Seeing the number in the photo, Fu Rangyi went to find him and discovered Zhu Zhixi squatting in a wheelbarrow, being pushed around.

He was truly curious how Zhu Zhixi managed to blend in and make friends everywhere he went.

Fu Rangyi walked over. The Beta student pushing him jumped in fright and nearly let go, almost tipping Zhu Zhixi out. Fortunately, Fu Rangyi stepped in first to stabilize it.

“Eh?” Zhu Zhixi looked up. “You’re off work?”

“Had enough fun?” Fu Rangyi took over the wheelbarrow. “Let’s go back.”

“Then let me get down.”

Fu Rangyi didn’t listen and continued pushing. “What’s wrong, not satisfied with your private ride?”

Just like that, he pushed Zhu Zhixi along the edge of the worksite for a while. They came face to face with an old man and his grandson passing by outside the site. The old man held the little boy’s hand and stared at the two of them.

Only after they had passed did the old man’s voice drift over: “See that? You have to study hard, or you’ll end up digging dirt like them when you grow up.”

Zhu Zhixi froze for a second, then burst out laughing. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt, and he got out of the wheelbarrow. Fu Rangyi was already used to such comments, but seeing Zhu Zhixi so happy, he couldn’t help but smile too.

“Hey? I just saw Lao Wang. He said something about going for drinks together,” Zhu Zhixi said suddenly. “Aren’t you going to find them?”

“Lao Wang?” It took Fu Rangyi a moment to realize who he meant. “No, I turned him down.”

“Oh? Isn’t that a bit rude?” Zhu Zhixi said.

“It’s fine, I turn them down often. They’re used to it,” Fu Rangyi paused, then added in a low voice, “I don’t want you to drink.”

“Alright.” Zhu Zhixi’s tone was cheerful. He walked close to him, chattering about what he had seen. Under the streetlights, their shadows were stuck together, inseparable. Only after they left the worksite did Fu Rangyi take his hand and give it a squeeze.

He followed Fu Rangyi to a restaurant with a light and healthy menu. After eating and drinking, they returned to the hotel. As soon as the room card beeped, Zhu Zhixi threw his arms around Fu Rangyi’s neck and clung to him.

“I wanted to kiss you when you were working earlier,” Zhu Zhixi said, then took off his hat and put his words into action, murmuring between kisses, “There were people everywhere, I was too shy to even hold your hand.”

Fu Rangyi easily lifted him up. “You have moments of being shy?”

Zhu Zhixi giggled. “My skin is very thin. Don’t you know from pinching it every day?”

Fu Rangyi nudged his nose and said in a low voice, “Coming to find me reeking of such strong pheromones, and you call your skin thin?”

Zhu Zhixi blinked. “I’m a Beta. Ignorance is bliss.” Besides, a certain someone was secretly very pleased.

He had just finished his retort when he was placed down on the bed. Lying there, he stared into Fu Rangyi’s eyes and suddenly smiled.

“What are you laughing at?” Fu Rangyi asked. “Is it fun watching me work?”

“Mmm…” Zhu Zhixi took off Fu Rangyi’s glasses and played with them in his hand. “I feel like I’ve suddenly awakened. My type is actually ‘hot nerd.’ How did I not realize it before?”

Fu Rangyi looked puzzled, as if he could only approve of the latter word. He lowered his head and began to kiss him earnestly and diligently.

But the long kiss was interrupted by a phone call.

“I thought it was your wristband alarm…” Zhu Zhixi groggily took out his phone and answered the call. “Curator Zhou?”

Fu Rangyi’s expression began to darken. He muttered “eucalyptus again” under his breath in front of Zhu Zhixi.

Zhu Zhixi gestured for him to be quiet, but Fu Rangyi seemed defiant and started to get handsy, his hand already sneaking under the hem of his sweatshirt.

“Hmm? It’s been moved up? I…” Zhu Zhixi squirmed from the ticklish feeling and grabbed Fu Rangyi’s hand. “Okay, I understand. It’s fine.”

He pushed the fox spirit’s hand away, only to have his cheek pinched by the fox spirit. He struggled to reply, “…Okay, understood. Um, I’m a little busy right now. I’ll reply to you on WeChat.”

He hung up the phone. Zhu Zhixi tilted his head. “What are you trying to do?”

“Just confirming whether your skin is thin or not,” Fu Rangyi said with a straight face, his reasoning sound.

Zhu Zhixi didn’t bicker with him and sighed a long sigh. “Professor Fu, I have to go back to work tomorrow. The honeymoon is over.”

