The next morning, Zhou Le still felt awful, his whole body weak and his voice faint.
Even his eyes were puffy from last night’s crying.
After a shower, he could still smell the faint scent of chamomile on himself.
Although the scent was nice, knowing it was the smell of an Omega made him nervous.
At school, he kept his distance from anyone who approached.
When Lin Xiaoxiao arrived before homeroom and tried to talk to him, Zhou Le practically backed into Xia Linchuan.
Lin Xiaoxiao asked, “What’s with you?! I just wanted to show you this photo I edited of the class rep. You’re acting like I’m trying to force something on you.”
Zhou Le: “…”
Peeking from a safe distance, Zhou Le saw it was a photo of Lu Jingran in a lab coat from their time in the chemistry lab the day before.
In line with lab requirements, everyone had to wear a white coat during experiments.
His tall, clean-cut figure and handsome face, caught mid-motion holding a test tube, looked straight out of a medical drama.
“It’s nice,” Zhou Le muttered, unsure what Lin Xiaoxiao wanted to ask, as Lu Jingran looked the same with or without edits.
Satisfied, Lin Xiaoxiao began showing off in the group chat.
Watching her face light up with excitement, Zhou Le had a thought.
He leaned in, whispering like a thief, “Lin Xiaoxiao.”
“Hm?” She barely looked up, distracted.
“Can you… smell anything on me?”
Lin Xiaoxiao paused, turning to look at him.
They locked eyes, neither of them speaking.
After a moment, Zhou Le was sweating under her gaze, when she finally replied, “Are you sick?”
“Why would I be sniffing you? Do you think you’re an Alpha?”
“…”
From the side, Xia Linchuan added blandly, “Last night, the class rep hugged him. I saw it.”
“Guess he wanted you to catch the class rep’s scent on him.”
Zhou Le: ???
“What?!” Lin Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up, looking at Zhou Le as if he were a rare treasure. “The class rep hugged you?”
Zhou Le: “He didn’t!”
That wasn’t a hug! It was teaching him—a very proper one!
Lin Xiaoxiao stretched out her hands, “Come on, come on, let me check!”
Zhou Le could practically see the drool forming in her mouth.
“I didn’t! Really!” Even if there was a scent, it wouldn’t be Lu Jingran’s!
Lin Xiaoxiao didn’t let him explain, lunging to hug him. Zhou Le dodged, but she chased him, and when she couldn’t reach him, she stood up to grab him. Zhou Le ended up running.
He ran, she chased—no escape!
Just as Lin Xiaoxiao was about to catch up, a large hand intervened, pulling Zhou Le into an embrace.
It wasn’t a simple hug, either—it was a careful, protective hold.
Zhou Le, already thin and not very tall, looked especially small next to Lu Jingran. In his arms, the size difference was striking, as if Lu Jingran were holding something precious. He looked down at Zhou Le with a hint of fondness in his gaze.
Lin Xiaoxiao covered her mouth, Omg, this is actually kinda sweet. Am I going crazy?
Xia Linchuan, watching from the back door, joined in. “Hey! See? He hugged him!”
Zhou Le was just thinking how familiar the scent on this person was when he looked up and locked eyes with Lu Jingran’s calm gaze.
His nerves jolted, and Zhou Le quickly wriggled free from Lu Jingran’s embrace.
For a moment, Lu Jingran’s hands stayed outstretched, empty. He glanced at Zhou Le.
Zhou Le instinctively wanted to retreat, but then remembered Lu Jingran’s words from before: “Don’t avoid me, or I’ll catch you again.” So he stayed put.
Chen Nan, who’d woken up early but still felt tired from gaming all night, noticed the group and asked, “It’s so early, and you all have this much energy?”
With Lu Jingran there, no one dared say anything out of line.
Zhou Le kept his head down, not even daring to look up.
“Settle down; morning study session is about to start.”
When Lu Jingran spoke, everyone quieted immediately.
Lin Xiaoxiao and Xia Linchuan stopped talking, and everyone obediently entered through the front door. Right then, the short bell for morning study rang.
Zhou Le waited for everyone to go in before he finally moved forward, only to notice Lu Jingran was still beside him.
Without thinking, he sidestepped so quickly it was as if he’d been ejected.
“…” Lu Jingran paused, glancing at him. “What did I tell you before?”
“Huh?”
“Not to avoid me.”
Zhou Le quickly replied, “I’m not!”
Lu Jingran looked down at Zhou Le’s retreating foot.
Zhou Le: “…”
It was purely instinct. Lu Jingran’s one-meter radius was anything but safe territory for Zhou Le. Just being within it made him conscious of every breath.
He scooted closer with a grin, “I just wanted to let you go first, class rep, no avoiding involved.”
Lu Jingran’s eyes settled briefly on his face.
Then, looking at Zhou Le, he asked softly, “Did you get hurt when we bumped?”
His voice sounded gentle. Zhou Le glanced up; Lu Jingran’s gaze was serious, as if he really cared about whether Zhou Le was hurt.
Zhou Le blinked, dazed. “No, I didn’t get hurt at all.”
Lu Jingran finally looked away, “Don’t mess around next time. Be careful not to fall.”
