IPDAOLR Chapter 29.1

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

Jiang Zhihuo instantly sat up from the bed, pressing a pillow against his lower abdomen and forcibly maintaining a composed expression. “This is totally normal! Just now, I had to use my imagination and think of you as a girl. Otherwise, ten minutes…”

At this, Jiang Zhihuo paused briefly, leaned forward, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Yan Mu. His gaze swept downward. “Speaking of which, you didn’t have any reaction at all?”

Yan Mu remained expressionless; his tone was indifferent. “No.”

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t believe it; his voice raised slightly. “Let me see?”

Yan Mu stood up, glancing sideways with a chilly gaze. “Get lost.”

“Hahaha.” Jiang Zhihuo fell back onto the bed, laughing as he hugged the pillow and rolled across the mattress.

Yan Mu flipped through a stack of papers and said, “If you don’t feel like sleeping, come and have makeup lessons.”

“……..” Jiang Zhihuo immediately stopped laughing, deliberately let out an exaggerated yawn, stretched out his hand to turn off the bedside lamp, and lay down. “Sleep, I’m freaking exhausted!”

The desk lamp flickered on, and the room fell into an instant silence. The sound of cicadas and the moonlight were blocked by the tightly shut curtains, while the air conditioner above emitted a gentle and cool breeze.

Uncertain of how much time had passed, Jiang Zhihuo still hadn’t fallen asleep. He closed his eyes several times, tossing and turning in bed. The thin blanket brushed against the bamboo mat, making a rustling sound. Finally, he gave up, spread his arms wide, and lay in the center of the bed in a starfish position.

“It’s the 26th.” Jiang Zhihuo lifted one hand and placed it over his eyes.

Yan Mu didn’t stop writing. “Mhm.”

Jiang Zhihuo stared up at the ceiling. “Yujun’s birthday is in two more weeks.”

Yan Mu: “I know.”

“You…” Jiang Zhihuo’s voice suddenly trailed off. He shot up, his palm gripping his shirt tightly over his chest, struggling to breathe. In the quiet room, the sound of his pounding heart was loud and clear.

Yan Mu grabbed Jiang Zhihuo’s wrist, pulling him close. He gently kissed the corner of his mouth, halting the timer.

“Two hours and twenty-five minutes,” Yan Mu said.

Jiang Zhihuo took several deep breaths before he finally regained his serenity.

Ten minutes of kissing, holding back for about two and a half hours—far less than before.

“Let’s leave it at that for now.” Jiang Zhihuo said, “We’ll meet up after three classes in that empty classroom.”

“Mhm.” Yan Mu had no objections. He returned to his desk but then asked, “Can you control it?”

Jiang Zhihuo: “What do you mean?”

Yan Mu turned around, resting his elbow on the armrest. “It might be hard to control it at school, right?”

Unable to take it anymore, Jiang Zhihuo grabbed the pillow and threw it at Yan Mu, angrily shouting, “I’ll beat you if you say that again!!”

Yan Mu caught the pillow, tossed it back onto the bed, and replied indifferently, “I’m just giving a reminder.”

“You!!” Jiang Zhihuo nearly wanted to rip apart the person in front of him.

“Buzz——”

At that moment, the phone vibrated.

Both Jiang Zhihuo’s and Yan Mu’s phones vibrated at the same time.

They both looked down, opened their phones, and found messages from the same person.

Bai Yujun: I suddenly really want to watch a movie. Can you go with me?

The message from Bai Yujun would normally have Jiang Zhihuo extremely excited, and he would likely show off to Yan Mu. However, he suddenly fell silent, his brows furrowing slightly.

Silence.

After a moment of stillness, Yan Mu stood up first, tossing his phone in front of Jiang Zhihuo. “Yujun asked me to a movie.”

“Oh.” Jiang Zhihuo looked up, not surprised. “She asked me too.”

Yan Mu said, “You don’t seem happy at all.”

Jiang Zhihuo retorted. “She also asked you. What should I be happy about?”

Yan Mu pointed out. “It’s not the first time the three of us are going out together.”

Jiang Zhihuo rolled his eyes. “…Last time, it was you causing trouble.”

Yan Mu didn’t argue further. He asked, “Should I go?”

Jiang Zhihuo: “If you want to go, then go. Why are you asking me?”

Yan Mu was unusually honest this time. “I just thought you should know what she’s planning.”

Jiang Zhihuo locked eyes with him.

Yan Mu still showed a little expression, his deep gaze settling in his eyes.

Since the day he admitted to taking the character profile from the last page of the report, Yan Mu hadn’t questioned Jiang Zhihuo or about what he was doing.

The agreement to not interfere with each other’s business was something he had always followed.

