Chapter 58: Are you afraid he’ll find you?

Xu Lin opened his eyes.

His blurred vision slowly cleared.

Before him was a scene he knew better than anywhere. The simple wooden cabin. The familiar fold-out bed. The fresh-smelling blanket covering him.

Not a dream.

He was in his own little room.

Yes. All those terrible things were behind him.

He had returned.

Back to District Thirteen, to Yanyu Township.

Back home.

He tried to get up, but as he sat up, a sharp, needle-like pain stabbed through his head. He froze, taking a moment to recover, rubbing his forehead.

He had not had a hangover like this in a long time. He had drunk too much with Xiaopang and the others last night. His head was still foggy.

He lowered his gaze and saw a set of clean clothes by his pillow, and an unopened package of Omega suppressant patches.

He blinked, picked up the suppressant, crinkling the plastic. He tore open the package, peeled off the wet, worn-out patch on his neck, and applied a new one.

The house was quiet.

“Teacher?”

He called out twice. No answer.

He changed clothes and walked out. Pu Sha was not home.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. Nine o’clock.

At this hour, Pu Sha was probably at school.

Breakfast was left for him on the living room table. The lid was still warm when he opened it.

Beside the bowl, Pu Sha had left a note: I’ve gone to school. There’s ginger tea on the stove. Remember to heat it up before drinking.

Xu Lin smiled. He ladled some ginger tea and sipped it slowly.

He walked to the back door. The yard had been cleaned up; the group that had drunk themselves silly last night were long gone.

He carried the bowl out, sat down on a wicker chair by the flower wall, and nestled into it.

Looking up at the sky, he quietly savored the rare peace.

It was a beautiful day. Sunlight bathed him, warmth seeping through his skin and into his bones, reviving the cold blood that had been frozen for so long.

After finishing the tea and breakfast, he went to the school.

At the gate, Xiaopang and Shitou were in their usual spot.

It was class time, so Xu Lin did not go inside. He chatted with them.

Xiaopang grinned and offered him a cigarette. “Sobered up?”

Xu Lin took it, and Xiaopang teased, “You’ve been gone for years. Why has your tolerance gone down?”

Xu Lin went along with it. “What can I say, I’m getting old.”

“Come on. You know the saying? A man at twenty-eight is in his prime.”

They chatted idly. The bell rang.

Xu Lin stubbed out his cigarette. “I’ll go see the teacher.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Xu Lin walked into the school building, looking around as he went.

He was a new face. Many students stared at him curiously. The timid ones ran off the moment he looked their way.

Pu Sha’s office was on the third floor. When he reached the door, he saw Pu Sha sitting at his desk, grading papers. He had his glasses on, focused, and did not notice Xu Lin’s arrival.

Xu Lin watched him with a smile for a moment, then knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Pu Sha looked up, saw him, took off his glasses, and smiled. “Why didn’t you sleep longer?”

“There’s only so much sleeping I can do.”

The office was empty. Xu Lin was not shy. He dragged a chair over, sat with his legs apart, and leaned against the desk, just like when he was a kid watching Pu Sha work in silence.

He looked up at the wall. The things he had brought back from A School were hung there—his degree and diploma, framed neatly.

“I’m glad the school worked out,” Xu Lin said.

Pu Sha followed his gaze. “Thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do much.”

Silence filled the room.

Pu Sha sighed. “It’s all my fault.”

The topic jumped. Xu Lin understood what he meant. He picked up a pen and twirled it between his fingers lazily. “What does it have to do with you, Teacher? I went to the capital willingly.”

Pu Sha glanced at the new suppressant patch on his neck and looked away. “Getting used to it?”

Xu Lin touched his neck and nodded. “I’ll get there.”

Pu Sha put down his pen, reached out, and ruffled Xu Lin’s hair.

Yesterday, after six years without a word, Xu Lin had suddenly come home. Pu Sha had noticed the suppressant patch and learned that an Alpha had forcibly made him an Omega.

He had pressed for answers and only managed to get a few vague details from Xu Lin.

For six years, Xu Lin had not been working in the capital—he had been married to an Alpha. But the Alpha had lied to him. The marriage was fake. They had a falling out, and the Alpha turned Xu Lin into an Omega, trying to mark him to keep him. But it failed.

Unable to bear it, Xu Lin had run home.

He had asked who the Alpha was. But Xu Lin refused to tell him.

He was vague, leaving out details. Mentioning those things seemed to bring unbearable pain.

So Pu Sha had no idea who the Alpha was. He did not push, not wanting to reopen the wound.

Though Xu Lin pretended nothing was wrong, Pu Sha could see it. He was deeply hurt, in a bad state.

Xu Lin sat at the desk, lost in thought.

