《As I Faked Amnesia, My Love Rival Claimed that I am His Boyfriend》


 CH 1

    Ling Yunfan¡¯s life was smooth sailing eighteen years ago.


    He grew up in a well-off family and never had to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. At the age of fourteen, he confirmed that he was an alpha and gradually became a popular figure on campus.


    His handsome appearance, cheerful personality, and friendly demeanor made him the object of admiration and infatuation for most people in their youth.


    If there was any trouble for Ling Yunfan at that time, it was only with Ji Canghai, who was also an alpha in the same grade.


    Ji Canghai and Ling Yunfan were completely different types of people.


    Ling Yunfan was warm and sunny.


    Ji Canghai was cold and calm.


    Ling Yunfan had many brothers, and they would hang out after class, playing games and discussing sports.


    Ji Canghai was always alone, reading and contemplating quietly after class.


    Ling Yunfan could eat two bowls of rice in one breath and claimed that anyone who didn¡¯t eat actively had a problem with their brain.


    Ji Canghai would chew a piece of bread for two minutes, claiming that eating should be done slowly and carefully for a healthy body.


    No matter who looked at it, these two people had nothing to do with each other.


    But they were known throughout the school as mortal enemies.


    In fact, Ling Yunfan always found it inexplicable. He believed that he had never provoked Ji Canghai.


    However, Ji Canghai had always been provoking him.


    In every big or small exam, Ji Canghai would compete with him for the first place. In math competitions, Ji Canghai would grab his spot, and in sports events, he would snatch his position.


    For a while, Ling Yunfan applied for evening self-study, but to his surprise, Ji Canghai also started attending evening self-study and would stay in the classroom for ten extra minutes to study before leaving.


    He really took the phrase ¡°annoy someone to death¡± to heart.


    These things didn¡¯t bother Ling Yunfan too much. He was not the kind of narrow-minded person. Ji Canghai¡¯s academic achievements were due to his own hard work and Ling Yunfan admired him for it.


    But there was one thing that Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t stand.


    Almost everyone who has confessed their feelings or affection to him would soon go and cozy up to Ji Canghai.


    What¡¯s going on? Can Ji Canghai¡¯s proud youth awaken the sleeping soul, and can his own youth can only awaken the heart of someone who admires Ji Canghai?


    Although Ling Yunfan felt disgusted about this, he didn¡¯t say or do much other than staying away from those people and Ji Canghai.


    Is the game not fun enough to play? Or are there not enough exercises to do? How can shallow love imprison a heart that loves both freedom and learning? Damn it, I don¡¯t want to be the registration office for Ji Canghai¡¯s love every day!


    Later on, some rumors about Ji Canghai gradually spread, saying that he was a scumbag who liked to flirt with people and then ignore them.


    However, despite this, Ji Canghai¡¯s appearance and temperament were still irresistible, attracting one person after another.


    In fact, by the end of their first year of high school, the two of them were just secretly competing with each other.


    The real conflict erupted in their second year of high school.


    That year, a beautiful and delicate-looking omega transferred to Ji Canghai¡¯s class, and he would cling to him every day. The two of them were always together, and everyone thought they were dating.


    After learning about the omega¡¯s presence, Ling Yunfan was ecstatic and immediately clapped his hands in joy. After all, if Ji Canghai was blinded by love, the title of top student in their grade would be within his grasp.


    ¡°Bring on the first-place trophy!¡±


    But then the midterm exam rankings were announced. The list showed that Ji Canghai was ranked first in the grade, while Ling Yunfan was in second place.


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ling Yunfan wanted to shed tears.


    Who was neither in love nor the top student in their grade?


    Oh, it was himself, the unlucky guy.


    But it didn¡¯t matter, Ling Yunfan still had a group of good friends.


    His friends put their arms around Ling Yunfan¡¯s shoulders and laughed heartily, ¡°Brother Fan, didn¡¯t you confidently claim that you would definitely take first place this time? How come you were beaten by Ji Canghai again? Hahaha.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, humiliated and angry, slammed his friend down on the desk and started hitting him.


    The other brothers approached with laughter, ¡°Okay okay, Brother Fan is already amazing. This is the second place in the year, even if you gave me ten brains, I couldn¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Brother Fan, in my heart, you¡¯re a hundred times stronger than that dead-faced Ji Canghai!¡±


    ¡°What a hundred times, it¡¯s a thousand times, ten thousand times, haha.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t think about those annoying things, let¡¯s play ball.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ling Yunfan shook off his troubles, slapped the table and stood up, exuding an air of heroism.


    Time flew by as they played and laughed, and before they knew it, the sunset had arrived. The empty school was now silent, and even the duty student had gone home, leaving only the sound of basketballs hitting the ground echoing across the empty playground.


    It was getting late, and Ling Yunfan and his friends packed up the basketball, drank half a bottle of water, wiped the sweat from their faces and necks, and put on their school jackets, ready to go home.


    Just then, a breeze carrying the dry scent of early summer grass and trees brushed past them.


    Ling Yunfan stood frozen in place.


    His brothers beside him were puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Fan? Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡±


    Ling Yunfan asked, ¡°Did you smell something?¡±


    His beta brother wrinkled his nose and sniffed hard, ¡°What scent? All I smell is sweat.¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°It¡¯s the creamy fragrance of bread baking or cakes.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± His brother scratched his head, ¡°Are you hungry, Brother Fan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t finish his sentence, suddenly realizing something, he changed his tone, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±


    His brother put his arm around Ling Yunfan¡¯s shoulder and laughed, ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat! What are we waiting for?¡±


    ¡°You guys go eat first.¡± Ling Yunfan handed the basketball in his hand to his brother, ¡°I suddenly remembered that I left something in the classroom.¡±


    After saying that, he turned and left hastily, ignoring his brothers¡¯ confused shouts behind him.


    At this moment, the vast campus was quiet and empty, and the scent wafted in the air. But Ling Yunfan was an alpha after all. After searching for a while, he stopped in front of a small tin shed in the corner of the playground.


    The shed was originally used to store sports equipment and sundries, but at the moment, it emitted a scent of butter and cheese mixed with a baking aroma.


    If Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t feel wrong, this scent came from the pheromones of an omega in heat.

 CH 2

    Ling Yunfan covered his nose and mouth with his right hand and lightly knocked on the green-painted wooden door of the tin shed, asking in a loud voice, ¡°Classmate, are you okay? Do you need any help?¡±


    There was no response from inside the shed.


    Ling Yunfan became worried. Could the person inside have passed out?


    He knocked on the door again, this time with a bit more force, and to his surprise, the door opened slightly.


    The door wasn¡¯t locked.


    Ling Yunfan was momentarily stunned, then pushed the door open with his hand.


    The strong smell of cheesy butter rushed towards him, making him, as an alpha, take a few steps back due to the smell.


    However, Ling Yunfan was not in heat, so although his heart rate increased and his face turned red from smelling the pheromones, he still had self-control. He took a deep breath and approached the tin shed calmly to check on the situation inside.


    Inside, a slim, fair-skinned boy sat in the corner on a soft cushion that was usually used for sit-ups. He hugged his knees with his hands and buried his head in his knees.


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, the boy trembled and gasped, lifting his head, his eyes filled with mist due to the heat surging through his body.


    ¡°Classmate. Are you okay? Did you take any suppressants?¡± Ling Yunfan¡¯s words were cut off abruptly when he saw the person¡¯s face.


    Fuck, isn¡¯t this the omega who¡¯s always with Ji Canghai?


    What kind of f***ing fate is this?


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s mind sang out ¡°danger, danger, danger¡± as he contemplated his cursed fate.


    He really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with anyone associated with Ji Canghai, but his conscience wouldn¡¯t allow him to just leave the person alone. Ling Yunfan thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the infirmary to get a teacher, you wait here.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the omega panicked when he heard Ling Yunfan say he was going to get a teacher. He didn¡¯t know where he got the strength from, but he suddenly stood up and rushed over, grabbing Ling Yunfan¡¯s clothes in a frenzy and saying anxiously, ¡°You can¡¯t get a teacher, I¡¯ll be forced to take a leave of absence! I already took my medicine, I¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡±


    Ling Yunfan stumbled back a step as he was pulled by the omega. He turned around and was about to speak when he saw the omega¡¯s pale face and how he was covering his mouth. Suddenly, the omega fainted and fell straight forward.


    ¡°Hey! Classmate!¡± Ling Yunfan was startled and quickly caught the omega, afraid he would fall and hurt himself.


    The person was almost unconscious, so he couldn¡¯t just leave him alone. Ling Yunfan helped the omega back into the tin shed and kindly helped him sit on the dark green cushion used for sit-ups, hoping he would rest for a while.


    But then, something unexpected happened.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed Ling Yunfan by the back of his collar, pulling him up with force and pressing him hard against the wall of the tin shed.


    Ling Yunfan felt his neck being strangled by his clothes, making it difficult for him to breathe. Then his back slammed into the wall, causing him to hiss in pain.


    He opened his eyes and felt a headache, couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart.


    The person who was challenging him was none other than Ji Canghai.


    Ji Canghai¡¯s usual calm and collected demeanor was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were bloodshot, his face was pale, his lips were trembling, and one hand was tightly grasping Ling Yunfan¡¯s collar, while the other hand was holding onto his arm, with his nails digging into Ling Yunfan¡¯s flesh so hard that they almost broke the skin, thankfully they were separated by clothing which lessened the sharpness.


    But it still hurt.


    ¡°Did you mark him?¡± Ji Canghai growled, ¡°Did you bite his neck?!¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    For some reason, Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t get angry immediately, but found it funny.


    Before they discovered their secondary sexual characteristics, their relationship was not like this.


    So, does that mean there must be conflicts and irreconcilable differences between alphas? Are they doomed to be at odds with each other?¡±


    ¡°Answer me!¡± Ji Canghai demanded urgently when Ling Yunfan remained silent.


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s eyes showed impatience as he grabbed Ji Canghai¡¯s shoulder and pushed him back hard against the wall. He coldly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch him. You can ask him yourself. Let me go, or I¡¯ll beat you up.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ji Canghai suddenly relaxed, but he didn¡¯t let go of Ling Yunfan¡¯s collar. Instead, he stared at him with his eyes that were as dark as ink.


    Ling Yunfan became annoyed, he pulled Ji Canghai¡¯s hand and pushed him away, saying coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not a scumbag. I won¡¯t make a move on someone I don¡¯t like.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left the small shed.


    As the darkness fell and the streetlights on both sides lit up, illuminating the rarely quiet campus, Ling Yunfan walked to the entrance, thinking about what had just happened and the misunderstandings that had arisen. He rubbed his hair with both hands and said, ¡°Damn it, so annoying!¡±


    The security guard, holding a teapot, poked his head out of the security room and saw Ling Yunfan¡¯s appearance. He nodded in approval and said, ¡°Hmm, this is what youth is all about.¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°¡­Old man, please read fewer painful and sentimental youth literature magazines.¡±


    Since that day, Ling Yunfan suddenly realized something.


    He couldn¡¯t just sit idle, he had to stand up for himself!


    How could he have neither love nor academic achievements?


