Chapter 27

Xu Ze’s Susceptibility Period this time had been relatively brief. He had taken Monday off, and together with the weekend, it amounted to less than three days. On Tuesday afternoon, for swimming class, Xu Ze brought the insulated lunch box to the Swimming Pool, though he didn’t know whether Lu Heyang would come to class.

After swimming class began, Xu Ze did not see Lu Heyang and guessed he probably wasn’t coming today.

But twenty minutes later, in the middle of training, Xu Ze happened to look up and saw Lu Heyang descending the steps at the exit — and looking right at him.

These past few days Xu Ze had been wondering whether Lu Heyang had noticed anything; in the end he couldn’t be sure. Judging from Lu Heyang’s attitude, he didn’t seem to have taken the matter to heart — perhaps he thought it was normal, after all, it was a Susceptibility Period, and all sorts of physical reactions were common.

Either way, Xu Ze instinctively wanted to hide himself. Right now he was in the pool, so the only place to hide was underwater.

He dived under and swam along the lane as he would in normal training, yet during the swim he vaguely saw someone walking along the edge of the pool, pacing forward slowly, matching his underwater speed.

When he reached the end, Xu Ze didn’t surface; his whole body remained submerged. Looking up, he saw the other standing there, looking rather patient.

Xu Ze knew this behaviour of his was utterly foolish and ridiculous, but he had already done it.

Unfortunately, because he had been too flustered before diving in, Xu Ze hadn’t taken in enough oxygen, and now he couldn’t hold out much longer.

Xu Ze couldn’t help letting out two bubbles underwater.

Thirty seconds later, he broke the surface and gasped for air.

Lu Heyang stood at the poolside, holding a pair of swimming goggles. He looked down at Xu Ze and said, “I don’t recall the final exam testing underwater swimming.”

“……” Xu Ze wiped the water from his face, not daring to meet Lu Heyang’s eyes, grateful he was wearing goggles.

After a moment, Xu Ze asked, “Which changing room are you in?”

Lu Heyang didn’t answer. Instead he crouched down and said, “Can’t hear you. Swim a little closer.”

The way he knelt on one knee looked like an aquarium trainer, and Xu Ze, like a dolphin being called, followed the instruction and went over. Xu Ze swam to a spot near the edge, stiff with nerves, but forced himself to ask again: “Which changing room are you in?”

“What’s up?” Lu Heyang asked, his hand dangling in the pool, stirring the water.

“You forgot to take the lunch box. I’ll bring it to you after class,” Xu Ze said.

“Lunch box?” Lu Heyang looked as if he had no recollection at all.

Xu Ze could only remind him: “Saturday. When you… came to my place.”

“Mm, I remember now,” Lu Heyang said. “Changing room three.”

Xu Ze gave a nod. Lu Heyang stood up: “I’ll go train first.”

He walked toward another pool. Xu Ze watched his back until Lu Heyang had entered the water and disappeared from view. Then Xu Ze slowly, slowly sank beneath the surface again, to ease the heat in his face and on his body.

Because Lu Heyang had arrived late, he was dismissed a few minutes after the others. Returning to the changing room to get his things, he heard someone come in behind him and turned — it was Xu Ze.

Xu Ze held a towel in one hand and the insulated lunch box in the other. He brought it over and placed it on a chair, said “Thank you,” and then, without waiting for Lu Heyang to reply, made to leave — in a great hurry.

“Xu Ze.” Lu Heyang took a bottle of water from his locker and, without turning his head, called him back.

Xu Ze stopped at once, and a second later turned around. “What is it?”

Lu Heyang took a drink of water, picked up a towel and rubbed his hair. “Why do you have more Susceptibility Periods?”

He lifted his eyes, his gaze passing through damp, dishevelled bangs to rest on Xu Ze’s face.

Mention of the Susceptibility Period inevitably reminded Xu Ze of what had happened on Saturday — in any case it made him desperately want to flee the other’s presence right away. Only Lu Heyang’s expression held no hint of mockery; he seemed to be asking in earnest.

“I differentiated into an S-Class a second time,” Xu Ze said. “It happened in my second year of middle school. Before that I was only an A-Class.”

“For an Alpha who undergoes secondary differentiation, the Pheromone isn’t very stable, so Susceptibility Periods come a little more frequently,” he explained.

Lu Heyang nodded. Secondary differentiation wasn’t common, and the biology textbook hadn’t explained it in detail; until now he really hadn’t known much about it.

“Is it very hard to bear?” he asked again. Lu Heyang had never experienced a real Susceptibility Period, so he wasn’t clear what it felt like.

But this question made it hard for Xu Ze not to think too much — was it very hard to bear? Hard enough to do that sort of thing in front of an Alpha? Xu Ze felt he had nowhere to hide. Gripping his towel tightly, he answered, “A little.”

Lu Heyang was about to say something when He Wei’s voice came from the changing‑room doorway: “Hey, Lu Heyang, are you done yet?”

