Wei Xiaochi’s face was covered in fingerprints from Jiang Zhan poking it, and he lowered his gaze, speaking dryly, “I wasn’t looking for trouble.”

Jiang Zhan finally stopped, his attitude forceful, “Then tell me, whose side are you on, mine or Li Suilin’s?”

At that moment, Wei Xiaochi finally understood what Jiang Zhan was holding a grudge about.

After finishing their exams in the morning, Li Suilin had criticized Jiang Zhan for his low scores and suggested changing his tutor. The two big shots had clashed, and Wei Xiaochi, like a tiny shrimp, got unintentionally dragged into it.

Li Suilin wasn’t wrong. After all, he was the one who paid the salary, so naturally, Wei Xiaochi had to listen to him. But…

Wei Xiaochi sneaked a glance at the almost exploding alpha, and his survival instinct made him hesitate to speak the truth.

“Well, how do I put this?” Wei Xiaochi stammered, noticing Jiang Zhan’s increasingly sour expression. In the end, his survival instinct took over.

Wei Xiaochi quickly added, “I’ll listen to you from now on, always listen to you.”

Jiang Zhan suddenly turned his face away, his posture straight. The setting sun cast its light on him, dyeing him in a reddish hue, making his ears turn pink.

“Just speak your mind, don’t act all spoiled,” the alpha turned his head away, avoiding Wei Xiaochi’s gaze, his eyes drifting. “I’m not falling for your tricks.”

Wei Xiaochi felt as though he had heard something outrageous. “Ah?” he exclaimed, confused, “I wasn’t acting spoiled.”

Jiang Zhan snorted internally. He thought, of course, these types of green tea wouldn’t admit it.

Pulling out his car keys, Jiang Zhan spun them around his finger, pretending to be impatient. “What are you standing there for? Are we going to the hospital or not?”

Sure enough, Jiang Zhan had been waiting for him to go to the hospital with him. Wei Xiaochi awkwardly scratched the side of his head. “Sorry to trouble you.”

His beta voice was light and soft, and when he lowered his gaze, he seemed quiet and obedient.

Every time Jiang Zhan saw him like this, he felt an itch in his heart, a restlessness that was hard to put into words.

Jiang Zhan cleared his throat, trying to suppress that irritability—really, not letting him act spoiled was making him even more worked up, and it was happening more frequently. Annoying.

The motorcycle was a bit cramped for two people. As Wei Xiaochi got on, he inevitably bumped into Jiang Zhan.

The alpha immediately exploded, flustered and agitated, “Sit still, don’t take advantage of me.”

“…”

Wei Xiaochi stood frozen, unsure where to place his hands and feet, and timidly suggested, “Can you move a little forward?”

Jiang Zhan only moved a little bit, and with no other option, Wei Xiaochi had to press against him. After all, there wasn’t much space. Even though Jiang Zhan was lean, he wasn’t paper-thin.

Jiang Zhan glanced at Wei Xiaochi, his haughty face clearly saying—“I knew you were trying to take advantage of me.”

Once again, the burden was thrown onto Wei Xiaochi, as he wondered just how perverted his image must be in Jiang Zhan’s eyes.

In the hospital lobby, there were several self-service machines for collecting test results. Jiang Zhan placed the consultation card on the sensor area, and in no time, the machine spit out a test result.

Wei Xiaochi didn’t even get a chance to touch it before Jiang Zhan grabbed the result.

“So, how is it?” Wei Xiaochi’s throat tightened, and his heartbeat began to race.

He wanted Jiang Zhan to announce the result, but couldn’t help himself from leaning in to see the lab report.

The lab report was filled with a lot of dense data that Wei Xiaochi couldn’t understand, but Jiang Zhan was reading it carefully.

Wei Xiaochi waited for a while, and since Jiang Zhan didn’t give him a direct answer, he couldn’t help but ask, “Should we ask the doctor?”

“No need,” Jiang Zhan glanced at Wei Xiaochi, his eyes dark and inscrutable. “You are.”

Wei Xiaochi’s lips twitched awkwardly, his voice hoarse, “How can you tell?”

“Your luteinizing hormone is positive, and your oxytocin is higher than normal.” Jiang Zhan looked off into the distance, awkwardly continuing, “This means you’re about to undergo secondary differentiation.”

It meant he would become an omega.

An omega who liked him.

Wei Xiaochi’s lips moved for a moment, wanting to say something, but then realized he couldn’t make a sound.

However, this silence only lasted for a few seconds. Wei Xiaochi calmly replied with an “Oh,” and that was it.

He didn’t want to turn into an omega. The life he had planned for himself was that of a beta, but suddenly becoming an omega meant a lot of things had to change.

Fortunately, he had a strong ability to accept things. He quickly processed the test results and faced the reality of secondary differentiation with calm.

Wei Xiaochi remembered Jiang Zhan’s training camp trip back to school, and now that they had the results, there was no need to stay in the hospital any longer.

Wei Xiaochi asked, “Shall we go?”

