White Moonlight

Among the club members at the dinner, there was another Omega boy. He first took Lin Yan back to the Dormitory, then deliberately waited downstairs for Shi Qi.

When Shi Qi woke up, he felt terribly embarrassed and bought the boy a whole pile of little cakes as thanks.

From what the other boy said, he had only taken him upstairs. It was actually Shang Sui who had seen him to the bottom of the dorm building.

Shi Qi's memory of last night stopped at the hotpot place. After that, his mind had gone hazy, almost like being drunk. A few broken fragments flashed through his head. Shang Sui seemed to have coaxed him the whole way back, and it had taken no small effort.

Ever since he made a fool of himself drunk once in high school, Shi Qi hardly touched alcohol.

He had not expected the side effects of the Enhanced Inhibitor to make him relive that humiliation all over again. Having troubled Shang Sui again, Shi Qi felt a little bad about it.

He should find a chance to thank him too.

Lin Yan was planning to thank that club member with Isolation Agent in every flavor. Seeing the gift set he had put together, Shi Qi hesitated and asked, 'Is this really an appropriate gift?'

'I can tell you don't get Heat Phase often.' Lin Yan sounded utterly sure of himself. 'See, this is where you don't get it. Between us Omegas, this is the most practical thing to give.'

'I'm planning to get all the common flavors on the market. I'm still missing two. That supermarket by the south gate posted on Moments. Looks like they're restocking in a couple of days.' Lin Yan spoke while looking at his phone. 'But I have class that afternoon. Can you buy them for me? Cedar Scent is a hot flavor. You have to snatch it fast.'

Shi Qi flashed an OK sign.

He unlocked his phone and logged into his social account. At first he was only going on to take a casual look, but when he saw all the people tagging him and sending photos and videos from the day of the competition, Shi Qi remembered this whole matter. He started admiring everyone's masterpieces one by one.

[Come watch our Algae Sister's 4K fancam right now! Head to @Algae_1717, two camera angles and dazzling beauty!]

[17 was so photogenic that day. Just one casual snap and it looked like a magazine spread.]

[That belt that looked like a Waist Chain was too perfect...]

[So many people reposted those two videos from after the card draw and db. This morning I saw the girls in line ahead of me in the cafeteria scrolling them too, so I ran over and claimed kinship on the spot!]

......

[Ahhhhh did any of you notice that 17 fainted because he wasn't feeling well, and this insanely handsome Alpha went up onstage and carried him down? And the hot guy had long hair, oh my god! At first nobody even reacted, then later people started filming on their phones. The atmosphere was so suggestive!]

[Baby hubby, did you go and find yourself a husband? If it's this handsome guy who can princess-carry you, I'll give you my blessing in peace! Though the difference in your strength levels seems kind of huge, so be careful in bed—]

[People who know better think it's feeding sugar. People who don't would think they started doing it right there onstage.]

[But all the current videos are pretty blurry, and none got the hot guy's full face. Algae Sister, do you have a direct shot of this part? Please please post it! I'm counting on this clip—not that, I mean this video—to get me through my days.]

In the past, everyone's comments had all been baby this, baby that. Now, for some reason, they had turned filthier and filthier.

Looking at the increasingly unrestrained comments, Shi Qi thought, Are you people writing porn here? Thank god Shang Sui couldn't see this, or he really would have had no face left.

No sooner had he thought that than an account called Algae_1717 left him a comment.

[1717! I filmed the whole thing that day, from your friend feeding you sugar to carrying you offstage, but I don't know if you two would mind, so I came to ask you first.]

Shi Qi replied with cold-blooded ruthlessness.

@1717177: [Don't post it.]

The other side agreed at once.

@Algae_1717: [Okay okay!]

Very quickly, people noticed their exchange:

[What do you mean by that?! What is there that I, your mother, am not allowed to see!]

[Please, Qier, just let me see one look. If I can't see that bit of you two onstage, my whole body hurts...]

