The call ended with a click.
Feng Ye struggled halfway upright and pushed his black hair back. The dark-green quilt barely covered the lean muscles of his abdomen.
He had an impressive physique. Although he was only in Grade Eleven, the formidable constitution of an Alpha had already pushed his height past 1.9 meters. The muscle lines over his entire body were balanced and attractive without being exaggeratedly bulky.
He really had been half asleep.
Feng Ye ran the tip of his tongue along his teeth and clicked his tongue inwardly.
He came from a family formed by a male Alpha and a male Omega. After his two fathers divorced, he had moved in with his grandfather at an old courtyard house on the northern side of North City.
There was no central heating here. After sitting up for only a few seconds, the cold shocked him fully awake, a chill climbing from his spine toward his head.
The black screen of his phone reflected his face.
His features were deep and handsome, his brows and eyes sharp, though they still held a trace of sleepiness, and his short hair was messy.
Perhaps the bedframe had shaken too loudly when he sprang upright, because the cockatiel in the living room let out two soft, babyish chirps.
Luo Yun……
He probably had not noticed how shameless Feng Ye had just been, right?
As he thought that, Feng Ye changed the contact name he had kept throughout the winter holiday from [Wife] to [Class Monitor].
He called out twice and got no response. The old man was in excellent health and had gone out early for his morning walk in the park.
When Feng Ye got out of bed, he accidentally kicked one of the dumbbells carelessly left on the floor. He quickly changed clothes, washed up, raked his fingers through his hair twice in front of the mirror, shoved his feet into his shoes, and changed the dish of water for the parrot on his way out.
A rugged-looking motorcycle was parked beneath the shelter in the courtyard, a thin layer of mist condensed over its black bodywork.
He wiped it away with one hand, fastened his helmet, started the engine, and headed for school.
……
Luo Yun was looking over a problem. Just as he had expected, the homeroom teacher noticed Feng Ye’s absence the instant she entered the classroom.
It took only a second for the smile on Ren Ying’s face to disappear, the corners of her mouth dropping in displeasure.
She tilted her head up slightly, her voice somewhat cold. “Feng Ye still isn’t here at this hour?”
She was not tall, but after serving as a homeroom teacher for several classes over the years, she carried real authority when she stood at the front.
The classroom fell silent for several seconds. The atmosphere became subtly oppressive, as though all the cold wind outside had suddenly poured into the room.
Luo Yun slowly stood, his lashes lowered. “He should be coming soon.”
“Should?”
“Mm.” Luo Yun touched his nose, feeling a little guilty.
The call had ended abruptly. He had no idea whether Feng Ye had gone back to sleep or was actually on his way to school.
“It’s already the second semester of Grade Eleven and he’s still this lawless. How am I supposed to teach this class? Every last one of you…” Ren Ying planted her hands on her hips, her voice turning sharp and high. From her posture alone, the entire class knew another unavoidable lecture was coming.
She was still speaking without pause when the door was suddenly kicked open with considerable force. This time, the cold wind truly did rush inside.
The students in the front row and Ren Ying both shivered from the chill.
“……”
The homeroom teacher’s imposing aura vanished in an instant.
Luo Yun lifted his eyes and followed everyone else’s gaze toward the doorway.
The pale winter sunlight fell over the boy’s shoulders, softening the crisp, sharp lines of his figure.
Feng Ye stood where light met shadow, tall and lean but unmistakably powerful.
He wore only a black hoodie with a large graffiti design across the chest. His waist was narrow, his legs long, and the trouser legs wrapped around firm muscles. His socks were short, exposing the hard angles of his ankles.
There was nothing to criticize about his face either. Otherwise, No. 1 High would not have had so many Omegas rushing one after another to confess to him.
Beneath strong brows, eyes as black as deep pools looked at Ren Ying without the slightest trace of unease.
“Reporting,” he said calmly.
Before the homeroom teacher could question him, Feng Ye had the foresight to confess first. “I overslept.”
Ren Ying exploded. Her face flushed red, and her lips trembled from the cold. Seeing that Feng Ye’s hands were empty, she snapped irritably, “You managed to bring yourself here, but where’s your homework?”
Without changing expression, Feng Ye lied, “I left in such a hurry that I forgot it, but I really did finish all the workbooks.”
The class could barely suppress its laughter. Luo Yun laughed too.
The test papers spread over his desk were neat, the handwriting elegant and orderly.
All their holiday homework consisted of test papers specially written by teachers in their grade. What workbooks was Feng Ye talking about?
“Get outside and stay there!” Ren Ying ordered Feng Ye, then told him to close the door before beginning his punishment of standing in the corridor.
