Jet’s grin faltered for a moment, feeling a slight blush heat his cheeks with the unexpected question. “I—well, maybe not.”

They walked in silence for a few steps, the rain pattering softly on the umbrella above them. Jet felt strangely comfortable in Han’s presence, and the quiet stretched between them, feeling less like silence and more like an unspoken understanding.

“So,” Han said, breaking the calm, “you were out exploring?”

Jet nodded, glancing at the different shops they were passing. “I don’t usually get out much, so I wanted to see what I was missing. And my sister’s craving all kinds of foods these days.”

Han’s face softened, his voice lowering. “That’s thoughtful of you, looking after her.”

Jet shrugged, embarrassed. “She’s family. We look out for each other.”

Han nodded, and they fell into a peaceful rhythm again, the rain continuing around them.

“Do you read a lot? Your speaking is advanced,” Han asked suddenly, catching Jet off guard.

“Quite much, I like writing too, writing novels,” Jet said, surprised he remembered. “Just as a way to, I don’t know, get my thoughts down.”

“Ever let anyone read it?” Han asked, his tone light but his gaze curious.

Jet hesitated, then shook his head. “Not yet. Maybe someday.”

“Someday,” Han whispered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

They exchanged a quiet glance, the kind that held unspoken words. As they reached the restaurant, Han paused and looked down at him. “I’ll see you around?”

Jet nodded, his voice catching slightly, and managed a quiet, “Yeah.” As Han turned to leave, the memory of that calm moment under the umbrella stayed with him, lingering like the scent of rain long after it had ceased.

When he sat down at the table, Li gave him a teasing smile, having noticed the tall man outside. “Is he yours?”

Jet blinked, taken aback. “What did you say?”

“That man—the tall one with the umbrella.” She lowered her voice playfully. “Is he… that someone different?”

Jet's cheeks flushed as he tried to explain himself, his words stumbling over each other. “No, no! It’s not like that! We just—accidentally met last night at the hill…”

Li chuckled, amused at his flustered reaction. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. Just… be careful, okay? Don’t get caught by our parents or our brothers.”

Jet managed a grateful smile, and after the rain subsided, they made their way home with the food they’d gathered. He helped Li set it out at the dining table, where Meixuan immediately ran to her mother’s side.

As Jet was placing the last dish, his mother entered from the other side of the room. She greeted him, but her expression shifted as she caught a faint, unfamiliar scent lingering on his clothes—a distinct Alpha’s pheromone. Her gaze sharpened, and she strode over, eyes sweeping over him in disbelief.

“An Alpha’s scent?” she questioned, her tone tinged with suspicion.

Jet froze, realising too late what she’d noticed. “Oh, no, Mother!” he quickly stammered. “It’s nothing. I was in the market when it started to rain, and a friend happened to have an umbrella—”

“A friend?” she interrupted, her brow furrowing. “An Alpha friend? Which family are they from? What’s their status? Their wealth?”

Jet felt trapped under her scrutiny. “Mother, what?”

She crossed her arms, clearly displeased. “If this Alpha friend is wealthy, perhaps a marriage could be arranged. Otherwise, what were you doing alone with an Alpha?”

Jet struggled for words, shocked by her swift leap to marriage based on wealth. Li, noticing his discomfort, stepped in smoothly. “Mother, it was just a friend. Let’s not jump to conclusions. Come sit down and eat—we brought back a feast for everyone.”

His mother shot him one last critical look, but relented, taking her place at the table. As they settled into the meal, Jet tried to push the thought of Han from his mind, but the memory of their moment in the rain remained as vivid as ever.

“So,” Li said with a warm smile, breaking the tension, “we brought some dim sum we could find, as well as a few of those savoury rolls Mother likes.”

Jet nodded, setting down the last of the dishes. “The market was lively this morning despite the rain. There were so many people enjoying themselves.”

As they began to eat, Jet could feel his mother’s eyes occasionally flicker his way, her thoughts likely still lingering on the unfamiliar scent she’d picked up. He tried to focus on his food, but his thoughts kept drifting back to that moment in the rain with Han. The umbrella, the quiet words, the lingering scent… it all felt too close, too strange.

Li gave him a small, knowing look from across the table, her gaze saying I won’t tell, but also I know what I saw. It made Jet’s heart pound, caught between excitement and embarrassment. He hoped his mother would let it go, but he knew she’d remember this Alpha scent.

As lunch ended, his mother finally looked at him. “Jet, be careful,” she said, her tone somewhere between worry and expectation. “Friends or not, it’s best to keep proper boundaries. I trust you, my son.”

Jet simply nodded, not wanting to say anything more on the subject. His sister shot him a reassuring smile, and he managed a small smile in return, grateful for her silent support.

That night, Jet lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The day’s events played over and over in his mind, and he felt a quiet happiness at the thought of making a new friend. But then his mother’s reaction crept back into his thoughts—her suspicion, the way she had quickly turned the simple act of meeting someone into a question of status, wealth, and family background. If Han was from “that type of family,” she’d probably waste no time arranging a marriage.

Jet sighed, feeling a heaviness settle in his chest. ‘Maybe’, he thought, ‘I shouldn’t have met him at all.’