Translator: Abo Dammen
Editor: Miha
Proofreader: Abo Dammen
Today, Jiang Yunshu chose not to wait for Bai Tang’s call.
By the time he finished studying the practice papers from the previous year, it was 11 pm. Jiang Yunshu twisted his neck and raised his head, which made a popping sound. As he looked up at the colourful lanterns draped across the ceiling, an uncomfortable dread crept over him.
Did he forget?
He picked up the phone and checked his sms, but there were no messages.
Without a doubt, Bai Tang’s daily phone calls warmed his heart and gave him the illusion that “someone also cared about him,” and even afterward, he eagerly anticipated the ringing of his phone.
Jiang Yunshu set down his phone a split second after tapping 2. Forget it, he could be sleeping.
The next day, though, he still hadn’t gotten a call from Bai Tang.
Jiang Yunshu scowled. A full hour had passed, and half of the practice tests remained unanswered. He paused the timer, irritated, and made a solid resolve. He dialled Bai Tang’s number.
The phone beeped a few times before connecting.
Bai Tang’s surprised voice came, “…Dr. Jiang?”
Jiang Yunshu began to write. “Mhm, it’s me.”
Bai Tang set the open political book down, sat on the chair with his legs bent, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Why didn’t you call me yesterday and today?” Jiang Yunshu questioned directly.
“Eh?” Bai Tang’s round toes twitched anxiously, as if he hadn’t anticipated Jiang Yunshu’s question. “I-I’m afraid I’ll disturb you…”
Jiang Yunshu said, “No, no you won’t disturb me.”
Bai Tang was taken aback. W-What did he mean?
A second question would seem awkward after such a long pause, so Bai Tang mumbled something incoherent like, “Haha if you want to call then just message me” to calm his racing heart.
“I’ll tell you next time,” Jiang Yunshu said after two seconds of silence.
Again, Bai Tang was taken aback; this time, he felt his mind spinning and his body heating up. Was he thinking what I’m thinking? Did he want to talk to me as well?
After some consideration, Bai Tang felt grumpy and protested, “So why didn’t you call me yourself…”
“I’m afraid I’ll disturb you,” Jiang Yunshu said softly.
Bai Tang’s eyes widened and he was about to bicker when he heard the alpha go on, “Because you could be working on a maths problem. I don’t want to interrupt your line of thought. But it’s alright.”
The fire was extinguished, and the slight dissatisfaction from earlier vanished in an instant. “I understand… I’ll call you,” Bai Tang said.
Bai Tang had already sorted out his thoughts in the past two days. The most pressing matter at hand was Dr. Jiang’s postgraduate entrance exam and his own college entrance exam.
He desired to present a strong and authoritative image. He wanted to be better.
What’s more, what would he be dissatisfied with nowadays? The cretin was dead. He’s no longer bound, he has a dog, friends, and Jiang Yunshu.
But, easier said than done.
During the course of two days, Bai Tang did his best to suppress the longing in his heart. As soon as he heard Jiang Yunshu’s voice, everything came crashing down, and an infinite stream of impulses began to flow out, causing him to feel as though he was drowning.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
I miss him. His face was hidden behind his knee. He really missed Dr. Jiang.
🍬 —🕊— 🍀
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Djl Kjcu qea vbkc tlr mtbqralmxr jcv gfwjgxfv, “P’nf jigfjvs vfmlvfv.”
“Qtlmt ecl?”
Djl Kjcu ujnf atf jiqtj j rtbga uijcmf yfobgf rjslcu afcajalnfis, “Ktf rmtbbi tjr j rfgfcf jawbrqtfgf jcv lr rjof…yea…yea la’r j ilaaif ojg ogbw sbe…”
Jiang Yunshu’s mind flew into overdrive—terribly risky.
An omega all by himself who was also far distant from him. Conclusion: highly risky.
He scowled, a disapproving look on his face. Yet he didn’t have the qualifications to question Bai Tang’s decision, and he had no intention of doing so.
