By the time they left the boys’ dormitory, it was almost six o’clock.
Yu Jiu walked ahead, instinctively heading toward the cafeteria across from the dormitory. Halfway there, he realized the cafeteria doors were closed and abruptly changed direction toward the school gate.
As evening self-study approached, students who had gone out were trickling back into school. The gate was crowded, and students walking out at this time naturally drew attention—especially when those students were Yu Jiu and Zhai Chi, two of the school’s most well-known figures.
The heads turned in their direction were practically unanimous.
“Isn’t that Yu Jiu and Zhai Chi? Where are they going at this hour?”
“Aren’t they the ones who had the basketball game today? Is it over already?”
“Of course it’s over! Haven’t you seen the forum? People are arguing like crazy.”
“Holy crap, are they heading off-campus to settle a score?”
Speculation buzzed among the onlookers, but the two walking in the opposite direction paid no mind, focused only on moving forward.
Yu Jiu wasn’t entirely sure how things had escalated to this point.
Before the basketball game, they were like strangers, an awkward reunion between old acquaintances. After the game ended, there hadn’t even been the most basic pleasantry—no “long time no see,” no small talk. Yet now, here they were, leaving campus together to grab dinner.
Outside the school gate, food vendors had lined the entire street with their stalls, knowing students had the day off. They sold all sorts of snacks, filling the air with the aroma of street food.
Yu Jiu walked past the smoky, greasy “snack street” without hesitation, leading Zhai Chi to the opposite side of the road.
“What do you want to eat?” Yu Jiu asked.
Zhai Chi, walking half a step behind him, replied, “Anything’s fine. You decide.”
“…”
Considering that Zhai Chi was new to the area and probably unfamiliar with the nearby eateries, Yu Jiu didn’t press further. He led Zhai Chi into a noodle shop.
Time was tight, and they couldn’t afford to wait for dishes at a proper restaurant. Aside from instant snacks and fast food, this Lanzhou noodle shop was the most suitable place to eat near the school.
Once inside, Yu Jiu picked a quiet corner table and sat down.
Zhai Chi took the seat across from him.
The silence between them was palpable.
Even though Zhai Chi was the one who had suggested eating together, he hadn’t chosen the place, didn’t lead the way, and now, even ordering was left entirely to Yu Jiu.
Zhai Chi wanted to take the initiative, to involve himself somehow, but he found no openings.
He hadn’t expected Yu Jiu to agree to have dinner with him so easily.
Did this mean… Yu Jiu didn’t blame him?
Zhai Chi glanced across the table. Yu Jiu was staring down at his phone, his lowered eyelids hiding whatever emotion lay in his eyes.
Zhai Chi wanted to ask something, anything, but he didn’t know where to start.
Should he ask about what had happened to Yu Jiu’s family five years ago?
Or should he ask how he’d been doing all these years?
Does he have the right to ask?
He grabbed the disposable wooden chopsticks the waiter brought and traced their shape through the wrapping paper. His eyes briefly scanned Yu Jiu’s hand, which was holding a phone, before asking, “Is the wound on your hand okay?”
Earlier, he had said a band-aid would suffice, but Zhai Chi hadn’t seen anything like that in his palm.
And that scar on his palm…
Just as he was thinking about this, he saw Yu Jiu pull his hand back and hide the injured area with his sleeve.
Yu Jiu answered flatly, “It’s fine, it’s already been treated.”
“…”
He seemed to dislike others mentioning his injuries.
“Good to know.” Zhai Chi’s gaze darkened slightly, but he didn’t linger on the topic. Instead, he said, “You played well in the afternoon’s game.”
He had improved a lot since before.
Yu Jiu paused his hand on the screen and said, “You played well in the first half too.”
Zhai Chi: “…”
So, he didn’t play well in the second half?
Indeed, it wasn’t good.
Even those who didn’t know much about basketball could tell that Zhai Chi hadn’t played seriously in the second half. How could Yu Jiu, his opponent, not notice?
