Chu Tao braced himself on Jiang She’s shoulder and called out helplessly, “Jiang She.”

He could feel his inhibitor beginning to wear off. If this continued, his pheromones would soon spiral out of control.

“One more kiss,” Jiang She’s husky voice murmured as his fingers, firm but restless, trailed along Chu Tao’s back. His gaze lingered on the rapid rise and fall of Chu Tao’s chest.

Chu Tao’s shirt was disheveled, his skin flushed with redness. A smudge of cream had inadvertently stuck to his collar, leaving a sweet, creamy scent on him.

Just as Jiang She leaned in for a bite, a sudden knock on the door startled them both. They sprang apart, Chu Tao fumbling with his clothes, trying to cover his neck as much as possible. With his head hung low, he looked like he wanted to vanish into the floor.

“Excuse me, dear guest,” a server’s polite voice came from outside. “The steamed lamb and bamboo-shoot goose are ready.”

Only then did Jiang She remember that he had locked the door earlier. He glanced at Chu Tao, who was now sitting with his back to him, angrily facing the wall.

Jiang She steadied his breathing and opened the door. The server, holding a tray of delicately plated dishes, knelt on the tatami to place the food on the table.

“This is our house-special dipping sauce. The lamb pairs well with it, but if you prefer a lighter taste, you can skip it. The other two dishes will be ready shortly.”

“Thank you,” Jiang She said curtly, his mind far from the meal. All he wanted was to shut the door and resume what had been interrupted.

The server stole a glance at Chu Tao, puzzled by why this guest was sitting with his back turned and remaining silent. But respecting their privacy, she quickly left, closing the door behind her.

Jiang She promptly locked the door again.

Chu Tao lowered his head and examined his disheveled chest. Under the glaring white light, the faint reddish marks stood out starkly. Jiang She’s pheromones had nearly made him lose control—it felt like being back in that fevered haze on the hospital bed.

He could feel it now, clear as day: his body was becoming increasingly accustomed to Jiang She.

Hurriedly, Chu Tao pulled out his inhibitor and sprayed himself twice. The crisp scent of pine needles filled the air, diluting the pheromones.

Jiang She, however, wrapped his arms around Chu Tao from behind, locking him in a firm embrace. “Your inhibitor tastes like bitter tea,” he teased, referring to the faint residue he had tasted earlier.

“Inhibitors aren’t meant to be eaten,” Chu Tao muttered softly. “Control yourself.”

Jiang She smirked stubbornly. “I don’t care. I’d happily poison myself.”

Of course, poisoning was an exaggeration. Modern inhibitors were made from non-toxic, ingestible materials, and while they weren’t ideal for consumption, the worst they could do was cause minor discomfort.

Ignoring Chu Tao’s protests, Jiang She mischievously tugged at his collar, undoing the buttoned-up neckline. His gaze settled on the gland at the nape of Chu Tao’s neck.

The thin layer of skin revealed faint, bluish veins beneath it, warmer and softer to the touch than the rest of his body. Unable to resist, Jiang She pressed his lips to the spot.

Chu Tao flinched in shock, grabbing Jiang She’s hand. “We’re outside!” he hissed urgently.

Jiang She’s willpower was astonishing. He pressed two firm kisses to Chu Tao’s gland, murmuring softly, “I won’t bite, just a little nuzzle.”

His lips, warm and soft, brushed lightly against the sensitive skin at the nape of Chu Tao’s neck.

After all, it was Jiang She’s birthday…

Chu Tao lowered his head, letting out a soft, contented sigh as the tension in his body melted away.

But soon, he felt a chill on his right earlobe. Jiang She had smeared cream onto it, the cold sensation startling him. Chu Tao instinctively tried to pull away. “Not on the right side… no,” he protested, shrinking back.

His hands left faint creases on the tatami as he braced himself, attempting to arch his back and escape Jiang She’s hold. But Jiang She swiftly pulled him back.

“Just try it—you’ll like it,” Jiang She whispered before taking Chu Tao’s earlobe into his mouth.