Jiang Zhan’s answer was no, and he dragged him over for a gland development checkup.

While waiting for the checkup in the hallway, Wei Xiaochi searched for information about this gland development test on his phone and found that it wasn’t strictly necessary.

The fee was directly deducted from the consultation card, though Wei Xiaochi didn’t know the exact amount. He found online that the cost was pretty high—higher than a gender test.

At this point, Wei Xiaochi couldn’t sit still anymore. He said grumpily, “I don’t want to do this test. Let’s ask the doctor if we can get the money refunded.”

Jiang Zhan frowned, “Why don’t you want to do it? It’s not painful.”

The young master alpha, who didn’t know the suffering of the world, clearly didn’t understand Wei Xiaochi’s thoughts, and assumed he was afraid of pain.

Not wanting anyone to overhear, Wei Xiaochi glanced around, then leaned close to Jiang Zhan, whispering in his ear, “Because this test is useless. It’s just a waste of money.”

Afterward, he quickly pulled away.

The warm breath that Wei Xiaochi spoke with made Jiang Zhan’s ears twitch sensitively.

In reality, the test wasn’t a waste of money. It could make the development of the glands visible.

An experienced doctor could estimate the date of gland maturity, which meant predicting when secondary differentiation would happen.

However, this maturity period was medical knowledge.

The gland was a delicate and complex organ, easily influenced by external factors, which could delay development or cause premature differentiation.

Online, many people criticized the gland development ultrasound test, claiming it was too expensive and didn’t guarantee accuracy. It was seen as an unnecessary procedure.

Of course, this was for normal gland conditions. If there were any issues during development, the test would be essential.

For Wei Xiaochi’s current situation, skipping the test would be fine. The occasional soreness in his neck was a normal developmental symptom, not a sign of a problem.

The test could only guess when he would differentiate, and even that wasn’t guaranteed to be accurate.

To Wei Xiaochi, it was just a waste of money.

After waiting for a while and receiving no response from Jiang Zhan, Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but glance at him.

The overhead lights in the corridor cast a cold white light, and the alpha sat on a plastic bench, unusually subdued, his arrogant air subdued.

His hair hung down softly, a gap revealed between the black strands, showing the tips of his red-tinted ears.

Wei Xiaochi froze for a moment, staring at him, forgetting what he was about to say.

It was Jiang Zhan who got annoyed by the stare. That fleeting shy moment seemed like an illusion. He glared at Wei Xiaochi and resumed his usual arrogant attitude. “Do it if I tell you to, no need for all this nonsense.”

“Don’t look at me!”

He shouted at Wei Xiaochi to stop looking at him, but his hand reached out and grabbed Wei Xiaochi’s face.

Wei Xiaochi had to tilt his head back, and because they were so close, when he looked at Jiang Zhan, he felt like he had become cross-eyed.

Jiang Zhan poked Wei Xiaochi’s face firmly, saying, “Don’t look at me!”

Wei Xiaochi quickly closed his eyes.

Jiang Zhan didn’t move his hand, and for a moment, there was silence. Wei Xiaochi, confused, couldn’t help but crack open one eye.

Jiang Zhan’s eyes shimmered with a bit of moisture, dark and shiny, incredibly beautiful. It even seemed like his lashes fluttered.

“Don’t look at me.”

His voice was filled with embarrassed anger.

Wei Xiaochi, frightened, immediately shut his eyes again.

–

Jiang Zhan held Wei Xiaochi’s face for an unknown amount of time, until a nurse came out of the room and called for Wei Xiaochi to come in for the checkup. Only then did he abruptly release him. Turning his body away, his back faced Wei Xiaochi, his posture rigid.

Wei Xiaochi awkwardly swallowed, raising a hand to touch the back of his neck. The skin there had become more sensitive as the gland developed, veins thumping and slightly burning. He thought he caught a whiff of pheromones earlier but wasn’t entirely sure, since he had never smelled that kind of scent before.

“Wei Xiaochi.”

“Wei Xiaochi, are you there?”

The nurse called his name a few more times.

Wei Xiaochi, still in a daze, jumped up from the plastic bench. “I’m here.”

The nurse instructed, “Come in for the checkup.”

Wei Xiaochi really didn’t want to go through with this checkup. At the rate money was being spent, how much would he owe Jiang Zhan by the end? Even extra tutoring through university probably wouldn’t be enough to repay him.

Seeing that he was still standing there, the nurse urged him again. Wei Xiaochi reluctantly walked in.

The doctor who would be doing the checkup was very young, probably around 25 or 26, with an upright posture and good looks.

He took Wei Xiaochi’s consultation card and placed it on the sensor, then glanced at the computer. “You’re here for a gland checkup? Take off your shirt.”

Wei Xiaochi hesitated for a moment, then lifted his arm and pulled off his T-shirt.

The doctor told Wei Xiaochi to sit on the bed, and when he looked up, he saw a handsome young man standing at the door, watching them intently.

Raising an eyebrow, the doctor asked, “Is this your boyfriend? Come in, I have something for him to do.”