“While that university isn’t the best, its teacher-training major is quite good,” Bai Tang added.
Jiang Yunshu answered, “Teacher-training?”
“Mm.” Bai Tang had already made up his mind. “I want to work at Fengqi in the future… Fengqi is too short of teachers.”
Jiang Yunshu, “Which school do you want to go to?” He needed to find a residence close to the school. It didn’t matter if it was far away from his work, but he wouldn’t make Bai Tang keep coming back here. He was unwavering in his stance on this matter. There were too many variables that cannot be accounted for if he goes home during the night.
“… Imperial Capital University.”
Jiang Yunshu’s brainstorm was cut off. “The capital?”
“Mhm.” Bai Tang whispered, “Isn’t the capital city far from Huachuan… One is in the east and the other is in the west.”
Jiang Yunshu put his hand on his forehead helplessly, and he chuckled. The big stone on his heart disappeared, and he felt relaxed.
He said, “Bai Tang, I’m taking an exam for my master’s degree. My goal is to work at the ICH from the very beginning, not to stay at school.”
Bai Tang’s movement of chewing stopped, and his face was full of surprise. “R-Really?!” He had been sad for quite a while about this, hypnotising himself into thinking that his studies were far more important.
But the distance between Imperial Capital Hospital and Imperial Capital University is only one street, and it couldn’t be any more closer.
“Mhm.’ Jiang Yunshu smiled. “Bai Tang, you have to work hard to pass the exam. I’lllook for a nearby house.”
🍬 —🕊— 🍀
In December, Jiang Yunshu walked into the examination room calmly, and when he came out, he only said three words to Bai Tang, “It’s not bad.”
In March of the following year, Jiang Yunshu, who had been on stand by with Bai Tang, calmly turned on the computer to verify the score. In contrast, Bai Tang, who was watching from behind, was so shaken up that he couldn’t feel his feet.
The preliminary test results have been inquired. Current ranking: 1.
Bai Tang pointed at the computer, his fingertips trembling, and he stuttered as he asked, “This, this 1, does it mean THE rank 1?”
The response from Jiang Yunshu was a cool “Mhm.”
Bai Tang stared at his alpha with utter shock.
Jiang Yunshu went to take the secondary exams in April. It was still the same table, the same computer, and the same posture on that day: the alpha in front and the omega behind him.
Jiang Yunshu quickly clicked on the word “Inquire.”
Bai Tang clenched his fists, half of his legs numb. He said, “Why don’t you need to be mentally prepared!? Anyway, warn me in advance!”
Jiang Yunshu smiled as he patted the hand holding the cloth on his shoulder. “It’s out, look.”
Bai Tang’s eyes twitched nervously. He looked over tremblingly, only seeing the bottom line. Overall Ranking: 1.
He froze for a few seconds, and then excitedly encircled the alpha’s neck and screamed, “AAAAAAHHHH!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! DR. JIANG, YOU’RE SO AWESOMEEE!”
Heitang barked and frantically wagged its tail under its feet, circling around the two of them excitedly.
The household registration booklet was opened to the photo page and attached to the front display wall.
Although Jiang Yunshu didn’t think there was much reason to celebrate—after all, his starting line was far higher than the fresh graduates—he couldn’t stop smiling unconsciously when he saw Bai Tang’s delight.
In the view of his equally excellent parents, no matter how high his test scores or how good a school he attended, he was only at the level he should have achieved. After hearing the phrase, “isn’t this what you should achieve?” for the umpteenth time, Jiang Yunshu had lost all motivation to share his accomplishments with others.
But now, after a long and eventful life, he has come to understand.
Someone who is overjoyed for you turns out to be a happy thing in and of itself.
🍬 —🕊— 🍀
The weather had yet to warm up. Bai Tang, dressed in his school uniform, stood outside the school gate. Dr. Jiang had just called to tell him that there was a traffic delay on the way and that he would be late.
