AHDIBCB Chapter 15

Ever since Yuan Yi took a leave of absence, Bai Wanzhe’s mind had been far from his studies. He knew that his family had already agreed to dine with the Zhou family. But more than considering his wishes, it was a matter of interest. Especially his mother—she was eager to further her career and had the intention of forming a marriage alliance with the Zhou family.

A military-business union wasn’t uncommon, and it would indeed benefit his family. But he felt no joy in it. He had always liked Yuan Yi. Otherwise, even knowing that Yuan Yi’s pheromone scent was unpleasant, he wouldn’t have been reluctant to push him away. He had seriously considered paying for Yuan Yi to undergo a gland modification surgery after graduation.

But he had never expected things to take this turn—Yuan Yi just up and got married. And to Li Heng, of all people.

The Li family was one he could hardly interfere with, which frustrated and vexed him. He was unhappy. He even entertained the idea of asking Yuan Yi if they could have a secret affair. But now, he couldn’t even get in touch with him.

Bai Wanzhe suddenly sat up. His roommate, Wang Hao, was startled. “Bai Wanzhe, what are you doing?”

Bai Wanzhe put on his shoes while replying, “I need to go out for a bit.”

Yuan Yi had married Li Heng—but Li Heng was already dead. And Yuan Yi hadn’t been truly marked in the biological sense. Bai Wanzhe felt like he couldn’t just let this slip away.

But then Wang Hao said, “Wait a second. Did you see the new post Yuan Yi just made on the forum?”

Bai Wanzhe hadn’t. He hadn’t been in the mood for anything these past couple of days. As he opened the forum, he asked, “What did he post?”

Wang Hao said, “See for yourself. Seems like that Zhou family is more complicated than we thought.”

Bai Wanzhe didn’t quite get what he meant. Could it be that Yuan Yi had been forced into marrying into the Li family? A part of him hoped that was the case.

However, when he clicked on the post, he froze.

A certified laboratory test report was displayed, detailing the issue with Yuan Yi’s pheromones.

Yuan Yi hadn’t criticized or blamed anyone, nor had he complained. He had simply stated that the unpleasant scent of his pheromones in the past had been due to a synthetic fragrance called Dongmei Jin in the laundry detergent he used.

This particular fragrance, when mixed with Jinbian Ruixiang, created an unpleasant odor. So, he wanted to remind anyone whose pheromones were also Jinbian Ruixiang to be careful and avoid products containing Dongmei Jin, especially detergents and similar items.

Someone in the thread immediately asked, “Which brands of laundry detergent contain this “Dongmei Jin” fragrance? If you tell us, we can all avoid them.”

But Yuan Yi himself had never seen the brand—it had likely been custom-made specifically for him. So, he replied to the post, saying that it was purchased by his family and that he didn’t know the exact brand.

Not knowing what brand of detergent one’s family used didn’t seem like a big deal. But who would use such a rare fragrance in laundry detergent? It wasn’t even particularly pleasant.

Most of the students at Jihua University were smart. It only took a little thought for them to realize something was off.

Leopard Print Thermos Cup: I’ve actually found this a little strange for a while. Zhou always wears luxury brands and doesn’t seem short on money. So why didn’t his family ever pay for OP to get a gland modification surgery? If they were worried about a slow recovery, couldn’t they have just done it during a school break?

Little Sponge Absorbs Wealth: Word is that Zhou also likes Bai Wanzhe. I have a classmate in their department. Ever since OP took leave, Zhou has been dressing up like crazy and constantly hanging around Bai Wanzhe’s department. Anyone with a brain can see what’s going on. That whole “gentle and innocent” act is just for fooling idiots.

Sweet (·) Sweet: So… does that mean the Zhou family deliberately avoided giving OP the gland modification surgery? That’s so malicious. It’s not even an expensive procedure.

Founder of Clinical Psychology: If you think about it, it’s pretty obvious. How could someone raised in a healthy, loving environment turn out as timid as OP? It’s clearly because he’s lived in constant fear. Fear makes people cowardly, and a lack of love makes people indifferent. You can’t just look at things on the surface.

Haihong: Some people should really go to drama school instead of art school.

Even a Dog Would Be Shocked: Holy crap, does this mean Bai Wanzhe was totally played?!

Ercica: Played? What do you mean?

Even a Dog Would Be Shocked: Think about it. Why did Bai Wanzhe and OP always keep that close-but-not-too-close distance? Wasn’t it because of OP’s pheromone issue?! If that hadn’t been a problem, they probably would’ve gotten together ages ago!

Sweet (·) Sweet: Now that you mention it… that really does make sense.

Delicate Flower: Not gonna lie, OP is seriously good-looking. Even as an omega myself, I find him stunning. ☆☆

Seven-Colored Star Pearl: No wonder Zhou was going on about ‘everyone has the right to pursue happiness’ in that other post—turns out he was just trying to steal his cousin’s man! He was laying the groundwork for himself all along.