Wei Xiaochi’s mind went blank, blood rushing to his head. He quickly explained, “Not my boyfriend.”

The doctor, who had been taking a disposable glove out of the drawer, froze. He looked at Jiang Zhan, clearly doubtful. “Not your boyfriend?”

Jiang Zhan lazily snatched the glove out of the doctor’s hands, his chin lifted, looking proud. “He likes me, but I haven’t agreed.”

Wei Xiaochi: …

Doctor: …

As a seasoned player in the world of relationships, the doctor could tell by the smug tone in Jiang Zhan’s voice.

He couldn’t help but make a remark to himself, seeing this haughty little display. “Pfft, it’s clear he’s not far from agreeing.”

Wei Xiaochi felt incredibly awkward but knew Jiang Zhan’s personality well enough to realize that it was best not to explain right now; it would only make things worse.

What followed was even more awkward. The doctor asked Jiang Zhan to put on a pair of disposable gloves and squeeze a blob of coupling gel into his palm.

He then instructed Jiang Zhan, “Rub the gel on his neck.”

Coupling gel was a kind of contrast agent used during ultrasound checks to improve the image quality and enhance the signal.

Jiang Zhan didn’t seem surprised by the request. He walked over to Wei Xiaochi, his face impassive.

Wei Xiaochi was sitting on the bed, his bare upper body exposed. His shoulders were thin, and his spine straight, with smooth and even lines from the neck to the vertebrae.

When the cool gel touched the back of his neck, Wei Xiaochi’s body stiffened involuntarily, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

The gel was thick and sticky. Jiang Zhan spread it across Wei Xiaochi’s pale skin with the palm of his hand. The gel glistened, reflecting a cold, white light, almost like a piece of white jade.

Jiang Zhan rubbed Wei Xiaochi’s neck, the feeling slippery under his hand. His Adam’s apple moved slightly as he swallowed.

The doctor stood by, giving instructions, “Rub a little more down. Hey, not too thin, just enough. Don’t keep pressing the same spot.”

Jiang Zhan’s brow furrowed, growing agitated at being told what to do, but he couldn’t just stop and leave.

Wei Xiaochi felt uneasy too. When he was still a beta, his neck could be touched casually, but now, with the impending omega differentiation, every touch from Jiang Zhan made him feel uncomfortable, both physically and mentally.

If it were anyone else, Wei Xiaochi wouldn’t have minded so much, but it was Jiang Zhan.

Having been accused multiple times of taking advantage of Jiang Zhan, Wei Xiaochi started to care about how close Jiang Zhan got. He would feel awkward every time Jiang Zhan leaned in.

The doctor teased, “Done yet? Or should I give you two more time to ‘build your relationship’?”

That one sentence made both Wei Xiaochi and Jiang Zhan’s faces change.

After teasing them, the doctor was in a good mood, smiling as he walked over and placed the ultrasound device on Wei Xiaochi’s neck. He moved the device back and forth while watching the computer screen.

The ultrasound results came quickly. Twenty minutes later, Wei Xiaochi and Jiang Zhan were back in the pheromone physiology department with the results.

The doctor took the ultrasound images, holding them up to the light for a closer look. “The gland development looks great.”

After reviewing the third image, the doctor couldn’t help but praise Wei Xiaochi. “You’re very proactive about checking your gland development. It’s rare for someone to come to the hospital this early in the process.”

Before differentiation, the gland had about a month to mature. The symptoms of development only became more obvious in the middle stages.

Wei Xiaochi was in the early stages of development. The gland had just awakened, so there weren’t many noticeable symptoms. Any discomfort was usually overlooked.

Wei Xiaochi rubbed his nose. He was one of those people who was slow to notice things, so unless he felt very uncomfortable, he wouldn’t have come to the hospital for a checkup.

Jiang Zhan glanced at Wei Xiaochi and lifted his chin. “I could smell his pheromones.”

The doctor, surprised, asked, “You can smell his pheromones? What’s your A value?”

Jiang Zhan replied, “180.”

The doctor seemed to understand. “No wonder.”

An alpha’s normal A value is between 80–100, while 120–140 is considered a high A value. An A value of 180 like Jiang Zhan’s was extremely rare.

Top-level alphas have superior physical data, and their pheromone tracking factors are more active. Only someone like Jiang Zhan could detect the faint pheromones on Wei Xiaochi.

Ordinary alphas could only smell pheromones on omega differentiation day.

Wei Xiaochi was confused. He had forgotten most of the AO knowledge he learned in middle school. As a beta, it hadn’t been useful, and since there were no exams on it, he hadn’t paid much attention.

“His…” Jiang Zhan paused, his eyes looking elsewhere. He awkwardly asked, “When will he differentiate?”

Wei Xiaochi was also curious about that and eagerly looked at the doctor.

The doctor replied, “Based on his development, it should be in about twenty days. Of course, this isn’t guaranteed, as differentiation can also be influenced by external factors.”

