Among the club members at the group dinner, there was another boy who was also an Omega. He had first taken Lin Yan back to the dormitory and then come back downstairs to wait for Shi Qi.
After waking up, Shi Qi felt very embarrassed and bought a bunch of mini cakes as a thank-you gift for the boy.
According to the boy, he had only helped Shi Qi upstairs; it was actually Shang Sui who had taken him to the dorm building.
Shi Qi’s memory of the previous night ended at the hotpot restaurant. After that, everything was a blur, as if he had been drunk. Bits and pieces flashed vaguely through his mind. It seemed that Shang Sui had coaxed him all the way and had put in quite a bit of effort.
Ever since an embarrassing incident with alcohol back in high school, Shi Qi had barely touched a drop. He hadn’t expected the side effects of the special suppressant to make him relive that same humiliation. Having troubled Shang Sui again, Shi Qi felt a little guilty. He thought he should find a chance to thank him as well.
Lin Yan was planning to give that club member some blocker sprays in various scents as a thank-you gift. When Shi Qi saw the big gift bag, he hesitantly asked, “Is it really appropriate to give something like this?”
“I can tell you don’t go into heat often.” Lin Yan swore solemnly. “You don’t get it, but this kind of gift is the most practical between us Omegas.”
“I’m planning to get all the common scents on the market, but I’m still missing two. That supermarket by the south gate posted on their Moments that they’ll be restocking in a couple of days,” Lin Yan said, scrolling through his phone. “But I have class that afternoon. Can you help me buy them? Cedar’s a popular scent; you’ll have to fight for it.”
Shi Qi made an OK gesture.
He unlocked his phone and logged into his social media account, originally just intending to browse casually. But when he saw that many people had tagged him and sent photos and videos from the competition day, Shi Qi suddenly remembered that incident. He started looking through everyone’s posts one by one.
[Quick! Come see our Algae-jie’s 4K fan cam! Link: @Algae_1717. Dual angles of dazzling beauty!]
[17’s outfit that day was so photogenic, even a casual snap looked like a movie still.]
[The belts that look like waist chains were absolutely genius…]
[The after-footage and comparison clips have been reposted like crazy. I even saw someone ahead of me in the cafeteria line watching them, so I ran up to recognize her as a kindred spirit!]
…
[AHHHH did you guys notice that 17 fainted on stage, and a super handsome Alpha came onstage and carried him off? The guy had long hair, OMG! At first no one reacted, then someone started recording. The vibe was so suggestive!]
[Hubby baby, did you find yourself a husband? If it’s that gorgeous guy who princess-carried you, I’ll happily give my blessing! Just, the size difference seems kind of intense, so watch yourselves in bed—]
[Those who know will think it’s fanservice. For those who don’t, it looked like they were doing it right there on stage.]
[But all the current videos are kind of blurry, and none show the guy’s face clearly. Algae-jie, do you have a close-up of that part? Please share it! I need this clip. No, I mean, this video is getting me through life.]
In the past, everyone’s comments were all “baby this, baby that,” but now, for some reason, each one was more explicit than the last.
Shi Qi saw the increasingly unrestrained tone of the messages and thought to himself: Are you guys writing smut now? Luckily, Shang Sui couldn’t see any of this. Otherwise, Shi Qi would be too embarrassed to show his face again.
Just as he was thinking that, the account named “Algae_1717” left him a comment.
[1717! I filmed the whole part where your friend fed you candy and carried you offstage. But I’m not sure if you’re okay with me posting it, so I wanted to ask first.]
Shi Qi mercilessly replied.
@1717177: [Don’t post it.]
The other party responded almost immediately.
@Algae_1717: [Okay okay!]
Soon, people noticed their exchange.
[What do you mean?! What could there possibly be that Mama can’t watch!]
[Please, Qi’er, just let me take a peek! I feel physically unwell not being able to see you two on stage…]
[Nooo! My glorious 4K candy-feeding fancam…]
[Baby, you didn’t secretly DM Algae-jie to get the video and are now watching it behind our backs, did you?]
