He had never paid much attention to this before. Their family was comfortably middle class, and both Tang Qi and his father earned more than average. He and his younger sister had grown up without worrying much about food or clothing.
Luo Yun put down the bill and frowned. “Can’t medical insurance reimburse any of this?”
“They’re all imported specialty drugs. Of course they aren’t covered.” Tang Qi sighed. She was worried about the medical expenses too. Ever since her daughter’s health problems began, not only had the treatment been expensive, but Tang Qi had also needed to take frequent leave to go back and forth to the hospital. A promotion that had once seemed possible was now out of reach.
“Don’t worry. Your father and I have savings. We can afford her treatment. You and Yunyun just need to focus on studying.”
Luo Yun nodded, picked up his schoolbag with one hand, and slung it over his right shoulder. “Then I’m going to school.”
When he passed a bakery, Luo Yun bought two identical breakfasts. He normally stopped eating when he was about eighty percent full, but he worried that such a small amount would not be enough for Feng Ye, so he bought an extra piece of bread as well.
***
Over the next few days, Luo Yun gradually became accustomed to hearing Feng Ye’s inner thoughts from time to time.
He even worked out a few consistent rules.
First, his mind-reading ability worked only on Feng Ye. Second, he only heard Feng Ye’s thoughts when they concerned Luo Yun.
Most of what Feng Ye thought was, fortunately, not excessively outrageous.
When Luo Yun slept with his head on the desk, he would hear Feng Ye think: [Wife is so cute when he sleeps.]
When Luo Yun did homework, he would hear Feng Ye think: [My wife’s hands are so fair.]
When Luo Yun stretched, he would hear Feng Ye think: [My wife’s waist is so slim.]
After hearing such thoughts often enough, Luo Yun had become trained by sheer exposure. He went from discomfort at first to slowly accepting it. Eventually, it no longer seemed like such a big deal. It was only one person falling for another, the quiet fluttering feelings hidden inside his heart.
Sometimes Luo Yun wondered whether he should make things clear to Feng Ye. Right now, all his attention was focused on studying, and it would be difficult for him to give any sort of response. But Feng Ye had never confessed to him. If Luo Yun brought it up first on his own, he might embarrass Feng Ye terribly.
During physics class that afternoon, Ren Ying was teaching a difficult problem involving electromagnetic fields. It had been a problem from River City’s physics competition the previous year. Class Three was No. 1 High’s best science class, so she deliberately exposed the students to unfamiliar, more creative question types over time.
She explained while writing on the board until her mouth was dry, then asked whether everyone understood. Nearly half the students stared back with blank eyes.
With difficult problems like this, students had to spend time digesting them on their own after class. Otherwise, it was hard to understand them completely.
Ren Ying glanced toward her prized student, only to discover Luo Yun asleep with his head on the desk.
That had never happened before.
Feng Ye, on the other hand, was unusually energetic. He had his head turned toward the window, though no one knew where his attention had wandered.
As if sensing Ren Ying’s gaze, Feng Ye looked at her for several seconds. Seeing her stare at Luo Yun, her narrow brows drawn so tightly together that the space between them could practically crush a fly, he paused.
“……”
Feng Ye lightly nudged the sleeping Luo Yun with his elbow. Deliberately lowering his voice, he said, “Class Monitor, stop sleeping. Ren Ying is looking at you.”
Luo Yun must only have been dozing lightly, because Feng Ye’s warning woke him almost immediately. His mind was still drifting when he opened his eyes, which were hazy with sleepy moisture. After lying on the desk for so long, two red lines had been pressed into his fair right cheek.
Even his voice was soft. “Is school over?”
Feng Ye froze for a moment, then laughed. “You don’t look like a top student at all right now. No, school isn’t over. Ren Ying is staring at you.”
Luo Yun’s head was still foggy. He lifted it and met Ren Ying’s eyes, which were filled with anger. Guiltily touching the tip of his nose, he then looked at the blackboard. He had missed the entire problem. He actually knew how to solve it already, but sleeping this soundly during class was a first for him.
Embarrassment quickly colored his face, making his porcelain-white cheeks flush. Luo Yun picked up a gel pen and pretended to listen attentively. When he sneaked another glance at Ren Ying, she seemed less angry. She withdrew her fiery gaze and began explaining the related concepts that extended from the problem.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Feng Ye raised a hand and touched Luo Yun’s forehead. The warmth of an Alpha’s body passed clearly through the thin skin.
“Doesn’t seem like it. Your temperature feels normal. You were like this yesterday too. You nearly fell asleep in chemistry.” Feng Ye said.
As the hand left his forehead, Luo Yun faintly caught that scent again. It was light and blended into the air: slightly bitter mint wrapped in cool white-pine resin. The opening note held a cold bitterness, the middle and later notes gradually warmed, and there even seemed to be a faint sweetness, something reminiscent of plants and woods.
It was coming from Feng Ye’s wrist. Luo Yun was certain.
He paused for two seconds, pressed his lips together, and said, “Um, Feng Ye.”
Hearing Luo Yun call his name so seriously, Feng Ye smiled. “Mm?”
“What does your pheromone smell like?”
Silence. A very long silence.
Feng Ye stared directly into Luo Yun’s eyes. His eyes were long and narrow, and when their outer corners lifted, they carried a lazy, careless air.
Then Luo Yun heard Feng Ye’s inner thoughts—
[My wife is asking what my pheromones smell like.]
[Doesn’t he know pheromones are extremely private?]
[Why would he ask this? Could he be interested in me?]
[I get it. As a Beta, he can’t smell pheromones, so he must be curious. Maybe tomorrow I should spray on a perfume that smells the same and let him smell it.]
Luo Yun looked at him as though he were an idiot. Why did an Alpha’s mind have to race through so many thoughts?
Just as Feng Ye was about to answer, Luo Yun spoke first. “Never mind. Pretend I didn’t ask.”
Feng Ye, who had tragically lost his chance to show off: “…….”