    The sun sets, and it will rise again tomorrow. The flowers will wither, but they will bloom again next year. But Ling Yunfan¡¯s youth will disappear without a trace!


    He couldn¡¯t just remember being oppressed by Ji Canghai everywhere in high school, that was too frustrating!


    No, he couldn¡¯t do that. Without love, he had to have academic achievements.


    And so, the secret competition between Ling Yunfan and Ji Canghai began to turn into open competition.

 CH 3

    During the second semester of their sophomore year, the tension between Ling Yunfan and Ji Canghai was so strong that it could be felt even from ten streets away.


    First, whenever they ran into each other in the narrow corridors or staircases, Ling Yunfan would turn his head and walk away, clearly showing that he didn¡¯t want to give Ji Canghai any good face.


    Then, during a week-long study group, Ling Yunfan and Ji Canghai coincidentally ended up in the same group. Ling Yunfan had been wondering what to do, but Ji Canghai only showed up for one day and then took a half-month leave, neither attending classes nor participating in group activities.


    After that, during self-study sessions, if Ling Yunfan studied until 10 pm, Ji Canghai would study until 11 pm, and eventually they would stubbornly stay in the self-study room until the security guard came to drive them out, saying ¡°What are you two doing? Do you plan to sleep here and have a heart-to-heart talk like brothers? The self-study has ended for how long now? We¡¯re about to cut off the power, you know?¡±


    The most ridiculous incident was during the school sports day.


    One achieved results in both 800-meter and 5000-meter high jump, while the other obtained rankings in 100-meter and 200-meter long jump.


    The most exciting part was the final relay race, in which Ling Yunfan and Ji Canghai were the last runners for their respective classes, and coincidentally, the two classes were drawn to run at the same time on the first and third tracks.


    On the day of the relay race, the competitors were warming up on the track.


    Ling Yunfan was pressing his leg when he suddenly felt a burning gaze. He looked up and saw that Ji Canghai was staring at him for some reason.


    The two locked eyes, and Ji Canghai looked away.


    Ling Yunfan was puzzled. Why was Ji Canghai staring at him? Was he trying to spy on the enemy?


    Suddenly, a boy from the second track ran over with a smile and jokingly hugged Ling Yunfan¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°Wait a minute, let¡¯s go easy on each other, Brother Fan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to go easy on me,¡± Ling Yunfan replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got the first place in the bag.¡±


    The boy laughed and affectionately hooked his arm around Ling Yunfan¡¯s neck. ¡°Wow, Brother Fan, you¡¯re really tough when you talk.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, a cold voice drifted over from the front.


    ¡°The competition is about to begin, but some people are still fooling around. Do they still want to win first place?¡±


    The speaker was none other than Ji Canghai.


    He looked at the two with slanted ink eyes, with a hint of icy sharpness in his gaze.


    Ling Yunfan was unhappy, ¡°Tsk, what about you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The sports teacher interrupted, ¡°The competition is about to start, hurry back to your own position.¡±


    The male student quickly let go of Ling Yunfan and obediently returned to his own running track.


    Ling Yunfan had no choice but to remain silent, but the anger in his chest couldn¡¯t be extinguished.


    However, Ling Yunfan was very confident in himself when it came to running.


    All the anchor runners from the four classes, including Ji Canghai, definitely cannot outrun him.


    As long as there are no mistakes in the previous baton handoffs, he is sure to be the first.


    But sometimes things go wrong unexpectedly.


    In Ling Yunfan¡¯s class, the second and third runners dropped the baton during the handoff, although they picked it up immediately, it still caused some delay.


    When Ling Yunfan received the baton from the third runner, their class was in fourth place.


    Ling Yunfan ran desperately, surpassing the third and second runners amidst cheers and applause, and finally had a showdown with Ji Canghai to determine the winner.


    Damn it, even if my legs break and blood flows, I must beat Ji Canghai.


    As the finish line was in sight and he was about to win, fate played a cruel trick on Ling Yunfan.


    He stumbled and fell onto the rubber track, just a meter or two from the finish line, amid gasps from the crowd.


    In that moment of dizziness, Ling Yunfan¡¯s only thought was that if he got up he would waste time, so he threw himself forward, rolled twice, and crossed the finish line in a spectacular tumble.


    When he was helped up by teachers and classmates, the first thing Ling Yunfan asked was, ¡°Did I beat Ji Canghai?¡±


    He was always competitive and hated to lose.


    When he heard that he had won, Ling Yunfan laughed, but then screamed in pain from his twisted ankle.


    Later, in the infirmary, Ling Yunfan realized that something was amiss.


    Although he decisively rolled to the finish line, he still fell down. How could he be faster than Ji Canghai, who was running normally? At that time, the difference between the two was negligible.


    Ling Yunfan was puzzled and asked his friend.


    His brother helped Ling Yunfan, whose ankle was wrapped in a fixed bandage, to the bed in the infirmary and said, ¡°Hey, you startled Ji Canghai when you fell. That guy stopped for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Startled him?¡± Ling Yunfan raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°We were each running in our own lanes, how could I startle him?¡±


    ¡°Who said you didn¡¯t!¡± his friend shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t know why that guy doesn¡¯t look at the finish line ahead, but at what you¡¯re doing. He probably wanted to see if you would surpass him. He deserved to get second place.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I won.¡± Ling Yunfan was proud and relieved, all his previous frustrations vanished in an instant.


    ¡°Rest well here, Brother Fan. I have to go to the closing ceremony of the sports meet. I¡¯ll come back to send you home later.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks. Go ahead.¡±


    After his friend left the medical room, Ling Yunfan lay down on the bed with his injured leg propped up. He was a little bored, and after a while, he fell asleep.


    In a daze, Ling Yunfan smelled a faint and refreshing fragrance, like the fragrance of lotus after a thunderstorm by a pond, with a cool and gentle air.


    When Ling Yunfan woke up, he found that the window in the medical room was half open, and there was a bottle of sports drink and a small box of mango mousse cake on the bedside.


    On the cake was a heart-shaped sticky note with three elegantly written words, ¡°For Brother Fan.¡±


    For most of the day, Ling Yunfan had been running and jumping, so he was naturally starving. Without much hesitation, he ate the cake, thinking that he needed to find out who had sent it so he could properly thank them.


    Later, Ling Yunfan kept thinking about the cake, but when he asked around, no one admitted to having sent it.


    The second year of high school, filled with fun and games, came to a close, and it could be considered exciting.


    However, the third year of high school was a year of focused academic study.


    During this year, Ling Yunfan ranked higher than Ji Canghai twice and lower than him thrice. Just when Ling Yunfan was studying tirelessly day and night for the sixth round of exams, Ji Canghai began to skip class from time to time.


    When the results of the exams came out, Ling Yunfan immediately checked the rankings for their year group. Upon seeing that he was in third place and Ji Canghai wasn¡¯t in the top two, Ling Yunfan pumped his fist and exclaimed ¡°Yes!¡± in excitement.


    He then began to look for Ji Canghai¡¯s name on the list.


    It wasn¡¯t in the top ten, nor was it in the top twenty.


    Just as Ling Yunfan was surprised, he saw Ji Canghai¡¯s name at the very bottom of the rankings.


    He had scored zero in every subject because he didn¡¯t take the exam.


    Suddenly, Ling Yunfan¡¯s joy and satisfaction disappeared, replaced by disappointment and loneliness.


    But soon, the disappointment and loneliness turned into anger, ¡°Ji Canghai, how could you skip the exam? Do you think you couldn¡¯t beat me, so you just gave up? Damn it, I will definitely even the score and perform better than you in the next exam. You just wait!¡±


    However, Ji Canghai didn¡¯t give Ling Yunfan the chance.


    Ji Canghai dropped out of school.

 CH 4

    There are many rumors about Ji Canghai dropping out of school.


    Some say he is the illegitimate child of a certain group¡¯s chairman, and he only went to school to experience life. Now he is preparing to go back and inherit the family business.


    Others say he and the omega who used to cling to him have formed a bond and dropped out of school for true love, planning to retake the exam next year.


    There are all sorts of rumors, and it¡¯s hard to tell what¡¯s true or false.


    Since Ji Canghai dropped out of school, Ling Yunfan¡¯s enthusiasm for studying has decreased. He even fell out of the top twenty in the last monthly exam, which scared the homeroom teacher, who quickly talked to him.


    The homeroom teacher said, ¡°Ling Yunfan, you know this is a very important year in your high school life. You can¡¯t take it lightly. If you stand still while others are working hard, you will fall behind. Why did you drop back so much in the last monthly exam? Are you in a relationship?¡±


    Ling Yunfan was overwhelmed by the lecture and didn¡¯t really listen. He just responded, ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right, teacher.¡±


    The homeroom teacher said, ¡°What? You¡¯re really in a relationship? How dare you, young man!¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I don¡¯t have a relationship!¡±


    However, after the conversation, Ling Yunfan woke up and realized that he couldn¡¯t slack off like this.


    After all, Ji Canghai could come back at any moment, and if he couldn¡¯t even pass the exams for those who dropped out of school, wouldn¡¯t he be embarrassed!


    But until the day he left campus, Ling Yunfan never saw Ji Canghai again.


    On graduation day, classmates gathered for a dinner and sang until late at night, using riotous joy to mix with their reluctance to part.


    Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t get home until 2 a.m. after the party. He hurriedly took a shower and lay down on his bed to sleep. Suddenly, his phone next to the pillow vibrated.


    Ling Yunfan forced himself to stay awake and picked up his phone. It was a text message from an unfamiliar number.


    The message simply said, ¡°Happy graduation, Brother Fan. Don¡¯t forget about me.¡±


    Ling Yunfan replied, ¡°Thanks, but sorry, I didn¡¯t save your number. Who are you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t receive a reply to this message.


    Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t think too much about it, as the upcoming exam scores and college applications kept him busy and preoccupied.


    After everything settled down, Ling Yunfan successfully entered his dream university and chose his favorite major in computer science.


    Then his life took a turning point.


    During Ling Yunfan¡¯s freshman year, his parents got into a car accident and both died.


    When Ling Yunfan rushed to the hospital at 3:30 in the morning, he was greeted with two unrecognizable corpses in the morgue.


    Feeling dizzy and disoriented, Ling Yunfan collapsed to the ground and felt as if his internal organs were thrown into an open blender, making him too weak to even sob and moan.


    Under his knees, the cold white porcelain tiles seemed to shatter with a loud noise.


    Just like Ling Yunfan¡¯s life.


    When Ling Yunfan¡¯s parents got married, there were some things they never talked about, so the Ling family never visited relatives over the years. Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t even know who his grandparents were.


    As a result, Ling Yunfan was left alone and struggling step by step.


    The insurance company and the culprit paid a sum of money, but at that time, Ling¡¯s father¡¯s company was in a transitional period and borrowed a lot of money. After Ling¡¯s father died, the company had no one to manage it, the capital chain broke, and the company lost millions and went bankrupt.


    After forcing himself to gather his spirits, Ling Yunfan dealt with his parents¡¯ affairs and the company¡¯s issues, but he didn¡¯t have much money left in his hands.


