It was late at night, and everything was quiet.

Chu Tao locked himself in his room and sent an email to the old professor.

He described in detail the growing feelings he had for Jiang She, including his acceptance of Jiang She’s pheromones.

This situation was quite strange because, according to popular belief, alpha pheromones should clash with each other and cause discomfort for both parties.

However, his pheromones seemed to be immune to Jiang She’s, or one could say, simply ignored it.

The cells responsible for eliminating foreign pheromones assumed Jiang She’s pheromones were harmless and stopped attacking him.

At first, the rejection was slightly slow. By the time the cells realized what was happening, they would release a large amount of pheromones to resist the foreign scent. But as their intimate interactions increased, his body’s adaptability became stronger, and recently, even without spraying suppressants, he no longer felt any rejection toward Jiang She.

He explained the compatibility of his pheromones with those of Jiang She and Su Jingtong. However, this matter was still one-sided from Su Jingtong’s perspective, and he didn’t yet have permission to investigate it. For things he was uncertain about, he expressed his cautious attitude, hoping the old professor would inform him if any discoveries were made.

After sending the email, Chu Tao hunched his back and laid his head on the desk, sleeping for a while.

It wasn’t until the cold of the night woke him up that he groggily opened his eyes, his tears streaming from the harsh light of the desk lamp.

Glancing at the clock, it was already 4 AM.

His body ached, and his damp hair had dried completely at some point, now messy and shapeless.

He turned over and collapsed onto the bed, wrapping himself in the blanket.

The next morning, Song Mian knocked on the door, calling for him to get up and eat.

Chu Tao rarely slept in. He always got up earlier than his older brother, Chu Xingning, and would even drag Chu Xingning out of bed in the past.

But today, for the first time, the whole family was up, except for him.

At first, Song Mian thought Chu Tao had been studying too hard recently and wanted to sleep a little longer. But after waiting for a while with no response, he realized that if Chu Tao didn’t get up soon, he would be late for school.

“Tao Tao, Tao Tao, wake up, it’s almost 8 o’clock!”

Normally, they would leave before 7, and still have at least an hour for self-study.

Song Mian began knocking gently, then gradually increased the noise.

Since the class division, Chu Tao had started locking his door and even took the spare key from home. Now, this bedroom could only be opened by him.

Chu Xingning had already finished eating and frowned as he leaned by the door, listening closely to the sounds inside.

“Chu Tao?”

Song Mian, feeling uneasy, whispered to Chu Xingning: “Do you think he’s upset because I didn’t allow him to be with that Omega? Is he sad, like Shen Hongfang?”

Song Mian was worried that Chu Tao might just be pretending to be strong, but in reality, had already developed feelings for that Omega.

‘If she had to choose between jumping off a building and early romance, she would rather let Chu Tao experience early romance.’

Chu Xingning paused for a second, then immediately shook his head, very certain: “Impossible, he is not like that at all.”

But Chu Xingning had a vague suspicion about who Chu Tao liked.

He just wasn’t sure, because at least in the rumors, their relationship didn’t seem to be very good.

Chu Tao was woken up by the constant knocking on the door. As his consciousness gradually returned, he tiredly opened his eyes.

His eyes felt dry and sore, and his eyelids seemed to be pulled down by something, heavy and unwilling to open.

This feeling was very familiar, and he was sure that his eyes must be full of bloodshot veins right now.

He struggled to turn over, his head pounding with pain.

He glanced at the curtains; the sunlight had turned the dark-colored curtains into a light gray, and the morning sun had shaken off the lingering orange-red hue, hanging high in the sky, its scorching heat seeping into the room through the edges of the bed.

Chu Tao muttered, “I’m up.”

As soon as he spoke, his temples throbbed with pain.

It seemed that he had caught a cold from sleeping at the desk last night.

He had never been this prone to illness before. It was probably because, after entering high school, he often stayed up late, and his immunity had weakened.

Chu Tao reached up to feel his forehead. It didn’t seem hot, so he forced himself to get out of bed.

