“Li Zi, hey, how come I haven't seen your brother coming to pick you up lately?”
During PE class, Li Zi had just finished a game of volleyball and swapped out to the sidelines when a bottle of water was handed to her.
She was usually impeccably dressed and composed, her expression indifferent and seemingly unapproachable. Even so, her appearance was a natural magnet for the stirrings of young hearts. On special holidays, her desk was never lacking in brightly colored envelopes—until one particularly brave boy decided to confess to her directly at the school gate.
He had been chased off by a fierce-eyed Li Zhenting.
Never in his life had Li Zhenting spoken so snidely to a child so much younger than himself; he hadn't even known he was capable of such words. It wasn't until Li Zi gave him a helpless pat, saying, “That’s enough, quit bullying a kid,” that he realized the green youth before him had been moved to tears by his scolding.
Since then, no one dared to express their feelings to Li Zi openly. There were only those unopened love letters, one after another, hiding the budding affections of many.
But now, that terrifying person was no longer by Li Zi’s side.
The students, wanting to seize the opportunity of this final year of high school, had suddenly become active again.
Li Zi’s usually pale face was currently flushed a light red. A few strands of hair clung to her temples, and sweat dripped down, soaking her chin and finally giving her a touch of youthful vitality.
She glanced at the boy’s nervous expression but politely declined. “Thank you, I’m not thirsty.”
“Our evening self-study ends too late, so I told him not to come anymore.”
She nodded to her classmates, picked up her things, and left the sports field, heading straight for the teaching building.
Only after she sat down at her desk in the classroom did she reach inside and pull out a carton of milk, carrying it over to the window.
Li Zi’s classroom was on the fifth floor. From this window, she could see part of the street outside the school. Unsurprisingly, she saw a motorcycle parked at the corner. Its owner was leaning against it, head down, tapping away at his phone.
*Snap.*
The straw pierced the foil, and the white liquid flowed into her mouth. Li Zi watched him quietly. No one could see how burning her gaze truly was.
Nor did anyone know that beneath her seemingly calm exterior, her glands were swelling rapidly. The aching soreness was enough to make anyone collapse in a groan.
Only the few people who had played against Li Zi on the volleyball court were secretly marveling at how her spikes today had made their hands go numb.
***
“Brother, just go back and rest for a bit, or go to the hospital to get patched up, alright?”
“Sister Li Zi won’t be out of school for a long time. What’s the use of you waiting there now?”
Liu Yan was pleading earnestly over the phone, practically ready to bow down to his elder brother.
He had just finished a fight with some people, and without a word, he had charged forward like he didn't value his life, not even bothering to defend against the opponent’s hidden blades.
This version of Li Zhenting had disappeared for many years, only to suddenly resurface.
After winning, he hadn't said a word. He just hopped on his motorcycle and left, as if the blood dripping from his body didn't belong to him at all.
“Mind your own business.”
Li Zhenting hung up impatiently. He pulled a wet wipe from his motorcycle bag and wiped the grime off his face while looking in the rearview mirror.
He wanted to wait for Li Zi to finish school, but he didn't want her to see his wretched state.
He hadn't slept well in a long time. Every night, his mind was filled with Li Zi’s smile from that night, followed by her subsequent coldness. Even though his underdeveloped brain turned the thoughts over and over every night, he couldn't find a reason.
He could only assume that Li Zi was tired of him, bored, and finally no longer wanted to associate with someone like him.
This self-realization gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake. With every bit of self-loathing, the snake spat out another drop of venom, making his heart tighten and ache.
Li Zhenting was almost beginning to feel a sense of resentment toward Li Zi. Why had she taken the initiative to provoke him before, only to abandon him now?
Just as he had fallen deep into this dream, even beginning to harbor beautiful fantasies, she had suddenly kicked him awake.
He wanted so badly to rush up, pull out the girl who so easily influenced his emotions, and question her loudly, blame her… and beg her.
*What exactly did I do wrong? Can you tell me?*
*Can you give me one more chance?*
He tightened his jaw and looked toward the white teaching building. From this spot, he could see Li Zi’s classroom, and with just one glance, he caught sight of that figure.
Without needing to think, he knew it was Li Zi.
It was the figure he yearned for day and night.
“Li Zi, why?”
He murmured softly to himself, as if afraid of disturbing someone.
The wounds all over his body were screaming for attention, yet combined, they weren't as thick as the sour ache in his chest at this moment.
***
[Sister Li Zi, I hope this message isn't disturbing you? I know your studies are very intense right now, so I hesitated for a long time before messaging you.]
[I don't know what's been going on between you and Brother Li lately, but could you please talk to him? He’s been too impulsive recently, looking for fights like he used to, not caring about his life, and he won't get his injuries treated.]
[Could you just say one word to him, tell him to go to the hospital?]
[He’ll probably only listen to you now.]
[Please.]
Late at night, Li Zi sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone.
She had read these few messages over and over again. Her phone battery had dropped by half, but she still hadn't replied.
