The entire birthday party was like walking on thin ice for Pei Jiang, so after dinner, he didn’t make any effort to ask anyone to stay. Naturally, Jiang She didn’t want to linger in the place either.

Chu Xingning wasn’t a fool—if he and Pei Jiang displayed any familiarity beyond that of strangers, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. The web of lies Pei Jiang had spun was not something Jiang She intended to get tangled up in.

When the time seemed right, Jiang She gave Chu Tao’s waist a slight nudge.

Chu Tao quickly understood the hint and said to Chu Xingning, “Ge, Jiang She and I will head out now. You two enjoy yourselves.”

Chu Xingning was puzzled. “Why don’t we all leave together?”

Chu Tao hesitated. It made sense for him to leave with Chu Xingning so as not to raise suspicions with their parents. Splitting up now would likely mean one of them waiting outside for the other later.

But Jiang She nudged him again, this time with more urgency, leaving Chu Tao no time to deliberate.

Blurted out, Chu Tao said, “I just want to take a walk with Jiang She—haven’t been to Central Park in a while.”

Chu Xingning seemed to understand. “Ah, you two are going on a date, huh? Then go ahead—we don’t want to be third wheels.”

Chu Tao smiled, tacitly agreeing with the implication.

Soon, he and Jiang She were fully dressed, carrying a few desserts that Chu Xingning insisted they take, and quickly left Pei Jiang’s apartment.

Out in the hallway, the sixth floor was still shrouded in darkness, with the air damp and stiflingly cool.

This was an old housing area, after all, with an inescapable heaviness of life etched into the atmosphere.

Jiang She stomped his foot once, and the sound caused the lights on the fifth floor to flicker on. In the dim glow, his eyes caught the chipped paint on the railings.

The green paint was patchy, revealing faint blue traces of the iron pipes underneath.

Chu Tao glanced back at the door to Pei Jiang’s apartment. From inside, muffled sounds of Pei Jiang laughing and playfully bantering with Chu Xingning could be heard, creating a warm, cheerful ambiance.

It wasn’t as if the day had been completely fruitless for Chu Tao.

He had gotten a clear look at Pei Jiang—adorable, brimming with charm, and easily likable.

Pei Jiang spoke with a sense of decorum, carried himself with poise, and didn’t resemble an unruly child who had never seen the world.

From what his brother had shared, Pei Jiang ranked first in his school and was incredibly disciplined. Even without his mother around, he hadn’t let himself fall into chaos.

Noticing that Chu Tao seemed lost in thought, Jiang She spoke softly, “The spring couplets are freshly pasted, the furniture is newly replaced. Other than the apartment’s age, there isn’t a single sign of long-term living here.”

Chu Tao, somewhat distracted, replied casually, “Yeah, I caught the scent of new furniture too. They should ventilate more; it’s not good for health otherwise.”

Jiang She fell silent for a few seconds.

“He doesn’t live here. Once your brother leaves, he’ll go back to his own house.”

With that, Jiang She grabbed Chu Tao’s hand and led him downstairs.

The motion-sensor light reached its timer and abruptly went out just as they stepped off the landing.

In the sudden darkness, Chu Tao froze, disbelief etched across his face as he turned to look at Jiang She.

Even in the pitch black, Jiang She could feel the intensity of Chu Tao’s gaze.

He stomped his foot again, triggering the fifth-floor light to flicker back on.

Chu Tao blurted out, “So you really do know him!”

Jiang She sighed, exasperated. “Yeah, I know him. Pei Jiang is my cousin. He doesn’t share his parents’ surname—this one comes from my grandmother.”

Chu Tao recalled Jiang She mentioning a cousin back when they were at the hot spring resort.

“Pei Jiang is the son of actress Shen Lan?”

Jiang She nodded. “That’s right. Which is why he doesn’t live here. My aunt is often away filming and rarely comes home. Pei Jiang lives alone in the riverside villa.”

Chu Tao frowned, his chest tightening as if stuffed with cotton. “Then why would he set up an apartment here?”

Jiang She shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure what he’s thinking, but he probably told your brother some lie early on—something about being a poor student who needed study materials or tutoring. That lie spiraled out of control, and now he has to keep up the act.”

Chu Tao’s chest felt even heavier.

The thought that behind all of Pei Jiang’s sweet interactions with his brother lay a foundation of deceit was something Chu Tao found deeply unsettling.

Jiang She led Chu Tao further downstairs at an unhurried pace.

“Lying about his family background is a small matter. The real issue is that his personality isn’t what he’s been showing today. He’s very good at pretending to be the type of person elders love, but around people who don’t matter, his true nature comes out.”

“True nature?”

“Just imagine the opposite of how he was acting today—that’s probably closer to his real self.”

Chu Tao clenched his fists, his heart racing with unease.

If Pei Jiang’s real personality was the complete opposite, then it was nothing like what his brother adored. This entire relationship had been a carefully crafted illusion from the start.

Finally, they reached the ground floor. The air was crisp, streetlights cast a silvery glow, and the distant noise of the park carried faintly through the air.