His legs felt like they weren’t his own—light and unsteady. Even the sensation of stepping on the floor felt unreal, and even the slightest movement of his eyes caused a dull ache.

This feeling seemed to be a fever.

Chu Tao opened the door and immediately saw the concerned expressions of Song Mian and Chu Xingning.

Chu Xingning pointed to his eyes: “They’re full of bloodshot veins. What happened to you?”

Chu Tao weakly blinked his eyes and replied, “I fell asleep at the desk last night. I must’ve caught a cold.”

Song Mian became anxious: “You child, your hair’s still wet, and you slept at the desk right after taking a shower. How could you not get sick!”

Chu Tao didn’t seem to mind much: “It’s fine, Mom, I’ll just wash my face.”

Song Mian turned to the balcony: “I’ll go get you some medicine and take your temperature.”

Chu Tao told Chu Xingning: “Go ahead and go to school. I haven’t gotten ready yet. I’ll tell the homeroom teacher and go a little later.”

Senior year is both stressful and relaxed.

The school and teachers push every student to their limits, but at the same time, they give them the most freedom.

If a student was late in the first or second year of high school, it would be a huge deal, with points deducted, talks, and possibly a home visit from the parents.

But in the third year, students can take time off as they please, especially those with stable grades and a strong desire to study independently.

These students push themselves to the limit, and the teachers trust them completely.

Some students even choose to study at home instead of going to school.

Chu Xingning was still worried about Chu Tao: “It won’t hurt to wait for you, I’m not in a rush.”

Chu Tao shook his head: “I don’t know when I’ll go. Don’t you have cleaning duty today? You’ll be late if you wait.”

Chu Xingning was silent for a moment before finally relenting: “Alright, then message me if you need anything.”

The signal in the third district no longer gets blocked.

Song Mian found a thermometer for Chu Tao, shook it to check the temperature, and handed it to him to place under his arm.

Chu Tao walked to the bathroom, holding the thermometer.

He was wearing an oversized pajama, hunched over, leaning over the sink, splashing his face with cold water repeatedly. It was so cold that he shivered at first.

Song Mian stood in the living room, watching Chu Tao’s back.

Her youngest son, why has he always been so thin?

Even through his pajama, she could almost see his delicate spine. His waist was so thin, without an ounce of excess fat. Even when he bent over, the hem of his pajama rolled up carelessly, and his small belly didn’t protrude much.

She had always assumed that Chu Tao was the strong one, but now, looking at him, how could an Alpha look as lean as he did?

Even Shen Hongfang, who was sick, wasn’t like this.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had really neglected Chu Tao in the past.

Chu Tao didn’t know that Song Mian had so many thoughts while watching him.

After washing his face, he did feel a bit more awake, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes gradually faded.

He took a towel, wiped his face, and pulled out the thermometer. Looking at the reading, it was 38.5°C.

Song Mian quickly grabbed the thermometer and checked it as well: “You really have a fever!”

The thermometer wasn’t very accurate, and since Chu Tao had placed it carelessly, his actual temperature was likely higher than what was measured.

Song Mian brought over the fever-reducing medicine and warm water for Chu Tao: “Take the medicine first, I’ll call your Teacher Yang, and you can go when you’re feeling a bit better.”

But Chu Tao didn’t want to stay home at all; he still wanted to go to school to see Jiang She.

“I’m fine, the medicine will work in a day. Just tell the teacher I’ll be about half an hour late.”

After saying that, Chu Tao took the medicine and returned to his room, collapsing back onto the bed.

As soon as he touched the bed, his headache eased a little.

But he wasn’t feeling sleepy. He just kept his eyes open, waiting for the pill to dissolve.

He picked up his phone and checked his email, but there were no new messages.

Then he turned to the calendar.

Next Friday is Jiang She’s birthday.

He had found out when he was collecting the high school entrance exam registration forms—Jiang She’s birthday is at the end of September.

Chu Tao had always been a very observant person, worried that he might forget, so he had marked it on his phone calendar.

