Chapter 21
Lin Song’an brought Tan Ning to a hotel.
They had driven to Yun City, more than two hundred kilometers from Ningjiang. Yun City wasn’t economically developed and had no famous scenic spots; they were just stopping for a rest.
“Let’s stay for a night and head back to Ningjiang tomorrow morning.” Lin Song’an pulled Tan Ning into a luxurious hotel.
Tan Ning handed his ID card to Lin Song’an and then turned around to stand silently beside a fish tank.
Since getting off the highway, Tan Ning had gradually pulled away from Lin Song’an’s embrace. Perhaps realizing belatedly how ashamed he felt about his earlier vulnerability, he abruptly pushed Lin Song’an away, refusing to speak or engage with him. He wished he could find a place to hide and avoid Lin Song’an forever.
Once again, he turned his back to Lin Song’an.
He knew that Lin Ning hated it when he did this.
Lin Song’an clenched his jaw, feeling a pang of anger.
After collecting the room card, they dragged their luggage into the room. Just as Lin Song’an was about to wrap his arm around Tan Ning’s waist, Tan Ning sidestepped to avoid him.
Lin Song’an sighed. “I really owe you.”
Tan Ning went into the bathroom to take a shower. Just as the water warmed up, Lin Song’an suddenly walked in, casually tidying his hair in front of the mirror. Tan Ning instinctively pulled the glass door closed. Lin Song’an scoffed, “What are you hiding for? Think I’m dying to shower with you?”
Tan Ning paused and then turned his back, continuing to wash himself.
They had been naked in front of each other countless times; Tan Ning indeed felt no shyness around Lin Song’an. He treated Lin Song’an as if he were invisible, making it seem like Lin Song’an was the one with a one-track mind, impatient and eager.
“Already tired of seeing it,” Lin Song’an muttered vindictively, then walked out of the bathroom.
Standing there, Tan Ning looked down at his own body—plain and ordinary, nothing remarkable, nothing particularly attractive.
In his mind, he recalled what Lin Song’an’s mother had said: “I’ve already found matches for you in domestic and international databases.”
Tan Ning couldn’t perceive Lin Song’an’s pheromones and didn’t understand the significance of compatibility, but he had accompanied Lin Song’an through many terrifying rut periods and could feel the power of physiological constraints. Each time Lin Song’an painfully held him, biting the back of his neck in a daze, Tan Ning felt confused and bewildered.
How deep was Lin Song’an’s affection for him? Could it overcome the allure of pheromones? Tan Ning wasn’t sure.
A highly compatible omega.
How compatible? Could they completely alleviate Lin Song’an’s pain? Could they be more harmonious and joyful together?
At least when biting the back of the neck, it wouldn’t draw blood, Tan Ning thought.
Because such a person existed, like a ticking time bomb, Tan Ning’s heart was always suspended, with no place to settle.
After showering, Tan Ning came out to find Lin Song’an lying on the bed, looking at his phone. Lin Song’an had just replied to Fang Jin’s messages. She had suspiciously asked:
[Is someone with you? Are you dating?]
Lin Song’an thought for a moment. Turning his head, he met Tan Ning’s gaze. He didn’t want to expose Tan Ning to his somewhat overbearing mother before he had the ability to fully protect him, so he replied:
[No, I just ran into a high school classmate on the way and chatted a bit.]
[Oh, will you come home tomorrow?]
[The day after tomorrow. I’ll come home for lunch then.]
[Alright.]
Tan Ning silently walked to the bed and lay down.
Still sulking, Lin Song’an gave him a sidelong glance and then mimicked Tan Ning’s usual behavior by turning over, giving him his back.
Tan Ning paused slightly.
He had become accustomed to being enveloped in Lin Song’an’s embrace as soon as they got into bed, the two of them squeezed onto one side of the mattress. Although they didn’t have much to talk about or share any secrets, usually Lin Song’an’s hand would start wandering over Tan Ning, who would struggle and resist. In this way, with their cheeks close together, the night would pass.
Now that Lin Song’an was ignoring him, Tan Ning lay on the bed feeling a bit strange, as if the space around him was empty. He didn’t even know where to place his arms.
Indeed, habits become second nature. He had developed too many bad habits with Lin Song’an.
It was now four in the afternoon, not yet evening. Tan Ning had slept in the car and wasn’t sleepy now, so he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Lin Song’an moved several times but stubbornly didn’t turn around. Tan Ning watched him from the corner of his eye, recalling Lin Song’an’s actions on the highway and that embrace that filled his heart.
After pondering for a moment with his limited emotional intelligence, Tan Ning felt he should give Lin Song’an an opening.
So he said, “I’m hungry.”
Lin Song’an immediately turned over.
They suddenly found themselves face to face. Tan Ning looked straight at him, and the resentment in Lin Song’an’s eyes softened under his gaze. The icy atmosphere cracked slightly, and as always, Lin Song’an was the first to relent. He moved closer to Tan Ning and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
The cold war thus came to an end.
“I have something in my bag.” Tan Ning got off the bed to fetch the walnut pastries, along with his thermos.
“What’s this?”
“Walnut pastries.”
Lin Song’an took one out to taste. Tan Ning sat cross-legged beside him, blowing on the hot water in his thermos, watching Lin Song’an eat.
