t help but admire Lin Xiaoran’s collarbones; he always found himself leaving little traces on them. Now, the scene before him—whether it was from the pendant or the kiss marks—was irresistibly seductive to Gu Yang.
His Adam’s apple involuntarily moved.
Even though they had just been intimate, he found himself thirsty, craving more.
He quickly shook his head, forcing himself to look away from the beautiful collarbone, knowing that he had to stop before his impulses took over.
As much as he wanted to, disturbing Lin Xiaoran’s sleep would likely get him kicked out of bed, wouldn’t it?
So, he obediently lay down and held Lin Xiaoran in his arms, closing his eyes.
After everything, Lin Xiaoran slept soundly and didn’t wake up until morning.
He groggily opened his eyes and, before even seeing who was beside him, he could already smell the familiar scent. Lazily, he rubbed his face against Gu Yang’s chest, and then slowly opened his eyes.
Gu Yang was still asleep.
Glancing at the time, Lin Xiaoran realized that Gu Yang still had about half an hour left to sleep. So, he didn’t disturb him. Instead, he lifted the covers and got out of bed.
But then, he suddenly felt something moving around his neck.
Confused, he looked down and saw the pendant hanging from his neck. It was the same one Gu Yang had given him.
Without a doubt, Gu Yang must have secretly put it on while he was asleep.
Lin Xiaoran rolled his eyes and was about to take it off when Gu Yang, who had just woken up, quickly reached over, pulling him back into his embrace. He grabbed Lin Xiaoran’s hands and buried his face in his neck, nuzzling him with a lazy, just-woken voice. “Ranran, wear it. It really looks good on you.”
“No,” Lin Xiaoran said firmly, though he didn’t struggle. “It’s a necklace for girls.”
Since childhood, he had always been told how pretty he was, which had made him dislike anything associated with appearance, especially things that played into the idea of beauty.
Moreover, he subconsciously felt that necklaces were something girls wore.
“I’ve already told you, it’s a men’s design. If you don’t believe me, take a look in the mirror. Where does it look like something for girls?” Gu Yang quickly grabbed Lin Xiaoran and pulled him to the bathroom to look in the mirror. “See? After wearing it, do you look like a girl?”
Lin Xiaoran’s eyes shifted slightly as he stared at the maple leaf on his collarbone in the mirror.
He really didn’t think it looked feminine.
But…
“Come on, wear it, okay? It’s a couple’s set. I have one too. We can wear them together,” Gu Yang noticed that Lin Xiaoran was no longer as resistant and pressed on.
Lin Xiaoran glanced at him through the mirror. “Couple’s set?”
He had been there when Gu Yang bought the necklace, but he hadn’t realized it was a couple’s set. Besides, Gu Yang had only bought it as a thank-you gift. Why would he have bought a couple’s set?
Gu Yang met his gaze in the mirror, laughing awkwardly. “Actually, I didn’t even know why I bought two of them at the time, but I guess it turned out to be a good choice, right?”
Lin Xiaoran blinked, not commenting, and casually picked up his toothbrush to start brushing his teeth.
Seeing this, Gu Yang couldn’t help but grin.
His Omega, though sometimes a bit violent and cold, was also unexpectedly tender and considerate at times.
The tender and considerate Omega, however, became a little violent again ten minutes later when he had to wear a turtleneck sweater to cover up the love bites on his neck. He grabbed Gu Yang’s collar and warned him, “If you leave any more marks on my neck next time, you’re dead!”
Gu Yang readily agreed, but in his heart, he thought, That’s probably not going to happen. After all, my boyfriend is so tempting everywhere; I can’t help myself.
Still, for the next little while, he had to try and hold back.
The last three months of senior year were a time when everyone was gearing up for the final push. The mock exams came one after another, and all the students entered their most intense phase of preparation.
Gu Yang had been the first and only student at Seven High to surpass Lin Xiaoran in the pre-new year exams, but in the following tests, he lost each time. Lin Xiaoran, the academic god, remained an undefeated legend at Seven High.
For Gu Yang, the difference between getting first place and last place didn’t matter much, especially since his opponent was his boyfriend. To him, there was no need to compete.
However, his boyfriend wanted to compete!
And to push him to go all out, Gu Yang had set up such a tempting bet.
The thought of marking Lin Xiaoran completely, of having that beautiful Omega all to himself, made Gu Yang unable to take the competition lightly.
So, for the next period, he truly didn’t have much time to spend with Lin Xiaoran. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but he wanted a long-lasting happiness for both of them.
When someone focuses all their energy on one thing, time seems to fly by.
Before long, it was June, and the high school seniors who had worked hard all year were finally heading into the battlefield.
Even Lin Xiaoran’s parents, who didn’t usually expect much, started to feel the pressure. Lin Lan made a hearty breakfast, double-checked the exam materials, and drove Lin Xiaoran to the exam site herself.
Gu Yang’s father, Gu Xiu Yuan, had initially planned to drive him, but Gu Yang refused.
Worried that accompanying him might affect Gu Yang’s mood, Gu Xiu Yuan decided against it and let the driver take Gu Yang instead.
Both sets of parents were nervous, but for the two students, there was little pressure.
For both of them, getting into a top university was never in doubt; the only pressure was not losing to each other.
But as they entered the exam hall, all they needed to do was give it their all.
They weren’t at the same exam center, so they only exchanged messages before the exams.
Lin Xiaoran: “Good luck, but I’ll definitely win.”
Gu Yang: “You better be ready to be completely marked, I won’t lose.”
However, to his surprise, Gu Yang ended up one point behind Lin Xiaoran.
