This Alpha Is So Devoted to His Wife - Chapter 35

Inside the school’s dessert shop, the scent of fresh, animal-based cream wafted about, mingling with the aroma of various summer drinks. The staff member making hand-pounded lemon tea was vigorously demonstrating his arm strength, while a few girls stood near the counter, sipping their drinks and watching the young man pound the lemons.

“Order whatever you want to eat. I’ll pay later.”

Duan Yuluo encouraged his basketball buddies to choose freely, while he walked over to the cake display. He first looked at a strawberry-flavored cake, admiring its shape—it had cute bunnies and the carrots he didn’t like, but that wasn’t important. It simply looked incredibly delicious.

He swallowed hard, feeling a strong desire for it.

Could he sneak a bite? Just a tiny one.

He had always been greedy for these kinds of sweets since he was little.

“Let me buy this for you.”

Just as he was staring at the cake, a slice of strawberry cake on an exquisite plate was pushed toward him. He looked up and saw it was Jiang Yichen.

Jiang Yichen placed the cake in front of Duan Yuluo and smiled. “You look like you really want to eat it. It’s on me.”

“I’m sorry, he can’t eat it.”

Before Duan Yuluo could get a good look at the cake, a hand reached out from behind him and took the dessert away. The familiar black wristwatch instantly told him who it was. As it was removed from his side, the sweet fragrance of strawberry cream made his nose twitch.

Mmm, it smells so good.

He then saw Lu Xinghe standing behind him and calmly withdrew his gaze.

Great, the chatterbox is here.

Lu Xinghe expressionlessly took the cake. His other hand was in his pocket as he stood beside Duan Yuluo. “It’s not your fault that you didn’t know he’s allergic to eggs, but he absolutely can’t eat it, not a single bit. This does show that your pursuit lacked proper research, though. Offering a cake that could cause him an allergic reaction to try and win him over? I’d deduct a hundred points for that move.”

Jiang Yichen’s smile froze. “…”

He had just returned from an overseas university interview and coincidentally ran into Duan Yuluo at the dessert shop. Seeing the little prince, who was usually reserved and cool toward him, gazing at the cake with such a longing expression made his heart flutter, finding the contrast exceptionally cute.

But how was he supposed to know Duan Yuluo was allergic to eggs?

It was true that he hadn’t done any research, but honestly, who would know Duan Yuluo was allergic to eggs if he hadn’t mentioned it?

“Is that so? I apologize. That was thoughtless of me.” Jiang Yichen suppressed the urge to strike back at Lu Xinghe’s infuriating tone and apologized to Duan Yuluo. “But now I know. To show my apology, I will—”

“No need to apologize, I forgive you.” Lu Xinghe pushed the cake back, giving Jiang Yichen no opportunity to speak or get closer to Duan Yuluo. He immediately put an arm around Duan Yuluo’s shoulder and led him away, simultaneously leaning down to criticize him in a low voice: “How many times have I told you not to touch anything with eggs? Seeing it just makes you crave it. Next time, don’t look. Don’t think I don’t know you were trying to sneak a bite under the guise of treating your friends.”

Duan Yuluo: “…” Honestly.

Annoying.

Outside the dessert shop.

“How many times have I said it? Eggs are a no-go. Cake has eggs. You’ll know how awful it is when you eat it and get an allergic reaction.”

“I only had one allergic reaction when I was three.”

“One time wasn’t enough?! I was practically crying from fright.”

“…Easily scared.”

Lu Xinghe heard Duan Yuluo muttering. He put his arm around his shoulder and leaned down, pressing his face close to Duan Yuluo’s lips. “What? What did you say about me? Were you badmouthing me? Was I wrong? Don’t think I didn’t know you wanted to eat it, but you just can’t.”

The moment the tall youth leaned down, the scent of the temporarily marked Alpha pheromone enveloped Duan Yuluo from above, brushing past his nose like a feather, weightlessly teasing him. The close proximity and the soft, nagging voice both sent a faint tingle through his heart.

Duan Yuluo turned his face away, raised a hand to push Lu Xinghe’s face away, and glanced at him. “I said you’re a chatterbox. So what? Want to fight?”

Lu Xinghe met Duan Yuluo’s gaze. For some mysterious reason, his Adam’s apple bobbed. He straightened up without any change in expression, no longer leaning so close. “No, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Then stop chattering.”

