In his youth, he had a strangely chuunibyou-like idea that as an Alpha, it was inherently wrong to casually release pheromones and affect others. If everyone stopped releasing pheromones, the world would be safer, more orderly, and many accidental crimes would not happen.

Later, his pheromones were lent to Zhu Zhixi as pepper spray. Fu Rangyi developed another strange sense of responsibility. The thought of another person in this world, like Zhu Zhixi, having his pheromones on them would make him frown. How was that any different from cheating?

When he went home last month, his father’s friend happened to be visiting and mentioned wanting to introduce someone to him, an Omega of similar age and family background, said to have a high pheromone compatibility.

Of course, he knew what that meant and how to handle it tactfully, but he still refused bluntly.

Imagining sitting in a coffee shop with a strange Omega discussing pheromone compatibility also seemed no different from cheating.

His roommate added, “Someone even came to ask us. I said, as your roommate, even I don’t know what your pheromones smell like.”

He packed his schoolbag and said casually, “I’m used to it. And aren’t pheromones a part of personal privacy anyway?”

“That’s true. It’s just amazing. Your undergraduate roommates didn’t know either?”

A slight smile touched Fu Rangyi’s lips. “You’ll have to ask him then. Want me to start a group chat for you?”

The roommate laughed. “I find you have a subtle sense of humor.”

Fu Rangyi: “It’s probably that you have the ability to extract humor from subtle statements.”

“Oh right, why hasn’t your little Beta brother come recently? I haven’t seen him in a long time. He must be a high school senior now.”

Fu Rangyi’s packing motions paused slightly. “Mm, he has the college entrance exams.” He added, “But he’s not my brother, we just grew up together.”

“I remember, I remember, you introduced him that way the first time. The neighbor’s little brother. I just abbreviated it, hahaha.” Fu Rangyi said no more.

Thanks to his roommate’s kind reminder, he once again calculated in his head the last time Zhu Zhixi had visited. It had been 67 days.

It was probably because the college entrance exams were approaching. Everyone inevitably felt nervous and anxious, and no one would bother Zhu Zhixi anymore.

Without these troubles, the matter of borrowing pheromones also became less necessary.

According to his usual routine, Fu Rangyi should have stayed in the dorm for a nap, but because of his roommate’s words, he lost the mood for a nap. So he left the dorm with his bag and headed to the library to study.

After swiping his card, he took out his phone and belatedly saw a message from Zhu Zhixi.

[Bad Rabbit: Fu Rangyi, I have something super awesome to tell you! Hmph hmph, wanna hear?]

He read it, replied, read it again, and turned on Do Not Disturb. He predicted he wouldn’t be able to study.

[Fake Boyfriend (Long-Distance Countdown 0 Days): No. If it’s so awesome, save it as an innovative point for a research paper.]

Zhu Zhixi, who received this message, happened to be at the west gate of S University. The May sunshine was abundant, making his black formal suit uncomfortably hot.

[Bad Rabbit: How can you be like this? All you think about is papers, papers. Does getting a master’s degree turn you into this? Then I don’t want to do it in the future.]

Fu Rangyi didn’t reply.

At this time, he was probably taking a nap. Zhu Zhixi was determined to disturb him.

But he didn’t know that the graduate dorm had recently changed its manager. The previous kind auntie with short curly hair had been transferred, and the new male manager was extremely difficult. No matter what Zhu Zhixi said, he stood his ground and wouldn’t let him go up.

He called Fu Rangyi twice, but both calls went unanswered.

He must be sleeping like a log. As luck would have it, he ran into Li Qiao, who was returning from playing basketball.

“Zhu Zhixi?”

Like seeing a savior, Zhu Zhixi grabbed Li Qiao and said to the manager, “This is my brother too!”

The manager chuckled twice. “You sure have a lot of brothers.”

Li Qiao had strong social skills and was on good terms with the manager. After a few words, he managed to bring him up. But when they got to the dorm, Zhu Zhixi discovered that Fu Rangyi wasn’t there.

“Then he’s probably at the library, or the lab… I was just about to say, why are you dressed like this? Like you ran away from your own wedding. Hey, I’m not finished!”

Zhu Zhixi jogged to the library. He suddenly remembered the night before Fu Rangyi’s coming-of-age ceremony, and the feeling he had when he heard Uncle Fu describe that snow-white suit. To be honest, it wasn’t a very good feeling, and the worst part was that he couldn’t figure out why.

He should have also worn a looser suit. Whether it was for running to see someone, or running away from a wedding, or dancing, it would have been more comfortable.

Half an hour later, after wandering around, he arrived at the library entrance. Among the university students coming and going, he looked for a lucky person who could swipe their card to let him in. Before he could decide who to pick, he saw a familiar figure through the turnstiles.

“Fu…” Before he could finish the name, Zhu Zhixi saw another person. An exceptionally good-looking Omega had stopped him. Before that person even spoke, his ears turned red, the blush spreading to his cheeks. He opened his schoolbag and took out a light pink letter—someone still wrote handwritten letters in this day and age—Zhu Zhixi stared blankly, his feet frozen by surprise.

He stared at the mature, beautiful Omega’s lips, reading them, and softly provided the voice-over for the words he spoke: “…I like you.”

The just-turned-eighteen Beta felt confused by this, and also a little uncomfortable. He raised his hand and scratched his cheek. Before Fu Rangyi could accept the letter, he turned around, went down a few steps, and then quickened his pace, leaving this place.

