September—the blazing hot start of the new school year. Zhen Nan University welcomed another wave of outstanding students from all over the country.
Yet what drew the attention of countless freshmen and upperclassmen alike was a figure completely out of place among the bustling crowd—
A man around twenty-five years old dragged a suitcase in one hand and carried a large duffel bag over his shoulder with the other. He was tall and powerfully built, his muscles prominent.
Because it was midsummer, he wore only a plain black tank top on his upper body. His exposed arms were covered in intricate tattoos that wound down from his chest, disappearing beneath the hem of his shirt, which was tucked into camouflage cargo pants outlining his lean waist.
At that moment, he frowned deeply, his expression extremely unpleasant. Whenever he caught someone staring at him, he glared back without hesitation, frightening many inexperienced university students into quickly fleeing.
This bizarre sight made the male senior beside them ask uncertainly:
“Junior, is your friend… really okay?”
The girl had simply tied her hair over one shoulder. Her brows and eyes were picturesque, but her expression was calm and distant. She had been studying the map in her hands. Hearing this, she glanced back at the restless man behind her and sighed helplessly.
“Sorry, Senior. I’ll go talk to him.”
The senior scratched his head. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
—
Zhen Nan University, located in a first-tier coastal city, ranked among the world’s best in medicine, finance, and psychology.
Its open and equal campus culture meant that the ratio of Alpha, Beta, and Omega students was extremely balanced. As long as one had ability, every discipline welcomed all genders.
At the school gate, welcome booths from various departments were scattered about, calling out to new students.
“Freshmen from the Economics and Management Department, look here~”
“Want to learn about our all-handsome-boy street dance club?”
…
It was a season full of energy and sweat.
And how could anyone not notice a man whose entire body radiated an unmistakable aura of don’t mess with me?
Watching the beautiful new junior girl walk toward that man, the senior couldn’t help wondering what relationship these two completely different people had.
—
“Are college students these days all like this? Each one weaker than the last.”
Li Zhenting had been sizing up the male students along the way.
When delicate-featured, slender omegas walked past, he didn’t even spare them a glance.
When several betas dressed neatly in white shirts and black pants, radiating youthful energy, passed by, he frowned. With builds like that, he could take on ten of them alone.
But when they passed the basketball court, Li Zi’s gaze shifted toward it. Following her line of sight, he saw several men with excellent physiques among the players.
This time, he didn’t pretend not to care. His lips pressed tightly together in agitation.
These people… would spend day and night with Li Zi for the next four years?
At that thought, a sour feeling surged into his throat.
Damn it. How annoying.
“Li Zhenting! What did you promise me before we left?”
He felt an elbow jab into his side.
He turned to see Li Zi looking at him in warning.
Almost reflexively, he withdrew his hostile gaze. He coughed lightly, rolled his stiff shoulders from carrying the heavy luggage, avoided her eyes, and said gruffly:
“I know! No bad attitude, no causing trouble! Okay?!”
Li Zi looked at him skeptically. His stubborn face clearly showed dissatisfaction and restraint, which wasn’t convincing at all.
“Alright. Let’s go. Your senior is waiting ahead.”
Li Zhenting didn’t like being looked at like that, so he nudged her with his suitcase and said sarcastically,
“Go on.”
Li Zi raised an eyebrow.
Fine. Let’s see how long you can endure.
—
About ten minutes later, the three of them stopped.
“Junior Li, this is Building 13, the women’s dormitory. I’ll send you off here.”
The senior smiled and pointed at the building, then took out his phone.
“Oh, right. If you have any questions, you can add my WeChat and ask anytime.”
The moment he finished speaking, a gaze filled with suppressed anger shot straight at him. His hand trembled slightly as he hesitated and glanced toward the black-faced man.
“Uh… it’s fine if you don’t add me.”
So scary! This junior’s friend is terrifying!
A white figure shifted slightly, blocking that oppressive gaze. Li Zi also took out her phone and replied politely:
“That’s fine, Senior. You can scan mine.”
An angel!
“My name is Qiu An. Please take care of me in the future.”
“Okay, Senior Qiu An. Thank you for bringing me here. I’ll head up now. You should get back to your work.”
Li Zi gave a slight bow in thanks.
Qiu An wanted to say more, but suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure approaching from behind. His instincts screamed at him to flee. Turning around, he saw the terrifying man had already set down the luggage and was walking toward him with clenched fists.
