After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate - Chapter 25.1

His consciousness shifted between clarity and a drunken haze. Qi Yuxiao watched Tao Ran approach him slowly with a calm expression, his eyes dark and indecipherable. No one knew what he was thinking.

A faint wisp of fragrance drifted through the air, signaling that the owner of the scent had stepped into his domain of control.

Tao Ran walked up to Qi Yuxiao, expecting the interaction to be the same as before. To his surprise, a firm arm reached out behind him, easily encircling his waist and pulling him downward with a slight force.

Before he knew it, he was pulled down to sit directly on Qi Yuxiao’s lap.

? ? ?

Tao Ran’s eyes widened in shock.

Wait a minute. This was not how it went just now.

Tao Ran’s dark, watery eyes looked dazed and helpless. He instinctively wanted to escape, but he was already held fast by that arm, unable to move an inch.

A broad palm pressed against his stomach, causing the thin, soft flesh to dip slightly. Tao Ran could not help but take a deep breath, his voice trembling at the end. “Qi Yuxiao…”

The posture of sitting on his lap was even more intimate than before. They only needed to lift their eyes slightly to meet each other’s gaze. Their noses were very close, and their exhaled breaths intertwined in the narrow space.

It was a very strange feeling. Tao Ran did not dare to look at him. “This seems a bit different from before.”

Qi Yuxiao took in the sight of the flushed face in his arms, his gaze moving slowly over Tao Ran’s exquisite features.

Then, he explained casually in a low voice, “That movement just now was inconvenient. This posture is better.”

As he spoke, he pulled Tao Ran a little closer to himself.

Tao Ran: “…”

Tao Ran’s mind went blank. “Oh, okay.”

He tried hard to convince himself that this was just another posture for “cuddling.”

Straight men can hug each other, right? Moreover, he was currently helping Qi Yuxiao.

Qi Yuxiao’s nose approached Tao Ran’s skin, sniffing carefully at his chin, moving along the jawline to the edge of his earlobe, and then lowering his head to bury it in the crook of Tao Ran’s neck.

The difference in their body sizes allowed Tao Ran to be completely embedded in his embrace. The body he held was very soft, and the skin touched by his nose was even more delicate.

The fragrance seemed to seep out from the skin and bone, faintly dispersing over the surface of Tao Ran’s body. Only by pressing close without any gap and absorbing it without limit could the restless, thirsty factors in the depths of Qi Yuxiao’s heart be slightly soothed.

He could not help but think of that morning when Tao Ran looked at him with a lost and helpless expression, looking as if he were about to cry. Tao Ran had asked him if he did not find it strange—how could a boy naturally carry a body fragrance?

Qi Yuxiao had never found it strange at all.

Just as he had answered, it was very suitable.

This fragrance was very suitable when placed on Tao Ran.

The sweet and pleasant herbal scent always brought to mind a quiet natural forest after rain, making one feel calm and centered, unable to produce a single distracting thought.

And Tao Ran’s temperament was pure and clean, as if untainted by a single impurity. His personality was simple and soft, quiet and gentle. Standing with him felt as if even the dust particles dancing in the surrounding magnetic field could not help but stop and suspend in place.

The two elements complemented each other perfectly.

Furthermore, Tao Ran looked especially like a little forest deer that knew nothing of the world, usually darting freely through woods and flowers. It felt natural to assume he would be stained with the pleasant scent of plants and flowers.

So… how could it be strange?

…

Tao Ran increasingly felt as if a large dog was leaning on him, sniffing around. The hot air exhaled by the other man was damp with moisture, making him feel a bit itchy.

His consciousness began to drift, and he whispered softly, “It tickles…”

Suddenly, the other man’s nose pressed against a certain spot on the back of his neck without warning.

In an instant, a faint numbing current surged through his skin. Tao Ran’s body gave a violent jolt, and he snapped wide awake.

He used all his strength to push the person in front of him away, raising his voice to stop him. “Wait a minute!”

Qi Yuxiao was stunned by his reaction, his eyes full of confusion. “What is wrong?”

What is wrong? You touched my gland!

But Tao Ran could not say it. He could only turn bright red and stammer in silence.

To an Omega, the gland is an extremely private organ. No one else is allowed to touch it at will. How could Qi Yuxiao touch it right away?

This was a very serious matter.

Even if Qi Yuxiao was an ordinary person who knew nothing about Omega glands, it did not mean he could just touch it.

Tao Ran decided to give Qi Yuxiao a stern warning.

He had already organized the words in his brain and was about to speak, but when he looked up and saw Qi Yuxiao’s face magnified in front of him, Tao Ran choked. He swallowed his saliva, and the voice that finally came out was soft and weak. “Can you… not touch that place?”

Qi Yuxiao: “Are you uncomfortable?”

Tao Ran nodded. “A—a little.”

“I found that the fragrance is stronger in that spot, so I touched it involuntarily.” Qi Yuxiao’s eyes looked somewhat innocent, and he apologized very quickly. “I am sorry. I will not do it next time.”

