After Pretending to be a Beta, the Omega was Discovered by the School Heartthrob Chapter 49

Zhou Le wasn’t sure how he got home—probably in Lu Jingran’s car.

At one point, Lu Jingran tried making conversation, but Zhou Le had no idea what to say, shrinking into his side of the car, silent and looking down.

When Lu Jingran leaned closer, Zhou Le edged away.

After that, neither of them spoke.

When they arrived, Zhou Le thanked him hurriedly, then dashed up the stairs.

Only after he reached his bedroom did he dare to take a deep breath.

This wasn’t a dream or a fantasy—it was real. He and Lu Jingran had kissed.

The scene from the cinema replayed in Zhou Le’s mind, the way Lu Jingran had looked at him, the warmth of his lips, the strength in his hand, all turning his thoughts into a tangled mess.

What now? What now?!

His heart was in chaos; his hands and legs felt weak. Back in the car with Lu Jingran, he felt that if he relaxed even a little, he might have completely collapsed.

It’s over.

He was completely done for.

Zhou Le slid down against his bedroom door, ending up sitting on the floor.

—

For the next few days, Zhou Le avoided walking with Lu Jingran. Likewise, Lu Jingran didn’t come to find him, as if they shared a silent understanding to leave that day behind and return to a time when they were still strangers.

Every time Lu Jingran came around to collect homework, Zhou Le’s heart sank.

It was a feeling that was both sour and bitter, something he couldn’t quite put into words.

It wasn’t dislike.

No, he didn’t dislike what Lu Jingran had done that day.

But he couldn’t face it.

So, he could only avoid him.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Xia Linchuan noticed something was off. “What’s going on with you and the class rep? You two don’t seem right.”

Each time, Zhou Le would change the subject and say it was nothing.

It was the same on Lu Jingran’s side. Sheng Qian and Chen Nan stopped obsessing over their own issues and kept a close eye on Lu Jingran, as if worried something might happen.

Because, honestly, he was scaring them.

In the past, Lu Jingran came across as detached and aloof at most, but he was never unapproachable. Now, however, he was.

Whether answering questions in class, explaining topics to others, or leading class meetings, Lu Jingran’s face was expressionless, even when the whole class was laughing, with not a hint of warmth in his eyes.

One time, Sheng Qian seemed to think of something and asked, “Is your susceptibility period coming soon?”

An Alpha only acts unusual during their susceptibility period, and by the looks of it, Lu Jingran’s time was near.

But Lu Jingran didn’t answer, simply continuing with his practice questions, filling in answers in the parentheses.

He wasn’t doing any calculations, just writing after a brief glance.

From an outsider’s view, it was a calm yet almost frenzied kind of focus, the way he pressed his pen down hinted at the quiet before a storm.

Sheng Qian felt something was wrong. There had to be something going on.

An Alpha nearing their susceptibility period is hardly rational, and if he kept bottling things up, it wasn’t something to take lightly.

Back in middle school, there was an Alpha teacher who, during his susceptibility period, experienced some kind of emotional trigger and suddenly lost control in the hallway. He tried to mark an Omega student, which scared the principal so badly his legs went weak. Even the school security couldn’t restrain him, though they did prevent him from getting to the student.

In the end, the police had to come and administer a strong suppressant to subdue him. Rumor on the school forum later revealed that the Alpha teacher’s Omega wife had been unfaithful during her heat period, falling for another Alpha and asking for a divorce. This news came right when the teacher’s susceptibility period hit. Without an Omega to soothe him and facing sudden betrayal, he lost control and nearly ended up in jail, though he eventually resigned.

An Alpha’s susceptibility period should never be taken lightly.

Sheng Qian, as a fellow Alpha, understood this well. He remembered that before he confessed to Chen Nan, during his own susceptibility period, he constantly had the urge to pull Chen Nan aside and force himself on him. He’d have done it, even if it meant going to jail.

Looking back, it truly scared him—not that he’d ruin himself, but that he’d really hurt Chen Nan. That would have been even worse than death.

“What’s going on? Talk to me.” Sheng Qian poured Lu Jingran a glass of liquor.

Without looking, Lu Jingran drank it all in one go.

Sheng Qian paused, watching him.

Before he could pour another glass, Lu Jingran took the glass from his hand, pouring one glass after another until he had finished the whole bottle.

“I lost him.”

Lu Jingran’s voice was hoarse.

“He’s afraid of me…”

“So he ran away.”

“I thought he liked me… He kissed me like that, but he ended up hating me.”

“He doesn’t even want to be near me anymore.”

