Chapter 95

Yan Mu clicked submit after finishing filling out the last form.

The webpage loaded for three seconds, displaying a successful submission before generating a preview of his admission ticket, which had an exam time and location written on it.

It was two weeks later, and the location was in the capital.

The exam outline was designed by B University; the past years’ exams were much more difficult than the college entrance exam overall, but as long as one met the standard, then admission was granted. For Yan Mu, the difficulty couldn’t be considered high; it was quite stable.

He downloaded and printed the admission ticket. When he was about to leave the office, he saw Jiang Zhihuo walk in, and behind him were a few teachers from Class 1.

Across two office desks, Jiang Zhihuo waved at Yan Mu.

Yan Mu gave a slight nod as he walked to the door and waited for him.

The conversation inside the office could be heard from outside. It was about Jiang Zhihuo’s skyrocketing improvement in scores.

Ever since his identity as a top student was exposed, Jiang Zhihuo has never had a single day of peace.

Yan Mu idly leaned against the door with his head lowered to look at the words on his admission ticket, while people came and went around him.

Footsteps came to a halt by his ears. A figure appeared in his line of vision.

Yan Mu looked up.

—In front of him stood the eternal second place.

The eternal second place seemed to have the exact top student appearance, with thick glasses, pale skin, and nerdy physical features. The school uniform was bought with oversized, drooping fabric that was loose and baggy.

His gaze was hidden behind his glasses. Yan Mu was only aware that the other person was looking at him, but he couldn’t pinpoint the meaning in those eyes.

Yan Mu: “?”

The eternal second pressed his lips together and asked, “You’re going for the guaranteed admission?”

Yan Mu gave a soft “Mhm.”

“B University?”

“What’s the matter?” Yan Mu hadn’t spoken with this top student before and had no idea why the other person came to him.

“I…” The eternal second place took a deep breath to steady his mind. As if he finally made up his mind, he said, “Don’t worry! I will absolutely guard the first place you give up!!”

Yan Mu: “?”

The eternal second-place expression was determined while speaking.

In fact, he felt quite uncomfortable and a bit distressed.

He could have competed for first place at any school with his usual grades, but at No. 1 High School, he was suppressed by Yan Mu for three years, and only after Yan Mu won the competition, deciding to go for the guaranteed admission route, did he have the chance to take first place once.

He was unwilling to accept it!

So unwilling!!

It was because he wasn’t good enough.

Yan Mu couldn’t read the complicated emotions of the eternal second place, yet he was aware that the other person wanted to take first place. Not a single one of the top students was willing to admit defeat.

However…

Jiang Zhihuo’s voice came from inside the office.

The strict, old-fashioned physics teacher still refused to believe he could get a perfect score in physics, so he gave another problem on the spot. Jiang Zhihuo didn’t write it down and directly explained the solution process aloud.

That question was probably pretty tough, but Jiang Zhihuo only gave the problem statement a quick, casual glance.

The old-fashioned teacher was struck speechless in that moment.

“I’m serious!” Noticing that Yan Mu still wasn’t responding, the eternal second-place made a solemn statement.

Confronted with the unusually earnest eternal second-place, Yan Mu gave a small nod and said calmly, “Mhm, do your best.”

Jiang Zhihuo remained in the office until the class bell rang, only then stepping out, and the two walked a short stretch of the way together.

During the long break, Yan Mu carried a few sets of practice papers to Class 1’s classroom and gave them to Sun Liyu.

“I lost.” He said.

Zong Bei, also in Class 1, often saw people handing practice papers to Sun Liyu and had already known for some time about the Class 1 group chat starting a betting pool on Jiang Zhihuo’s exam scores.

When Zong Bei saw Yan Mu, he ignored everything else and shouted, “God Yan, you’re betting too? Did you already know from the start?!”

Yan Mu nodded.