Tao Ran had a soft temper. Even though his well-hidden, private gland had been touched abruptly, he only felt a flicker of anger, and even that vanished in an instant.

He was already no longer angry, and hearing Qi Yuxiao’s sincere apology made his heart soften completely. “O—okay.”

“Then let us continue.”

“Uh… hmm?”

Qi Yuxiao’s cheek pressed back against the side of Tao Ran’s neck.

He closed his eyes lightly, intoxicated beyond recovery by the scent of chamomile.

Tao Ran stayed obediently in Qi Yuxiao’s arms.

As time passed, he felt the person buried in the crook of his neck remain motionless for a long time.

The scene was so peaceful that one would be reluctant to disturb it.

But it was getting late, and Tao Ran himself was feeling a bit tired.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally decided to ask in a low voice, “Qi Yuxiao, do you want to sleep now? Is my sce— fragrance working?”

Qi Yuxiao did not answer, but the arms holding him tightened silently.

Tao Ran: “…”

Tao Ran was now certain that Qi Yuxiao had truly sobered up.

He even suspected that the man was pretending to be drunk after sobering up.

The other man kept holding him without speaking. Tao Ran had no choice but to ask again, “We have been holding each other for a long time. Can we sleep now?”

“…”

“You… you let go of me first… go to sleep.” Tao Ran pushed against the other man’s shoulders. Qi Yuxiao was holding him so tightly he could barely breathe.

A trace of internal conflict crossed his eyes. He pursed his lips and said softly, “Tomorrow, we can continue tomorrow…”

Half a second later, Qi Yuxiao lifted his head from Tao Ran’s neck, his eyebrows arching slightly. “Really?”

Tao Ran: “…”

Tao Ran: “Yes, really.”

Qi Yuxiao: “Still the same as now?”

“Yes, the same as now,” Tao Ran said, following his lead.

Qi Yuxiao’s gaze deepened. “And the day after tomorrow?”

“…” Tao Ran thought for a moment. “The day after… that is fine too.”

Qi Yuxiao pressed further. “Is it okay every day from now on?”

Tao Ran thought for a while and looked up at him, his eyes filled with pure sincerity. “If your insomnia still has not improved.”

Suddenly, a hand hooked under the bend of his knees, easily lifting Tao Ran’s legs and placing them over Qi Yuxiao’s other leg.

Tao Ran was a bit dazed by this series of actions.

Qi Yuxiao held Tao Ran’s waist with one hand and placed the other on the side of his thigh, looking at Tao Ran. “Is this also okay?”

At first, he was only sitting on one leg, but now he was sitting on both. Coupled with Qi Yuxiao’s arms encircling him tightly like thick vines, Tao Ran could only lean closer to him.

Their chests were pressed together, and they could clearly feel each other’s vigorous heartbeats.

Tao Ran: “…?”

It was a bit strange.

But he suppose it counted as “cuddling.”

Compared to the previous hug, this was a bit like a bridal carry. He remembered the AI Assistant’s answer had mentioned bridal carries as a type of intimate behavior between straight men.

So Tao Ran nodded slowly. “…Yes, it is okay.”

Qi Yuxiao’s eyes grew even deeper, more greed seeping out from the depths. “Then is it also okay to sleep together?”

Tao Ran almost blurted out an agreement.

Realizing the implication suddenly, he sat up with a start, moving half an inch away from Qi Yuxiao. He shook his head in refusal, dazed. “Th—this is not okay.”

He had been obediently and softly agreeing to various requests just now, so changing to a refusal suddenly made a person who likes to take an inch when given a mile feel dissatisfied.

Sure enough, Qi Yuxiao’s brow lowered visibly upon hearing this. “Why?”

“Sleeping together and things like that… it seems a bit strange.”

Tao Ran tried hard to recall the AI Assistant’s answer. He did not seem to remember seeing anything about sleeping together in the “common types of intimate contact between straight men.”

“Why would it be strange?”

Qi Yuxiao looked as if he did not understand. “Is it not normal for guys to sleep together?”

“…”

Tao Ran was stumped by the question.

He did not know either.

The AI Assistant did not say.

Qi Yuxiao’s certain tone made Tao Ran’s already vague concepts even more confused.

However, thinking about it, in the area of being a straight man, Qi Yuxiao—with eighteen years of experience as a die-hard straight man—was certainly much more skilled than a fake like him.

So if he had questions he did not understand or was conflicted about, perhaps Qi Yuxiao could provide the answers.

Thinking this way, Tao Ran adopted a humble attitude of seeking knowledge and asked Qi Yuxiao, “Qi Yuxiao, do you often sleep with other guys?”

“No,” Qi Yuxiao said. “I have slept alone since I was three years old. I am a light sleeper; I cannot sleep if someone is next to me.”

Tao Ran became even more puzzled. “Then why do you suddenly want to sleep with me?”