Exposed to the air, Chu Tao’s earlobe was cool, making it all the more sensitive to Jiang She’s warm lips. As Jiang She playfully nipped at it with his teeth, Chu Tao couldn’t help but shudder, his fingers gripping the straw mat tightly.

His back straightened reflexively, his neck shrinking as he tried to avoid Jiang She’s proximity. Yet, that shivering sensation thrilled him, and his eyes grew misty with an involuntary sheen of tears.

“…Enough, Jiang She. I’m hungry,” Chu Tao said, squirming to escape as he crawled away.

The two of them tumbled together on the tatami, their clothes disheveled and breathing uneven.

Chu Tao’s eyes glistened with a clear, watery light as he reached up to touch his damp earlobe. Annoyed, he kicked Jiang She.

He lay on the tatami, his head resting on the flat cushion, grumbling, “It’s so uncomfortable and hard.”

Jiang She pulled him up, laughing apologetically. “Alright, alright, no more teasing. Let’s eat.”

But when they looked at the once-beautiful cake, they saw it had been ruined—holes dug all over it, and even the little cream puppy decoration was missing half its body.

“You’re such a dog,” Chu Tao muttered under his breath.

Jiang She chuckled. “And you’re my little pig. But why is my piglet so skinny?”

Chu Tao shot him a look. “Because I haven’t had a single bite of cream yet.”

Jiang She immediately picked up a fork, scooped up a piece of mango with cream, and held it out to Chu Tao’s lips. “Here, let me feed you.”

Chu Tao avoided the fork. “Help me clean up first.”

His neck and ears were still sticky with cream, and although Jiang She had licked most of it off, he still felt greasy and uncomfortable.

Chu Tao stood, grabbing Jiang She’s arm and pulling him toward the door. He stepped off the platform, slipped on his shoes, and straightened his rumpled school uniform before stopping a passing server.

“Excuse me, where is the restroom?”

The server pointed ahead. “Just to the right of the main entrance. Walk straight, and you’ll see the signs.”

“Thank you.”

The *Four Seasons Spring* restaurant had three themed private rooms—tatami, traditional Chinese, and European—each in a different wing. The restroom was near the European section.

Chu Tao wasn’t in a hurry and took his time admiring the restaurant’s interior as they walked. Apart from the private rooms, there was also a communal dining area, though it seemed less comfortable for patrons who didn’t want to wait long.

Jiang She reached out to touch Chu Tao’s neck. “Is it really that bad?”

Chu Tao grumbled, “Bad enough—you’ve left marks.”

Chu Tao’s oversized school uniform hung loosely on his slender frame, and he didn’t seem to care. The hallway was dimly lit, and there was no one around who knew him, so he grew more at ease.

As they passed the corridor near the entrance, Chu Tao kept his head down, while Jiang She casually remarked, “The line’s getting longer.”

Chu Tao barely registered it. “Mm, thank goodness for Young Master Jiang’s wealth. Time is money.”

Jiang She slung an arm over Chu Tao’s shoulders with a teasing smile. “If Young Master Jiang is so great, why don’t you marry him?”

Chu Tao’s lashes trembled as he lowered his gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I won’t even be seventeen until December. Are you trying to break the law?”

Laughing and joking, they entered the restroom.

The washbasins were a bronze hue, and the faucets were shaped like spillways, with water flowing through several bamboo spouts when the ship-wheel-shaped handle was turned.

Chu Tao pulled out a damp towel, squirted some foam soap onto it, and carefully wiped the areas Jiang She had smeared with cream.

Jiang She held Chu Tao’s collar to keep it from getting wet.

Bending over, Chu Tao cupped water in his hands and splashed it onto the soapy areas, meticulously rinsing off the foam.

In the mirror, the faint marks left by Jiang She’s kisses were barely visible. Unless someone looked closely, they wouldn’t notice.

Relieved, Chu Tao straightened, patting his collar dry with a paper towel. “Let’s go back and eat,” he said to Jiang She.

