TAO | Chapter 20

Jiang Zhan looked Wei Xiaochi up and down before suddenly asking, “What are you angry about?”

Wei Xiaochi’s brow twitched, and he stammered, “I’m not angry.”

“Not angry?” Jiang Zhan stared at Wei Xiaochi with a displeased expression, clearly not believing him.

Wei Xiaochi felt uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly avoided eye contact, turning his head.

To Jiang Zhan, this just confirmed Wei Xiaochi’s guilt. He reached out and pinched his face. “What’s with the temper? Speak up. What’s got you angry?”

Wei Xiaochi recoiled slightly, quietly retorting, “How could I be angry over paying you back?”

“I told you not to pay me back. Didn’t you hear me?” Jiang Zhan pinched his face, twisting it with frustration, teeth clenched. “You call Li Suilin ‘class monitor’ so affectionately, and you’re going to take out your anger on me? Huh?”

Wei Xiaochi immediately shrank back. “I-I really wasn’t angry.”

Jiang Zhan snapped, “Bullshit.”

Seeing that Jiang Zhan was genuinely angry, Wei Xiaochi didn’t say anything else, silently enduring the continued pinching of his face.

After his outburst, the alpha sat down, his jaw clenched, his face stormy. He lowered his head to fiddle with his phone, as if it had wronged him deeply.

Wei Xiaochi curled up in the corner of the car, trying to make himself as small as possible, staying silent the entire time.

When they arrived at the shopping mall, Jiang Zhan scanned the payment for the ride and didn’t even spare a glance at Wei Xiaochi. He opened the car door and walked out.

Wei Xiaochi thanked the driver, slowly got out of the car, and stood still for a moment, unsure whether to walk or follow Jiang Zhan.

This person was so difficult to deal with. Even when paying him back, he had to endure a scolding.

Jiang Zhan suddenly turned around, shooting Wei Xiaochi a fierce glare. “Hurry up, why are you just standing there?”

Wei Xiaochi, startled by the shout, immediately began to walk briskly, catching up with Jiang Zhan.

Wei Xiaochi followed Jiang Zhan into an upscale inhibitor specialty store, where a male omega approached them.

The store clerk smiled and asked, “Hello, how can I help you?”

Jiang Zhan was succinct. “Omega inhibitors.”

The clerk nodded. “Please follow me.”

The clerk led them to a glass display case and began introducing the various types of inhibitors.

Most inhibitors on the market were similar in function, with brands only differentiating themselves by convenience and portability.

Wei Xiaochi glanced at the price tags, his blood pressure rising steadily.

If all these inhibitors were this expensive, he’d rather stay a regular beta for the rest of his life.

He nudged Jiang Zhan with his elbow, speaking softly, “Can you step out for a moment?”

Jiang Zhan lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Wei Xiaochi, his expression neutral. He walked out of the store without saying anything.

Jiang Zhan, with his hands in his pockets, didn’t look at Wei Xiaochi. His chin was slightly raised, his demeanor still proud and distant.

He asked, nonchalantly, “What is it?”

Wei Xiaochi looked around quickly and noticed the omega clerk who had been introducing the inhibitors was watching them through the window.

Avoiding the clerk’s gaze, Wei Xiaochi quietly said, “I’ll buy the inhibitor myself. Everything here is too expensive.”

Although he was frugal and had a habit of trying to get a deal, he didn’t like taking advantage of others.

Jiang Zhan finally acknowledged him with a glance, raising an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

Wei Xiaochi nodded.

Without saying another word, Jiang Zhan turned and walked back into the store.

Wei Xiaochi stood there, unsure of what Jiang Zhan was planning to do. He hesitated, wondering whether he should go in after him. But considering their relationship, he didn’t think Jiang Zhan would actually buy him the inhibitor after he had said as much.

Two minutes later, Jiang Zhan emerged from the store, holding a large white shopping bag.

Wei Xiaochi had underestimated how quickly Jiang Zhan could spend money. In just a few minutes, he had bought so much.

Jiang Zhan walked over to Wei Xiaochi, standing right in front of him. He pulled something from the shopping bag and shoved it into Wei Xiaochi’s arms.

“An inhibitor. One box contains five vials.”

The style Jiang Zhan chose was very plain, but the rest of the items were more extravagant—

A bracelet-style inhibitor, a pendant-style inhibitor, a brooch-style inhibitor, and even a ring-shaped inhibitor.

When an omega is in heat or during differentiation, these inhibitors can block an alpha’s ability to detect pheromones, preventing them from involuntarily going into heat.

Jiang Zhan unwrapped one of the inhibitors. It was a colorful braided bracelet with silver metal clasps on both ends, and a groove button on one side. When pressed, the inhibitor would be released.

Jiang Zhan fastened the bracelet onto Wei Xiaochi’s left wrist. “Wear these every day until your differentiation, except when you’re showering.”

Wei Xiaochi was stunned. Seeing Jiang Zhan about to open another inhibitor, he quickly stopped him.

“One is enough. Return the rest.”

Jiang Zhan frowned, his tone irritable. “What if this thing fails? Or if there’s not enough medicine, or the quality is bad?”

Any of those scenarios could cause serious trouble for Wei Xiaochi.

When an alpha goes into a frenzy, their speed and strength are far beyond normal. He might not even be able to take the inhibitor before being pinned down and marked by the alpha.

Wei Xiaochi understood what Jiang Zhan meant. With these inhibitors, even if he began to differentiate without taking an inhibitor, it would at least delay the process until someone could intervene.

