The White Moonlight is Both Competitive and Predatory - Chapter 6

“Teacher Xiao Chi, we meet again.”

In the photo, a white cat was curled into a ball on a dark gray surface that looked like a bedsheet. It was fast asleep and so dazed that it hadn’t noticed a small patch of fur on its belly was flipped upward. Its pink nose was so delicate it made one want to reach out and poke it. In the corner of the frame, two long, slender fingers had accidentally entered the shot, resting lightly on the tip of the kitten’s tail.

Yan Chi thought he was dreaming and casually replied: 【So cute】

It wasn’t until the message had already been sent that he realized with a jolt: this wasn’t a dream. Ji Yueting had truly sent him a message in the early hours of the morning. It was too late to retract it, so Yan Chi added another sentence as a quick fix: 【I meant Chichi.】

Ji Yueting replied instantly: 【Yes, he is very cute.】

Yan Chi ended the slightly awkward conversation with an emoticon. “ovo” killed the momentum, and WeChat returned to silence.

Thanks to that photo, Yan Chi spent his commute wondering just how well he and Ji Yueting had actually known each other in high school. To say they were complete strangers wouldn’t be accurate. Ji Yueting had been a social butterfly in high school, capable of chatting with anyone. He was good to his friends and always invited a large crowd to his parties, Yan Chi included.

However, to say they were close was also a stretch. In Liu Muqing’s words, Ji Yueting appeared friendly with everyone but actually kept his distance. He was the son of the prestigious Ji family, a top-tier Alpha, and a prominent figure at school. Whenever he wanted to have fun or make friends, he only had to wave his hand to receive an overwhelming response. He never lacked companions, and since no one could truly make him stop and stay, “closeness” was out of the question. They were just the type of acquaintances who knew each other’s names and occasionally threw an arm around each other’s shoulders.

Because of this, when Ji Yueting was about to go abroad after graduation, Yan Chi had stood on the edge of the crowd. He didn’t step forward to clink glasses but instead watched the Alpha silently from the periphery. Yan Chi had learned a lot from Yan Lan, including the lesson that one should never harbor expectations for a hopeless relationship. He had always taken her warnings seriously and practiced them well.

As the party drew to a close that day, everyone—regardless of whether they were of legal age—raised their glasses to toast Ji Yueting’s departure. Yan Chi was on the outside, and several Alphas had unknowingly crowded around him. He felt the space becoming cramped and let his mind wander. Suddenly, the crowd shifted. Yan Chi snapped back to attention and saw Ji Yueting walking out while talking to someone.

Perhaps finding him too quiet, Ji Yueting looked up at him and asked, “Yan Chi, I’m leaving. Do you have nothing you want to say to me?”

Yan Chi froze. By the time he looked back, Ji Yueting’s gaze had already shifted away. Thus, Yan Chi only offered a small smile and said, “Have a safe journey.”

When he arrived at the studio, Qin Siming was already dressed and ready for work. He was the student Yan Chi had taken on this year, a hardworking and diligent Alpha. As Yan Chi carried the box of fragrance essences past him, the movement created a draft that carried an unfamiliar scent into his nose.

He frowned. “What did you eat for breakfast?”

Qin Siming shivered at the question and quickly admitted his mistake. “I’m sorry, Teacher. I couldn’t help myself and ate a deep-fried dough stick.”

Yan Chi remained silent, still looking at him.

“And… and silken tofu with chili,” Qin Siming confessed, no longer daring to hide the truth.

“Your senses of taste and smell belong to you; you must protect them. Although we have professional machines now, it’s embarrassing for a perfumer if they cannot distinguish scents themselves.” Perhaps because he had seen something cute this morning, Yan Chi’s tone wasn’t too sharp.

Qin Siming, the coward, didn’t dare argue. He pressed his hands together in a prayer gesture. “Understood, Teacher! I promise!!” He then added, “By the way, Teacher, Hongshan Orphanage called this morning to ask when you would be coming by.”

Yan Chi checked the time. “Tomorrow morning.”

After ten o’clock, the studio staff arrived one by one. Everyone had different roles and went about their business. Yan Chi retreated into his personal workspace to tinker with the aromatherapy scent inspired by Dion. He hurried through a simple lunch. Since he still had work to do and his sniffing intensity was at its peak, he could only eat bland food to avoid affecting his sense of smell.

By the time he finished and finalized the draft for the aromatherapy scent, Yan Chi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked longingly toward the cabinet where he kept his chocolate. Today… he would endure today. He would eat it tomorrow after visiting the orphanage. He would eat it once this project was finished.

Yan Chi had great willpower and successfully resisted until the next morning. However, when he opened his phone, a message from Ji Yueting had arrived once again.

Ji Yueting: 【Good morning】 Ji Yueting: 【[Image][Image]】

The “Good morning” was the same, and the cat was the same. Yan Chi had resisted the temptation of chocolate, but he couldn’t resist the kitten. He clicked on the photos. This time, Ji Yueting’s hand was resting directly on the cat’s head. His wrist bone was prominent, and the watch he wore was extravagant and expensive.

After some hesitation, Yan Chi asked directly: 【Are you going to send me cat photos every day?】

He had originally wanted to say “Why are you sending me cat photos again,” but he felt the tone was too harsh, so he edited the question. Ji Yueting was smart; he would surely understand the underlying meaning.

Yet, Ji Yueting simply asked back: 【Do you not like it?】

Before Yan Chi could reply, his phone vibrated again.