Even Jiang Zhihuo himself was very clear about that.

The person in front of him actually knew about everything—at least he knew that Jiang Zhihuo wasn’t getting close to Bai Yujun for the sake of pursuing her.

He was too smart. The fact he could find the information on Feng Zhi meant there was someone behind him helping.

Living with this person, there was nothing he could hide.

“Ah.” Jiang Zhihuo smirked, no longer pretending to hide. “I can probably guess.”

**

The next day, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu arrived at the cinema first.

The night before, the two of them didn’t mention that they were living together, each responding without giving anything away. Bai Yujun didn’t care at all if it was discovered that she invited two people at the same time. The time and the screening were both set to be the same.

They agreed to meet outside the cinema.

The distant trees seemed to touch the sky, and the sun was scorching, with scattered shadows shifting overhead.

Bai Yujun was still wearing a white dress with light brown sandals. Her feet were delicate and fair; the hem of her dress fluttered as she walked with light, graceful steps. She stood in front of the two, a light makeup on her face, and a soft, gentle smile danced in her eyes. “You guys are here?”

Yan Mu: “Mhm.”

“Just got here not long ago.” Jiang Zhihuo said, pointing at Yan Mu. He pretended to know nothing; his tone sounded quite surprised. “So why is this guy here?!”

Bai Yujun walked toward the ticket machine, having already bought the movie tickets the night before. “The last time the three of us went out together; I thought it was really fun, so I want… to do it again.”

After getting the tickets, she turned around and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry for not informing you both in advance.”

Yan Mu: “It’s fine.”

He was calm, which was his way of agreeing. Bai Yujun then turned to look at Jiang Zhihuo.

Jiang Zhihuo scratched his head. “If it was you who invited us… then I guess it’s alright.”

Bai Yujun: “Thank you guys.”

Bai Yujun wanted to watch a relatively obscure Japanese animated movie. It had low box office earnings and limited screenings. In the hall, there were only a few scattered people, all of whom had brought their children along.

After watching the entire 90-minute movie, Jiang Zhihuo thought it was no surprise the animated film had failed at the box office.

The animation style was okay, but not special. The cute, refreshing Japanese anime style was already very common nowadays. The real problem was the story—it wasn’t well told, the plot was average, and it didn’t pique the viewers’ interest.

The protagonist was a small plush bear, and the entire story followed how the plush bear worked its way up to the top among the animals in the forest, relying on its own effort.

It’s really predictable and monotonous that by the time it was only halfway through, the audience seating in front had already started leaving with their children. One parent sitting in the right section even fell asleep, snoring loudly. In the end, it was the child who woke him up. “Dad, it’s so boring. I want to leave.”

The man had just woken up, still groggy, and said, “Spent over thirty yuan; wouldn’t it be a waste not to finish? Keep watching.”

The child lowered their head, feeling wronged. “Oh…”

“Zhihuo, Yan Mu.” Bai Yujun called their names. “Are you watching?”

Jiang Zhihuo: “Yes, yes.”

Yan Mu: “Mhm, not asleep yet.”

Bai Yujun chuckled softly.

The hall was almost empty, and speaking quietly wouldn’t disturb the parent who was sleeping. Bai Yujun asked, “Do you remember the scene just now?”

The scene that had played earlier showed the plush bear wanting to leave its little owner’s home and go to the forest to become a real animal. A conversation took place between it and the little owner.

When Japanese animated films were introduced to domestic cinemas, they were dubbed in Chinese with a hint of Taiwanese accent.

The littler owner asked, “You’re just a plush bear; what can you do?”

“You can’t touch water, or you’ll get heavier, and the cotton will clump together. You can’t touch dirt either, because it will get dirty, and once it’s dirty, it can’t be cleaned. You also can’t touch anything sharp, like claws or tree branches, or you’ll be teared.”

The plush bear said, “It’s okay; I’ll work hard to overcome all the challenges. I’ll become a real animal and show you.”

The little owner asked again, “But you’re just a bear; you only have yourself. What can a bear do?”

The plush bear didn’t answer the question. It didn’t know how to respond, because it didn’t even know the answer.

The subsequent plot was likely centered around the question, What can you do when you only have yourself?

“If it’s just one person, what can they actually do?” Bai Yjun asked them.

Jiang Zhihuo thought for a moment and said, “First, you have to be the best version of yourself. As a plush bear, just do what a plush bear should do—like being as cute as possible.”

Bai Yujun smiled. “And then?”

“Then, just wait—wait for the right moment, wait for an opportunity.” Jiang Zhihuo said, “To be honest, there’s only so much one person can do, but sooner or later, someone or something will come along and change everything.”

