Lu Jingran instinctively caught him, and a subtle, pleasant floral scent drifted into his nose.
Subtle but strangely alluring.
Lu Jingran raised his eyes.
Zhou Le’s chin was still damp with sweat, his bangs were wet, and his pale skin showed a faint flush as he gasped for air.
The boy was very thin, his back and waist almost shockingly slender; it would only take a bit of strength to hold him close…
Zhou Le was completely oblivious to Lu Jingran’s bold gaze. Once he steadied himself, he realized he was actually leaning into Lu Jingran.
The scent of the boy’s cologne was faintly cool, yet warm at the same time.
But just the fact that it was Lu Jingran made Zhou Le feel nervous beyond words.
Zhou Le quickly let go, saying, “Sorry, class rep! I… I just lost my balance…”
“Thank you…”
After muttering his thanks, Zhou Le sneaked a glance at Lu Jingran, observing his reaction.
This is crazy!
How did he end up falling right into Lu Jingran’s arms?
Fortunately, judging from Lu Jingran’s expressionless face, he didn’t seem too annoyed.
With this thought, Zhou Le began to relax, raising his hand to wipe his chin.
As he moved, a faint floral scent drifted out again.
It was subtle but enough to provoke an Alpha’s possessiveness and aggression.
Just like an innocent little flower, waiting to be picked and defiled… Lu Jingran didn’t even notice how deep and intense his gaze had become.
Until Sheng Qian nudged him. “What’s wrong? Why are you making that face?”
“…”
By now, the crowd from Class Three on the field had started to disperse. Zhou Le and Xia Linchuan were helping Lin Xiaoxiao, who was stubbornly refusing to leave, as they walked further away.
Lu Jingran stared at Zhou Le’s back from afar, almost doubting if what had just happened was his imagination.
Why did Zhou Le… have a scent?
Sensing something unusual, Sheng Qian asked again, “What’s going on?”
Lu Jingran raised his hand, rubbing his fingers thoughtfully.
After a while, he murmured, “Can a Beta have a scent?”
Sheng Qian: “What scent?”
Lu Jingran: “Omega.”
Sheng Qian: “?”
Sheng Qian: “Are you crazy?”
A Beta giving off an Omega scent is impossible. Unless… “Maybe he came into close contact with an Omega recently, and the scent rubbed off.”
“Isn’t Lin Xiaoxiao an Omega? It’s probably her scent.”
Lu Jingran: “…”
—-
Zhou Le hadn’t exercised this much in ages, and he wasn’t used to it. By the time he got up in the morning, his legs were so sore he could barely walk.
But he had to get moving. After delivering a few packages in the morning, he slowly started to adapt.
After practicing with Lu Jingran and the others for a few days, Zhou Le felt a bit more confident, though still not entirely. But he was determined to give it his best shot.
The sports meet was always a big event at their school. Drums, firecrackers, and crowds created a spectacular scene.
First, the principal and Party and government administration secretary gave speeches, followed by a student representative.
Liu Yanyan, with her high ponytail and gentle tone, radiated youthful energy like the female lead in a campus romance. Her delicate face appeared on the big screen, and all the boys in the stands couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
Who could resist such a bright, elegant girl?
Zhou Le looked up and couldn’t help but smile fondly.
He was standing at the back of Class Three’s lineup, and this view was perfect.
Not that he had any other intentions—he just really admired Liu Yanyan’s looks. Maybe this was what a true beauty was supposed to be like.
Such an amazing girl… he couldn’t understand why Lu Jingran didn’t like her. Zhou Le glanced behind him instinctively.
And wouldn’t you know, Lu Jingran was looking right back at him.
Those deep black eyes didn’t shift away, as if they had been staring at him all along.
Oh no!
Zhou Le’s heart skipped a beat, and he instantly shrank back like a mouse spotting a cat.
Then he thought he might have been a bit rude and turned around to give a small nod of acknowledgment.
But by the time he turned back, Lu Jingran had already lowered his gaze.
He stood there, tall and handsome, just wearing a simple blue-and-white school uniform, yet he stood out.
With that cold, aloof aura, he looked like the lead in a movie.
Zhou Le couldn’t help but stare.
He could understand now why Lin Xiaoxiao liked Lu Jingran.
He had to admit, he really was good-looking.
