Does An Inferior Omega Also Have To Marry First, Then Fall In Love? - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: End of the Holiday

The school holiday was coming to an end, and the new semester was about to begin.

After singing the last song in the performance hall, the audience watched him intently. Someone wanted to add him on social media, but he refused.

Today was another ordinary day of finishing work. Exiting through the broken, iron back door, there was a narrow alley. The sky was high and vast, a warm, golden dusk.

Ji Qingyu walked out of the alley with his guitar strapped on his back, heading toward the bustling commercial street. Across the overpass was the university district, filled with couples and friends, holding drinks, their wristbands flashing with pretty light.

He bought a jianbing guozi (Chinese savory crepe) from a street vendor. Food near the university was cheap but the quality was generally mediocre. He didn’t mind the greasy paper bag. Just as he was about to wrap it with a napkin, someone behind him snatched the food away.

Ji Qingyu’s stomach rumbled. His food was gone. He turned back in surprise.

Fu Han’s face was expressionless. He took two bites of the jianbing guozi and commented, “So unappetizing.”

“Lower your voice, the boss can hear you,” Ji Qingyu was stunned for a moment, then whispered to Fu Han.

Fu Han’s voice was flat: “Why eat this? I’ll take you to eat something good.”

“No, thanks,” Ji Qingyu declined. “I need to go back to feed the cat.”

“Cat? What cat?” Fu Han asked, leaning in to look at Ji Qingyu at eye level, their distance very close.

“Just a stray cat. Maybe because my family sells fish, the cat always likes to stay on our rooftop. I forgot to leave out dried fish for it today,” Ji Qingyu said. By the time he finished, Fu Han had already finished his pancake—the one with chicken strips, fried dough, and two eggs. It was quite expensive.

Ji Qingyu felt a little regretful.

But soon, Fu Han treated him to more expensive Korean food nearby, although it was just a slightly better restaurant in the area. Seeing the table full of dishes, Ji Qingyu felt a bit uneasy.

“Hurry and eat. Don’t you have to go back to feed the cat?” Fu Han propped his head up, bored, and speared a piece of rice cake. Ji Qingyu watched him. Fu Han lazily lifted his eyelids, and Ji Qingyu shifted his gaze, reaching for the juice on the table.

“If you like that cat, why don’t you adopt it?”

“Taking care of a cat takes too much energy. Besides, it might not want to be locked in a small house. Maybe it prefers freedom?” Ji Qingyu muttered.

Fu Han looked at Ji Qingyu and suddenly asked, “What about you? What do you like?”

“Me?” Ji Qingyu froze. “I don’t have many aspirations. I just want to keep singing. I think I’m quite happy right now.”

Finishing the meal quickly, Ji Qingyu held the packed dried fish and prepared to go home. People were coming and going. Turning into the alley, he bumped into a kissing couple. Ji Qingyu was startled, and his face instantly turned red.

“I’m, I’m sorry…” he apologized awkwardly. The couple also blushed and moved away. Taking a step back, he bumped right into Fu Han, who was tall like a wall.

Fu Han steadied his shoulder with one hand. The warmth transferred through his shirt. Fu Han lowered his head: “Why are you so easily shy?”

Ji Qingyu stared blankly at the face in front of him.

Fu Han stroked his head. Ji Qingyu’s hair was soft.

“Which way is your house?” Fu Han asked.

“Huh? My house?” Ji Qingyu didn’t quite process it. “Why are you asking about my house?”

“I’m bored. I’ll go with you to feed the cat.” Fu Han rested one hand on the back of his neck, stretching his neck a couple of times, then lowered his gaze to look at Ji Qingyu. “Let’s go, it’s getting dark.”

They walked quite close, their hands almost touching. Fu Han suddenly asked, “You don’t know how to cook, do you?”

“How did you know?” Ji Qingyu was surprised. His guitar was now on Fu Han’s shoulder. “It’s normal for high school students not to know how to cook, isn’t it?”

“I saw your lunch box a couple of days ago. No wonder your voice sounds like a kitten’s meow, weak and breathy,” Fu Han seemed to say casually.

Lin Ying was out, and Ji Qingyu just made something simple. What did it have to do with Fu Han?

“I’ll be at the bar for the next few days. I can bring you a lunch box. I won’t be able to finish it anyway,” Fu Han said.

Ji Qingyu looked at him with surprise, not expecting him to say something like that.

The sunlight cast a layered silhouette on the two of them. The bus swayed. After getting off and walking a few more steps, they reached the small alley near Ji Qingyu’s home. Fu Han walked into a supermarket and bought two boxes of bird’s nest and some cherries. Ji Qingyu tried to stop him, but Fu Han pushed the fruit container into his hand. “Hold this for me.”

These were people from the neighborhood. A neighbor auntie recognized him and greeted Ji Qingyu. Seeing the things in Fu Han’s hand, she quietly pulled Ji Qingyu aside: “Qingyu, bringing your boyfriend home? Kids shouldn’t date too early.”

“We’re not like that…” Ji Qingyu explained anxiously.

Fu Han heard them talking. He smiled, lightly wrapped his arm around Ji Qingyu’s shoulder, and said, “Hello, Auntie.”

The neighbor looked at the two and covered her mouth, chuckling: “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t tell your mother.”

“No, Auntie… you really misunderstood,” Ji Qingyu tried to explain, but the neighbor had already left.

