YPSSS Chapter 28

After the meeting, Xie Mingcheng specifically stayed behind to talk with Professor Lu.

“I feel very reassured leaving this project to your team,” Xie Mingcheng said in a gentle voice. “Before coming here, I didn’t have high hopes for the on-load switch component. You know, it’s been a long time since the collaboration between Institute 741 and universities produced any practical results. But after hearing Student Xia’s report just now…”

Xie Mingcheng glanced at Xia Shiruan with a smile and continued, “…we think there’s still hope. We’ll wait for your good news. See you at the next mid-term review.”

Xia Shiruan left with the crowd, walking slowly as if waiting for someone.

Soon, Xia Shiruan was left behind by the main group. When Huang Yun was following Luo Zhou to get on the lab’s shuttle van, he quickly glanced in Xia Shiruan’s direction, his eyes dark and unreadable.

But Xia Shiruan wasn’t looking at him.

He saw Xie Ji standing outside, leaning against the glass door with his long legs crossed, his cap pulled low.

Seeing Xia Shiruan approach, Xie Ji tilted his chin up, looking at him from under the brim of his cap, then stood up and walked over, tossing a glass bottle to him.

“Thanks,” Xia Shiruan caught it.

“I wondered what it was that you kept carrying around,” Xie Ji pushed his cap up slightly and said, “Imitation perfume? Xiao Xin gave it to you, right?”

“Mm.”

“Caramel scent. You think this smells good?” Xie Ji pulled at the corner of his mouth, “You really like it that much?”

Xia Shiruan hesitated for a second before answering.

Caramel was Xie Ji’s pheromone scent. Based on past experience, if he said it smelled good, Xie Ji would likely get angry.

Xia Shiruan didn’t want to anger someone who had helped him repeatedly.

So Xia Shiruan cleverly, but very unlike his usual style, changed the subject and asked, “Why aren’t you with Uncle Xie?”

“I just came to deliver something to him,” Xie Ji said, “Once that’s done, I’m leaving. I don’t want to have dinner with him.”

Although he said this, he showed no immediate intention of leaving and continued looking at Xia Shiruan, asking, “Are you coming?”

Xia Shiruan shook his head, “I need to go back with the lab’s shuttle.”

Xie Ji pursed his lips and said “Fine, go ahead,” but before Xia Shiruan could leave, he called out to him, asking, “That bastard hasn’t been giving you trouble, has he?”

It took Xia Shiruan two seconds to realize who “that bastard” referred to, and his eyes went wide.

This expression rarely appeared on his face, making him look animated and cute. Xie Ji pretended to casually look a few more times, emphasizing, “Huang Yun.”

Xia Shiruan shook his head, “No. I haven’t spoken to him.”

Xie Ji nodded, “Mm, if he bullies you again, tell me.”

It wasn’t until he got on the van that Xia Shiruan realized, feeling a bit dazed, that this probably counted as being protected.

And it actually felt pretty nice.

The rented minivan had seven seats. When Xia Shiruan got on, everyone else was already seated, with only two empty spots left in the back row.

Huang Yun sat in the middle of the back row, arms crossed and head tilted back, eyes closed, lips pressed tightly together.

In the row ahead, Luo Zhou and Shen Chuan were talking quietly. When they saw Xia Shiruan come in, they both greeted him with smiles.

Luo Zhou said, “Your algorithm demonstration today was seriously impressive. I saw the Institute 741 people’s eyes go wide!”

Xia Shiruan smiled, “It wasn’t that dramatic. It was all stuff we covered in previous weekly meetings.”

Shen Chuan said, “You’re being too modest.”

The two continued praising Xia Shiruan earnestly, and they sounded quite sincere.

Anyone who had seen Xia Shiruan’s performance in the second half of the meeting would have been convinced.

Huang Yun was probably the only person in the entire van who felt uncomfortable.

Xia Shiruan walked to the back seat and sat down by the window, leaving an empty seat between himself and Huang Yun.

Huang Yun seemed to hear the movement and opened his eyes, glancing in his direction before quickly closing them again.

Xia Shiruan kept his eyes straight ahead. He took off his backpack and placed it on his knees, but his shoulders were tense.

He couldn’t quite relax.

Remembering the scene when Huang Yun had grabbed his collar, he could instantly recall that suffocating feeling when that detestable scent had overwhelmed him.

After a while, Xia Shiruan reached for the car window, wanting to open it for some fresh air. But the window was stuck tight, and despite his efforts, he couldn’t pry it open.

Not wanting to make too big a movement, Xia Shiruan gave up.

He lowered the curtain, feeling somewhat stifled.

This feeling was probably because of Huang Yun, or maybe something else, but he didn’t know how to resolve it, so he felt at a loss.

A few minutes later, the driver who had gone for a break got back in the van and looked back, “Everyone here? Then let’s go.”