Fu Rangyi’s expression visibly soured, but he still insisted, “This wasn’t a honeymoon,” as if he was actually planning one.

“Anyway, I have to buy my ticket now,” Zhu Zhixi wrapped his arms around him. “When can you come home?”

“Soon, in two days,” Fu Rangyi patted his lower back. “I’ll see you off at the airport tomorrow.”

“No need for that. Just come home early.” Zhu Zhixi kissed him on the cheek.

As “revenge,” Zhu Zhixi also lied to Fu Rangyi about his flight time. He said it was a noon flight, but it was actually at ten in the morning. He left for the airport right after Fu Rangyi went to work.

Before boarding, he sent a message to Fu Rangyi.

[Wifey (rabbit emoji): By the time you see this message, I’ll be boarding. No need to rush to see me off at noon. Don’t get too tired, rest more, don’t take off your wristband without a good reason, and report to me every day. I’ll be waiting for you at home.]

Just as he sent it, his phone vibrated. Zhu Zhixi was surprised at the quick reply. He opened it and saw it wasn’t from Fu Rangyi, but from Yu Heng, whom he had added on WeChat but never chatted with.

[Yu Heng: Zhu Zhixi, last time you said Professor Fu’s tires were slashed in the garage? I might have found the person. My family’s driver has a friend who works in the security office at S University. I asked them to inquire. The new semester is starting, so they’re finally back at work and said they can help me check the surveillance footage from that day. Do you want to come take a look?]

---

—Little Theater: New Thread on the Campus Forum—

[Help, aren’t we supposed to be in C City for fieldwork? Guess who showed up?]

[Who? The mayor of C City?]

[No, FRYs wife!]

[Damn, his wife flew over too? Is the love that real?]

[Is this what newlyweds are like? Can’t be apart for even a moment.]

[His wife is so generous, he bought milk tea and cake for everyone. That cake is pretty expensive (gotta say, you get what you pay for, it was delicious).]

[Didn’t someone say they had an arranged marriage? His wife’s family seems to be well-off, you can tell from the vlogs.]

[OMG, our Professor Fu is so happy, he has such a cute wife [Photo Shared][Photo Shared]]

[The clothes are so big, they must be FRY’s, right?]

[Let me tell you, a lot of students on site went to sniff his wife.]

[Why?]

[His wife is covered head-to-toe in Alpha pheromones… Whose pheromones do you think they are?]

[Holy crap? The unsolved mystery of the Archaeology Department—is FRY’s pheromone scent finally going to be revealed??]

[Someone smelled it during the cultural festival last time, right? It’s so shippable, you can only smell FRY’s pheromones on his wife.]

[It must be really hard for a Beta to retain pheromones that strongly. The moment I smelled it, my brain started automatically playing out the professor’s private life. This is so bad…]

[Quick recap: FRY took three days of susceptible period leave a few days ago.]

[WOC, I get it now, his wife came to put out the fire!!]

[A Beta can actually soothe a top Alpha’s susceptible period? This is true love.]

[Three days… holy f*ck…]

[But their group chat says his wife’s nickname for him is “Ex-husband.” Why? That’s hilarious.]

[Huh?? Is this some kind of kink?]

[Hahahaha I’m imagining some taboo roleplay. Does FRY himself know about this?]

[I feel like he knows, because the two of them were squatting there being all cutesy, bickering constantly. FRY was completely different from his usual serious self. His expression had a hint of tsundere pride. He’s probably using the nickname to tease his wife.]

[Tsundere or not, he still borrowed a camping chair from our Professor Zhang for his wife to sit on. The husband vibes are off the charts.]

[I really want to be there to see it…]

[His wife is so cute, he even came to help us move dirt. He’s a million times better looking in person than in photos and videos. Those two faces are such a good match.]

[Didn’t you guys ask about anything?]

[We did. FRY’s new trowel was custom-ordered by his wife.]

[FRY is coming.]

[He’s pushing his wife in the wheelbarrow again. I’ve known him for so long, this is the first time I’ve ever seen him push someone in a wheelbarrow.]

[This photo of their backs is so cute!!]

[Why are they such a perfect match? FRY, can you bring your family to work every day from now on?]

[Can you bring your family to class!! If so, I won’t cry and howl about the new semester starting.]

[Zoom in on the picture for a surprise, they both have hickeys on the back of their necks, lmao.]

[A top Alpha’s glands are for his wife to use as a teething toy, understood.]

[This is the first time I’ve shipped an AB couple this hard. Professor, you two must last forever (can you give me a 99 this semester? Okay, thanks).]