Are His Lips Red Too?

Chapter Nineteen

The culprit had no intention of concealing his malice.

His upturned brows and eyes were arrogant and unrestrained, and a short, contemptuous snort escaped his throat.

Ye Nanxun glanced at him, then lowered his eyes to avoid meeting Zhu Shixin's gaze.

Like a vicious dog bullying others by the roadside, once it accidentally met someone's eyes, it would bark madly without end.

Zhu Shixin was just such an unreasonable, highly aggressive mongrel.

In his previous life, Zhu Shixin had tried to grope Ye Nanxun. Though he had failed because of Ye Nanxun's Poison Mushroom pheromones, he had flown into a rage from humiliation and beaten Ye Nanxun viciously.

Pain throbbed through his right shoulder, but compared to being kicked by Zhu Shixin until he vomited blood in his previous life, it was nothing.

Ye Nanxun lowered his head and said nothing. Now was not the right time to confront Zhu Shixin.

Though he had gotten to know Jiang Yuenian a little, it was only "a little."

He was not foolish enough to think that someone would stand up for him over such a tiny acquaintance.

Even someone as high-born as He Lanxue could not control her own life, much less him.

One hand hidden in his sleeve slowly clenched into a fist, then gradually loosened. A strand of mycelium too fine for the naked eye crept out from his fingertips.

He was simply unwilling to accept it, unable to swallow his anger.

After deliberately bumping into him from behind, Zhu Shixin flashed a provocative smile at the omega wearing such a cold and aloof expression.

He did not see the anger he had expected.

The omega who had been hit held his right shoulder with his left hand. His fair face was half-hidden behind slightly curled black hair, making it look even whiter and brighter than the snow around them.

His thick lashes were lowered, concealing the look in his eyes. Only the tip of his rounded, upturned nose was faintly red.

He looked a little aggrieved, as though the collision had hurt him.

Zhu Shixin stared at that hint of red, his gaze drifting lower until it landed on the charcoal-gray scarf covering the lower half of Ye Nanxun's face.

Were this guy's lips red too?

The thought suddenly came to Zhu Shixin.

He had always done whatever he wanted. Lifting his leg, he started toward Ye Nanxun.

He would yank off the scarf and see the lips hidden beneath it.

"Zhu Shixin, what are you doing?"

He Lanxue's furious shout shattered the silence. Zhu Shixin's raised leg dropped back down before he could take a step.

He Lanxue smiled and greeted Ye Nanxun. "Nanxun, where do you live? We'll give you a ride home!"

Ye Nanxun and He Lanxue had chatted a little that afternoon and added each other as friends, so they were no longer so formal with one another.

Ye Nanxun politely declined. "No need. My dad is already here to pick me up."

Zhu Shixin gave a derisive snort. "Are you a kid? You still need your dad to pick you up?"

Unable to stand Zhu Shixin constantly targeting Ye Nanxun, He Lanxue started arguing with him again.

"Let's go."

A cold voice cut off their meaningless quarrel.

The tall, straight-backed alpha got out of the driver's seat. He Yiming swept a rather indifferent glance over them. "Zhu Shixin, come drive."

Rubbing his nose, Zhu Shixin got into the driver's seat.

He Lanxue also returned to the car and waved at Ye Nanxun through the window. "We're leaving, Nanxun. Bye-bye."

The phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

The mycelium at his fingertips slowly withdrew. Ye Nanxun picked up his phone. "Dad, I'm coming out right away."

On the way home, Ye Nanxun sat in the passenger seat, smiling as he told his father about the afternoon's rehearsal.

Once he got home and returned to his room alone, the gentle smile on his face gradually faded.

He took off his scarf and coat, hanging them on the hook. Standing before the mirror, Ye Nanxun used his slender, fair fingers to pull up the hem of his turtleneck sweater.

He removed his upper clothes one by one, revealing smooth, evenly proportioned pale skin. Only the back of his right shoulder was bruised blue and purple.

After finding some ointment and applying it to the bruise, Ye Nanxun put his clothes back on one piece at a time.

He sat quietly on the edge of the bed, both palms pressed against the clean, soft quilt beside him. Regarding what had happened that afternoon, a thought in his heart grew increasingly certain.

Some people, some things.

Even if he tried to avoid them and never provoked them, they would still come looking for him.

Ye Nanxun looked relaxed, as though he had not taken Zhu Shixin maliciously ramming into his shoulder to heart.

His unfocused gaze gathered again, settling precisely on the charcoal-gray scarf hanging from the hook.

His eyes froze for an instant.

An eager, restless emotion nearly leaped from his emerald-green eyes, only to be forcibly suppressed.

A buzzing sound came from the bedside not far away.

Glancing at the phone on the nightstand, Ye Nanxun walked over and opened the newest message.

Ye Zhineng: Xiao Xun, we're going skiing tomorrow. Come with us.

Little Mushroom: Cousin, sorry, I promised to help Teacher Jiang this week. You all have fun. I won't be going.

After replying, Ye Nanxun turned off his phone screen.

His parents called him downstairs for dinner. Ye Nanxun set down his phone, got up, and left the room.

Elsewhere, Ye Zhineng looked at Ye Nanxun's reply, his gaze fixed on the three words "Teacher Jiang."

Several young alpha heirs beside him impatiently pressed, "Well? Is Nanxun coming tomorrow or not?"

They had not even seen him and did not know him at all, yet these strangers could familiarly call him "Nanxun."

Ye Zhineng shook his head.

Someone immediately frowned in displeasure and sneered. "Seriously? Ye Zhineng, what's with your cousin? You can't even get him to come out?"

He had refused their friend requests and repeatedly turned down invitations to hang out.

Their initial bit of patience was nearly worn away.

Another person added in a sarcastic tone, "Your cousin has quite the temper, huh."

Turning the phone in his palm, Ye Zhineng showed them his chat history with Ye Nanxun.

"He's helping Teacher Jiang this week, so he can't come," Ye Zhineng said.

Upon seeing the chat screen, the alphas who had been simmering with anger and whose attitudes toward Ye Nanxun had sharply soured relaxed somewhat.

The one who had just spoken sarcastically suddenly smiled, a gleam flashing in his dark eyes. "Teacher Jiang? That must be Teacher Jiang Yuenian!"

The alpha who had been sneering also became amiable again. "It's General Zhu's birthday this week. In previous years, Teacher Jiang personally planned the birthday banquet. Nanxun must be helping Teacher Jiang with it."

Ye Zhineng was not from Dream Star, but he had always been skilled at reading the room.

Putting away his phone, Ye Zhineng said casually, "Then Nanxun will probably play the piano at General Zhu's birthday banquet. If you want to see him..."

Someone interrupted Ye Zhineng with a wry smile. "General Zhu's birthday banquet only ever invites a small number of friends. How could there be any place for juniors like us?"

The group who had earlier thought Ye Nanxun was "temperamental and full of himself" now began praising him instead, warmly calling Ye Zhineng their brother.

Ye Zhineng sat to one side and listened quietly.

His beautiful cousin was more useful than he had imagined.