After entering the third year of high school, everything seemed to change.

The once kind and gentle teachers suddenly took on a stricter demeanor overnight. Now, one was harsher than the next, no longer tolerating students who dozed off in class. If they caught anyone, they immediately dragged them to the back of the classroom to stand as punishment. Their new mantra became: “Work hard for one year, enjoy happiness for a lifetime,” repeatedly emphasizing the importance of the senior year, especially the first semester.

But among them, the most extreme was undoubtedly Feng Hui.

Perhaps because it was her first time teaching a graduating class, Feng Hui was on high alert. On the very first morning of class, she carried a huge countdown board into the classroom and nailed it beside the blackboard. She required Tang Wanxin to update the countdown number every morning upon arriving at school. Along with several other teachers, she increased the homework load and even extended her grasp over elective subjects like music and art.

Under such pressure, everyone groaned in despair. Wang Yuan was buried under homework and barely had time to play basketball. He repeatedly tried to persuade Tao Fengche to join him in rebellion, but Tao Fengche ruthlessly refused.

— After all, for Tao Fengche, things didn’t seem all that different.

Sui Yuesheng was busy with work and had only taken him to school on the first day. After that, Tao Fengche continued commuting in the familiar Maybach S600 Pullman Guard. At lunchtime, he ate in the cafeteria with Wang Yuan, then returned home to finish his homework before heading downstairs to exercise, often preparing warm milk for Sui Yuesheng afterward.

If Sui Yuesheng was home, Tao Fengche would say goodnight before bed. If not, he would go to bed alone. On weekends, he went to the shooting range. His life was very regular.

… But there was still a difference.

Excluding the Qixi Festival when Sui Yuesheng was away on business, this was Sui Yuesheng’s first traditional Kyushu holiday since returning, making it particularly important. Even ten years ago, the two hadn’t celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival together—Sui Yuesheng had arrived at the Tao family’s home on a snowy night in early December, leaving by the following year’s Awakening of Insects.

Because of this, Tao Fengche cared deeply and was filled with anticipation.

A week before the festival, he visited the kitchen to finalize the mooncake flavors with the head chef. He even instructed Xu Song to buy a variety of salted egg yolk pastries from several old pastry shops in Jingpu. Additionally, he had the servants clean the gazebo in the ancestral home’s courtyard in preparation for moon-watching with Sui Yuesheng on the day of the festival.

But just as everything was ready, something went wrong.

On the Saturday before the Mid-Autumn Festival, after leaving the martial arts field, Tao Fengche passed by the family’s wine cellar. While checking the wine, he unexpectedly found that they were running low on osmanthus wine.

Tao Fengche rarely drank, only having a few sips with his father, Tao Zhixing, when the mood struck. Even then, it was just a small taste.

But Tao Zhixing loved wine and had an old-fashioned style, placing great emphasis on seasonal traditions. Under his influence, Tao Fengche had adopted some of these customs—one being that September was the time to enjoy osmanthus wine.

Since Tao Zhixing’s passing, Tao Fengche had never raised a glass of wine. After much thought, he couldn’t remember which winery made the best, sweetest osmanthus wine. The question lingered in his mind even as he sat down for dinner with Sui Yuesheng.

… Maybe he should just ask Uncle Xu to place the usual order, then sample it himself before the festival.

After making his decision, Tao Fengche felt relieved. He casually shared some school anecdotes with Sui Yuesheng, who listened and nodded. But then Sui Yuesheng abruptly changed the subject.

“The student you mentioned earlier, Wang Yuan, is he the one I saw on the basketball court a few days ago?”

Tao Fengche’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of Sui Yuesheng’s intentions, and nodded warily.

— There was no connection between Sui Yuesheng and Wang Yuan. How could he still remember him after more than a week?

“Uncle Xu mentioned to me that you’ve known each other since elementary school and have been close all these years?”

Tao Fengche nodded again.

“I ran into his father at a meeting the other day. He wants to have dinner with me. Do you want to come along?”

That was essentially asking if the business meeting should be turned into a more personal family dinner.