Jiang Zhan frowned deeply. “What external factors can affect differentiation?”

“There are many,” the doctor explained. “Gland damage, AO differentiation, or entering a mating period—all of these can cause pheromones to trigger premature gland maturation and differentiation.”

The doctor continued with a lot of theoretical talk, reminding them about a few things.

Wei Xiaochi listened quietly, mentally noting down everything the doctor said.

When they left the hospital, Jiang Zhan remained silent. Wei Xiaochi wasn’t sure what was going on, so he didn’t dare to speculate, just silently followed behind him.

When they reached the place where the motorcycle was parked, Jiang Zhan turned around and suddenly said, “Give me your phone.”

Wei Xiaochi was confused but obediently handed over his phone.

Jiang Zhan fiddled with it for a while, took the SIM card out, and put it into his own phone, then threw Wei Xiaochi’s phone back to him.

“Use this phone for now.”

“The unlock password is 123456.”

“The next time I call you and you don’t pick up, you’ll regret it.”

“Also, remember to charge it every day and keep the phone on.”

Wei Xiaochi, holding the new phone, stared at Jiang Zhan in surprise.

Jiang Zhan couldn’t keep his expression in check and said irritably, “What kind of face are you making?”

“I’m not,” Wei Xiaochi quickly lowered his head, hiding his emotions.

He was just wondering—did Jiang Zhan really see money as just meaningless numbers? Otherwise, he couldn’t understand this generosity. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiang Zhan might be playing a prank on him, like part of some bet.

The atmosphere fell into a strange silence for a moment, and Wei Xiaochi felt more awkward.

He glanced at the time on the phone and awkwardly asked, “Are you going to the training camp now?”

Jiang Zhan, even more awkward than Wei Xiaochi, kicked the ground and grunted, “Yeah.”

There were only a few minutes left before six o’clock. If they went now, Jiang Zhan could still train for about an hour.

Wei Xiaochi licked his lips and hesitated, “If you have time, I can give you an extra half-hour of tutoring every day to catch up on last week’s lessons.”

Jiang Zhan’s mood visibly improved as he looked up, tilting his chin. He hummed, “Since you want to.”

Wei Xiaochi: ???

Wei Xiaochi waited for a while, but when the second half of Jiang Zhan’s sentence didn’t come, he sighed inwardly. His communication skills were terrible.

But considering his previous experience, Wei Xiaochi decided not to correct him. He took it as an agreement to the extra tutoring.

After a week of tutoring, Wei Xiaochi returned home earlier than usual. He was a bit worn out from all the extra work. He collapsed on his bed, not moving for a long time.

He dug through the pockets of his sweatpants and pulled out two phones, a jeweled anti-radiation pin, and two candies.

Opening one candy and popping it into his mouth, Wei Xiaochi began to examine the phone Jiang Zhan had given him.

It had a lot of apps: WeChat, Alipay, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, beauty apps, reading apps, PUBG, dress-up games, and more.

Wei Xiaochi recognized several games.

The twins each had a tablet, filled with games, and several of Jiang Zhan’s games were identical to the ones on Wei Zixin’s tablet.

Not only that, but he also found the Zhihuishu app on Jiang Zhan’s phone.

Wei Xiaochi: …

He still wasn’t sure what to do with this phone. He didn’t dare uninstall any of the apps, just staring at the phone screen for a while.

Just as he was about to lock the screen, he accidentally opened Alipay.

It didn’t take long for Wei Xiaochi to realize something alarming—all the apps were still logged into Jiang Zhan’s accounts!

What if there was money missing from WeChat or Alipay? How would he explain it?

Wei Xiaochi hurriedly sat up, trying to log out of Alipay by repeatedly tapping the bottom-left corner of the screen, but the phone wouldn’t respond, still stuck on the homepage.

What was he supposed to do?

His phone was several years old, outdated compared to newer models, and it wasn’t even the same brand, so he was having trouble figuring it out.

After several failed attempts, he finally somehow exited Alipay, but the screen switched to the search engine, showing Jiang Zhan’s search history from the night before:

“Things to note for omega differentiation?”

Wei Xiaochi froze, suddenly recalling Jiang Zhan’s words in the morning: “I spent half the night researching this for you.” He couldn’t quite process the mix of emotions he felt.

As an omega about to differentiate, Wei Xiaochi did indeed need to check the precautions, so he lay on his bed and flipped through the first few pages.

The internet slang and terms confused him, as a kid who had been disconnected from the web for so long.

Wei Xiaochi clicked on the search box and was about to search for these terms when ten search history entries popped up at the bottom.

1. “Things to note for omega differentiation?”

2. “Which item on a gender test can confirm omega differentiation?”

3. “Which brand of suppressants works best?”

4. “How to prevent omega from being marked?”

5. …

6. …

7. …

8. “Green Tea Beta”

Wei Xiaochi’s mind was full of question marks. What was a “Green Tea Beta”?

The last search made no sense to him, but the other nine were all about omega differentiation.

