Chapter 60: What Are You Thinking? : Licking You.
A single kiss forced Lu Zhi’s emotions into unconditional surrender, and the ambiguous atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Lu Zhi: “…”
Tang Xingye: “…”
Tang Xingye raised a brow, purses his lips, his usually cold and indifferent expression looking a bit subtle at this moment.
Without thinking, Lu Zhi blurted out, “Baby, I was wrong.”
Tang Xingye’s gaze shifted downward, his face full of disgust. “You really are useless.”
Lu Zhi ruffled his hair in frustration. It was one thing to be like this in private, but losing face this badly in front of Tang Xingye was a disaster.
Tang Xingye’s attention, however, wasn’t on that. His expression was complicated. He remembered that people with Pheromone Disorder generally didn’t live past thirty, and Alphas with high spiritual power had even shorter lifespans. Whether Lu Zhi would even make it to twenty-five was an unknown variable.
Tang Xingye asked, “How long can you hold on?”
Lu Zhi looked at Tang Xingye for a moment, his expression earnest and his tone brisk as he said, “I last a very long time.”
Tang Xingye pursed his lips. Lu Zhi knew that wasn’t what Tang Xingye was asking, but he didn’t want Tang Xingye contemplating heavy topics like life and death. A beautiful cat should be carefree.
Tang Xingye didn’t pursue the topic. Lu Zhi was an adult; he knew what he was doing and had a sense of propriety. He didn’t need self-righteous pity or concern.
Tang Xingye: “If you lie, your nose will grow long.”
Lu Zhi: “Then it will be just long enough to serve you.”
Tang Xingye: “…”
Just then, Lu Zhi received a phone call. After taking it, a trace of irritability flashed across his brow. “Baby, I have to make a trip home. Don’t miss me.”
Tang Xingye: …?
Why would he miss Lu Zhi?
He replied coldly, “Got it.”
When Lin Mo returned, he overheard this exchange. He sneered internally—go back and get flayed alive.
“How much did you drink?” Tang Xingye smelled the alcohol. Looking at Lin Mo’s face, which retained its usual cold detachment, he didn’t seem drunk.
“Not much.” Alcohol didn’t show on Lin Mo’s face. He was slightly intoxicated, but it didn’t affect him much physically, aside from his thoughts being a few beats slower than usual.
Lin Mo handed the materials to Tang Xingye. “Are these all the requirements?”
Tang Xingye quickly scanned the documents, his voice raspier than usual.
Lin Mo observed the other’s expression.
A snow-white face, pale lips now stained a vivid red, the lip bead slightly swollen as if it had been repeatedly ground against.
Even though the ventilation system had been running for a while, Lin Mo could still catch the lingering cocoa pheromones on the Beta.
He knew they hadn’t gone all the way. If they had, that cheap dog Lu Zhi wouldn’t have been able to wait to secretly show off that he had climbed into Tang Xingye’s bed.
But just hearing the remnants of their intimacy made Lin Mo uncontrollably jealous, prompting him to call the Lu family home without hesitation…
“What are you thinking?” Tang Xingye’s amber eyes flowed with a honey-like sheen under the lights. His soft lips parted, offering a glimpse of a bright red tongue tip.
“Licking you.”
The alcohol paralyzed his nerves, allowing the truth to slip out. Lin Mo’s drunkenness instantly evaporated by half.
Tang Xingye closed the file, his suspicious gaze falling on Lin Mo.
Lin Mo remained calm on the surface, but panic began to rise in his heart.
His mood fluctuated along with Tang Xingye’s gaze.
His brain, usually so good at rational analysis, spun rapidly to find the most suitable excuse.
Tang Xingye’s voice carried a hint of playfulness. “Oh? And then?”
Lin Mo: “Nothing else.”
“Finished speaking?” Tang Xingye asked.
Lin Mo: “Mn.”
He lowered his eyes, swallowing the truth that would have made Tang Xingye’s fur stand on end.
The autumn night wind wasn’t particularly cold, yet Lin Mo felt a biting chill. A few golden osmanthus flowers drifted in, but they couldn’t brighten his mood.
