“Tao Ge, want to take a few laps around the playground later?” After the first class of the afternoon ended, Wang Yuan quickly packed up his backpack and darted to Tao Fengche’s seat.

The parent-teacher meeting was scheduled directly in each classroom, which meant that students needed to clear out the space for the incoming parents.

The bell for the end of the first class rang at 3:10 PM, and the parent-teacher meeting was set to begin at 3:30 PM. The twenty minutes in between was the time for students to leave, class representatives to distribute papers, and class leaders to clean up and arrange the classroom.

However, according to school rules, students had to stay until the official end of school.

In the past, during parent-teacher meetings, students occupying the classrooms either wandered around the campus, went to the library to do homework, or returned to their dorms to catch up on sleep. Some daring ones even sneaked out by climbing over walls.

With Feng Hui watching too closely this time, Tao Fengche considered the idea of sneaking out but quickly discarded it. He nodded in agreement.

Wang Yuan got what he wanted, watching Tao Fengche pack up his backpack while sighing dramatically and complaining, “Tao Ge, I’m really in trouble this time. I knew I would slip back, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad… Almost twenty places down, Tao Ge! I can already picture my dad coming at me with a stick!”

“Why did it have to be a Friday today?! If it weren’t, I could have hidden in the dorm…” Wang Yuan frowned, thinking for a moment, then suddenly slapped his palm. “Hey, why don’t I just come over to your place for a couple of days and say you needed me for something?”

You might avoid a small problem, but can you avoid a big one?

Tao Fengche wanted to burst Wang Yuan’s unrealistic bubble but didn’t feel like arguing. He simply nodded in agreement.

Wang Yuan: “?!”

Wang Yuan’s endless chatter was cut off by Tao Fengche’s flat “okay.” He stared blankly for a second, finally realizing something was off. He cautiously approached Tao Fengche and asked, “What’s wrong, Tao Ge? Are you in a bad mood?”

Tao Fengche glanced at him, forced a strained smile, and said, “I’m okay.”

…Do you think I’m blind?

That is not an “okay” face!

Wang Yuan yelled in his heart, but seeing Tao Fengche’s expression, he kept quiet and just patted him on the shoulder.

Tao Fengche felt his shoulder sink and wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start. He decided to pretend he didn’t see anything and focused on organizing his textbooks.

He wasn’t intentionally giving his friend the cold shoulder. In fact, ever since talking with Feng Hui yesterday afternoon, he had been in a particularly bad mood.

The Tao family’s official business had piled up, and when he got home, he didn’t see Sui Yuesheng’s figure. After asking Xu Song, he got the expected answer that “Young Master Sui is still working late and has social engagements tonight, so he won’t be home for dinner.”

He ate alone, finding no taste in his meal. He thought about calling or texting Sui Yuesheng with some good news but stopped midway.

…Maybe I shouldn’t send it after all? Anyway, my brother will get the school notification in a few days. Bringing it up directly might interrupt his work and seem a bit childish.

It would be like asking for praise.

Tao Fengche thought this and put his phone away, returning to his room alone.

With two days of exams and no classes starting, there was no homework to do. Tao Fengche took out his textbook to browse but, despite intending to review, found the material didn’t register in his mind. He stared at the dark screen for a while but lacked the motivation to play games.

He sat at his desk for a long time, eventually closing the textbook, changing his shoes, and going to the practice field.

Over an hour later, he entered the shower room, drenched in sweat, quickly rinsed off, and went back to the main house, stopping by the kitchen to heat up some milk.

While waiting for the milk to boil, Tao Fengche remembered Sui Yuesheng hadn’t arrived home yet. He thought for a moment, instructed the chef to put the milk in the fridge, and to reheat it when Sui Yuesheng got home.

Having completed everything he needed to do, he had nothing else on his plate. After standing at the stairs for a long time, struggling internally, he finally gave in and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

Although Sui Yuesheng was now in charge of the Tao family, he hadn’t moved into the master bedroom but stayed in the room he lived in during his youth.

Since Tao Zhixing’s death, the bedroom reserved for the Tao family head had been vacant for nearly four months. Despite no one living there, the servants had kept it clean, so there was no dust when Tao Fengche opened the door.

On the contrary, the room was spotless, the furniture and items were in their places, and even the books Tao Zhixing had been reading were still on the bedside. Everything looked just as it did when Tao Zhixing was alive. Yet, to Tao Fengche, it felt like a show room.

Luxurious, tidy, yet devoid of life. He didn’t even have the courage to step inside. He hastily closed the door as if sealing away a piece of dusty memory.

