GBROTAH CH41

The air conditioner hummed, blowing warm air, and the small single bed was crammed with two people, making it feel so toasty as if it were early summer outside instead of winter.

Xie Yuanxing’s eyeballs moved beneath his thin eyelids. His consciousness slowly returned, but his eyes were still unwilling to open.

Today was Sunday, so it was fine not to wake up so early.

His subconscious mind thought this, and in a daze, he tried to roll over and go back to sleep.

Wait…

Why couldn’t he roll over?

His still-drowsy mind sluggishly realized that something was pressing on his waist, and the bed seemed to have shrunk significantly, feeling very cramped.

Xie Yuanxing instantly sobered up quite a bit. Before opening his eyes, he tried to sit up. As soon as his upper body lifted, a hand pulled him back down. The speed was so fast it was like a roly-poly toy wobbling.

?

With that pull, even his heavy eyelids could open. Xie Yuanxing opened his eyes blankly and turned his head to look, seeing a hand rapidly retracting.

It was very quick, subtly hinting at a guilty conscience.

Shen Bianye was sleeping beside him, eyes closed. From Xie Yuanxing’s side, his facial features were sharp and well-defined, his nose bridge high. He was exceptionally handsome, as if without any bad angles.

“Why… are you in my bed?” Xie Yuanxing was bewildered, confused, and questioning.

Anyone waking up in the morning to find someone sleeping beside them would be equally bewildered.

No matter how handsome that person was, it wouldn’t change.

Upon hearing this, Shen Bianye felt assured. A lazy smile played in his deep-set eyes, but he spoke with a feigned disdain:

“Asking me?”

“You’re a terrible drunk, don’t you remember what you did last night?”

Xie Yuanxing silently shrank towards the wall, his back pressed against it, barely managing to create a little distance between them. Hearing Shen Bianye’s words, his eyebrows furrowed so tightly they could tie a knot, yet he couldn’t recall what he had done last night.

His voice was soft and light, still carrying the drowsiness of just waking up, along with deep confusion. “It couldn’t possibly be that I asked you to come up?”

Shen Bianye heard this and chuckled in anger. “Why not possible?”

“Do you think I’m keen on sleeping with you?”

“If you hadn’t held onto me, crying and making a fuss, refusing to let go unless I got into bed with you, would I be lying on the same bed as you?”

He spoke with righteous indignation, without a hint of guilt.

He wasn’t wrong. Xie Yuanxing had indeed patted the bed for him to come up, and Xie Yuanxing had indeed cried, though it was from bumping his head. But the question was, did Xie Yuanxing cry or not?

Xie Yuanxing’s delicate brows were tightly furrowed. He tried hard to recall, but nothing from last night came to mind.

He rarely drank, or rather, had almost never drunk before. When he did, he only felt fine, never expecting such a strong after-effect. It was also his first time realizing he could black out when drunk.

His eyes held confusion, and in Shen Bianye’s eyes, it meant he didn’t believe his words.

Shen Bianye scoffed, “Don’t believe me?”

“If you didn’t pull me up, could I have run up myself?”

Xie Yuanxing: “…I.”

He pursed his lips, cautiously extended a finger, and pointed outwards. “Our dorm is a bunk bed with a desk below.”

The more he spoke, the more suspicious he became, pointing and saying, “I was drunk, could I really pull you up?”

Shen Bianye said with a start, “You were crying last night like you were about to suffocate, begging me to come up. If you hadn’t been crying so heartbreakingly that it kept me from sleeping, I wouldn’t have come over at all.”

“Xie Yuanxing, you’ve really grown some nerve.”

“Did you deliberately get drunk to torment me, and now that you’re awake, you’re trying to shift the blame?”

Xie Yuanxing was silent for a moment. “…Oh, I’m sorry.”

Shen Bianye got even angrier and said coldly, “Don’t apologize.”

Xie Yuanxing: …….

Sometimes, he really didn’t understand what made Shen Bianye angry.

But now, what was more important was, “Can you get down now?”

“It’s a bit cramped.”

Shen Bianye sneered, “Last night you were trying to burrow into my arms, and now that you’re awake you’re complaining it’s cramped?”

“If anyone’s complaining, it’s me complaining about you.”

Xie Yuanxing oh-ed softly and slowly said, “But this is my bed.”

Shen Bianye angrily retorted, “Didn’t you cry and beg me to come up?”

“You get down yourself.”

