MVCFO CH34.1

Lin Xiangqi ultimately decided to go to school.

Because staying under the same roof as Lu Cong was clearly more dangerous than venturing out in the snow.

Lu Cong didn’t seem the least bit surprised by this last-minute decision. By the time Lin Xiangqi finished getting dressed, Lu Cong was already waiting by the front door with both their backpacks in hand.

Lin Xiangqi: “…”

He had a vague feeling that he’d somehow walked into a trap.

“I called a car. It’ll be here in two minutes.” As Lin Xiangqi approached, Lu Cong suddenly reached out, nearly touching his hair. “Put on your hat. It’s cold outside.”

Lin Xiangqi didn’t even register what he’d said, instinctively flinching back. “No touching! From now on, we’re keeping our distance.”

Lu Cong raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “How much distance, exactly? And until when?”

Lin Xiangqi hadn’t thought through the specifics. He blurted out, “At least two meters. Especially at school. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t come near me. Unless you’re feeling unwell and need pheromones, this is how it’s gonna be.”

He didn’t dare look at Lu Cong while saying this, afraid that meeting his eyes would make him waver.

If Lu Cong showed even a hint of disappointment or sadness, Lin Xiangqi would immediately cave and forget his own words.

But Lu Cong didn’t.

He didn’t hesitate much before agreeing. He even added a condition of his own: “So no holding hands at school, and no hugging you either?”

Lin Xiangqi’s eyes widened. “Obviously? And why would you even need to hug me at school? Lu Cong, focus on your studies, okay? We’re going to school to learn, got it?”

Lu Cong nodded obligingly. “Got it.”

Though Lin Xiangqi was a little overwhelmed by Lu Cong’s recent overbearing affection, he still trusted his character.

Lu Cong could be hard to read sometimes, his thoughts buried deep, his mind quicker than Lin Xiangqi’s—often leaving Lin Xiangqi feeling outmaneuvered. But one thing reassured Lin Xiangqi: once Lu Cong made a promise, he always kept it.

Now that he had Lu Cong’s verbal agreement, Lin Xiangqi felt at ease.

He figured that once they got to school, with some distance between them and classmates and teachers milling about, Lu Cong wouldn’t have the chance to cling to him like before. He’d finally be able to catch his breath and sort out his current relationship with Lu Cong.

The more he thought about it, the more urgently he wanted to leave. He yanked the door open—only to be immediately frozen in place by the biting wind.

Lu Cong’s voice came from behind him. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Xiangqi’s neck stiffened. Shivering, he took a step back, his words stumbling. “H-hat… p-put it on!”

“Alright.” Like a magician, Lu Cong produced a knitted hat from nowhere and handed it to him.

Lin Xiangqi stared blankly for a second before instinctively tilting his head forward, waiting for Lu Cong to put it on for him.

Lu Cong took a small step back and held the hat out to him again.

Lin Xiangqi grew impatient. “Stop messing around and just put it on!”

Lu Cong measured the distance between them with his eyes and said only two words:

“Two meters.”

Lin Xiangqi: “.”

He felt so wronged.

When he said “keep our distance,” he meant he didn’t want Lu Cong hugging or clinging to him in public—what if someone saw?

He hadn’t expected Lu Cong to take it this literally.

“Fine. Great. You win.” Lin Xiangqi snatched the hat from Lu Cong’s hand and roughly pulled it onto his head.

Lu Cong lowered his gaze, quick to amend. “Don’t be mad. If you don’t like it… I can forget this agreement.”

Lin Xiangqi planted his hands on his hips and let out a loud, exaggerated laugh. “Ha! Why would I be mad? You’re doing great. Let’s keep this distance forever.”

Just then, a gust of cold wind slipped under his collar. He shuddered and commanded, “…Hand me the scarf.”

Lu Cong passed it to him, watching as Lin Xiangqi wound the fluffy scarf around his neck three times, his small face completely buried under the hat and scarf.

But it was all for show. The scarf was full of gaps—he’d still feel the cold.

Lu Cong instinctively reached out to adjust it for him, but Lin Xiangqi immediately caught him, clicking his tongue and pointing accusingly. “What are you doing? Can’t even keep your own word now? No touching. No. Touching.”

Lu Cong chuckled and withdrew his hand. “Alright, no touching.”

Bundled in a thick white down jacket, a fluffy hat, and a scarf, Lin Xiangqi waddled like a clumsy little snowman.

When they got into the car, he practically rolled into the back seat, noticing that Lu Cong had taken the front passenger side.

