In recent days, the rumors had spread like wildfire, almost reaching an uncontrollable point. Some Alphas firmly believed the rumors were false and were waiting for the upper ranks of S District to dispel them. But no matter how long they waited, what they got in return was a suffocating silence.

Dark clouds loomed, and a storm was on the horizon.

In the Omega dormitory, Li Po woke up abruptly. He threw off the covers and instinctively touched his pillow—it was wet again.

He had been sleeping poorly recently, possibly due to the incident with Hong Mao. Nightmares frequently haunted his sleep. Each time he was jolted awake, his pillow was always wet, drenched in cold sweat. Even when he woke up naturally, he still felt an overwhelming chill, needing to sit on the bed for a long while to recover.

Strangely, he could never remember the content of the nightmares. All that lingered was a vague sense of fear, leaving him confused. Li Po considered himself mentally strong, and the incident with Hong Mao shouldn’t have affected him this much, so he couldn’t figure out why it bothered him so much.

Could it be sleep paralysis?

Li Po sat on his bed, resting his chin on the snow-white pillow, making his face look even paler. He wiped his face absentmindedly and got up to wash.

Since the incident with Hong Mao, Li Po had a vague feeling that S District was on the verge of turmoil.

Those proud Alphas would never accept becoming hosts for pollutants, nor could they tolerate the fearful and disdainful looks of other Alphas. They were combatants selected through rigorous tests, holding enviable positions across the galaxy. They could be killed by pollutants, but they would never allow pollutants to control them.

Thinking of this, Li Po suddenly felt curious.

If the Alphas knew they might be parasitized by pollutants, would they still willingly go on missions? They might not fear death, but could they handle the disgrace if they were parasitized?

Hong Mao had been a victim, sacrificed by S District to maintain order, yet no Alpha had spoken up for him, nor did anyone express regret. They all seemed to believe that Hong Mao had disrupted their peaceful status quo, bringing crisis and confusion, leaving them trapped in uncertainty.

Li Po had even heard that some Alphas, unwilling to accept it, had gone to seek confirmation from the officials. But, without exception, they were all blocked outside the gates, never even seeing the officials.

How laughable.

Li Po splashed water on his face, the droplets trickling down his skin, making his entire face wet. The water on his eyelashes blurred his vision. He blinked a few times, clearing away the moisture, and looked at himself in the mirror with a blank expression.

Li Po liked to smile, but his smiles rarely reached his eyes and lacked any warmth. Although others couldn’t tell, Li Po knew his smiles were fake. He preferred the expressionless version of himself, feeling it was the most genuine.

The face in the mirror looked a bit younger than usual, with a hint of youthfulness, making him appear more innocent. Li Po observed himself with interest before grabbing a towel from the rack and roughly wiping his face.

He had already wasted too much time. Skipping breakfast, Li Po headed straight to Training Ground 1—he avoided Training Grounds 2 and 3 because every time he went there, something strange happened. He held grudges and didn’t want to tempt fate again.

On the way, perhaps due to skipping breakfast, Li Po felt light-headed, like he was walking on clouds, with no strength in his legs. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but his neck occasionally felt a sharp pain, followed by an itchy sensation, though it was bearable.

Was his hair getting too long and poking his neck? He wondered absentmindedly.

Soon, he pushed the thought out of his mind.

At Training Ground 1.

“Li Po!”

Suddenly, a voice called from a distance, several simulation pods away.

Li Po lazily lifted his eyelids for a glance before letting his gaze drop back down, uninterested.

It was Jin Mu.

If he were in a better mood, he might have humored him with a few words. Unfortunately, today wasn’t one of those days, so no matter how much Jin Mu called out, Li Po pretended not to hear. After retrieving his Star Key, he walked straight to the simulation pod, not sparing Jin Mu even a glance.

Recently, Jin Mu had heard about what happened with Hong Mao and was surprised to learn that Li Po was involved. At first, he had been sitting in a chair listening to his companions, but the moment they finished speaking, he shot up, ready to check on the Omega, his concern plain in his eyes.

But when his companions told him about the supposedly nonexistent “affair” between Li Po and Hong Mao, his anger flared.

No surprise, it was Li Po again—never wasting that attractive face, using it to lure Alphas!

Jin Mu trusted his friends implicitly, almost believing everything they said, including this time.

The first time he had gone to teach Li Po a lesson, it was largely because his companions had exaggerated the Omega’s scheming nature. Back then, he had only caught bits and pieces of the story, but he genuinely thought Li Po was manipulative and ruthless, which spurred him into action.

Later, he realized he had been wrong and wanted to apologize to Li Po, but his pride kept getting in the way. Besides, Li Po’s attitude toward him had always been distant, sometimes teasing, other times cold—like now, when he didn’t even look at him.

Jin Mu thought he had seen through Li Po’s nature and should have been able to remain calm and walk away. But the moment he saw him again, all those feelings bubbled up uncontrollably, his heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of his chest.

His handsome face scrunched up, looking like a bitter melon that had suffered a setback.

