Chapter 25

Lin Si blinked.

???

Lu Wei’s little friend?

When the person saw Lin Si sitting properly, he raised his eyebrows to a level that could be described as pleasantly surprised. “So you’re already here.”

Lin Zisong chuckled, “You sold me out just like that?”

The person didn’t sit on the sofa but dragged a chair over and leaned against it. “You didn’t badmouth me, so what’s there to feel guilty about?”

Pointing at him, Lin Zisong introduced, “This is Lu Nan. He’s here to audition for the role of Yu Yu’s good buddy, Shang Qijing, in the script.”

With that explanation, Lin Si immediately understood who he was.

Shang Qijing was the delinquent who led Yu Yu down the road of no return.

“Your hair…” Lin Zisong asked, “Did you dye it for the role?”

Lu Nan ran his hand through his bright yellow hair and turned to ask Lin Si, “Cool or not?”

Lin Si had just been labeled as “easy to bully,” which clashed with the “Alpha” persona he had carefully maintained in the entertainment industry for years. He couldn’t let that fall apart so easily. Hence, he turned up his cold demeanor by three degrees. “Hmm.”

“Hahaha! I knew you were easy to bully.”

Lin Si: ???

Didn’t you notice my half-lidded eyes…

Was my aloof tone not intimidating enough?

Couldn’t you see the “most Alpha” Lin Si adored by my fans?

Do I really have to imitate Lu Wei for you to feel the oppressive aura of an Alpha?

Lu Nan shoved Lin Zisong aside and sat next to Lin Si. “Your face looks so worn out. Were you the ‘Staying-Up Champion’ last night?”

Lin Si paused. “What’s a ‘Staying-Up Champion’?”

“Ha?!” Lu Nan laughed loudly. “How long has it been since you surfed the internet?”

Lin Si: “…”

“Wait, no way! I actually hit the mark!” Lu Nan laughed even harder. “Oh man, I laughed so much the fried chicken shop might think I’m a runaway chicken and send a cab to catch me!”

Lin Si: “Why would you be a chicken?”

Lin Zisong couldn’t hold it in anymore. He leaned on Lu Nan, laughing together with him, and even Liao Ji was dragged into their laughter.

“He’s got an audition later; don’t mess with him.” Lin Zisong pulled Lu Nan away and patted Lin Si’s shoulder. “Don’t mind him.”

Not long after, the room quieted down again as more people entered. Among them were TV and film actors, most of whom Lin Si had only met briefly at events.

It was still early, and everyone seemed a bit lethargic. After exchanging a few polite words, the room fell into silence until Ye Gaotan rushed in with the assistant director and producer. They turned on the stage lights inside and sent an assistant to notify them that the auditions were about to begin.

Lin Si was the first to go. He took a deep breath, put down the script, and stood up to head inside.

Ye Gaotan waved a hand. “No need for introductions. Let’s try Scene 79. Do you need the script?”

Lin Si’s scalp tightened. Scene 79 was a critical moment: Yu Yu, after using drugs and drunk driving, killed someone in an accident and fled home, only to run into his older brother.

“No need.” Lin Si had practically memorized the lines.

Lin Zisong joined him to act as his scene partner.

From stammering to finally blurting out the truth, Yu Yu’s entire body began to tremble and convulse. He clutched his brother’s sleeve, asking if he’d have to go to jail. His brother gave him no comfort, grabbing him and dragging him toward the police station.

The two fought in the house until their mother opened the door.

When the scene ended, Lin Si climbed up from the floor, his nose dripping with sweat. His chest rose and fell heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

Ye Gaotan’s face remained impassive as he nodded and called Lin Zisong back.

“We’ll let you know if there’s any news,” the assistant director said.

Lin Si wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, his heart pounding like a drum. Yet, he still spoke up, “Director Ye, can I try a scene from Yu Yu’s earlier days?”

Ye Gaotan chuckled. “Who’s testing who here, you or me?”

“I…” Lin Si calmed himself and spoke sincerely. “Director Ye, I know I’m not skilled enough to portray Yu Yu’s later development, but please give me another chance. Let me try again.”

Ye Gaotan flipped through the script. “Alright, which scene do you want to perform?”

Lin Si hadn’t expected such generosity and was momentarily speechless, stumbling over his words.

“Then how about Scene 7?” Ye Gaotan suggested. “The actress playing the brothers’ mother isn’t here, and we don’t have props ready. You’ll have to perform without them.”

Lin Si nodded, dragged a chair over, and sat down. He leaned his head slightly to the side, resting it on the chair, gazing quietly at Ye Gaotan and the others.

Just one look, and he seemed to transform into the innocent child from the story.

It was as if he were leaning on the window of an electric tricycle, looking out.