Ji Yueting: 【Chichi hasn’t quite adapted to the new environment since returning to the country. He’s a bit anxious. I heard from an old classmate that you are a perfumer now. Is there a perfume on the market that can soothe pets?】

So that was it. Yan Chi understood immediately, and his typing became much more natural.

Yan Chi: 【There are, though I haven’t ventured much into that field. If you need it, I can look into it for you.】

Ji Yueting thanked him very politely. The conversation should have ended there. It was a professional matter; a person reached out because they needed help, which was logical. However, Ji Yueting didn’t seem to think so.

Ji Yueting: 【Can I still send them to you tomorrow?】

He didn’t specify if he meant the “Good morning” or the “photos.” The ambiguous reply brought back the strange feeling from before, but once again, Yan Chi found himself unable to say no.

Yan Chi: 【You can ovo】

Looking at the cat, he chose to compromise.

Yan Chi owned his own perfume brand. Since its founding, he had conducted a public welfare project every year. This year’s partner was the very orphanage Yan Chi had grown up in. Hongshan Orphanage was an old institution with a long-standing good reputation. After all these years, the director was still the same person, though he was about to retire. Before the director stepped down, Yan Chi had reached out to suggest creating a soothing aromatherapy scent for the children.

Most of the children here were orphans, including Alphas and Omegas. Due to their glands, these two types of children are more sensitive to scents from birth. They desperately need soothing and should ideally receive the pheromones of both parents. This not only helps them grow better but also prevents most mental illnesses. Betas are less affected by pheromones, but a lack of a soothing atmosphere can still increase their psychological burden.

Yan Chi felt this deeply. As a child, he often woke up drenched in sweat from nightmares at midnight, unable to recover for a long time. This condition only improved after he was adopted. Because of this, he decided to launch this entirely non-profit project. He wasn’t omnipotent and couldn’t care for everyone, but he wanted to do his best to weave a net made of scents to give those children a good night’s sleep.

Qin Siming drove them up the mountain. Yan Chi watched the familiar buildings gradually grow larger in the distance and blinked. The director was already waiting at the entrance; as soon as Yan Chi got out of the car, the elderly man stepped forward with his cane.

“Director Fang, I told you that your legs aren’t great and you shouldn’t be running around. I know the way; I won’t forget it,” Yan Chi said, quickly stepping up to support the old man.

Director Fang smiled kindly. “How could I not come to welcome a child coming home? I may walk slowly, but with my cane, I can still make it.”

Yan Chi could do nothing with the stubborn old man. He had Qin Siming help with the boxes of aromatherapy products while he walked with Director Fang.

“Are the children behaving lately? Any troublemakers bothering you?”

“They’re all good, all of them. They’ve missed you and kept asking when you’d come.” Director Fang smiled and pointed to an open space behind the dormitory building. “And Xiao Chi, look over there.”

“What’s happening there?” Yan Chi asked.

The open space had existed for a long time. It used to be a flower bed, but now it had been leveled. He wasn’t sure what was being built.

“Not long ago, a charitable foundation from a large corporation donated money to our orphanage. They said they want to build us a new dormitory. I thought it was a prank at first, but later I confirmed it’s real. Xiao Chi, I’ve lived a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen a ‘pie fall from the sky’ like this.” Director Fang’s tone was full of emotion and gratitude.

“I just don’t know if I’ll live to see it finished,” he said with a cough. “If those little ones knew they were getting new rooms, they’d be thrilled.”

Yan Chi dazed out while listening to Director Fang. A charitable foundation from a large corporation? Which company could be so kind as to come all the way up a mountain to build a house for free? This really was like a “pie falling from the sky.”

“Which comp—” Before Yan Chi could finish his sentence, he was forced back half a step by a child who came flying into his arms.

“Teacher Xiao Chi! Teacher Xiao Chi, you finally came to see us!” The little one’s eyes were wide and round with excitement as he clung to Yan Chi’s legs, refusing to let go.

Yan Chi had no choice but to pat the child’s head. “Yes, I came as soon as I was free. Have you been happy lately? Have you been eating well?”

Following behind this little one, several more children appeared from nowhere. They surrounded Yan Chi, chirping away. “I’m happy!” “I ate well, Teacher Xiao Chi, praise me!” “Why praise you? I ate more than you! You should praise me first!”

Yan Chi laughed heartily, patting each head in turn. Being surrounded by these children made his mood incredibly bright. Suddenly, amidst the wind blowing through the mountains, he heard another sound of laughter.

It didn’t belong to him, nor did it belong to anyone near him. It was a deep, low chuckle.

Following the sound, Yan Chi’s eyes snapped wide in shock. He saw a tall Alpha leaning against the office door, his gray suit jacket draped over his arm. With his long legs stretched out, he was watching them from a distance. His expression was composed, and the corners of his mouth were still turned up in a smile.

Noticing Yan Chi’s gaze, Ji Yueting stood up straight and walked over slowly. The distance between them shortened step by step. Like a receding tide, the “little potatoes” around Yan Chi instinctively shuffled behind him.

As the dull thud of leather shoes hitting the ground approached, Yan Chi even lightened his breathing. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered as he looked at the Alpha standing right in front of him, unsure of what the man was about to do.

However, Ji Yueting did nothing. When there was still a step between them, he suddenly stopped, leaving Yan Chi startled.

“What is it?” Yan Chi felt his ears grow hot for some reason under that gaze.

“It’s nothing,” Ji Yueting said, standing opposite him under the dappled shadows of the trees. The sunlight seemed to melt silently between them. “I just wanted to come over and say something.”

“Teacher Xiao Chi, we meet again.”