Ridiculous. Like he would ever do that.
…
Well, just watching it once shouldn’t hurt.
After all, he’d fainted at the time and was pretty curious about what had happened on stage.
Shi Qi convinced himself and quickly messaged the other party.
@1717177: [Hi, would it be possible for you to send me the video privately?]
“Algae_1717” seemed to misunderstand and got strangely excited.
[Yes yes yes!]
[Don’t worry, Xiao Qi! I absolutely won’t share this video. I’ll protect your privacy at all costs!!]
Shi Qi sent her a thank-you message, and she quickly transferred the video.
As he watched Shang Sui pinch the back of his neck and force the candy into his mouth, Shi Qi’s cheeks gradually grew warm.
What the hell.
Why did he suck on Shang Sui’s finger like that, as if he were reluctant to let go…
“Shi Qi, what are you watching? Your face is so red.” Lin Yan walked by and saw Shi Qi curled up on the bed with a strange expression. “Don’t tell me you’re watching something spicy behind my back. If it’s good, send me a copy.”
Shi Qi feigned calmness. “It’s nothing.”
Lin Yan’s thoughts jumped all over the place. He stared at Shi Qi and suddenly asked, “Hey, Shi Qi, have you ever done it yourself?”
“?” Shi Qi blinked. “Done what?”
“Heat, duh! Masturbation!”
Shi Qi’s eyes darted away. On the paused screen was Shang Sui’s long, beautiful hand. His body inexplicably went soft, and the phone slipped from his hand and hit his chest with a thud.
Seeing his reaction, Lin Yan eagerly pounced on the topic. “So you’ve never even—?”
The way Omegas experienced satisfaction was different from others. Judging by Shi Qi’s reaction, it seemed like he’d only done the simplest things and had never truly learned how to find real pleasure.
“…No.”
Lin Yan immediately launched into a full-on crash course. As he spoke, Shi Qi’s eyes gradually widened, and in the end, he blurted out, “Holy shit, it has to go that far?”
His pheromone levels were low, and usually, after taking a suppressant, he didn’t feel much of anything. At most, he’d touch the front a little. He had thought only people with permanent marks went all the way. He didn’t expect that even a regular heat cycle required all that…
“Tsk tsk tsk.” Seeing how innocent he was, Lin Yan finally summed it up, “With the way you are, just wait to be bullied to death in the future.”
“…”
Shi Qi threw a pillow at him, hitting Lin Yan square on the head.
Lin Yan, bearing no grudge, tossed it back and hit Shi Qi in return.
While the two of them were childishly smacking each other, Jiang Youning sent Shi Qi a message.
Jiang Youning: [How have you been lately? I secretly transferred you some money.]
17: [?]
17: [Now you show up? So suspicious.]
Jiang Youning: [Well, it’s because Papa Xiao An was watching too closely at the start. Dad and I didn’t dare sneak anything to you, but we’ve always been thinking about you!]
Jiang Youning: […Okay fine, I confess. Papa Xiao An told me to pretend to be the cool older sister handing out pocket money and come spy on you.]
Jiang Youning: [But I’m seriously curious—where the heck did your boyfriend come from?]
Jiang Youning: [I promise I won’t tell the dads! Just give me a straight answer.]
As if to prove her innocence, Jiang Youning sent over a large sum of allowance right after saying that.
At that moment, Lin Yan asked, “Shi Qi, wanna go skiing? There’s also hot springs.”
“Qin Shuhe and the others are organizing it. They started with the art academy and now they’ve got people from A University too. Even Xiao Tao-jie is going.”
Chu Tao was the president of the dance club. If she was going, that probably meant a lot of club members would be joining as well.
Shi Qi, back to living a carefree, money-spending lifestyle, quickly agreed, “I’m in.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Youning was still blowing up his phone with questions. Shi Qi was about to tell her the truth when a sudden suspicion crept in—this might be a double spy operation. He couldn’t trust her so easily.