Xie Yuanxing was dumbfounded, looking at the person who was swaggering and occupying his bed. For a moment, he was speechless.

Even if he was drunk and insisted on pulling Shen Bianye into bed, he couldn’t just keep sleeping in his bed.

Shen Bianye silently pressed his tongue against his cheek. The slight pain from his tongue scraping against his canine teeth was too mild to subdue a certain part of him. Damn it, the suppressant’s effect was too weak, and Xie Yuanxing’s quilt still reeked of that milky scent. It was hard not to trigger a pheromone reaction in the morning.

He gritted his teeth and calmed himself for a few minutes, then threw back the covers and got out of bed, saying coldly, “Your bed is too hard, I’m not sleeping on it.”

Xie Yuanxing didn’t say a word, slowly sitting up.

He sat on the bed looking at Shen Bianye, his gaze falling on Shen Bianye’s arm, his eyes flickering slightly.

Shen Bianye, being an Alpha, had a good physique, and the dorm’s air conditioner was on. At this moment, he was just walking around in a black T-shirt and shorts. His firm muscles strained the fabric, lean but not exaggerated, his arms strong, with smooth, beautiful lines.

However, a patch of bruising on the inside of his arm marred the beauty of this strength.

Xie Yuanxing had noticed it when Shen Bianye threw back the covers, and now, sitting on the bed and looking down, he could see it more clearly.

“Didn’t you say you were going to the hospital for a check-up? When are we going?”

Xie Yuanxing suddenly spoke, addressing Shen Bianye below him.

Shen Bianye didn’t even raise his head, casually saying, “I’ve been busy lately. I’ll go when I have time.”

Xie Yuanxing: “Aren’t you free today? Let’s go today.”

Shen Bianye turned his head, looking at Xie Yuanxing from bottom to top. His features were rugged and sharp, and his gaze was aggressive, showing no weakness, yet it carried a somewhat knowing, half-smiling scrutiny. “Concerned about me?”

“Know your place, Xie Yuanxing.”

Xie Yuanxing secretly pouted and said, “I just want to know when I’ll get all my money.”

Shen Bianye clicked his tongue, suddenly curious, “Is there anything more important than money in your head?”

Xie Yuanxing shook his head, a serious expression on his face: “No.”

“In the whole world, I love money the most.”

The question was asked by Shen Bianye, and he was the one who became annoyed. He sneered repeatedly and said, “After your hospital check-up today, you’ll know when you can get all your money.”

Xie Yuanxing got out of bed to wash up. Shen Bianye said, “Don’t eat breakfast later, you’ll need to draw blood.”

“I know.” Xie Yuanxing answered vaguely while brushing his teeth.

When it was time to leave, Xie Yuanxing was looking down at his phone. Shen Bianye held two portions of breakfast. As Xie Yuanxing put away his phone and bent down to get the trash bag from the dorm, Shen Bianye handed him the breakfast.

Shen Bianye: “You take this, I’ll go throw out the trash.”

Xie Yuanxing took it, saying, “Didn’t you say I couldn’t eat breakfast?”

Shen Bianye: “Eat after the blood draw. You’re as thin as a chick, if you don’t eat after a blood draw and faint, am I supposed to carry you?”

The two went down the dorm building together. Shen Bianye went around to the trash station in the back to throw away the garbage.

Shen Bianye had previously done reckless hikes, gone to uninhabited areas, and slept in sleeping bags and on piles of grass in the wild. Compared to typical rich kids, he wasn’t as particular.

But the trash station smelled bad, and anyone would find it stinky. He threw the trash from far away, using his Alpha arm strength for such things, with an annoying accuracy.

After throwing the trash, he came back and found Xie Yuanxing waiting for him at the dorm entrance. He naturally took the breakfast from Xie Yuanxing’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Xie Yuanxing hummed in response and naturally followed him.

The hospital was crowded on the weekend, filled with people holding various slips of paper. Shen Bianye took Xie Yuanxing directly to Dr. Li.

They went through the examinations one by one, leaving Xie Yuanxing dizzy. He was a Beta, Shen Bianye was an Alpha, and they had different examinations. At first, they could see each other, but later, Xie Yuanxing was alone, following the nurse around.

Midway, he ran into Shen Bianye, who handed Xie Yuanxing the breakfast in his hand. “Finished with the blood draw? Eat this before you go for more tests.”

With that, he hurriedly left again. Xie Yuanxing inserted the straw into the cup and slurped some soy milk.

