Chapter 7
After the hospital incident subsided, Pei Xingzhi spent some time peacefully.
Since the two are in different majors, even if Xie Nanyi tries to overlap their courses, she can't do it completely, and they still don't see each other most of the time.
However, Pei Xingzhi felt that the bigger reason why Xie Nanyi hadn't bothered him during this time was probably because he was still in the hospital—Uncle Li had been posting on his WeChat Moments for more than ten days in a row, complaining about the brain-dead patients.
Aside from Xie Nan, Pei Xingzhi really couldn't think of anyone else so despicable as to go to the hospital for treatment but not follow the doctor's orders, tormenting both the doctor and himself.
In short, university life without Xie Nanyi was paradise for Pei Xingzhi.
Unfortunately, this utopia soon collapsed.
Pei Xingzhi felt that he and the old professor who was doing film appreciation were incompatible. Otherwise, why would the professor have caught him just because he raised his head and successfully made him go up to the stage to share his viewing experience?
Pei Xingzhi had been so annoyed by Xie Nanyi recently that he completely forgot about making the PowerPoint presentation. His group only consisted of him and Xie Nanyi, and since Xie Nanyi hadn't returned yet, he was the only one left holding the fort.
It took Pei Xingzhi a full minute to walk the short distance of just a few meters from his seat to the podium.
Zhuang Xiaoyue kindly gave him her backup version, but since Pei Xingzhi hadn't prepared in advance, his presentation was completely nonsensical, and what he said didn't match what Zhuang Xiaoyue had given him at all, which drew laughter from the students below the stage.
By the end, Pei Xingzhi couldn't help but laugh at himself. After all, he hadn't prepared well, and the speech had indeed gone very poorly.
The professor was very angry. He swept his sharp gaze around the room, and the students immediately shut their mouths and sat up straight.
"How did you make this PowerPoint presentation? Who are the other members of your group? After so many days, this is all you've produced?"
"I'm in a group with Xie Nanyi."
The professor immediately abandoned his idea of deducting points after hearing Xie Nanyi's name. He pushed up his reading glasses and recalled memories related to Pei Xingzhi.
"I'll give you one last chance. Go back and make me another one, and give another presentation in class next week."
Pei Xingzhi sat back down dejectedly, a state he maintained until he returned to his dormitory after class. Being ridiculed for his failed presentation didn't upset him; it was the prospect of having to redo the PowerPoint presentation that did make him a little sad.
"Are you alright?" Zhuang Xiaoyue noticed his bad mood and came over to talk to him. "It's been a whole afternoon already, you should accept reality by now."
"But I can't possibly finish it all by myself." Pei Xingzhi sat cross-legged on the stool, his chin resting on the table, his cheeks puffed out as he acted spoiled towards the air, whining as if he was about to cry.
Now that he's been pulled onto the stage, he can't just do his homework half-heartedly like before. But if he's to do it meticulously, a week isn't enough time, especially since he's not just taking one film appreciation class.
"How come you, a Beta, are more prone to acting cute than I, an Omega?"
Curled up like a little ball of fluff, Pei Xingzhi couldn't resist ruffling his head. Pei Xingzhi's hair, like his personality, was soft and gentle.
"Where did I swear? You said I don't look like a Beta, and you don't look like an Omega either!" Pei Xingzhi angrily snatched the inhibitor from Zhuang Xiaoyue's hand and sprayed it on himself in retaliation. "Why are you carrying this? Did you go see some Alpha?"
"Why are you so vengeful? This inhibitor is very expensive, don't waste my money!" Zhuang Xiaoyue didn't answer his question, but instead snatched her inhibitor back and hid it in her bosom.
"Then how about you help me make this PowerPoint presentation? I'll bring you food for a month." Pei Xingzhi, his hands suddenly free, grabbed Zhuang Xiaoyue's arm, blinking his pitiful eyes and pleading. "Can you really bear to watch me do such a huge project all by myself?"
"Aren't you in a group with Xie Nanyi? Go find him." Zhuang Xiaoyue helplessly pried Pei Xingzhi's hand away and returned to her seat without a second thought.
