Chapter 67: It’s Not Like It’s a Mark: Was Kissing the Alpha Enjoyable?
Only then did Tang Xingye remember Ji Chen, whom he had left hanging. Unexpectedly, Ji Chen didn’t ask about his inexplicable act of betrayal in the morning. Tang Xingye was quite satisfied. To express his apology, he decided to tell the truth: [Forgot.]
It wasn’t anything urgent anyway; otherwise, Ji Chen would have come directly to find him. Thinking of this, Tang Xingye immediately felt justified.
Pushing open the door to the lounge, he saw Ji Chen nestled in the sofa. On the coffee table beside him was a pile of candy wrappers; it looked like he had been waiting for a long time.
The Alpha, eyes closed, was boredly throwing darts. Each one hit the bullseye; the center of the target was densely packed with darts.
Tang Xingyeâs gaze fell on the opened packaging boxes on the nearby small table. Inhibitor rings, electric shock collars, and other items were messily piled up.
“You’re here.”
Tang Xingye felt inexplicably guilty and offered a slight explanation: “Overslept.”
Ji Chen gave a “Mn” to show understanding. He didn’t complain about being left hanging for half an hour, nor did he expose Tang Xingye.
He knew Tang Xingye hadn’t taken a lunch break but had been holding a book studying in the study room. Bystanders only saw his dazzling grades, not how many nights he stayed up for them.
Tang Xingye couldn’t be bothered to talk about the hard work behind the scenes, pretending to be breezy and calm. Ji Chen didn’t understand why he immersed himself in such a dull world but maintained his respect.
“You bought new toys to test pain again?” Tang Xingye picked up a harmless waist chain, fingertips toying with the gems embedded in it, refracting brilliant light under the lamp. “Is this chain used for that?”
How to explain?
Ji Chen now somewhat understood those fanatical gem collectors. He felt that red gems suited Tang Xingye very well. An image floated in his mind of the waist chain draped around Tang Xingyeâs waist, swaying and shining with his movementsâjust like that tear mole, cold yet gorgeous.
Ji Chen chuckled lightly. “If you like it, it’s yours.”
Tang Xingyeâs eyes lit up. “Can I sell it?”
“Cheap goods, 500 bucks. It’s not worth money.”
Tang Xingye lost interest. “Oh.”
Ji Chen, learning from the lessons of predecessors giving expensive gifts, erased quite a few zeros, finding Tang Xingyeâs money-grubbing nature a bit amusing. He casually hung the silver chain around Tang Xingyeâs waist. The slender waist paired with the shimmering gems, undulating like sparkling wavesâit was indeed very pleasing to the eye.
“It suits you.”
Tang Xingye swayed his body, the chain making a crisp sound.
Tang Xingye: “…”
Feeling like a walking ornament.
He wanted to take it off but had his hand swatted away by Ji Chen. After repeating this a few times, Ji Chen declared righteously, “This looks good. A reward for you being late but eventually keeping the appointment.”
Tang Xingye: “…”
Ji Chen is rewarding himself, right?
At the same time, Lin Mo sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in the building opposite, watching this scene with a dark face.
Tang Xingye turned his head, expression a bit impatient, and Ji Chen swatted his hand.
His figure was on the slender side, while Ji Chenâs build was taller and larger, making it look like he was wrapping Tang Xingye inside him.
The more Lin Mo watched, the more it stung his eyes. He slammed his laptop shut.
He thought he could accept the fact that Tang Xingye would get entangled with others, but actually seeing it, he still couldn’t help feeling jealous.
The medicine bottle on the table was roughly unscrewed. Lin Mo poured out several pills directly and swallowed them dry. His Adam’s apple rolled, the bitterness of the pills spreading on his tongue. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the restless violence in his chest.
Calm down.
It’s just giving a waist chain, not kissing.
It’s not like it’s a Mark.
A trace of cold gloom crossed Lin Moâs expression, his pitch-black eyes churning with intense, obscure emotions.
Our relationship should be… more intimate.
Baby, you won’t blame me, right?
“What were you going to give me?” Tang Xingye steered the topic back to the main point. The thing Ji Chen mentioned wouldn’t be this, right? A worthless chain.
In the result, Ji Chen just tossed him a bitter melon plushie. Without explaining, he walked straight away.
Tang Xingye stared at the plushie’s dark little eyes, then looked at Ji Chenâs retreating back.
Baffling.
