Side Story: ABO

Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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Ye Qingyun realized that he had transmigrated into a novel, specifically into a melodramatic ABO story,^[1](an abbreviation for “alpha/beta/omega”), Its premise is that a dominant hierarchy exists in humans, which are divided into dominant “alphas”, neutral “betas”, and … Continue reading where he became the unremarkable beta villain, set to oppose the icy and perfect omega protagonist, Gu Shenyuan.

The first thing Ye Qingyun did was look in the mirror, and after seeing his “unremarkable” face, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness, my body and face are still my own.”

Ye Qingyun felt reassured. His body hadn’t undergone any changes yet, but according to the plot, he was a beta, unaffected by pheromones. This was a huge relief.

—

Ye Qingyun went to school as usual.

On this day, while going to the restroom during the break, he unintentionally saw several problem students cornering a young boy.

The boy trapped in the middle had an aloof expression, was very handsome, and was an omega.

Ye Qingyun, who had been living in this world for quite some time, was immediately filled with anger.

“Bullying an omega? Are they even human? Even if the omega hasn’t undergone their differentiation yet and hasn’t confirmed their second gender, that’s still wrong!”

Furious, Ye Qingyun rushed over and stood protectively behind the boy.

Thanks to his good grades, Ye Qingyun was well-known in school and had considerable influence over the problem students—if they messed with him, the entire faculty could be after them.

“Don’t make me step in,” Ye Qingyun warned.

“Li, last time your parents asked me to look after your studies, I left practice problems on your desk. Go back and complete them.”

The troublemakers glared at Ye Qingyun for a moment, but in the end, they yielded to his threat and slowly left.

Ye Qingyun sighed in relief and turned to look at the boy behind him.

With sincerity, Ye Qingyun said, “Classmate, you’re so good-looking. You’ll become an omega in the future. You need to be careful when you’re out, don’t go out alone, understand?”

The aloof boy looked at Ye Qingyun, confusion written in his eyes.

Ye Qingyun touched his face and explained, “I may be good-looking too, but I’m a beta. We’re not the same. What’s your name?”

Ye Qingyun paused as he noticed the boy’s name tag on his chest: Gu Shenyuan.

Gu Shenyuan is the aloof, ice-cold omega heartthrob protagonist.

Was this something Ye Qingyun, a mere side character, needed to worry about?

Of course, he had to!

After all, the author of this book was a weirdo who loved putting cool, beautiful characters through hardship, so the protagonist, Gu Shenyuan, was placed in various dark and dangerous situations.

The author said that the tortured ice-cold beauty was the most exciting—delicious and stimulating—and would never let Gu Shenyuan off easily.

Back when Ye Qingyun could only read the book, he felt both angry and helpless.

Now that he had the chance to spread some positive influence, he wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away.

Ye Qingyun proudly said, “I’m good at this. If you don’t mind, you can look for me when you need to go to the restroom. I’ll go with you.”

Gu Shenyuan looked at him for a long time before softly agreeing, “Mm.”

———

Gu Shenyuan had just transferred to this school and ended up in the same class as Ye Qingyun.

After discovering this, Ye Qingyun, wanting to help his new classmate catch up with the lessons, immediately asked the homeroom teacher to change their seating arrangement so they could sit together.

He kicked out the original deskmate, scumbag A, who had been trying to take advantage of Gu Shenyuan in the original story.

Gu Shenyuan came from a poor family, without parents, and wore very simple clothes.

In the original story, he would rise to prominence later, but in the beginning, his situation was quite pitiful.

Ye Qingyun knew that because of his lack of money, Gu Shenyuan only wore a thin jacket even in winter and had to work after school, braving the cold winds to ensure his most basic living expenses.

Ye Qingyun felt deeply sorry for Gu Shenyuan’s situation but didn’t directly give him money. Instead, after spending time with Gu Shenyuan, going to the restroom together several times, and believing they had established some kind of friendship, he secretly handed Gu Shenyuan a registration form.

Gu Shenyuan took it, and Ye Qingyun leaned closer, whispering, “International Knowledge Competition, a chance to bring glory to the country. Want to give it a try?”

