Lu Guifan turned his face, and his black-framed glasses happened to slide down his nose. Just like that, Jiang Ruotang’s eyes met his.

His heart felt like it had been violently yanked. Jiang Ruotang lost his balance, his chin bumping right into Lu Guifan’s shoulder.

“S-sorry…” Jiang Ruotang scrambled to support himself on Lu Guifan’s shoulders, but at this distance, it seemed he couldn’t get back onto the hospital bed.

Lu Guifan finally raised his hand, supporting Jiang Ruotang’s waist and abdomen, and placed him back. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Jiang Ruotang felt that Lu Guifan’s palm seemed a bit hot.

Dr. Yang spoke up, “Little Jiang, I asked you to feel the flow of student Lu’s pheromones. Why did you send your own pheromones to student Lu’s gland as well?”

Although Jiang Ruotang lacked common knowledge, this sounded excessively intimate. And looking at Lu Guifan’s reaction… was this guy shy?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Guifan pushed his glasses up.

Dr. Yang, at the side, spoke again, “Little Jiang, now try to use the same method to guide your pheromones back into your own gland.”

Hearing the word “gland,” Jiang Ruotang belatedly touched the back of his neck. It felt like there was nothing there, but perhaps because he had sensed Lu Guifan’s pheromones, a spot under his skin seemed to be faintly warm.

Jiang Ruotang took a deep breath. He still couldn’t quite get the hang of it.

Lu Guifan, in turn, held both of his hands and said, “Close your eyes. I’ll guide you.”

“Okay, great!” Jiang Ruotang’s mood immediately brightened.

Just like that, Jiang Ruotang completed his first-ever control of his pheromones.

When it was almost ten o’clock at night, Xiao Gao came specifically to drive Lu Guifan home. Jiang Ruotang stood by the window, watching the receding car lights, and belatedly realized something. Just now, when Lu Guifan guided him to return his pheromones to his gland, did that also mean his pheromones had touched his own gland?

Wasn’t that equivalent to a kiss?

Jiang Ruotang felt he was truly talented to even associate this with kissing.

Ah, in reality, Lu Guifan could already handle his teasing with ease and even return it twofold. Jiang Ruotang, the instigator, would end up blushing and flustered, only able to watch as a triumphant, wicked smile appeared on the other’s lips. But the Lu Guifan in this ABO world was so easily flustered. It seemed he could regain the upper hand?

The next day, Jiang Ruotang continued to practice controlling his pheromones. He didn’t want unrelated classmates to make a fuss while he was in class, saying they smelled apple mint, and then start a discussion, leading to some people suspecting he had become an Omega, kicking off a “guess, guess, guess” plotline. For Jiang Ruotang, the protagonist, that would be too exasperating, although Jian Sha would probably love that plot.

Dr. Yang placed a detector in Jiang Ruotang’s room. Whenever the pheromone concentration reached a level that could be distinguished by others, it would light up red and beep twice as a warning.

At first, the detector beeped every few minutes, frustrating Jiang Ruotang so much that he threw a pillow at it. By the afternoon, its beeping frequency had decreased. It only asserted its presence when Jiang Ruotang was at the height of his enjoyment watching entertainment shows.

Jiang Ruotang waited with great anticipation. Lu Guifan finally came to see him after school, even bringing him the chive and egg pancake he had been craving.

Watching Jiang Ruotang lick a piece of chive from the corner of his mouth, Lu Guifan couldn’t really understand why such a precious young master had a special fondness for street food. But, seeing Jiang Ruotang so engrossed in his food, his cheeks puffed out, was really quite cute.

After devouring the chive pancake like a whirlwind, Jiang Ruotang was still quite conscious of his image. He pulled a napkin to wipe his mouth, then bared his teeth at his phone’s camera function. Only after confirming there were no chives stuck to his teeth did he look at Lu Guifan with satisfaction.

“When you came in, could you still smell any pheromones?”

Jiang Ruotang’s sparkling eyes were like those of a kindergartener asking a teacher for a little red flower.

Lu Guifan shook his head. “I didn’t smell anything. You’re controlling it very well.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ruotang leaned over the small table again, pulled up the back of his collar, and brazenly exposed the nape of his neck. “Then come closer and sniff again. Is there nothing now?”

Lu Guifan looked at that small patch of fair skin. His brain’s nerves seemed to have lost control over his body. His throat moved in a slow, restrained swallow. He turned his head away. “I didn’t smell anything.”

“You didn’t even get close, of course you can’t smell anything!” Jiang Ruotang beckoned to him. He wanted to use the advantage of pheromones now to make Lu Guifan shy.