His examinations were actually very few. And he didn’t know if this hospital was owned by Shen Bianye’s family, or if they had donated money or medical equipment, but there were dedicated facilities on one floor, which made the process even faster.

Xie Yuanxing didn’t like eating in the hospital, so he wandered outside with his bag, finished eating, threw the trash into a bin, and sat on a stone bench outside the hospital.

Shen Bianye had many examinations, so going back now would just mean waiting anyway. He might as well sit here for a while.

Compared to the sterile white walls inside the hospital, at least there were trees and flowers outside.

Only now did Xie Yuanxing have time to check his phone. X’s messages lay quietly in his message list, as if waiting for Xie Yuanxing to reach out at any time.

X: “Baby, have you arrived?”

X: “First thing when you get there, can you please say you have a boyfriend, baby?”

X: “Baby, was the mixer fun?”

X: “Baby, why did you ignore me after going to the mixer?”

X: “Baby, Xingxing baby, talk to me, mmm?”

These were sent by X around the time Xie Yuanxing had just arrived yesterday.

The later messages, however, were sent late at night.

12:32 AM—

X: “Baby, why aren’t you talking?”

X: “Could baby be drunk?”

X: “Promise me you’ll attend these events less often in the future, okay?”

X: “Baby has a boyfriend now, how can you abandon your boyfriend to go to a mixer?”

X: “Baby smells sweet, and your temper is soft. Will you be coaxed away by a few sweet words from someone else?”

X: “Baby, even if someone speaks better than I do, you can’t choose them.”

X: “Besides praising baby, I only like baby.”

X: “Baby knows, your boyfriend also has a good body, you can touch him, and he has 20 centimeters, all for Xingxing baby.”

7:05 AM—

X: “Baby, are you awake?”

Xie Yuanxing: “Something came up, just saw my phone now.”

Xie Yuanxing: “I got drunk last night, and my roommate took me back, so I didn’t reply to you. Don’t be angry.”

X replied quite quickly. While Xie Yuanxing was still pondering what the 20cm meant, the message came through.

X: “Baby is too careless, you’re not allowed to drink outside anymore, baby.”

X: “What if someone does something while baby is drunk?”

Xie Yuanxing: “Are you talking about my roommate?”

The “typing” indicator kept appearing repeatedly for a while before X finally replied, “I don’t think he would. Isn’t he not on good terms with baby?”

Xie Yuanxing: “Precisely because we’re not on good terms, he might secretly hit me.”

Now that he thought about it, his forehead had indeed been faintly painful when he woke up this morning. It was quite strange.

Could he really have hit him?

It should be impossible… right? Shen Bianye wasn’t that kind of person.

X: “They’re roommates, so probably not, right? Or does baby think he’s that kind of person?”

Xie Yuanxing: “Not really, I just really dislike him, just saying some disgruntled words.”

X: “Baby ignore him, pay attention to me instead, baby. Can I come see baby today?”

Xie Yuanxing: “I’m very busy today, maybe next time.”

X: “Baby is so cold, aren’t we in a relationship?”

X: “You can’t be this cold in a relationship, baby.”

X: “I want to see baby, I want to kiss baby.”

X: “Baby said I could kiss you next time we meet, are you deliberately teasing me, baby?”

X: “Or does baby not want to meet next time?”

X: “If baby dares to say yes, then when I catch baby at baby’s school, it won’t just be a simple kiss, baby.”

Within the time it took Xie Yuanxing to write a single sentence, X sent six messages, like a sticky swamp clinging to a person, dragging Xie Yuanxing down and refusing to let go.

Sometimes, Xie Yuanxing also felt that perhaps he was sick. He wasn’t repulsed by this X. He was like a gloomy mushroom hiding in a corner, lacking sunlight. X’s appearance gave him an overflowing amount of affirmation and praise, allowing him to shake off his cap and quietly straighten his body to continue growing.

However, that bizarre “20 centimeters” still frightened him a little.

Xie Yuanxing’s ears flushed. He slowly typed, “If ’20cm’ means what I think it means, then I think it’s better if we don’t meet for now.”

“You’re a little dangerous.”

The phone buzzed, and the reply came quickly, the buzzing seeming to carry a strange pleasure.

X: “Then when can I see baby?”

X: “If it drags on too long, and baby keeps hiding, it won’t just be a simple kiss, Xingxing baby.”

X: “I think baby would also look beautiful wearing a black lace eye mask and taking 20 in your mouth.”

X: “I can also let baby lick, how much does baby have, hm?”

