The White Moonlight is Both Competitive and Predatory - Chapter 8

“You do not need to find anyone else. I can do it.”

What?

Yan Chi tilted his head in a daze, looking exactly like a confused cat meme.

Apply a suppressant patch? But was an Alpha’s gland something one could just touch at will?

As if seeing through his thoughts, Ji Yueting spoke plainly. “I do not mind that. Or is it inconvenient for you?”

Ji Yueting’s expression was composed. Discussing something as private as touching a gland came out of his mouth as naturally as asking what to eat for dinner. He lifted his gaze, which held an inquiry and a trace of subtle scrutiny.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Yan Chi could not resist his inner curiosity. “It is not inconvenient. Please turn around.”

With a soft chuckle, Ji Yueting took a brand-new suppressant patch from his pocket and handed it to him. “If you would be so kind.” As he spoke, he lowered his head, fully exposing the back of his neck.

Exposing such a vulnerable area to the air was a gesture of complete lack of defense. For a high-level Alpha, revealing the gland in this manner signified submission. At that moment, Yan Chi, holding the patch, did not realize the immense price an Alpha usually paid for such willing submission.

Yan Chi peeled off the old patch and replaced it with the new one. His slender, white fingertips brushed lightly over the skin, pressing the adhesive down firmly. The skin beneath his fingers was warm; just like Ji Yueting’s palms, it felt hot.

As a Beta without pheromones, Yan Chi had no gland. Naturally, he had no way of knowing the numbing, electric sensation that surged from the neck straight to the heart when a gland was touched. He only felt the man in front of him tremble slightly before quickly returning to normal.

The sensation lingered on his fingertips. Were glands always this soft?

A strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart, and he coughed. “There, Ji Yueting. I am finished.”

As a perfumer, Yan Chi was actually full of curiosity regarding the pheromones of Alphas and Omegas. Their scents were not simple chemicals; they were produced by complex biological instincts and even had top, middle, and base notes like a perfume.

If it were not so offensive, Yan Chi would truly want to ask Ji Yueting right now: What do your pheromones smell like? In the past, he had only heard fragments of rumors. Someone once mentioned that during a ball game, Ji Yueting had sweated so much that his suppressant patch partially fell off, allowing a hint of his scent to escape. According to what Yan Chi knew, it was the fragrance of white roses.

With his collar half-open, sweat had also gathered on the side of Ji Yueting’s neck. He turned around and looked down. “What are you thinking about?”

Yan Chi froze, his lips parting. He could hardly say, “I am wondering what your pheromones smell like.” How would that be any different from asking something much more graphic? It felt quite lewd.

“Nothing, I just spaced out for a moment.” Yan Chi suppressed his curiosity and quickly hid his odd behavior. “Let us keep going. There are still many areas we have not visited.”

The orphanage was not large. Even after touring every section, it did not take much time. By the time they left the cafeteria and returned downstairs, the sun was less dazzling. The energetic children were already playing games in groups under the shade of the trees.

Seeing Yan Chi and Ji Yueting approaching together, the children waved enthusiastically and called for Yan Chi to join them. Unfortunately, Yan Chi was not in the mood to get drenched in sweat, so he led Ji Yueting back to the empty corridor on the first floor.

“I have already gained an understanding of the situation here. A specialist will send the specific documents later. The funding from the charity foundation has been approved. Once the orphanage completes its internal safety measures, formal construction can begin,” Ji Yueting said. He stood on the steps with Yan Chi beside him, and his gaze remained fixed on Yan Chi as he spoke.

Yan Chi was surprised. “So soon? I thought the approval process involved many steps.” He was unfamiliar with construction and assumed all projects took years to start. Even Director Fang had prepared himself mentally for a long wait. Since it was a charitable project, it was beneficial for the orphanage regardless.

“I will help supervise it, so do not worry,” Ji Yueting said. “Director Fang does not need to be nervous either. Changying conducts public welfare projects every year to maintain a positive public image. It is a win-win situation.”

With that, Yan Chi was completely relieved.

After spending the afternoon together, from their meeting in the scorching sun to this moment surrounded by the laughter of children, Yan Chi had relaxed significantly. At the very least, he was no longer as awkward around Ji Yueting as he had been initially.

Although Ji Yueting was a high-level Alpha, he was very approachable and kind-hearted, which gave Yan Chi the courage to speak more freely. The things he had thought about but kept hidden now felt okay to say.

“Is life abroad more exciting than it is here?” Yan Chi had studied in France for over a year and knew what it was like, but he was curious about Ji Yueting’s answer.

Ji Yueting thought for a moment and said, “Each has its strengths. But if I had to choose, I actually prefer it here.”

He did not give a specific reason; he simply said he liked it better here.

This answer stirred something in Yan Chi’s heart. He looked back and said, “Ji Yueting, you seem a bit different from how you were in high school.”

Ji Yueting asked humbly, “How am I different?”

“I cannot quite summarize it. Perhaps you are more mature,” Yan Chi said, following his intuition. “In the past, you seemed more cheerful. Every time I saw you, you were smiling.”

“Do I not smile much now?”

“It is not that,” Yan Chi said, choosing his words carefully. “Perhaps it is because the curve of your lips has become smaller.”

Ji Yueting burst out laughing.

Looking at that sudden smile, Yan Chi felt as though he had fallen into a flood of time. He was transported back to the basketball court on a high school evening. The senior student, finished with his game, laughed freely while high-fiving his teammates to celebrate their victory.

