ROT CH 11

Chapter 11: Ex-boyfriend?

Bai Chengyu stepped out of the library with a clear head and an empty stomach. Since he still had classes in the afternoon, he didn’t bother going out of campus for a meal. Instead, he opted for a quick bite at the student cafeteria. To his surprise, as soon as he walked in, he spotted a familiar face.

He quietly sat near them, holding a bowl of beef rice. Between the two tables was a large pot of lush, green monstera, its broad leaves blocking most of the view. However, a potted plant wasn’t a solid wall—it couldn’t stop a curious eavesdropper from listening or peeking. For a while, Bai Chengyu sat there, sneakily observing and overhearing their conversation.

To be honest, there wasn’t much to hear. Han Junzhou and his friend were casually chatting about classes, his friend’s experiences abroad, and a few medical cases—all safe, polite social topics. Eventually, the friend mentioned having surgery in the afternoon and left first. From the sound of it, he was a doctor like Han Junzhou.

As the man got up to leave, the faintest disturbance in the air seemed to carry a trace of scent that tickled Bai Chengyu’s senses. It felt oddly familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint the exact fragrance. Whatever it was, it didn’t affect him much—he simply knew instinctively that it was an Alpha.

Bai Chengyu lowered his head, finishing off the rest of his beef rice. The conversation between these middle-aged men had bored him to tears. How could they talk so long, forcing out topics like that? He was about to leave when he noticed Han Junzhou still sitting there, motionless. Curiously, he peeked through the gaps between the monstera leaves and saw that Han Junzhou was staring at the seat his friend had just vacated.

His face was calm, but his eyes carried a trace of sorrow, as if there were countless unspeakable words trapped in his heart.

That look hit Bai Chengyu hard. Why does this guy look so sad? In front of him, Han Junzhou was always composed and good-natured, even joking around. Why’s he putting on a show of being all brooding and deep now?

Who was that person? Who could make Han Junzhou feel so heavy-hearted?

Bai Chengyu fell silent for a moment. His own clueless, dedicated “massage stick” was moping over someone else. It wasn’t really any of his business, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth.

He was about to stand up and call out to him when Han Junzhou finally seemed to sense the faint rose scent lingering in the air. Turning his head, their eyes met.

“…” Han Junzhou.

Bai Chengyu: “…”

What kind of posture was that?

Han Junzhou burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.

Bai Chengyu had been about to stand, but he was still mid-motion when he was caught red-handed. His awkward posture—halfway up, with his eyes still avoiding direct contact—looked to Han Junzhou like a monkey sticking its rear out.

The “monkey” Bai Xiaoyu froze at the sound of Han Junzhou’s laughter. His body quickly caught up to the situation, and he straightened up fully, standing behind the monstera plant while shooting a low scold at him: “What’s so funny?”

Han Junzhou stifled his laughter and asked, “What are you doing here? Weren’t you off on a date? Where is she?” He glanced around but didn’t see Liang Yuchan. “Honestly, the food here isn’t great. Choosing this place for a date? Bad choice.”

“Me?” Bai Chengyu looked puzzled. “Who am I dating?”

“My little assistant Liang Chan,” Han Junzhou teased, and when Bai Chengyu didn’t admit to it, he pressed on. “Didn’t you just drag Yuchan away earlier? Left me to close the windows, lock the door, and pack up the computer myself.”

“Your little assitant?” Bai Chengyu stressed the word, raising an eyebrow. And he’s even calling her by her first name so affectionately?

Oh, was someone jealous? Han Junzhou noted the subtle shift in Bai Chengyu’s tone and felt a pang of mixed emotions. So he does care about people, and he does have possessiveness—it’s just that the person he cares about and wants to claim isn’t me. Han Junzhou smiled bitterly. “Fine, fine, not my little assistant—yours.”

“What are you even talking about?” Bai Chengyu felt even more perplexed. “I wasn’t on a date. I just needed to ask Liang about something. But you…” He stepped out from behind the plant and shot Han Junzhou a sideways glance. “You looked so heartbroken just now, staring wistfully even after the guy left ages ago. Was that person your ex?” His tone was as casual as ever.

To his surprise, his offhand jab made Han Junzhou’s expression shift from laughter to surprise. His face seemed to say, How did you know?

What the hell?! He was just joking, but he got it right?

Bai Chengyu felt a wave of irritation. One after another—can’t this old Alpha ever stop flirting around?

Now it was Han Junzhou’s turn to look puzzled as he stared at Bai Chengyu, whose mood had taken a sudden nosedive for no apparent reason. He hadn’t even said anything!