“I’m not chattering. I’m just worried about you.”

The clamor of cicadas in the summer heat accompanied someone’s nagging, which continued all the way from the dessert shop back to the classroom, showing no sign of stopping. The feeling was mutual.

Entering mid-June, the school was about to welcome the Dragon Boat Festival, a short, three-day holiday.

The day before the holiday, the high school would hold its unique Firefly Night celebration. During Firefly Night, the power would be cut for half an hour. The exact time the lights would go out was random, striking at an unexpected moment.

In the classroom, students were discussing what games they would play that evening, and what the seniors had done during last year’s Firefly Night.

“I heard that last year’s Firefly Night was the confession night for the graduating seniors.”

“How did the confessions happen?”

“It had to be well-planned. You’d first stake out a spot by your classroom door, and then when Firefly Night started, you’d walk out, turn the corner, and run into your love. Then they’d confess to you.”

“And what happened after the confession?”

“That depends on you. If you agree, you agree. They can’t force you if you don’t, especially since they’re all heading overseas soon. They won’t be back for years, so they definitely don’t want to leave with any regrets.”

“Ah, that seems a bit irresponsible. If someone agreed, they’d have to wait for the seniors back home?”

“So, just listen for fun. They’re probably just doing it for the novelty. Don’t take it to heart.”

The students chatted enthusiastically. Nearby, a certain head darted glances around, its ears twitching and almost sparking.

Lu Xinghe was supporting his head, listening to the students’ gossip. His expression alternated between serious, worried, and thoughtful. He began plotting his escape route for the evening. If this was really what would happen, he had to hide Duan Yuluo tonight, or simply not attend this Firefly Night.

Why attend? It would just mean that in the pitch black, Duan Yuluo, who couldn’t see, might bump into someone or be led away. Where would Lu Xinghe cry if he couldn’t find him?

Duan Yuluo was in the middle of sending his mind map to the CTB teacher when Lu Xinghe poked the back of his hand. He looked up, confused. “?”

“Did you hear? Don’t take any of it to heart.”

Duan Yuluo looked blankly at Lu Xinghe. “Don’t take what to heart?”

Lu Xinghe felt a little relieved seeing his clueless expression. It’s better if he doesn’t know. It’s best if he doesn’t participate. “It’s just about tonight’s Firefly Night. If the lights go out, what if you can’t see and bump into something?”

“I’ll just sit in the classroom. What could I possibly bump into?” Duan Yuluo smiled, lowered his head to continue sending the file to the teacher, and added, “Besides, I have you, don’t I?”

Hearing this, Lu Xinghe put both hands in his pockets and leaned back in his chair confidently, feeling a strong sense of being needed. He raised an eyebrow slightly, leaned down, and smiled as he got closer to Duan Yuluo. “Mmm, well said. I like hearing that.”

Duan Yuluo glanced at him, amused by his joyful smile. “Is that so entertaining?”

“How should I put it? It’s that you need me very much. You desperately need me. You cannot do without me. That makes me happy.”

Duan Yuluo felt his tablet vibrate slightly, and a message popped up—the teacher’s reply.

【Awesome!】

A deep smile touched his lips. He looked at Lu Xinghe and tapped his finger on the tablet.

Lu Xinghe met Duan Yuluo’s gaze. Those light amber eyes were like a kitten’s; they would tell you whether he was happy or not. The smile on his face now clearly conveyed his joy. It had always been this way since they were children.

His little doll never hid his emotions from him.

“The revised mind map passed?”

Duan Yuluo nodded. “Mhm, it passed.”

Lu Xinghe immediately gave him a thumbs-up. Perhaps feeling one wasn’t enough, he raised the thumb of his other hand as well.

The next second, the two of them lightly bumped fists under the desk in perfect synchronicity, then exchanged a knowing smile—a mutual understanding cultivated since childhood.

The night was pleasant and warm. The moon quietly climbed above the treetops. St. Linton International High School was brilliantly lit, and laughter filled the air.

Tonight was the school’s annual Firefly Night before the Dragon Boat Festival, and it was the night high school students looked forward to most.

A perfectly modulated male voice came over the broadcast system. Anyone familiar with the school would recognize whose voice it was.