He thought that with Lin Song’an’s picky palate, accustomed to gourmet food from around the world, he wouldn’t appreciate these small pastries from Xuan City. But Lin Song’an nodded as he ate. “Not bad—very flaky.”
Tan Ning breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Song’an reached out to him. “Let me have a sip of water.”
Tan Ning handed it over.
He took a pastry himself, biting off a small piece. It was fragrant, sweet, and crispy, seemingly even better than the ones he had bought last year.
After eating and drinking, Tan Ning wiped his hands and lay down again. Lin Song’an’s arm immediately encircled him, his whole body pressing closer. He bit Tan Ning’s ear lightly. “You’re really annoying, you know that?”
At six feet two inches tall, with solid muscles, Lin Song’an pressed down on Tan Ning, making it hard for him to breathe. He couldn’t help but push back, but Lin Song’an took the opportunity to pin his wrist to the pillow, placing a kiss on the tip of his nose and carefully observing the changes in Tan Ning’s expression.
Their physical reactions were obvious, but Tan Ning’s expression remained cold.
“Do you really not want to?”
Tan Ning turned his face away, muttering internally: Weren’t you tired of seeing it?
Lin Song’an’s hand slowly moved downward. He leaned in close to Tan Ning’s ear and whispered, “Why won’t you give me a pleasant expression? You were the one who seduced me in the first place.”
Tan Ning shook his head.
Lin Song’an flicked his nose. “It was you who seduced me. Don’t deny it.”
*
April of last year.
That day, after leaving Lin Qi’s house, Lin Song’an drove Tan Ning back to school.
It was nearly ten o’clock; there shouldn’t have been many people around the dormitory. Worried that Tan Ning might feel uncomfortable, Lin Song’an parked on the west side of a teaching building closest to the dorms.
Tan Ning was about to get out of the car when Lin said, “Mr. Tan, could I have your contact information?”
Tan Ning didn’t refuse and added him on WeChat, noting his own name.
Cold winds rustled outside the car. The plane trees, stripped of their leaves, couldn’t block the streetlights, casting mottled shadows on the road. Inside the car was warm; the dim yellow light felt somewhat ambiguous.
Lin Song’an’s black turtleneck sweater set off his side profile—pale and ascetic, like a masterpiece crafted by the Creator. Next to him, Tan Ning seemed dim, almost blending into the darkness of the car interior.
Using his long hair that fell beside his ear as a cover, Tan Ning could boldly observe Lin Song’an.
Lin Song’an was from a world that Tan Ning hadn’t encountered in his first twenty years of life—the only existence in his bland and lonely world that could ignite his emotions. He was curious about Lin Song’an.
Unprecedentedly so.
Lin Song’an’s slender fingers rested on the gear shift, tapping lightly with his fingertips.
“Tan Ning,” he read the name from his phone screen, his voice low and magnetic, like reciting a two-word love poem.
Tan Ning was momentarily stunned.
Half a minute later, he tightened his scarf, opened the car door, and stepped into the winter night.
Lin Song’an’s car lights illuminated the path ahead of him.
As he approached the dormitory, Tan Ning suddenly stopped at the steps below.
Lin Song’an.
Why did that name sound familiar?
He first thought of Lin Qi. Lin Qi’s father was the deputy general manager of Tianhe Group, and Lin Song’an was Lin Qi’s cousin.
Connecting the dots, Tan Ning suddenly realized who Lin Song’an was. The Tianhe Scholarship he hoped to compete for next semester was donated and established by Lin’s father, Lin Yexun. In Ningjiang, Lin Yexun was well-known, and at A University, Lin Song’an was a household name. Even someone like Tan Ning, who didn’t care about anything outside of his studies, had heard his name.
This realization made Tan Ning feel some inexplicable apprehension.
While he hesitated, Lin Song’an sent him a message:
[Mr. Tan, have you arrived at the dormitory?]
Tan Ning replied that he had and then put away his phone.
At that time, Tan Ning knew nothing about the world of alphas; terms like “rut period” and “compatibility” were just concepts he’d learned in biology class. Living in a dormitory shared by betas and omegas, he hadn’t even had close contact with an alpha.
He had no concerns back then.
He was simply bewitched by Lin Song’an’s face.
Tan Ning looked up at the full moon in the sky, its clear light pouring over the windows of the old dormitory building. He murmured to himself, “The moonlight shines on everyone, doesn’t it?”
The next morning, he took the initiative to send Lin Song’an a message.
[Good morning.]
Tan Ning had no experience in pursuing someone and no one to consult. He thought that if he wanted to date someone, he should take the initiative to say good morning and good night.
But Lin Song’an didn’t reply.
He waited from eight to nine, and the chat window remained unchanged.
Tan Ning bit the soft flesh inside his cheek, put the phone aside, and continued reading.
The following morning, he didn’t send Lin Song’an a good morning message. He packed his things and went to his early class. Around nine o’clock, Lin Song’an sent him:
[Good morning, Mr. Tan.]
Tan Ning saw it but didn’t reply.
*
Author’s Note:
A silent tug-of-war (Actually, Tan Ning took the initiative at first because he was attracted to Lin Song’an’s body).
