Does It Look Good?

The Jiang family residence.

The elderly butler, wearing white gloves, retrieved a pocketbook from his coat and seriously read out the weekend schedule.

Jiang Qi walked over to the sofa. Seeing this, he frowned, sat down, and said calmly, "I have plans this week. I will discuss changing the schedule with my parents."

The butler was surprised. The young master rarely went against his parents' plans; this was the first time he wanted to modify the schedule.

The butler nodded, slipped the pocketbook back into his pocket, bowed, and said, "Understood, young master. Today we have the double-boiled snow fungus and red date soup that you like."

Jiang Qi gave a casual nod and headed upstairs.

Just then, Qi Yue called.

The vibration of the phone made the soles of his feet feel numb. Jiang Qi paused, glanced back at the butler, and quickly walked up the stairs.

*Click.* The door closed behind him.

"Hey, Cat Jiang, want to grab a bite? My treat."

Super Cute.

Jiang Qi's eyes lit up. He put the call on speaker, and Qi Yue's clear voice immediately filled the quiet room.

"Now? Where?" Jiang Qi asked as he walked toward the window.

"Near the villa area, skewers. We're calling a cab now, you coming?"

Outside the window, the garden lights were bright, illuminating the entire courtyard except for the dense clusters of trees. In the distance, multi-colored neon lights adorned the towering villas, almost eclipsing the starry sky above.

Jiang Qi let out an "okay." "I'm coming."

Hanging up, Jiang Qi looked down at his phone. He swiped his thumb across the screen, slipped it into his pocket without hesitation, walked out, and told the butler downstairs, "I won't be having dinner. Don't let anyone into my room."

The butler wouldn't go against the young master over such trivial matters. He nodded. "Yes, young master."

Jiang Qi returned to his room and locked the door. He changed his clothes, reached back, and tore off the blue scent-blocking patch. A faint scent diffused through the room, carrying a gentle fruitiness mixed with a cool hint of mint.

"Why is this the only color left?"

Jiang Qi grabbed a pink patch, reluctantly tore open the packaging, and applied it to the back of his neck.

Pulling up his collar, the patch was completely hidden.

He opened the window. Just like previous times, he familiarly stepped onto the windowsill, his right foot finding purchase on the tree branch to his left.

By the wall stood an ancient Podocarpus tree, lush and green throughout the four seasons. Originally, it had been quite far from the villa, but over the years, its branches had grown toward the window. Jiang Qi had specifically ordered that it not be trimmed.

All of this was to make it easier to sneak out at night.

Jiang Qi stepped onto the branch. As he moved, the tree swayed gently. After a few more steps, he found a sturdy spot and jumped down to the ground.

The dense leaves blocked the light, and no one knew that the well-behaved young master of the villa had vanished.

The three of them called a cab to the villa area.

The skewer restaurant was packed, with more and more customers arriving. The moment they stepped inside, the lively atmosphere washed over them. The aroma of grilled meat, the clinking of glasses, the laughter, and the loud chatter blended together, making the entire space feel incredibly vibrant.

Lan Yunjie asked the waiter to bring some peanuts first. He took a sip of water and let out a satisfied sigh. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was drinking strong liquor.

"When is our top student getting here?"

Lan Yunjie tossed a peanut into his mouth and asked casually.

It had been twenty minutes since the call. Qi Yue guessed, "Probably soon. It's close to his house."

Lan Yunjie immediately caught the key point. "Qi-ge, how do you know where he lives?"

Qi Yue glanced at Lan Yunjie and said dismissively, "I just guessed."

Lan Yunjie believed him, replying with a hint of disappointment, "Oh."

Jiang He smiled softly, rinsing the disposable cups with hot water, even preparing one for Jiang Qi, who hadn't arrived yet.

"He's already drunk from it, it's too late to rinse now." Qi Yue scoffed as he watched Jiang He rinse the cup for Lan Yunjie.

Just as Jiang He was about to reply, Lan Yunjie draped an arm over his shoulder and grumbled, "It's not too late, I like it."

Jiang He's face flushed.

Qi Yue glared at him, not wanting to pay them any attention. His phone on the table buzzed with a WeChat message.

The November wind carried a bone-chilling cold. Sometimes, breathing out under the streetlights would produce visible white mist.

Qi Yue lifted the door curtain and saw Jiang Qi standing under the streetlight with his head down, looking at his phone. His neck was as white as snow.

The tall, slender youth wore a black puffer jacket over a black inner layer, paired with black cargo pants and Martin boots, exuding a cool, casual vibe.

Qi Yue was slightly dazed. He had never seen the Omega in casual clothes before. He hadn't expected his style to be like this.

The Omega turned his head. The moment their eyes met, Qi Yue felt as if he saw a brilliant light in his eyes, making his heart suddenly run hot.

Jiang Qi curved his lips at Super Cute and walked over.

Qi Yue turned around, scratched his head, and lifted the curtain, feeling his body grow a bit warm. His throat felt slightly itchy, so he coughed and said, "Let's go."

