Chapter 15 Other People's Pheromones
"We're both students at A University, not human traffickers. We really won't kidnap you!" Alpha seemed to remember something and quickly added, "I can show you my student ID... Oh, where's my student ID? I need it for a discount at hot pot dinner tonight..."
The boy frantically searched for his student ID. In the distance, his omega boyfriend, sitting in a seat, rolled his eyes at the scene and waved his bag at him.
"Oh," Alpha suddenly realized, "it was in my partner's bag, that's why I couldn't find it."
"I don't doubt that, there's no need to look for it... I just think it's too much trouble for you..."
But the boy had already run over, and his omega boyfriend had found his student ID. He gave the omega a sticky kiss and whispered something. Judging from the omega's somewhat helpless look and obvious "get lost" mouth movements, the alpha probably said something like, "Baby is so great."
"Look!" The boy handed his student ID to Mu Yan, his eyes sparkling with sincerity. "I really am a student at University A..."
Mu Yan hesitated and did not agree.
He wasn't the type to trouble people, and even with his brother or Lu Chong, he would try his best not to ask for their help, let alone strangers he had just met.
He had no doubt about the two students' enthusiasm, even though he himself rarely showed such enthusiasm during his student days. Mu Yan's student days seemed mostly spent running around, thinking about when he could take on another part-time job to ease the burden on his brother and mother.
"Hey, I didn't mean to meddle, but you look really pale. I'm afraid you'll faint before you even leave the hospital."
Alpha must have overheard his conversation with the nurse, so considerately he didn't ask why he came alone.
In the end, Mu Yan couldn't resist the two of them and got into the back seat of the Alpha sedan.
After working for a year, Mu Yan can now tell the value of a car. That car wasn't expensive, and judging from the engine sound, it might even be quite old. But having his own car during college shows how much his parents doted on him.
Children who grow up in love are bound to be kind and warm-hearted.
The sick omega was drowsy in the passenger seat. The alpha noticed and turned off the music. By the time the car arrived at Mu Yan's building, the omega was completely asleep. He only said goodbye to the alpha.
After Mu Yan got home and plugged in his phone, he transferred the money to the couple, but they didn't accept it and only sent him a "Do good deeds anonymously" emoji.
He was too weak to cook for himself, so he found a small bread roll that he had bought sometime ago and ate it in a few bites, which he considered his lunch.
He had intended to text Lu Chong from his bed to say he was home, but somehow, he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
When Lu Chong got home, he had just woken up. After a nap, he felt much better and was about to call Lu Chong to ask if he was coming home for dinner. There were still some groceries he had bought a few days ago in the refrigerator, so he could cook two or three dishes for dinner.
"You're back," Mu Yan said, running to open the door for Lu Chong before he even reached the house, hearing the familiar footsteps. "I was just about to ask if you were coming home for dinner. There's still some pork belly, baby bok choy, and cured pork in the fridge. I'll go cook now, how about making twice-cooked pork, baby bok choy, and steamed cured pork?"
“I went to pick you up from the hospital,” Lu Chong said, not answering his question. “Why aren’t you at the hospital?”
His tone was somewhat questioning, which was Lu Chong's usual way of speaking. He was too used to bossing people around him around, even Mu Yan, with whom he had just made up.
"Did you just go, or at noon?" Mu Yan felt guilty thinking that he might have missed her, but she didn't take his tone too seriously. "I finished my IV drip at noon."
“I just went there,” Lu Chong replied.
If a more assertive person were here, they might turn around and question Lu Chong about why he left him, a sick person, in the hospital without saying a word, and why it took him six hours to pick him up.
But gentle Mu Yan would never think of these things. He would only try to excuse Lu Chong, saying that Lu Chong probably didn't know how long the IV drip would take; he hadn't been able to call and tell Lu Chong, which was why Lu Chong had made a wasted trip.
"I meant to message you when I got back, but I was too tired and forgot. Sorry for making you come all this way for nothing..."
Mu Yan had just woken up, her hair was a little messy, and her complexion was better than in the morning, with rosy cheeks. She looked up at Lu Chong with her rabbit-like eyes, and Lu Chong's Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously.
He hadn't expected Mu Yan to apologize first under these circumstances. Feeling somewhat guilty, he unusually followed Mu Yan into the kitchen.
Mu Yan was surprised that he had followed him in and asked him if he wanted some water.
"Don't drink water. You're sick today, so don't cook. Let's eat out or order takeout."
"It's nothing," Mu Yan said, turning to look at him after washing the cutting board and knife. "It's just cooking two dishes. Cooking at home is cheaper. Meat is only ten yuan a pound now."
"Then I'll help you."
Lu Chong knew almost nothing about kitchen matters. Mu Yan could cook a few dishes in no time, but with Lu Chong's help, the time spent would only increase rather than decrease.