Haihong: Pfft, Bai Wanzhe is truly miserable.

Little Dumb Bunny: Miserable +1

Perfect Angle: Miserable +2

Scrolling further down, Bai Wanzhe’s expression had long surpassed simple anger—he was absolutely furious.

He knew Zhou Xingran had strong feelings for him, but he couldn’t believe Zhou had gone so far as to sabotage his relationship with Yuan Yi in such a manipulative way!

No wonder. He had casually mentioned the idea of getting Yuan Yi a gland modification surgery in front of Zhou Xingran before. And Zhou had conveniently told him that the hospital had already done tests and concluded it would be better to wait a few more years before doing the procedure. That was why Bai Wanzhe had subconsciously decided to delay it until after graduation.

If it hadn’t been for Zhou Xingran, he might have already marked Yuan Yi. There wouldn’t have been any Li Heng in the picture at all!

The more Bai Wanzhe thought about it, the more suffocated with rage he felt.

Wang Hao: “Bai Wanzhe, are you okay?”

Bai Wanzhe: “Why wouldn’t I be?!”

Wang Hao could tell that Bai Wanzhe was holding back a firestorm of anger, so he asked, “So what are you gonna do? Aren’t you supposed to go to the Zhou family tomorrow? Still going or not?”

Bai Wanzhe snapped, “Go? Am I brain-dead?”

Zhou Xingran had practically announced their families’ gathering with a megaphone, eager for the whole world to know. If Bai Wanzhe still went after all this, who knew how many people would call him blind?

But just letting this whole thing slide? That felt way too cowardly.

After a moment of thought, he decided to head out.

He contacted a classmate he was on good terms with—another omega male—and asked him to head over to the art academy’s dormitory to find Ji Lan.

He was sure that even if Yuan Yi had changed his communication ID, he would have told Ji Lan. Ji Lan was his best friend, one of the few people who had never minded the scent of his pheromones. In fact, before the whole inducer incident, Ji Lan hadn’t had a bad impression of Bai Wanzhe either.

Maybe—just maybe—Ji Lan could help.

Bai Wanzhe waited downstairs at the art academy’s dormitory. In the end, neither the person nor the contact information arrived—what came instead was a bucket of cold water. Ji Lan stood by the window and cursed, “What were you doing earlier? Hurry up and leave! Don’t dirty the grounds of our Academy of Fine Arts!”

Bai Wanzhe was drenched, his face turning ashen with anger, but he couldn’t swallow his frustration. So, he went to the medical school’s library instead.

Hadn’t Yuan Yi appeared here before? Wasn’t there supposed to be a senior explaining topics? He refused to believe that Yuan Yi had only arranged for that to happen once!

That night, after shopping for clothes and accessories, Zhou Xingran returned home very late. Afraid that surfing the internet at night would affect his sleep and complexion, he didn’t even touch his communicator. After showering, he went straight to bed. Fang Jing, busy with preparations and making sure not to neglect their guests, didn’t pay attention to anything else either. As a result, neither mother nor son had any idea about Yuan Yi’s science posts on the forum.

The next day, the weather was bright and sunny, and the Zhou household was filled with a festive atmosphere. Zhou Xingran had specially invited a makeup artist and began styling early in the morning, putting on his new outfit as well.

On the lawn, tables and chairs were set up with food and drinks, a cake had been ordered, and music was playing—anyone who saw it would find the atmosphere romantic and warm.

Fang Jing looked at her son, who was in great condition, and said, “Ranran, call Bai Wanzhe and ask what time exactly they’re leaving home. Some dishes need to be made at just the right time to have the best taste.”

Zhou Xingran responded and went to make the call, but before he could even dial the number, his phone rang first. It was a classmate named ‘Nan Yue’ calling him.

“Xingran, did your family’s dinner gathering with Senior Bai’s family change plans today?”

Zhou Xingran said, “No, it’s happening as planned. Why do you ask?”

Nan Yue said, “Then you’d better come to school for a bit. Senior Bai seems off—he had a conflict with his mother. Come to the medical school.”

Zhou Xingran’s heart sank. “What exactly happened? Can’t you tell me first?”

Nan Yue said, “It’s hard to explain over the phone. You’d better come see for yourself.”

Zhou Xingran was worried that the meeting between both families wouldn’t go as planned. Since there were still forty minutes before the agreed time, he quickly took the family’s flying vehicle to the school.

The vehicle was fast, and the entire trip from take-off to landing took only six minutes. But the scene he saw after getting off nearly made him faint.

Bai Wanzhe hadn’t changed his clothes or washed his face—he looked nothing like his usual clean and handsome self. In front of the medical school library, he was struggling with his family, looking like he had been drinking. He seemed a bit drunk, swaying slightly as he shouted, “I’m not going!”

Bai Wanzhe shook off his mother, saying, “If you want to go, you go! Zhou Xingran is just a conniving scumbag—why should I be with someone like him?”

