Chapter 24: Rescue

The bus window was cracked slightly, letting the wind swirl in and carrying the faint scent of Wen Xi’s perfume.

The patch of skin on Cheng Si’s waist where she touched felt as if it had been struck by an electric current. He lunged back into his seat, his back hitting the headrest with a heavy thud. Ignoring the impact, he scrambled to sit upright, so embarrassed that he had to turn his face entirely toward the window.

“Oh, so you don’t want to sit here after all,” Wen Xi said, glancing at him with a calm voice. “No need to be in such a hurry to pull away, is there?”

“I don’t!” Terrified she would misunderstand, Cheng Si whipped his head back around, explaining even more urgently: “It’s not that I don’t want to.”

Wen Xi’s inquisitive gaze landed on his face as she continued slowly, “So, you do want to sit on me?”

“…” Cheng Si was trapped. Whether he answered yes or no, the implications were dangerous. His ears burned, and his face turned a deep shade of red before he could force out a stiff sentence: “…I’m too heavy. I’d crush you.”

Wen Xi let out an “Ah” of sudden realization. “That’s true.” She thought for a few seconds before musing, “Actually, as long as you don’t sit all the way down, it might work? But that would probably be very tiring for you.”

Cheng Si: “…”

The girl’s tone was serious, as if she were genuinely considering his physical exertion. To Cheng Si’s ears, however, her words were like a hook dragging across his senses. His body tensed involuntarily, his mind a chaotic mess of shame. Was it just his imagination? It felt like Wen Xi meant something beyond the literal words.

Taking in his dazed expression, Wen Xi finally couldn’t hold it back. Her shoulders shook slightly, and a thread of a smile reached her eyes. This person was simply too much fun. A few words were enough to make him blush like this.

“Just sit properly,” Wen Xi said, her expression relaxing into a rare state devoid of distance. She complained casually, “Sitting here is agonizing.”

In all her life, this was the first time she had sat in such a cramped, bumpy vehicle. She hoped this exhausting journey would be worth the trouble.

Realizing something, Cheng Si turned to her, his eyes bright. “You weren’t sleeping earlier?”

“The sun is so piercing, how could I sleep?” Wen Xi pointed to the curtain. “This thing is broken. It won’t slide. It doesn’t block anything.”

Cheng Si reached for it, and indeed, it was stuck. The early autumn sun was still harsh, piercing through the glass and stinging the skin.

“You’re tall. Block it for me,” Wen Xi said.

Cheng Si gave a slow “Mhm,” the brightness in his eyes dimming. He had been overthinking again. He had actually dared to imagine that Wen Xi had stayed awake waiting for him to sit next to her.

Cheng Si shifted slightly, angling his body so his broad back blocked the harsh rays. His tall silhouette cast a cool shadow over Wen Xi’s fair face. Being this close, Cheng Si noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes. He frowned. “Haven’t you been sleeping well lately?”

“No,” Wen Xi replied. “I’ve been dealing with insomnia.”

“Then sleep,” Cheng Si said, his hurt feelings vanishing instantly, replaced by heartache. “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Wen Xi was nearly amused again by his solemn tone. “Okay,” she coughed to hide her smile, adjusted herself into a comfortable position with her head on the headrest, and closed her eyes. Before long, her breathing became even.

Despite the cramped bus, the bumpy road, and the noisy chatter of the other students, Wen Xi—rarely for her—fell into a very deep sleep.

In the haze of slumber, she felt a palm with light calluses gently support her head as it began to tilt to the side. The hand was dry, warm, and incredibly gentle. It gave her a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in a long time.

The bus arrived at the destination around 11:00 AM. As they disembarked, Lin Yang saw Cheng Si wake Wen Xi. Wen Xi said “thank you,” and Cheng Si nodded with pursed lips, not moving to get up immediately.

Everyone assumed he was waiting for the others to clear the aisle. Only Lin Yang observed that he remained seated because the arm that had supported Wen Xi’s head for the entire journey was now so numb and stiff that he literally couldn’t move it.

Lin Yang typed to her friend through tears: 【Ugh, I have no regrets about the ‘Princess’ coming on this trip. HE! TRULY! LOVES! HER!】

The students gathered in the lobby of the ocean-view hotel. Jin Ping, the class monitor, returned from the front desk with key cards. “I have to apologize, everyone. It seems a few students will have to squeeze together for the next few days.”

