Chapter 41.2

Before this, they had always thought Young Master Yan was straight. Wen Da knew Young Master Yan had a white moonlight named ‘Yun Zhou.’ However, he was unaware of the gender, as the name could refer to either. So he never thought much of it, assuming the white moonlight must be a girl. In addition, Bai Yujun, whom Young Master Yan had been pursuing recently, was also a girl.

It wasn’t until they saw Young Master Yan and Shin kissing in front of Bai Yujun, Young Master Yan rushing to take the drunken Shin back to his place, and plus, the forums were shipping Young Master Yan and Shin as a couple.

Ah, well, maybe he’s not necessarily straight? Suddenly becoming bent is possible, too.

Wen Da: “People are pretty open-minded these days; men and women, AAs, OOs, all relationships are okay.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

Qu Xiao obviously had his own understanding of the matter, combining the ‘speculation’ from the forum with known information, and sighed, “Going the roundabout way to pursue Young Master Yan, chasing the same girl, ending up winning his heart but not his body, and even being blocked by an omega… Shin, you’re truly a fool for love.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “… That’s false; don’t look too deeply into it; it’s not true.”

Wen Da didn’t believe him. “Don’t put on an act. We know Young Master Yan. If it were fake, he’d delete this thread immediately and wouldn’t let it linger for this long.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

No, you know Young Master Yan, but you don’t understand the relationship between me and Yan Mu.

Their relationship had deteriorated to the point of being irreconcilable, where they were hurting each other, willing to ruin their image, even taking a thousand points of damage themselves to inflict eight hundred on the other.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t have anything else to say, so he just said, “I’m leaving.”

“Wait!” Qu Xiao, accustomed to Shin and Young Master Yan’s silence, called out. “There’s one question I can’t ask Young Master Yan. He has been avoiding us lately and saying he’ll get in touch with us later, which is likely because he hasn’t figured things out yet… So who is that omega?”

Jiang Zhihuo turned back indifferently. “… It’s me.”

Wen Da: “Ah.”

Qu Xiao: “Oh?”

Jiang Zhihuo walked away. “… Bye.”

The only good thing about having a cold and aloof character was that when you didn’t want to answer, you just nod, and your energy was so strong that not even your boss or their friends dared to press you further.

What a frustrating day.

When he returned home and finished showering, Jiang Zhihuo took out the special inhibitor and injected it into his gland.

A couple of days ago, he went to the hospital for a checkup. His secondary differentiation level was normal, and the marker concentration in his gland had dropped to 40%. Moving forward, he only needed to use the special inhibitor as directed, and no further checkups were necessary unless there were special circumstances.

Before he left, the doctor reminded him again, “The special inhibitors may have some side effects, not on the gland itself, but you might occasionally have physiological reactions. It’s all normal, so don’t worry.”

Jiang Zhihuo nodded.

Up until now, he had never experienced any discomfort after injecting the special inhibitor. Yet, he suddenly felt a bit warm after injecting today; however, remembering what the doctor had said, he didn’t think much of it and went straight to bed.

Jiang Zhihuo usually had excellent sleep quality. He fell asleep quickly and deeply.

However, that night, he grew increasingly hot, and in the end, even kicked his blanket under the bed.

He had a dream. At first, it was nothing special, but then Yan Mu unexpectedly appeared.

Every moment spent with Yan Mu had already played out in his dream. He recalled the feeling of their lips brushing together, the faint itch when his fingers grazed over the gland, and the breath against his ear when their bodies inevitably pressed close at the waist. Everything felt like a blur.

It felt so comfortable. Jiang Zhihuo wanted to sink deeper, just like countless times before. To grab his shoulders, wrap his arms around his neck, and reach out with both hands, only to find nothing but empty air. There was nothing there, just darkness all around.

Jiang Zhihuo suddenly woke up from the dream, his back soaked in sweat and his chest heaving.

After a moment, he gradually regained his senses.

What kind of freaking dream is that?!

Jiang Zhihuo had not yet managed to catch his breath before he felt something was off. He lowered his head slightly and then froze all over—

His freshly changed pajamas were in a complete mess.

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

Getting drunk, asking the wrong questions, waking up at Yan Mu’s place, and being shipped as a couple, none of these were a big deal.

But now…

Jiang Zhihuo understood that this was likely due to the side effects of the inhibitor.

However, he also recalled the sensations from his dream—the urge to grab someone’s shoulder was real, the desire to wrap his arms around that guy’s neck and sink into him was true, and the longing to go even further was genuine as well.

Ah…

Jiang Zhihuo covered his face with his hands.

After hiding for so many days, this time, it was real—he had no face left to meet anyone…

Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t sort it out; the hurdle in his heart was still there. Life had to go on, and whenever he saw Yan Mu, he would avoid him if he could.

Before school ended, Jiang Zhihuo received a phone call.

It was from Liang Huoqi.

Liang Huoqi was the legendary school bully from the vocational school next door, rumored to have been beaten by Jiang Zhihuo in a 1V5 fight, which resulted in him being hospitalized. In fact, he took his brother to receive a rabies shot after a stray cat bit him while they were playing around. Previously, when it came to the matter with Feng Zhi, Jiang Zhihuo had asked him for a little help, so he owed Liang Huoqi a favor.

Liang Huoqi got straight to the point. “Huo, are you free in the next few days? Can you cover for me at work?”

Liang Huoqi didn’t do well in school, so his parents sent him directly to the vocational school instead of high school, intending for him to take over the family business once he graduated. Although he was a school bully, he wasn’t like the rumors. He didn’t spend his days hanging out in a gang, smoking, drinking, or fighting. After school, he went back to his family’s animal hospital to manage it, handling everything from the time school ended until closing.