    He didn¡¯t go back to school and locked himself at home, not seeing anyone.


    Ling Yunfan began to suffer from severe insomnia, unable to sleep for several days and nights.


    Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the disfigured faces of his parents lying in the mortuary.


    In order to sleep, he started drinking alcohol and even taking sleeping pills, which eventually made his physical condition worse.


    One day, he overdosed and vomited in the bathroom, feeling as if the Grim Reaper had mercilessly choked his throat. Ling Yunfan stumbled from the bathroom to the living room and collapsed on the floor, picking up his phone and calling 120 himself.


    Although it was painful, Ling Yunfan persevered through his illness and his life.


    After he was discharged from the hospital, Ling Yunfan began to adjust his daily routine, insisting on a regular diet and exercise. When his health was almost restored, Ling Yunfan contacted his university advisor, apologized for dropping out without reason, and hoped to return to school.


    The advisor had already heard about the changes in Ling Yunfan¡¯s family and felt sorry for him. They did their best to help him contact the school and obtained approval for him to return to school.


    After achieving excellent grades and winning a scholarship at the end of his sophomore year, Ling Yunfan did not disappoint his academic advisor.


    However, trouble arose again during the summer between his sophomore and junior year.


    It all started when a friend from high school came to Ling Yunfan for help.


    This friend had been encouraging Ling Yunfan and helping him out during his hospitalization when Ling¡¯s family had their tragedy.


    Ling Yunfan was grateful for his friend¡¯s support and offered to help him in any way he could.


    However, Ling Yunfan was left stunned when he found out that this friend had borrowed a large sum of money from a loan shark using Ling Yunfan¡¯s identity information and had disappeared the next day.


    Ling Yunfan reported the incident to the police, but as all the borrowing information pointed to him, he had no choice but to pay off the loan.


    As a result of this incident, Ling Yunfan was suspended from school again. The illegal loan incident was reported to the school, and if it weren¡¯t for his previous academic advisor¡¯s efforts, Ling Yunfan would have been expelled instead of being allowed to keep his student status.


    Bad things just kept happening to him.


    The loan shark even found out where Ling Yunfan lived and resorted to methods that did not constitute a crime, such as splashing paint, smashing doors, and posting stickers, but enough to drive people insane.


    In order to quickly restore a normal life, Ling Yunfan sold the home he had lived in with his parents for twenty years, and scraped together all the money he had, but still couldn¡¯t pay off his debts.


    He rented a small, less than ten square meter old house in a dilapidated urban village, delivered takeout for a small restaurant during the day, and worked as a waiter in a bar at night, sleeping only four or five hours a day, just to be able to repay the loan as soon as possible.


    The restaurant owner was a tattooed big guy with a scar on his face from his eye to his mouth, and his whole body was full of a message that said, ¡°Do you have wine, I have a story?¡±


    The tattooed big guy was enthusiastic and righteous. When he learned about Ling Yunfan¡¯s situation, he not only didn¡¯t look down on him, but also let him eat for free at the restaurant three times a day, and occasionally gave him some financial help.


    Once, when the loan sharks came looking for trouble and found the restaurant, the big guy smoked a cigarette and slammed a butcher¡¯s knife on the table, scaring them away.


    The big guy had a daughter who was a beta, and the little girl inherited her father¡¯s warmth. After two months of getting to know each other, she treated Ling Yunfan like a brother and secretly told him that her father¡¯s scar was caused by a cat scratch.


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°? Was it a cat or a tiger? Be clear.¡±


    The atmosphere of the small restaurant, full of smoke and human warmth, allowed Ling Yunfan to feel the warmth of home again.


    But this warmth was far from enough to melt the three feet of ice in his destiny.


    Although Ling Yunfan worked hard, the money he owed continued to accumulate with high interest, and the hole in his finances could not be filled at all.


    One day, a loan shark¡¯s thug found Ling Yunfan¡¯s rental house late at night and trapped him inside.

 CH 5

    That day, after finishing work at the bar, Ling Yunfan returned to his rental house at 2 in the morning. There was no hot water in the bathroom, so he reluctantly took a cold shower. Just as he lay down on the bed, there was a loud knocking on the door.


    The loud noise echoed in the small room, startling Ling Yunfan.


    Before he could react, the old wooden door was forcefully kicked open by three fierce-looking men who rushed in. Two of them grabbed Ling Yunfan¡¯s wrists and pulled him up from the bed.


    A short, fat-faced man turned on the light in the room and walked up to Ling Yunfan, sneering as he asked, ¡°Do you know why we¡¯re here?¡±


    Ling Yunfan knew it was better not to resist and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pay back the three thousand tomorrow when I get my salary.¡±


    The fat-faced man slapped Ling Yunfan in the face and shouted angrily, ¡°Three thousand? Are you kidding me? You¡¯re just a beggar! Don¡¯t you know how much you owe us?¡±


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s head was turned by the slap, and he coughed twice, tasting blood in his mouth.


    The man lit a cigarette, filling the cramped room with the pungent smoke, and then looked at Ling Yunfan with a changed tone, saying slowly, ¡°Actually, This brother is not here to make things difficult for you.


    As he spoke, he took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled, patting Ling Yunfan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m offering you a job that pays well. If you¡¯re willing to take it, you can pay off your debts in less than two years. How about it?¡±


    Ling Yunfan tried to maintain his composure and asked, ¡°What kind of job?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a difficult job, just¡­¡± The fat-faced man took the cigarette out of his mouth, glanced at Ling Yunfan, and clicked his tongue. ¡°Just accompany someone.¡±


    Ling Yunfan was still a college student after all and didn¡¯t understand those filthy and despicable things in the dark, so he was confused. ¡°But I¡¯m male, and I¡¯m an alpha.¡±


    The man sneered patted Ling Yunfan¡¯s face, and said, ¡°You should be grateful that you¡¯re an alpha. Many big bosses want to play with an alpha once. It¡¯s more interesting to tame an alpha than a beta or an omega. Besides, there are very few alphas who end up like you, and rare things are precious. The bosses are willing to pay more to play with you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± The man pinched Ling Yunfan¡¯s cheeks, looked left and right, and smirked. ¡°The first time I saw you, I knew that your face could sell for a good price.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ling Yunfan¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Take him to the car downstairs.¡± The fat-faced man waved his hand and said imperiously.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Ling Yunfan suddenly spoke up and called out affectionately, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll go with you guys. Please let go of me and don¡¯t drag me. The stairs at the entrance are narrow and can¡¯t fit two people. If we squeeze and bump into each other, we might fall down.¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes and looked at Ling Yunfan, his gaze sharp as a poisoned hook.


    Ling Yunfan continued, ¡°There are three of you and only one door in this room. Even if I want to run, I have nowhere to go.¡±


    The man chuckled, blew smoke in Ling Yunfan¡¯s face, and sneered, ¡°What? Are you ready to be played with so soon? Anxious to please people?¡±


    Ling Yunfan hung his head and said, ¡°You saw it yourself. The place I live in is worse than where a dog lives. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I want to pay off my debts and live a normal life. Anyway, my life is worthless. As long as I don¡¯t die, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    The man stared at Ling Yunfan for a long time, remained silent for a while, and then signaled to the people next to him.


    The two people who were holding Ling Yunfan let go of him.


    Ling Yunfan rubbed his shoulders and flattered the man, saying, ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±


    The man gestured towards the door and said, ¡°Let me tell you, don¡¯t play any tricks on me. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Ling Yunfan nodded obediently. But the next second, he suddenly swung his arm and punched the big man next to him in the face, knocking him down.


    He changed his attitude so quickly that no one could react in time.


    When the debt collectors came to their senses, Ling Yunfan was already climbing out of the open window and jumping down without hesitation.


    His body hit the iron shed and then rolled onto the ground. The pain made his eyes blurry, but his mind was clear. The voice in his mind was screaming to run and escape.


    Ling Yunfan held his injured arm and had just run out of the alley when he was hit by a black car.


    When he saw the face of the car owner, Ling Yunfan really wanted to make an obscene gesture to the heavens.


    The recklessness and refusal to accept defeat in his bones are one of the driving forces that have supported Ling Yunfan until now. Now, appearing in front of his former archenemy in such a desolate and humiliating manner, it really feels like his dignity is being rubbed on the ground and polished on the smooth surface.


    Ling Yunfan felt only a splitting headache, and then his consciousness sank into darkness, and he fainted without any surprise.


    At 8 in the morning, it was already early summer, with long days and short nights. At this moment, the sky was bright and the sun was hanging high.


    In the corridor near the window of the VIP ward, a doctor was carefully looking through a medical record in his hand, and across from him stood a man wearing a black shirt, with a tall and handsome figure and a beautiful and bright pair of eyes like stars.


    This is the corridor of the VIP ward, and the high price easily makes people shy away, so the large corridor is very quiet without any foot traffic.


    The man frowned slightly out of concern and waited for the doctor to speak.


    The doctor pushed his glasses and raised his head, ¡°The patient has multiple soft tissue injuries throughout the body, dislocated left wrist, and a mild concussion.¡±


    ¡°Is it serious?¡± Ji Canghai asked, his voice cold like a deep mountain stream.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, they are all injuries that require proper rest. Pay attention to a light diet in the coming days,¡± the doctor said.


    Ji Canghai breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. By the way, the patient has already woken up, you can go see him now.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Ji Canghai hummed softly.


    After seeing off the doctor, Ji Canghai walked to the door of a ward. The bright and clean door was silently closed. Ji Canghai rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in.


    As the door opened, the air circulated, and the soft milky white gauze curtains in front of the half-open window in the ward swayed with the wind.


    The person sitting on the hospital bed with gauze wrapped around his head looked up in a daze and met Ji Canghai¡¯s gaze.


    Ji Canghai wanted to speak, but Ling Yunfan spoke first.


    Ling Yunfan asked in confusion, ¡°Where is this? Who are you? Who am I?¡±

 CH 6

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    In a clean and bright hospital room, the doctor held a bottle of mineral water in his hand and asked the young man sitting on the bed with his head wrapped in gauze.


    Ling Yunfan looked at the doctor in confusion, remained silent for a moment, and slowly replied, ¡°Water.¡±


    The doctor continued to ask, ¡°What is it used for?¡±


    Ling Yunfan still looked dull and pursed his lips before answering, ¡°You can drink it when you¡¯re thirsty.¡±


    The doctor pointed to the bottle of mineral water, ¡°Read this line of words.¡±


    Ling Yunfan took the water bottle, looked down, and read as he spoke, ¡°Ingredients, natural water, shelf life, two years¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± the doctor interrupted him and said, ¡°Open it.¡±


    Ling Yunfan held the bottle cap and twisted it to the right. It took him some time as his hand was hurting, but he clearly knew how to open the bottle of mineral water.


    The doctor thought for a moment and looked at the man standing silently by the bedside, ¡°Mr. Ji, I will go and take a look at the patient¡¯s brain CT scan and inform you about the patient¡¯s condition later.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Canghai nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The doctor turned and left the ward, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.


