The Pheromones Say We Have No Chance - Chap 8

Chapter 8 — The Two of Us are Definitely Pure

Midway through doing a good deed, Xiao Yan is suddenly accused of something horrible. The hand that was holding out his uniform stops mid-air.

“Hey, don’t take it back. This counts as something I asked to borrow from you.” Luo Zhiyu reassures, “It’s nothing like that, don’t overthink it.”

“You’re not making me borrow it, I am asking you for it.” Luo Zhiyu adds quickly, “It’s different.”

And yet, the teacher in the classroom taps on the blackboard again: “We must believe, from the bottom of our hearts, that all sexes are equal. We cannot hold any prejudices, so it is the same the other way around. Alpha students, pay attention — if an omega student asks to borrow your uniform, we can also say, with statistical confidence, that this omega student is being a pervert. It is just as serious of an issue.”

“……” Xiao Yan retracts the hand that was holding out his jacket.

Luo Zhiyu: “…..” Shit.

The two stand in silence for a long moment, forced to listen to half a health class1 lecture. They only start to converse again when the teacher finally finishes the topic and moves on to a different one.

Luo Zhiyu: “Don’t freak out, I don’t like you like that.”

“I know.” Xiao Yan understands completely.

Luo Zhiyu glances at the wall enclosing the staircase, making sure that he is not within the Class 3 teacher’s sight. He finally asks worriedly, “Your teacher doesn’t have some kind of X-ray vision hack 2, right?”

Xiao Yan laughs at that.

“He said, statistical confidence.” Luo Zhiyu clutches at the jacket’s sleeve, tugging it towards himself. “But we are statistical outliers, 0%. Domestically rare.”

“We are definitely innocent.” Luo Zhiyu says, “Everyone knows that. There’s no room for being a pervert. The two of us are definitely pure.”

“So it’s not as if we’ve done something bad, we’re fine. We must believe in science.”

“Let me borrow it, I’ll return it as borrowed, I promise.” Luo Zhiyu tugs the jacket out of Xiao Yan’s hands, turns, and scuttles down the stairs.

Xiao Yan goes for a stroll to the bathroom, holding Luo Zhiyu’s tattered uniform, and finally heads back to the classroom afterwards.

Fan Yue, who was very focused on scrolling through the forum, gets startled again when he returns: “My god, why am I getting scared over and over again today.”

“Keep scrolling, it’s fine.” Xiao Yan sits properly, “I’ll stay put from now on.”

The health class teacher is very efficient — in the time that Xiao Yan snuck out, he has already covered the topics of pheromones and temporary marks.

“Yan-ge.” Fan Yue hands him his phone from under the desk, “The Student Association is holding elections again, promote my campaign for me.”

Fan Yue is well-liked, so elections won’t be a problem. But he still doesn’t have full confidence and wants to leech off his deskmate’s school-grass popularity.

“Thank god you’re not staying on the Committee.” Fan Yue says, “If the school-grass is in the running, it’s over for me.”

“Nah, not staying.” Xiao Yan fills out the rest of his notes, “Just come get me when there’s an event, I’m only in it for the extracurricular credits.”

Xiao Yan got sprayed with soda today and had to change into his first-year uniform as an emergency. Now, Fan Yue lowers his head, coincidentally seeing the huge gash on the back of his uniform.

“What were you up to just now?”

“Me?” Xiao Yan looks up, “Nothing, I just went to the bathroom.”

“How were you peeing? To rip open your uniform like this?” Fan Yue cannot fathom.

Xiao Yan: “……”

“Also, did you get taller while in the bathroom? I know this is from last year, but I didn’t think this jacket was that short in the afternoon.” Fan Yue’s deskmate is a complete mystery to him.

“Pay attention to class.” Xiao Yan spins the pen in his hand, looking at the blackboard intently like the excellent student he is. “Be good and pay attention.”

*

Luo Zhiyu’s luck isn’t very good — he runs into Director Xu the second he leaves the school building. Director Xu isn’t as easygoing as Director Wu and stops Luo Zhiyu right there.

“Luo Zhiyu? Why aren’t you wearing your uniform?” Director Xu has seen Luo Zhiyu during the entrance ceremony the other day and has a lasting impression of this student. “Pay attention to the dress code.”