“My sister has been sick these past few days. It’s nothing serious, appendicitis; she can be discharged in a week,” Liang Huoqi said. “Our whole family is taking shifts. From 6 to 7:30, there’s no one to take care of her, so I have to go. Can you cover my shift at the hospital? This will only be for a week. Weekends might be a bit busy. I have to go to the hospital in the afternoons. I’ll pay you so you can relax. I don’t trust other guys to cover for me, they might get bitten again.”

“It’s a small matter; no need to mention payment,” Jiang Zhihuo replied. The bar’s schedules lately had all been after eight, so there wouldn’t be a conflict. He agreed immediately, asked for the address, and went to help at the animal hospital the next day.

On Saturday afternoon, the weather was just perfect.

As November approached, Lincheng had already entered autumn. The sunlight was not as scorching as it was in the summer; in the afternoon, it warmed the skin pleasantly.

A leisurely weekend was perfect for shopping or dating. The streets were bustling with people, and at a certain intersection, passersby turned their heads frequently.

The reason was simple. A striking sports car was parked by the roadside, and a stunning young woman was leaning against it. With twin ponytails tied high, she looked no older than eighteen or nineteen: youthful, cute, and confident. She had a small bear-shaped crossbody bag, wore a long khaki sweater, and knee-high boots that accentuated her long, straight legs.

The girl seemed to be waiting for someone. Passersby glanced at the car, then at her, and couldn’t help but wonder: Who could be so lucky to have a wealthy, beautiful girl waiting for them?

Soon after, a boy appeared at the intersection. Catching sight of the flashy sports car and the wealthy-looking girl, he immediately turned and started to walk away.

The rich girl quickly chased after him and gave him a firm tap on the back. “Young Master Yan!”

Yan Mu: “…….”

He Miaomiao playfully draped an arm over Yan Mu’s shoulder, but since Yan Mu didn’t allow anyone to touch him, she only let her arm hover loosely, never actually making contact. “You can’t do this! You called me out, and then you just turned around and left!”

Yan Mu: “Take your hand away.”

He Miaomiao shook her head. Yan Mu was always this indifferent; even though their relationship was quite good, most of their interactions were simply about exchanging useful information. She had helped him investigate Feng Zhi and Bai Yujun, and had also met up with him before due to Bai Yujun’s odd background.

This time, it was actually Yan Mu who had taken the initiative to ask her out.

“Don’t be so cold,” He Miaomiao said, walking alongside Yan Mu. “You took the initiative to find me, so you must need something. You didn’t say anything on WeChat, and you didn’t ask me for any information, so it must be something hard to talk about. What could an eighteen-year-old boy possibly have going on? I thought about it for a long time last night, and I could only think of one possibility.”

He Miaomiao leaned closer to Yan Mu’s ear and whispered, “About love?”

Yan Mu: “……”

He Miaomiao understood Yan Mu too well. “From your reaction, my guess is correct?”

Yan Mu: “……”

He Miaomiao tilted her head and laughed as they reached the intersection. Yan Mu didn’t respond to her teasing but instead asked, “Is the animal hospital this way?”

“Yeah,” He Miaomiao said, stepping ahead to lead the way.

The night before, after He Miaomiao finished work and came home with a face mask on, Yan Mu unexpectedly called her. He asked if she was free the next day, saying that he wanted to ask her something.

“Perfect timing,” He Miaomiao said over the phone. “My dog, Sundy, is sick and at the hospital. I need to pick it up tomorrow. Come with me.”

Sundy was the golden retriever raised by He Miaomiao. People always said golden retrievers had gentle temperaments, but this one took after its owner. It was unexpectedly fierce, close only to He Miaomiao, and prone to howling at anyone else.

“By the way, a super cute and gentle guy came to the animal hospital a couple of days ago,” He Miaomiao recalled as they talked about the dog. “You know how Sundy is. She doesn’t like anyone. But when she saw that guy, she clung to him right away.”

Afterward, He Miaomiao shot Yan Mu a disdainful glance. “You’re nothing like him at all. You’re not gentle in the slightest. I think I’ll ask him for his WeChat later.”

Yan Mu gave her a meaningful look back. “Old cow shouldn’t eat young grass.”

He Miaomiao glared at him. “Are you seriously going to make an issue out of my age?”

Yan Mu said truthfully, “You’re acting young.”

He Miaomiao: “Really?”

Yan Mu: “Twenty-nine, and pigtails?”

“That’s just youthful spirit! Besides, who says a twenty-nine-year-old can’t wear pigtails?” As they passed a milk tea shop bustling with a weekend crowd, He Miaomiao found a spot to sit down. After placing an order on her phone, she casually asked, “So, what’s going on in your love life?”

Yan Mu: “……”

He Miaomiao felt that the topic’s transition was entirely natural, and she asked directly.

Yan Mu cleared his throat, hesitated for a moment, and then briefly summarized what had happened recently in just a few sentences.

After listening, He Miaomiao blinked her eyes, quickly processed what Yan Mu had said, and then burst into a long series of laughs.

“Hahahaha!”

Yan Mu frowned slightly. “Stop laughing.”

“I know, I know! I just can’t help it!”

He Miaomiao tried hard to hold back her laughter, but it was impossible. She had never seen Yan Mu look so awkward before. He’d managed to turn something so simple into a complete mess.

“You said that, for some special reasons, you had to interact with your love rival Jiang Zhihuo, even ended up living together, and then one day you realized you might have feelings for him. But at the time, you didn’t think it through and just ignored it. Later, you began to recall specific details, such as the last time you asked me to investigate Feng Zhi. You two pushed him into making a move, and when you saw Feng Zhi touch Jiang Zhihuo, you got really upset and purposely kissed Jiang Zhihuo right in front of Feng Zhi, right?”

“Oh, so you two kissing is because of a special reason? I won’t ask then.”