Normally, Mu Yan would be happy to teach him and have him cook with him, but today he only ate a bowl of porridge in the morning and a small bread roll at noon, and now he just wants to eat as soon as possible.
He hesitated about how to refuse, but he was also afraid of making Lu Chong feel frustrated.
"Go wash the rice and then put it on the stove to cook, okay?"
Lu Chong hurriedly washed the rice and started cooking. Mu Yan had just taken the rice out of the pot when he turned to look at Lu Chong and said, "There's smoke in here, go outside and wait for me."
Lu Chong didn't know what was wrong with him today; it was as if he were under a curse, and he didn't want to take his eyes off Mu Yan for even a second. Instead of leaving as instructed, he hugged Mu Yan from behind.
The vetiver scent emanating from the alpha enveloped him; Lu Chong rarely engaged in such intimate behavior with him when he was sober.
Mu Yan was somewhat surprised, and her movements paused slightly. Just as she was about to turn around and say that she was cooking and not to mess around, Lu Chong let go of her.
The person behind him was very tall, casting a large shadow on the desk. Mu Yan instinctively felt that he seemed unhappy about something.
"Why do you have other alpha pheromones on you?"
Lu Chong's voice was so cold it felt like falling into an ice cave. Mu Yan was stunned for a moment before turning around to look at him.
"I... I think it got on me when someone brought me back."
"Who brought you back?" Lu Chong asked. "Couldn't you have come back by yourself?"
Mu Yan's hand holding the spatula didn't move for a moment. When he realized what was happening, he quickly stirred the pork belly, which sizzled as it was slightly burnt.
A complete stranger said he looked unwell and was worried about his health, so he insisted on taking him home. His partner of three years, however, asked him why he didn't come home by himself.
He didn't have a phone, and the streets were full of ride-hailing cars. How long would it take to hail a taxi?
He had no money on him.
Does Lu Chong mean he wants him to come back?
Because of his inattentiveness, the twice-cooked pork was a little burnt. Mu Yan walked past Lu Chong, took a plate from the cupboard, and put the pork in.
He was starving and didn't want to argue with Lu Chong at this time.
"A couple from University A were also there for an IV drip. I happened to run into them, and they were very kind and happened to have a car, so they gave me a ride back. I can't smell pheromones, but if there are alpha pheromones, I should be able to smell omega pheromones too."
Mu Yan served himself rice. He didn't want to serve Lu Chong rice, but he really didn't want to argue, so he served Lu Chong rice and gave him chopsticks: "Don't be angry, let's eat."
On the table were slightly burnt twice-cooked pork, freshly baked sausages, and steaming hot baby bok choy.
Mu Yan was originally a person with very low requirements for food. He was fine with anything as long as it filled him up. During the time when his mother was sick, he ate steamed buns at school every day without feeling anything was wrong. He never thought that he could cook a meal for two so easily like he could now.
It is said that the stomach is also an emotional organ. Mu Yan did not believe it at first, but the aroma of food made the depression in her heart lessen.
Mu Yan didn't wait for Lu Chong. He picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and ate it with a big mouthful of rice.
It would taste even better if it weren't a little burnt and the rice wasn't too soft.
"If you don't know them, why did they bring you back?"
Lu Chong slammed his chopsticks down. The table wasn't big, and the chopsticks struck the porcelain plate with a clear, resonant sound.
The plate of twice-cooked pork was bumped so hard that a few drops of broth splashed out.
"I can't eat unless I explain it clearly."
Mu Yan had suffered hardship since childhood. His mother always taught him to respect food. Even if there were a few grains of rice left over, she would say, "Do you want to marry a woman with a pockmarked face?" and then use her chopsticks to pick them up and eat them. He couldn't understand Lu Chong's behavior at all, which showed neither respect for the food nor for him.
Besides, he didn't know what to explain.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Chong's blood boiled even more: "Their enthusiasm means they are good people and I am a bad person?"
Mu Yan ate half a bowl of rice, feeling a little better. He looked up and said sullenly, "I didn't mean that. Why do you always think that way...?"
"Always?" Lu Chong sneered. "And when else? Like that time with your roommate?"
Mu Yan thought he was being a bit unreasonable. Perhaps it was because he was feeling unwell from taking suppressants during his sensitive period. He didn't want to argue with Lu Chong and just wanted to finish his meal before the food got cold.
"Let's eat first, okay? The food's getting cold." Mu Yan picked up a piece of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat for him. Lu Chong didn't usually eat fatty meat, but Mu Yan would blanch it in cold water before making twice-cooked pork, so even though it was fatty, it wasn't oily.
[Author's Note]
Xiaoyan: Waaah, my twice-cooked pork!
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