Zhou Xingran felt his vision go dark, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Just then, someone nearby said, “Hey, isn’t that Zhou Xingran? He’s here!”

Instinctively, Zhou Xingran took two steps back and turned to leave. But just at that moment, Bai Wanzhe suddenly ran over and grabbed him. “Zhou Xingran, where are you going?”

Zhou Xingran jumped in fright. “I—I’m going home. Bai Xuezhang, you’ve had too much to drink. Let go of me first.”

Bai Wanzhe clung to him tightly, refusing to let go. “You came at the right time. Tell me the truth—was it you who made Yuan Yi’s pheromones smell bad?! Did you use laundry detergent containing ‘Dongmei Jin’ fragrance on his clothes? You caused him to have almost no friends! And you even said his gland development was incomplete, that your family planned to have his gland modified after he graduates! What exactly were you trying to do?!”

The more Zhou Xingran listened, the paler his face became. “I didn’t! Who told you this nonsense? He had gland development issues to begin with!”

Bai Wanzhe roared, “Then tell me, how did he end up pregnant with Li Heng’s child?!”

Zhou Xingran’s lips moved, but no words came out. The murmuring of the surrounding crowd grew louder. He struggled desperately to shake Bai Wanzhe off, but couldn’t break free. Cold sweat covered his forehead. “Bai Xuezhang, you misunderstood me! I really didn’t do it. Who told you this? Everything you’re saying is completely untrue!”

Bai Wanzhe projected a post onto a shaded area beneath the trees. “Still trying to deny it?”

Zhou Xingran’s anger flared as he clenched his fists tightly. “It was Yuan Yi—it was him who said this?! He’s just jealous that I can be with you while he can’t! He’s slandering me! And who can even prove that the stuff on his clothes was put there by me? For all we know, he did it himself just to frame me!”

Zheng Lin, holding back her own frustration, added, “That’s right, Xiaozhe. You can’t just believe everything you hear. You should at least listen to Xingran’s side too.”

Bai Wanzhe said, “Listen to him? I will never believe anything he says again! Anyone who wants to go to today’s gathering can go—I’m not going! I’m staying right here to wait for Yuan Yi!”

Zheng Lin was furious. Just as she was about to call for people to forcibly take her son away, a cold voice came from not far away. “Why are you waiting for me? I remember telling you to stay away from me from now on.”

The moment Bai Wanzhe heard the voice, his eyes lit up. He rushed forward, trying to hug the person. “Yuan Yi, you’re finally here!”

Yuan Yi frowned and dodged, but the bag in his hand was nearly knocked over by Bai Wanzhe’s sudden movement.

Bai Wanzhe stumbled from the failed attempt, while Yuan Yi didn’t even spare him a glance and walked straight toward the library.

Bai Wanzhe had waited all night, his mind clouded by frustration, alcohol, and jealousy. Seeing Yuan Yi leave, he hurried after him, too dazed to think straight. Zheng Lin tried to pull him back but couldn’t hold him.

Just as Yuan Yi reached the library entrance, Bai Wanzhe blocked his way. “Yuan Yi, give me another chance, okay? You—you should divorce Li Heng. I don’t care that you’ve been married, really! The one I’ve always liked is you!”

Yuan Yi’s face remained expressionless. “Are you done? If you’re done, move aside.”

Seeing Yuan Yi’s complete lack of emotion, Bai Wanzhe felt a wave of frustration rise in his chest. He shouted, “What do you want me to do?! Mom, don’t stop me! I have to make things clear with him today!”

Yuan Yi sidestepped him.

Bai Wanzhe grabbed his arm. “Don’t go!”

Yuan Yi said in disgust, “Let go. If you don’t let go, I’ll call the police.”

Hearing the words “call the police,” Bai Wanzhe suddenly lost control for some reason and forcefully pressed down on Yuan Yi, trying to kiss him.

Yuan Yi hadn’t expected him to be this crazy and pushed back hard. But after all, he had an omega’s body and simply couldn’t resist Bai Wanzhe’s strength.

At that moment, a sudden gust of cold wind seemed to sweep past. By the time he realized what was happening, Bai Wanzhe had already been punched and sent flying to the ground.

Bai Wanzhe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up in shock at the alpha standing protectively in front of Yuan Yi. “He Xuezhang? What do you mean by this?”

He Yanwu’s overpowering presence seemed to freeze the entire area. “Stay away from him from now on.” After saying that, he grabbed Bai Wanzhe and shoved him back hard, sending him staggering several steps before landing on the steps with a thud. He said, “That’s what I mean.”

Zheng Lin was furious to see her son pushed. “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to push my son? You’re too rough!”

He Yanwu said, “You think this is rough? If he dares to harass my junior again, I can get a lot rougher. Stop standing around.”

He Yanwu waved a hand casually in front of Yuan Yi. “Come on, let’s go to class.”

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