“Good evening, dear students. It’s currently 7:50 PM. It’s me, your old friend Duan Yifan. Welcome to the annual Firefly Night. The lights will go out for half an hour tonight at a random time. It might be suddenly at 8:00 PM, or it might be suddenly at 10:00 PM.”

“It might also go out suddenly while you are studying intently, or while you are secretly eating snacks.”

“It might even go out suddenly when you muster the courage to confess, lending you a helping hand, or it might happen when you’re on the toilet, leaving you scrambling for paper.”

Unsurprisingly, this humorous speech elicited laughter throughout the high school building, raising the atmosphere of Firefly Night to a climax. The Grade 10 students, who hadn’t experienced it yet, were excited, and the Grade 11 and 12 students, who had, were equally anticipating it.

“I’m sure everyone is excited, and I am too. I wonder if there are any students currently on the toilet right now? Get your paper ready in advance!” As Duan Yifan finished his sentence, he gently tapped the microphone.

The ‘tap-tap’ sound echoed through the speakers in every classroom, like a psychological trigger, as if the lights would shut off the very next moment.

“Then let’s look forward to the moment the lights go out.”

The broadcast ended.

Lu Xinghe and Duan Yuluo were walking out of the school supermarket. Streetlights shone through the dense trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground and on the figures of the boys, who were eating freshly scooped ice cream cones.

“Uncle’s voice on the broadcast is quite different from how he usually speaks,” Duan Yuluo said indistinctly as he licked his ice cream.

Lu Xinghe finished his ice cream in two or three bites. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Duan Yuluo was still eating slowly and methodically. His gaze was drawn to the subtle flick of Duan Yuluo’s tongue, causing him to stare a few times, intentionally and unintentionally. Suddenly, he felt a little thirsty.

He wasn’t sure if the ice cream was too sweet.

Duan Yuluo noticed Lu Xinghe staring at his ice cream. Having a history of Lu Xinghe snatching his food, he instinctively moved a couple of steps to the side, afraid his ice cream would be stolen.

It was at this exact moment that, with a faint ‘click’, St. Linton went completely dark.

A collective gasp instantly erupted from the high school campus.

Firefly Night had begun.

Duan Yuluo froze on the spot. His night blindness left him in total darkness, and the feeling of being completely blind made him anxious and disoriented. He clutched the ice cream cone in his hand. “…Xingxing, I—”

Just then, a large hand grasped his hand holding the ice cream. This hand gave him a gentle tug forward.

The instant he stumbled into Lu Xinghe’s embrace, he clearly sensed the Alpha’s slightly higher body temperature. The creamy sweetness of the ice cream seemed to faintly fail to mask the subtle scent of Lu Xinghe’s pheromones. In the complete darkness, his senses of taste and touch were infinitely magnified. He could even feel the other’s gaze fixed upon him.

The darkness allowed for recklessness.

His wrist was completely enclosed, their shoes were touching, and their breaths were close enough to feel.

And…

The rapidly melting ice cream.

Duan Yuluo felt the ice cream melting onto his fingertips, his palm, and his wrist, trickling coolly down his forearm. He pursed his lips and was about to speak.

But…

“Cub, do you want me to—”

Lu Xinghe was about to take out his phone to provide light for Duan Yuluo, worried he might be uncomfortable due to his inability to see. Before he could finish his sentence, he felt Duan Yuluo’s body press close. Their arms touched, and the hand grasping his arm moved slightly upward—the movement of standing on tiptoe.

Under the massive tree, he could see faint light. He could also see the boy in front of him stand on his toes, holding the melting ice cream, and lean in toward his ear.

“Brother Xingxing (Xingxing Gēgē), the ice cream is melting all over my hand. It’s so sticky.”

“What should I do?”

Thump, thump, thump—

In the darkness, his heart leaped wildly at the sound of those words. It was that tone again—the one he couldn’t resist. Duan Yuluo didn’t overtly pout, but the slight lilt in his voice at the end of the sentence was enough to be felt as pure coyness.

It was nothing, so why was he…

Lu Xinghe remained in that position, motionless. Using the moonlight, he slightly turned his head, his gaze tracing the outline of Duan Yuluo’s face as he leaned in to complain. He didn’t say a word.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak.

He simply couldn’t speak.