He felt a deep sense of loss. Lin Mo was waiting for Tang Xingye’s judgment.
He shouldn’t have been so radical. For a moment, Lin Mo thought his decision just now had been a mistake. But undeniably, he wanted to test—and secretly hoped for—the weight he held in Tang Xingye’s heart.
He couldn’t help but feel jealous of Lu Zhi again. Why? Why did Tang Xingye choose him?
Just a short-lived ghost with no resemblance to Wen Ze at all. What right did he have to occupy Tang Xingye’s heart and earn his favor?
He wanted to kill Lu Zhi…
“Is that it?” Tang Xingye tilted his head slightly, carefully scrutinizing Lin Mo’s expression.
As their breaths mingled, the cold fragrance became more distinct, and Lin Mo’s extremely dark thoughts vanished instantly.
The light hit that snow-white face, creating a halo. His eyelids lifted gently, carrying an impersonal coldness, yet looking thrillingly beautiful.
Those pale pink lips spat out a teasing remark: “Did your brain get tied in a knot?”
“My project has nothing to do with Professor Tian.” Tang Xingye hadn’t caught Lin Mo’s meaning at first, but then he quickly realized the guy was drunk. He had been waiting for this perfect top student to say something embarrassing, but his mouth was surprisingly tight.
After all, the guy had gone in his stead; it was good that he returned smoothly.
Tang Xingye touched Lin Mo’s face. It was a bit hot. Was this guy’s alcohol tolerance actually this bad?
Lin Mo’s fingertips trembled slightly at his side. That familiar, suffocating craving returned.
Lin Mo could barely control the instinct to nuzzle against him. The tips of his ears burned red, his jawline went rigid with tension, and all his senses focused on that small patch of cool skin.
He greedily chased after Tang Xingye’s retreating fingers but forced himself to stop before the other noticed. The blood vessels beneath his skin throbbed, screaming for more touch.
However, Tang Xingye simply patted his face, as if treating a disobedient large dog. This casual gesture threw Lin Mo’s breathing into chaos, his hot breath spraying onto the pale blue veins of the other’s wrist.
“Hurry up, wash up, and go to sleep.”
Lin Mo: “…Okay.”
Walking toward the bathroom, Lin Mo couldn’t control the fine trembling of his fingertips. He liked him so much.
“You’re quitting the club?” Tang Xingye pushed open the door to the club activity room and saw Shen Qing packing her things.
He was a bit surprised. Shen Qing was set to succeed as the Minister next semester. In this school, the Minister’s actual authority could surpass that of some Student Council departments and even course instructors. Doing this now was like retiring at the height of success.
“Academics are too busy, so I’m gradually stepping back from activities,” Shen Qing smiled, her tone calm. “But I’ll still hold the Vice Minister position for now; I won’t hand it over immediately.”
Tang Xingye nodded to show he understood. He took an exquisite paper box out of his schoolbag and pushed it in front of her. Inside the box, Professor Ye’s specially made small cookies were neatly arranged, emitting a faint scent of butter.
Shen Qing unceremoniously picked one up. The moment she bit into it, she suddenly asked, “Are you interested in taking over?”
If the Vice Minister didn’t designate a successor, the club would vote directly. Asking Tang Xingye now was born of a selfish desire to give him one last boost.
having stayed in this circle for a long time, she knew all too well that top-tier beauty paired with any kind of leverage was a winning hand. But Tang Xingye was an orphan, which meant it could also invite disaster. Especially having caught so many perverted stalkers, she was very worried about such a pure kid being led astray.
Shen Qing was currently under the double pressure of her studies and family business; what she could do was truly limited. But at least, before completely withdrawing, she wanted to help Tang Xingye one last time.
Shen Qing watched the fountain pen writing ceaselessly under Tang Xingye’s hand, the nib carving smooth trajectories on the paper. She acknowledged, and even slightly admired, Tang Xingye’s serious attitude toward club affairs. For several days in a row, he had gone without sleep to digest materials and revise proposals, his efficiency shockingly high. Of course, she didn’t advocate such extreme methods.
