I Heard You Only See Me as a Friend - Chapter 24.2

Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, the whole class watched with schadenfreude as this fool provoked Feng Jin.

Feng Jin’s long legs were stretched casually into the aisle. He flipped through his textbook, treating the person as if they were air.

Jia Liu became impatient. Break time was short! He released his pheromones, which he was so proud of, intending to teach this person a lesson.

However, Feng Jin, who was directly facing the pheromones, didn’t budge an inch. Everyone else looked at Jia Liu as if he were an idiot.

Pheromone suppression between Alphas is very direct. If your pheromones mean nothing to the other person, it’s a total embarrassment.

Jia Liu, who had lived a smooth life since childhood, felt his pride stung. He snapped in anger, “I’m chasing him, what does it have to do with you? You’re meddling so much—are you his boyfriend?”

Feng Jin stopped flipping the pages. He was expressionless and said nothing.

Jia Liu had been eyeing Feng Jin since the cafeteria. Seeing his reaction now, he immediately reached a conclusion, labeling Feng Jin as a fellow pursuer, the kind who hid behind the label of a “friend.”

Jia Liu lowered his voice, mocking him on that point: “You aren’t either, right? What right do you have? He clearly isn’t interested in you and never will be. You’re just a friend, and yet you’re managing everything here?”

Anyone who heard this would have taken it as a boring provocation, but Kong Liyan didn’t even think such low-level trash talk would make Feng Jin angry.

Yet Feng Jin closed his book, laughed, and stood up.

Terrifying pheromones pressed down like a mountain. Jia Liu’s face instantly turned the color of pig liver, as if someone were choking him.

“Say one more word, I dare you,” Feng Jin said softly.

Others who weren’t being attacked by Feng Jin’s pheromones took it as a standard warning. Only Jia Liu knew that the person in front of him… was truly enraged.

Like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched, he wanted to annihilate the ignorant enemy.

“I…” Jia Liu struggled to breathe. Before coming here, no one had told him there was such a terrifying person in this class! The absolute power gap made him tremble. Jia Liu already wanted to flee, but he wanted to save face, so he gritted his teeth and said: “Since you want to stand up for him, do you dare to play a basketball match with me? If you win, I’ll never harass him again. If I win, you can’t interfere anymore.”

The eavesdropping classmates lowered their heads to stifle their laughter. The sports representative couldn’t help but let out a snort, covering his mouth to stop a more blatant mockery.

Competing with Feng Jin in basketball? Is he looking for a loss?

Feng Jin hadn’t really seen this guy on the court before, but he could estimate his win rate was close to 100%.

Just as everyone thought Feng Jin would agree immediately, he tilted his head toward Ji Wan, who was sitting inside.

“He wants to play basketball against me. What do you think? Can you accept that?” Feng Jin asked.

Ji Wan didn’t expect Feng Jin to ask for his opinion and was momentarily dazed. “Anything is fine, you decide.”

Feng Jin then agreed: “Fine, tomorrow then.”

Jia Liu’s eyes darted around. “Not at school. At the outside basketball court.”

Feng Jin didn’t care where it was. Once the details were settled, Jia Liu left.

The next day after school, Ji Wan followed Feng Jin and Kong Liyan to the designated court. It wasn’t on their side of town; it was near a school in South City.

Jia Liu was already waiting there. Seeing Feng Jin, he didn’t immediately kneel and beg for mercy; instead, he looked arrogant, as if victory was already in his grasp.

“Don’t say I didn’t give you face,” Jia Liu bragged. “You’re bound to lose this time. My teammates are from the school team. It’s not too late to admit defeat now.”

No one paid him any mind. Ji Wan and the others went to sit on a side bench.

“He might have brought in outside help,” Ji Wan frowned, leaning closer to Feng Jin. “Probably from this nearby school.”

“Mm, it’s fine,” Feng Jin said. “Our teammates are from this school too. No worries.”

Kong Liyan, who got winded just running 800 meters and focused entirely on gaming, was obviously not there to play basketball. He was strictly there for moral support and to watch the fun.

Kong Liyan pulled out his phone and started typing in a group chat: [@Zhang Yangli, hurry up. I said I’d introduce you to someone last time—though it can’t happen now, it’s good to come see them. Let’s be friends first, and if it’s a fit, you can hurry up after graduation!]

[@All Members, are you here yet? We have to win this time, brothers!]

Feng Jin: “…Kong Liyan.”

Kong Liyan looked back blankly. “Huh? Calling me?”

“Study hard. Don’t always think about making other people date,” Feng Jin said expressionlessly. “Do you think what you’re doing is appropriate?”

Kong Liyan: “?”

Is there anything inappropriate? Being friends first and then dating after graduation—it’s great?

Then Kong Liyan saw that his message in the group chat had been retracted by Feng Jin, the administrator. Not only was his message retracted, but so were all the messages from others asking for photos to see what the person looked like.

