After the first-year students completed their military training, the school organized a thorough cleaning in preparation for the inspection by higher-level officials.

The school had wanted to arrange this cleanup earlier, but since the first-year students were still in training, the responsibility fell on the second and third years. The third-year coordinator went to the Student Affairs Office to complain, saying that the seniors were too busy studying to spend hours cleaning.

The Student Affairs Office initially tried to brush it off, but the grade coordinator was adamant, and the disagreement caused some tension. With the principal’s mediation, they eventually postponed the cleanup until after the military training ended.

Additionally, the third-year students were only required to clean their own classrooms and designated areas in the corridors—they weren’t responsible for sweeping leaves outside.

The school provided each class with new cloths for wiping down walls and corridor railings.

The upper sections of the walls were relatively clean since they were frequently touched, but the area below knee level was covered in shoe prints and dirt. Normally, no one bothered to clean that part, making it the dirtiest section of the entire cleanup area.

As the class president, Chu Tao naturally took the lead and assigned himself to clean the dirtiest part of the walls.

“Fu Ming, Lu Jiangxin—your group handles moving the desks. Lou Yangrong, Huan Yajun—your group is responsible for mopping and sweeping. Qi Tao’s group cleans the windowsills and blackboard. Xu Yuan and Xu Bo Xue, take care of the corridor floor. I’ll handle the walls. No one should slack off; we still have the next class to attend, and Teacher Yang will check soon. Let’s get started.”

With calm and precision, Chu Tao distributed tasks, handing cloths to each group leader.

“But I wanted to mop! I don’t want to clean the windowsills; it’s gross under the flowerpots,” muttered Pang Cai, looking dejected.

“Yeah, and I don’t want to move desks—it’s the hardest job. I’d rather clean the windowsills,” someone else chimed in, following Pang Cai’s lead.

With two students already complaining, others just sat back, watching. Most of them were used to being pampered at home, where they had housekeepers, and they rarely participated in large-scale cleaning at school. Plus, this cleanup was cutting into their time to play basketball in gym class, so they were feeling a bit resentful.

But Chu Tao wasn’t the quiet, reserved person he had been when he first came to Class 3.

He met their complaints without a hint of fear, simply giving them a cold look.

He was about to speak when Jiang She, leaning back in his chair, interrupted impatiently, “Stop whining. You get what you’re assigned.”

Chu Tao promptly closed his mouth.

He knew that, unlike Jiang She, as the class president he represented the teachers’ authority, and students tended to resist authority. Jiang She, on the other hand, was the true leader of Class 3—most people didn’t want to mess with him.

Sure enough, after Jiang She’s words, Pang Cai lowered his head in silence.

“All set?” Chu Tao smirked slightly, tossing some cloths to the group leaders.

The students in the back row started whispering:

“Jiang She’s really nice to the class president now, huh.”

“It’s not just now. Remember that whole thing with Pang Cai? Jiang She openly defended the class president then too.”

“Back then, I thought Jiang She just disliked Pang Cai, but now it seems it was all about the class president.”

“Doesn’t Jiang She’s behavior toward the class president seem like an alpha protecting his own Omega?”

“Don’t start with that! Sure, the class president is good-looking and polite, but he’s still a strong alpha, remember that fight in the alleyway?”

“I’m just saying he looks a bit like an O. It could be misleading, you know? Maybe Jiang She got misled.”

“Then why doesn’t Jiang She go after Chu Xingning?”

“Uh…”

“And think about it—how many Omegas at our school secretly like Jiang She? Look at how many people used to hang around our classroom door every day. But ever since the class president showed up, Jiang She hasn’t paid attention to anyone else. They even say on the forums that Jiang She from Class 3 has been possessed by a study fanatic.”

“If you put it that way, isn’t it kind of terrifying?”

“Depends on how you see it, man.”

Chu Tao cleared his throat and said seriously, “Alright, everyone get moving. Jiang She, come with me to get some water.”

The class had two red buckets, recently issued for washing the cleaning cloths—one for inside the class and one for outside.

At Chu Tao’s call, Jiang She obediently stood up from his seat, took off his jacket, rolled it up, and tossed it onto the desk, revealing his muscular forearms.