[Nooo! My 4K full-length sugar-feeding fancam.]

[Baby, you're not about to DM Algae Sister for the video and secretly watch it by yourself behind our backs, are you?]

As if. Would he do something like that?

......

A look wouldn't hurt, right.

After all, he had fainted at the time. He was actually pretty curious about what had happened on-site.

Shi Qi talked himself into it and hurriedly sent a private message:

@1717177: [Hello, could you send me a private copy of the video?]

Algae_1717 seemed to misunderstand something and became wildly excited.

[Yes yes yes!]

[Don't worry, Xiao Qi! I absolutely will not share this video with anyone. I will definitely protect your privacy!!]

Shi Qi sent her a thank-you, and she quickly transferred the video over.

Watching Shang Sui pinch the back of his neck and force the candy into his mouth, Shi Qi felt his cheeks grow hotter and hotter.

What the hell.

Why had he even lingered there and sucked on Shang Sui's finger...?

'Shi Qi, what are you looking at? Why's your face so red?' Passing by, Lin Yan saw Shi Qi curled up on the bed with a strange expression. 'Don't tell me you're secretly watching porn behind my back. If it's good stuff, send me a copy.'

Shi Qi feigned calm. 'It's nothing.'

Lin Yan's thoughts jumped tracks. Staring at him, he suddenly said, 'Hey, Shi Qi, have you ever done it yourself?'

'?' Shi Qi asked. 'Done what?'

'Heat Phase! Masturbation!'

Shi Qi's eyes darted everywhere. He saw Shang Sui's long, beautiful hand in the paused frame, and for no reason at all his body went weak. His phone smacked down onto him with a slap.

One look at his reaction and Lin Yan eagerly pressed on. 'So you've basically never done it—?'

The way Omegas found release was different from ordinary people. Shi Qi seemed to have done only the simplest part before, never truly felt the ways real pleasure could be reached.

'...No.'

Lin Yan immediately launched into a sweeping crash course. As Shi Qi listened, his eyes slowly widened, and at the end he blurted out a curse. 'Fuck, you have to go that far?'

His Pheromone level was low. Usually once he used an Inhibitor, he would not feel anything special again. At most he only dealt with the front.

He had thought people only went all the way for things like a Lifelong Mark. How could even a simple Heat Phase require that...?

'Tsk, tsk, tsk.' Seeing how innocent he was, Lin Yan gave his final verdict. 'If you're like this, sooner or later you'll just wait around to get bullied to death.'

'...'

Shi Qi threw a pillow down at him and hit Lin Yan square on the head.

Holding no grudge, Lin Yan threw it back and hit Shi Qi just as accurately.

While the two of them were childishly beating each other up, Jiang Yoning sent Shi Qi a message.

Jiang Yoning: [How have you been lately? I've come to secretly send you money.]

17: [?]

17: [Only now? You're very suspicious.]

Jiang Yoning: [Wasn't it because Xiao An's dad was watching too closely at first? Dad and I didn't dare secretly support you, but we've always cared about you!]

Jiang Yoning: [...Fine, I confess. Actually, Xiao An's dad told me to disguise myself as a kind big sister handing out allowance money and come sound you out.]

Jiang Yoning: [But I really am curious. Where exactly did that boyfriend of yours come from?]

Jiang Yoning: [I promise I won't tell the dads! Just tell me the truth.]

As if to prove how innocent she was, after saying that Jiang Yoning sent over a large sum of allowance money.

At that moment Lin Yan asked, 'Shi Qi, want to go skiing? And soak in hot springs too.'

'Qin Shuhe and the others are organizing it. They pulled people in all the way from Meiyan Academy to A University. Little Peach Sister is going too.'

Chu Tao was the president of the Dance Club. If she was going, then quite a few people from the Dance Club probably would too.

Shi Qi had gone back to his spend-money-freely days, so he agreed at once. 'I'm in.'