Zong Bei, eyes filled with resentment, said angrily, “Can I interview you for a moment? What did it feel like when you found out? God Yan, you gave Huo-ge makeup lessons, too, didn’t you? It’s tutoring, right?! That’s enough to drive someone insane!! Pretending to be a dumb Idiot!!”

It looked as if he were talking to Yan Mu, but in reality, his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Jiang Zhihuo.

Jiang Zhihuo gradually moved his body aside, dodged Zong Bei’s stare, and slipped behind Yan Mu.

—His boyfriend would always shield him.

Who would’ve thought that when Zong Bei brought up ‘tutoring,’ Yan Mu seemed to strike a chord. Those days of tutoring back then were too painful to look back on, and even Yun Zhou’s beauty couldn’t erase them.

He nodded firmly. “Mhm…”

Jiang Zhihuo: “???”

Zong Bei leaned past Yan Mu, still directing his grudge at Jiang Zhihuo. “Huo-ge, when you pretend to be a dumbass, you really look the part. You nearly drove me into becoming an idiot myself. Tell me, isn’t that true, ah?”

Jiang Zhihuo tried to defend himself: “I told you right from the start, and it was you who refused to believe!!”

Zong Bei: “You told me you wanted to get into B University while only scoring barely a dozen points in physics. You say, how could I possibly believe that?!”

Jiang Zhihuo: “So what if I only scored a dozen points in physics? As long as you have a dream, nothing is impossible!”

Zong Bei raised his hand. “Then can my dream of slapping this hand across your face be realized right now?”

The students of Class 1 cheerfully watched as Zong Bei and Jiang Zhihuo went at it in a heated quarrel.

Sitting in the best spot, Chang Luo enjoyed the scene the most. He even pulled out a pack of sunflower seeds from his bag, cracking them open as he watched. Two boys at the nearby desks each stretched out a hand to grab a handful, joining in to watch the commotion.

“God Yan.” Zong Bei rolled up his sleeves, leaning forward in a threatening manner, and said bluntly, “Even if you’re in the way today, I’m still going to give your boyfriend a good beating!”

“That won’t do.” Yan Mu didn’t move an inch.

Jiang Zhihuo childishly hooked a finger at Zong Bei. “Come, then. If you can land a hit on me with my Yan-ge here, I’ll count it as my loss.”

“Just you wait.” Zong Bei let out an exasperated laugh, planted his foot, and started climbing over the desk, trying to get past Yan Mu to grab him.

When Zong Bei’s hand was about to reach him, Jiang Zhihuo suddenly pulled two tickets from under the desk and shook them in front of Zong Bei’s face.

“Look, what do you think it is?”

Zong Bei: “!”

Jiang Zhihuo grinned and said, “Tickets to the WIT finals.”

Zong Bei froze mid-motion, his eyes trailing after the tickets.

Jiang Zhihuo went on, “It’s the first nationwide use of the holographic projection of the battlefield simulation system, and this is front-row seats in Section B.”

Zong Bei: “!!!!”

WIT is the most popular professional league in the present day, and even the preliminary matches fill every seat. It’s so crazy that refreshing the page right on time can’t guarantee a ticket, let alone tickets for the finals!

The finals were set for June 12, right after the college entrance exam. When the official sale was announced, Zong Bei camped on the exact release time, but the tickets sold out within a second, completely impossible to buy! Afterwards, both Zong Bei and Jiang Zhihuo, who hadn’t managed to get tickets, grumbled about it for ages.

Jiang Zhihuo waved the two tickets left and right before finally laying them flat on the desk, pressing them down with his palm: “Here, two tickets. One’s yours, and for the other, find someone to go with you. No reselling to someone else.”

Zong Bei’s eyes instantly glued themselves to the tickets, but a moment later, as if realizing his slip in composure, he reined in his expression. “Huo, what are you up to?”

Jiang Zhihuo smiled lightly, softened his tone, and dropped the joking from earlier. He spoke earnestly, “It was my fault for not telling you. Don’t be mad, please forgive me, okay?”

