Chapter 10

Xu Ze had just reached the intersection when a private car pulled up in front of him; within seconds, the Alpha in the driver's seat stepped out.

It was nearly eleven, and the sun was already so strong it was hard to keep one's eyes open. Xu Ze stood rooted where he was, watching Lu Heyang walk around the front of the car and bend down to inspect the right front tire.

Lu Heyang observed for a few seconds, then straightened up — it was hard to imagine, but a folding knife was embedded in the tire. The knife must have been lying open in that shallow pothole, so when the car rolled over it, the blade sank into the rubber.

Without warning he turned back and asked Xu Ze, 'Is there a repair shop nearby?'

Like someone startled out of a daze, a momentary stiffness crossed Xu Ze's face, but at the same time he reacted quickly, averting his gaze from Lu Heyang to the tire, and only after a pause answered, 'There is, but it's a bit far.'

He knew Lu Heyang didn't remember him — not in the faintest way — as though he were merely asking a stranger on the road.

Xu Ze felt no surprise at this; he even thought it perfectly reasonable.

Then he saw the passenger-side window slowly roll down, and the long-haired Omega in sunglasses, seated inside, asked Lu Heyang, 'Is it leaking?'

Xu Ze started; the sun seemed to blaze down all at once, so fierce it stole his breath.

'Mm,' Lu Heyang answered. 'Picked up something.'

Lu Qingmo began, 'Call the dri—'

'Let's just change the tire, it'll be quick.' Lu Heyang stepped to the passenger-side window, braced one hand on the edge of the roof, and bent down to speak to Lu Qingmo. 'If we call the driver to come out, it might take a long time.'

'Should've had the bodyguards come along — at least if something went wrong we could've ridden in their car.'

Lu Heyang smiled. 'Find somewhere to sit for a bit. Once the car's fixed, we'll go.'

'Is there a repair place nearby?'

'There is,' Lu Heyang said.

Lu Qingmo said nothing more, only glanced past Lu Heyang's shoulder. It was a little strange — Lu Heyang clearly didn't know that Alpha, yet the other hadn't hurried away; he stood there, silently pressing his lips together, with bruises on the bridge of his nose and the corner of his mouth — in short, he didn't look like an ordinary passerby.

Lu Heyang straightened and said to Xu Ze, 'Wait a moment, I have something to ask of you.'

He noticed Xu Ze's complexion and lips looked paler than before — he couldn't tell if it was the heat.

Xu Ze had not moved since he first gripped the handlebars, and he couldn't make out what Lu Heyang was saying to the Omega. In fact, if he could have heard, he might well have stepped back a few paces, until the words were entirely out of earshot.

Lu Heyang went to the trunk and took out an umbrella, then opened the passenger door, held the umbrella over Lu Qingmo, and walked beside her toward the nearest convenience shop, before finally returning alone under the umbrella.

'Do you have the repair shop's number?' Lu Heyang walked up to Xu Ze and, with a touch of courtesy, tilted the umbrella slightly more toward him as he asked.

'No.' Xu Ze glanced at the tire; it was so hot he unconsciously licked his lips, then asked, 'Do you have a spare tire and tools in the car?'

'Yes, in the trunk,' Lu Heyang answered. When he'd fetched the umbrella just now, he'd noticed the spare tire and tool kit inside.

'I can change it.' Xu Ze hung his breakfast on the handlebars and pushed the bicycle aside to park it. 'It'll take about twenty minutes or so,' he said.

Lu Heyang said, 'Wait a moment.'

Xu Ze stopped at once. Lu Heyang walked two steps over and held the umbrella over his head again. 'Eat your breakfast first.'

He hesitated only briefly, then, without a word, Xu Ze obediently unwrapped his breakfast. He ate quickly, making no sound at all, while Lu Heyang stood beside him, quietly holding the umbrella.

Two minutes later, Xu Ze had finished eating and wiped his mouth with the small piece of tissue the shop had put in the plastic bag. A trash can stood a meter away; he tossed the wrapper, then walked straight to the half-open trunk, lifted it, dragged out the spare tire, and slung the tool kit up in one hand.

His movements were practiced and clean, requiring no help from anyone. Lu Heyang stood beside him, blocking the sun. After a moment, Lu Heyang crouched down and asked, 'Is there anything I can help with?'

