Chapter 16: Feeling Down
The classroom plunged into darkness, leaving only the faint sound of water dripping.
The moment Jiang Rong parted his lips, He Siming pressed in. Their soft tongues met, the light tang of green lime mingling with a quietly emerging peach sweetness, the surrounding temperature climbing notch by notch.
He Siming pinned Jiang Rong against the door. Without realizing it, Jiang Rong felt He Siming’s pheromones growing stronger, invading his entire body, gradually staining him with He Siming’s scent. His legs began to weaken, and his body leaned unconsciously toward He Siming.
His heat had clearly just ended—so how was it that a few kisses had left him completely unable to fight back?
In the brief pause to catch his breath, Jiang Rong wrapped his arms around He Siming’s neck. Bullied until his body went soft and limp, he murmured, “He Siming?”
He Siming was extremely satisfied. He pulled back just a little to let him breathe, one hand still supporting Jiang Rong’s waist—especially as Jiang Rong leaned against him, panting. It put him in a very good mood.
Holding Jiang Rong, he nuzzled at his neck, his lips brushing lightly against it. “That’s all it takes for your legs to go weak?”
Jiang Rong snorted. “No way.” He Siming’s pheromones were stronger than before, even drawing out his own.
That snort made He Siming itch inside. “That peach scent of yours is coming out again. It smells really good.”
Jiang Rong tried hard to stand up straight. “That’s because your pheromones are drawing it out.”
His bluntness hooked He Siming instead. Now he was curious—what exactly were the pheromones Jiang Rong always talked about?
“Are you born with some kind of special fragrance? Like the kind where you smell good as soon as you sweat?”
Touching his neck, Jiang Rong explained, “No. It’s pheromones secreted from the glands. You can smell them.”
He Siming squeezed his slender waist. “And where are these glands? Your neck?” Jiang Rong really liked having his neck bitten by him.
“Yeah. Right where you bit before.” Jiang Rong’s voice grew softer and softer. He hadn’t expected that being kissed would draw out pheromones; his face started to heat up again.
In their world, the back of the neck could not be exposed casually to an Alpha. Normally, Omegas wore collars to cover the scent of their pheromones. But here there were no collar suppressants—he couldn’t control the scent, and could only hope that He Siming’s pheromones wouldn’t keep provoking his.
He Siming thought Jiang Rong was just teasing him, treating it as a bit of playful intimacy between them.
He glanced at the time. “Let’s head back. If we’re any later, the lights will be out.”
“Okay.” After being released, Jiang Rong still reminded him, “Don’t forget to turn in your assignment.”
That comment made He Siming inexplicably annoyed. “Got it. You kiss me like this and then tell me to hand in homework—what, am I just your tool?”
Jiang Rong: “Huh?”
His blank expression amused He Siming again. He lowered his head and ruthlessly pressed Jiang Rong back against the door, biting him deeply until he once again kissed him weak in the knees.
Jiang Rong looked at him with watery eyes, his lips already sore from being bitten.
He covered He Siming’s mouth. “He Siming, stop kissing me. The lights really are about to go out.”
He Siming picked up the backpack that had slipped off Jiang Rong’s shoulder. “So am I your homework tool?”
Jiang Rong shook his head hurriedly. “No!”
He Siming asked, “Then what am I?”
He didn’t know what answer He Siming wanted to hear.
Jiang Rong said, “A roommate.”
All the way back, He Siming was rather quiet. He wasn’t satisfied with that answer.
Jiang Rong didn’t talk much either. His face was still burning from the kissing; it felt better after getting some air outside the classroom, though his lips seemed a little swollen.
He Siming had kissed a bit too hard—his lips were still numb.
Back at the dorm, Yao Shule and Li Yizhou were in the middle of an intense gaming session and didn’t notice He Siming setting Jiang Rong’s backpack on the desk.
Earlier in the day, Jiang Rong had felt his waist a little sore and weak, but after He Siming kissed him just now, he seemed to have regained a bit of strength.
He glanced at He Siming. “I’m going to shower first.”
Hearing him, He Siming turned on his computer to submit his assignment. “Mm.”
Although the four of them in the dorm had shown signs of easing tensions, it wasn’t to the point of slinging arms over shoulders yet.
Jiang Rong was an Omega now. Before knowing whether there was reproductive isolation between them, he consciously kept physical distance from other guys.
He Siming maintained that same attitude—gentle with everyone, yet distant with everyone too. In private, hardly anyone dared to joke around with him.
After showering, Jiang Rong obediently blow-dried his hair, charged the phone he barely touched a few times a day, then climbed into bed to rest.
When He Siming finished showering and came out, Jiang Rong was already asleep, facing the wall.
Sleeping through all that noise.
Yao Shule and Li Yizhou had just finished a match and wanted to keep playing, their voices still pretty loud.
He Siming asked, “Aren’t you two sleeping? You’ve got early class tomorrow.”
Li Yizhou put down his phone. “Alright. Yao Shule, we’re done.”
Yao Shule: “Fine.”
They’d had a big meal at noon; with mouths fed, they were quick to agree to sleep.
The two of them clattered out of bed to brush their teeth. He Siming reminded them, “Keep it down? Jiang Rong’s asleep.”
Only then did Li Yizhou and Yao Shule realize it. Usually everyone just did their own thing; they hadn’t noticed their behavior. They immediately started moving quietly.
That night, Jiang Rong slept soundly.