A silent and boiling explosion roared in Xie Yuanxing’s mind. His already somewhat pale face looked as if it had been scorched by heat, turning red all the way to his neck.

He stared at the sentence, his eyelashes trembling rapidly, his eyes blinking. His curly, thick eyelashes were like black butterflies, fluttering as if about to take flight but not quite, and the small tear mole beneath his eye was tinged with crimson, shimmering.

Xie Yuanxing didn’t know how to reply. He considered ignoring it. The other side seemed to guess what he was thinking and quickly said:

X: “Baby, I only desire baby because I like baby. Baby, don’t be angry.”

X: “It’s just that I like baby too much, afraid of scaring baby, but I can’t help wanting to say it.”

X: “If baby is shy, just pretend you didn’t see it, okay?”

X: “Don’t ignore me, baby.”

Xie Yuanxing’s slender, pale fingers paused on the keyboard, clutching nervously. After a long hesitation, he typed: “I’m not ignoring you, I have something to do.”

“I’m a bit busy today, don’t make trouble.”

“Cute cat begging.jpg”

Flustered to the point of blushing, yet still awkwardly coaxing, this seemed to imply indulgence, only encouraging the other person to become more and more outrageous next time.

X: “Go ahead, baby. I’ll find baby later.”

Xie Yuanxing put away his phone. The bench beneath him had already been warmed by his body. He got up and moved to a cool stone bench, trying to cool down his face.

Fortunately, though he was dressed thickly and the stone bench wasn’t very effective, the cold winter wind soon dispersed the heat.

Only when his face felt cool to the touch did Xie Yuanxing slowly wander back into the hospital from outside.

Dr. Li’s office was on the third floor. He took the elevator up, saw the closed office door, and sat on a chair outside the door to wait.

Voices came from inside. It wasn’t who Xie Yuanxing expected, but a familiar voice—Shen Bianye’s.

“How is it?”

Dr. Li: “For the others, we’ll have to wait for the reports, but how many suppressants have you been using lately?”

“The concentration of suppressants in your blood is abnormally high. I know your pheromone disorder makes suppressants less effective, requiring more frequent use to work, but now that Xie Yuanxing can alleviate your condition, why are you using suppressants more aggressively than before?”

Dr. Li’s tone was urgent and somewhat puzzled: “Why can’t he smell it now? He used to smell it just fine.”

“He can’t smell my pheromones.”

“I can’t suppress my own pheromones, so I can only use suppressants to do it.”

Dr. Li wondered, “Why can’t he smell it now? He used to smell it just fine.”

“He’s a Beta, so there shouldn’t be any rejection reactions. You said before that he felt choked by the scent. Pheromones are invisible, and while that’s a bit strange, a little choking is nothing compared to you using suppressants daily.”

Shen Bianye was silent for a moment: “You don’t know, he cries.”

“When he cries, I feel uncomfortable.”

“My pheromones treat him as my Omega. What Alpha can watch their Omega cry?”

Dr. Li: “But you should also know, he’s just a Beta. Using suppressants at such a high frequency, I don’t believe you’re not in pain.”

The wooden door of the hospital office wasn’t very soundproof. Sitting outside the door, Xie Yuanxing could faintly hear Shen Bianye’s voice from inside, a scoffing sound, with a hint of casual dismissiveness.

“A little, but it won’t kill me anyway.”

Shen Bianye: “Once he moves out, I can release my pheromones however I want.”

“When he arrives later, don’t tell him about this. I don’t want him to mistake my pity for concern. He’s a Beta, can’t let him get spoiled and lose his sense of direction.”

Xie Yuanxing heard no more sound from inside, stood up, paused, then knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Xie Yuanxing gripped the doorknob and opened the door. He said naturally, “Ah, are you done with your check-up?”

“How is it? Do I have a definite answer on when I’ll get my money?”

Shen Bianye scoffed, “What are you so impatient about?”

“I’m not even in a hurry, why are you?”

Dr. Li clicked around on the computer, adjusting the hospital system interface that Xie Yuanxing couldn’t understand, then looked down at the report on the table. “Pheromone disorder indeed can’t be rushed.”

“However,” he looked at Xie Yuanxing, “your test results are quite good. You were a bit anemic last time, but you’re much better now.”

“It’s just your complexion, why does it still look so pale?”

Before Xie Yuanxing could speak, Shen Bianye interjected, “It should be natural. His other parts are also this white.”