The study was the same—those extremely valuable antiques Tao Zhixing had brought back from the auction were nowhere to be seen, probably put into storage. The documents on the desk were categorized according to Sui Yuesheng’s habit, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the desk. At the sight of them, Tao Fengche could imagine how Sui Yuesheng looked wearing them.

In less than six months, Tao Zhixing’s presence in the home had faded more and more. It was probably the same in the Tao family.

…Will there be a day when all traces of the old man disappear completely, as if he never existed?

Tao Fengche suddenly felt an indescribable panic and helplessness.

He closed the door and ran downstairs quickly, as if fleeing from a nightmare. Xu Song, who was giving instructions to the servants, looked at him in surprise. Tao Fengche took a deep breath and hid his complex emotions.

He then informed Xu Song about the parent-teacher meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

“Understood, Young Master. I’ll be there on time.” Xu Song nodded in acknowledgment.

With the matter resolved perfectly, Tao Fengche no longer had to worry about any embarrassing situations with no one showing up. Xu Song, who had handled parent-teacher meetings for years, would not make any mistakes. Yet Tao Fengche’s mood did not improve. Instead, it worsened with the approach of the meeting.

Wang Yuan’s gaze was filled with concern and worry. Although Tao Fengche could scoff at Feng Hui, he couldn’t ignore such genuine concern from his friend. He placed the prepared notebook and pen on the desk and took a deep breath.

“I’m really fine…”

Wang Yuan’s face was full of disbelief. Tao Fengche, under his stare for three seconds, finally surrendered, “Alright, I didn’t sleep well last night.”

He told a lie, but Wang Yuan, who was always naive and trusting, didn’t notice anything wrong.

“Oh, I see. Then you should sleep a bit more today.” Wang Yuan suddenly realized and then exclaimed, “Hey, how come the holiday went by so fast? It’s like it was over in the blink of an eye. School has started for several days, and every morning when I open my eyes in the dorm, it feels like I’ve died once…”

Tao Fengche, carrying his backpack, walked out of the classroom with Wang Yuan, listening to Wang Yuan’s constant chattering. In just a short time, Wang Yuan’s topic had already shifted to a couple he saw breaking up at the bottom of the dorm building last night.

Many people, including Yan Yi, were very curious about why Tao Fengche chose to be friends with someone as carefree as Wang Yuan for so many years. However, many times, Tao Fengche felt that Wang Yuan was always the one giving in their relationship.

Just like now, from Wang Yuan’s energetic complaints, Tao Fengche found a lot of comfort.

Parents had already started arriving at the school, and apart from the senior students with backpacks going down the stairs, there were also a few parents heading up against the current. Both were alphas, and with their naturally keen senses, they inevitably heard all the gossiping whispers.

Betas and omegas gathered in small groups, and among them, there were also quite a few alphas. They chattered excitedly about the same person.

“Did you see? Did you see?”

“I saw him! The one wearing sunglasses, right? Really handsome, like a star, but I didn’t smell his pheromones, so he should be a beta, right?”

“Damn, you actually went up close to sniff him! Are you shameless or what!”

“If you’re brave, you go sniff too!”

“Stop arguing, stop arguing. I don’t think he’s handsome; I think he’s pretty. How can a beta look like that? I think I’m done for!”

“Done for? You should lose some weight first! You’re an alpha, and you’re not even as tall as that beta. Standing next to him, don’t you feel ashamed?”

“I’m still growing…”

Wang Yuan eavesdropped for a while, sneered disdainfully, and lamented, “Oh my god, isn’t this a parent-teacher meeting? Aren’t all these people here parents? They’d rather look at a beta with kids than look at a quality single alpha like me?!”

Wang Yuan made a self-pitying expression, but Tao Fengche was too preoccupied to pay attention to his antics or indulge him.

His heart raced like a drum.

There were so many good-looking betas, some of whom even attended the parent-teacher meeting, and he hadn’t even followed Sui Yuesheng to talk about the meeting, so the chance that they were discussing him was incredibly low.

But… what if?

What if it was really him?

Rationality kept ringing alarms, but that faint hope was like a spark on dry grass, bursting into a towering flame, rapidly spreading.

Tao Fengche scolded himself for his whimsical thinking, but he stopped his steps going down and turned around, sprinting up the stairs.

“Tao Ge?! Tao Ge?! Where are you going?! Did you forget something?!”

Wang Yuan’s calls came from behind, but Tao Fengche discarded both his reason and self-control along with them.

He dashed up the stairs, reaching the corridor of the senior class (1). As he took the final step, he bent down and rested on his slightly aching knees.

He ignored the astonished looks from other students and the murmurs about his outburst. He didn’t even have time to catch his breath before he raised his head, expectantly looking forward—

This time, luck was finally on his side.