"I don't want to be around him. I'd suffocate if I were in the same room with him!" Pei Xingzhi stuck out his tongue and pinched his neck to show his resistance. "I finally got rid of him, why would I want to go back to him?"
"Since you hate him so much, how can you let him enjoy his leisure time all by himself? Why not just give him all the work? After all, you two are bound together by life and death, inseparable, and destined to be a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"
After Zhuang Xiaoyue finished giving her suggestion with delicate, orchid-like fingers, she didn't give Pei Xingzhi a chance to reply and immediately climbed onto the bed. Pei Xingzhi realized the meaning behind her words, got up, and threw the cushion he was holding onto Zhuang Xiaoyue's bed.
"Zhuang Xiaoyue! Who do you think I'm a perfect match for?!"
One thing at a time, although Zhuang Xiaoyue was mostly talking nonsense, there was one thing she said that was very true.
He and Xie Nanyi were in the same group, so why did he have to take on everything himself and let Xie Nanyi reap the benefits?
His contact with Xie Nanyi was still at the point of that impolite phone call. He wanted to stay away from Xie Nanyi, so naturally he didn't have her contact information.
He wanted Zhuang Xiaoyue to help him set up a transit point, but no matter how he threatened or bribed her, Zhuang Xiaoyue refused to agree to his request.
Pei Xingzhi didn't want to hear Xie Nanyi's voice, so he could only suppress his disgust and find Xie Nanyi's chat information in the group to send a friend request.
Xie Nanyi was probably glued to her phone the whole time; less than a minute after sending the message, she accepted the friend request.
The initial discomfort had just subsided when the medication's side effects caused a wave of dizziness. Xie Nanyi rubbed her temples, glancing at her phone; the text on the screen appeared somewhat blurry.
He thought Pei Xingzhi had completely hated him, but unexpectedly, Pei Xingzhi took the initiative to add him in the contact information.
His physiological instincts made it impossible for him to resist Pei Xingzhi's approach. He tried to push Pei Xingzhi away, but he always ended up back where he started.
The doctor told him to interpret this coincidence as destiny, that the two people with the mark were born to be together.
But if they were truly destined to be together, why doesn't Pei Xingzhi bear any of his marks? It seems that he is the only one tormented by the marks from beginning to end.
Pei Xingzhi: The assignment for the film appreciation class needs to be redone. You need to find the PPT in the group. You do half and I'll do the other half.
Pei Xingzhi's nickname and profile picture are very unique. If Xie Nanyi hadn't noted his own name when applying to be friends, she would never have guessed that this person was Pei Xingzhi at first glance.
[Sweetheart Bunny]: Please reply if you see this.
[N1]：Return
[Sweetheart Bunny]: What are you going to reply to? Did you see that?
[N1]: I saw it.
[Sweetheart Bunny]: Then hurry up and make it, then send it to me when you're done.
[N1]: Good
"He just agreed like that?" Zhuang Xiaoyue couldn't help but sigh as she looked at Pei Xingzhi's phone screen.
Xie Nanyi was quite famous at their school, and most of the rumors about him came from the various rejections of his confessions on the confession wall.
Because his reasons for rejection were so bizarre and varied, the confession wall even created a special section for him – "Did you thank me today?"
Xie Nanyi had a long list of scathing remarks, so the two of them prepared thoroughly before sending the message. They searched the entire internet and found no fewer than hundreds of ways to deal with group members who didn't do their group assignments, but unfortunately, it was all over before they could even put them into practice.
"Isn't it good that you agreed?" Pei Xingzhi snatched his pillow back from Zhuang Xiaoyue's arms, grabbed his laptop, and happily climbed onto his bed.
Although he disliked Xie Nanyi, he couldn't bring himself to leave all the homework to her alone. He divided the necessary materials into two modules, and after struggling for more than ten minutes, he compiled the remaining materials and sent them to Xie Nanyi.
[N1]: ?
[Sweetheart Bunny]: Remember to look at the materials needed for the assignment, don't write anything randomly.
[N1]: This seems a bit complicated to write. We can write it together when we meet.
[Sweetheart Bunny]: Get lost!