Pu Sha remembered something and opened a drawer. “Oh, I almost forgot.”

He pulled out a few letters and handed them to Xu Lin.

Xu Lin asked, “What’s this?”

“From your roommate.”

The sender on each envelope was Yi Wei.

Xu Lin had not expected this. He was stunned.

“While you were away, he sent a letter every year. I told him you were still in the capital. He didn’t have a way to reach you, so he asked me now and then if you’d come back. He made me promise to give these to you when you got home. Back when you were in school, he was the one who helped us stay in touch.”

Pu Sha took out his phone and pulled up Yi Wei’s number. “If you want, give him a call. He’ll be happy to hear from you.”

Xu Lin crouched in the hallway, a cigarette in his mouth, phone to his ear. It rang five times before the other side picked up. “Teacher Pu? What’s up, calling me all of a sudden?”

Yi Wei’s voice came through.

Xu Lin chuckled softly.

Just that one sound, and Yi Wei recognized him. His voice rose in excitement. “Xu Lin? Is that you!”

Xu Lin said, “It’s me. Good ears—you could tell that fast?”

“You bastard! Finally remembered me! Heartless, not contacting me all this time!”

Yiw Wei’s side was noisy, with people around. He moved somewhere quieter before asking, “You’re back from the capital?”

“Yeah, I’m home.”

“I was surprised when Teacher Pu said you stayed in the capital. You used to say you’d take me to visit your hometown after graduation, but you weren’t even there.”

Xu Lin chuckled. “Well, you can come now. I’m here.”

“Ah, I can’t this week. My cousin’s on leave and came home. We’re all spending time with him. I can’t get away. Maybe in a few days.” He paused, as if something had just occurred to him. “Will you be home for a while?”

Xu Lin took a drag of his cigarette. “Probably.”

“Then come visit me! I’ll show you around. There’s lots of fun stuff in District Nine too.”

Xu Lin’s hand froze mid-drag.

He was silent. Yi Wei called out, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Xu Lin flicked the ash. “Maybe not right now.”

Yiwei did not push. “No problem. There’ll be other chances. Oh, they’re calling me—gotta go, they want me to play cards. Let’s keep in touch!”

“Okay.”

He hung up and returned the phone to Pu Sha.

“What did you talk about? You looked happy just now.”

“He invited me to District Nine.”

Pu Sha thought it was a good idea. “Then go.”

Xu Lin shook his head. “No.”

Pu Sha was startled. Guessing Xu Lin’s concern, he fell silent.

After a long moment, he asked, “Are you afraid he’ll find you?”

Yes. That was exactly it.

Xu Lin knew staying in District Thirteen was not a solution. Ji Jinxuan would not give up so easily. He was in heat now, so he would not come right away. But once he recovered, he would find his way here.

Xu Lin could not predict what would happen then. What if his troubles brought danger to Pu Sha, to his friends?

But where else could he go? Where was safe?

Was there really nowhere in this world Ji Jinxuan could not reach?

Xu Lin left the school. It was dismissal time. A group of children surrounded Xiaopang, chattering.

Xiaopang was big but surprisingly good with kids. He joked around with them. When Xu Lin approached, the children scattered like birds. In an instant, the lively spot fell quiet.

“…”

“Lin-ge, still scary as ever, haha.” Xiaopang laughed, holding his stomach. “You should grow your hair out. This crew cut makes you look fierce.”

Xu Lin clenched his jaw. “No.”

Shitou noticed his expression and tried to stop Xiaopang, but he was oblivious. “Lin-ge?”

“I hate long hair.”

Xiaopang realized his mistake and pretended to slap his own mouth. “Oh, sorry, I was just kidding!”

“Hey, whose homework fell?”

Shitou pointed at a notebook on the ground, covered in footprints.

Xiaopang grabbed it, flipped through, and laughed. “Look at this essay: ‘My Future Dream.’ This kid wants to be a sausage stand vendor! Haha, that was my dream too! Good ambition, future’s bright!”

The tension eased.

Shitou said, “You could open a sausage stand now if you wanted. You’re great at grilling. Just don’t eat up all the profit.”

“I don’t have time for that now. I’m happy just helping out here.”

They chatted, then turned to Xu Lin. “Lin-ge, what do you want to do in the future?”

Xu Lin was caught off guard. He fell silent.

The future. Yes. Life moves forward.

That night, Xu Lin cooked dinner. Pu Sha came home.

As they ate, Xu Lin borrowed Pu Sha’s phone and called Yiwei. The conversation was brief.

He returned the phone to Pu Sha at the table.

“Teacher, I’m going to District Nine tomorrow.”

Pu Sha looked at him, then nodded. “Alright.”