Take a Whiff: The Alpha's Hidden Scent | Chapter 29 | Caught in the Rain | Novela.app

“What’s with this damn weather?” Xia Shan muttered, staring in surprise at the window where thunder and rain had suddenly erupted. A few students sitting by the windows were a second too slow to react; they were already sprayed with rainwater by the time they managed to slide the sashes shut. “Have you really made it this far in life without ever seeing a sun shower?” Shen Yannan was actually paying attention for once. He wasn't on his phone or doing anything else, instead listening to the lecture while keeping a watchful eye on Xia Shan’s studies. “I’ve seen them, just never one this intense,” Xia Shan said, his eyes constantly darting toward the outside. “That thunder just now—I thought my head was going to get split open.” “The rain is coming down so hard, and Jiang Wei still isn't back,” Tang Wanbai interjected at the right moment, glancing at Ms. Yang, who was currently lecturing. “It’s been almost half an hour. That’s long enough to be marked for truancy.” Shen Yannan frowned and cast a sidelong glance behind him. Tang Zihe was staring fixedly at the empty seat next to him. It was painfully obvious that he hadn't processed a single word Ms. Yang had said from the podium. He probably hadn't even heard her. Twenty minutes ago, Shen Yannan had subtly asked if he and Jiang Wei had gotten into a fight, only to receive a denial. He tapped his knuckles against Tang Zihe’s desk, successfully drawing the other boy's attention. “As much as I hate to interrupt your pining, I need to confirm one more time,” Shen Yannan said, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Are you sure the two of you didn't have a falling out?” “We didn't.” Tang Zihe kept his eyes on the pen on his desk, avoiding eye contact. “No argument whatsoever?” Shen Yannan pressed. “...No.” Tang Zihe rubbed his temples. Shen Yannan was clearly skeptical of the truthfulness of this conversation. He paused for a few seconds before speaking again. “Fine, I’ll take your word for it for now. But I think it’s obvious that neither of you is in a good state right now. One is sitting in class dazed and lost in thought, and the other is even worse off. I don't think he’s stupid enough to just stand out there in the rain, but I also remember that the empty classrooms in this school are usually locked.” He continued, “I think you two should be more proactive about solving the problem. An apology can be used in all sorts of situations to fix things, and it’ll definitely be more effective than this stalemate you’ve got going on.” Tang Zihe wanted to argue that the situation wasn't exactly how Shen Yannan imagined it, but he knew that even if he explained, the other boy probably wouldn't believe him. Besides, he really did need to apologize for what happened. But the person who was supposed to receive the apology was still nowhere to be found. He could only let out a silent sigh, looking even more dejected. With the atmosphere this heavy, even someone as dense as Xia Shan didn't dare to breathe too loudly. *Brother Jiang! Please come back! This place is falling apart without you!* Perhaps Jiang Wei really did hear his silent plea. When Xia Shan looked up with teary eyes, he saw a figure slowly walking toward the front door of the classroom. He excitedly patted his desk mate, about to say something, but a voice beat him to it. “Sorry, Teacher. I’m late.” Tang Zihe snapped his head up so fast he nearly strained his neck. Standing at the door was someone who looked like a drowned rat. His school uniform was completely soaked, and water was still dripping from the tips of his hair. Fearing that the water would drip onto the desks of the students in the front row, he deliberately shuffled closer to the wall. “Jiang Wei?!” Ms. Yang’s surprise was no less than anyone else’s in the back of the room. “I thought you were just going to skip my class entirely.” Jiang Wei kept his head slightly lowered, at least maintaining a very repentant posture. However, because water was all over his face, he couldn't help but wipe it away with his hand after a few seconds, pushing his wet bangs back. If the situation hadn't been so inappropriate, Tang Wanbai’s instinctive squeal at seeing a handsome guy would have been uncontrollable. Yang Xiangtong, showing great experience, covered her mouth ahead of time. Ms. Yang proved why she was the favorite teacher of the students in Class 1. Not only did she not press Jiang Wei for an explanation on the spot, she didn't even tell him to come to her office after class. It was as if her focus wasn't on the "suspected truancy" at all. Instead, she asked with great concern, “You’re going to catch a cold like that. Do you really not need to go back to the dorms to change first?” Jiang Wei couldn't help but curl his lips into a small smile. He had been prepared to rack his brain for an excuse and take a scolding, but he hadn't expected it to be Ms. Yang’s back-to-back periods. His luck was surprisingly good. He quickly declined, thanked the teacher, and walked back to his seat under the gaze of the entire class. To be honest, the moment he sat down, Jiang Wei truly felt how uncomfortable it was to have his clothes and pants completely soaked. They clung miserably to the chair and his skin. At the same time, there was someone beside him staring at him without blinking, as if they were going to bore a hole through him in the next second. Jiang Wei didn't dare to meet that gaze directly, and only now did he start to regret his bravado. He leaned down and wrung out his pant legs, finding that he could actually squeeze water out of them. *Jiang Wei, did your brain wash away with the rain?! Why didn't you go back to the dorm? Why are you sitting here suffering?!