He reserved a simple luxury restaurant for tonight’s celebration for Dr. Jiang, and he also bought a cake! “Congratulations to Angel Jiang on his successful exam!” was written with chocolate sauce.
The happy curve on Bai Tang’s mouth never came down. After smiling all day at school, his face had become stiff. With his hands in his coat, he looked left and right on the road to see if he could spot Jiang Yunshu’s car, and as he glanced around, he saw an old man selling roasted sweet potatoes across the road.
There were very few people on this street near Fengqi. It once belonged to the old city district. Many people have left, and only a few elderly folks remain. Bai Tang detected the aroma of cooked sweet potatoes from across the street. He trotted over, contemplating purchasing a large one, half for himself and half for Dr. Jiang.
He was about to return to the school entrance when he heard a scream from the right.
Bai Tang froze, glanced around in dread, wondering if he had heard it correctly, and asked the old man selling sweet potatoes, “Uncle, did you just hear someone screaming?”
The seller was quite old. He couldn’t even hear Bai Tang’s words clearly, so he answered in a loud voice, “What?!”
Bai Tang waved, walked a few metres to the right, and sat down under the tree. There was another scream after a few minutes. This time, he was certain he had heard correctly.
Bai Tang was pale, reluctant, and terrified. After considering the circumstances, he pulled a pocket knife from his school bag and slowly headed towards the location where he heard the scream. The closer he got, the more audible the pitiful screams were, interspersed with other insults.
After walking for about seventy metres, Bai Tang cautiously peeked in when he reached the entrance of an alley.
A skinny man on the floor was being kicked and cursed at by three people. The victim resisted with his head in his arms, and one of the thugs, clearly an alpha, held a wooden stick in his hand and struck the man hard on the head on the ground. The man jerked, and blood poured from his head. Then he stopped moving.
Blood splattered on Bai Tang’s face. His pupils shrank, and he stumbled to the ground. Scenes from his past flashed before his eyes, and his face gradually merged with the person being thrashed on the ground, while the three men standing around all possessed Jiang Yunsu‘s faces.
Bai Tang was out of breath, his white bag covered in dust.
After an undetermined amount of time, he shook his head, and his vision gradually improved. Even still, the harsh obscenities continued to ring in his ears.
Bai Tang almost embarrassedly scrambled behind the enormous tree, but his hands lost strength halfway and he couldn’t hang on, so his chin met the ground. He rubbed his face and discovered that there was no blood on his face; it was all in his head.
He took out his phone and tremblingly dialled 117, the 911 number in his world. He then contacted Jiang Yunshu once more, his voice wavering as he stuttered, “D-Dr. Jiang, where are, where are you… Are you close?”
The music in the car stopped abruptly, and Jiang Yunshu’s voice became tense, “Almost there, I’m still 10 minutes away. What’s wrong?”
The fingernails holding the phone turned pale. Bai Tang’s pupils trembled, and he responded anxiously, “I-I’m at the school gate, on the, on the opposite side. There’s a s-small alley. Someone, someone is about to die… Three people are hurting him…”
Jiang Yunshu’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped on the gas pedal. “Go back to school first, and then call the police.”
“I-I already called them…” The pocket knife in Bai Tang’s hand hurt his palms. Jiang Yunsu’s face suddenly flashed before his eyes. He sobbed intermittently while unintentionally holding his breath.
As a doctor, a human life was his bottom line.
But at this moment, Jiang Yunshu’s mind was filled with thoughts that all that mattered was that Bai Tang was safe. He took a deep breath and paced his voice, “Bai Tang, good boy, it’s okay. Stay away from them, go back to the school gate. I’m almost there, I’m coming.”
“But, but that person will, will die…”
Jiang Yunshu’s throat tightened. “Bai Tang, don’t go.”
He even lied without hesitation, “I’m almost there, I’ll be there at the intersection. Bai Tang, go back, listen to me.”
Bai Tang was now exhibiting symptoms of a ptsd attack. His pupils were slightly dilated, his face was drenched in cold sweat, and his head was spinning. The landscape around him was hazy, like a mosaic, and the distant voices were muffled. Only the alpha’s words got through to him.
