Nian Li Hua’s class ended before the mid-term exams.

During the last class, he patted Chu Tao’s shoulder and said seriously, “Keep it up, you’ll be fine.”

Then, he turned to Jiang She and added, “I noticed that having a classmate by your side to supervise you has really boosted your study efficiency. When you go back, make sure to do more problems. If you increase the volume of practice, your grades will improve significantly.”

Jiang She smiled helplessly at this, tapping his fingers on the desk, with each finger landing on the edge of the paper.

The paper was lifted slightly by his palm, then dropped back down.

“Teacher, I don’t have such high expectations of myself.”

Doing more problems? Two hours of homework was already torture for him. Since he was young, when had he ever put so much effort into studying?

Nian Li Hua was both angry and amused, scolding him lightly, “You’re studying with someone, and by the time they go to Tsinghua or Peking University, what will you do if you can’t even make the cut-off for a top-tier university?”

Nian Li Hua wasn’t trying to provoke Jiang She. He knew Jiang She wouldn’t get upset over such a trivial comment, so he made the joke casually before leaving.

Since Nian Li Hua didn’t teach their year, once the course was over, the chances of them meeting again were slim.

He preferred to turn this faint sense of reluctance into a joke, giving them both a lighthearted farewell.

Chu Tao shook his head with a smile, using correction fluid to erase a wrong chemical formula.

He was completely focused on his notes, unaware of the changes happening around him.

But the smile on Jiang She’s face gradually faded.

He suddenly realized a very practical issue.

Chu Tao was definitely going to aim for the best schools. Regardless of whether he would get in, at least the goal was clear.

But what about him?

In a little over a year, he would graduate from high school, and after graduation, everyone would go their separate ways.

Just like the joke his classmates made—“After high school graduation, we’ll break up, and in college, flowers bloom everywhere.”

How many couples, whose pheromones matched perfectly in high school, were in passionate relationships, only to find that after failing to get into the same university, they each found someone else?

Perhaps the pheromone match wasn’t that strong, but they were close in proximity.

A flash of gloom passed through Jiang She’s eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

It was the last class, so there should be a small farewell ritual.

Coincidentally, none of them had eaten much, after two hours of intense brainwork, they were all hungry.

Nian Li Hua suggested they go out for a bite, since the community was very close to the campus, with plenty of barbecue and hot pot places around.

Jiang She glanced at Chu Tao and explained, “He’s not coming, he has to go home.”

Chu Tao looked up, paused for a moment, then his expression became more resolute, “I’m fine. I’ll just tell my brother.”

Jiang She raised an eyebrow, “Alright, I know a good barbecue place, it’s not far.”

That evening, Chu Tao didn’t go home on time. Instead, he went with Nian Li Hua and Jiang She to a barbecue restaurant.

The restaurant wasn’t upscale; there were two charcoal grills set up outside, with sparks occasionally flying up. The meat skewers sizzling on the grills filled the air with a smoky aroma that was carried away by the electric fan, drifting far into the distance.

The interior was simple, with tables pushed close together, offering no privacy. Even the chairs were the cheapest ones, some of them even a little dingy.

Though the decor was minimalist and down-to-earth, the place was bustling. People were chatting, clinking glasses, and the staff was busy, sweating from the rush.

Jiang She carelessly pulled up a chair and offered it to Nian Li Hua, saying, “It doesn’t look very clean, but I’ve never had a problem, and the taste is really good. It’s always packed.”

Chu Tao also grabbed a seat next to Nian Li Hua.

He rarely ate out.

Song Mian always felt that restaurant food was made with gutter oil, rat meat, and the vegetables weren’t even washed.

If it weren’t for the time saved eating at the school cafeteria, Song Mian would rather let them bring their own meals.

Chu Tao pulled out a piece of paper and silently wiped the table.

After a few swipes, he lifted the paper and saw faint oil stains.

Chu Tao: “…”

He nonchalantly tossed the paper into the trash and pretended he hadn’t seen anything.

The waiter quickly brought over a sticky menu. The prices were standard market prices, with all the popular skewers available.

Nian Li Hua cheerfully said, “Order whatever you like, don’t be polite.”

Jiang She didn’t hold back at all. He had slipped the waiter some money when they entered, and the remaining amount would be refunded after the meal.

He ordered over a hundred skewers, along with grilled mackerel and spicy stir-fried clams.

His gaze moved down to the drink section. Jiang She hesitated for a moment before looking at Nian Li Hua, “Teacher, would you like to have some alcohol?”

Eating barbecue without alcohol felt a little dull.

Nian Li Hua was an old drinker. He wanted to drink, but he felt it wasn’t quite right to drink with two kids.

“How about some drinks instead?”

Chu Tao, understanding Nian Li Hua’s desire for alcohol, immediately said to Jiang She, “Let’s go with alcohol. Everyone can have a drink, and beer isn’t that strong.”

Jiang She was surprised, “You’ve drunk before?”

He didn’t mind; he had drunk alcohol the day they had the meal with Jiang Qifeng.

Chu Tao actually hadn’t drunk much. To be precise, he had only taken a few sips, found it unpleasant, and gave up.

But he thought it wasn’t that bad—just a little unpleasant, like any other drink.

“Yeah, I’ve drunk before. Don’t worry about me, let’s just have the alcohol.”

Jiang She raised an eyebrow and marked “3” under the beer section.

Three bottles; if that wasn’t enough, they’d order more.