“You can get extra credits; it’s quite useful for scholarship evaluations,” she added. More importantly, there was the value of the invisible network and resource allocation behind it.
Tang Xingye paused, looking up at her, seemingly surprised she would ask.
Seeing her encouraging expression, Tang Xingye swallowed the words “Everyone won’t vote for me” and nodded, indicating he would consider it.
The stone in Shen Qing’s heart dropped. As if remembering something, she casually said, “This year, the Moon Laurel Festival and the school anniversary are close together. The school will be very lively then, with lots of fun things. You can look around.”
Tang Xingye blinked slowly. “Okay.”
Shen Qing was stunned; she thought she would have to persuade this study-brain more.
The university’s anniversary activities were assigned by teachers, and every class had a required quota of programs. The class representative excitedly came to ask Tang Xingye if he wanted to sign up for a performance.
Tang Xingye refused directly. When asked why, Tang Xingye turned and walked away.
There was no “why.” He didn’t need a reason to refuse troublesome things he didn’t want to do. Would the event not happen without him?
Since the anniversary would invite members of society to attend, the school tightened controls to ensure student safety. Without a legitimate reason to go out, students had to stay honestly within the school grounds.
Rules were rules, but many students who wanted some fresh air still chose to climb the wall, only to be caught red-handed by the Discipline Department members lying in wait.
The Moon Laurel Festival arrived as scheduled. Tang Xingye unexpectedly received a gift box in the club. His first reaction was that it was a prank, but seeing the Omega member who delivered it, he hesitated.
The other party looked nervous and shy, arms trembling slightly from the weight of the box. Tang Xingye, afraid he would get tired holding it, quickly took it and handed him a bottle of water.
The Omega held the water, stole a glance around, and whispered, “Xingye, if you find it troublesome, you can refuse it.”
Tang Xingye shook his head gently, offering a faint smile. “Thank you for the trouble of delivering this.”
The Omega’s eyes lit up, cheeks flushed with a pale blush. “Happy Moon Laurel Festival. My gift is the box with the pink ribbon on top. I hope you like it.” With that, he hurried away.
Tang Xingye was stunned. Before he could say anything, the other’s back had disappeared.
He looked thoughtfully at the large box, smelling the faint scent of laurel. Tang Xingye opened it directly. Perhaps for the convenience of the recipient, all the gifts were concentrated in one large box.
Inside, many boxes were neatly stacked, each tagged with the sender’s name.
Tang Xingye unpacked and organized them for an hour.
Ji Chen came to find Tang Xingye, who had stood him up. Upon entering, he saw the organized gifts.
Tang Xingye was fiddling with those boring trinkets, each labeled with a corresponding name. Ji Chen recognized a few names and quickly realized what was happening. He asked, “Why are you preparing return gifts for them?”
Tang Xingye actually answered honestly, “I retain an interest in the Minister position. If I change my mind one day, I hope to have their support.”
“Hypocritical,” Ji Chen praised Tang Xingye, though he felt Tang Xingye hadn’t accepted them for that reason.
Tang Xingye didn’t get angry at the word. When he looked up, the corners of his eyes tilted upward. “Isn’t this what you taught me?”
He lowered his voice, mimicking Ji Chen’s tone, “Appropriate acceptance can sometimes yield unexpected things.”
A soft sensation suddenly appeared on Ji Chen’s wrist.
He looked down to see a white rose.
The young man’s brows and eyes were smiling, the tear mole at the corner of his eye lifting slightly. His lips were pursed into a bright red, contrasting against his snow-white, delicate skin—dangerous and gorgeous.
“For me?” Ji Chen raised an eyebrow. “Giving flowers during the Moon Laurel Festival is easily misunderstood.”
“It’s a bribe,” Tang Xingye blinked. “I hope you forget that sentence just now.”
Ji Chen laughed softly and accepted the bribe, as if the person who said the word ‘hypocritical’ just now wasn’t him.
“Now you are the same as me.” Tang Xingye revealed a sly smile.
Ji Chen didn’t deny becoming an accomplice in hypocrisy. He lifted the rose and placed a kiss on the petals. “My honor.”
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