The prize money for this competition was substantial—the top three prizes could be equivalent to what Gu Shenyuan would earn in a year of working.

Gu Shenyuan’s gaze lingered on the prize money for a moment, but he eventually shook his head, “My academic level isn’t that high.”

“I’ll teach you! I’ll tutor you whenever I have free time,” Ye Qingyun said.

“You can do it.”

He had observed that Gu Shenyuan was very intelligent, but due to a lack of a good educational environment, he hadn’t been able to reach his full potential.

With some extra tutoring time before the competition, Ye Qingyun was confident that Gu Shenyuan could make it.

Thinking that Gu Shenyuan’s life might improve with his help, Ye Qingyun felt very pleased with himself.

Gu Shenyuan bit his lip, lowering his eyes, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s nothing,” Ye Qingyun said, telling a little white lie.

“Don’t worry, I’m good at studying and often tutor others. I’m used to it.”

Gu Shenyuan finally agreed and thanked Ye Qingyun.

However, for some reason, Ye Qingyun couldn’t shake the feeling that Gu Shenyuan wasn’t entirely happy.

Was he unhappy about spending his free time tutoring?

It was impossible that he was unhappy about Ye Qingyun’s claim of tutoring others frequently, was it?

———

Ye Qingyun diligently tutored Gu Shenyuan.

Since Ye Qingyun also had no parents, their tutoring sessions were quite flexible.

At first, they tutored in a 24-hour milk tea shop, staying until late before heading home.

But as things progressed, Ye Qingyun insisted on escorting Gu Shenyuan home, believing that, as an omega, Gu Shenyuan needed extra protection.

However, Gu Shenyuan stubbornly insisted on escorting Ye Qingyun home.

Their differing opinions led them to eventually change the tutoring location.

The final location was Ye Qingyun’s home.

After dinner, they started studying and continued until ten minutes before bedtime.

The meals were made by Gu Shenyuan, and since Ye Qingyun believed that their genders would eventually be different, he couldn’t risk tarnishing Gu Shenyuan’s pure omega status. So, they each had separate rooms.

Ye Qingyun was pleased with his cleverness. This way, he could not only ensure that Gu Shenyuan had enough to eat but also do so without hurting his pride—truly a win-win situation!

He was a genius!

———

One day, after tutoring, Ye Qingyun fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware that Gu Shenyuan, in the room next door, was lying awake.

Gu Shenyuan reflected on Ye Qingyun’s sparkling eyes when he explained the lessons, the tender color of his lips, and his face, each line carefully crafted.

Ye Qingyun understood all of the sympathy and care.

In the past, he would have never believed that someone could harbor such pure kindness toward him, but now, he truly had encountered it.

The more time they spent together, the more he couldn’t help but be drawn to that warmth.

Having been in darkness for so long, even though he knew that warmth might turn into a flame that could burn him to ashes, he, like a moth to the fire, was stumbling toward that light.

—

The competition day arrived. Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan had successfully passed the earlier rounds and entered the final competition.

Before entering the exam hall, Ye Qingyun solemnly said to Gu Shenyuan, “I won’t go easy on you, you better perform well.”

Gu Shenyuan looked at him and faintly smiled, “I know.”

After the results of the competition were announced, Ye Qingyun unsurprisingly took first place, while Gu Shenyuan won second.

Gu Shenyuan held the prize money in his hands and fell into deep thought.

The money would be best used for living expenses, allowing him to save time and focus on his studies.

But he also wanted to buy a gift for Ye Qingyun.

And…

Gu Shenyuan glanced down at his clothes and furrowed his brows slightly.

He had never cared much about his appearance before, nor did he worry about feeling cold in the winter, even wearing a few thin clothes.

But now, the more he interacted with Ye Qingyun, the more he wanted to dress better, to look less shabby, in hopes that Ye Qingyun might glance at him a little more.

He didn’t usually focus on many things, but for some reason, from a certain point onward, every time Ye Qingyun looked at him, he remembered it clearly.

And felt happy about it.