A student raised their hand in confusion. “What do you mean? Don’t we get our own rooms?”

Jin Ping looked embarrassed. “I wanted to arrange private rooms for everyone, but I based the reservation numbers on previous years… I even added a buffer. I didn’t expect everyone to be so enthusiastic this year. The turnout is nearly double. The hotel is fully booked on the top floors; we only have the seventeen rooms we originally reserved.”

“Ugh…” someone complained. “But I don’t want to share a room.”

“Let me ask first,” Jin Ping scanned the group. “Is anyone willing to share a room with another classmate?”

More than half the students raised their hands. Class 7 had many Omegas, and many were friends who had come together. Cheng Si also raised his hand, intending to room with Jiang Shuo. But then he looked up and saw Wen Xi hadn’t raised hers.

By the time he wanted to lower his hand, Jin Ping had finished counting. “Alright, those who want to stay alone, come get a key card for a King room.”

Wen Xi stepped forward and took a King room card. Once those were distributed, only Twin rooms were left.

Jin Ping spoke to the sixteen students willing to share. “Do you want to draw lots or choose your roommates?”

“Choose, obviously,” one student said. “If it’s a blind box, I’d rather have stayed in a single room.”

“Fine,” Jin Ping nodded. “Once you’ve decided, come get your card.”

The students paired up. Finally, only Cheng Si and Jiang Shuo were left. The two looked at each other, seeing mutual exasperation.

Jin Ping urged, “What are you doing? Come get your card.” Jiang Shuo pointed out weakly, “Teacher, the two of us can’t stay together, can we?”

Jin Ping: “Why not? You two are always hanging out.” Jiang Shuo: “One Alpha, one Omega… are you sure?”

Reminded, Jin Ping remembered Cheng Si had differentiated into an Omega. He and Jiang Shuo looked at each other, both wearing the same expression.

“…” Jiang Shuo wanted to slap himself. Who would have thought the number of Alphas on this trip would be an odd number? If he’d known he’d be the odd man out, he wouldn’t have raised his hand!

Jin Ping turned to the other Omegas who chose King rooms: “Um, would any of you be willing to swap with Jiang Shuo…?”

A heavy, awkward silence followed. No one wanted to give up their privacy while on vacation.

Cheng Si looked toward Wen Xi. She didn’t speak; she was looking down at her phone as if she hadn’t heard a word.

Jin Ping had no choice. “I’ll draw lots. Whoever is drawn will stay with the person of the same gender from these two, and the leftover person gets a King room.”

After the shuffle, a male Omega was drawn. His face instantly crumbled. “I don’t want to! I don’t want to! Cheng Si is so fierce, he hits people! Who would dare stay with him? If I accidentally provoke him, he’ll punch me to death! If this is the plan, I’m not playing! I’ll call my driver to take me home right now!!”

Cheng Si stood there awkwardly. Just as he was spiraling into embarrassment, his phone buzzed.

He looked down, then walked over to the complaining Omega. “Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “You can still sleep alone. I’ll find somewhere else.” The Omega stopped shouting, satisfied. “At least you’re sensible.”

Jiang Shuo rolled his eyes at the Omega, feeling indignant for Cheng Si. “What kind of stereotypical garbage is that… wait, how can you still smile after being talked about like that?” Cheng Si coughed. “There’s no need to care about irrelevant people.”

“Sure, but where are you sleeping?” Jiang Shuo asked. “I checked the nearby hotels; everything’s booked solid.” “Don’t worry about it,” Cheng Si suppressed a smile. “I have a place to sleep.”

He looked at StarChat again. On the screen was a new message from Wen Xi. [?: Come to my room.]

After the long trip, Jin Ping arranged for lunch. Because the wind was unfavorable, they didn’t head out to see the whales yet. Instead, the guide took them to nearby scenic spots. That evening, there was a beach party. Everyone played so wildly that no one noticed when Wen Xi excused herself, saying she felt unwell, and Cheng Si quietly followed shortly after.

The two emerged from the elevator, walking one behind the other toward Wen Xi’s room.