Wei Xiaochi clicked on the “Which brand of suppressants works best” entry, and sure enough, someone recommended the brand “Qiao Shidan.”

The rainbow bracelet on his wrist was from that brand. So Jiang Zhan didn’t just buy it randomly—he had specifically researched it.

Wei Xiaochi stared at the phone screen for a long time, deep in thought.

At school, he rarely encountered anyone who was truly kind to him. Li Suilin was one exception, but he treated everyone with the same friendliness. In a class of 63 people, Li Suilin was equally kind to everyone.

Wei Xiaochi was just one of 63, no more important than anyone else.

But Jiang Zhan wasn’t like that. He didn’t have that subtle distance. When he was kind, it was without boundaries.

If Jiang Zhan weren’t the same age as him, Wei Xiaochi might even wonder if he was Jiang Zhan’s secret child.

Wei Xiaochi was a sensitive person, and his sensitivity came from his family background and the three years of bullying he suffered in middle school.

These experiences taught him to avoid danger, to read between the lines, and to be timid, fearful, and socially anxious.

Wei Xiaochi had encountered plenty of malice. No matter how well someone tried to hide it, he could always sense danger.

But kindness—more specifically, certain acts of kindness from Jiang Zhan—was something he couldn’t understand. Sometimes, it left him feeling helpless.

Why was Jiang Zhan spending so much time and money on him?

–

Fang Yuan was about to finish work, and Wei Xiaochi awkwardly used his phone to send her a WeChat message, letting her know he was at home.

Not long after, Fang Yuan sent several messages saying that the twins were at their grandmother’s place, and after work, she was going straight there for dinner. She even invited Wei Xiaochi to join.

Fang Yuan was just being polite, and of course, even if she was serious, Wei Xiaochi wouldn’t go.

He casually made up an excuse: “Tomorrow, we have a small quiz in class, so I need to review tonight.”

As expected, Fang Yuan didn’t ask any more questions, only reminding him to eat well that night.

Wei Xiaochi had planned to cook, but since Fang Yuan was going to her parents’ house, he asked her indirectly via WeChat just to be sure.

Tonight, he was the only one at home. Wei Xiaochi wasn’t in a hurry to cook. He lay in bed and started thinking again about the troubling question that had been bothering him earlier —

Why was Jiang Zhan being so nice to him?

Could it be because he was an omega, and being nice to omegas was an alpha’s nature?

Before this, Wei Xiaochi didn’t know Jiang Zhan well. He had only heard various rumors about him and didn’t know how Jiang Zhan treated other omegas.

But even if Wei Xiaochi had ten more lives, he wouldn’t dare think about their relationship in an AO (alpha-omega) way.

That was plainly impossible. Even if it was Zhang Mingyang, if he liked him, Wei Xiaochi would still wonder what on earth he saw in him.

After thinking for a long time, Wei Xiaochi still couldn’t figure out an answer. He pressed his empty stomach with a sigh and got up to cook.

Wei Xiaochi couldn’t be bothered to fry anything, so he poured some water into the pot, added soy sauce and salt. After the water boiled, he cracked in two eggs, threw in a small handful of noodles, and that was it.

At eight in the evening, Wei Xiaochi took the initiative to call Jiang Zhan.

Before the second ring even finished, the call was picked up so quickly it was almost shocking.

Jiang Zhan’s steady and composed voice came through, deliberately sounding a bit aloof, “Why are you calling me?”

Wei Xiaochi hadn’t expected Jiang Zhan to pick up the phone so quickly, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.

His mind blanked for a second, and then he regained his composure and said, “There are a lot of apps on the phone you gave me. Actually, my old phone…”

Jiang Zhan interrupted him, “Don’t delete the apps. I’ll bring you a new phone tomorrow.”

Wei Xiaochi on the other end of the line fell into a long silence.

Wei Xiaochi felt a slight twitch in the corner of his eye. Could he say that Jiang Zhan’s generous reaction was exactly what he had anticipated?

He couldn’t help but ask the question that had been bothering him for so long, “You’ve been spending so much money lately. Doesn’t your family say anything?”

Jiang Zhan: “The phone doesn’t cost anything. I have a whole drawer of new phones.”

“…Your family runs a phone store?” Wei Xiaochi was shocked by Jiang Zhan’s casual mention of a whole drawer full.

Jiang Zhan was lying on his back on the bed, his clothes fitting snugly, outlining his lean, muscular waist and abdomen.

“No, not my family. My brother-in-law’s.” Jiang Zhan kicked the bedside table with his long leg, “Is this why you called me?”

His tone darkened, and his well-defined brows furrowed.

Wei Xiaochi had indeed called just for this reason.

From the time he had spent with Jiang Zhan, Wei Xiaochi felt like he couldn’t be completely honest.

After a brief mental struggle, Wei Xiaochi remembered something else, “If you’re free tomorrow, we could meet up somewhere for a half-hour tutoring session.”

Wei Xiaochi’s main point was the tutoring, but what Jiang Zhan heard was “meet up somewhere,” which immediately brightened his mood, and he agreed happily.