During Xie Yuanxing’s few seconds of pursed-lipped silence,

Shen Bianye seemed to recall something, coughed, and added, “Like his hands and neck.”

Dr. Li didn’t think much of it, nodding as he looked at the report. “Then that’s normal.”

“From the instrument results, your condition is a bit better than before, but whether it can be completely cured is still uncertain. How is your perception of other people’s pheromones lately? Still on and off?”

Shen Bianye: “Haven’t paid much attention, but the susceptible periods aren’t as frequent as before.”

Dr. Li was a bit pleased, yet also a bit worried, saying, “Let’s continue for now, but sometimes, it’s best not to suppress it.”

He didn’t explicitly say what to suppress. Shen Bianye understood and didn’t ask further. Xie Yuanxing seemed unconcerned and didn’t ask either.

After a morning of hassle at the hospital, they returned to the dorm just as Uncle Gao delivered the nutritionist-prepared lunch. It included home-style stewed yellow croaker, braised prawns in oil, eight-treasure gourd duck, blanched bok choy, and a soup.

Xie Yuanxing opened the lunchbox and glanced at it, then turned to Shen Bianye and said, “Dr. Li said I’m no longer anemic. I’ll just eat at the cafeteria from now on.”

Shen Bianye immediately frowned. “If I say I’ll cover your meals, I’ll cover your meals.”

“If you’re thinking of cashing it out, let me tell you now, that’s a dream.”

Xie Yuanxing: “I don’t want money.”

As soon as he said that, Shen Bianye scoffed and said, “Do you think I’d believe that?”

“Instead of thinking about how to squeeze money out of me, eat more. That’s earning money too. I’ll give you every cent of the money in the contract, not a single one less.”

As for money outside the contract, he would give it to Xie Yuanxing from other sources.

He just couldn’t say it, lest Xie Yuanxing get unnecessarily emotional.

Xie Yuanxing looked down and thought for a moment. The winter break was approaching soon, and he wouldn’t be eating this meal for much longer. There was no need to argue with Shen Bianye.

His heart felt heavy, a little annoyed, and burdened.

He wanted Shen Bianye to stop using suppressants, but saying it now would clearly let Shen Bianye know he had overheard the conversation in the office.

Sometimes, what Shen Bianye did was actually very good, and Xie Yuanxing appreciated it.

But…

If Shen Bianye knew he knew, given Shen Bianye’s personality, he would say unpleasant things again to prevent him from having any delusions.

Xie Yuanxing didn’t want to hear it. After some thought, he simply suppressed it.

He would wait until he found a suitable opportunity to say it.

As for this period, it was Shen Bianye’s choice to endure, and the pain served him right.

Thinking about the upcoming winter break, Xie Yuanxing suddenly remembered another matter. “Is my aunt’s case going to court soon?”

Shen Bianye said without thinking, “Yes, in a few days. Why, do you want to go see it again?”

Xie Yuanxing shook his head. “I want to see Xie Zhuowu after the verdict is handed down. I want to calculate if I have time off that day.”

He thought again, and the corners of his lips curled slightly as he said, “Never mind, even if I don’t have time off, I’ll ask for leave and go.”

He had been verbally abused by Xie Zhuowu for six years. Not to kick him when he’s down would be a disservice to his own personality.

Shen Bianye: “A round trip by plane won’t take long. I’ll go with you.”

Xie Yuanxing was slightly startled. He looked up at him, pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then said, “When I go see him, I might say some unpleasant things.”

“I’m afraid he might endure it, so I want to kick him while he’s down. I don’t want him to get into college.”

The more he spoke, the more his eyes lowered, but it was better to say it now than for Shen Bianye to discover this thought later.

He was going to be disliked anyway.

The next second, Shen Bianye’s voice sounded from above, “Then I’ll find two people to go with us.”

“In case he gets desperate and tries to lay a hand on you, we can use self-defense as an excuse to beat him up.”

“Of course, I can handle him alone, but having others hold him up, and you doing the hitting, might be more satisfying.”

“You don’t have much strength, so just bring a stick then.”

Xie Yuanxing was stunned, his head slowly rising. His dark eyes were wide open, staring at Shen Bianye with a hint of foolishness.

Shen Bianye frowned at the stare. “Why are you looking at me? You were bullied like that, and you still don’t want to hit him?”

Xie Yuanxing suddenly smiled, his expression relaxed and pleased, the corners of his lips slightly hooked as he shook his head. “I’m just thinking about what kind of stick would be good.”