After a long time, she finally exited the chat with Liu Yan and returned to her contact list, tapping on that familiar avatar—
Then she withdrew.
No wonder he had wrapped himself up so tightly today, in the middle of summer.
She remembered seeing Li Zhenting from the car—long sleeves, long pants, with only half his face visible outside his helmet.
*Why do you always do such stupid things? Can't you be a little smarter and stay away from me?*
The screen went black again.
She finally moved, walking downstairs in her pajamas. She dug a box out from the living room and, passing by Golden’s little room, found it empty as expected.
Carrying the box, she walked into the courtyard. The large Golden Retriever was excitedly sniffing a corner of the wall, its tail wagging vigorously.
Seeing its young mistress come out, it was about to bark happily but was caught by the muzzle: “Shh, don't bark.”
*Don't scare that idiot away.*
She climbed up to the treehouse and looked down at the figure leaning against her house wall.
“Li Zhenting.”
The person with his back to her suddenly trembled. He turned around in disbelief—
The girl he adored was reaching out a hand toward him.
“Come up here.”
***
Li Zhenting drifted back home in a daze, smelling of medicine.
Just as he reached the bottom of his building, his attention was caught by a shop that was still open nearby.
It was a newly opened tattoo parlor.
“Tattoo this on me,” Li Zhenting said, pulling out his phone and pointing at a pattern.
The owner took it and glanced at it. “Oh, a pear blossom? Doesn't quite seem to match your vibe, man.”
“What kind of effect are you looking for?”
“I want it to possess me, to occupy me, to belong to me.”
*Yikes, how mushy. Kids these days.*
The owner felt goosebumps rising, but after sizing up the fine physique before him, a burst of inspiration took over his mind.
Inside the tattoo room.
“Brother, you’ve got so many wounds on you, I’m afraid of infection.”
“Don't worry about it. Just tattoo it.”
Fine then.
The tattoo artist tried his best to work around the wounds, letting his creativity flow onto this athletic body.
Li Zhenting stared straight at the ceiling, his mind filled with the scene of Li Zi applying medicine to him just moments ago.
Li Zi had only spoken that one sentence the entire time. She didn't explain how she knew he was hurt, why she was doing this, or mention their recent distance.
And he, cherishing this moment of surreal warmth, didn't dare say a word, for fear of breaking the dream.
Before these warm sensations could vanish, he wanted to keep them on his body.
No matter the method.
“Done! My craftsmanship is as good as ever!”
Li Zhenting sat up and looked at himself in the mirror. That pear blossom wrapped around his chest, its branches spiraling outward, boldly taking control of his upper body.
“I’m very satisfied.”
*I have you, and you have me.*
***
During the National Day holiday, Li Shian and his wife were still busy away from home and hadn't returned.
Li Zi gave the housekeeper and the driver time off, clearing out the entire house, leaving only herself and the dog.
She was prepared to endure this susceptibility period on her own.
During this time in her past life, she and Li Zhenting had gone to the seaside for a trip. Her susceptibility period had suddenly broken out, and Li Zhenting had no choice but to hide with her in a hotel room.
Without any preparation, without even receiving the auxiliary items issued by the Association, she had trapped him in that room, venting her lack of reason upon him.
As the sun was about to set, Li Zi filled Golden’s automatic feeder with kibble, changed the water, and then locked her bedroom door.
At seven in the evening, the heavy scent of Ink Chrysanthemum exploded, crashing into every corner of the room.
Li Zi finally let out a deep, unbearable groan.
Golden was a dog with exceptionally sensitive hearing. Hearing the sounds from its young mistress’s room, it stopped eating and scratched at the door anxiously.
“Woof! Woof woof!”
It heard not only the low growls of someone in pain but also the ominous sounds of things being smashed and shattered.
This continued until midnight, when it suddenly went quiet.
It heard its young mistress’s voice, as if she were talking to someone.
“Li Zhenting, do you resent me?”
“Brother Ting, don't worry, I will definitely avenge you.”
“None of this is real! Wake up, wake up!”
“How could you possibly die?”
“It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault.”
“Ah—!”
Finally, upon hearing her scream, Golden went frantic, beginning to throw itself against the door, howling, hoping for even the slightest response from inside.
The room went quiet again.
After a long while, a voice suppressed with countless emotions rang out: “Golden?”
“Woof woof woof woof!”
It heard its young mistress give a strange laugh, and then she said: “Good boy, bring him here, okay?”
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 易感期 | Susceptibility Period | The "rut" phase for Alphas in ABO-style settings. |
| 腺体 | Gland | Specifically the scent/pheromone gland. |
| 墨菊 | Ink Chrysanthemum | Li Zi's pheromone scent. |
| 梨花 | Pear Blossom | Tattoo chosen by Li Zhenting; "Pear" (Lí) is a homophone for Li Zi's surname 黎 (Lí). |
| 黎世安 | Li Shian | Li Zi's father. |
