PSWHNC CH8

Chapter 8 We’re Innocent

Halfway through doing a good deed, Xiao Yan was suddenly slapped with a huge, undeserved accusation. The hand holding out the uniform froze midair.

“Hey, don’t take it back! I’m borrowing it from you, that’s all.” Luo Zhiyu quickly tried to reassure him. “It’s nothing like that. Don’t overthink it.”

Luo Zhiyu added quickly, “You didn’t lend it to me, I asked to borrow it! It’s not the same.”

Just then, the teacher at the front of the classroom knocked on the blackboard again. “Gender equality is something we must all take seriously. There should be no bias in either direction. Alpha students should also pay attention. If an omega asks to borrow your uniform, that omega is most likely acting like a scoundrel. The nature of the act is equally inappropriate.”

Xiao Yan withdrew his hand.

Luo Zhiyu: “……” Shit.

Both of them went silent for a long time, forced to sit through a chunk of the physiology lesson. It wasn’t until the teacher moved on to another topic that they finally resumed their conversation.

Luo Zhiyu: “Don’t panic. I don’t have any designs on you.”

“I know,” Xiao Yan replied calmly.

Luo Zhiyu glanced at the thick wall behind the stairwell, making sure he was out of the teacher’s line of sight, then asked, a little nervously, “Your teacher doesn’t have x-ray vision or something, right?”

Xiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“He said ‘most likely,’” Luo Zhiyu tugged the sleeve of the uniform toward himself, “but we’re a least likely, a nationwide rare 0%.

“We’re absolutely pure. It’s obvious to anyone. There’s no way this counts as acting like scoundrels. Both of us are innocent.

“So there’s no need to feel guilty. We didn’t do anything wrong. Believe in science.

“Lend it to me. I promise to return it in perfect condition.” Luo Zhiyu snatched the uniform from Xiao Yan’s hand and dashed down the stairs.

Xiao Yan dawdled around the restroom for a bit, holding Luo Zhiyu’s torn uniform, before heading back to class.

Fan Yue, who was fully absorbed in browsing the forum, was startled again. “Goodness, why am I so jumpy in class today?”

“You go ahead and play,” Xiao Yan said as he sat properly. “I’m not leaving again.”

The physiology teacher was moving through the material at lightning speed. In the time Xiao Yan had been out, he’d already reached the topic of pheromones and temporary marking.

“Yan-ge,” Fan Yue whispered, passing his phone under the desk. “The student council’s holding elections. Help me campaign for votes.”

Fan Yue was well-liked, so getting re-elected wouldn’t be a problem, but he still felt more secure asking his deskmate to lend him a bit of visual appeal.

“Good thing you’re not running again,” Fan Yue said. “If the campus heartthrob stayed on the council, I’d have no chance.”

“Not running,” Xiao Yan said as he finished the notes he’d missed earlier. “Just call me if there’s an event. I’m only in it for the merit points.”

He’d been drenched in soda earlier and had changed into his old first-year uniform. As Fan Yue glanced down, he happened to notice a long tear across the back of Xiao Yan’s shirt.

“Where’d you go just now?”

“Me?” Xiao Yan looked up. “Nowhere, just the restroom.”

“What kind of restroom trip was that? Your uniform’s split open.”

Xiao Yan: “……”

“And did you grow a few centimeters taller in the restroom too? I know it’s last year’s uniform, but I swear it wasn’t that short this afternoon.” Fan Yue couldn’t figure out his mysterious deskmate.

“Focus on the lecture,” Xiao Yan said, spinning his pen once in his hand as he looked seriously at the board. “Pay attention.”

Luo Zhiyu wasn’t so lucky. Just as he exited the school building, he ran into Director Xu from the Student Affairs Office. Unlike Director Wu, who was more easygoing, Director Xu stopped Luo Zhiyu on the spot.

“Luo Zhiyu? Why aren’t you in uniform?” Director Xu had seen Luo Zhiyu at the opening ceremony that day and was quite impressed by him. “Pay more attention to your appearance.”

Because of the physiology class he had ‘crashed’ earlier, Luo Zhiyu had decided to wash the uniform before wearing it, just in case it had picked up any of Xiao Yan’s pheromones.