Lin Zisong read the mother’s lines: “Yu Yu, your brother will be home tonight. Are you happy?”

Ye Gaotan’s face was hard to picture as the mother, and Lin Zisong’s voice didn’t fit the character either. Lin Si blinked once, then closed his eyes. His mind replayed the faces of everyone who had ever indulged him. The first person who came to mind was Liao Ji.

When he opened his eyes again, it wasn’t Liao Ji he envisioned. It was Y.

Y was a hazy figure, pieced together from fragmented memories, standing at the edge of the light and asking him, “Are you happy?”

The voice sounded like it came from a phone speaker, with a faint electronic hum.

Lin Si curved his lips into a small smile and said, “Happy.”

“This is for you. Give it to your brother as a gift tonight.”

Lin Si tilted his head, reached out to accept the wooden spinning top, and said softly, “But my brother never takes the things I give him. He always leaves them in the drawer.”

“It’s fine, you give it to him.”

Lin Si spun the wooden spinning top in his hand, his gaze fixed outward as if the city’s bustling traffic and crowds were imprinted in his eyes. He asked softly, “Mom, can I take a big bus to school in the future?”

When there was no response, Lin Si propped himself up and stood, smiling as he looked into the distance. “It doesn’t matter. I have my brother.”

Ye Gaotan called out, “Cut.”

Lin Si lowered his gaze for two seconds, then stood up and bowed to them.

Perhaps it was the heavy atmosphere from the performance, or maybe they were deep in thought, but no one said a word or told him to leave. Lin Si remained where he was, waiting quietly.

Finally, Lin Zisong nudged Ye Gaotan, prompting him to look at Lin Si and speak slowly. “Lin Si, don’t lose your way. You have very pure eyes.”

It was high praise, but probably not what Yu Yu as a character required. Lin Si nodded politely. “Thank you, Director Ye.”

Lin Zisong got up. “I’ll walk Lin Si out.”

When the door opened, fresh air rushed in, and Lin Si took a deep breath, finally beginning to feel a sense of physical awareness again.

If the result wasn’t ideal, at least he had given it his all and left no regrets.

Seeing him like this, Lin Zisong felt an urge to ruffle his soft hair, but fearing it might be intrusive, he settled for patting Lin Si’s shoulder instead. “Impressive. You didn’t even need to look at the script.”

The pressure from Ye Gaotan’s audition still weighed heavily on Lin Si, preventing him from fully relaxing. He forced a smile. “Thanks for walking me out, Brother Song.”

“You’re honestly the first person I’ve ever seen who dared to make a request to Director Ye during an audition,” Lin Zisong remarked. “Bold.”

Lin Si lowered his head. “I wasn’t really… I just…”

“Don’t hold it in. I could tell when we had tea the other day—you’re not really the cold, aloof type,” Lin Zisong said with a laugh. “You might fool the camera and the fans, but you can’t fool life, and you definitely can’t fool people like us.”

Lin Si’s thoughts were still a mess. After hearing Lin Zisong’s remarks, he felt a bit confused and didn’t have the energy to argue.

Lin Zisong chuckled and teased, “You’re still just a kid—”

“Here he comes!” Lu Nan suddenly rushed over, shoving Lin Zisong aside and throwing an arm around Lin Si’s shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for ages. Let’s exchange contact info!”

Without much thought, Lin Si replied, “Sure, I’ll add you.”

He figured Lu Nan could teach him how to surf the internet properly—it seemed like a lot of fun.

Originally, Liao Ji had also hurried to the exit to meet Lin Si, but he hadn’t expected Lu Nan to beat him there. Frustrated, Liao Ji marched over and pulled Lin Si away. “We need to get back to the set!”

Before being dragged off, Lin Si and Lu Nan managed to exchange contact details. Lu Nan waved at him, grinning as he said goodbye.

In the car, Liao Ji frowned. “What’s up with Lu Nan? He’s way too enthusiastic.” Then he reminded Lin Si, “Don’t forget you have a livestream tonight, okay?”

Lin Si nodded and asked the driver to make a stop at his house so he could pick up a few outfits.

Since he had been staying in the hotel rented by the production team, the thought of going home filled him with anticipation.

It wasn’t yet 7 PM, so Lu Wei might still be asleep.

Lin Si took off his shoes and crept inside as quietly as possible. He tiptoed to his room, but just as he reached his door, the door at the end of the hallway opened.

Lu Wei walked out, towel in hand, drying his wet hair.

He wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body, only a bath towel wrapped around his waist.

Lin Si froze in place, staring blankly at Lu Wei.

If Lin Si’s face was strikingly attractive in a crowd, then Lu Wei’s was the kind that stood above the crowd, exuding an aloofness that kept others at a distance, like a god overlooking mortals.