Jiang Yoning was still pressing him on his phone. Shi Qi had been just about to tell her the truth, but the next second he felt this might be espionage inside espionage and could not be trusted lightly.

He said sorry, jiejie, in his heart, then replied: [He really is my boyfriend. I'll tell you the details later.]

Shi Qi felt a little guilty after all, so for once he sweet-talked her: [Thanks, jiejie, for sending me money.]

Jiang Yoning: [Really? ...All right.]

Jiang Yoning: [Actually I saw a video of him carrying you online today. From your school's Dance Competition.]

Because Shi Qi felt a little awkward about letting elders see his updates, Jiang Yoning was the only one in the family who knew his social account.

Shi An and the others, on the other hand, respected Shi Qi's wishes. They had never deliberately searched him up online.

The video Jiang Yoning had seen was very blurry, but the views and likes were astonishingly high.

The Alpha holding Shi Qi could not be seen clearly, but from his figure and bearing alone, he had to be strikingly good-looking.

Jiang Yoning spoke honestly: [I don't know why, but seeing him makes me a little annoyed.]

Could it be because her little brother had been stolen away by this man?

Shi Qi thought for a moment, then helped set her mind at ease.

17: [Maybe it's because you're both art students and Alphas. Same lane, same competition.]

Jiang Yoning: [...]

Jiang Yoning: [That actually makes some sense.]

-

Qin Shuhe had not only extended the invitation from Meiyan Academy all the way to A University, he had even extended it from students to teachers, trying to get Shang Sui to come skiing and soak in hot springs too.

More precisely, lately whenever there was a gathering, he would ask the new assistant instructor.

Shang Sui did not join often, but everyone liked him a lot. The moment there was any activity, they wanted to bring him along.

[Ge, want to go skiing?]

[Xiaozhongshan just opened a new ski resort. The snow in the mountains has been especially thick lately. The hot spring hotel is new too.]

Thinking of how Shang Sui knew Shi Qi, Qin Shuhe added one more line: [Oh, right, Shi Qi is going too.]

Shang Sui's gaze landed on that last sentence. The 'No thanks, have fun' he had already typed out was deleted character by character, and he started typing again.

Ss: [Okay.]

Qin Shuhe: [!]

Qin Shuhe: [Wow! Great!! We're leaving Friday afternoon and staying through the weekend. Ge, see if this schedule works for you.]

Shang Sui replied that it worked, set his phone aside, and went on painting.

On the canvas, lucid gold washed over itself in layer after layer. The dancer onstage and the crowd below were both caught in shifting light and shadow.

Shang Sui was not very satisfied with the image as it was. He was considering how to render that scene from memory, as if it had been burning, when Jiang Yan called.

He could not be bothered to pick up the phone, so he simply turned on speaker.

'Bro, I've made a discovery so shocking it's heaven-sent.'

'That kid last time woke me up. Since Alpha and Alpha can be together...' Jiang Yan paused. 'Brace yourself. I'm afraid what comes next might be too much for you to take.'

Shang Sui answered absently, 'Say it.'

The next second, though, Jiang Yan dropped a thunderbolt out of nowhere. 'I thought about it and thought about it, and I think Shen Qianyu is secretly in love with you!'

'...' Shang Sui's hand jerked, and he nearly lost hold of the brush.

Coming back to himself, Shang Sui said flatly, 'Are you sick? Can you not disgust me?'

'I have this feeling that if you gave one order, Shen Qianyu would do it for you even if it meant murder or arson.' Jiang Yan argued his case. 'If that isn't love, what is?'

'...'

'Right, and I'm not saying you actually ought to break the law. It's just a metaphor.'

'I don't know why, but even though you've never really done anything too outrageous, I've always felt you're a little unhinged.' After saying his piece, Jiang Yan found another rationale. 'Is this some occupational disease artists have?'

Shang Sui did not respond. Jiang Yan knew his temper well enough to tell he was moments away from hanging up with utter ruthlessness, and hurriedly tried to stop him. 'Hey, wait, wait, wait! I'm not done yet!'

