Playing Dead

Shen Yanlang gently pinched Duan Xu's cheek, only for Duan Xu to swat his hand away with a smack.

"Heh..." Shen Yanlang supported Duan Xu and said softly, "Your mood seemed off just now, so I was 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 sober, and his reactions were especially sluggish.

Shen Yanlang lowered his eyes slightly, 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 first called out to Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu nearby. "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.

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

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

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

"Mind your own business." Shen Yanlang gave a low warning, then helped Duan Xu away.

Afraid Xue Jingshu would feel awkward, Zhou Zhou smiled and said, "Yan-ge is usually pretty good-tempered. Maybe he's just..."

Before he could finish, Xue Jingshu smiled and adjusted his glasses. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

Zhou Zhou: "..."

*

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

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

Afraid he would sleep uncomfortably, Shen Yanlang let him rest 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 cute when he sleeps.]

[His hair is so soft.]

[It would be nice if I could hold him like this forever.]

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

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

"You did!" Duan Xu kept 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 curled up. "Mm, he's very well-behaved."

The driver smiled silently, feeling as though he had been fed a mouthful of lovey-dovey sweetness. He shut up and focused on driving.

*

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

"Shen Yanlang?"

Tang Che stopped. Duan Xu had told him that the Cycling Club had an event this Saturday and a dinner gathering that night. Shen Yanlang was back—did that mean Duan Xu had returned too?

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

Shen Yanlang had called Duan Xu when getting out of the car, but Duan Xu was deeply asleep and could not be awakened, so Shen Yanlang could only carry him out.

The moment he entered the school gate, someone stopped him.

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

Shen Yanlang halted 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 indignantly, "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 cold snort. His voice was low as he said, "I'm Xuxu's roommate. I'm closer to him than you, a class Youth League secretary. When it comes to caring for him, is it your turn?"

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

Their voices were not particularly quiet. Since Duan Xu had not woken up even like this, Tang Che guessed that he had fainted for some reason.

"That has nothing to do with you." Shen Yanlang went around him with Duan Xu in his arms, 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 glanced sideways at Tang Che, his gaze icy. "You think that means you'll have a chance?"

Shen Yanlang let out a contemptuous laugh, 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, and his breathing was no longer as even and steady as before.

He had been startled awake when Tang Che called out to Shen Yanlang. But he was afraid of feeling 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 simply 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 actually spotted Shen Yanlang near the academic building and followed him all the way. Seeing that he was about to enter the dormitory, she gathered her courage and called out to him.

Shen Yanlang frowned tightly, visibly 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 give up. "Why? I'm an omega. We can bond and soothe each other."

Shen Yanlang's eyes darkened slightly as 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. Carrying Duan Xu, he entered the dormitory building.

The moment Duan Xu heard those words, his heart suddenly pounded, and even his breathing stalled for an instant.

Did that... count as a confession?

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

But... I heard it!

Duan Xu was panicking so badly that he had no idea Shen Yanlang was staring at his tightly pursed lips, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upward.

There were few people in the dormitory building on Saturday night. Shen Yanlang did not run into anyone on the way back.

Once they reached the dorm room door, Shen Yanlang held Duan Xu with one arm and searched his body for the key with the other. He keenly noticed that Duan Xu's body was somewhat stiff.

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

Duan Xu was suffering inwardly: 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? Is he an idiot or what?

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

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

"Heh..."

Duan Xu: "..."