[Sweetheart Bunny]: I don't want to see you.
[N1]: It's difficult to reach a unified theme if we don't write together.
[N1]: If my answer is off-topic, Xiaozhi will need to redo it herself.
Tears soaked the bedsheets, and murderous intent swept over Pei Xingzhi.
[Sweetheart Bunny]: See you at the library on Saturday!
The quiet setting of the library was not suitable for the two to have a heated discussion about their assignments. After much deliberation, they finally decided to meet in the clubroom where their ill-fated relationship had begun.
Pei Xingzhi still felt resistant to Xie Nanyi's advances; he hadn't forgotten the scene in the clubroom where Xie Nanyi had suppressed him with her pheromones. Although he didn't hold grudges, he wasn't so generous as to be able to interact with Xie Nanyi naturally without any reservations.
"You can just sit over there." There were two tables between them, and Pei Xingzhi raised his hand to stop him from getting up and moving closer. "I don't want to sit too close to you. My roommate hates your pheromones."
He couldn't smell what Xie Nanyi's pheromones smelled like, but Zhuang Xiaoyue said that Xie Nanyi's pheromones smelled terrible. He had accidentally come into contact with them a few times before, and Zhuang Xiaoyue had complained about them for a long time until she had sprayed out an entire bottle of pheromone inhibitors.
"Xiao Zhi, do you want to know what my pheromones smell like?" Xie Nanyi sat down as he asked, smiling softly.
"I don't want to know!" Pei Xingzhi wasn't buying it and raised his head to give him a fierce refusal.
Such a despicable person probably doesn't smell good either. He's so ruthless, he probably smells like rotten eggs, stinky tofu, or even canned herring!
"My pheromones are lemons." Xie Nanyi answered herself, completely unconcerned about Pei Xingzhi's attitude. "If Xiaozhi had pheromones, they would be oranges, no, maybe tangerines too."
"I'm a Beta, I don't have pheromones. If you like discussing pheromones, you can go find an Omega, or even an Alpha."
Pei Xingzhi flipped through the documents and took notes, answering Xie Nanyi's rude question without even looking up.
"But I'm only interested in Xiaozhi." Xie Nanyi's harassing words went on and on, and even his outstanding face couldn't save him from his greasy and nauseating remarks.
“But I’m not interested in you.” Pei Xingzhi closed his laptop and looked up to meet Xie Nanyi’s gaze. “If you want to flirt, please go to another group. I don’t want to talk about these things with you.”
"Alright." Xie Nanyi shook her head regretfully, but unknowingly she was getting closer and closer to Pei Xingzhi.
When Pei Xingzhi finally looked up after writing for an hour, he found that Xie Nanyi had sat down next to him at some point. He probably didn't like this room; every time he came in, he would feel inexplicably hot.
"Tsk." Pei Xingzhi frowned subconsciously, got up with an unpleasant expression, and opened the window.
A breeze blew in, and the fresh air made Pei Xingzhi feel a little better. He wondered if the wind could blow away his pheromones; if he came into contact with Alph's pheromones again, Zhuang Xiaoyue would definitely kill him.
"Could you please keep your pheromones to yourself and not let them get on me!" He didn't know if Xie Nanyi had released any pheromones, but based on previous experience, the possibility was very high.
After all, Xie Nanyi didn't care about any of that.
The wind outside the window blew into the room, stirring up the colorful ribbons that Pei Xingzhi wore in his braids.
Pei Xingzhi hates styling his hair; his messy hair is usually left to fall loosely. His long hair, reaching his shoulders, is very deceptive, making it difficult to tell whether he is male or female from behind.
He usually ties his hair up when he goes out, but he forgot to bring a hair tie today, so he just used some leftover ribbon from his previous decorations to tie a small braid.
The colorful ribbons fluttered up, obscuring Pei Xingzhi's eyes and causing a moment of confusion to flash in Xie Nanyi's eyes as well.
"Does Xiaozhi hate me?" Xie Nanyi came back to her senses, but her pheromones were still slowly spreading.