…

Maybe the alcohol was too strong. After a while, Lu Jingran’s stomach churned, his adrenaline spiking, making him appear even darker and colder as he struggled to control his pheromones.

Sheng Qian quickly got him into the car, preparing to drive him home.

—

“What’s going on with you lately?” Uncle Zhou looked at the two returned deliveries, surprised. “Zhou Le, do you know how many orders you’ve messed up this week?”

“The customers said they were in a hurry, and you still delivered it wrong?! You never used to be this sloppy—you’ve delivered to that house so many times, and you still got the address wrong? Where’s your head?”

Zhou Le bowed his head, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Uncle Zhou…”

There was no excuse. He really had gotten it wrong. His mind had been elsewhere when he delivered the food, and when he finally called the customer, he realized he’d gone to a previous client instead. The two addresses were in completely opposite directions, so it was too late to make up for it.

This had happened three times that week, so it was no wonder Uncle Zhou was upset. These were regular customers, people who trusted him enough to place orders. Some of them were ordering because they were working late and starving, left waiting for so long—it was enough to make anyone mad.

And it wasn’t just in the evenings while delivering food; he’d made mistakes at school too. Someone from the class next door had asked for eggs with tomatoes, but he served them stir-fried potatoes instead. The student was allergic to potatoes, so they couldn’t even eat their meal, and Zhou Le had to cover the cost out of pocket.

This kind of thing had never happened before, but Zhou Le knew why. When he saw Lu Jingran in the cafeteria, he’d been so distracted that when the cafeteria auntie asked what he wanted, he just blurted out “potato strips” without thinking, and by the time he noticed, it was too late.

After taking Uncle Zhou’s scolding, Zhou Le rode home.

It was already past ten, and the surroundings were quiet. For the past few days, he’d been getting home late, exhausting himself, and yet he’d still find himself sleepless, unable to stop thinking about that kiss in the cinema.

Even now, just recalling it made his heart race and burn.

So the class rep… really did like him?

His feelings weren’t wrong.

But…

His phone suddenly rang.

Zhou Le stopped his bike and took out his phone—it was Lu Jingran calling.

His heart skipped a beat, racing uncontrollably.

The class rep… at this hour?

Staring at the screen for a while, Zhou Le bit his lip and answered.

At this hour, it was still very cold outside, but his heart was heating up.

“Hello, is this Zhou Le? This is Sheng Qian.”

“…Oh,” Zhou Le’s tone dropped. “It’s you.”

“Do you need something?”

In the background, he could faintly hear a voice on Sheng Qian’s side, “You called him?”

It was Lu Jingran’s voice.

Zhou Le tightened his grip on the phone.

“What else should I do? Your pheromones are about to go out of control. Do you want to end up in the ER?” Sheng Qian said.

Zhou Le’s anxiety spiked. “Pheromones? ER? What happened to the class rep?”

Sheng Qian didn’t answer. There was some noise, and after a pause, he said, “You talk to him. I’m getting out of the car. You two should have a good talk.”

After another bit of static, the line quieted down.

For a long moment, there was no sound.

Zhou Le held the phone at a distance to check if the call was still connected.

“Hello? Class rep? Can you hear me?” Zhou Le parked his bike by the roadside, stomping in place anxiously. “Say something, Lu Jingran! Are you okay?”

On the other end, hearing Zhou Le’s clearly worried voice, Lu Jingran’s tense expression softened, and his eyes grew gentler.

“It’s nothing, just had a bit too much to drink. Pheromone instability is normal,” Lu Jingran explained calmly.

Zhou Le’s lashes lifted slightly.

Even through the phone, he could tell Lu Jingran’s voice was hoarse, as if it was difficult for him to even speak.

He was really uncomfortable.

Imagining Lu Jingran’s worn, troubled face, Zhou Le felt a pang of discomfort.

“Why did you drink?” Zhou Le asked, then fell silent.

The other end of the line went quiet too.

After a while, he heard Lu Jingran’s raspy, hoarse voice, “Because I made a mistake.”

“…”

Zhou Le didn’t respond.

A picture of Zhou Le’s face floated into Lu Jingran’s mind. “I thought he liked me. But it turns out I was wrong.”

Maybe he really was drunk. Lu Jingran’s words came slowly, and in his low voice, there was a lingering tenderness.

“I wanted to say sorry to him, but I couldn’t. Because liking him was real. Liking him without his permission was real, too.”

Zhou Le gripped the phone tightly, his fingertips turning white.

“Zhou Le.”

“I’m sorry for scaring you.”