Ji Qingyu felt his ears burning. He turned back, annoyed, to see that Fu Han was still laughing. He glared at him, swatted the hand off his shoulder, and walked towards his house alone.

Fu Han laughed even harder.

That handsome face caught a beautiful silhouette in the sun. Fu Han followed him. His hand rested on Ji Qingyu’s waist again. A breeze picked up, and the scent of osmanthus filled the air.

“Fu Han, if you keep teasing me like this, don’t come looking for me again,” Ji Qingyu’s angry voice was soft. So, Fu Han let go of the hand around Ji Qingyu’s waist, lowered his head, and brushed back Ji Qingyu’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Fu Han’s voice sounded serious. “I won’t do it next time.”

Ji Qingyu reached for the key, opened the door, and the cat wasn’t there. Ji Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Fu Han leaned against the doorframe and followed him in. He looked around and asked, “Where is your mother?”

“She went out to get stock. She shouldn’t be back today.” Ji Qingyu placed the dried fish in the stray cat’s bowl. Turning back, he saw Fu Han had casually walked into his bedroom.

“You, you shouldn’t… go in.”

It was too messy.

Ji Qingyu’s room was bright. It wasn’t a very large apartment. The books on the desk were scattered messily, mostly music scores. The sheets were newly changed, carrying the scent of the sun.

Fu Han picked up the half-written sheet music on the desk, took the guitar off his shoulder, and handed it to Ji Qingyu: “Play a song for me.”

“I haven’t finished writing it yet.”

“Half a song is fine.”

“I’ll play something else for you.”

“I want to hear something no one else has heard.”

Alright. Ji Qingyu lowered his head and plucked two notes, not looking at Fu Han’s expression. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, listening to the tune, Fu Han suddenly asked, “Ji Qingyu, do you have someone you like?”

“Huh? No, I don’t.”

Fu Han tapped the label paper on the desk with his finger. Ji Qingyu continued to play.

“Not even a type you like?”

“No…”

“Actually…” Fu Han leaned in, just about to say something, when two meows suddenly came from the window. Ji Qingyu put down the guitar, leaving the song unfinished. Fu Han was left behind, along with the guitar.

“Where have you been?” Ji Qingyu walked to the balcony, opened the security window, and let the cat in. The stray cat rubbed affectionately against Ji Qingyu’s hand. It was purring, then saw the Alpha standing behind Ji Qingyu.

It stared at Fu Han warily. Fu Han also looked at it.

“It’s okay,” Ji Qingyu said. “It’s not fierce. If you give it the dried fish, it won’t bite you.”

Ji Qingyu handed the dried fish to Fu Han. Fu Han squatted down, looking displeased. The dried fish was small in the Alpha’s hand. The calico cat stared at Fu Han. After several seconds, it slowly walked over and bit the dried fish from Fu Han’s hand. It ate quickly, then looked up and meowed twice at Ji Qingyu.

“See,” Ji Qingyu lowered his head, his hair falling to cover his profile. He was smiling, gentle and lovely. He lifted his hand to tuck his hair behind his ear. “It’s very well-behaved.”

After a moment of silence, Ji Qingyu turned his head and saw Fu Han looking at him, his gaze quite gentle: “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bit silly?”

“You’re the silly one,” Ji Qingyu said, smiling. “I just want to keep living like this, without worrying too much. I’m already very happy right now.”

Fu Han sighed, sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor: “You didn’t finish the song just now.”

The calico cat meowed twice and nestled on Ji Qingyu, refusing to leave. Ji Qingyu had no choice. He braced his hands on the floor and laughed, his voice slow and warm: “If you want to hear it, I’ll sing it to you.”

The hospital light flickered twice. The wind began to blow outside.

Ji Qingyu gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open. The two doctors inside were stunned. The younger one gasped, and they looked as if they had seen a ghost. Ji Qingyu’s eyes were fixed on them, his expression icy.

“What do you mean? Explain clearly,” Ji Qingyu said.

One of the doctors, who had dealt with Ji Qingyu the most, knew they couldn’t keep it secret anymore and could only sigh.

“Mr. Ji, you should know that it’s already remarkable that Madam Lin Ying’s condition has lasted this long. We didn’t want to hide it from you. Truly, under pressure from above, we had no choice.”

“How much longer?”

“Until the surgery time we told you. That’s the most time she has.”

Ji Qingyu was devoid of expression. He nodded and turned to walk toward Lin Ying’s ward. Halfway there, his phone rang. He hung up, but the caller was persistent, ringing repeatedly. He picked it up and saw it was Ma Yu.

“Hello…” Ji Qingyu answered the phone.

“Xiaoyu, check Weibo quickly. The Fu Group is suing Ji Ran, claiming he stole trade secrets. The netizens are going crazy.”

Did it matter? Ji Qingyu said he knew. Ma Yu paused, hearing the wrong tone in Ji Qingyu’s voice: “Xiaoyu, what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.” Ji Qingyu hung up the phone. In less than two seconds, his phone rang again. He looked down; this time it was Fu Han.

Ji Qingyu hung up. Fu Han’s calls kept coming in, and Ji Qingyu set his phone to silent.

He didn’t need to ask for a few minutes of visiting time. The doctor opened the ward door and let him in. He leaned against Lin Ying’s bedside, resting his head by her hand.

He just wanted to stay with her quietly like this, to accompany her always. The phone screen lit up and went dark, repeating over a dozen times in the darkness, but no one paid it any attention.