He apologized to her in his heart, then replied: [He really is my boyfriend. I’ll tell you the details later.]
Feeling a bit guilty, he added a rare sweet note: [Thanks for the money, jiejie.]
Jiang Youning: [Really? …Alright then.]
Jiang Youning: [Actually, I saw that video of him carrying you today, the one from your school’s dance competition.]
Since Shi Qi felt embarrassed about letting the older generation see his posts, only Jiang Youning in the family knew about his social media account. Shi An and the others were respectful of his boundaries and had never looked him up online on purpose.
The video Jiang Youning had stumbled upon was blurry, but the views and likes were staggering.
The Alpha carrying Shi Qi had an indistinct face, but just based on his figure and presence, it was obvious he was strikingly good-looking.
Jiang Youning admitted honestly: [Not sure why, but seeing him made me kind of annoyed.]
Was it because her little brother had been snatched away?
Shi Qi thought for a moment, then offered an explanation.
17: [Maybe it’s because you’re both art students and Alphas. You feel like rivals.]
Jiang Youning: […]
Jiang Youning: [That actually makes sense.]
–
Qin Shuhe didn’t just extend invitations from the art academy to A University; he even went from inviting students to inviting teachers, trying to get Shang Sui to join the ski and hot spring trip.
To be precise, as long as there was any kind of gathering, he would always invite the new teaching assistant.
Shang Sui didn’t participate often, but everyone liked him. Whenever there was an event, they wanted to include him.
[Ge, want to go skiing?]
[Xiaozhong Mountain has a newly opened ski resort, and the snow in the mountains is super thick right now. The hot spring hotel is also brand new.]
Thinking about how Shang Sui and Shi Qi knew each other, Qin Shuhe added: [By the way, Shi Qi’s going too.]
Shang Sui’s gaze landed on that last line. The message “No, you guys have fun” he had already typed was deleted one word at a time, and he began typing again.
Ss: [Okay.]
Qin Shuhe: [!]
Qin Shuhe: [Whoa! Nice!! We’re leaving Friday afternoon for a weekend trip. Ge, does that timing work for you?]
Shang Sui just replied with a “Sounds good,” then set his phone aside and continued painting.
On the canvas, translucent gold spread out in overlapping layers. The dancer on stage and the crowd below were caught in the shifting lights and shadows.
Shang Sui wasn’t quite satisfied with the current composition. He was still thinking about how to capture the memory that seemed to be burning in his mind when Jiang Yan’s call came in.
He didn’t bother holding the phone to his ear and just put it on speaker.
“Dude, I’ve made a mind-blowing discovery.”
“That kid from last time really opened my eyes. Since an Alpha and Alpha can be together…” Jiang Yan paused. “Brace yourself, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle what I’m about to say.”
Shang Sui replied absentmindedly, “Say it.”
But the next second, Jiang Yan dropped a bomb, “I’ve thought about it over and over, and I’m pretty sure Shen Qianyu has a crush on you!”
“…”
Shang Sui’s hand trembled, nearly dropping his paintbrush.
Once he recovered, he said flatly, “Are you sick? Can you not disgust me?”
“I have a feeling that as long as you give the word, Shen Qianyu would help you even commit murder or arson,” Jiang Yan reasoned. “If that’s not love, then what is?”
“…”
“Oh, and I’m not saying you should actually do anything illegal. It’s just a metaphor.”
“I don’t know why, but even though you’ve never done anything particularly outrageous, I always get the feeling you’re a bit crazy,” Jiang Yan muttered to himself, then offered an excuse for it. “Maybe it’s a common problem among artists?”
Shang Sui didn’t respond. Jiang Yan, knowing his temperament well, could tell Shang Sui was about to ruthlessly hang up, so he quickly tried to stop him. “Wait, wait, wait! I’m not done!”
