According to his roommates, Jiang Ruotang was someone extremely insensitive—almost as if he had no receptors for other people’s feelings.

This really annoyed Jiang Ruotang. He was such an emotional person—how could anyone call him insensitive?

He complained to his friends in the group chat, and Jian Sha made a hilarious analogy: it was like Jiang Ruotang had already been “marked” by Lu Guifan. No matter how hard other alphas tried, even if their scent glands exploded, Jiang Ruotang would still be immune to their pheromones.

Of course Jiang Ruotang was sensitive—just only to Lu Guifan’s pheromones.

The analogy was ridiculous, but somehow, Jiang Ruotang felt comforted. On the other hand, Lu Guifan seemed thoughtful.

“What are you thinking?” Jiang Ruotang asked.

“Have a lot of people confessed to you?” Lu Guifan propped his chin up as he asked.

“I don’t think so,” Jiang Ruotang replied.

Lu Guifan shot him a look that made Jiang Ruotang feel strangely like a fool.

“That time I waited for you outside your classroom—wasn’t it your Public English class? In just the ten minutes after class, the guy in the front row turned to look at you four times. Didn’t you notice?”

“Huh? You counted how many times he turned around? I was watching the blackboard in class. Why would I look at him?”

“You weren’t watching the blackboard.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to stare at him, was I?”

“You were looking down at your phone, texting me that you wanted to eat beef offal hotpot.”

“Oh.”

Still, when they got home that evening, Lu Guifan decided to test whether his own “pheromones” were still effective—and nearly scared Jiang Ruotang’s soul out of his body. The next day, Jiang Ruotang immediately told Jian Sha to stop telling those ABO stories or he might not live through them.

Jian Sha coolly replied, “What might kill you isn’t my story—it’s your lack of awareness. But ironically, it’s that same lack of awareness that’s saving your life too.”

That lack of awareness also made Jiang Ruotang immune to seduction tactics—beauty traps were useless on him.

---

Jiang Huaiyuan’s drama Drunken Immortals’ Platform had been a massive hit, dominating the winter break schedule. Even two months after it ended, discussions hadn’t cooled down. Riding the momentum, Jiang Huaiyuan excitedly started preparations for a new show, Tales from the Western Window.

After auditions, Ling Song successfully landed a lead role. Naturally, public attention skyrocketed, and fans eagerly awaited the show’s release.

Big investors weren’t blind—they saw this as a golden opportunity and scrambled to invest or place their own people in the project.

Unfortunately, Jiang Huaiyuan was as solid as a rock. Besides his own company, Hongtian Boryu, and Chicheng Studios, he had no intention of letting others in—he didn’t want interference in casting or production. He could already see himself losing his temper on set if the outcome wasn’t what he envisioned.

To preserve his emotional stability and mental health, Jiang Huaiyuan insisted on only working with people who aligned with his vision.

In the end, it took Grandpa Qin himself to step in and promise they’d only invest without meddling. That’s how Huanyu Films managed to squeeze in at the last minute.

Tales from the Western Window became the only project in the industry that investors were practically begging to be part of.

Since Jiang Huaiyuan and Zhao Yunshu were united and immovable, investors turned their attention to Jiang Ruotang, hoping to get him to persuade Jiang Huaiyuan.

Thus, half the entertainment industry started researching Jiang Ruotang’s preferences. Unfortunately, their intel was outdated—they still thought he was the kind of guy who’d throw money at a handsome guy for “aesthetic vibes” and blindly push him up popularity rankings.

---

On Thursday afternoon, Jiang Ruotang was studying with his roommates in the library, as usual.

He took English quite seriously—not just for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams, but because Lu Guifan would likely study abroad. Jiang Ruotang wanted to go abroad too, for art exchange programs. So, he diligently worked through an English practice paper.

Unnoticed, a faint, ocean-fresh scent filled the air—a classic men’s cologne. At some point, someone had sat in the empty seat beside him. Jiang Ruotang didn’t look, but noticed the person had long fingers, a tattoo of birds and roses on their ring finger—elegant yet wild. He guessed the person must be tall.

He calmly finished his worksheet, put on his headphones, and laid his head down to rest a bit.

A while later, Jiang Ruotang rubbed his eyes, feeling something vibrate. Thinking it was his own phone, he reached over—only to realize it wasn’t his.

The seat next to him was now empty.

Jiang Ruotang looked around, then put the phone back where it was. As dinnertime neared and the phone’s owner still hadn’t returned, he was about to turn it in to the library’s lost and found—when it started vibrating again.

He answered.

A gentle, composed voice came through. “Hi, I’m the owner of that phone. May I ask where you found it?”

“You forgot it?”

“Yeah, I probably thought I put it in my pocket, but it was still on the desk. Could I trouble you to do me a small favor?”

“You mean…”

“There are a few reference photos on it that I really need, but I can’t make it back in time. If you could bring it to me, I’d be incredibly grateful!”

Though he’d forgotten his phone, the guy’s attitude was polite, so Jiang Ruotang figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a little walk.

He explained to his roommates and asked them to bring his backpack back.

Lu An responded, “Is that the design major Li Ying? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Oh, he’s the department heartthrob—broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. The kind of guy scouts would snatch off the street. He’s even modeled in print ads.”

