YPSSS Chapter 37

Shu Jian’s hearty laugh rang out. “Look who I brought!”

Chen Rongxin stared at the person at the door for a good while before speaking. “I really didn’t expect this.”

Chen Rongxin was stunned for a moment. Remembering this person’s identity, a trace of barely noticeable awkwardness flashed across his face, but it disappeared instantly.

He carefully glanced back at Xie Ji. Seeing that he wasn’t paying attention, Chen Rongxin turned back and smiled. “What time did you arrive? Why didn’t you let someone pick you up? Come in, have a seat.”

When Chen Rongxin brought the person in, he said, “Let me introduce a friend to everyone,” so everyone looked toward the door.

Xia Shiruan also lifted his gaze slightly.

Next to Shu Jian stood a tall Omega, almost as tall as Shu Jian himself, with skin so fair it was eye-catching.

He was clearly the pampered young master type of Omega. From his exquisite clothing to the perfectly measured smile on his face, everything about him felt comfortable. At least, it was hard to dislike him.

“Su Mi.” Chen Rongxin brought him over and introduced him to others. “He’s my middle school classmate. Except for Xie-ge and Fatty, most of you probably don’t know him.”

Everyone greeted him.

Su Mi smiled gracefully and responded to each person. Finally, his gaze lingered slightly in a certain direction, his lips curving up as he said, “Xie Ji, long time no see.”

Xie Ji had been looking down at his phone the whole time. Only when he heard this did he look up, as if he’d just noticed.

“Yeah.” Xie Ji thought for a moment and said, “It’s been a while. What brings you to C City?”

Su Mi smiled and walked closer to him. “It’s Xiao Xin’s birthday, how could I not come? Besides, so many friends are here.”

As he said the last part, Su Mi’s eyes lingered tenderly on Xie Ji, his meaning obvious.

But Xie Ji seemed completely oblivious. He nodded and said, “Xiao Xin’s popular.”

Su Mi’s smile froze.

Chen Rongxin had just finished chatting with others nearby and came back when he heard his name mentioned. “What? Are you praising me?”

Xie Ji glanced at his phone one more time, locked the screen, and snorted. “Yeah, praising you. Praising how you celebrate your birthday twice a year. You could get rich just from birthday gifts.”

Chen Rongxin pouted. “That’s not what I want. I just don’t want to celebrate my birthday with that person.”

Xie Ji’s lips twitched, but he said nothing.

“Happy birthday.” Su Mi turned to Chen Rongxin with a smile, holding up a bag. “I was in a hurry and couldn’t pick carefully. See if you like it.”

“I’ll like it, I’ll like it!” Chen Rongxin took the bag without even looking inside and said gleefully, “I trust your taste. Unlike Fatty, who knows what he gives me every year.”

Nearby, Shu Jian almost laughed in anger when he heard this. He spread his hands from afar. “Hey, then give me back my gifts!”

Chen Rongxin gathered all the gifts he’d received into his arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks. “No take-backs! Once it’s mine, it’s mine.”

Everyone laughed.

The atmosphere in the private room quickly became lively. After chatting for a while, seeing that most people had arrived, Chen Rongxin got up to arrange drinks and alcohol outside.

Chen Rongxin’s family owned bar branches across the country. Besides their strong capital, there were many other factors contributing to their success, such as their alcohol.

The new drinks created by their bartenders would become the talk of other bars within a month, trending online as popular items everyone tried to copy.

Xia Shiruan didn’t know this at first, but Pei Hu sat beside him, explaining it all in a low voice.

On Xia Shiruan’s left sat an unfamiliar Alpha, sitting slightly too close. When he turned his head to talk, Xia Shiruan could faintly smell his pheromones.

It wasn’t a particularly unpleasant scent, but once someone had found their most cherished, irreplaceable person, they tended to find everything else lacking in comparison.

Xia Shiruan sat up straighter and shifted away slightly. Then, as if by instinct, he glanced in Xie Ji’s direction.

Sometimes Xia Shiruan wondered if Xie Ji had an extra invisible eye specifically for catching his glances.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain how Xie Ji caught him every single time he tried to steal a look.

Xia Shiruan moved his eyes away before their gazes could meet for five seconds.

He gripped a small patch of the leather sofa, squeezed it hard, and mentally recited over ten complex formulas to calm his heartbeat.

Xie Ji raised his eyebrows, amusement filling his eyes, his previous indifference finally disappearing.

When Chen Rongxin pushed open the door, three servers in neat uniforms followed behind him. Each carried a tray with colorful cocktails in stemmed glasses.

