ROT CH 40

Chapter 40: Seasons of Blossoms, Rains, and Typhoons

Thanks to Dean Li Fan’s eventual mediation—and Xue Bingsheng finally coming to terms with his grade—the chaotic storm of the evening grudgingly settled down. However, there would inevitably be follow-ups, particularly with the need to address the entire sophomore class of the medical school. After all, the basketball court’s livestream recording had already made the school headlines.

Campus heartthrob Bai Chengyu was revealed to be an Omega, and rumors of his romantic involvement with Professor Han Junzhou were spreading like wildfire.

The sensational campus gossip was met with an explosion of reactions under the online threads—shock, heartbreak, and comments like Xue Bingsheng’s questioning Han Junzhou’s ethics or Bai Chengyu’s grades were anything but scarce. While hiding among the crowd in the dean’s office earlier, Guo Xinkai had already skimmed through the online remarks. As the crowd trickled out of the office, he signaled Wang Ziheng and Liao Sheng with a subtle glance.

Xue Bingsheng, however, ignored everyone and left alone. Despite the uproar he had caused, he felt no regret. He still firmly believed that Bai Chengyu and Han Junzhou’s teacher-student relationship was improper. He saw his actions to expose this “scandal” as morally justifiable and thus walked away with his head held high.

Meanwhile, Bai Chengyu, having just gone through such a nerve-wracking ordeal, was utterly drained, both physically and emotionally.

He was seething with anger, consumed by worry, and simmering with resentment—furious at being falsely accused and deeply concerned about Han Junzhou being slandered. Every time Dean Li Fan spoke, his nerves were stretched taut, fearing the dean would use Han Junzhou as a scapegoat. Conversely, whenever Xue Bingsheng opened his mouth, Bai Chengyu was so livid he could barely suppress his murderous urges. This emotional rollercoaster had left him completely spent by the end of the ordeal.

With his head hanging low, Bai Chengyu silently let Han Junzhou guide him out of the dean’s office. In the hallway, he heard Teacher Yue Qi addressing the remaining students, “Everyone, go home now! It’s already late. Girls, if possible, have your family pick you up, or have the boys escort you home.”

Several male students quickly responded, promising to ensure the girls’ safety. Li Wenting also dashed out of the office, saying he’d informed his father he was heading out for dinner with his classmates instead of going home together. An impatient Dean Li waved him off, muttering grumpily that he hadn’t eaten dinner himself.

Wang Ziheng and the others gathered, taking the lead to bid farewell to Han Junzhou and Teacher Yue, even calling out to Bai Chengyu, urging him not to worry. Summoning some strength, Bai Chengyu mustered a weak smile, thanked his friends, and gave them a feeble wave before lowering his head again in silence.

Once Wang Ziheng’s group of seven had left, Yue Qi patted Han Junzhou on the arm and whispered, “You two should go home and rest as well.” His gaze shifted to Bai Chengyu. “He doesn’t look too good.”

Han Junzhou lowered his head to take a closer look at his little fish.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, Bai Chengyu raised his head again and forced a defiant smile. “What’s wrong with me? I’m fine.” He widened his eyes and locked eyes with Yue Qi, unwilling to show weakness. No way would he lose face in front of his boyfriend’s ex.

Yue Qi looked at Bai Chengyu, noticing the faint red streaks in the boy’s dark green eyes, signs of exhaustion. Yet Bai still stubbornly pressed his lips together, insisting he was fine. Yue Qi had a good idea why and couldn’t help but suppress a smirk. “Oh, you misheard me. I meant your Teacher Han isn’t doing so well—he looks like he’s starving. You know, when he’s hungry, he gets pretty irritable. Back in the day…”

Yue Qi deliberately provoked Bai Chengyu by reminiscing about past trivialities with Han Junzhou. The more minor the story, the more intimate it felt.

Bai Chengyu predictably took the bait, finding Yue’s words unbearable. He didn’t want to hear anything about “back in the day.” Interrupting Yue Qi rudely, he declared, “Of course I know.” In truth, Bai had never cared if Han Junzhou was hungry, nor had he ever seen him lose his temper due to hunger. But right now, as usual, he had to keep his pride intact.

“Of course, I know Teacher Han can’t handle hunger,” Bai Chengyu said, shifting tactics and flashing a sweet smile at Yue Qi. “But I never knew he’d get grumpy when hungry.” He leaned against Han Junzhou, clinging to his arm like an adorable koala. Despite his syrupy smile, a hint of menace glinted in his eyes. “Junzhou, so you do get angry? I’ve never seen you lose your temper.”

“…” Porridge? Han Junzhou’s stomach growled. He inwardly thought, When have I ever had the nerve to be angry with you?

Yue Qi looked on in surprise. This exaggerated coquettish act didn’t suit Bai Chengyu at all, but Yue knew why the young man was acting out of character. Understanding that this adorable boy was secretly jealous—even though it made no sense—filled Yue Qi with a childish, somewhat smug joy.

He chuckled and shook his head.

Han Junzhou, equally helpless, smiled and shook his head as well.

Bai Chengyu, transforming into a clingy little koala in front of Yue Qi, only he knew how much he wanted to bite someone. Han Junzhou felt utterly defeated; caught between his current partner and former lover, he felt less triumphant and more like a scoundrel.

He glared angrily at Yue Qi. Of course, he knew Yue was intentionally stirring trouble. But considering that Bai Chengyu had just endured a rough confrontation, with his mood at rock-bottom, even Han himself didn’t dare provoke him. Yet here was Yue Qi, an ex with inherent “original sin,” poking at a powder keg.^[1] Did he have a death wish?