Wei Xiaochi sighed in relief, managing to get past the awkward moment.

Actually, he still wanted to ask why Jiang Zhan was so kind to him, but given his temper, he didn’t dare ask. From Jiang Zhan, you’d never hear anything nice.

Before hanging up, Jiang Zhan suddenly said, “Every time my brother-in-law’s company launches a new product, they send a lot home. As long as I have something, Li Suilin has it too.”

“The tutoring fee he gave you, I’ve already covered it in other ways, so I’m also your boss. Got it?”

“…Got it.”

“Listen to him or listen to me?”

“…”

Was this something that couldn’t be avoided?

Wei Xiaochi realized that Jiang Zhan really liked keeping track of these ‘back payments’—you never knew when they’d come back to haunt you.

The bad-tempered alpha became visibly annoyed. “Say something!”

Wei Xiaochi, under his pressure, meekly replied, “I’ll listen to you.”

“Say it louder, didn’t you eat dinner?”

“I’ll listen to you!”

Only then did Jiang Zhan seem satisfied, and Wei Xiaochi was able to hang up the phone smoothly.

On Monday, Wei Minzhen was back at the school gate, watching over the students. A group of students caught in the act stood by the corner.

Wei Xiaochi touched his hair, relieved, and confidently pushed his bicycle past Wei Minzhen without a hint of guilt.

Since starting to tutor Jiang Zhan and the others, Wei Xiaochi hadn’t had time to get a haircut.

There were thousands of barbershops in A City, but only the old one near his neighborhood charged ten yuan for a cut, though it closed by 7:30 p.m.

Wei Xiaochi could never make it back in time after tutoring. But adversity brought out his resourcefulness, and he started cutting his own hair.

It looked a little stiff, but at least the length was within the school’s requirements.

Wei Xiaochi didn’t have appearance anxiety. At his current economic level, whether it looked good or not didn’t matter; what mattered was that it was cheap.

Cutting it himself saved him ten yuan, and just thinking about it made him feel pretty good.

Xu Yang entered the classroom and paused when he saw Wei Xiaochi. He then walked over to him.

Wei Xiaochi, casually pulling his textbook out of his bag, caught a glimpse of Xu Yang standing at his desk. An overwhelming sense of crisis made him lick his lips nervously.

“What’s wrong?” Wei Xiaochi asked, hesitantly.

Xu Yang looked down at him and, with practiced ease, took out a box of chocolate.

Wei Xiaochi pushed his glasses up awkwardly and gathered his courage, “The class monitor doesn’t allow it. He specifically asked me about this the other day, but I didn’t say anything.”

He had a well-founded suspicion that the one who reported him to the class monitor was none other than that sneaky Zhang Mingyang.

Xu Yang’s skin twitched twice, as if he wanted to get angry but held it in. He then growled, “Bring me the homework from last night.”

Wei Xiaochi handed over three practice books, stacking them neatly and handing them to Xu Yang.

Li Suilin had only told him not to write Xu Yang’s homework but hadn’t forbidden him from letting him copy it.

Xu Yang took the homework, leaving behind a box of chocolate.

Wei Xiaochi’s eyes brightened at the unexpected gift, but he only dared to look at it, not touch it.

Before morning study ended, Xu Yang quickly copied the homework and tossed the practice books back to Wei Xiaochi, not mentioning the chocolate.

Wei Xiaochi, after making sure no one was watching, stealthily slid the ‘ill-gotten gains’ into his book pocket.

The basketball league’s groupings came out, and the coach saw that the first match-up was against Moral High School. So, Jiang Zhan and the others had to train for an hour after school before heading to tutoring.

As a result, their tutoring location shifted from Li Suilin’s house to the school.

The group practiced basketball while Wei Xiaochi sat by a lamp post doing his homework.

After May started, mosquitoes became rampant.

Before, Wei Xiaochi never attracted mosquitoes, but today, for some reason, they were all targeting him, lining up to bother him.

He kept swatting them away, with two bites on his arm and three on his leg.

When he felt a mosquito land on the back of his neck, Wei Xiaochi slowly reached back and tried to slap it, but before he could, a hand intercepted his.

Wei Xiaochi was stunned and turned around to see Jiang Zhan standing behind him.

Jiang Zhan had just finished exercising, sweat dripping down his forehead, his narrow nose casting a shadow on the nearby lamp. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, staring fiercely at Wei Xiaochi.

“What were you doing just now? Can’t you be more aware of your glands?”

Wei Xiaochi froze, confused. “…I was just killing mosquitoes.”

Jiang Zhan’s tone was still sharp. “Couldn’t you just chase them away? Can your glands handle that?”

Wei Xiaochi stared, wide-eyed. “…They’re not that fragile, are they? Did you act like this when you went through your maturation? Couldn’t touch anything.”

Jiang Zhan raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m the same as you?”

“…”

Feeling the disdain from this top-tier alpha, Wei Xiaochi had nothing to say, and he lowered his head to scratch at the bumps on his arms.

