As soon as the Vice Dean of the Medical School, who doubled as the school doctor, stepped through the door, his eyes fell upon that beautiful face lit with fury. He let out a soft, surprised hum.
Wasn't this that same physical weakling from years ago? The little patient who used to bolt faster than a rabbit every time he saw him?
The doctor strolled in unhurriedly, thinking to himself that he had finally caught the boy. It was simply unacceptable for a young patient to be so averse to medical treatment. Standing his ground with a beaming smile, the doctor waited for the "little patient" to walk right into his trap. The feeling was exceptionally gratifying.
Limited by his physical strength, Feng Zhixi eventually gave up resisting. As he was hauled back by Ji Yeran, he cast a dark, resentful glare at the two men who were clearly in cahoots. His eyes were filled with nothing but hostility.
He would remember this—both of them!
However, the two "conspirators" were currently too occupied to pay any mind to his shifting expressions.
"..." After swiftly performing the initial basic check-up, the Vice Dean felt his horizons broaden. In all his years of medical practice, he had never seen someone so determined to court death. And this was an Omega?
Just how much did he want to die?
The doctor looked at Feng Zhixi with a gaze that was both heavy and astonished. He didn't particularly care why the Beta youth from his memory had turned into an Omega, but having such a "master of self-destruction" right under his nose was a profound insult to his medical career.
Any patient who didn't follow doctor's orders or cooperate with treatment was not a good patient!
The doctor was genuinely angry, especially seeing how young this Omega was. Why was a youngster being so reckless with his life?
"How is his body?" Ji Yeran asked urgently, sensing something was wrong from the doctor’s expression. There was a trace of desperation in his voice that even he didn't notice.
*He’s beyond saving, just bury him. If you bury him now, you can still pick out a spot with good feng shui,* the doctor thought irritably. Yet, despite his sharp tongue, his actions remained professional. He beckoned the medical assistant robot following behind him to switch to precision diagnostic mode.
Upon receiving the command, the round, pudgy robot underwent an immediate transformation. Within seconds, the short, stout machine shifted into a single-person medical diagnostic pod.
Any assistant robot brought along by the Vice Dean was certainly no ordinary piece of equipment.
Feng Zhixi, who was picked up and placed directly into the diagnostic pod by Ji Yeran, was speechless. "..." *So, we’re just not asking for the patient’s opinion anymore?*
As the transparent outer shell of the medical pod slid shut and the comprehensive diagnostic system officially initiated, lines of information began to scroll across the holographic display above. The data grew longer and longer, seemingly without end. Even if one couldn't understand the medical jargon, the sheer speed at which the columns of data flickered by was enough to make one’s heart race.
The doctor’s face grew darker with every alarming figure until he saw the final line of data pop up. Only then did his expression soften slightly.
"A temporary mark?" The doctor looked at the young Alpha for confirmation. "You marked him?"
Ji Yeran blinked, startled by the question. He nodded and explained, "The circumstances at the time were... unique."
*Well done!* the doctor cheered inwardly, though he maintained a solemn facade.
After a moment of rapid reflection on the patient's current state, the doctor first gave the Alpha some basic instructions. Regardless of anything else, they had to stabilize the boy's condition first. Most importantly, he had to stop being so reckless!
The doctor looked so grave that he seemed ready to pull out a complete "Guide to Caring for the Severely Disabled."
The moment Feng Zhixi stepped out of the medical pod, he heard the doctor mentioning this comprehensive care guide—and at the highest level of severity, no less.
Faced with the long list of prohibitions and the care guide provided by the doctor, Ji Yeran’s face turned as grim as still water, while Feng Zhixi’s brow twitched incessantly.
Confronted by the doctor’s theatrics, Feng Zhixi couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Quack!"
*Quack? A quack!*
The doctor, whose ears were sharp, raised an eyebrow. He stopped mid-sentence and shot the brat a subtle, unreadable look before flashing a faint smile.
*Little friend, offending a doctor—especially your primary physician—is very... un... wise...*
Seeing the doctor’s malicious glint, alarm bells rang in Feng Zhixi’s head. Then, he heard the "quack" add a subtle instruction: "As for that temporarily marked gland, bite it more often. It’s good for physical and mental health."
Feng Zhixi: "..." *Quack!*
Ji Yeran: "?!"
Having dropped that little bombshell, the doctor’s tone remained light, but he knew very well that the boy’s health was in a precarious state. Thus, before leaving, he exchanged contact information with Ji Yeran, stating that he would be coming by for regular follow-up visits.
Clearly, the doctor had zero trust in this reckless patient. He didn't expect the boy to show up at the hospital voluntarily, so he would just have to take the initiative to come to him. After all, with the Intercollegiate Grand Competition approaching, these two—the school's only participants—couldn't afford any more mishaps!
Filled with a sense of mission, the doctor departed with his round robot. When the villa door closed, it left behind an indignant Feng Zhixi and a Ji Yeran who had acted first and asked for permission later.
Feng Zhixi glared at the man with a cold, icy gaze. Ji Yeran, however, ignored the "death stare" and nonchalantly turned toward the kitchen.
Not long after, Ji Yeran emerged carrying a small plate of pastries, which he placed in front of Feng Zhixi.
On the delicate, plain plate sat a tiny fruit tart. It had a shortcrust base, a generous swirl of fresh cream, and was topped with deep purple berries. It looked decadently sweet. Its only flaw was its size—it was barely two or three bites' worth.
