Chapter 07: Setting Up the Characters

Jiang Chicheng was sprawled on the sofa, having consumed two large cups of iced water without feeling any better. He stared blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling, feeling as though his heart had shattered into pieces.

Shiye sat next to him, hugging his arm. He seemed to remember something and grinned foolishly: “You know, when she smiled at me, it made me happier than climbing Mount Everest ten times! I've never seen such a beautiful omega!”

Jiang Chicheng tried to pull his hand back but couldn’t, tilting his head up and hesitantly saying, “You’ve only seen a few omegas. There might be even prettier ones than her. I think you’re being a bit rash. You should think it over.”

Shiye waved his hand dismissively, “Impossible! There will never be a more beautiful omega than her!”

Jiang Chicheng frowned, “On what basis are you so sure?”

“I haven’t seen many omegas, but I’ve seen plenty of alphas! I…”

Shiye nearly slipped off the sofa. He leaned against the table and tried to move up a bit, his T-shirt rolling up to reveal a slim waist that glistened with a layer of light sweat, as if glowing. His amber eyes dimmed slightly as he swallowed hard, making a sound in his throat.

With a long reach, Jiang Chicheng’s warm palm pressed against that skin. As he applied force, his fingers sank in like they were pressing into jelly, creating a ring of indentations before he pulled back, ensuring Shiye was seated safely next to him.

With a thud, something fell to the ground—it was the half-empty bottle of AD calcium milk that Jiang Chicheng had left. Shiye bent down to pick it up and put it back on the table. “Sorry about that.”

The skin beneath his palm felt too good, so Jiang Chicheng decided to pull back his hand, elbowing him gently. “You didn’t finish what you were saying.”

Shiye suddenly leaned in closer, examining Jiang Chicheng's face for a moment before lifting his chin: “What I meant to say is, I’ve never seen a more handsome alpha than you!”

So, his sister, who looked about eighty percent like him, must also be the most beautiful omega!

Jiang Chicheng felt a flutter in his heart, as if a stone had been dropped into a still lake, causing ripples. He smiled smugly and shook his head to shake off Shiye’s hand. “Then, who’s prettier, me or my sister?”

Unexpectedly, Shiye frowned and turned his face away in disdain. “You can’t compare alphas and omegas!”

Jiang Chizheng felt a sting in his heart and tilted his head to ask, “What if… I were an omega?”

“You? An omega?”

This was indeed a strange assumption that Shiye had never considered. He sat up, propping his face with one hand, while biting down on the straw of Jiang Chicheng’s leftover AD calcium milk, furrowing his brows for a long moment: “If you were an omega, I would… vomit!”

Jiang Chicheng raised an eyebrow.

Shiye’s face flushed suddenly, covering his mouth and hunching over. “I-I would… vomit!”

Before he could finish, Shiye scrambled into the bathroom, hugging the toilet and retching violently.

Jiang Chicheng lay back against the sofa, his hands folded under his chin, staring at the blurred figure in the bathroom for a while before yawning and getting up. “I can’t take it anymore, I’m so tired. If you throw up outside, you can clean it up yourself. Don’t forget to turn off the lights when you go to sleep.”

Shiye, too weak from vomiting, managed to poke his head out from the toilet. “No, I haven’t finished talking… vomit!”

“Bang—!”

Jiang Chicheng had already slammed the door shut.

Locking the door, Jiang Chicheng leaned against it.

The room was dark, and even the curtains were tightly drawn. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, and with a “snap,” a spark lit up before disappearing, leaving only faint embers.

Turning on his phone, the screen’s bright light illuminated his pale face. Jiang Chicheng opened his social media, posting a plain text status: “Am I such a cheap little alpha? [Crying][Crying]”

After posting, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, pressed the back of his head against the door, and listened to the sounds from the living room. When the flushing noise stopped, the sound of running water started in the bathroom.

Jiang Chicheng swallowed hard, feeling a subtle ache in his glands. He lifted his hand to the back of his neck, tearing off the gland patch he had put on before getting on the bus.