“The uniform got dirty,” Luo Zhiyu explained politely. He was a respectful student, and his tone was sincere. “I wanted to take it back and wash it before wearing it again.”

Director Wu had a soft spot for good students, but Director Xu treated everyone the same. “That’s not allowed. You’re not supposed to take off your uniform in teaching areas. It’ll affect your evaluation score.”

“I understand.” Luo Zhiyu obediently put on the uniform in front of Director Xu and zipped it up without complaint.

Director Xu appreciated obedient students like that, so he let him go. But just as Luo Zhiyu stepped off the stairs, he suddenly heard Director Xu call out again, “Luo Zhiyu, isn’t that uniform a bit too big for you?”

“I applied for a replacement,” Luo Zhiyu replied, managing to cover smoothly. He had indeed submitted a request. “It should be ready by next weekend.”

“Good,” Director Xu nodded and let him go.

The physiology teacher had been right. Clothing really did absorb pheromones. Luo Zhiyu was only wearing a thin shirt underneath, and the moment he pulled on the jacket, he caught a faint mandarin scent.

It wasn’t as strong as what he’d smelled on the day of his differentiation, but it was definitely there.

Xiao Yan’s pheromone.

The area around the patch on his nape tingled slightly. Luo Zhiyu flinched, an instinctive omega reaction to an alpha’s pheromone.

“It’s getting cooler. Dress warmly,” Director Xu said, assuming Luo Zhiyu was cold. “The school year’s starting soon. Time to focus.”

The 0% pheromone compatibility made Luo Zhiyu feel slightly uncomfortable. He turned to glance back at the lit classroom of Class 2-3 before heading out of the teaching area.

In early autumn, the temperature difference between day and night was significant. Even so, by the time Luo Zhiyu returned to the dorm, he was drenched in sweat.

“Did you run back? Your pheromone patch needs changing. This peach scent is strong,” Jing Ximing said. He was in a sensitive phase toward pheromones. “Where did you go? Why do you smell a bit like alpha pheromones?”

“I wen to borrow Xiao Yan’s uniform,” Luo Zhiyu replied. This time, he didn’t dare toss it into the washing machine. He filled a basin with water, soaked Xiao Yan’s jacket, added some detergent, and snapped a photo of it to post on his Moments.

Not Zhile: New semester, new skills. Look who learned to do laundry. [photo] Dad Mom Jiejie Gege

Comments—

Gege: Our Luo Zhiyu is amazing. First time living on campus and he already knows how to wash clothes. I honestly thought you’d just throw everything into the washing machine hug.jpg

[Not Zhile] replied to [Gege]: Then can I get some allowance for it?

Jiejie: You might want to use a little less detergent next time. Watching this is making me nervous.

Jiejie: I just heard recently that you and that boy from the Xiao family ended up at the same school? It’s all old history now, so don’t go picking fights, okay?

[Not Zhile] replied to [Jiejie]: We’re not fighting. We’re high school students now, not that childish anymore.

Excellent Second-Year Student Representative: Good. Make sure it’s washed properly smiling.jpg

“Who?” Jing Ximing had just finished a game when he finally noticed something was off. He looked up. “The campus heartthrob? Xiao Yan? Isn’t he an alpha?”

Jing Ximing covered his mouth in surprise. “Wait, you borrowed an alpha’s uniform?”

“You forgot,” Luo Zhiyu said. “Our pheromone compatibility is 0%. Medically speaking, we’re clean.”

Luo Zhiyu added, “It’s totally fine. He also measured me for my uniform size the other day. We just have a purely casual acquaintance.”

“You make sense,” Jing Ximing nodded thoughtfully. “But AO pairs usually have at least 20% compatibility. How’d you two end up at zero?”

“No idea.” Luo Zhiyu shook his head. “The central hospital asked us to help with some research. We’re supposed to go back for another test next week. I think they suspect one of our pheromones is unusual.”

“Go take a shower, Luo Zhiyu,” Jing Ximing said sincerely. “You’ve got some of Xiao Yan’s pheromones on you. Right now, you smell like a bowl of fruit salad.”