Not long ago, Jin Mu calmed down for a moment and felt like he had finally figured things out. He suppressed the urge to explain everything to Li Po and turned to head for the training grounds instead.

He thought that intense training would help him temporarily forget about the Omega, but fate had other plans. The training grounds had a power outage.

Jin Mu had been in S District for a long time, and this was the first time he’d encountered such a bizarre situation. Even he was surprised.

Once most of the Alphas had been rescued from the rooms and the people from White Tower finally arrived, Jin Mu’s tense nerves relaxed a bit, and he was ready to return to the dorm to shower and rest.

But just as he was about to step out of the training grounds, someone suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

And it was the last person he wanted to see right now.

If it were just Li Po, it would have been fine—Jin Mu might have been able to hold back from talking to him. But when there was a menacing Alpha standing beside the Omega, everything changed.

Jin Mu’s fists clenched and loosened, over and over again, until his molars ached from grinding them. He tried to look away and stride off, but his eyes betrayed him, locking onto that Omega, and his feet felt like they were weighed down by cement, making it impossible to move even an inch.

In his eyes, the beautiful Omega was being harassed by a scheming Alpha. That Alpha had a flirty face, someone who was clearly a player. What else could such a person want from approaching an innocent Omega?

At this moment, Jin Mu didn’t even realize that in his mind, the usual “flirtatious” and “scheming” image he had of Omegas had transformed into that of a pure and fragile little white flower, all thanks to the rosy filter of affection.

Seeing the two chatting happily, the resentment in Jin Mu’s heart only grew stronger. His eyes stung, but he didn’t blink, staring intensely at the two not far away.

Jin Mu had always thought he had great self-control, whether in his usual training or in actual combat. There was even a time during a mission when an Omega tried to cling to him, and he pushed them away without hesitation. His teammates even joked that he was allergic to Omegas, and Jin Mu himself believed he had no interest in that area.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think there would come a day when he couldn’t move upon seeing an Omega.

Time passed by slowly, yet Jin Mu remained rooted in place, stuck in his internal struggle. The two people nearby hadn’t finished their conversation yet, and it even seemed like they had more to say. It wasn’t until Li Po finally took a step that Jin Mu’s heart began to ease.

But in the very next moment, his heart leapt up again, hanging even higher—because that Alpha was leaving with Li Po.

Li Po didn’t need him to accompany him during the dangerous holo-simulation training, so why did he need company just for a short walk now?

And where were they headed? Another training ground? Or… the dorm?

Realizing this, Jin Mu nearly lost control of his expression. Anger, frustration, and contradiction surged in his mind, mixed with a sour feeling he was deliberately ignoring. Just moments ago, his legs had felt heavy as lead, but now, they moved easily. Without thinking, he followed them.

It wasn’t until the two of them stopped outside the training grounds that Jin Mu felt slightly more at ease.

Thankfully, the Omega had more sense than he’d thought. That Alpha looked unreliable, and no smart Omega would be interested in him.

Honestly, at this point, Jin Mu felt a bit smug. He believed himself to be rational, thinking his actions were simply saving an Omega who was about to make a mistake. Sure, those who made it into S District were strong, but their morals varied greatly. With just a little carelessness, an innocent Omega could be tricked, body and heart, by a scummy Alpha, and there’d be nothing left but bones. Especially an Omega like this one, who clearly had no experience.

However, this little bit of secret satisfaction vanished the moment he saw the Alpha’s face light up with joy.

Rationality, smugness—everything went up in smoke, evaporating with his reason.

His mind went blank, and before he could regain control, he strode forward, stopping right next to the Omega. Then he heard the words that sent his anger surging:

“Take care on your way. If you need anything, just come to me. I can help…”

Jin Mu’s face froze, his bronze muscles tensing up in an instant. Fury visibly surged through him, and without thinking, he blurted out:

“You don’t need to help.”

…

Li Po and Lan Deng both turned their heads at the same time.

Lan Deng’s words had been abruptly cut off, and naturally, his attitude wasn’t pleasant. He frowned slightly, his voice cold: “Who are you?”

Li Po, upon seeing Jin Mu, also furrowed his brows lightly. “Why are you here?”

Jin Mu grew even angrier. He yanked Li Po behind him and, with an unfriendly tone, questioned Lan Deng: “You’re an Alpha, don’t you know there’s a difference between AO? Why are you standing so close to an Omega? What do you want?”

Lan Deng was so furious he actually laughed. He casually ran a hand through his hair, the warmth in his eyes gradually fading away: “And what about you? Aren’t you an Alpha too? Or are you saying you and he have some special relationship that can break the AO boundaries?”

Lan Deng’s striking, well-defined features gave his appearance an aggressive edge, especially when he wasn’t smiling. His deep blue eyes were warm when looking at Li Po, like a hot spring, as if he wanted to drown the Omega in them. But when facing Jin Mu, all the warmth disappeared, leaving only a cold pool.

“… ” Jin Mu, never great with words, found himself completely choked by Lan Deng’s retort, unable to utter a single comeback. He furiously thought to himself, could it be that this Alpha across from him was winning over the Omega just by smooth-talking? How despicable.

Seeing that Jin Mu wasn’t replying, a faint smile crossed Lan Deng’s face. He turned his gaze from Jin Mu and looked at the Omega behind him: “Li Po, come here.”

Jin Mu’s face instantly darkened, and almost as soon as Lan Deng’s words dropped, Jin Mu snapped back: “No!”

“…”

Li Po’s eye twitched.

Can someone tell him what kind of absurd love triangle showdown this was?

Forget it. It was time for his character’s preset to come into play.

Li Po lowered his eyes, stepping between the two, his expression innocent and his voice soft: “You guys… stop fighting.”

The two immediately fell silent.

He continued in a gentle tone, “I don’t want you two to fight because of me.”

Jin Mu’s muscles instantly tightened: “It’s not…”

The tips of Lan Deng’s ears, hidden beneath his blonde hair, also turned red: “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Actually, Li Po’s gaze wasn’t even on either of them. His eyes were downcast, the crow-feather-like lashes covering the emotions in his eyes, only showing the right amount of harmlessness: “After all, you’re both my friends, aren’t you?”

Jin Mu’s face flushed hot, and he found himself unable to say a word. That little Omega’s innocent face made his heart melt into a puddle, and any thoughts of keeping his distance or setting boundaries were completely forgotten.

Lan Deng, on the other hand, was doing slightly better. He awkwardly ran his fingers through his hair again, discreetly pinching his earlobe as he muttered: “Mm.”

“So, you should both head back. I can walk back by myself.” After finishing, even someone as thick-skinned as Li Po felt he couldn’t continue.

He bolted.

Left behind was Jin Mu, standing in a daze: He forgave me… and called me his friend…

And on the other side, Lan Deng, cheeks still burning: He’s so cute, and so good at flirting.

Meanwhile, far off, Li Po smiled to himself, having masterfully played both sides.

With no effort at all, he’d made two “friends,” not only turning conflict into harmony but also subtly rejecting their advances. What a worthwhile deal.