"Hiss... take it easy, would you?" Jiang Wei muttered, sprawled face-down on his dorm bed. His shirt was pulled up high, revealing a lean back where a nasty bruise had begun to swell. Tang Zihe was gently rubbing medicinal oil into the injury. "Next time you decide to do something like that, please consider your own weight. My waist can’t handle another fall like that."
Earlier, Tang Zihe had been unable to brake in time and had lunged straight into his arms. Startled, Jiang Wei had stumbled back several steps before losing his balance entirely, sending them both crashing to the ground. When Jiang Wei’s back hit the earth, it landed right on a stone beneath the tree. He had groaned in pain; even without looking, he knew it would swell up instantly. But more than the pain, he was just relieved no one had been around to see it—otherwise, they would have looked like two absolute idiots.
Feeling incredibly guilty, Tang Zihe had decided to skip another class, and the two of them had headed straight back to Jiang Wei’s dormitory.
"My fault," Tang Zihe said, his eyes downcast as he carefully controlled the pressure of his hands. "If anything like that happens again, feel free to just kip-up and pin me to the ground."
Jiang Wei couldn't help but laugh. "A kip-up? What kind of nonsense is that..."
Seeing that Jiang Wei was perfectly fine—aside from the bruise on his back—Tang Zihe finally felt a delayed sense of relief. The heavy stone that had been crushing his chest for so long finally crumbled into dust, drifting away into the air.
"Your eyes... are they cured?"
"They’re fine. I feel like I could see a star streaking across the sky from a hundred miles away," Jiang Wei said airily, knowing how much Tang Zihe had worried. "Don't worry, it wasn't as serious as you thought. I just needed one injection and I was better."
"But what about you? I heard you got into a fight at school?" Jiang Wei adjusted himself into a more comfortable position, hugging his pillow. "I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Brother Tang. I haven't seen you in a few years, and you've certainly developed a wild streak."
"It was because of you," Tang Zihe said, intentionally applying a bit more pressure. He watched the person on the bed twitch and curl up, shooting him an accusing look. "Gu Renwen admitted he was the one behind it. I couldn't help myself, so I gave him a punch."
"It really was just one punch," Tang Zihe added with a sigh of regret.
Jiang Wei: "..." *What, are you actually feeling victimized now?*
"Still, regardless of the reason, that was my business. I could have just given him a beating myself once I got back," Jiang Wei said, turning his head. He struggled to push himself up, closing the distance between them. Half-kneeling on the bed, he leaned in close to Tang Zihe’s face. "Why were you so angry?"
Tang Zihe had every reason to suspect this guy was doing this on purpose.
Jiang Wei truly lived up to his surname. Like the legendary Grandmaster Jiang, he was simply casting his line, waiting for the fish to bite of its own accord.
And Tang Zihe was the fish circling him, having willingly taken the bait several times already. He had finally waited long enough for the fisherman to pull the hook.
"Because you are the person I hold dearest to my heart. I can't stand to see you suffer even the slightest grievance, nor do I want to see you get hurt at all," Tang Zihe said, raising an eyebrow. He reached out, bracing his hand to Jiang Wei’s left, effectively trapping him in a dominant, semi-enclosed posture. "Do you understand? If not, I can make it even more concise."
A brilliant smile spread across Jiang Wei’s face. He pressed his index finger against Tang Zihe’s slightly parted lips and blinked. "Let me take this opportunity instead."
"I like you."
Even though Tang Zihe had guessed there was a high probability Jiang Wei would accept his confession, having those four crucial words spoken aloud by Jiang Wei himself still hit him with a wave of shock and joy so profound he couldn't quite process it.
Taking advantage of his daze, Jiang Wei looped his arms around Tang Zihe’s neck. With a hint of nervousness, he leaned in and gave him a light, fleeting peck on the lips.
It was green and inexperienced, yet utterly sincere.
By the time Tang Zihe snapped out of it, he felt as though he had lived through a beautiful dream in the span of just a few minutes. A dream so sweet one would only ever want to drown in it.
As if reading his thoughts, Jiang Wei asked with a reddened face, refusing to back down, "Do you feel like your feet are on solid ground now?"
Tang Zihe looked at the person before him.
His face and ears were clearly flushed with shyness, and his eyes were blinking rapidly from nerves, yet he still insisted on putting up this fearless front.
This was his Jiang Wei.
His Omega.
He was heart-wrenchingly cute.
"No," Tang Zihe said, his other hand moving to the back of Jiang Wei’s head, his fingers tangling in the soft hair. "I’ve floated away completely."
He pulled the boy into his arms, gently conquering the already crumbling fortress. He moved skillfully between those lips and teeth, deepening the kiss that Jiang Wei had previously only started as a mere graze.
***
When the two of them returned to the teaching building during the break, it caused quite a stir. Most people instinctively moved a few steps away the moment they saw Tang Zihe, while a small group of students who were on good terms with Jiang Wei looked incredibly excited to see him back.
This group was led by Xia Shan.
"Brother Jiang!!! Waaaah, you're finally back!!!" Xia Shan wailed, preparing to launch himself into Jiang Wei’s arms.
Seeing this, Jiang Wei felt a phantom ache in his waist. He quickly stepped aside to dodge. Tang Zihe was even faster, reaching out and hauling Xia Shan away by the collar.