“Yan Chi, what about just now?”

“Huh?” Yan Chi was still in a daze and did not understand what Ji Yueting meant.

Ji Yueting turned around and looked down at him. “The way I smiled just now. Was it like it was in high school?”

It was a strange question, but Yan Chi pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes, it was.”

The reflection of swaying leaves danced in Ji Yueting’s eyes. “That is good then.”

A few seconds later, a green leaf drifted down and landed on Yan Chi’s shoulder. It was like a drop of rain hitting the center of a lake, creating ripples. Naturally, Ji Yueting reached out to remove it for him. The wind blew, ruffling Yan Chi’s clean shirt and hair, making the still scene come alive. It was impossible to look away.

Ji Yueting suddenly spoke. “Yan Chi, my return to the country was sudden. I have a lot of work to do, and the pressure is very high.”

Yan Chi did not understand why he was saying this. He just stared at the green leaf in the man’s hand and gave a dull reply. “I see.”

“But I was abroad for too long. I do not have many friends or acquaintances here,” Ji Yueting said as he let go of the leaf. It was swept away by the wind toward the sky. “Besides you, it seems I have no one else.”

Yan Chi’s eyes widened. He wondered if he was suffering from heatstroke; otherwise, why would he hear such words from Ji Yueting? It was possible for anyone else to lack friends, but how could that person be Ji Yueting? He was the most popular person with the most friends. Everyone wanted to be near him and fought to be someone special to him.

Yet, these words were coming directly from Ji Yueting himself. Yan Chi had no choice but to believe them.

“What about your old friends? I remember you were very close in high school,” Yan Chi said, his speech quickening as he grew nervous.

Nervousness was not a common emotion for Yan Chi. Others often described him as calm, sharp, or even indifferently cool. But facing Ji Yueting—the “white moonlight” of his youth and the white rose that never bloomed in his palm—he knew it was difficult to remain composed.

Hearing this, Ji Yueting’s chest rose and fell slightly. “As people grow up, their personalities might become incompatible and they drift apart. That is quite normal, is it not?”

Yan Chi did not have many close friends, but as an adult, he knew such things were inevitable. No wonder Ji Yueting had skipped that welcome party; the signs were already there.

“Do you pity me?” Ji Yueting arched an eyebrow, unable to resist teasing Yan Chi as he saw him thinking so seriously.

Yan Chi quickly denied it. “I do not!”

“Oh, you do not?” Ji Yueting turned around fully. His shoulders were broad, and he smiled as he blocked the wind coming from behind him. He spoke again. “Yan Chi, we share a stroke of fate, and I cherish this relationship very much. So, can I keep in touch with you for a long time?”

Qin Siming strongly suspected that his teacher had been enchanted by that mystery investor of the charity project. Otherwise, why would his teacher ask him for the third time on the way back, “What did you just say? I was not paying attention.”

The student was thoroughly annoyed, yet he could only submissively repeat himself once more.

“Fine, let us leave it at that. Once we get to the studio, you can head home,” Yan Chi said. He poked the leather surface of his briefcase with his fingers, leaving small indentations that quickly vanished. It was quite childish. “Oh, and remember to leave the car. I still need to drive it back.”

Qin Siming felt like crying. He looked at his beautiful teacher through the rearview mirror and inwardly cursed that man named Ji, certain he was up to no good. Otherwise, why would his dear teacher be so distracted?

Being only a student, he eventually dared to ask in a tiny voice, “Teacher, regarding that CEO from earlier. Are you two very close? From back when you were in school?”

His question was a bit scrambled, but it did not matter. Yan Chi automatically extracted the keywords and organized them into a logical sentence—a necessary skill for any teacher.

“We were actually not very close in the past,” Yan Chi said dreamily.

Qin Siming was about to smile.

“But now, it seems we might become close.”

“Dammit!”

After dropping off his student and driving home, Yan Chi ate a meal in a blur. He had likely forgotten to go to the studio to eat chocolate, and his mind was a mess. In the bathroom, he turned the hot water tap only to get cold water and accidentally grabbed a face towel instead of a bath towel. He was in a total state of confusion.

By the time he finished tidying up and got into bed, he felt energized and could not sleep at all. Long after midnight, he was still wide awake.

“It is all his fault,” Yan Chi muttered to himself. After a while, he flipped over and picked up his phone, browsing aimlessly.

After playing for a bit, a message suddenly popped up on his quiet WeChat.

Ji Yueting: Not asleep yet? Are you suffering from insomnia?

Yan Chi’s mind became even more cluttered. The astonishment of the day mixed with his current exhaustion, making him feel a sudden urge to have a small outburst.

Yan Chi: You are not asleep either.

He sent the message. Then, another thought occurred to him.

Yan Chi: But how did you know I was awake?

Ji Yueting replied: WeChat Sports step count.

Ji Yueting: You are in first place. Very impressive.

Yan Chi truly had not expected that. Since he could not sleep anyway, he slowly typed back: I am indeed having some trouble sleeping. Perhaps I should go find some ASMR to help me sleep.

Ji Yueting: You do not need to find anyone else. I can do it.

Yan Chi’s eyes widened in the dark. He was surprised by Ji Yueting’s versatility; he even knew how to do that?

However, the next message arrived immediately. It was a five-second voice note.

Yan Chi clicked on it. The Alpha’s voice sounded drowsy and casual as he laughingly suggested:

“If you want, I can catch Chichi and have him knead your blankets to coax you to sleep.”