50: Won’t Give You a Chance to Escape
The flowing water around the decorative rocks made clear tinkling sounds. A gentle breeze passed through, sending leaves fluttering down in a hush.
Qian Kun rested both hands on the balcony railing, a cigarette held between his fingers. Pale smoke curled together with suppressant, entering his body and barely steadying the turbulence inside him.
A special ringtone rang out, piercingly clear in the quiet night.
Qian Kun didn’t look at the screen. This ringtone belonged to only one person. He tapped to accept, only then realizing it was a video call.
Shen Jin hadn’t expected to be met with such a visually striking profile shot. Under the pale yellow light, the young man’s phoenix eyes looked effortlessly elegant and captivating.
Qian Kun exhaled a plume of smoke and tilted his head, faintly puzzled. “Did you tap the wrong thing?”
At least before this, Shen Jin had never video-called him. Surely it wasn’t because of that hug.
Qian Kun figured he’d probably scared him, but then Shen Jin’s pleasant voice echoed through the night.
Shen Jin looked at the casually dressed Alpha on the screen. Seeing the unrest that hadn’t fully faded from Qian Kun’s eyes, he recalled occasionally spotting him smoking on the rooftop before. This was suppressant smoke, wasn’t it?
Shen Jin shook his head. “No, I didn’t press the wrong thing. You weren’t in a great mood just now, were you?”
Qian Kun stubbed out the cigarette. He knew the youth didn’t like the smell of smoke and avoided it in front of him whenever possible.
Thinking of the Omega who’d only just left, Qian Kun didn’t intend to hide it. “I’ve been running into someone I don’t want to see a lot lately. Just ran into them again. Every time I do, I get headaches, nonstop. I don’t even know why I ended up looking for you. Next time you see me like that, just kick me.”
Shen Jin pretended not to hear the last part and suggested, “You really don’t plan on going to the hospital to get it checked?”
Qian Kun smiled. “I’ve already been. Top doctors, the most advanced equipment. There’s nothing wrong with my brain. Let’s not talk about this. Could just be coincidence. You called because you needed something?”
Actually, the moment the video connected, Shen Jin had already confirmed Qian Kun’s state.
That hug now had a perfectly reasonable explanation. Everything seemed explainable, as if he really had been overthinking things.
Shen Jin gazed at the strikingly handsome young man on the screen. His eyes were light, a beautiful glassy color, like black tea under afternoon sunlight. He’d heard Qian Kun had one-eighth Western ancestry, which gave his features extra depth. When he looked at people, there was often a casual air about him, yet when he focused, he seemed deeply affectionate.
“I do have something,” Shen Jin said, even his breathing softening. “Are you trying to pursue me?”
For a split second, he truly felt like he’d gone insane.
How did he even ask that? Would they even still be able to be roommates? Would Qian Kun be so startled that he would switch dorms?
The world went quiet. From the other end of the video came a calm, pleasant voice.
Qian Kun nearly dropped his phone.
He quickly reined in his casual smile, confusion gathering between his brows. “Why would you think that?”
On screen, Qian Kun’s expression was laid completely bare.
Only someone who’d never had that thought would instinctively show such a look and say something like that.
Heat rushed straight to Shen Jin’s head. Half his body felt numb with embarrassment.
He wanted to explain, but didn’t know where to start.
“I treat my friends pretty well. Maybe some of my actions made you misunderstand, but that has nothing to do with you. It’s my problem. I didn’t pay enough attention to boundaries. From now on, if anything makes you uncomfortable, you have to tell me.”
Qian Kun’s gentlemanly nature showed in moments like this. When he wasn’t joking around, his expression was serious, serious enough that what Shen Jin felt was pure respect and self-reproach.
Because Qian Kun’s attitude was so good, with not a trace of blame, the blow to Shen Jin’s self-inflicted embarrassment hit several times harder.
Why did I even ask that?
Shen Jin had never lacked people pursuing him. Pursuit didn’t always mean liking. Like before, some people only wanted to add a medal to their romantic history. Some just liked his face. Some even made bets about chasing him.
Flashy ones, low-key ones, all kinds. Just not someone like Qian Kun.
Someone who existed like gentle rain, unnoticed until trust had already taken root.
So it was purely friendship!
Qian Kun didn’t need to chase anyone. Where did I even get this confidence?
Shen Jin’s heart wept internally. He forced himself to maintain his usual aloof persona, tugged stiffly at his lips, and replied, “Just asking casually. It’s fine if you aren’t.”
Then he used it being late as an excuse, said he was going to sleep, and hung up immediately.
The awkwardness on video was gone for now, but the awkwardness in the air lingered.
Shen Jin flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the covers. His cheek brushed against the white lace trim, and expressionlessly, he flipped to the smooth side.
He wrapped his head in the blanket and rolled once, then lay flat like a salted fish.
Didn’t want to go to school. Didn’t want to go back to the dorm. Didn’t want to run into that person.
A muffled groan came from under the blanket. “Ah—”
So awkward.