    The ward fell into a silence where one could hear a pin drop. Ji Canghai looked at Ling Yunfan, who lowered his head, his hands tightly clasped due to unease. Suddenly, Ling Yunfan raised his head and glanced at Ji Canghai, then immediately lowered his eyes again.


    He was like a small beast trapped in a hunter¡¯s snare, injured and powerless to resist.


    Breaking the suffocating silence in the room, Ji Canghai pulled out a folding chair and sat next to Ling Yunfan, asking, ¡°Are you still in pain?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Yunfan hesitated, ¡°Oh¡­no, it doesn¡¯t hurt, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai asked again, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Ling Yunfan rubbed his shrunken belly, dryly swallowed, and although he felt famished, he didn¡¯t dare to say more than, ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine.¡±


    Ji Canghai saw everything Ling Yunfan did and said and left the hospital room. He came back soon with an apple and a peeler in his hand.


    ¡°Apple, do you want to eat it?¡± Ji Canghai held up the bright red apple in front of Ling Yunfan.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ling Yunfan¡¯s words were interrupted by an honest growl from his stomach.


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s cheeks immediately turned red as if blood could drip out.


    ¡°Do you want to eat the apple? If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s anything else,¡± Ji Canghai patiently repeated.


    Ling Yunfan hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, I want to eat it.¡±


    Ji Canghai nodded, sat down on the chair, pulled out the garbage can from under the bed, and held the apple and peeler with his slender, fair fingers. In the blink of an eye, the apple skin was peeled off cleanly.


    ¡°Here,¡± Ji Canghai handed the apple to Ling Yunfan.


    Ling Yunfan took the apple and took a big bite, saying vaguely, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ji Canghai took out a tissue from the tissue box on the bedside table, his movements slow and powerful, carefully wiping every part of his nails.


    Ling Yunfan stared at his slender and beautiful hand while biting the apple, unconsciously fascinated.


    Ji Canghai suddenly asked, ¡°Do you really not remember who I am?¡±


    Ling Yunfan inexplicably choked, and he didn¡¯t chew the apple completely. He swallowed it with a gulp and nervously wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, muttering, ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai frowned slightly and said, ¡°My name is Ji Canghai, do you remember?¡±


    Ling Yunfan shook his head quickly.


    ¡°Then do you remember who you are? Where is your home?¡± Ji Canghai asked again.


    Ling Yunfan continued to shake his head.


    Ji Canghai asked, ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything from the past?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ling Yunfan said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    Ji Canghai fell silent, with his index finger extended against his cheek and his middle finger curved to his lips, apparently deep in thought.


    Ling Yunfan chewed the apple up and down and occasionally stole a glance at Ji Canghai.


    Just as Ling Yunfan took his sixth glance at Ji Canghai, Ji Canghai looked up and their eyes met.


    Ling Yunfan was startled and hurriedly wanted to retract his gaze, but he heard Ji Canghai say calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me what the relationship between us is?¡±


    ¡°What relationship?¡± Ling Yunfan asked honestly.


    Ji Canghai was about to answer when a knock on the door interrupted him.


    The nurse cautiously pushed open the door slightly and said, ¡°Mr. Ji, the director asked me to invite you over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Ji Canghai stood up and said to Ling Yunfan, ¡°Wait here, we¡¯ll talk later,¡± before leaving the ward.


    In the office of the chief physician, the doctor held up the brain CT scan and said to Ji Canghai sitting in front of him, ¡°No organic or degenerative brain damage was found in the patient¡¯s brain.¡±


    ¡°So why did he suddenly lose his memory?¡± Ji Canghai asked in confusion.


    The doctor speculated, ¡°It may be related to neurological and psychological abnormalities. Memory loss is a complex disease, and there are currently no clear treatment options.¡±


    ¡°What are the chances of him recovering his memory?¡± Ji Canghai asked.


    ¡°I cannot give you a definite answer to that. Based on the test just now, we can see that the patient can live a normal life. Mr. Ji, if you want to cure him, you can try a neurological system examination or a psychological examination,¡± the doctor replied.


    ¡°No,¡± Ji Canghai leaned back slightly, leaning on the chair, his hands clasped together, his left thumb unconsciously lightly pressing on the knuckles of his right hand. His tone was calm but coldly terrifying.


    ¡°I want to know if there is a way to prevent him from recovering his memory for the rest of his life.¡±


    The doctor, ¡°¡­¡¯


    He has heard about targeted therapy but never heard of any reverse therapy.


    Ji Canghai smiled, ¡°Just a little joke, doctor, don¡¯t take it to heart. By the way, when can he be discharged from the hospital?¡±


    Doctor, ¡°Mr. Ji, are you in a hurry to discharge the patient?¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Doctor, ¡°Then let¡¯s observe for another hour. If the patient doesn¡¯t experience dizziness, headaches, or radiation-induced vomiting, he can be discharged to rest at home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Ji Canghai thanked the doctor and shook his hand before leaving. As he reached the door, he turned back to the doctor and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone that I brought him here for treatment.¡±


    The doctor had already guessed that Ji Canghai had accidentally hit someone, but as the son of the Zongheng Group, he naturally had to be mindful of his public image. The doctor nodded repeatedly, saying, ¡°I understand, I understand.¡±


    Ji Canghai thanked him again and walked back to the hospital room.


    Meanwhile, Ling Yunfan was stretching his neck and looking out the clean window by the hospital bed, trying to figure out which floor he was on and if he could escape by climbing out the window.


    He was working hard to figure out how to leave the hospital quietly and perform a disappearing act for Ji Canghai.


    Yes, Ling Yunfan¡¯s amnesia was faked.

 CH 7

    What does ¡°death before losing face¡± mean?


    Ling Yunfan is the epitome of someone who would rather die than lose face.


    But let¡¯s be honest, when friends get together, who doesn¡¯t boast about their current happy life and show off a bit?


    The Dragon King even set himself a three-year deadline.


    Thinking about himself and Ji Canghai.


    Back then, the two of them competed for grades and even fought over an omega. It was a fierce rivalry with neither side willing to back down.


    Now, even though they were in the same frame, Ji Canghai, dressed in fine clothes, was in the car while he, in shabby clothes, was under the car.


    This isn¡¯t just losing face.


    It¡¯s like tearing his face off, throwing it on the ground, and stomping on it.


    So, in order to preserve his pitiful dignity, Ling Yunfan had a brilliant idea and unleashed his best acting skills unlike anything he had shown in the past twenty years of life.


    That¡¯s right, he pretended to lose his memory!


    And now, to avoid blowing his cover, Ling Yunfan had to make a quick exit.


    As for Ji Canghai, he had done his duty by bringing him to the hospital. Even if he suddenly disappeared, Ji Canghai would surely assume that he left after recovering his memory.


    When the time comes, they¡¯ll still go their separate ways and mind their own business, like water under the bridge.


    As Ling Yunfan got out of bed and lifted the covers, he felt fortunate that his leg injury wasn¡¯t too severe and wouldn¡¯t affect his ability to walk.


    The hospital room was on the fifth floor, so jumping out of the window was not realistic. Otherwise, he would jump in the morning and would be brought in the coffin at noon.


    Ling Yunfan limped to the door and just as he reached for the doorknob, he saw it turn.


    Someone was opening the door from the outside.


    Ling Yunfan jumped in fright and quickly stepped back.


    The nurse opened the door and saw Ling Yunfan standing there. She was taken aback and asked, ¡°Why did you get out of bed?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­ I wanted to go to the bathroom outside,¡± Ling Yunfan quickly came up with an excuse and moved his feet as he spoke, quietly walking towards the door.


    However, the nurse stopped him with her hand and said, ¡°What are you going to do outside? Don¡¯t you know that the VIP ward has a private bathroom? It¡¯s right on your left.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Damn, the rotten capitalism!!


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand there, go ahead,¡± the nurse urged. ¡°Let me check your scratches and bruises, see if they are inflamed or if you need a change of dressing.¡±


    Helpless, Ling Yunfan went into the bathroom and sat on the toilet with a blank face for two minutes. He washed his hands and walked out, only to find that the nurse had already left the room.


    And outside the bathroom, Ji Canghai was waiting for him quietly.


    Although Ling Yunfan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he remained calm. He guessed that Ji Canghai had come to discuss the handling of the situation with him, and all he had to do was pretend to remember where his home was and ask to go back.


    ¡°Does your leg hurt? Do you need me to help you back to bed?¡± Ji Canghai looked at Ling Yunfan¡¯s knee, which had been cut open by the doctor to treat his wound, and had a tear in his jeans with a bandage on it.


    ¡°No need,¡± Ling Yunfan pursed his dry lips and stumbled back to the bedside, waiting for Ji Canghai to speak.


    Ji Canghai also walked to the bedside and sat down on the folding chair facing Ling Yunfan. ¡°Do you feel dizzy and nauseous?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ling Yunfan licked his lips. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need to stay in the hospital.¡±


    Ji Canghai stared at Ling Yunfan¡¯s lips. ¡°Are they dry?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Yunfan was stunned for a moment. ¡°Oh, yeah, a little bit.¡±


    Ji Canghai picked up the mineral water bottle that the doctor had just used to test Ling Yunfan from the bedside table, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to Ling Yunfan.


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Ling Yunfan took the water, placed the bottle mouth on his lips, and couldn¡¯t help but think, after not seeing each other for a few years, Ji Canghai has become so mature and kind.


    But Ling Yunfan quickly dismissed the thought.


    In fact, Ji Canghai was more mature and steady in high school than the average student. He just always liked to pick on Ling Yunfan and had a hard time getting along with him.


    Especially after the incident in the small warehouse on the playground, Ji Canghai directly regarded Ling Yunfan as a thorn in his eye.


    What was even more annoying was that after the incident, the omega involved had specially come to thank him, and after a few misunderstandings, Ji Canghai even got into a fight with him.


    Ji Canghai was usually cold and aloof, but who could have thought that he could be so fierce when he was jealous?


    But after all, Ji Canghai and himself were both alphas, and both physiologically and psychologically, they were like water and fire.


    Ling Yunfan thought of this and couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply in his heart.


    When Ji Canghai dropped out of school, the omega also dropped out with him. There were rumors that the two of them had a passionate love affair, making Ling Yunfan¡¯s previously awkward position between them even more uncomfortable. Even to this day, thinking about this matter made Ling Yunfan so irritable that he would scratch his head and pull his hair.


    He didn¡¯t provoke anything bad, but ended up in this situation, so annoying.


    But how can he blame himself¡­


    It was clearly in the distant past, even further than high school when it was Ji Canghai who provoked him first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the topic at hand.¡±


    Ji Canghai calmly said in his cold voice, pulling Ling Yunfan¡¯s thoughts back to the present.


    Ling Yunfan knew that Ji Canghai was preparing to find a way to get rid of this hot potato.


    Although he had already anticipated it and it was what Ling Yunfan expected, he still felt a little miserable.


    Ji Canghai¡¯s ink-black eyes were deep, and he looked at Ling Yunfan and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask before, what is our relationship?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Ling Yunfan lowered his head and took a sip of water to avoid looking unnatural.


