Take a Whiff: The Alpha's Hidden Scent | Chapter 70 | A Special Birthday Gift | Novela.app

Monday at school was, as expected, the day the exam results were posted. Standing before the rankings on the bulletin board, Jiang Wei found himself uncharacteristically indifferent. Even though he had performed exceptionally well this time, skyrocketing to third in the entire grade, he wasn't even a fraction as happy as he had imagined he would be. This was because Tang Zihe was leaving on the school bus this afternoon for his intensive training camp. They would be apart for nearly a month. "Good luck with the competition," Jiang Wei said, joining Xia Shan and the others to see Tang Zihe off at the school gate, just as they had done for Shen Yannan a few days prior. "If you get cut halfway through and come back early, you’ll be a total flop." What a bizarre parting blessing. Knowing that Jiang Wei was feeling mopey, Tang Zihe couldn't help but chuckle as he reached out to ruffle the boy's hair. After seeing Tang Zihe off, Xia Shan and Jiang Wei—both of whom had lost their deskmates—decided to huddle together. "I wouldn't dare sit in Brother Tang’s seat. If I accidentally leave a scent behind, he’ll kill me when he gets back," Xia Shan said, shrinking his neck back in mock terror. "Where’s your backbone?" Jiang Wei teased, picking up his notebook and taking Shen Yannan’s seat instead. With Tang Zihe gone for training, Jiang Wei felt as though a piece of the puzzle that made up his life—one he had only recently managed to fit into place—had been snatched away again. For the first few days, he felt utterly adrift. He often forgot to eat breakfast in the morning, only realizing how hungry he was during the long break, at which point he would rush down to the campus convenience store to grab some bread. During these moments, he never forgot to message Tang Zihe to ask if he had eaten. "Remember to set your alarm twenty minutes earlier. Skipping breakfast leads to stomach problems and makes it easier to gain weight," Tang Zihe finally said one evening when he had enough time for a phone call. "Be good." "Okay," Jiang Wei whispered, burying himself under his duvet. "I miss you a little." "I miss you a lot," Tang Zihe replied. He seemed to be calling from a corridor, as Jiang Wei could hear the faint sound of the wind through the receiver. "But you have to get up early for class tomorrow. Go to sleep." "Goodnight." "Goodnight." Shortly after the start of December, Jiang Wei and his classmates noticed a significant increase in their workload. Even the usually soft-hearted Ms. Yang began ruthlessly assigning several mock papers a day, which spoke volumes about the gravity of their situation. When people are busy, they tend to push many thoughts to the back of their minds. Jiang Wei seemed to have transformed into the class's newest problem-solving robot, his momentum rivaling that of Tang Zihe during his first two years of high school. Only occasionally, when Xia Shan looked around during evening self-study, would he notice Jiang Wei absentmindedly stabbing his pen at a worksheet. That poor little physics ball labeled "Tang Zihe" had been poked until it was riddled with holes. Most of the time, however, Jiang Wei acted like his usual self, though he would frequently glance at his phone between laughs and conversation. He spent every day waiting for a message from that person. The heavy atmosphere was suddenly broken one day in mid-December. The seniors, struggling in a sea of practice problems, had almost forgotten one of No. 4 High’s major traditions: the "Double Festival Gala." As the name suggested, it was a gala celebrating both Christmas and New Year’s Day together. "This year is the same as previous years. Every class must submit at least one performance. The format is unrestricted, and the school encourages you to sign up enthusiastically to give yourselves a chance to relax," Director Shi said as he handed the event posters and sign-up sheets to Tang Wanbai. "This is your final year at school. I hope you all strive to show your best selves and leave behind a perfect memory of your three years in high school." The remaining work was left entirely to Tang Wanbai. It was only then that Jiang Wei realized she was actually the class Entertainment Representative. However, he didn't think the event had much to do with him. The ones showing high levels of enthusiasm were the girls in the class—and Xia Shan, who had joined them in a heated discussion. His indifferent attitude kept him in the dark about the actual progress of their plans until evening self-study that night. Tang Wanbai sat in Jiang Wei’s original seat and tapped him on the shoulder. Jiang Wei’s right eyelid gave a nervous twitch. "Brother Jiang, have you been busy lately?" Tang Wanbai used a roundabout tactic, testing the waters first. "Aside from doing worksheets every day, I don't have much else to do," Jiang Wei replied with a smile. "What do you mean by busy?" "That’s good then," Tang Wanbai let out a small sigh of relief and said expectantly, "Then, Brother Jiang, do you have time to join our program for the Double Festival Gala? We’re short on people." "Eight girls, and you're still short on people?" Jiang Wei was surprised. With that many people, they could practically perform a full-length skit. "No, no, no. To be precise, we aren't short on people; we’re short on a 'highlight,'" Tang Wanbai sighed, half-acting. "All eight of us are girls. We need a guy to complete the performance with us, otherwise, it’ll lack impact." "And Brother Jiang, you only joined our class in senior year, right? As seniors with no