However, he hadn’t figured out what to give Jiang She for his birthday. Jiang She seemed to lack nothing, but also seemed to lack everything.

But the things he lacked were things Chu Tao couldn’t provide.

Chu Tao took a deep breath and sent Jiang She a WeChat message, telling him that he had gotten up late and would probably arrive a bit later.

Song Mian had already called Yang Liu, and Yang Liu had told Chu Tao not to rush and to rest at home for now.

But half an hour later, Chu Tao still got up.

His willpower was always strong, and he wasn’t used to whining and lying in bed because of a minor illness.

Moreover, the fever medicine seemed to be working a little; he felt much better than when he first got up.

Song Mian continued to persuade him: “You don’t need to rush, get more rest, and go when you’re completely better.”

Chu Tao shook his head: “I’ll go to school. It’s boring at home.”

He insisted on getting dressed, packing his bag, and getting ready to leave.

Song Mian realized she couldn’t change Chu Tao’s mind, so she could only watch as he opened the door.

“Tao Tao, take a taxi, don’t ride your bike and catch a cold again.”

“Got it.”

Chu Tao stepped outside and casually took out his car keys.

The starting fare for a taxi in Huai City had already risen to twelve yuan. It only took him about ten minutes to bike to school, so taking a taxi wasn’t worth it.

He pushed open the building door, and the sunlight warmly bathed him.

Compared to midsummer, the air was starting to cool down, and it was at the most comfortable stage.

Chu Tao inhaled the fresh air, basked in the gentle sunlight, and felt at ease.

He got on his bike and rode slowly toward the school.

Halfway there, he sensed that a car was following him.

The high fever had dulled his senses, but the car was following him too openly for him not to notice.

Chu Tao glanced out of the corner of his eye—it was a black Audi with the license plate number RC8888.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and his Adam’s apple tensed.

The owner of such a license plate shouldn’t be interested in a regular student like him.

Chu Tao suddenly braked and stopped at the side of the road, and the Audi also stopped behind him.

He looked around. From his home to the school, it was always a main road, with plenty of passing cars and pedestrians. If someone wanted to rob or harm him on the street, it would be too bold.

Moreover, if the license plate wasn’t fake, the car owner had no reason to rob him.

Soon, the car door opened.

Chu Tao gripped the handlebars tightly, staring at the car door with a hint of hostility.

A middle-aged man in a suit stepped out, slightly overweight but with good proportions that covered the rare flaw.

The man’s face looked somewhat familiar, but Chu Tao couldn’t recall where he had seen him before.

He took a deep breath, feeling a bit dizzy again.

The man walked up to him, sizing him up from head to toe, and forced a stern smile.

“Hello, I’m Jiang She’s father.”

Jiang Qifeng?

Chu Tao paused, finally understanding why he looked familiar.

Jiang Qifeng’s photo was everywhere in the school’s bulletin board, and even among the inspirational quotes on the wall, there was a big portrait of him.

Placed next to quotes from Leo Tolstoy, Bertrand Russell, and Socrates, it seemed almost funny.

“Don’t worry, I mean you no harm. I just want to have a chat. Come with me in the car.”

Chu Tao’s thoughts weren’t quick, his fever affecting his judgment.

Jiang Qifeng was a very mature businessman, and his face gave no hint of emotion.

He wasn’t like Jiang She, so natural and carefree, with clear likes and dislikes, but there were similarities in their features.

Chu Tao locked his bicycle by the roadside and followed Jiang Qifeng to the car.

He was feeling weak, even bending over caused him to break out in cold sweat.

Jiang Qifeng noticed his pale face and assumed he was nervous, thinking to himself that Chu Tao was still just a kid.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to see you come to school alone.”

Chu Tao usually went to school with Chu Xingning, but Jiang Qifeng didn’t want to disturb his family, so he hadn’t shown up until now.

Chu Tao nodded but didn’t look at Jiang Qifeng, instead staring tiredly at the back of the driver’s head.