Seeing him get up, Chu Tao grabbed the buckets and turned to head out, while Jiang She caught up with him in a few long strides and took one of the buckets from Chu Tao’s left hand. When he did, their hands brushed, and Jiang She lightly ran his finger over Chu Tao’s wrist.

It was soft and ticklish. Chu Tao flinched and released his grip, then gave Jiang She a sideways look with a frown.

Jiang She smiled and nudged him. “Come on, hurry up.”

Dai Wenjian, sitting closest to the door, watched Chu Tao and Jiang She leave the classroom, looking confused. He nudged his seatmate. “Hey, man, doesn’t the vibe seem a little weird?”

His seatmate agreed. “Man, it’s beyond weird.”

Xu Bo Xue looked at Xu Yuan, puzzled. “Hey Yuan, you’ve been pretty quiet lately—going for that deep and mysterious vibe?”

Xu Yuan took a cigarette out of his pocket, sniffed it, and said in a cryptic tone, “The cold reality smacks me right in the face.”

Not only was Jiang She dating the class president, but he was also almost ridiculously indulgent with him.

Whatever the class president said was law—not only did Jiang She protect him at every turn, but he even tolerated the studying he usually hated.

At this rate, it looked like he’d end up on the receiving end in more ways than one!

Damn, Xu Yuan could hardly picture Jiang She lying down willingly for love. It was just ridiculous.

Xu Bo Xue exclaimed, “Whoa, you’ve got that Gu Cheng poet vibe going on.”

Xu Yuan took a couple of breaths from his unlit cigarette, smirking. “Right?”

Fang Sheng banged on the desk to quiet the chatter in the classroom. “Alright, everyone—Jiang She’s already working, and you’re still sitting around? Get moving!”

Outside, Jiang She nudged Chu Tao’s shoulder. “Hand me that too.”

Chu Tao quickened his pace toward the restroom. “Come on, what do you take me for?”

It was just a plastic bucket, barely any weight, easy for him to handle. He didn’t gain much weight, but he was strong; he always changed the heavy water jugs at home himself.

Jiang She caught up and slung an arm around Chu Tao’s shoulder, fingers tracing lightly over his collarbone as he teased, “What do I take you for?”

Chu Tao shifted slightly, muttering softly, “We’re at school, Jiang She!”

But he felt a comforting thrill as Jiang She leaned in. His skin had felt starved for contact, especially after the break, and he’d taken cold showers every day, missing Jiang She. Now, he savored even the smallest touches, so he couldn’t bring himself to push Jiang She away, despite the risk of being seen.

Jiang She leaned closer and murmured, “I didn’t use much inhibitor today.”

Chu Tao raised an eyebrow slightly and responded with a low “Mm.”

He could already smell Jiang She’s scent—smooth and refreshing, stirring a warmth within him.

Jiang She loved it when Chu Tao tried to act reserved. Though clearly wanting it as much as him, Chu Tao always gave that stern lecture—about staying mindful of the situation, the impact, the boundaries. But the truth was, he couldn’t resist. As soon as Jiang She got close, Chu Tao’s breathing deepened.

Jiang She’s gaze moved from Chu Tao’s profile down to his neck, focusing on his collarbone, which had a faint redness from being pressed. Curious, he asked, “How are you so fair-skinned?”

Chu Tao’s skin tone was a shade lighter than his, making the contrast even more obvious as Jiang She’s hand rested beside Chu Tao’s collarbone.

Chu Tao explained seriously, “I don’t go out for exercise much and rarely get any sun exposure, unlike you, who plays basketball and all that.”

Jiang She replied, “Next time, want to play with me?”

Chu Tao hesitated, “I’m not very good at it.”

“I’ll teach you.”

“Sure, when there’s time.”

The restroom’s sink area was crowded, with each class sending people to fetch water, creating a long line.

As the crowd grew, Jiang She toned down a bit, aware that Chu Tao cared about his reputation and that rumors of early dating wouldn’t be good for them. He let his hand drop from Chu Tao’s shoulder, feeling content after holding him for a while.

A student from another class, an alpha at the front of the line, noticed Jiang She and exclaimed, “She-ge, why are you here fetching water too?”

Jiang She responded nonchalantly, “Isn’t the whole school cleaning?”

“No way! Who would dare assign you to clean?”

Standing to the side, Chu Tao looked up quietly at the ceiling.