When the results were announced, Seven High celebrated as both the top scorers came from the school, bringing pride to an institution that hadn’t produced a top scorer in years.
The entire Gu family was overjoyed, with his grandparents hosting a celebration for the two students.
Although, as the heir to the Gu family, Gu Yang’s exam results didn’t really affect anything, the elders still appreciated students who managed to get into prestigious universities on their own merits.
Even Lin Lan, who often told her son not to focus too much on his studies and to just do his best, was incredibly happy when she saw that her son had ranked as the top scorer.
Unfortunately, while many were happy, there was one person who wasn’t.
As everyone else celebrated, Gu Yang felt frustrated, and he couldn’t find the mood to join in the festivities.
While guests were drinking and toasting together, Gu Yang retreated to the rooftop terrace, unable to shake off the feeling of disappointment.
Although June had already brought some summer heat, the night air was still cool, and he leaned over the railing, staring at the East Lake below, feeling a deep sense of regret.
If only he had been a little more careful during the exam, that one point would have been his.
Perhaps it was because he had placed so much importance on that bet, and he had never been so serious about studying before. He truly didn’t think he would lose.
So, when the results came out, he was deeply disappointed.
But how could he forget that Lin Xiaoran had also given his all to win, and his efforts were no less than his own?
So, this result didn’t seem so unreasonable.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you lost and you’re secretly crying?”
A clear voice came from behind, and Gu Yang turned around to see Lin Xiaoran, who had somehow made his way up, leaning against the door with a raised eyebrow, looking at him with a trace of smugness in his clear eyes.
It was clear that his boyfriend was very pleased to have won!
Gu Yang walked over, grabbed Lin Xiaoran’s chin, and gritted his teeth, saying, “You really don’t want me to mark you, do you?”
Lin Xiaoran didn’t resist, letting his head tilt back to look at him. “I just wanted to beat you.”
“Same thing.” Gu Yang felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
If there hadn’t been that bet, Gu Yang would have been happy to let Lin Xiaoran win and enjoy his victory, but with that bet, it felt like he had missed out on a great opportunity.
Seeing that Gu Yang really was upset, Lin Xiaoran wrapped his arm around his waist and leaned in to kiss him on the lips, laughing. “Although you lost and can’t get your prize, I won, and I’m in a good mood, so…”
He paused, noticing how Gu Yang’s eyes immediately lit up, a stark contrast to his previous gloomy expression.
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
Was it really that obvious?
He couldn’t help but chuckle, giving Gu Yang’s waist a playful squeeze. “What are you thinking? We’ll talk about the marking thing after you win next time. But tonight, I can stay with you…” He lowered his voice and leaned in close to Gu Yang’s ear, whispering, “To make up for what you missed… Mmm…”
Since marking wasn’t possible yet, Lin Xiaoran was happy to make up for what he’d missed.
Gu Yang wasted no time and pinned him to the wall, kissing his soft, pink lips.
Over the past few months, both of them had been focused on outdoing each other in the competition, leaving little time for intimacy. But now that everything was settled, their bodies were honest, and once close, they couldn’t pull away.
The scent of cedar wood and pheromones filled the summer night air, swirling around Lin Xiaoran’s senses.
“Mm…”
Lin Xiaoran quickly pushed him away. “Are you crazy? Here?”
In such an open space, the pheromones couldn’t be concealed. Their home downstairs was still hosting a celebration, and the place was crowded.
So, this was definitely not the right place.
Gu Yang, feeling impatient, could only scoop him up and quickly rush downstairs, leading him to his room, where he shut the door and pressed Lin Xiaoran onto the bed.
With the barriers removed, he pulled Lin Xiaoran into his arms.
In the privacy of their room, the temperature gradually rose.
Unbeknownst to them, a little white sugar sleeping on the windowsill was startled awake by the sounds of movement on the bed. Its round eyes blinked curiously at the two of them. It tilted its head and stared for a while, unsure whether it understood or not, before curling up and covering its eyes with its tail to continue sleeping.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the celebration was just reaching its peak, and some people were excitedly shouting about partying all night. No one had noticed that the two main characters had already disappeared without a trace.
The next day, Lin Xiaoran regretted his decision from the previous night. Because of his remark, Gu Yang had completely let go the night before.
By now, Lin Xiaoran was still too exhausted to move, lying on the bed without any strength.
Thankfully, after the Gu family had finished celebrating with the two kids the day before, they were busy today with Lin Lan trying on wedding dresses, so there was no one home.
Otherwise, if anyone had seen him lying limp on the bed like this, even Lin Xiaoran would feel embarrassed.
Gu Yang probably knew he’d been a bit too rough last night, so today he was particularly well-behaved. He got up early and took extra care of Lin Xiaoran, even preparing lunch himself.
To his surprise, Gu Yang had a talent for cooking. Following a tutorial, the food turned out great. With the help of Aunt Wu, the family’s professional chef, the meal was delicious and beautifully presented.
Lin Xiaoran, feeling pampered and satisfied with the meal, didn’t hold a grudge anymore.
After the college entrance exam results came out, major universities in China reached out to both of them with generous offers, hoping they would come. But they had already agreed to attend Qinghua University together, so they politely declined all the offers.
Once the college application forms were filled out, their final summer vacation of high school officially began.
With a month left before Gu Xiu Yuan and Lin Lan’s wedding, the two decided to travel during this time.
After deciding on a destination, Gu Yang immediately began planning their trip and booking tickets. The next day, they were off to the airport.
During this month, they planned to visit many places and truly take in the beauty of the country.