“Today, you’re all going to get a real treat,” Chen Rongxin said excitedly, rubbing his hands together. “I never had the chance to drink this before, but I finally caught the opportunity today. No one’s allowed to run away!”

Chen Rongxin looked around, paused when he saw Xia Shiruan and Su Mi, then said with a laugh, “I thought it would be just a bunch of single Alphas gathering today, but can you believe we have two Omegas? I’ve never had this many Omegas at my birthday parties in my entire life.”

People immediately laughed, some called him shameless. Pei Hu laughed the loudest, saying, “It doesn’t matter how many there are. None of them are for you!”

Chen Rongxin laughed at his own joke, then asked everyone what they wanted to drink, letting them choose since each glass had a different flavor.

When it came to the two Omegas, Chen Rongxin specifically circled around to take two glasses from the last server’s tray. “Omegas can’t handle strong alcohol well, so I specially had them make two drinks with very low alcohol content. Su Mi, I know you can drink a bit. Which one do you want? Take your pick.”

Xia Shiruan looked at the pale liquid in the glasses, feeling a bit hesitant.

He could drink a little when he was still a Beta, but after becoming an Omega, he couldn’t handle it well anymore.

Although the doctor had said his current physical condition was stable and unlikely to trigger sudden heat like the previous times when he was stimulated, the awful experience from his last time drinking was still fresh in his mind.

If given a choice, Xia Shiruan felt he probably wouldn’t want to touch alcohol ever again in this life.

But after thinking for a second about asking for water instead, he felt it would be too much trouble. He quickly decided to take the drink and set it aside. Nobody would notice, and Chen Rongxin probably wouldn’t mind.

Su Mi casually took one glass, swirled it, and thanked Chen Rongxin.

“Then Xiao Ruan-ge, you drink this one…”

Everyone went quiet as Xie Ji’s voice came from the side.

“Xiao Xin.”

“Ge?” Chen Rongxin turned around to see Xie Ji watching them, beckoning him over. “What is it?”

Xie Ji pointed at the light-colored drink in his hand. “The drink.”

Chen Rongxin understood. He wanted this one.

“Huh? You want this?” Chen Rongxin glanced hesitantly at Xia Shiruan. “This is specially made for Xiao Ruan-ge, it’s an Omega exclusive. Ge, why do you want this? It’s too mild…”

“.” Xie Ji run out of patience with Chen Rongxin’s chatter. “Give it here.”

“…” Chen Rongxin didn’t know what had gotten into him, but he handed the drink to Xie Ji while turning to Xia Shiruan. “Xiao Ruan-ge, I’ll have them make you another one.”

Just as Xia Shiruan was about to say he’d just have water instead, he saw Xie Ji take the glass, sniff it slightly, wrinkle his nose in disgust, then push it aside without drinking it.

“…”

Chen Rongxin was speechless. Their Xie-ge was being so childish, snatching someone else’s drink only to not drink it! What was he trying to do?

He was about to ask Xie Ji to return the glass.

“Get a different one.” Xie Ji picked up the drink menu scattered in a corner of the sofa that no one had looked at, flipped through it, and said, “This one… caramel latte, three parts sugar.”

Chen Rongxin didn’t know what expression to make or what to say.

Ordering a latte at a bar, how creative.

Although it wasn’t impossible to make, Chen Rongxin looked at Xie Ji’s serious expression and felt almost wronged. “Ge, you can’t be like this. It’s my birthday today, you won’t even have one drink with us?”

“Did I say I wouldn’t drink?” Xie Ji glanced at him. “I told you to get Xia Shiruan a different drink, not me.”

Su Mi’s movements paused as he swallowed the bitter alcohol on his tongue. He set down his glass, his smile fading slightly.

The room full of people who had been chatting just moments ago suddenly grew quiet.

As Chen Rongxin’s expression shifted from sudden realization to shock, Xie Ji glanced at Xia Shiruan and added, “He can’t drink alcohol.”

Xia Shiruan blinked rapidly, feeling his ears gradually grow warmer.

He didn’t dare touch them, knowing they must be hot and probably a bit red.

“…Alright,” Chen Rongxin recovered from his surprise. “You should have said so earlier, I had no idea Xiao Ruan-ge couldn’t drink.”

Before leaving, Chen Rongxin confirmed with Xia Shiruan one more time, “Three parts sugar, okay? Won’t that be a bit bitter?”

Xia Shiruan paused for a moment, then said, “No, it’ll be sweet.”