---

When the small and cute omega blocked the bathroom with a large group of people, I was silently cleaning the entire restroom.

Chilly water poured down from above, soaking me completely. I could only crouch in a corner, carefully wiping away the cold water from the corners of my eyes.

But the remaining moisture was heavy, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it clean.

When Lu Shang sent people to beat me, I could only curl up weakly.

I couldn’t understand why it was me.

No one would tell me the answer.

They only followed Lu Shang, kicking and punching me.

At first, I was just trapped in the bathroom, pressed down and beaten by a group of people.

With bruises all over my body, I couldn’t even distinguish the pain, feeling as if every day was endless.

I couldn’t see any hope of living; I only remembered that waking up each day was the start of a nightmare.

Later, I was even deprived of the right to sleep.

Lu Shang bribed my roommates, asking them to pour cold water on me while I was asleep.

The winter in City A was too cold.

When I was first awakened by cold water, I nearly broke down and jumped from the high dormitory building.

But Lu Shang wouldn’t allow it.

He wouldn’t permit a death to happen, so I was always watched.

For twenty-four hours a day, Lu Shang only allowed me to rest my eyes for one hour; for the remaining twenty-three hours, he would oppress and insult me at any time.

Insomnia, beatings, being awakened, headaches…

Those days, even now when I think about them, send chills all over my body, and I can’t help but tremble.

The alpha didn’t speak.

He gently stroked my back and said he wanted to tell me a story too.

Ten

The eighteen-year-old alpha recently discovered something.

It seemed his father was cheating and had an illegitimate child.

The truth was quickly confirmed.

When his father came to visit, Lu Ci was still hesitating about which school to choose.

He had excellent grades and several universities he liked.

His elderly father, lowering his voice, pleaded with the newly adult Lu Ci to stay in City A: “Your brother has gotten into trouble; I’m afraid he’ll cause a death, so I want you to keep an eye on him at school.”

Lu Ci initially didn’t want to agree.

But his father gave him a condition that mattered greatly to him, so Lu Ci stayed in City A.

I was stunned, afraid to guess how the story would develop next.

The alpha in his sensitive period was rarely a bit rational; he gently stroked my back, his voice occasionally hoarse:

“I came here to resolve campus bullying, but before I tackled that, I got to know you first.”

“I will help those being bullied, but I absolutely won’t be easily charmed by an omega like other alphas.”

“Especially by a fake omega.”

My fingertips trembled, unable to believe my ears.

Lu Ci continued: “After confirming our relationship, I immediately sent someone to repay Lu Shang for everything you suffered.”

“When cold water was poured on him, he could only kneel on the ground and plead for mercy, trying to use his father to pressure me, but I wasn’t afraid at all.”

“Do you want to see how he looked, crying and making a fuss?”

I shook my head.

The three years apart were not just a simple separation.

Instead, I started to have sleepless nights again.

I fell back into the nightmare named Lu Shang and even began to resent Lu Ci.

I resented why he hadn’t appeared earlier.

To avoid hurting Lu Ci, I chose to leave with a clumsy excuse.

It seemed we shared a tacit understanding; I heard Lu Ci speak:

“In the three years apart, I thought countless times about our reunion.”

“But I didn’t break our agreement to come find you early.”

“I sidelined my father, took shares from him, and drove away that illegitimate child.”

“To make Lu Shang suffer the consequences, I spread the news of his abandonment widely.”

“Everyone except you was looking for ways to retaliate.”

The beginning of the story seemed bad and strange.

But in the eyes of Lu Ci and me, the sunlight that day was surely gentle and warm.

I didn’t resent Lu Shang; I wasn’t magnanimous enough to forgive someone who had hurt me.

I just used Lu Shang as bait, luring Lu Ci into the game.

After all, what could be more satisfying than making an enemy lose everything and become a dog of misfortune?

Surely the foolish omega thought he understood the key and boldly bared his clothes, trying to make everyone misunderstand the relationship between me and him.

But his plan was destined to fail.

The writer’s pen could not only record the great events of life but also craft rumors.

Moreover, what I wrote wasn’t gossip but the real truth hidden behind decay.

The era belonging to Lu Shang had passed, and I was discussing future life plans with the alpha beside me.

Lu Ci lowered his head, gently sniffing the fragrance at my neck.

Once again, he released his pheromones as he had in the past.

As consciousness faded, I silently thought:

“It’s really strange; how can I, a beta, feel like an omega,”

“experiencing heat waves and feeling weak all over.”

Only later did we realize that all of this could be summed up in one word.

Love.

I loved him, so I was seduced by him.

He loved me, so he let me deceive him.

—The End—