“Are you sure it’s effective waiting here?”

Jiang She sniffed, his expression complicated as he looked around.

The small grove at Huainan No.1 High School was right across from the cafeteria, and it was the only path between the teaching building and the cafeteria. However, during evening study hours, the cafeteria had already closed, and no one came to the grove anymore.

But for energetic students, the more secluded a place is, the more convenient it is for doing things that the school and parents don’t approve of.

In recent years, the moral education department had often been staking out the grove, catching many couples sneaking away during evening study breaks to meet each other.

However, now that it was winter and cold, hardly anyone was out. The teachers from the moral education department weren’t stupid, and their vigilance had decreased quite a bit.

Jiang She hated bugs, so he never went near the grove, even if he was heading to the cafeteria; he would always take a detour. Thankfully, since it was cold now, all the bugs had died. Since Chu Tao insisted on coming, Jiang She followed him.

The ground of the grove still had snow from a few days ago, and it had frozen hard. When stepping on it, you could clearly hear the sound of the snow cracking.

The pine trees in the grove were still lush with branches and leaves, with frost hanging from them. As the wind blew, they shook and the frost fell off in a flurry.

Chu Tao squatted on the ground, wrapping his scarf tightly around his head, shivering slightly. “I know my brother. He’s definitely coming back.”

Chu Xingning was a person who didn’t like drawing attention, so even for a date, he chose the most secluded spot. No wonder Chu Tao had never encountered him—his brother and his little friend had always been meeting in this grove.

There were no lights here at night, and it was pitch black. No matter what, Chu Tao would never come here.

The break during evening study was only twenty minutes, so even visiting the grove wouldn’t take up much time. He didn’t have any other intentions, he just wanted to see who his brother was meeting for a date.

Then he would leave quietly without disturbing them.

Jiang She also squatted down and wrapped his arms around Chu Tao’s back, softly asking, “Are you cold?”

Chu Tao shook his head. “It’s fine, my body isn’t too cold.”

It was just that his limbs were a bit numb from the cold.

Jiang She suggested, “You should get up and move around, or you’ll definitely freeze.”

He then tried to help Chu Tao stand up.

Chu Tao didn’t listen. “It’ll make noise if we walk. Let’s wait five more minutes and then go back. Maybe my brother won’t come today.”

Jiang She couldn’t help but laugh, but since his face was frozen stiff, even moving his muscles felt uncomfortable.

“Hey, this is our first time in this place, right?”

Chu Tao quietly answered, “Yeah.”

Jiang She looked up at the lights in the teaching building.

The main teaching building had seven floors, and the lights were on in the upper floors for the senior year students. The lights formed straight lines, burning brightly, quivering in the cold air.

The warm classrooms and the cold outdoors were two completely different worlds.

A good student like Chu Tao should belong to the classroom, but now, he was stubbornly squatting in the ambiguous grove.

Jiang She continued, “I heard from people that the school has caught students smoking, dating, and even… doing it in the grove. They throw the used condoms in the trash can outside.”

Chu Tao: “…”

Jiang She asked casually, “Why do you think they all love coming here?”

Chu Tao mumbled, “Maybe they think it’s safe.”

Jiang She’s eyes brightened slightly, “Maybe it’s the thrill.”

Chu Tao: “?”

Despite being freezing, Jiang She still wasn’t behaving, reaching out to rub Chu Tao’s waist and stomach. “Since we’re here, how about a kiss, babe?”

Chu Tao quickly shrank back and firmly refused, “No, I have something important to do.”

Jiang She pulled him closer, rubbing his face against Chu Tao’s fluffy scarf. “Half the break is over, your brother won’t come.”

Chu Tao mumbled, “If he’s not coming, I’m going back to the classroom. I’m freezing.”

With that, Chu Tao tried to push Jiang She’s hand away and stood up, intending to head back.

However, after squatting for so long, his circulation had been cut off, and his legs were numb. When he tried to move, he realized he had no strength in them.

Unable to keep his balance, he cried out in surprise and fell backward.

Jiang She was squatting right behind him and didn’t have time to dodge. His legs weren’t in much better condition than Chu Tao’s.

Chu Tao fell completely on top of Jiang She without any surprise, pinning him beneath him.

The snow, stuck to the dried-up roots beneath, shattered with a loud crack under the force.

Chu Tao accidentally jabbed his elbow into Jiang She’s right rib, which was already a weak spot. Even through the clothes, it was too much to bear with that much force.

Jiang She hissed in pain, tightly closing his eyes.

The pain spread instantly, and his brain fully experienced the sharp sensation.

Chu Tao quickly rolled off him, nervously feeling around Jiang She’s body.

“Did you hit anywhere?”

Jiang She couldn’t help but gasp, grabbing Chu Tao’s hand and pressing it against his ribs. “Here.”

Chu Tao was filled with concern, kneeling in the snow, bending over to get closer to Jiang She’s ribs. “Does it hurt?”

Jiang She wasn’t one to whine over minor pain, so he gritted his teeth and said, “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt.”

He propped himself up with his forearm, ready to get up. However, when he stretched his muscles, his ribs ached again.

Chu Tao asked softly, “Can you move?”

Jiang She chuckled lightly, a vein popping on his forehead, “What’s so hard to move? I’m not made of glass.”

He moved slightly, and the crushed snow under him crunched again.

Chu Tao: “Take it slow.”

Jiang She: “Mmm.”

Chu Tao: “Take it slow, support me.”

Jiang She: “No need, I can move myself.”

Just as they were about to get up from the snow, a bright flashlight beam shone toward them.

The lemon-yellow light shone directly on Jiang She’s face, and he squinted, almost tearing up from the brightness.