“You used to have a white moonlight[mfn]White moonlight refers to someone like a first love or an unattainable person who remains idealized in your heart.[/mfn], right?”
The friends closest to Shang Sui knew that he had once liked someone. But he rarely talked about it, and all they knew was that such a person existed. It had been years since he’d last mentioned it, so everyone assumed he’d moved on.
“So it makes sense that Shen Qianyu, who has a crush on you, wouldn’t dare say anything, right?”
Shang Sui suddenly said, “It was wrong of Shen Qianyu to ask you to get your glands removed.”
Jiang Yan thought he’d finally been convinced and immediately chimed in, “Exactly, exactly!”
“You should get your hormone levels checked.”
“?”
“See if your brain stopped developing at age ten.”
“…”
Before hanging up, Shang Sui added, “It’s not ‘used to.’”
After the call was cut off, Jiang Yan sat there in stunned silence.
What did “not used to” mean?
There’s no way Shang Sui’s white moonlight hadn’t changed by now… right?
–
To help Lin Yan complete his blocker gift bundle, Shi Qi immediately headed out when he saw the supermarket had restocked. As promised, he managed to get the cedar-scented one Lin Yan had requested.
While looking at the rows of blocker sprays behind the counter, Shi Qi’s gaze was drawn to packaging on the top shelf with an orange-yellow background and white flowers.
Since he had low pheromone levels and rarely used these products, he’d never developed the habit of carrying them around.
After hesitating for a moment, Shi Qi pointed and said, “I’ll take the honey-scented one too.”
At checkout, the store clerk casually mentioned, “Honey is a new seasonal limited release. You’re actually the first customer to buy it.”
Seeing the confusion on Shi Qi’s face, the clerk explained, “Most people prefer cooler scents like cedar or fir. When sprayed on, they give the feeling of being hugged by an Alpha.”
“Why? Isn’t something sweet also nice?” Shi Qi voiced his honest opinion.
“—I think so too.”
The slightly amused voice made Shi Qi freeze as if someone had hit the pause button. He stood there, stunned.
He turned around. The newcomer wore a fluffy mint-green scarf and sweater. A hoop earring with a diamond chain swayed slightly, nearly brushing his coat. A row of rose-gold cartilage studs sparkled in his ear.
With snow and cold air drifting in from outside, Shang Sui closed his umbrella and looked over, clearly amused.
After they left the supermarket, that line “the feeling of being hugged by an Alpha” kept echoing in Shi Qi’s mind.
He turned his head slightly and glanced hesitantly at the Alpha beside him.
The last time they’d met, Shang Sui hadn’t had that many cartilage studs. Had he gotten another one?
Lin Yan had once said that cartilage piercings hurt, especially when placed that deep. Shang Sui really didn’t fear pain.
No, he had to explain himself.
After thinking it over, Shi Qi took the initiative and said, “I just like sweeter scents. That’s all it means.”
“Ah? Then you don’t like me?”
“?” How was that related?
Before Shi Qi could respond, Shang Sui immediately switched to a wounded tone. “I’m so sad.”
“…” Shi Qi didn’t know how to argue with him, so he hurriedly changed the subject. “Thanks for taking me home after the dinner.”
Shang Sui smiled and handed over the bag he was holding. “This is for you.”
“What is it?”
The bag was large and heavier than expected. While Shang Sui held it effortlessly with one hand, Shi Qi instinctively reached out with both arms to hug it after estimating its weight.
“It’s a painting.” Snow was still falling around them. Shang Sui opened the umbrella and gestured for him to come closer. “Open it when you’re back in your dorm. I’ll walk you to the dorm building.”
Shi Qi realized something. “You painted it?”
When Shang Sui nodded, Shi Qi hugged the bag a little tighter, careful not to let it touch the falling snow.
It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of curiosity and anticipation over something inside a package. Just knowing that Shang Sui had painted it, stroke by stroke, made him hold the bag even closer.
