“Brother Xu, you still haven't found the guy who messed with you?”
“Are you talking nonsense? If I’d found him, would I still be standing here?”
Xu Chang spat on the ground, his face a mask of misery.
“What exactly happened the night before last?” the lackey beside him asked curiously.
“It was around one or two in the morning. I’d just finished a hand-off and realized I’d left my keys at the convenience store, so I came back to get them. Right at the street corner, in this very area, an Alpha suddenly walked up and asked if my surname was Xu. Total psycho. I didn't want to deal with him and tried to walk around, but he dragged me into the alley...”
Recalling the scene from that day, Xu Chang felt a phantom ache in his arm.
“Damn it, he was a lunatic. Definitely a high-level Alpha. He broke my hand with a single stomp. Just wait until I find out who it was; they’d better watch their back.”
The lackey winced, imagining the pain. “That’s brutal. Who could it be?”
“No idea. Tall and thin, covered up completely. The bastard even used a voice changer. I didn't get a look at his face at all.”
The group grumbled indignantly as they slowly walked away, boasting about how they would make that person wish they were dead.
Li Zhenting listened in silence, inwardly stunned. Although he had a grudge against Xu Chang, he wondered how much rage and strength it took to stomp and snap a male Alpha's hand like that.
Still, it felt like a form of indirect revenge on his behalf.
Distracted by this encounter, the sorrow in Li Zhenting’s heart faded slightly. He lowered his head and took out his phone. Li Zi had sent him a photo ten minutes ago. He tapped it open to see fireworks blooming in the night sky.
*“The fireworks are quite nice today. Did you see them?”*
His fingers hovered over the screen for a long time before he finally replied:
*“I saw them, but they’re ugly.”*
*Your smile... is ugly.*
***
The phone on the table vibrated, but Li Zi didn't have time to look at it. She was currently sitting on the sofa in the living room with her parents, discussing a very serious topic.
“Zi’er, what did you mean by that just now?” Li Shian frowned and asked. “What do you mean, how do we view AA and AB relationships?”
He looked at his daughter suspiciously.
“Right. Two of my Alpha friends started dating recently. They’re quite worried about their elders' reactions, so I wanted to hear your thoughts,” Li Zi explained calmly, her expression unchanging.
“Well... society is quite open now. As long as two people like each other and it doesn't violate ethics or the law, they should be free to love,” Li Shian leaned back against the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. “But the relationship between them will face more hardships and obstacles. As a parent, I hope you can be with an Omega whose family background and personality are a good match. Besides, I’m looking forward to having grandchildren.”
Li Zi thought to herself: *As expected, this is the answer.*
She asked tentatively, “What if the person I fall for isn't an Omega?”
Neither Li Shian nor Yan Yan expected her to ask this. After all, Li Zi had been an easy child to raise since she was young. Aside from two incidents in her childhood where she was almost hurt, she rarely gave them cause for concern.
Would their child really choose to challenge such an unstable form of intimacy?
“Zi’er, you have to understand that a rut without an Omega’s comfort is very painful. As your father, I want my child to suffer as little as possible.” Yan Yan spoke up, gently placing a hand on Li Shian to calm him down.
Faced with this, Li Zi found it impossible to argue against her parents' concern.
“Yes, Zi’er. Although you’re still young, you should know that it’s best for a family to have a child. It makes your relationship more stable and profound. The two of us are very grateful to have you, and we hope you can have a complete and happy family in the future.” Li Shian’s tone finally softened as he saw his daughter’s troubled expression. “It’s very late today. We’re going to bed. Let’s talk more next time.”
Li Zi nodded. As her parents were about to walk up the stairs, she suddenly spoke again.
“Mom, Dad, I hope you can trust my choice. I won't do anything I’ll regret.”
Yan Yan turned back first. He saw his daughter, who was usually indifferent and desired nothing, with a face full of determination and persistence. As Li Zi’s birth father, his understanding of her was naturally deeper, and a few suspicions began to form in his mind.
“Mm, go to sleep early,” he replied on Li Shian’s behalf. “I believe in my child.”
***
Li Zi sighed. She knew her relationship with Li Zhenting wouldn't be immediately accepted at home; it was bound to be a long-term struggle. She had long been mentally prepared for this and had planned accordingly.
Everything was within her arrangement—except for this man.
She picked up her phone and saw the awkward reply he had sent for some reason. She opened the emoji panel, selected a "smack your dog head" gif, and sent it over.
Only this man always managed to slip out of her control.
***
The New Year passed quickly. Li Zi went to Li Zhenting’s house to find him the next day. Although she felt the man was acting prickly again, the two of them still finished what they hadn't completed on Christmas.
They wasted almost the entire day in bed.
Even though his words were biting, Li Zhenting’s body remained honest. No matter how uncomfortable he felt, he held Li Zi in a death grip, refusing to let her leave him.
“You’ll hurt yourself like this.”
Drenched in sweat, Li Zi looked down disapprovingly at the dazed Li Zhenting. His eyes were unfocused, and there were even traces of moisture on his cheeks. His already stiff body remained locked in place, entwined like vines, determined never to separate.
“Less... less nonsense. Just do what you’re supposed to do.”