Jiang She smirked slightly, “There’s always someone who’ll assign me something.”

The student shook his head in admiration, “Wow, She-ge, you’ve really been on a positive streak lately. Not only have your grades improved, but you’re even showing up for chores. Our homeroom teacher used you as a positive example.”

Jiang She boasted, “Not just in your class; people in Huainan’s 12-school forum are all talking about how I’ve turned over a new leaf.”

The student laughed, “Haha, wasn’t that girl from Second High really aloof before? She used to say that even though you’re rich, you weren’t ‘excellent,’ so you weren’t on her dating list. Now you’re scoring better than her, and she’s left a message for you on the confession wall.”

Chu Tao nudged the guy calmly, “Hey, it’s your turn.”

“Oh, oh, thanks!”

Realizing his turn was up, the student quickly grabbed his bucket and hurried forward.

The restroom had six sinks for water, and soon two more opened up. Chu Tao and Jiang She walked in together.

With a calm expression, Chu Tao set his bucket in the sink, turned on the faucet, and watched the clear water burst forth, white foam forming as it splashed against the bottom of the bucket with a steady “thump” sound.

He rested his hand on the edge of the sink as tiny water droplets splashed onto his skin, giving a slight chill.

Above the faucet was a large mirror, speckled with water stains that made it hard to see clearly.

Jiang She’s Adam’s apple moved as he scooped a little cold water into his palm and flicked it at Chu Tao. “Tsk, getting jealous?”

Chu Tao instinctively squinted, but the water still landed on his face and hair. He raised his arm, wiping his cheek with a hint of resignation. “Am I that childish?”

With that, he scooped some water himself and splashed it back at Jiang She.

Jiang She didn’t dodge, letting the cool water splash over his face, streaming down his nose and cheeks and even dripping into his clothes. His bangs clumped together, damp.

Chu Tao didn’t expect him to stay still, hesitating before reaching out to wipe Jiang She’s face. But before his fingers could touch him, Jiang She placed his cold hand on the back of Chu Tao’s neck.

Chu Tao, whose skin was warm, shivered from the chill, instinctively tensing his neck and trapping Jiang She’s fingers.

Embarrassed and annoyed, Chu Tao muttered, “Jiang She, you jerk!”

He pressed his palm over the flowing water, leaving a small gap in the direction of Jiang She. Water sprayed out aggressively towards Jiang She, forming a fan-shaped arc that glistened in the sunlight.

Jiang She couldn’t dodge in time, getting soaked as his thin t-shirt clung to his skin, outlining his toned waist and abdomen, with the faint hint of a V-line visible through the damp school uniform.

Since the weather was hot, a bit of water didn’t matter. A quick walk outside would dry him off.

Jiang She wrung out the hem of his wet shirt casually, shaking off some of the water, and looked up with a playful smile. “Pretty ruthless there. If I’d known, I would’ve—”

He trailed off, pressing his lips together, with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Earlier, when he’d chilled the back of Chu Tao’s neck, his fingers had pressed against Chu Tao’s gland.

Although Alpha glands weren’t as developed as Omega ones, they were still sensitive. Applying pressure could be uncomfortable.

Moreover, with the water washing off some of his scent suppressant, the faint aroma of his pheromones could irritate Chu Tao’s gland, making it red and swollen.

Realizing this, Chu Tao immediately took out his own suppressant from his pocket, spraying Jiang She several times without hesitation.

The air filled with a light, pine-like scent as Jiang She waved a hand in the air, remarking with a smirk, “If Fang Sheng catches a whiff of us both smelling the same, he’ll think we were up to something in the restroom.”

The bucket was full, with water spilling over the edge. Chu Tao turned off the faucet, saying with a calm expression, “Ten minutes?”

Jiang She blinked. “What?”

Chu Tao’s eyes curved slightly, though he kept a straight face. “Being thought to have finished in ten minutes… I’m not that easy to finished in ten minutes.”

Jiang She: “…”

“Let’s go.” Chu Tao tapped Jiang She’s bucket. Filled with water, it made a dull thud.

He felt pretty pleased to leave Jiang She speechless.

Jiang She effortlessly lifted the bucket from the sink, water sloshing and spilling a little.

He licked his lips, leaning close to Chu Tao’s ear, and whispered, “So you’re saying you’d let me?”