Feng Ye drew out a long “Oh,” glancing toward his seat as he shut the door.
His deskmate seemed rather pleased.
If embarrassing himself made Luo Yun happy, then being embarrassed was not so bad.
***
Ren Ying rapidly finished going over two physics papers during the first half of class and then thought about letting Feng Ye back in. She had noticed that he was wearing only a hoodie and had no idea how many layers he had underneath. Alphas had strong physiques and could withstand the cold, but it would still be hard to explain if he actually got sick from freezing outside.
She called his name twice and received no answer. When she pushed open the door, the corridor was empty.
During the second half of class, Ren Ying’s expression grew even darker.
When the bell rang, many students who had not had time for breakfast got up at once. Someone poked Luo Yun’s shoulder, and he turned around.
It was Su Nong, Shangguan Yi’s deskmate. “Want to go to the school shop together?”
Seating in Class Three was arranged by grades.
First place sat with last place, second place with second-to-last, and so on.
Su Nong was permanently second in the class and among the top ten in the grade. He was a bright, sunny male Omega. Whenever seats were rearranged, everyone else’s deskmates changed back and forth, but the pairs of Luo Yun and Feng Ye, and Su Nong and Shangguan Yi, remained almost fixed.
“No. It’s too cold outside.” Luo Yun refused.
Compared with braving the cold wind just to buy breakfast, he would rather stay exactly where he was.
Su Nong laughed at him. “Is it really that cold? Feng Ye only wore a hoodie this morning.”
“He’s an Alpha.” Luo Yun made a noncommittal sound and curled himself into an even smaller ball.
“Then should I bring you some simmered snacks?” Su Nong asked.
Luo Yun was just about to say yes when two things were tossed onto his desk.
Strawberry milk and a sandwich.
The instant they touched the freezing desktop, a thin layer of white mist rose around them.
They were warm.
“Move over.” Feng Ye had just returned from outside, cold air clinging to his body and his voice equally cool.
“……” Luo Yun was a little reluctant.
If he stood up, all the warmth he had painstakingly stored would probably disappear, but he could not exactly leave Feng Ye stranded outside his seat.
He noticed the front seat was empty. His eyes brightened when he met Feng Ye’s gaze. “Why don’t you climb in from the front? No one’s sitting there anyway.”
Seeing Luo Yun curled into a ball, Feng Ye frowned.
He knew Luo Yun was afraid of the cold. At the end of last semester, the temperature had suddenly plunged. The classroom air conditioning had been on while everything outside was frozen over, yet Luo Yun had still been so cold that he could not even be bothered going to the bathroom. Feng Ye had deliberately forced him to stand up, and only then had Luo Yun gone to take care of it while he was already moving.
“Is it really that cold? Your physical condition is pathetic.”
Feng Ye’s gaze landed on Luo Yun’s hat, which had a white pom-pom sewn onto the top.
It looked soft and rather adorable.
“It is cold. My face is frozen stiff.” As Luo Yun spoke, the back of someone’s hand suddenly brushed lightly against his cheek, as brief as a dragonfly touching water.
Alphas naturally ran warmer. Although Feng Ye wore only a hoodie, his hand was very warm, carrying the bold heat of youth.
“It does seem a little cold.” As Feng Ye withdrew his hand, the corner of his mouth secretly lifted before he quickly suppressed it. “How about this? Say something nice to me, and I’ll do what you want.”
“……” The person afraid of the cold pressed his lips together and decided to get it over with quickly. Luo Yun was just about to stand when a clean rush of movement swept past his ear, carrying a trace of cold air.
With one easy swing of his long legs, Feng Ye vaulted over the front seat and landed in his own. When he was done, he even said, “You don’t have to say anything. I’m considerate, after all.”
Luo Yun’s eyes curved with amusement.
Su Nong stood in the aisle asking exactly what Luo Yun wanted in his simmered snacks. Feng Ye heard him and pointed at the bread and milk. “Those two won’t fill you up?”
“These are for me?” Luo Yun looked surprised and wondered whether this was hush money for discovering Feng Ye’s secret relationship.
Feng Ye lazily hummed in confirmation. “I happened to buy them on the way. If you’re not eating them, I’ll throw them away.”
“Throw them away? What a waste.” A hand suddenly appeared. Shangguan Yi had just returned from the bathroom and caught the latter half of the sentence. He picked up the milk and stabbed in the straw. Just as he was about to take a few sips, he sharply sensed a bone-chilling coldness sweeping toward him, like faintly bitter mint wrapped in snow from a winter night.