    Then he heard Ji Canghai say,


    ¡°I am your boyfriend.¡±

 CH 8

    ¡°I am your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Ling Yunfan spurted out a mouthful of water and coughed violently, ¡°Cough cough cough cough cough.¡±


    ¡°Drink slowly.¡± Ji Canghai quickly grabbed some tissues and reached out to wipe Ling Yunfan¡¯s mouth.


    Ling Yunfan was so scared that he leaned back, his face turning red from the coughing. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    Ji Canghai didn¡¯t insist and handed the tissues to Ling Yunfan, then said, ¡°What I said earlier may have been inaccurate.¡±


    Ling Yunfan thought to himself that what you said was not just inaccurate, it was outrageous and absurd.


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°To be precise, you are my fianc¨¦.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°?¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°We are already engaged.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°??¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°We¡¯re getting married soon.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°???¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°We have a child.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell! Never mind the earlier conversation, first, you tell me, how do two alphas have children? Do they use their stomachs to give birth?!


    Wait, could it be that Ji Canghai has a love child that he doesn¡¯t want to raise, and he wants to dump it on me? This cunning man! He¡¯s such a scheming scumbag!


    ¡°Cough, but¡­ but¡­¡± Ling Yunfan wiped the water with the tissues, coughing as he spoke, ¡°Although I can¡¯t remember what happened, I think I should be¡­ an alpha?¡±


    He said this with a guilty conscience, afraid that Ji Canghai would say, ¡°How can you still have selective amnesia?¡±


    Fortunately, Ji Canghai didn¡¯t have any doubts and calmly replied, ¡°Yes, you are an alpha.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you also¡­ you should be too, right?¡± Ling Yunfan looked at Ji Canghai, ¡°An alpha.¡±


    Ji Canghai remained silent, his eyes narrowed. The morning light shone through the clear window onto his face, but couldn¡¯t penetrate his deep, dark eyes, which were like black jade and seemed to have never seen the sun.


    After a moment, Ji Canghai suddenly smiled, his lips curving up in a way that was neither a smile nor a smirk. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m also an alpha,¡± he said.


    Ling Yunfan chuckled nervously. ¡°Two alphas, how could that¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai interrupted him with a sigh. ¡°Ah, you really have forgotten,¡± he said.


    Ling Yunfan asked, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Our love, our past,¡± Ji Canghai replied.


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ji Canghai said with a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything about our past.¡±


    Even after Ji Canghai left the hospital room to complete his discharge procedures, Ling Yunfan was still in shock.


    He held his head in his hands, trying to recall Ji Canghai¡¯s natural expression as he spoke those words. He didn¡¯t know if he was going crazy or if Ji Canghai was.


    Why would Ji Canghai make up such a lie?


    Is he trying to get me in debt with high interest?


    Oh, right, his debts.


    Ling Yunfan slapped his forehead. Yesterday those guys caused a commotion, and he ran away without knowing if they would go to the small restaurant where he usually worked to cause trouble.


    Ling Yunfan searched his coat and pant pockets for his phone, wanting to call the restaurant owner Zheng Xiong to explain the situation, but he couldn¡¯t find his phone anywhere.


    His phone must have fallen somewhere, and now this was just adding to his troubles.


    Ling Yunfan thought for a moment and decided to slip away quietly.


    His twenty years of life experience told him that there were no free lunches in this world.


    To put it another way, there was certainly no boyfriend falling out of the sky.


    Ling Yunfan threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and ran out of the room.


    This escape was very smooth, without any nurse or attendant blocking his way.


    Then Ling Yunfan got lost in the hospital corridor.


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°Where are the stairs?! Where are the stairs?! Why is this place so big and everything looks the same!¡±


    An old man in an electric wheelchair was sitting by the window, shaking his head and tapping his radio while listening to Yue opera. When he heard Ling Yunfan yelling, he laughed and said, ¡°Young man, why are you looking for stairs? Take the elevator!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, sir, where is the elevator?¡± Ling Yunfan quickly asked.


    The old man kindly said, ¡°Young man, turn around and go straight, then turn right.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you, sir!¡± Ling Yunfan thanked him and turned around, almost bumping into someone.


    ¡°Ah sorry¡­¡± Before he could finish apologizing, he took a step back in fear.


    Ji Canghai was holding a bag of medicine standing in front of him.


    Both of them remained silent for a moment, while the loud sound of the opera on the old man¡¯s radio echoed through the corridor.


    ¡°A younger sister Lin fell from the sky~~~ as graceful as a light cloud just emerging~~~¡±


    Ling Yunfan had a headache. Oh, master, please don¡¯t recite it anymore. I admit it, I admit it, can¡¯t a boyfriend fall from the sky too?


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ji Canghai had that seemingly smiling but not really smiling expression again.


    Ling Yunfan stuttered, ¡°Just¡­just¡­around, taking a look¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°I¡¯ve already completed your discharge procedures. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°Ah?¡±


    No, where is home?


    Wait, did Ji Canghai find out that he was lying and just find it amusing to tease him?


    He was waiting for the moment when he couldn¡¯t make up any more lies, then he would reveal his true self, mock him, and say, ¡°How come after a few years, you¡¯ve become so pathetic?¡±


    The more Ling Yunfan thought about it, the more he felt it was like that.


    Alright, Ji Canghai, if you don¡¯t spare me, then I¡¯ll act with you until the end. I want to see who can¡¯t hold on first. We used to compete fiercely in high school every day, and now I can¡¯t admit defeat.


    ¡°Oh, right, let¡¯s go home.¡± Ling Yunfan pretended to be calm. ¡°Since we¡¯re already engaged, we must be living together.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ji Canghai¡¯s mouth curled up, and this time his smile was no longer the kind of half-playful smile, but rather like a barren soil blossoming flowers.


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Yunfan limped forward with the support of the wall for two steps.


    ¡°Is your leg hurting?¡± Ji Canghai furrowed his brow and asked. He took a look at Ling Yunfan¡¯s knee and found the gauze was soaked with blood, causing his brows to furrow into a Sichuan character. [1]


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°It¡¯s okay. What the heck? Ah Ah Ah?¡±


    Ji Canghai bent down, put his arms around Ling Yunfan¡¯s knee, and lifted him up horizontally.


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, his voice rising higher and higher, ¡°Ah? Ah? Ah??¡±


    The old man behind them laughed and said, ¡°Ah! Ah! Ah!! The beautiful scenery of West Lake in March, the spring rain is like smoke, the willows are like smoke, thousands of miles of fate brought us together~¡±


    Ji Canghai smiled lightly and said, ¡°Uncle, your singing is like listening to celestial music.¡±


    The old man gave a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Hey, young man, you¡¯re really good!¡±


    Ling Yunfan looked bewildered and said, ¡°No, wait, what??¡±


    -¡°The outrageous weeds on top of the grave are three feet tall¡±, this is usually used when someone provides an idea or joke that is beyond absurd.


    If you like my translations, please consider supporting me by buying me a cup of coffee.


    Footnote(s)

 CH 9

    Ling Yunfan, ¡°Um¡­ Can you put me down?¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because about four million years ago, human ancestors learned to walk upright to adapt to the dry grassland environment. So, my legs which evolved over millions of years, are not useless.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°It¡¯s too awkward¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai smiled, ¡°But I used to carry you like this all the time, and you never felt awkward.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­Put me down!¡±


    Fart!


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Put you down?¡±


    Ling Yunfan, frustrated, ¡°Put me down¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai looked in a good mood, ¡°No, I won¡¯t put you down.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    He clenched his fists tightly.


    Ling Yunfan tried to reason, ¡°¡­You should know that I have forgotten everything from the past, so you are a stranger to me now. I really feel awkward, so please put me down. I can walk by myself.¡±


    Ji Canghai¡¯s smile faded, and after a moment of silence, he still didn¡¯t let go of Ling Yunfan. He tightened his arms and patted Ling Yunfan¡¯s back, ¡°Your knees are bleeding, why force yourself? Besides, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Ji Canghai wasn¡¯t lying.


    After the two of them took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot on the negative second floor of the hospital, they walked a few steps, Ji Canghai stopped in front of a car and was finally willing to put Ling Yunfan down.


    Previously, when trying to leave while walking, Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t feel any pain in his knees. After taking a break, he bent his knees again, but the sharp piercing pain from the injured knee hit his nerves. Ling Yunfan quickly reached out to steady himself on the car and pretended to be calm.


    But speaking of which, Ji Canghai¡¯s car that accidentally crashed into him was a sedan, not the SUV in front of them now.


    Curiously, Ling Yunfan looked at the car logo and his pupils trembled.


    Damn, just this car alone is enough to pay off all his debts.


    Nowadays, he and Ji Canghai were like a phoenix in the clouds or a dragon horse in the water, while he himself was a shrimp in a roof gutter. [1]


    ¡°Get in the car.¡± Ji Canghai gentlemanly opened the passenger seat door and looked at Ling Yunfan.


    Ling Yunfan stood in front of the car door, looking at the narrow and closed space inside the car, hesitating.


    Reason told him that no matter what Ji Canghai¡¯s purpose was, he should immediately come clean.


    He was just pretending to have amnesia for the sake of his pitiful dignity, how long could he keep up the act?


    One lie requires countless other lies to cover it up. He would eventually be exposed. What¡¯s the difference between losing face then and losing face now? Why waste time here?


    Ling Yunfan took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and turned his head to look at Ji Canghai calmly, ¡°Actually, I¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Ji Canghai interrupted Ling Yunfan, ¡°Actually, we have been in a long-distance relationship for half a year.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Ling Yunfan was stunned.


    Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Ji Canghai held Ling Yunfan¡¯s shoulder, pushed him to sit in the passenger seat, and quickly closed the car door.


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°No, wait¡­¡± Speaking the truth takes courage, and the courage he had just built up was gone like this!


    Ji Canghai walked quickly to the left car door and only relaxed a bit after getting in the car. He leaned over to help Ling Yunfan fasten his seat belt and said, ¡°Your name is Ling Yunfan, Ling for soaring, Yunfan for sailing with the clouds. We have been together for more than three years. Half a year ago, I had to go abroad because of the business group, so we started a long-distance relationship.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ling Yunfan was taken aback.


    Ji Canghai kept his head down as he pressed the seat belt into the buckle. Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t see his expression, but only heard him say, ¡°During these days of separation, I thought of you every day.¡±


    ¡°But a month ago,¡± Ji Canghai sat up straight and fastened his own seat belt, ¡°you called me late at night and said you were in trouble. After that, there was no news from you. I couldn¡¯t contact you no matter how hard I tried.¡±


    Ji Canghai started the car and drove it smoothly out of the hospital parking, continuing, ¡°I was anxious and worried, so I left everything behind and came back to the country, just wanting to find you as soon as possible. Then last night, you finally contacted me again, gave me a location, and asked me to pick you up. I immediately drove to the location, but because I wasn¡¯t familiar with the area, I couldn¡¯t find the place you mentioned, so I could only drive slowly while looking for it on the main road.¡±


    ¡°Who knew that you suddenly rushed out of a small alley, crashed into my car, and passed out. I quickly brought you, who were injured, to this hospital.¡±


    After Ji Canghai finished speaking, he even asked Ling Yunfan, ¡°Do you remember these things?¡±


    Ling Yunfan was stunned, ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell was this memory?!