In an instant, it felt as though a perfume bottle had shattered, and a rich, dense floral scent filled the room, penetrating every crevice and demanding to be released.

The lingering warmth and slickness remained in the palm of his left hand, and the sound of rustling clothing echoed as he closed his eyes, his mind filled with thoughts of the red marks left where his fingers had pressed against that patch of skin.

The sound of water stopped, and the hairdryer started up again. After setting it down, the sound of plastic slippers splashing water on the floor grew louder as someone exited the bathroom. They drank some water, paused for a few seconds, and then the footsteps drew closer.

Jiang Chicheng counted the steps: five, four, three, two, one—

“Knock knock knock!” Shiye was at the door.

Jiang Chicheng quickened his movements, letting out a muffled grunt as his damp back pressed against the door, his chest heaving violently.

Shiye’s half-drunken voice came through the door, muffled. “Jiang Chicheng, you haven’t finished talking! How do you really feel about me? Jiang Chicheng?”

“…”

In the dimly lit room, separated by just a door, Jiang Chicheng, disheveled and panting, took a moment to collect himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back the strands sticking to his forehead, lifted his head, and with a half-burnt cigarette in his mouth, he grinned slightly, his chest silently trembling.

He heard Shiye mumbling softly, “He can’t really be asleep, it’s only nine-thirty.”

The footsteps faded further away, followed by a thud as the lights in the living room turned off.

Jiang Chicheng kicked off his slippers, stepping barefoot on the floor. He opened the window to air out the room and turned on the ventilation system in the bedroom. After waiting for an hour and the smell dissipated, he entered the bathroom.

After showering, his hair still damp against his shoulders, Jiang Chicheng leaned on the sink, taking a serious look at his face, which resembled Jiang Chizao's by about eighty to ninety percent, noting the bruises left from Shiye's punches on his profile.

He vividly remembered the disgust in Shiye’s eyes as his fist came toward him.

They had known each other for fifteen years, and Shiye had always used his fists to protect him. This was the first time he had aimed his fists at him.

All because he had transitioned into an alpha?

They were both alphas; why did all the benefits go to Jiang Chizao?

Just because she could pretend to be an omega?

In his mind, he recalled Dr. Chen’s words: perhaps you could try to change your mindset and think about what qualities in an omega might be more attractive to him than those in an alpha, and whether you possess such qualities.

Jiang Chi Cheng laughed, thinking it was just pretending to be an omega; who couldn’t do that?

—

After a night of heavy drinking, Shiye woke up the next day at ten, still feeling a bit dizzy. Remembering the unfinished conversation from yesterday, he slowly got up and made his way to the living room.

Jiang Chi Cheng had already left; the table was cleared of bowls and chopsticks, and there were leftover noodles in the pot along with some dishes from last night.

Shiye reheated the food and casually ate a bit. He had to help out at the pet store in the afternoon, and he guessed Jiang Chi Cheng would be stuck in the lab all day.

He pondered Jiang Chi Cheng's implications from last night, feeling somewhat pessimistic. He had drunk too much, and things weren’t clear; he planned to wait until evening to properly woo him, hoping to get his contact information.

Now, every time Shiye saw Jiang Chi Cheng, he felt a sense of closeness and didn’t mind that his clothes had the alpha scent. He casually put on a piece and was just about to head out when the doorbell rang.

“Hello, this is a delivery for Mr. Jiang.”

This time it was a proper delivery guy, holding a red-and-white box with a string of English written on the side that Shiye couldn’t understand. He only saw the word "urgent" in the notes. “He’s not here; just give it to me.”

“Please sign here.”

Shiye took the pen and wrote his name in the blank space. The delivery man handed him the box, saying, “Have a nice day!”

The box felt a bit heavy; it didn’t seem like shoes. Shiye shook it and heard some water sloshing around inside, unsure what it was, and placed it on Jiang Chi Cheng's bed.

He took a photo, planning to tell Jiang Chi Cheng about it, but just as he raised his phone, the doorbell rang again.

This time, it was another delivery guy, but from a different company. This package was in a bag, feeling like clothes. Shi Ye signed for it and tossed it onto his bed as well.