The real leather seats in the car and the faint smell of gasoline made him feel nauseous.

Jiang Qifeng hadn’t expected Chu Tao to be the silent type. He thought Jiang She would prefer someone lively, someone who could play with him.

But Chu Tao was indeed handsome, with nearly no flaws in his appearance, except that he looked a bit too pale, and his lips were somewhat dry.

“I know you’re with Jiang She now, not just me, but his mother knows too.”

Chu Tao instinctively squeezed his phone, accidentally pressing the power button, causing the screen to light up. It showed a message from Jiang She.

Jiang Qifeng glanced down and saw Chu Tao quickly turn the phone off.

“Jiang She suddenly wanted to catch up on chemistry, it’s probably because of you, right? I asked Teacher Nian, and you’ve been taking extra lessons together.”

Chu Tao responded calmly, “Sorry, I’ll pay you back for the tutoring fees in the future. I really appreciate everything Jiang She has done for me, and I’m also grateful to Teacher Nian for his guidance.”

Jiang Qifeng waved his hand dismissively, “You misunderstood me. I’m not asking for money. That’s nothing. And Jiang She has made so much progress, I should thank you. He’s much better now that he’s hanging out with a good student like you.”

Chu Tao nodded slightly. He understood that Jiang Qifeng wasn’t here just for the tutoring fees.

Jiang Qifeng paused, then intertwined his hands and placed them on his knees, smiling as he looked ahead.

“Since you and Jiang She are together, what is your family’s stand towards your relationship?”

In terms of family background, Jiang Qifeng wasn’t insecure. He didn’t believe anyone would think poorly of Jiang She’s family, especially since once Jiang She started high school, people had already begun arranging blind dates for him.

Chu Tao didn’t want to beat around the bush with Jiang Qifeng. With his current state of mind and energy, he knew he couldn’t deceive Jiang Qifeng, so he was very straightforward: “My family doesn’t approve of early relationships, so I haven’t mentioned it.”

Jiang Qifeng raised his eyebrows, awkwardly touching his nose. “Ah, right.” He had forgotten that Chu Tao’s family probably wasn’t as indifferent as his.

“You and Jiang She are both alphas. If you end up together, you won’t be able to have your own children. Haven’t you ever worried that your family or I, or even his mother, might object?”

Chu Tao finally gave a small, tired smile.

He felt terrible, his stomach constantly churning with acid, and the air conditioning made him dizzy. He felt like he might throw up any second.

He tilted his head back, holding his stomach, and softly replied, “I have an older brother, so the pressure isn’t so much. As for you and Director Shen, if Jiang She respects you both, values your opinions, I might try to win your favor.”

His implied meaning was that Jiang She didn’t care about their opinions, wouldn’t change for them, so why should he worry?

Jiang Qifeng was somewhat surprised.

Chu Tao was more composed and dignified than Jiang Qifeng had imagined. He was unfazed in front of him, even subtly pointing out that they hadn’t shown enough concern for Jiang She.

Jiang Qifeng chuckled lightly. “I know you’ve met his mother, and it might not have been pleasant. She’s unreasonable and has always been harsh with Jiang She. But I’m not like her, and I want you to understand that.”

Chu Tao lowered his gaze slightly, showing no emotion, but his fingers tightened around the fabric of his stomach.

It was getting harder to bear.

Jiang Qifeng signaled the driver. “Take a detour and drop him off where we picked him up.” After giving the instruction, he turned to Chu Tao. “I’m an open-minded person, and I don’t have any objections. As long as Jiang She likes you, I support it. I’m here today to tell you that Jiang She is my only son, and I’ll always support him. If you both want to go to the same university in the future, I can help with that.”

Jiang Qifeng believed that Chu Tao could understand his words.

Jiang She was working so hard because he wanted to attend the same university as Chu Tao, and it was clear where Chu Tao wanted to go.

Jiang Qifeng had asked about Chu Tao’s grades, and although he was on the borderline of the top 2, it wasn’t certain. However, he could get both Jiang She and Chu Tao into the top 2.

