Take a Whiff: The Alpha's Hidden Scent | Chapter 25 | The Fool Beside Me | Novela.app

Despite Jiang Wei’s repeated verbal protests, he eventually ended up obediently sprawled across Tang Zihe’s back. Even though there were hardly any people on the street, Jiang Wei still felt that being carried like this as an 1.8-meter-tall guy was a bit of a blow to his dignity. Consequently, he tightened his arms around the other’s neck and buried his head against Tang Zihe’s shoulder. The faint scent of tea—Tang Zihe’s pheromones—wafted from the school jacket. It wasn't irritating at all; in fact, it gave him a fleeting, pleasant illusion of comfort. Jiang Wei took another sniff. Tang Zihe let out a soft chuckle. "What are you hiding for?" "It’s not like anyone would care even if they saw us. We don’t know them. Where is this sudden burst of shyness coming from?" "I remember being carried by you once, too. Consider this me returning the favor. We’ve both lost face now, so we’re even." His tone was no different from someone coaxing a child, but it left Jiang Wei momentarily stunned. Once upon a time... During the summer break of seventh grade, Mrs. Tang had completely ignored the mountain of homework assigned by the school and dragged the two of them along for a four-person trip to the beaches of Hawaii. On the day they went to see the ocean, Jiang Wei had been forced to wake up early with Tang Zihe. After putting on his swimming trunks, he had frantically applied sunscreen to every inch of exposed skin, looking as if he wanted to smear on eight layers, determined to finish the entire bottle in one go. It took a full half-hour of lathering before the two of them finally threw on thin sun-protection shirts and dashed toward the first ocean they had ever seen in their lives. Jiang Wei had always been the type who couldn't sit still, possessing boundless enthusiasm and expectations for everything. The two of them spent every second they could on various attractions—some sitting, some standing—until their legs were weak. Just as they were planning to rest and play in the sand, Jiang Wei suddenly announced he wanted coconut water. Tang Zihe was too lazy to move at the time, so he let the other boy run off while he stood by the shore, quietly kicking at the water and treading on the sand. He didn't particularly like looking down. Even if there was nothing specific to catch his eye, his gaze tended to wander within his horizontal line of sight. Thus, when Jiang Wei returned holding two cups of coconut water, what he saw was Tang Zihe’s ramrod-straight back. Looking in the direction Tang Zihe was facing, the only things that might attract a normal person’s attention were a few women in bikinis nearby. Jiang Wei felt he understood the situation then, but he couldn't resist sneaking up behind the other boy. He blew a puff of air onto Tang Zihe’s earlobe and, as the other turned around, flashed a smile as bright as a star. Startled by the bizarre, close-up expression, Tang Zihe took a step back. Before he could steady himself, he landed right on his backside in the ocean, nearly knocking over the coconut water Jiang Wei was holding out—at least, that was how Jiang Wei always remembered it. Unfortunately, the way he fell was awkward. His left ankle swelled up visibly. He insisted he was fine with the stubbornness of a dead duck, but he couldn't walk at all. In the end, Jiang Wei had to carry him, staggering all the way back to the hotel. Throughout the journey, Jiang Wei complained incessantly about how Tang Zihe looked thin but wasn't light at all, lamenting that his poor waist was about to snap. Back then, Tang Zihe had pulled the hood of his sun-protection shirt over his head and buried his face in Jiang Wei’s shoulder, looking as if he wanted to dig a hole and vanish the very next second. Jiang Wei had teased Tang Zihe about that incident for at least a year. It was a pity the autumn school uniforms didn't have hoods. "How can you walk so steadily? Am I not heavy?" Jiang Wei lifted his head slightly and asked curiously. "You're not," Tang Zihe said, even giving him a little bounce as if to confirm it. Jiang Wei’s arms tightened in fright. "After all..." "You're also an Alpha who exercises regularly. Got it, say no more," Jiang Wei cut him off, preempting his line. Tang Zihe laughed. Neither of them spoke after that. The only sound in their ears was the occasional whistle of the wind rushing past. Jiang Wei stood outside the pharmacy, watching the young lady at the counter lead Tang Zihe inside to pick out supplies. Eventually, Tang Zihe emerged carrying a small, bulging bag. Jiang Wei took the bag, and then climbed back onto Tang Zihe’s back, feeling much less self-conscious than he had at the start. "You bought this much?" Jiang Wei lifted the bag to eye level. "We won't use it all, will we?" "The rest will stay in the dorm as backup," Tang Zihe huffed. He had already considered it when buying—given this guy's current frequency of getting injured, it was better to be safe than sorry. Jiang Wei sighed, "Ah... how thoughtful." When they returned to the back wall, Jiang Wei successfully scaled it under Tang Zihe’s watchful gaze—a gaze that looked ready to catch a paralyzed patient at any moment. Tang Zihe didn't intend to carry Jiang Wei all the way back to the dorms. Looking at the number of people on the track, they estimated that evening self-study had already ended. Jiang Wei didn't think there was anything wrong with that. In a place like school where there were eyes everywhere, even a display of brotherly affection had to be kept low-key. After all, there was still that high-ranking "CP thread" pinned to the top of the school forum. They didn't run into anyone on the way into the dormitory building and slipped into Jiang Wei’s room smoothly. "What are you coming in for?" Jiang Wei asked as he closed the door. "I'm afraid you'll be too soft on yourself. I'm here to play the villain." Tang Zihe pointed at the bag in Jiang Wei’s hand. Jiang Wei: "...Fine." So, he sat obediently on the edge of the bed. Tang Zihe, having no objections, sat on the floor. He fished several items out of the