Chapter 76
Shen Shuyu stopped dead in his tracks, though he quickly recovered and continued downstairs as if nothing had happened.
But Wen Jiafei had caught that split-second hesitation. He raised a slight eyebrow, his thin lips pressing into a fine line.
Shen Shuyu didn’t panic. Instead, he fired back, “Wen Jiafei, how do you know my pheromone scent changed?”
Even Shen Yisi hadn’t found out until the day he fell into the water. So how did Wen Jiafei know?
“I smelled it the day you fell into the water,” Wen Jiafei replied.
When he fell into the water?
Shen Shuyu’s mind raced: Wait, by the time Wen Jiafei and Shen Xili came to save me, my pheromones had already changed. Why would the ‘past’ him know?
Before Shen Shuyu could piece it together, Wen Jiafei added, “The time you fell into the water at the academy.”
This time, Shen Shuyu genuinely froze.
The time he fell into the water at the academy?
The time the original owner drowned?
Shen Shuyu turned back to look at him. Wen Jiafei was already tall, and standing a step above made him loom even larger. Shen Shuyu had to tilt his head back just to read his expression.
Wen Jiafei’s face was completely impassive; even dropping a bombshell like that, his expression didn’t so much as ripple.
“Why didn’t you save me back then?” Shen Shuyu asked.
“Why should I?” Wen Jiafei countered.
Fair point. Why should he?
Saving someone was purely a personal choice. Besides, that pool was incredibly shallow.
Even so, a dense chill crawled up Shen Shuyu’s spine. He opened his mouth to explain, “I don’t know why my pheromones changed. That’s exactly what I went to the hospital to get checked.”
After that, he dropped his gaze and obediently continued down the stairs.
The walk down was much easier than the climb up. Shen Shuyu stayed completely quiet the entire time, finally keeping his mouth shut.
Wen Jiafei remained equally silent.
It was still raining outside. Wen Jiafei opened an umbrella, and Shen Shuyu huddled close to him as they walked out into the downpour.
Water cascaded in sheets from the edges of the canopy. Shen Shuyu stared glumly at his pant legs, which were getting soaked by the splashback once again. For some reason, a wave of inexplicable irritability washed over him.
The two passed through the entrance alley once more. A crowd of people was rushing in—some with umbrellas, some without, all of them in a hurry.
They were the only ones walking out, taking their time.
Shen Shuyu cast another sidelong glance at Wen Jiafei. “Wen Jiafei,” he asked, “if I ever run into something like that again, will you save me?”
Wen Jiafei’s answer was ruthlessly blunt. “No.”
Shen Shuyu clicked his tongue. Wen Jiafei shot him a look, seemingly entirely uncomprehending of the reaction.
Shen Shuyu crossed his arms. “Oh, my,” he drawled. “I just remembered that when I fell into the water a while back, a certain waiter jumped in to save me, only to leave without a word. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have even known.”
Wen Jiafei clearly remembered the incident as well. His own words had just slapped him right in the face.
“Someone once said that protecting an Omega is an Alpha’s responsibility,” Shen Shuyu pressed. “You wouldn’t have just run away after saving me back then, right?” He blinked innocently. “Wen Jiafei, why do you always insist on playing the unsung hero?”
“I didn’t,” Wen Jiafei replied flatly. “The school security saved you that time at the academy. They were closer.”
So that was the truth.
Shen Shuyu suddenly understood. In Wen Jiafei’s eyes, even though the original owner bullied him, the hush money he paid essentially made it a part-time job. If the boss died, the job disappeared along with a crucial source of income.
And given Wen Jiafei’s current character, he hadn’t twisted into a complete villain yet. Shen Shuyu guessed there were other things Wen Jiafei simply wasn’t willing to admit. He also remembered that during the birthday party, Wen Jiafei had jumped into the pool as well. Connecting the dots, it all made sense.
Wen Jiafei hated the original owner, but he needed the money. For the sake of a paycheck, he was willing to put up with him—and in certain situations, even act as his bodyguard.
Shen Shuyu actually felt a bit conflicted. A person willing to go to such lengths for money would usually succeed in whatever they set their mind to. In the later stages of the novel, Wen Jiafei had built his wealth from the ground up. If it weren’t for the plot and the original owner’s interference, he probably would have lived a good life with Wen Yue.
What a pity.
Shen Shuyu thought back to that muddled, ghost-like version of Wen Jiafei.
If… if there were no forced plotlines, how would the protagonists have developed?