—

Ye Qingyun didn’t know what Gu Shenyuan was thinking. He had received his own prize money as well and, without hesitation, went to buy two down jackets of the same style but different colors.

He was a great teacher! As a good teacher, it was natural to give a great student a little reward.

Ye Qingyun found Gu Shenyuan and took out the two down jackets, placing them in front of him.

“Which one do you think looks better?”

Gu Shenyuan casually chose one. Ye Qingyun gave the chosen one to Gu Shenyuan and wore the other.

“Teacher and student outfits.”

Ye Qingyun happily took advantage of the situation, “Congratulations on your graduation, my good student. This is your graduation gift from me.”

Gu Shenyuan froze. Listening to Ye Qingyun’s urging, he shakily took the jacket and put it on.

Ye Qingyun, in consideration of his self-esteem, hadn’t said many things outright, but Gu Shenyuan could guess them.

The jacket was warm, warming not only his body but also his heart.

—

Ye Qingyun thought that life would continue smoothly like this. As an ordinary beta, he would protect the fragile omega Gu Shenyuan until Gu Shenyuan found a true alpha who truly cared for him, and then Ye Qingyun, as a socialist successor, could step down with success.

He would do good deeds without leaving a name, waving his sleeves without taking a cloud with him, leaving only his legend behind.

He was truly impressive!

However, one day during class, Ye Qingyun began to feel unwell. Not wanting to trouble Gu Shenyuan, he secretly sneaked off to the school clinic when Gu Shenyuan wasn’t paying attention.

After measuring some things, the school doctor kindly smiled.

“Ah, student, you’ve differentiated.” The school doctor’s tone was gentle.

“You’re an omega.”

Ye Qingyun thought he had misheard.

“What omega, who’s an omega?” Ye Qingyun asked in disbelief.

The school doctor adjusted his glasses and kindly said, “Are you too excited? You are an omega, no mistake. Your results show you’re almost a perfect omega.”

Ye Qingyun: ‘……’

Ye Qingyun felt as though a heavenly thunder had struck him, leaving him in a daze.

He was supposed to be a beta! Did his new body mean the author’s original settings didn’t apply?

The lousy original author, their writing was useless!

Ye Qingyun didn’t want to return to class right away. He wandered, eventually ending up in a secluded restroom, washing his hands while in a daze.

Would he go into heat? Would he get marked?

From now on, he and Gu Shenyuan would be omega sisters.

Although he rationally knew there was no need to tell Gu Shenyuan, emotionally, every time he thought about confessing to Gu Shenyuan, he felt so embarrassed that his toes curled.

Maybe he should just keep it a secret. Keeping it secret wouldn’t hurt anyone…

“Clink.”

The light suddenly dimmed as the restroom door slammed shut.

Ye Qingyun turned around and saw a tall male student blocking the door, staring at him intently.

He knew this person—he was a notorious troublemaker in the grade, an alpha who relied on his family’s wealth and refused to study, making him very unpopular.

Ye Qingyun immediately sensed something was wrong. As the person walked toward him, he quickly turned off the water, stepped aside, and started walking toward the door.

But after just two steps, an arm reached out and blocked him, trapping him in the corner.

The person tilted his head and looked at him, grinning maliciously.

“Where are you going? Let’s have a chat.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” Ye Qingyun’s face darkened. “Move.”

The boy snorted and suddenly moved closer, staring at Ye Qingyun’s face with a clear obsession in his eyes.

“You’re really beautiful.”

“Thanks, I know. Move—”

An alpha’s pheromones filled the air, enveloping Ye Qingyun and making him suddenly short of breath.

Unlike when he was unawakened, now that he was an omega, it was so much easier for an alpha to target him.

“Your pheromones smell nice too,” the boy said, lowering his head and inhaling deeply near Ye Qingyun’s neck, a look of intoxication on his face.

“I’ve been watching you for a long time, haha, you are an omega. That’s great.”

Ye Qingyun stood as straight as he could and coldly said, “I warn you, if you lay a hand on an omega, you’ll end up in prison.”

