Li Zhenting did not choose to attend university. Although he had a sudden urge to work hard during the final stretch and gave it one last push, his grades were only just enough to scrape into an undergraduate program.
To him, it felt meaningless, and he had no desire to leave this place. His grandmother had passed away several years ago, leaving him with no wish to return to an empty home. After school, he either hung around with Su Qiang’s crew or retreated to the secret corner of his heart that he could never speak of.
After graduating high school, aside from working part-time jobs to survive and occasionally handling tasks for Su Qiang, he would still arrive punctually every afternoon on his second-hand motorcycle to wait at the school gates.
The Li family’s driver found himself partially unemployed, as the young lady of the house had suddenly developed a habit of wanting to walk home every other day.
*Ring—*
As the school bell chimed, the young man leaning against the motorcycle straightened up. He checked his hair in the rearview mirror and fixed his bright, piercing gaze on the school gates.
Within minutes, a dense crowd of students poured out. He ignored every other face, looking only toward the back of the throng.
This was a prestigious private middle school, with a high school division that boasted the city’s highest university admission rate. The students within were either top-tier scholars or children of the wealthy and influential, and the resources provided by the school were exceptional. Even their uniforms were a far cry from the monotonous blue-and-white or navy tracksuits seen elsewhere, possessing a distinct sense of design.
From a distance, a girl emerged amidst a small circle of peers. Her blazer was draped over her arm, leaving her in a crisp, stiff white shirt, her long hair falling naturally over her left shoulder. Her cool, aloof temperament stood out sharply against the vibrant energy of the other students. Li Zhenting captured her in his sight with a single glance.
“Li Zi, don’t forget to lend me your notes tomorrow.”
A classmate was still pestering her for materials. Li Zi gave a shallow nod and shifted her attention outward.
Li Zhenting had parked his bike under a tree.
Only then did a genuine smile touch her lips. She turned to her classmate and said, “I have something to do. See you tomorrow.”
She seemed entirely unaware of the budding, poorly hidden affection in the boy’s eyes.
“I want to drive your motorcycle today,” Li Zi said abruptly as she climbed onto the back seat.
She placed her hands on Li Zhenting’s waist. Though she didn't hold him tightly, his abdominal muscles went rigid.
“Huh? But you’re still a minor.”
Li Zhenting was rarely this cautious when riding, but with someone on the back, he devoted twice as much concentration to his driving, terrified of the slightest instability.
“I’ve watched you do it many times. I already know how to operate it.”
“Take me to that mountain road we went to last time.”
Li Zi raised her right hand and gripped his burning shoulder. She could clearly feel him grow even more tense.
“But…” Li Zhenting truly didn't feel at ease.
“I want to drive,” the girl behind him insisted, her voice dropping low.
“Then you have to listen to me. Don’t panic.” He could only nod in agreement.
Li Zi didn't give him a direct answer, only letting out a soft chuckle, though it was unclear what she was laughing at.
***
“Slow down! Drive slower!”
On the mountain road, where occasional trucks rumbled through the lush green forests, Li Zhenting sat on the back seat of his own motorcycle. He was tensely clutching the girl’s waist, his large frame almost enveloping her.
He never expected Li Zi to be such a reckless rider. The moment he looked away, she had twisted the throttle to its limit.
What if something happened?
Li Zhenting was tempted to snatch back control of the handlebars, but he felt a slight tremor from Li Zi’s body pressed against his chest.
She was laughing—happily and wantonly.
“Go!”
He couldn't help but daze for a moment.
Such a display was extremely rare for Li Zi. Her emotions were usually restrained, never flamboyant. Despite her young age, she was used to hiding all intense feelings in her heart, loath to show them to the world.
In all the time he had known her, Li Zhenting had never heard her complain about her family situation since those very first days they met.
But he knew. He had always watched from that direction, looking at the girl on the balcony as she went from expectation to disappointment, and from disappointment to a quiet calm.
Fine. If it made her happy, he would let her speed. At worst, he would just hold her firmly in his arms if things went south.
