Limited First Love Chapter 22
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 22 So Sad
Regardless of the reasons why Ruan Yiyun no longer sought his company, Guo Wei's primary concern was whether Ruan Yiyun had rested well at night.
Ruan Yiyun's skin had always been fair and delicate, with occasional pimples quickly disappearing. But these days, a hint of dark circles appeared under his eyes, resembling the kind caused by excessive fatigue.
When they met, he tried hard to appear relaxed and natural, but he would occasionally zone out, and his reactions were noticeably dull.
Guo Wei was deeply worried and wanted to help. After diligently searching online for a while, he ordered a type of soothing essential oil said to be effective for Omegas. The product description stated that just two drops on the pillow before bed would produce a gentle calming effect, quickly soothing the mind and aiding in entering a deep sleep state, for faster recovery of vitality.
The price was a bit high, but Guo Wei, seeing the overwhelmingly positive feedback, decided to bite the bullet and buy it.
The actual packaging was quite attractive, making it perfect as a gift for a beloved.
Guo Wei couldn't wait to meet Ruan Yiyun as soon as he got his hands on it.
Ruan Yiyun's reaction upon receiving it was even more delighted than he had imagined.
"I know about this. Heard it's very effective and has no side effects," he told Guo Wei. "I'm actually considering trying it out. How do you understand me so well?"
Guo Wei's heart soared with happiness. The pain borne from spending a huge sum of money seemed inconsequential in the face of Ruan Yiyun's radiant smile.
"Give it a try tonight!" he said to Ruan Yiyun.
Ruan Yiyun nodded, setting aside the gift, and took the initiative to kiss his lips.
After a moment of intimacy, he pressed his face against Guo Wei's, whispering, "Tonight, smelling it, feels like having you by my side."
Guo Wei sweetly replied, "If you wish, I can come over to accompany you!"
Ruan Yiyun didn't respond immediately.
After a brief silence, he kissed Guo Wei's cheek, then distanced himself. "Although I want to, for now, let's forget it. A few days ago, there was an Alpha who tried to sneak in, got caught by the teacher and faced severe punishment."
Guo Wei sighed. "...oh."
Ruan Yiyun chuckled. "What's wrong? Previously, when I asked you to come, you were hesitant. Now you seem so disappointed. Do you really want to be with me, or..."
He didn't finish his sentence. He merely smiled suggestively at Guo Wei, his expression laden with meaning.
Guo Wei blushed and honestly replied, "I-I kind of do. I want to be with you more."
After speaking, he lowered his head again, asking in a much softer voice than before, "I'm sorry, do you not like it? Are you just too polite to tell me?"
He didn't quite enjoy what had happened that night, or perhaps he didn't quite like how he appeared so pitiful in comparison.
Ruan Yiyun had mercilessly belittled Chen Zui for his "nine centimeters" before.
Although he was far from that, he couldn't help but feel inadequate. Being rejected by an Omega was inevitable.
Guo Wei wasn't a person prone to low self-esteem, but when it came to his pride as a male Beta, it was hard to let go.
After hearing this, Ruan Yiyun first seemed puzzled, then surprisingly complained, "You're so bad, you know that?"
"Huh?" Guo Wei was puzzled. "What did I do?"
"You just want to hear me say that I like it very much," Ruan Yiyun said with a deliberately sullen face. "You don't care if I'll be embarrassed."
"......"
Guo Wei blinked twice.
Ruan Yiyun leaned his forehead against his shoulder and added, "It's really good. Anything related to you, I find it good."
Guo Wei felt elated and reached out to wrap his arm around him, nodding vigorously. "Good!"
"I've been busy with assignments lately," Ruan Yiyun continued, "Time's quite tight, so I stay up late every night. If you come over, I'll be distracted too. Let's wait a bit longer."
Guo Wei nodded again. "Okay!"
Ruan Yiyun always had a knack for pulling him out of his melancholic moods effortlessly.
After pondering with a smile for a moment, he suggested, "I remember you don't have class tomorrow afternoon, right? I don't either. How about we go to the library together to work on our assignments?"
He had expected Ruan Yiyun to readily agree, but to his surprise, Ruan Yiyun lifted his head quickly after hearing it. "I have... I have a social practice activity tomorrow afternoon, it's a last-minute arrangement."
Guo Wei felt deeply regretful, but there was nothing he could do. "Alright then. Can we have dinner together?"
Ruan Yiyun leaned forward again and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Of course!"
Because he was deeply immersed in love, Guo Wei had neglected his best friend Wang Tong for a long time. Finally, having half a day free, he wanted to treat Wang Tong to dinner as an apology.
Wang Tong didn't hold back either, unwilling to settle for the cafeteria and preferring to go to a small restaurant off-campus for a good meal.
"I've been really strapped for cash lately," Guo Wei warned Wang Tong as they walked, "If you eat too much and I can't afford it, we'll have to stay behind and wash dishes together."