—

“So what?” The boy sneered,

“My family has money, I can shorten my sentence to just a few years. Trading a few years in prison for someone like you is worth it.”

The boy’s hand tightened around Ye Qingyun’s shoulder.

“Anyway, you’ll be waiting for me at home when I get back, right?”

It was a well-known fact that an omega who had been fully marked would suffer pain when separated from the alpha who marked them and could no longer mate with other alphas.

Ye Qingyun felt a wave of nausea, and he decided to fight this idiot.

“Stop struggling, when the time comes, you’ll give me a child, I—”

“Bang!”

The door to the bathroom was kicked open with force, and someone rushed in.

Ye Qingyun looked up in delight, only to see the person he feared the most at that moment.

Gu Shenyuan stood not far from them, his face dark with anger, staring at the scene.

The boy turned sharply. “Who—? You? What, an unmarked omega, still wants to save another omega? Ha, just stand there and watch me mark him—”

Ye Qingyun wanted to tell Gu Shenyuan to run and get help, not to come closer, but before he could say anything, Gu Shenyuan had already walked into the corner, grabbed the boy’s throat with one hand, yanked him, and kicked him so hard he was sent flying into the wall on the other side.

Ye Qingyun: ‘…..’

This development was not what he had imagined at all.

How could Gu Shenyuan, an omega who hadn’t even fully developed, be so powerful?

Gu Shenyuan didn’t let the boy off easily. He continued to mercilessly beat him, and the alpha was unable to fight back at all.

Ye Qingyun stood there, dumbfounded. Could this be the protagonist’s halo? Was the novel he was in actually a “strong bottom” script, where in the later chapters, Gu Shenyuan would defeat various alphas and become the strongest omega?

Seeing that Gu Shenyuan had nearly beaten the boy to death, Ye Qingyun hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, fearing someone might get killed and Gu Shenyuan would end up in prison.

Gu Shenyuan let go of the boy and, without a word, pulled Ye Qingyun into a tight embrace.

This was the first time Gu Shenyuan had expressed such intense emotion toward him, and Ye Qingyun was deeply moved.

He hugged him back and patted his back.

“Thank you,” Ye Qingyun leaned against Gu Shenyuan, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.

His nose inexplicably felt a little sore. “From now on, you’re my best friend.”

Gu Shenyuan silently held him for a long time before softly replying, “Mm.”

—

Not long after this incident, the winter vacation arrived, and Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan each went home.

Ye Qingyun wanted to invite Gu Shenyuan to celebrate the New Year together, but Gu Shenyuan awkwardly declined, saying that the occasion was too special for a visit.

Ye Qingyun couldn’t convince him, so he went along with Gu Shenyuan’s decision and called him from time to time, chatting briefly.

As New Year’s Eve approached, Ye Qingyun, feeling bored, decided to make some dumplings himself.

The dumpling filling was carefully balanced, so even though the dumplings were oddly shaped, they weren’t bad.

Ye Qingyun immediately called Gu Shenyuan to ask for his home address, but Gu Shenyuan refused coldly.

Ye Qingyun: “If you don’t eat them, these dumplings will go to waste. Wasting food, can you bear it?”

Gu Shenyuan remained silent for a moment, still refusing.

Ye Qingyun: ‘???’

This doesn’t make sense. Something must be wrong.

Ye Qingyun got Gu Shenyuan’s home address from a teacher and went to find him.

Gu Shenyuan, an orphan from a poor family, lived in a very remote area. When Ye Qingyun arrived, he found Gu Shenyuan’s home in a small, rundown building.

Ye Qingyun knocked on the door, but there was no response. He knocked harder, but still, no one answered.

Was Gu Shenyuan not home?

As Ye Qingyun was wondering, the door was suddenly flung open, and a pair of burning hands pushed him against the wall, choking his neck.

But soon, he was released.

Gu Shenyuan looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting him to be there.

Gu Shenyuan frowned, his hand brushing against Ye Qingyun’s neck, pressing where he had just been choked.

Ye Qingyun coughed twice. “I’m fine. I brought you some dumplings—are you sick? Why are your hands so hot?”