human rights, we already have so few large-scale activities. This gala is basically all we have left," Xia Shan added, clearly in on the plan as he chimed in from the side. "If you want to leave behind deep and beautiful memories with our class, you have to seize this opportunity that’s fallen into your lap!" Jiang Wei’s gaze swept over the two of them. He felt like something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Then let Xia Shan go with me." "No way." "Absolutely not." The two voices answered in unison. This was incredibly suspicious. Jiang Wei narrowed his eyes. "Why not?" Xia Shan: "Because..." While Xia Shan was racking his brain for a reason, Tang Wanbai snatched the opportunity: "Because he’s not handsome enough." Xia Shan’s eyes widened. How could he be backstabbed by his own ally like that?! But he looked at Jiang Wei, then thought about the face he had seen in the dormitory mirror that morning, and couldn't help but feel a bit deflated. Though it was a low blow from an ally, she wasn't exactly wrong. "Since we need a 'highlight' and a 'draw,' it obviously has to be someone good-looking and stunning enough," Tang Wanbai said firmly. "There were originally three boys in our class who met that criteria, but the other two have left our field of vision, so you're the only one left." Of course, even if the other two were here, she wouldn't have the guts to provoke them. With someone as easy-to-talk-to as Jiang Wei around, why would she go looking for trouble with the other two? "In other words," Jiang Wei mused, "it’s not an option for me to refuse?" "Exactly." Tang Wanbai nodded vigorously. "As long as you're willing to perform this program with us, Brother Jiang, you’ll be the reincarnation of the Buddha himself, saving all sentient beings. From now on, Class 1’s windows will be covered with your portraits to show future generations that a legend once walked these halls..." While this was the time for shameless flattery, still... Xia Shan patted Tang Wanbai on the shoulder. *My friend, you’re laying it on a bit too thick.* Jiang Wei’s lip twitched. He felt that this matter was indeed not simple—to drive this classmate to such lengths was a rare sight. "So, what kind of program is it exactly?" Jiang Wei asked cautiously. "Dancing," Tang Wanbai said, as if seeing a glimmer of hope. "If you're willing to come, the center position is reserved just for you!" "What kind of dance? Be specific." Jiang Wei maintained a healthy level of vigilance. "A dance... that’s... quite suitable... for girls to perform," Tang Wanbai stammered. Jiang Wei made a cupped-fist salute. "Farewell." "No, no, no! Brother Jiang, please reconsider!" Tang Wanbai grabbed Jiang Wei’s arm, pleading piteously—she was just two tears away from a full performance. Jiang Wei turned a deaf ear. *** "She asked you to dance?" Tang Zihe couldn't help but laugh over the phone. "Do you even know how to dance?" "I don't," Jiang Wei said, then clicked his tongue. "Are you missing the point on purpose?" As he spoke to Tang Zihe, he counted the days on his fingers. The Double Festival Gala was set for December 30th, which happened to be Tang Zihe’s birthday. This meant... this guy would be back from training just in time to attend the gala and celebrate his birthday. A birthday. That meant he needed to give him a gift. A sudden flash of inspiration hit Jiang Wei. "Tang Zihe," he called out. "Yeah?" "Do you want to see me dance?" Jiang Wei asked bluntly. There was a brief silence on the other end before a reply came: "I’ve never seen you dance before." "So that means you want to see it?" "Mm," another light chuckle came through the phone. "This wouldn't happen to be my birthday gift, would it?" Jiang Wei’s face flushed crimson. "Is that not okay? If you don't like it, I'll get you something else." "No, I like it a lot," Tang Zihe hadn't expected Jiang Wei to actually be thinking along those lines. "I’m honored." "Stop being so fake," Jiang Wei muttered. Even though no one could see him, he still pulled the duvet over his face, his voice sounding muffled. "Goodnight." "Mm, goodnight." Tang Zihe didn't forget to tease him one last time at the end. "Good luck learning the dance." Jiang Wei had never wanted to drag someone through a phone line to beat them up more than he did right now. Consequently, after Tang Wanbai relentlessly pestered him for three days—appearing in every corner of his life to appeal to his reason and emotions—Jiang Wei "reluctantly" agreed. "Great!" Seeing Jiang Wei fill in his name, Tang Wanbai clapped her hands and produced a small notebook out of nowhere. "Now, tell me your shoe size and clothing measurements. I’ll handle ordering the costumes for everyone later." "We need matching costumes?" Jiang Wei was a bit surprised. "Of course. That’s the only way it’ll look good on stage." Tang Wanbai took down Jiang Wei’s data and skipped away, humming a happy tune. Jiang Wei thought about Tang Wanbai’s usual style and realized, a moment too late... that he might have just fallen into a massive trap. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 双旦晚会 | Double Festival Gala | A combined celebration for Christmas and New Year's Day. 文娱委员 | Entertainment Representative | A student officer in charge of arts, culture, and performances for the class. C位 | Center position | The central, most prominent position in a performance group. 施总 | Director Shi | Likely the Grade Director or a high-ranking school administrator. 小杨姐 | Ms. Yang | The students' affectionate name for their teacher, Teacher Yang. 彩虹屁 | Rainbow farts | Internet slang for excessive or hyperbolic flattery/praise.