'Didn't you used to have a White Moonlight?'

Any friend close enough to play around with him knew that Shang Sui had once liked someone.

But he rarely mentioned that person, and everyone only knew someone like that existed. It had already been many years since he last brought them up. By now he should not like them anymore.

'So if Shen Qianyu has a crush on you and doesn't dare say it, that's pretty reasonable, right?'

Shang Sui suddenly said, 'Back then, when he told you to dig out your gland, Shen Qianyu was in the wrong.'

Jiang Yan thought he had finally been persuaded and immediately chimed in. 'Right, exactly!'

'You should go get your hormones checked.'

'?'

'See whether your brain stopped developing at age ten.'

'...'

Before hanging up, Shang Sui added, 'Not used to.'

After the call got cut off, Jiang Yan took a long while to process it.

......

What did not used to mean?

Surely Shang Sui's White Moonlight had not remained unchanged even now?

-

To help Lin Yan complete the Isolation Agent gift set, Shi Qi headed out the moment he saw the supermarket's restock notice. He lived up to the task and got the Cedar Scent Lin Yan had specified.

Looking at the dazzling row of Isolation Agents behind the shop assistant, Shi Qi's eyes were caught by a package on the top shelf, orange-yellow at the base with white flowers painted on it.

His Pheromone level was low. He rarely used this stuff and did not even have the habit of carrying it with him.

Shi Qi hesitated for a moment, then gestured. 'One Honey Flavor too.'

At checkout, the clerk added, 'Honey is our new seasonal limited edition. You're actually the first person to buy it.'

Seeing the puzzlement on Shi Qi's face, the clerk explained, 'Usually people like cooler scents, things like Cedar Scent or fir. Spray it on and it feels more like being held by an Alpha.'

'Why? Isn't sweet nice?' Shi Qi said what he really thought.

'—I think so too.'

That faintly amused voice hit Shi Qi like a pause button. He froze where he stood.

He turned around. The newcomer had a mint-green scarf and sweater, both soft and fuzzy. A hoop earring set with a chain of rhinestones swayed lightly, almost hanging to his coat. A row of rose-gold helix studs glimmered too.

Snow and cold air drifted in from outside. Shang Sui folded his umbrella and looked over with evident interest.

After they left the supermarket, that line about 'the feeling of being held by an Alpha' kept circling in Shi Qi's mind and would not go away.

He turned his head and looked hesitantly at the Alpha beside him.

The last time they met, it felt like Shang Sui had not had this many helix studs. Had he gotten another piercing?

Lin Yan had said cartilage piercings hurt a lot. With how deep that spot was, Shang Sui really was not afraid of pain.

......

No. He should still explain.

After turning it over and over in his head, Shi Qi took the initiative. 'I just like sweeter scents. It doesn't mean anything else.'

'Ah, so you don't like me?'

'?' How was that the same thing?

Before Shi Qi could react, Shang Sui changed expressions as if flipping a switch and immediately put on a wounded tone. 'My heart hurts.'

'...' Shi Qi could not win against him, so he could only change the subject. 'About the dinner last time, thanks for taking me back.'

Shang Sui smiled and handed over the bag in his hand. 'This is for you.'

'What is it?'

The bag was large, heavier than he had expected. It suited Shang Sui to carry it one-handed. Shi Qi estimated the size and, without thinking, wrapped both arms around it.

'A painting.' Snow was still falling all around them. Holding the umbrella, Shang Sui motioned for him to come a little closer. 'Open it when you get back. I'll walk you to the dorm building.'

Shi Qi realized something. 'Did you paint it?'

When Shang Sui nodded, Shi Qi hugged the bag tighter, afraid it would catch the drifting snow.

It had been a long time since something hidden inside wrapping had filled him with this kind of curiosity and anticipation. Thinking that Shang Sui had painted it stroke by stroke with his own hand, Shi Qi hugged the bag tighter still without meaning to.