Tang Xingye was called to the activity room by the club teacher. The club advisor often neglected his duties and was nowhere to be found. Being called over suddenly now, Tang Xingye was a bit confused.
On the other side of the activity room, professional filming equipment was set up, with a group of people busily adjusting lights and gear. Tang Xingye couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.
Teacher Lin was crossing his legs playing on his phone. Seeing him arrive, he leisurely got up.
Following Tang Xingyeâs gaze, Teacher Lin thought he was interested and explained, “They’re shooting the school anniversary promotional video. Interested?”
Tang Xingye shook his head gently and withdrew his gaze. “Teacher, you were looking for me?”
Teacher Lin couldn’t help sizing him up a few more times. He had long heard of Tang Xingye; after all, Old Ye always boasted to him about picking up a student who was both obedient and smart.
Old Ye had broken with his family in his early years, leaving the wealthy clan to devote himself resolutely to research. Losing background and financial support, he carved a path in scientific research through sheer willpower and talent.
After becoming famous, Old Yeâs standards became extremely high. Many people who admired his name and wanted to be his students were politely refused. Having a student he was so satisfied with now made Teacher Lin curious.
Essays best reflected a student’s attitude. The assignments Tang Xingye submitted were all serious, with researched data, showing none of the perfunctoriness usually given to filler classes.
Teacher Lin could feel a sense of childishness yet resilience in his writing; he was the same type of person as Old Ye.
But even such a good student often skipped his class.
Sigh, truly heartbreaking. Despite this, the magnanimous Teacher Lin still fairly gave him an A+, not feeling at all that there was a problem with his teaching method.
Teacher Lin rummaged through a drawer for a camera while talking, his movements as casual as looking for a long-lost sock. “The bulletin board is being renovated. Called you here to retake a publicity photo.”
Not far away, the director looked helpless. “Your expression is too stiff. We know you’re filming a promo; those who don’t know would think you’re delivering a eulogy.”
He waved his hand, letting this student who was overly nervous in front of the camera go adjust his state first.
Holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth, he moved the camera, conceiving the light, composition, and set. Suddenly, a lean figure crashed into the viewfinder.
The slender Beta stood by the window, dark cyan eyelashes lowered slightly, thin eyelids showing a faint pink.
Light and shadow kissed his cheek, outlining a clean profile. It wasn’t soul-stirring beauty, yet it firmly seized the eye.
In the warm golden light, the youth looked back at the lens. His amber eyes were clear to the bottom in the light, yet the tear mole at the corner of his eye carried a natural coldness.
The cigarette butt fell from his mouth to the ground.
Only one word floated in the director’s mind: Perfect!
He couldn’t wait to rush into the activity room, dancing with excitement.
“Student, which department are you from? Are you interested in participating in our…”
They say creation requires inspiration; the Beta before him was simply the incarnation of a muse.
Looking at the impeccable features, countless shooting inspirations burst forth in the director’s mind. The youth before him was born for the lens. It would be a pity if such a good seedling didn’t debut!
Tang Xingyeâs jet-black eyes turned, raven-feather lashes casting faint shadows under his eyes, uttering a vague “Mn?”
The beautiful Beta glanced at him coldly. Just that one look made the director even more excited. This natural sense of alienation was something many actors couldn’t portray!
Tang Xingye listened for a good while before clarifying that the other party was asking if he was interested in becoming an actor.
“No.” Tang Xingye declined politely.
The crisp and neat answer pressed the pause button on the director. He blinked, his brain finally processing this simple rejection.
The director racked his brains to keep him. “You can try it first! Or…” A light bulb suddenly went off. “At least let me take a few photos? Consider it a souvenir for the school anniversary!”
Tang Xingye looked at the teacher who was still bent over rummaging. After getting approval, the director acted as if he had found a treasure.
But after taking the photos, he still followed Tang Xingye step by step, finally forcing a business card on him. “If you change your mind, you can contact me again.”
Watching the director’s reluctant retreating figure, Teacher Lin couldn’t help teasing, “Why not try it?”
“The entertainment industry definitely has a place for you. Eat the youth rice for a few years first. If you get tired of acting, you can come back and continue studying. Or if you really like acting, you can transition to being a pro actor.”
Tang Xingye sighed: “Teacher, do you have a big problem with me? Not asking me to rewrite the assignment, but trying to persuade me to give up studying to chase showbiz?”
“…”
Thought students didn’t remember him as a teacher.
Inadvertently leaving an unreliable impression in the good student’s heart again, Teacher Lin touched the tip of his nose awkwardly.