Jiang Ruotang had seen plenty of handsome guys, especially the one who slept next to him nightly, so he felt nothing. He handed over his backpack and left with the phone.

The sun was setting, bathing the campus in golden-orange hues—a thick, long-lasting kind of atmosphere.

Standing outside the building, he spotted a tall figure. The boy had soft black hair that fluttered in the breeze, wore a white T-shirt and fitted jeans, and stood close to 1.9 meters tall. A bracelet with a glimmering diamond dangled from his wrist, catching the light.

From an aesthetic perspective, the guy certainly fit the title of “department heartthrob.”

When he saw Jiang Ruotang, the boy smiled handsomely.

Jiang Ruotang walked over, tilted his head slightly, and asked, “Are you Li Ying?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Same voice—definitely the guy from the phone call.

“Here you go.”

Jiang Ruotang handed over the phone and turned to leave without hesitation.

“Wait, classmate, I haven’t thanked you. Can I add your WeChat?”

“It’s really not a big deal, no need to thank me.”

Jiang Ruotang smiled and walked away. His mind was full of Lu Guifan.

Freshmen mostly took theoretical classes, but Lu Guifan was always ahead of the curve. He’d spent a good amount of money to rent a lab with some classmates. Jiang Ruotang didn’t know the exact project, but apparently, if it worked, it could be a breakthrough in the energy sector.

After a few busy days in the lab, Lu Guifan had just messaged him—he was back, showering, and invited him to dinner and a movie. Clearly, the experiment went well.

Jiang Ruotang sent him a message:
[Don’t shave.]
Because he liked the feel of it.

Lu Guifan replied:
[Already shaved.]

Jiang Ruotang chuckled. This guy really cared about appearances. Just because Jiang Ruotang had once called him “Uncle” during a kiss, Lu Guifan never left stubble again.

Back where Li Ying stood, holding his phone, his smile slowly faded. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning slightly as if displeased.

---

Dinner was their usual comfort food. Jiang Ruotang’s appetite was great—he even had extra potato beef stew.

Most couples cuddled while watching movies. Jiang Ruotang? He lay back in the cinema chair while Lu Guifan rubbed his belly tirelessly.

He wasn’t bloated anymore, but he just liked the warmth of Lu Guifan’s hand on him.

The movie was a typical youth romance, starring a contract artist under Polaris Entertainment. Jiang Ruotang chose it just to support his company.

Apparently, the male lead was a “scheming fox” type—currently very trendy.

In the movie, both leads had identical phones and cases. They accidentally swapped them and met up in a study room to exchange them—where the male lead managed to add the female lead on WeChat.

Flashback: the whole thing was planned. He’d seen her phone, bought the same case, deliberately sat next to her, and purposely moved the phones so she’d take the wrong one.

“We had no fate—only the male lead’s scheming.”

Jiang Ruotang had nearly dozed off—until that scene snapped him awake.

“Ah!” he exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Guifan turned to him.

“Nothing, nothing…” Jiang Ruotang leaned back again.

Even in the dim light, Lu Guifan saw the exact expression on his face.

That night, as rain poured outside and love poured inside, Jiang Ruotang clung to Lu Guifan’s neck and confessed—he suspected the design major heartthrob deliberately left his phone behind in the library.

“Oh? So my dear Ruotang also encountered a scheming fox?”

Lu Guifan murmured against Jiang Ruotang’s chin, lips trailing kisses. His normally calm and wise eyes were now stormy with unfiltered possessiveness, making Jiang Ruotang’s heart race wildly.

If male fox spirits really existed… then Lu Guifan would be one too.

---

The next week during Public English class, their roommates sat near the back to nap or play on their phones.

As students entered the lecture hall, Jiang Ruotang was busy texting Jian Sha. Something tapped rhythmically on his desk.

“Classmate, we meet again.”

Jiang Ruotang looked up into a pair of very attractive eyes—warm, smiling, yet slightly flirtatious.

“Ah, Li Ying. Hello.” Jiang Ruotang nodded politely.

Li Ying leaned forward on his desk, smiling. “I still don’t know your name.”

“I’m Cui He,” Jiang Ruotang said with a straight face.

Cui He, seated beside him, nearly choked on his own saliva.

Li Ying froze for a second, then looked at Cui He. “Is that really his name?”

Cui He wondered what his name had done to deserve this. Was it payback for teasing Jiang Ruotang earlier?

“Yeah, his name is Cui He,” he said through gritted teeth.

People around them lowered their heads, trying not to laugh.

Li Ying’s friend nudged him and whispered, “He’s Jiang Ruotang. Don’t you know? His art is on display in the school museum. He won the Asian Rising Star award and even exhibited internationally.”

Li Ying looked back at Jiang Ruotang and smiled again. He did look like a drama male lead—handsome but not greasy. Too bad Jiang Ruotang had zero interest in dramas.

After class, Li Ying strode through the crowd and caught up to Jiang Ruotang on his way to the cafeteria.

“Jiang Ruotang…”

Jiang Ruotang turned around, meeting his expectant gaze. He told Ding Bing, “You guys go ahead.”

Lu An clearly wanted to watch the show, but Ding Bing and Cui He dragged him away. As they left, Lu An whispered, “Do you guys think Li Ying likes Jiang Ruotang?”