“If you don’t like it, just let me know and I’ll take it back.” Shang Sui paused briefly, then joked, “Just don’t throw it away.”
Why did he have to say it so pitifully?
As if Shi Qi could ever throw away a painting from Shang Sui.
After returning to the dorm, Shi Qi opened the packaging, lost in thought.
He froze for a few seconds, then quickly grabbed his phone and started snapping photos of the painting from every angle.
Shang Sui had painted a scene of the stage at sunset. Unlike reality, he had used a wistful, perfectly balanced gray-purple as the background, with pale golden hues of the setting sun floating above like the shimmering surface of water.
The figure at the center of the stage was dressed in black, but the details were accented with sudden splashes of color that kept the composition from feeling dull.
Shi Qi’s face had been deliberately blurred, with no distinct facial features outlined. One hand pressed downward in a pose that radiated forceful momentum, as if breaking through everything in its path. Even through the canvas, the atmosphere felt like a wild celebration.
In the end, Shi Qi reached out and gently touched the version of himself in the painting.
Shang Sui had made him look so cool.
Looking at the painting brought back all the emotions of being on stage, so vividly that even the dizziness he’d felt and the sound of the wind rushing past his ears resurfaced in his memory. The emotional impact was almost unbelievable.
Shi Qi tried photo after photo, but none of them captured the vibrancy of the painting. Reluctantly, he chose the best-looking one and posted it to his Moments. Still feeling it wasn’t enough, he shared it on another social media platform as well.
17: [Praise.] [Image]
Almost immediately after he posted it, Lin Yan commented.
Yanyan: [OMG, so expressive!]
Yanyan: [That’s exactly how I felt watching you from the audience. It was like you were ascending the throne on stage!]
Qin Shuhe: [Who painted this? The composition is amazing. And how can the colors be so layered yet translucent? Was it done with gouache? But it seems heavier… maybe oil paint?]
Qin Shuhe: [Where did you find someone this insanely talented?]
Qin Shuhe’s professional-level praise made Shi Qi feel proud, almost as if he were the one being complimented.
17: [Your reward.]
17: [I’ll help you climb ranks tonight. I’ll even make an exception and let you play mid-lane.]
Qin Shuhe: [Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.]
Even the club president excitedly chimed in.
Chu Tao: [Wuwuwuwu, such powerful beauty! After seeing everyone’s photos from the event, looking at this completely different style feels like its own story. His Majesty’s cat-like face deserves to be immortalized in every form!]
17: [?]
Chu Tao: [No, no, I meant regal face!]
Praise flooded both his Moments and his social media account. One elder who collected art even messaged Shi Qi, asking who the artist was and whether an introduction could be arranged.
Just as Shi Qi was wondering how to respond, Shang Sui himself saw the post and commented on his Moments.
Ss: [As long as you like it. See you on Friday.]
17: [Mm, I really like it.]
17: [See you on Friday.]
Lin Yan also noticed Shang Sui’s comment.
Yanyan: [You drew this? Damn, I need to start calling you “ge” too. No wonder Qin Shuhe’s always kneeling after your classes.]
Yanyan: [Ge, are you coming on the ski trip with us? Nice! It’s gonna be lit.]
Shi Qi admired the painting a little longer, then found a good spot to display it. But no matter where he put it, the dorm still felt too cramped. He decided he’d take it home during the holidays.
After wrapping everything up, he sat down, opened a bottle of water, and noticed a new message notification. Shang Sui had replied to Lin Yan.
Shi Qi scrolled as he drank, but the moment he read the reply, he choked on his water, coughing so hard he could barely catch his breath.
Ss: [Yes, I’ll be there to serve His Majesty properly ^^]
Ss: [Super excited.]
…Was there really no one in his Moments that Shang Sui was worried about seeing that?
Even if they were pretending to be a couple, just how was Shang Sui able to throw himself into the role so completely!!
Author’s note:
Attend the Emperor’s bed, must attend the Emperor’s bed