No matter who he was with, Jiang Zhihuo never hesitated in apologizing. If he made a mistake, he admitted it. Forcing himself to act tough would only make the little boat of friendship capsize without warning.

Once Zong Bei had the tickets in hand, his anger at being kept in the dark melted away instantly. Huo-ge did have his special reasons after all. Though he had been upset, there was nothing that couldn’t be made up and resolved.

He took the tickets bluntly, showing no politeness, but pretended to be reserved as he said, “I’m sparing you just for the sake of these two tickets. Barely forgiving you, truly barely!”

When they got back to their place that night, Jiang Zhihuo was still talking with Yan Mu about the matter.

The tickets were secured thanks to Yan Mu’s help. Back then, Jiang Zhihuo was troubled about how to face Zong Bei, as the shadow of makeup lessons was so deep that even his boyfriend couldn’t dispel it. A single milk tea clearly wouldn’t soothe such resentment. Coincidentally, that day Yan Mu saw a post in his Moments. Someone had painstakingly gotten tickets, but due to a schedule clash with a summer camp at a prestigious school, couldn’t go and had to ask if any friends were interested.

Jiang Zhihuo rested his head on Yan Mu’s lap.

Senior students have very little time to relax in a whole day, only managing a short rest before bed.

Yan Mu loved the times when it was only the two of them. Most of the time, they each busied themselves in silence, but the atmosphere was always calm and pleasant.

No one could break the atmosphere between them.

At this moment, Jiang Zhihuo was reporting his health condition to the doctor.

His estrus periods weren’t steady and could arise at any time. Since the start of the semester, just over a month, it came three times, but each time he was at home, with Yan Mu present, so nothing went wrong.

In accordance with custom, Jiang Zhihuo reported his physical data.

As he waited for the doctor’s response, he remembered again that in two weeks Yan Mu would be heading to B City for an exam and would have to be away for no less than two days.

So, Jiang Zhihuo asked another question: if the alpha isn’t around during an estrus period, what ways exist to suppress it?

The doctor replied after a moment.

The first response was an ‘okay’ hand sign emoji, meaning the physical data was received and all was normal.

Then came the answer to Jiang Zhihuo’s question.

Doctor: From the present condition, inhibitors and other medications are still ineffective, so there is no way to suppress it. I suggest coming to the isolation ward as soon as any signs of heat appear.

Jiang Zhihuo: Alright then.

Jiang Zhihuo actually disliked hospitals, and if he had no choice but to use the isolation ward, all he could do was pray that his estrus wouldn’t come during the two days Yan-ge was absent.

Doctor: However, there’s a method that can provide relief.

On the screen, it showed ‘The other party is typing…’ and Jiang Zhihuo continued waiting with patience.

Soon, the doctor sent a long message.

Doctor: An omega’s estrus comes from activity in the reproductive cavity. The secretion of pheromones brings about periodic stimulation, which in turn causes a series of bodily responses. In male omegas, the reproductive cavity is structurally a bit different from that of females, lying lower in position. You could see this in the diagrams I showed earlier, located below the lower abdomen.

Doctor: Thus, a certain amount of external stimulation can be used to ease the symptoms of estrus.

Jiang Zhihuo’s eyelid gave a twitch: A certain amount of external stimulation? What exactly does that mean?

The doctor sent a few photos.

Jiang Zhihuo: ………

The photos were quite provocative.

They were indeed tools meant for external stimulation, and the doctor had sent some of the more typical designs.

One was long, with a slightly curved and enlarged tip.

A long strand composed of spheres of different sizes linked in sequence.

A thin, silver piece, bearing at its very top a transparent ball under five millimeters in diameter; unlike the earlier two, it was meant to be used in the front.

Unable to stand it, Jiang Zhihuo instantly shut off the screen and pressed it tightly against his chest.