Zhai Chi explained, “I just couldn’t stand that Alpha cheating with his pheromones. I didn’t mean to disrespect you. If you’re upset, we can have a one-on-one game sometime.”
Zhai Chi suddenly laughed, “By the way, it’s been five years since…”
He paused mid-sentence and instinctively looked at Yu Jiu.
Five years was a long gap, and saying it out loud felt like reminding them of the blank space of those five years.
Zhai Chi was at a loss for words.
Yu Jiu looked at him and casually asked, “How long have you been back in the country?”
Zhai Chi thought for a moment and replied, “If you don’t count the day I flew back, it’s been exactly a week.”
“…”
Yu Jiu was slightly surprised and blinked.
He had heard from Yu San that Zhai Chi, as a transfer student, had only come to this school a week ago.
If Zhai Chi had only been back in the country for a week, did that mean he came directly to school right after returning?
He had returned to the country and ended up in Jin Yi City, then directly enrolled in the school. Was it a coincidence?
If it wasn’t a coincidence, then why had he ignored him on the basketball court?
Why had he ignored him, and now invited him for a meal?
Yu Jiu’s thoughts became complicated.
After a brief silence, the waiter brought two bowls of noodles.
Authentic Lanzhou beef noodles, with a clear, delicious broth, the noodles were chewy and flavorful, with rich toppings that made one’s appetite instantly increase. Yu Jiu often came to this noodle shop.
But he wasn’t sure if Zhai Chi would like it.
“Try it? It should taste good.”
He looked down at the disposable chopsticks in Zhai Chi’s hands.
The wrapper, which had been repeatedly held, had become wrinkled.
When Zhai Chi noticed Yu Jiu’s gaze on his hand, he paused, quickly unwrapped the paper, and responded, “Okay.”
He separated the chopsticks, stirred the noodles and toppings in the bowl, and then picked up a mouthful of noodles soaked in rich broth.
The spicy Lanzhou noodles stimulated the taste buds, with firm noodles and an unforgettable broth that was addictive.
Zhai Chi genuinely praised, “Very delicious.”
Yu Jiu smiled and pushed a bottle of chili oil towards Zhai Chi across the table.
If he remembered correctly, Zhai Chi liked spicy food.
Sure enough, when Zhai Chi saw the chili oil, his eyes brightened. He took it and said, “Thanks.”
Yu Jiu didn’t say “you’re welcome” and started eating his own bowl of noodles.
Though they didn’t speak further, the two of them quietly ate their noodles together, which looked quite harmonious to outsiders.
When it was time to pay the bill, Zhai Chi quickly paid, and Yu Jiu didn’t argue with him.
After finishing their meal, they left the noodle shop, and the bell signaling the start of evening self-study rang.
On weekends, there were no teachers supervising evening study, so the bell had little effect on the students.
People entering the school still strolled in leisurely, and those walking around the campus weren’t in a rush to return to class.
Yu Jiu and Zhai Chi walked into the school gate, one in front of the other.
They were still walking forward, but this time, the distance between them had noticeably shortened.
Zhai Chi walked on Yu Jiu’s right side.
A light breeze blew from the right, carrying a hint of rain. As it passed Zhai Chi, it reached Yu Jiu’s nose, carrying a citrus scent.
Yes, it was a citrus scent.
It came from Zhai Chi, unlike the minty scent he had smelled before.
Yu Jiu thought to himself: So, the smell he had sensed on the basketball court wasn’t a pheromone.
Zhai Chi had sprayed a scent-blocking agent with a particular fragrance.
Yu Jiu was strangely drawn to the scent of the blocking agent. Without realizing it, the distance between him and Zhai Chi had closed even further.
Zhai Chi lowered his head and saw Yu Jiu’s slightly lowered brows. His skin was pale, and his side profile was sharp with beautiful, delicate features. After five years, he had become even more handsome.
At that moment, another gust of wind blew, lifting the stray bangs from Yu Jiu’s forehead, revealing a wound on his temple.