Jiang Zhan glanced at him coldly for a moment, then muttered, “Troublesome,” before walking off.

A few minutes later, a bag of things was suddenly tossed in front of Wei Xiaochi, scaring him so much that he jerked, causing his English words to get all crooked.

Jiang Zhan was standing not far away, giving him a quick glance before returning to his running team.

Wei Xiaochi opened the plastic bag—mosquito-repellent bracelets, stickers, wristbands, and sprays.

It was definitely Jiang Zhan’s style, buying a whole bunch of things.

Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but look towards the court. Among the tall, athletic alphas, he spotted Jiang Zhan at once.

He watched for a while, then hooked a mosquito repellent bracelet onto his clothes and continued doing his homework.

Since their tutoring had moved to school, Wei Xiaochi no longer had to worry about finding another place for their half-hour tutoring session. But Jiang Zhan was very unhappy about it. He either stayed silent, sulking with a dark expression, or threw sarcastic remarks at Wei Xiaochi.

Wei Xiaochi had gotten used to being berated by him. Though he was still a bit scared, it wasn’t as bad as when they first met.

After a week of hard work, Wei Xiaochi finally managed to bring Jiang Zhan’s grades back up.

In the small quiz on the weekend, Jiang Zhan had an average score of 86, with his best subject reaching 93, and Wei Xiaochi felt quite pleased.

Li Suilin, however, always demanded higher standards and gave no praise, still finding their grades too low.

Under the pressure from both Li Suilin and the coach, the ‘underperforming’ group had a tough time.

Jiang Zhan was no exception. Given how often he vented his frustration by pinching Wei Xiaochi’s face, it was obvious how irritable he was inside.

Every time Jiang Zhan was in a bad mood, Wei Xiaochi would suffer too. His face was almost becoming a reflection of Jiang Zhan’s mood. Wei Xiaochi gritted his teeth and endured it.

On May 12th, the high school basketball league was held as scheduled at the sports center.

There were two matches that day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The match between No. 2 High School and Moral High School was scheduled for 2 p.m.

Knowing that everyone would be distracted from tutoring, Li Suilin didn’t argue with the coach about the schedule and let them focus on practice in the morning.

With nothing for him to do, Wei Xiaochi originally planned to go to the milk tea shop to work, but Jiang Zhan dragged him to school early in the morning.

With the game approaching, the coach didn’t over-train them but had them run 1,000 meters and practice shooting for half an hour.

At 9 a.m., everyone left for the sports hall to watch the match between Hongwen High School and Yiyang Vocational School.

Yiyang Vocational School had won first place in the city the previous year, so Hongwen was clearly no match for them.

Jiang Zhan sat in the audience with his legs spread wide, leaning back in his seat. His elbows rested on the backrest, and the sleek lines of his thin bones were visible through his shirt.

His skin was pale, his features sharp and handsome, with his lashes drooping lazily, looking like a fierce beast basking in the afternoon sun.

Wei Xiaochi sat next to Jiang Zhan. Seeing him so bored, he could tell the match wasn’t very exciting.

Li Suilin, on the other hand, was watching intently, occasionally jotting notes.

Wei Xiaochi glanced over and saw that their class monitor seemed to be analyzing the strengths and strategies of Yiyang’s top players. Suddenly, he felt impressed without understanding why.

The morning match was uneventful, and Yiyang Vocational School easily won.

Since there was no suspense, not many people had come to watch the first half. But during the second half, the crowd grew significantly.

Wei Xiaochi glanced at the crowd, and the sea of heads made him dizzy, triggering his social anxiety.

“What are you standing around for?” Jiang Zhan grabbed Wei Xiaochi and pulled him into the locker room.

Inside, there were several students Wei Xiaochi didn’t recognize. When Jiang Zhan pulled him in, he automatically retreated to a quiet corner.

The basketball coach clapped his hands to gather everyone together and shouted a battle cry.

“You guys need to remember, our goal is always Yiyang and Chongsheng Vocational Schools. Anyone we’ve met before, no matter who, tell them to go home.”

The coach shouted, “No. 2 High School will win.”

The team gathered in a circle, placed their hands on top of each other, and together they shouted, “No. 2 High School will win.”

Wei Xiaochi, sitting quietly in the corner with his bag, felt completely out of place in the energetic scene.

In fact, he wasn’t used to this kind of atmosphere and tried to lower his presence as much as possible.

After the cheer, everyone filed out, and soon the locker room was left with just Wei Xiaochi and Jiang Zhan.

Wei Xiaochi was about to stand up when Jiang Zhan cornered him against the wall. The alpha half-squatted in front of him and grabbed his bag, tossing it aside.

Wei Xiaochi had no idea what he was doing but curled up his legs, his hands neatly placed on his knees as he looked up at Jiang Zhan.

Jiang Zhan pinched his face and squeezed it twice. “You better behave in the audience. After the game, come find me here. Don’t leave early.”

Wei Xiaochi nodded, “I understand.”