Especially when he was expressionless, with a slightly stern face—just so…
“Hey, what are you staring at?” Xia Linchuan waved a hand in front of Zhou Le’s face.
He had been standing right behind him, wondering why Zhou Le was gazing back, frozen.
“Huh? Oh, nothing.” Zhou Le quickly turned around.
After the speech, the sports meet began. Each class, led by their teacher, moved to their designated seats.
Except for those in line for performances, the athletes began warming up at the registration area.
Zhou Le stretched his arms and legs, eagerly getting into his warm-up routine.
The other athletes from his class saw him and exclaimed in surprise, “Whoa, look at you! Is that a new outfit?”
Today, he wore a light blue summer sports outfit—a T-shirt on top, with knee-length shorts below, revealing slender, fair ankles.
He even wore a sports headband, looking bright and sporty.
This wasn’t the Zhou Le they were used to seeing in his worn-out school uniform; he looked like a whole new person.
Everyone stared in amazement: turns out, clothes really do make the man, and this kid’s got some looks.
Of course, these weren’t Zhou Le’s own clothes.
“Xia Linchuan lent them to me. I was going to wear my uniform, but he said it was too thick and cumbersome, so he let me borrow these.” Zhou Le scratched his head sheepishly.
“Oh… makes sense. You two are best buddies, after all. Don’t worry, you look great.”
“Yeah, you look awesome! Who knew? You’ve got some charm, kid!” Someone playfully teased, wrapping an arm around Zhou Le and pinching his cheek. “You know, for such a skinny guy, your face is surprisingly soft.”
“Really? Let me feel, too!”
A few of the guys surrounded Zhou Le, all eager to poke and prod him.
Just then, someone in the distance cleared their throat.
Everyone turned around to see Lu Jingran’s icy face appear in the crowd.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze, and everyone awkwardly pulled their hands back.
They exchanged glances:
—What’s up with the class rep? He looks like he’s about to kill someone.
—Not that serious, probably just feels like kicking us.
—Maybe he’s annoyed because we’re fooling around instead of warming up.
The next second, Li Yang shouted, “What are you all doing? The race is about to start, and you’re still messing around! Are you here to compete or not? With your attitude, do you really think you can beat Class Seven?”
Everyone immediately fell silent.
As the center of attention just moments ago, Zhou Le didn’t dare say a word.
He only dared to sneak a look up.
Lu Jingran had changed his clothes, too.
Not into his school uniform, but into a summer athletic outfit similar to Zhou Le’s.
A white T-shirt, black shorts, and a white baseball cap.
He looked relaxed yet athletic, like he’d stepped right off the cover of a magazine.
Meanwhile, Xiao Lan from Class Seven led his team to line up as well. Since they were after Class Three, they stood further back.
With Lu Jingran’s presence being so eye-catching, he was easily noticeable in the Class Three lineup.
Seeing Lu Jingran there made the Class Seven group a bit nervous. “Didn’t they say Lu Jingran wasn’t competing this year? What’s he doing in line?”
“He’s their coach, of course he has to be here.”
“Last year, if it hadn’t been for Lu Jingran, our class would’ve taken the championship in every event. So annoying.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. Our class’s overall score was still the highest, right? Even if Lu Jingran performs well, they’ve only got the 2000m relay worth noting. Let’s show them what a real all-kill is this time, hahaha!”
Just hearing them talk made Xiao Lan grin in satisfaction.
Then he noticed a familiar face up ahead.
Zhou Le.
Xiao Lan couldn’t hold back a scoff.
—
The competition began, with the first event being the 100-meter sprint.
All participants took their positions.
For Class Three, it was Zhou Le; for Class Seven, it was Xiao Lan.
Typically, Xiao Lan wouldn’t participate in such a small event, but he wanted to warm up—consider it an appetizer.
[“Attention, all competitors. The 100-meter sprint is about to begin. Please start the race when you hear the starting gun.”]
The electronic voice over the loudspeaker echoed across the campus.
The referee raised the signal flag.
Everything was poised for action.
Zhou Le lowered himself into a starting position, his eyes fixed on the finish line.
Just then, he heard a low scoff by his ear.
Xiao Lan’s voice was filled with scorn as he smirked, “You’re really that desperate to win a prize, huh? Going this hard for a rice cooker? Zhou Le, are you that broke?”
Bang—
The gunshot rang out.
Everyone shot forward like arrows.