Though she couldn't quite understand the man’s stubbornness at this moment, Li Zi followed his lead, only becoming gentler.
It was nearly dinner time when they finally tidied up and prepared to head out. Li Zi showered first, then sat on the edge of the bed to dress. She watched Li Zhenting stagger toward the bathroom, leaning against the wall for support and refusing her help. She frowned.
*What happened now?*
She pondered for a moment, but ultimately unable to set her mind at ease, she pushed open the closed bathroom door.
As it opened, a wave of steam rushed out. Ignoring it, she walked up behind Li Zhenting. The man turned back to look at her in shock.
“What are you doing in here?”
Her gaze flickered over the marks near the wound on Li Zhenting’s waist. Then, relaxing her body, she leaned against the sink and asked, “What’s wrong with you today?”
Li Zhenting fell silent. For a moment, the only sound in the small room was the splashing of water on the floor.
“If there’s a problem, we should talk it through. If you don't speak your mind, I might not be able to look after your feelings.”
The man stood under the showerhead, wearing nothing, yet Li Zi could still see the hard armor he wore, wrapping his true self tightly inside.
Li Zhenting was exhausted—his neck, the arms that had been gripping her, his aching thighs, and his weak waist. There wasn't a single part of his body that felt comfortable. But none of that compared to the weariness in his heart.
If Li Zi weren't here, he might have just slumped down.
The water beat down mercilessly on his head and chest. His wet hair clung to his forehead, making him look strangely like a stray dog.
Li Zi sighed again, a sound that only made Li Zhenting’s body tense further. She walked over and turned off the water valve. She turned the man’s body around to face her, forcing him to look directly into the eyes that had been avoiding her all day.
“Don't you trust me?” Li Zi’s expression seemed to turn fragile as well. “You’ve never trusted me, have you?”
Li Zhenting didn't understand. He was the one who had overheard her family’s arrangements; he was the one who had been pinned down all day; so why was it that the woman five years younger than him had eyes full of even more exhaustion and sadness?
But he really loved Li Zi.
When he saw her sadness, the painful images flashing in his mind instantly vanished. He could only see the person before him in sorrow.
*Why? Why do you look even sadder than I do?*
*Why is it that the moment I see you sad, I can't think of anything else?*
*I care about you so much... what about you?*
Li Zhenting finally closed his eyes, then reached out to pull Li Zi into an embrace, resting his head by her ear. He whispered, “Don't look at me like that.”
*Your sadness only makes me panic.*
“Don't be unhappy.”
Li Zi wrapped her arms around his damp head. “I’m not unhappy. I just want to know why you are.”
She felt the man hesitate again.
So she spoke: “You know I like you. Because I like you, I want to know what’s on your mind.”
Li Zhenting froze. His eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard.
“You... like me?”
The woman’s breath drifted through his hair as her cool voice said helplessly, “If I didn't like you, why would I be with you? Li Zhenting, you really are a fool.”
“But... this is the first time you’ve said it...” Li Zhenting tried to argue.
*This really is the first time you’ve said you like me.*
*After all these years, you finally said it.*
A surge of aggrieved warmth rose to his eyes.
“I like you. I like you the most. I only like you. I liked you before, and I’ll keep liking you in the future.”
Li Zi was like a door that had been flung open, incessantly speaking the words Li Zhenting had only ever dared to fantasize about in his dreams.
He let out a sob and hugged Li Zi tightly, trying to press his tall frame into the woman’s relatively slender embrace.
He spoke with a sob in his voice, “You’d better remember what you said. Otherwise, I won't let you off.”
Li Zi chuckled softly, stroking the back of his neck. “I know, Ting-ge.”
***
Li Zhenting’s original name was Li Zhenting (李臻汀).
That was the name his parents had given him. However, after years of fantasizing and being disappointed, Li Zhenting began to despise it. He felt the name was weak and lacked masculinity.
Upon reaching adulthood, he submitted an application to change it. He changed his name to the very masculine "Zhenting" (震霆 - Thunder), leaving his grandmother at a loss for words.
He didn't care about the saying that one's body and hair are gifts from parents, or that a name is a blessing bestowed upon a child. When he no longer needed the illusory image of his parents and no longer harbored those weak expectations, he became "Li Zhenting" (震霆), leaving the old "Li Zhenting" (臻汀) behind.
His grandmother followed his wishes and called him Zhenting.
Only Li Zi still called him by his former name.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| AA恋 | AA relationship | A romantic relationship between two Alphas. |
| AB恋 | AB relationship | A romantic relationship between an Alpha and a Beta. |
| 易感期 | Rut | A periodic state of heightened aggression and sexual drive in Alphas (similar to "heat" in Omegas). |
| 李臻汀 | Li Zhenting | The protagonist's original name. The characters "臻汀" (Zhēntīng) sound softer/more elegant than his new name. |
| 震霆 | Zhenting | The protagonist's chosen name (Zhèntíng), meaning "Shocking Thunder," chosen for its masculine sound. |
| 汀哥 | Ting-ge | "Brother Ting"; a nickname derived from his original name, used only by Li Zi. |
| 敲你狗头 | Smack your dog head | A common internet slang/meme expression used playfully between close friends or lovers. |
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