Jiang Zhan seemed unsatisfied and pinched his face two more times.

This time, his grip was harder, and two finger marks immediately appeared on Wei Xiaochi’s face. He shrank back, dryly saying, “You play well, good luck.”

Jiang Zhan snorted and finally released him. He stood up and walked toward the door.

Wei Xiaochi sluggishly got up, picked up his bag, dusted it off, and turned around only to find Jiang Zhan still waiting by the door.

Jiang Zhan frowned, urging him, “Hurry up.”

Wei Xiaochi didn’t dare keep him waiting, so he hurried to catch up.

–

After leaving the locker room, Wei Xiaochi was heading toward the stands, while Jiang Zhan returned to the court.

As they parted ways, Jiang Zhan, with his back to Wei Xiaochi, suddenly said, “Find a place where I can see you.”

Wei Xiaochi didn’t even have time to say “Oh” before Jiang Zhan had already taken big strides and walked off.

If it had been during the morning match, Jiang Zhan’s request would have been easy to fulfill, but now that there were suddenly so many people in the afternoon, all the good spots with a clear view were already taken.

Most people had come in groups, and there were very few lone individuals like Wei Xiaochi. In a way, this became an advantage.

A nice spot opened up in the second row, and the others didn’t take it because they didn’t want to be separated from their companions. It was perfect for him.

Wei Xiaochi quickly sat down, and just as he settled in, he heard the sound of cameras clicking.

“They say No. 2 High and Moral High are the breeding grounds for handsome guys, and ‘they say’ really doesn’t lie.”

“I’m totally into Jiang Zhan’s looks. Although his personality is, emmmm, a bit… But I just love him.”

“Sis, I get you.”

“Li Suilin is also amazing. I’d pair him with silver-rimmed glasses and a black staff—total badass vibes.”

“Whoa, here comes Yan Shen from Moral High. He only shows up during games.”

“As long as they’re handsome, even nerdy guys like us love them.”

Behind Wei Xiaochi, there were a boy and a girl, two friends chatting non-stop about all the handsome guys present, mixed in with various stories of love and hate.

Wei Xiaochi didn’t know whether to listen to the gossip or watch the game.

The referee blew the whistle, and the game began. Jiang Zhan and Yan Shen both jumped up at the same time.

Jiang Zhan’s limbs were long, and his jumping ability was incredible. He leaped high into the air, stretched his arms, and managed to touch the basketball a moment before Yan Shen, slamming it down forcefully.

A beautiful jump ball gave No. 2 High the advantage right from the start.

Yan Shen landed and shouted, “Defend!”

The players from Moral High reacted quickly, implementing a one-on-one defense strategy, with Yan Shen personally blocking Zhao Zifeng, who was dribbling the ball.

He was incredibly fast at defending, skillfully maneuvering around Zhao Zifeng and getting in front of him. Zhao Zifeng didn’t waste time, passing the ball behind him to Han Ziyang.

Han Ziyang took two steps back, jumped, and made a smooth shot, sending the ball straight through the hoop for the first two points of the game.

But Moral High quickly countered, with Yan Shen making a powerful dunk under the basket, tying the score.

Wei Xiaochi didn’t understand much about basketball, but seeing the score so close, he could tell that both teams were fiercely competing.

It was just like how he and Zhang Mingyang would always battle for second place — this time you’re second, next time I’m second, neither of them willing to back down, pushing each other to the limit.

Wei Xiaochi watched Jiang Zhan sink a beautiful three-pointer and cheered for him silently in his heart, but soon enough, Moral High caught up again.

Suddenly, Wei Xiaochi felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and his face went pale. He rubbed his neck and looked toward the stands.

He had just caught a strong alpha pheromone, thick and aggressive. He couldn’t tell who was releasing it, but the scent gradually faded, and the pain in his neck subsided. He didn’t pay much attention to it and continued watching the game.

The first half of the game was a tight battle, and the spectators in the stands were getting more and more excited, occasionally shouting out in awe at the alpha’s impressive shots.

Wei Xiaochi couldn’t help but feel his head pounding from the sharp sounds, so he pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

But his anxiety didn’t subside, and it only got worse. He tried to take a deep breath.

Wei Xiaochi felt the urge to get some fresh air and was about to stand up when another wave of sharp pheromones hit him. Before he could recover, another burst of it came.

His knees weakened, and he slumped back into his seat, his body breaking out in a cold sweat.

He had no idea which two alphas were at odds, but his ears were ringing, and the back of his neck started to burn.

Could it be that he was about to undergo his maturation?

Wei Xiaochi collapsed in his seat, his mind fuzzy, and a panicked thought popped into his head. He trembled as he tried to open the pheromone blocker attached to his wristband.

On the court, Jiang Zhan seemed to sense something, and without warning, he stopped running, lifting his head to scan the stands.

Author’s Note:

Sorry, I really didn’t mean to stall the important scene. I’ve been writing from the morning till now, and it’s already 1 AM. I couldn’t not post this! (Gently kneels on durian, I’m sorry)