Shen Shuyu couldn’t picture it, but deep down, he knew that without the plot dictating their every move, their life trajectories would have been entirely different.
Including his own.
It wasn’t until Shen Shuyu and Wen Jiafei reached the dormitory entrance that the optical computer in his pocket buzzed. Shen Yisi had finally replied to his message.
[Brother: I have to work very late today. I’ve already told the butler to have the kitchen make your favorite food. Be good.]
Shen Shuyu stared at the message for a moment before typing out a quick “Okay.” He had originally planned to crash at his apartment near the academy, but since Shen Yisi had gone out of his way to order good food at home, he decided to head back later.
Besides, it had been a long time since he’d had a proper conversation with Shen Yisi. When he got back yesterday, his brother had rushed off to work after exchanging only a few words.
Shen Yisi really did dote on him.
Shen Shuyu tucked his optical computer away and walked into the Amor dormitory with Wen Jiafei. Though it was called a dorm, the interior looked more like a high-end hotel, with everyone assigned their own private suite. He Mingyue and Lin Xuyi were lounging in their casual clothes, glued to a screen streaming a live broadcast.
Spotting them, Lin Xuyi sprang up from the sofa. “Little Young Master! You were amazing out there!”
After being eliminated from the competition, he had tried to find Shen Shuyu, but he hadn’t been in the dorms. Lin Xuyi figured he’d have to wait until the survival battle ended and the awards were handed out to see him again. He definitely hadn’t expected him to show up today.
Shen Shuyu greeted them and dropped onto the sofa. “What’s the situation?” he asked.
“Xili is about to face off against Puce Planet’s Yan Qing,” He Mingyue replied.
“And Yan Qing is the only one Puce Planet has left. As long as Xili eliminates him, first place is ours,” Lin Xuyi added.
“Oh.” Shen Shuyu nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Wen Jiafei quietly walked to the other side of the room and sat down.
On the tournament broadcast, Shen Xili was chugging a nutrient solution to replenish his energy. He looked exhausted. He had practically fought seven or eight back-to-back matches; though there were short breaks in between, the rest time was nowhere near enough to make up for the sheer physical exertion. His only option was to constantly down nutrient solutions and functional stamina boosters to keep himself going.
Shen Xili was dressed in black sweatpants and a matching black tank top. The thin fabric clung to him as if he’d just been pulled from a river, perfectly outlining his chest and abdominal muscles. His bare arms were taut—not overly bulky, but beautifully sculpted and fluid.
Shen Shuyu suddenly thought of the live stream’s scrolling comments. Back when Shen Xili was fully dressed, they were already wild. Now that he had stripped down to a sweaty tank top, Shen Shuyu didn’t even want to imagine the sheer thirst filling the chat.
Right on cue, Lin Xuyi chuckled next to him. “Haha, have you guys seen the live comments?”
His optical computer was also streaming the match, but the screen was absolutely flooded with a dizzying barrage of scrolling text.
Shen Shuyu leaned over to take a look.
[Ahhhh where are his morals? Where are his clothes?! And where is his comms number?!]
[So hot / So hot / I want his sweat to drip on me / So hot]
[Keep your pants on, people! We still have Chi Yanxun later, and his body is even better. Stop thirsting over my Alpha!]
[Shen Xili is my husband Shen Xili is my husband Shen Xili is my husband x Interstellar ID Number]
[Shen Xili’s strength looks average to me, because there’s no way he could withstand a feral beast like me!]
[Why are there so many handsome guys this year?! I couldn’t even sleep with one a month if I tried, ahhhhh!]
Shen Shuyu took a deep breath. “They’re absolutely feral.”
“Right?” Lin Xuyi agreed. “And it’s not just Omegas and Betas—there are Alphas thirsting over him, too. Honestly, when Xili comes back, he should just change his major to Acting. After he graduates, he could easily become a massive superstar famous across the whole galaxy.”
Feeling a bit mischievous, Lin Xuyi asked, “Little Young Master, who do you think is more handsome: Shen Xili or Wen Jiafei?”
The latter simply cast a faint glance in their direction before returning his focus to the screen, completely unbothered by the question.
The Protagonist Shou versus the Villain—who was more handsome?
Laughable. As if Shen Shuyu would ever fall for such a fatal trap.
Shen Shuyu answered with a deadpan expression, “Yanxun gege is the most handsome.”
He had a duty to fulfill as a cannon fodder simp—and he would never forget it!
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