'It's fine, I can manage alone,' Xu Ze answered. He had actually wanted to tell Lu Heyang he didn't need to wait here, that he could go cool off in the convenience shop, but in the end he didn't say it.

Head lowered, Xu Ze briskly began turning the bolts. The force of his hands alone couldn't loosen the seized bolts, so he stood, braced one hand on the edge of the hood, and stamped his foot down on the wrench handle a few times, then crouched again and moved on to the next.

With all the bolts loosened, Xu Ze set the jack under the car and slowly raised it. Once the wheel was off the ground, he turned back, unscrewed the bolts, removed the old wheel, and lifted the spare into position.

Bolts in for alignment, jack lowered, bolts finally tightened. Xu Ze stamped each wrench handle in turn to confirm they were fully secure, then bent down to pack the tools back into the kit along with the old tire, and returned everything to the trunk — the whole thing had taken less than fifteen minutes.

After Xu Ze had put everything away, Lu Heyang closed the trunk; when he looked up, Xu Ze had already, without a word, returned to the sidewalk and was about to ride off. Lu Heyang called after him, 'Xu Ze.'

He saw Xu Ze's movement suddenly falter, then, looking somewhat dazed, turn his head back.

'Wait a moment.' Lu Heyang spoke as he went to open the front door and took out a pack of wet wipes from inside.

By the time he reached Xu Ze, Lu Qingmo had also come out of the convenience shop under the blazing sun, a plastic bag in her hand.

'Wipe your face and hands.' Lu Heyang handed the wipes over.

Lu Qingmo ducked under Lu Heyang's umbrella, took out a new umbrella from the plastic bag, and handed it to Xu Ze as well. 'Thank you for your trouble. The sun is strong — take an umbrella.'

Two hands extended toward him at once, each holding something; refusing either would have been awkward, so Xu Ze took both the wipes and the umbrella. He had just finished changing the tire, and his hands were dusty all over; sweat beaded at his temples, rolling down his cheek one drop at a time.

'Why'd you buy so much?' Lu Heyang asked.

'Couldn't just stand in someone else's shop cooling off for free, so I bought a few things.' Lu Qingmo took out another bottle of mineral water and gave it to Xu Ze. 'Have some water.'

Once Xu Ze had taken the water, Lu Heyang said to Lu Qingmo, 'Go back to the car first.'

'Mm.' Before turning, Lu Qingmo smiled at Xu Ze — a graceful, lovely curve of the lips. 'Thank you.'

Xu Ze nodded slowly. 'You're welcome.'

Once Lu Qingmo was back in the car, Lu Heyang looked at Xu Ze and asked, 'Do you live nearby?'

'Mm.' Xu Ze looked a little absent, still wearing that dazed expression from when his name had been called.

The light was bright, and for the first time today Lu Heyang saw Xu Ze's face fully. Xu Ze's eyes were unusual — a deep grey, so deep they almost carried a faint hint of blue, lending his features a heavy coolness that was not sharp but still, like a lake.

'What happened to your nose?' Lu Heyang asked, the trace of a smile on his face.

As if only just realizing something, Xu Ze went still; he wanted to turn his face away at once, but that would have been too abrupt, and from start to finish, everything that needed to be seen had already been seen — at this point, covering it up would have served no purpose.

'Bumped into something by accident,' Xu Ze said quietly, his eyes lowered.

'Be more careful next time.' Lu Heyang glanced at the time on his Wristband. 'I have things to do, I'll head off first. Thank you for fixing our car.'

'You're welcome,' Xu Ze answered the same way, only his voice was a touch lower.

Lu Heyang got back in the car; after it had rolled forward a few meters, Lu Qingmo asked him, 'Do you know that Alpha?'

'Not really. He's from the Preparatory Academy too.'

'There's an Alpha like that at the Preparatory Academy.' Lu Qingmo smiled. 'He looks a bit different.'

Lu Heyang asked, 'Different how?'

'Different in every way.'

The next turn was approaching; before turning the wheel, Lu Heyang glanced at the right-side rearview mirror. Under the blazing sun, Xu Ze was still standing where he had been, water and umbrella in hand, his gaze seeming to follow the tail of their car.