Lin Xiangqi curled up in the corner, pretending to be absorbed in the snowy scenery outside the window while secretly rubbing his chest.

This felt… weird.

He was the one who’d asked Lu Cong to keep his distance in public. He was the one who’d acted so resistant. But now that Lu Cong was actually complying, why did he feel so… empty?

“Attention, everyone! His Majesty Brother Qi has returned to the palace!”

“Oh my god, Brother Qi, I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime! Wuwuwu…”

“Lin Xiangqi, are you okay? Why are you bundled up like that? Are your injuries not fully healed yet?”

“Qi-zi, why are you limping? Holy shit… Don’t tell me he actually broke your leg?! That post was right—he really went that far—”

The moment Lin Xiangqi stepped into the classroom, he was bombarded with greetings from all sides.

He could understand his classmates’ concern, but their words were getting more and more outrageous by the second.

Others were one thing, but even Chen Qitian slung an arm over his shoulder the second he sat down, whispering in his ear:

“Qi-zi, blink twice if you’re being abused.”

Lin Xiangqi had been about to blink, but the question startled him into widening his eyes instead. “Speak human, please.”

Chen Qitian cautiously covered his mouth, as if afraid someone might lip-read. “At the sports festival, after Lu Cong released all that pheromone and took you away… Later, Old Qin explained it by saying Lu Cong had suddenly entered his rut, causing his pheromones to go out of control.”

Lin Xiangqi knew this was the cover story Qi Ye and Lu Cong had agreed on to hide his Omega identity, so he didn’t elaborate. He just nodded. “Yeah, the pheromone leak was an accident. He didn’t mean to. So stop spreading weird rumors, alright?”

He thought this would clear things up.

Instead, Chen Qitian looked even more anxious. “Then why did he take you away when his pheromones went wild? You’re an O—ahem—I mean, you’re so fragile and cute, and he was in rut! Wasn’t that just asking for him to go full beast mode on you?!”

Chen Qitian’s voice rose involuntarily, drawing other classmates into the discussion.

“I get why Lu Cong took a week off for his rut, but why were you MIA too? If you say nothing happened, I’m not buying it.”

“Yeah, Brother Qi, Lu Cong’s pheromones are terrifying. I could barely breathe after just two whiffs, and he straight-up kidnapped you. It’s hard not to assume the worst!”

“Lin Xiangqi, don’t just defend Lu Cong because you’re close to him. Tell us honestly—did he bully you? Did he hit you?”

Chen Qitian’s concerns were clearly different from the others.

While the rest of the class assumed Lin Xiangqi was a Beta who might have been beaten up by an Alpha in rut, Chen Qitian was worried that Lin Xiangqi—a fragile and beautiful Omega—might have been pressed down and railed by Lu Cong.

Chen Qitian stared at Lin Xiangqi with utmost seriousness. “Qi-zi, if you need legal assistance, I’ll take out a loan to sue—”

Lin Xiangqi: “Fuck off.”

Chen Qitian: “Okay.”

Lin Xiangqi listened to the chatter around him, relieved that Lu Cong hadn’t followed him straight into the classroom and had instead gone to the teacher’s office first.

“Just thinking about how even the teachers were helpless against the class monitor that day gives me chills. Imagine if he loses control again—wouldn’t we all be in danger?”

The more Lin Xiangqi listened, the more unsettled he felt. Frowning, he slammed a hand on the desk. “What nonsense! That day, I was the one who passed out first, and Lu Cong took me to the hospital. It wasn’t until we got there that he realized he might be in rut. Anyway, Lu Cong didn’t hit me, and he definitely didn’t break my leg!”

The class scrutinized him skeptically.

Someone whispered, “Did Lu Cong force you to say that?”

Lin Xiangqi pinched the bridge of his nose. “You interact with Lu Cong every day—do you really not know what kind of person he is? How could he possibly hit someone? You’re making him out to be some kind of monster.”

“Qi-zi, you’re the one who thinks Lu Cong is harmless.”

“Exactly! It’s because we know what Lu Cong is usually like that this feels so unsettling. If it were Shen Qiaolan from the next class, I wouldn’t even bat an eye—he’s unhinged whether his pheromones are out of control or not. But this is Lu Cong. He’s always been so level-headed. Who’d have thought his pheromones could go haywire the second he hits his rut?”

“And the class monitor’s pheromones are terrifying… Honestly, I don’t even want to remember it. It felt like the sky was collapsing on me—I couldn’t breathe.”

