YPSSS Chapter 36

Despite his words, Xie Ji’s actions didn’t match someone who was being unexpectedly hugged. His arms tightened around Xia Shiruan instead of pushing him away, not even the slightest hint of rejection.

The collision between them wasn’t subtle, drawing attention from all directions like a spotlight.

Xie Ji remained oblivious, smiling as he said, “Watch where you’re going, Senior.”

Xia Shiruan: “…”

His mind hadn’t been on watching his path at all. Suddenly crashing into what felt like a wall of flesh, perhaps from the shock, his heart began racing so fast it felt like it would leap out of his chest.

After a moment, he rubbed his sore nose, stepped back, and muttered sullenly, “…I’m not.”

I’m not trying to hug you on purpose.

“Oh? So then, Classmate,” Xie Ji’s expression changed instantly as his smile vanished and he released his hold. He stared at Xia Shiruan with a cold smile, “Were you trying to scam me just now?”

Xia Shiruan didn’t notice Xie Ji’s slight sidestep earlier, so he had no way to refute the accusation.

He shook his head, feeling his face burn hot. He repeated “I’m not” but didn’t know how to explain his momentary daze. After a pause, ignoring the various stares around them, he steadied his breath and said quietly, “Congratulations on winning the game.”

“There’s nothing to congratulate,” Xie Ji tossed his jacket over his shoulder lazily, “The other team was garbage. What’s there to celebrate about beating them?”

Xia Shiruan: “…”

Just as he was about to speak, two voices called out from afar.

“Xiao Ruan!”

“Ge! Xiao Ruan-ge!”

It was Yi Junya and Chen Rongxin.

The two didn’t know each other before, but now they were approaching together.

Yi Junya wore the satisfied expression of someone who’d accomplished their goal, while Chen Rongxin appeared surprised, pointing at them as he asked Xia Shiruan, “Xiao Ruan-ge, you two really know each other? What a coincidence.”

“We were high school classmates,” Xia Shiruan said.

“Oh, I see,” Chen Rongxin said. “I thought he looked familiar when I saw him asking one of my bros for contact info earlier.”

“And he helped me out big time,” Yi Junya winked, waving his phone with an adorable smile. “Got it.”

Chen Rongxin turned to Xie Ji, “What about you, Ge? Didn’t see you after the match, were you blocked by omegas bringing water?”

Xie Ji said, “No Omega came to give me water.”

“No way!” Chen Rongxin exclaimed dramatically. “Even that brat Pei Hu had a bunch of Omega asking for his contact info! My Ge couldn’t lose to him!”

Pei Hu was the captain of Xie Ji’s team.

Xie Ji shrugged, glancing at Xia Shiruan, and said indifferently, “Who knows? Nobody approached me anyway.”

That glance from Xie Ji made the back of Xia Shiruan’s head tingle, and he felt inexplicably guilty.

Of course, it wasn’t that no one had tried to approach Xie Ji. They’d just been blocked.

But Xia Shiruan figured Xie Ji’s eyesight and hearing couldn’t be that good, so he probably didn’t notice what he did earlier.

Thankfully, Yi Junya changed the topic just in time, letting Xia Shiruan breathe a sigh of relief.

A moment later, Pei Hu came over to invite them to eat together.

Xia Shiruan politely declined, explaining he had something to do in the afternoon and couldn’t join them.

Pei Hu’s gaze flickered between Xia Shiruan and Yi Junya, then glanced back at Xie Ji.

The latter was carelessly kicking a small piece of stone, his lips quirked in a slight, subtle curve.

Pei Hu turned back and smiled, “Alright, hope to see you another time… How should I address you?”

Xia Shiruan gave his name.

Pei Hu nodded, thought for a second, then suddenly smacked his forehead in surprise, “Xia Shiruan… I knew that name sounded familiar! The Xia Shiruan from the Department of Particle Physics?”

Before Xia Shiruan could respond, Pei Hu let out an excited laugh. “Damn, it really is you! I’ve heard so much about you! You’re kinda famous at our school, but I’ve never actually seen you in person before…”

Xia Shiruan froze, both amused and exasperated, “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Now that I’ve met you, you’re different from what I imagined,” Pei Hu rubbed his chin, looking him up and down. “Can’t tell at all.”

He looked gentle and quiet, probably because he was academic. His aura was different from typical Omegas, how to put it… Pei Hu couldn’t quite describe it.

He certainly didn’t look like the Omega who allegedly beat up a scumbag in the library with his bare hands.

Pei Hu must have remembered some rumors that had been exaggerated hundreds of times. His gaze toward Xia Shiruan quickly filled with admiration. He practically vibrated with excitement, stepping closer like he wanted to chat all day.

“That whole thing with you was legendary. Everyone’s heard about it.” Pei Hu recalled something and looked back at Xie Ji, “Oh right, Xie Ji, didn’t you beat up Chen Jiu during that time too… Hey, why are you pulling me?”

Pei Hu’s collar was abruptly yanked, dragging him several steps back from Xia Shiruan.

Finally satisfied with the distance, Xie Ji relaxed, rolling his wrist before letting go. “Don’t get so close to him.”

Pei Hu: “?”

Chen Rongxin: “?”

Yi Junya: “???”

Xia Shiruan: “…”

“What are you looking at?” Xie Ji ignored everyone’s confused stares and said to Xia Shiruan, “Didn’t you say you had something to do? If you do, then go.”