Jiang She’s tone was calm as he continued, “From an outsider’s perspective, I wouldn’t recommend your brother be with Pei Jiang. Maybe Pei Jiang can keep up this act while he likes your brother, but the moment he grows tired of it, he’ll toss him aside without a second thought. The drastic change in his behavior might be something your brother won’t be able to handle.”

Chu Tao’s nails dug into his palms, his lips pressed tightly together until they turned pale. “If that’s the case, I absolutely can’t let my brother stay with him.”

Jiang She turned back to look at Chu Tao. “There’s one more thing. You once told me your brother prefers Omegas, but Pei Jiang isn’t an Omega. He’s known for a long time that he’ll differentiate as an Alpha.”

Chu Tao froze, muttering, “An Alpha? But differentiation doesn’t always match what someone predicts.”

After all, his and Chu Xingning’s cases were the perfect examples—Chu Tao had expected to become an Omega but ended up an Alpha. Chu Xingning had wanted to be an Alpha but was differentiated as an Omega.

Jiang She shook his head. “That’s not the point. What matters is that he lied to your brother, making him think he would become an Omega.”

Chu Tao’s heart sank like a stone.

Indeed, his brother had always disliked Alphas—their dominant possessiveness and the sense of helplessness that came with being controlled by pheromones.

If his brother found out that Pei Jiang was an Alpha, he would undoubtedly lose his mind.

Pei Jiang was terrifying—so young, yet already adept at manipulating people in the palm of his hand.

The unattainable Chu Xingning, admired by everyone from childhood, had fallen for him at first sight.

Jiang She gently pried open Chu Tao’s clenched fingers to stop him from digging into his palms.

“But this is something I can only share with you. My position doesn’t allow me to meddle in others’ relationships.”

Chu Tao took a deep breath, gradually calming down.

Learning that his brother had been deceived from the start made him furious, but could he tell Chu Xingning about all this now?

The third mock exam, crucial for college preparation, was right around the corner. Following that, the most important event—the college entrance exam.

In this critical period, Chu Xingning couldn’t afford any emotional setbacks.

Everything had to wait. After the exams, Chu Tao was determined to tell his brother immediately and make him stay far away from Pei Jiang.

Jiang She understood exactly what Chu Tao was thinking.

“After the college entrance exams, right?”

Chu Tao nodded. “I can’t let him jeopardize my brother’s performance. But won’t Pei Jiang hold a grudge against you for telling me all this? Didn’t you say his mom is kind to you, and you’re family?”

Jiang She smirked. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Nothing else matters as much as this.”

Chu Tao puffed out his cheeks, then mumbled a shy “Oh.”

The two left the residential complex, crossed the road via a zebra crossing, went through a small alley, and entered the park from the side.

Although it was late, the pleasant weather and lack of mosquitoes meant that many people were still lingering in the park.

In the plaza, a group of elderly people were dancing ballroom routines to lively music.

Chu Tao, who rarely had time for such leisurely outings, couldn’t help but glance over at the dancers.

Jiang She raised an eyebrow. “Want to give it a try?”

Chu Tao snapped out of it and quickly shook his head. “No, no.”

He had never learned to dance and wasn’t confident in his ability.

Still, his body was quite flexible, thanks to years of taekwondo training with stretches and leg exercises.

“Come on, give it a shot. I’ll teach you,” Jiang She said, grabbing his hand and leading him closer to the plaza.

Chu Tao quickly pulled back. “No, I don’t want to dance.”

Most of the dancers were male-female pairs, and two Alphas like them would stand out too much.

Jiang She leaned closer, his breath brushing Chu Tao’s ear. “Don’t worry. No one here knows you. If it’s embarrassing, we’ll just run away.”

Chu Tao bit his cheek, chuckling despite himself. “That’s such a convincing argument.”

Seizing the opportunity, Jiang She hooked his arm around Chu Tao’s waist, clasped his hand with the other, and drew him in close.

“Just follow my lead. You’re smart; you’ll pick it up in no time.”

Pressed against Jiang She’s chest, Chu Tao looked up, close enough to see every detail of Jiang She’s eyelashes.

The last time they were this close, they had ended up kissing—intense and far from gentle, often leaving both with swollen lips.

Especially after Friday tutoring sessions, Chu Tao would rush home, trying not to draw attention to his swollen lips. He’d ice them discreetly, all the while enduring Jiang She’s teasing laughter.

Chu Tao curled his tongue and mumbled, “Why do I have to do the female steps?”

Jiang She chuckled softly, his voice low and teasing, “Well, once you’ve learned, I’ll switch to the female steps.”

Chu Tao nodded seriously. “Okay!”

Suddenly, Jiang She leaned down quickly and kissed Chu Tao on the lips.

Chu Tao’s lips softened, and he couldn’t help but stick out his tongue and lick them. “Why did you kiss me?”

Jiang She said with a straight face, “It’s just etiquette. When you do the male steps, I’ll kiss you back.”

Chu Tao: “……”

He didn’t believe that the elderly people in the plaza were kissing each other before dancing.

But he wouldn’t call him out on it, since it wasn’t like he hadn’t been missing Jiang She’s touch for a while now.