Jiang Qi tilted his head, his amber eyes darkening slightly. He felt a bit unhappy, sensing that Super Cute wasn't very enthusiastic.

At the table, the three of them waited for Jiang Qi to arrive before ordering. Pork ribs, mutton skewers, enoki mushrooms... the table was piled so high there wasn't a single gap left.

"Can we finish all of this?" Jiang He asked doubtfully.

Lan Yunjie said confidently, "Definitely." After a pause, he added, "If we can't, we'll pack it up."

Jiang Qi held a mutton skewer, quietly observing Super Cute as he ate.

It wasn't until he met Super Cute's gaze for the fourth time that Jiang Qi couldn't help but lean closer to Qi Yue. He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of playful teasing.

"What are you looking at?"

Qi Yue's movements stiffened, and he almost choked. He hurriedly drank some water to wash it down.

"Nothing."

Jiang Qi let out an "oh" and slowly nudged himself closer to Qi Yue. There was only a fist's width of space left between them.

Qi Yue stared at the distance between them for a long while before finally asking, "I didn't expect you to dress like this. All black."

Jiang Qi tilted his head, his eyes bright and clear, the corners of his mouth curving up. His voice sounded as if it were dipped in sweetness. "Does it not look good?"

Damn.

It looked good.

Qi Yue chewed on his mutton, forcing himself to look away. "It's alright."

Jiang Qi let out another soft laugh. After finishing a skewer, he tossed the stick into the mini trash can, no longer pursuing the matter. He looked at Lan Yunjie and Jiang He, then turned to ask Qi Yue, "Why the sudden treat?"

At the mention of this, before Qi Yue could react, Lan Yunjie snorted coldly, "We ran into a crazy person on the street. Qi-ge is treating us to help us recover our spirits."

Jiang Qi raised an eyebrow inwardly, scanning everyone's faces, but didn't ask who the crazy person was.

No one spoke further; there was no need.

Lan Yunjie clicked his tongue, finishing a glass of water with a look of longing. "It would be great if we had some alcohol."

"Stop dreaming. You have a half-glass tolerance and you're begging for alcohol? One sip of Rio and you're drunk. What are you thinking!" Qi Yue ruthlessly exposed the truth, sparing Lan Yunjie no face.

Jiang Qi burst out laughing.

Lan Yunjie flailed his arms... then threw himself into Jiang He's arms, whining dramatically.

Eventually, the skewers were finished, leaving only some steamed pork and mushrooms. They chatted for a while, and before they knew it, they were done.

By now, it was almost ten o'clock.

Qi Yue told Lan Yunjie and Jiang He to head back first while he walked Jiang Qi home.

Since it was close, the two of them walked.

The streetlights flickered on, their dim glow stretching the shadows of the two figures.

Along the way, neither of them spoke. After walking for a bit, Jiang Qi suddenly stopped. When he paused, Qi Yue stopped as well.

Qi Yue looked at Jiang Qi in confusion, then followed his gaze up to the sky.

The sky was pitch black. Because of the bright city lights, only a few tiny specks of starlight were visible. Jiang Qi looked away, speaking to Qi Yue as they walked.

"You rarely see stars in the city."

Qi Yue let out an "oh" and said casually, "There are plenty in the countryside. When I was a kid, the sky was full of stars."

Jiang Qi tilted his head. "Really?"

Seeing Jiang Qi's innocent expression, Qi Yue looked at the Omega as if looking at a fool. Thinking that they were friends, he said after some consideration, "I can take you to see them in the future. After all, I go back every year with Lan Yunjie and Jiang He."

Jiang Qi's eyes lit up. "You promised."

Qi Yue waved his hand. "Yeah."

Before they knew it, they had reached Jiang Qi's house.

"Alright, go on in. I'm leaving."

Jiang Qi nodded. "Bye-bye."

Watching Qi Yue turn and walk away, Jiang Qi's eyes curved, his smile as bright as a child's.

He wondered what the starry sky in Super Cute's eyes looked like.

As if merging into the night, Jiang Qi slipped through the small grove of trees, quickly climbing the tree back into his room.

He wiped away any traces on the windowsill and closed it. Humming a tune, he stripped off his clothes that smelled of grilled meat and tossed them into the washing machine.

Then he lay on the bed, happily waiting for Super Cute's message.

*Ring.*

It was X.

Jiang Qi looked at the photos sent over. It was a young Alpha carrying a backpack, reading a book, smiling at the camera...

In the last photo, the youth was leaning against the shoulder of an older Omega woman. Their faces were identical, their gestures intimate—clearly sharing a blood relation.

His finger brushed over the Omega's face, and a sense of familiarity welled up.

Jiang Qi's eyes darkened, and a sudden wave of anger surged within him.

[yq: Keep investigating.]

[x: Got it, boss.]

Jiang Qi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and deleted the chat history with X to prevent Jiang You from seeing it.