“What’s the matter, Xiao Zhou?” Yan Mu touched Jiang Zhihuo’s earlobe lightly, noticing it was warm. Looking closer, he saw Jiang Zhihuo’s expression wasn’t quite right.

“N–Nothing!”

His phone buzzed again, and it was a message from the doctor.

Jiang Zhihuo jumped off the sofa, rushed into his room, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. He flung himself onto the soft quilt, hands shaking as he opened the chat with the doctor.

The doctor was dutifully introducing several common tools used to relieve estrus symptoms.

Doctor: The first photo shows a common type, best for home use. The third is the same in principle, but it’s dangerous, so that I wouldn’t recommend it for initial use. I’d recommend the second instead.

Doctor: Naturally, this is just relief, not suppression. It won’t eliminate the physical reaction, but it will make you feel less uncomfortable. If you ever face a situation where the alpha isn’t nearby or can’t come quickly, you must go to the isolation ward immediately.

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

The doctor remained professional throughout, giving only treatment advice and recommending support tools.

But once Jiang Zhihuo saw those pictures, there was no way for his heart to calm.

It was too intense.

The thought of those things being inserted…

Jiang Zhihuo tossed and turned in bed, and for a long time, did not fall asleep. Once he knew there were these things, he couldn’t erase them from his mind. In the middle of the night, he sneakily went to search for usage methods. What he could find were only hand-drawn pictures, but just imagining that scene…

His lower abdomen felt faintly hot.

Jiang Zhihuo took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

In the middle of the night.

When he turned over, he noticed that Yan Mu, too, still had his eyes open.

“Yan-ge, why are you still awake?” Jiang Zhihuo asked.

“Can’t sleep.” Yan Mu replied.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Zhihuo automatically slipped an arm around Yan Mu’s waist. He liked holding each other while sleeping, especially in winter, when being pressed close under the quilt made it warmer without needing the heater.

However, the moment he reached forward, his arm unexpectedly bumped into something.

Yan Mu let out a sigh. “I was wrong, Xiao Zhou. Go to sleep.”

Jiang Zhihuo said nothing, simply shifted forward, drawing his body a little closer.

The same thing pressed against his waist, and neither needed words to know its meaning.

Jiang Zhihuo lightly bit onto Yan Mu’s earlobe, and moist and warm breath blew out behind the ear. “Are you in or not?”

Whether it was because of the tutorial he’d secretly watched past midnight or not, Jiang Zhihuo’s emotions ran unusually high, and tonight he took the lead. He held Yan Mu still and experimented on his own until he brushed a certain place, his body jerking back involuntarily. The sensation was impossible to put into words, so deep it consumed his mind, as if he’d found a new pleasure, one that made him lose himself even more.

They wove their own trap by going too hard. It was supposed to end after once, but with pheromones overflowing again, the two couldn’t stop, surrendering completely to instinct.

Once it ended, the two washed again. Yan Mu applied ointment to Jiang Zhihuo, inside as well as out, the cool touch always bringing a faint pain. Right before bed, Jiang Zhihuo, in revenge, sank his teeth into Yan Mu’s collarbone.

By the next morning, Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t even manage to get up, while Yan Mu looked bright and refreshed. Even with little sleep, he seemed more spirited than if he’d slept a full night.

He dressed Jiang Zhihuo in his school uniform, squeezed toothpaste for him, and wanted to walk him into the classroom, but Jiang Zhihuo wouldn’t allow it.

Brother Huo cared about saving face, so he endured the pain while pretending to be fine. His act was so convincing that the entire morning in Class 1 could tell there was nothing wrong with him; he merely asked for leave during the exercise run.

The following day was Friday, usually time for another weekly exam, but in class, Ding Jianhui announced that it was canceled.

Everyone: !!!

They hadn’t even had time to celebrate when Ding Jianhui added, “Classmates, in two weeks we’ll face the city’s level-assessment exam again. Last time, No. 3 High School snatched first place from us. This time, I hope you’ll study hard, perform well, and take it back!”