“His name is Yue Qi,” Han Junzhou finally explained. “He was a good friend of mine back in university, and he’s here as a visiting lecturer now. We ran into each other and decided to grab lunch.” Han Junzhou didn’t know why he felt the need to explain, but his gut told him it was better to say something, even if Bai Chengyu probably didn’t care to hear it.

“Not an ex-boyfriend?” Bai Chengyu, surprisingly, pressed on.

Han Junzhou was even more taken aback. Not only had Bai Chengyu listened, but he actually asked for clarification! But how should I answer this question without upsetting this unpredictable tsundere leopard?

“…True.” Sometimes, being honest avoided trouble down the line.

“Oh,” Bai Chengyu suddenly relaxed, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips. “That guy didn’t look like much.”

“Hey, you should address him as Professor Yue,” Han Junzhou couldn’t help defending his old friend. “Yue Qi is very impressive. Back in the day, he graduated top of his class, was the student council president, and the campus heartthrob.”

I’m the president too! Bai Chengyu shouted internally. A-University’s medical school had only one class per grade, with about a hundred students in each year. As the class representative, Bai Chengyu was essentially the president for his year. Outwardly, he didn’t compete but asked instead, “He graduated first in his class—so what rank were you?”

Han Junzhou chuckled modestly, brushing his hair back. “Tied for first.” He added, “And also tied for campus heartthrob.”

Ah, so he’d been waiting for this moment to brag.

Although Bai Chengyu never cared about titles like “campus heartthrob,” he now found Han Junzhou’s need to show off in front of the current heartthrob utterly childish. “A real man doesn’t dwell on past glory, you know?” Still, the memory of how he had slacked off last year, finishing third in his grade, soured his mood. He jabbed back, “How tragic—both heartthrobs in your year were old men. Did your batch have no one else?”

Returning to his table, Bai Chengyu grabbed his tray, ready to return it. “I wouldn’t even dare say anything about waves of successors outpacing the old ones…” He muttered grumpily, taking shots at heartthrob alumni from generations past.

Hearing Bai Chengyu’s complaints, Han Junzhou rubbed his face, wondering if his charm had truly faded that much.

A moment later, Bai Chengyu came back, tray in hand, lowering his voice as he asked, “Hey, Professor Han, do you happen to have an inhibitor on you? I forgot to bring mine today…”

Ah, just a moment ago, the “outdated” heartthrob was being trashed. Now that Bai Chengyu needed help, it was back to “Professor Han” in a polite tone. Truly, he could adapt as the situation demanded.

Han Junzhou rummaged through his bag. As a doctor, he usually carried emergency supplies—Alpha sedatives, Omega inhibitors, scent-blocking patches, isolation sprays, and so on. He handed Bai Chengyu an Omega inhibitor pill in its foil packet, his tone disapproving. “How could you be so careless? Didn’t you take it before leaving home this morning?”

“I did!” Bai Chengyu retorted, taking the foil packet and popping the pill directly into his mouth, swallowing it dry.

Hearing that Bai Chengyu had already taken his dose that morning, Han Junzhou was too late to stop him. He frowned, concerned about overmedication. As the prescribing doctor, he knew the inhibitors were designed for one dose per day, effective for 24 hours. Yet Bai Chengyu had just taken a second pill.

Frowning, Han Junzhou chastised him for his carelessness. His professional instincts kicked in as he asked a series of questions. “Your cycle isn’t due for another three weeks—you shouldn’t be losing control yet. Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell or under too much stress? Any of these could destabilize your hormones. Maybe you should come to the hospital for a check-up…”

Bai Chengyu grew irritated as Han Junzhou’s questioning dragged on. “No, no, nothing like that. Why are you so annoying?” His wheat-colored complexion, tanned from years of outdoor training, darkened slightly with a blush. Muttering under his breath, he added, “It’s your fault—you keep showing up in front of me. After every one of your classes, I feel warm all over. It’s getting worse each time, so I thought I’d play it safe.”

Han Junzhou, stunned by the response, grabbed Bai Chengyu’s wrist, noticing the slight increase in his temperature. “No wonder your scent is stronger today.”

Bai Chengyu froze in alarm. “You can smell it?!” He glanced nervously around. “No one else reacted, right?”

Still holding his wrist, Han Junzhou stepped closer, leaning down to whisper near Bai Chengyu’s ear, “Only I can smell it.”

His deep voice sent a shiver through Bai Chengyu, who felt half of his ear go numb. The little leopard yanked his wrist away from the big bad wolf, shooting him a furious glare. Old scoundrel!

(To be continued…)

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