Thanks to the damn coming-of-age ceremony, he was dressed more maturely than any university student on campus, yet he was the most ignorant and childish one here. So childish that he borrowed pheromones, commanded Fu Rangyi to play the long-term role of a non-existent boyfriend, and was now sad because his fake boyfriend might be about to start a real relationship.

An hour later, Zhu Zhixi, hiding in a coffee shop at S University, still answered Fu Rangyi’s call.

“Where are you?”

They were too familiar with each other. Just from the tone of that one sentence, Zhu Zhixi knew that Fu Rangyi already knew he had come to S University. It must have been that big mouth, Li Qiao.

But he still inexplicably threw a small tantrum. “At school. Calling me like this, without considering if I’m in class, is very rude.”

The other end was quiet for a moment, then asked in a very calm tone, “Where exactly are you? I’ve already been to the lawn behind Mingde Building, Huanxin Lake and the pavilion by the lake, the garden behind the dorm building, and both cafeterias. Do you want me to keep looking?”

Zhu Zhixi pursed his lips, looked down at his melting strawberry ice cream, and finally reluctantly gave the name of the coffee shop, along with his booth number.

Before hanging up, he deliberately choked him with his words, “Didn’t you say you didn’t even want to listen to what I have to say? Why bother looking for me?”

Fu Rangyi didn’t speak, nor did he hang up. Fifteen minutes later, he pushed open the glass door of the coffee shop, looked around, found Zhu Zhixi’s booth, froze for two seconds, walked over, and only then hung up.

He was breathing slightly heavily, his chest rising and falling. He put down his phone, stared at Zhu Zhixi, and watched him silently and seriously for a long time.

Is he so annoyed from looking for me that he doesn’t know what to say? Zhu Zhixi didn’t stare back, only glanced a few times, noticing the fine beads of sweat on Fu Rangyi’s forehead. So he didn’t continue to be sarcastic and quietly waited for him to speak.

Unexpectedly, Fu Rangyi’s first sentence was, “This is 6, not 9.”

Zhu Zhixi let out a blank “ah” and tilted his head to stare at the table number. “Is this a 6…?”

Was that important! He started to get angry and wanted to leave immediately.

But Fu Rangyi spoke at just the right moment. “Zhu Zhixi, when I sent ‘no,’ it didn’t mean I didn’t want to hear what you had to say.”

“Sorry, I was just in a bad mood. You… today is your coming-of-age ceremony, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

“You’re so busy, what’s the use of telling you? Would you come to watch me dance?” Zhu Zhixi said deliberately.

Fu Rangyi furrowed his brows and didn’t answer the question.

“I knew you wouldn’t come, but…” Zhu Zhixi cleared his throat. “I think I look quite good in this suit, and I wanted you to see it, so I came over after the event was over. I didn’t expect that you wouldn’t want to see me.”

Fu Rangyi immediately said, “I didn’t not want to see you. From ‘not wanting to listen’ to ‘not wanting to see,’ isn’t your accusation escalating too quickly?”

Seeing him refute so quickly, Zhu Zhixi’s mood suddenly improved a little. “It’s not like my word counts for anything. What are you afraid of?”

Fu Rangyi fell silent again.

Zhu Zhixi looked at him with his eyes lowered, thought of the scene from just now, and also thought of a certain day last month when he had dinner with his parents at the Huo family’s house. He heard Uncle Huo talking about introducing a potential partner to Fu Rangyi.

He said Fu Rangyi had refused very quickly, that he clearly had someone he liked but just couldn’t say it.

He himself had acted very strangely that day, somewhat wanting to inquire, but also not wanting to speak up. In the end, after struggling for a long time, the only thing he did was cancel his plan to go to S University to borrow pheromones.

Was it that Omega from just now, or someone else?

“Your dance partner today…” / “I suddenly remembered I have plans with a classmate today!”

Their tacit understanding worked at an unnecessary time.

Fu Rangyi heard what he said and nodded slowly and steadily. “Alright.” He thought for a moment, then gave a very slight smile and said to him, “This suit today, it suits you very well. You look very good.”

“Right?” Zhu Zhixi stood up, bouncing, still childish despite being dressed like this. “I just came over specifically to show off to you. It’s getting late, I can’t be late for my date, so I’m leaving now.”

Fu Rangyi gave a deep “mm.” “I’ll see you off.”

“No need, you must be busy. I can just get a taxi myself.”

After speaking, Zhu Zhixi wanted to slip away, but an inexplicable sense of anticipation grew in his heart.

Although it was a fantasy, if Fu Rangyi were to ask him to stay at this moment, say he’d treat him to a meal or a cup of coffee, he would at most be awkward for a while and then stay.

He was just thinking about it. Unexpectedly, as they walked side by side to the coffee shop entrance, Fu Rangyi actually spoke up.

“Zhu Zhixi.”

“Hmm?” He looked up at Fu Rangyi and discovered for the first time that this person’s handsomeness had exceeded his impression.

Don’t most people become desensitized to the faces of those they grew up with? Why did this law fail between them?

“Lately, I’ve been constantly bothered by people I don’t like. It’s very troublesome to keep refusing. So…” Fu Rangyi looked at him. “Can you pretend to be my boyfriend?”

“Huh?” Zhu Zhixi was so surprised he completely forgot to filter his tone.

That’s not right. He thought about their previous pretend model, quickly reacted, and said with a frown, “I’m a Beta. I can’t leave pheromones on you. How can I pretend?”

Who knew that Fu Rangyi would say, “So it’s different from before. I need you to show your face. Can you do that?”