    How did Ji Canghai manage to say such true and false things with a straight face?!


    If it weren¡¯t for the firm materialism knocking on his head, he would have almost suspected that he had traveled through parallel time and space because of the car accident!


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± Ling Yunfan stuttered and struggled to say anything.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ji Canghai said softly as if he was talking to himself, ¡°I found you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­then you¡­¡± Ling Yunfan was too confused by the situation and stumbled over his words, finally managing to ask, ¡°You rushed back from overseas for me, what about your company¡¯s business, is it not important?¡±


    After asking the question, Ling Yunfan felt a little crazy, why was he even following along with Ji Canghai¡¯s made-up story and asking about it?


    Ji Canghai listened and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°It¡¯s already taken care of, everything has been handed over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ling Yunfan replied.


    ¡°You can rest your eyes for a while, we¡¯ll be home soon,¡± Ji Canghai said.


    ¡°¡­Hmm,¡± Ling Yunfan replied.


    He suddenly felt curious about what kind of place Ji Canghai called home.


    TL NOTE:


    [1] ¡°a phoenix in the clouds or a dragon horse in the water,¡± both of which are powerful and mythical creatures in Chinese culture. The metaphor implies that these two individuals are highly successful, influential, and respected.


    On the other hand, the phrase ¡°a shrimp in a roof gutter,¡± is a very small and insignificant creature. This metaphor suggests that the person is unimportant and lacks power or influence.

 CH 10

    Driving into a high-end apartment complex, Ji Canghai parked the car in the garage.


    After getting out of the car, Ji Canghai couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ling Yunfan¡¯s knee, which was wrapped in gauze.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really hurt,¡± Ling Yunfan who knew what he was thinking quickly reassured him. ¡°You go ahead, and I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Ji Canghai extended his hand to Ling Yunfan. ¡°If you won¡¯t let me carry you, at least let me hold your hand.¡±


    Ling Yunfan hesitated but then thought that holding hands wouldn¡¯t cost him anything, so he took Ji Canghai¡¯s hand.


    Ji Canghai¡¯s hand was slightly cool and dry, but because his fingers were slender, they easily enveloped Ling Yunfan¡¯s hand.


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s initiative made Ji Canghai unconsciously curl his lips as led him into the elevator.


    The elevator went straight to the eleventh floor. The apartment complex had one apartment per floor, a clear sign of wealth. Ling Yunfan¡¯s mood became complicated, and the curiosity he had felt earlier vanished, replaced by a sense of alienation and unfamiliarity.


    Ling Yunfan followed Ji Canghai awkwardly into the apartment and looked around. He felt increasingly strange, to the point where his body and mind were resisting staying there.


    The apartment was empty, clean, and tidy. There were all the expected furniture and appliances, but it was devoid of any personal items. It was like a gorgeous and exquisite showroom that required shoe covers to be worn and nothing could be touched.


    Could a place like this really be called a home?


    Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t help but think of the house he had sold to pay off his debts.


    Next door lived an aunt who spoke passionately. In his home, the TV cabinet was full of souvenirs that Ling¡¯s father brought back from his business trips. On the wall hung cross-stitching made by Ling¡¯s mother. The dining table was covered with layer upon layer of heat-insulating tablecloths, and the door of the room bore traces that Ling Yunfan had made when he was a child. On the bookshelf, comic books and novels were placed on the left side, and textbooks that he had used from childhood to adulthood were placed on the right. The kitchen had a faint smell of cooking oil, and several cacti were thriving on the balcony.


    This is what a home should feel like.


    Even the noisy little restaurant owned by Brother Xiong feels more like home than this place.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Ling Yunfan looked at Ji Canghai and hesitated to ask, ¡°the place where we used to live together?¡±


    Ji Canghai anticipated that Ling Yunfan would ask this and answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t live here often, I only came two or three times. You had your own home, and six months ago, I went abroad. The day you disappeared, for some reason, you took everything that was left here with you.¡±


    Listening for the first time, there was nothing wrong with what he said.


    Before Ling Yunfan could think too much, Ji Canghai took out slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them on the floor. ¡°Come in, don¡¯t stand there. The doctor said you need to rest.¡±


    After Ling Yunfan changed his shoes, Ji Canghai pulled him into the master bedroom, gently asking him to sit on the bedside, and handed him a cup of warm water. He then busied himself with tidying the bed and finding the medicine kit. After a while, he asked Ling Yunfan, ¡°You should lean against the headboard. Aren¡¯t you feeling dizzy or have a headache?¡±


    Thank you for the suggestion. Originally, I didn¡¯t feel dizzy, but now facing your excessive boyfriend power that has nowhere to put on is making me feel dizzy.


    ¡°The spot where I hit is a bit sore, but I don¡¯t feel dizzy,¡± Ling Yunfan answered honestly.


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°Let me take a look at your injury.¡±


    He approached Ling Yunfan, held his head gently, and carefully removed the gauze. After looking for a moment, he said, ¡°It¡¯s swollen badly. Let me apply some iodine for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Yunfan agreed.


    Ji Canghai took out a cotton swab from the medicine kit and dipped it in the brownish iodine. ¡°It might hurt a bit,¡± he warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ling Yunfan replied.


    Although Ling Yunfan said those two words lightly and calmly, but when the cotton swab soaked with iodine touched the injury on his head, the sharp and unbearable pain made him unconsciously pull the hem of Ji Canghai¡¯s shirt at the waist.


    Ling Yunfan immediately realized that what he was doing was inappropriate, and quickly let go, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.


    Ji Canghai noticed his small movement and laughed, ¡°you can pull it.¡±


    Ling Yunfan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that, I might tear your clothes.¡± Who knows how expensive your clothes are?


    Ji Canghai helped Ling Yunfan apply iodine to the wound on his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of clothing. If you want, you can even bite me.¡±


    Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t know how to respond and just laughed awkwardly.


    How come I never realized you had a masochistic tendency?!


    After finishing applying iodine to Ling Yunfan¡¯s head, Ji Canghai started checking the bruises on his arms and legs. Although they were just sprains and abrasions, there were many of them, and soon Ling Yunfan was covered in the smell of iodine and Yunnan Baiyao. [1]


    Ling Yunfan felt depressed and asked, ¡°Did the doctor tell you when I can stop using these medicines?¡±


    Ji Canghai replied, ¡°Change the medicine twice a day. After half a month, all the wounds should have scabbed over.¡±


    Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Half a month? I¡¯ll be pickled by then!¡±


    Ji Canghai was amused by his comment, and his clear eyes curved into a smile.


    Ling Yunfan looked at him and felt that he smiled more than before.


    Suddenly, a pleasant doorbell rang in the living room. Ji Canghai tightly closed the lid of the iodine bottle and put it back in the medicine cabinet, saying, ¡°It¡¯s the delivery. Wait here for a moment.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he got up and walked out of the room. Shortly after, there was the sound of him opening and closing the door in the living room, along with the faint clattering of dishes and utensils


    After about ten minutes, Ji Canghai reappeared in the room, smiling at Ling Yunfan and saying, ¡°Come out and eat. Do you need me to help you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Ling Yunfan stood up by himself and walked to the dining table.


    On the table were steaming hot matsutake mushroom chicken soup noodles, sliced tomahawk steak, fragrant sweet & sour lobster balls, and delicious sweet white jade sea cucumber soup. In comparison, the plate of blanched bok choy seemed very homely.


    Ling Yunfan was amazed, ¡°This¡­so much? These dishes must be expensive, right¡­¡±


    Ji Canghai considerately pulled out a chair for Ling Yunfan and smiled, ¡°I thought you might be hungry, so I ordered a bit more. Eat until you¡¯re full.¡±


    Ling Yunfan was indeed hungry.


    He was even a little silly with hunger.


    He began to wonder if he had really lost his memory and if Ji Canghai was really his boyfriend.


    He sat in a daze on the chair, picked up his chopsticks, and absent-mindedly took a bite of the noodles in his bowl.


    ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Ji Canghai asked with concern.


    ¡°Mm¡­mm¡­mm.¡± Ling Yunfan choked up.


    Ji Canghai nervously stood up, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ling Yunfan cried, ¡°Nothing, these noodles are just too delicious.¡±


    Ji Canghai helplessly sat back down in his chair, ¡°Is it really that exaggerated?¡±


    Ling Yunfan spoke earnestly, ¡°It is! Gong Gong angered the God of Heaven because he didn¡¯t get to eat this bowl of noodles! Even Jehovah launched Noah¡¯s Flood because he didn¡¯t get to eat this bowl of noodles!¡± [2]


    Ji Canghai chuckled lightly.


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me anymore, just hurry up and eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ji Canghai picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on Ling Yunfan. He saw Ling Yunfan eating happily with his head down, and the delicious chicken in his mouth seemed to turn into butterfly wings, fluttering and flying straight into his stomach.


    Just then, Ji Canghai¡¯s phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw the words ¡°Rong Zhan¡± indicated on the caller id.


    Ji Canghai¡¯s face changed slightly, and his smile faded. He tightened his grip on the phone and stood up, saying to Ling Yunfan, ¡°I need to take this call.¡±


    Ling Yunfan had a mouthful of steak and could only make a vague ¡°Mm¡± sound. He nodded repeatedly, afraid that Ji Canghai wouldn¡¯t understand his meaning.


    Seeing this, Ji Canghai couldn¡¯t help but smile. He took the phone and went into the room to answer the call.


    A moment later, Ji Canghai returned to the dining room and said to Ling Yunfan, ¡°I need to go to the company.¡±


    Ling Yunfan quickly swallowed the noodles in his mouth and asked, ¡°Huh? Now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ji Canghai nodded. ¡°Take your time eating. Put the dishes on the table and I¡¯ll clean up when I come back.¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°But you haven¡¯t even eaten a few bites. At least finish your meal before going. Is the work really that urgent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very urgent,¡± Ji Canghai replied as he walked to the door of the dining room. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Ling Yunfan called out to his back, ¡°Take it easy on the road.¡±


    At these words, Ji Canghai turned around and looked at Ling Yunfan. There were butterflies swirling in his deep black eyes, and he smiled lightly. ¡°Mm.¡±


    After Ji Canghai left, Ling Yunfan suddenly felt that the food was not as delicious as before. He ate the remaining noodles slowly, cleaned up the dishes, and covered the leftover food with a plate to put it in the refrigerator.


    As Ling Yunfan opened the refrigerator, he was stunned.


    The refrigerator was empty, there was nothing inside.


    Ling Yunfan scratched his head and didn¡¯t think too much about it. He put the leftover food in and planned to reheat it and eat it later in the evening.


    After finishing everything, Ling Yunfan began to think about what he should do next.


    Wait a minute.


    Ling Yunfan suddenly shivered.


    Isn¡¯t now the best time to leave?!


    If you like my translations, please consider supporting me by buying me a cup of coffee.


