When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 48

Upon hearing those words from Lu Zhe, Shen Qiao abruptly stopped drying his own hair. It seemed almost like crystals of water from his dark hair were dripping into his eyes, which filled up with a sparkling hint of mirth. The light in his eyes was like a crystal clear stream, carving a path through the mountains.
He studied Lu Zhe with a half-amused smile on his lips. His voice carried an upwards lilt as he echoed, "You'll... sleep with me?"

Lu Zhe didn't repeat himself. He stepped into Shen Qiao's room without pause. As he turned to close the door behind himself, he instinctively glanced past Shen Qiao to take in the sight of the room. Unsurprisingly, the place had returned to its original state in the time since Lu Zhe helped tidy up. Shen Qiao's things were thrown all over the place again, turning the room into a messy doghouse.

When Shen Qiao noticed Lu Zhe's intent to venture deeper into the room, he stepped up and blocked Lu Zhe's way.

"Don't try to start anything," he warned. There was a hint of a threat in the way his handsome brows jumped up.

The result of letting Lu Zhe into his room-

Well, they were both alphas. Shen Qiao couldn't be bothered to pretend he didn't know there were implications to letting Lu Zhe in.

Lu Zhe knew exactly what Shen Qiao meant, too. His gaze landed on Shen Qiao's arms, where a few reddened streaks from scratching were still plainly visible. He caught Shen Qiao's arm with his right hand and studied the scratches a little more closely. After Shen Qiao's shower, it seemed those marks had become even more irritated-they were practically swollen. Lu Zhe frowned at the sight.

Shen Qiao tugged at his own arm. Seeing that Lu Zhe seemed intent on ignoring his warning, Shen Qiao lowered his voice and cautioned, "Lu Zhe."

Lu Zhe didn't rush to answer him. He only smiled and lifted his gaze. The corners of his eyes crinkled, like the branches of a willow tree, hanging over a riverbank in spring.

When Lu Zhe parted his lips to speak, Shen Qiao couldn't help but glance at the faint scab on Lu Zhe's lips. It was still there, still visible, and still utterly captivating.

"Earlier, when you went to your room," Lu Zhe started. "What did you promise me?"

Hearing that reminder, Shen Qiao suddenly remembered that he had indeed forgotten something. He tried to tug his arm back again and curtly answered, "I got it. I'll put on my medicine in a while. Alright?"

But Lu Zhe instantly saw right through him. "You're just saying that to placate me. You don't intend to apply the ointment at all, do you?"

He knew, because...

Back when they were in school, Lu Zhe had seen Shen Qiao afflicted by his allergies. In the half a month after that allergic reaction, Lu Zhe occasionally saw Shen Qiao around, and he would always notice that Shen Qiao's scratches hadn't gone away. One time, while waiting in line at the cafeteria, he'd even heard one of Shen Qiao's friends joke-

"Shen-ge, when are you going to introduce your partner to us? The 'medals of honor' this person has scratched onto your arms have been visible to the whole school for half a month. They should come out and reveal themselves, shouldn't they?"

But Shen Qiao only crinkled his eyes and casually answered, "Keep waiting. You'll see one day."

Lu Zhe had listened in for a while. Finally, he couldn't resist asking Shen Qiao, "You aren't using your medicine?"

Shen Qiao scoffed and turned back to face him. "No need. It'll get better in a day or two."

......

Now, in the present, things were still the same.