Lin Xiangqi was momentarily speechless.

From his perspective, his classmates’ worries were completely unfounded. There was no way Lu Cong would lose control and hurt someone.

But from the perspective of his uninformed classmates, their concerns were understandable.

A few weeks ago, when Shen Qiaolan—another top-tier Alpha—had lashed out at school, it was Lu Cong who stepped up to protect everyone, using his own pheromones to counter Shen Qiaolan’s aggression.

Yet now, Lu Cong’s pheromones alone had overwhelmed the entire field. At the time, aside from Betas, there had been a handful of Alphas present—but not a single one could stand against Lu Cong’s pheromones.

The scariest part wasn’t just the pheromones themselves—it was the fact that the person who had once protected them had nearly hurt them.

Unlike with Shen Qiaolan, whom they could simply complain about, they wanted to believe Lu Cong hadn’t done it on purpose. But they couldn’t help wondering: What if he loses control again?

This sense of oppression didn’t just come from Lu Cong’s pheromones—it stemmed from the shattering of their long-held perception of him.

It was only natural to fear someone far stronger than yourself, especially when that strength could spiral out of control at any moment.

But only Lin Xiangqi knew the truth: Lu Cong had never lost control, nor had he entered his rut.

The story about his pheromones going haywire was just a cover to protect Lin Xiangqi’s secret.

Lu Cong had willingly subjected himself to rumors and prejudice just to keep Lin Xiangqi’s分化 a secret.

This wasn’t the first time Lin Xiangqi realized just how well—too well—Lu Cong had protected him.

Lu Cong had woven him an airtight cocoon of safety. Lin Xiangqi had grown so accustomed to this meticulous care that he sometimes failed to notice how much of his own ease and willfulness was built upon Lu Cong’s silent sacrifices.

“That’s not what happened.”

Amid the noisy chatter, Lin Xiangqi suddenly spoke up.

The class instinctively turned to him.

Lin Xiangqi clenched his fists, psyching himself up. He thought, Lu Cong has protected me for so long. This time, it’s my turn to do something for him.

At the end of the day, Lu Cong hadn’t done anything wrong. He should tell everyone the truth.

So what if he had to reveal his Omega status? Was there really any reason to keep it a secret…?

His mind racing, Lin Xiangqi threw caution to the wind. “The truth isn’t what you think at all. Lu Cong didn’t lose control—he was just trying to—”

“Lin Xiangqi.”

A voice—both unfamiliar and faintly recognizable—suddenly cut in from the classroom door.

Lin Xiangqi’s courage deflated halfway. He turned toward the door along with everyone else.

And immediately froze.

Why was Shen Qiaolan here?!

And why did this guy keep showing up to hog the spotlight?

The others quickly whispered to Lin Xiangqi, “While you and the class monitor were on leave, this young master kept dropping by every other day, lurking around for who knows what reason. Today, he finally caught you.”

“Qi-zi, don’t go out. I’m convinced Shen Qiaolan has main character syndrome. Back when you were chasing him, he acted all aloof. Now that you’re ignoring him, he can’t sit still. Psycho.”

Lin Xiangqi had no intention of going out.

His heart pounded wildly, relieved he hadn’t finished his sentence earlier.

How could he have forgotten about Shen Qiaolan—this walking time bomb?

Hiding his Omega status wasn’t just about avoiding extra attention at school—the real reason was to keep Shen Qiaolan from getting involved again!

This twisted, toxic ex only gave Lin Xiangqi the hot-and-cold treatment because he looked down on his Beta status.

If he found out Lin Xiangqi was actually an Omega, wouldn’t his domineering, obsessive personality immediately kick into overdrive? The next thing you knew, he’d be forcing some dogblood “you can’t escape me” plotline!

Lin Xiangqi shuddered at the thought and deliberately turned his face away, refusing to meet Shen Qiaolan’s gaze.

To everyone’s surprise, the arrogant young master strode right into the classroom.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? No inter-class loitering!” Chen Qitian threw an arm in front of Lin Xiangqi.

Lin Xiangqi was touched. “Good bro.”

Shen Qiaolan smirked coldly and flicked a finger near Chen Qitian’s neck, making him immediately duck under Lin Xiangqi’s arm.

Lin Xiangqi: “?”

Well. Even the strongest bromance couldn’t override the body’s survival instincts.

The rest of the class could only watch as Shen Qiaolan walked in, too afraid of provoking the volatile Alpha. But a few quick-witted students had already slipped out to fetch a teacher.