Zhou Le nodded, still a bit stunned.
Watching Lu Jingran’s back as he walked away, Zhou Le wondered—maybe the class rep really hadn’t noticed him, and all those past encounters were just coincidences?
Or maybe, everything was just in his head, and he was overthinking it?
If Lu Jingran really knew, wouldn’t there have been a reaction by now? But no one from the school had called him in for a talk.
Maybe… he really was just overthinking?
—
During morning study, the English class rep didn’t lead the session. Instead, their homeroom teacher, Xu Yue, came in.
“At 8:30, we’ll skip the Chinese and Chemistry periods. Everyone needs to head to the small auditorium for an ABO physiology seminar.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the room buzzed.
“Again? Why do we have this every semester?”
“I know, right? We did this in middle school. Why do we still have it in high school?”
“Is this because of that rumor about an Omega being blocked by an Alpha in the restroom? Are they doing this because of that?”
“Who knows. But hey, lucky me, I’m a Beta and don’t have to go.”
“D*mn, I don’t want to go either.”
As if reading the room’s vibe, Xu Yue added, “Betas don’t have to attend; you’ll stay here for self-study. Alphas and Omegas, you must go. Lu Jingran, can you prepare a list for both groups?”
After Xu Yue left, Lu Jingran went to the front, took out two A4 sheets, and had the Alphas and Omegas sign separately before passing them back.
Not many people had to go—out of 52 students in Class 3, there were only about ten or so Alphas and Omegas.
“What’s Zhou Le doing on the Alpha list?” Chen Nan grumbled, eyeing the sheet in annoyance. “He even signed under Alphas. I don’t want to share a sheet with him.”
Clearly a Beta, but pretending to be an Alpha … what a show-off, and right in front of him!
Lu Jingran, hearing this, took the sheet and looked.
Zhou Le.
His name was there, written neatly in small, rounded characters. He’d even added “(Beta)” next to his name to avoid misunderstandings.
Lu Jingran smiled a little.
He opened his pen and signed right next to Zhou Le’s name.
Chen Nan: …??
Chen Nan: I don’t get it!
Xia Linchuan watched Zhou Le write his name on the list with his own eyes. More puzzled than Chen Nan, he asked, “Why are you going? You’re neither an Alpha nor an Omega.”
Usually, Betas have no desire to attend these sessions—almost two hours of rambling by a professor nobody knows. It can even make them miss lunch, so most think only fools would go. Alphas and Omegas, on the other hand, have no choice. This is one of those rare times they envy Betas.
Zhou Le’s gaze sparkled as he replied, “I just want to learn some new stuff… Oh, and we’re doing a chemistry experiment, right?”
“Maybe the lecture on AO physiology will cover topics like pheromones, which are all the rage right now. If I listen, it might help with the competition.”
Xia Linchuan found nothing wrong with that logic and dropped the subject.
At exactly 8:30, everyone headed to the small auditorium. Each class sat together.
Lin Xiaoxiao saved seats for Zhou Le and Xia Linchuan. Chen Nan reserved spots for Lu Jingran and Sheng Qian.
They all ended up in one row: Zhou Le beside Xia Linchuan, Xia Linchuan beside Chen Nan, Chen Nan next to Sheng Qian, and Sheng Qian beside Lu Jingran.
When Zhou Le took his seat, only then did Lu Jingran settle into his own.
The lecture began.
Zhou Le was attentive—more than usual, especially during the section on pheromones.
He was hoping to hear about any legal ways to suppress his secondary gender development. Online sources were often frightening and questionable, so he preferred the credibility of a university professor.
Unfortunately, there were no suggestions on suppression—only drastic measures like surgical removal of the gland on the back of the neck, which would cost more than Zhou Le had ever earned.
His last bit of hope was fading when a new idea popped up.
——”During heat, Alphas and Omegas can use blockers or inhibitors to mitigate pheromone effects. But if those don’t work, there’s another solution. Does anyone know? That’s right—marking. Temporary marking, or even permanent marking.”
The professor’s words sparked laughter and whispers around the room, everyone wearing subtle, knowing smiles.
——”Marking can alleviate the effects of heat, especially for Omegas. If marked by a high-level Alpha, it can be even more effective than blockers or inhibitors.”
Zhou Le’s eyes went wide.
He knew about AO marking, but he hadn’t realized it was that effective! Better than blockers or inhibitors?
In that case, he wouldn’t need to spend so much money. Just find an Alpha willing to give him one bite and save on those pricey inhibitors.
But… who would he ask?
Zhou Le’s mind raced.
——”However, marking for convenience is neither encouraged nor respected in society. Especially here, in a school setting where emotions run high. Too many mutual markings can lead to complications. You may even struggle to feel attraction to other AOs afterward.”
——”If the bond isn’t one that lasts, then you’ve created a burden. So, students, don’t laugh; be cautious and discuss this with your parents. Some costs are not worth cutting.”
Right!
Zhou Le turned to his side with the same intense gaze that Lin Xiaoxiao had used on him earlier.
Xia Linchuan, who had been gaming with one earbud in, couldn’t ignore Zhou Le’s fervent stare. When he looked over, he was greeted by Zhou Le’s drooling expression.