The reason was simple—Jiang Qifeng wanted to repair his relationship with Jiang She, and Chu Tao was the most direct way to do that.

Just by arranging for Chu Tao to have Teacher Nian Li Hua, Jiang She’s attitude toward him had improved. If he could get Chu Tao into a prestigious school, that would be even better.

Chu Tao couldn’t hold it in any longer. He opened the car window and stuck his head out, gagging several times.

He hadn’t eaten anything this morning, so he couldn’t throw up, but at least he didn’t actually vomit. If he had, it would have been embarrassing.

Jiang Qifeng: “…” Did I make him feel that nauseous?

After gagging for a moment, Chu Tao pulled his head back, forcing himself to perk up. “Please don’t misunderstand. I have a fever, and my stomach feels terrible.”

Jiang Qifeng: “Oh, you have a fever?”

Chu Tao steadied his breath, quickly replying, “Thank you for your honesty, but I believe in my own abilities, and I hope you can trust in Jiang She’s progress.”

Good students tend to have a bit of pride, and Jiang Qifeng hadn’t expected him to agree immediately.

He didn’t think much of people who were so utilitarian.

But the key was, Chu Tao had a fever.

“We’ll talk about this later. I’ll take you to the hospital. Don’t go to school.”

Chu Tao shook his head, weakly saying, “It’s fine, uncle. I can still hold on.”

But in fact, he had been feeling worse since he got into the car.

He wasn’t sure if the fever medicine had stopped working, but now he felt completely drained. Even if he got to school, he would have to go straight to the infirmary.

He had never had a fever this bad before, and his skin felt burning hot. Even the air conditioning made him feel uncomfortable.

He just hoped Jiang Qifeng would let him off soon. Maybe if he could get some fresh air, he’d feel a bit better.

Jiang Qifeng raised his hand and quickly pressed a few buttons on his phone. “No trouble at all, it’s the least I can do. Just think of me as a regular elder, no need to be polite.”

After saying that, he called Jiang She, not caring whether Jiang She was in class or not.

He rarely contacted Jiang She, and whenever he did, it was for something serious.

Sure enough, after a while, Jiang She answered.

“I’m in class, if you need something, say it quickly.” Jiang She’s response was succinct. Since the last time at the dinner table when Shen Qing and Jiang Qifeng had clashed, Jiang She’s attitude toward both of them had become much colder.

Recently, he had been under Chu Tao’s supervision and had gotten used to staying awake in class.

But today, since Chu Tao hadn’t shown up and hadn’t replied to his messages, Jiang She had been worried for a while, and was unable to concentrate in class.

He had even been thinking about calling Chu Tao, but just then, Jiang Qifeng called.

Jiang Qifeng hastily said, “Ah She, I ran into one of your schoolmates on my way to work. He had a high fever and almost passed out. I had the driver take him into the car to send him to the hospital. I asked and found out his name is Chu Tao. Your mom mentioned him before, and I thought you should know about this.”

Chu Tao: “?”

He turned his head, unable to believe that Jiang Qifeng was making up such nonsense right in front of him, and saying it so nonchalantly.

On the other end of the phone, Jiang She furrowed his brow, clearly anxious. “Chu Tao from Huainan No.1 High? He has a fever?”

Jiang Qifeng glanced at Chu Tao. “Yes, yes, it’s pretty serious. Since it’s related to you, I’ve rescheduled my meeting and am taking him to the hospital first. You don’t need to worry. Dad’s taking care of everything.”

Jiang She was flustered and didn’t have time to think about how strange this situation was. “Thanks, Dad. He’s very important to me.”

Jiang Qifeng smiled. “Of course, if he’s important to my son, he’s important to me.”

Jiang She bit his lip, feeling a little moved. “Dad, send me the address, and I’ll come by when I can.”

Chu Tao: “…”

After hanging up, Jiang Qifeng sighed. “Doing a favor is never easy, even for an old father like me.”