Having just “attended” a health class lecture, Luo Zhiyu decides after obtaining the uniform that he will wash it out before wearing it to avoid Xiao Yan’s scent.

“It got stained.” Luo Zhiyu is a good student who respects his teachers, and he politely explains, “I was going to wash it before I wear it again.”

Director Wu plays favourites with good students, but Director Xu treats all students equally: “No, you cannot just take your uniform off when you’re at school. This is grounds for credit deduction.”

“Okay.” Luo Zhiyu puts the uniform on in front of Director Xu, compliantly zipping it up all the way.

Director Xu likes this kind of obedient student and lets Luo Zhiyu go. Just when Luo Zhiyu makes it off the steps, Director Xu asks out of the blue: “Luo Zhiyu, is your uniform a little too big?”

“I ordered a new one already.” Luo Zhiyu did already send in an order, so it’s not a complete lie, “I should be able to wear the new one in a week.”

“Good.” The Director nods to let him go.

The health class teacher wasn’t wrong — personal belongings do indeed end up soaking up a person’s scent. Luo Zhiyu only wears a thin shirt underneath the jacket, and while throwing it on, he smells the faint scent of oranges.

The scent is not as strong as when they presented, but definitely unignorable.

Xiao Yan’s pheromones.

There is a strange feeling at the nape of Luo Zhiyu’s neck where the scent blocker is, and Luo Zhiyu shivers a little — a natural response that omegas have towards alpha pheromones.

“It’s almost autumn, you need to wear more layers.” Director Xu thinks he is getting cold, “Classes are officially starting soon, pay attention to these things.”

The 0% compatible pheromones make Luo Zhiyu a little uncomfortable. He turns to glance at the school building, the Class 3 classroom still lit from inside, and finally makes to leave the classroom buildings.

In the fall, temperatures change drastically between day and night; evenings tend to be quite cool. Nonetheless, when Luo Zhiyu makes it back to the dorms, he is sweating all over.

“Did you run back or something? You should change out your scent blocker, your honey peaches are getting pretty sweet.” Jing Ximing is still in the stage where he is sensitive to scents, “Where were you? Why do you smell a little like alpha pheromones?”

“I borrowed Xiao Yan’s uniform.” Luo Zhiyu doesn’t dare use the washing machine this time, taking out a washbasin instead. He soaks Xiao Yan’s jacket in the water, dumping in some laundry detergent, then takes a few photos to post on Wechat Moments 3.

Not Zhiliao: In this new semester, I learned to wash clothes. [Picture] @dad @mom @older sis @older bro

Comments —

Older bro: Our Luo Zhiyu is awesome. I can’t believe you learned to hand wash clothing the first time you stay at school. I thought you’d throw the whole thing into the washing machine. Hug.jpg

[Not Zhiliao] replying to [Older bro]: So does that mean you can add to my allowance?

Older sis: That detergent…don’t pour so much. I’m getting spooked looking at it.

Older sis: I heard just now that you’re in the same school as that Xiao kid? It’s an ancient grudge now, don’t fight, okay?

[Not Zhiliao] replying to [Older sis]: We didn’t fight, what kind of high school students are still that childish?

Second Year Excellent Student Representative: Nice, wash them well. Smile.jpg

*

“Who?” Jing Ximing finishes up a match in his game, finally realizing that something is up. He looks up and asks, “The school-grass? Xiao Yan? Isn’t he an alpha?”

Jing Ximing covers his mouth in surprise: “Wait, you borrowed a uniform jacket from an alpha?”

“You forgot, didn’t you,” Luo Zhiyu says, “Our pheromones have 0% compatibility. From a medical standpoint, we are pure and innocent.”

“It won’t be a problem.” Luo Zhiyu adds, “Last time when I went to get my measurements done, he was the one to do it too. We are just normal strangers to each other.”

“You have a point.” Jing Ximing nods thoughtfully, “But most alphas and omegas have at least 20% compatibility, how come you two have 0%?”

“Dunno.” Luo Zhiyu shakes his head, “The City Hospital people told us to support scientific research, so next week we’re getting checked up again. I think they said maybe one of us has abnormal pheromones?”

“Go take a shower, Luo Zhiyu,” Jing Ximing sincerely suggests, “There’s still some of Xiao Yan’s pheromones on you. Right now, you smell like a bowl of fruit salad.”