Feng Jin typed unhurriedly: [Don’t spam. If someone hasn’t arrived yet, they won’t be able to see the messages.]

Seeing how serious Feng Jin was, Kong Liyan didn’t dare say more in the group. He put his arm around Ji Wan’s shoulder to explain.

“We have a few close childhood friends who go to school here. They’re all very good at basketball. We called them over to help,” Kong Liyan said.

After Ji Wan understood, Kong Liyan still couldn’t resist wanting to recommend his childhood friends to him. If Ji Wan ended up with one of them, then they’d be like family, they could meet up often after graduation. How perfect!

Since Feng Jin didn’t like him mentioning high school romance because it distracted from studying, mentioning “after graduation” should be fine, right?

Kong Liyan pulled Ji Wan closer and whispered in his ear, “Wanwan, I know you don’t like smelly Alphas and prefer Betas like yourself. So have you thought about what kind of Beta you want to find after graduation?”

Ji Wan was momentarily confused by the sudden topic. “I haven’t thought about it.”

“It’s like this, look…” Kong Liyan was about to quietly recommend one of his own when Feng Jin suddenly spoke.

“Kong Liyan.” Feng Jin’s voice carried a hint of chilliness. “They seem to be here, at the intersection ahead. But they’re lost and don’t know the way. Go take a look.”

How could they get lost in a place with roads going in all directions?

Kong Liyan was puzzled but did as he was told.

He actually did run into them, but they weren’t lost; they were just walking over. As the group noisily walked back toward the court, someone said, “Hey, look at Brother Feng…”

Everyone looked toward the bench. Feng Jin was sitting there, his head turned, talking to someone whose back was turned to them. Since Feng Jin was facing their direction, they could see his expression.

There was no impatience or hostility on Feng Jin’s face. The corners of his mouth were slightly curved, and he had a faint smile. His entire expression could be described as gentle, even slightly indulgent.

Is Feng Jin in a relationship?

This thought flashed through many people’s minds, making them shiver.

One of the more mischievous ones immediately cupped his hands like a megaphone and yelled, “Feng Jin! You didn’t even tell us you found a partner! Is it because you’re afraid we’ll give you a hard time for leaving the single life?”

Kong Liyan sputtered: “Hey, hey, don’t talk nonsense! What ‘dating’? I think you guys are just itching for a beating!”

Everyone laughed. They were just joking; they didn’t really think Feng Jin was dating anyone. The person next to Feng Jin was probably just a new friend. After all, the person who could make Feng Jin’s heart move hadn’t even been…

The person talking to Feng Jin turned his face around. The laughter stopped, replaced by coughing from people choking on their own spit.

“My goodness,” Zhang Yangguang said after finally stopping his coughing. “That’s so f*cking good-looking.”

Under the banner of “Brother Feng’s friend is everyone’s friend,” the group quickly tried to put their arms around Ji Wan’s shoulders, only to be stopped by Feng Jin.

“Get lost, all of you. A bunch of Alphas with smelly pheromones, what are you crowding for?” Feng Jin cursed with a dark face.

“How is it smelly? Mine is ice cream scent!”

“And mine is apple? It’s fragrant as hell.”

As a Beta, Zhang Yangli immediately stood out, saying excitedly, “I don’t have pheromones! New friend, it seems only I can give you a comforting embrace.”

“Betas are even worse. He’s allergic to Betas,” Feng Jin said.

Ji Wan: “…?”

The chaotic scene didn’t last long as the other side also arrived.

“Don’t worry, we’ve hardly ever lost in high school basketball!” the muscular Alphas guaranteed Jia Liu as they walked. “We’ll definitely beat them to a pulp!”

Jia Liu was nodding in satisfaction when he heard the muscular Alpha add, “Except for that group with Feng Jin—we have a 90%-win rate against anyone else! We’ll make sure your money isn’t wasted!”

The smile on Jia Liu’s face vanished instantly.

“What’s wrong?” The muscular Alpha, confused, looked toward the court and his face also fell.

It was a bolt from the blue! Why, why did he run into the very group that had crushed them before when he was just out to make some extra cash!

Feng Jin’s team won the game by a landslide. The opponents’ legs were shaking the moment they saw them. Even though they tried to defend, it was useless.

By the time the game ended, the sky was completely dark. The losing side scurried away quickly, too embarrassed to stay for another second. Since tomorrow wasn’t the weekend, the group who wanted to hang out and eat had to return to their respective schools, promising to meet up another time.

Zhang Yangli was very reluctant to leave and wanted to exchange contact info with Ji Wan, but was heartlessly blocked by Feng Jin on the grounds of “interfering with studies.”

Kong Liyan went off to play games, leaving the group.

“Then only the two of us are going back,” Feng Jin said.

Ji Wan nodded. “Mm. Take the bus? Or do you want to call a cab?”

“I…” Feng Jin pursed his lips.

Those friends of his had left too much of their scent on Ji Wan. It was messy and covered up his own scent.