“……” Shangguan Yi froze. “Bro, are you angry?”
Alphas had a special way of communicating. During intense emotional fluctuations or strenuous exercise, they would unconsciously release tiny amounts of pheromones. Scent blockers could only isolate pheromones to a certain degree, and the stronger an Alpha was, the more easily traces of his scent leaked out. Such small amounts would not affect an Omega.
Luo Yun and Su Nong could not follow what had happened and had no idea why the conversation had suddenly jumped to this topic.
Feng Ye knitted his brows and said flatly, “No. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Oh.” Shangguan Yi sucked milk through the straw and took a bite of the sandwich. The food had been heated, and as he ate, satisfied little sounds escaped him.
The aroma lingered beneath Luo Yun’s nose. After smelling it for a while, he bit his lip.
For a moment, he felt that good food might actually be able to defeat the bitter cold.
He decided to go to the school shop with Su Nong after all.
Once they had left, Shangguan Yi complained around a mouthful of food, “He let the entire class copy from him, but he wouldn’t let me. Don’t you think he’s targeting me?!”
Instead of receiving comfort from Feng Ye, he was smacked hard on the back of the head. Shangguan Yi’s head jerked forward, and salad dressing smeared all over his face.
“No, Bro, you’re definitely angry! If something’s bothering you, tell me. Don’t keep it bottled up.”
Feng Ye looked at his useless teammate with an expression too complicated for words, pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, and prepared to sleep.
Then he suddenly remembered something and sent his uncle a message: [We’re freezing to death. Can’t bear to pay for electricity?]
***
The day before the official start of school, Ren Ying called Luo Yun to the office and asked whether he was ready for his speech at the opening ceremony.
Luo Yun knew the speech by heart and said there would be no problem.
The school administrators would be attending the next day, so Ren Ying gave him a few more reminders and told him not to be too nervous when the time came.
“And what about your clothes? You should have a white shirt and black suit trousers at home, right?” Ren Ying asked.
Luo Yun nodded. “I do.”
In addition to student representatives, the school had invited several parent representatives.
Ren Ying leaned back in her chair and rubbed between her brows. Relaxing a little, she asked, “Will anyone from your family come tomorrow? Maybe take some pictures of you and things like that?”
Luo Yun did not know whether Tang Qi would have time, so he did not make any promises. “I’ll ask when I get home tonight.”
When he returned home that evening and pushed open the door, the living room was completely dark.
Luo Yun’s father worked in civil engineering and had hurried off to another province as soon as the Spring Festival ended. His mother and younger sister were not home either.
His younger sister, Luo Yun, had always been in poor health. Something had gone wrong when she differentiated into an Omega in middle school, leaving her with an immune-system disorder. It was not life-threatening, but she needed continuous treatment, so the family had become regular visitors at the municipal hospital.
When Luo Yun opened the refrigerator, there was hardly any food inside. The freezer contained dumplings made during the New Year. Luo Yun’s intelligence stat might have been maxed out, but his cooking skill was an absolute disaster.
Not wanting to eat dumplings whose fillings would probably burst out, Luo Yun put his shoes back on and went downstairs to the supermarket to buy dinner.
The young woman at the register recognized him. “The usual? One serving of simmered snacks and a grilled sausage?”
Luo Yun smiled awkwardly.
He had just bitten into a tender, juicy piece of radish when his phone rang.
The other end was noisy, filled with the sounds of wheels rolling and people talking. Luo Yun tightened his grip on the phone and softly called, “Mom.”
“Luoluo, I forgot to tell you earlier. Something’s acting up with Xiaoyun’s health again, so I have to stay by her hospital bed tonight and can’t come home. There are dumplings in the refrigerator. Just cook something simple for yourself.”
Luo Yun frowned. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine. It’s the same old problem. I’m a little busy here, so I have to go…” Tang Qi spoke rapidly, and Luo Yun could feel her agitation even through the phone.
A nurse called out again on the other end. Luo Yun still wanted to ask about the opening ceremony, but the call was abruptly disconnected.
Luo Yun lowered his eyes, typed out a message, and sent it.
Even by the next morning, Luo Yun still had not received a reply from Tang Qi.
***
A white shirt and suit trousers were too thin to keep out the cold, so Luo Yun casually threw on a shearling jacket over them.
Their homeroom teacher had reminded everyone that school uniforms were mandatory for the opening ceremony. Along the road leading toward No. 1 High, clusters of two and three students in blue-and-white uniforms formed a familiar sea of color.