Lu Guifan took a deep breath. Unlike those alphas in novels who secretly had their hearts stirred, he picked up the detector and placed it on Jiang Ruotang’s neck.

The cool sensation made Jiang Ruotang’s hopeful heart sink. You alpha destined to be alone!

“Jiang Ruotang, for an Omega to invite another alpha to smell the back of their neck… has that kind of suggestive meaning.”

Jiang Ruotang moved the detector away, sat up, and looked into Lu Guifan’s eyes, saying frankly, “If you don’t think of it that way, then it’s not that kind of suggestion! Besides, I won’t let anyone other than you smell the back of my neck.”

That last sentence was like a small pebble dropped into the lake of Lu Guifan’s heart. The pebble had clearly sunk to the bottom, but the ripples it created spread out in endless circles.

“You can go to class now. If you don’t want to make it public, no one should find out you’ve differentiated into an Omega.”

Lu Guifan’s voice was steady, but his fingers slowly tightened into a fist. Even he himself didn’t know what he was restraining, what he was enduring.

But Jiang Ruotang looked at him very seriously. “Then… can I apply to be your deskmate?”

“Huh?”

“You’re the only one in the whole class who knows I’m an Omega. If my pheromones suddenly leak, or if I go into that heat cycle thing, you’ll be able to notice it before anyone else, right?”

Lu Guifan’s throat moved. Reason told him he should remind Jiang Ruotang that he was an alpha. If he wanted to, at such a close distance, he could use a trace amount of pheromones to subtly induce Jiang Ruotang. But in reality, alphas who could achieve such a level were as rare as phoenix feathers. Moreover, the thought of letting Jiang Ruotang sit so close to another alpha… Lu Guifan found himself more worried.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to Director Wang,” Lu Guifan replied.

“That’s great! You’re the best class president in the world, and you’ll be the best deskmate ever!”

Lu Guifan gave a faint smile, feeling as if Jiang Ruotang had just given him a “good person card.”

Although Jiang Ruotang could control his pheromones, Dr. Yang still ran various tests on him and only let him go to class on the seventh day.

Early in the morning, Sister Juan stuffed many other things into Jiang Ruotang’s schoolbag.

“Ruotang, I put the suppressant patches in the inner pocket of your bag. This is the latest technology, they’re transparent and will merge with your skin once applied. You don’t have to worry about classmates seeing them.”

“Oh!”

“This is a blocker spray. If you feel your body getting strangely hot, or if the class president reminds you that your pheromones are leaking, you must go to the washroom or the microwave room to spray it! You must, must remember this!” Sister Juan earnestly instructed.

Jiang Ruotang nodded obediently.

Even though he was clearly listening very attentively, Sister Juan still sighed.

“Sister Juan, why are you sighing?”

“I’m remembering your first day of kindergarten. Your father painstakingly told you never to be tricked away by a stranger’s candy, snacks, or small pets, and that no matter what, you had to wait for your dad to come pick you up. Not only did you nod, but you also acted like a little adult and patted your father’s shoulder, saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not stupid, I won’t be tricked by those things’!”

Hearing this, Jiang Ruotang wondered why his embarrassing past still existed in this world.

“Don’t… don’t say it… Sister Juan, I’m grown up now…”

“You just think you’ve grown up. In the end, didn’t someone just offer a magic lollipop and a cute puppy, and you followed the stranger?”

That “stranger” was Xiao Gao on his first day of work. Jiang Huaiyuan had specifically asked Xiao Gao to test Jiang Ruotang, even telling Sister Juan that his son was very smart and definitely wouldn’t fall for it. The result was a resounding slap in the face.

“I will absolutely, absolutely not be tricked away by some alpha just because they release some nice-smelling pheromones at me!”

PS: Lu Guifan is an exception.

Xiao Gao dropped Jiang Ruotang off at the school gate. Jiang Ruotang walked through the gate with his schoolbag on his back. Seeing Director Wang at the entrance checking uniforms and appearance, and remembering that he still needed his approval to be deskmates with Lu Guifan, he immediately called out loudly and earnestly, “Good morning, Teacher Wang—”

Director Wang was so shocked he almost dropped his pen.

Walking into the classroom, Jiang Ruotang saw Lin Lu chatting and laughing with other classmates at a glance. He thought to himself that this guy was quite something. He had been hospitalized for a week, and Lin Lu had only sent a few messages of concern every few days, saying things like “Hoping for your speedy recovery” and “I feel a bit empty without you by my side.” Yet he hadn’t visited him even once. The reason, naturally, was Bai Yingchuan, who sat on his other side. He had to be by Bai Yingchuan’s side at all times, so how could he have the energy to care about Jiang Ruotang, his supposed childhood friend?

