Playing Possum

Shen Yanlang gently pinched Duan Xu's cheek, only to have his hand slapped away with a sharp smack.

"Heh..." Shen Yanlang supported Duan Xu and said softly, "I saw that you were in a bad mood earlier, and I was still hesitating. But now, you brought this on yourself."

"Hm?" Duan Xu tilted his head, not understanding what Shen Yanlang meant.

He was drunk. He was conscious, but not clearheaded, and his reactions were especially slow.

Shen Yanlang lowered his gaze, his Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally. In the end, he held himself back and said gently, "Let's go back to school."

After a long while, Duan Xu gave an "Oh."

Shen Yanlang called over to Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu first. "Xuxu's drunk. I'm taking him back first."

"Drunk again?" Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu had been chatting away and had not noticed what was happening on this side at all.

Shen Yanlang gave a quiet hum and did not elaborate. "Help me let the club president know."

"Sure, no problem." Xiao Xu nodded. "You two go ahead."

Xue Jingshu noticed the situation and walked over. "What happened?"

"Mind your own business." Shen Yanlang gave a low warning before supporting Duan Xu away.

Worried that Xue Jingshu would feel awkward, Zhou Zhou smiled and said, "Brother Yan is usually pretty mild-tempered. Maybe he's just..."

Before he could finish, Xue Jingshu pushed up his glasses with a smile. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

Zhou Zhou: "..."

Shen Yanlang helped Duan Xu out of the farmhouse restaurant. The taxi they had called arrived quickly, and he helped Duan Xu into the car.

Duan Xu got sleepy whenever he drank. As soon as he sat down, he closed his eyes, ready to sleep.

Afraid that Duan Xu would sleep uncomfortably, Shen Yanlang had him lean against his shoulder and wrapped an arm around him.

Duan Xu had only closed his eyes after getting into the car, so he could still hear Shen Yanlang's thoughts.

He looks so well-behaved when he sleeps.

His hair is so soft.

If only I could hold him like this forever.

"You're so noisy!" Duan Xu could not sleep because Shen Yanlang's thoughts were too loud.

Yet Shen Yanlang gave a puzzled hum. "I didn't say anything."

"You did!" Duan Xu still had his eyes closed, his tone fierce.

Shen Yanlang smiled helplessly and indulgently. "All right, then I won't say anything. Go to sleep."

"Mm." Duan Xu magnanimously forgave him.

As time passed, Duan Xu finally fell asleep in peace.

The driver in the front glanced at them through the rearview mirror. "Kid, your boyfriend's pretty quiet when he's drunk. He doesn't make a fuss."

The corners of Shen Yanlang's lips lifted. "Mm, he's very well-behaved."

The driver silently smiled, feeling as if he had been fed a mouthful of PDA. He shut up and focused on driving.

After dinner, Tang Che returned to school. As soon as he reached the school gates, he saw a taxi parked by the roadside and a familiar figure standing beside it.

"Shen Yanlang?"

Tang Che stopped. Duan Xu had told him that the Cycling Club had an event this Saturday and would be having dinner together that night. Since Shen Yanlang was back, did that mean Duan Xu was back too?

The next moment, he saw Shen Yanlang bend into the back seat and emerge carrying someone who was asleep. That person was Duan Xu.

Shen Yanlang had called Duan Xu when getting out of the car, but Duan Xu was sleeping too deeply to wake up, so Shen Yanlang could only carry him out.

As soon as he entered the school gates, someone stopped him.

"Shen Yanlang!" Tang Che stared at Duan Xu in his arms and demanded, "What did you do to him?"

Shen Yanlang paused and looked up at Tang Che. The gentleness in his eyes instantly turned cold. "In what capacity are you questioning me?"

"I..." Tang Che choked, then said angrily, "Shen Yanlang, Duan Xu and I are classmates. I'm also the class Youth League secretary. It's my responsibility to care for and look after my classmates."

Shen Yanlang gave a soft snort, his voice low. "I'm Xuxu's roommate. I'm closer to him than you, the class Youth League secretary. Does he need you to care for him and look after him?"

Tang Che's face darkened as he stared at Duan Xu in Shen Yanlang's arms. "Did he faint?"

They were not speaking quietly. Since Duan Xu still had not woken up, Tang Che guessed that he had fainted for some reason.

"That has nothing to do with you." Shen Yanlang carried Duan Xu around him, unwilling to say more.

Tang Che turned and followed. "Shen Yanlang, you're an alpha and he's a beta. Even if you want to be with him, you can't control your instincts. You'll only hurt him!"

As soon as those words fell, Shen Yanlang stopped again. He shot Tang Che a cold sideways glance. "Do you think that means you'll have a chance?" Shen Yanlang gave a derisive snort, his tone certain. "You won't."

With that, Shen Yanlang ignored him and continued toward the dormitory building with Duan Xu in his arms.

Duan Xu's eyelashes fluttered slightly in his arms, and his breathing was no longer as even and deep as before.

He had been startled awake when Tang Che called out to Shen Yanlang. But he was afraid of making things awkward, and Tang Che's words had made him understand the deeper meaning behind them, so he did not dare wake up.

He had not even figured Shen Yanlang out yet. Now there was Tang Che too—his brain could not handle it.

At the end of the tree-lined path, just as they were about to reach the dormitory building, Shen Yanlang was stopped again.

This time, it was a female omega. She had spotted Shen Yanlang over by the teaching building and followed him all the way. Seeing that he was about to enter the dormitory, she finally gathered the courage to call out to him.

Shen Yanlang frowned tightly, clearly impatient. "What is it?"

"Um... Shen Yanlang, I-I like you. Can you give me a chance?" the girl asked shyly.

"No." Shen Yanlang rejected her without hesitation.

The girl was unwilling to accept it. "Why? I'm an omega. We can bond and comfort each other."

Shen Yanlang's gaze darkened, and he said coldly, "You're an omega. You should respect and cherish yourself instead of treating that as a bargaining chip. Besides..."

"I already have someone I like."

After saying that, Shen Yanlang did not look at her again and carried Duan Xu into the dormitory building.

At those words, Duan Xu's heart thudded violently, and even his breathing stopped for a moment.

D-Does that count as a confession?

Ah, no, I'm still 'asleep.' I should pretend I don't know.

But... I heard it!

Duan Xu panicked completely, utterly unaware that Shen Yanlang was staring at his tightly pressed lips, a slow smile curving across his own.

There were few people in the dormitory building on Saturday night, and Shen Yanlang did not encounter anyone on his way back.

When they reached the dorm room door, Shen Yanlang held Duan Xu with one arm while using the other to search him for the key. He keenly noticed that Duan Xu's body had gone a little stiff.

He could not help letting out a low laugh. "Heh..."

Duan Xu was suffering inside. It's just getting a key. Why is it taking so long?

And he's laughing! What's so funny? He can laugh just from getting a key—he must be an idiot!

At last, Shen Yanlang found the key, unlocked the door, put the key away, and carried Duan Xu into the room. With a sweep of his long leg, the dorm room door shut with a bang.

The sound made Duan Xu's body tremble, drawing another laugh from Shen Yanlang.

"Heh..."

Duan Xu: "..."