Chu Tao froze for a moment, instinctively turning around to look.

“Such a disgraceful display! What are you two doing? Put your clothes back on and get out of there!”

Chu Tao: “…”

Jiang She: “…”

Ten minutes later, Chu Tao and Jiang She were standing in the principal’s office.

The snow on their clothes melted quickly in the warm air, soaking their clothes.

The heavy, damp fabric clung to their bodies, making it hard to breathe.

Of course, the atmosphere in the room made it even harder to breathe.

The principal paced back and forth in the office several times, finally taking a deep breath and pointing at Chu Tao and Jiang She.

“I haven’t been to the woods in five years to catch anyone, but on the rare occasion I go there to take a shortcut, I run into you two. Someone explain to me what’s going on?”

Chu Tao’s face turned red, his veins visibly bulging. He felt so embarrassed under the harsh white light that he couldn’t escape the attention.

He opened his mouth, stammering, “I…”

Jiang She, however, remained calm, a smile still on his face: “It means we’re just unlucky.”

Chu Tao: “…”

The principal sneered: “Unlucky? It seems like your ‘unluckiness’ happens so often that you’re bound to get caught eventually.”

Chu Tao lowered his head, his eyelids fluttering quickly. “It’s our first time going there.”

The principal took a deep breath and calmly said to Chu Tao, “The first time, and I catch you? Who would believe that?”

Chu Tao: “…”

Jiang She calmly walked to the water dispenser, filled a cup with half cold water and half warm water, and handed it to the principal.

“Uncle Ji, he’s shy. Don’t yell at him.”

The principal glanced at the cup of steaming water in front of him, and his anger eased considerably.

He had no way of dealing with Jiang She.

After all, Jiang She was the son of Jiang Qifeng, who had donated a lot of money to the school in recent years and often played cards and ate meals with the principal.

As a good friend of Jiang Qifeng, the principal couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh on Jiang She.

But Jiang She had repeatedly challenged the school’s authority, and he couldn’t let him get away with it without a mild punishment.

The principal glared at him: “Do you have no shame?”

Jiang She nodded cheerfully, stepping back a few paces to stand next to Chu Tao: “Yes, I’m shameless. You can say whatever you want. But we really didn’t go there to date.”

The principal scoffed: “I know you didn’t go there to date, but if I’d stayed a bit longer, I bet you two would’ve been parents by now.”

Chu Tao’s neck and ears turned red, his capillaries nearly bursting.

Jiang She tried hard to hold back a laugh, pressing his lips together: “We weren’t doing that either.”

The principal tugged at his ear: “I heard it with my own ears, and you’re still trying to deny it!”

Jiang She covered his ribs: “You heard wrong. We accidentally fell, and he hit my ribs. Think about it—who’s going to be in the mood for that in this freezing weather?”

“Stop, stop, stop!” The principal quickly intervened as the conversation was veering further off track.

Jiang She had always been reckless, and the principal feared he might say something even more inappropriate.

“Jiang She, I’ve turned a blind eye to your early relationship because of your improving grades. But now Omega isn’t enough for you? You have to go and date an Alpha too? Are you trying to make things difficult for me? Don’t you want me to survive the day without a heart attack? Is that what you’re aiming for? Trying to make me suffer?”

Chu Tao broke out in a thin layer of sweat on his back.

If he had known this would happen, he definitely wouldn’t have impulsively brought Jiang She to the woods.

The school was strict about early relationships, and even more so about AA relationships.

Since the pheromones of AA pairs repelled each other, any slight discord could lead to a conflict due to the pheromones’ effect.

Every year, students were hospitalized because of this, and the school leadership had to deal with angry parents, making them feel overwhelmed.

Jiang She suppressed his smile, suddenly taking Chu Tao’s hand seriously, saying, “I didn’t mean to date an Alpha, it just so happens that he’s an Alpha.”

Chu Tao froze for a moment, instinctively looking at Jiang She.

Jiang She spoke casually: “As for Uncle Ji, you also think too highly of yourself. I like Chu Tao purely because he’s kind, generous, excellent, and cute. It has nothing to do with you.”

Principal Ji rolled his eyes: “You’re trying to kill me.”

Chu Tao, worried that Jiang She and the principal would get into a conflict, quickly intervened: “Principal, please don’t be angry. We’ve been quite low-key in school, and haven’t let it affect our studies. Today’s incident was purely an accident.”

Principal Ji wiped his face, took a deep breath, and looked at Chu Tao: “Which class are you in? What good does dating him do for you? Jiang She has the means to mess around; his dad paves the way for him. Even if he can’t get into a good university, it won’t affect his future.

What about you? You’re dating him now, but have you thought about what will happen after high school graduation? The key is, how will this affect your final year? What’s your rank in the grade?”

Chu Tao lowered his head, feeling ashamed: “Tenth.”

Principal Ji: “…”

Jiang She raised an eyebrow, smugly saying, “Impressive, right?”

Principal Ji: “Shut up.”

Principal Ji continued: “You’re ranked tenth, but that’s not enough. There are only a few months left, and if you’re not careful, someone will overtake you. If all your focus is on your relationship, you’ll definitely fall out of the top ten in the college entrance exam!”

Chu Tao nodded seriously: “I understand.”

The room fell silent.

Principal Ji suddenly had no more words to say.

He couldn’t control Jiang She; the only thing he could manage was this overachiever, who, barring any major issues, would likely help the school secure a top two spot.

That made things very awkward.

Jiang She curled his lips, pulling Chu Tao’s hand: “I told you not to yell at him. He respects his elders a lot and tends to overthink.”