Whatever. Jiang Ruotang trusted in Lu Guifan’s efficiency. In any case, being deskmates wouldn’t last for more than a morning.

When Jiang Ruotang put down his schoolbag, Lin Lu looked up at him, his smiling face slightly stiffening, his eyes showing a look of disbelief. Even Bai Yingchuan, who was a desk away, showed a very special expression in his eyes when he glanced at Jiang Ruotang, perhaps one could call it amazement.

But Jiang Ruotang acted as if he didn’t see them at all.

Hurry up, hurry up, I want to change deskmates!

Just then, someone patted Jiang Ruotang on the back. Zhao Changfeng’s voice sounded out.

“Were you hospitalized for being sick or for plastic surgery? How did you suddenly become so much more pleasant to look at?”

“You’re the one who got plastic surgery! You should get your brain fixed too while you’re at it.” Hearing Zhao Changfeng’s voice, Jiang Ruotang’s heart filled with joy. He ruffled Zhao Changfeng’s hair for a good while, like petting a big dog. Look, this little brother actually has a good temper. He didn’t even flip him over, at most just sulking to himself.

“Looks like the hospital food is quite nourishing,” Jian Sha, who was next to him, also showed a look of inquiry. “Your eyes and nose are the same as before, but I feel like you’re like a character in a movie who’s turned into a vampire. You’ve suddenly transformed, becoming elegant and noble.”

Jiang Ruotang smiled with curved eyes. “Sufficient sleep can always work miracles in life.”

Hearing this, Jian Sha sighed. “As third-year high school dogs, we can forget about sufficient sleep.”

Even Geng Yu, who had always been at odds with Jiang Ruotang, couldn’t help but glance at him a couple more times as he passed by his seat.

Jiang Ruotang stared right back, mouthing: What are you looking at?

Geng Yu quickly looked away and returned to his seat.

Jiang Ruotang himself didn’t feel any change. When he brushed his teeth and washed his face every morning, wasn’t it still his own face in the mirror?

Lin Lu whispered, “Ruotang, you really look super well. Especially your aura, you really look like a little prince.”

“Oh? More like a little prince than your Bai Yingchuan?” Jiang Ruotang said with a smile, propping his chin on his hand. He had hit the nail on the head, exposing the little secret Lin Lu had been hiding all this time.

As expected, Lin Lu looked at Bai Yingchuan with some panic, but thankfully, Bai Yingchuan didn’t seem to care.

Lin Lu was about to try and explain something when Lu Guifan walked into the classroom with his schoolbag. As he passed Jiang Ruotang’s desk, he was grabbed by the wrist.

The feeling of his wrist being held made Lu Guifan’s heart tighten inexplicably. He stopped and looked down at Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang was full of spirit today. The soft morning light falling on his eyelashes seemed to adorn them with a soft halo. His eyes were clear and frank, and the playful glint in them made Lu Guifan’s heart skip a beat.

“Class President, there’s a problem I don’t know how to do.”

Lu Guifan didn’t go back to put down his schoolbag. Instead, he bent down to look at the big problem on the paper he had spread out. “I’ve explained this problem to you before.”

“I forgot,” Jiang Ruotang said with a matter-of-fact look.

Lu Guifan bent down, leaned closer to the paper, pulled over a draft sheet, and started explaining to Jiang Ruotang.

“Do you understand?” Lu Guifan asked after he finished explaining.

But Jiang Ruotang didn’t answer that question. Instead, he whispered, “Did you smell it?”

Lu Guifan suddenly realized he was very close to the back of Jiang Ruotang’s neck. Before, when Jiang Ruotang was a beta, Lu Guifan had never paid it any mind.

“No.”

Just as Lu Guifan answered, Jiang Ruotang whispered again, “What about now?”

A faint fragrance of apple mint appeared and vanished in an instant.

Lu Guifan’s heart was seized tight, as if it would crack with a single beat.

“Yes.” Lu Guifan stood up straight. “Don’t do this again.”

He turned and walked away, but Jiang Ruotang leaned back in his chair, turning his head to watch Lu Guifan’s retreating back.

That guy’s ears were red.

Zhao Changfeng in the back seat once again provided a divine summary: “Jiang Ruotang, your expression is like that of a profligate son who keeps savoring the moment after flirting with the class president.”

“Correct answer! You’re so wise for a fool!” Jiang Ruotang ruffled Zhao Changfeng’s head again.

Zhao Changfeng frowned. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.