“Goodbye, Junior! See you! We’ll talk later!”
Qiu An ran for his life.
Only after running far away did he take out his phone again and open Li Zi’s profile.
—Eh? She’s an Alpha?
What a pity…
He was only a Beta.
While the young man silently mourned his crushed budding romance, the angelic junior behind him had already turned cold.
“You can go home now.”
Li Zi’s face turned expressionless as she reached for her luggage.
“I’ll carry it upstairs. It’s heavy.”
Li Zhenting refused immediately.
“I’m an Alpha. I don’t need it.”
Those words stabbed into his chest.
His hand curled slightly. He rubbed his palm against his pants, standing there awkwardly.
Whenever Li Zi was angry, he never knew what to do.
Since childhood, there was nothing he feared—except this girl.
“I’ll carry it upstairs.”
After holding it in for a long time, that was all he managed to say.
If she refused again, then he would… he would…
But Li Zi didn’t refuse again. She simply picked up part of the luggage and walked into the building.
Li Zhenting let out a breath of relief and quickly followed with the rest.
Walking behind her, he silently watched her back.
Li Zi was a standard high-grade Alpha. After her differentiation, she entered another growth phase. Her already tall frame grew rapidly, and now she was nearly as tall as Li Zhenting.
Her limbs beneath her clothes carried strength that could not be underestimated.
They had grown up together. In the past, when she disagreed with him, she reasoned with him.
But now, if she wanted, she could easily overpower him with force.
Li Zhenting would never resist.
Fortunately, Li Zi was not someone who liked using violence. She had never abused her Alpha status to suppress others.
Except once.
Her first heat cycle.
Afterward, there wasn’t a single unmarked spot left on Li Zhenting’s neck.
That had been the most painful—and most treasured—week of his life.
During that time, he possessed all of her emotions completely.
And now, the girl he had watched grow up was about to enter a wider world.
But he remained where he was, able only to watch her back.
His emotions churned. To hide them, he lowered his head.
—
Room 1308.
This would be Li Zi’s dormitory for the next several years.
She took a deep breath at the door.
Because Alphas had strong territorial instincts, their four-person dormitories were usually divided into four separate private rooms, with a shared bathroom between every two rooms—allowing both privacy and connection.
The other three girls had already arrived and were making their beds and organizing their belongings.
Li Zi rolled her suitcase in and walked straight to the last room, greeting the girl whose room connected with hers.
The girl was about 170 cm tall, shorter than Li Zi, and wore silver-rimmed glasses. She was moving books from the living area into her room.
“Hello, I’m Li Zi.”
“Hello, I’m Xie Bing.”
Xie Bing glanced at Li Zhenting, who was helping Li Zi unpack, and asked curiously,
“And this is…?”
Alphas were usually independent and rarely relied on others for daily matters.
At the question, Li Zhenting’s ears perked up. He held his breath while stuffing the blanket into its cover, waiting for her answer.
“This is my older brother. He was worried, so he came to see me off.”
Li Zi explained calmly.
“Oh, your brother treats you very well.”
They continued chatting politely.
The muscular man, who had been diligently making the bed, paused. His mouth twitched.
Your brother?
Heh…
I’ll endure.
At that moment, another girl stepped out from the opposite room.
She wore glamorous makeup, her hair dyed gray-pink, and a flowing silk dress. Her face was stunning, but her manner was lively and outgoing.
“Oh! Our last sister has arrived! Hello hello! I’m Yu Tianwu—Yu as in lush vegetation, Tian as in sky, Wu as in wilderness. I’m in the arts.”
“Hello, I’m Li Zi—Li as in dawn, Zi as in unrestrained. Psychology major.”
“I’m Hua Yi. Law major.”
The last roommate stepped forward as well.
Her style contrasted sharply with Yu Tianwu’s—buttoned shirt, black slacks, short neat hair. She perfectly fit the image of a law student.
“Li Zi, is your brother also a student here?”
Yu Tianwu poked Li Zi’s shoulder curiously while glancing at her room.
“No. He’s already working.”
Li Zi replied, noticing Li Zhenting’s stiff posture from the corner of her eye.
“Oh~ That’s nice. I don’t want to study at all. I wish I could graduate tomorrow.”
Yu Tianwu fake-cried and leaned dramatically onto Hua Yi.
This Alpha roommate… was quite interesting.
The other three couldn’t help but think the same.