'If you don't like it, you can tell me to take it away.' Shang Sui paused a little, then said, almost joking, 'Just don't throw it out.'

Why did he have to make it sound so pitiful?

How could he possibly throw away a painting by Shang Sui?

Back in the Dormitory, Shi Qi thought about that while unwrapping it.

He stood stunned for a few seconds, then hurriedly grabbed his phone and took photo after photo of the painting.

What Shang Sui had painted was the sunset stage. Unlike reality, he had used a subtle, lingering gray-violet for the background, with pale gold representing the sunset floating over it like glittering water.

The person at the center of the stage wore black, yet sharp jumps of color in the details kept the center of the composition from sinking into darkness.

Shi Qi's face had been blurred rather than rendered in detail. One hand pressed downward, and the force of breaking through everything was on the verge of bursting free. Even across the canvas, the atmosphere of revelry could be felt.

At the end, Shi Qi carefully reached out a hand and could not help lightly touching the painted version of himself.

Shang Sui had painted him so handsome.

Looking at the painting made him think once more of how it had felt to stand on that stage. Even the wavering dizziness from back then, the movement of wind brushing past his ears, all of it rose again in his mind one by one. Its force was unbelievably strong.

Shi Qi compared one photo after another, but in the end he still felt none of them were as arresting as the painting itself. He could only reluctantly choose the best-looking one.

He posted it on Moments, then, finding that not enough, posted it on social media too.

17: [Praise.] [Image]

Almost the instant it went up, Lin Yan commented.

Yanyan: [OMG, it's so vivid!]

Yanyan: [This was exactly how it felt watching you from below that day. Like you were about to ascend the throne onstage!]

Qin Shuhe: [Who painted this? The composition is incredible. Even from the photo you can tell the color layers are especially lucid. Is it watercolor? But the texture feels heavier than watercolor. Oil?]

Qin Shuhe: [Where did you get connections this absurdly good?]

Qin Shuhe praised it from a professional angle at length. Shi Qi was so pleased looking at it that it felt as if he himself had been praised.

17: [Granted.]

17: [I'll carry you tonight. By special exception, you're allowed to play mid.]

Qin Shuhe: [My deepest thanks, Your Majesty.]

She Zhang also burst into the comments below.

Chu Tao: [Wuwuwuwu, such beauty with so much tension! After looking at all the live photos everyone took, then seeing this completely different kind of image, it feels so full of story. His Majesty's cat-face deserves to be recorded from every possible angle!]

17: [?]

Chu Tao: [No, I mean dragon face.]

His Moments and social account filled with praise. One elder with an interest in art collecting even saw it and sent a special message asking who had painted it and whether an introduction might be possible.

Shi Qi was still wondering how to reply when Shang Sui himself saw the post too and commented on his Moments:

Ss: [As long as you like it. See you Friday.]

17: [Mm, I like it very much.]

17: [See you Friday.]

Lin Yan saw Shang Sui's message too.

Yanyan: [You painted it? Holy shit, I need to start calling you ge too. No wonder Qin Shuhe comes out of your classes on his knees every time.]

Yanyan: [Ge, you're coming to the snow mountain with us too? Nice! The more the livelier.]

Shi Qi admired Shang Sui's painting a while longer and found a suitable place to put it. The more he looked, the more he felt the dorm room was too small, and he planned to take the painting home on break.

Once all that was done, he sat down and opened a bottle of water. Then he saw the notification that Shang Sui had replied to Lin Yan.

Drinking as he unlocked his phone, Shi Qi tapped in to look and was caught so off guard he choked, nearly failing to draw his next breath.

Ss: [Yes. I'm going so I can properly attend on His Majesty ^^]

Ss: [I'm so happy.]

...Was there really nobody on his Moments feed that Shang Sui cared about?

Even if they were only pretending to date, how exactly did Shang Sui throw himself into a role like this so completely?]