On their way back through the hallway, Chu Tao instinctively glanced toward the entrance, wanting to check the time of day.

What he saw stopped him in his tracks: Chu Xingning standing outside, head bowed as he looked at his phone.

Chu Tao froze, staring in shock.

Before Chu Tao could react, Song Mian called out in surprise, “Tao Tao?”

Song Mian had only eaten some bread and water for lunch, and she was starving. If it weren’t for Yu Wei insisting they eat at this place, she would’ve gone somewhere else.

Every so often, she would peer inside to see if a five-person table had opened up. But unexpectedly, her eyes landed on Chu Tao.

As soon as Song Mian spoke, Chu Jiangmin and Chu Xingning also looked over.

Chu Tao tensed up, clenching his fists. His mind went blank, unable to form any coherent thoughts.

It was Jiang She who nudged him lightly, whispering, “Your family?”

Chu Tao snapped out of it. But before he could move toward them, Song Mian had already jogged over.

Chu Tao nervously adjusted his collar, fearing she might notice something off.

Luckily, Song Mian didn’t think in that direction at all. Instead, she cautiously glanced at Jiang She and then quietly asked Chu Tao, “Are you eating here with the teacher too?”

Chu Tao hesitated for a moment before responding, “…Yeah.”

His thoughts were still sluggish. How could this be such a coincidence? Huaishi was such a big city with so many restaurants, and yet they had all chosen this one.

Jiang She, however, remained calm. From Song Mian’s question, he quickly deduced that Chu Tao had made up an excuse.

Seeing the situation, Jiang She subtly stepped away from Chu Tao and politely said to Song Mian, “Hello, Auntie. We did invite the teacher, but something came up, and they had to leave early. Now it’s just the two of us.”

Chu Tao glanced at Jiang She immediately. Their eyes met briefly before Chu Tao turned his head away, avoiding his gaze.

Song Mian still felt a bit awkward seeing Jiang She. She had once openly expressed her disapproval of him in front of Yang Liu and Chu Tao, essentially bad-mouthing him behind his back. Now, faced with Jiang She’s respectful and polite demeanor, she realized she might have been too small-minded.

Chu Tao had mentioned earlier that he would be dining with Jiang She and the teacher, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Though the encounter was coincidental, Song Mian could understand.

Smiling warmly, Song Mian said, “What a shame. I wanted to thank Teacher Nian personally. And I should also thank you. Not only do you help tutor Chu Tao, but you’ve also been a big help in improving his grades.”

Chu Tao frowned, lowering his voice to mutter, “Mom…”

Considering his close relationship with Jiang She, Song Mian’s polite tone sounded overly distant, making him feel uncomfortable.

But Jiang She handled the situation with ease. “It’s no trouble, Auntie. Studying alone can be dull, and Chu Tao is the top student in our class. Having him around helps me too. My own progress is thanks to him.”

As they spoke, Chu Jiangmin and Chu Xingning approached as well.

Chu Jiangmin, having never met Jiang She, didn’t know what to say. Seeing Song Mian chatting so amicably, he assumed Jiang She and Chu Tao were just good friends.

Chu Xingning, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

“You’re eating here too?” he asked.

Chu Tao glanced at his brother, a hint of helplessness in his eyes as if seeking rescue. “Yeah, what a coincidence.”

Chu Jiangmin, curious, remarked, “Tao Tao, didn’t you arrive only a little earlier than Xingning? How did you already get seated?”

He remembered there being quite a line when they arrived—it couldn’t have only been a 20-minute difference.

Song Mian nudged him discreetly.

Still clueless, Chu Jiangmin blinked in confusion.

Chu Xingning stepped in to smooth things over. “It must’ve been Jiang She who made a reservation. After all, they were inviting the teacher to dine—it wouldn’t make sense to wait two hours in line.”

“The server did mention earlier…” Chu Jiangmin trailed off, suddenly piecing things together.

No reservations allowed—for them. But for Jiang She? That was a different story. Who knew if this restaurant had connections to the Jiang family?