Gu Shenyuan didn’t say anything but continued pressing on his neck.

The pressure was such that Ye Qingyun briefly wondered if Gu Shenyuan was touching him inappropriately.

Ye Qingyun pushed Gu Shenyuan inside and entered his house.

The place was small, with no heating in the cold winter. It was freezing, making it almost impossible to stay warm.

Ever since Ye Qingyun entered, Gu Shenyuan had been acting in a concealed, flustered way, looking unusually nervous.

Young people are often very proud, so Ye Qingyun didn’t comment on Gu Shenyuan’s home. Instead, after closing the door, he gently touched Gu Shenyuan’s forehead.

It was burning hot—he was sick.

Ye Qingyun was stunned. “Are you planning to just lie here and let the illness take its course?”

“I’m fine,” Gu Shenyuan insisted. “I’m not that fragile.”

Ye Qingyun was so angry he almost laughed. He put down the dumplings and turned to leave.

When Ye Qingyun returned, he found the door still wide open, just like when he left.

Ye Qingyun was furious. How could Gu Shenyuan leave the door open? The wind would make his illness worse! Besides, Gu Shenyuan, a weak and beautiful male who was about to become an omega, what if someone bad came to hurt him?

Ye Qingyun was so angry he wanted to scold Gu Shenyuan, but when he entered the house, he froze.

Gu Shenyuan was staring blankly at the box of dumplings Ye Qingyun had left behind, his face showing no expression, but somehow making Ye Qingyun feel a strange vulnerability.

Hearing movement, Gu Shenyuan turned around. His dark eyes lit up when he saw who it was.

“Sit down, sit down.” Ye Qingyun pushed Gu Shenyuan back as he walked over.

“Why just stare at the dumplings? They can’t give birth to little dumplings; they’ll just get cold.”

—

Gu Shenyuan didn’t speak, but he tightened his grip on Ye Qingyun’s arm.

Ye Qingyun sighed and urged Gu Shenyuan to finish the porridge he had just bought, then handed him the medicine.

“How are you not delicate? Do you think you’re an Alpha?” Ye Qingyun said, but when he saw Gu Shenyuan’s unhappy expression, he decided not to argue with a sick person and changed his words.

“Even if you’re an Alpha, you still need to take medicine when you’re sick.”

After taking the medicine, Gu Shenyuan looked uneasy.

“I… I’m not that hard to take care of. You can do whatever you want with me.”

What does he mean by “do whatever you want”? Is that even something a person would say?

Ye Qingyun assumed that Gu Shenyuan was talking nonsense because of the fever and didn’t bother to correct his misguided thinking. Instead, he looked around and then gently pushed Gu Shenyuan toward what seemed to be the bedroom.

Gu Shenyuan was reluctant. “I haven’t eaten the dumplings yet…”

Ye Qingyun replied, “You can eat them when you’re better. They won’t grow legs and run away.”

After some coaxing, Ye Qingyun finally got Gu Shenyuan to the bedroom.

However, as soon as they entered the room, Ye Qingyun frowned.

The bedroom was very simple. Even though it was the middle of winter, there was only a thin blanket on the bed, making it clear that it wouldn’t be warm.

Ye Qingyun had prepared himself mentally for this since he had read about it in books. But seeing it in person still made him feel heartbroken.

A blanket that thin wouldn’t help with a fever.

His own home was far away, so it wasn’t realistic to have Gu Shenyuan go to his place to rest.

After thinking for a moment, Ye Qingyun took off his coat and placed it on top of the thin blanket.

“Ye Qingyun…?” Gu Shenyuan was stunned. He grabbed Ye Qingyun’s coat, intending to put it back on him.

“I’m not cold. You wear it.”

Ye Qingyun refused the coat and instead asked, “Do you have other pajamas?”

Gu Shenyuan was confused but nodded.

Ye Qingyun asked him to bring them over. Gu Shenyuan’s clothes were clean, so even though they were a bit worn, Ye Qingyun didn’t mind.

Ye Qingyun took off his clothes and changed into Gu Shenyuan’s pajamas.