Nian Li Hua was still a bit hesitant, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re still underage.”

Jiang She smiled casually, “You saw it that day, didn’t you? My dad didn’t stop me from drinking.”

The skewers and beer arrived quickly. The yellow, greasy meat skewers piled into small mountains, and the aroma of cumin and chili wafted through the air.

Jiang She handed Chu Tao a lamb skewer, “Try it, it’s really good.”

Chu Tao lowered his gaze slightly, took it, and carefully wrapped the skewer with a napkin. He opened his mouth obediently and took a bite.

It was a bit hot, but the rich aroma of the grilled meat immediately spread across his taste buds.

The meat was neither dry nor greasy, juicy, and perfectly elastic.

He quickly finished one skewer, licked his lips, which had been stained with oil, and gave Jiang She a thumbs up. “Delicious.”

Nian Li Hua had already eaten five or six skewers. “Yeah, really good. Next time we can bring the teachers from different year grade here to hang out.”

After eating for a while, they had managed to fill their stomachs. The beer was opened, and the three of them clinked their bottles and took a big gulp.

Chu Tao hesitated a bit before drinking. The foam from the beer touched his tongue. It was a little spicy, with a bitterness he couldn’t quite describe.

It really didn’t taste good, but he could still manage to get it down.

However, he didn’t drink much. By the end, he had only consumed half a bottle, and the rest was drunk by Jiang She.

At first, he felt a bit embarrassed because he had also drunk at the bottle’s mouth.

But Jiang She didn’t mind at all. He just took the bottle and also drink into the same bottle’s mouth as Chu Tao.

Chu Tao raised his slightly flushed eyes and stared at Jiang She’s prominent Adam’s apple.

As Jiang She swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and under the white fluorescent light, Jiang She’s neck looked long and fair, with his pulse steadily throbbing.

He wanted to touch it.

Chu Tao froze for a moment before quickly shaking his head fiercely.

He felt a little dizzy, unsure if it was the alcohol or if the continuous noise in the place had muddled his head.

After drinking, Nian Li Hua became a bit sentimental. He said emotionally, “I hope you all have a bright future, not just the college entrance exam, but your futures as well. Chu Tao has always been an outstanding student, diligent, hardworking, meticulous, very suited for research work, to enter a research institute. And Jiang She, I have to say I have a much better impression of you now. I’ve heard quite a few rumors about you at school. To be honest, when I first came, I was definitely influenced by your father’s reputation. But later, I found out you aren’t as bad as the rumors suggested.”

“You’re actually a pretty good kid, it’s just that many people don’t know it.”

After finishing the meal, Nian Li Hua planned to take a taxi to send them home, but Chu Tao and Jiang She refused.

Seeing that they were still sober, Nian Li Hua didn’t insist and went home by himself.

After saying goodbye on the roadside, a cool breeze blew through the air, carrying the scent of an unknown flower, refreshing and intoxicating.

Chu Tao’s eyes were red, the aftereffect of the alcohol finally kicking in.

But he didn’t think he was drunk; his mind was still clear, and he knew exactly what he was doing.

However, he clearly felt a bit more energetic, wanting to jump, bounce, and sing.

The willow branches above his head rustled, tangled together, and occasionally a leaf loosened, falling down, landing right on Chu Tao’s collar.

The leaf was slightly cool, with a fresh, delicate scent. The jagged edges of the leaf scratched Chu Tao’s skin, making it itch.

Jiang She, noticing this, immediately raised his hand to remove the leaf from Chu Tao’s collar.

It was impossible not to touch his skin.

The skin near his collarbone was soft, warm from the youth’s body, and Jiang She couldn’t help but linger there, touching it.

He swallowed, his finger resting on Chu Tao’s collarbone, murmuring, “I want to hug you.”

Jiang She felt that the beer wouldn’t get the better of him, but this request didn’t sound like something he would say when sober.

Chu Tao, being such a shy and reserved person, would surely be startled and shrink away at such words.

Jiang She regretted it a little.

But Chu Tao only looked up at him in confusion, his thick lashes curled, his peach blossom eyes warm and watery, softly muttering, “I want to hug you too.”

Controlled by alcohol, his thoughts short-circuited for a moment, and instinctively, his heart spoke the truth of his desires.

The need to touch the other person became harder and harder to resist, something he found difficult to control even when sober, let alone when drunk.

Alphas, by nature, have strong desires and abundant energy, and both of them happened to be Alphas.

Jiang She thought that if he didn’t act a little more beastly now, he might as well become a monk in a Shaolin temple.

He pulled Chu Tao into his arms, his hands freely caressing Chu Tao’s waist and back.

Chu Tao was very thin, but felt good to the touch, and since he was slightly shorter, he fit perfectly in Jiang She’s embrace.

Chu Tao’s needs were being satisfied for the first time so fully. He trembled with excitement, his fingers instinctively clutching Jiang She’s clothes.

The two stood under an unknown willow tree, silently embracing, clearly feeling each other’s heartbeats.

Tears of satisfaction welled up in the corners of Chu Tao’s eyes. He rested his chin on Jiang She’s shoulder, sniffing and murmuring, “What does your pheromone smell like?”

As a refined second-generation rich kid, Jiang She’s pheromones naturally smelled fresh and pleasant. Otherwise, so many Omegas wouldn’t be drawn to him.

But before he could answer, Chu Tao muttered to himself, “Barbecue flavor, how unique.”

Jiang She: “…”