    Footnote(s)


    The second myth is from the Judeo-Christian tradition and involves the story of Noah¡¯s Ark and the Great Flood. According to the Bible, God decided to flood the Earth because of the wickedness of humankind, but spared Noah and his family by having them build an ark and take two of every animal on board. Ling Yunfan is again humorously suggesting that the flood could have been avoided if God had just been able to try the delicious dish he is eating.

 CH 11

    Regarding why Ji Canghai brought himself home.


    Ling Yunfan had two conjectures.


    Firstly, Ji Canghai sensed that he was lying and wanted to mock him after exposing the truth.


    However, based on Ji Canghai¡¯s behavior of bringing himself home, this idea is obviously incorrect.


    So there can only be one truth!


    Ji Canghai really believed that he had lost his memory.


    Furthermore, Ji Canghai believed that hitting someone was the cause of his amnesia, so he felt guilty and decided to take responsibility by bringing himself home and taking good care of himself.


    Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. After all these years, his childhood rival had shed his childishness and matured, letting go of past grievances.


    However, regardless of whether the situation was the first or second conjecture, it was best for Ling Yunfan to leave.


    But if it was the second conjecture, Ling Yunfan still felt a little ashamed.


    After all, he not only had someone else pay for the medical expenses but also had a free meal.


    Ling Yunfan touched his conscience and decided to leave a note for Ji Canghai to clarify the situation.


    He began to search the room for paper and a pen, and as he entered a room that resembled a study, he saw that the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf behind the office computer desk was empty, much like it had just been renovated.


    ¡°Did anyone really live in this house?¡± Ling Yunfan muttered in confusion, opening the drawer to search for paper and a pen. It was at this moment that Ling Yunfan noticed a photo in a wooden frame placed on the computer desk.


    Ling Yunfan picked it up and saw that it was a photo of the high school sports meeting that year.


    In the photo, the still youthful Ji Canghai stood on the school¡¯s rubber track and field, holding a medal in his hand, with no expression of joy at all from winning a prize.


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Ling Yunfan smirked.


    He didn¡¯t know if Ji Canghai was pretending to be cool or if he really was unperturbed by success or failure back then.


    ¡°So young.¡± Ling Yunfan was feeling emotional when suddenly his smile froze.


    He saw a person in the photo who was both familiar and unfamiliar.


    The omega who followed Ji Canghai around all day after transferring to their school in the second year of high school was also in the photo.


    The obedient omega stood not far behind Ji Canghai, holding a bottle of mineral water, waiting for Ji Canghai to finish taking the photo before going over.


    What was his name again? Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Perhaps because he was trying hard to remember, Ling Yunfan¡¯s head began to throb.


    It seemed like¡­


    Rong Zhan.


    A very rare surname, no wonder Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t remember.


    It seemed that Ji Canghai had a hidden meaning in choosing to put this photo here.


    Ling Yunfan felt unhappy. Since Ji Canghai had a lover, why did he have to make up a lie about them being engaged? He couldn¡¯t just be doing it for a laugh, could he?


    Oh well, since he was going to run away, he didn¡¯t want to dwell on it too much.


    Ling Yunfan put the photo frame back on the desk, but unexpectedly, it fell down with a thud. He had to pick it up again, and as he leaned closer to it, he pondered how to make it stand upright.


    After figuring it out, Ling Yunfan was about to put the photo frame back on the desk when he noticed a group of people standing in the corner on the left side of the photo, and his eyes widened in shock.


    The photo was taken during the sports meeting, with groups of students running or jumping in the background.


    The reason Ling Yunfan was so shocked was that he was among the group of people in the photo.


    He and a few of his good high school buddies happened to be passing by behind Ji Canghai, who was being photographed. One of Ling Yunfan¡¯s friends pointed at Ji Canghai, and they all laughed, but their contemptuous expressions made it clear that they were not saying anything nice.


    As for Ling Yunfan himself, he was looking in the direction of where Ji Canghai was, rolling his eyes and making an indecent gesture.


    Ling Yunfan couldn¡¯t help but facepalm.


    Damn! I was so childish back then!


    The arrogance of his youth now felt like a sharp thorn, pricking at his memories.


    Ling Yunfan thought that when Ji Canghai chose the photo, he must not have noticed this corner, otherwise, he would not have included such an embarrassing photo.


    Ling Yunfan felt that if he were to look at the photo again, he would feel so awkward that he could dig out a three-room apartment with his toes. He sighed and placed the photo frame back on the desk, deciding that his next birthday wish would be that Ji Canghai would never find out about the photo of himself rolling his eyes in his direction.


    After putting down the photo, Ling Yunfan continued to search for a pen and paper, but he rummaged through his drawers and cabinets for a long time without even finding a pen refill.


    As he looked out the window, the sky had already darkened. Ling Yunfan felt that if he continued searching for the pen and paper, even Ji Canghai would have returned by then. So he gave up on leaving a message and headed towards the entrance.


    Then Ling Yunfan stood at the door for a full five minutes.


    Because he didn¡¯t know how to open the luxurious light gold password door that oozed extravagance at every turn.


    Ling Yunfan tried rotating and twisting anything that resembled a handle, but the door was as solid as a rock and didn¡¯t budge at all. Ling Yunfan was afraid of damaging it and didn¡¯t dare to use too much force, leaving him completely puzzled in the end.


    Ling Yunfan spoke earnestly, ¡°Recognizing yourself and finding your position is one of the most important things in the workplace, even as a door. Besides protecting against thieves, you also have to consider how to make it easy for the owner to open. Do you understand?¡±


    Password door, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Are you expecting a door to care about you?


    Ling Yunfan was at a loss, ¡°How on earth do I open this door?!!¡±


    Just then, there came a crisp sound of someone pressing the password keys from outside the door.


    Someone was using the password to open the door.


    Ling Yunfan was so frightened that he stumbled backward and fell down miserably after being tripped by his own shoes.


    As soon as Ji Canghai entered the door, he saw Ling Yunfan lying on the ground in a twisted manner.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ji Canghai was stunned.


    Ling Yunfan thought to himself that the soundproofing effect of this door was really good. Even though he fell so loudly, no one outside could hear him. He said, ¡°Nothing, I was just looking at the ceiling. It¡¯s quite nice.¡±


    Ji Canghai looked up at the white ceiling, his expression as blank as the ceiling itself. Suddenly, he realized something and walked quickly to Ling Yunfan. ¡°Did you fall?¡± he asked.


    Ling Yunfan looked around nervously and said, ¡°Uh, yeah, I was just walking around and didn¡¯t realize my legs weren¡¯t working well. I tripped. Hold on a sec.¡±


    Ji Canghai lifted Ling Yunfan up once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m an alpha,¡± Ling Yunfan said.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ji Canghai replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m a dignified alpha,¡± Ling Yunfan continued.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ji Canghai repeated.


    ¡°Instinctual genes determine physiological instincts, so there is inevitably conflict between two alphas, such as mutual suppression of pheromones, subconscious competition for resources, and using comparative behavior to maintain dignity,¡± Ling Yunfan explained.


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°The pheromones between two alphas will not induce each other to go into heat as they do with an alpha and omega. They will not inhibit each other either.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, feeling exhausted, exclaimed, ¡°Is that the main point?¡±


    Ji Canghai asked in response, ¡°Then what is the main point?¡±


    Ling Yunfan protested, ¡°I can walk by myself. Don¡¯t carry me around like a stuffed animal.¡±


    Ji Canghai replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be carried, then stay in bed honestly. Don¡¯t walk around and fall.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, ¡°¡­¡±


    He thought to himself that this person was indeed the Ji Canghai he knew from high school.

 CH 12

    Ji Canghai carried Ling Yunfan back to bed and pulled his wrist to check his injury.


    Ling Yunfan withdrew his hand uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Ji Canghai glanced at Ling Yunfan but didn¡¯t insist, asking, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡±


    Ling Yunfan replied, ¡°There are leftovers in the fridge. Let¡¯s heat them up and not waste food.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Canghai agreed and left the room. Soon, the sound of clanging dishes came from the kitchen.


    Ling Yunfan lay back on the bed and sighed deeply. He thought to himself that he had failed to run away again.


    He had always had a strong sense of self-esteem. Leaving a message for Ji Canghai to explain his situation was already the bottom line for him in terms of saving face. If he had to confess to Ji Canghai that he was pretending to have amnesia to avoid revealing his embarrassing situation, he might as well be killed.


    Since he couldn¡¯t say it out loud, he could only continue to act.


    Feeling complicated, Ling Yunfan tossed and turned on the bed for a while like pancake, and was then called out by Ji Canghai for dinner.


    Both of them had their own concerns, so they ate in silence. After they were full, Ling Yunfan wanted to do the dishes, but Ji Canghai asked him to rest on the sofa in the living room.


    Ji Canghai put the dishes into the dishwasher and picked up a bag of kitchen waste, saying to Ling Yunfan, ¡°I¡¯ll go take out the trash and bring something up from the garage.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Yunfan replied, peeking out from the sofa and observing the entrance carefully.


    He saw Ji Canghai slide open the cover of the password lock and lightly press the center. The door opened immediately.


    Damn, so this is how high-end machinery often requires only the simplest operation?


    Door bro, I was wrong to blame you before!


    Although he understood how to open the door now, Ling Yunfan was not ready to leave yet. After all, this was a building with one household per floor, and it would be easy to run into Ji Canghai, who had not gone far if he took the elevator now.


    However, ten minutes later, Ji Canghai returned with big and small bags in his hands.


    Ling Yunfan was puzzled, ¡°What are all these for?¡±


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°Some essential daily necessities.¡± As he spoke, he opened the bag and took out items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, and towels, and put them in the bathroom.


    He busied himself for a while, then walked up to Ling Yunfan and handed him a set of pajamas.


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°I bought you a set of pajamas.¡±


    Ling Yunfan, who had only ever had his mother buy him pajamas, trembled as he reached out to take them.


    Ji Canghai said, ¡°Take a look and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll buy another set for you.¡±


    Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t even look at it and said, ¡°I like it.¡±


    As a guest in someone else¡¯s home, he couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. Otherwise, he would be like a guest at a dinner party, turning the table when someone else picked up a dish, and hitting the brakes when someone else drank water.


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Open it and take a look.¡±


    Ling Yunfan obediently opened the package and saw that it was a set of silver-gray silk pajamas. He couldn¡¯t tell what material it was made of, but it felt smooth and soft to the touch, and he thought it would be very comfortable to wear.


    ¡°I really like it,¡± Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t lie.


    Ji Canghai took the pajamas back and said, ¡°As long as you like it. I¡¯ll wash it now and put it in the dryer. It¡¯ll be ready to wear in half an hour. I¡¯ll buy you a few more sets for tomorrow.¡±


    Ling Yunfan was stunned.


    Ji Canghai, if you¡¯ve been possessed, blink your eyes.


    Ji Canghai stuffed his pajamas into the washing and drying machine and returned to find Ling Yunfan sitting on the sofa in a daze.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ji Canghai asked softly.


    Ling Yunfan looked at Ji Canghai and hesitantly asked, ¡°Why are you so good to me?¡±


    Ji Canghai was taken aback for a moment.


    Then he sighed and gave a helpless smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯m your lover. Shouldn¡¯t we take care of each other as lovers do?¡±


    Hearing his response, Ling Yunfan looked even more confused.