Luo Zhou responded in a drawn-out voice, “Yeah, let’s go.”

Before he finished speaking, the sliding door was suddenly pulled open with a “whoosh,” startling everyone including the driver. Even the dozing Huang Yun opened his eyes to look.

A head wearing a baseball cap poked in through the door.

Xia Shiruan stared at him in a daze.

“Can I get a ride?” Xie Ji tilted his head and smiled at the driver, “I’m also a Science University student, heading back to campus.”

The driver was stunned for a moment, then turned to ask Luo Zhou and the others, “Do you know him?”

Luo Zhou quickly caught on and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, we know him! Let him on, Uncle!”

“Alright then, come on up.”

Xie Ji nodded at the driver, said thanks, and stepped into the van. He walked straight to the back and sat down next to Xia Shiruan.

The seven-seater business van was now completely full.

Xia Shiruan awkwardly adjusted his posture, sitting up a bit straighter.

Perhaps because Xie Ji was closest to him, Xia Shiruan could only smell his scent.

There was no more of that uncomfortable, suffocating smell, but it was replaced by another kind of uncontrollable feeling of panic.

Xia Shiruan slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping the small glass bottle tightly.

Xie Ji turned to look at him and asked, “What’s wrong with your face? It it hot?”

Xia Shiruan ignored the obvious warmth on his cheeks and said calmly, “I’m fine.”

Xie Ji stared at his profile for a few more seconds, chuckled, and suddenly leaned over him.

His Alpha scent wrapped in his clothes instantly swept through all the space around Xia Shiruan, forcefully pushing away all other scents except his own, like some sweet weapon.

“Then let’s open the window,” Xie Ji said.

He gently pushed forward with two fingers, opening the car window.

The early autumn breeze drifted in, and Xia Shiruan took a deep breath, quickly turning his face toward the window, blinking several times.

Xie Ji’s movement was somewhat casual. His hand accidentally brushed against Xia Shiruan’s ear, the skin cool to the touch.

Long after he sat back, Xia Shiruan finally raised his hand, carefully touching where he had been brushed earlier.

Then, he placed his hand over his heart, pressing gently, as if trying to make it beat a little slower through this simple action.

But it didn’t seem to work.

“Xia Shiruan,” Xie Ji called him, “My dad went back to S Province.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t have anyone to eat with now.”

“…Oh.”

Xia Shiruan thought: Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to eat with Uncle Xie…

“You’ll treat me later,” Xie Ji said.

“…” Xia Shiruan said, “Okay.”

Autumn arrived in C City as expected with a few light rains.

Xia Shiruan’s newly registered ID card was ready, and he needed to pick it up.

Since the Omega Protection Association didn’t work on weekends, Xia Shiruan had to choose a free Friday to go.

He had notified Professor Lu in advance and asked Liu Yutong to tell anyone who looked for him that he was out for some personal business.

Since Professor Lu was out of town and the junior professors were all busy, tomorrow’s weekly meeting was temporarily canceled. The laboratory was unusually quiet on Friday, with many people either at the library or playing ball at the gymnasium.

When the inspector knocked and came in, there were only three people on the entire second floor.

“Why isn’t anyone here?” The inspector scratched his head, looking troubled, “How am I supposed to fill out the forms if no one’s around?”

Liu Yutong, who had been napping on his desk, stood up rubbing his eyes and asked drowsily, “Who are you? What’s the matter?”

“National Student Union,” the person flashed the work badge around his neck, “I’m here to register graduate students’ personal information for your school. I’m in charge of your department.”

He spoke rather loudly, waking up the few others who were resting in the room. One of them grumbled, “What forms again? Feels like we’re filling forms every day.”

The inspector smiled and said, “Can’t help it, orders from above. Since others aren’t here, you folks fill it out first. Who wants to start?”

“I will.” Huang Yun, who was sitting in the last row, raised his hand, his voice deep.

The inspector made an “ah” sound, noting there was another student in the back, then passed a form to him.

Huang Yun’s expression matched his voice in heaviness.

He had been like this for the past few days, as if his soul had been drained. Others in the lab didn’t dare provoke him. The inspector glanced at him a few times, pointed out which fields were required and which could be left blank, then walked aside to chat with Liu Yutong and the others.

Huang Yun could hear fragments of their conversation reaching his ears. He sped up his writing, feeling somewhat irritated.

“…Holy!” The inspector, holding the booklet with their basic information, suddenly exclaimed, “You actually have an Omega here?!”

The sudden mention of Omega left Liu Yutong confused. He whipped his head around, craning his neck to look around, “Where? Where’s the Omega?”

Huang Yun’s pen stopped.

“Right here!” The inspector pointed at a line of information following a name in the booklet, “Xia Shiruan, he’s in your lab, right?”