But when the alarm rang, for the first time he didn’t spring up right away. He was extremely sleepy.
Luckily, he usually woke up early anyway. Lying in a bit longer wouldn’t matter. Thinking that, he turned off the alarm and fell back asleep.
Until someone shook him awake.
“Jiang Rong, wake up. Class is about to start.”
Jiang Rong shot upright in bed. “Class already?”
He saw He Siming’s hand still resting on the bed frame. “There are still forty minutes. You’ve got time to wash up and eat breakfast.”
Yao Shule and Li Yizhou had just gotten up too, the two of them arguing over who would use the bathroom first.
Yao Shule, as usual, didn’t hold back. “I’m bigger—I go first!”
Li Yizhou said, “I take longer to pee—I go first.”
This was college guys in this world.
He Siming suddenly asked Jiang Rong, “Is my time long?”
Jiang Rong: “…” The kidney-tonifying tea thing was never going to end.
He Siming leaned against his bed, tilting his head to look at him, smiling. “Come on, say it.”
Being subjected to this kind of R-rated banter first thing in the morning, Jiang Rong turned to pull the curtain closed. “I’m changing.” Actually, He Siming’s smile was really nice.
Thankfully, the original Jiang Rong had put up a curtain to avoid interacting with classmates. It now also blocked Jiang Rong’s awkwardness when facing He Siming.
He Siming let out a low laugh. A good mood for the day began right then.
When Jiang Rong came down after changing, Li Yizhou and Yao Shule were almost ready too.
He Siming said to Jiang Rong, “No need to rush. I’ll bring you breakfast. Any food you can’t eat?”
Jiang Rong replied, “No. Anything’s fine.”
He Siming left the dorm first.
Yao Shule, being a bit smaller, got to use the bathroom first. When he came out, he asked Jiang Rong, “Why are you so late today?”
Li Yizhou said, “They came back so late after doing homework yesterday, and everything was so rushed. Of course they didn’t get enough sleep.”
Yao Shule said, “That makes sense. Want me to bring you breakfast?”
Jiang Rong said, “He Siming said he’d get it for me.”
Yao Shule said, “Oh, nice, nice.”
He and Li Yizhou were in a hurry to buy breakfast and left first.
The dorm was left with just Jiang Rong. After a month here, this was the first time he didn’t feel lonely. Having a roommate bring him breakfast—he felt warmth in this other world.
There was a mirror by the sink. After washing his face, Jiang Rong looked at himself and realized his hair had grown quite a bit. Today was Friday; tomorrow they planned to go hike the Great Wall. After his last class this afternoon, he’d go get a haircut outside to look more refreshed.
When Jiang Rong arrived at the classroom, He Siming was already there. On the seat beside him were soy milk, shumai, and red-bean buns.
He Siming asked, “Is this enough? I picked things you can eat in the classroom—nothing with much smell.”
Once again, Jiang Rong felt how thoughtful He Siming was. “It’s enough.”
With ten minutes left before class, he slowly worked through his breakfast. When he finished and was packing up the wrappers, he noticed He Siming watching him.
Jiang Rong blinked. “What’s wrong?”
He Siming stood up and took the trash from him. “Give it to me.”
“I can throw it out myself.” Jiang Rong didn’t want to trouble him. The trash can was outside in the hallway; he’d have to leave the classroom to throw it away.
Without another word, He Siming took the bag from his hand and went out.
Jiang Rong could only sit back down.
Today’s class was in the computer department’s public lab. Both basic computer courses and major-specific courses were held there. It was a building exclusively for the computer department, with thousands of computers for students to use.
If Jiang Rong’s old computer couldn’t run the software, he would most likely borrow one from the public lab to complete his coursework.
Just after He Siming stepped out, the two girls in front suddenly turned around to ask Jiang Rong something.
They seemed to have noticed that Jiang Rong had been a bit different lately, and took the initiative to talk to him.
“Jiang Rong, isn’t He Siming your roommate? Has he been staying on campus lately?” The one who asked was Lin Nana, a girl who was especially active in the class group chat.
“Mm, yes.” Jiang Rong answered simply and didn’t elaborate—after all, it was He Siming’s privacy.
Everyone had a curiosity for gossip.
Lin Nana asked again, “So is he actually dating the campus belle or not?”
“I’m not really sure.”
“Then I guess they’re not dating.”
Jiang Rong was a little curious. “Which one is the campus belle?”
Lin Nana said, “The one who was battling him and showing off affection during the big English lecture.”
Jiang Rong said, “Oh, her.” She was quite pretty—and standing next to He Siming, they did look well matched.
The two girls didn’t get the answers they wanted and stopped asking.
Jiang Rong wasn’t in much of a chatting mood. He lowered his head and turned on the computer.
When He Siming returned, he saw Jiang Rong staring gloomily at the screen and immediately noticed that his mood was off.
He Siming asked the two girls in front, “What were you talking about just now?”
Lin Nana laughed awkwardly, but answered openly. “We were just asking if you’re really together with the campus belle. God He, want to satisfy our gossip cravings?”
The girl beside her chimed in, “Yeah, yeah.”
He Siming didn’t mind telling them. “Just classmates. We won’t be together.” He slightly turned his head toward Jiang Rong. “Satisfied?”
“Satisfied, satisfied!”
“Totally satisfied—haha!”
When Jiang Rong looked up, he met He Siming’s smiling eyes. His heart cleared, and the gloom lifted.