The wound had a scab forming irregularly, but the surrounding redness and swelling were still obvious, clearly indicating it was a recent injury.
Zhai Chi’s eyes flickered, and his expression changed instantly. He instinctively reached out, “What happened to you…?”
Slap!
Zhai Chi’s hand moved quickly, and before Yu Jiu could react, he had touched Yu Jiu’s forehead and pushed his bangs aside.
Yu Jiu responded quickly as well. The moment Zhai Chi touched his forehead, he raised his hand and forcefully pushed Zhai Chi’s hand away.
“…”
After Yu Jiu waved Zhai Chi’s hand away, it froze mid-air, and Zhai Chi’s hand, which had been pushed away, also stayed suspended in mid-air.
The two of them were frozen in an awkward pose, staring at each other.
After a moment, Yu Jiu spoke first, “Sorry.”
It was a reflex.
He had a habit of avoiding contact with Alphas, and when Zhai Chi touched him, it felt like an electric shock—though it didn’t hurt, it was a little numb. He had pushed him away almost instinctively.
Zhai Chi: “…”
He didn’t understand why Yu Jiu apologized.
Before Zhai Chi could respond, Yu Jiu didn’t look up again. He simply lowered his head, fixed his bangs back into place, and covered the wound on his forehead.
His movements were so practiced that Zhai Chi felt as if something in his heart had been sharply pricked.
He lowered his hand, clenched it into a fist by his side.
Zhai Chi tried to keep his tone neutral as he asked, “How did it happen?”
Yu Jiu answered, “I accidentally bumped into something.”
Zhai Chi: “…”
How could one accidentally bump into such a high spot on their forehead?
If the forehead injury was an accident, what about the scar on his palm?
How could he have so many injuries on himself?
Zhai Chi looked at him in silence, unable to find the words.
Yu Jiu didn’t look up at him again. After adjusting his bangs, he turned and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back to the classroom.”
Zhai Chi was momentarily stunned, then asked, “Take me?”
Yu Jiu replied, “Aren’t you still unfamiliar with the way…?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Jiu paused.
When they were younger, Zhai Chi had a problem with his sense of direction; he would easily get lost—he was terrible with directions!
But that was a long time ago.
After five years, even the biggest problems probably no longer existed.
Besides, Zhai Chi wasn’t new to the school. He had already been there for a week, and he had managed well on his own.
Yu Jiu wasn’t sure why he still remembered that small flaw from when they were kids. Seeing Zhai Chi looking confused, he felt a bit awkward. “I was just saying that. I’ll head back first…”
“Sure.”
“…”
Zhai Chi wasn’t sure if he was surprised or happy. He interrupted Yu Jiu, “I still remember the usual routes clearly. There are some places I haven’t been, though. Maybe when you have time, you can show me around the campus?”
The usual routes referred to the basic places like the classroom, dormitory, cafeteria, and gym.
The school’s campus wasn’t too big or too small. Apart from these few places, there were still many others.
No one knew that the grand entrance on the day he enrolled wasn’t because Zhai Chi wanted to show off.
It was just that he had no sense of direction when going out, and his older brother was worried. He insisted on arranging a driver and having the principal personally greet him and help him enroll.
Yu Jiu looked back while walking ahead and saw Zhai Chi’s perfectly timed smile. He couldn’t tell if Zhai Chi really hadn’t gotten over his problem or if he was just trying to give him an out.
He paused for a moment and said, “I’ll head back to the classroom first.”
With that, he turned and quickly walked toward the classroom building.
He didn’t agree to show him around the campus.
He quickened his pace, almost like he was trying to escape.
Zhai Chi watched him get further away, his lips curving into a slight smile. But then, thinking about the wound on Yu Jiu’s forehead, his smile faded. He took out his phone to check the time and turned to leave the school gate again.
Back in Class 1, Yu Jiu only felt completely relaxed after sitting down in his seat.