He guessed there would be more. Sitting on the couch, he waited for ten minutes, and sure enough, the doorbell rang again. This time it was a larger box; it wasn’t heavy, but it likely contained fragile items, packed with lots of foam.

Before he could even set it down, the doorbell rang again.

Shiye took a photo, feeling annoyed, and opened WeChat to start typing: “Did you just move in?”

Suddenly remembering something, he bit his lip and deleted each word one by one from the input box.

He signed for another batch of packages, stacking them together and snapping a picture.

ShiyeBBQ: Just received these deliveries, a total of 16 items. Are there any more unreceived?

0.o: There are two more, still in transit.

0.o: I’ll call and have them drop it off at the delivery station.

ShiyeBBQ: The delivery station closes at night.

ShiyeBBQ: I’m not busy; let’s just sign for them together.

0.o: Sure.

Shiye turned off his phone. A few minutes later, the screen lit up again.

0.o: They’re all experimental equipment.

This sounded a bit like “there’s nothing to see here,” and Shiye inferred it meant to handle it carefully. He replied with an “OK.”

Though Shiye said he wasn’t busy, when he arrived at the pet store that afternoon, he nearly ended up late. Duo Duo helped him with compliments, saving him from a scolding.

Part-time wages were settled weekly, and since Jiang Chi Cheng had bought more supplies the other day, with this week’s commission, he had earned a total of twelve hundred.

After finishing work at eight-thirty in the evening, the nearby cake shop was still open. Shiye took out two hundred and bought a piece of matcha cake. The shop assistant thought he was buying it for a girlfriend and even gave him a plush toy, a capybara with a green drool bib.

When Shiye got home, Jiang Chi Cheng was sprawled on the sofa playing video games. Hearing the door open, he glanced up and his gaze landed on the cake in Shi Ye’s hand, sliding down to him barefoot.

Seeing it was his favorite matcha flavor, he raised an eyebrow and teased, “Oh, whose birthday is it today? It’s not yours, not mine; could it be this capybara’s?”

Shi Ye ignored him and took a knife to cut the cake. The palm-sized cake was cut into four pieces, and just as he scooped a piece onto a paper plate, Jiang Chi Cheng began to give orders: “I want three pieces.”

Shiye looked up, “You’re aware, right? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Then I want two and a half pieces,” Jiang Chi Cheng replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down, accepting the fork Shiye handed him. He forked a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, squinting his eyes. “Hey, I guess I’m riding on her coattails.”

Shi Ye, realizing this could be an opportunity, quickly pulled out a chair to sit beside him: “Little brother-in-law, what do you mean?”

Jiang Chi Cheng crossed his legs and began counting on his fingers: “My sister is such a standout omega, with both beauty and figure, gentle and virtuous, cooks well, kind-hearted and capable. After so many years, she hasn’t had a proper relationship, as pure as white paper, and she’s a hopeless romantic. Anyone she falls in love with will be like a moth to a flame... Honestly, it’s hard to find an omega like my sister nowadays, even with a lantern. I can’t just casually introduce her to someone, right?”

Shi Ye grasped his hand anxiously: “Good brother! You know my character!”

Jiang Chi Cheng glanced at his hand but didn’t pull it away: “Then let me test you. Besides her looks, what else do you like about my sister?”

“I can’t even imagine how sweet and soft she would be to hug!”

“Hah!” Jiang Chi Cheng yanked his hand back and raised an eyebrow. “What if she’s not sweet and soft? You wouldn’t like her then?”

Shi Ye quickly corrected himself, “As long as it’s her, I’ll like her no matter what!”

Jiang Chi Cheng still wasn’t satisfied. “Ha! Then if it’s not her, you wouldn’t like her?”

Shi Ye was taken aback: “Huh???'"

Jiang Chi Cheng suddenly realized something felt off but didn’t correct it. His amber eyes locked onto Shi Ye’s dark pupils, and their heartbeats resonated together.

“I mean, love is like nurturing flowers. If you only love its appearance, it will wither and die after its blooming period. You need to love its soul, giving it enough care and patience, so that it can bloom again next year.”

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