46: Nervous
Shen Jin’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed the pillar beside him, breathing lightly.
The heat in his body kept rising. Every cell felt like it was exploding in his bloodstream. Shen Jin quickly turned and left. He needed to give himself another shot.
The Omega boy who had just offered him an umbrella stood there, watching Shen Jin dodge him as if avoiding the plague.
He thought there must be some smell on him that offended Shen Jin. He lifted his arms and sniffed himself. Aside from a faint scent of blocking agent, there really was a bit of a salted-fish smell.
It was probably from helping his mom run their stall that morning.
The Omega boy had noticed Shen Jin the moment he entered the bookstore looking for reference books. That person had a stunning face, yet his aura was cold and distant.
If he had to describe it, it was like a mint leaf floating on an icy lake, crisp and refreshing.
He realized Shen Jin was browsing the same grade-two books as him.
Because of that small discovery, he couldn’t help glancing a few more times, though he didn’t dare disturb him.
When they left the store and he saw Shen Jin hesitating by the umbrella rack, clearly troubled, he finally worked up the courage to speak.
However now, it seemed he had been rejected.
The boy looked down at his faded T-shirt and the odd smell clinging to him. No wonder he’d been disliked. Did the person’s eyes hold nothing but disdain for him, which was why he kept so far away?
Shen Jin had no idea that a simple, ordinary reaction of his had sent the other person spiraling like this.
He couldn’t spare a thought for anyone else right now.
Countless scorching particles surged through his body like flickering flames. The ferocity of it made him realize this was probably one of the final waves.
The doctor had said his pheromone level was extremely high. The closer he got to the end of differentiation, the fiercer the rebound would be.
If he didn’t use an inhibitor, his pheromones could drive any Alpha mad.
It felt like a low fever spreading through him. His limbs were weak, yet he forced himself into the restroom. With trembling fingers, he took out the unopened inhibitor from his bag.
Just as he was about to tear it open, he froze.
Wait. He was the benefactor who paid for the marking. Why was he suffering here, injecting himself with inhibitors?
How had he forgotten that there was still someone’s marking residue on him?
Shen Jin, accustomed to taking suppressants, immediately short-circuited.
Then the heat surged up again, flushing his face crimson. He suddenly recalled the image of cool lips pressing gently against his gland, sucking softly.
Overflowing desire and heat.
Something utterly unfamiliar to him.
It was a memory he had tried hard to push away. Ever since being marked, he’d forced himself not to think about it.
To most people, marking was a brief fusion on a spiritual level, an intimacy difficult to put into words.
Not thinking about it didn’t mean forgetting it, especially at times like this, when memories became particularly detailed.
All the clues he’d accumulated rushed in at once. When he thought that the one who’d intertwined with him might be Qian Kun, Shen Jin nearly curled in on himself, his entire body burning red.
Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the back of his hand.
As if making a decision, Shen Jin pulled out his phone and messaged Hate Rabbits: [I want to get marked right now. Do you have time?]
One minute passed.
No reply.
Shen Jin put the inhibitor back into his bag and switched to the high-strength suppressive patch he’d prepared earlier.
The heat was barely restrained. Once it was torn off, everything would completely erupt.
He pushed open the stall door and went to the sink to rinse his face, waiting for the redness to fade.
His phone vibrated.
It was a message from CAT: [I’m here. Where are you?]
Shen Jin replied that he’d be right over and asked him to wait a moment.
The Omega boy was still in the same spot feeling sorry for himself. Just as he lifted his foot to leave, he saw someone in the distance holding a black umbrella, walking over with steady steps.
Every step that person took seemed to carry wind with it. The colorful umbrellas of passersby became mere background.
Raindrops fell like pearls, forming layers of transparent barriers between him and the approaching figure.
Since parting at the police station last time, they hadn’t met again.
When he realized the person was walking straight toward him, he couldn’t help stepping forward.
“Why are you here?”
His voice was bright with excitement.
Ever since Qian Kun got out of the car, that damn headache had returned. Like the endless autumn rain, it showed no sign of stopping.
The sudden headache put him in a foul mood.
He closed his umbrella and climbed the steps in a few strides, yet didn’t see the person he was looking for.
Instead, an Omega abruptly entered his field of vision, staring at him with a face full of surprise as if joy had fallen from heaven.
Qian Kun: “……”
Wasn’t this the Omega who had stubbornly stayed in the hospital bed insisting on seeing his benefactor?
Qian Kun usually couldn’t be bothered to remember faces, but if someone appeared again and again, it became hard not to remember.
Why was it that he never ran into Shen Jin by coincidence, yet kept repeatedly bumping into a complete stranger?
If he hadn’t come to pick up his class rep, he might’ve thought this Omega was deliberately waiting here to cause trouble. How many times had this been already?
“You don’t remember me? That, um… the car accident. You took me to the police station!” the Omega gestured animatedly.
Qian Kun frowned, gave a short hum, and didn’t ask why he was here. He lowered his head to message Shen Jin.
Seeing Qian Kun show no interest and such unfamiliar eyes, the Omega thought he’d been forgotten.
An indescribable sense of disappointment and sadness welled up. He reasoned that Qian Kun was probably just naturally aloof, then asked proactively, “What’s your name? I’m You Jia. Can I add your WeChat?”