Spending time with Zhai Chi was more exhausting than doing several sets of math problems.
He took a slow, deep breath, but before he could exhale, someone suddenly popped up behind him and said, “Jiu Ge!”
“…”
Yu Jiu was startled and almost stopped breathing. When he turned and saw it was Yu San, he finally relaxed.
Yu San handed him an envelope, “This is from Xu Shi. It should be your prize.”
Although Xu Shi wasn’t very likable, face mattered, and it was better to have it delivered than to wait for someone to come asking.
Yu Jiu took the envelope, but before he could turn around, Yu San added, “I heard you just left school with the transfer student from Class 10. What did you two do? Did he cause you any trouble?”
“…”
Yu Jiu had overheard some of the gossip when leaving the school gate earlier. Seeing Yu San holding his phone, he didn’t need to guess where the news had come from.
Yu Jiu calmly said, “No, we just had a bowl of noodles together.”
“Oh.” Yu San relaxed and was about to retract his head when he suddenly realized something. His voice raised in shock, “You went out of school and had noodles with Zhai Chi? Did he have bad intentions? What did he say to you?”
His dramatic reaction and loud voice immediately quieted the classroom.
All eyes were on their location.
Yu Jiu felt a headache coming on.
Not just a headache, but his injury also hurt.
The place where Zhai Chi had touched with his fingers still seemed to have a lingering sensation, numb and uncomfortable in an inexplicable way.
Yu Jiu instinctively opened the drawer, and when he saw the empty space in the corner, he remembered that the medicine was gone.
“No, we just had a regular meal,” Yu Jiu explained lightly. He took the envelope and stood up, saying to his desk mate and class monitor, “Monitor, I’m stepping out for a bit. If Teacher Zhao arrives, could you help me ask for leave?”
Teacher Zhao Yun was their class supervisor.
The class monitor, busy solving problems, didn’t even raise his head but gave him an OK gesture.
Yu San, watching Yu Jiu’s always calm expression, suddenly felt like he had been meddling in something unnecessary.
But when did the transfer student from Class 10 get so close to his idol?
…
Yu Jiu left the classroom and walked directly across the administration building toward the school infirmary. He didn’t look around, so he didn’t see someone who was supposed to be returning to class walking in from the school gate.
He went straight to the infirmary.
The infirmary at the school was quite well-equipped, like a small clinic, located between the senior three teaching building and the teacher’s dormitory, quite far from the senior two teaching building.
The school doctor was a young male Alpha with long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, very good-looking, so some Omega and Beta students often found excuses to visit, using trivial reasons to get a check-up.
Although today was a weekend, and the school gate was wide open, with pharmacies outside the school where students could buy medicine if they weren’t feeling well, Yu Jiu still saw two girls laughing as they came out of the infirmary holding a box of regular cold medicine.
Yu Jiu stepped aside to let them pass, and once they were far enough away, he pushed the infirmary door open and walked in.
The doctor was wearing a white coat, which made his figure seem long and lean. He had his back to the door, seemingly busy with something.
“Which class are you from? The registration book is on the desk by the door. Fill it in yourself first.”
Li Chengke spoke without turning around.
Yu Jiu walked in, closed the door, and said quietly, “It’s me.”
Li Chengke paused for a moment, then turned around and said, “Oh, it’s you.”
He turned back to what he was doing.
Yu Jiu didn’t rush him, waiting until he finished his task, washed his hands, and then walked over.
“What’s wrong this time?” Li Chengke asked.
Yu Jiu didn’t speak. He took the plain black bottle from his pocket and placed it on the desk in front of Li Chengke.
Li Chengke glanced at him, picked up the bottle, opened it, and looked at the empty bottom. His expression became complex as he said, “The medicine I gave you was a two-month supply, and it hasn’t even been a month since you last got it.”
T/N: Yu Jiu and Zhai Chi going out together
students: *they must be settling scores outside*
Zhai Chi: what fighting?! I only want to touch him!
Yu Jiu: get lost!