His damp hair wasn’t fully dried, and the water droplets falling from it were the only thing that gave him a hint of approachability.

Aside from that, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs were impeccably proportioned. His abs and arms didn’t have an overly muscular appearance but conveyed a strong sense of dependability.

Even though Lin Si had encountered countless stunning individuals in the entertainment industry, no Alpha had ever struck him quite like Lu Wei, who radiated an innate aura of abstinence.

He was the Alpha who could never be tamed—perhaps the embodiment of every young Omega’s fantasies, or the ultimate conquest for the most rebellious Omegas.

Everyone would fall for Lu Wei’s appearance, yet no one could truly possess him.

Lin Si let these thoughts swirl in his mind as he stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, unable to move his feet.

Lu Wei took two steps toward him.

Their apartment was a modest two-bedroom with just one shared bathroom, a setup that seemed somewhat shabby.

In truth, Lin Si didn’t particularly like en-suite bathrooms. While they were more convenient, they never felt entirely clean. He figured Lu Wei didn’t like them either; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen this unit out of all the ones available in Xijiang.

It was a curious coincidence that during the time they had lived together, they had never once run into each other coming out of the shower.

Lin Si’s only evidence of Lu Wei sharing the same bathroom was the electric toothbrush on the sink, the perpetually neatly hung towels on the wall, and the damp floor tiles.

A drop of water slid from the tip of Lu Wei’s wet hair, landing where the towel clung to his abdomen. Lu Wei looked up.

Lin Si, trying to walk silently, had hunched his shoulders and leaned forward slightly. Being caught in Lu Wei’s gaze only made him freeze up even more.

“…” What should he say?

The situation was unbearably awkward.

Thankfully, Lu Wei didn’t seem startled by his sudden appearance.

Lu Wei’s lips remained a straight line as he stood there, clearly annoyed by being blocked in the hallway but unwilling to voice it.

“Morning,” Lin Si greeted awkwardly. “I… just came back to grab some clothes.”

Lu Yan let out a low “mm” in response.

Since Lu Wei didn’t appear particularly displeased, Lin Si allowed himself to relax slightly, taking a steadying breath.

Then, suddenly, he stared at Lu Wei and blurted out, “I think I can smell your pheromones.”

Lu Wei didn’t quite process it. “What?”

Not entirely sure himself, Lin Si’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Can I get a little closer to check?”

As he finished speaking, Lin Si tentatively stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Lu Wei to about half an arm’s length. He sniffed lightly, wrinkled his nose, and then took a deeper inhale. Within seconds, his face flushed a fiery red.

The glands at the back of his neck began to throb, the heat spreading rapidly, much hotter than his flushed cheeks, accompanied by an electrifying sensation.

Lin Si’s eyes widened as he stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lu Wei asked.

Lin Si didn’t respond immediately. All he could feel was an overwhelming urge to get closer to Lu Wei, to breathe in more of his pheromones.

After waiting for a while and seeing no reaction, Lu Wei leaned down slightly to look at his face from the side. “What’s wrong?”

When Lu Wei saw Lin Si’s flushed cheeks and ears that had turned a deep red, a troubling thought crossed his mind. “Are you entering your heat?”

The proximity of Lu Wei caused another jolt through Lin Si’s glands, and he staggered backward, retreating from the hallway to the center of the living room. His hand clamped over the back of his neck, trying to suppress the rising heat. His face was so hot that it clouded his mind, and even his exposed wrist bones and fingers began to turn a faint pink.

“Stay right there…” Lin Si pressed down on his glands repeatedly, trying to quell the agitation. He kept repeating to Lu Wei, “Don’t come closer. Don’t come closer.”

This was a sensation Lin Si had never experienced before. His mind seemed to go blank, all his senses dulled except for the hypersensitivity at the back of his neck. He crouched down, clutching his nape as his breathing grew increasingly labored. The only thing he could smell, filling his nose and chest, was the scent of Lu Wei’s pheromones—

Very clear.

Yet filled with desire.

Want.

---

Author’s note:

Before the glands throb—
Si Little Cub (4zǎi zǎi): “I’ve never experienced this before.”

After the glands throb—
Si Little Cub (4zǎi zǎi): “I really haven’t experienced this… I’m about to cry QAQ What is this? What’s happening to me? Who am I, where am I? Help, Dad Liao Ji QAQ”

Later, Lu Wei recalls this day: “I wanted to say something but held it back, pain +10086, my wife wanted me at the time but still refused me…”

T/n : Well Finally🙃 looks like something will happen 😏😂 Stay tuned guys. We are just a few chapters away from big reveal.If you want to support me you can buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading 🤩❤️!!