Laughing, Chu Jiangmin patted Chu Tao’s shoulder. “Well done, son. You got in before us.”

Chu Tao felt a thin layer of sweat forming on his palms, but seeing that his parents didn’t suspect anything, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Have you been waiting this whole time?” he asked.

Chu Jiangmin nodded. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for an hour. There are still ten tables ahead of us.”

Chu Xingning nudged Chu Tao. “You two go ahead and eat. We should be up soon anyway.”

Chu Tao had told him earlier that he was going out to celebrate a classmate’s birthday. Seeing him here with Jiang She today made it obvious that the birthday was Jiang She’s.

Two people celebrating a birthday alone—it was clear what kind of relationship they had.

Worried that their parents might ruin the romantic dinner, Chu Xingning quickly urged Chu Tao to leave.

However, Chu Jiangmin grabbed Chu Tao’s arm. “Wait a second. We might as well go say hi to Uncle Yu and Yu Wei since it’s such a coincidence to run into them here.”

Chu Tao glanced anxiously at Jiang She, guilt flashing across his face. It was Jiang She’s birthday, and he had planned to spend the whole evening with him. Now everything was disrupted.

Before he could protest, Chu Jiangmin had already started dragging him toward the entrance.

“Old Yu, this is my other son, Chu Tao. What a coincidence! He’s here for dinner too, and we just ran into each other.”

Yu Xinrong had already overheard them when the family was gathered earlier, but he hadn’t approached. First, the hallway was crowded, and second, between him and Chu Jiangmin, it was always Chu Jiangmin who made the effort to maintain their relationship.

Seeing Chu Tao now, he simply nodded with a faint smile.

Chu Tao dutifully greeted, “Uncle Yu,” his expression calm and devoid of any intention to socialize further.

The two sides weren’t close, so neither made an effort to act friendly. Only Chu Jiangmin enthusiastically continued, “This is your brother Yu Wei, who just returned from studying in the UK.”

Chu Tao responded with a simple “Mm.”

Yu Wei felt a bit annoyed.

Ordinarily, Chu Tao should have greeted him first, allowing Yu Wei to respond with an indifferent “Mm” to set the tone. But Chu Tao didn’t give him that chance.

Yu Wei countered, “You’ve already got a table?”

Chu Tao replied nonchalantly, “Mm.”

“How did you get it so quickly?” Yu Wei asked, irritated after his own long wait.

Chu Tao answered, “Came early.”

“…”

Although Chu Xingning had always been cool and distant, he could at least carry on a conversation. Chu Tao wasn’t quite aloof but was so sparing with his words that he didn’t treat Yu Wei as a brother at all.

Noticing this, Chu Xingning took advantage of a moment when their parents weren’t paying attention to quietly say to Jiang She, “That’s my dad’s old friend. He insists on waiting here for a fancy meal. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can help you leave.”

Jiang She took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes. “It’s my first time meeting Chu Tao’s parents. Wouldn’t it be rude to leave?”

Chu Xingning gave him a long look. *Do you plan on proposing or something?*

Jiang She replied casually, “You don’t have a table, right? If I give up our spot for your parents, wouldn’t that leave a good impression on them?”

Chu Xingning let out a dry laugh. “You’ve really thought this through.”

Jiang She smirked slightly. “It’s alright. Otherwise, Chu Tao would just keep stressing over it.”

Startled, Chu Xingning paused.

He didn’t know much about Chu Tao and Jiang She’s relationship since they weren’t in the same class, and Chu Tao wasn’t inclined to talk about it.

His impression of Jiang She had always been neutral. He had heard about his rebellious streak and lack of interest in studying, but Jiang She wasn’t a bad person and even seemed quite likable.

Now, for the first time, he felt that Jiang She truly cared for Chu Tao. Everything he did seemed to stem from concern for him.

Such instinctive care couldn’t be faked.

While Chu Xingning didn’t know Jiang She well, he understood his younger brother.