    Ji Canghai sat down next to Ling Yunfan, unbuttoned his shirt collar, exhaled to relax himself a little, then turned his head slightly and looked at Ling Yunfan. ¡°How much do you remember about our past?¡±


    Ling Yunfan looked guilty, looked at the floor, clenched his hands together, and smiled dryly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you?¡± Ji Canghai asked, ¡°The things you¡¯ve forgotten about our past.¡±


    Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t know what Ji Canghai meant, and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Ji Canghai got up and walked into the kitchen, poured himself half a glass of whiskey with ice, poured a cup of hot water for Ling Yunfan and handed it to him, then sat back on the sofa. Ji Canghai looked straight ahead, thought for a moment, and slowly said, ¡°The first time we met was when I was twelve years old, and I was very different from who I am now, so I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you, what was your first impression of me? Unfortunately, you¡¯ve forgotten it all.¡±


    Ling Yunfan remained silent.


    He lowered his head and looked at the transparent water cup in his hand. The water surface was rippling, and the hot steam was permeating, the temperature couldn¡¯t be ignored as it spread in his palm.


    Ling Yunfan hadn¡¯t forgotten.


    He remembered very clearly the first time he met Ji Canghai.


    The Ji Canghai in middle school and the Ji Canghai now were really two different people.


    The first time Ling Yunfan saw Ji Canghai was in the teacher¡¯s office in his first year of middle school.


    That day, as the class monitor, Ji Canghai helped the math teacher place the collected homework on his desk.


    When he placed the stack of homework on the desk, another teacher sitting across from the math teacher asked the small and skinny-looking boy, ¡°Have they really not been bullying you?¡±


    The boy was at least half a head shorter than Ling Yunfan, with slightly long hair and thick bangs that covered his eyes, making him look gloomy. His school uniform was too big for him, like a sack, with the sleeves covering his hands and the pant legs piled up on his shoes, making him look awkward.


    The boy looked down at his toes and shook his head.


    The teacher said with a sigh, ¡°If you are being bullied, you must tell the teacher, you know that?¡±


    The boy replied in a barely audible voice, ¡°¡­it¡¯s just teasing.¡±


    The teacher sighed again, ¡°I see, you can go back now.¡±


    The boy turned around and walked out of the office without lifting his head once.


    While the math teacher directed Ling Yunfan to sort out the homework, he asked the other teacher, ¡°Is that your class monitor, Ji Canghai?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the teacher sighed, ¡°as you know, we have some unruly students in our class. This kid is being bullied by them every day, but he doesn¡¯t dare to say anything.¡±


    The math teacher asked, ¡°Did you tell his parents?¡±


    The teacher replied, ¡°Yes, but his mother doesn¡¯t care about him.¡±


    The math teacher asked, ¡°What about his father?¡±


    The teacher said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him¡­¡±


    The math teacher lamented, ¡°It¡¯s really troublesome. When parents don¡¯t care, there¡¯s nothing we teachers can do even if we have the power.¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m done with the homework.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, you worked hard,¡± the math teacher replied. ¡°You can go back to your class now.¡±


    Ling Yunfan put down the sleeves he had rolled up to work and walked out of the teacher¡¯s office. Just then, he saw the skinny boy he had just seen entering the classroom of Class One, with his head down with heavy steps.


    Soon after, the noisy sound of teasing and laughter emanated from Class One.


    Ling Yunfan stood in the hallway, trying to look into the classroom of Class One, but the bell ringing abruptly made him startle, and he hurried back to his own class.


    After school, Ling Yunfan asked his friends curiously about Class One.


    ¡°Oh, Class One,¡± his friend replied, ¡°they have several bullies there who are always lurking in the hallway and bullying people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t the teachers do anything about it?¡± Ling Yunfan asked.


    ¡°In front of the teachers, they act like angels,¡± his friend said. ¡°I heard the teachers even called their parents, but they¡¯re not afraid of anything. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Ling Yunfan thought of the skinny boy he had seen in the office today and frowned, feeling uncomfortable.

 CH 13

    8-10 minutes 04.06.2023


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    Fate has always been an inexplicable thing.


    That night, Ling Yunfan saw Ji Canghai again.


    Every Friday and Saturday night, Ling¡¯s father would take Ling Yunfan to the park near their community to play basketball.


    After finishing playing basketball that night and on their way home, Ling Yunfan casually glanced at a skinny boy sitting in a dark corner behind a flower bed near a small community. The boy was idly playing with his toy model.


    The boy was Ji Canghai.


    Since that day, Ling Yunfan started paying attention to that spot and could always see Ji Canghai squatting near the flower bed in the community, sometimes lost in thought and sometimes reading a book.


    After summer vacation began, Ling Yunfan started going to the park to play basketball more often.


    On this day, in the sweltering and humid evening, a loud thunder echoed through the sky, followed by pouring rain catching everyone off guard.


    Ling Yunfan, who had just arrived at the park with his ball, was screaming and running home while being drenched in the rain.


    Halfway through his run, while passing by the flower bed in that small community, Ling Yunfan caught sight of Ji Canghai standing in the rain, staring blankly at the sky. He was completely soaked, with his black hair sticking to his cheeks, and his skinny body shivering in the cold wind.


    Ling Yunfan¡¯s running figure paused.


    The ground rippled, and in an instant, Ling Yunfan changed his direction, treading on the accumulated water that seemed to make the tall buildings and big mansions sway and ran towards Ji Canghai.


    His arrival clearly startled Ji Canghai.


    The rain was too heavy for Ling Yunfan to bother with introductions. He put his hands over his head meaninglessly to shield himself from the rain and shouted over the thunder, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going home in this heavy rain?¡±


    Ji Canghai stuttered, ¡°I, I can¡¯t go back.¡±


    Ling Yunfan asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Ji Canghai repeated, ¡°I just can¡¯t go back.¡±


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°Do you want to come to my house and take shelter from the rain?¡±


    Ji Canghai widened his eyes, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Forget it, come with me.¡± Ling Yunfan decided that if they continued to be soaked in the rain like this, they would both catch a cold and have a runny nose the next day. He grabbed Ji Canghai¡¯s arm and pulled him in the direction of his house.


    The two drenched rats caused chaos for Ling¡¯s mother.


    As she rushed to get towels from the bathroom, Ling Yunfan¡¯s mother asked him, ¡°Fanfan, who is this?¡±


    Ling Yunfan wiped the water from his face and said, ¡°My friend.¡±


    Ji Canghai looked at Ling Yunfan incredulously, then lowered his head in confusion.


    Ling¡¯s mother said, ¡°Quickly, go take a hot shower.¡±


    The two of them took a refreshing hot shower, changed into clean clothes, and came out to be given a bowl of hot ginger and brown sugar soup by Ling¡¯s mother, which made them feel warm both physically and mentally.


    Ji Canghai was wearing Ling Yunfan¡¯s clothes, which were loose and baggy on him because of his small size.


    Ling Yunfan found it funny and kept pulling at the clothes, making Ji Canghai unsure of what to do, with a flushed face and no words.


    As she saw Ling Yunfan pull the collar of Ji Canghai¡¯s clothes to his shoulders, Ling¡¯s mother acted justly and slapped Ling Yunfan¡¯s misbehaving hand, sanctioning him.


    The summer rain was fierce but brief.


    After the two finished drinking the ginger soup, the rain outside also stopped.


    Ji Canghai glanced at the clock on the living room wall and said politely, ¡°The rain has stopped, and I should be going home now. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Ling¡¯s mother smiled kindly. ¡°You can wear these clothes and take your wet ones with you in a plastic bag.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie,¡± Ji Canghai replied.


    ¡°Aww, so polite,¡± Ling¡¯s mother said.


    Ling Yunfan walked Ji Canghai to the entrance, but they were not familiar with each other. Their previous actions could only be described as impulsive, so for a moment, neither of them spoke.


    But as they walked out the door, Ji Canghai lowered his head and softly said, ¡°Thank you¡± to Ling Yunfan.


    Ling Yunfan grinned and replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    The next day, Ling Yunfan went to the park, as usual, to play basketball in the evening and once again saw Ji Canghai at the flower bed in the neighboring community.


    Ji Canghai was not standing in the shadows as before, but instead, he looked around. When he saw Ling Yunfan, he ran over and handed him the bag of clean clothes, saying, ¡°Here are your clothes. I washed them for you. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Ling Yunfan smiled and took the bag.


    Ji Canghai nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Ling Yunfan stopped him and said, ¡°Why do you stay here every night? I¡¯ve seen you several times.¡±


    Ji Canghai stuttered, ¡°B-because¡­ because¡­¡± He fidgeted with his hands and finally managed to say, ¡°My¡­ my dad is here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ling Yunfan didn¡¯t hear clearly.


    But Ji Canghai didn¡¯t intend to say it again and fell silent.


    Ling Yunfan said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s boring to be alone. Do you want to come with me to the park ahead? I¡¯ll teach you how to play basketball.¡±


    Ji Canghai suddenly looked up, his eyes full of disbelief and shock. He said, ¡°Can¡­ we really do that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Ling Yunfan pulled Ji Canghai to his side and put his arm around his shoulder with a friendly and sunny smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After that day, although they never made a verbal agreement, the two boys always met in the park in the evening, playing basketball, climbing mountains, drinking soda, watching old men play chess, and being caught by old ladies to learn square dancing. The summer was thus colorful, and their companionship left the most carefree and enthusiastic memories of their youth.


    Perhaps because he followed Ling Yunfan and monkeyed around all day, Ji Canghai not only grew taller but also became more muscular after more than a month.


    After playing basketball that day, Ling Yunfan tilted his head and drank half a bottle of water, exhaling with satisfaction and looking at Ji Canghai.


    Ji Canghai was drinking water with his head down, his half-long hair sticking to his forehead because of sweat, casting a shadow that covered his eyes.


    ¡°Your hair¡­¡± Ling Yunfan reached out to Ji Canghai, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you? Why don¡¯t you go and get a haircut?¡±


    As he spoke, he naturally lifted up Ji Canghai¡¯s bangs.


    Ji Canghai raised his head in a panic and looked at Ling Yunfan.


    Ling Yunfan was taken aback.


    Because Ji Canghai habitually lowered his head, Ling Yunfan had never stared into his eyes for a long time.


    Now upon closer inspection, whether it was his fan-like lashes or his ink-black eyes that seemed to hold the rhythm of the stars and moon, they were exquisitely beautiful. Ling Yunfan stared fixedly and inexplicably thought of a clear summer night, looking up and gazing at the Milky Way flowing across the sky.


    Ji Canghai bowed uncomfortably, feeling his forehead where Ling Yunfan had covered it suddenly heating up. ¡°No, it¡¯s not a problem. Why¡­why?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ling Yunfan said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s go get a haircut, okay?¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ling Yunfan prattled on, ¡°Are you going? Are you going? Let¡¯s go, Let¡¯s go, okay?!!¡±


    Ji Canghai, ¡°Uh¡­uh¡­go, go? Alright, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ling Yunfan grabbed Ji Canghai and went to find a hair salon.