When Ye Qingyun finished changing, he noticed that Gu Shenyuan had turned to face the wall, a faint blush on his pale ears.

Ye Qingyun chuckled, then reached out and poked Gu Shenyuan.

“It’s time to sleep. You need to sweat a little to lower your fever. Where’s your coat? Put it on the bed with mine.”

Ye Qingyun watched as Gu Shenyuan awkwardly covered the bed with both coats. He then lifted the blanket and climbed into bed, naturally rolling to the inner side to give Gu Shenyuan space.

He had made all the preparations, but Gu Shenyuan stood there, staring at him.

Ye Qingyun urged, “Hurry up, aren’t you cold?”

Gu Shenyuan climbed into bed stiffly, lying like a piece of wood beside him.

Ye Qingyun moved closer, making sure to be a little nearer to Gu Shenyuan.

“See, now it’s not cold. One person sleeping is cold, but with two people, it gets warm. Given the conditions, this is the best we can do.”

Gu Shenyuan remained tense, his lips pressed tightly together. Ye Qingyun noticed, only belatedly, that his behavior was too intimate.

Gu Shenyuan probably didn’t like having his personal space invaded.

It was his fault for becoming too familiar with Gu Shenyuan lately and forgetting that Gu Shenyuan was a distant, aloof person by nature.

Ye Qingyun softly asked, “You don’t like others sleeping in your bed, or wearing your clothes, do you?”

The more Ye Qingyun thought about it, the more convinced he became. He awkwardly started to move away.

“Sorry, I won’t do it again. I’ll go back and get you…”

Ye Qingyun was about to say he would return the blanket, but before he could finish his sentence, Gu Shenyuan grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving.

“I don’t like others doing this, but for you, it’s okay. I… I’m happy,” Gu Shenyuan said, staring at the ceiling, his voice low.

“I’m just… too nervous.”

“You’re nervous about what?” Ye Qingyun was happy to get an explanation. He moved even closer to Gu Shenyuan, even daring to poke his calf with his foot.

“Before, we could still say we had differences. But now, we’re both Omega, both male Omegas, with the same gender. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

Gu Shenyuan was silent for a while before finally saying, “How do you know I’ll be an Omega in the future?”

Ye Qingyun, of course, couldn’t say that this was a novel and that he could foresee what would happen next. Instead, he pretended to be mysterious: “I’m so smart, I’ve already figured it all out.”

“Oh,” Gu Shenyuan said, falling silent again. As Ye Qingyun was about to fall asleep, he heard Gu Shenyuan’s voice again, “Ye Qingyun, I’m still cold. Can I sleep in your arms?”

Gu Shenyuan’s voice was soft, and Ye Qingyun sleepily responded, then felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him into a strong embrace.

Ye Qingyun briefly woke up, but then he also wrapped his arms around Gu Shenyuan and smiled.

 “From now on, the one holding you like this will be your Alpha. Cherish the time we can still hold each other for warmth.”

Ye Qingyun felt the arms around him tighten, and as he shifted slightly to find a comfortable position, he fell into a deep sleep.

—

Gu Shenyuan gazed at Ye Qingyun, who was quietly lying in his arms, admiring his straight nose, long lashes, and slender brows. He finally followed his heart and leaned in.

A kiss as light as a snowflake landed on Ye Qingyun’s delicate cheek.

Ye Qingyun remained unaware, and Gu Shenyuan kissed him again, pulling him closer.

He didn’t want to be just friends with Ye Qingyun.

He wanted to have an identity that would allow him to always hold Ye Qingyun like this.

He wanted Ye Qingyun’s body to never carry the scent of anyone else.

He didn’t want to be an Omega. He wanted to be an Alpha—an Alpha who could mark Ye Qingyun for life so that Ye Qingyun would carry his pheromones forever.

---

(END)

Lhaozi’s Note: Hello! Thankyou for reading my translation, see you in my other uploads! If you have concern regarding my translations please feel free to reach me out in Discord, my name is Lhaozi. I am also a part of Shanghai Fantasy Discord. Again Thankyou for being part of this wonderful danmei!