“Oh?” Walking in and seeing Xu Ze there too, He Wei greeted him: “Hi.”

His gaze then lingered on Xu Ze’s upper body, studying his abdominal muscles and physique with great earnestness, and he realised it was indeed exactly the same as Number Seventeen’s. The only reason he hadn’t connected Xu Ze with Number Seventeen was that he’d never seen Xu Ze shirtless — it had to be that.

Seeing He Wei staring at his body, Xu Ze was somewhat bewildered. Then he felt Lu Heyang walk toward him; his hand went empty — Lu Heyang had taken his towel and draped it over Xu Ze’s left shoulder, the hanging part covering most of Xu Ze’s torso.

He Wei’s observation was abruptly cut short. He frowned and made a dissatisfied “Hey.” Lu Heyang cut him off coolly: “Aren’t you going home for dinner today?”

“Not going. Not going home for the rest of my life,” He Wei said. “Tonight we’re going to a party. I’ll introduce you to a pretty Omega.”

Xu Ze kept his eyes lowered to the floor. He knew he ought to leave, but the situation now was that he stood between He Wei and Lu Heyang; to turn and walk off suddenly would be too rude. Xu Ze also had no experience with cutting into a conversation; he didn’t know at what moment it would be appropriate to say “I’ll be going now.”

“Don’t want to go,” Lu Heyang refused He Wei’s invitation outright.

“You’re really no fun. Are you even capable?” He Wei looked disappointed. “Lu Heyang, if you don’t date in high school, are you planning to wait until university, when your dad arranges a marriage partner for you?”

When he finished speaking, Lu Heyang showed no reaction, but Xu Ze lifted his head and looked at Lu Heyang. Xu Ze had been standing quietly, so the motion of raising his head seemed rather abrupt.

Lu Heyang therefore looked back at Xu Ze; the instant their eyes met, Xu Ze immediately averted his.

“Xu Ze, are you dating Chi Jiahán?” He Wei’s attention shifted back to Xu Ze, asking him.

Xu Ze seemed still immersed in something; he paused before answering: “No, we’re friends.”

“Then is Chi Jiahán dating any other Alpha?”

“No.” Xu Ze paused again, then said, “He’s afraid of Alphas.”

Actually Xu Ze was putting it mildly. Chi Jiahán wasn’t afraid of Alphas — he disliked them. Xu Ze seemed to be one of the few Alpha friends he was willing to be close with.

“What does that mean, is he gay?” He Wei was shocked. He had actually looked into Chi Jiahán quite thoroughly; the first two questions were just casual chat with Xu Ze. But this aspect genuinely hadn’t occurred to him.

“Probably not.” Xu Ze had never speculated about Chi Jiahán’s sexual orientation, but he didn’t think Chi Jiahán was gay.

He Wei sank into thought. Xu Ze finally found his chance to interject: “I’ll be going now.”

Lu Heyang didn’t respond. Xu Ze glanced at him quickly, then turned and walked out of changing room three.

Xu Ze went to the showers to wash, then returned to the changing room to pack his things. The Swimming Pool was almost empty now, very quiet. Xu Ze heard footsteps in the corridor, then heard He Wei’s voice.

“Really not going?” He Wei was still hung up on the party.

“Not going,” Lu Heyang refused again.

Xu Ze slowly put on his Wristband. He thought of what He Wei had said earlier; the meaning seemed to be that Lu Heyang wasn’t dating anyone.

Although this matter essentially had nothing to do with him — after all, Lu Heyang’s entire life couldn’t possibly have anything to do with him — Xu Ze’s sense of guilt lightened a little because of it. At least it meant that time he hadn’t been masturbating in front of an Alpha who had a girlfriend.

The two of them slowly approached the changing‑room door. Xu Ze’s locker was by the door, and he happened to be hidden by the wall.

“What did your cousin say?” Lu Heyang asked He Wei.

“He said he wants to see how Xu Ze fights first. I was thinking maybe we could take him to the boxing ring on Friday — just don’t know if Xu Ze will be fighting this week? Wasn’t he injured last time?”

“We’ll ask him when the time comes.”

“Lu Heyang.” He Wei’s voice grew strangely serious. “I feel like you with Xu Ze… how to put it, you never get involved in other people’s business. I don’t know what you mean by it.”

Xu Ze’s movements halted abruptly. He looked at his wrist; his heartbeat suddenly grew heavy. He wasn’t expecting anything, he just didn’t know how Lu Heyang would answer.

“Is it because you think he’s rather pitiful, and you sympathise with him?” He Wei asked again.

The voice came from beyond the wall, perfectly clear. And for several seconds Lu Heyang made no sound, as if acquiescing.

The sun had already set; the changing room was rather dim. The empty locker compartments were pitch‑black, like square, gaping black mouths that could swallow a person whole.

Xu Ze’s gaze had no focus. He slowly closed the locker door, producing a low, faint creak.

A long time later, long after their footsteps had grown indistinct, from far away Xu Ze heard Lu Heyang’s answer.

“Maybe.”