Pei Xingzhi had overestimated his strength; he simply didn't possess the ability to freely control his pheromones in Pei Xingzhi's presence. The moment he got close, Xie Nanyi would involuntarily release pheromones to envelop Pei Xingzhi. The imprint would control him to search for the owner of the name, then use pheromones to possess him.
That's probably the advantage of being a Beta; even if someone declares their dominance in front of everyone, the Beta at the center of the event remains completely unaware.
"I really, really hate it!" Pei Xingzhi slammed the screen window shut as if cheering himself on. The loud noise made the people downstairs look up. Pei Xingzhi immediately crouched down to avoid their gaze. When he turned around, he met Xie Nanyi's amused face.
If Xie Nanyi hadn't been so good-looking, Pei Xingzhi would have punched him long ago.
"Why does Xiaozhi hate me?" He rested his chin on his hands, his face now showing a hurt expression.
You should ask yourself that question!
"Xiao Zhi's words hurt me so much." Xie Nanyi clutched her chest, but her tone didn't betray how much sadness she was. "We're clearly each other's imprinters, what am I supposed to do about Xiao Zhi doing this?"
“I already told you I’m not your imprinter.” Pei Xingzhi’s anger was reignited by him. He took a few steps to him, grabbed his collar, and pulled him up.
“But Xiao Zhi’s name doesn’t lie.” Xie Nanyi was about to show off her skills again.
"Alright, alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. Hurry up and do your homework. The sooner you finish, the sooner I can go home." Seeing that he was about to bring up this topic again, Pei Xingzhi slapped his hand away and took the initiative to back down.
Xie Nanyi spread her hands and obediently sat back down in her original seat. The two of them sat across the long table, silently doing their own things. The only sound in the classroom was the rapid typing of their keyboards.
"I knew it! That's definitely not allowed!"
A sharp sound cut through the corridor and pierced Pei Xingzhi's ears. Immersed in his documents, Pei Xingzhi suddenly looked up, quickly packed up his things, and pulled Xie Nanyi into the hygiene tool storage room attached to the club classroom.
"Xiao Zhi, what's wrong?"
The storage room wasn't large; half of it was crammed with various hygiene tools, and the remaining cramped space couldn't possibly accommodate two adult men. Pei Xingzhi twisted his body, practically hanging on Xie Nanyi, with almost no space between them.
"Shh—" Pei Xingzhi covered Xie Nanyi's mouth with one hand and made a gesture with the other hand in front of his own lips. He leaned closer to the door, listening carefully to the sounds outside.
The sharp sound grew closer and closer, and Pei Xingzhi held his breath, not daring to make a sound.
"Huh? Weren't you supposed to be here? Where are you?"
"Their club president said he borrowed the key to this place? Why hasn't he come yet?"
"I told you not to trust Pei Xingzhi, now look what's happened! Let's see how you clean this up!"
The iron door to the storage room wasn't soundproof, and the vulgarities from the classroom clearly reached their ears. Xie Nanyi looked up at Pei Xingzhi, who was clinging to him. The man on top of him looked completely calm, as if the person being cursed outside wasn't him at all.
Pei Xingzhi noticed his gaze and looked away to meet Xie Nanyi's eyes. The two were very close; Xie Nanyi could even feel his breath, the warmth of his breath falling evenly on his neck. His amber eyes looked at him warily like a cat's, the fierce little kitten thinking it was very imposing, but in reality, it had no intimidating power whatsoever.
Looking down, the wide neckline drooped low, revealing his fair collarbone, with a perfectly placed red mole adding a touch of sexiness.
"Don't speak." Pei Xingzhi mouthed to him, and Xie Nanyi nodded, but his expression was somewhat strange.
Pei Xingzhi felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, and adjusted his posture by supporting himself on his shoulder. He reached down with his right hand, looking for something to hold onto, but as soon as he pressed down, he touched something hard.
Pei Xingzhi curiously pinched it, and then heard rapid breathing from above his head.
Xie Nanyi's voice, tinged with an ambiguous meaning, quietly sounded from above his head.
"Xiao Zhi, don't touch me like that..."
A note from the author:
Beta pheromones might smell like gay men's pheromones.
)
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