…He didn’t like it.

“I want to take a bite,” Feng Jin said, looking down. The night wind made his voice drift, sounding somewhat weak. “Too many pheromones were generated from the exercise. It’s a bit uncomfortable.”

“Is that so?” Ji Wan was stunned. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Let’s go find a place.”

Ji Wan, trusting Feng Jin, didn’t think too deeply about it. If exercise made him uncomfortable, why did Feng Jin always go play basketball? Pheromones evaporated with sweat, and appropriate exercise actually helped release the accumulated pheromones in the body.

The so-called “discomfort” was a total lie.

There was a gym nearby. Feng Jin led Ji Wan into the locker room. There was no one else inside. Feng Jin locked the door and grabbed Ji Wan’s wrist.

He had sweated a lot during the game. Although it had mostly dried in the wind, it wasn’t completely dry yet. Now, grabbing Ji Wan, he made Ji Wan feel sticky too. Ji Wan said nothing, silently indulging Feng Jin’s actions.

“I’ll go wipe off a bit,” Feng Jin said, stopping while he was ahead, pretending he had just noticed he wasn’t clean. He let go with satisfaction, casting a subtle glance at Ji Wan’s wrist, which was now covered in his pheromones. “Wait for me.”

“Mm,” Ji Wan sat on a bench and chatted casually with Feng Jin. “Your friends are all quite interesting.”

Feng Jin: “…”

Feng Jin, who was washing his face, looked up and heartlessly used his childhood friends as stepping stones: “That’s only because you don’t know them well enough.”

Ji Wan followed up, “What happens if I get to know them well?”

“Then you’ll find they aren’t as interesting as I am,” Feng Jin said coldly.

Ji Wan: “…”

My mistake. I didn’t see that wave of self-praise coming.

Feng Jin quickly wiped off the excess sweat and returned to Ji Wan.

Remembering something, his gaze lingered on Ji Wan’s lips. Ji Wan misunderstood Feng Jin’s meaning and explained, “The wound on my nape is completely healed. You don’t have to worry. We don’t need the second method anymore.”

“…I know.” Feng Jin pulled the collar of Ji Wan’s shirt away a bit, looking at that thin layer of skin. His voice was deep. “You’d rather use a painful method than a painless one? You’re quite hard on yourself.”

Hearing the meaning in those words, Ji Wan hesitated. “Do you… still want to use the second method?”

Feng Jin was silent for a moment, then said lazily, “I don’t want to, of course. I’m worried you do.”

“Oh,” Ji Wan laughed. “Don’t worry, I have a sense of boundaries. You don’t have to worry about me taking advantage of you.”

Feng Jin: “…”

Taking advantage… I wouldn’t actually mind that much.

Ji Wan lowered his head and leaned against the wall, waiting. Feng Jin’s fingers pressed down, moving across the nape of his neck the nape that couldn’t produce pheromones. The calluses formed from writing and basketball touched the delicate skin, bringing a shivering itch.

Feng Jin didn’t bite down immediately. He touched the nape, drenching it in his pheromones, yet he still wasn’t satisfied. There were other parts too, the pheromones on those parts shouldn’t exist either.

Feng Jin let out a very soft sigh.

Ji Wan turned his head, his eyes expressing confusion: “?”

“It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought about how after the game, they all hugged each other to celebrate the victory, but no one hugged me.” Feng Jin’s voice carried a hint of dullness and loneliness. “I don’t blame them, but sometimes having pheromones that are too strong is quite boring.”

Ji Wan was stunned. He had noticed what Feng Jin mentioned earlier. After the match, Feng Jin’s friends did hug each other, but when they faced Feng Jin, they only did a very restrained fist-bump.

Is it because they can’t stand being too close to Feng Jin’s pheromones? What was Feng Jin thinking when he watched them hug?

Ji Wan sighed silently, turned around, and opened his arms.

“Want one?” Ji Wan asked.

The speaker’s expression was gentle, his exquisite features filled with comfort and a poorly concealed pity.

Feng Jin didn’t speak. He lowered his gaze, slowly leaning down to pull that warm body into his embrace.

Ji Wan patted Feng Jin’s back. “Congratulations. You really played well.”

“Mm.” Feng Jin held him quietly until enough time had passed until Ji Wan was permeated from the outside in with the scent of his pheromones and only then did he loosen his grip slightly.

“Can I bite you while holding you like this?” Feng Jin asked softly. “It might be a bit off-center, but I’ll try to be careful.”

Ji Wan didn’t mind the posture, so he nodded in agreement.

Feng Jin tilted his head, opened his mouth, and bit down.

Pheromones were continuously injected, the scent wrapping around Ji Wan, penetrating from the surface to the core.

Feng Jin thought that if Ji Wan could smell pheromones, he would surely discover something from this overwhelming scent.

But Ji Wan was just a Beta. He quietly closed his eyes, completely unaware of the pheromones filling the room.