Reservoir Dogs chapter 124
Mine
In such a small place, it was impossible for Jiang Chengyuan to stay long. Before long, he spent a large sum of money to buy another apartment. He wasn’t short of money. Although he couldn’t get his license reinstated, there were still many people who wanted to hire him privately. Accepting the school’s offer was purely because Xiao Zhou was there, just to pass the time.
He didn’t have the kindness to teach and nurture others, but he believed in doing the work if he accepted the pay. Although he wasn’t passionate about it, he was still a good lecturer from a work perspective, as he truly had the skills. In the classroom, his words were eloquent and witty. Plus, with his good looks and polished demeanor, he carried the air of a refined scholar, making him popular among the students.
No one knew that, in private, he showed no mercy when he fooled around with his good student, often becoming a true beast in human clothing.
Xiao Zhou struggled out from under him, hoarsely begging for mercy, his nape already covered in bloody bite marks. Even though it was pointless, Jiang Chengyuan still liked to bite him—it had practically become a quirk during their intimacy.
“It hurts, stop biting.” Xiao Zhou covered his neck with one hand, gasping for breath as he turned over. He was naked, with only the ruby ring hanging around his neck standing out, its pure, striking red making him look luxurious, his skin as smooth as jade, as if he himself had become a precious gem.
Jiang Chengyuan propped himself up and stared at him without blinking. Xiao Zhou met his gaze for a moment, then leaned in to lick the blood off his lips, pitifully saying, “Just be gentler.”
Jiang Chengyuan burst into laughter, almost unable to contain his amusement. He hugged Xiao Zhou’s back, flipping him over so that he lay on his chest. Although he couldn’t completely mark him, the act of injecting pheromones still satisfied the alpha’s needs.
Xiao Zhou lay in Jiang Chengyuan’s arms, playing with his hand. After a moment, he pulled it over and kissed the base of his ring finger, suddenly getting an idea. “Let’s go buy rings tomorrow.”
Jiang Chengyuan was stunned, then smiled, “Are you going to give me a ring?”
Xiao Zhou nodded, showing him the ring around his neck. “This isn’t a matching pair, something’s still missing.”
The next morning, after finishing their classes, they went out for lunch and then headed to the mall to pick out rings.
Since it was Xiao Zhou who wanted to give the rings, Jiang Chengyuan didn’t offer any opinions. Xiao Zhou insisted on spending his own money. As a student, he only had some savings from part-time jobs and scholarships. Recently, he gotten back together with Jiang Chengyuan, leaving him with little free time, so he had given up all his part-time jobs. His savings were quite limited. After much deliberation, he couldn’t afford a large diamond, and the small ones seemed too shabby, so he finally chose a pair of platinum rings, only set with a few tiny diamonds on the outer edge—very simple and understated.
Xiao Zhou also felt they were a bit modest, but this was the best he could afford with his limited resources. He turned to Jiang Chengyuan with the rings, a little unsure, and asked, “Do you like them?”
Jiang Chengyuan looked at him, finding his careful effort endearing, “I’ll like anything you give me.”
Xiao Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, happily turning to the store clerk, “I’ll take them. Can we have them engraved?”
The clerk nodded, saying they’d be ready in three days.
After leaving the mall, they strolled around the square and ran into a few students from the same school, all from the law faculty. Xiao Zhou didn’t know them, but they were at least acquaintances of Jiang Chengyuan. They enthusiastically surrounded Jiang Chengyuan, making a fuss. Jiang Chengyuan was quite approachable during class and would occasionally joke around with them, so the students weren’t afraid of him. They kept laughing and following along, even insisting that Jiang Chengyuan treat them to dinner. Xiao Zhou frowned, his good mood from earlier gone, replaced by irritation.
Dinner was tasteless, and even after returning home, he remained glum. He didn’t like being disturbed by too many people.
It wasn’t until three days later, when he picked up the rings and personally put one on Jiang Chengyuan, that after a class, the whole class was curious about the ring’s origin. There was a lot of speculation and comments about how another good person had been buried in the grave of marriage. Xiao Zhou heard this and felt very satisfied, thinking he should have bought the rings earlier.
When the weather turned cold and rainy, Jiang Chengyuan’s legs would ache terribly, and all his wounds would flare up. The pain made him irritable and gloomy, and since there was no way to relieve it, he could only endure it bitterly. Apart from lying in bed, he had no mood for anything else.
Xiao Zhou often helped by massaging him and applying hot compresses. He would roll up Jiang Chengyuan’s pant legs to his thighs, placing his legs on his own lap, using a hot towel to open up the pores. The instant warmth temporarily suppressed the pain deep in Jiang Chengyuan’s bones, bringing him a moment of peace.
Jiang Chengyuan’s temper wasn’t always good, especially at times like these. Sometimes, after losing his temper, he would realize he was being overly harsh and unreasonable. But Xiao Zhou was always patient when taking care of him, never finding it troublesome or getting frustrated.
Jiang Chengyuan often found Xiao Zhou’s kindness unbelievable. They no longer had any other ties; his life had hit rock bottom. Apart from the light and delicate word “love,” there was no way to keep Xiao Zhou around.