“…” Xia Shiruan patted the still-dazed Yi Junya and said goodbye to everyone, “…I’ll be going then.”

Only after Xia Shiruan and Yi Junya’s figures disappeared from view did Chen Rongxin turn his head.

Having witnessed the whole exchange, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something… weird going on between Xie Ji and Xia Shiruan.

When he first came back, he’d thought these two hadn’t kept in touch for so many years because of some irreconcilable conflict.

But then they inexplicably reconciled. Chen Rongxin hadn’t said much about it, but now he just felt… something was off between these two.

Xie Ji wasn’t acting like the Xie Ji he knew.

And Xia Shiruan seemed like a different person too, always spacing out and getting distracted.

By late November, the weather had turned completely cold.

After two more hospital visits, Xia Shiruan received approval from his attending physician, saying his condition was stable and he could reduce his visits to once a month.

That evening, Chen Rongxin posted his birthday party invitation in the group chat, immediately drawing complaints.

Shi Yi: Didn’t you just have a birthday last month? How many birthdays do you have in a year?

Xie Ji: When is your actual birthday?

Xiao Xin: Damn. Jie, Ge, you’re really my good brother and sister, how can you not remember when my birthday is?!

Xie Ji: Don’t remember

Xiao Xin: …

After the commotion in the group chat died down, Chen Rongxin privately messaged Xia Shiruan, asking if he was free that day.

Xia Shiruan just typed “okay” but didn’t send it yet.

Xiao Xin recalled a message

“?”

Xia Shiruan thought he might have sent something by mistake, so he paused his reply and waited.

But after five minutes, instead of Chen Rongxin, Xie Ji messaged him.

Xie Ji: Are you free Sunday? It’s Xiao Xin’s birthday, I’ll pick you up on my way.

Xia Shiruan’s hand hovered over the keys, thinking that looking at the map, it wasn’t really on Xie Ji’s way no matter which direction he came from.

Then Xia Shiruan replied “Okay.”

Chen Rongxin and his younger brother were born a year apart, with their birthdays just one day apart.

Chen Rongxin’s birthday was late on November 30th, while his brother was born in the early hours of December 1st the following year.

This resulted in their birthdays being celebrated together every year. In Chen Rongxin’s own words, his grudge with his brother had started from the moment of birth.

Chen Rongxin had always been popular, so after growing up a bit, he started having a separate birthday celebration each year, inviting only his friends.

That Sunday, Xie Ji drove over to pick up Xia Shiruan.

Xie Ji wore a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway, one hand resting lazily on the car window, drumming the edge of the glass. He looked more mature and composed than he did at school.

Xia Shiruan, however, still wore his student-like shirt and trousers, which emphasized his straight back and slim waist. He had come out in a hurry, and the strands of hair on his forehead were tousled by the wind.

When they saw each other, they both paused for a second.

Xie Ji’s eyes swept over him before he knocked on the car window and gestured, “That quick? Get in.”

The venue was set at a bar owned by Chen Rongxin, in a large private room on the second floor. When Xia Shiruan arrived, quite a few people were already there.

Most of the faces were unfamiliar, with only a few familiar ones like Shu Jian and Pei Hu.

“Xiao Xia-ge?” Shu Jian, who had been staying in S Province and just returned yesterday, looked surprised to see Xia Shiruan. “What a rare guest! How did Xiao Xin manage to invite you?”

“It’s Xiao Xin’s birthday, and I happened to be free, so I came,” Xia Shiruan said.

“Come sit here!” Shu Jian made room for him and warmly waved him over. “I haven’t seen you in years, let’s catch up.”

Just as Xia Shiruan was about to be pulled to the seat next to Shu Jian, Pei Hu suddenly reached out to stop them, saying, “Don’t sit so close to him.”

Shu Jian stared at him like he was an idiot. “?”

Pei Hu added, “Alphas and Omegas shouldn’t be too familiar. You two can’t sit together.”

Xia Shiruan: “…”

Shu Jian’s expression went through a rich variety of changes, from red to green to white. He swallowed back the words “there’s still half a meter between us, what familiarity are you talking about” that nearly escaped his mouth, and instead blurted out with wide eyes, “OMEGA?!”

Xia Shiruan nodded.

Shu Jian was shocked.

Shu Jian had been away all this time and knew nothing about recent events.

His impression of Xia Shiruan was still stuck on the serious, stern Beta brother from their childhood years. He knew very little about the grown-up Xia Shiruan.

The conversation quickly centered around this topic.

Both Shu Jian and Pei Hu were great conversationalists. With Xia Shiruan sandwiched between them, occasionally responding, there was never a dull moment.

After a while, Shu Jian received a phone call.

He answered with a couple of responses, then hung up and stood. With a mysterious smile on his face, he told the two, “Wait for me a bit. I’m going to pick someone up. Don’t tell Xie-ge and the others yet.”

Pei Hu: “What’s with all the mystery?”

Xia Shiruan smiled, picked up the glass of lemon water in front of him, took a sip, then set it down.

Xie Ji was chatting with others in another corner of the room. Something made him turn his head to look this way.

He caught sight of Xia Shiruan’s fair profile, his lips gleaming with moisture from the lemon water.

Shu Jian returned shortly after leaving. The door was locked from inside, so he knocked.

Chen Rongxin bounced over to open it.

“Where did you go? You disappeared the moment I turned around… Oh?” Chen Rongxin’s voice suddenly turned surprised. “Who’s here?”