Qian Kun didn’t even look up. He’d already seen Shen Jin’s reply and visibly relaxed. “I don’t have WeChat.”
You Jia: “But the interface you just used looked exactly like WeChat. It was all green, with green bubbles.”
Qian Kun realized this person had no sense of reading the room. He’d made his rejection obvious enough.
Maintaining his usual courtesy, even while impatient, he didn’t want to embarrass a stranger too much.
“It just looks similar. It’s actually a different messaging app.”
You Jia felt the man’s voice was familiar too, very much like the cold, ruthless voice from yesterday’s call.
A wave of excitement rose and as he was about to ask more, he saw Qian Kun’s expression change. He then strode straight into the bookstore.
A moment later, two strikingly eye-catching youths walked out side by side.
The once lofty Qian Kun now spoke so gently it was almost unbelievable, scolding the person beside him, “Are you a little turtle? Why did you take so long?”
Shen Jin touched his face, the heat only just subsiding, and looked meaningfully at Qian Kun. “You waited a long time?”
At this moment, Shen Jin’s lashes trembled slightly. He was very close to confirming the true identity of Hate Rabbits.
Qian Kun noticed how alluring the little iceberg’s gaze was right now and lowered his voice. “Not really. Let’s go.”
He opened the umbrella and walked into the rain with Shen Jin.
Sensing the unwillingness of the Omega behind them, Qian Kun cast a light glance back before withdrawing it.
That look was full of warning and coldness.
You Jia remained where he was, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.
Qian Kun wasn’t feeling great either. The headache intensified, something churning violently in his head.
At that moment, the arm holding the umbrella brushed against Shen Jin’s arm.
A clear stream seemed to wash through his mind, easing the pain.
Qian Kun froze slightly and stared straight at Shen Jin.
Shen Jin was already feeling guilty and nervous, his body still extremely uncomfortable.
His senses were sharpened to the extreme. “Why are you staring at me?”
Qian Kun temporarily suppressed the new discovery.
As they moved farther from You Jia, the headache eased. It wasn’t necessarily because he’d touched Shen Jin.
“Why is your neck so red today? Are you feeling unwell?” Qian Kun had noticed it earlier and asked directly.
Shen Jin didn’t answer. Touching the lingering heat, he quickened his pace.
They got into the car and sat in the back.
When Qian Kun gave the destination, Shen Jin said, “Let’s go to the self-study room later. I need to go to the pheromone public matching room first.”
Qian Kun’s eyes flickered. He immediately took out his phone, then remembered something and placed it back on the side Shen Jin couldn’t see.
From Shen Jin’s angle, it just looked like he set the phone aside.
Qian Kun didn’t intend to let Shen Jin know that he was Hate Rabbits. If Shen Jin found out, the consequences might be severe.
At the time, Shen Jin would never have agreed to be marked by him. In a sense, he’d led Shen Jin into this step by step.
Also, why had Shen Jin always let his guard down around him, even trusting him enough to share a dorm?
Because Shen Jin believed he was a Beta. In Shen Jin’s eyes, Betas were safe. Once he became an Alpha, the trust he’d just gained might vanish instantly.
He couldn’t take that risk.
One reckless move could cost him this person entirely.
Carefully avoiding Shen Jin’s gaze, Qian Kun placed the phone on the seat, unlocked it with his fingerprint, quickly switched accounts, and sure enough saw the message Shen Jin had sent over ten minutes ago.
His fingers tapped out a reply: [Okay. See you in half an hour.]
Shen Jin appeared to be looking straight ahead, but his peripheral vision tracked Qian Kun’s every move.
When he noticed the phone being set where he couldn’t see it, and Qian Kun’s other hand resting casually on the seat, he realized his guess was probably ninety percent correct.
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
It was a message from Hate Rabbits.
One or two suspicious details might’ve been overthinking.
What about right now though?
Shen Jin took a deep breath.
He turned his gaze to the window. The fingers resting on his thighs trembled lightly.
The physical weakness nearly made him slump against the car door.
A guess was just a guess. Once it became reality, the impact would be unprecedented.
The car stopped in front of the matching room. Qian Kun found an excuse to step away temporarily.
Shen Jin watched the car drive off, then entered the lobby alone. If one looked closely, they’d notice Shen Jin walking with the same hand and foot together.
Waiting for his number, when it was finally called, Shen Jin lowered his head to fill out the registration form. His handwriting was messy, his palms damp with fine sweat. This only happened when he was truly nervous.
He said to the staff member, “May I make a request?”
The staff member looked at him curiously. “Go ahead.”
Because Shen Jin’s marker was that 3S, this pair had drawn attention even from upper management. They remembered them very clearly.
When the staff member heard Shen Jin’s request, she looked at him in surprise.
She asked him to wait, discussed it with the lobby manager, then gave Shen Jin an OK gesture from afar.
With confirmation received, Shen Jin was led into the matching room again.
He quietly watched the clock on the wall. The seconds ticked by.
It was similar to the first time, but the source of his nerves was completely different.
Click.
The door to the opposite room opened.
He’s here.
Author’s Note:
Hehehehehe, Shen Jin, happy unmasking~
Qian Qian: He probably doesn’t know.
Jin Jin: He probably doesn’t know that I already know.
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