Ning Xi stared at the chat screen, which was filled with the same phrase over and over—”unreliable.”

If he hadn’t been having such terrible luck lately, he wouldn’t have resorted to desperate measures.

[Bai Xuyu: Just give it a try.]

[Bai Xuyu: You could probably pull it off.]

[Bai Xuyu: Oh, wait, maybe “pull it off” isn’t the right term—your face really is the kind that Alphas love.]

[Bai Xuyu: Xi’er, have some confidence!]

[Bai Xuyu: Which one caught your eye ah? Send me a picture, let me take a look ah.]

Ning Xi raised an eyebrow.

After observing for the past few days, he had to admit—the original Ning Xi in this novel was truly obsessed with men.

But wasn’t Song Yize’s novel supposed to be a romance story?

What if the protagonist was homophobic?

Ning Xi thought of this and replied:

[Student Xiao Xi: Wait a sec.]

Then, ignoring however many confused reaction stickers Bai Xuyu sent, he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Right at that moment, Song Yize happened to walk in from outside.

When Ning Xi saw Song Yize, he figured that since things had already come to this, he might as well test whether it actually worked.

So, he immediately switched to that adorable, cutesy act.

He really was good at pretending. Back in high school, whenever he got caught skipping class or fighting, he always managed to talk his way out of trouble with his top-tier act of playing dumb.

But playing dumb and acting cute were two entirely different things.

Ning Xi lowered his head slightly, his gaze flicking upward as he tried his best to appear soft and adorable. He blinked his wide eyes a few times for added effect.

Song Yize: “Are you… okay?”

“Ai, it’s nothing ya.” Ning Xi blinked again.

“…Your eyes look like they’re twitching,” Song Yize said. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

Ning Xi: “…”

Yeah, pretending to be cute and actually being cute were two completely different things.

Ning Xi silently sighed in his heart.

But it was fine—just a minor mistake. Success was built on failures, one step at a time.

“The registration is complete. You can head to your class now,” Song Yize told him.

This, this was done?

Seeing that Song Yize was about to turn and leave, Ning Xi quickly reached out and tugged at the hem of his shirt.

He had done some crash-course research on how to appear cute, sweet, and harmless—things like pulling at someone’s clothes. It was one of the simplest gestures and, supposedly, the most effective at making straight guys’ hearts flutter.

“Um, I don’t know where Class Seven is. Can you take me there?” Ning Xi softened his voice as much as possible, hoping it would make him seem cuter.

Song Yize glanced at him, then at his own shirt, where a delicate hand was still holding onto it and said, “… Alright.”

Hm?

He agreed la?

It worked ah!

Ning Xi felt a small taste of success and was about to press his advantage when Song Yize suddenly reached into his pocket, pulled out a throat lozenge, and placed it in Ning Xi’s hand.

Ning Xi: “?”

Song Yize said, “Your voice sounds a little hoarse. Having one of these might help.”

Ning Xi: “…”

At this moment, he really wanted to punch the serious-faced didi in front of him. But considering that assaulting a minor was legally problematic, he took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and forced out a stiff, “Thanks ah.”

The other party responded, “You’re welcome.”

Ning Xi started to think he should give up on pretending to be cute. He should try a different approach.

But what he didn’t expect was that in the next second, Song Yize reached out and placed a hand on his forehead.

Ning Xi froze slightly and looked up at him.

Song Yize was a bit taller than him, with broad Alpha shoulders. Despite still having the frame of a teenager, he wore his clean school uniform impeccably, with even the top button fastened.

A model student, through and through.

“Do you feel better?” Song Yize asked.

Ning Xi was still processing the situation.

“That day, at the hospital,” Song Yize said, “did you take the medicine as instructed? If your fever didn’t go down the next day, you should’ve kept taking the antipyretic—never on an empty stomach. The antibiotics need to be taken for four consecutive days, always after meals.”

Ah, he still remembers, ai.

A wave of unexpected warmth surged in Ning Xi’s heart, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Song Yize, you’re such a good person ah.”

Why are you so virtuous?

So good that I almost want to make you my didi.

Song Yize received another good person card. Though there was nothing wrong with those words, for some reason, they didn’t sit quite right with him.

“So, did you take the medicine?” Song Yize asked.

Ning Xi scratched his head. “…It’s fine. I’m all better now.”

Song Yize’s face remained expressionless, his tone flat and even. He didn’t press the issue any further and simply said, “I’ll take you to Class Seven.”

Ning Xi had finally latched onto Song Yize and didn’t want to part ways so soon, so he quickly spoke up, “Uh, I want to take a look around the campus… Yize, can you show me around?”

There was a subtle shift in Song Yize’s expression.

Sensing a chance, Ning Xi hurriedly added, “Pretty please~?”

Ugh. His own sickly-sweet tone was making him nauseous.

The air stiffened for a few seconds, and cold sweat began to form on Ning Xi’s forehead.

After a long pause, Song Yize finally spoke. “No.”

See? Told you. Song Yize wasn’t buying this act.

With that, Song Yize turned his head slightly—and Ning Xi immediately caught sight of his faintly reddened ears. Song Yize slowly added:

“I’ll take you at noon. Class is starting.”

—

Ning Xi stuck close to Song Yize the whole way, never straying more than a meter from him.

Along the way, Ning Xi thought carefully.

Had Song Yize’s ears really turned red just now, or was he imagining it ah?

And if they had turned red, it meant he was shy.

In that case, this method did have some effect after all.

Before Ning Xi could reach a conclusion, they arrived at Senior Year, Class Seven.

He’ll be separated from Song Yize. Even though they were technically still close, there would inevitably be some distance between them.

If something else happened during this time of his absence…

Ning Xi swallowed and glanced at the rotating ceiling fan in the classroom.