Qi Yuxiao pressed his cheek against Tao Ran’s neck and nuzzled it insatiably. “Because you are very fragrant.”

After a moment, he added, “I feel you are different from others.”

Tao Ran: “…”

Tao Ran: “What is the difference?”

“It is just different.”

Tao Ran felt a bit helpless, thinking that Qi Yuxiao was still treating him like a SpongeBob pillow.

But he was a human too. Although he was a quiet sleeper and likely did not have bad habits like snoring or grinding teeth, no one can guarantee they won’t make a sound after falling asleep.

Most importantly, even if sharing a bed was nothing to straight men, to Tao Ran, it was truly a bit too intimate.

He could not accept it for the time being.

“I think… not for now.”

Tao Ran looked at Qi Yuxiao with some embarrassment. Even though he was refusing an unreasonable request, he still carefully added a sentence at the end: “…is that okay?”

Now it was Qi Yuxiao’s turn to find it hard to refuse. His Adam’s apple bobbed. After a long while, he spoke with quite some regret, “Okay.”

Tao Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He shifted his body, indicating that Qi Yuxiao should let go so he could get off his lap.

Qi Yuxiao stared at him calmly for several seconds. Even though he was reluctant, he eventually released the arms encircling Tao Ran.

One cannot achieve success in one leap; a hasty hunter cannot catch his prey.

Once liberated, Tao Ran quickly got off Qi Yuxiao.

The dormitory light hit Tao Ran’s clean, white face. His long, curled eyelashes cast a shadow, fluttering gently as he blinked, like a lively butterfly.

“Then I am going to sleep first.” His smile was beautiful and soft. “You should also sleep early. I hope you can get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Qi Yuxiao looked at his pure face. For some reason, his chest suddenly tightened, and the intense thirst in his body turned into a dryness that quickly spread to his throat.

His fingers curled slightly, and after a long while, he squeezed out a sentence, “Yes, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

“…”

The next day, Tao Ran was woken up by a thunderous, world-shaking sound of snoring.

It took him only 0.1 seconds to guess that the snoring was from Zhuo Qiang. He did not know when Zhuo Qiang and Su Jiali had returned.

Because he had just woken up, his brain was still clouded with sleepiness and his eyes felt sore. Tao Ran raised his hand to rub them and threw back the quilt dazed.

As he got out of bed, his peripheral vision caught that Qi Yuxiao’s bed curtain was open and no one was inside.

When did Qi Yuxiao get up?

Just as Tao Ran’s feet touched the floor, the snoring echoing through the dorm stopped abruptly.

The dormitory fell back into a dim silence.

Tao Ran pulled back the blackout curtain on the glass door slightly. The sunlight from outside rushed in, turning his vision white. He instinctively squinted.

After adapting to the bright light, his eyelashes trembled. As he opened his eyes, a shadow fell over him.

Tao Ran’s pupils gradually refocused. He looked up and met the deep dark eyes of the tall young man.

The two stared at each other quietly through the transparent glass door.

After an unknown amount of time, Tao Ran’s consciousness finally returned. He touched the handle of the glass door and pushed it open a crack to the right.

Tao Ran stepped onto the balcony. After closing the glass door behind him, he asked, “Qi Yuxiao, how did you sleep last night?”

The autumn morning light was as light as a thin layer of cotton silk, bringing a warm sensation when it touched the skin.

Qi Yuxiao was bathed in the pale golden morning light. The warm light plated his body, softening his originally cold aura. He lowered his eyes and said indifferently, “It was okay.”

“I see…” Tao Ran was a bit surprised, not quite satisfied with the answer.

Was it just “okay”?

Last night, Qi Yuxiao had held him and absorbed his scent for so long. Tao Ran had thought it would be enough for Qi Yuxiao to sleep until noon today.

It seemed his pheromones were not as effective as he had imagined.

For some reason, a trace of disappointment rose in his heart.

Tao Ran: “Why did you wake up so early? Why not sleep a bit longer?”

“I was woken up by the noise.” At this point, Qi Yuxiao’s expression looked slightly displeased.

“Oh, okay.” Tao Ran understood immediately. “I am the same as you.”

Both of them were victims of Zhuo Qiang’s snoring.

However, although Zhuo Qiang’s snoring was uniquely loud, it did not happen very frequently. Sometimes he only snored once a week, and it did not last very long. Tao Ran had only been woken up a few times when his sleep was light.

“When I came down just now, Zhuo Qiang had stopped snoring.” Tao Ran’s gaze lightly traced Qi Yuxiao’s cold, handsome features. He still looked a bit tired, so Tao Ran said, “It is still early. Do you want to go back and get some more sleep?”

“Yes.” Qi Yuxiao responded quickly, but he did not move after speaking.

Just as Tao Ran’s expression showed a hint of confusion, he was pulled into a warm embrace filled with the scent of sunlight in the next instant.

Tao Ran: ?

It was a standard hugging posture.

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