CHAPTER 9

Shen Wenlang's phone buzzed on his nightstand in the middle of the night. He squinted at the screen. The caller ID flashed the name of the man he'd sent to dig into Gaotu. Without hesitation, he swiped to answer.

"What is it?" Shen Wenlang's voice was low, sharp with sleep.

On the other end, the man cleared his throat. "Mr. Shen, I thought you should know what happened just now. I was outside the convenience store where that boy works. I'd already done the background check you asked for, but tonight I stayed to confirm his hours. I saw him go in for his shift, so I waited in the car to see when he'd clock out."

Shen Wenlang sat up in bed, the sheets falling from his shoulders. "And?"

The man hesitated a beat. "Three drunk idiots went in, started causing trouble. I was watching through the glass door. It didn't look good, so I stepped in before things escalated."

"You went inside?"

"Yes. Scared them off. But... it struck me as strange enough that I thought I should report it immediately. You told me to call if anything unusual came up."

There was a pause. Shen Wenlang ran a hand over his face, irritation giving way to worry. His voice dropped lower. "Did they touch him?"

"No," the man replied quickly. "I made sure of that. He looked shaken but unharmed."

Shen Wenlang let out a sharp breath through his nose. "Good. Don't leave it there. Make sure he gets home safely tonight. Don't let him notice you, but don't let anything happen to him, either."

"Understood."

When the line went dead, Shen Wenlang sat in the dark for a long while, his jaw tight.

____

Shen Wenlang sat in class with his eyes fixed on the open book in front of him. To anyone looking, he seemed completely absorbed in his studies. But in truth, his mind was far from the words on the page.

Before coming in today, he had gone through the report, the one detailing everything about Gaotu, from his family situation to his medical records. And what he read kept gnawing at him.

Gaotu was barely holding himself together financially, yet every month he still sent money to his useless father, a man who spent it all on alcohol and gambling. No matter how unfair it was, Gaotu never failed to send it.

Then there was the medical part. The words stayed etched in Shen Wenlang's mind: Omega male: pheromone disorder. The most recent record cut even deeper inhibitor resistance due to overuse, irreversible.'

Shen Wenlang had been restless ever since. He couldn't get any of it out of his head.

How was Gaotu carrying all of this alone? He always looked so quiet, so self-contained, like the kind of person who would rather chew broken glass than ask for help. That's just who he was, he'd rather suffer in silence than risk being a burden.

But Shen Wenlang couldn't stand by and do nothing. The problem was how? If he walked up and offered, Gaotu would take it as pity, and the wall between them would only get taller.

"Wenlang..."

The voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Shen Wenlang turned, surprised to see Gaotu dropping into the seat beside him, chest still rising and falling like he'd run all the way here. For a moment, Wenlang just stared, almost shocked he'd come over on his own. A smile crept onto his lips, and he shifted closer, ready to say something but Gaotu cut him off.

"You went with my pen last time," he said flatly, holding out his hand.

Before Wenlang could reply, the professor walked in. He quickly slipped a pen into Gaotu's palm.

"This isn't mine," Gaotu muttered under his breath, glancing at it.

"Just use it for now," Wenlang whispered back.

Class began, and while Gaotu focused on the lecture, scribbling notes with steady precision, Wenlang's eyes kept drifting toward him. He couldn't help but notice the unease on his face, the way his grip on the pen seemed just a little too tight, like he was forcing himself to keep going. He looked ready to collapse at any moment.

Without thinking too much about it, Wenlang scribbled a quick note and slid it across the desk.

'Why are you so pale? Are you sick?'

Gaotu's eyes flicked over the words before scribbling back.

'No. Nothing serious.'

Of course it was serious. Wenlang could see it plain as day. But he bit back the urge to press further.

***

The professor's voice trailed off with the final announcement, and the room erupted into the usual shuffle of bags zipping, chairs scraping, and low chatter. One by one, students filed out, off to the next class or home.

Gaotu took his time, carefully sliding his notebook and Wenlang's pen into his bag. His hands felt clumsy, too heavy for something so simple. They still had another class after this.

He pushed himself up to stand.

And the world tilted. His knees buckled, and he stumbled back into the chair with a muted thud.

The sound of his own breath rasped in his ears. His vision blurred at the edges, spots blooming in his sight. He pressed a palm to his forehead, fingers trembling as he tried to will the dizziness away.

A hand closed firmly around his arm. Warm. Steady.

"Gaotu," Wenlang's voice was low but urgent, right beside him. He'd moved fast, quicker than Gaotu could even process.

"I'm fine," Gaotu muttered immediately, though the words came out weaker than he meant. He kept his palm on his forehead, trying to hide how uneasy he felt, how obvious his trembling was.

Wenlang didn't let go. He crouched slightly, eyes narrowed in that way that made Gaotu feel exposed, like nothing could slip past him.

"Fine? How can you still say you are fine when you look like this?" Wenlang's voice was sharper now, tight with worry.

Gaotu squeezed his eyes shut, clinging to the only defense he had left. "It'll pass. Just... a little dizzy."

But Wenlang's grip didn't loosen.

Instead, the weight against his hand shifted suddenly, alarmingly.

"Gaotu??!"

Before he could finish, Gaotu's weight collapsed towards him, landing squarely against Wenlang's chest. For a split second, the room went silent in Wenlang's ears, only the sound of Gaotu's shallow breathing filled the space.

"Damn it." Wenlang tightened his hold. His arm hooked around Gaotu's back, his other hand steadying his shoulder. The pale face pressed against him was far too still.

"Gaotu, hey!" Wenlang tried, his voice low but urgent. He gave him a small shake, but there was no response.

The classroom was nearly empty now, only a few stragglers throwing curious glances their way. Wenlang ignored them, lowering Gaotu carefully back into the chair.

"Why are you so stubborn...making people worry," Wenlang muttered under his breath, frustration and worry twisting together.

He looked around once, calculating.Looks like they won't be attending the next class.