Chapter 38
On the first day of the New Year, Ye Nanxun arrived at the school laboratory.
While eating nearby and walking the dog at noon, he happened to run into a frail omega who had been staring at Little Yellow Dog.
Ye Nanxun did not talk much, and this omega talked even less.
This was the third day they had met.
Ye Nanxun bent down and patted Little Dragon's head. "I'm a new teacher."
The omega beside him widened his eyes. After two seconds, he straightened his back slightly. "Hello, Professor."
"What's your name?"
Just as Ye Nanxun finished asking, a cold voice suddenly rang out from not far away.
"Cao Xi."
The frail omega instantly tensed up. His already pale face turned even whiter, as though coated in a layer of lifeless lime.
His gaze briefly swept over the omega. Ye Nanxun stood and looked behind him, where the alpha in a white lab coat was also looking his way.
Behind gold-rimmed glasses, the alpha's refined and handsome face wore a gentle, elegant smile. "Professor Ye."
Ye Nanxun said, "Sorry, and you are?"
"Welcome to the Scientific Research Institute. I'm your colleague, Jiang Ying." The alpha maintained the flawless, mild smile on his face.
With both hands in his coat pockets, Ye Nanxun nodded at him. "Hello, Professor Jiang."
Ye Nanxun's attitude was very indifferent, nowhere near enthusiastic.
Jiang Ying was not angry. Still standing where he was, he glanced back and forth between Ye Nanxun and Cao Xi beside him. "Professor Ye, do you know Little Xi?"
"I was just asking his name." Ye Nanxun tilted his head and glanced at Cao Xi. "My name is Ye Nanxun."
Which Ye, which Nan, which Xun?
Ye Nanxun did not seem to intend to explain. As always, he was a man of few words.
Instead, Cao Xi politely lowered his head in greeting to Ye Nanxun. "Professor Ye, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first."
Ye Nanxun nodded to show that he understood, then nodded at Jiang Ying before untying the leash nearby and leading Little Dragon onward.
After walking some distance, there was an intersection around fifty meters ahead.
As he turned left at the intersection, Ye Nanxun glanced in the direction of the pavilion.
Neither Jiang Ying nor Cao Xi was there anymore.
After carrying Little Dragon back to the laboratory, Ye Nanxun patted Little Yellow Dog's head. "Be good, Little Dragon. Wait for me in the break room."
The first day he had brought Little Dragon along, Ye Nanxun had worried a little about whether Little Dragon would be uncomfortable staying alone in the break room.
Was this what one should expect from a dog raised by Yan Beiyou?
Aside from clinging to him every moment, he was simply too well-behaved.
He neither barked nor bit indiscriminately. If told to stay in the break room, he obediently remained there with his eyes closed, sleeping.
After closing the break room door and putting on his lab coat, Ye Nanxun sat in front of the laboratory computer.
After staring at the data for a while, Ye Nanxun squeezed his eyes shut.
Cao Xi was a graduate student at the University of Scientific Research, an S-rank omega whose advisor was Jiang Ying, a professor of considerable renown within the institute.
Jiang Ying was one of the alphas behind Xu Wenyan.
The intact gland at the back of his neck throbbed faintly. His breathing faltered for a moment, and Ye Nanxun reached behind himself to grip the back of his neck.
In his previous life, after his first failed escape attempt, when it was discovered that his pheromones were Poison Mushroom, Jiang Ying had used his gland for experiments.
On the surface, he was a respected institute professor. Behind the scenes, however, he had been conducting illegal experiments, providing powerful alpha elites with drugs to control high-ranking omegas.
He Lanxue was one of the victims who had been controlled.
Over the following days, Ye Nanxun kept to a simple routine between home and the research institute.
He arrived at the laboratory in the morning, bought lunch from the convenience store at noon, and sat in the pavilion to eat rice balls or sandwiches.
At those times, Cao Xi would bring pet treats over, politely call him "Professor Ye," then crouch beside him and quietly watch the puppy until Ye Nanxun left.
Occasionally, they exchanged a few words—ordinary, uneventful conversation.
Most of the time, they were silent, each doing his own thing and enjoying himself.
Today was no different.
When the time came, Ye Nanxun stood and began unfastening the leash.
"Professor Ye, tomorrow..." Cao Xi pressed his lips together and said softly, "I'll come again next week. I won't be coming for the next few days."
Ye Nanxun gave a hum and asked nothing.
"Goodbye, Little Xi."
"Goodbye, Professor Ye."
Cao Xi stood there, sniffled, then turned and strode away.
By the time Ye Nanxun left the laboratory, it was completely dark. He slung the pet carrier onto his back and headed toward the parking lot beside it.
His phone chimed.
Ye Nanxun stopped in front of his car and took out his phone to check the new message.
He Lanxue: Brother Nan Xun! You'll come tomorrow for my birthday, right? You'll definitely come, right? Right, right?
Little Mushroom: Mm.
He Lanxue: !!! Great! I'll have the family driver pick you up!
Little Mushroom: No need. Send me the address, and I'll drive over.
After closing his chat with He Lanxue, there was another red notification dot in his chat list.
Ye Nanxun tapped Ye Zhineng's profile picture.
Ye Zhineng: Little Xun, Lan Xue said she invited you to her birthday too. Are you coming tomorrow?
After glancing at it, Ye Nanxun had no intention of replying and swiftly closed his chat with Ye Zhineng.
Once inside the car, Ye Nanxun opened the zipper of the pet carrier, and Little Dragon poked his head out.
The car slowly started moving, maintaining the safe speed set by its AI driving system.
Holding his phone, Ye Nanxun composed his wording in his head, then reopened it and entered his chat with Mr. Yan.
Tomorrow was He Lanxue's birthday.
It was also the day he and Yan Beiyou had agreed to "swap eggs."
Little Mushroom: Mr. Yan, I'm attending a friend's birthday banquet tomorrow night. Are you free during the day?
Not long after Ye Nanxun sent the message, his phone chimed.
He lit up the screen again. Yan Beiyou had replied quickly.
Mr. Yan: Unfortunately, I'm not free during the day.
Mr. Yan: Are you staying overnight at your friend's house?
Little Mushroom: No, I'll be coming home.
Mr. Yan: Message me when it's over. I'll come pick you up.
Ye Nanxun lowered his head and looked over the last sentence Yan Beiyou had sent again and again.
Little Mushroom: Okay.
After replying, Ye Nanxun turned to look at the white blur beyond the car window, gripping his phone tightly in both hands.
What if the thing he planned to do tomorrow was exposed?
Would Yan Beiyou save him?
The chances of being discovered as the culprit after poisoning someone were very low. After all, very few people currently knew that his Poison Mushroom pheromones were highly toxic.
This was the conclusion Ye Nanxun had reached after repeatedly calculating the odds.
But what if?
Knowing that Yan Beiyou would come pick him up somehow made Ye Nanxun feel a little more at ease.
The following afternoon, Ye Nanxun entered the address He Lanxue had given him into the car's navigation system.
Bringing a gift, he took the car to the He Household.
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