“Wang Yuan is an old friend. His family is in manufacturing and has no business ties with Tao Corporation. Uncle Wang probably isn’t looking to discuss work over dinner.” Tao Fengche spoke slowly, then suddenly smiled. “I don’t mind going, but I bet Wang Yuan would love it.”

Sui Yuesheng raised an eyebrow slightly, “Why’s that?”

“He’s a boarding student, stuck at school. The teachers have been really strict lately. He says he’s almost sick of studying and is desperate for a break.”

“How about after your monthly exam?”

“That works.” Tao Fengche quipped, “If you really want to save him, you should plan it for the day the exam results are released. You might save him from a scolding.”

Sui Yuesheng chuckled but didn’t join in teasing his friend. However, he took the suggestion to heart.

Since they were already talking about Wang Yuan, Sui Yuesheng asked Tao Fengche to share some stories about their past together. As Tao Fengche animatedly recounted an experience of watching a terrible movie at the cinema, Sui Yuesheng’s phone suddenly rang.

“Isn’t today the weekend? Who’s calling so late? Can’t they let us finish dinner?” Tao Fengche paused and pouted, his tone playful and affectionate.

Sui Yuesheng, clearly charmed, sighed helplessly, “I can’t help it. That’s just how work is.”

Tao Fengche still looked displeased. Sui Yuesheng reached out and patted his head, “I’ll be right back after this call.”

Tao Fengche reluctantly nodded, and only then did Sui Yuesheng answer the phone.

The voice on the other end was quiet and fast, and even with Tao Fengche’s sharp hearing, he could only catch a few scattered words. He watched as Sui Yuesheng’s expression gradually turned serious, his lips tightening into a thin line. Suddenly, he stood up.

The heavy redwood chair scraped sharply across the floor, and Tao Fengche instinctively gripped his chopsticks. But Sui Yuesheng didn’t even blink, his face stern: “Take the team there. I’ll be there soon.”

Something had happened.

Tao Fengche’s heart sank with a sense of foreboding.

As expected, after hanging up, Sui Yuesheng instructed Xu Song to prepare the car and hurried upstairs.

By the time he came back down, he had changed into a black suit, perfectly pressed with not a single wrinkle. His cufflinks and tie matched, and the jade ring on his thumb gleamed, its vibrant green almost piercing.

Sui Yuesheng looked stunning in this outfit, but all Tao Fengche could think was that once again, he had wrapped himself in impenetrable armor.

Tao Fengche lost his appetite. He stood up, ready to follow Sui Yuesheng to the door—after all, Sui Yuesheng hadn’t eaten much, and if he was going to be busy all night, he should at least take something with him to avoid a stomach ache later.

But before he could voice his concerns, Sui Yuesheng, standing on the porch steps, was engrossed in giving instructions to the bodyguards. There was no room for interruption.

Tao Fengche could only stand silently, listening as Sui Yuesheng rearranged the household’s security and added more personnel. Just as Tao Fengche was about to speak, Sui Yuesheng turned toward him.

“Xiao Che, I have to go out. Stay home and don’t leave the house unless absolutely necessary.”

“Okay, but do you—”

The Karlmann King SUV roared up, coming to a sudden stop under the porch. Tao Fengche didn’t even have time to finish his sentence before Sui Yuesheng gave him a quick nod, serving as a farewell, and then disappeared into the car.

His gray hair traced a graceful arc in the night sky before being swallowed by the dark vehicle, which then vanished into the endless night.

Tao Fengche stood where he was, staring at the exhaust fumes hanging in the air, momentarily dazed.

He blinked, as if still processing what had happened, and after a few moments, he lowered his head, scuffing the floor with his toe, as if suddenly fascinated by the tiles on the porch.

The main house’s heating had been on, so while indoors, wearing a short-sleeve shirt hadn’t bothered him. But now, standing at the entrance, the chilly autumn breeze swept in, raising goosebumps on his bare arms.

Tao Fengche remained indifferent, while the servants exchanged glances, none daring to speak up. Finally, Xu Song cautiously approached and softly advised, “Young Master, it’s cold outside. You should go back in, or at least put on a jacket.”

“Shall I fetch you a coat?”

Tao Fengche was silent for a long while. After a pause, he gave a barely perceptible nod, then shook his head.