Chu Tao was reserved and stoic, rarely expressing his feelings or complaints. It must have taken immense effort for someone like him to open up and fall in love.

Clearly, Chu Tao already considered Jiang She someone very important.

Moved by this realization, Chu Xingning suddenly stepped forward, tugged Song Mian’s arm, and complained, “Mom, I’m so hungry. I really don’t want to wait anymore. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Song Mian hesitated. “But we’ve already waited an hour. And didn’t Yu Wei say he wanted to eat here? How about you have another orange while we wait?”

The waiting area offered free snacks like sunflower seeds and oranges. While they weren’t great, they could stave off hunger for a bit.

Unhappy, Chu Xingning muttered, “Why do we have to listen to him? I’ve already wasted so much study time tonight.”

Song Mian, who always doted on Chu Xingning, softened at his sulky expression. She also started to feel a bit resentful toward Yu Wei, who had seemed so condescending with his constant mentions of studying abroad.

“This…” Song Mian hesitated, hugging Chu Xingning. He wasn’t in great health, and she couldn’t bear to see him hungry or tired. The thought of him staying up late to make up for lost time made her heart ache.

Chu Xingning shot Jiang She a glance.

Jiang She, quick on the uptake, immediately said, “Auntie, why don’t you join us in our private room? The dishes haven’t been touched yet.”

Song Mian quickly waved her hands. “Oh no, that wouldn’t be appropriate. We’re such a big group.”

Jiang She smiled warmly. “Our room is spacious. We can squeeze in. Besides, it wouldn’t feel right for us to eat while you’re all still waiting.”

Song Mian was taken aback.

This Jiang She was surprisingly thoughtful and well-mannered.

The situation had been awkward, but Jiang She had graciously offered a solution, even giving her family a chance to save face. After all, it was only through Jiang She that Yu Xinrong and Yu Wei would get to eat sooner.

For a moment, Song Mian felt that the rumors and criticisms about Jiang She in the school chat groups might have been exaggerated. Some people always looked down on wealthy kids, eager to label them as troublemakers.

If it were up to her, she might have declined Jiang She’s offer. But seeing that Chu Xingning was hungry, she couldn’t bear to refuse.

“Then thank you, dear,” Song Mian finally agreed.

At this moment, Song Mian found herself developing quite a bit of goodwill toward Jiang She.

When Chu Tao heard about Jiang She’s suggestion, he tilted his head and gave Jiang She an incredulous look.

Though he didn’t say anything aloud, his heart was filled with a mix of emotions—bitterness and warmth.
The bitterness came from feeling sorry that Jiang She’s birthday was being disrupted, while the warmth stemmed from being touched by Jiang She’s thoughtfulness.

The tatami-style VIP room where Chu Tao and Jiang She were staying was designed for special guests and was therefore quite spacious. It could comfortably seat five people, and squeezing in seven wouldn’t be too much trouble.

Trailing behind Yu Xinrong, Yu Wei muttered under his breath, “If I’d known there were people inside, we wouldn’t have had to wait an hour. Seriously.”

Yu Xinrong gave a soft cough and patted Yu Wei’s back, reminding him, “When we get in, make sure to share your experiences with your younger brothers. They’re at a critical stage, about to take their college entrance exams. Who knows, maybe your advice will inspire them to aim as high as you have.”

Yu Wei smirked and whispered, “I doubt they’d have the money to study abroad, especially since there are two of them.”

—

Author’s Note:*
Thank you to all the lovely readers who supported me by casting votes or giving nutrient solutions from **2020-05-24 03:23:24** to **2020-05-25 06:13:15**!

**Special thanks to the angel who dropped a landmine:**
– *love* (1x).

**And to the angels who contributed nutrient solutions:**
– *□□* (5 bottles).
– *(。w。)yan* (3 bottles).
– *Melly-su*, *Matcha* (2 bottles each).
– *Even the authors want to update after reading*, *铭* (1 bottle each).

Thank you all so much for your support! I’ll continue to work hard! ❤️