Wen Xi walked slowly, and Cheng Si matched her pace. He was a head taller than her. If he looked down slightly, he could see the crown of her head—the small whorl of hair was as delicate as her features. The hallway lights cut through her well-kept curls, reflecting different shades.

At this distance, he smelled her perfume again. It was cold, crisp, and distancing—a very “Wen Xi” scent that served as a perfect warning for strangers not to approach.

“I helped you out of a jam. Not even a thank you?” Wen Xi said suddenly.

Cheng Si snapped out of it and quickly said, “Thank you.” Then he heard Wen Xi ask meaningfully, “I kept you from living on the streets, and all I get is a ‘thank you’?”

“I know it’s not enough.” Thinking of all the times Wen Xi had helped him lately, Cheng Si lowered his eyes and said sincerely, “But I don’t know what else I can do to repay you.”

Wen Xi had everything. Even the most complex problems seemed to become simple in her hands. In contrast, the things he gave her—a dinner, a bowl of tofu pudding, class notes—Wen Xi had never said she needed them. He knew clearly that even his affection might be redundant to her.

Arriving at the door, Wen Xi swiped the card. “Do you really want to repay me, or is this just polite talk?” “I mean it,” Cheng Si said seriously.

Wen Xi turned around to face him, giving him a choice. “I can find another place for you to stay. But if you choose to stay here, I might want to see the ‘sincerity’ of your repayment tonight.”

Cheng Si’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly realized what “sincerity” referred to.

“Well?” Wen Xi pushed the door open, stepped back, and said softly, “Are you coming in?”

The girl’s eyelids were thin, her lashes thick and long. Every feature was exquisite, even the color of her lips. Cheng Si felt he had no reason to refuse. He licked his dry lips and nodded.

Wen Xi stepped aside to let him in, then closed the door. With a click, she engaged the lock. A single door now separated them from the rest of the world.

“Sh-should I shower first? Or just…” Cheng Si was so nervous he was almost incoherent. “Maybe I should wash up. I was near the grill earlier, and we walked a lot this afternoon, I’m sweaty…”

Wen Xi looked at him with amusement. “You didn’t think I was going to ‘do’ you right now, did you?”

Cheng Si, who had already imagined a hundred scenarios in his head, froze. “Oh… I wasn’t?”

Wen Xi didn’t explain further. She lowered her voice and simply said, “Go shower.”

Cheng Si felt a slight pang of disappointment but obediently entered the bathroom. This hotel didn’t have suites. Compared to a luxury hotel, the room was average, and the bathroom used a traditional frosted glass door. A person outside could see the rough silhouette of someone inside.

Cheng Si stripped and stood under the shower. As the fine lines of water washed over him, Wen Xi saw the silhouette of his broad shoulders, his narrow waist, and further down… Accompanied by the clear sound of running water, the steam began to fog the frosted glass, making the outline even more blurred.

Wen Xi’s gaze sharpened with a trace of Alpha aggression. She realized she couldn’t just sit there and wait for him to come out.

She hesitated for only a few seconds. Then, Wen Xi stood up and slid open the bathroom door.

The glass door hit the frame with a clatter. Perhaps not expecting her to come in, Cheng Si panicked. His feet slipped. He reacted quickly, bracing himself against the toilet to avoid falling as clumsily as he had on the bus.

He let out a breath and tried to stand up. But a snow-white hand pressed down with moderate force on his spine, keeping him there.

“What is it?” Cheng Si swallowed hard, fighting his shame as he turned his head to look at Wen Xi behind him.

Wen Xi laughed but didn’t speak. Her gaze roamed from his nape all the way down to his toes. The loose school uniforms usually hid his physique, but now, stripped of those disguises, Wen Xi discovered that Cheng Si’s waistline was like an inverted arch. Especially from the angle of him bending over away from her, his glutes were exceptionally firm and curved.

Under her gaze, Cheng Si couldn’t help but squeeze his legs together. Wen Xi stopped him, reaching out a finger to curiously hook something. “What’s this?”

“…” Cheng Si’s pupils shrank. His legs felt weak, and he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Wen Xi caught his waist to steady him.

The next second, he lifted his head tremulously. He saw Wen Xi rub her fingers together with interest and ask, without changing her expression:

“Is this body wash? It’s sticky… it got all over my hand.”