Chapter 96: Make You Call Me Brother (16)
Alphas possess a bestial nature.
Dominated by their pheromones, they find it difficult to control their instincts.
It is not uncommon for them to come to blows, fighting to the death over an Omega with high pheromone compatibility.
Under the threat of Gu Yinnian’s gaze, the sunny, cheerful, and gentle demeanor An Jing had displayed before Xiao Ji instantly vanished.
“Are you his Alpha? If not, then me showing kindness to the person I want to pursue shouldn’t be any of your business, right?”
With a single sentence, he negated Gu Yinnian’s standing.
By this time, the auditorium had mostly cleared out, leaving only a scattered few. However, some onlookers who sensed the drama had stopped nearby to watch the show.
Gu Yinnian had never been so furious.
He wanted to say, “I am Xiao Ji’s Alpha, so stay the hell away from my person.”
But the truth was, he wasn’t. The words stuck in his throat, impossible to voice no matter how hard he tried.
A sense of angry powerlessness welled up spontaneously.
Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, Xiao Ji, standing beside Gu Yinnian, suddenly spoke to An Jing:
“I’ve liked him for a long time. I can’t accept your kindness. Sorry.”
With that, he grabbed Gu Yinnian’s wrist and led him away from the scene.
Gu Yinnian’s mind was a mess.
He wanted to ask Xiao Ji what he meant by those words—was it true or false? Was he serious or just talking nonsense?
But his thoughts were in chaos, and he didn’t even know what answer he wanted to hear.
Neither spoke the entire way. Xiao Ji didn’t know what Gu Yinnian was thinking. It wasn’t until they reached the gathering point near the playground that he spoke again:
“Sorry. It was an expedient measure. I didn’t know that was his intention yesterday.”
Hearing this, Gu Yinnian couldn’t tell if he felt more relieved or disappointed.
He shook his head, his mood clearly low. It took a long time before he said to Xiao Ji:
“You haven’t differentiated yet. Now isn’t the time for dating. Do you understand what I mean?”
Xiao Ji looked into his eyes. “Brother Nian, I want to ask you a question.”
Gu Yinnian wiped his face. “Go ahead.”
“I’m probably not far from differentiation. Have you thought about how you will respond to the different potential outcomes after I differentiate?”
Xiao Ji’s tone was as calm and flat as ever.
Gu Yinnian thought he had considered this many times and answered directly, “Right now, we have to wait for the state of your pheromones after differentiation.”
Xiao Ji shook his head. “No. Your decision, and our relationship, shouldn’t be decided by pheromones.”
“I have never believed that feelings and relationships between people need to rely on pheromones to be determined.”
Gu Yinnian frowned. “But if the pheromones repel each other, the physiological rejection will make it impossible for us to live a single good day together.”
Xiao Ji understood and nodded. “Yes. So, what you mean is, you’re waiting for a result before deciding whether or not to give up on me, is that it?”
Gu Yinnian was stunned. “I never thought about giving up on you.”
Xiao Ji didn’t want to argue with him at a time like this. He simply said:
“Let’s assemble first. Take your time to think about it. I’m in no rush.”
With that, he turned and walked away, heading straight for his own designated formation.
Because of Xiao Ji’s words, Gu Yinnian spent the entire following week in a state of extreme anxiety.
Most importantly, ever since that day, Xiao Ji had started refusing to walk with him or talk to him.
On the contrary, An Jing would occasionally send him messages to add to his misery.
For example: [Do you really like him? But he doesn’t even have the attitude to state his position. Do you think it’s worth it?]
Or: [I saw you in the Beta freshman formation. Are you a Beta? You like that Alpha; maybe your criteria for a mate leans more towards Omegas?]
And: [I’m not willing to build my feelings on pheromone attraction. My liking for you is serious; it was love at first sight. I don’t care if you’re an Omega or not. Can you give me a chance? Just watch my performance.]
Look at that. His views on love matched Xiao Ji’s perfectly.
Gu Yinnian wanted to delete An Jing from his contact list several times, but every time his finger hovered over the delete button, he couldn’t help but want to see what other nonsense An Jing would spew.
He felt that both An Jing and Xiao Ji were misunderstanding him.
The point he cared about wasn’t gender at all, but Xiao Ji himself.
“Brother Nian, why don’t you go for a walk? Or ask Xiao Ji out for a meal, stroll around, have a heart-to-heart?”
Lin Mo, seeing Gu Yinnian’s lack of interest and energy in everything, offered some kind advice.
Gu Yinnian lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
“He doesn’t want to talk to me.”
Lin Mo had actually noticed. It had been a week, and Gu Yinnian hadn’t gone out with Xiao Ji once; instead, he frequently stared blankly at his phone.
“Can you tell me about it? Spectators see more clearly. Maybe I can give you some small suggestions?”
Gu Yinnian hadn’t intended to share this with anyone.
But now, he was suffocating from holding it in. Hearing the offer, he took the opportunity to unload:
“He probably likes me and wants to have me.”
Lin Mo paused. “And? You don’t want to have him?”
Over these past days, Gu Yinnian had long realized that his feelings for Xiao Ji were far more than simple possessiveness.
Xiao Ji was fundamentally an indispensable part of his life.
He sighed. “He hasn’t differentiated yet.”
Lin Mo understood. “You’re afraid he’ll differentiate into an Alpha, and you don’t want to be in a gay relationship with him?”
Hearing this, Gu Yinnian suddenly felt even more bitter.
See? Even Lin Mo thought that way.
He remained silent for a long time before saying to Lin Mo:
“Do you know why we were separated for two years?”
Lin Mo pulled a bag of potato chips from his locker, opened it, cracked open a bottle of fruit cocktail, and sat cross-legged on his chair.
“Please, do tell.”
Gu Yinnian’s thoughts drifted back two years.
“Because I differentiated. My pheromones went into a riot. His glands had been injured before; he couldn’t withstand it and almost lost his life.”
No one knew how Gu Yinnian felt when Xiao Ji’s critical illness notice was placed right in front of his eyes.
“I’m not afraid of pheromone repulsion, Lin Mo. But I am afraid of losing him. No one knows how much I missed him during the time he was gone.”
“I’m also not afraid of the bad reputation of homosexuality. But I am afraid he will be in pain.”
“I just want him to be safe and healthy. Even if the person beside him isn’t me, it doesn’t matter.”
“I wanted to wait a bit longer, but he seems to be angry with me.”
“Lin Mo, tell me, what should I do?”
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