I Heard You Only See Me as a Friend - Chapter 16

By the time Feng Jin and Kong Liyan arrived at the hotpot restaurant, the food had already been ordered and was ready to eat.

Feng Jin didn’t speak much, spending most of his time listening. However, as the central figure of this small circle, the conversation naturally drifted toward him as they ate.

“The other day when I went home for dinner, I heard my dad mention…” Zhang Yangli, who wore a single stud earring, glanced at Feng Jin and hesitated before continuing, “He said it looks like your family has been stepping up their search for an Omega lately.”

“Oh.” Feng Jin picked up a slice of beef with his chopsticks, his expression indifferent. “Do they want to find me a younger brother or sister? If they love Omegas so much, why don’t they just give birth to one themselves?”

“They aren’t looking for a sibling for you!” Zhang Yangli took a sip of Coke to steady his nerves. “They’re looking for a partner for you! Feng-ge, you’re outstanding in every way, so whoever they find for you will definitely be a top-tier Omega as well. It feels like… like they don’t plan on letting you have a ‘free-choice’ romance. They want an engagement or something similar.”

Zhang Yangli’s voice grew smaller and smaller until a moment of silence fell over the dining table.

Everyone knew Feng Jin came from a wealthy and prestigious background. Correspondingly, his family was notoriously strict, holding Feng Jin to the highest standards in every aspect of his life. It wasn’t hard to imagine that their requirements for his partner would be equally demanding it would surely be a “perfect” Omega.

“What’s with those expressions?” Feng Jin arched an eyebrow. “If they want to look, let them. No one can control what I choose to do.”

His life belonged to him, not his parents. He could show respect and comply with minor matters, but when it came to major life milestones, he would never allow anyone to interfere.

Seeing the atmosphere turn heavy, Kong Liyan quickly tried to liven things up. “Exactly! What trouble can’t Feng-ge settle? Why are you guys worrying? Worry about yourselves instead. I’m talking to you, Zhang Yangli! Weren’t you always shouting about finding a world-class beauty for a partner? Found one yet?”

Zhang Yangli was a Beta. At the mention of this, his face slumped. “Don’t even get me started. All the beauties I’ve spotted lately are either Omegas or even Alphas. I don’t want to date them; I wouldn’t even know if I’d been cheated on or ‘green-hatted’ until it was too late.”

Hearing this, Feng Jin, who had been eating slowly and methodically, paused his chopsticks.

“Why do you always think about those things? An Alpha or Omega being with a Beta doesn’t guarantee they’ll cheat. Cheating is a matter of character; it just means you haven’t found a good person,” Feng Jin said with a frown.

“Sigh… Feng-ge, as an Alpha, you really don’t understand,” Zhang Yangli shook his head. “Everyone knows about the pheromone attraction between AOs. Why would I, a Beta, jump into that mess and go looking for suffering? I’m not the only one who thinks this way. If you don’t believe me, go ask around. At least 95% of Betas looking for a serious relationship feel the same way—they aren’t willing to date Alphas or Omegas.”

Feng Jin fell into silence. Kong Liyan tried once more to break the tension, throwing an arm around Zhang Yangli’s shoulder. “Good brother, I’ve known you for years, so I trust your character. A super, super, super good-looking Beta just transferred to our class, and he has a great personality too. Want me to introduce you?”

“Seriously?!” Zhang Yangli perked up instantly. “Yes, yes! Do you have a photo? Can I see him first?”

Kong Liyan actually did have a photo. It was a selfie he had dragged Ji Wan into shortly after Ji Wan moved in. Whenever Kong Liyan felt exhausted from studying, he would take it out to look at it for a “refreshing” boost.

And it really worked!

If someone that beautiful was working so hard, what right did he have to be lazy?

“I’ll let you have one look,” Kong Liyan said, somewhat reluctantly pulling out his phone. “Just one look. If you want to see him later, go take your own photo.”

“Mhm, mhm!” Zhang Yangli nodded frantically, craning his neck and waiting for Kong Liyan to find the picture.

However, before the photo could be brought up, Feng Jin suddenly moved.

Feng Jin reached out two fingers and tapped Kong Liyan’s phone screen, turning it off. Under the confused gazes of Kong Liyan and Zhang Yangli, he said calmly, “The two of them are not a match.”

“…How are they not a match?” Kong Liyan was even more bewildered. “Yangli is a Beta, he comes from a good family, and we grew up together so we know him through and through. He’s a great catch. Or are you saying Wan-wan isn’t a good match?”

But Ji Wan was wonderful too. Kong Liyan could see that while Ji Wan was exceptionally handsome, he had a down-to-earth personality; he definitely wasn’t the vain type who liked to climb social ladders. He was gentle and capable the “Dream Beta” of countless other Betas!

Feng Jin didn’t speak for a moment. He lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. After a long pause, he said, “Yangli grew up playing with us; his personality is like an Alpha’s. So, they aren’t a match.”