One time, during a particularly painful episode, Jiang Chengyuan broke out in a cold sweat, too pained to speak, feeling as if a drill was boring into his bones. He thrashed around madly, breaking everything within arm’s reach. By the time Xiao Zhou rushed home after class, the bedroom was a mess.
Xiao Zhou brought some medicinal oil to massage him, but Jiang Chengyuan swatted it away with a curse, “Get the hell out!” The bottle shattered on the floor, spilling the oil everywhere.
The pain surged from deep within his bones, his joints felt as if they were being torn apart. Having once nearly become addicted to painkillers, he didn’t dare use them anymore, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it. He thrashed uncontrollably, clawing at himself, twisting his body, banging his head against the bed frame. Then he felt someone climb onto the bed and hold him tightly.
Two hands grabbed his struggling wrists, a chest pressed against his back, and arms wrapped around him firmly. Jiang Chengyuan was caught off guard, realizing that Xiao Zhou had grown strong.
As the wave of pain gradually subsided, Jiang Chengyuan quieted down, his sweat drying on his body, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. He shifted slightly, and only then did Xiao Zhou release him.
Jiang Chengyuan drank two glasses of wine, took a shower, and changed out of his sweat-soaked clothes. Leaning against the headboard, he lit a cigarette. Through the curling smoke, he looked at Xiao Zhou and immediately noticed the marks he had just left on his body. Suddenly, he asked, “Am I a burden?”
Xiao Zhou was in the middle of taking off the clothes stained by the medicinal oil. Hearing this, he looked at him curiously, “Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
Jiang Chengyuan extinguished the cigarette and gestured for him to come closer, “I’m afraid you’ll change your mind one day.”
Xiao Zhou threw the clothes aside, leaned down, wrapped his arms around Jiang Chengyuan’s neck, and rested his head on his shoulder just like before, softly saying, “I won’t. I’ll always be with you.”
Jiang Chengyuan closed his eyes, feeling reassured and leaned back against him, silently holding him.
…..
On the way to school, Xiao Zhou ran into someone unexpected.
A year had passed, and Ji Yang hadn’t changed much, still as flamboyant as ever, like a peacock displaying its feathers. Ji Yang stopped him and asked if he knew where Jiang Chengyuan was. Xiao Zhou stared at him for a long time, then nodded and gave him an address.
For several months afterward, there was no word from Ji Yang, and everything was peaceful.
Until one morning, they were startled awake by a knock on the door. Recently, with the rainy weather, Jiang Chengyuan had been suffering and was feeling weak, so Xiao Zhou got out of bed to check.
He opened the door and saw a familiar figure.
Ji Yang was stunned for a moment before reacting angrily, “You lied to me?”
Xiao Zhou remained calm and silent, his eyes dark and heavy in the dim morning light of the hallway, “Yes.”
Ji Yang hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward, gritting his teeth angrily, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell him?”
Xiao Zhou said, “He’s mine.”
For the first time, Ji Yang saw such a fierce look in Xiao Zhou’s eyes, like a wolf protecting its prey, and he was taken aback, “What did you say?”
Xiao Zhou turned away, still not intending to let him in, “You should leave. His legs are hurting, and he can’t see anyone right now.”
With that, he slammed the door shut.
With his back pressed against the door, Xiao Zhou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his fingers, gripping the door handle, were trembling slightly. He was really afraid that Ji Yang would take Jiang Chengyuan away again.
When he turned to walk back to the bedroom, his expression had returned to its usual calm.
The room was bathed in the soft light of dawn. Jiang Chengyuan hadn’t woken up yet. His leg pain and the cooling weather had made him a bit drowsy lately, often making him lazy and slow to rise.
Xiao Zhou set down a glass of warm milk and kissed his eyelids, “Morning.”
Jiang Chengyuan mumbled sleepily, “Did someone come just now?”
Xiao Zhou’s expression didn’t change, and he shook his head decisively, “No.”
Jiang Chengyuan was puzzled, feeling that he wasn’t so weak as to be hearing things. But since Xiao Zhou was so certain, he didn’t think much more of it.
He got up, and Xiao Zhou helped him pick out clothes. While changing, Xiao Zhou hugged him from behind, his lips brushing against the back of Jiang Chengyuan’s neck. Jiang Chengyuan paused briefly, then smiled, patting Xiao Zhou’s hands that were wrapped around him, feeling that Xiao Zhou had become more affectionate and clingy lately.
Xiao Zhou buried his head in the nape of Jiang Chengyuan’s neck, lightly inhaling the scent of his pheromones. Alongside Jiang Chengyuan’s own pheromones, there was a faint trace of a sea breeze scent—Xiao Zhou’s omega pheromones, which Jiang Chengyuan had never gotten rid of. The scent had faded over time, but still lingered subtly around Jiang Chengyuan.
Xiao Zhou felt deeply content. It gave him a sense of possession. He couldn’t mark Jiang Chengyuan, but Jiang Chengyuan would always carry his scent.
Indeed, having the mark of an omega that no longer existed on him brings a lot of trouble. For example, the recurring and unresolved sensitive periods, and the unpredictable mood swings caused by the lack of soothing… But the suffering was shared between Jiang Chengyuan and himself. Since the burden was shared, Xiao Zhou was somewhat content and at ease.
“He will always be mine.” Xiao Zhou thought happily, smelling his scent.