Bai Yujun lowered her gaze, absentmindedly fiddling with her fingers. “Will there really be such an opportunity?”

Jiang Zhihuo remained optimistic. “Some people get one, some don’t. What else can you do? Just believe you’re lucky enough.”

Bai Yujun remained silent for a long time.

The movie continued playing. The plush bear got caught on a branch, tearing its body and causing the stuffing to spill out. It tried to seek help from other animals, but not a single one stopped for it. Even the sky darkened, and heavy raindrops pelted down on its body.

It got drenched, becoming heavier and heavier, sinking into a puddle of muddy water.

Bai Yujun finally spoke. She maintained her head down, her hair hanging loosely, concealing her profile, making it hard to see her expression.

She asked, “What if it’s an omega?”

This time, it was Yan Mu who spoke first, “An omega is the same.”

Yan Mu: “There’s one thing I can’t understand. Everyone thinks omega is a mistake, and even omegas think so too. Why is that?”

Bai Yujun: “It’s because you’re an alpha, Yan Mu; that’s why you said that.”

Yan Mu: “That’s not it.”

“Alright, I believe you.” Bai Yujun’s voice seemed to flutter. “Then, what should be done?”

Yan Mu said the same thing as Jiang Zhihuo. “Just be yourself.”

Bai Yujun: “Like before?”

Yan Mu nodded. “Mhm.”

Bai Yujun said, “But if I do that, nothing will change.”

Jiang Zhihuo responded, “Remember the Puzzle Bobble from when we were kids? You shoot colored bubbles, and if three or more of the same color connect, they disappear. Some pros like to fill up an entire row, and just when their opponent thinks they’re about to lose, they fire the last bubble and clear the whole board.”

He said, “What if you’re the last bubble?”

Bai Yujun lifted her head, tucked her hair behind her ear, and smiled.

As the movie ended and the closing song began, the father sitting in the right section finally woke up. He stretched lazily and patted the child beside him. “Son, wake up. It’s over. Let’s go home.”

At the entrance of the cinema, Bai Yujun bowed slightly and said, “Thank you for coming to watch the movie with me. As a token of appreciation, maybe I can give you guys a kiss.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “Wow, is it really that good?‘

Although he said that, he didn’t move forward.

Yan Mu: “Let’s go back.”

Bai Yujun nodded and then said to Jiang Zhihuo, “Next time, don’t rush to my house. My dad is going to stab you.”

“Hahaha…” Jiang Zhihuo giggled awkwardly.

Bai Yujun didn’t ask them to send her off. The driver was coming to pick her up. She waved at the two and got into the car.

Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu walked down the road under the blazing sun. The boys weren’t afraid of getting tan, so they didn’t use umbrellas.

Last time, they were walking on the same road, heading back this way as well.

On a summer afternoon, the sound of cicadas made the atmosphere somewhat forlorn.

Jiang Zhihuo said, “I’ve always thought you hate omegas.”

Jiang Zhihuo had indeed always held that thought before. It was also one of the reasons he didn’t like Yan Mu in the past. It had surprised him when Yan Mu had actively helped Tang Anmiao, and this time, it was the same.

Someone who hated omegas wouldn’t say something like, “Why does the omega think they’re at fault too?”

Yan Mu asked, “What makes you have this misunderstanding?”

Jiang Zhihuo propped his hand behind his head, leaning back as he walked casually. “Because it’s pretty noticeable. You might not have looked in a mirror, but every time an omega touches you, you instantly become fierce.”

Yan Mu said, “That’s not the same thing.”

“Alright.” Jiang Zhihuo said, “I misunderstood; sorry.”

Yan Mu didn’t answer, not saying whether he accepted the apology or not.

Even though it wasn’t necessary for Yan Mu to respond, Jiang Zhihuo simply found the feeling of being ignored uncomfortable—half of his body was suspended in mid-air, making him feel uneasy and tense.

Jiang Zhihuo: “Hey.”

Yan Mu: “Jiang Zhihuo.”

They both spoke at the same time.

Yan Mu rarely called him by name. Jiang Zhihuo nodded, signaling for Yan Mu to speak first.

Yan Mu uttered something unexpected. “My mother is also an omega. I’ve always respected her.”

Jiang Zhihuo raised an eyebrow.

It was surprising that Yan Mu had actually brought up things about his family.

As for Yan Mu, even Xie Qiu, who walked with him every day at school, or Wen Da and Qu Xiao, who had known him for a long time, couldn’t say they fully understood him. All they knew was that he was the young master of the Yan Group, but they didn’t know why he rarely went home or why his relationship with his family was poor. He never talked about it, and his expression never gave any hint.

But that was the only thing he said.

**