Ji Chi was a little taken aback.
A message this late at night? Was it not happening after all? Was he canceling dinner?
Eight hundred possibilities raced through Ji Chi's mind in a minute, and he barely dared to open the message.
A full ten minutes passed before he opened their WeChat conversation.
Huo Jin: Good night.
Ji Chi's breath caught as he read those words.
Huo Jin had actually wished him good night?
He really didn't seem like the kind of person who would say good night to anyone.
Ji Chi savored those two words. Huo Jin's deep voice seemed to linger by his ear, as though coaxing him to sleep.
If he said it out loud... it would probably sound lovely, wouldn't it?
Ji Chi shook his head hard. What was he thinking?
Ji Chi hugged the little rabbit and stroked it, then spaced out for a moment. Somehow, that good night made him sleepy for no apparent reason.
Drowsiness hit him hard. At first, he hadn't known how to respond, and after hesitating, he finally fell asleep without replying.
The next day, when Lin Jun heard that Ji Chi had arranged to meet Huo Jin, he personally picked out an outfit for him.
"First impressions matter. Dress properly today," Lin Jun said earnestly as he straightened Ji Chi's hem.
Ji Chi examined his outfit, looking less than pleased.
A white base layer sat beneath a loose shirt in a soft, milky mint green. The bottom button was fastened, the neckline showed a little, and the hem was casually tucked in. He looked fresh and refined, like a college student. Ji Chi's face could make any outfit work, but Young Master Ji simply felt awkward in this one. "No, but..."
Ji Chi clicked his tongue. "Doesn't this make me look too sweet? I don't even look like an alpha who could take down five guys with one punch anymore."
Just as he said that, Lin Jun took out a chic designer beret and put it on Ji Chi's head, making him look even more well-behaved.
Ji Chi gritted his teeth at the mirror. "Dad, are you tormenting me like this because you didn't have an omega son?"
"It's not my fault I'm not an omega, but dressing me up like this really isn't appropriate!"
Lin Jun gave Ji Chi a swat and frowned. "You look so handsome. Gentle and easy to get along with. All your clothes are too dark. They make you look a little fierce."
Ji Chi rubbed between his brows. "Dad, have you gone crazy wanting an omega son?"
Lin Jun ignored what Ji Chi said.
He chose a fresh-scented perfume and sprayed it on Ji Chi's cuffs. "There. That's settled."
"Chi, have a proper talk with him. Even if he turns you down, keep your temper in check. Do you hear me?"
Lin Jun gave his instructions softly, completely immersed in his own world.
Feeling Lin Jun's expectant gaze, Ji Chi sighed inwardly.
Fine, fine. He'd only be wearing it for one day anyway!
Lin Jun had that rotten quirk: if someone didn't listen to him, he wouldn't say anything, but would just sulk on his own.
If Ji Chi took the outfit off now, even if he begged to wear it later, Lin Jun would cut it up, burn it, or throw it away before giving it back to him.
Ji Chi called Lin Jun's temperament the bullheaded "my child won't listen to me, so I won't need him looking after me when I'm dead, either" type.
He felt that his omega dad had the wrong idea about him. Dressing sweetly didn't mean he would behave sweetly.
Ji Chi sighed again.
Whatever. Today, he'd play the dutiful son.
"Got it," Ji Chi replied lazily.
At seven that evening, Ji Chi sent Huo Jin a message.
Ji Chi: "Are you off work? I'll come pick you up."
Huo Jin replied quickly: "The results of a data analysis will be out at 7:30. You can wait for me in my office at CE."
Ji Chi: "That's just enough time for me to drive over."
After replying, Ji Chi went straight out and drove over. It was 7:20 when he reached the entrance of the CE Experimental Institute.
Ji Chi didn't go upstairs.
Instead, he waited in the landscaped area in front of the security booth at the entrance. The CE Experimental Institute occupied extensive grounds, with three main gates alone. Its overall design was futuristic and high-tech, yet solemn and sacred, inspiring a genuine sense of awe.
As Ji Chi stood at the entrance for a while, many people passed by. He studied the way they looked at him, as though they were trying to see right through him.
He had wanted a cigarette, but lowered his eyes and glanced at his sweet, well-behaved outfit. Smoking on the street while looking like this...
It would be like sweet rice balls coated in chili. Definitely strange.
Today, his appearance and personality had zero compatibility. It was all Lin Jun's fault.
Ji Chi waited awkwardly by the entrance.
Suddenly, several attractive omegas passed in front of Ji Chi, and he heard a few hushed murmurs.
"Oh my god! A puppy-dog alpha. He's so handsome! What a catch!"
"Right, right! Why does he look like a trainee from an entertainment agency? He looks like such an idol." Another omega stared straight at Ji Chi.
"My dream type, my dream type..."
"He looks fierce and sweet at the same time. I want to ask for his WeChat. I like him so much!" They chimed in over one another.
Ji Chi rejected that label. He had only dressed this way today to make Lin Jun happy.
As they talked, the omegas walked over to Ji Chi, and one with long hair spoke up directly.
"Hi, handsome. Could I add you on WeChat?"
Ji Chi's brows drew together.
Turning someone down at a moment like this would embarrass them. Ji Chi pressed his lips together but didn't refuse.
He could just not chat with them when he got home.
He picked up his phone and opened his friend QR code, his lips curving into a rakish smile. "Sure."
The omega opposite him was taking out a phone to scan the code.
Suddenly, a pair of hands with well-defined knuckles caught Ji Chi's phone and covered the friend QR code, then even took the phone away.
The entire movement was seamless.
Left empty-handed, Ji Chi looked up in surprise.
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