Wang Tong scorned him, "You call this treating someone to dinner as an apology? There's no sincerity at all. Where did all your money go? Spending it on your date, huh?"
To be fair, Guo Wei didn't spend much on dating. Except for the first date, all of his subsequent meetings with Ruan Yiyun over the next two months were at school, either eating or chatting and walking, which cost very little.
He hardly ever treated Ruan Yiyun to meals on a regular basis. In the cafeteria, they each paid for their own meals using their own cards.
The only major splurge was the gift he had just sent out yesterday. It almost wiped out Guo Wei's savings, leaving him with very little money left for the rest of the month.
"Now everyone's guessing you're some kind of super-rich second generation, that's why Ruan Yiyun tolerates all your infidelity with Chen Zui, still sticking around, willingly being submissive," Wang Tong said, "People marvel at how convenient it is to be a Beta, enjoying the best of both worlds like a fish in the water. They say you're living the life of a carefree playboy."
Guo Wei chuckled bitterly. "Haha."
He had long given up explaining these nonsensical rumors that were getting out of hand.
Wang Tong sighed. "And now you can't even afford a meal."
Guo Wei shamelessly negotiated with him, "If it's really not enough, how about you chip in?"
Wang Tong playfully teased him, "You're still talking about treating me? I think you just want to mooch off me!"
As they chatted, they walked out of the school gates, heading towards the direction where eateries and restaurants were clustered nearby.
As they were discussing what to eat, Wang Tong's sharp eyes caught sight of something, and he softly exclaimed, "Wow."
Following his gaze, Guo Wei looked across the street and saw an incredibly cool motorcycle.
It looked familiar, not just the bike, but also the person riding it.
"So cool," Wang Tong sighed, "That thing must have cost a fortune, right? And that Alpha rider is so damn handsome!"
Though his face was obscured by a helmet, his stature and demeanor, paired with the sleek ride, were undeniably attention-grabbing.
"That's Chen Zui!" Guo Wei exclaimed.
He was about to wave a greeting when he noticed Chen Zui turning his head towards the other side of the road.
He parked next to a convenience store. Someone emerged from the store, carrying a bag, and started walking while speaking to Chen Zui.
This time, without Guo Wei's introduction, Wang Tong also recognized him at a glance.
"Ruan Yiyun?" His tone carried strong disbelief.
Guo Wei's hand, which had already started to lift, froze in mid-air for a moment before slowly lowering.
Ruan Yiyun walked up to Chen Zui, smoothly took the helmet handed to him, and expertly settled onto the back seat of the motorcycle. Afterward, who knows what Chen Zui said to him, but he raised his hand and gave Chen Zui a hearty slap on the back.
Just as he was about to stand up and grab Chen Zui by the neck, Chen Zui abruptly revved the throttle. As the motorcycle accelerated, Ruan Yiyun exclaimed in surprise and quickly sat back down, extending his arm to grip Chen Zui's waist.
The two of them quickly vanished from Guo Wei's sight.
After a while, Wang Tong quietly asked him, "Didn't you say he had to go for extracurricular practice at the last minute?"
Guo Wei stared blankly in the direction the motorcycle had disappeared, muttering, "That's what he told me."
Wang Tong fell silent.
Moments later, he patted Guo Wei's shoulder and said, "Well then, let me treat you today."
Guo Wei drifted through the entire afternoon in a daze.
During that time, he messaged Ruan Yiyun, asking where he was. Ruan Yiyun replied, saying he was currently engaged in a practice course arranged by the school, surrounded by people, making it inconvenient to answer calls. He also mentioned that he would be returning to school earlier than expected and wanted to see Guo Wei as soon as possible.
Guo Wei was not one to keep his feelings hidden. As soon as they met in the evening, Ruan Yiyun immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked with concern, "Why do you seem so out of sorts?"
Guo Wei had contemplated this for a long time before coming.
Keeping such things bottled up inside was impossible to deal with on his own. Subjectively, he still wanted to believe in Ruan Yiyun, so the best course of action was to address it proactively and have an open and honest conversation.
"Hmm," he nodded, looking at Ruan Yiyun, getting straight to the point, "I saw you at noon."
Ruan Yiyun froze.
"...with Chen Zui," Guo Wei said.
Ruan Yiyun noticeably averted his gaze.
"You were sitting on the back of his motorcycle," Guo Wei continued, raising his hand and gesturing, his tone tinged with hurt, "holding on so tightly..."
It pained him to see.
"Uh," Ruan Yiyun looked embarrassed, "Otherwise, I would have been thrown off. He always drives recklessly."
Guo Wei furrowed his brow. "That's not the point. You told me you were going for social practice."
Ruan Yiyun's gaze became less steady. He didn't immediately respond, only licked his lips.
It was the first time Guo Wei sensed his guilt.
"I want to know why," Guo Wei said.