Luo Yun and the student council president were stationed at the school gate to inspect students. Anyone not wearing a uniform had to have their name recorded, costing their class discipline points as well as points from their individual conduct score.
After Ren Ying’s repeated warnings, the students of Class Three had been quite obedient. Even a few of the usual troublemakers had, for once, put on their school uniforms.
Except… Feng Ye.
Luo Yun looked speechlessly at Feng Ye, who stood in front of him wearing a black down jacket. “Didn’t we say everyone had to wear the school uniform?”
The young master gave an indifferent “Oh” and spread his hands. “Forgot.”
Luo Yun checked his phone. “There’s still time. Why don’t you go back and get it?”
There were twenty minutes left before the opening ceremony. Students who commuted usually lived fairly close to the school, so a round trip by taxi might still leave enough time.
Feng Ye thought about the distance. A round trip on his motorcycle would take more than half an hour. No chance. “Can’t be bothered going back.”
His expression made it clear he did not care.
“Then there’s nothing else I can do.” Luo Yun opened the record book and asked evenly, “Name and class.”
“……” Feng Ye lifted an eyebrow. He thought Luo Yun looked cute even when he was being serious, and the urge to tease him immediately rose.
His voice was lazy. “Come on, we were sitting together yesterday. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten me today. That’s pretty heartless.”
“Hm, dear Class Monitor?” A lazy smile curved Feng Ye’s lips as he stared directly into Luo Yun’s eyes.
A cool breeze swept toward them, and Luo Yun suddenly smelled fir, wrapped in the clean resinous scent of white pine.
It was faintly bitter, like a biting winter wind threaded with green mint, a little sharp against the nose, as though silently warning that heavy snow was on the way.
The scent vanished in an instant, making Luo Yun wonder if he had imagined it.
Shangguan Yi saw the scene and rushed over, slinging an arm around Feng Ye’s shoulder. Feng Ye’s body swayed lightly from the impact.
Shangguan Yi grinned shamelessly. “Come on, Class Monitor, have a heart. We’re all in the same class. If it weren’t for Brother Ye, do you really think the school would have been kind enough to turn on the air-conditioning power a whole week early?”
Feng Ye’s family connections were no secret. Every student at No. 1 High knew about them.
Hearing that, Luo Yun immediately understood that Feng Ye had been the reason.
A few days earlier, they had genuinely thought they would have to freeze for an entire week, since neither the middle-school division nor Grade Ten had returned and powering the air-conditioning system was too much trouble.
No wonder the air conditioners had started working that very afternoon.
Luo Yun frowned. The student council president was still watching beside him. After thinking for a moment, Luo Yun repeated, “Name and class.”
The tiny flicker of expectation in Feng Ye’s heart died, and he suddenly felt a little foolish.
He had actually expected Luo Yun to bend the rules for him.
Expected Luo Yun to think he was somehow different.
But then again, this was more like the class monitor he knew.
Feng Ye pressed the tip of his tongue against his teeth and clicked his tongue carelessly. “You really are heartless.”
The spectators stiffened at the sound. The last time they had heard Feng Ye click his tongue like that, an Alpha from another school had come looking for trouble, and Feng Ye had beaten four of them by himself.
Feng Ye stepped forward and braced a hand against the table. His tall upper body nearly enveloped Luo Yun beneath him.
“You’re really going to write down my name?”
“Mm.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Luo Yun met his gaze without the slightest fear. He only thought Feng Ye was standing too close; their noses were almost touching, and Luo Yun could not help taking a tiny step backward.
Everyone sucked in a breath.
Feng Ye could not seriously be angry, could he? If the two of them started fighting…
None of them would be able to stop it.
“Fine. Grade Eleven, Class Three. Feng Ye.” Feng Ye took his hand off the table and straightened to his full height again.
Everyone who had still been worrying: “……”
That was it? They had taken off their trousers for this?
Luo Yun carefully wrote the disobedient Alpha’s name down stroke by stroke.
His slender back curved slightly. His hands had been exposed to the cold wind for too long and were tinged faintly pink, while his fingertips had turned pale.
His shearling jacket was cropped, and when he bent down it rode up another short distance. It was so short that it did not even cover his backside.
The suit trousers draped beautifully, smooth without a single wrinkle, fitting close to his body.
The longer Feng Ye looked, the narrower his eyes became. He licked his dry lips.
“All right. Remember to wear your school uniform next time.” Luo Yun straightened as he spoke.
Then, without warning, a delighted voice rang beside his ear—[Hehe, my wife in those suit trousers… his butt really is so perky.]
“……” Luo Yun’s hand froze. He lowered his head and looked at his own suit trousers.
???