bag, tucked two cotton swabs between his fingers, and twisted open the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Perhaps the silence made the atmosphere feel a bit strained. Whenever the alcohol touched the wound, the person in front of him would involuntarily flinch. Tang Zihe frowned, trying to distract him. "Why were you in such a hurry back then?" He looked up into Jiang Wei’s eyes, his hands never stopping. A needle-like prick of pain seemed to bloom in his own heart, but his voice remained helpless. "Do you trust me that little?" "Who told you to... *hiss*... insist on eating wontons right then? You acted like it was your last bowl ever. Scared me to death." Jiang Wei sucked in a breath of cold air as he spoke. Tang Zihe kept his head down, but the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably. Speaking of the scene earlier, Jiang Wei replayed it in his mind and actually found something worth scrutinizing. "But... with your memory, you didn't learn that set of fighting moves from me tonight, did you? When did you learn them?" Tang Zihe’s movements paused. He set down the cotton swab and picked up the gauze nearby, wrapping it carefully twice. Seeing this, Jiang Wei knew he had hit the mark. He laughed and shook his leg. "Silence and avoidance won't work on me. Come on, tell me." Tang Zihe patted Jiang Wei’s knee, telling him to stay still and stop moving. Only after Jiang Wei’s restless energy settled down over the next ten seconds did Tang Zihe slowly nod in admission. "Yes, I learned them from you." Jiang Wei blinked. He hadn't expected the other to admit it so readily. "Years ago, a certain fool told me that if anyone bullied me, he would stand up for me. But he said I had to watch from the side—watch more, learn more. He said he might not be able to stay with me forever, and if we ever parted ways, I at least wouldn't end up as a little crybaby who only knows how to shed tears." If one were to trace this incident back, it would probably go all the way to their elementary school days. Tang Zihe had been somewhat pampered by his parents. Combined with his good looks and excellent grades, he easily became a target for jealous children. He had no experience handling such things and hadn't even formed a complete concept of the words "school bullying." Whether his backpack was thrown out of the classroom by students from another class during PE or he was pushed while walking alone, he would just keep it all inside without a word. Though Jiang Wei was young then, he was observant. Once, during PE, he made up an excuse and dragged Tang Zihe back to the classroom early, just in time to witness several boys from the same grade throwing Tang Zihe’s bag out. Without a word, he rolled up his sleeves and gave the group a beating. After pinning them down and forcing them to apologize to Tang Zihe, he patted Tang Zihe’s shoulder and whispered. "Listen up. From now on, no matter who bullies you, you can call me to stand up for you. Don't keep it bottled up all day. What if you get sick from it?" Jiang Wei looked at the red marks on his hands from the fight, thought for a few seconds, and added, "But if I stand up for you, you definitely have to watch from the side. Learn a bit from my cool, heroic side. If there ever comes a day when I can't be by your side, you at least won't be like you are now—a little crybaby who only knows how to shed tears." The spark of touched emotion in Tang Zihe’s heart was instantly extinguished by those last few words. Just as he was about to argue, Jiang Wei pursed his lips and muttered softly. "It makes a guy worry." Six simple words made all his arguments stick in his throat, unable to be uttered. *Did you know back then that such a day would come? Is that why you left... vanished without any warning, without leaving even a single word?* Tang Zihe wanted to ask, but Jiang Wei interrupted him first. He seemed to have finally realized something, asking with a serious face, "Wait a minute, who are you calling a fool?" Tang Zihe: "..." The fool was actually by my side all along. "Damn." Jiang Wei, having finally reacted, grabbed Tang Zihe, intending to make him face the consequences of insulting him to his face. Just then, an untimely knock sounded at the door. Jiang Wei reflexively stood up to open it. Tang Zihe was also ready to head back to his own dorm, so he took a few quick steps and pulled the door open. "Brother Jiang..." The voice outside cut off abruptly the moment the visitor saw who opened the door. Jiang Wei poked his head out from behind Tang Zihe and glanced at Xia Shan, who was standing at the door like a statue. "I'm here. What's up?" Xia Shan’s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them as he stammered incoherently, "I... no, it's you... no, it's both of you..." Jiang Wei clicked his tongue. "Nothing violating school rules happened in my dorm just now. Can you straighten your tongue before you speak?" "No, no..." Xia Shan waved his hands frantically, but judging by the way his shoulders relaxed, he had definitely misunderstood something just now. "I came to... to notify the two of you." "The two of you were caught skipping evening self-study. Remember to go to the office to see Boss Shi tomorrow." Tang Zihe: "..." Jiang Wei: "..." "That's all. Goodnight, you two." Having delivered the message, Xia Shan was desperate to slip away. "Goodnight my foot," Tang Zihe clicked his tongue this time. "I'm going back to my dorm too." Xia Shan’s expression went blank for a few seconds. He glanced at Jiang Wei standing behind Tang Zihe, then slowly said, "Oh... right." This guy clearly didn't believe a word of what was just said! Dammit. Tang Zihe looked back at Jiang Wei and chuckled. *What are you laughing at?* Jiang Wei waved his hand weakly. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 施总 | Boss Shi | A nickname for a teacher (likely the headteacher or dean). 小哭包 | Little crybaby | An affectionate or teasing term for someone who cries easily. CP楼 | CP thread | A discussion thread on a forum dedicated to "shipping" two people as a couple. 初一 | Seventh grade | The first year of junior high school in China.