He finally tore his gaze away from the ground and squinted into the deep night, looking at the increased number of bodyguards stationed in the courtyard, letting out a quiet sigh.

“I’m going back inside.”

The food on the dining table had gone cold. Tao Fengche declined Xu Song’s offer to have the kitchen prepare a fresh meal and mechanically shoveled the cold leftovers into his mouth, his mind elsewhere.

… During the phone call Sui Yuesheng had just taken, Tao Fengche had caught a few scattered words, one of which was “hospital.”

Something had happened that required Sui Yuesheng to rush out in the middle of the night. But not only did Sui Yuesheng refuse to let him go along, he didn’t even want him to know what had happened. Sui Yuesheng only asked him to stay home and not cause any trouble, then left alone to face whatever chaos awaited outside.

But Tao Fengche was raised to be the heir of the Tao family. He was an alpha, not a delicate flower in a greenhouse, and he didn’t need such tight protection from Sui Yuesheng, an omega.

He liked Sui Yuesheng. He wanted to stand by his side, to protect him. But Sui Yuesheng wouldn’t allow it.

Sui Yuesheng wouldn’t even let him be informed.

The wave of frustration and helplessness that swept over Tao Fengche was overwhelming, as if he were drowning, suffocating, full of resentment but unsure whom to blame.

Should he hate the age difference between himself and Sui Yuesheng?

Hate Sui Yuesheng’s protective instincts?

Or… hate that Tao Zhixing died too early, leaving him in Sui Yuesheng’s care?

None of it made sense. Tao Fengche looked around helplessly, unsure what to be angry at anymore. In the end, all he could do was blame himself.

It was all because he wasn’t strong enough, not mature enough. In Sui Yuesheng’s eyes, he was still just a child who needed protecting, unable to earn the equal footing he craved.

Tao Fengche set down his chopsticks. He could no longer eat.

Bodyguards with guns moved swiftly through the house, securing every position. Although they kept their footsteps quiet, the sounds still echoed in the empty rooms, especially noticeable to Tao Fengche, whose senses were particularly sharp as an alpha.

He frowned, watching them for a while. Since Tao Zhixing’s funeral, this was the first time they had been stationed in the main house to stand guard.

What had happened to warrant such precautions?

Had there been a violent clash with the Red Gang? Was some big shot shot and rushed to the hospital?

Tao Fengche couldn’t figure it out, and the more he thought, the more frustrated he became. After sitting in the dining room for a while, he finally stood up, went to his room to grab a coat, and headed to the front door, only to be stopped by a bodyguard.

“Young Master, are you going out?” The two bodyguards at the entrance subtly blocked the door.

Tao Fengche chuckled. “I’m not going out. I just felt a little restless and wanted to head to the shooting range.”

“Times are tense right now. It would be better for you to stay in the house, Young Master. The brothers are all on guard here, so it’s safer,” one of the bodyguards said, keeping his head down, his tone polite but leaving no room for negotiation. “If you want to exercise, the gym is enough. If you need sparring partners, I can call a couple of brothers over right now.”

“If you want to practice shooting, the basement should suffice. If you agree, I’ll have the brothers set it up right away.”

Their attitude was humble, but the message was clear: Tao Fengche was not to leave the house.

Tao Fengche was stunned. He never imagined that he would be stopped from leaving, let alone blocked by his own bodyguards. The whole situation was so absurd that he almost found it funny. But as he stared at them for a moment longer, he was shocked to realize they were serious.

Tao Fengche’s breath caught, and he narrowed his eyes, taking a few steps back as he sized them up, silently calculating his chances of fighting them. He said calmly, “What if I insist? Sui Yuesheng only told you not to let me leave the yard, right? The shooting range is inside the yard.”

“This is all on Mr. Sui’s orders. Please, Young Master, don’t make things difficult for us. But if you really insist…” One of the bodyguards slowly reached for his back, right in front of Tao Fengche. “Then we’ll have no choice but to offend you. Once Mr. Sui returns, you can deal with us as you see fit.”

Tao Fengche followed his movements and couldn’t believe what he saw.

—It was a specially designed tranquilizer gun from the research institute, the same model he had used a while back to threaten Liu Tianlei.