Zhang Yangli: “???”

What was the logic in that sentence? Why couldn’t he understand it?

Zhang Yangli thought hard and asked Kong Liyan in confusion, “Is that person’s personality very aggressive?”

That was the only reasonable explanation he could think of. When Betas were… intimate, they often didn’t start with set roles of who was “top” or “bottom.” If their “positions” clashed and neither side was willing to yield, they would likely go their separate ways.

Kong Liyan was equally puzzled. “N-no, he’s actually quite gentle and easy to talk to.”

Zhang Yangli couldn’t wrap his head around it, so he simply gave up trying to understand. He said to Feng Jin, “Even if I don’t know if he leans more ‘Alpha’ or ‘Omega’ in personality, I’m a total visualist. If he’s really that good-looking and a good person, I don’t mind which position I’m in. There’s nothing ‘unsuitable’ about it.”

Feng Jin: “…”

He felt that Ji Wan wasn’t suitable for any position the partner himself was the problem!

Feng Jin’s grip on his chopsticks tightened. Finally, feeling somewhat irritable, he rubbed the corner of his eye to calm his emotions and revealed their previous agreement: “He asked me to help him block all ‘peach blossom’ [romantic] advances before the Gaokao [college entrance exam] so it wouldn’t interfere with his studies. Don’t cause me any extra trouble until after the exam is over.”

Kong Liyan clapped his hands, reaching a sudden realization. “So that’s it! No wonder I felt you were acting a bit off before! So Wan-wan actually asked you for a favor like that. Sigh, it makes sense. He has so many ‘peach blossoms’; if every single one came to harass him, his study time would definitely be slashed.”

With that, all of Feng Jin’s previously “unreasonable” actions were explained.

Kong Liyan put his phone away and wouldn’t let Zhang Yangli see it anymore. Zhang Yangli had no choice but to drop the matter helplessly.

After the dinner ended, Kong Liyan and Feng Jin returned to the dormitory.

Once the lights were turned off at the scheduled time, Feng Jin stared at the dark ceiling for a long while before finally closing his eyes.

At dawn, Ji Wan got up quietly to wash. In this dorm, he was usually the first to rise, followed by Feng Jin at nearly the same time, while Kong Liyan was the last to get up.

By the time he and Feng Jin were almost finished washing, Kong Liyan would wake up in a rush.

Ji Wan dried his face with a towel. Turning around, he saw Feng Jin standing behind him, staring at something.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Wan asked, somewhat confused. “Are your pheromones acting up again? Do you need a bite?”

Feng Jin shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the back of Ji Wan’s neck. “No bite. I’m just seeing if the mark from the last bite has faded.”

The teeth marks from the last time had long since healed. Ji Wan touched the back of his neck and smiled. “You didn’t bite hard. It heals pretty quickly at that intensity.”

Ji Wan thought for a moment, assuming Feng Jin was worried the marks hadn’t fully healed and might require other methods of relief. He continued, “If we maintain this intensity and frequency, we definitely won’t need to use ‘other’ methods. Don’t worry.”

Feng Jin pursed his lips, his eyes darkening slightly. “…Mn.”

The school sports meet was ongoing these two days, providing a rare excuse to stay away from the classroom. However, Ji Wan still went. He had grabbed chemistry materials the night before, and today he wanted to switch to a different subject.

Feng Jin also needed to get some books, so the two of them went together.

Naturally, the classroom was empty. Ji Wan watched as Feng Jin reached his seat first. Feng Jin reached into his desk drawer to pull out a book, and as he did, a pink envelope fell out.

A love letter.

Feng Jin was used to this and didn’t give it a second glance. He didn’t open the letter, but continued looking for the textbooks and materials he needed.

Ji Wan arrived at his own desk. He also reached in to grab a textbook, but to his surprise, he brought out something familiar as well.

Another love letter.

Standing behind him, Feng Jin saw this, and his movements came to a halt. He watched intently as Ji Wan picked up the love letter from the floor, set it aside, and just like him continued looking for his books.

“Not going to read it?” Feng Jin kept his eyes on Ji Wan’s movements.

Ji Wan slowly shook his head.

“I’ll be leaving this place sooner or later to go to a university elsewhere,” Ji Wan analyzed calmly. “How many people from high school will you actually see again after graduation? There’s no need to look.”

Feng Jin was quiet for a moment, then asked, “You’ve already decided to go to a university in another city? There are very good schools and majors here locally they aren’t bad even by global standards.”

Hearing this, Ji Wan suddenly laughed.

It was as if he had thought of something wonderful, the corners of his mouth turned up in a happy arc, and his eyes danced with joyful light.

Ji Wan’s voice was very soft, as if he were describing a beautiful dream: “The reason I’m studying so hard… isn’t it precisely so I can go to a university in another city?”

To go to his favorite major, the best school, to leave that “home,” and to escape that quagmire of mud.