* A tissue was silently handed to him from the side. He instinctively took it and wiped his face. It was only after he finished wiping his hands that he suddenly realized who it was from. Seeing that Jiang Wei’s attention had finally landed on him, Tang Zihe pursed his lips. He took the damp tissue from Jiang Wei’s hand and stuffed a fresh one in. “I’m sorry.” Despite having dismissed Shen Yannan’s advice just moments ago, the words now came out in a low, slightly clumsy mumble, as if his tongue wouldn't quite cooperate. Jiang Wei heard him perfectly clearly; he felt like his hearing had never been sharper. In all the years they had known each other, the number of times Tang Zihe had apologized could be counted on both hands. Startled, Jiang Wei quickly waved his hands in dismissal. But Tang Zihe seemed determined to see it through. “It was my fault.” Jiang Wei froze. This wasn't the first time he had heard Tang Zihe say "I'm sorry," but it was the first time he had heard the words "It was my fault." His heart felt like a tangled mess of emotions he couldn't quite name. After a long silence, just as Tang Zihe was starting to think Shen Yannan had been talking nonsense and the atmosphere was only getting more awkward, Jiang Wei finally spoke. His voice was very soft and sounded a bit muffled. “Does your hand... still hurt?” It was Tang Zihe’s turn to be stunned for a moment. Then, he let out a soft laugh. “It stopped hurting ages ago.” As he spoke, he held his hand out in front of Jiang Wei. Indeed, the redness had faded completely. “That’s... that’s good then.” After saying that, Jiang Wei lowered his head and began rummaging through his things. Tang Zihe glanced at Ms. Yang to make sure she wasn't paying attention to them before leaning over to ask, “What are you looking for?” “My school jacket.” Jiang Wei’s voice sounded normal again, though perhaps because he hadn't quite recovered his strength, his speaking pace was slower than usual. “I’m a bit cold.” “You didn't even bring your jacket to class this morning,” Tang Zihe answered with absolute certainty. “Huh?” Jiang Wei felt like his brain really was waterlogged. His reaction time was sluggish; he blinked and thought for several seconds before he understood what the other boy meant. In those few seconds, Tang Zihe had already pulled off his own school jacket and draped it over Jiang Wei’s head. “Wear mine. It seems the brain cells we saved last time were all drowned in the rain today,” Tang Zihe couldn't help but chuckle again, though he wasn't sure what was so funny. “At least try to save the ones that are left.” Jiang Wei sniffled and let out what sounded like a huff. As he pulled the jacket on, he said slowly, “I wonder... who it was... whose throat... gave out last time.” “If you don't want it, give it back.” Tang Zihe’s expression soured slightly at the mention of that incident. The reason was simple: the irony hit too close to home, and he still hadn't managed to regain his dignity from that embarrassment. “No.” Jiang Wei gave a silly, dazed smile. Then, he wrapped himself up tightly and slumped onto the desk, sniffling again. He really did look quite cold. A few minutes later, the bell rang for the end of class. Ms. Yang remained seated at the podium, showing no intention of asking Jiang Wei for an explanation. She simply smiled as she watched the students of Class 1 wander around, chatting and playing. Jiang Wei sneezed. “Based on my experience, that’s definitely a cold,” Shen Yannan said, turning around to look at them now that it was break time. Seeing that the atmosphere had returned to normal, he spoke up. “I have tissues here.” Xia Shan generously placed an entire pack of tissues on Jiang Wei’s desk. “Use as many as you need, Brother Jiang. I have more in my locker if you run out.” “This is enough. If I go through all of these, my nose will be rubbed raw,” Jiang Wei said with a smile, pulling out a tissue and sneezing again. “Are you really okay?” Having learned his lesson about irony, Tang Zihe was now one hundred percent skeptical about the resilience of the human body. “I think you should go back to the dorm, change, and then come back to class.” “Is that so?” Jiang Wei blew his nose and shook his head. He had finally managed to get his chair warm, and the thought of the wind howling outside the classroom made him really not want to move. “I’ve already caught a cold anyway. Whether it’s serious or not is just how it goes,” he shrugged and slumped back onto the desk. “You guys should be careful though. Don't let me infect you.” “Don't worry, Brother Jiang. I haven't been sick in forever. I can handle it.” Xia Shan patted his chest, displaying a mysterious level of confidence in his immune system. “Yeah, idiots usually don't get sick,” Shen Yannan added nonchalantly from the side. Tang Zihe had no intention of joining that particular topic. He told the two in front to keep their voices down—especially Xia Shan, whose volume could easily reach the entire class if he wasn't careful. Jiang Wei closed his eyes. He felt the voices around him growing fainter, and his breathing gradually steadied. *It’s nice to just rest like this for a bit,* he thought groggily. He realized he might have spoken too soon. His head was starting to ache again. Maybe... he really would have to take a proper leave of absence tomorrow and "skip" a class or two... *** **Glossary**