Sui Yuesheng was standing expressionlessly at the entrance of the classroom, slightly raising his head to check the door plate, as if confirming if he had come to the right place.

He was dressed casually, wearing a silk shirt with a good drape, pure black jeans hugging his long legs, sunglasses on his face, and a jade ring on his thumb. He looked nothing like the president of the Tao family or its head, but like a college student.

No, college students wouldn’t have such a mesmerizing face.

The betas and omegas who were just discovering their feelings weren’t exaggerating. He was really as beautiful as a star, born to be the center of attention, like a poppy swaying in the wind. Even though you know it’s dangerous, you can’t help but want to reach out and touch it.

But at the same time, you also know it’s not something you can possess.

Tao Fengche was momentarily deprived of both language and action, just watching Sui Yuesheng look over, remove his sunglasses, and walk toward him with a smile on his lips.

In an instant, the ice and snow melted.

“Why did you run so fast?” Sui Yuesheng asked. “Did you bring a tissue?”

Tao Fengche opened his mouth to answer but couldn’t make a sound.

A stranger omega in the corridor timely handed over a pack of tissues. Sui Yuesheng took them with a nod of thanks. The omega blushed and waved his hands repeatedly, and Sui Yuesheng took a tissue and wiped the sweat slightly spilling from Tao Fengche’s forehead.

His movements were awkward, and he applied too much force, making Tao Fengche’s face sore from the roughness. However, he stood still, obediently letting Sui Yuesheng handle his face.

“All done.” Sui Yuesheng withdrew his hand, took a good look, and was quite satisfied.

Tao Fengche finally regained his ability to speak, feeling inexplicably aggrieved. He took a deep breath and murmured, “…Why are you here?”

What, am I not allowed to come?

Sui Yuesheng raised an eyebrow, almost ready to retort and tease him a bit, saying that if he didn’t want to see him, he could leave. But seeing Tao Fengche’s current expression and those pitiful eyes, he couldn’t bear to tease him.

He sighed silently, reached out, and pinched Tao Fengche’s face. “I’m your guardian, of course, I have to come.”

Tsk, Tao Fengche had grown up, and his face was so much less fleshy than before. The feeling was so different from when he was younger. Sui Yuesheng retracted his hand with some regret, reminiscing about the feeling from ten years ago.

…So, he’s just a guardian, huh.

A small sense of disappointment quietly emerged. Tao Fengche stood up straight and nodded at Sui Yuesheng.

“Oh.”

He used a single syllable to vaguely express his dissatisfaction.

Tao Fengche would never know how foolish and adorable he looked in Sui Yuesheng’s eyes now.

The young man thought he was hiding his feelings well, but in reality, he couldn’t conceal them at all. His feelings overflowed from his eyes, and in front of this person, even his IQ seemed to drop, making him appear foolish.

Sui Yuesheng even saw Tao Fengche’s non-existent tail—just moments ago, it was wagging as if it could take off, but now it was drooping sadly, looking extremely pitiful.

But he’s still so young. He doesn’t really know what genuine affection is.

He… he just hasn’t figured out the distance between familial love and romantic love. He’s merely projecting his feelings onto him after losing his father.

When Tao Fengche sees a broader world, he will realize how laughable his current feelings are, even feeling ashamed and not daring to face him.

By then, Tao Fengche will be grateful that he didn’t realize this misplaced affection.

So Sui Yuesheng could continue to pretend not to know.

Sui Yuesheng’s heart was clear as a mirror, but he couldn’t resist Tao Fengche’s gaze. In the end, he reached out and ruffled Tao Fengche’s head.

But he only indulged for a moment. Realizing it, his expression stiffened, and his suspended hand paused, immediately thinking of withdrawing.

There were students all around in the school, and Tao Fengche was an alpha who cared a lot about his pride. He probably wouldn’t like being ruffled like this. It would be troublesome if he got embarrassed and sulked later.

Sui Yuesheng was a bit anxious, but the next moment, he saw Tao Fengche subtly stretch his neck, moving toward his hand as if to keep him there or urge him to continue.

…Tsk.

Sui Yuesheng couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

This little brat, how old is he to still be acting spoiled? It’s against the rules!

Where’s that aggressive attitude you had before? Why are you suddenly so obedient?

He grumbled internally, but his actions were gentle and opposite to his thoughts. He placed his hand back and patted Tao Fengche’s head again.

Then he received a barely noticeable nudge from the young alpha, feeling the soft hair brushing against his palm, tickling slightly.

Sui Yuesheng’s heart trembled, and his other hand, which was hanging by his side, tightened slightly.