That thing wouldn’t actually fall down, right?

“Not going in?” Song Yize asked.

Ning Xi looked at him, his emotions spilling out naturally. “I’m scared…”

He really was scared, scared that the fan might come loose and smash him to death.

Song Yize assumed he was nervous about the crowded classroom and said, “You don’t seem like the type to be afraid of this kind of situation. Didn’t see you panicking when you were lying earlier.”

Ning Xi: “…”

Forget it, I couldn’t be bothered to explain anything.

Without another word, he turned and walked into the classroom.

But before he could step inside, Song Yize suddenly called out, “You’re just going in like that?”

Ning Xi turned back, his act of pretending to be cute already slipping. He lazily replied, “What else?”

Song Yize’s mood didn’t seem pleased. He gave Ning Xi a look and said, “Come here.”

Then, he led Ning Xi to the back of the hallway, where the shadows stretched and there were few prying eyes.

Song Yi Ze said, “Hand it over.”

“…What?” Ning Xi was confused.

“The suppression patch,” Song Yize said.

“Oh.” Ning Xi quickly pulled the suppression patch from his pocket and placed it in Song Yize’s hand. “Here.”

Song Yize took it, hesitating for a moment before saying, “…Turn around.”

Obediently, Ning Xi turned his back to him.

Ning Xi lowered his head, exposing his snow-white neck. His Omega gland was once again right under an Alpha’s gaze. Song Yize instinctively averted his eyes, not daring to look at that slender, glossy neck.

He quickly tore open the suppression patch and pressed it onto Ning Xi’s gland.

“All done?” Ning Xi asked when he felt the cool sensation.

“Mm.”

Song Yize felt like there was something wrong with him—why had he agreed to put a suppression patch on an Omega twice?

The last time, he thought they’d never meet again. But this time…

Was it just because he found Ning Xi too stupid?

“Ning Xi,” Song Yize called his name. “Have you ever actually paid attention in physiology class?”

Physiology class?

Ning Xi hadn’t attended one before, but this was the perfect chance to reinforce his image as a slag. “I suck at studying. I don’t understand anything in class.”

“You should at least know that there’s a difference between Alphas and Omegas,” Song Yize said.

Hearing this, Ning Xi suddenly recalled something from a book he’d read before <ABO’s Intimate Relationships>, a rather colorful book.

He immediately put his knowledge to use: “Of course! AO relationships are all about sticking together ah.”

Song Yize: “…”

The last time he was this speechless was… well, the last time.

Seeing Song Yize’s serious expression, Ning Xi wasn’t sure what had gone wrong, so he quickly changed the subject. “Hey, Yize, how do I contact you at noon ya? Which class are you in ah? Can I come to find you? Oh, and where’s the cafeteria ya? Can you tell me?”

Song Yize stared at the clean, pretty Omega in front of him, still unable to figure out what his real motive was.

But he didn’t want to assume the worst about someone. “I’m in the experimental class.”

“Then I’ll come find you later!” Ning Xi beamed.

Song Yize sighed in his heart.

Neither of them noticed that, not far away, someone had witnessed everything that happened at the hallway entrance.

Class monitor Ren Siyu stood frozen in place, clutching a stack of assignments, her jaw practically hitting the floor.

She had only come to help the class representative turn in some workbooks—who would’ve thought she’d nibble on such a shocking melon?

“I–f***…” The little girl, who never swore, couldn’t help but curse. “Yize, he… Yize, he…”

Song Yize—the unapproachable beauty and a xueba^[1]Top student.—was actually privately meeting with an Omega in the hallway during break!

And!

He was even helping that Omega apply a suppression patch!

Could it be that her legendary God Ze already had a partner?!

Ren Siyu stood there in shock. Seeing that Song Yize was about to turn around and leave, her first reaction was to clutch her workbooks and bolt toward the office.

She stumbled into the office and slammed the door behind her with a bang.

Zhang Qinghua, the experimental class’s homeroom teacher, looked up at the commotion. Seeing that it was Ren Siyu, he asked, “Siyu, what’s wrong? Why are you so out of breath?”

Ren Siyu struggled to compose herself. She placed the workbooks on Zhang Qinghua’s desk and said, “Ah, it’s nothing…”

“Oh, that’s good. The pressure’s been high lately—you need to take care of yourself,” Zhang Qinghua said. “Just leave the workbooks here. Oh, right—go ask Song Yize why he hasn’t turned in his physics and physiology homework. He’s never missed an assignment before.”

The moment Song Yize’s name was mentioned, Ren Siyu’s mind flashed back to the scene of him applying a suppression patch on that Omega.

Unfortunately, as a Beta, physiology class had always been just another filler course for her. She didn’t dare make assumptions about AO matters.

But she firmly believed that her almighty God Ze was disciplined and self-restrained. There was no way he would do something so casually.

So, summoning her courage, Ren Siyu asked Zhang Qinghua, “Teacher Zhang, I have a question. If an Alpha helps an Omega apply a suppression patch… is that normal between AOs?”

“It’s normal ah,” Zhang Qinghua replied absentmindedly as he graded papers.

Oh, normal ah, that’s good.

“But an Alpha can only apply a suppression patch to an Omega they’ve marked. Otherwise, they’d be crossing a line,” Zhang Qinghua added.

Ren Siyu: “?”

Ren Siyu: “!”

“Hm? Siyu, aren’t you a Beta? Why are you asking about this?”

“Ah, I was just stuck on this problem…” Ren Siyu’s eyes widened in shock, her brain practically short-circuiting.

The scene of Song Yize applying the suppression patch replayed in her mind, now in even higher definition. A chill ran down her spine.

It’s over.

Her God Ze had fallen.