Never been this awkward in his life.
One of the three great illusions of the world, he wants to pursue me.
Luckily, it wasn’t.
Otherwise…
Among the people he least wanted to hurt, Qian Kun would definitely be one of them.
Qian Kun looked at the disconnected screen and lifted his head into the night breeze.
He lit another cigarette and slowly exhaled.
He closed his eyes, suppressing pheromones that were on the verge of losing control.
After he answered, Shen Jin’s expression had clearly relaxed.
To Shen Jin, this was a burden, not joy.
It wasn’t time yet. Once he admitted it…
All previous effort would be wasted.
I said it already.
“Don’t run.”
I won’t give you a chance to escape either.
*
On Sunday, Xie Ling conveniently drove Shen Jin back to school. Shen Jin had wanted to delay it a bit longer. He didn’t know how to face Qian Kun, but when this busy person Xie Ling said he’d drive him, Shen Jin saw the anticipation in his cousin’s eyes and couldn’t bear to refuse.
Fine, fine. It’s just half a day early. Even if I do run into him, I’m totally not worried at all. Definitely not.
Xie Ling’s two younger brothers didn’t need to be driven to school. This was his first time experiencing it, and he was in an excellent mood the whole way.
He thought of how, during a meeting the day before, several employees had privately asked whether his brother had a partner, or whether he minded someone older.
They were thinking of that pleasant voice from the video, that cool tone, that beautiful cooking skill, and the way he cared for family. Where did this little immortal come from?
Xie Ling looked at that group of restless people and replied uniformly: [The kid is still young. I want to keep him close for a few more years.]
His thoughtful little padded jacket had only just climbed out of a pit of fire. There was no need to rush. He’d only just come of age. There was plenty of time to choose slowly.
As they neared the school, Xie Ling asked, “Thinking of dating recently?”
As an older brother, this was a required course. He’d learned it from a book titled “Caring for Your Younger Brother Just Right Will Take Your Relationship to the Next Level.”
Shen Jin was looking at the difficult questions Qian Kun had circled in an app. He blinked. “I think studying is more attractive.”
Xie Ling was reassured. No need to worry about some ill-intentioned Alpha influencing his little cousin for now.
There were quite a few students staying on campus over the weekend. When they saw him, they greeted him casually. Shen Jin nodded back naturally.
As he approached the dorm, his steps slowed unconsciously.
Thankfully, Qian Kun’s bed was empty, and everything was neatly arranged. He probably hadn’t come back.
Shen Jin cleaned the shared area of the room. Seeing he still had time, he went to the school library.
Seats were in short supply today. Shen Jin’s luck was good. When he arrived, two students had just left. He set his backpack down and went to the nearby shelves to find books.
He picked out a few, but one was placed a bit too high.
Shen Jin stood on tiptoe. His fingers had just brushed the edge of the book when he felt a tall presence behind him. A faint shadow fell over him, and the book was taken by a pair of long, pale fingers.
Shen Jin turned his head and saw the face that had kept him awake, the one he’d especially wanted to avoid today.
At arm’s length. One step back and he’d fall straight into that person’s arms.
Their eyes met.
One cold, one gentle.
The boy with light-colored eyes smiled at him. “I just wanted to try my luck. Didn’t expect you to really be here.”
Shen Jin’s ear twitched slightly, like a rabbit ready to flee at the slightest sound. He replied quietly, “Mm.”
Warm bubbles churned in his chest.
He really wanted to roll around a few more times. How was he supposed to face Qian Kun? He wasn’t usually this narcissistic, but the more you explained something like this, the stranger it got.
He’d thought he’d at least have a day to buffer. Who knew they’d actually meet so fast.
Shen Jin’s previously relaxed demeanor changed. They returned to the seat he had chosen. Qian Kun’s seat was at another table. He spoke softly to one of the girls. “Could you switch seats with me?”
The girl nodded, blushing slightly. After switching, she kept glancing back at them. The two girls whispered excitedly.
After sitting down, Shen Jin didn’t speak, but he sensed that Qian Kun had moved and was now seated beside him.
Qian Kun took out a test paper and started working through it, completely unfazed by his surroundings.
Of course Qian Kun’s appearance here wasn’t an accident. He’d been monitoring the class group chat since last night. When he saw Jiang Yifan mention that Shen Jin had returned to the dorm, he’d immediately gotten ready.
Shen Jin was the traffic magnet of this class, even of the entire school. That had never changed.
He was dazzling, like sand held in the palm. No matter how tightly you grasped, it slipped away. With or without Ke Minghuai, the unease had existed from the start.
Seeing Qian Kun working through problems so naturally, Shen Jin also immersed himself in studying.
The two of them buried their heads and wrote nonstop, textbook examples of top students. This caused the surrounding chatter about them to quiet down.
Not long after, an Omega posted photos of the two studying, their backs and profiles, to the forum.
The title was eye-catching: [Even top students work this hard. What excuse do I have not to work hard?]
Replies poured in quickly. Amid a flood of excited cries were a few substantive comments.