Even Shen Yannan’s usually stoic expression wavered. He walked over and patted Jiang Wei on the shoulder. "Cured?"
"Completely," Jiang Wei said with a smile. "I can see a star streaking across the sky from a thousand miles away now."
Tang Zihe interjected dryly from the side, "Wasn't it a hundred miles earlier?"
Exposed in front of everyone, Jiang Wei nudged him with his elbow. "It’s just a metaphor. Why are you being so literal?"
As they talked, Jiang Wei slowly walked back to his seat and sat down. He took a deep breath and sighed. "The air in Class One definitely smells better than the hospital."
He didn't lower his voice, prompting a burst of laughter from his classmates.
Everyone carefully avoided the topic of the video. The school website had already scrubbed it clean, and as long as they didn't mention it, Jiang Wei would never have to know.
However, just as the conversation was getting lively, Jiang Wei was unexpectedly called away by Director Shi.
When he knocked and entered the office, Director Shi was alone. Jiang Wei still had no idea why he was there. He hadn't even been at school; surely he couldn't have gotten into trouble already?
"Jiang Wei," Director Shi sighed slowly, a look of deep regret on his face. He gestured for Jiang Wei to sit down. "The school knows that after what happened, you must be feeling very distressed."
If he was talking about what happened last night, then yes, it was distressing—and not just mentally.
"But since it has already happened, there's no way to change it," Director Shi said, sighing again.
If the person sitting across from him weren't his homeroom teacher but a doctor, Jiang Wei felt he would have been ready to start writing his will.
"Of course, you need to keep an open mind. You are an excellent student, and this kind of thing won't have a decisive impact on your future. You should still actively integrate into the collective and get your life back on the right track..."
*Wait...*
Jiang Wei felt like things weren't quite going the way he expected. What was he even talking about? Could it be that his secret relationship had been discovered after only a few hours?
But no matter how many strange thoughts popped into his head, he couldn't find the right moment to ask.
"I have already prepared the paperwork for your move to a new dormitory," Director Shi said apologetically. "Originally, I wanted to give you a relatively independent space to process this privately, but the school truly has no spare single dorms. I noticed you usually get along well with Shen Yannan, so I’ve arranged for you to move into his room."
Because of his psychological condition, Shen Yannan had always lived alone in a large four-person dorm. Now, that dorm was becoming a double.
Hearing this, Jiang Wei finally understood. His identity as an Omega had been discovered.
But something still didn't seem right—he remembered that hiding one's gender was usually grounds for immediate expulsion.
Yet here he was... not only was he not being expelled, there wasn't even a punishment. The school had even moved him to a new dorm quite readily. It seemed like a good thing—the only downside was that he wouldn't be living next door to Tang Zihe anymore.
*No, now is not the time to think about that,* Jiang Wei scolded himself internally, trying to clear his head.
To Director Shi, however, Jiang Wei’s lowered head looked like the reaction of someone who couldn't handle the trauma of having their scars reopened. He felt even more pity. "Your brother told the Dean about this this afternoon. I only just found out myself. What Gu Renwen did was wrong and caused you immense harm. The school is currently discussing his punishment, and I’ll have him apologize to you in person later..."
"This is a critical period in your lives. I hope you can move past this as soon as possible. I believe your future will still be brilliant..."
*No... wait...*
*What on earth is going on?!*
Jiang Wei desperately wanted to reach out a hand to stop Director Shi from talking. The amount of information flooding his brain was about to make it explode; he needed time to figure out what was happening.
"Teacher," Jiang Wei finally couldn't help but interrupt after listening for a while. "I'm sorry, but I’d like to know exactly what my brother said..."
Though Jiang Wei was asking sincerely, Director Shi clearly interpreted it differently. "Don't worry, your brother didn't say much. He just said that the shock from last night was too great, and when you went to the hospital for a full check-up, you discovered you had suddenly differentiated into an Omega. He thought the machine was broken at first, so he took you to another hospital, but the result was the same. He saw that you couldn't handle the secondary shock and were struggling to accept reality, so he’s been trying to counsel you. That’s why he only sent you back to school now..."
Jiang Wei: "..."
In just a few sentences, Jiang Yi had spun a flawless story. Not only did it give Jiang Wei the chance to live his life as his true gender, but it also conveniently painted Jiang Yi as a kind, caring older brother.
If Director Shi weren't sitting right in front of him, Jiang Wei would have stood up and given Jiang Yi a standing ovation for his sheer audacity.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
鲤鱼打挺 | Kip-up / Carp leap | A gymnastic/martial arts move where one springs from a lying position to a standing one.
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 | Grandmaster Jiang's fishing; only those who are willing take the bait | A Chinese idiom referring to Jiang Ziya, meaning to set a trap that people willingly fall into.
施总 | Director Shi / Old Shi | A nickname for the homeroom teacher, using "Zong" (Boss/Director) as a sign of his authority or personality.
尔康手 | Erkang hand | A meme reference to a character reaching out dramatically to stop someone; translated as a desperate gesture.
二次分化 | Secondary differentiation | In ABO settings, the process where a person's second gender (Alpha/Beta/Omega) manifests.
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