It had to be said, the photos taken by this director were of a high standard.
Capturing the Beta youth’s free-spirited elegance, placed on the bulletin board, passersby would notice the Beta at a glance.
But the next day, the photo was stolen.
OP: [I’m really convinced. I’m begging you guys, stop stealing Tang Xingyeâs photos from the bulletin board. It hasn’t been a day, and it’s stolen again. Is the Discipline Department actually doing any work?!! You don’t know that every time I develop photos, I get hard.]
3L: [Gross. What are you showing off for? Just because you can take photos? We can too.]
5L: [@Discipline Department, handle this! The photo display was meant to benefit the whole school. Can’t see the real person, can only lick the photo, and now the photo is gone too, woo woo woo.]
12L: [Really don’t know which cheap dog did it. But TBH, the real person kills the photo. Every time I meet with Wifey, it’s like getting a top-tier spa treatment; feels so good!]
13L: [Are you guys cheap or what, showing off that you can talk to the school beauty again. Can’t be bothered with you Versailles braggarts.]
23L: [Heard the school beauty is going on stage to sing. Which program number is it? My light stick is already charged up.]
27L: [Who lied to you? He isn’t singing. If he really sings, I’m preparing the telephoto lens immediately.]
“Where are you going?” Lin Mo watched Tang Xingye take off his lab coat and organize the instruments, looking like he was about to leave the lab.
Tang Xingye felt the other’s tone was a bit strange but didn’t think much of it. “To class.”
Class? Lin Mo knew Tang Xingyeâs schedule. He had no classes in the evening now; those were just extra tutoring sessions, and the content of the tutoring couldn’t be known by others.
Lin Moâs gaze fell on the back of Tang Xingyeâs neck. A faint scent of cedar came from there, so light it was almost imperceptible, yet it made his temples throb.
“Then are you coming back to the lab tonight?” Lin Mo paused.
Tang Xingye looked down and stuffed his pen back into the holder. “No.”
He faintly felt something was wrong but couldn’t put his finger on it. After thinking, maybe Lin Moâs tone was very much like a resentful ghost waiting for a husband to come home.
Tang Xingye shivered at this absurd metaphor, shaking off non-existent goosebumps. “The project is wrapping up. I’ve troubled you during this time. In the future, if you need help with your projects, you can call me.”
“I’ll treat you to a meal when I have time.” He paused, then added.
Tang Xingye actively issued a date invitation, but Lin Mo remained silent. His focus was on the project endingâTang Xingye didn’t need him to come anymore.
Lin Mo asked, “Can I not come in the future?”
“Come to watch me write the summary report?” Tang Xingye found it a bit funny. Although Lin Mo had helped him a lot and was willing to continue, he still didn’t want the project to be completely handled by someone else.
Sorting all the materials, writing the report according to format, and repeatedly revisingâit looked like troublesome work, but Tang Xingye enjoyed it tirelessly, just like playing a game and enjoying the fun of clearing levels.
Lin Mo hesitated between “accompany you” and “change the project direction.” In that moment of hesitation, he lost the chance to answer.
Tang Xingye spoke casually, and seeing Lin Mo silent, realized something, and his snow-white face showed a bit of unhappiness.
Lin Mo thinks I write too slow, and it would be more efficient if he did it.
Hmph. Tang Xingye magnanimously decided not to hold it against Lin Mo.
A pen leaked, staining Tang Xingyeâs hand with ink. Noticing his cuff was stained, he frowned and went to change clothes.
The air still held a lingering rich, cold fragrance, but Lin Moâs expression sank.
Tang Xingye washed his hands clean, and the phone in his pocket vibrated twice.
[Baby, was kissing the Alpha enjoyable? Haven’t seen you for a long time. Is the inside of your gland bitten swollen?]
Familiar tone, familiar nickname.
Tang Xingye pondered: If I write in the diary hoping this damn liar has bad luck, will he get into a car accident?
Does this count as using a spear to attack a shield?
[The stench of Alpha on you is so heavy lately. Do you like Ji Chen?]
Tang Xingye didn’t reply. He put the phone aside and buttoned the last button.
“Your phone has been vibrating,” Lin Mo spoke abruptly. “Is it spam messages?”
The phone wasn’t unlocked, but the screen lit up. Tang Xingye still saw the obscene words at a glance, clearly exposed.
And at this moment, Lin Moâs right hand was in his lab coat pocket, his knuckles distinctively pressing out the outline of a phone.
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