He trusted Jiang Yunshu very much. He stood up staggeringly while leaning on the tree. “Okay, okay…”
But after taking a few steps, he fell to the ground. Jiang Yunshu’s eager calls supported his crumbling thoughts. Bai Tang dragged his heavy body forward, with only one thought: “He has to go back to the school gate and wait for Dr. Jiang.”
But then all of a sudden, he couldn’t move. His foot was stepped on.
Bai Tang was turned over, and while in a trance, he saw the same clothes as the three men just now.
“An omega?” A beta spoke. “Fuck! That’s right, there’s an omega academy ahead! Shit, look at this face, so tender!”
Another beta added, “Big bro! We found a treasure!”
Fear sobered Bai Tang up, He grabbed the hilt of the jackknife with both hands, pointed the tip at them, and waved it wildly. “Move! B-Beat it!”
The one called big bro was that alpha. He was only a distance away, and got caught off guard as the swinging knife nicked his hand. He heartlessly kicked Bai Tang on the stomach, and almost easily snatched the knife.
“Ugh! Kughk kughk kughk…” Bai Tang curled up and coughed violently.
The alpha seized Bai Tang’s chin, held a knife in his left hand, and said with a grin, “You have a pretty face. If it’s scratched, no one will want it. Why not be a dedicated prostitute for us bros? Omegas leak a lot…”
A bright light shot into the alpha’s eyes before he could finish his sentence. He yelled, “Damn,” and instinctively covered his eyes, only to see a vehicle rush directly onto the sidewalk about to crush him.
It’s hard for the body to respond when a person is in a crisis. The alpha shouted and sat on the ground, with only the increasingly evergrowing front of the car rushing to his position. It then abruptly braked only two metres from him.
His two younger fellows yelled, “Big bro! Run! Police!”
But he couldn’t fend for himself, because he saw an alpha get out of that valuable car.
Step by step, he trudged forward, like the lord of the underworld.
Jiang Yunshu arrived almost at the same time as the police car. From a distance, he saw a figure pinned to the ground. The knife in one of the man’s hands gleamed coldly. Jiang Yunshu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
He’d never felt so out of control as he did just now. His thoughts whirred, and he dashed over, picking up Bai Tang from the ground to shield his body, and punching the alpha, who immediately collapsed to the ground. A bloody mess ensued as he crushed the alpha’s left hand that held the knife with his foot.
The cops hurried up to separate the two, yelling loudly, “Sir! Sir! Calm down! Repeating this action would constitute unjustified self-defence!”
The three were handcuffed and an ambulance was called to transport the person in the alley.
Jiang Yunshu felt a profound sensation of loss followed by relief. He cradled Bai Tang in his arms and rubbed his slender back repeatedly, with a touch of pressure. He kept repeating, “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Yet, his hands and voice were trembling. Perhaps, he was trying to comfort himself instead.
Pheromones of comfort filled the tip of Bai Tang’s nose. He instantly relaxed, and his head shifted back impulsively. He watched Jiang Yunshu’s eyes become wide with terror just before he blacked out.
Afraid…? What would he be afraid of?
Was he afraid he’d get hurt? Afraid he’d…lose him?
His brain might’ve turned to mush, but an inopportune thought occurred to him: It didn’t seem like it was completely impossible.
Thank god they made it in time 😭😭 glad that stinking alpha got his hand crushed.. Such a disgusting bunch 🤢
Yeah and if they go easy on him because he’s an alpha, I hope they find a way to crush his other hand too.
Hooo that was intense! Missing each other, then Bai Tang being so invested in Jiang Yunshu’s high scores was sooo sweet! Then it got scary and sad at the same time! But that ending scene 🥺 thanks for giving us so many chapters because I really want to see what happens next! I’m glad you’re back, hope you’re taking care of yourself 🙂
That was terrible!
Thank You for the new chapter (´,,•ω•,,)♡
🤜🤜