Wei Xiaochi pressed his lips together, feeling a mix of emotions, a subtle, hard-to-name feeling tugging at him.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, “Are you always this… kind-hearted to others?”

Saying Jiang Zhan was kind-hearted wasn’t quite accurate, but Wei Xiaochi couldn’t think of a better word to use.

Usually, Jiang Zhan paid him no attention, so he didn’t expect him to be so reliable when something serious happened. Last time, when he got beaten up by Fang Zhixin, Jiang Zhan was there for him. And now, he was taking him to the hospital for a gender test and buying inhibitors and blockers in the mall.

Was this alpha just loyal to those he knew, or…?

Jiang Zhan’s face darkened at his words. He snapped, “What are you thinking? I just don’t want you releasing pheromones all over the place when you differentiate.”

“Especially in front of me.” Jiang Zhan suddenly yanked Wei Xiaochi’s collar, his voice cold with warning. “Don’t think just because you’re an omega, you can use pheromones to tempt me. If you dare, I’ll…”

He raised his fist, and Wei Xiaochi, thinking he was about to be hit, instinctively covered his head.

Seeing Wei Xiaochi cower like that made Jiang Zhan even more annoyed. He gritted his teeth and snarled, “Just wear the inhibitor and the blocker properly.”

Wei Xiaochi quickly nodded. “I understand, I’ll wear them.”

Jiang Zhan still seemed unsatisfied. He stared at Wei Xiaochi for a long while, his eyes unsettling.

Suddenly, he reached out and started pinching Wei Xiaochi’s face again, as if he was collecting old debts.

“What was with you getting angry with me before? Why are you always angry with me? Do you think I’m an easy target?”

Wei Xiaochi felt completely wronged. He didn’t always get angry with Jiang Zhan—okay, maybe just a tiny bit. But that was only because Jiang Zhan had started it with his hurtful words. Those remarks didn’t even deserve a response, so why was it always him getting the anger?

Wei Xiaochi’s face burned with embarrassment, and he let out a helpless sigh as he endured another round of face pinching.

Jiang Zhan had taken Wei Xiaochi’s phone, and he desperately wanted to call Li Suilin to ask if he could still make it to class for an hour.

However, ever since leaving the mall, Jiang Zhan’s mood had been so sour that Wei Xiaochi didn’t dare bring it up.

After a long internal debate, Wei Xiaochi tentatively spoke, “Well, it’s getting late. Maybe we…”

Jiang Zhan cut him off, his face deadpan. “I’m hungry.”

Wei Xiaochi opened his mouth, then closed it, not saying anything.

Jiang Zhan’s eyes glinted with irritation. “I’m hungry!”

Wei Xiaochi stared down at the tiled ground, asking meekly, “What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Zhan replied casually, “The beef noodles we had last time are on the next street. It’s just a few minutes’ walk.”

Wei Xiaochi raised his head, surprised. “Didn’t you say that place didn’t taste good?”

Jiang Zhan’s expression faltered for a moment before he turned his head, irritated. “Because it’s close, and I’m too lazy to think of somewhere else.”

Wei Xiaochi glanced at Jiang Zhan again and became more certain of a previous suspicion—Jiang Zhan clearly had a hard time making decisions.

The street was lined with luxury boutiques, coffee shops, and various restaurants, all with one thing in common—expensive prices.

The beef noodle shop they had visited last time was one of the more affordable options.

It was still not even 7 p.m., so the noodle shop wasn’t crowded. Just like last time, Wei Xiaochi ordered a bowl of cheap tomato and egg noodles.

Seeing that Jiang Zhan had ordered the beef noodles, Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Wasn’t he the one who complained about the place last time? Was he now convinced it was actually good?

Wei Xiaochi stood up, grabbed two pairs of chopsticks from the disinfecting cabinet, and brought Jiang Zhan an extra spoon.

After sitting down, he placed the chopsticks and spoon on a napkin and asked Jiang Zhan for his phone back.

Jiang Zhan gave him a look of indifference. “What do you want with your phone?”

Wei Xiaochi wanted to ask him why he had taken his phone, but he was too scared to say anything.

He had already given up on going to Li Suilin’s for tutoring, as even if he went now, Han Ziyang and the others would probably have left already.

Wei Xiaochi said, “I’m worried my family might call me.”

Jiang Zhan shot him a look that clearly said, “You’d better.”

He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Wei Xiaochi, his gaze never leaving him, as if watching every move he made.

Wei Xiaochi felt a bit uneasy under Jiang Zhan’s constant scrutiny, unsure how he had suddenly become like a strict teacher.

Under that unsettling gaze, Wei Xiaochi opened WeChat and found Jiang Zhan’s contact.

After a long hesitation, Wei Xiaochi transferred 435 to Jiang Zhan.

He had 1,000 yuan in his WeChat from tutoring Jiang Zhan and the others that week, but hadn’t had the chance to deposit it yet.

As for the things Jiang Zhan had bought him today… Wei Xiaochi needed to figure it out carefully before deciding how to handle it.

Returning the money to Jiang Zhan felt unfair, because if he had been asked to buy inhibitors and blockers, he wouldn’t have spent this much money.

But not returning it felt wrong too, so he had to think it through.

Jiang Zhan’s phone buzzed, and when he checked it, his brow furrowed. He lifted his gaze to Wei Xiaochi, asking coldly, “What’s this supposed to mean?”