Chapter 12
Jiang Li stared at their group chat with a faint frown resting between his brows. It was only 7:04 a.m., yet he was already seated inside the café as if he had an early morning class, all because Luo Xin and Guo Chen had relentlessly dragged him out of bed with their messages.
>[ Li-er...can you come to the cafe please~] –Guo Chen ( 6:03 AM )
[ But I don't have a morning class today ]
[ Oh don't be like that, do it for your Jie Jie ] –Luo Xin
[ Please~ ] – Guo Chen (×2 )
Barely thirty minutes later, he had found himself here—alone.
Letting out a soft sigh, Jiang Li exited the chat, only for his wallpaper to appear on the screen. His gaze softened almost instantly.
It was Shen Yu.
The photo captured him leaning against a bridge railing, his dark hair tousled wildly by the wind while a cigarette rested lazily between his fingers. The faint curl of smoke blurred the edges of his already sharp features, giving him an almost unreal kind of beauty—something distant, untouchable.
Jiang Li's eyes slowly grew half-lidded as he traced the image with his gaze, his fingers unconsciously brushing the small bunny charm hanging from his phone case. He leaned further into the oversized black hoodie draped over his slender frame, burying his face slightly into the fabric as he inhaled.
The faint trace of whiskey and rosewood still lingered.
His breath came out soft.
"Is that your Alpha?"
The voice came so suddenly and so close that Jiang Li nearly dropped his phone in shock. His heart stuttered as heat rushed to his cheeks, blooming into a deep, unmistakable flush.
My Alpha…
…he wished.
The thought slipped through his mind before he could stop it, quiet and almost painful in its honesty.
A different scent followed—the smell of wet sand after rain, mixed with the crisp freshness of forest dew. It spread slowly but deliberately, like something trying to assert presence.
Jiang Li looked up.
A silver-eyed Alpha stood before him, his gaze fixed with interest. The intensity of it made Jiang Li's blush fade slightly, not out of comfort but indifference. He turned off his phone and looked away, unsure of what to say and unwilling to make himself seem even more… embarrassing.
"He's not," Jiang Li muttered softly. "He's just… someone I know."
The Alpha chuckled, his pheromones unfurling wider, almost like a peacock displaying its feathers. He took the seat beside Jiang Li without invitation, clearly expecting a reaction that never came.
That alone made his expression tighten.
What had caught his attention earlier was simple—a quiet omega, pretty and soft-looking, with a delicate rose scent. The kind of presence that usually drew attention without effort.
But now, sitting beside him, Jiang Li appeared distant. His gaze lowered, fingers idly tracing patterns on the table, his earlier warmth gone as if it had never existed.
The Alpha's eyes flickered with annoyance.
"Hmm. You know him?" he scoffed lightly. "I guess you're one of those K-pop fans then."
Jiang Li blinked, slightly confused before realization dawned. A soft, almost helpless smile curved his lips.
K-pop fan?
Was Shen Yu supposed to be some idol now?
Before he could respond—
"I told you when we left the house, Mei! We are not stopping anywhere!"
The familiar voice cut through the café like a blade.
Jiang Li froze.
His breath caught instantly, color flooding back into his cheeks as if someone had lit a fire beneath his skin.
"But brother! I'm craving a vanilla latte. You cannot deprive an omega of what they need! I'm already pitying your boyfriend!"
Shen Mei's voice followed, bright and dramatic as always.
Jiang Li's eyes snapped toward the entrance, completely forgetting the Alpha beside him. His attention narrowed to a single point—the doorway—as anticipation curled tightly in his chest.
When Shen Mei stepped inside, her hair catching the morning light, Jiang Li barely noticed her.
Because just behind her—
The scent arrived first.
Whiskey and rosewood, rich and intoxicating, slid into the café like an invisible wave.
And then Shen Yu walked in.
He pushed his already messy hair back with one hand, exposing his forehead in a careless motion that made Jiang Li's heart stutter violently. There was something unfair about how effortless he looked, as if the world bent slightly to accommodate his presence.
Jiang Li stared.
To him, that single movement felt devastating.
Shen Yu's steps slowed.
His dark eyes landed on Jiang Li.
For a brief second, something flickered—surprise, perhaps—but it vanished just as quickly.
Jiang Li instinctively glanced to the side, checking if the Alpha was still there, only to find the seat empty. The man had already left, irritation clear in the way he abandoned the conversation.
Relief loosened Jiang Li's chest.
And then Shen Yu was standing in front of him.
His gaze dropped to the oversized hoodie Jiang Li was wearing, lingering there just long enough to make Jiang Li's stomach twist.
Oh no...
Jiang Li lowered his head, bracing himself for harsh words—for anger, for disgust, for anything that would confirm what he already believed about himself.
Instead—
A quiet chuckle.
"You're really something, aren't you?" Shen Yu said, settling into the seat beside him. "When did you steal this?"
Jiang Li's heart began pounding uncontrollably.
The tone wasn't warm.
But it wasn't cold either.
There was no sharp edge, no irritation—only a strange, almost amused curiosity that left Jiang Li even more unsettled.
"I… I…" he stammered, the words tangling uselessly in his throat as embarrassment burned through him.
"Don't answer," Shen Yu cut in calmly, glancing at his watch. "You'll take forever."
Those dark eyes shifted back to Jiang Li, steady and unreadable.
"Do you have a morning class?"
Jiang Li shook his head quickly.
Shen Yu leaned back slightly, exhaling as if relieved.
"Good."
There was a brief pause before his gaze flicked again to the hoodie.
"Do you want me to forget how you invaded my privacy… and stole my clothes?" he continued, his tone even, almost casual as he gestured toward Jiang Li's outfit.
Jiang Li's ears burned.
"Then do me a favor."
The words came out so naturally that Jiang Li didn't even hesitate.
"What is it?" he asked immediately, his eyes widening with curiosity.
Shen Yu leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table, his expression calm—too calm for what he was about to say.
"Date me."
Silence.
Jiang Li's mind went completely blank.
"…What?!" he blurted, his voice rising in shock as his face turned bright red.
" What?!"
Another voice echoed the same disbelief.
Jiang Li turned.
Shen Mei stood there, frozen mid-step, her vanilla latte in hand and her eyes wide behind her glasses as she stared between them.
Then, slowly—very slowly—understanding dawned.
She looked at Jiang Li.
Then back at Shen Yu.
"…So the 'lucky omega' is him?!"