This was the only culinary skill Ji Yeran was actually decent at.
Feng Zhixi looked at the fruit tart, then at Ji Yeran. He let out a soft huff, signaling his dissatisfaction. He wouldn't let a single tart make up for what the man had done!
"Not eating?" Ji Yeran smiled slightly, making a move to take it away.
"I'm eating!" Feng Zhixi quickly shielded his spoils of war, not forgetting to shoot the other man another glare.
*I'll settle the score after I eat!*
Ji Yeran: "..." *This heartless little ingrate. Who exactly am I doing all this for?*
***
The next day, inside the Principal’s office at Benne Military School, the afternoon sun was warm and peaceful. The old Principal, having settled a major concern, was about to enjoy a nice cup of tea when unexpected visitors arrived.
The callers were none other than the two participants for the Intercollegiate Grand Competition: Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran.
The Principal: "..." *I knew I had a bad feeling.*
Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran had come with a clear purpose: the Trial Star Map.
"Star map? What Trial Star Map?" The Principal was utterly confused. He looked at the two students with a blank expression. He had no idea he had any "Trial Star Map" in his possession. Was he truly getting that old?
Lost in thought, the Principal struggled to remember for a long time before it finally clicked. Wait... the Trial Star Map they were talking about was...?
Suddenly realizing something, the Principal’s face paled. He hurriedly accessed the school’s database and pulled up the internal trial system for the Interstellar Combat Command major. His fingers trembled as he searched the system.
Speaking of which, as the flagship major of Benne Military School, the Interstellar Combat Command major had an extremely low admission rate. There had even been years where no one enrolled at all. However, even lower than the admission rate was the graduation rate.
For many consecutive years, students in this major had found the pressure unbearable and were forced to apply for a transfer. For instance, the other three students admitted in the same year as Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran had eventually transferred to other departments, leaving the deans of those departments grinning from ear to ear at their "free" acquisitions.
The Principal: "..." *It’s still infuriating!*
Over the years, Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran were the only two who had passed all the coursework for the Interstellar Combat Command major, even if these two troublemakers had broken every rule in the book.
But these two—the only "stars of hope" for the major—had suddenly dropped out right in the middle of their graduation trial?!
At the time, it had been a bolt from the blue for the Principal, who had placed such high hopes on them. He had already bragged about them to all the other deans!
What was he supposed to do then?!
The Principal felt his face stinging just remembering how he had been humiliated back then.
It wasn't that the Principal was overreacting; it all came down to Benne Military School’s traditions. Unlike other military academies, this prestigious school didn't have "Class Presidents" or "Year Leaders." Instead, it had a "School Chief."
And the only Chief recognized by the entire school had to be a graduate of the Interstellar Combat Command major. However, they hadn't had a true Chief in a very, very, very long time.
Thus, while Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran might not have known the other faculty and students, almost every teacher in the school knew them. To the teachers of Benne, these two were living candidates for the position of Chief—graduates who could actually finish the Interstellar Combat Command curriculum and pass the Principal’s notoriously horrific trials!
*Argh!* Back then, they were worrying about how to choose between the two for the Chief position. In the end, the whole thing blew up, and they were left with nothing!
Because it had been so long since anyone had the ability to trigger the graduation trial, even the Principal hadn't noticed that the trial database had glitched.
Having uncovered the truth, the Principal massaged his temples, wondering how he had accidentally dropped *that* star map into the system. No wonder the two "lights of hope" had dropped out mid-trial; it was because of this.
That star map was something he had obtained by chance. It was inherently fragmented and flawed. *Aargh!*
Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran, who had been "extremely lucky" to draw that specific map from the task pool back then: "..." *We were definitely scammed.*
*So the culprit was actually me?* The Principal’s heart twinged.
Now that he finally knew the reason for their mysterious dropout, the Principal, feeling a bit guilty, waved his hand dismissively. He declared that there was no problem—once they finished the competition, he would give them the Trial Star Map.
He claimed that the tradition of Benne Military School was to spread love and peace; competition came first, friendship second, and the task was very simple~
"..." Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran simultaneously received the Principal’s task: not only did they have to participate in the competition, they had to take first place.
After issuing the task, the Principal felt quite satisfied with his little scheme. This way, the Intercollegiate Grand Competition was covered, and the Trial Star Map represented a restart of the graduation trial. If they succeeded, he would be the Dean of the Interstellar Combat Command major with two graduates!
This achievement would be unprecedented!
The Principal, who was also the host of the Grand Competition, was delighted. Consequently, he decided to court death—no, he decided to do something big!
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
作死 | Court death / Reckless | A common slang term meaning to act in a way that invites disaster or death.
小白眼狼 | Little white-eyed wolf / Ingrate | A term for someone who is ungrateful or turns against those who helped them.
试炼星图 | Trial Star Map | A specific map used for the graduation trials of the Interstellar Combat Command major.
学校首席 | School Chief | The highest-ranking student position at Benne Military School, reserved for top graduates.
高校联合大比 | Intercollegiate Grand Competition | A major tournament between different military academies/universities.
星际作战指挥专业 | Interstellar Combat Command | The elite, flagship major at Benne Military School.
临时标记 | Temporary Mark | An ABO trope where an Alpha marks an Omega temporarily, often providing physiological stability.
庸医 | Quack / Charlatan | A derogatory term for an incompetent doctor.