He stood there, watching Li Po, unsure whether to follow. Then, as Li Po turned his head slightly, Jin Mu noticed his pale complexion.

Jin Mu’s eyes lit up: An opportunity!

He quickly made his way around the simulation pods and headed straight for the Omega.

–

The Star Key was inserted into the activation port, and the pod door slowly opened, revealing a spacious and comfortable interior. Li Po bent down and slipped inside smoothly.

Just as the pod door was about to close, he turned his head slightly for a quick glance. He meant to immediately look away, but unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of anxious ones—it was obvious who they belonged to.

Li Po: “…”

Without a hint of emotion, Li Po averted his gaze, pretending not to see anything, and allowed the pod door to close slowly in front of Jin Mu.

Jin Mu: “…”

His fists clenched tightly, a series of cracking sounds coming from his joints.

Was his face really that scary? Jin Mu suddenly lost confidence. If not, why would the Omega be avoiding him? He hadn’t done anything to offend him recently.

The last time at Training Ground 3, Jin Mu had personally witnessed Li Po being all touchy-feely with a blonde Alpha, and the jealousy had nearly consumed him. But one word—“friend”—had miraculously pacified him, even though he knew how ridiculous it was.

Thinking of this, Jin Mu’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. How long had it been, and now the Omega was acting like he didn’t even know him? Last time, he had called him a friend, but now he was treating him like some sort of plague, not even sparing him a glance.

As an A-level Alpha, Jin Mu had never been treated like this before. He ground his teeth, spitting out a curse through clenched jaws: “Damn it!”

Although Jin Mu was angry, he knew how to prioritize. Just one look at Li Po’s face was enough to tell that he wasn’t in good shape. If he pushed himself too hard in training, he wouldn’t stand a chance of winning. It would be a miracle if he didn’t pass out inside the simulation pod.

Frustrated yet amused, Jin Mu realized there was nothing he could do now that the Omega had hidden himself in the pod. Left with no outlet for his irritation, he could only raise his hand and knock on the pod’s exterior.

Li Po didn’t immediately start up the holographic interface. He closed his eyes slightly, leaning back in the seat, his gaze unfocused.

Surrounded by darkness, Li Po suddenly felt disoriented, light-headed, and dizzy. It was as if he had been tossed into a kaleidoscope, endlessly spinning and tumbling, with no sense of direction.

—So dizzy.

That was the only thought left in his mind.

His pale neck pressed tightly against the soft leather of the chair. Li Po lay there, not moving, but the chair absorbed the heat from the back of his neck, becoming warm and damp.

But Li Po didn’t notice the abnormal warmth; he only felt exhausted and shut his eyes to rest.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Suddenly, a series of rapid knocks penetrated the pod walls, persistently drumming against Li Po’s eardrums.

Li Po frowned, opening his eyes in annoyance, but quickly closed them again.

If he ignored it, surely the other person would give up eventually.

But he had underestimated Jin Mu’s patience. The knocking didn’t stop, continuing to assault his ears like an unrelenting ghost, driving him mad.

Finally, Li Po couldn’t take it anymore. He raised one arm to cover half of his face in frustration while using the other to feel around the pod wall, pressing the OPEN button.

Sure enough, as the door slowly opened, the annoying knocking immediately ceased.

“What do you want?” Li Po maintained his position, covering most of his face. His voice, muffled by his sleeve, sounded weak and tired.

Jin Mu lowered his hand and was about to speak when his eyes caught sight of the Omega, and his words stuck in his throat.

The lighting inside the pod was dim, only illuminating the lower half of the Omega’s face. Not only was Li Po’s complexion pale, but his lips had also lost their usual color, showing only a faint hint of red.

Jin Mu stared dumbfoundedly, his gaze fixed, his Alpha instincts silently urging him to protect. His heart trembled, and he almost forgot the lines he had rehearsed in his mind.

Li Po waited for a long time but didn’t hear Jin Mu speak. His patience was already thin, and now it was practically gone.

“Jin Mu?”

“Here!” Jin Mu’s mind was full of random thoughts, and he hadn’t even registered what Li Po had said. He instinctively responded.

“…” Li Po was taken aback by the loud reply. He lowered his arm from his face and opened his eyes, looking at Jin Mu with a teasing gaze.

On the other hand, Jin Mu’s reaction was far more dramatic.

As soon as he realized what he had done, he quickly took half a step back. Though he tried to remain calm, the bronze tint of his face began to redden, almost as if it were about to burst into flames.

“Why are you blushing?” Li Po asked, pretending to be kind.

“…You’re mistaken. I don’t blush.” Jin Mu quickly denied it, his tone adamant.

A moment later, faced with Li Po’s doubtful gaze, Jin Mu’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times before he awkwardly looked away.

“Really?” Li Po chuckled softly.

“Really!” Jin Mu declared firmly, his voice resolute.

“Alright,” Li Po smiled, not pushing further. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Jin Mu cleared his throat, finally shifting his gaze back to the Omega. He had planned to ask if Li Po was injured or why he looked so unwell today, but his tongue slipped, and without thinking, he blurted out:

“You and that Hong Mao, do you have something going on?”