After shooting Yue Qi a warning glare, Han Junzhou waved him off unceremoniously, signaling him to stop messing around and leave quickly.

Yue Qi raised a brow, silently challenging Han Junzhou. Their eyes met and engaged in a wordless battle, full of mutual understanding. Watching the two “uncles” shamelessly exchange flirtatious glances in front of him, Bai Chengyu felt an almost uncontrollable urge to bash Yue Qi’s head in.

Sensing Bai Chengyu’s boiling rage, Yue Qi wisely retreated before the young firecracker could explode. Before leaving, he loudly teased, “Don’t be mad, sis-in-law, I’m out!”

“Who are you calling sis-in-law? Are you crazy?” Bai Chengyu shouted at Yue Qi’s retreating back.

“He meant you,” Han Junzhou explained gently. “I’m a few months older than Yue Qi, so it makes sense for him to call you sis-in-law.”

“…” Earlier, Bai Chengyu had been so consumed by jealousy that he failed to grasp the full implication of being called “sis-in-law.” But after hearing Han Junzhou’s explanation, his face immediately flushed.

“Who wants to be his sister-in-law? Are you all crazy?!” Bai Chengyu exclaimed. He flung Han Junzhou’s hand aside and marched forward, puffing in indignation to mask his embarrassment.

Han Junzhou couldn’t help but laugh. Though the earlier skirmish had left him with the unsettling feeling of being caught between two people like a scoundrel, Yue Qi’s casual use of “sis-in-law” clearly showed where he stood. It was evident that Yue Qi had no lingering interest in Han Junzhou—he now saw him purely as a good brother.

And as for the bristling little leopard, how could Han Junzhou not see through Bai Chengyu’s awkward little thoughts? The fact that someone as proud as Bai would get jealous over him filled Han Junzhou with immense satisfaction.

With a few large strides, Han Junzhou caught up to Bai Chengyu, slinging an arm around his neck to pull him closer. “This is great!” he said, sighing contentedly as they walked together.

“What’s great about it?” Bai Chengyu snapped, twisting half-heartedly to escape Han Junzhou’s grip.

“I’ve been wanting to walk with you like this, openly, on campus,” Han Junzhou replied with a smile, his eyes softening as he glanced at his reluctant partner. “You know, people say the teenage years are for blossoming romances. Doesn’t this count as a romantic campus love story? Isn’t it sweet?”

He shifted some of his weight onto Bai Chengyu, playfully forcing a response.

Bai Chengyu rolled his eyes at Han Junzhou’s overly sentimental remarks. “Blossoming romance? Sweet? Are you kidding me? After that scene with Xue Ba, it’s more like we’ve been caught in a hurricane! Now the whole school knows about our shameless student-teacher relationship. I’d say a typhoon season is a more fitting description for this disaster.”

The more he talked, the more aggrieved he felt. Who else’s love life started off this catastrophically? It was downright unfair.

“A typhoon season, huh? I don’t mind that,” Han Junzhou replied, leaning closer with a mischievous glint in his eyes. In a low voice, he whispered into Bai Chengyu’s ear, “After all, you’re always so wild and wet—it’s not a bad metaphor.”

Bai Chengyu gasped sharply, stunned by Han Junzhou’s audacity. Was this the same teacher who had earlier been delivering moral lessons in Dean Li’s office with such composure and authority? That dazzling, drop-dead gorgeous figure had just uttered something so shameless!

Pointing an accusatory finger at Han Junzhou, Bai Chengyu seethed through gritted teeth, “You… you beast…”

But before Bai Chengyu could finish his tirade^[2], Han Junzhou took advantage of their location. They had just reached the largest tree on campus, and seeing no one else around, Han Junzhou pushed Bai Chengyu into the shadow of the tree, pinning him gently against the trunk. With an arm still looped around Bai Chengyu’s neck, he leaned in and captured his lips.

Bai Chengyu was momentarily dazed. His first instinct was to resist, but on this chaotic and bittersweet first day of their relationship, this kiss was exactly what he needed.

To hell with it! Wrapping his arms tightly around Han Junzhou’s neck, Bai Chengyu embraced his lover wholeheartedly.

The kiss, which started out passionate and intense, gradually softened into something tender and lingering. They kissed for what felt like forever, breaking apart only after several failed attempts to separate, their lips reluctant to part.

Leaning against Han Junzhou, Bai Chengyu panted lightly. Han Junzhou, still unwilling to let go, pressed a few more kisses to his forehead and eyes before asking, “Are you hungry? How about some porridge? I know a place with all kinds of delicious flavors.”

“Sure.” Completely dazed from the kiss and suffused with the faint scent of roses, Bai Chengyu uncharacteristically agreed without protest.

“After porridge, let’s go home, and I’ll let you have some ‘Zhou^[3]’ to eat,” Han Junzhou quipped with a playful, predatory smile.

Bai Chengyu narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What did you say?”

“‘Zhou,’” Han Junzhou repeated, deliberately mimicking Bai Chengyu’s earlier tone. “I’ve never seen you lose your temper before, you know?”

“Damn it, you’re asking for it, aren’t you?” Bai Chengyu’s momentary docility shattered, and he finally snapped, kicking Han Junzhou squarely in the shin. On the very first day of their relationship, Han Junzhou learned the hard way just how strong his boyfriend’s kicks were.

(To Be Continued…)

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