[This is way too positive. This post has to be bumped!]
[Fun fact, these two are first and second in the last sophomore monthly exam. Their scores were over 700. Blinded me. Are they even human? Do they have to be this fierce?]
[I always thought Brother Kun didn’t need to grind problems. Ahhh, he looks so handsome in a black T-shirt and combat boots. His legs are so long. My heart’s racing!]
[What kind of insane luck did I have to get into Nanhu by one point so I can witness the greats in person?]
[From today on, I love studying. Studying makes me happy!]
[Weren’t these two supposed to be on bad terms? They look fine to me.]
[How is that fine? Look at how sharp their eyes are on the questions. They’re probably competing over who gets the higher score!]
[The world of geniuses is so hard to understand.]
[I don’t care. Rounding up, this is their wedding photo!]
[Ahhhh so sweet, today’s QianJin sugar intake is over the limit!]
On the forum, something strange seemed to have snuck in.
Shen Jin felt that grinding problems really did help calm emotions.
As Qian Kun’s attitude remained no different from usual, Shen Jin’s tense nerves gradually relaxed. The awkwardness was still there, but by the time they went to the cafeteria to eat, they could converse normally. At most, Shen Jin still avoided making eye contact.
In eighteen years of living, he’d never acted as recklessly as he had last night.
Give him some time to ease into it.
Qian Kun knew that after last night’s conversation, Shen Jin probably didn’t want to face him.
However, he wasn’t too worried. He was confident this fleeting emotion would fade under his guidance. What worried him more was that, because of his Alpha status, Shen Jin might move out of the dorm.
The reason Shen Jin had agreed to room together in the first place was precisely because of his gender.
That night, as they took turns washing up, Shen Jin glanced at the suitcase Qian Kun had placed in the corner.
It hadn’t moved. Probably wasn’t planning to leave.
Good.
Scaring a roommate away with a single question would be too much of a sin.
Qian Kun turned off the lights as usual. With a bit of awkwardness, but not entirely awkward, they both returned to their beds.
Light from their phones glowed on both sides. They were both scrolling.
Qian Kun saw a message and chuckled softly. “Zhao Haotian’s been criminally detained. The evidence is solid.”
Shen Jin looked over. They both seemed to share the same joy.
Shen Jin clenched his fingers and murmured, “Serves him right.”
“Yeah. He deserves it.”
“How many years will he get?”
“Probably enough to enjoy free three meals a day for quite a while.”
Qian Kun had contributed plenty of evidence himself, combined with what Shen Jin provided. It was enough. Once the process finished, it would be formal arrest.
Shen Jin’s lips curved slightly in a direction Qian Kun couldn’t see.
That night, Shen Jin thought he’d toss and turn, but instead, breathing in the familiar faint scent in the air, he fell asleep peacefully.
He dreamed again, replaying scenes from the novel he’d dreamed of before. There weren’t many changes. The fragments were still from the original owner’s perspective.
Shen Jin thought that if he was cannon fodder, the novel had to have a protagonist. Who was it? But he still didn’t dream of them.
This time, it wasn’t a total loss. He finally saw what one of the perverts who wanted to lock him in a little dark room looked like.
It was Zhao Haotian.
Outside the window at dawn, fine dust drifted lightly. The person in bed suddenly opened his eyes.
Shen Jin sat up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Last time he dreamed of this, Zhao Haotian had just been caught and sent to the station. This time, he’d dreamed of a concrete face, and it was right as Zhao Haotian was formally detained.
Shen Jin vaguely grasped a pattern to his dreams. They might be related to disrupting certain original plot points.
In the novel, the original owner never thought of capturing Zhao Haotian, so the man remained at large. Now the plot had changed.
Confusion surfaced in Shen Jin’s eyes.
Did another pervert need to be caught before he could dream ahead again? How was he supposed to prepare in advance like that?
“Want me to bring you breakfast?” Qian Kun had changed into sportswear. Coming out of the bathroom, he saw Shen Jin sitting dazed on the bed.
Qian Kun seemingly and casually glanced at Shen Jin’s side of the room. There was no suitcase. So he wasn’t moving.
He let out a quiet breath.
Shen Jin stared straight at the young man in front of him.
A seed had been planted in his heart long ago. At first it was only a tiny outline, but with time, it had begun to wake and sprout.
Finding a fake boyfriend was the most straightforward option. If that fake boyfriend carried enough deterrence, at least perverts would hesitate.
And most importantly, the fake boyfriend had to have no interest in him.
Only without emotional entanglement would it be safe for both sides.
If possible, it would be even better if the other person had good character and was someone he could trust.
Shen Jin felt like his dream hadn’t ended yet. In broad daylight, how could that be…
Hm?
All of these conditions.
There seemed to be someone who met them all.
Author’s Note:
Jin Jin: Would he be willing?
Both little cuties think the other will move out. Waaahhh. Move where? Lock the dorm door for me~~
Still not revealing anything yet. Let Jin Jin relax his guard first, makes it easier to hook him.
Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!
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