Li Zhenting loosened his grip slightly and lowered his head, his nose catching a hint of the fresh fragrance from Li Zi’s hair.
In the end, Li Zi only drove like that for a few minutes before slowing down. After feeling the breath of the rushing wind, the restlessness born of her studies and puberty was strangely soothed.
She parked the bike by the roadside. Seeing Li Zhenting’s legs nearly give way as he dismounted made her mood even better. She walked onto the grass beyond the guardrail and sat down, looking out at the green mountains stretching under the blue sky.
Li Zhenting observed her secretly from behind. After a moment’s hesitation, he sat down gently beside her.
The two remained silent, listening together to the breeze rustling the leaves and the occasional birdcall echoing through the mountain stream.
***
When Li Zi was sixteen, everyone around her was anxious about her differentiation.
Li Shian hoped she would differentiate into an Alpha so she could enter more influential industries or follow him into business. Yan Yan, however, hoped she would be a Beta, because Betas were not restricted by pheromones and, in a sense, could live more freely. Furthermore, Betas were more popular in the medical profession.
Li Zi herself didn't have much of an opinion. To her, her own efforts and thoughts were more important than her so-called gender.
However, she had a premonition that she would likely differentiate into an Alpha.
While she didn't care much, there was someone beside her who clearly had a lot on his mind.
In a milk tea shop near the high school, Li Zi and Li Zhenting sat in a corner. She was working through problems in a reference book, while Li Zhenting stared blankly at a cup of milk tea that looked entirely out of place in his hands.
His mind was filled with one thought: Li Zi was about to differentiate. What would her secondary gender be?
Now twenty years old, no matter how dull he might be, he could no longer hide the budding romantic feelings he had for her. When Li Zi was younger, his feelings were more akin to care and protection. But as he watched her change day by day, growing into a tall, elegant, and handsome young woman, her undeniable charm constantly drew the gazes of others.
He would always lose control and glare back fiercely.
*Do people like you even have the right to dream about Li Zi?*
“Hey, Li Zhenting, are you listening to me?”
Li Zi frowned and tapped his head with her pen.
“Huh?” Li Zhenting looked at her, confused.
“I said, which type do you think is better for me to differentiate into?” Li Zi put down her book, crossed her arms, and leaned back, a mysterious smile in her eyes.
“I don’t know.” Li Zhenting gripped his cup tightly, avoiding a direct answer.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Li Zi raised an eyebrow, dissatisfied.
“Oh—so it has nothing to do with you anyway, right?” she drawled.
“I—I didn't mean it like that.”
As expected, the man opposite her panicked instantly. He set down his milk tea, desperate to explain. “I meant to say that they’re all quite good, really. It depends on what you want. Besides, no matter how much we guess, it’s useless. Differentiation is unpredictable.”
Li Zi’s expression remained clouded.
He continued, “But with your personality, you probably wouldn't suit being an Omega…”
Despite all his talking, Li Zi never heard Li Zhenting’s true thoughts. Since she couldn't get it out of him, she lost her patience.
“Oh, maybe.”
She picked up her pen again, giving him no further chance to speak.
What was Li Zhenting really thinking?
He felt that the thoughts in his heart were too dark. He couldn't deny that he had secretly wondered: if Li Zi differentiated into a Beta, would the distance between them not be so vast?
Perhaps—just perhaps—he might have a sliver of a chance.
However, a few days later, Li Zi walked out of the hospital.
Her secondary gender was Alpha.
Her family surrounded her, everyone overjoyed. Li Zhenting felt that this result was exactly as expected, what everyone had hoped for. He was the first to send Li Zi a congratulatory text.
The faint, hollow sense of loss in his heart could only be surrendered to the night.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 分化 | Differentiation | The process in ABO settings where a person develops their secondary gender (Alpha, Beta, or Omega). |
| 黎世安 | Li Shian | Li Zi's father. |
| 严琰 | Yan Yan | Li Zi's mother. |
| 苏强 | Su Qiang | A local gang leader/boss Li Zhenting associates with. |
| 第二性别 | Secondary Gender | Refers to the Alpha/Beta/Omega classification. |
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